I stood in front of Li Xiaoyun, who was already holding her car keys taken from her handbag, dressed in professional attire. She looked at me with some surprise and asked, “Are you waiting for me?”
“Just passing by.”
Li Xiaoyun smiled and asked again, “When did you come back?”
“This afternoon.”
“Oh, I guess it must be for company matters. By the way, the cafes and bars your company opened in Xuzhou are really great. My boyfriend and I specially got VIP cards. We usually go there on weekends.”
“Really? Actually, our bars and cafes have a very clear positioning, targeting high-end white-collar workers like you who value quality consumption. If you enjoy going there, it proves that our market development in Xuzhou has been quite successful,” I said to her with a smile.
Li Xiaoyun nodded, “You’ve always had a talent for commercial marketing. Seeing your achievements now, I’m genuinely happy for you as a friend. Keep it up! I look forward to seeing more feature reports about you in authoritative magazines.”
I was briefly silent before I said, “Do you have time? If so, let’s go to the cafe at our company. I’ll treat you to a cup of coffee.”
Li Xiaoyun hesitated slightly but eventually agreed. I understood her concerns and why she accepted. After all, I only returned once every six months. If we could remain friends after our amicable breakup, opportunities like this to hang out together were truly rare. In fact, we could be friends because we had parted ways peacefully, and our families also had a good relationship. Since we met by chance, having a meal or a drink together didn’t need to be overthought. Being able to chat about each other’s current lives with a former partner with a forgiving heart was also a valuable experience.
…
At Lukoo’s themed cafe in Xuzhou, Li Xiaoyun and I sat facing each other. There was no awkwardness or discomfort. We drank our coffee and chatted casually. I asked her, “I heard from my dad that you’re getting married on New Year’s Day?”
Li Xiaoyun took a sip of her coffee and nodded, confirming, “Yes.”
“Then I’ll wish you a happy new marriage in advance.”
Li Xiaoyun smiled and said, “What? You’re not planning to attend my wedding? I will definitely send you an invitation, and don’t tell me you don’t have time off because it’s New Year’s Day!”
“If you invite me, I will definitely make time to come back for your wedding.”
“Great, then it’s settled. Oh, and you can’t come alone—you have to bring your girlfriend too.”
“She probably won’t be able to make it.” I thought for a moment before replying because New Year’s Day was only a few days after Christmas, and by then she would still be in the U.S., making the final push for Zhuomei’s IPO.
My sincere answer made Li Xiaoyun smile knowingly before she said, “So you do have a girlfriend. But your parents still don’t know, right? Come on, who is she?”
That was when I remembered that Li Xiaoyun and my parents’ information was synchronized. But it didn’t matter if she knew that Mi Cai and I had gotten back together. I always believed she was a reliable friend, so I replied, “Actually, Mi Cai and I got back together more than two months ago, but I haven’t told my parents yet.”
Li Xiaoyun looked suddenly enlightened and sighed, “No wonder your parents still think you’re single. But why didn’t you tell them? This is good news!”
“I’ll tell them when the time is right.”
Li Xiaoyun nodded, “I understand. You two have had your ups and downs, so your parents need time to accept it. But seeing that lovebirds finally reunite, congratulations are definitely in order.”
“Thank you!”
Li Xiaoyun smiled slightly, and we fell into a brief silence. We both looked out the window at the city covered in nightfall. I instinctively lit a cigarette, and as usual, Li Xiaoyun didn’t show any signs of disapproval. Instead, she pushed the ashtray on her side toward me.
I turned to look at her. I couldn’t help but recall the thoughtfulness and sense of security she had given me when we were together. I still remembered how destitute I had been when we met on a blind date in a multi-functional cafe… Yes, when I recall our brief romance, I can say this: Back then, I stood before her, covered in the garbage life had thrown at me, but she didn’t mind. Instead, she took me in, kissed my face, and praised me for having clean hair…
This was the most sentimental analogy I had ever made, but it truly reflected our relationship. Back then, I had almost shamelessly asked her to treat me and borrowed money from her on our first blind date. Instead of looking down on me, she recognized my potential and introduced me to her company. Even after I gave up on our relationship and returned to Suzhou, she still used that 1000 yuan to help me improve my image several times, washing my hair… Now she has found her own happiness and is getting married. I should genuinely wish her happiness.
I stubbed out the cigarette and smiled at her, saying, “Xiaoyun… I wish you happiness!”
“Oh come on, why so sentimental?”
I clenched my hand into a fist and tapped it against my heart, saying, “I don’t know how sentimental this sounds, but it comes from the heart. Please accept it!”
“Alright… I also sincerely wish you happiness. Oh, and will you return to Xuzhou to live in the future? Your parents only have you as their son, and you don’t have many relatives. Sometimes I see them and feel they’re really lonely.”
“I will try to come back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to my parents buying a house in Xuzhou. After all, a house is not a toy.”
“Ha ha, for the current Zhaoyang, buying a house is really not a big burden, right?”
I shook my head seriously, “The company has been in an investment phase and hasn’t reached the point of dividends yet. We’re basically living off our salaries and don’t have much savings.”
“Your company is doing so well now, handling projects worth millions, so there will definitely be dividends someday. When that day comes, General Manager Zhao will still leave us ordinary people far behind.”
I smiled without saying much. Li Xiaoyun looked at her watch and said to me, “Zhaoyang, I have an appointment with my boyfriend at 6:30 p.m. to look at appliances for our wedding at the mall. I’ll have to leave you now… If you’re still here tomorrow, my husband and I will treat you to dinner and introduce you to each other.”
Unconsciously, Li Xiaoyun had already changed her boyfriend’s name to husband, and through this, I could see how solid the relationship she was currently in was. In fact, I really wanted to meet her fiancé, but my schedule was too tight, so I could only wait until her wedding to get to know each other. I said to her, “Next time then, I have to leave early tomorrow morning…” I paused and continued, “Remember to send me the wedding invitation in time. No matter how busy I am, I will come back to wish you both happiness.”
From the beginning of our meeting until now, Li Xiaoyun finally gazed at me for a while before nodding slowly, still with her peaceful smile, saying, “I will send it to you in advance… and I also sincerely hope that you and Mi Cai can firmly hold on to that destined, extraordinary love… Remember, no matter how difficult it gets, you must walk the path you chose in the beginning well.”
I exhaled deeply and looked at her with the most determined smile. I believed that, with our past missed opportunities, we would definitely fulfill this moment of mutual expectations for each other…
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