At the moment when the man said that he would provide one million to keep “West of the Old Town” running, all those present who were listening felt a beautiful sense of gratitude. I knew that “West of the Old Town,” this cafe filled with sadness and despair, had never lost its vitality. It always used its unique charm to touch more people, helping them understand the genuine and kind aspects of the world.
At this moment, Xia Fanye finally finished brewing two cups of coffee and carried them to the young couple. The man took off his backpack and, filled with gratitude, took out a bank card and handed it to Xia Fanye, saying, “Master Xia, this is my heartfelt gift. Please accept it on behalf of West of the Old Town. I hope West of the Old Town will continue to flourish and help more people discover the true meaning of life and love!”
Xia Fanye shook his head and did not take the bank card from the man’s hand. He said, “Your life has improved now. You should repay me the ten thousand yuan I gave you before, but I cannot accept the rest of the money. In fact, everyone carries their own version of West of the Old Town in their heart. If you still believe in true love and beauty in this world, you should use this money to create your own West of the Old Town. That is the real meaning behind my help back then…”
Xia Fanye’s artistic temperament made him speak too subtly, making his words hard to understand. The man looked thoughtful, but I had already grasped his meaning. I patted the man’s shoulder and said, “West of the Old Town isn’t about clinging to the past—it’s more like a torch being passed on. Therefore, it needs more people who have experienced enlightenment at West of the Old Town to spread its spirit far and wide.”
The man finally nodded and sincerely said to Xia Fanye, “However, I recently heard that the shop was struggling to continue operations and you considered closing it. I really want to help you out.”
Xia Fanye smiled and looked at me, saying, “This friend has already helped me resolve all my troubles. West of the Old Town can continue operating and will not shut down!”
The man excitedly grabbed my hand and said, “So you are the benefactor of the benefactor!”
Caught off guard by his sudden gratitude, I struggled to respond. Yet, in my heart, I felt that using the company Lukui to protect the operation of “West of the Old Town” was the right decision. Perhaps an unintentional act of mine could help someone far away, preventing them from being crushed by the despair of life.
Finally, I said to the man, “Actually, we are the same. Both of us have salvaged nearly lost love at this West of the Old Town. We should be equally grateful for this cafe…” As I spoke, I held Mi Cai’s hand and continued, “This is my girlfriend. We once broke up because we weren’t mature enough, but fortunately, we also encountered West of the Old Town, heard this story, and realized that we could still love each other again.”
The man nodded with deep feeling… but further words of shared experience were unnecessary. I simply told him, “Please take this money back. I will take care of things here. I look forward to the day when I see your own West of the Old Town.”
After I expressed my stance, the man finally put the bank card back into his backpack. He repeatedly told Xia Fanye to contact him if help was needed. This time, Xia Fanye did not refuse and gave him a definite reply. Thus, this unexpected story of the evening came to a temporary end.
At this moment, I finally felt the desire to sing again. I stretched my stiff body, picked up CC’s guitar, pushed open the door, and walked outside the cafe. The others followed me out. With a surging heart, I tore through the dull night with a powerful voice…
…
When the concert ended, it was already 10:30 PM. Mi Cai and I found a small food stall on the street and decided to grab a late-night snack.
Perhaps because the weather was getting colder, the streets were nearly empty at this hour. This rare tranquility gradually calmed my restless mood. I took off my jacket and covered Mi Cai’s legs to keep her warm.
Soon, the owner of the food stall brought us two cups of soy milk and a plate of deep-fried dough sticks. Mi Cai only drank the soy milk. I knew she didn’t like eating greasy things like dough sticks in the evening. The reason she joined me for this late-night snack was simply to spend more time with me before going to the United States.
I drank half of the soy milk and finally looked at her seriously, saying, “There’s something I want to hear your opinion about…”
“What is it?”
I paused slightly, then placed the soy milk aside and instinctively lit a cigarette, saying, “Actually, the other day when I met Yang Congrong in Beijing, I discussed stepping down from Lukui…”
Mi Cai didn’t show surprise. She turned her cup in her hands and asked, “Why do you want to leave Lukui? Isn’t it your life’s work?”
I asked doubtfully, “Do you really think it’s my life’s work?”
“You shouldn’t be so self-deprecating. At least the Fifth Season Bar and the two inns in Xitang were all built by you. In my eyes, you have put in a lot of effort…”
I didn’t speak but recalled in my mind what I had actually done before finally saying to her, “What I’ve done truly isn’t much. At least not enough to deserve everything I have now… Yang Congrong and Jian Wei have unimaginably ambitious business goals. I’m struggling to keep up with their pace.”
I looked at Mi Cai after speaking. Actually, I hadn’t told her the real reason I wanted to leave Lukui, because Jian Wei was the biggest taboo in our relationship.
Mi Cai was silent for a while before saying, “Actually, the real reason you want to leave is because you can’t accept Jian Wei’s help, and you also care about my feelings, fearing that I might misunderstand you as I did before.”
I looked at her, filled with surprise, but this surprise only lasted a moment because there were many things Mi Cai simply didn’t want to spell out. Often, she also considered my feelings and avoided discussing overly sensitive topics.
I didn’t speak, but I had already silently admitted that her guess was the main reason I wanted to leave Lukui.
Mi Cai nodded slightly and softly said, “Zhaoyang, our relationship has been through many ups and downs, and through these challenges, we should both learn to grow… I know: you are actually a self-disciplined man. Sometimes I was just too sensitive… I admit: at first, I felt a bit uncomfortable when you started Lukui with Jian Wei, but these things happened after we broke up. I should trust you. Especially after tonight, I understand more about the meaning of Lukui and your pursued ideals. I shouldn’t let my selfishness affect your dreams… Therefore, compared to these, those selfish thoughts seem quite ridiculous…”
Mi Cai paused slightly, then smiled at me and said, “More importantly: I believe that after hearing the story of West of the Old Town, you won’t become a man who betrays love! This is my trust in West of the Old Town, and also my trust in you… So, go ahead and realize your dreams. I will become the proudest woman in the world who admires you the most!!…”
At this moment, I suddenly felt that the city that had drifted far away was approaching me again… and gradually, I could see clearly the woman within that city!
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