I ran westward along the riverside toward where the sun was setting. The sky was only slightly dimming, yet the ancient streetlights lining the road, as if by prior agreement, had all turned on simultaneously. Their light reflected onto the bluestone path, flickering between brightness and shadow, giving the already off-season West Creek a faintly lazy atmosphere.
In sharp contrast to this idleness was my sweating self running hard. This stretch of road wasn’t too long, but wasn’t short either. For me, who rarely exercised, it was enough to leave me breathless and drenched in sweat.
About ten minutes later, I finally saw Mi Cai and that woman in red on the opposite bank. They were sitting side by side on the stone steps beside a willow tree. Mi Cai handed the woman a white ear of corn, which she accepted with a smile. Sitting closely together, they began chatting and laughing. The gentle breeze, which refused to stop blowing even for a moment, flirted playfully with their reflections on the river’s surface. The scene before me was like a painting—so beautiful that words failed to describe it.
After a while, I shouted across the river, past the black-painted boats: “Hey ladies, look over here… look over here!”
The woman in red and Mi Cai both lifted their heads at the same time. And the scattered tourists nearby also paused in their steps at that very moment, though whether it was because of their beauty or my strange, almost folk-song-like shouting, no one could tell.
Mi Cai smiled at me, but the woman in red looked at me with obvious disdain, saying, “There’s a bridge just ten meters ahead. If you have something to say, come over here first. What are you shouting for?”
Instantly deflated by her words, I suddenly understood more deeply the meaning of the saying, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” Mi Cai smiled at me, while the other, from across the river, scolded me directly!
As I walked toward the stone bridge that would take me to the other side, Mi Cai and the woman in red remained closely huddled together, whispering with smiles on their faces. Heaven only knows what they were talking about, but I really wanted to eavesdrop. After all, the mysterious world of goddesses always holds a strong allure for men.
Soon, I reached the other side of the bridge and stood quietly behind the two, hoping to overhear their conversation. But the woman in red still looked annoyed. She frowned and said, “Could you keep some distance, please? You reek of alcohol!”
I took a few steps back and stood beside Mi Cai, keeping a bit of distance. But I didn’t want to leave because I hoped to listen in, and perhaps even join their conversation to share some of my own views—proving that even though I smelled of alcohol, I was still fully conscious.
But the woman in red wasn’t done with me yet. She continued coldly, “Do you call that keeping distance? I wouldn’t even need to get up to kick you. Then you could just swim around in the West Creek River!”
I felt a bit awkward, but quickly responded with a quick wit, wrapping my arm around Mi Cai, and said, “Compared to this kind of closeness, isn’t that already some distance? Besides, with your little twig-like legs, you’d better think twice before trying to kick me, or you might break something!”
She glared at me coldly: “Why don’t you try me…?”
I couldn’t quite figure out her temper, but the look on her face suggested she might actually do it. I didn’t want to argue with a woman, so I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned to Mi Cai and asked, “What do you feel like eating tonight? We should probably start looking for a place.”
Mi Cai turned to the woman in red for suggestions, and the two began discussing seriously, evaluating whose dishes were better and whose weren’t. It was exactly the kind of thing best friends would do. At that moment, these two women, somewhat detached from reality, actually seemed quite lovely—without too much pride or business-like attitude. All they cared about was whether they could enjoy a delicious, satisfying dinner that night.
…
After the three of us finished dinner, I suggested going to Ah Feng’s bar for a drink. At first, both women said they were tired, but eventually agreed after my earnest invitation. When we arrived at the bar, the event had already begun, and the small space was packed with tourists who had come specifically for it.
Ah Feng seemed to have been waiting for us. Amid the crowd, he spotted us immediately, came over, greeted us warmly, and offered us free drinks and refreshments. But Mi Cai insisted I shouldn’t drink anymore. She politely declined Ah Feng’s offer on my behalf and ordered a glass of plain water for me. This small gesture moved me deeply. In fact, she could truly be a considerate girlfriend, but we had spent too little time together for her to show me much care and attention in daily life.
From the bottom of my heart, I really hoped that we could live a quiet and simple life in a place like West Creek—playing guitar for the guests, visiting Ah Feng’s bar at night for some fun, without worrying about the troubles of chasing fame and fortune.
Speaking of chasing fame and fortune, I couldn’t quite figure out why Mi Cai placed so much importance on Zhuo Mei. Was it because of her father Mi Zhongxin’s request, or was it her own pursuit of commercial status, or perhaps a combination of both? Regardless of her motivation, I would never interfere. I wanted her to be a free woman in love, which was one of the few things I could truly offer her.
Thinking about it, I really was quite a failure. So much time had passed, and I hadn’t really accomplished anything significant. Yet I still couldn’t learn to pretend to accept everything that Jian Wei had secretly given me.
Holding my cup of water, I gazed absentmindedly at the crowd in the bar who were now fully immersed in the fun and excitement. At this moment, Mi Cai and the woman in red had already accepted Ah Feng’s invitation and were about to go on stage to perform the theme song of the evening’s event, “You’ve Been Playing All Along.”
After Mi Cai, holding her guitar, and the woman in red walked onto the stage side by side, the entire venue fell silent immediately. Then, applause and cheers erupted—it was as expected. When these two women appeared together, the wave of excitement caused by their beauty was undoubtedly overwhelming!
I put down my cup and clapped along with the crowd. In truth, I was really looking forward to their performance. The harmony part of this song was a highlight. I was very familiar with Mi Cai’s voice and tone, but I knew nothing about the woman in red. I was curious how her unknown voice would blend with Mi Cai’s, creating what kind of chemistry.
Mi Cai whispered something into the woman in red’s ear, who responded, and Mi Cai nodded. I knew they had decided on the tone they would use. My anticipation grew even stronger, and I clapped even harder. This was what it meant to love someone—feeling excited, proud, and a little nervous with every move she made, worried that she might make a mistake.
Finally, Mi Cai’s slender fingers began strumming the guitar strings. The drummer and bassist behind her followed her rhythm and entered the mood. To set the atmosphere, all the lights inside the bar stopped moving, and the venue fell silent once again. Everyone was now immersed in the comfortable opening melody…
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