After finishing the conversation about Mi Cai, Luo Ben and I had some more beers. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the rain seemed to intensify. Luo Ben gazed out at it absentmindedly, and after a long pause, he sighed, “Zhaoyang, this rain is doing you a favor. Even if you brought a hunting dog, you wouldn’t find her now!”
“Haha, our business has really broken your idle heart into pieces!”
“If I don’t worry about you, who will?”
I looked at Luo Ben, raised my glass silently, and said nothing more. Then I felt the sound of the rain become even clearer.
That afternoon, Luo Ben and I stayed for a long time at “Kong Cheng Li,” drinking quite a bit. Surprisingly, the usually quiet Luo Ben shared many of his recent reflections on life with me. Meanwhile, I, who usually enjoys expressing myself, remained silent throughout, distractedly watching the people on the street holding umbrellas and walking by.
As we were about to part ways, Luo Ben gave me a uniquely shaped umbrella. Its shape somewhat resembled a tobacco pipe, and several of its ribs were broken, causing one side of the umbrella to cave in slightly. He told me: “This umbrella is great—it draws attention. If you’re really lucky and run into Mi Cai on the street, you won’t miss her thanks to this umbrella’s high visibility.” I thought Luo Ben made sense, so I accepted it gladly. Yet I couldn’t help imagining what kind of umbrella Mi Cai might carry and whether I might miss her tragically because her umbrella would hide her from view.
Damn, this rain really sucks!
…
After leaving “Kong Cheng Li” music restaurant, I didn’t go back to the company. Instead, I returned to my one-bedroom apartment, found the sweatshirt I had bought during college with the words “Sadness and Niu Bi” printed on it. Truthfully, there wasn’t any particular meaning behind it—it just had the word “Sadness” on the back and “Niu Bi” on the front. Inspired by Luo Ben, I decided to wear it again because it easily drew attention. I was determined to seize any sliver of hope, because my affection for her had peeled away its superficial layers and transformed into true love. I needed her by my side to help me rebuild the shattered city.
After changing clothes, it was already evening. I drove to Pingjiang Road, intending to start my search from there. It was close to the bustling downtown area, which meant a lot of people. Finding her there would be most difficult, so I believed the possibility of her showing up there was much higher than anywhere else—at least that’s what I thought. Perhaps she was in one of the coffee shops along this road right now.
I bought a glass of pomegranate juice, opened the strange umbrella, and walked down the alley lined with white walls and black-tiled roofs, occasionally leaning into shop windows, hoping for a pleasant surprise. But surprises are a luxury, so I kept experiencing disappointment—until I had walked the entire length of the alley.
Walking along the lively Guanqian Street, my umbrella and sweatshirt indeed drew many curious glances. Some people thought I was performing performance art, and even followed me for a while, only to leave disappointed when they saw nothing unusual. I was even more disappointed because in such a bustling crowd, finding one person was nearly impossible!
As dusk fell and the streetlights flickered on in the rain, my mood gradually sank, giving way to a strong sense of despair. I sat on a bench at the bus stop, holding the umbrella, helplessly watching the traffic rush by…
A red Cadillac pulled up at the bus stop. Jian Wei rolled down her window and asked, “Zhaoyang, are you waiting for the bus? Don’t wait anymore. Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride!”
I looked at her in surprise, not expecting to meet her in this busy district. This unexpected encounter reignited hope in my heart. I believed that if I could run into Jian Wei, why couldn’t I also run into Mi Cai?
A bus was approaching from behind, and Jian Wei honked, urging me to hurry up and get in. Since I had planned to go to another district, I got into her car. She immediately drove off, leaving the stop for the bus.
Driving and glancing at me, Jian Wei said, “What got into you? Why are you wearing such a strange sweatshirt?”
Instinctively, I looked down. The word “Niu Bi” still stood out clearly. After a while, I couldn’t figure out how to explain it to her. She frowned again and asked, “Didn’t you go to the office this afternoon?”
Instantly, I understood what she meant. After all, I would never wear such an outfit to work. I replied, “No, I wasn’t at the office. I’ve been at Kong Cheng Li restaurant all afternoon. Luo Ben came back.”
“Zhaoyang, in principle, I shouldn’t interfere too much in your personal life. After all, you are the founder of Luck. But at this critical moment, I still hope you can focus more on the company. Honestly, no entrepreneur in the early stages of starting a business should have so much free time to deal with personal matters!”
I remained silent. In truth, I wasn’t satisfied with my work attitude either. And the fact that I could establish Luck wasn’t entirely my own achievement. One could imagine that without Yang Congrong and Jian Wei, it would have taken me at least three to five years to reach the current scale of operations. My current lax behavior was indeed a waste of resources. And if such waste continued unchecked, the future might bring serious consequences… But how should I say this? This is human nature—we don’t appreciate what we haven’t struggled hard for. Moreover, my current “artistic path” has deviated greatly from what I had originally envisioned, which is also a major reason why I tend to be passive and indifferent.
Jian Wei didn’t press me further but asked again, “Why were you waiting at the bus stop? Where’s your car?”
“Don’t ask so many questions… Just drop me off at the old neighborhood I used to live in.”
Jian Wei just looked at me without saying more, accelerated the car, and drove onto the elevated highway with the flow of traffic. At that moment, the sky turned completely dark. It wouldn’t be long before this night passed entirely, and I could only keep my promise to myself—to silently wish her happiness from now on.
…
Jian Wei parked the car at the entrance of the residential complex. After thanking her, I picked up the uniquely shaped umbrella and prepared to open the car door. Jian Wei called me back: “Zhaoyang, wait a second…”
“Is there anything else?”
“Nothing special. I just want to remind you to pay more attention to the company’s affairs, so that I and Uncle Yang can have more confidence in supporting this project. Okay?”
I looked at her and nodded. Then I opened the door, raised the umbrella, and walked alone into the residential complex. I held onto a faint hope and wanted to check out our old place. Perhaps she would come here to reminisce too, since it was where we first met…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage