Chen Jingming left the teahouse with what he considered a generous gift. I sat there alone for a while longer, feeling anxious about my recent encounter with Mi Cai. I wondered: what kind of life is she living now? After finishing a day’s work, does she walk hand-in-hand with Weiran on the streets of Suzhou at night, exchanging a few tender words?
Regardless of whether she does or not, whenever this scene appears in my mind, my heart feels shattered!
So, I lit another cigarette to try to improve my mood, but the wound in my heart only widened further. I became increasingly agitated and resentful toward Mi Cai, who had given me the hope of marriage, only to destroy it herself. I felt so miserable now, and no one could rescue me from this sadness… I felt deeply helpless, unable to recall those once sweet and melting memories.
After leaving the teahouse, I wandered aimlessly on the street. After being torn apart by love, I enjoyed the feeling of being swallowed by the crowd, because it made me forget my emotions, feeling like a mere speck of dust in the vast sea of people, easily and painlessly blown away by any gust of wind or rain.
I sat on a park bench for a while when my phone rang. I checked the caller ID and saw it was Jian Wei, probably calling to discuss tomorrow’s company opening.
I stubbed out my cigarette, tried to focus, and answered the call, saying, “Good evening.”
Jian Wei skipped the pleasantries and asked directly, “Where are you?”
I looked around and replied, “Sitting under a streetlight.”
“Under which streetlight? I’m coming to find you now!”
“Under the streetlight opposite Modern Times.”
“Don’t move. I’m coming right now.”
…
About half an hour later, Jian Wei pulled up in her old Cadillac, which she still hadn’t replaced. She opened the trunk, grabbed many shopping bags, and came over, saying, “I’ve bought you a new outfit to wear at tomorrow’s opening ceremony. Let’s go to the clothes store across the street and try it on to see if it fits.”
“Jian, you’re so busy running a company, you really don’t have to go to this trouble!”
“What trouble? You’re my business partner. Your image represents mine, and more importantly, the company’s image. It can’t be careless. Oh, by the way, I’ve invited many media outlets from Shanghai and the local area to attend tomorrow’s event. Be prepared to answer their questions.”
Before I could respond, Jian Wei grabbed my arm and started walking across the street. This unintentional gesture made me feel a bit dazed, as if I were seeing the past again—every time there was a school performance, she would prepare my costume. Back then, she always did it with a bit of admiration for me. Now, although she was still doing this for me, our roles had switched. I was the one admiring her, and she had become a rising businesswoman, while I was just a novice.
We quickly arrived at the clothing store across the street. After explaining our purpose, the store manager readily agreed to let us use the fitting room. Jian Wei carried the bags and walked with me toward the fitting room.
I felt a bit awkward and said, “You don’t have to come in…”
Jian Wei suddenly seemed to realize something, silently handed me the bags, and I gave her an awkward smile before taking them and entering the fitting room.
I opened the bags and looked inside. Jian Wei had carefully selected top international men’s brands for me, perfectly coordinated. Especially the Patek Philippe watch, whose design harmonized perfectly with the lines of the outfit. I felt moved, nostalgic, and also a bit sad. She was no longer my woman, and this feeling of gratitude could only exist on the basis of our professional relationship. It made me think that humans really shouldn’t have memories!
Soon, I came out of the store wearing the new outfit. Jian Wei carefully helped me tie my tie and looked at me in the mirror, nodding with satisfaction. “Good… very good. You look like a rising star in the business world!”
“It’s all thanks to your good taste…”
Jian Wei smiled, then picked out a women’s outfit for herself in the store as a gesture of gratitude for using the fitting room. This reciprocal gesture delighted the store manager, who kept praising us as a perfect match. We didn’t bother explaining anything and just exchanged smiles. Actually, our ability to smile at each other proved that we had already let go of that distant past, which now only existed in our memories.
…
After saying goodbye to Jian Wei, my night began repeating the same pattern. I was still walking alone on the neon-lit streets, but now with many shopping bags in hand, proving that someone had visited me and that I had briefly escaped loneliness.
I still didn’t want to go home because I felt nervous. Tomorrow’s opening ceremony was not only attended by media but also by celebrities from Shanghai and Suzhou. I had never been the main character in such a grand event before. I needed to calm myself down.
I never thought we would meet again like this on the street, but we really did meet tonight. It seemed like fate, because after breaking up for so long, we had never had the chance to meet again…
She was wearing a white T-shirt, rarely dressed in a more casual pair of jeans, and on her feet were ordinary canvas shoes with many buttons. Most noticeable was the compact camera in her hand, searching for the city’s neon lights through its lens…
Perhaps I appeared in her lens. She lowered the camera and looked at me among the crowd. She smiled, making the entire street seem surreal, so that my eyes could only see her and the light’s shadow.
She put the compact camera into her handbag and walked toward me. I said, “There are two kinds of people who always like to carry cameras with them.”
“I know one kind is me. What about the other?”
“Jay Chou.”
She smiled…
“Of course, you take pictures of street scenes and crowds, while he only photographs women. That’s the difference between you two.”
“I once took pictures of you too!”
I widened my eyes and said, “Perverted.”
She finally couldn’t help but laugh, and the awkwardness of our chance encounter was eased by my teasing. She seemed to be in a good mood, which I could tell from her smile. Maybe it had something to do with her upcoming wedding, or perhaps with Zhuo Mei’s imminent IPO. Although I wasn’t sure, it was definitely one of the two!
I adjusted the shoulder bag on me, responded to her with a smile, and was about to pass by her with a casual attitude. I loved her, but I was afraid to see her.
“Wait, Zhaoyang…”
I instinctively stopped and turned around, asking, “What? Are you planning to take more photos of me?”
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