It wasn’t something I needed to hide about Mi Cai’s identity, so I straightforwardly said to Li Xiaoyun, “Have you heard of Zhuomei Shopping Center in Suzhou?”
“Yes, it’s probably the most upscale department store in Suzhou.”
I nodded, “Yes, Zhuomei was founded by Mi Cai’s father, and she currently serves as its CEO.”
Li Xiaoyun was quite surprised, and after a moment of silence, she asked me, “Then you must be under a lot of pressure, right?”
“We come from two different worlds.”
“So what’s going on between you two now?”
I smiled helplessly and said, “Not long ago, we had some conflicts, but she recently went to the United States, and with the distance between us, I don’t know how to define our current relationship.”
Li Xiaoyun nodded without asking further questions. As she remained silent, I increased the car speed a bit more, and soon we returned to the inn.
After getting out of the car, one on each side, Li Xiaoyun stared at me.
Confused, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Your hair hasn’t been cut in a while, right?”
I instinctively touched my hair and replied casually, “It’s not that long!”
“A man must have vigor and spirit; you really should go get it cut.”
“Tomorrow, I haven’t even eaten yet.”
“That’s easy. I’ll cook for you, and you go get a haircut. Then you’ll have something to eat when you come back.”
“You came all the way to Xitang; it’s awkward for me to have you cook for me.”
Li Xiaoyun didn’t seem to mind and urged me, “Go quickly. I don’t want the food to get cold by the time you come back.”
Her persistence left me somewhat helpless, but I agreed. Then, I took her into the inn and introduced her to Tongzi.
Afterward, the two of us left the inn and walked together along the old street of Xitang—she went to buy groceries, while I went to find a barber shop.
Soon, I found a barber shop operating by the roadside. Just as I was about to enter, Li Xiaoyun held me back. She took out a hundred-yuan note from her wallet and handed it to me, saying, “Out of the 1000 yuan I borrowed from you before, there’s 338 yuan left.”
“Are you really planning to repay me this way?”
“Yes, I take it from you, and I return it to you.” Li Xiaoyun pushed the money into my hand again.
I took the money from her hand with a strange feeling, hoping in my heart that I would never need to use this money again because each time I did, it was when I was at the lowest point in my life.
…
Following the barber’s suggestion, I got a short, fluffy haircut, which cost me 30 yuan. But it was worth it, as I looked much more energetic than before.
Returning to my inn, Li Xiaoyun had already prepared several home-style dishes and was chatting with Tongzi while waiting for me.
I deliberately combed my hair in front of them, showing off a bit.
Li Xiaoyun looked at me and nodded approvingly, “Not bad; the barber did a good job.”
I combed my hair again and then sat down beside the two of them.
Tongzi leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Brother Yang, several women have come here, but she’s the only one who cooks for you!”
I looked at Li Xiaoyun, and once again, a complex emotion welled up inside me. Indeed, compared to Jian Wei, Mi Cai, and Leyao, she was just an ordinary woman, but she was also the most genuine one.
Li Xiaoyun served me a bowl of rice and signaled me to eat quickly.
I nodded and began devouring the food without even having time to say thank you. Her home-cooked meals truly made me feel like I was eating at home, without a hint of the unsettled feeling of being adrift.
…
After finishing dinner and washing the dishes, during this rare moment of leisure, I sat with Li Xiaoyun on a small balcony, chatting and reminiscing.
Looking at the Xitang River across from us, Li Xiaoyun said, “Zhaoyang, the environment here is really nice. No wonder many young people with artistic aspirations are flocking to open inns in Xitang.”
“Opening an inn in Xitang has nothing to do with my artistic inclinations.”
“Then what is it related to?”
“Money… I want to earn enough to improve my life.”
“Have you earned it yet?”
I shook my head and, out of habit, lit a cigarette. Halfway through the cigarette, the power suddenly went out.
I stood up and looked around. The entire street had lost power, not just our inn.
Because of the blackout, many guests gathered by the Xitang River, releasing floating lanterns. Looking at the river glittering with lights, I actually had the illusion of returning to an ancient lantern festival.
I went to the storage room and found several candle lamps with shades, lit them, and hung them on a pillar. Thus, the space between Li Xiaoyun and me was once again covered in candlelight.
Sitting back down, I lit the cigarette I had only half-smoked earlier and asked Li Xiaoyun, “Where were we talking about before?”
“You told me you shook your head when I asked if you had made money from this inn, and then the power went out.”
“This power outage is well-timed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just like my life, there’s not a glimmer of light.”
Li Xiaoyun looked at the hanging candle lamp and said, “Isn’t that light?”
“It counts, just a bit dim.”
Li Xiaoyun looked at me seriously and said, “If that’s the case, it seems you really have high hopes for this inn, because the light from this candle lamp can’t satisfy you.”
“Yes… I want to turn this inn into a nationally renowned chain of inns in scenic areas.”
“It’s good for a man to have dreams and aspirations. I support you.”
“Thank you.”
Li Xiaoyun smiled and said, “Since I said I support you, it definitely can’t be just verbal support.”
“There’s also spiritual support!”
Li Xiaoyun shook her head and didn’t say much. Instead, she pulled out a bank card from her wallet and handed it to me.
“Why are you giving me a bank card?”
“I heard from your friend (Tongzi) that you still haven’t figured out the 70,000 yuan rent for this year. There’s 100,000 yuan on this card; use it first.”
I didn’t reach out to take it but asked her, “Where did you get so much money?”
“I don’t have big expenses in my daily life; it’s just some savings… Originally, I was saving it for a down payment on a house when I get married, but I don’t need it for now, so you can use it to tide over this emergency.”
“No, I really can’t accept this money from you.”
“It’s not a loan to you, but a loan to your dreams and aspirations.”
“Xiaoyun, do you really think I can succeed in Xitang?”
“As long as you hold on to your dreams and strive for them, you’ve already succeeded halfway. Besides, your hidden potential is the other half of success, so you will definitely succeed.”
“Thank you. I really need this kind of affirmation right now.”
Li Xiaoyun smiled again and placed the bank card in my hand, saying, “It’s getting late; I’ll go rest first.”
“Wait a moment.”
I called out, then reached out and grabbed Li Xiaoyun’s clothes. The bank card I held in my hand had already discreetly slipped into her pocket.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know if the power will come back on tonight. Take a candle lamp to your room for lighting.”
…
Li Xiaoyun left with a candle lamp in hand, while I remained seated on the small balcony. I didn’t regret not accepting the 100,000 yuan she offered. Because I shouldn’t have accepted that money from her—it was truly unacceptable…
The night deepened, and the candlelight from the lamp grew dimmer, but a flame ignited in my heart, illuminating the previously darkened world with a brilliant light. Inspired by this flame, I made a vow: no matter how difficult it might be, I would continue to run this inn and make it successful… because I dared not betray the trust represented by that 100,000 yuan from Li Xiaoyun!
Leaning close to the candle lamp, I opened the shade and used the flame to light another cigarette. I once again weighed who I should borrow the 70,000 yuan from.
I clearly understood: if I couldn’t borrow the money within a short time, Li Xiaoyun would still give me the money she had saved for her dowry to help me through this urgent situation.
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