This is a reply that stirred my heart, so I lingered in a whirlpool of emotions, unable to recover my senses for quite a while, until thunderous applause erupted in the bar.
It turned out that CC and Luoben had finished their second song, which had been requested by the enthusiastic audience.
I temporarily put my phone back into my pocket and began paying attention to the voting status for CC and Luoben.
Halfway through the voting process, I had already determined that tonight’s “Best Voice” would undoubtedly go to Luoben and CC. After all, they had delivered a high-level performance rarely seen in a bar.
I clapped along with the audience, envying the couple deeply. Besides love, music also bonded them together. Their newly arranged songs “Beginning of Autumn” and “Winter Solstice” were proof of this. Thinking about being able to cast aside worldly distractions with the one you love and finding your soul in music seemed like a rare and precious treasure.
In contrast, Mi Cai and I remained stuck in our own situations. I was always struggling in the whirlpool of reality, while she basked in the spotlight and enjoyed life’s luxuries.
Perhaps this was the root of our ongoing struggles, because next to her luxurious cruise ship, I was merely an unremarkable piece of driftwood—achieving equality seemed too difficult.
…
After the voting ended, Luoben and CC returned to my side. I gave them a thumbs-up and praised, “The transition between those two songs was seamless, and the arrangement was really impressive.”
Luoben maintained his usual air of superiority and merely smiled indifferently.
CC, however, patted my shoulder and asked, “Did Mi Cai reply to your message?”
“She did.”
“What did she say?”
“Can’t you give us a bit of privacy?”
“Oh, suddenly you care about privacy, huh? Fine, I’ll be nice and let you two lovebirds have your intimate moments.”
“That phrase ‘be nice’ was well said!”
CC frowned and said, “Zhaoyang, do you think it’s mean of me to care about you and Mi Cai’s relationship?”
I hurriedly shook my head, indicating that it wasn’t mean at all.
CC then spoke earnestly, “I know you two come from different backgrounds, but in my eyes, that’s not really a problem. As long as the two of you care about each other, even if reality is like a slab of iron, it will eventually become as pliable as silk!”
In my opinion, CC’s view was one-sided because before the iron could soften, Mi Cai and I would still have to endure the trials and hardships brought by the storm.
That’s why Luoben’s statement—that love is a war—makes sense. But it’s not a war between Mi Cai and me, it’s a war against reality, with our vastly different social standings.
…
Tonight’s “Bar’s Best Voice” competition saw CC and Luoben, this well-coordinated duo, effortlessly claim the championship. Naturally, they received a guitar as a prize, along with the nominal privilege of a permanent 50% discount on all bar purchases.
CC immediately gave the guitar to me. I was very happy because with this guitar, I could sing for my guests during my free time.
Around 11 PM, the three of us returned to the hostel. Tongzi was still dutifully sitting at the front desk, attending to the guests.
I felt a bit guilty and said to him, “Go rest first. I’ll take over tonight.”
Tongzi smiled at me and said, “No problem. I can use this time to set up my Taobao shop… Brother Yang, come take a look. Are you satisfied?”
I leaned closer to the computer screen and encouraged him, “It looks pretty good!”
Tongzi chuckled and asked, “Brother Yang, when will our business start to improve? I’ve been on duty for over three hours tonight, and only one guest came. I had to give him a 30% discount, or he probably wouldn’t have stayed!”
“It’s indeed a harsh winter right now, but I’m trying my best to figure things out. We just need to endure this period, and then it will get better… Go rest now, get enough energy, and keep fighting tomorrow.”
Tongzi nodded, said goodbye to CC and Luoben respectively, and then walked to his room.
I sat down in front of the computer and asked the two of them, “How are you going to stay? One room or two?”
Luoben instinctively replied, “Two rooms.”
I looked at CC and felt quite surprised, as I hadn’t expected them not to share a room yet.
CC smiled and said, “Just book two rooms.”
I nodded, took their IDs and checked them in, then said, “You two go rest first. I still have some things to do.”
CC and Luoben acknowledged and headed upstairs, while I finally had a bit of space to myself. I lit a cigarette for leisure.
After smoking half of it, I took out my phone from my pocket and repeatedly read Mi Cai’s reply. Finally, more than an hour later, I replied to her: “Do you still remember what I once said, that I would take you and jump into a river of happiness, swimming all the way to the end?”
She seemed to have been waiting for my reply, responding almost instantly: “Mm… Is it still valid?”
“When I find that river of happiness, it definitely will be.”
“Then you’d better hurry, so I can dedicate my most beautiful years to you.”
At that moment, I became acutely aware, my focus entirely on the small word “dedicate,” which felt so weighty. I dared not feel happy for long because of this word.
I finished the rest of my cigarette and waited a while before replying: “I will strive to find that river of happiness!”
“Mm… I hope there is also a city in the sky above that river, a city you’ve always longed for.”
An image immediately appeared in my mind: on a river of happiness floated a crystal-clear city. They echoed each other, gradually transforming into a dazzling rainbow that fell into my heart.
And so I smiled…
The night grew deeper. I lit another cigarette to dispel my loneliness and fully immersed myself in the work of renovating the hostel.
I browsed various travel websites, collecting reflections written by tourists after visiting Xitang.
I aimed to understand their needs through these reflections. In terms of marketing, I firmly believed that understanding and meeting customer needs was the foundation for gaining commercial benefits.
While browsing, the most common negative feedback I encountered was tourists complaining about being scammed by unscrupulous vendors in Xitang. Not only had they spent money unnecessarily, but their good moods had also been ruined.
I employed reverse thinking, using this as a starting point to quickly identify their needs. Thus, an idea for a “Perfect Travel Package Plan” took shape in my mind.
A storm erupted in my brain, and I rapidly typed on the keyboard, transforming my ideas into words. Before I knew it, the time had reached 3 a.m.
Looking at the freshly completed plan, I exhaled deeply. I had a premonition that our hostel would be revitalized because of this “Perfect Travel Package Plan.”
In an instant, my heart seemed to plunge into an indescribable excitement, racing wildly, chasing the breeze, chasing dawn, chasing the rainbow after the rain…
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