CC handed the phone to Mi Cai. Before she could speak, I asked her with a hint of reproach, “Where have you been? Your phone was even turned off!”

Mi Cai replied in a very calm tone, “I’ve been a bit tired recently, so I took a week off to South Korea. I didn’t bring the phone you called with me.”

Mi Cai’s indifference suddenly calmed me down, making me realize that I had indeed been overly anxious. After a long silence, I responded with a simple “Oh”.

“CC told me that you’ve been anxiously looking for me?”

I was taken aback and replied, “Really? I was just concerned, not anxious.”

“CC said so. Is CC lying?” Mi Cai’s tone was somewhat teasing, as if she wanted to expose my pretense.

I suddenly said in annoyance, “So what if I was anxious? So what if I was worried about you?…”

My sudden outburst left Mi Cai speechless for a while before she said, “Thank you for worrying about me.”

“You’re welcome. I just felt sorry for you being alone. Nothing more.” I said in a resentful tone, unable to pinpoint where my anger came from. It might have been because I was annoyed that she saw through my pretense of not being anxious, or because I was upset at her indifference, while I had been anxious all day.

Mi Cai’s mood suddenly dropped, possibly because my words “I just felt sorry for you being alone” had hurt her. After a while, she said softly, “I don’t need your pity… If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up.”

“Wait, don’t hang up yet.” I hurriedly said.

“What is it?”

I was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, my tone was a bit harsh just now. I was just… just afraid something might happen to you!”

“What does it have to do with you if something happens to me?” Mi Cai replied in a not-so-good mood.

“Can you not say that?”

“Then I don’t know what to say… That’s it, I’m hanging up. You don’t have to worry about me, I can live well on my own!” Mi Cai finished without giving me a chance to respond, and directly hung up the phone.

I was somewhat dazed, listening to the hang-up tone from the phone. Finally, I came to my senses and dialed again, but this time it was CC who answered.

CC, who probably hadn’t heard my conversation with Mi Cai, asked in confusion, “Why are you calling again?”

“Uh… If you have time, please spend more time with Mi Cai. She’s alone and…” I didn’t finish the word “pitiful”.

CC seemed to understand and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll become her close friend.”

I smiled and asked, “For me?”

“Of course not, because she’s a woman who can fascinate other women.”

I hurriedly said, “Don’t you dare have any ideas about her, think about Robben… think about Robben!”

CC laughed heartily and said, “You really reminded me, anyway, Robben has no feelings for me…”

“Wake up, you female rogue!”

“Alright, I won’t joke with you anymore. When I have time, I’ll invite her to the restaurant or go shopping.”

“Okay, after she finishes her meal later, you send her home. I’m a bit worried about her being alone so late…”

Before I could finish, CC interrupted, “Zhao Yang, when did you become so nagging?”

I subconsciously replied, “Did I?”

“Of course, I don’t want to listen to your nagging anymore, I’m hanging up!”

“You hang up… By the way, don’t forget what I said!”

“Here we go again!”

Listening to CC’s annoyed complaints, I finally fell silent. CC hung up the phone in my silence, and I suddenly felt a deep sense of loss, as if for no reason at all.

I was still holding the luggage bag that I had packed simply, but now, I didn’t need to go to Suzhou anymore. Mi Cai had just gone to South Korea for a vacation, and my worries seemed to be superfluous.

Looking through the darkness towards the direction of Suzhou, I laughed at myself and finally went upstairs with my luggage bag.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was Christmas. That afternoon, I came to the Christmas promotion event at Times Department Store. The Christmas promotion of Times Department Store was fully planned by our Aosen Advertising. As the initiator and person in charge of the planning, I naturally came to Times Department Store to assist with some execution.

During this past period, my work status has been very good. In just over a month, I have successfully completed several planning and marketing schemes, and gradually established myself in Aosen Advertising, earning the appreciation of the leaders. I, who had put all my energy into work, was gradually reluctant to think about what had happened in Suzhou.

I haven’t contacted Circle and Yan Yan couple for almost a month. I haven’t contacted CC and Robben either. As for… as for Mi Cai, she seems to have gradually faded from my memory, only occasionally thinking of her when it’s quiet at night. And Jian Wei, I only occasionally think of her when it’s quiet at night.

I was holding a walkie-talkie, directing the staff on site to carry out the event. After a busy period, I finally found a moment to rest. I sat on the wooden bench in the mall, wanting to light a cigarette, only to realize that I was in a no-smoking public place. So I put the cigarette back in the box and played with the walkie-talkie in my hand in a daze.

My fiancée, Li Xiaoyun, came to me with her handbag among the crowd shopping in the mall. She was holding a can of Red Bull and handed it to me with a smile, saying, “This will perk you up. I just warmed it up for you with hot water at the service desk in the mall. Drink it while it’s hot.”

I responded with a smile, took the drink from her, and started drinking. Li Xiaoyun sat down next to me.

“You’ve been working hard recently. After you get off work, I’ll treat you to a big meal to reward you!”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that!”

“Then I won’t leave. I’ll wait here for you to get off work…”

I nodded, but then my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID, and it was Le Yao, who I hadn’t contacted for a long time.”I only consider Le Yao as a friend,” I said, not avoiding Li Xiaoyun. I answered the phone in front of her, laughing as I asked, “Le Da Wan, today is Christmas, did you call specifically to wish me a Merry Christmas?”

Le Yao spoke to me in a low voice, “Zhao Yang, I’m in Xuzhou now, where are you?”

“What! You’re in Xuzhou… Why did you suddenly come to Xuzhou?” I asked in surprise.

“I need your help… It’s hard to explain over the phone. Where are you? I’ll come to you.” Le Yao’s voice was still low.

Le Yao’s words made my heart tighten, but I still calmly asked, “Where are you? I’ll come to you.”

“I’m near the train station.”

“Okay, find a place to eat something first, I’ll be right there.”

Le Yao responded, and then we both hung up the phone.

I handed the walkie-talkie in my hand to Li Xiaoyun beside me, apologizing as I said, “Xiaoyun, a friend of mine has come to Xuzhou. I have to go pick her up now, I’m afraid we can’t have dinner together tonight.”

“I’ll go with you. We can have dinner with your friend.”

I shook my head, saying, “I need you to keep an eye on things here. I’ll try to come back as soon as possible, and then we can go to dinner together.”

Li Xiaoyun hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright then, be careful on the road. It’s rush hour now, there are a lot of cars.”

I nodded, then ran towards the mall exit.