When it was time to discuss Circle and Chen Jingming’s job-hopping with Mi Cai, I found it somewhat difficult to broach the subject, but Mi Cai patiently waited for me.

After a while, I finally said to Mi Cai, “I have a friend named Circle who works at Bao Li Department Store. You must remember him, right?”

“Uh-huh, go on.” Mi Cai’s tone was light but authoritative, a testament to her professional demeanor.

After another bout of silence, I continued, “…He and my former boss, Chen Jingming, have run into some trouble at Bao Li Department Store and are considering… job-hopping to your company, Zhuo Mei. I wanted to ask your opinion.”

Mi Cai didn’t immediately respond, but cautiously asked, “What kind of trouble?”

“Nothing more than the fallout from losing a power struggle…”

Mi Cai nodded, not seeming too surprised. After all, power struggles were inevitable in the workplace. Some people profited from them, while others, like Chen Jingming at this moment, ended up on the losing side. Without a lifeline, he might become disheartened and leave the workforce due to his age. Circle, too, might end up having to leave his hometown. This just goes to show how ruthless the workplace can be, or to put it more broadly, how cruel life can be. We are all living in a complex, contentious world, greedily feeding our ugly desires with the blood of others.

“Do you want them to come to Zhuo Mei?” Mi Cai asked me after a long pause.

“Of course, I do. And I think it would be beneficial for both parties.”

Mi Cai smiled and said, “I’ve looked into Chen Jingming’s background. He has a lot of experience in this industry and has made significant contributions to Bao Li Department Store over the years. I’m curious as to what kind of power struggle would make Bao Li’s top management willing to lose such an excellent middle manager?”

Mi Cai’s probing questions further highlighted her high-ranking demeanor. Her thinking and logic were truly meticulous and tight-knit!

After a brief silence, I finally responded, “Do you have any concerns?”

“I wouldn’t say concerns. I just want to understand the full picture. If they join Zhuo Mei, it will affect the personnel changes in the middle and upper management of Zhuo Mei. It’s better to be cautious, right?”

I nodded. Mi Cai’s words indicated that she was open to the idea of Chen Jingming and Circle joining Zhuo Mei. So, I told her everything about Chen Jingming’s recent experience at Bao Li Department Store.

After listening, Mi Cai fell silent, seemingly contemplating how to handle the situation. After a while, she said to me, “Let’s do this. Arrange a time for me to meet with them.”

“Okay…” I immediately agreed, feeling a sense of relief. Given Mi Cai’s position at Zhuo Mei, her willingness to meet with Chen Jingming and Circle meant that there was a high probability of this matter being settled.

“Is there anything else important?” Mi Cai asked me again.

I didn’t understand the meaning of Mi Cai’s question, so after thinking for a moment, I replied, “No, that’s the only important thing.”

Mi Cai then picked up her handbag and said, “Then I’m going to CC’s place.”

“It’s so late! Are you planning to stay at CC’s place tonight?”

“Uh-huh.” Mi Cai responded expressionlessly, as if she was still bothered by my earlier question about why she didn’t go to CC to talk about Wei Ran’s confession.

“CC lives in a studio apartment with just a small wooden bed. It might be a bit cramped for you?”

“Really?”

“Of course, I’ve slept on her bed several times. It’s really small, definitely uncomfortable for two people!”

“You’ve slept in CC’s bed, several times?”

I suddenly realized that what I had just said was somewhat inappropriate and hurriedly explained, “That was after I blacked out from drinking. CC is a good girl, she had to take me in. But she always slept on the living room sofa and let me sleep in the bed.”

“Your life is such a mess!”

I frowned and said, “Don’t drag CC into this, don’t say anything…”

“What I meant by ‘mess’ was your habit of blacking out from drinking. Where did your mind go?”

Looking at Mi Cai’s teasing expression, my thoughts were pulled back to those unbearable memories. It was like the days just after breaking up with Jian Wei, when I was getting drunk at CC’s restaurant almost every day. That led to CC taking me in multiple times. So, Mi Cai was right. Wasn’t it chaotic for a person to oscillate between sobriety and drunkenness every day?

I fell silent, and Mi Cai didn’t press further. She picked up her handbag, stood up from the sofa, and walked towards the door.

Mi Cai just left like that. It was good that she left, at least now I could freely light up a cigarette!

The deep night made the smoke from my mouth seem so heavy. I was momentarily unable to break through the pervasive heaviness and fell into a daze. I felt light-headed, and once again, I vaguely saw the silhouette of that city. It was still as crystal clear and beautiful as ever.But she suddenly burst into tears, discarding her original demeanor, and in her frenzy, she tore me apart. Amidst the pain of being torn, it seemed as if I could see those joyous past moments that had been silenced.

……

After washing up, I lay in bed, not wanting to think about anything. I just kept repeating the insignificant acts of smoking and spacing out, until the notification sound of WeChat rang.

I picked it up and saw that it was a message from CC: “Zhao Yang, something big has happened. Wei Ran confessed to Mi today?”

The content of the message made me realize: Mi Cai really did go to CC’s place. But CC was making a big fuss out of nothing. This was just second-hand news, I already knew about it. So, I calmly replied to CC: “I know… Mi Cai is at your place now, right?”

CC sent a photo. In the photo, Mi Cai was bare-faced, yet her beauty was still radiant even in her sleep. I couldn’t help but sigh: This is a goddess, even after being confessed to, it doesn’t affect her sleep. Yet, someone is losing sleep over her at this moment.

I immediately replied to CC: “You’re taking advantage of your proximity! Hurry up and take a few more pictures and send them over.”

CC replied with a sweating emoji: “Wei Ran has already confessed, can you still sit still?”

“Why can’t I sit still? It’s not like we’re in the animal kingdom, where if one male shows affection to a female, another has to go and take a bite!”

CC replied with a laughing emoji: “Zhao Yang, can you not be so humorous…”

I didn’t know how to reply to this message, so I threw my phone aside and lit another cigarette. But in my heart, I was imagining what it would be like if Mi Cai really became Wei Ran’s girlfriend one day. I couldn’t help but feel suffocated!

But just like I just told CC, I am, after all, a human being. Since I am a human, I certainly can’t be as simple and straightforward as an animal. At this moment, I have many considerations, and these considerations make me feel powerless.

Even if I really pursued Mi Cai, would she one day, like Jian Wei, grow to despise everything about me?

I dared not imagine any further, for I was truly afraid of seeing that crystal-clear city in the sky, lost and weeping, once again!