The moonlight outside the window was unusually bright, shining into the living room through the window, making the lights dim, and Mi Cai’s beautiful and ethereal face also dimmed under the moonlight.

I stared at her like this, her face was quiet, which made me a little uneasy. Perhaps my nostalgia for this house couldn’t move her “cold” heart.

After a long time, Mi Cai finally spoke to me, “Do you love this house?”

I nodded seriously, “I love it, love it… There is no one in this world who loves this inconspicuous house more than me.”

Mi Cai smiled and said, “That’s not necessarily true.”

I looked at her in surprise, “Are you the one who loves it more than me?”

In fact, I have always been curious why Mi Cai bought this house from Lao Li, although I can imagine it as a kind of artistic behavior of the rich, but the real answer is probably not as simple as I imagined.

Mi Cai did not answer my question. She asked me, “How long do you plan to stay?”

“Did you agree?” I asked excitedly.

“Zhao Yang, can you face the problem first?” Mi Cai said with some dissatisfaction.

I smiled and sighed, “So you know my name!?”

Mi Cai frowned again.

I smiled awkwardly, afraid that she would change her mind, made an apologetic expression, and kept saying, “I will answer the question first, I will answer the question first. I plan to stay… for another month, is that okay?”

Mi Cai remained silent for a while, and finally said, “Okay… but you have to promise me two conditions first.”

“Okay, as long as you don’t kick me out, I will do anything. I promise.” I patted my chest and said.

“Don’t make empty promises. Wait until you actually do it.” Mi Cai interrupted me.

I smiled awkwardly again and said, “I know I don’t have much credibility in your eyes. So, let’s put it this way, I will do my best to meet your requirements, okay?”

“Okay.” Mi Cai paused and said, “First, you can’t go to nightclubs in the future. Can you do that?”

“Ah!” I exclaimed subconsciously. I didn’t expect Mi Cai to make this request.

Mi Cai looked at me, waiting for my answer.

Although I was puzzled why Mi Cai made this request, considering that women’s thoughts are always unpredictable, and I didn’t want to inquire about the reasons, the most important thing was to settle down first. Without much consideration, I nodded and said, “Yes, and what’s the other one?”

“During your stay here, you can’t enter my room. You have to return the key to my room.”

“This request is reasonable.” I said, taking out the key from my pocket and placing it on the coffee table in front of Mi Cai’s room.

Mi Cai stood up from the sofa and finally said to me, “Remember what you promised me. If I find that you can’t fulfill any of the conditions, you have to move out on your own.”

…

After washing up, I returned to my room. This was supposed to be a night to settle down, after all, I could temporarily stay here, but I couldn’t help but think randomly.

There are only four days left until Circle and Yan Yan’s wedding day. As friends who have come a long way, their wedding cannot fail to stimulate me. Actually, I am not someone who opposes marriage. If I can meet a woman who I truly love, I also desire to get married. However, my material conditions are indeed lacking, and I have very little to offer in a marriage. So, the desire to get married for me can only be an unrealistic fantasy, temporarily sealed away.

I thought of Jian Wei again. On the day of Circle and Yan Yan’s wedding, we will definitely meet. If she comes with her boyfriend or if she is already married with a husband, will I collapse again?

I shook my head and smiled. If I really collapse at a friend’s wedding, it would be quite spectacular!

…

The next day, I arrived at the company on time. Circle had also returned to Suzhou from Shanghai, and we met by the coffee machine during the break.

We each held a cup of coffee and chatted. I asked Circle, “How is it? Did you settle the GUCCI counter project?”

Circle smiled with relief and said, “It’s settled. If nothing goes wrong, we will be able to sign the contract for the store next month.”

“Not bad. With a first-tier brand like GUCCI entering our department store, you have made a great contribution. Your future is limitless, young comrade!” I patted Circle’s shoulder and joked.

Circle, however, said seriously, “Zhao Yang, do you have any thoughts about your work? I can help you fight for it.”

I continued to smile and said, “You don’t have to worry about me. If I have any ideas, I will fight for them myself.”

I knew Circle was worried about me, but he had only been the leader of the planning and copywriting team for half a year, and his experience was still shallow. The company’s politics were deep, and combined with our well-known friendship, it wouldn’t be good for him.

“Give it up. We have worked together for two years. When have you ever fought for yourself?” Circle’s tone sounded displeased.

I laughed carelessly, “That’s because I don’t have any ideas. I think it’s pretty good like this. At least the work is easy. Even if the sky falls, it will fall on you hardworking models who climb up desperately!”

Circle was speechless by my words and sighed after a while, “You are really something! It has been two years…”I immediately interrupted, “Alright, stop lamenting. Tell me about what happened yesterday. I spent the whole day shopping with your wife. You have to compensate me for this hard work.”

Circle nodded, “Let’s have dinner together after work.”

As they spoke, they walked from the break room to the office, holding their unfinished coffee cups. When they were about to enter the office, Circle suddenly stopped me, causing the coffee to spill on my sleeve.

“What’s wrong?” I shook off the coffee from my sleeve, feeling surprised and a bit displeased. I always felt that Circle was acting strangely, ever since he suddenly asked me if I had any thoughts about work.

Circle looked at me with piercing eyes and paused for a while before saying, “…Jian Wei contacted Yan Yan last night. At that time, she was already preparing to board the plane back to China. She should arrive in Shanghai around noon!”

I was stunned for a moment, my mind went blank, and I didn’t know how to face this news.

Circle patted my shoulder and asked in a low voice, “Are you going to Shanghai to see her?”

I was silent for a while and asked Circle in return, “Tell me, how can I go and see her? Should I go as her ex-boyfriend?”

“If you think it’s awkward, then forget I told you. But you have to meet her at least once.”

Of course, I knew that Circle meant we would meet at his and Yan Yan’s wedding. On that day, Jian Wei would attend, and so would I. But that kind of meeting would just be a formality, not intentional. I thought to myself: If I can be open-minded enough at that time, I will treat her as a stranger I coincidentally met, no need for small talk, no need… to tear my heart apart!

…

In the morning, I continued to work intermittently, feeling scattered. It wasn’t until noon when all my colleagues went to the cafeteria for lunch that I lit a cigarette, closed my eyes, and reclined on the office chair, taking a puff.

Amidst the dissipating smell of tobacco, Jian Wei’s face from the day she left kept lingering in my mind. I felt a bit of pain, a bit lost, but I didn’t know how to dispel this inexplicable anguish.

Two years ago, I already understood that the pain caused by the fantasy of breaking up was meaningless self-torture. But “being cheap” is human nature. I would rather grit my teeth and endure false pain than give up being “cheap” and become enlightened.

Perhaps at this moment, Jian Wei was enjoying a pleasant afternoon tea with her family and friends, while I sat in the empty office, feeling melancholic, surrounded by a cloud of sorrow and gloom that I couldn’t escape.

I stubbed out the cigarette fiercely, wishing I could slap myself in the face and tell myself not to be so cheap.

In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to do it and could only smile helplessly. These years of indifference, all the deviant behavior, now seemed to be the sorrow she left me with. And I have always carried this sorrow, immersing myself in an inescapable past, causing self-inflicted harm.

The smell of smoke gradually dissipated. In the spacious office, I was still alone. The warm afternoon breeze, carrying a hint of inexplicable melancholy, blew in through the open window, just like my mood. After sitting still for a while, I finally felt hungry and put the cigarette in my pocket, ready to go eat something.

After coming out of the elevator, my phone rang. It was Robben calling.

I answered the phone, and Robben apologized, “Zhao Yang, I’m really sorry about yesterday. I couldn’t help you handle it.”

I laughed and said, “If we’re brothers, don’t apologize to me. You guys are in a band, getting into fights at bars. How can you handle that? Besides, it’s my responsibility as a good citizen to teach those ignorant bastards a lesson. You guys don’t need to join in the fun!”

Robben also laughed and said, “Alright, I won’t say anything more, by the way, there’s a fashion show at Suhe Bar tonight, full of beautiful girls. I know a few of them pretty well, I can introduce you to someone you like.”

“Sure!” I almost instinctively agreed without thinking.

“Okay, tonight I’ll treat you. Let’s have a crazy night.”

I held my phone and had already walked away from the office building. Suddenly, I was enveloped in sunlight, and my thoughts seemed to expand. I suddenly remembered that I had promised Mi Cai not to go to nightclubs anymore.

I stopped in my tracks, remembering my unreliable words and actions towards Mi Cai in the past few days. I decided to be a man of my word this time…

After a moment of silence, I said to Robben, who was still waiting for my response, “Oh… look at my memory. I have something private tonight, so I really can’t make it.”

“What could be more important than hanging out with a group of friends, eating, drinking, and having fun?” Robben jokingly asked, but he was also a bit surprised. In his eyes, Zhao Yang had always treated eating, drinking, and having fun as the most important things in life.

“Some things are more urgent. Let’s make plans for another day. I really can’t make it today.”

Robben responded with a slight disappointment, but in the end, he didn’t force me and fulfilled my promise to have a plain night because I kept my word.After hanging up the phone, I walked down the street in the warm breeze, somewhat surprised at my own transformation. In fact, even if I had agreed to Robben, it wouldn’t have mattered. With my character, I could have told Mi Cai with a clear conscience: I just attended a company party and had a few drinks. She may control everything else, but she surely can’t control my legitimate gatherings with my colleagues.

So why didn’t I choose to deceive her? I was a bit puzzled…

After a while, I still couldn’t figure out why. I simply chalked it up to: she was just too beautiful, and men are instinctively willing to comply with beautiful women.

However, this baseless logic didn’t seem to hold up.

So what was the real reason?… After a long time, I still didn’t quite understand!

—————

Today there will be four updates, this is the second one. Looking forward to your continued support, the new book period really needs support. We haven’t even made it onto the new book list yet, which is quite terrifying!