I immediately shared my marketing promotion ideas with Mi Cai. She nodded and said, “Using the internet as a medium will indeed save a lot of publicity costs, and targeting the promotion to social circles will make it more precise. I have no doubt about the feasibility of this marketing strategy, but the key is how you are going to do emotional marketing and make consumers feel a strong sense of belonging?”

“Our bar has the most beautiful fifth season, which is a primal force for creating a sense of belonging. I want to create another independent world within the bar. This world is simple, so simple that there is no hustle and bustle of life, only a group of friends drinking beer and listening to music together. We, this group of friends, have the same pursuits and aspirations… This kind of back-to-basics emotional marketing, without any flashiness or dazzling brilliance, only uses sincerity and simplicity to purify weary souls!”

Mi Cai seemed to have entered the world I described. After a while, she said to me, “After hearing what you said, I really want to have a beer in there, listen to ‘Days of Old’, lazily feel the changes of the four seasons, and then the four seasons merge into the most beautiful fifth season, purifying the soul, and then have a good sleep…”

Seeing Mi Cai’s longing expression, I smiled and said, “When you suddenly wake up, you are already old, and there is still half a glass of unfinished beer on the table…”

“That’s great. Although I’ve lived a lifetime in a daze, my heart has always been calm and composed. I really like this feeling!”

Imagining that half glass of beer, a song, and a lifetime that has passed, my heart was also so peaceful and tranquil. After a while, I said to Mi Cai, “I like it too!”

At this moment, my heart was filled with the desire to express. I overcame the dizziness from drinking, opened my computer, and prepared to turn my thoughts into a complete plan in writing.

The desk lamp emitted a hazy light. To my left was a cup of hot lemon tea, and to my right was Mi Cai, quietly accompanying me with her chin in her hand. Even though the cold wind was raging outside the window, this small room was quiet and warm…

After a while, Mi Cai fell asleep at the corner of the table. Her even breathing made the night even more peaceful and serene. I stared at her eyes, and ripples suddenly appeared on the calm lake in my heart, and she was the colorful leaf that gently fell onto the lake…

I gently picked her up and took her back to her room, covered her with a blanket, and turned off the light. But on the way out of the room, I immersed myself in the boundless night with the gentleness she left behind.

…

When I woke up the next day, Mi Cai had already left. I still didn’t have the chance to make her breakfast, nor did I have the chance to find out why she rushed back to Suzhou from Shanghai last night. It would be great if it was just for me who was drunk. Maybe she had already returned to Suzhou when she called me, otherwise how could she find me so quickly.

So I spent the whole morning speculating, until almost noon, I finally got tired of this speculation. I remembered the simple and rustic life that Mi Cai and I talked about yesterday, so why should I make myself so complicated and chaotic? It’s better to keep that peaceful feeling and wait calmly, waiting for fate to bring us together.

A week flew by quickly, and tomorrow is the official opening day of the “Fifth Season” themed music bar. On this day, I was busy in the bar with CC all day. It wasn’t until the evening that we both had some free time. We sat down in a corner, each lit a cigarette, and started chatting. Naturally, the topic revolved around Le Yao and Robben.

I took a deep puff of my cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and asked CC, “For the bar’s opening, Robben and Le Yao won’t be coming back?”

“I just contacted them this morning. They’re both very busy and won’t be coming back.”

I responded with a sound, feeling a bit disappointed. I really hoped they could come back and see what the bar looked like after the renovation. After all, this bar is the result of everyone’s hard work.

CC added, “The New Year is coming soon. I was hoping they could come back to Suzhou and celebrate it together. It seems that this wish is also going to be unfulfilled!”

“Why, aren’t you going back to Chongqing for the New Year?”

“I’m not going back this year. My parents have gone to Hong Kong to be with my older sister. There’s no point in me going back alone. I might as well stay in Suzhou!”

I smiled and said, “Your parents must be annoyed that you’re not getting married. Compared to you, your older sister is much easier.”

“Come on, everyone has different pursuits. What do you think my sister sees in that Hong Kong old man? Isn’t it just money? Anyway, I can’t stand it!”

“Your brother-in-law is only in his 40s, how come he’s an old man to you!” I laughed and exclaimed.

CC gave me a glance and said, “He’s almost bald, isn’t he an old man? But that old man, he’s really good to my sister, and to my parents too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to be so at ease all these years, drifting around outside.”I nodded, acknowledging that CC indeed owed her gratitude to the old man from Hong Kong she mentioned. However, I believed that her sister might have feelings for the old man, considering he had not only invested money but also genuine affection.

As CC and I were chatting, the bar door suddenly swung open. A man and a woman, both wearing sunglasses, stood abruptly before us. Immediately, CC exclaimed, “Le Yao, Robben… I thought you said you weren’t coming back?”

Le Yao took off her sunglasses and opened her arms to CC. They embraced, and Le Yao said with a smile, “Tomorrow is the bar’s grand opening. No matter how busy Robben and I are, we had to make time to come back… How’s that for a surprise?”

Men don’t express emotions as intensely as women do, so I simply tossed Robben a cigarette. We exchanged smiles, but the surprise in our hearts was no less than when CC saw Le Yao.

After hugging CC, Le Yao finally came over to me. I looked at her and noticed that her attire and demeanor had matured significantly. Her eyes were sharper, less soft. I knew that life and hardships had changed the woman before me. The only thing that remained the same was her tone of voice.

After a brief silence, she said, “Zhao Yang, it’s been a long time.”

“Mm,” I responded, but this was not the rhythm we used to have. In the past, a hug would have followed our greeting.

Le Yao stood a meter away from me, looking around the bar with a hint of joy in her voice, “The renovation is excellent, you’ve worked hard during this period!”

I joked with her as I used to, “Le Yao, don’t be so formal. Can’t you see that I’m using your bar to fulfill my artistic needs, and categorizing myself as an artistic youth… In this day and age, if you can avoid being a fool, you should!”

Le Yao laughed and shook her head, “You’re still as sarcastically funny as ever!”

I instinctively wanted to retort, “But you’re not as lively anymore!” But I swallowed the words before they left my mouth, as they would have dampened the mood.

At least in this simple, rustic bar, we shouldn’t talk about the heaviness of life.

…

After everyone settled down and started chatting again, it was clear that this was going to be an eventful night. Circle and Yan Yan, Jian Wei were also coming to visit the newly renovated bar.

Additionally, Mi Cai and Wei Ran were coming to show their support… This was arranged yesterday.

And for the first time, Le Yao, Jian Wei, and Mi Cai, the three women associated with the bar, were all present at the same time.