Mi Cai and I chatted and laughed all the way up the stairs, completely forgetting the unpleasantness of the previous days. As I was about to open the door, Mi Cai suddenly pulled me back, signaling me to wait.

I asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m suddenly a bit nervous!”

I laughed and said, “Oh right, I forgot about the time you clung to me and Mr. Ban walked in on us. That really wasn’t a good look, especially since you’re a girl… I really hope Mr. Ban has forgotten about that embarrassing scene!”

Mi Cai looked at me, both aggrieved and angry, “Zhao Yang, how could you say that… Now I’m even more nervous!”

“You look so pitiful right now!”

“Can’t you be a little more considerate?”

I finally put away my joking attitude. In fact, I was touched. Mi Cai was nervous because she cared. She wanted to make a good impression in front of my family.

I gently patted her shoulder and said softly, “I was just joking with you. Don’t worry, this will be a pleasant lunch. After we eat, I’ll take you to play video games.”

“Okay… then you open the door.”

I finally inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. At this time, Mr. Ban was in the kitchen preparing food, and my mother was mopping the floor.

Mi Cai politely greeted my mother, “Auntie, Happy New Year.”

My mother put down her mop and laughed, “Happy New Year… Sit down and rest for a while. Zhao Yang, go make a cup of tea for Mi.”

My mother’s warm reception eased my worries. After putting down the holiday gifts that Mi Cai had bought, I quickly went to make tea.

Mi Cai sat down on the sofa. I brought her the tea and sat down next to her, whispering, “My mom is so warm, you shouldn’t be nervous anymore, right?”

“It’s not your mom I’m worried about, it’s seeing Mr. Ban!”

I smiled. The fact that she could joke with me showed that she was relaxing a bit. At this time, Mr. Ban also brought the freshly cooked soup to the living room.

Mi Cai stood up politely and greeted Mr. Ban, “Uncle, Happy New Year. I wish you a smooth work and good health in the new year!”

Mr. Ban laughed happily, “Thank you, I wish you the same!”

……

A moment later, our family of three plus Mi Cai sat down for lunch. Mr. Ban was still his usual silent self, but my mother seemed to have a lot of questions. As she urged Mi Cai to eat, she asked, “Mi, how old are you this year?”

Mi Cai smiled and answered, “Auntie, I’m 27 this year, the same age as Zhao Yang!”

“Oh, you’re not young anymore!… Do you have a boyfriend?”

Mi Cai shook her head.

My mother continued to ask, “What do you do for a living?”

Mi Cai glanced at me and patiently answered, “I work in a department store.”

Afraid that my mother would ask about Mi Cai’s family situation, I quickly changed the subject, “Mom, we’re eating. Can you not make it feel like an interview? After we finish eating, I’ll have Comrade Mi give you a resume. You can take your time to read and understand it!”

After I finished speaking, Mi Cai chuckled, and my mother complained, “Look at your father, he’s like a block of wood, not saying a word. If I don’t say something, won’t it be awkward?”

“Why don’t you tell Mi about the local customs of Xuzhou? It will show how knowledgeable you are!”

The always silent Mr. Ban finally spoke up, “I agree with Zhao Yang on this point. But it’s indeed hard for your mother to talk about local customs. She’s really good at talking about how to play mahjong, though.”

Mr. Ban’s rare humor made both Mi Cai and I laugh, and the atmosphere relaxed a lot. After that, the task of introducing local customs was taken over by Mr. Ban. He spoke patiently, and Mi Cai listened attentively. We quickly finished lunch in a harmonious atmosphere.

To avoid my mother’s post-meal interrogation, Mi Cai and I left home early to play video games at the arcade. We played for the entire afternoon, and by the time we left the arcade, it was already dusk.

After that, I accompanied Mi Cai to a hair salon in the mall. The hairdresser was stunned by Mi Cai’s beauty at first sight and praised her for having the best hair quality he had seen in his many years of career. I was already used to such compliments. It seemed that every time we appeared in public, we would hear similar praises.

In my boredom, I looked at Mi Cai in the mirror again and found that she was really beautiful. Even after a long time, I never got tired of looking at her. I felt that she was somewhat unreal. This feeling was enjoyable but also a bit sad, because subconsciously, I always felt that I couldn’t get close to her, let alone fantasize about having an intimate boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with her. The fact that my mother had told me to give up on the idea of “eating swan meat” a few days ago was the best proof… Even if we were together one day, I’m afraid not many people would think highly of us. This thought was really depressing!

……In a daze, I suddenly noticed Li Xiaoyun walking into the hair salon with her handbag. She showed her VIP card to the staff, apparently here for a hair wash too. However, she didn’t notice me sitting in the corner at first. At this moment, I somewhat regretted bringing Mi Cai to this salon that Li Xiaoyun often frequents, as running into her was quite awkward.

Li Xiaoyun quickly took a seat next to Mi Cai. She glanced at Mi Cai subconsciously, not recognizing her, then saw me sitting behind. Her face showed surprise.

I stood up and walked over to them, forcing a smile and introduced them to each other. I first said to Li Xiaoyun, “This is my friend, Mi Cai.”

Then I looked at Li Xiaoyun and said to Mi Cai, “This is Li Xiaoyun, we’re also friends.”

After my introduction, both women nodded in acknowledgment, but I saw surprise in their eyes, especially Mi Cai. She had always known about Li Xiaoyun, and knew that Li Xiaoyun was the woman who almost became my wife.

During the hair washing process, Li Xiaoyun and Mi Cai didn’t communicate at all. Mi Cai finished her hair wash before Li Xiaoyun, and we were ready to leave and say goodbye to Li Xiaoyun.

I said to Li Xiaoyun, “Xiaoyun, we’re leaving first. We’ll keep in touch.”

Li Xiaoyun looked at me and then at Mi Cai, her expression somewhat complex. Then she smiled and said, “Zhao Yang, now I finally understand why you were so determined to return to Suzhou back then…”

I knew Li Xiaoyun mistakenly thought I returned to Suzhou for Mi Cai, but I couldn’t explain it in this awkward situation. It was also hard to explain, so I chose to remain silent. Mi Cai, who knew the truth, didn’t explain either. She just watched the cars coming and going outside the salon, seemingly not wanting to stay here for long.

I finally responded to Li Xiaoyun with a bitter smile, then said goodbye to her again. I left the salon with Mi Cai, feeling a strange sensation in my heart. If I had really returned to Suzhou for Mi Cai, things would have been much simpler and clearer!

…

Walking on the streets as night fell, neither Mi Cai nor I spoke. It wasn’t until we were near the end of the street that Mi Cai stopped, looked at me for a long time, and asked, “Zhao Yang, why do people always mistake us for a couple?”

This sudden question left me stunned. After a long silence, I finally said, “Because fate always pulls us together. You can’t avoid me, and I can’t avoid you.”

Mi Cai stared at me for a long time, then finally asked softly, “Do you want me to be your girlfriend?”

——————-

I’m not feeling well today, and the plot is at a major turning point. I don’t want to risk affecting the quality, so I won’t force myself to update more. But I will make up for the owed chapters.

Also, some people said Mi Cai is pale, as if she’s sick. You’re overthinking it. As I mentioned before, her paleness is not sickly, but a beautiful kind of pale.