Mi Cai nestled against me, her temples dampened by the dew. As I stroked her hair, a sense of reality gradually set in, filling my heart with joy. This joy made me temporarily forget all my previous worries, and all I cared about was the beauty that bloomed before us.

The wind blew in gusts, and I held her tighter. She whispered in my ear, talking about the future, “Zhao Yang, what are your plans for this year?”

I pondered for a moment before replying, “Now that you’re my girlfriend, of course I’ll stay in Suzhou with you.”

Mi Cai nodded, then after a brief silence, she asked, “What do you plan to do?”

I knew that by “what do you plan to do”, Mi Cai was referring to work. Without much thought, I said, “Once the bar is stable, I’ll hand it back to Le Yao. Given the current situation, it should stabilize soon. Then I’ll find a job.”

“You definitely won’t consider Zhuo Mei, right?”

I smiled and said, “Do you want us to be constantly bothered by endless gossip when we’re together? …As long as we’re happy together, let’s not look for trouble, okay?”

Mi Cai didn’t respond, falling into silence.

I put my hands on her shoulders, still smiling, “Cheer up! …Even if I went to Zhuo Mei, at most I’d just be another Circle or Chen Jingming, it wouldn’t make much difference!”

“You’re different from them in my heart!”

“But my abilities aren’t much better than theirs! …The more you rely on me, the more you keep me by your side, the more it shows that I need to live under your protection and halo. That’s not what I want, even if I’m down and out, even if I’m struggling, at least I’m still me.”

Mi Cai shook her head, “When we decided to be together, what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. Why bother about those boring gazes?”

“You’re right, we do belong to each other, but only in heart, not in material…”

Mi Cai didn’t want to argue with me anymore, after a long while, she said, “Maybe you’re right, I’ve always understood what you’re pursuing…”

Her expression made me feel a bit guilty, so I comforted her, “In the future, I’ll be your strongest support in life. I’ll cook for you every day when you come home, guaranteeing it’s delicious. If you’re tired, I’ll give you a massage, guaranteeing it’s comfortable, relieving your fatigue after a day’s work. Isn’t that great? Why should both of us be so busy at work that we have no leisure time?”

“You make it sound like you won’t be busy if you go to another company?”

“I really won’t be. If you don’t believe me, ask Circle. When I was working in the planning department of Bao Li Department Store, I was just getting by… Let me tell you: I was the only one in the whole company who couldn’t get the full attendance award every month! And I held this record for a historic 21 months, unprecedented and unrivaled!”

Mi Cai looked at me helplessly, after a while, she said, “I can’t believe you can still laugh about it. If you were at Zhuo Mei, you would have been fired long ago!”

“Right! Rather than letting you fire me, I’d better know my place! I can’t go to Zhuo Mei and be the black sheep, losing face for you, the general manager!”

“No matter what, you’re always right!”

Although Mi Cai was still helpless, I knew that the matter of future work had temporarily turned a page between us. So I half-jokingly, half-seriously asked, “I remember you once told me that you only live with your boyfriend. Can we consider moving back to the old house now?”

This question seemed to make her a bit embarrassed. She subconsciously smoothed her hair before saying, “We’ll discuss it later…”

“No more discussions, let’s strike while the iron is hot. You can come home with me tonight. My bed may not be big, but it’s a double bed!”

“But your room is a single room!”

“Are you mocking me for not being able to find a girlfriend?”

“Yes, you’ve been single for several years, haven’t you?”

“All singles are saving up their strength to find the best girl. Look, haven’t I found one now? This wife is so great… Come on, let me give you a thumbs up!” As I spoke, I started to tap on Mi Cai’s face with my finger.

Mi Cai retaliated, reaching out both hands to randomly press on my face. After a long while, we hugged each other in our playful fight, then we were panting from exhaustion. And I finally felt a sense of reality again in the sound of this panting.

I stroked her hair, looking at the distant sky. The fireworks seemed to outline a brilliant city. Although it was beautiful enough, it was not crystal clear, and I didn’t even hope to see the woman with long hair falling over her shoulders… Wait, was the reason I couldn’t see the woman in that city because I was holding Mi Cai at this moment?

I’d rather it be so, I’d rather she be the woman in that city whose face I’ve never seen clearly!

…

That night, Mi Cai and I had a hot pot together, then I sent her to a hotel near my house. I returned home with the joy of a blossoming heart, humming the song “Tomorrow I’m Going to Marry You” with my own lyrics as I opened the door.

“Tomorrow you’re going to marry me, tomorrow you’re going to marry me, if it weren’t for the daily traffic bothering all my dreams, tomorrow you’re going to marry me, tomorrow you’re going to marry me, if it weren’t for you asking me, if it weren’t for you persuading me, if it weren’t for the right time you made my heart beat…”The song flowed out from my mouth in a melodious and winding manner, so much so that the moment I opened the door, Mr. Ban and my mother looked at me with the same surprised expression.

My mother asked, “Zhao Yang, which girl is going to marry you tomorrow?”

I put the keys in my pocket, smiled, and said, “No girl is going to marry me, it’s just a song.”

My mother nodded and said, “That’s true, it’s night time, and you’re dreaming again!”

I stared at my mother for a long time, suddenly realizing that my love for teasing people was inherited from her. But it’s not bad, much better than inheriting Mr. Ban’s old-fashioned ways.

While changing channels, Mr. Ban casually asked, “Where’s Mi Cai?”

“She’s staying at a hotel.”

Mr. Ban nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, “We have an empty room at home, she can stay here, it would save her money on the hotel.”

“The hotel is more spacious.”

Just as I finished speaking, the phone rang from my pocket. I took out my phone and saw it was Circle calling. I blamed myself for being careless. As a friend of many years, I didn’t even call him to wish him a happy new year. Instead, it was always him and Yan Yan who cared more about me.

I answered Circle’s call, and before he could speak, I said, “Happy New Year to you two!”

Circle laughed and said, “Happy New Year… How’s your year in Xuzhou?”

“Same old!… By the way, when are you and Yan Yan planning to return to Suzhou?”

“Tomorrow, and you?”

“I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”

“Alright, let’s get together when you’re back…” He paused slightly and added, “Xiang Chen is back from abroad.”

For some reason, hearing the name Xiang Chen made me feel inexplicably oppressed, so much so that I couldn’t respond to Circle immediately.

“Why aren’t you speaking?”

Not wanting Circle to notice my abnormality, I laughed and said, “Let’s get together… Just wait for your notification.”

“Okay, yesterday Yan Yan and I were talking about the times in college when we all went out for barbecue and beer! This time let’s find a barbecue place to get together, to relive those college days…”

Circle’s words plunged me into memories, and those days of barbecuing and drinking beer were indeed unforgettable for me. Back then, we would always drink until we were cursing and staggering, yet arm in arm. Now, there’s some distance between us, especially between me and Xiang Chen.

I responded to Circle, indicating that it was okay. He then said to me, “Zhao Yang, remember to bring Mi Cai with you. It will be more lively and less awkward for everyone!”

I was taken aback, then marveled at the power of time. I remembered how I used to force Mi Cai to pretend to be my girlfriend at gatherings, and now she really is my girlfriend. I just don’t know, when I legitimately hold Mi Cai’s hand at the gathering, what will our feelings be?

I thought: I will keep my promise to Mi Cai, put down all the burdens in my heart to bless Jian Wei and Xiang Chen, and I hope they can do the same for me and Mi Cai!