I couldn’t wait to get off the bus before it even stopped. I looked around for a taxi, but unfortunately, all the ones that passed by were already occupied.

I was starting to believe more and more that my encounter with Mi Cai was not a wonderful arrangement, but an unavoidable torment.

Finally, a taxi arrived. I hurriedly got in and headed towards the farmer’s market. I remembered that there would be some vendors there selling insecticide powder, as the insecticides sold in supermarkets usually couldn’t kill cockroaches. So I could only hope that the vendors hadn’t closed yet.

When I arrived at the farmer’s market, it was pitch black. Not only were the vendors gone, but all the shops inside had also closed. I felt a bit disappointed. Despite my efforts, it seemed that I wouldn’t be able to buy the insecticide powder tonight.

With no other choice, I went to the supermarket and bought a bottle of insecticide, hoping to pass it off as the powder.

…

I arrived at the old house. It was already 10 o’clock at night, and the back and forth journey had tortured me for over an hour. I just hoped that Mi Cai wouldn’t discover that what I brought was just insecticide instead of the agreed-upon powder.

I knocked on the door, and after a while, Mi Cai, wearing pajamas, opened it for me. It seemed like she was still eating something.

Curiously, I asked, “What are you eating?”

“Cherries.”

“What are cherries?”

Mi Cai seemed satisfied with my compliance today and patiently explained, “Cherries are cherries. Go wash your hands first. There are still plenty left!”

“Are you treating me to them?”

Mi Cai nodded, and I immediately walked towards the bathroom. I felt a bit delighted. Mi Cai’s attitude towards me had improved a lot, so there was no harm in being a reliable person.

When I came out of the bathroom, Mi Cai had already placed the box of cherries on the sofa in the living room. She was holding a book and eating, with an elegant eating posture and a relaxed expression.

I sat down next to Mi Cai and looked at the box. It was beautifully crafted. I realized that these were authentic cherries imported from Chile, not the kind of cheap goods labeled as imported in supermarkets. There were at least a thousand cherries in this box.

I picked up two cherries and put them in my mouth, saying to Mi Cai, “You say we both have the same nose and two eyes. Why do you live so extravagantly?”

“What?” Mi Cai looked at me with some confusion.

“I mean you live extravagantly. Since my mother gave birth to me, I’ve never eaten such expensive fruit!” I said, picking up two more cherries and throwing them into my mouth.

“A friend gave them to me,” Mi Cai replied, focusing her attention back on the book she was reading.

“Then tell me, why don’t I have friends who give me such expensive fruit? In the end, your class is corrupt and extravagant! The big parasite of socialism.” After saying that, I angrily picked up several cherries and threw them into my mouth.

Mi Cai seemed to be in a good mood and didn’t argue with me. She just said, “If you like them, you can take them home and eat.”

“I must take them home.” I stood up from the sofa, found a convenient bag, and packed the box.

At this moment, Mi Cai finally put down her book and asked me, “Did you buy the insecticide powder?”

“If I didn’t buy it, would I have the nerve to come here?”

Mi Cai nodded in agreement and said, “If you didn’t buy it and still dared to come find me, that would be harassment!”

“I bought it, I bought it. Don’t talk about harassment. You’re ruining my reputation.” I said impatiently, taking out the insecticide I had bought from my briefcase, ready to deceive her.

Mi Cai stared at the insecticide and frowned, saying, “Didn’t you say it was insecticide powder? This doesn’t look like it!”

I panicked for a moment and quickly said, “Of course it doesn’t look like it. This is the latest insecticide developed. It’s extremely effective against cockroaches.”

Mi Cai looked at me with a skeptical expression and said, “I read in a book that cockroaches have strong resistance, and ordinary insecticides are basically ineffective.”

“Don’t be so dogmatic. Is this an ordinary insecticide? Without bragging, just this can wipe out all the cockroaches in this house. It’s simply inhumane!” I bluffed.

Mi Cai still looked unconvinced and said, “Why do I feel like you’re a swindler from the martial world?”

Feeling a bit guilty, I angrily replied, “I’m doing this for your own good. Insecticide powder is highly toxic. What if you accidentally poison a rat or something? Isn’t that disgusting?”

Mi Cai was startled by my words and quickly said, “Then don’t just stand there. Do what you came here to do.”

“Do you want to come in and watch?”

Mi Cai shook her head repeatedly, and I calmly turned around. Then, with a triumphant feeling, I walked towards the bathroom. At this moment, I had a sense of conquering a city. In my heart, I thought, “Silly girl, come and expose me again, come on…”I was holding the cherries that Mi Cai had given me as I bid her farewell. It was already 11 o’clock, and it would be at least midnight by the time I got back to Robben’s place. I couldn’t help but sigh at how exhausting this night had been.

Before leaving, I warned Mi Cai, “Don’t use the bathroom tonight. After spraying the insecticide, there are too many toxic substances.”

“I know.”

Out of boredom, I asked, “Can you hold it in for the night? I doubt it. I usually have to use the bathroom several times a night.”

As expected, Mi Cai frowned and said, “Why do you talk so much?”

“I’m just worried about you!”

“I won’t stay here tonight.”

Mi Cai’s words once again piqued my curiosity. From her words, I was almost certain that she had other houses in this city. But why did she insist on buying this place and living here?

In the end, I didn’t voice my doubts because Mi Cai wouldn’t tell me. I had asked before, and knowing the answer would only satisfy my curiosity and had no other significance to me. I had become accustomed to doing meaningful things, so it was better not to ask.

I took another cherry out of my pocket, threw it into my mouth, and said to Mi Cai, “I’m leaving now. If there’s anything you can’t handle in this house or the community, give me a call.”

“Okay.”

I coughed, the sensor light in the corridor lit up, and I turned around to leave.

“Zhao Yang, wait.”

I turned back in surprise and asked Mi Cai, “You’re not planning to ask me to stay, are you? The bathroom here is out of order, and I can’t hold it in!”

“Take your guitar.” Mi Cai turned around and went back to the room I used to live in, and took out the guitar.

I didn’t want to take the guitar from Mi Cai. After a long silence, I said, “I told you to find someone who knows about this. This guitar can definitely be sold for a good price. I don’t have the money to pay you back now!”

“When I asked you to pay me back that day, I was angry. Take the guitar. It doesn’t belong to anyone but you and Jian Wei. It’s at least a memory.”

I asked in surprise, “How do you know this guitar is related to Jian Wei?”

“Your names are carved on the guitar.” Mi Cai’s tone was very calm.

After a long silence, I didn’t look at the guitar that Mi Cai had propped up in the corner, and said in a low voice, “I don’t want it.”

Mi Cai smiled, “You can throw away a guitar, but you can’t throw away the memories in your heart. Why deceive yourself?”

I remained silent.

“Take it.” Mi Cai put the guitar case outside the door and then closed the door.

…

With this regained guitar, I returned to Robben’s place with a heavy heart. Coincidentally, I ran into Robben at the entrance of the building, along with a flamboyantly dressed woman he was with.

The woman took off her helmet and stepped off Robben’s modified racing motorcycle. Then Robben also took off his helmet.

I immediately understood that this was a casual friend Robben had brought back.

Robben, with his arm around the flamboyant woman, introduced her to me, “Zhao Yang, this is my friend Lily.”

I smiled and said, “I’m not intruding, am I? If so, I can stay at a hotel.”

“No, it’s fine. She’s not staying the night. It’ll be quick.” Robben said.

“Alright, I’ll wait downstairs… Can you take the guitar up for me?”

Robben took the guitar from me, patted my shoulder to indicate that he would be quick, and then walked upstairs with the woman. I sat at the entrance of the building, opened the bag of cherries I had brought back from Mi Cai’s place, and started eating again.