Jian Wei parked the car and she and Yan Yan got out from either side. I looked at the two of them, but said nothing.

In the restaurant, Yan Yan and Jian Wei sat on one side. As soon as they settled down, Yan Yan turned to me and said, “Tell me, why did you quit your job? Just yesterday, I heard Circle say that you were almost guaranteed to be the team leader of the planning and copywriting department at your department store! This is too sudden and illogical!”

“I’ve been drifting around for so many years, I’m tired and want to go home.” I smiled and said in a relaxed manner.

Yan Yan looked serious, “This can’t be the truth, Zhao Yang, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me, okay?”

“I’ve already quit my job, there’s really no need for you to keep digging. I just hope you can tell Circle that I’m not the kind of scum who sucks up to women and betrays my boss and brothers for my own benefit… I’ll be going back to Xuzhou in a few days. I won’t take anything from this city because I haven’t gained anything, including the benefits that Circle thinks I have. I’ll leave clean.” I said, lighting a cigarette without regard for the two women present. I felt downcast. When I realized I was about to leave this city with nothing, I realized that I had wasted the years when I should have been striving the most. So, I could only return to Xuzhou with a useless shell.

Yan Yan waved away the smoke I exhaled and said to me excitedly, “Zhao Yang, I don’t understand. You finally saw a future in this city, in your company, why did you quit? Why did you decide to go back to Xuzhou? Even if you quit, you can find another job. Are you really willing to leave Suzhou in such a sorry state?”

Yan Yan’s words hit a nerve, and I was silent for a long time before I said, “I’ve always lived in a sorry state, what’s there to be unwilling about?”

At this point, the always silent Jian Wei finally spoke, “What about your girlfriend?”

I was a bit surprised. Hadn’t Yan Yan told Jian Wei that Mi Cai was not actually my girlfriend?

Jian Wei kept looking at me, waiting for my answer. I looked at Yan Yan, and Yan Yan gave me a look, indicating that she hadn’t told Jian Wei about this.

I then said, “Break up. Isn’t it just a matter of a single sentence? Who expects to fall in love these days with the intention of growing old together?”

I said this with emotion, because when Jian Wei and I broke up, she simply and decisively said to me, “Break up.”

Jian Wei looked at me again with that complicated expression, just like the last time she accepted Xiang Chen’s confession.

This time, I didn’t avoid Jian Wei’s gaze. I just looked at her. Our many years of feelings collapsed because of her single sentence of breaking up. Was there any need to care about the love that never existed with Mi Cai?

Yan Yan looked a bit awkward as she watched Jian Wei and me. Finally, I asked Jian Wei after a long silence, “Why did you come to find me with Yan Yan?”

Jian Wei didn’t answer, and Yan Yan explained for her, “Jian Wei has been in Suzhou these days. We made an appointment to go to the spa together tonight, so we came here for dinner.”

I nodded. This was a reasonable explanation. But I still didn’t understand why Jian Wei had stayed in Suzhou and hadn’t left. But I didn’t plan to ask, because it had nothing to do with me.

……

During the meal, the topic came back again. Yan Yan earnestly said to me, “Zhao Yang, you should reconsider leaving Suzhou. Everything is unknown when you go back to Xuzhou…”

I shook my head and said to Yan Yan very seriously, “There’s no need to reconsider. Leaving this city is the best choice for me now. I’m really happy that you invited me to this meal. At least I’m not completely alone, someone still cares about me.”

Yan Yan sighed, her voice choked, “I’ve always treated you like a brother. I can’t bear to see you leave! You’ve suffered so much over the years, and just when you’re about to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you suddenly quit… Ah! What’s going on!”

Yan Yan’s words made me feel bad, and I didn’t want to make her upset. So I forced a smile and said, “You’ve upgraded to a young wife, so stop mentioning your brother all the time. I’m still in the prime of my youth!”

Yan Yan gave a bitter smile and didn’t say anything more. Indeed, there was nothing more to say. Everything was settled. Staying here might not be right, and going back to Xuzhou might not be wrong. The only thing I hoped for now was that Circle could understand me. Maybe years later, when I come back to Suzhou, we can still call each other brothers.

After dinner, Jian Wei drove Yan Yan away. I stood alone at the entrance of the restaurant, not leaving. I took out the thin film from the cigarette box again, covered my eyes and looked up at the starry sky. Apart from the bright sky reflected by the neon lights, I still couldn’t find that crystal clear city, let alone the woman with long hair hanging over her shoulders.

I walked along the bustling streets with the crowd, smoking. I didn’t know how many streets I had walked before I returned to my place. I mechanically opened the door, didn’t even bother to wash up, and covered myself tightly with a blanket in my clothes. Then, in the airtight space, I found a little bit of pitiful security.

The night was deep and the only thing that made me feel connected to the world, my phone, rang again. I listened numbly, but didn’t want to answer the call.

The ringtone kept ringing, over and over again. I was annoyed and finally lifted the blanket, grabbed my phone from the cabinet, and was about to turn it off for some peace, but I accidentally saw that the caller was Le Yao, who I hadn’t contacted in a long time.

In hesitation, I answered the call, and immediately heard Le Yao’s complaining voice, “Zhao Yang, why did it take you so long to answer the phone?”

“I was sleeping.” I mumbled a reply.

Le Yao didn’t argue with me about why I took so long to answer the phone, and said to me in a happy tone, “Guess where I am now?”

I didn’t have the mood to guess, so I asked along with Le Yao’s words, “Where?”

“Guess.”

“You’re definitely not in Hengdian anymore.” I said.

Le Yao laughed happily, “I’m back in Suzhou… I’m staying in a hotel now?”I asked in surprise, “Going back to Suzhou! Have you finished filming your drama so quickly?”

“No, the crew is going to the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou for shooting. I just took the opportunity to come back with them.”

“Oh, then when you have time, let me treat you to a meal.”

“The scenes at the Humble Administrator’s Garden are all shot during the day, so I’m free in the evenings. You can treat me to dinner tomorrow night.”

“Okay, call me when you finish work tomorrow,” I said.

This is good, I still have a chance to say goodbye to Le Yao before leaving Suzhou. However, thinking about the opportunity she gave me that I didn’t seize, I felt a pang of guilt.

“Alright, wait for my call… Oh, I want to eat bamboo chicken at Arin Restaurant.”

I laughed and said, “You really know how to eat!”

“Everyone will meet one or two foodies in their life, and apparently, the foodie you met is me.”

“Okay, no problem, I also want to eat bamboo chicken!”

“Hmm, then I’m looking forward to it from now on!” Le Yao said with real anticipation in her voice, further proving that she is a foodie.

“Look forward to it, and it would be great if you could accompany me for a few drinks.”

“Sure… It’s getting late, I’m going to bed first, and I’ll wait for your invitation tomorrow.

…

After ending the call with Le Yao, I looked out the window at the decent moonlight again, looking forward to tomorrow. But I don’t know if I’m looking forward to meeting Le Yao, the bamboo chicken, or the few drinks that I haven’t had yet.

———————

For readers who feel the updates are slow, I recommend a book called “My Top-Tier Girlfriends” by Super Tank Kobe.

You can read it again if you’ve read it before. There’s a hidden element in the book that no one has figured out yet. It’s a pity that out of tens of thousands of people, no one has figured it out. What’s wrong with you all?