My absurd experiences in North America over the years

After Li Fu "left", Lucy's condition visibly deteriorated.

She often daydreamed in class, and didn't hear the professor calling her name until a classmate next to her reminded her.

At lunchtime in the cafeteria, I took my tray to a corner, took two bites of my sandwich and put it down, then used my fork to poke at the lettuce leaves in the salad until they were a mess.

"Little Cake, what's wrong?" Red-haired Emily came over with a cup of coffee, sat down opposite her, and looked at her with concern. "You look like you've lost your soul."

Lucy forced a smile. "It's nothing, I just...didn't sleep well."

"Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" Emily asked in a low voice. "If you ask me, guys who are too handsome are really unreliable; they attract too many women."

"No," Lucy interrupted her instinctively, Li Fucai wasn't that kind of person, but then realized she had to keep up the act, and said dejectedly, "I have problems myself..."

Emily wisely refrained from pressing the issue and changed the subject. "There's a bachelorette party tomorrow night, want to go relax?"

Lucy's finger paused on her fork. "A bachelorette party?"

Winslop did this on purpose, didn't he?

"It's just an excuse to get together." Emily shrugged. "Chad thinks everyone's under a lot of academic pressure lately, so it's a good opportunity to relax."

Lucy was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not in a good mood, I don't want to go."

"You should only go when you're in a bad mood! I know a lot of handsome guys, I'll introduce you to a few."

Emily and Lucy have a good relationship; Emily is quite innocent and lively.

However, her family background can only be considered middle class. She frequently attends various parties, and besides liking to have fun, she naturally also has the idea of ​​meeting her Prince Charming.

Winslop was also happy to invite a young and beautiful girl like her.

Can a party be called a party if there are no beautiful women?

Emily is a regular at Winthrop's parties, and it's no exaggeration to say she knows quite a few handsome men.

"I don't care about meeting handsome guys, I'm immune to them now," Lucy said listlessly.

"Then just think of it as keeping me company!" Emily leaned closer to Lucy and whispered, "I've got my eye on a handsome guy, can you give me your opinion?"

"Huh?" Lucy suddenly became interested.

"Really, he's so handsome, he has a melancholic air about him, an artistic beauty," Amy said, her eyes sparkling.

It's obvious that she really likes that person.

"Alright then!" Lucy agreed.

"Then I'll come pick you up?" Emily asked happily.

"No need, I'll drive myself," Lucy said, looking down as she continued poking at the now-distorted lettuce leaf.

That evening, Lucy sent Li a text message using her newly bought phone.

I explained the situation to Li Fu.

"Received. Be careful and don't drink any opened beverages," Li Fu replied quickly.

"How's it going on your end?"

"There's not much progress at the moment. I'll let you know if there's any news."

Li Fu replied in a very formal and methodical manner.

"I miss you!"

"Young Miss, we've only been apart for a day."

"Is a day too short? Humph, I just miss you."

"Fine!" Li Fu said helplessly.

Lucy stared at the "okay" for a long time, then nearly threw her phone on the sofa in frustration.

What a typical straight man.

Is it so hard to reply with "I miss you too"?

Just as she was getting angry, her phone vibrated.

It was a text message from Li Fu.

"I miss you too, I really want to hold you while I sleep."

Lucy looked at the words on the screen, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.

The next evening, at a villa in the mountains outside the city.

The courtyard was brightly lit, but it was much quieter than last time.

There were only five or six cars parked at the entrance, no deafening music, no revelry in the pool, and not many participants.

Seven or eight people sat in twos and threes in the living room, chatting quietly while holding wine glasses.

The atmosphere was as relaxed as a typical gathering of friends.

When Lucy arrived, she was wearing a simple black dress, her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her makeup was very light.

She glanced around the living room. Emily was chatting with a boy on the sofa, two girls were taking selfies in the corner, and the bartender was wiping glasses behind the bar.

Winslop stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of whiskey.

She was talking to a man she didn't know.

He saw Lucy come in, raised his glass to her, said something to the man, and walked towards her.

"I'm glad you could come," Winthrop said gently, clearly concerned for a true friend. "I heard you haven't been feeling well these past few days?"

"I'm heartbroken and feeling a bit down," Lucy said casually as she took the champagne he offered.

"There's an old Chinese saying, 'There are plenty of fish in the sea,'" Winslop said, sitting down on the sofa next to her at a perfect distance. "There are plenty of single guys tonight. If you're interested, I can introduce you."

"No need," Lucy shook her head dejectedly. "I don't want to go through that again without saying goodbye."

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Winslop feigned surprise.

"She just left a note saying she was going back to China, and then she disappeared. She doesn't reply to text messages or answer phone calls," Lucy said, her voice filled with helplessness and anger.

"Did something happen at home?"

Winslop is still pretending to be a nice guy.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know anymore," Lucy looked up and gave a forced smile. "Let's not talk about this. Didn't you say it was a bachelor party today? It seems a bit deserted."

Winslop leaned back on the sofa, his tone much more relaxed. "Last time you said it was too noisy and they were too unrestrained, so this time I only invited a few classmates and friends to drink and chat. If you're bored, you can go upstairs to sing karaoke later to let loose. I installed a new system with excellent sound quality."

"We'll see!" Lucy said, looking at Emily. "I'll go talk to her over there."

Winslop gestured for him to proceed.

The party was slow-paced; it was basically just a few people chatting, playing board games, and the loser had to drink.

The atmosphere was quite lively.

Winslop stayed in the living room the whole time, occasionally chatting with this person or clinking glasses with that person, behaving like a dutiful host.

Lucy also met Emily's crush.

The other person was indeed a refined and cultured young man with an artistic flair, who seemed to have a good upbringing.

They seem to be high achievers from the University of Southern California.

Around midnight, Lucy got up to say goodbye.

Winthrop walked her to the door, told her to be careful on the road, and even opened the car door for her. "Let's get together again next time."

His attitude was as sincere as that of an old friend I've known for ten years.

If it weren't for the attempt to bribe Li Fu.

Lucy genuinely believed he was a polite gentleman.

"The party went smoothly, nothing unusual happened."

She sent Li Fu a text message.

Stop at the intersection at the foot of the mountain.

Li Fu replied quickly.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. At the foot of the mountain?

Could it be that Li Fu has been nearby all along?

But he wasn't at the party!