I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

Dinner ended an hour later. Yang Sisi didn't wait for my beat-up motorcycle anymore; she got into a taxi empty-handed and returned to the "Majiuyi" inn before me. Meanwhile, Lao Huang called me aside...

Old Huang somehow got hold of a pack of "Chunghwa cigarettes," which he shoved into my hand. He said, "Michael, you've really done a great job this time. Don't let Sisi's current dislike of Xiao Bao fool you; if they study abroad together for a few years, there's definitely a chance... Isn't that how human relationships work? Otherwise, how could there be such a thing as feelings growing over time?"

I didn't refuse the cigarettes, but I didn't feel entitled to them either. I just felt my smoking was going to increase soon, so I needed these good cigarettes to satisfy my cravings while minimizing the harm to my body. Also, this was a reminder that since I'd accepted such a valuable gift from Lao Huang, I should stay away from Yang Sisi, after all, she's Lao Huang's prospective daughter-in-law.

Haha, how could I not know what Lao Huang meant by saying all this to me?

I stuffed the expensive cigarette into my backpack, and then took out a "Double Happiness" cigarette from my own cigarette case and lit it. This was the cigarette I smoked the most when I was in Shanghai. I thought I would never be able to buy it again in such a far place as Dali, but I still found it in a very small newsstand.

I asked Lao Huang, "When are you planning to go back to Shanghai?"

"Now that the matter has been resolved, we certainly won't waste any more time here."

"Let's stay a few more days! Not only is Erhai Lake beautiful here, but the sky is also much bluer than in big cities!"

Old Huang patted my shoulder, smiled meaningfully, and replied, "Young man, not everyone likes Dali... I've also heard that there are many DINKs (Double Income No Kids) here who never plan to get married or have children. I find it quite unbelievable. I think people shouldn't go against the laws of nature, or they'll be punished by heaven!"

I took a deep drag of my cigarette, then squinted and replied, "You're exaggerating. Everyone has the right to choose a different lifestyle. Most people still choose to get married and have children, right? While this small minority may be extreme, they won't truly impact the progress of society."

Old Huang smiled without saying a word, then lit a cigarette for himself.

As he was finishing his cigarette, he looked at me again and said, "Come back to the company with me. This doesn't conflict with your investment. Anyway, you're in a partnership with someone, so just let them manage it."

I smiled and replied, "Why do you keep trying to persuade me to go back to Shanghai? Not everyone likes Shanghai."

"I'm worried about you staying in Dali..." Old Huang smiled and said, "If you don't have time, you should find some support for Sisi. Otherwise, all our good intentions will be wasted. We need to let her experience all aspects of life on her own."

I couldn't laugh, though, because Lao Huang was already wary of me. But I could understand; after Yang Sisi's outrageous behavior, anyone would be on guard.

"You're joking. I can barely take care of myself, how could I possibly care about her?"

Old Huang gave me a sharp look, then patted my shoulder and laughed, "This product manager position won't stay vacant forever, you'd better think it over... Besides, it's not right to keep lying to your parents like this. If you're willing to go back, this matter won't be so troublesome, right?"

At this moment, I really wanted to tell Lao Huang about Wang Lei so that he would understand my choice, but I felt it was pointless because he and I have never been the same kind of people. Even if what happened to Wang Lei happened to him, he would not have chosen to come to Dali. So it would be difficult to gain his understanding!

So I laughed and said, "Don't try to persuade me. I know what you're worried about, but I'm a sensible person, so nothing unexpected will happen..." After a slight pause, I sighed and added, "Heh, just imagine how painful it would be for two people from completely different worlds to force themselves to live together!"

Seeing that he couldn't persuade me, Old Huang finally patted me on the shoulder and replied, "It's best that you have this kind of awareness."

……

Riding Tie Nan's motorcycle, I wandered along the lakeside road... When I passed by "Haitu Inn" again, I saw Yang Sisi. She was sitting on the roof, resting her chin on her hand, looking somewhat lonely at the clouds and starry sky floating above Erhai Lake.

I didn't stop to talk to her; I was just like a gust of wind that passed by her, not chasing anything away, but only making myself feel more lonely...

The next instant, I saw Ye Zhi sitting at her desk through the sheer curtains of the French windows again, and then a strange feeling welled up inside me. It seemed like we were getting closer every day, yet it also felt like she could disappear from my world at any moment...

Sigh... Dali seems to be such a place. It always uses its leisurely atmosphere to make people prone to overthinking, while downplaying the practical problems that must be faced in life... So, for those extreme realists, isn't this just hell?

……

Back at the "Wind Man's Inn," I was alone again. I called Tie Nan, and he told me he was in talks with someone about transferring ownership of the inn...

No wonder he was so confident. It's likely that someone had their eye on his current inn a long time ago, but he had no intention of transferring it at that time.

This made me feel more certain. To be honest, I didn't believe that Tie Nan could transfer his inn so quickly.

After taking a hot shower, I lay down on the small wooden bed that was only 1.5 meters wide. Then I opened my online bank account and calculated all the money I could currently withdraw... Gradually, I began to feel the pressure, because a large part of the money I could use for investment was left to me by Wang Lei before she passed away. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to run the inn well and would let her down.

As I thought about it, I lost my sleepiness, but I didn't know what to do, so I sat on the bed staring blankly at my phone... until I habitually thought of Lu Jia again.

I opened the messages I'd sent her before that had gone unanswered, and couldn't resist sending her one more, telling her about recent changes and my feelings. The reason I dared to send it was because I knew she'd already canceled the number; I simply decided to use this place as my own little venting space.

So I sent her another message: "I still vividly remember the way you left that day... I thought I would just rot away in Shanghai, but life suddenly gave me a new choice. In such a short time since arriving in Dali, I've taken over a seaside inn with friends I just met... I don't think I've ever taken such a risk in my life, but this time I'm going all in, I've bet everything... But after calming down, I'm still a little panicked, because deep down I'm someone who's always worried about losing things. If I fail this time too, will I ever have a chance to turn things around?... What's even scarier is that women these days are so materialistic! So, in the end, I'm afraid I won't even deserve a love based on material things... This is so damn distressing, how am I going to explain this to my parents...?"

After sending the message, I tossed my phone aside. I felt a bit more awake because, nominally, I had sent the message to Lu Jia, who is the kind of woman who can keep me alert at all times.

I lit a cigarette and slowly savored these feelings of clarity...

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I picked it up casually and glanced at it, only to be stunned. This number had actually replied to my message…

I checked several times, and the person who replied was indeed the number Lu Jia had used before!