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

I was halfway through my song when Yang Sisi burst out laughing. Her eyes were blurry as she said to me, "What kind of nonsense are you singing? ...If you have the whole world, how can you not have ordinary love? ...And why should love be ordinary? Love should be something passionate and intense!"

I stopped, stared at her for a long time, and then replied, "You're so boring, you know?"

"You're the boring one. I just want to find an interesting man to love passionately..." She paused briefly, kicked me, and continued, "I don't want to marry that sissy Xiao Bao... I really don't want to... I really, really don't want to..."

"I'm not a little leopard, why did you kick me?"

"Because you're even worse... At least Little Leopard knows how to treat me well... What about you? All you do is scheme against me and even hit me... Do I owe you anything?"

"Who knows who owes whom?"

After I finished speaking, I looked at the bewildered Yang Sisi and suddenly felt sorry for her. Actually, before coming to Dali, she was like a caged canary, outwardly beautiful but inwardly restless and empty. That's why she desperately wanted to come to Dali, this kaleidoscope-like city. But she didn't know that beneath the glamorous exterior, love and relationships in Dali also come at a price.

After a moment of silence, I said to her again, "It's getting late, go to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep, I just want to find someone to chat with."

"Go to sleep..."

Yang Sisi yelled at me, "I'm not sleeping... I slept enough when I was in Shanghai!"

I was getting a little annoyed by her, so I lit a cigarette, took a drag, and replied, "I didn't think you were particularly clear-headed when you were in Dali either..."

Yang Sisi stared at me with wide eyes, and after a long while, said, "Just like there are no perfect people, there's no perfect city... Michael, why don't you help me find a boyfriend? Maybe then you won't hate me so much!"

"How about I find you another father, and while I'm at it, I'll also take care of your living expenses here."

"Aren't you a bastard... Can't you just talk to me properly?"

I took another deep drag of my cigarette and replied, "When you complain about others, can you at least think about what you said yourself? ...Oh, I'm introducing you to a boyfriend now, and a year later you just walk away from Dali. Wouldn't that be terrible for me?"

Yang Sisi just looked at me without saying anything, so I said to her again: "The class background you carry means you're not suited for Dali... The men who are good enough for you are all living in big cities, wearing the most glamorous clothes, driving luxury cars, and living in mansions... They need a woman like you who is both well-matched and beautiful, so they can have face, understand?"

"You're disgusting, making love sound like a transaction!"

"For some people, it's a transaction."

"Then get lost... We're not on the same page!"

"You're the one who should get out; this is my inn."

"I told you to go upstairs and go to sleep..."

I glanced at her and noticed that she seemed much more awake than before, so I said to her, "Then I'll go upstairs first. Go to the guest room next door and get a kettle to boil some water, otherwise you'll feel unwell when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Didn't you say you wanted to find me a father? Go find one quickly, I want my father to boil water for me."

"I can't communicate with you, so you'll have to suffer the consequences."

……

After leaving Yang Sisi's room, I returned to my own. Although it was brighter and more spacious, I couldn't recapture the feeling from before. My emotions were no longer at peace, and I kept replaying Yang Sisi's words in my mind. She was truly ignorant and fearless, actually yearning for a love so intense it was almost unbearable. It seemed she had never truly loved!

And what about me? After experiencing a relationship that felt like I was living a life worse than death, do I still have any desire for women and love?

I'm not sure what I'm thinking. At least for now, I have no desire to find a woman. I'd rather live alone because I still love Lu Jia, miss the tenderness she gave me, and hate the reality she brought me...

But how can I contact her? Her old number is now occupied by a very uncivilized woman. She made me completely lose contact with Lu Jia, and I should hate her... I should hate everyone who makes me unhappy!

But isn't living such a calculating life even more exhausting? So, I started to hate myself for overthinking in the middle of the night and refusing to sleep!

……

The next day, I got up early and walked from Longkan to Majiuyi. Although the journey was long, I saw some beautiful scenery I hadn't seen before. It turns out that Dali not only boasts natural landscapes like Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, but also many man-made estates. Near Majiuyi, there was such an estate, filled with flowers and plants, raising some rare miniature horses, and even hiring wandering singers to perform for tourists on a flower-covered stage… I inquired and found the entrance fee was inexpensive, only 20 yuan per person. Yet, one could enjoy Dali's blue skies, colorful clouds, and the beauty of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake without time constraints.

I've made up my mind. When I pick up Peach later, I'll treat her to a meal and drinks at this manor. I love this kind of leisurely life!

……

Upon arriving in Mayuyi, I found the owner of "Haitu Inn," asked him for Ye Zhi's room key, and chatted with him for a while. I learned that Ye Zhi also worked in the hotel industry, but unlike our small-scale operations, she ran ultra-luxury five-star hotels…

Moreover, the innkeeper described her as a cold woman who only followed business logic and work principles. I can understand this, because she is a very insightful woman who never talks nonsense, and even in daily life, she seems a bit too indifferent.

I really wanted to talk more with the innkeeper about her story, but due to time constraints, we only had a brief chat before I said goodbye and went to the room she had stayed in before, with my room key in hand.

As a man, I'm bound to be a little curious about a woman's room, especially since Ye Zhi is a very mysterious woman. So, after entering the room, I subconsciously took a few more glances.

Actually, she's just like any other woman; she uses cosmetics, owns many outfits, and has menstrual products. It seems the mystery isn't really about her life, but rather her closed-mindedness—and that's precisely what's most captivating.

I looked away, then opened the bedside table and found her G-Class car keys among a pile of business cards.

……

At 10:30, I drove Ye Zhi's car to the airport, and at 12:00, I picked up Taozi. The moment we met, she gave me a very tight hug. After letting go, she gazed at the Dali sky for a long time, then exclaimed to me, "Is this Dali?... It's like a dream!"

I smiled and replied, "I've been spending too much time in the bright lights of big cities... It's nice to come here and see the blue skies and white clouds... How long are you planning to stay in Dali this time?"

"Three days."

I was a little disappointed and said, "Are you alright? You came all this way and only got three days of fun!"

Peach replied with a helpless expression, "These three days were squeezed out... Our job isn't very flexible, so I'm already very satisfied that I was able to come and see the place Leilei always talked about before she passed away!"

I understood her helplessness, so I smiled and said to her, "Three days is fine too, the main thing is to have fun."

"Then you have to show me around Dali properly."

"Sure, I'll take you to a place to eat first. The environment is really nice; I guarantee you won't want to leave once you're there."

As I spoke, I took the suitcase from her and led her to the parking lot until we were both standing next to Ye Zhi's G-Class. I opened the back door and put her luggage inside.

She asked me incredulously, "Is this your car?"

"It belongs to a friend in Shanghai. She happened to be back in Shanghai, so I borrowed her car."

"You have such wealthy friends in Shanghai? That car is worth almost 300 million!"

We met on the way to Dali.

Peach smiled and replied, "Your luck has really turned around since you arrived in Dali! The person who lent you such an expensive car must be someone special. Tell me, is he a man or a woman?"