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

I opened the car door for Taozi. After she got in, she glanced around and said to me, "It's definitely a man's car. If it were a woman's, there would be a lot of gadgets in the car. Besides, this isn't a car women would like; it's too rugged!"

"You're really wrong. This car belongs to one of my female friends."

Peach looked at me incredulously, then seemed to recall something and said, "There really was a divorced big boss who fell in love with Leilei. He wanted Leilei to marry him, and promised to buy her an apartment in Shanghai and transfer the ownership of his Mercedes-Benz G-Class to her name..."

As I fastened my seatbelt, I replied, "Really? She never mentioned this to me."

"Don't you find it incredible that a big boss who can spend money like water would want to marry a princess? At most, they're just playing around... But with more and more customers, it's like winning the lottery once in a while... That should have been the best opportunity of Leilei's life, but unfortunately, she gave it up!"

There always needs to be a reason for giving up.

Peach first looked regretful, then smiled and said to me, "She said that if she married that big boss, she would lose the right to pursue true love for the rest of her life... Haha, what do you, a princess, need true love for!... Even if true love exists, it won't fall into the hands of us lower classes. Being able to live a life with money is already the greatest blessing God has given us."

You don't understand her.

"It's not that I don't understand her; I just understand better than she does what kind of profession I'm in. If she had been able to face reality, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."

I instinctively slowed down, then turned to her and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"If she had been willing to go with that big boss back then, none of this would have happened... I really feel sorry for her!"

My heart clenched, and I suddenly felt a pang of sadness. But I didn't want to be controlled by this feeling, so I smiled and said to Taozi, "We've come all this way to Dali, let's not talk about these unhappy things... Look, Erhai Lake is right outside the car."

Taozi opened the car window, and the wind blowing from the sea immediately rushed into the car. Taozi's long hair was blown into disarray by the wind, which also obscured her expression when she saw Erhai Lake. I only saw a kind of worldly air about her, but being tainted by this worldly air was not what she wanted.

I've known her for many years and I understand her fairly well. If she and Wang Lei didn't have anything in common, how could she have become Wang Lei's most valued friend? She and Wang Lei are essentially the same kind of people, except that she is more stubborn and more insecure than Wang Lei.

……

After an hour's drive, I took Taozi to the manor near Majiuyi. We found a platform with a view of both Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and then sat under a parasol and chatted.

I asked her, "What would you like to eat?"

"Local Yunnan specialties will do."

I called the waiter over, while Peach rested her chin on her hand, gazing intently at the shimmering sea surface under the sun. Although she didn't comment on the scenery, it was clear that she really liked it here.

Finally, she turned to me and asked, "Have you started running the inn yet?"

"Yes, I just took over a seaside inn with a friend, but we can't open for business yet..."

"Why would you take over if the business can't operate?"

I patiently replied, "It's precisely because it can't operate that we were able to take it over at such a low price... This inn was originally invested in for 150 million, but we only spent 70 to take it over. Moreover, it's an inn with all the necessary permits and licenses, so it will be able to resume operations sooner or later."

"That's alright..." After a slight pause, Peach added, "You must take good care of yourself here, don't make me worry."

I wanted to persuade her to stay, but I couldn't find a suitable reason to convince her, so I swallowed my words and simply said to her, "What do I, a man, have to worry about... By the way, if you don't mind being tired, I'll take you around Erhai Lake this afternoon... Tonight, I'll take you to a Taiwanese-run farmhouse for a private meal. The owner was a Michelin-starred chef before coming to Dali, and his food is absolutely superb!"

Peach smiled, then looked at me with newfound respect and said, "Michael, since coming to Dali, you seem to have learned to enjoy life!"

"If I don't live like this, I feel like I'm letting Wang Lei down... But sometimes, I still feel powerless."

After I finished speaking, I fell silent. Then I lit a cigarette. Peach didn't say anything more. She took a cigarette from my cigarette case, lit it, and then stared blankly at Erhai Lake for a while... until the waiter brought the food to our table.

……

During dinner, I received a call from Tie Nan. He said to me, "Michael, Bai Lu has discussed the inn's name change with Zhao Jing. Zhao Jing initially disagreed, but after Bai Lu told her about the new name, she hesitated for a moment and then agreed..."

"This is a good thing!"

"Okay, this afternoon, come with me to GG Company. We'll find their designers and work together to come up with a new sign."

I was in a bit of a dilemma because I had already promised Taozi that I would take her around Erhai Lake this afternoon. I knew the guesthouse was important, but Taozi was also a friend I valued very much. After weighing the options, I said to Tienan, "A friend of mine is visiting from Shanghai, and I really can't get away today. How about I go with you tomorrow morning?"

"It won't delay things. Bring your friend to GG's office too. I estimate it can be done in half an hour."

At this moment, Peach said to me again, "If you have something to do this afternoon, I'll go explore the ancient city by myself. Just don't let it interfere with things at your inn."

"It's just to design a new signboard at GG Company. It'll take about half an hour. Why don't you come with me after we finish eating? It won't interfere with our schedule."

Peach agreed with great interest, and then I said to Tie Nan, "Okay... Have you eaten yet? Why don't you come to Ma Jiuyi for something to eat?"

"You little brat, you didn't even invite us when your friends came over... I'm going over there to mooch a hot meal."

……

Not long after, Tie Nan arrived on his beat-up motorcycle. As soon as he saw me, he started complaining that he had to pay 20 yuan for a ticket just to have a meal. It wasn't until I introduced Tao Zi to him that he swallowed his anger about having to pay for a ticket.

He whispered in my ear, "Your girlfriend is pretty... I've noticed you're really... really impressive, how do you know so many beautiful girls!"

"They don't contact the ugly ones anymore..."

Tie Nan pointed at me, then glanced at Tao Zi, seemingly captivated by her beauty. To be honest, Tao Zi works in a very high-class place; if she didn't have exceptional looks, what would attract those wealthy men to her depravity and infatuation?

Peach glanced at Tetsuo, then asked me, "Your friend?"

"Yeah, the guy who runs the inn with me... he doesn't have a name, you can just call him Tie Nan."

Peach smiled and then said to Tie Nan, "Please sit down... I'll ask the waiter to order a few more dishes. What would you like to eat?"

"So beautiful...no need to add more!"

Having frequented nightclubs, Peach was adept at handling such flattering or flirtatious remarks. So she simply smiled faintly, called over a waiter, took out five hundred yuan in cash from her wallet and slipped it into the menu, then said to the waiter, "Bring a few more of your local specialties, and keep the change."

"How could I let you treat me?"

Peach grabbed my hand as I tried to stop the waiter and replied, "This isn't for you, it's for this new friend... You have a bad temper and are impulsive, so you'll have to ask them to look after you a bit more in Dali."

Peach's words touched me deeply, but also filled me with sadness. Who says people like them can't have genuine feelings? On the contrary, if they consider you a friend, they'll give so much more than the average person in society…

Tie Nan glanced at me enviously and said, "Your friend is really picky... but we can't let her pay for this meal... stop arguing, give me a chance to treat you today, just because I've been in Dali for a few more years than you."

As Tie Nan spoke, he took back the money Tao Zi had given him and put it back in front of Tao Zi... He then took out a membership card from his pocket and handed it to the waiter.

I stared in disbelief. He had just been complaining about the manor charging admission, yet he'd already got a membership card. This guy's shamelessness has reached new heights!