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

I'm not particularly good at joking around with women, so after Yang Sisi kicked me hard, I chose to remain silent. Yang Sisi lowered her guard as a result, and she took a step closer to me. Just when she thought I was willing to swallow this bitter pill, I raised my hand and slapped her on the back. She staggered, spilling half of the popcorn in her hand.

"Michael, you..."

"Do you know I also have a temper?"

"You bastard, you almost made my lungs pop out! You owe me back my popcorn!"

"You look like popcorn."

"You owe me for my lungs, they hurt!"

"You were going to dive headfirst into this vibrant city of Dali... Well, now you're vibrant too, perfectly integrated into the city! But you don't need to thank me, I can slap you twice more to make you even more vibrant."

Yang Sisi glared at me through gritted teeth, while I raised an eyebrow at her, displaying my smugness after my resounding victory. The next moment, Yang Sisi quickly called over the cleaning staff in charge of the mall, saying that I had spilled popcorn all over the floor.

The old man caught me and gave me a good scolding, calling me inconsiderate and saying that if Dali failed to become a civilized city this time, it would be because of people like me.

Such a huge hat was put on my head, it almost scared me to death. So, I quickly apologized while picking up the popcorn that had been scattered all over the ground, amidst Yang Sisi's smug grin.

……

After the crowd of onlookers dispersed, I complained to Yang Sisi, "Why do I always feel so embarrassed when I'm with you? Can't we talk properly and communicate calmly? Every time you do this, you attract a bunch of onlookers, and I feel like I'm being performed like a monkey!"

Yang Sisi laughed loudly and then replied, "I just love teasing you, you little monkey... and I feel great about it. I like being the center of attention."

I felt I couldn't communicate with her, so I glanced at her sideways and said, "How about I slap you a few more times, so you can experience the thrill of being the center of attention again?"

"No need, no need, the movie is about to start."

As Yang Sisi spoke, she pulled me into the mall. She seemed to know the place well, and in no time she led me to the entrance of the movie theater. She took my phone again and very enthusiastically helped me with a few operations, and then she actually got me a free movie ticket.

She held up the tickets in her hand, quite proudly, and said to me, "I wasn't kidding, was I? You really can get free tickets. But this event won't be happening again in a few days!"

"When you were figuring out how to get these free tickets, did you feel a sense of dejection?"

Yang Sisi looked at me with utter incomprehension, then asked, "Why would you want to be down on your luck? I find it quite amusing."

"If one day you find yourself having to figure out how to save money even when it comes to eating, buying clothes, and buying cosmetics, will you still find life interesting?"

Yang Sisi paused for a moment, then replied with a look of despair, "I think I should buy some clothes and cosmetics."

"Then you're finished!"

"Who cares? We'll deal with it when things really get unbearable. Let's go see a movie first."

Yang Sisi dragged me into the movie theater. While watching the movie, I observed her closely. She was eating snacks while enjoying the film. She didn't seem to feel any sense of urgency from life. She seemed indifferent to her current situation and even seemed a little proud of herself.

I don't know what she was thinking, but I envy her. I envy her youthful ignorance and her ability to live so carefree.

This reminded me of a time when Lu Jia and I were watching a movie together. I remember it very clearly; halfway through the film, for some reason, she suddenly brought up the topic of buying a house…

I felt incredibly ashamed at the time, and ever since then, I've been extremely averse to watching movies, until today when I sat down with Yang Sisi.

……

Thinking about these unhappy things, I lost my desire to watch the movie, so I made an excuse to make a phone call and left the cinema. I wandered aimlessly around the mall, not intending to buy anything, but just wanting to see just how much money can be spent on things driven by human desires.

"Sir, please take a look at our skincare toner. We have a promotion today. If you buy it today, you'll not only get a 20% discount, but you'll also receive a voucher worth 300 yuan, which you can use next time you shop."

I stopped and looked it over, then replied to the sales assistant, "Wow, it's quite a good deal... but how do you know I'd actually need these women's products?"

The sales assistant smiled and said, "I just saw you take a girl to the fifth floor. You don't need it, but she definitely will."

I find it absolutely incredible!

She explained, "That girl was so beautiful that I remembered her out of professional instinct... Sir, the more beautiful a woman is, the more she needs to take care of herself. Even when she's thirty or forty, she'll still look as young and energetic as she does now. Wouldn't that be a great deal for you?"

"If she looked like this when she was forty, wouldn't she be a monster?"

The sales assistant smiled awkwardly: "Sir, you're joking... What I mean is, you have such a beautiful girlfriend, you should cherish her even more."

I walked closer to the sales assistant and whispered, "So what do you think I have to offer to have a girl like that as a girlfriend? ... To be honest, I won't be angry."

The sales assistant had clearly never encountered a man as boring and neurotic as me before. After stammering for a moment, she finally replied, "You must be... extremely rich, right?!"

I gave her a thumbs up, indicating that she had good taste, but I was secretly amused... I didn't have a penny to my name. The truly wealthy ones were Yang Sisi's parents. They were considered rich in Shanghai. Just imagine how rich they were.

I suppressed a laugh and said, "You have great taste. I don't have many redeeming qualities, except that I'm rich... Could you give me a bottle of this skincare lotion?"

"A large bottle?"

"The small bottle is too big; it won't fit in my pocket."

"We have tote bags."

"If she sees it, it won't be a surprise anymore. I'll hide it in my pocket."

"Uh... okay, but there's no coupon for the small bottle."

Do I look like someone who cares about vouchers?

The sales assistant gave an awkward smile, then handed me a receipt and said, "Sir, your total bill is 1,260 yuan. Please go to the service counter on your left to pay. I'll pack your items for you here."

"Don't bother with the packaging, just give me the bottle later, I want to hide it in my pocket."

The sales assistant finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. And amidst her laughter, I strode towards the service counter…

……

After finishing this task, I returned to the movie theater and sat down next to Yang Sisi. She asked me, clearly annoyed, "Where the hell have you been? The movie's almost over!"

I ignored her and focused on the ongoing finale of the drama, but my hand slipped into the pocket of the lotion. I didn't mean anything by it; I just couldn't understand why I'd suddenly become so generous. I'm not a man who can afford to spend like this, so even in the three years I was with Lu Jia, I never gave her such expensive skincare products. Back then, all I knew was how to desperately save money for a down payment on a house.

Seeing that I ignored her, Yang Sisi pressed on, "Can't you at least answer me when I'm talking to you? This is making me lose face!"

I made eye contact with her, then suddenly pulled the bottle of lotion from my pocket, placed it on her lap, and said, "This is for you."

"What?!"

Yang Sisi picked up the bottle, looking at it from all angles, while I deliberately focused on the movie, as if I hadn't done it.

Yang Sisi patted my arm and asked, "Are you sure this is a gift for me?... I've never used such cheap skincare products before."

"Damn... I'll use it to feed the dogs."

As I spoke, I tried to snatch it from Yang Sisi's hands, but she held on tightly. She looked at me with a smile, then tears welled up in her eyes. She choked out, "Don't be so nice to me, it will touch my heart."

When she cried like that, I suddenly wanted to slap myself. I realized: I had been fooled by that saleswoman and gotten so inflated that I did something so romantic... I can't treat Yang Sisi like this. I have to make her suffer a bit more so that she can leave Dali as soon as possible and live the life she's meant to live.