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

Night falls later in Dali than in other cities, so even at 6:15, the sun still hangs powerfully in the sky. The wind in Xiaguan is as fierce as it gets; it howls as it crosses the road, accompanying the traffic and stopping and starting at the traffic lights.

The entire city seemed to become still for a moment and then in motion.

I walked a few steps to a less crowded area before lighting a cigarette and answering Yang Sisi's call. She still sounded cheerful as she asked, "Where are you?"

"This side of Shimonoseki."

"That's perfect! Let's go see a movie! There's a free retro theater at Kunming Department Store today... Let's see Jiang Wen's 'Keep Cool,' it's so interesting!... An Hong, I miss you... Hahaha!"

Yang Sisi laughed carefree as she recited classic movie lines. But I didn't know how to have a proper conversation with her. My current troubles were largely caused by her.

"I'm picking someone up at the train station; my family has arrived."

"Oh! Didn't they know you were here? Why did you suddenly come to Dali?"

I couldn't bear to scold her, so I replied, "This can't be explained in a few words. Go see a movie by yourself. I won't accompany you today."

Yang Sisi's tone became serious as she replied, "I sense you're not in a good mood. How about I come to the train station to find you? I'll wait for your aunt and uncle with you."

"Don't come and make things worse."

"What are you saying? I was worried that you wouldn't be able to handle it alone. With me by your side, your aunt and uncle will give you some face and won't say anything too harsh."

"Ye Zhi is with me, I'm not alone."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a long pause before the question was asked, "What is her identity?"

"We've gotten together..."

I said this to Yang Sisi right away, and I had to say it. That way, if she relayed the message to Lao Huang, he would truly feel at ease with me.

"When did this happen?"

When Yang Sisi asked this question, the joy she had just felt had vanished, and her tone was unusually low.

"Today."

"Okay, although everyone thinks you're not good enough for her, if she really likes you, I still wish you both well...hehe."

After Yang Sisi finished speaking, she didn't give me a chance to say anything more and hung up the phone.

I didn't immediately return to Ye Zhi's side. Instead, I pondered the conversation for a moment and felt that something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

That's what makes women so strange; even if you really try to figure them out, you might not be able to understand what they're thinking.

……

It was already 6:30 when I finally saw Lao Mi emerge from the station exit. He was carrying one of those supermarket delivery bags; at first glance, he looked like an ordinary middle-aged or elderly man. To my surprise, I didn't see my mother.

I whispered to Ye Zhi beside me, "See that old man in cloth shoes? That's my dad."

Ye Zhi exclaimed "Ah!" and looked in the direction I was pointing. Perhaps because she was too nervous, she didn't recognize him immediately and asked me again, "There are too many people, which one is Uncle?"

I pointed again: "The old man carrying the RT-Mart shopping bag."

"I saw it."

"Okay, don't panic, just stay calm..."

"Well, if he doesn't ask me, I won't say anything."

"That's the principle."

As I spoke, I waved to Old Mi, who was squeezed in the crowd. He spotted me a moment later, then walked towards me with a gloomy expression...

I forced a smile, took the heavy shopping bag from Old Mi's hands, and asked him, "Why didn't my mom come with you?"

"I took the train to Kunming overnight, and then transferred from Kunming to Dali. Can your mother's body handle that?"

"I'm not trying to be mean, but if there's anything you need to say, you can just talk on the phone. You're so old, why did you have to make a trip to Dali? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"You damn fool, if you just stopped worrying about me, why would I have to suffer like this!"

As Lao Mi spoke, he turned his gaze to Ye Zhi, and I realized that I had been leaving Ye Zhi hanging. So, I quickly grabbed Ye Zhi's long sleeve and said to Lao Mi, "Dad, I forgot to introduce you, this is my girlfriend Ye Zhi... She heard you were coming and insisted on coming to the train station with me to pick you up, and I couldn't stop her."

"Uncle, this is our first meeting. I brought some small gifts; I hope you like them."

Old Mi was genuinely surprised, staring at Ye Zhi for a long while before finally accepting what she handed him. I knew exactly why he was surprised; he was astonished by how quickly I found a girlfriend, and also surprised by Ye Zhi's appearance.

In terms of looks and temperament, Ye Zhi is undoubtedly superior to Lu Jia, but I am increasingly losing my edge on the path to success. He would naturally be surprised that, in my increasingly dire situation, I managed to find another woman, seemingly even more outstanding, as my girlfriend after Lu Jia.

Ye Zhi wasn't good with words, so I said to Lao Mi, "Let's find a place to eat dinner first. We can talk about what you learned while we eat."

Perhaps realizing he had to save face for me in front of a woman, Old Mi temporarily chose to let things slide and acquiesced to my suggestion. At this point, Ye Zhi spoke up, saying, "I've already had my assistant arrange the hotel, and the dining arrangements are also at the hotel. You and Uncle just need to follow me."

"You're too kind. Let Michael handle this."

Ye Zhi smiled and replied, "It doesn't matter whether he arranges it or I do."

……

On the way to the parking lot, I deliberately slowed my pace and then asked Ye Zhi in a low voice, "When did you bring your assistant?"

"She's always been here; she's always lived in Xiaguan."

"Oh...which hotel did she book?"

Hilton.

"The Hilton next to Canghai Yishu?"

"Hmm, is there a problem?"

"That's too high a standard. Don't worry about the accommodation. I'll arrange a room for him at our inn."

"How can I show the difference between a diamond ring and a gold ring if I don't do something?"

I looked at Ye Zhi a little awkwardly, then thought about it again, and it really made sense. My purpose in contacting her was to save face and put Old Mi at ease. I stopped refusing and said to her, "You've thought this through more thoroughly than I have. I'll reimburse you for your accommodation and meals later."

"Let's not talk about that now."

……

An hour later, Ye Zhi drove me and Lao Mi back to the Hilton in the ancient city from the train station. As soon as Ye Zhi parked the car, a woman came over, took the things Ye Zhi was carrying, and said, "Ms. Ye, I've already booked the room. Give me your things, and I'll have the staff take them to the room... You can go straight to your meal."

Ye Zhi nodded, and then gestured for me to hand the plastic bag that Lao Mi had brought to her assistant as well.

Old Mi was clearly unfamiliar with hotels like this. He asked me somewhat awkwardly, "What does this girl do? Why is she making such a big fuss? ...Just grab a bite to eat is fine."

I paused for a moment, then replied, "You can talk to her directly during dinner. If I tell you, it'll sound like I'm showing off."

Old Mi gave me a serious look, then followed the waiter into the restaurant.

……

At a round table that could seat 12 people, Lao Mi sat opposite Ye Zhi and me. The bright lights shone down, illuminating every luxurious detail in the private room... Before long, the waiters brought out the dishes we ordered one by one.

Ye Zhi, who hadn't said much until now, finally spoke to Old Mi, who had also been silent, "Uncle, what kind of wine do you like to drink? I'll have the waiter bring it over."

Old Mi made a gesture to stop them, then replied, "Let's put the dinner aside for now. I have something to ask you two."

After exchanging a glance with Ye Zhi, we both turned our attention to Lao Mi.

How did you two meet?

As expected, Old Mi asked that question.

Ye Zhi was noticeably more relaxed than when they first met. She replied, "Michael and I met on the way to Dali... My car had a flat tire on the highway, and I waited for a long time without any help. Luckily, I met Michael, who helped me change the tire. Later, we bumped into each other again in Dali. I think it must be fate!"

This wasn't a lie, so Ye Zhi spoke with great ease.

Old Mi then turned to me and asked, "This isn't a game. You've figured it out yourself. What is it about that girl that you like?"

No one knows a father better than his son. The questions Lao Mi is asking now are all things we've talked about before, and he must have the same doubts. After Lu Jia left, this "new relationship" of mine came too quickly. Even if he doesn't suspect that we're acting, he'll wonder if we got together because we were in a moment of passion.