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

After having a late-night snack together, I said to Yang Sisi, "Tomorrow morning, quickly upload our inn's information to several online travel websites, and then urge them to send someone over to take photos as soon as possible, so that the inn can be online and operational as soon as possible."

"I know, I would have done it even if you hadn't reminded me..."

"Alright, it's getting late, everyone should get some rest."

After I made the suggestion, everyone was still reluctant to go back to their rooms, especially the energetic Tie Nan, who brought a case of beer from the bar and insisted that we celebrate properly before we were allowed to go back to sleep.

By the time this went on, it was already 2 a.m., and Yang Sisi, who couldn't hold her liquor, was completely drunk by Tie Nan. In the end, I had to carry her into the room. I was the most sober one among the group, and the reason I was sober was because I felt that I had a greater responsibility than anyone else, especially towards Taozi, which was an immense responsibility.

She embodies my hope for redeeming Wang Lei. I think if Wang Lei still has any unfulfilled wishes, then Taozi, her closest friend in life, is definitely a concern she can't let go of. I know Taozi is sincere to her; she has no relatives, so Taozi is more than a sister to her.

In the deep darkness of the night, I leaned against the railing, smoking and savoring this loneliness that belonged only to me...

……

A moment later, I heard the soft sound of the door opening behind me, and then Peach stood beside me. She was the only one sober besides me, not because she hadn't drunk any alcohol, but because she had a very high alcohol tolerance.

She took a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and then smiled at me, asking, "Why aren't you back in your room to sleep?"

"I have something on my mind."

"I bet you're thinking about Leilei."

I nodded, then leaned back against the railing, slowly exhaling the smoke from my mouth before saying, "It's been three months since she left... Winter must be approaching in Shanghai soon, right?"

"For someone with a wounded heart, whenever they think of that city, it's always winter."

I smiled and squinted, taking another drag of my cigarette.

"Michael, we are the people in this world who should be most grateful to Leilei... Without her, we would never have the courage to leave Shanghai."

"But she herself was a step too slow!"

Peach looked sad...

After a moment of silence, I turned to her and asked, "You've been here for a while now, and I haven't been able to keep up with your family situation... Has everything been settled now?"

"Yes, I gave all my savings over the years to my younger brother. I hope he can use this money to marry a reliable woman and live a good life. After all, he's my only younger brother."

"Too bad he's not someone to be trifled with. Hopefully he won't come after you for money again."

Peach smiled helplessly and replied, "Even if he still has the nerve to ask me for money, I don't have the ability to give him any more... I hope he can become a mature man in the future, instead of putting all his hopes on his older sister."

"I hope so."

As I spoke, I lit another cigarette with the nearly empty butt. I don't know why I suddenly felt like smoking that night; perhaps it was the pressure of being too calm.

After a moment of silence, Peach said to me again, "Can you talk to me about Tetsuo? I always feel like he's not too willing to talk to me about his family."

I looked at Peach, then subconsciously pinched my chin before replying, "You'd better not mention his family to him... It's not good for either of you, really!"

"Do you think I'm an unbearable woman?... Actually, I really want to understand him. I always feel like I owe him something, so the more I understand him, the better I can find out how to make it up to him."

"You can't make up for him, so it's fine if you just live like this, confused and muddled."

"I don't want to live in a daze... I will have to face his family someday, and so will he; we will only get to know each other better, because we are two people who will be living together every day."

"Is it absolutely necessary to know?"

"Um."

I flicked my cigarette ash, then squinted through the smoke and said to Peach, "His family was actually quite well-off; his dad was a businessman… But later, his dad got involved with a woman who worked in nightclubs. This woman was after his dad's money, so she went to his mom to provoke her… Unfortunately, his mom was a very strong-willed woman, and because she couldn't bear such humiliation, she chose the extreme path of suicide…"

Peach stared at me with wide eyes, then her face fell. She replied dejectedly, "I'm a woman who works in nightclubs too!"

I comforted him, saying, "That was in the past."

Peach weakly placed her hand on her forehead, and after a long while said, "Michael, I'm really confused right now!"

"Now that you've decided to come to Dali, can't you just let it go and forget all that messy stuff from the past?"

"I really feel guilty."

"Nightclub girls aren't all the same...it's just a profession, not a killing weapon."

"I understand, but I'm afraid Tetsuo doesn't think that way... I already feel inferior enough in front of him."

I saw Peach's unease and pain, but I didn't know how to comfort her so that she wouldn't dwell on this matter too much.

In my silence, Peach forced a smile again and said to me, "I'm very grateful that you told me this... If Tie Nan and I can end up together, it's because God took pity on us... If not, I'll accept it... After all, people have to take responsibility for their past choices."

"That's the only way to think about it."

……

A short while after chatting with Taozi, I didn't choose to stay at the guesthouse. Instead, I went back to the farmhouse I had just rented. After a quick wash, I lay down on the bed...

My room doesn't get much natural light, so they installed a skylight in the roof, and my bed is placed right under it, so I can see the night sky through the glass... When I can't sleep, I try to count the stars within my field of vision through this skylight, but I never get a result because I usually fall asleep before I've even finished counting half of them. That's why I always insist on sleeping here.

……

The next morning, I got up before everyone else. Without even having breakfast, I rode Tie Nan's motorcycle to the fireworks shop. I felt that fireworks and firecrackers were absolutely essential for such a good day, and I wanted to create a festive atmosphere before reopening.

On the way back, I thought of Ye Zhi again, a woman I hadn't contacted in a long time. Yes, we hadn't been in touch since her trip to Lijiang, and I didn't know if she had returned to Dali during that time.

I stopped by Erhai Lake and sent her a WeChat message: "Our guesthouse has reopened. Come and visit sometime."

"Really? Congratulations!"

"That's so insincere! They didn't even send a red envelope as a token of their appreciation?"

Ye Zhizhen sent me a red envelope with the words "Wishing you prosperity and good fortune" written on it. When I opened it, it was indeed a fairly large red envelope.

I then replied, "Since you've sent such a big red envelope, you absolutely must come here for our opening lunch; we've already booked a table at the restaurant next to the inn for lunch today."

"never mind."

"Aren't you in Dali?"

"exist."

"As friends, can't you even share this little bit of joy?... Come and sit down."

"If you don't like crowds, you can have your own gathering."

I returned the red envelope to her and then gave her a few disdainful emojis.

Are you angry?

"Why would I need your red envelope if you're not even here?"

This time, Ye Zhi sent a message a moment later: "I'm in the hospital now, feeling a bit unwell... I'll visit another time."

"What's wrong with you?"

"A minor problem."

"Which hospital? I'll go there right now."

"It's really nothing, just a headache and fever."

"You're just making up this excuse because you don't want to come to our inn."

"You!"

"Will you tell me or not?"

Ye Zhi sent a helpless emoji, then also sent her location. I didn't have time to return the fireworks and firecrackers to the inn, so I turned the car around and drove towards the hospital in Xiaguan with them on board.

Halfway there, I suddenly asked myself: What can I do there?