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

Before nightfall, Yang Sisi and I rode Tie Nan's motorcycle toward the hotel where we had arranged to meet Ye Zhi. Actually, this wasn't my first time at this hotel, because Ye Zhi had already hosted Lao Mi at the Hilton Hotel once when Lao Mi came to Dali last time.

This is no coincidence, because the most upscale hotel in Dali represents a formality, so Ye Zhi and Yang Sisi's cousin's motive for inviting them to dinner must also be formal. Perhaps they really did become a couple because they were in love.

Anyway, that's my guess.

At this moment, I inexplicably missed the two bowls of rice noodles we ate by the roadside that night. Unfortunately, just a few days later, it had become an irretrievable memory; because I would hardly ever have the same feeling again to do similar things with her.

We're just a little bit better friends than ordinary friends.

……

I've lost count of how many times I've ridden this beat-up motorcycle with Yang Sisi through the dark night of the ancient city. I can't quite describe the feeling, but as long as she's with me, I'm never lonely again, because she's a woman who loves to talk.

She then said to me, "Michael, I have a feeling that Iron Man's motorcycle will die in your hands one day! Can't you watch where you're riding? Can't we avoid going over potholes? Or do you really enjoy the feeling of us crashing into each other?"

"The ground is full of potholes, where can I go?"

"You're just trying to take advantage of me."

"Wait until you're fully developed before you offer me any benefits. Otherwise, you'll feel like a washboard when you're with me."

Yang Sisi slapped me twice on the head through my helmet, then said, "Have some shame in civilized society, okay?" After a slight pause, she added, "Ye Zhi has big breasts, but she's willing to ride on your beat-up motorcycle!"

"You know what, she actually did sit in it."

"Are you deliberately choosing to walk through places with potholes too?"

"If you think I'm taking advantage of you, then get down and walk. Why do you keep dragging Ye Zhi into this?"

"You get all worked up as soon as Ye Zhi is mentioned... haha."

"I fucking want to ride you into a ditch and make you fall and die!"

"Go ahead and fall, your breasts will get bigger when they swell up, and then they'll fulfill all your fantasies."

I realized that I couldn't have a normal conversation with this girl anymore, so I simply shut up and subconsciously sped up the motorcycle, which made the vibrations in the back even more intense... To be honest, Yang Sisi does have breasts, but I've been unwilling to admit it just so I wouldn't seem like I have a perverted sense of humor.

……

About twenty minutes later, Yang Sisi and I finally arrived at the Hilton Hotel next to Canghaiyisu. It was a return visit, but the feelings from the two visits were incomparable, and life is indeed unpredictable. Last time, she was my nominal girlfriend; this time, I had to watch her become someone else's girlfriend.

After shifting our gaze slightly, we noticed that Ye Zhi's G-Class was parked in a very conspicuous spot in the parking lot; she had arrived before us.

I glanced at Yang Sisi next to me. She was in a good mood and kept sending voice messages to her cousin on her phone.

I interrupted her and asked, "What's your cousin's name?"

"Just ask him yourself. He doesn't care what your name is."

"Is it really necessary to elevate your cousin to such a high position?"

"I didn't flatter him, you said it yourself... Strong people disdain to act with weak people. If you ask him, he will definitely tell you everything... He is the kind of person you described, who has already reached a very high level, the kind of person that ordinary people can't reach."

Her words were making me a little uncomfortable, so I kept quiet again, then pulled a crumpled cigarette from the pack and lit it. She then asked me with a smile, "Does your foot hurt a lot?"

"I'm perfectly healthy, why do my feet hurt?"

"Because you shot yourself in the foot... Haha, let's see if you dare to lecture me again. People like you need to be taught a lesson the same way they treat each other."

I really wanted to spit blood in her face. I couldn't swallow this insult, so under the watchful eyes of numerous security guards, I ran around Yang Sisi while shouting, "It doesn't hurt at all, it doesn't fucking hurt at all..."

Yang Sisi covered her face and said, "Uncle, we're all getting on in years, we can't afford to lose face like this... Stop it! It's one thing for me to humiliate you, but why do you have to humiliate yourself too? I've never seen anyone so willing to give up like this!"

……

I argued with Yang Sisi at the hotel entrance for quite a while before we finally went inside together. I don't know if it was a coincidence or Ye Zhi's doing, but the room we had dinner in this time was the same one where she entertained Lao Mi last time.

Time truly proves many things. Last time I had dinner, I thought of the phrase "things have changed, but people are no longer the same," and this time it really is true.

Old Mi has been gone for some time now, and I met Yang Sisi's cousin for the first time in my life. He's an outstanding man just by looking at him, without him even having to say a word. Although he's only about my age, his demeanor is something that comes from years of experience in the business world. No wonder Yang Sisi places him in such a high position; we really don't have much to compare.

Before I could even speak, Ye Zhi, who usually doesn't like to take the initiative, asked me, "What were you doing down there just now? Running around Sisi like that."

I felt incredibly embarrassed, not expecting them to see my embarrassing state through the window. Luckily, I reacted quickly and replied, "Have you ever seen a shaman perform? I've been haunted by a ghost lately, and I'm surrounded by evil spirits!"

After I finished speaking, I glanced at Yang Sisi again. This time, Yang Sisi was even more decisive. She didn't even bother to talk to me anymore and kicked me right in front of Ye Zhi and her cousin. She was simply lawless.

This also shows that her willful and unruly personality was entirely due to being spoiled by her family. In front of her cousin, she not only did not restrain herself, but became even more outrageous!

After the fight and the commotion, Yang Sisi's cousin finally stood up and said to me, "I've heard Sisi mention you before. Meeting you in person, you really are a very interesting person... Hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Yang Yuanhang, and I'm Sisi's cousin."

"Aren't you her cousin? How come you also have the surname Yang?"

"My uncle married into my maternal grandfather's family through a marriage alliance. What's wrong with my cousin's surname being Yang?"

As I sat down, I exclaimed, "Yang Yuanhang, 'Sailing far and wide,' what a wonderful name."

Yang Sisi sat down next to me, making it a two-on-two situation. She said to me again, "Don't just keep praising other people's names. Have you told me your own name?"

I exchanged a glance with Yang Yuanhang, and then said, "My name is Mi Gao. I'm practically a fellow townsman of yours. I lived in Shanghai for four years, but I couldn't get a Shanghai hukou (household registration). Feeling disheartened, I came to Dali."

"Dali is a pretty nice place."

I nodded and said, "Well, since this is our first meeting, let's all be relaxed and not force any topics to make small talk. After all, we're sitting together to eat so we can fill our stomachs."

Yang Sisi glared at me, then said to Yang Yuanhang, "Brother, ignore him. He's a troublemaker. Let's talk."

Yang Yuanhang smiled politely and then chatted with Yang Sisi about her running away from home. However, he was very open-minded and expressed his willingness to support Yang Sisi in staying here to experience a different lifestyle.

Out of boredom, I glanced at Ye Zhi, who had been silent all along. She seemed to have something on her mind, and the seat she was sitting in was the one I had sat in not long ago.

……

After a moment, Yang Sisi changed the subject and said to Yang Yuanhang, "Brother, are you interested in making some investments in Dali? You've always been interested in the tourism industry, and Dali has a lot of tourism resources. It would be a perfect first stop for you to enter this industry."

Yang Yuanhang replied with a smile, "What kind of investment do you think is better?"

"It's definitely going to be a hotel."

Yang Yuanhang glanced at Ye Zhi and replied, "This is not an area I am familiar with."

Yang Sisi immediately understood and said, "You may not be familiar with it, but Sister Ye Zhi is... The tourism market in Dali is so big, even if you're in the hotel business, there's no competition between you; on the contrary, I think you'll have many opportunities to cooperate in the future, and Sister Ye Zhi will definitely give you a lot of advice... Right, Sister Ye Zhi?"

Ye Zhi seemed a little absent-minded...

Yang Sisi asked again, "Is it Sister Ye Zhi?"

Ye Zhi then came to her senses, looked at Yang Sisi somewhat awkwardly, and asked, "What did you say?"

Yang Sisi patiently repeated what she had just said.

Ye Zhi nodded and replied, "We welcome anyone to come to Dali and work together to expand the tourism market here."

"Your tone is way too formal."

Ye Zhi looked a little embarrassed, then turned her gaze to me, probably asking for my help.

I finally put down my chopsticks, which I had been constantly moving, and said, "So what do you want her to say? Are you going to say, 'Don't worry, even if you come here to invest, I'll take care of you, good or bad, you'll definitely succeed, and if you don't, it'll be entirely my fault'?... Don't you think about it? These are investments of hundreds of millions, who can be completely responsible for whom? What's wrong with leaving some room for maneuver in her words?"

Yang Sisi glared at me, giving me a look that told me not to mess things up. I wasn't under any pressure at all, and picked up my chopsticks again, reaching for the dish that the waiter had just brought out.

To ease the awkwardness, Yang Yuanhang took over, saying, "What I'm doing now is completely different from the tourism industry. The timing isn't right yet, let's talk about it another time... Today is my first time in Dali, so I'd like to propose a toast to everyone and take this opportunity to thank you all for taking care of Sisi all this time."

I withdrew my chopsticks, which were already halfway out, and picked up my wine glass... After everyone's glasses clinked together, I had a feeling: Ye Zhi and Yang Yuanhang weren't as close as I had imagined, even though they did seem quite well-matched.

At the same time, I could also tell that Yang Yuanhang was very fond of Ye Zhi. If Ye Zhi had given him some more definite promises, he might have actually invested in something here, not necessarily a hotel. What he needed was more opportunities to spend time with Ye Zhi.

I couldn't help but wonder, if Yang Yuanhang wasn't her type, then what kind of man did she like?