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

The auntie that Yang Sisi introduced had already completed her company's annual meeting in Dali. In the afternoon, they took a bus to the airport. Yang Sisi's cousin, Yang Yuanhang, had left Dali two days earlier, leaving a bit of suspense between him and Ye Zhi.

According to Yang Sisi, Ye Zhi personally escorted him to the airport when he left.

As evening fell, the guesthouse received another group of guests. They came from all over the country and poured their enthusiasm into the land of Dali, but their enthusiasm only made us feel more disappointed...

Before night fell, Ye Zhi sent me a message saying she wanted to ask me out for a chat.

I'm actually quite inexperienced in business, so I'd really like to hear her opinion on whether or not to transfer ownership of the inn.

……

The nights in Dali are still quite cold in winter. I put on a down jacket before riding Tie Nan's motorcycle to "Ma Jiu Yi". When I arrived, she was already waiting for me at the entrance of "Hai Tu Inn". Like me, she was also wearing a thick white down jacket.

After we met face to face, she said to me, "You don't look too well."

"I'm incredibly strong that I didn't break down after going to the police station!"

"Yes, Sisi told me everything that happened these past few days."

"So, you've come to persuade me to keep the inn running?"

Ye Zhi didn't answer. She walked towards the sea ahead of me. I knew she wanted to find a comfortable place to chat, so I followed her.

At this time, "Ma Jiu Yi" was not as lively as in the summer. Because the weather was cold at night and it was the off-season, the open-air bars were not open, and naturally there were no singers performing by the sea.

……

Ye Zhi and I sat on the rock where we had bumped into each other before. I habitually lit a cigarette, while she rubbed her hands together to keep them warm. A sea breeze blew by, startling seabirds that had already returned to their nests, and also ruffled her long hair…

In this indescribable atmosphere, I took a deep drag of my cigarette...

Bathed in the scattered moonlight, Ye Zhi finally spoke to me, saying, "I know Sisi hopes you can continue running the inn, but I want to advise you to transfer ownership of it."

I was so surprised that I hesitated for a moment before asking, "What's the reason?"

"When starting a business, especially in its early stages, the biggest fear is having differing ideas within the team. Even if your guesthouse continues to operate, the team's morale is already low, leading to endless conflicts that will inevitably impact your business... Another point, which I believe is most important, is that the current market is not open enough, making this the most valuable time for your guesthouse. Once the seaside guesthouse market opens up on a large scale, it will be difficult to sell it at a high price. After all, relying on policy is not a long-term solution, as policies change, something you should understand well."

I nodded, agreeing with her point.

Ye Zhi added, "However, I think 200 million is still a bit low. You can try to negotiate further."

"Two million is too low!?"

"Hmm, I think a price of around 250 million would be more reasonable."

"What's the basis for that?"

"Just because you are the only seaside inn in Longkan that has resumed business, the market has entered a very irrational period due to policy reasons, so there will definitely be irrational people offering irrational prices... However, I think 250 million is a price that will not make the other party hesitate, so you can sell it as soon as possible."

"Forget it, Sun Jiwei has been kind to me. If it weren't for him, the inn might have been taken over by Cao Jinbo long ago, and we wouldn't have even been able to keep our principal, let alone make a profit... Besides, I think that although he didn't say it outright, he probably invested with his friends this time. He's not a very wealthy person, so if we're going to transfer the business, we shouldn't make things too difficult for him."

"Don't confuse personal relationships with doing business."

"A debt of gratitude must be repaid."

Ye Zhi glanced at me and didn't say anything more. During this long period of silence, I seriously considered whether or not to transfer ownership of the inn.

After a moment, I made up my mind: rather than hurting everyone's feelings and having to sell the inn at a low price, it's better to sell it while it's still at its most valuable, giving everyone a chance to choose again. For example, Peach and Tie Nan are determined to go to Chongqing; how can I use the inn to force them to stay in Dali?

Previously, I was worried that Coach Ma wouldn't get a share of the money, but now Bai Lu has stated that she will use her earnings to open another bar in the ancient city with Coach Ma. This is clearly a good option, and it puts my mind at ease.

Since everyone has their own aspirations, there's no need for me to cling to an inn that has already alienated its inhabitants and hurt everyone's feelings. But after selling the inn, what should I do? Or is it even necessary for me to stay in Dali?

At this moment, Ye Zhi asked me again, "You already have the answer in your heart, right?"

"Well, given the current situation, transferring ownership of the inn might be our best option."

"It's good that you think that way..."

I smiled, then took another deep drag of my cigarette. Inevitably, after making this decision, I thought of Wang Lei again. This time, I had to let her down for the sake of the bigger picture.

……

Another gust of wind blew by, and Ye Zhi, while smoothing her ruffled hair, asked me, "What are you planning to do after you take over the inn?"

I looked up and stared at her blankly for a moment before replying, "I'll probably go back to my hometown... You've met my dad, he's quite old, and my mom isn't in good health either. Going back to Shancheng will allow me to be there to take care of them."

Ye Zhi smiled and said, "That sounds like a pretty good choice..." She paused briefly, then sighed, "We probably won't have many chances to meet again in this lifetime, will we?"

I glanced at her, a pang of melancholy gripping my heart. I took a deep drag of my cigarette and forced a smile, saying, "I'm particularly afraid of people talking to me about things that could drag on for a lifetime."

"Isn't that just the way it is?"

I nodded and continued smoking, and Ye Zhi stopped talking... We maintained this state until we parted ways.

But this time, as I watched her walk back to the inn, I felt a pang of indescribable sorrow. So I sat alone on that rock where we had sat for a long, long time...

……

Back at the inn, everyone was sitting in the small bar. When they saw me return, they all put down their glasses and turned their attention to me. I sat down at the far end of the table, meeting their gazes.

Bai Lu spoke first, asking me, "Michael, have you made up your mind?"

I nodded, then pulled a crumpled cigarette from my pocket, lit it, took a heavy drag, and said to everyone, "I've decided to respect the majority's opinion and transfer this inn to Sun Jiwei's friend."

After I finished speaking, the room fell silent... Then, Yang Sisi burst into tears and questioned me, "Do you really want everyone to break up and for me to go back to Shanghai?"

"I did it for the sake of the bigger picture."

"Okay, I'm just a nobody, so I don't want to say anything more... Please settle my salary for this month, which will be enough for my travel expenses back to Shanghai... I'll pack my bags now and leave tomorrow morning... I hope you'll all be well after I leave."

After Yang Sisi finished speaking, she left with a lot of resentment, while the others seemed surprisingly calm. I really wanted to know: what were they thinking at that moment?

Finally, Coach Ma, who seemed to have the least emotion, coldly said to us all, "Like Sisi, I also feel there's nothing more to say... Those of you who want to transfer ownership of the inn, please go and take down the inn's sign. From now on, the 'Waiting for You Amidst Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon' inn will cease to exist in this world."

No one speaks.

Coach Ma slammed his fist on the table and yelled at us, "What the hell are you all standing there pretending to be?... Go, go take this sign down!"

The crowd remained silent.

Coach Ma then coldly said to me, "Michael, go help Sisi pack her luggage... You'd better not remember that she spent day and night posting on the forum for our inn; and I hope you guys don't feel guilty taking the money her aunt used to come and organize the annual meeting!"

Coach Ma then turned his attention to me. Bai Lu gestured for him to calm down, and then said to me, "Go see Sisi. I also feel really bad for that girl. Talk to her nicely... If she really wants to go back to Shanghai, don't force her to stay. It's not a bad thing for her to go back to Shanghai. It's really unfair for her to work as a receptionist at the inn."