After about half an hour of driving, I finally arrived at "Willow Bank Scenic Garden" where I currently live, and Mi Cai was already waiting for under a phoenix tree outside the community.
Autumn leaves were swirling in the air, and the lights illuminated her figure, making her look like a character walking out of a painting, serene and indifferent.
I honked the horn and Mi Cai looked towards .
I smiled at her and said, "Get in the car, let's go eat. If we're late, there might not be any seats left."
Mi Cai walked towards and opened the car door, sitting in the passenger seat without paying attention to what kind of car I was driving. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty and said, "How about my car? It's not bad, right? Small displacent, environntally friendly."
"It's not bad, just a little sleazy like you." Mi Cai glanced at with a smile that wasn't really a smile.
"Am I sleazy?" I asked, then took down the mirror in the car and looked at myself with insecurity.
A quick look at " will leave you more fulfilled.
"Sleazy doesn't necessarily refer to appearance, I'm talking about your character."
I put the mirror back and didn't want to argue with Mi Cai. After all, the image of having a bad character had already been deeply ingrained in her mind. Even if I tried to package myself as a national hero saving the people, she would still think I'm sleazy.
Mi Cai was a little surprised by my lack of retort, and I just smiled at her and started the car. I thought to myself: Mi Cai doesn't really understand a man with depth. They are often silent. Based on this, it's obvious that I am a man with depth.
...
The Alto shuttled through the streets and finally stopped on an old street that was about to be demolished. Mi Cai and I got out of the car. The shop I wanted to take her to would pass through a narrow alley, and the car couldn't go in, so we had to walk.
There were only a few dim streetlights in this narrow alley, and Mi Cai followed closely behind , a little nervous, and asked, "Where are you taking ?"
"To a paradise, but we have to pass through this dark place first." I replied.
After walking through this dark alley, the space on the other side suddenly opened up. Under a bright streetlight, the "Empty City The Music Restaurant" appeared in front of Mi Cai.
I lit a cigarette and said to Mi Cai beside , "This is the restaurant. It's opened by a friend of mine who plays music. The music atmosphere inside is great, but they mainly serve Sichuan cuisine."
"That's quite eclectic!" Mi Cai looked at the sign and said. Usually, music restaurants mainly serve Western cuisine.
"Yeah, the boss is from Chongqing. Can you handle spicy food?"
"I can."
While I was talking to Mi Cai, we walked into the restaurant. The boss, CC, was sitting on a bar stool that could be raised and lowered, singing a song with a glass of beer in her hand and an unfinished cigarette between her fingers.
CC noticed my arrival right away and snapped her fingers at during a break in the music, saying, "Long ti no see, Zhao Yang."
I nodded and gave CC a thumbs up to show that her singing was great.
CC smiled and gestured to chat later, then continued singing Zhang Xuan's "Appearance" with the rhythm of the music.
Mi Cai and I chose a seat, and Mi Cai seed to really enjoy CC's singing. She didn't talk to and just listened quietly.
After ordering the food, my attention was also imrsed in CC's singing. In CC's sowhat hoarse but extrely infectious voice, I rembered so fragnts.
Three years ago, Jian Wei and I escaped to Suzhou from Shanghai because of her parents' crazy opposition. We were both penniless and struggled to survive. I started performing in this music restaurant owned by CC, and the inco sustained our lives.
At that ti, Jian Wei would wait in the restaurant every day to listen to sing. She would also help serve dishes and pour water for custors to earn so tips. Every ti the restaurant closed, I would habitually light a cigarette, and she would help carry the guitar on her back. We would hold hands and walk through that dark alley. I would buy her a roasted sweet potato from a stall at the corner...
That winter, sotis the wind was cold, sotis the rain and snow were heavy, but the feeling of relying on each other made feel warm even now!
"Zhao Yang, why is this restaurant called Empty City?"
Mi Cai's sudden question broke the images in my mind. I couldn't co back to my senses for a while and stared blankly before answering, "When everyone is born, there is an empty city in their hearts. As ti goes by and they grow up, the restlessness, indifference, and worldly fa and fortune fill up this empty city, making it bloated and unbearable. It's called Empty City to commorate that innocent empty city."
"Is this your interpretation?"
"This is what CC told ." I said, looking at CC who was singing.
Mi Cai nodded, took a sip of cold tea, and continued to listen to CC's singing.
...
CC finally finished singing a song and walked towards us, putting the microphone back on the stand.
CC was a very unique beauty. Her features weren't particularly attractive individually, but when put together, they were captivating and unforgettable. So, as she walked over, she attracted the attention of many diners placed a large mug of draft beer in front of and smiled, saying, "This one's on ." She then signaled the waiter to bring a large cup of cola for Mi Cai.
"I'm driving today, so I won't drink."
Mi Cai chid in, "Go ahead, I'll drive for you later."
Only then did CC look at Mi Cai and ask , "Is this lady... your new girlfriend?"
I glanced at Mi Cai, who remained calm, and mustered the courage to say, "Yes, she's my girlfriend."
CC shrugged. I knew she felt regretful about Jian Wei and , but in the end, she still greeted Mi Cai with a smile, praising her for her stunning beauty.
The lights in the restaurant dimd a bit, but the old-fashioned candlesticks on the table lit up, filling the entire restaurant with a faint aroma of scented candles.
After a brief silence, CC asked , "By the way, what has Robben been up to lately? He hasn't been here for a long ti."
"What else could he be busy with, just running around all day."
"Invite him over when you have ti, I miss him." There was a hint of helplessness and sadness in CC's words. She liked Robben, but Robben was always thinking about that girl from Beijing.
"Sure, let's set a ti to get together, right here."
"You have to promise !"
I smiled and made a promise, "I promise."
Only then did CC nod in relief.
......
After CC left, Mi Cai and I finally had so alone ti. I raised my beer mug to Mi Cai, who also raised her cola to clink with , and we each took a sip.
Just then, two more people walked into the restaurant from outside. The door opened and a gust of cold wind was brought in. Then I saw that the newcors were Jian Wei and Xiang Chen.
A surge of emotions caught off guard. It seed that this was not a night where Mi Cai and I could enjoy a quiet dinner. I dreaded such encounters, feared them, and hated such coincidences that awkwardly brought us together.
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