My 26-year-old female tenant

Chapter 6: They're getting married

Returning to the residence, Mi Cai's bowl of porridge was nearly finished, while the heat still rose from my unfinished bowl. I took out two salted duck eggs from the bag left by my father and handed one to Mi Cai, saying, "Try it."

"I'm almost done," she replied, speaking to me in a normal tone for the first time in the two days we'd known each other.

I smiled and said, "Have another bowl; white rice porridge won't make you gain weight."

Ignoring my suggestion, Mi Cai stated, "Your father has left, and you can move out now."

Looking at the storm outside, I negotiated with Mi Cai, "I won't move today. Can I stay one more night?"

"No way," Mi Cai said firmly.

I slammed my chopsticks on the table and angrily declared, "What's wrong with you, woman? Don't you know that those who eat others' food should be courteous? Spit out the porridge you just ate, and I'll move right away."

Mi Cai, with her beautiful eyes wide, was left speechless by my swift change in demeanor.

I softened my tone and pleaded with her, "Miss, I've been through so much today, I'm utterly exhausted. Please, cut me some slack, will you?"

"Scum, who said I'm your 'big sister'!"

"Miss... Miss, is that better?" I quickly corrected myself, and with determination, I promised, "Tomorrow, I'll definitely move out after work!"

After a long pause, Mi Cai finally conceded, "Remember what you've said."

"Of course, I'll move out tomorrow for sure!"

With a displeased glance, Mi Cai got up, walked to the rice cooker filled with white porridge, and served herself another small bowl.

"I thought you weren't eating anymore?"

Mi Cai cast me a reproachful look and said, "Since I've already been courteous by eating, what's one more bowl?"

I shook my head and sighed, "Alas! This is how people fall into depravity!"

Despite my teasing, I peeled the salted duck egg and handed it to Mi Cai, who didn't refuse, and so we continued eating in this strange atmosphere.

...

After the meal, I handed Mi Cai the 3000 yuan left by my father, "I'll pay you back 3000 for now, and the rest after I get my salary next week."

"Will you have enough to rent a place after giving this to me? ... Let's settle it all later," she replied.

"It's your consideration for me, not that I intended to withhold the money," I said, putting the money into my wallet.

"As long as you move out quickly, nothing else matters," Mi Cai said, taking another sip of porridge. She seemed to really enjoy the porridge, which was indeed exceptional, made with a homely touch by my father's unique skill.

"I'm not a plague god, you don't have to despise me so much, do you?" I lamented.

"Given your behavior, should I like you?"

I smiled and didn't respond. Perhaps I was indeed ill-behaved, or maybe she misunderstood me, but it wasn't important. I didn't need to clarify or explain because after work tomorrow, we would part ways.

I drained the porridge from my bowl and then stared at Mi Cai. At that moment, she was wearing a white long-sleeved chiffon blouse, black and white plaid slim-fit casual pants, and her slightly wavy medium-length hair made her look very elegant, yet somehow fragile.

I took out the knitted sweater left by my father and pretentiously held it up in front of Mi Cai, then after a while, I sighed, "It's getting cold, don't you think this sweater would suit you well?"

Mi Cai frowned, "What, are you trying to make me feel indebted to you?"

"Really, it's perfect for you... If you're willing to let me continue renting this room, I don't mind giving it to you. My dad said it was hand-knitted by my mom, thick and warm, perfect for blocking the winter wind!"

"I'm not fortunate enough for that."

I smiled and handed her the sweater, "I was just teasing. I'll give it to you even if you don't rent. I'm not planning to have a girlfriend anytime soon, and such a nice sweater would go to waste with me. Consider it an apology for my rudeness yesterday."

My expression was extremely sincere, and after hesitating for a moment, Mi Cai actually accepted the sweater I offered, "Alright, I accept your apology... and be kinder to your father, stop deceiving him and causing him worry."

"Is there a logical connection between accepting an apology and being kind to my father?" I asked in surprise.

In response to my question, Mi Cai angrily said, "You really are scum!" She then stuffed the sweater into her handbag, pushed the door open, and left.

I was left alone in the room, a bit confused by Mi Cai's sudden anger. I sat thinking for a long time before I understood. Perhaps her temporary acceptance of my apology, even allowing me to stay an extra night, was merely out of sympathy for my father. She still felt indifferent and annoyed with me. In her eyes, I had played with a woman's feelings, deceived my own father, treated her roughly, and not kept my promises. What else could I be but scum?

That night, Mi Cai did not stay in the house. I thought: She must have other places in this city, but why did she insist on staying here?

Perplexed, I couldn't make sense of it, so I decided to stop overthinking. There will always be peculiar people and strange occurrences in this world, and compared to the vast and bizarre world, these things are not so extraordinary. Therefore, there's no need to dig for the root cause; it's better to regard it as a form of performance art by the wealthy.

In fact, I quite enjoy living in this muddled way because the truth may lead to pain. To acquire is to risk losing, so not knowing the truth spares one from pain, and not obtaining means there's nothing to lose.

...

The next day, at the company, after the weekly meeting of the planning department, Fang Yuan and I walked out of the conference room side by side, followed by another colleague, Zhao Li.

I lit a cigarette, called out to him, and waved: "Come here, Zhao Li."

Zhao Li looked at me warily: "What for?"

"I heard you like outdoor sports?"

"Yep, I love them!"

I smiled and said, "I have a set of professional outdoor sports equipment that I've barely used. I'll sell it to you at a low price."

"You don't like outdoor sports; why did you buy outdoor equipment?" Zhao Li asked suspiciously.

"It's because I don't like it that I haven't used it. It's as good as new, awesome! It's from Arc'teryx, I'm giving you a deal, buddy. The whole set for 2000 bucks," I said, putting my arm around Zhao Li's shoulder.

"Really?" Zhao Li asked, overjoyed.

"Of course, it's got to be real. Hurry up and pay, and I'll have Fang Yuan bring it to you tomorrow. It's been sitting at his place since I bought it," I replied impatiently.

Zhao Li counted out 2000 yuan from his wallet and handed it to me, reminding me: "Remember to bring it to me tomorrow; I'll be rock climbing next weekend and it will come in handy."

I pocketed the money and said, "You'll have to talk to Fang Yuan about it."

Zhao Li then called out to Fang Yuan, who was distractedly standing a few feet away: "Fang Yuan, remember to bring that set of outdoor equipment that Zhao Yang left at your house for me tomorrow."

Fang Yuan snapped out of his daze and asked, puzzled: "What outdoor equipment?"

"It's that Arc'teryx set from Zhao Yang; he's selling it to me," Zhao Li explained patiently.

I took a quick drag of my cigarette and immediately headed for the restroom, with Fang Yuan cursing behind me: "Where's the plan for setting up a counter in our mall?"

Fang Yuan didn't dwell on what just happened and sighed, "Yeah, we've been working on it for almost a week. The investment department is waiting for our plan to negotiate with the representative from Gucci!"

I acknowledged with a nod, not probing further. Fang Yuan and I are two extremes; he's a workaholic, while I've always been complacent. These two starkly different attitudes lead to this result: after two years of working, Fang Yuan has become the head of the copywriting planning group in the planning department, and I'm still stuck at the bottom.

Fang Yuan suddenly stopped typing and stared at me with a heavy heart for a long time.

"What's up?" I asked, puzzled by his strange behavior.

Fang Yuan finally spoke: "I didn't tell you the other day because I saw you were in a bad mood... Yan Yan and I are getting married next week."

"Finally tying the knot, huh!" I sighed subconsciously, followed by a series of heart-wrenching spasms.

Fang Yuan was able to meet Yan Yan entirely because of Jian Wei and me. Yan Yan was Jian Wei's best friend, and Fang Yuan and I were close buddies. After Jian Wei and I started dating, we provided the opportunity for Fang Yuan and Yan Yan to get acquainted, and they subsequently fell in love.

During our university years, the four of us often hung out together, forging a deeper friendship, and on several occasions, we jokingly talked about getting married together after graduation.

Fang Yuan and Yan Yan's marriage is a joyous occasion, but it also mercilessly exposes my pain and loneliness... I ultimately failed to sustain my love with Jian Wei.

Sometimes people's pain comes from comparison... But at this moment, what else can I do but envy and bless Fang Yuan and Yan Yan amidst my pain and loneliness?

The past will eventually turn to dust, but the wind cannot disperse it; it falls on the heart, covering one's world in a gloomy gray.

I smiled at Fang Yuan and said, "Where's my buddy's wedding invitation? Hurry up and give it to me."

Fang Yuan nodded, took out the invitation from his drawer, and handed it to me. I opened it, and on the invitation's photo, Fang Yuan and Yan Yan radiated blissful smiles.

...

After a long silence, I asked Fang Yuan, "Will Jian Wei come back for your wedding?"

"You know, since she moved from Los Angeles to New York, we've been out of touch. However, Yan Yan sent her an email a few days ago, but she hasn't replied yet. Whether she'll come back or not, nobody can say for sure."

"Oh, is that so?" I responded indifferently, not saying anything more to Fang Yuan. My fingers typed on the computer keyboard, but my eyes stared at the screen, losing focus time and again.