After a while, the waiter at the coffee shop brought me a cup of coffee, but I apologized for asking her to change it to a glass of plain water, although I have opened a coffee shop, but I don't like the bitter taste of coffee, and that's why I rarely choose to drink coffee.

While waiting for Ji Xiaowei to arrive, I received a text message from Jin Qiu, and she asked me: "Have you gotten up, Yang Qu and I are on the way to Tulip Road, have lunch together, and then go to the mall to buy New Year's goods." ”

I didn't want to tell them that I had arrived in Yangzhou, so I replied: "You really don't have to worry about me being unaccompanied, I have friends in Nanjing, and I may go to Zhao Mu for a drink later...... Don't come here. ”

"Okay, then I'll take Yang Qu around Nanjing City first, but you must have dinner with us in the evening, and we will probably give you a big surprise."

"What surprise?"

"It's not a surprise to say it now."

Because I was depressed, I didn't ask any more questions, I just wanted to end this conversation quickly, but remembering that she had a fever last night, I asked again, "Are you feeling better?" ”

"It's okay, just go home and take a little fever-reducing medicine."

"Hmm."

I just replied so simply, and then my conversation with Jin Qiu ended like this, and it wasn't that I was indifferent to her, but I wasn't in the mood to do anything before I untied the knot, so naturally I didn't take the surprise she said to heart.

Around lunchtime, Ji Xiaowei finally came to the coffee shop, he stood beside me, and ignored the cup of coffee sent by the waiter, he said to me: "I remember the last time we met, it was on the night of the first music reception in Dream Tree, about half a year, right?" ”

"It's been almost five months."

Ji Xiaowei nodded, he liked to laugh, and said without a smile: "Although I haven't been to Shanghai, I also heard that Dream Tree has done a very good job in the past six months, and the bar singer named Li Kun has been praised by you, and the popularity of the bar should also follow, right?" ”

"It's been going well for the past six months."

"That's good......" After a pause, he said to me again: "Forgive me for taking the liberty of asking, I don't know what you came to Yangzhou to find me for?" ”

Because I was about to get to the point, my feelings suddenly became complicated. But even so, there was no mud and water. I took the guitar from the table behind me, then handed it to Ji Xiaowei and said, "I just want to ask you for a favor...... This guitar was once given to me by Xiao Ai...... This year, I have always taken it with me, to Shanghai, to Nanjing, and even to sleep...... However, I've been getting more and more flustered lately because I can't start a new life, and I've been living in the shadow of this guitar...... I'm a poor person, because I used to try so hard to be with her, but now I can only think of this guitar as her, and she is already Yuan Zhen's woman......"

As I spoke, I looked at the guitar that had not yet been given away, and then said, "I came to you in the hope that I could live happily in the life that I would continue to live, so please give this guitar back to her for me...... Before I came, I really wanted to smash it, but ......"

Ji Xiaowei had a very frightened expression, and he interrupted me: "Thank God, fortunately you didn't smash it!" …… Since you don't want to stay around, give it to me...... If I have the opportunity to meet my sister in the future, I will definitely pass it on to her for you. ”

Ji Xiaowei took the guitar from my hand as he spoke, and I immediately felt the weight, but my hand was suspended in the air for a long time and did not retract, I was a little overwhelmed...... It wasn't until Ji Xiaowei carefully put down the guitar and then looked at me that I withdrew my hand, but I urgently lit a cigarette for myself.

All I think of is the tunes I learned to play with this guitar. Just before returning to Nanjing, I fantasized more than once: one day, I could sing a song for Xiao Ai with this guitar in front of her. Tell her that I used to love her very seriously, and I practiced the guitar again and again, just so that there would be no longer a trace of distance between each other.

I was a little frightened, because it wasn't until I really lost this guitar that I didn't know how much I loved her before yesterday, so Chen Yi, who understood all this, chose to leave. I don't know if I'm a man who has changed his mind, but I instinctively feel happier with Xiao Ai. Come to think of it, this is just human nature...... And life is really like a dream, love her today, hate her tomorrow, it seems that it's okay, because in this almost distorted world, even people's gender can be changed, so what else can't be changed?

At this time, Ji Xiaowei, who had been silent with me for a long time, said to me again: "It's time for lunch, why don't you stay and have a meal together, there is a restaurant downstairs that makes authentic Huaiyang cuisine." ”

I shook my head numbly, and then replied, "You're welcome, I bought a ticket to go back to Nanjing at 12 noon, and the time is quite tight...... Actually, when I came to Yangzhou this time, I didn't plan to do anything superfluous, I just wanted to return this guitar so that I could be happier in the future......"

Before I could finish my sentence, I turned around and walked towards the hallway that led to the first floor. But I didn't want to, Ji Xiaowei called me again: "Wait, Jiang Qiao." ”

"What's wrong?"

Ji Xiaowei was silent for a moment, and then replied with a sincere expression: "I just want to say thank you sincerely for Yuan Zhen." ”

I said without any emotion: "Is it because my life ended in tragedy and fulfilled him and Xiao Ai?" …… Ji Xiaowei, you heard me clearly, I, Jiangqiao, have never been anyone's spare tire, and I didn't choose to give up to fulfill him Yuan Zhen, I don't look down on him in my bones. ”

My unkind tone did not make Ji Xiaowei angry, but he made a gesture to appease me, and said, "I know that you don't like Yuan really because of Yao Yu...... Therefore, I want to thank you for him, and it is precisely because of Yao Yu...... Thank you for using the dream tree to rescue Yao Yu from the quagmire of debt repayment...... If, without you...... None of us have the ability to help Yao Yu...... And the person who owes Yao Yao the most is indeed him Yuan Zhen, I have to be fair to say this. ”

I looked at Ji Xiaowei, and after a while, I just smiled "hehe", and then left his café, and Yangzhou became a city that I never wanted to come back to in my life.

Although, it is kind to me.

……

Because of the approaching Chinese New Year, in the afternoon, the bus I was riding encountered a very large traffic jam on the highway, and when I returned to Nanjing, it was already half past five in the evening, and it was only a blink of an eye, and the night came.

After entering the city, I encountered a traffic jam that was more serious than on the highway, but I was not particularly anxious, and I kept calmly looking at the cars with foreign license plates outside the window. Their correspondence further highlights Nanjing's status as a central city, and I, as a native of Nanjing, finally have a long-lost sense of belonging at this moment. Later, I also remembered that I still had two houses here that I couldn't get. This year, Nanjing's housing prices have ushered in a new round of skyrocketing, not to mention that two years later, even if they are sold now, two sets of new houses of more than 120 square meters can be sold for about 4 million.

If it weren't for the huge amount of money I owed before, I Jiangqiao would also be a person with a net worth of millions...... So, what reason do I have for emptiness and fear here? And Zhao Mu is right, I should have actively integrated into this modern city a long time ago, that alley may only be suitable for the elderly, but I am still so young...... Until now, I haven't even built a small family of my own.

I looked at the flickering lights on the tall buildings again, and it seemed that the city was getting a little far away again.

A moment later, the coach stopped at an intersection with a traffic light, and I received a call from Yang Qu at this time, and my wandering heart finally recovered, and I kind of enjoyed the fulfillment of having family to connect with in this big city. I answered Yang Qu's phone.

She asked me a little eagerly: "Brother, where are you now, Sister Jin Qiu and I have already arrived at Tulip Road, didn't we say that we would meet in the evening?" ”

I was stunned for a moment, and then I remembered that in the morning, Jin Qiu called me, and she seemed to have said that she wanted to give me some surprise.

I replied, "I'm running some errands outside, and I'll be there in about half an hour, so if you're hungry, find a place to eat first." ”

"Where are you, we're going to pick you up, you don't even have a car, if you can get a taxi at this point, it's a hell of a life!"

I thought about it, so I replied, "You guys come to pick me up at the South Bus Station." ”

"How did you get to the South Bus Station?"

I still didn't want to say anything about my trip to Yangzhou, so I lied to Yang Qu again, saying that I was only active in this area, and it had nothing to do with the South Bus Station.

After the call with Yang Qu ended, my mood became calmer. Even planned in his heart, after eating with them later, he would make an appointment with Qiao Ye and his wife, Zhao Mu and Yu Xin, and then go together to play the "escape room" that was popular a few years ago, maybe this is not difficult for Jin Qiu and Zhao Mu, the two high-IQ geniuses, but its real significance is that friends who have been separated for so long have another chance to get together. I can't remember how long it's been since I've been an organizer and asked my friends out for a party.

After sending messages to friends I could contact one by one, I was curious about the mysterious gift that Jin Qiu said was going to give me.

It's as if the four seasons will be reincarnated, and after I gave away the gift that Xiao Ai once gave me, I waited for a mysterious gift from the golden autumn.

...