"I just don't want to be a burden."
Is it difficult?
"It's not difficult. Miss Duan has paved the way for me."
"she?"
"—She said she would introduce me to a movie."
"You're an opera singer, how did you get involved with actors? You need to think this through carefully. At worst, you can go back to Beiping and start over. Don't act impulsively."
"No, it's not like I can't handle it, or that I'm attached to someone. Besides, Miss Duan has already made the arrangements. Recently, the boss of a company has been very keen to produce a 'special' movie. With just one word from her, I..."
"What about Dandan?"
"I had no idea she was coming."
"You're not coming with us to the docks anymore? If you stay in Shanghai, what will happen to Dandan?"
“I’m really troubled. Either she goes south with you, or I’ll send her back to Beiping. I promised Zhigao.”
At this juncture, it really wasn't because of a promise he had made to Zhigao. Li Shengtian said earnestly, "Shanghai is a 'sea,' Huaiyu, don't let yourself perish at sea."
"No, I've made up my mind!"
Huaiyu has changed.
This didn't escape Li Shengtian's notice. He was no longer the newcomer to Guanghelou. Having tasted meat, he wouldn't eat vegetables anymore. Who knew about his relationship with that Shanghai lady? However, his master felt that bringing him here and not taking him back was truly unfair to his father.
Before his master could worry, Huaiyu said:
“I wrote a letter to my father and also sent him some money.”
Adding another sentence:
“Master, please rest assured. My own affairs have also caused you distress, but I will never forget you.” He said solemnly, “Even if I did not follow you, I could still make a name for myself, and in the end, it would be your glory. — I was brought up by you.”
Huaiyu has changed.
One cannot stay by someone's side forever, and without facing risks, one cannot grow quickly. Like every artist, how many days of youthful exuberance do they have in their lifetime?
Even if Huaiyu were to return to Beiping and remain there, he would be unwilling to accept it.
Because he had seen it all.
Dandan wasn't unaware, but she didn't want the only major event in her life to end so ridiculously. In this weather, in this place, it always felt like an inexplicable cold wind was blowing, making her feel even more alone, as if she didn't have enough clothes.
"Play for a few days, then I'll send you back," Huaiyu said once again, her heart hardening.
Dandan recalled that one night, finally, he accompanied her on a walk home in the dark. She felt the same despair; she had his soul, but not his body.
He didn't want her anymore. She had clearly tried her best and put in a lot of effort. She didn't care about anything, but he still let her original infatuation turn to dust.
Just when she was in despair, Huaiyu pulled out a small bag of pastries. Dandan opened it and exclaimed, "Ah, it's dates!"
It's a package of candied dates purchased from Yunfangzhai.
Like little egg-shaped dates, golden yellow, fragrant, and shiny, Dandan took a bite and forgave everything. The dates were intensely sweet, and when bitten into, strands of golden threads could be seen.
Huai Sheng laughed: "I haven't forgotten. Don't I owe you dates? These weren't stolen; I bought them. With the money I earned myself."
Who in the world would bother to investigate how a candied date is made? Each green date undergoes over 130 cuts, the lines as fine as hair. If the cuts are too deep, the date's surface easily breaks; if too shallow, the sugar syrup won't penetrate. Typically, the green dates are mixed with honey, boiled in a hot pot, then removed and dried, shaped into flat, round shapes, and then placed in a mold and baked twice over charcoal, a process that takes two days and nights. —This is how a candied date is created.
Didn't Dandan put in a lot of effort? After two days and nights of bumpy train travel, she finally got this candied date. It tasted different from the one Huaiyu had secretly picked for her in the alley. After chewing and spitting out the green date, Huaiyu said, "The date isn't red yet. It will be fully red by Mid-Autumn Festival in August, and then it will be sweet and crisp."
"Is it sweet?" Huaiyu asked.
"It is too sweet."
"Nuan, you've had a delicious meal. I'll send you a big bag of it so you can take it back and share it with Zhigao. I'm really thinking about him! He's such a glutton; he'd rather die than go hungry."
Dandan remained silent.
Someone outside called Huaiyu, and Huaiyu simply said goodnight:
"Go to sleep."
As soon as he stepped out the door, he turned back:
"Does your sprained leg still hurt?"
After Huaiyu left, Dandan stared blankly at the small bag of candied dates, feeling extremely melancholy and helpless.
It's impossible.
There was no longer that simple intimacy: carefree, just her being with him. She would do anything for him, without hesitation. But he wouldn't, because he was no longer simple. Who would be looking for him when he went out at night? Wasn't he answering the phone? Who was he talking to? Was something wrong? He was too busy, building his empire, worrying about himself.
It was all a cruel joke. She truly loved him; she missed him even when he was around. He turned and ran away, and all she could do was pick up the jujube on the table that he had taken a bite of, and take a small, shallow bite, eating it for a long time, still not finishing it.
A mouthful of rich sweetness. Strands of golden threads.
Suddenly, Dandan was startled. "Oh dear," she thought, "aren't my teeth even more yellow?" Even the stranger, Shen Lifang, noticed. Yes, compared to her, Miss Duan's teeth were white. Dandan slumped down, hastily swallowing the date.
Duan Pingting wanted to see Huaiyu simply to get a word from him.
Thinking back to that day, it seems like only yesterday, yet it feels like it happened a long time ago. "Ji Garden" opened. Mr. Ji was one of Shanghai's wealthiest men, running a foreign firm and joining the ranks of foreign merchants. He built a garden near the racecourse on Jing'an Temple Road, with every stream, every stone, every tree, and every pavilion taking advantage of the terrain. There were eight pavilions alone, planted with banana trees, willows, plum trees, and chrysanthemums—it was practically a miniature Grand View Garden.
A reception was held on the day of the opening, and people from all walks of life were invited to visit the park.