"Hehehe, I knew it was you. I was just kidding. Where are you?" I chuckled dryly and quickly changed the subject to avoid letting him know I was working overtime.
"I just got home, let me see what you're doing."
"Me? I'm talking to you on the phone." I realized we were both incredibly boring, just rambling on and on about nothing.
"How was May?" The thought of this topic gave me a headache, but I couldn't pretend not to hear it.
“He’s willing to eat a little now, but he still won’t see me. Maybe that’s for the best. I plan to move out after I get back from Seoul.” I could only hear a deep sense of melancholy in his voice; there wasn’t a trace of “for the best.”
"Have you bought the plane tickets?"
"Um."
"You need to be careful. If your parents don't agree, come back first and then figure something out. Don't force it." Actually, I wasn't really too worried about him, because in my mind, Willson was smart, calm, and proud, and therefore capable of anything.
"I know."
After saying that, the two of them suddenly fell silent. After a long while, Willson asked softly on the other end of the phone, "What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?"
“Because I want to hear the sound of your breathing,” I answered him honestly.
“I miss you, silly woman, I want to hug you.” Willson’s deep voice was a little hoarse and wet: “Come out now, I want to see you right now.”
Standing by the roadside waiting for Willson, my heart was pounding and my cheeks were flushed. I had never felt so anxious before. I was worried that he might break down on the way, or that he might violate traffic rules and get impounded by the police. I was worried... In short, I was terrified that any accident would ruin our date. Finally, when I saw his headlights shining in our direction, my heart calmed down a little.
As soon as I opened the car door and sat down, Willson grabbed me so tightly I almost suffocated. I held back my cough, afraid that even the slightest sound would make him release me. At that moment, I even thought how blissful it would be to die in his arms. When I arrived at the underworld, the cause of death in the Book of Life and Death was written as "died from being hugged." I wondered if the King of Hell had fried me in oil.
“You smell so good,” Willson said.
"Really?" I sniffed myself and sure enough, I smelled of royal soap. "Oh, I just took a shower, that's why."
"No, this fragrance is very special."
"In that case, it's ten yuan per sniff, cash only, no checks accepted, you can sniff after payment." I stretched out my hand.
Willson actually pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and said to me, "I'm buying a monthly pass, the whole theater to myself."
I took the money and held it up to the light. "No watermark, counterfeit, confiscated, transaction qualification revoked."
Willson, taking advantage of his height, casually patted my head: "I've never seen such an unprofessional money-grubber like you. US dollars don't have watermarks."
"Hehehe." I chuckled foolishly as I carefully put the money into my wallet.
"Why did you bring your wallet when you came out to see me?" Willson asked me curiously.
"Why would I come out with you without my wallet? What if you get into a fight with me on the street and kick me off the bus? I need to have money to take the bus home, right?" I was even more surprised that he would ask such a stupid question.
“You always protect yourself very well, it’s really hard to hurt you.” Willson shook his head with a wry smile.
"Of course, being responsible for yourself is being responsible for those around you. By the way, do you have any 1.5-meter-long boxes at home?"
"what?"
"I don't want to not see you tomorrow. Why don't you pack me in a suitcase and I'll go to Korea with you? I've never been abroad before anyway."
"Don't be silly. Don't think you can slack off just because I'm not here. I've already arranged the jobs for the next few days and left them with Tina. Don't be shocked when you see them tomorrow."
"Your Chinese is getting more and more fluent now, you even know how to say 'dizzy'!"
"What are you talking about? I am Chinese."
"And you drive a Hyundai?"
"Because I'm Korean."
"Then which one is your motherland?"
"I am very happy. I can write two places in the 'motherland' column."
I couldn't do anything with him, so I tried to get him to sit in the car with me all night, but he rationally told me that I had an early flight the next day and that "we have a long future together."
I watched his car disappear around the bend with lingering reluctance, and suddenly my heart started to race for no reason. I instinctively took two steps in his direction to catch up.
The next day, back at the office, I realized Willson wasn't joking; the workload was indeed overwhelming. I'd just picked up the reports from the finance department when I had to attend the westward expansion meeting. I took a break before the meeting to get a drink of water at my desk, only to have the phone ring again.
"This is Li Hao, who is this?" I picked up the phone.
"Hello, I am Cui Wuyue." The other person's voice was gentle yet firm, but it caught me off guard.
"Oh, you... hello, is there anything I can help you with?" I asked nervously, my heart pounding wildly.
"Can we meet? I'm waiting for you in room 2713 of the Mingdu Hotel."
"Now? But I'm at work right now." I don't want to take time off.
“Then I’ll wait for you until 12:30.” Cui Wuyue seemed to have swallowed a ton of rubble.
"Okay, I'll be there on time." I sighed, knowing that hiding wasn't an option.
I arrived at the suite on the 27th floor right on time. I really don't understand what these rich people are thinking. It's just negotiating with a love rival, why do they have to book a suite in a five-star hotel? The rent for one day can buy a top-of-the-line digital camera with 2.5 million pixels.
I was about to ring the doorbell when I realized the door wasn't locked. I knocked, but there was no answer. I tried pushing the door open and calling inside, "Is anyone home?"
"Come in, I'm here." Cui Wuyue's voice sounded as if it had traveled through several rooms.
I walked in, and oh my god, this suite was so big that it even had a kitchen. There were several doors in the living room, and I stood there for a moment, at a loss, not knowing where to go.
Cui Wuyue appeared silently beside a door, still dressed in a white dress, so clean and beautiful that I, who was sweating profusely from the crowded bus ride, felt ashamed.