The text continues with descriptions and reflections by Xie Jiayi, showcasing his complex feelings about his past relationship with Lai Yun, their financial struggles, and the emotional turmoil of their reunion.
Their weekend dates were limited to him visiting Lai Hui’s school or Lai Hui coming to his. They would wander around the campus for a day. When it was hot, he’d buy her a bottle of soda; when it was cold, he’d get her a bowl of soy milk. If he received a scholarship, he would treat her to a meal at KFC, watching her close her eyes in delight as she savored the fries as if they were a delicacy. He thought to himself that once he was working, he’d buy her fries every day. Later, he realized how ridiculous he was. Zhou Yuqian scoffed at him, demanding two million yuan, enough to buy several KFC outlets, enough fries to fill a train car. Yet, he was so poor he could barely afford a fast-food meal for her, let alone two million. It was then he understood that the poor couldn’t afford extravagant love. Time passed, and now he was wealthy, but with Xiao Yu by his side. He could produce the two million, but he no longer wanted to win her back. It was all in the past; now, she was just a high school classmate. After parking his car in his private spot, he looked up. The gloomy clouds and smog were dispersing, revealing a sky as clear as diluted ink, but the moon of seven years ago, and the Lai Hui on the back seat of his bike under that moonlight, were long gone…
At Nanling Sea View Villa, Zhou Yuqian, leaning against the bed, lit a cigarette. Lai Hui, curled up like a cat beside him, the high ceiling echoing with the slightest cough. The room was filled with a faint scent of women’s perfume, mixed with cigarette smoke, reminiscent of a rotting apple hidden under the bed, emitting a pungent odor of decay. Suddenly, Zhou Yuqian lost his desire to smoke; after a few puffs, he extinguished the cigarette.
“How’s your mother doing?” he asked.
“Same old, don’t expect any improvement,” Lai Hui replied disheartenedly.
“Should we consider treatment abroad? I can arrange it for you.”
