Life in Shanghai should be considered quite happy for a person, at least with sufficient material security and economic resources. Without the need for a rigid work schedule, I can clock out anytime, and having a small group of good friends around makes me feel very happy and satisfied.
I live on the edge of the central business district, in a nice residential area with only a few high-rise buildings. Although there aren't many buildings, the property management is excellent, so most of the residents here are economically stable. Although I'm not one of them, because I'm willing to spend money on necessities, I've become one of them.
I don't know what time I leave the building every day, but I know I won't return until late at night or even early morning. Most of the time, I don't run into anyone when I come back, but I happened to meet her.
The first time I met her was just an ordinary encounter. I got on the elevator and was about to close the door when she suddenly called out from behind and rushed over. I quickly pressed the button to keep the elevator door open, giving her a chance to ride with me.
"Thank you." She was a very polite girl, probably because of her profession. From her attire and the small suitcase she was dragging, anyone could tell her occupationâflight attendant. For an ordinary person like me, this profession is quite attractive, even though some people describe them as just flight attendants, only working at higher altitudes.
I smiled and nodded, trying to leave a good impression on her. Although we might never meet again, leaving a good impression on a beautiful woman is my usual practice. How do I know when one day a beautiful woman might go crazy, and then my chance will come? I often think this way, but for now, it's just a fantasy.
The elevator stopped on the 15th floor, and then I went up to the 17th floor, where I live alone. Since then, every time I take the elevator down, I hope it stops on the 15th floor, or when I come back, I hope to hear that familiar voice from behind, so we can ride the elevator together more often. But we've never spoken.
Finally, I saw her again, but she was no longer alone; a tall and handsome man accompanied her. From their uniforms, I knew they should both be professionals in high-altitude work, but whether he was a pilot or just a flight attendant like her, I couldn't tell due to my lack of "aviation knowledge." What I could judge was that their relationship was above that of a couple, and from their looks, I was completely out of their league.
Just when I decided to give up on my fantasies about the beautiful woman, I saw her again.
"Hey, wake up, how can a beautiful woman like you sleep on someone else's bed?" I found her on a bench in the residential area.
"Hmm?" She looked at me blankly. Although it was late at night, the lighting in the area was good, and I saw her flushed cheeks along with the smell of alcoholâanother drunken beauty.
"Hey, give me some response, or I won't be polite." I tried to make her alert and sober, but she remained unresponsive. It seemed she was so drunk that she was at my mercy.
"Where do you live?" Although I knew she lived on the 15th floor, I didn't know which specific apartment. She completely transferred her body weight onto me, ignoring my words. Standing in the elevator, I didn't know what to do. I tried several times to wake her, but she would wake up for a few seconds and then "discharge" part of the undigested food from her stomach onto our clothes.
Helpless, I took the beauty back to my place on the 17th floor.
The next morning, while I was still sleeping on the sofa, I heard a girl's scream from the room, and then a girl wearing my oversized T-shirt stood in front of me.
"What did you do to me?" She asked angrily and puzzled.
I hadn't fully woken up, and shook my head blankly, "I remember I did nothing."
"And what about the things you don't remember?" She continued to ask, causing me to fall off the sofa. How would I know what I don't remember?
"You beast, how dare you..." She started getting angry, throwing things at me regardless of their weight. Fortunately, my blocking and dodging skills were pretty good. Unfortunately, the clay ashtray I made myself got smashed.
Just then, a knock on the door saved me. I opened the door and saw Aunt Wang's kind face. The girl disappeared somewhere.
"Xiao Fei, how's the girl doing?" Aunt Wang asked with a smile. Aunt Wang is a highly educated "hourly worker." Specifically, she's a retired engineer who, by chance, ended up helping me clean my place as an "hourly worker." But she doesn't need me to pay her; all I need to do is help her grandson with computer problems and teach him computer skills. However, if she knew I got along so well with the little guy because I often taught him game tricks and gave him good equipment in the game, the result might be hard to predict.
"Ah, she's fine, still sleeping." I thought this answer would cause the least trouble.
"Is that so? Well, her clothes are here. I've washed and dried them. Do you want me to help her change?" Aunt Wang really is a warm-hearted lady.
"I don't think it's necessary; she should be able to dress herself." I smiled awkwardly.
After Aunt Wang left, the girl appeared from somewhere, staring at me with her pretty, cute mouth curved into a beautiful arc.
"Are you... okay?" I moved cautiously. How could I know when the murderous intent in her eyes would turn into action? She didn't speak, still staring at me.
"Here are your clothes." I tried saying it again and carefully placed her clothes on the sofa.
Finally, she gave a slight chuckle and then said very gently, "Where is the bathroom?"