Suddenly, my "home" gained a "hostess," albeit the term was not entirely accurate. Nevertheless, she was indeed the only woman with a key to this house.
I hoped that life would change from here on, praying that the heavens would take pity on me after over twenty years of guarding my "heart" like a treasure. Though I couldn't claim complete success in that regard, I always prided myself on it. Despite having passed the age of naive adolescence, my views on love remained sincere. I still believed in true love, even though I couldn't quite define it. I hoped that someday, I would experience the blissful feeling of being in love.
I still only spent about a third of my time in this city, with more than half of that time in this house. Perhaps, on the other hand, Rán Jìng spent about half of her time in the city, but probably less than a tenth of it in this house.
I could sense the presence of a "hidden beautiful woman" in this house, only because of the occasional notes on the fridge and the items she left inside. It seemed her fridge had never been repaired. As time passed, the items she left behind in the fridge grew beyond the initial few.
Rarely awake during the day, today was an exception. A friend I had known since childhood but felt only vaguely familiar with was visiting Shanghai. As a matter of courtesy, I felt obliged to play the role of a gracious host, despite not owning any property in this land.
While waiting for the subway train at the platform, someone suddenly grabbed my arm from behind.
I heard a voice I had longed to hear, albeit tinged with reproach: "Why are you so late? I've been waiting for you for ages."
Turning around, I saw the face I had dreamed of but never expected to see: Rán Jìng's face. Was this a figment of my imagination, or was I still dreaming? Rán Jìng was speaking to me in such a tone, holding onto my arm, her head resting lightly on my shoulder. This intimate gesture, if observed by a passerby, would undoubtedly lead 99% of people to assume we were a couple, and the remaining 1% might even think we were married.
Caught up in this moment of happiness, I didn't know what expression to offer Rán Jìng. The situation had taken me by surprise, and I was at a loss.
"This is my boyfriend. You see, I told you we arranged to meet here. I wasn't lying to you, was I?" Rán Jìng seemed to be speaking to someone else, but I had been completely engrossed in our little world and hadn't noticed the presence of a third person until now.
"Your boyfriend is him?" I saw a man about 180 centimeters tall, handsome, and exuding a certain charm, speak.
"Yes, any problem?" Rán Jìng tightened her grip on my arm and leaned closer to me. Yet, I felt far from happy. Considering the situation, my role was likely that of an unfortunate scapegoat, or perhaps even a willing one.
The man shook his head, sighed, shrugged, raised his hands in resignation, and said with a tone of helplessness, "Alright, Rán Jìng, I'll leave. Not because I believe he's your boyfriend, but because you'd rather find a man like him to be your boyfriend than face me. I pity myself."
"Ah..." This line felt awkward to me, immediately stirring a sense of indignation. I wanted to confront the man. Unfortunately, he didn't give me the chance and walked away.
With just Rán Jìng and me left in the scene, I didn't know what to say, and Rán Jìng simply looked at me, leaving us in an awkward silence.
My mind raced, trying to find a way to break the ice, but before I could come up with any classic lines, Rán Jìng's smile grew wider, and she burst into laughter. "Why are you so silly?" she said.
"Silly can mean many things. Sometimes, it's synonymous with cute. I assume that's what you meant," I replied, without her consent, using my body as a shield. But oddly, I didn't feel any happiness.
"Correct," she affirmed.
"Thank you for your praise. But next time, please describe this almost thirty-year-old man with some depth," I joked.
"Sure, sure. Not funny. Why are you up so early today?"
I explained the reason for my early rising and mentioned that it was time to head to the train station.
"I have nothing to do anyway. I'll accompany you," she said, without consulting me first.
"Sure, but let's confirm your identity first," I said, gesturing toward my arm.
Rán Jìng gave me a glare but linked her arm with mine, and together we went to the train station, where I met this friend I had known since childhood but wasn't quite familiar with.