A-Yun, sixty years old

Sister Li hesitated for a moment but eventually gave me her WeChat. I glanced at her WeChat nickname, “Dreaming of Home,” and couldn’t help but pause in surprise, wondering why she would choose such a name.

She said, “Little brother, I have some other matters to attend to, so I won’t go down with you. Let’s meet again next time.”
“Alright, next time I’ll invite you, Sister Li. Goodbye,” I replied.

I took the elevator downstairs. As the doors opened and I was about to leave, I nearly collided with a woman entering in my haste. Suddenly, a girl’s startled voice rang out, “It’s you!”

I turned back in surprise, but the elevator doors were already closing, and I hadn’t caught a clear look at her face. I was puzzled—this was my first time in Shanghai, who could possibly recognize me? She must have mistaken me for someone else.

Shaking my head, I prepared to leave, but then I faintly heard a delicate voice call from inside the elevator, “Don’t go, wait for me.”

Instinctively, I paused, wondering if I’d imagined it. I had no acquaintances in Shanghai, so who would say such a thing to me?

I figured it was either a misunderstanding or she’d mistaken me for someone else, so there was no point in standing around awkwardly in the lobby, attracting unnecessary attention.

I strolled outside. Just as I stepped out the main entrance, I heard someone shout again, “Don’t go, wait for me! Security, stop him!” Sure enough, two security guards came over and said, “Sir, please wait a moment. Someone is calling for you. Could you stay for a bit?”

I stood helplessly at the entrance, curiosity growing—who could it be? Looking back toward the elevator, I saw a tall, slender girl running toward me. She was strikingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that seemed almost archetypal.

She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her. After all, I had just arrived in Shanghai today and barely knew anyone—only Sister Li. The girl hurried over, slightly out of breath but smiling brightly. “What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?”

Confused, I shook my head. “Miss, have we met? I can’t recall.”

She pouted a bit, “You really are forgetful! You truly don’t remember me? We met not long ago, and you even saved my life…”

At that, it suddenly came to me. “You must be Ayun, right?”

Ayun grinned mischievously. “That’s right! You have such a big heart that you even forget the lives you’ve saved.”

I couldn’t hide my delight. “We met at the old temple on Tongshan in Mingzhou. How could I have expected to run into you again in Shanghai?”

Ayun beamed. “That’s what fate is—why else do people say a single thread can tie a bond across a thousand miles?”

Curious, I asked, “Ayun, do you work here?”

She nodded. “Yes! But what was that just now? I called you, but you didn’t wait. If I hadn’t asked security to stop you, you’d have disappeared.”

Laughing apologetically, I said, “Sorry, I really didn’t expect you were calling me. I thought you’d mistaken me for someone else.”

She smiled. “Let’s not talk about that. What brings you to Shanghai?”

“I’m here to help promote some foreign trade products.”

She looked a little surprised. “For this company?”

I nodded. “Yes, I came to pitch them to Chairman Du of Donghua International Trade Group.”

She laughed. “Meeting with the company chairman? That sounds like a big deal!”

I nodded again. “It is.”

With a playful glint in her eye, she asked, “Judging by how happy you look, did the deal go through?”

“Almost. If all goes well, we’ll sign the contract.”

Ayun’s eyes sparkled. “Congratulations! There must be a handsome reward for you, right?”

I smiled. “If it goes through, there will be. I just hope nothing unexpected happens to mess it up.”

She said, “Since you’ve clinched the deal, you have to take me out for a celebration tonight.”

I laughed. “No problem. But I’m just a country bumpkin—it’s my first time in the big city, and I wouldn’t know where to go. I might end up making a fool of myself.”

She teased, “Don’t be so modest. You come to the city for the first time and manage such a big deal. That’s more impressive than many top university graduates.”

I replied, “I was just lucky to meet some helpful people. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

She smiled. “Luck is the most important thing—more than effort or talent! Take me for example: if you hadn’t saved me from that falling boulder, what would talent or hard work have mattered?”

I laughed. “That only means your luck is pretty good, too.”

She grinned. “Exactly! It was lucky to meet you that day, and now, in this vast city, we cross paths again. It must be fate. Why don’t I show you around the Bund tonight?”

“Great! I’ve always wanted to see the romance of the Bund at night.”

She laughed. “Then I’ll drive us over. But it’s still early—where are you staying? I’ll take you there and we can rest a bit.”

“I’m staying at a hotel not far from here. We could walk—it won’t take long, and we can enjoy the view of the Huangpu River along the way.”

She agreed. “Sounds good. I’ll listen to you. Driving is tiring anyway.”

As we walked and chatted, Ayun’s phone rang. After taking the call, she turned to me. “My old classmate just called and invited me to a class reunion.”

I smiled. “That’s great! You should go—you can always take me out another time.”

She said, “All my classmates will be in couples—it’s no fun to go alone. Unless you go as my boyfriend, otherwise they’ll tease me.”

I hesitated. “Ayun, I’m just a country boy. I’m not used to these social gatherings. I’d probably embarrass you.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. Who knows, maybe you’re more accomplished than any of them! You look pretty dashing in your suit, too. Why don’t you come with me?”

I felt awkward. Though I wanted to fit in with the younger crowd, my humble background made me feel out of place.

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Chapter 60: Free reading of Ayun.