I had a female colleague who started hitchhiking with me when I was still riding a bicycle.
Later, when I changed to an electric bike, a motorcycle, and even got a car, she was still hitchhiking with me.
I said, “You’re not allowed to hitch a ride with me anymore. Otherwise, I won’t even be able to find a girlfriend. Or else you’ll be in trouble!”
She stared blankly and said, “Oh, what kind of trouble?”
1
“Hello, my name is Xu Mengyao.”
“Hello, my name is Chen Jie.”
At the new employee orientation meeting in the company, the female colleague beside me took the initiative to extend her hand.
This was the first time I met her. Her hands were soft, her eyes were big, and when she smiled, it was so sweet, with her eyes curving into the shape of crescent moons.
After work, I rode side by side with her, passing through three streets and four traffic lights.
She turned right, and I turned left.
“What a coincidence! We’re neighbors.”
She pointed to the neighborhood across from my house with her finger.
I nodded and said, “There are many neighbors. Sister Wang and Sister Li from our company also live in your neighborhood.”
She said “Oh” and then, “See you tomorrow.”
“Hmm, see you tomorrow!”
2
“Chen Jie, can I hitch a ride with you back home?”
She said that her tire was punctured and wanted to hitch a ride on my mountain bike home. She planned to push it out to get it repaired tomorrow.
I looked at her flat tire and thought it was okay since we were on the same way anyway.
“There’s no soft cushion on the back of my mountain bike. It might make your butt uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got enough flesh.” She smiled again, with her eyes curving into crescent moons.
After breaking up with my girlfriend of eight years last time, this was the second time I took a girl home on my bike.
It was hard to start riding with a person on the mountain bike. I stood up and pedaled. She carefully held onto the corner of my clothes behind me and finally started moving slowly after swaying left and right.
Seeing how hard I was working, she asked me if she was too heavy.
I said, “You look slim, but you’re quite heavy. Are you about 130 pounds?”
She quickly said, “No, I’m only 90 pounds.”
“90 pounds? Impossible. You’re about 165 centimeters tall. You must be at least 100 pounds. I remember when I was a kid and brought flour home for my family, one bag was 50 pounds! You’re like two bags of flour!”
She seemed choked by my words and didn’t say anything else.
3
On the third day, she came to me again and said that the mechanic outside the company didn’t repair the tire properly. Could she hitch a ride with me home again?
I was calculating the report data at that time and casually agreed without looking back.
She was very happy and sweetly said that she’d see me after work.
After work, the data on the report just didn’t match up, so I came down a bit late.
She was waiting for me in the bike shed, and there was an extra white bear doll in her arms, the white bear from the cartoon “We Bare Bears”.
She shook the doll at me and said with a smile that she had brought her own cushion.
I patted the back seat, and she put the white bear there and hopped on.
Maybe I forgot that there was someone on the back. When I got on the bike, I accidentally swept her to the ground with my leg.
Then I realized what happened and quickly picked her up, saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I forgot there was someone behind me.”
She looked a bit aggrieved, and her hand was scratched.
“Please don’t cry. My ex-girlfriend always cried. Once she started crying, it was like a flood breaking through a dam, and even Nüwa couldn’t stop it!”
She blew on the wound and said she wouldn’t cry.
“Alright, princess, please get on the bike again.” I felt a bit guilty and wanted to lighten the atmosphere.
On the way home.
Mengyao asked me if my ex-girlfriend always cried.
I said, “Don’t mention it. She cried when she was sad, when she was uncomfortable, and even when she was happy…”
I paused for a moment, swallowed the words “Damn it” back, and continued, “Even when the road was bumpy, she cried. I said to her, ‘When you see injustice on the road, just shout! And then the road will be flat!’ “
She giggled behind me and then said that my ex-girlfriend was so cute.
I got impatient, “Cute? Cute my…”
I paused again. After all, I wasn’t that familiar with Mengyao yet, and it wasn’t appropriate to swear, so I swallowed the word “ass” back.
And continued, “Cute my foot! It was so annoying!”
“Then why did you break up?” Mengyao was curious.
“It’s all because of her…” I sighed and didn’t continue.
I thought that since we had already broken up, I shouldn’t badmouth my ex-girlfriend.
Mengyao saw that I suddenly stopped talking and whispered “I’m sorry.”
When we arrived at the entrance of her neighborhood, I saw that her palm was a bit swollen. I guessed that she probably couldn’t ride a bike for a while.
I said that since her hand was injured because of me, I’d take her to and from work these days.
She looked at me, seeming pleasantly surprised, and nodded, saying, “That would be too much trouble for you.”
I said, “Hey, what trouble!”
4
Riding a bike with someone on the back is really good for building leg strength, especially when starting off, which requires a lot of explosive power. My thigh circumference increased by a whole circle.
At the gym, “Son” asked me if I had secretly taken drugs or stolen his protein powder to drink.
I said only fools rely on those supplements. I just relied on the girl on the back seat.
He gave a sly smile, showing an expression that he understood right away.
I ignored him. “Son” would never understand the dilemma of “Godfather”.
After a while, I found that riding a bike with someone on the back was really tiring. No normal person would train their legs like this when having to go to work early in the morning.
I changed to an electric bike, and Mengyao was very happy.
She said that the white bear she used as a cushion could finally have a rest, otherwise her dog at home would always make a fuss.
Electric bikes were indeed faster and more convenient. You could start and stop whenever you wanted.
I used to insist on riding a bike to and from work to increase my daily calorie consumption.
Now when I think about it, I was so stupid. Electric bikes were really great!
After work, Mengyao took out a helmet from her bag and handed it to me.
I took it. It was a white helmet with a picture of Pikachu discharging electricity on it, really cute.
I said I didn’t want it. A real man never wears a helmet. Besides, it would look so silly wearing it. If others saw me, they’d think I was afraid of death.
She suddenly frowned. This was the first time I saw her frown, and there were fine lines on her forehead.
“A real man always protects himself instead of challenging danger!”
I felt that this line was so familiar, as if I had heard it somewhere before.
“Who said this?” I asked.
“Ash said it.” She answered me seriously.
I was puzzled. I thought about it for a long time but couldn’t remember there being such a line in Pokémon.
She smiled again, with her eyes curving into crescent moons, took out a helmet with Ash’s picture on it from her bag and put it on herself.
She sat on the back seat, gently tugged at the corner of my clothes, and made a take-off gesture forward:
“Go, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”
5
Mengyao’s hand had already healed long ago, but she got addicted to hitchhiking with me.
She waited for me at work and watched for me after work.
At first, she sent me a WeChat message: “Chen Jie, I’m at the old place at the company entrance.”
Later, it became: “The old place.”
And then: “1.”
I started to get annoyed. Hitchhiking all the time, every day. Did you not have your own bike or what?
If I hadn’t joined this company, would you not be able to go to work? Or go home?
What bothered me the most was that even the people in the company thought we were in a relationship.
Although I tried my best to deny it and explained that we were just on the same way and her home was just across from my neighborhood.
But the elder sister in our department gave a knowing smile and said, “Oh? Really? Then I also live in the same neighborhood as Mengyao. Why doesn’t she hitch a ride with me back home?”
I said, “Maybe she’s not that familiar with you.”
She said, “Right. It’s because she’s familiar with you that she hitchhikes with you.”
I didn’t say anything more.
She advised me that she was an experienced person and could see clearly. She also praised Mengyao for being beautiful and having a good personality. She said I had an advantage being so close to her and shouldn’t let others snatch her away.
I said impatiently, “Let them snatch her away if they want.”
She angrily poked my forehead and said I was talking nonsense.
6
The company organized a team-building activity, and during the games, Mengyao and I were naturally grouped together.
The game was simple. It was a three-legged race, and the prize was a new style of smart bracelet.
Mengyao was very excited and said that we must win a bracelet.
I laughed at her for being childish, but she said it was a competition and asked me to be serious!
She naturally stretched out one arm and tightly hugged my waist.
I hesitated for a moment and then put my arm around her shoulder.
She took a deep breath gently, adjusted her rhythm, and then quietly cheered us on: “Come on, come on!”
I smiled, thinking she was even more childish. Was it really that important for just a game?
She raised her head to look at me and frowned slightly: “Yes, it is!”
“Beep!”
The whistle blew, and the game started. Mengyao shouted “One, two, one! One, two, one!” and we quickly ran towards the finish line.
I found that we had a really good tacit understanding. The pace frequency and breathing rhythm matched extremely well, just like the front and rear wheels of my electric bike.
As expected, after several rounds, we actually won, leaving several old married couples far behind.
She jumped around excitedly with the prize in her hand and pulled me to take a photo and post it on Moments.
The caption was: “Wow, a new style of smart bracelet! Thanks to my teammate!”
She also asked me to post it on Moments, but I didn’t. I thought it was childish and annoying.
During the break, I was drinking water under the shade of a tree, and the female colleagues across from me were chattering around Mengyao.
Mengyao would look back at me from time to time, and the female colleagues would also secretly turn their heads to look in my direction from time to time.
I didn’t know what feelings I had for Mengyao. Maybe I didn’t have any feelings at all. If it weren’t for her injured hand, I wouldn’t have taken her to and from work!
At this time, Zhao Yichen quietly walked up to me.
He was a famous playboy in the company, very rich, and parked his Mercedes-Benz G-Class at the company entrance every day.
Our boss thought it might have a bad influence and hinted that he shouldn’t be so high-profile in the future. If it didn’t work, he should park his car outside.
He had a low emotional intelligence and didn’t understand. The next day, he changed to an Audi A6 and said to us very embarrassedly that it was his family’s grocery shopping car.
Our boss’s car was also an Audi A6. Seeing that he wouldn’t listen, our boss directly asked the security department to put his license plate on the blacklist.
“Brother Jie, what have you been busy with lately?” He had a slightly flattering tone.
“Just messing around.” I had never liked him.
“Well, brother, I want to discuss something with you.”
“Spit it out if you have something to say!”
He smiled and wasn’t angry, “I’m planning to pursue Mengyao. I’ve liked her for a long time. I’m officially letting you know, brother.”
He smiled wickedly, which reminded me of Li Chengyin in the TV series.
I choked on my water and told him to go ahead and pursue her!
He was very happy and patted my shoulder, “Brother Jie, you’re so generous!!!”
7
I wanted to keep a distance from Mengyao. After all, I was really annoyed by this kind of entanglement.
But Mengyao didn’t seem to understand why I had been deliberately avoiding her these days.
After work, she still said that she would wait for me at the company entrance.
I completely lost my temper, “Why are you always following me! You’re sticking to me every day. How can I have any private space left!”
Mengyao opened her mouth in surprise, froze for a long time, and said with a lonely expression, “I’m sorry.”
I snorted coldly and cursed “Psycho” in my heart.
I felt extremely relaxed, as if I had thrown off a burden.
At this time, Zhao Yichen started to pursue Mengyao.
His pursuit was passionate and straightforward. He waited for her after work, sent her flowers every now and then, or just bought her a handbag directly.
“Mengyao, get in the car. I’ll take you home!” He said with a grin.
Mengyao ignored him and walked straight towards the entrance. Zhao Yichen wasn’t in a hurry and just slowly drove the car behind her.
Every day, Zhao Yichen blocked her office entrance like a hooligan and asked if she wanted him to take her home.
Mengyao always rejected him with disgust, and Zhao Yichen just followed her like a mangy dog.
I found it funny when I saw it, but sometimes after work, I pretended not to see it on purpose.
The elder sister in our department got worried and asked me if I had quarreled with Mengyao?
I told her not to think too much. We were just ordinary friends.
She looked at me meaningfully and said that I shouldn’t let Zhao Yichen, that idiot, steal the girl.
I said impatiently, “Let him steal her if he wants.”
She glared at me and said that I was the idiot.
8
During that period of time, I became obsessed with motorcycles.
“Full Throttle” and “The World’s Fastest Indian” deeply shocked me and instantly ignited my passion for life.
I couldn’t afford an Indian motorcycle. As an office worker, I didn’t have time to travel around the world either. In the end, I chose a Kawasaki motorcycle.
The moment I rode it, it felt like I had touched my soul, and my youth was burning again.
Every day, I rode it roaring to and from work. On weekends, I would ride it roaring to distant places with a group of like-minded motorcycle friends.
I met a lot of friends who had different occupations.
There were those who saved motorcycle friends while at work and became motorcycle friends themselves after work.
There were also those who caught motorcycle friends while at work and became motorcycle friends after work.
Even there were those who judged motorcycle friends while at work and became motorcycle friends after work!
However, as time went by, I always felt empty inside. It wasn’t because the back seat was empty, nor was it because I envied that they all had female companions as pillions.
It was because I thought that maybe I was too harsh on Mengyao when I yelled at her that day!
I wasn’t like this before, but I really couldn’t control myself that day.
Sometimes I pretended to pass by Mengyao unintentionally, wanting to apologize to her.
But she also seemed to not see me and just passed by me on her own and directly got into Zhao Yichen’s car.
Zhao Yichen also stuck his head out of the car window and gave me a smug smile.
At that moment, I felt a pang in my heart, like an electric shock.
9
During the Spring Festival, I suddenly found that the company’s publicity column had new promotional posters.
There was a photo of Mengyao and me during the team-building activity.
She was as happy as a child holding the prize, while I had a look of disdain on my face.
I stared at the photo for a long time, took out my phone and thought for a long time, and finally sent Mengyao a “Happy New Year”.
After a long time, she replied: “Thank you. Happy New Year to you too.”
When I got on my bike and rode home, I suddenly realized why I had been feeling so empty inside.
In the past, Mengyao would always chatter non-stop when sitting on the back seat, as if she always had something new to share with me.
And I just listened and replied from time to time.
“Chen Jie, I made a fool of myself today. I had a race with Mengmeng to see who could get to the cafeteria first, and when I turned the corner, I knocked our boss down.”
“Chen Jie, I made a mistake today. I forgot to inform the boss to go to the headquarters for a meeting, and then I got a scolding. Oh, well, he said that whoever wanted to go to that meeting could go, and he wouldn’t go anyway, so I took it seriously.”
“Chen Jie, let me take you to eat hot pot.”
“Chen Jie, look, that store just opened.”
“Chen Jie…”
“Chen Jie…”
10
By chance, I found out that Zhao Yichen actually had another girlfriend. I followed him all the way to a hot pot restaurant.
His girlfriend was holding a handbag in her arms and asked coquettishly, “Aren’t you chasing Xu Mengyao in your company? Why do you still have time to come to me?”
Zhao Yichen tidied his hair and said with disdain, “Humph! That woman is so stubborn, as if she’s gilded. Such a fake prude!”
“I see. So you came to me because you hit a wall with her? Well, some women are just fake prudes!”
“That’s right. Don’t worry, baby. I’m just playing with her. I’m serious with you!”
The two of them continued to gossip about Mengyao and spread rumors.
I was so furious when I heard them next door that I rushed in and grabbed him by the collar.
Zhao Yichen looked at me in horror and asked me what I was doing?
I said to him viciously, “If you dare to harass Xu Mengyao again in the future, next time I’ll dunk your head into the hot pot!”
He was so scared. Looking at the boiling red oil hot pot, he quickly said that he wouldn’t dare to do it again.
11
Zhao Yichen said he didn’t dare, but he didn’t really mean it.
There were rumors quietly spreading in the company that Mengyao spent the night with Zhao Yichen for a handbag.
One night, I was called back to the company to work overtime. It was already ten o’clock at night when I got off work.
When I went out, I saw Mengyao waiting for a car at the entrance.
I wanted to apologize to her for yelling at her last time. Just as I was about to speak, a bright high beam shone in front of us.
“Mengyao, come on, get in the car. I’ll take you home!” Zhao Yichen stuck half of his body out of the window, with an extremely provocative expression.
“Oh, Chen Jie is here too. I’m sorry that I can’t take you home. I still have to be with Mengyao in the car…”
He made gestures with his hands, as if clapping, and Mengyao’s face turned red immediately.
At that moment, it was like the fuse of a war was tied to this guy.
I slowly walked forward, slowly opened the car door, and slowly grabbed his hair.
He realized what was happening and shouted, “Hey, hey, hey, let go, let go! I just had a hair transplant!”
I ignored him and dragged him out of the car by his hair.
I said harshly, “What did I say last time? If you dare to harass Mengyao again, I’ll put your head into the hot pot!”
He suddenly remembered it, but for the sake of face, he said that I definitely wouldn’t dare!
I laughed and was about to take him to the hot pot restaurant across the street!
He knew my character and that I would definitely keep my word, so he quickly begged for mercy.
12
After Zhao Yichen was scared away, I took a look at Mengyao who was still standing there.
“It’s so late. Let me… let me take you home, okay?” I said.
She slightly turned her head to look at me, as if looking at a stranger.
Then, I saw that long-lost smile again, with her eyes curving into the shape of crescent moons.
She said sweetly, “Okay.”
I took out a helmet and put it on her, and then taught her how to sit on the back seat.
“Clamp your two legs around my waist so that you won’t bump into me when I brake.” I patted her legs.
“Okay.”
“Put your hands here to hold on.” I patted myself again.
“Like this?” She asked in a low voice.
“Don’t hug my neck. You might strangle me to death.
“You can hold my waist. Well, it’s okay if you hold onto the fuel tank too.”
She gently held onto the fuel tank and leaned her body close to me. Her body was so soft.
I adjusted her helmet a bit, “Your helmet should be a bit offset from mine, just put it on my left shoulder.”
I taught her the correct posture bit by bit, and she learned quickly.
“Are you seated properly? We’re about to leave!” I shouted.
The motorcycle started slowly. Her body leaned back due to inertia, and she screamed and tightly hugged my waist.
I found that she was really an excellent pillion. Whether it was accelerating, braking, or even making sharp turns, her body posture could match mine perfectly.
That night, I took her from the north of the city to the south of the city.
The wind was blowing hard, she was screaming, and my heart was beating fast.
When we arrived at the entrance of her neighborhood, I took off her helmet for her. I didn’t know if it was because of the cold or the excitement, but her little face was flushed.
“Thank you for taking me out to play tonight.” She said a bit shyly.
“Hey, it’s just a casual thing.” I scratched the back of my head through the helmet.
“Then… see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow!”
Mengyao waved to me and was about to turn around and leave.
I suddenly remembered something and quickly called her back, “Well, Mengyao.”
“What’s the matter?” She immediately turned her head to look at me.
I coughed gently, “I yelled at you that day. I apologize to you.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I’ve already forgotten about it.” She said generously.
The two of us were silent for a moment. Just as she was about to leave, I called her back again, “Mengyao, and also…”
“What’s the matter?” Her eyes were blinking, seeming to have some kind of expectation.
“Did you step on the exhaust pipe just now? The heel of your shoe seems to have melted.” I pointed at her shoe.
She looked at it and screamed.
When I got home, I found that there was an extra Pikachu sticker on my helmet.
13
I took Mengyao to take the motorcycle driving test and chose a second-hand CF Moto 450 for her.
Following our motorcycle friends, we rode motorcycles to many places for self-driving tours and saw snow-capped mountains and deserts.
She was really talented. She could learn things quickly and could turn around on the spot without being taught.
But I liked to teach others, and I would always remind her when riding.
“Mengyao, tie your hair up!”
“Why? Don’t you think it’s cool like this?”
The next day, she cried and said that it took her half an hour to comb her hair because the wind blew it into a mess.
“Mengyao, when you’re waiting for the red light, put down the kickstand and then sit on the back seat.”
She proudly said that her legs were long enough to reach.
As a result, in summer, she cried and said that the front seat was too hot.
Since the motorcycle suit wasn’t breathable, she would bring a palm-leaf fan. When waiting for the red light, she would unzip it and fan herself, and then put the fan under her butt.
I said that what she did was seriously against the rules. If her butt didn’t touch the seat, it would be easy for her to slip off when turning.
When she rode fast, I would also say something to her.
She asked me, “How fast can my bike go at most?”
I said, “199 kilometers per hour.”
She exclaimed in surprise and excitedly said that she wanted to experience it.
I rolled my eyes and said, “Actually, whether you run at 199 or 99 kilometers per hour, it’s the same.”
She asked why?
I said, “It’s like meat on iron. If you fall off the bike, ten people will be sitting around a table (meaning it’s very dangerous).”
She was stunned for a long time and then gently patted my helmet and said, “What bad luck!”
I told her to ride at 60 kilometers per hour and not to miss any knee pads or elbow pads. Everything was for safety.
She also rolled her eyes like I did and said that a real rider was brave!
I said, “True bravery isn’t about challenging danger but about protecting yourself!”
She thought about it and felt that it sounded familiar, and asked me who said that?
I smiled and said, “Sheriff Labrador!”
14
Of course, Mengyao also had her own advantages that impressed me.
She looked like a village girl at work, but after work, she would transform into a stylish motorcycle girl.
I asked her, “Mengyao, what style are you wearing today?”
She turned around in front of me, showing her slender waist, and said proudly, “Youthful schoolgirl JK style.”
A few days later, I asked again, “Mengyao, what style are you wearing today?”
She still turned around in front of me and said, “Seductive nightclub lady slightly drunk style.”
After a few more days, she changed into several other styles: Hot newlywed style, First-time mother style, Full-time housewife with a second child style.
One day, she dressed up in a strange way, and I couldn’t help asking her what style it was again.
She looked at me, gave a sly smile, and said, “Husband-cheating widowed style.”
15
On the top of the mountain, Mengyao and I overlooked the night view of the city.
On the distant highway, the traffic going home gathered into a long red line, just like the pulse of the city beating.
She asked me why I broke up with my ex-girlfriend.
I thought about it and told her the truth.
I met my ex-girlfriend in high school, and then we went to different universities and started a long-distance relationship.
Whenever I had time, I would take the train to visit her. To be honest, the train tickets I accumulated back then could be laid out from the company all the way to my home.
After graduation, I finally went to work in her city, and we were both looking forward to a new life.
However, she suddenly told me that she was getting married.
I was shocked and thought she was joking. After all, she used to like joking and said that she had a new boyfriend.
But then she took out her marriage certificate in front of me.
I was so stunned at that time, but I still thought it was impossible and frantically asked her if she had a terminal illness. I said I would sell my blood to cure her!
She said I was silly and that she was healthy. There was a boy who had been chasing her in college and had arranged a good job for her.
My ex-girlfriend actually liked him too, so she secretly got the marriage certificate.
Mengyao sighed after hearing this and asked me what happened next?
I smiled and said, “There isn’t always a ‘what happened next’ in life. There’s pain, hatred, and then letting go, and finally wishing them happiness.”
Mengyao whispered “I’m sorry” and said that she had reopened my old wound.
I said it didn’t matter. Once the wound healed, it became a story.
I asked her again, “How did you break up with your ex-boyfriend?”
She said her relationship was simple. Maybe it was because of her slow-to-warm-up personality. They broke up after a year of dating, and there wasn’t any drama in the process.
“Chen Jie, what do you think love is?” She suddenly asked.
“Love…” I thought about it, “Maybe it’s passionate, unforgettable, and something that can be blessed by everyone. What do you think?”
“I think love is actually quite plain. At least for most people, it’s like this.”
She continued, “However! Since I met you, it seems that I’ve opened the door to a new world. It turns out that I can be different. You know, I had never tried those clothes before, let alone ridden a motorcycle to such distant places.”
Just as I was about to say that these were just normal things, I felt a warm and tingling sensation on my lips.
At that moment, the nightmare of my ex-girlfriend’s betrayal disappeared completely.
Her little face was flushed, and she moved away from my lips and whispered, “Thank you.”
16
On the way back, Mengyao tightly hugged my waist, and her body softly pressed against my back.
“Chen Jie! I’ve made up my mind. I want to be your pillion for the rest of my life!”
I smiled and replied loudly, “Don’t be silly. Pillions are consumables!”
She hugged my waist even tighter, “No! I want to be!”
At this moment, an off-road vehicle rushed straight towards us!
Boom! There was a loud noise!
The huge impact sound rang in my ears.
At that moment, I just felt my body being thrown back violently, rolling several times and then falling heavily into the flower bed.
Mengyao also fell heavily to the ground, her body rolled several times, and her helmet hit the curb hard.
The motorcycle was smashed to pieces and slid far away with sparks.
I managed to stand up, staggering towards Mengyao. She was already motionless.
“Mengyao, how are you?
“Mengyao, wake up!
“Don’t scare me!”
I leaned over her, sobbing continuously.
At this time, the hit-and-run driver seemed to come to his senses and walked down dizzily.
He got out of the car, first took a look at his car, and then looked at us in the distance. Instantly, he sobered up a bit.
I was so angry that I wanted to kill him. I rushed over and punched him in the head one after another.
He wanted to get back into the car and restart it to escape, but I dragged him down.
17
Outside the hospital’s emergency room.
I covered my head and sat on the chair, waiting for the light to turn green (meaning waiting for the result of the rescue).
The operation was quite successful. The doctor said that fortunately, we were wearing protective gear when riding the motorcycle, otherwise it would have been even more serious.
On the hospital bed, Mengyao hadn’t woken up yet. Her leg was in a cast, and the instruments beside her were beeping.
I used a cotton swab to moisten her lips.
I was so afraid that she wouldn’t wake up or would become a vegetable. All kinds of bad thoughts flooded into my mind.
I felt that it was all my fault. That day, I shouldn’t have taken her home on the motorcycle, and then none of this would have happened.
Maybe, when she first wanted to hitch a ride with me to go home, I should have refused.
Or maybe, I shouldn’t have come to work for this company at all.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have met me and wouldn’t be in this state now.
I regretted more and more, crying and saying, “Mengyao, please don’t die. If you die, I’ll be in pain for the rest of my life!”
“It hurts…” Mengyao woke up.
I looked at her excitedly, crying and saying, “You’re awake.”
“Where is this?”
“It’s the hospital.”
“Why am I in the hospital?” She frowned and looked at me.
“We had a car accident last night.”
She slightly turned her head to look at me, as if looking at a stranger, “A car accident? And who are you?”
“I, I’m Chen Jie! Don’t you recognize me?”
“Chen Jie…” She tried hard to recall, and then murmured, “Who is Chen Jie?”
“Chen Jie, Chen Jie is me. I’m your colleague!” My mind went blank for a moment, and I couldn’t believe it. Amnesia?!
I quickly ran to find the doctor.
The doctor examined her and said that currently, it seemed normal, but further observation was needed later.
I quickly pointed to my head and said that she must have lost her memory. She didn’t even remember who I was.
The doctor said it might be temporary amnesia and told me to tell her about our past to help her recall slowly.
After the doctor left, I went back to Mengyao’s bedside.
She still looked at me like a stranger and still asked the same question: “Who are you?”
“I…” I paused for a moment, “I, I’m your colleague.”
I told her our story.
“Do you remember? On the first day of our new employee orientation, you sat next to me. You took the initiative to extend your hand and introduced yourself.”
I imitated what we did when we first met.
She nodded, as if recalling or listening to a story.
“After work that day, you said your tire was punctured, so I started taking you home. Later, when I changed to an electric bike, you were very happy and even gave me a Pikachu helmet.
“But one day, I got annoyed because you were always sticking to me like a little tail. I yelled at you and asked you to stay away from me. Actually, I regretted it later. I should have talked to you nicely.
“However, after you stopped hitchhiking with me, I was quite happy, thinking that I had finally shaken off the burden.
“Do you know? During that time, that scumbag Zhao Yichen was always looking for you. Actually, I was also jealous, and I even taught him a lesson.
“Later, I took you to learn to ride a motorcycle, and we even went on self-driving tours to Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.”
She seemed to remember something and murmured, “Inner Mongolia?”
“Yes, yes, yes. You also said that Inner Mongolia was supposed to be all vast grasslands. Why were the grasses growing so messily? I told you that was wormwood. As a result, you got allergic the next day, had difficulty breathing, and your face swelled up like a peach.”
Mengyao smiled and said, “But I remember there was someone who always thought I was childish?”
I said, “I used to say that you were annoying and childish, but you’re also very cute, especially when you chatted with me about all kinds of things while sitting on the back seat. I found that you really knew a lot.”
Mengyao asked, “Did he like me?”
I was stunned for a moment and then nodded vigorously, “Of course he liked you!”
She looked at me, still looking at me with doubtful eyes, “You’ve said so much, and I’ve understood. So, who are you exactly?”
I raised my head to look at her, the corners of my mouth twitching, “I’m your boyfriend, your most loyal teammate!”
She burst out laughing, reached out her hand, and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes.
I suddenly raised my head and asked her if she was pretending to have amnesia.
She giggled and said that I just looked like I was acting in a drama about a man’s hard pursuit of his wife, but it was a pity that she didn’t have much experience. She should have pretended to be in a coma just now.
After laughing, she cried out again, “It hurts!”
18
The elder sister in the company came to visit us with gifts.
She said that the hit-and-run driver had been caught, and other cases had been found on him too. It was estimated that he wouldn’t be able to get out for a while.
However, when the boss came later, I had to be careful. I couldn’t avoid getting a scolding from him.
In the corridor, there were the sound of “click-clack” footsteps. The elder sister’s face changed, and she said that she hadn’t been here and then quietly sneaked out with her body bent.
The boss was the boss. He walked with an air of authority, and a group of leaders big and small suddenly appeared at the door of the ward.
He looked around, took a look at me, and then at Mengyao lying on the hospital bed.
Mengyao was crying heartbreakingly, shouting that it hurt all the time.
“Chen Jie, Chen Jie, what can I say about you? We just launched the off-duty safety activity in the morning, and you got into this kind of trouble at night!” The boss blamed me.
I felt very aggrieved. It was clearly that drunk driver who hit us, but looking at Mengyao who kept wiping her tears beside me, I sighed.
“I’m sorry, boss. It’s all my fault. We will definitely work安心 after we recover.”
The boss softened his tone and told us to rest and recover. The company would handle the matter of the hit-and-run driver on our behalf.
After he finished speaking, he walked away in a hurry again.
I looked at Mengyao and gently comforted her, asking her to stop crying.
“After you’re discharged from the hospital, I’ll sell your motorcycle and add some money to buy a four-wheeled car to take you to and from work, okay?”
She looked at me with teary eyes, sobbed for a while, and then wiped her tears with the quilt.
“Really?” She muttered and asked.
I nodded, “A gentleman’s word is as good as his bond!”
After being discharged from the hospital, I sold the motorcycle, but I still kept the motorcycle helmet with the Pikachu sticker on it.
There were several deep scratches on the helmet, right on Pikachu’s tail, making it look like Pikachu was discharging electricity.
I bought a car and drove Mengyao to and from work. Who would have thought that this went on for more than half a year.
In the passenger seat, Mengyao took chopsticks and stuck them into the cast on her leg to scratch the itch.
“It’s so itchy.” She scratched while talking.
After scratching, she also put the chopsticks under her nose to smell them and then stretched them towards me, “Chen Jie, smell it. Does it stink?”
I turned my head away in disgust and said, “Who wants to smell your stinky leg.”
She laughed and said, “Then who was it that praised my legs for being white and long last night?”
I laughed and said, “The dog.”
19
On Qixi Festival.
Mengyao asked me shyly if she could borrow 10,001 yuan from me.
I asked, “Is it urgent? What’s it for? When will you pay it back? And why such an odd amount?”
She blushed and said, “I’m not going to pay it back. Just consider it as my betrothal gift.”
(The End)
