Chapter 15 Chapter Fourteen In the next millennium, I still want to meet you

Before graduating, Li Li found a job as an assistant to the general manager of a wholly-owned American company.The general manager, Paul, is an old American man who can't understand a little Chinese. Li Li's fluent English with a New York accent made him very satisfied. On the day of the interview, Li Li went out with light makeup for the first time, which made Li Meiqing stunned for a long time without recovering.During May Day, Pei Shangxuan's parents invited her to dinner and asked her about her job search.She muttered about employers judging people by their appearance. Pei Shangxuan had an expression of hating iron and steel, and pinched her face to criticize Li Li, who would go to an interview with two dark circles under her eyes like a girl her age.

Li Li said aggrievedly that she was preparing for a dissertation defense, but he sternly refuted it as "sophistry".After dinner, Pei Shangxuan dragged her to the L'Oreal counter of Pacific Department Store and bought a whole set from liquid foundation to mascara. Just as Pei Shangxuan was about to speak, she preempted him. "He's a buddy who meddles in other people's business." Li Li clarified the misunderstanding angrily. Just now, he frowned and disapproved for a moment, which made her lose interest immediately. "What do you mean by being nosy?" The tall and handsome man shouted in protest regardless of his appearance, "I'm afraid you won't be able to find a job, get married, or support yourself."

Li Li didn't tell Pei Shangxuan that he could actually find a job, and that he was a very sought-after talent in short supply. She passed the advanced interpreting certificate, and after submitting her resume to several translation companies in the talent market, someone immediately asked her if she was interested in doing simultaneous interpreting.Li Li did a simultaneous interpreting job during her internship, and she was so energetic that she couldn't slack off. At the end of the day, she was too tired to move. Li Li reluctantly said that she would not do it, even though simultaneous interpreting was paid a lot of money every day.She has no ambition to make money, and she doesn't need to suffer that kind of high nervousness.

She and Paul had a great conversation.This obese American old man has kind eyebrows and kind eyes. Li Li has always believed that most fat people are good people, so he finally chose this offer, and his work location is in the remote Pudong Jinqiao Development Zone.After she handed over the graduate employment agreement form to the school's employment office, she ran to the Pacific Computer Plaza to find Pei Shangxuan and happily told him that she had found a job.While showing the customer the lowest price of a modem on the calculator, he complained that she had nothing to do in such a deserted place.

"Stupid, of course I'm going to work. Are you going to work for fun?" Li Li rolled her eyes. The two girls who came to buy the Modem couldn't help giggling and winking at each other. The girl with the ponytail Jiao Didi said, "Boss, it's cheaper. Since your girlfriend is so happy to find a job, Are you okay?" Girlfriend, who is it?Li Li was stunned at first, but it took a while to realize that they had misunderstood their relationship with Pei Shangxuan.She glanced at the sitting man, who smiled and neither admitted nor denied.She originally wanted to issue a statement to clarify like the day she bought cosmetics, but seeing how he didn't care, Li Li fell silent.

It's someone who misunderstood, and you didn't defend yourself, it's none of my business!She recited it three times silently in her heart, feeling at ease to temporarily enjoy the sweet feeling of bearing the title of Pei Shangxuan's "girlfriend". Pei Shangxuan finally gave another five yuan, and after the two girls walked away happily with bags, he immediately hooked Li Li's neck and rubbed her hair. "Hey girl, I lost money just because of you." She elbowed him and protested verbally: "Come on, you profiteer, you can still lose money with only five dollars?" Li Li's girlfriend made Li Li happy. If one day she could really walk hand in hand with him, she didn't know how excited she would be.Thinking about it, I can't help but feel sad, after all, liking Pei Shangxuan is my own business.

"I don't care, you have to make up for my loss." He cheated and asked her to invite her to dinner, and said inadvertently: "Your place of work is so far away, it's not easy to see each other normally." It reminded her of the sentence four years ago - Li Li, don't go so far! It is these meaningless tender feelings that make her reluctant to let go, like migratory birds flying after warmth, Pei Shangxuan is the warm color in Li Li's life. No matter how good other people are, they can't compare to him. In 2003, Li Li was sitting in the resplendent Diamond Hall of the Westin Hotel, watching the handsome bridegroom and the beautiful bride toast table by table, and was coaxed by the guests for public kisses as a sideshow.Chinese wedding banquets are similarly lively, the difference lies in the protagonist.

The newlywed like a golden boy and a jade girl finally came to Li Li's table to toast, she stood up and brought him a glass of red wine.The handsome best man smiled hippie and wanted to stop the drink, but Pei Shangxuan pushed him away and took it boldly. "You are my best friend for life, I must drink this glass of wine." He looked at Li Li with a dazzling smile on his face. She also gave herself a full, same bright smile. "Yes, we have been good friends all our lives." The red wine glasses touched each other, and then he and she raised their heads to drink the slightly sour wine in the glasses at the same time, and the people sitting together applauded.

Li Li foresaw the ending a long time ago, but just like what her grandmother told her, she is a person who will not die until the Yellow River. A prophecy. New Year's Day in 2000, this day is more meaningful than any day in the past or any day in the future that Li Li will experience.She was lucky to live in this century, catching up with the turn of the millennium. In the last millennium, China was still in the feudal dynasty, and that dynasty in history was called the Northern Song Dynasty. The last day of 1999 was Friday, and Li Li received a phone call from Pei Shangxuan asking her to go to a bar to celebrate the New Year at night.At that time, she was participating in the company's Annual Party at the hotel, picking out sashimi with a plate. Paul's wife Alice was standing next to her and heard the phone ring before Li Li.

Pei Shangxuan accompanied her to buy a mobile phone. She didn't like Nokia and chose Motorola.Later, whether the mobile phone was stolen or upgraded, she was a loyal user of Motorola.Pei Shangxuan made fun of Motorola more than once for giving her a loyalty award, she laughed and accused him of liking the new and loathing the old. He doesn't understand her stubbornness, and he doesn't understand that the greatest obsession in her life is Pei Shangxuan.And she didn't understand that the man who played the game of love would get married one day, leaving no room for her imagination.

Li Li thanked Alice for her reminder, put down the tray and took out her mobile phone from her pocket to answer.Pei Shangxuan's magnetic voice reached her ears, inviting her to go to the bar at night to welcome the arrival of the millennium. A few days ago, she received calls from college roommates and high school reunions, and also received calls from Wang Xiaofeng asking her to go clubbing. Without exception, Li Li declined with "an appointment first".She was waiting for Pei Shangxuan, and wanted to welcome the new millennium with him. They met in this millennium, who can wait for the next millennium? Fortunately, he called before she was disappointed. After she hung up the phone, Alice smiled and asked, "Boyfriend?" Li Li blushed suddenly, and stammered, explaining that it was just her friend. "Only, Lilian, you look very negative." Alice and Paul participated in the Chinese learning class. Although their pronunciation was not standard, they still seized the opportunity to practice Chinese vigorously.As Paul's assistant, Li Li was used to the couple's Chinese and immediately understood what Alice was talking about. Is it impossible to hide my emotions?Li Li's heart tightened, thinking that she must not show her flaws at night, she didn't want to fall to the point where she and Pei Shangxuan couldn't even be friends. Since he said he was a brother, let's be a brother. She went to the bathroom once before leaving the hotel, and had a face-to-face meeting with the woman who opened the door.Li Li was stunned, and the other party was obviously quite surprised, and the two stood awkwardly at the door. Li Li was the first to regain her composure, raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "Han Yichen, long time no see." The last scene of entanglement with the woman in my memory was in the first year of high school. One day, Li Li ran to Hongkou Middle School and begged Han Yichen to let Pei Shangxuan go. She said, "Li Li, I'll give him back to you." Li Li believes that Han Yichen made a mistake from the beginning: Pei Shangxuan does not belong to anyone, including himself. He is a free-flying bird, and she is not his kind. "Long time no see." Han Yichen's beauty has become timeless with the passage of time. Pei Shangxuan told Li Li a long time ago that Han Yichen is the kind of girl who is getting more and more beautiful. The young man can't think of adjectives, he can only use the most straightforward language praise. In the past, Li Li thought that he was "beauty in the eye of the beholder", but now she had to agree with him.There is a kind of woman, not to mention the unique beauty, even the aging that comes with time is daunting.Her beauty is like a flower from budding to full bloom, showing the demeanor of different periods.Even if it withers in the end, it is still a gorgeous curtain call. She has seen many beauties, lively and charming, hot and sexy, and demure... Pei Shangxuan is always surrounded by fresh and beautiful faces, which makes Li Li numb.Only Han Yichen, she admitted that she was convinced that she lost. The two said a few innocuous words, nothing more than "where do you work" and "how are you doing recently?" They were not close friends in the first place, not to mention there was a boy named Pei Shangxuan separated by the river of time. "I'm going to the bathroom." Li Li used this sentence as a preface to her farewell. She hesitated again and again, but she still didn't say that Pei Shangxuan had an appointment with her at night. It seemed that once he said it, Han Yichen would appear out of nowhere like in the past, snatching him away from him abruptly.Although they were sober in their hearts, Pei Shangxuan and Han Yichen responded to the idiom - the overwhelmed water cannot be recovered. Han Yichen nodded slightly with a smile, and the subtext that neither of them proposed to keep in touch with each other is easy to interpret: Encounter, don't have to treat it as a reunion. Before Li Li opened the door and walked into the bathroom, she suddenly asked: "Li Li, you like him, don't you?" She had asked her the same question in the twilight classroom many years ago. "Is it meaningful to know or not?" Li Li still didn't answer directly, but asked easily. She gave away the person she loved when she was young, and no matter who received it, she was no longer qualified to ask.Han Yichen smiled lightly and bid farewell to Li Li. Li Li sat on the white sanitary ware in the bathroom of the five-star hotel, covering her face with her hands.Pei Shangxuan's voice echoed in her mind: "I like her, I really liked her." She watched Han Yichen go away, she was very selfish. There are so many women around Pei Shangxuan, the only one he has ever liked is Han Yichen.Li Li kept looking at him, no matter how well he concealed it, he still had nothing to hide in front of her. Li Li came to Haru Bar on Hengshan Road with a sense of guilt. When the lights came on, the whole street was full of people, as if all the citizens of Shanghai had mobilized together.The bar is more crowded, there are no empty seats, and there are not a few people standing and drinking.Li Li huddled around in the crowd looking for Pei Shangxuan, the music was deafening, even if she called, he probably wouldn't be able to hear the ringtone. Li Li stretched her neck on her tiptoes, trying to look past the people in front to see if there was the man she was looking for in the corner.Her height stopped growing at the 1.56 meter mark, which became a great pity.Li Li is very embarrassed to buy clothes. She wears size S because of her height, but she doesn't have a slim figure that can fit into size S.The jacket is fine, but the trousers are very troublesome. Li Meiqing has to cut off a section of the trouser legs and re-snap the hems every time. Of course, every time she bothers Li Meiqing, the result is that she will inevitably be nagged, "If you get fatter, how can you get married?" ?” Fortunately, she has been busy with work recently, and her waistline has shrunk by two inches, so she can barely fit into size S pants. Someone patted her from behind, Li Li thought it was Pei Shangxuan who turned around happily, and behind him stood a man with a dimple on one cheek while smiling.She didn't recognize him, and planned to turn back and continue searching. He covered his ears and yelled loudly, "Are you Li Li?" "You are?" She didn't have him in her memory, and wondered if he called her name accurately. "I'm Pei Shangxuan's friend Pan Wenhui, he's over there." He turned sideways and pointed in the direction he came from. "He can't spare time playing cards, let me come and meet you." Li Li was not in a good mood, she thought that it was only Pei Shangxuan and her who welcomed the arrival of the new millennium, but he soon felt relieved.It wasn't the first day she knew Pei Shangxuan. This guy couldn't change his lively personality, and it was normal to call out friends. Pei Shangxuan and his friends were sitting against the wall, scoring eighty points.Seeing Li Li approaching, Pei Shangxuan hurriedly pushed away his girlfriend who was snuggling in his arms, and asked Li Li to sit beside him to help count the cards. "Boss, how can you play cards like this?" One of the opponents shouted dissatisfied. He raised his chin provocatively: "Tch, I am willing, can't you?" Li Li saw him holding a girl in his arms, and the guilt he felt when he saw Han Yichen earlier was replaced by some gloating emotion.She came back to her senses, and kicked him in the past: "A brand is like a character, you guys don't make trouble for no reason." Shrugging, looking at the three men and two women who had never met before the table, Li Li acted again like many times in the past Self-introduction: "My name is Li Li, and I am this kid's best friend since junior high school." "So you are Sister Li, I often hear the boss mentioning you." Pei Shangxuan's opponent laughed. The man who was robbed by Pei Shangxuan just now glanced at the arrogant man, "Sister Li, your character is much better than the boss at first glance." "Do you still play cards?" Pei Shangxuan shouted aggressively, but the smiling expression was obviously not really angry.He pouted at Pan Wenhui, "Ah Wen, greet Li Li for me. But don't get her drunk, this woman's wine quality is far worse than her character." "Got it." Pan Wenhui snapped his fingers and asked Li Li if he could have a beer.She gave Pei Shangxuan a reproachful look, waved her hands and told him that any kind of drink is fine. Pan Wenhui's figure was quickly lost in the crowd. Li Li found a chair and sat down, sighing secretly.Ever since he tricked her to People's Square in 1997, and she left in public, Pei Shangxuan had the idea that she was "out of line", and every time he dragged her to a party, he would try every means to get his friends' attention To Li Li.She said that he stopped doing such meaningless things several times, but he ignored them. It's fine if he just wants to expand her social circle, but sometimes his purpose is to introduce her boyfriend in disguise.Pei Shangxuan always made fun of her close to zero male and female experience, he must have a better eye for people than her, and his parents often talked about hoping that a good girl like Li Li would have a good home in the future, so he decided to find a boy for her. The matter of friends is taken to heart. Li Li knew that he had good intentions, but in her eyes, his so-called friends were no different from friendless friends.She was ashamed to object in person, and had to rack her brains every time to come up with an excuse to turn her down. She sat watching them play cards, and Pan Wenhui came back and handed her a bottle of beer.He dragged a stool and sat down beside her, chatting without saying a word.There was so much noise in the bar that they had to speak as loudly as possible. During the conversation, she learned that Pan Wenhui graduated from the Department of Architecture of Tongji University, and met Pei Shangxuan because of a computer.He likes to laugh, and when he smiles, a deep dimple will appear on the left side of his face, but the strange thing is that there is no one on the right side. "Isn't it special?" Seeing Li Li observing him, Pan Wenhui poked his face childishly.Li Li couldn't help laughing, and burst out laughing. She nodded solemnly and asked, "Where is the other one?" Pan Wenhui laughed, and replied with the same seriousness: "My mother said that I was born too cute, and I was kissed by my neighbors, but my kiss disappeared." Li Li was drinking beer, and was unprepared, the wine choked into the trachea.Hearing her cough, Pei Shangxuan leaned over and asked her what's wrong.She coughed and raised her hand to signal that she was fine. Pan Wenhui patted her on the back vigorously, and defended innocently: "Li Li, I'm not that funny, am I?" She took a few breaths, turned her head and looked at him with a smile that was not a smile and asked back: "What do you think?" It was his turn to raise his eyebrows, and then laughed loudly, saying again and again: "Interesting, it's rare to see someone who hasn't been knocked down by me." girl." Pei Shangxuan looked at the scene where they looked at each other and smiled, and suddenly felt a kind of loneliness of being isolated.He understood early in the morning that Li Li was a girl from a different world from his. She was smart and excellent, and she basically couldn't find any shortcomings except for her poor appearance.On the other hand, he has a low degree of education and has been in a few education institutions. Even though he has made money now, he still feels inferior, and feels that there are always people behind him pointing out that he has "been in prison".His inferiority complex is lingering, so he continues to use profligacy to satisfy his unbalanced psychology. After Li Li went to work in the Jinqiao Development Zone, they had very few opportunities to meet each other.Occasionally meeting, he was shocked to find that his best friend for many years was slowly changing: the messy hair before had been carefully organized into layers, not only did she learn how to make up, but her dressing taste also improved a lot.Pei Shangxuan was flustered, as if seeing a butterfly about to break out of its cocoon, and had a premonition that one day she would fly away. For example, at this moment, even though the fundamental purpose of letting Pan Wenhui greet Li Li alone was to bring them together, their tacit understanding still made him uncomfortable, as if these two came from the same world, scattered in the mundane world. The TV in the bar broadcast live the grand occasion of welcoming the millennium in various countries. It was ten seconds before zero, and everyone stood up and counted down. "Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one!" The cheers almost lifted the roof, and Pei Shangxuan hugged Li Li tightly. "Happy New Year." She was shrouded in Pei Shangxuan's aura, and her heart was surging.But the next second his arms were empty, he let her go and kissed his girlfriend sideways.Embarrassed, Li Li didn't turn her head, she was surprised to find that the couples in the bar were embracing and kissing each other, and laughed at herself.For lovers, it is true that only kissing is the most suitable occasion. Pan Wenhui put down his clasped hands and patted Li Li's shoulder lightly.She turned her head and saw his deep dimples. "Li Li, Happy New Year!" As he said, he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. This is the second man who kissed her, her first kiss was taken away by Liu Qianren. None of them are Pei Shangxuan. After the carnival party celebrating the millennium ended, Li Li opened her purse in the back seat of the taxi, took out a small diary, and wrote "I don't like Pei Shangxuan any more this year" on the page of January 1st. She looked at the locked diary, rolled down the car window and threw the keys into the rapidly retreating street. Li Li and Pan Wenhui exchanged phone numbers when they broke up. She did it out of politeness and never thought that he would really call her.Her memory of Pan Wenhui was limited to half of the dimple and that indescribable kiss, and she couldn't remember what else was said that night. He asked her to eat hot pot, Li Li was still thinking of an excuse to refuse, he reacted very quickly and said: "Unless it is a woman's physical pain, I will not accept other excuses." What can this man say!She was angry and funny, and joked, "What about working overtime?" He smiled through the phone, and she seemed to be able to see the charming dimples on his face. "How much? I pay your boss." She couldn't help but smile, she couldn't resist this man's overbearing. Li Li wondered if it was because her unremitting wish year after year had finally been conveyed to God, so she specially sent someone into her life so that she could truly let go of Pei Shangxuan? She agrees to a date with him, and even wears the perfume Alice gave her before leaving get off work.She has always felt that the smell of Channel is too strong for her, but it is said that this is a very sexy fragrance. When Li Li arrived at the date, Pan Wenhui was already waiting for her.He took off her coat graciously, and suddenly a red rose appeared from beside her scarf, pretending to be surprised: "Which man is the one who beat me?" She opened her eyes wide, forced herself to take the red rose calmly, and smiled sweetly: "Thank you. I guess the sender made a mistake." Compared with the shock index is relatively high. Pan Wenhui couldn't help laughing, dimples were looming, as if they were filled with intoxicating fine wine.Li Li lowered her head, put the flower close to her nose and pretended to sniff to divert her attention.She despises her own uselessness, it's rare for a man to show his affections to her, yet she thinks of Pei Shangxuan again. It really answered her miss, the phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID - the three words Pei Shangxuan jumped happily with the ringing tone.Li Li cursed secretly, and asked him what's the matter angrily. "I invite you to dinner." He called her home first, and Li Li's stepfather revealed that she would not be home for dinner tonight.Pei Shangxuan thought for a while, and finally found a reason to call her cell phone. In fact, he wanted to ask who she was with.He saw the scene of Pan Wenhui kissing Li Li on New Year's Day, and he didn't think about doing business for a few days. He can't tell what's wrong with him, he should be happy if someone likes his best friend.Especially the man who pursues her is the elite that he thinks is enough to match Li Li. Li Li replied in a low voice: "I'm not free." She thought for a while, and simply lied to block his next question, "Work overtime." Pan Wenhui raised his eyebrows, and put the mutton into the hot pot calmly. She didn't know if Pei Shangxuan heard the commotion in the store, and she couldn't wait to hang up the phone to avoid his suspicion.Just when she was about to say "goodbye", Pei Shangxuan's voice reached her ears again. "Li Li, does what you said before still count?" She was stunned. She had said so many things in the past, who knew which sentence he was asking?She was sure that he heard the "Welcome" loudly yelled by the waiters in the store, each of whom was as full of air as three tenors.Li Li was ashamed, what could be more embarrassing than a lie being exposed on the spot? "I'm sorry." She apologized in a low voice, and Pan Wenhui, who was opposite, put the cooked mutton slices into her seasoning bowl.Li Li looked at him, but didn't see any displeasure in him. "Are you dating Pan Wenhui?" the man on the other end of the phone asked aggressively.She was bewildered and then became angry. I never asked you how many girlfriends Pei Shangxuan has changed. Why do you meddle in my affairs?Li Li hung up the phone without saying a word. She put the phone into her purse and smiled apologetically at the dimpled charming man. "Sorry, this call was too long." He smiled and shook his head, his deep eyes were more attractive than dimples.He stared at Li Li and said bluntly: "This call is actually not long. If you don't believe me, you can check the call records. It will never exceed two minutes." After a pause, Pan Wenhui continued with a smile, "Li Li, when you lie, every time It's hard for a second." Hit the nail on the head!She moved her lips, giving up her defense. Pan Wenhui squinted at the silent Li Li, and his childish smile suddenly showed a bit of treachery. A white mist rose from the surface of the boiled soup, curling up and dissipating. A thin layer of sweat broke out from the tip of her nose, and Li Li shivered suddenly despite the steaming heat.She had a strange intuition that this man was like the bottom of a hot pot boiling in front of her, she couldn't see how much was hidden underneath. "Can I understand that this is your experience?" She replied unwillingly. Pan Wenhui shrugged and picked up the red rose she put on the table. "Li Li, love is like a rose, beautiful but with thorns. Life is almost the same." He smiled meaningfully, threw the flower into the stainless steel pot under her stunned gaze, and clapped his hands smartly. Li Li's heart trembled, and a bad premonition flashed past.It was too fast for her to catch. Interrupted by Pei Shangxuan's phone call, Li Li and Pan Wenhui's date broke up.He politely asked if he would be honored to send her home, his mouth was polite, but his expression was a little less familiar than before. The man who conjured red roses from her scarf seemed to be someone else.Li Li shook her head slightly and smiled lightly.