Which way to go is the road?

After listening to Qian Luomei's mother's comments, Xiang Fei nodded in agreement: "Auntie, you're absolutely right. It's no exaggeration to say that your words have enlightened me! I've learned so much today. You and Sister Luomei are both my mentors! Come, let me toast you separately!"

"Keep it up, young man! Although literature has declined, the spirit of writers never dies. Once everyone's restless hearts calm down, it will surely flourish again one day!"

"Thank you for your encouragement, Auntie. I won't give up my literary dream. It's just that this dream can't put food on the table, so I can only write in my spare time. When I have enough to eat and drink and a comfortable life, I will take another step forward in my literary dream!"

"I hope you still have that dream back then. These days, too many people save money, but few save their dreams, or rather, their dreams change over time!"

Qian Luomei's mother's remarks made everyone present, whether college students or those already working, sigh and lament. They imagined what their own future would be like, wondering how we would influence the world decades from now, and how the world would smooth out our rough edges.

They chatted for a while, about all sorts of random things, starting with the older folks, and then gradually dispersed. Since Zhang Chu had returned, Dong Lu no longer stayed in the attic and went back to her school dormitory; Bai Xue wanted to go with everyone, but her uncle wouldn't agree, so she had to take his car back to school, quietly saying goodbye to Xiang Fei before leaving.

Xiang Fei, Lao You, Tian Hai, and Du Xinpeng followed along, with Dong Lu and Zhang Fang following behind.

"Old You, how did you spend the New Year? Did you not eat every day? How come you've lost so much weight?" Du Xinpeng asked, puzzled.

"The key to weight loss isn't what you eat, how much you eat, or how much you exercise every day! These are all secondary!"

"Then what is the main thing?" Tian Hai was curious about this new statement.

"The key is to find the motivation and goal for weight loss. Everything else is just specific measures to move towards that goal with continuous motivation. The measures are easy to decide, the key is to stick to them, so motivation and goals are the most important!"

"Does that mean you'll stop dieting once you reach your goal or your motivation suddenly disappears? For example, if Zhang Chu agrees to be your girlfriend, or if Zhang Chu rejects you and finds someone else!" Du Xinpeng made up some wild assumptions.

"Pah, pah, pah! Couldn't you come up with a better assumption, or at least consider someone else? Of these two assumptions, I can only answer the first one: even if Zhang Chu agrees to be my girlfriend, I will continue to maintain my weight loss efforts and have a completely new look. She will be the goddess who changes my life!"

"What if Zhang Chu rejects you? He might find someone else. That's a possibility, after all, there are plenty of good men in the world. Hey! Lao You, don't hit me with a brick! I was wrong, okay? No more hypotheticals, really, no more hypotheticals…!"

Watching Lao You chase after Du Xinpeng carrying half a brick, Xiang Fei smiled and cheered him on. Tian Hai, standing nearby, worried for Du Xinpeng: "Lao You, be careful not to drop that brick! Getting a bloody head during the New Year is bad luck! Fourth Brother, run faster! Lao You's too fat to catch you!"

The two chuckled, exchanged a glance, and Xiang Fei started the conversation: "Hey! Tian Hai, have you found a goal to lose weight for yet? You should, or you'll be graduating from university soon!"

"I've got my eye on a girl from the foreign language department, but I haven't made any moves yet! I was rejected last time, and I still feel a bit traumatized!" Tian Hai casually mentioned his previous attempt to woo Bai Xue, then realized it was inappropriate: "Xiang Fei, don't misunderstand, I have absolutely no feelings for Bai Xue anymore, I'm just afraid of getting hurt again!"

Xiang Fei patted Tian Hai on the shoulder: "I didn't say anything, so don't be so sensitive! When it comes to feelings, it's not about who's a perfect match. You have to like her, and she has to like you too—that's what fate is! How can you know if she likes you? It just comes down to chance, right? Ultimately, it's a matter of probability. Some people succeed on their first try, while others need to accumulate experience through dozens of failures before they finally find their match. Experience plays a part, but luck is the biggest factor!"

"Xiang Fei, you talk like a philosophy teacher. You can analyze everything so logically and clearly, and it makes a lot of sense. Thank you for your encouragement, Xiang Fei!"

"You're too kind. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need any help!"

Tian Hai quickly waved his hand: "Don't worry, even if I were to woo you again, I wouldn't allow you to use poetry!"

They glanced at each other, then burst into hearty laughter, cheerful and carefree.

At the same intersection, Xiang Fei parted ways with the college students and walked alone towards the basement. Hands in his pockets, he pulled his down jacket tighter around himself and walked in a straight line along a paved sidewalk. He felt a little drunk, but it didn't matter; after all, he wasn't veering off course. He looked up at the glaring streetlights, closed his eyes, and felt the chill of the night. Several cars roared past, carrying the tranquility of the night into the distance!

He felt somewhat detached from his own existence, as if he had merged into the bleak and desolate environment. Remembering Wang Zhiqiang's words, he shouted loudly. When the sound reached his ears through the air, he laughed—"I don't know which philosopher said, 'I think, therefore I am.' But for me? It's 'I shout, therefore I am, I call, therefore I am!'"

He chuckled twice and continued walking forward. Suddenly, Xiang Fei felt a little drunk. He saw Bai Xue's shadow in front of him. He clearly remembered that his uncle had already taken her back to school. He shook his head, and the figure became clearer. He ran a few steps and hugged her when he realized it wasn't a hallucination.

Before the two entered the hotel, Xiang Fei glanced at the word "hotel" and said, "When will I have my own home?"

Bai Xue remained noncommittal, helping him to the front desk to register for a room. It seemed the hotel was quite busy since it was the start of the semester, and they couldn't get the room they had before. But it didn't really matter; it was just a temporary stay, and it didn't feel like home anyway.

The moment the door opened, Xiang Fei kissed her passionately.

……

After the passion subsided, Xiang Fei sobered up considerably, and the two of them slumped into each other's arms, their exhaustion slowly melting away in each other's warmth.

"Didn't you go back to school with your uncle?"

"If you go back, you can't come back?"

"Do you miss me? It's been almost a month since we last saw each other!"

"I've thought about it, but I'm not sure where the thought is coming from. I don't know if it's in my mind, my body, or both!"

"It feels like something a man should say, it's a little awkward coming from a girl!"

"Male chauvinism!"

What do you think is the difference between lust and love?

"Lust is the end point or the goal of love. This is true for all animals. The attraction that begins between them is for the continuation of the species; this is the driving force of life!"

"But we're human! There have to be some differences, right?"

"Humans are just another type of animal, so there shouldn't be any difference!"

"I don't think so. Humans, as wondrous beings, are different from other animals. I don't deny that lust is the end point of love, but it's not the goal. Love is a noble emotion unique to humankind, and its goal should be mutual affection, lifelong companionship, and growing old together! It's not about the intensity of lust, but about being content with the ordinariness of life!"

Looking at Bai Xue again, she had already fallen into a deep sleep. I held her tighter, but I couldn't help but continue thinking until I had nothing left to think about and nothing left to ponder. Then I fell into a deep sleep in the midst of the boredom!