Chapter 21

After thirty flower baskets, twenty wreaths, and ten crowns were brought to the stage by the bar waiter, the noisy bar instantly fell silent, leaving only the girl's light and ethereal voice floating in the air.

A flower basket for a hundred, a wreath for five hundred, a crown for a thousand... What a rich guy!

In the history of the Forgotten Bar, no resident singer had ever received such generous tips at once. Among all the resident singers in the bars of Houhai, few had ever encountered such a generous patron.

The small stage was piled high with flowers, turning into a sea of blooms. The girl, wearing a crown and a wreath around her neck, looked like a fairy wandering through the flower sea.

The audience turned their heads in silence, looking at the side booth where Xiaoyu Mai was sitting.

The girl's voice broke, her eyes filled with excitement as she looked towards the side booth, hoping to see the guest who was supporting her.

Xiaoyu Mai, afraid that the girl would recognize him, did not show his face and continued to drink in the side booth.

"It seems Lai Ba didn't lie to me, you really came back," said Wuguo Dong, a man in his thirties wearing a Tang suit, as he walked into the side booth with a blank expression. "Since you're spending so much money on her, why are you hiding and not letting her see you?"

"I like it this way," Xiaoyu Mai said without lifting his head.

"I don't like it! I finally came up with a way to discourage her from being a resident singer, and you ruined it all!"

"Why do you want to discourage her? Is her singing that bad?"

"But she's only fourteen, she shouldn't be in a place like this!"

"It's no use. They are as stubborn as each other, and once they set their minds on something, it's hard to change."

"But they listen to you, and I plan to sell the bar."

"You're selling the bar?" Xiaoyu Mai stood up, looking at Wuguo Dong in surprise. "Is Mama Song's illness very serious?"

...

The girl continued to sing on stage with all her heart, and no one booed or heckled. This was the first time in a month since she started singing at the Forgotten Bar. Her voice continued, but her gaze remained fixed on the side booth, trying to guess the identity of the only guest supporting her.

For some reason, the familiar figure kept appearing in her mind, her heart beating faster, and her excitement growing.

After finishing her song, she hurriedly bowed and tried to leave the stage to investigate the side booth, but was stopped by the waiter.

"Changchang, Mr. Wu said you sang especially well today and asked you to sing another song."

Ah?

The girl hesitated for a moment, then returned to the stage and sang another cheerful and bright song.

The wreaths and flower baskets on the stage had just been removed, and another thirty flower baskets, twenty wreaths, and ten crowns were brought up, still from the side booth where Xiaoyu Mai was sitting. Applause and cheers echoed from the audience below.

"She sings very well. Let her sing if she wants to. Even if you sell the bar, she will go to another bar to sing. She wants to earn money to treat Mama Song...," Xiaoyu Mai said softly in the side booth, remembering the little girl with a ponytail who used to follow him around, calling him "Brother Mai" all the time.

"She's coming. Old Wu, I'll leave first. Don't tell her I was here. I'll take care of the money, and you take care of her. Also, don't let anyone bully her."

"Brother Mai, Lili is now called Changchang, which means 'comfortable and happy.' She changed her name herself. Do you understand? She has let go, but you still can't let go after three years..."

By the time Changchang quickly arrived at the side booth, Xiaoyu Mai had already left. She only caught a glimpse of a blurry figure.

She stared at the direction where the figure disappeared for a long time. The blurry figure seemed familiar, resembling the figure deeply etched in her mind.

Is it him?

"Changchang," Wuguo Dong interrupted her thoughts.

Changchang收回目光，坐在Wuguo Dong身边：“伍叔，那人是谁？”

“哪个人？”

“就是跟你聊天的。”

“一个酒鬼，特么的点了一堆酒，又送了一堆花，还没付钱呢！”

“花钱我不要，伍叔你告诉我，麦子哥是不是回来了？刚才那个人是不是他？”

Wuguo Dong差点被Changchang的第六感吓到，连忙否认：“你想多了，怎么会是他？他一走三年半点消息都没有，怎么可能是他？”

“真的？”

“当然是真的！”

Changchang皱眉，看着桌上的酒瓶想了想，拿起半瓶酒：“他的？”

Wuguo Dong不明所以，点头。

Changchang对瓶喝了一口，片刻后激动道：“是他，就是他，这上面有他的味道！”

这回Wuguo Dong真被吓到了，愕然片刻才驳斥道：“谁让你喝酒的，快放下！”

“我知道是他，麦子哥回来了，他的味道我永远都不会忘。他为什么不见我？伍叔你为什么要骗我！”说着说着，Changchang已是泪流满面，抱着麦小余没喝完的半瓶酒，感受麦小余留下的气息。

“我说过不是他，畅畅你太想他才会胡思乱想。你想想，他以前多疼你啊，如果回来肯定第一时间来看你，怎么会躲着你呢？”

“我才没想他，也不想见他……”

Changchang说不下去了，颤抖着，抽泣着，泪水如断线珍珠滑落，很快连成一条线。单薄的身躯如同暴雨中的小船，蜷缩在沙发上，不停轻颤。

Wuguo Dong张张嘴，想说些什么，可是话到嘴边终是化作一声长叹，默默守在Changchang身边。

十几分钟后，Changchang哭累了，用手背擦着泪水，努力露出笑容：“对不起伍叔，我说过以后都不哭的。我现在叫舒畅，心情舒畅的舒畅，以后每一天都要开开心心的，妈妈也不希望看到我伤心，不哭，我不哭……”

Wuguo Dong让人送来干净毛巾，趁着Changchang擦脸的时候，试探的问道：“如果，我是说如果啊，有一天你见到麦子，怎么办？”

“打死他！”

...

夜深了，麦小余躺在床上，翻来覆去睡不着，满脑子都是三年前那件事。

那件事改变了许多人的命运。

宋妈病倒身患绝症，被送到美国治疗；自己开始骗子生涯，替宋妈筹集医药费；董丽丽留在燕京，由她舅舅舅妈照顾，寒暑假飞往美国陪伴母亲。

“丽丽现在叫舒畅，心情舒畅的舒畅，自己改的名字……”

舒畅？

好熟悉的名字。

在哪儿听过呢？

那个梦……

难道我梦到的是长大后的丽丽？

好像……长得是挺像。

叮咚！

门铃声响起。

是浏涛。

“这么晚，有事儿？”麦小余问道。

“抱歉麦总，打扰你休息了。我睡不着，你能陪我聊聊天吗？”

睡不着？

聊天？

麦小余脑海中，莫名浮现出现实和梦中都很经典的那句台词——长夜漫漫无心睡眠，我以为只有我睡不着，原来晶晶姑娘你也睡不着。

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翻页上AD结束

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Changchang收回目光，坐在Wuguo Dong身边：“伍叔，那人是谁？”

“哪个人？”

“就是跟你聊天的。”

“一个酒鬼，特么的点了一堆酒，又送了一堆花，还没付钱呢！”

“花钱我不要，伍叔你告诉我，麦子哥是不是回来了？刚才那个人是不是他？”

Wuguo Dong was almost frightened by Changchang's sixth sense and quickly denied it: "You're overthinking it, it can't be him. He hasn't been in touch for three and a half years, how could it be him?"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

Changchang frowned, looked at the bottles on the table, and picked up a half bottle of wine: "His?"

Wuguo Dong, not understanding, nodded.

Changchang took a sip from the bottle and, after a moment, said excitedly: "It's him, it's him, I can smell his scent on this bottle!"

This time, Wuguo Dong was truly shocked. After a moment of astonishment, he rebuked: "Who told you to drink? Put it down!"

"I know it's him. Brother Mai is back, and I will never forget his scent. Why won't he see me? Why are you lying to me, Uncle Wu?" As she spoke, Changchang was already in tears, hugging the half bottle of wine that Xiaoyu Mai hadn't finished, feeling his lingering presence.

"I told you it's not him. Changchang, you're just overthinking it. Think about it, he used to care for you so much. If he came back, he would have come to see you first. Why would he hide from you?"

"I'm not thinking about him, and I don't want to see him..."

Changchang couldn't continue, trembling and sobbing, her tears falling like broken pearls, quickly forming a line. Her frail body, like a small boat in a storm, curled up on the sofa, trembling uncontrollably.

Wuguo Dong opened his mouth to say something but, in the end, let out a long sigh and silently stayed by Changchang's side.

After ten minutes, Changchang, exhausted from crying, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and forced a smile: "I'm sorry, Uncle Wu. I said I wouldn't cry anymore. I'm now called Changchang, which means 'comfortable and happy.' I will be happy every day, and my mother wouldn't want to see me sad. I won't cry, I won't cry..."

Wuguo Dong had someone bring a clean towel and, while Changchang was wiping her face, asked tentatively: "If, just if, you saw Mai one day, what would you do?"

"Beat him up!"

...

It was late at night, and Xiaoyu Mai was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind full of thoughts about the event three years ago.

That event changed many people's lives.

Mama Song fell ill with a terminal disease and was sent to the United States for treatment; he started his life as a con artist to raise money for her medical expenses; Dong Lili stayed in Yanjing, taken care of by her aunt and uncle, and flew to the United States during winter and summer breaks to be with her mother.

"Lili is now called Changchang, which means 'comfortable and happy,' a name she chose herself..."

Changchang?

Such a familiar name.

Where have I heard it before?

That dream...

Could I have dreamed of Lili grown up?

It seems... she does look a lot like her.

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang.

It was Liutao.

"So late, is there something?" Xiaoyu Mai asked.

"Sorry, Mr. Mai, I disturbed your rest. I can't sleep, can you chat with me?"

Can't sleep?

Chat?

A classic line from reality and dreams popped into Xiaoyu Mai's mind: "The long night is sleepless, I thought only I couldn't sleep, but it turns out you, Jingjing, can't sleep either."

---

Changchang收回目光，坐在Wuguo Dong身边：“伍叔，那人是谁？”

“哪个人？”

“就是跟你聊天的。”

“一个酒鬼，特么的点了一堆酒，又送了一堆花，还没付钱呢！”

“花钱我不要，伍叔你告诉我，麦子哥是不是回来了？刚才那个人是不是他？”

Wuguo Dong was almost frightened by Changchang's sixth sense and quickly denied it: "You're overthinking it, it can't be him. He hasn't been in touch for three and a half years, how could it be him?"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

Changchang frowned, looked at the bottles on the table, and picked up a half bottle of wine: "His?"

Wuguo Dong, not understanding, nodded.

Changchang took a sip from the bottle and, after a moment, said excitedly: "It's him, it's him, I can smell his scent on this bottle!"

This time, Wuguo Dong was truly shocked. After a moment of astonishment, he rebuked: "Who told you to drink? Put it down!"

"I know it's him. Brother Mai is back, and I will never forget his scent. Why won't he see me? Why are you lying to me, Uncle Wu?" As she spoke, Changchang was already in tears, hugging the half bottle of wine that Xiaoyu Mai hadn't finished, feeling his lingering presence.

"I told you it's not him. Changchang, you're just overthinking it. Think about it, he used to care for you so much. If he came back, he would have come to see you first. Why would he hide from you?"

"I'm not thinking about him, and I don't want to see him..."

Changchang couldn't continue, trembling and sobbing, her tears falling like broken pearls, quickly forming a line. Her frail body, like a small boat in a storm, curled up on the sofa, trembling uncontrollably.

Wuguo Dong opened his mouth to say something but, in the end, let out a long sigh and silently stayed by Changchang's side.

After ten minutes, Changchang, exhausted from crying, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and forced a smile: "I'm sorry, Uncle Wu. I said I wouldn't cry anymore. I'm now called Changchang, which means 'comfortable and happy.' I will be happy every day, and my mother wouldn't want to see me sad. I won't cry, I won't cry..."

Wuguo Dong had someone bring a clean towel and, while Changchang was wiping her face, asked tentatively: "If, just if, you saw Mai one day, what would you do?"

"Beat him up!"

...

It was late at night, and Xiaoyu Mai was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind full of thoughts about the event three years ago.

That event changed many people's lives.

Mama Song fell ill with a terminal disease and was sent to the United States for treatment; he started his life as a con artist to raise money for her medical expenses; Dong Lili stayed in Yanjing, taken care of by her aunt and uncle, and flew to the United States during winter and summer breaks to be with her mother.

"Lili is now called Changchang, which means 'comfortable and happy,' a name she chose herself..."