Chapter 2

  Los Angeles, a city of 4 million people, is only one-fifth the size of Beijing, and Si Luo Chen didn't believe she couldn't find Qian Tong.

  Carrying a bag and wearing oversized sunglasses, I walked out of the airport and gazed at this "City of Angels" and holy land of Hollywood. Can't help but admit, it's really beautiful here.

  The taxi took Si Luo Chen to the hotel in Wales Square, where he checked in and didn't want to stay for a moment. He changed into casual clothes with the address given by Wang Shao Ke and arrived at the location where the photos were taken.

  In this place, with hundreds of people passing by in the blink of an eye during the day, it's impossible to make out anyone's face. Even if Qian Tong were to reappear, would I really be able to see her?

  The subway station next door will periodically surge with crowds, making the already complex road even more congested.

  Cai Luo Chen stood still on the spot, holding the photo and comparing it with reality. Same angle, same position, but couldn't see the figure in the photo.

  I don't know how long I've been standing here, nor do I know how many people have passed by. All Si Luo Chen wants to do is linger a little longer in the places she darts through, gaze a little harder, as if he can capture her silhouette.

  If one didn't insist on being so stubborn, perhaps they would be happier.

  There are better ways, no one is willing to stand still and wait for miracles to happen. If miracles can occur so easily, then winning the lottery would be a common occurrence, and why would there be so many people who persist?

  Perhaps for a lifetime, one has to be foolish once in order to live a life that is not in vain.

  The sky gradually darkened, and Si Lu Chen pulled back his thoughts. He only felt that his legs were a bit sore, and he had been standing for too long. He gently patted the spot where they had stood together, reluctant to turn around, wanting to take another look.

  Come back tomorrow, I told myself in my heart.

  After walking a few steps, I saw a coffee shop. The door was very simple, but there were many people coming and going. Dragging my tired body to push open the door, a strong aroma of coffee hit me in the face.

  After finishing dinner and walking into the bathroom, after a long flight and being both thirsty and hungry, seeing his reflection in the mirror, Si Lu Chen almost didn't recognize himself.

  I don't know who this pitiful appearance is for, a cold laugh.

  Sitting by the window, the boss brought over coffee and sandwiches. It turned out that sitting here could see where that figure had appeared before, and this sit was for a long time.

  As the evening falls, the crowd starts to grow, and it's only when I hear someone buying coffee that I find out there's a heavyweight match at the Staples Center next door. This city is filled with a different kind of heat, burning everyone who lives here.

  Si Luchen sat in that position until the end of the game, then dragged her tired body back to the hotel. Today, she didn't look at the time all day, just made casual decisions with the sunrise and sunset. This place is 12 hours slower than China, Si Luchen feels that no matter what, wasting time is a gain.

  Want to take a comfortable bath and sleep well, make up for the lost complexion. After all, women do not love beauty, but lying in bed can't fall asleep.

  Is it too tired or is the adrenal gland a bit high?

  It's because this place is too unfamiliar.

  In the pitch-black night, I can vaguely see the outline of the room. I really didn't expect that with just a blurry photo, I would find myself in America, a country I've never been to before.

  Very good, Si Luo Chen, you're really great.

  It is said that humans are contradictory, especially women. What was decided a moment ago may be regretted the next. Fortunately, there is no "regret" in her character, even if she realizes the problem, she does not want to easily change her original decision, this is her advantage, and also her disadvantage.

  The next day, after lunch, Si Luo Chen still came to that coffee shop. Sitting in the same old spot as yesterday, propping up his chin and staring straight at it, ignoring the many people passing by, regardless of where time was lost.

  Cai Luo Chen knew this wasn't a good solution, but in the absence of a better one, she had no choice but to do so.

  Always believe that if two people are destined to be together, no matter how far apart they are, they will meet at a corner and know and love each other. Those who are not destined to be together may pass by each other but it is just a near miss.

  Maintaining this mindset, he sat there for several days in a row, every day with just one cup of coffee and one sandwich, propping up his chin to stare at that spot.

  A glass of juice was placed on the table, accompanied by a puzzled gaze from Si Lu Chen. Sitting across from him was the owner of this shop, a chubby middle-aged man with a friendly smile: "Drinking coffee all the time isn't good for you, freshly squeezed juice, please have some."

  She took over the cup and sniffed it. It was a guava juice with a slice of lemon on top. She said softly, "Thank you."

  "Waiting for someone? I've seen you sitting in this spot every day for a while now." Following Si Lu Chen's gaze, he looked at the subway entrance and asked curiously.

  Si Luo Chen's eyebrows were furrowed, his hand grasped the cup, and his fingers naturally drew circles on the body of the cup. He nodded slightly.

  The boss knew that Si Luochen was unwilling to talk much and didn't want to disturb him, but just as he was about to get up, he heard Si Luochen's voice.

  "Excuse me, which mountain top can see the whole view of Los Angeles?"

  The boss thought for a moment, then pulled out an order form with the name of the coffee shop from his body, wrote an address on it with a pen, and drew a simple map, saying: "I only know that you can see the most beautiful Los Angeles scenery here."

  Unexpectedly, the boss was so confident. Si Luo Chen responded with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth: "Thank you, I didn't expect it to be so busy here, and still have time to climb mountains."

  Seeing the person in front of him smile, the boss shook his head and responded: "I also heard from customers introducing it, I took my wife there once, it's really good."

  For this purpose, his wife was specially called to confirm. The boss's wife, like the boss, is a middle-aged American, in the prime of life, very robust and enthusiastic.

  Softly thanked, Si Lu Chen finished drinking the juice and got up to leave. After waiting for a long time outside, he finally hailed a car and wanted to go see the place recommended by his boss, wondering how beautiful this city was.

  What's so attractive about it?

  The coffee shop was getting less crowded as the evening wore on, and the boss and his wife were cleaning up the cups as usual. However, the door was pushed open and a woman walked in.

  "Hey, Sam and Julie, long time no see." The woman was tall and slender, with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that narrowed slightly as she looked at the two. She wore a casual outfit consisting of a T-shirt and jeans, her long black hair tied back in a smooth ponytail, without any stray hairs on her forehead, neither dyed nor permed. This oriental beauty was quite stunning even in Los Angeles.

  Seeing the woman in front of her eyes, the two people warmly returned a smile.

  "Qian Tong, long time no see, been busy lately?" Sam asked.

  "These days there are some things to deal with, why not come back and find you guys? " While saying that, he stretched out his hand to Sam and made a gesture, his eyes slightly closed: "Want to have a couple of drinks?"

  Sam had already taken out a bottle of foreign wine and placed it on the bar before she said that, Julie smiled and turned around to enter the back room to take out some snacks, quietly reminding her husband to drink less before entering the office to settle today's income.

  Inside and outside the counter, old and young people are chatting with laughter, seemingly getting along well.

  "Huh? There's such a weird person?" He said with a sip of wine to Qian Tong.

  "You two are back to back, she wants to take a look at the night view of Los Angeles, I gave you the address." He said, pointing to that table and continued: "She has been sitting there every day for the past few days, sitting for an entire afternoon, as if waiting for someone."

  "What? You've got a crush on her?" Looking in the direction Sam pointed, he teased.

  Sam didn't mind and poured another glass of wine, changing the subject by asking: "What have you been busy with lately?"

  As soon as he mentioned this topic, he waved his hand to Qian Tong and smiled: "I just changed jobs. I may have to live in New York for a while next week, so I came to see you today, and also to say goodbye."

  "This time you're planning to leave thoroughly?"

  "I've been here for too long, I want to change my environment, maybe it's more suitable for me there," said Qian Tong.

  "A woman doesn't have much time to waste, Qian Tong, you should find a boyfriend," Sam said with an air of experience.

  I'm only 27 years old.

  Sam said: "How many 27-year-old women are there?"

  "There's only one at any age." She replied to Qian Tong, but felt a little desolate. She didn't want to waste her youth either, it's just that she hadn't found a reason to stop and settle down, so why force herself?

  "When I was with Julie, I also thought that maybe we were too young. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed. If I weren't with her, I might have nothing now."

  It's probably because people who drink wine are always prone to sentimentality.

  "You're happy now, that's enough." He said, raising his glass and continued: "Cheers, for our happy future."

  Sam said nothing more, clinked cups and downed it in one gulp.