When the bakery closed, the other chefs, having just received their pay for the day, made plans to go out for a drink. Sidney was the only woman in the kitchen and had been there for quite some time. The chefs politely asked if she was joining, but Sidney declined, saying she had things to do at home. Frank also quickly said he had things to take care of at the shop and wouldn't be going. The others exchanged knowing glances, as if they suddenly understood something, and left tactfully.
After Sidney finished tidying up the kitchen and the shop, turned off the lights, and grabbed her bag to lock the door, Frank came out from behind the counter. He grabbed an umbrella for both of them and opened it for her. Sidney locked the door, smiled at him, and said thank you, expecting to take her umbrella back, but Frank didn't give it back. He insisted on holding it for her. Sidney didn't say anything further, thinking they would part ways soon.
But Frank said, "It's pretty chilly tonight. How about we grab some hot wings?"
Sidney looked up at him and shook her head. "I have things to do at home."
"But you're the only one at home, right? What could you possibly need to do?"
"I'm cleaning the house today. I rarely get off early, so I thought I'd wash the bedsheets and do some other things."
"Tomorrow works too, right? No rush. Come over to my place, I'll make you some hot wings."
Sidney hesitated, glancing at him. She worried that being alone together might lead to more misunderstandings.
"My sister just came back from the U.S., and she brought back a lot of fun baking supplies. How about we all eat together?"
When Sidney heard he had a sister joining them and the mention of baking supplies, she suddenly found it hard to refuse.
In the end, after some coaxing, the two of them changed course and went to Frank's house.
A black Porsche was parked by the roadside behind them. The person inside rolled down the window and watched the two of them walk away, then slowly drove in their direction. The car finally stopped by a house. The man leaned out and looked up. The second floor had its lights on, indicating that there were other people in the house besides them. It seemed she was doing quite well socially in C City.
Jayson suddenly didn't know whether he should feel happy or sad, or perhaps a mixture of both.
The happy part was that Sidney had achieved the freedom she had longed for. The sad part was that, without him, she was doing just fine, and there seemed to be someone pursuing her.
Jayson sat there for a long time, unsure whether to wait for her to come out for one last glance. He thought about it, then bitterly asked himself, what would it do to see her again? Her heart no longer belonged to him.
Just as he was about to leave, he hesitated and turned on the radio, listening as he waited.
Several hours passed. The door of the house opened, and Jayson, who had been in a daze, suddenly snapped out of it. He opened his eyes and saw the woman walking out. She shook hands with another woman, smiling brightly. Another man held an umbrella for her as he escorted her.
They seemed very close, talking and laughing. Jayson really wanted to get closer and hear what they were talking about to be so happy, but unfortunately, the car's soundproofing was too good, and he couldn't hear anything.
Sidney walked leisurely, with her hands in the pockets of her coat. She was wearing cheap, mass-produced brand clothes and plastic short boots, but she looked genuinely relaxed.
Jayson didn't turn the car around. Instead, he drove in the opposite direction.
He didn't know what possessed him today to come looking for her. He had just happened to be in C City on business, someone happened to tell him that his wife had opened an account there once, and Mr. Smith had inexplicably told him that Sidney worked near a subsidiary office.
These coincidences came together, and he found himself waiting from afternoon until night, until the store closed, just to see her. Only then did he realize that without him, she had become happier.
It was at this moment that he realized women didn't always want money and material enjoyment. They might also seek safety, belonging, and pure love?
He suddenly longed to fall in love with Sidney again, that kind of pure love, unrelated to profit or family background, a world where only the two of them existed.
If he were just a baker or an ordinary office worker, could they have lasted forever?
