Chapter 22 Bach wants to see you play for me alone.

It felt like a feather had lightly brushed against my heart.

Liang Yizhi didn't dare look into his eyes, but lowered her head, trying to cover her slightly flushed cheeks with the hair falling on both sides.

The phone screen displays a message indicating that the QR code scan was successful and a user named Hook has been successfully added.

He Xintu added a note to the person's contact, put his phone away, and said:

"By the way, the 'Burning Hoshino' you just ordered has a strong aftereffect; it's probably not suitable for the two of you girls."

He took an empty glass and patiently wiped it with a soft cloth: "If you're willing to trust my suggestion, how about I make you two special limited editions today? Consider it my treat."

"Are there any special limited editions?"

“Of course.” He softened his tone. “Things that aren’t on the wine list, new ones that we’re making.”

No one can resist words like "limited edition" and "new product." Liang Yizhi instantly became interested, her eyes sparkling.

"I can't accept that..." she said politely. "In that case, I'll treat you to dinner another day, as a way to make up for the regret last time and to thank you for your help."

"Sure," He Xintu replied with a smile. "Just the two of us?"

“Yes.” Liang Yizhi realized she had answered too quickly, and added, “We can also invite them…”

"no problem."

He Xintu suddenly interrupted her and readily agreed. Liang Yizhi was somewhat dazed, but in the end she just smiled.

After chatting for a few moments, Liang Yizhi returned to the terrace booth. He Man asked in confusion, "What happened? Why did you take so long?"

Liang Yizhi said, "Do you remember the guy who helped us stop Zhang Qi at the hot pot restaurant last time? I just ran into him."

She pointed towards the bar: "His name is He Xintu, and he's the owner of this bar."

He Man opened her mouth and exclaimed "OMG!" and looked in the direction she was pointing.

He Xintu was wearing a black T-shirt and a khaki apron around his neck, holding a soda can in his hand. He pulled the tab with one hand and poured the soda into a glass.

Seemingly sensing the gaze from not far away, he lifted his eyelids, looked over through the glass of the terrace, and smiled at them again.

He Man uttered a swear word in English and immediately turned her head back.

Liang Yizhi asked, "What's wrong?"

"This man is not simple." He Man covered her mouth with her hand and muttered, "What's so funny about him? He's like a human-machine interface."

Liang Yizhi asked, puzzled, "I think he looks quite handsome when he smiles..."

“Look, the man just casually casts the bait, and you’re hooked!” He Man lightly patted the table. “No way, forget about it and clear your head.”

He Man tried to analyze and dispel the illusion: "Look, his lips are so red, and his teeth are so white. When he smiles, he looks like a ghost. What's so good-looking about him? He's not good-looking at all!"

"When you put it that way, it does seem like..."

Are you talking about me?

The two looked up at the sound. He Xintu had already taken off his apron and was standing in front of their table, holding a glass of wine in a friendly manner.

He Man's smile froze, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying seriously, "...You're overthinking it, buddy. We were talking about...the horror movie we watched last night. Hehe..."

He Xintu raised an eyebrow, but didn't expose them, and put down the wine on the tray in his hand.

“These are your ‘Moonlight Soaked’ drinks. The other two are new specials, please try them.” He brought over several glasses of different colors and exquisitely shaped drinks.

"You can also give me some feedback and see if there's anything I can improve."

After He Xintu finished speaking, he naturally sat down on the side closest to Liang Yizhi.

There are two new wines on the table. One is milky white with a plump white marshmallow on top, its surface slightly charred.

The other glass was a contrasting scarlet red, deep and rich, with bubbles around the edge of the liquid and a fig leaf floating on top as a garnish.

He Xintu placed the red cup in front of Liang Yizhi and the white cup next to He Man.

He Man glanced at her and said, "I think you should give me the red one. She can't hold her liquor well, so she can handle the one with milk in it."

She reached out to switch them, but He Xintu raised his hand to stop her:

"Don't rush, try it first."

Liang Yizhi and He Man exchanged a glance, and then both raised their glasses.

Liang Yizhi pressed her lips to the rim of the cup and took a small sip.

The moment the wine touched her lips, Liang Yizhi's face lit up with delight, and she immediately praised, "Such a refreshing taste, sweet and sour, so unique."

"You're making me feel like you're giving me face," He Xintu couldn't help but chuckle, surprised by her enthusiasm. He gestured, "You can have a couple more sips."

“Really.” Liang Yizhi looked at him with bright eyes and shared her opinion.

"It's very strong and stimulating at first, but it's quickly neutralized by the sweet and sour taste that follows. With the sparkling water, the aftertaste is also quite satisfying." She licked her lips. "I don't know if I'm right, but it also seems to have a hint of floral notes."

He Xintu paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, it's a gardenia."

"What lovely wine!" Liang Yizhi smiled and praised again, "No wonder you're the boss!"

After Liang Yizhi finished speaking, she noticed that He Xintu had been staring at her for a while, and then she suddenly chuckled softly.

Liang Yizhi suddenly felt a surge of shame, like someone who knew nothing about such things: "...Did I say something wrong?"

He Xintu shook his head, and after laughing, his eyes became even clearer.

He said, "You're the first person to make such a comment. I also find it quite special."

"I didn't drink much, so please don't take it to heart if I said anything wrong. In short, what I wanted to say is that it's a really good new drink, and it will definitely be on the front of the wine list in the future."

"It's just my personal feeling; there's no right or wrong answer. As for the order, I'll take your suggestion."

Seeing them chatting and laughing, He Man across from them had a meaningful expression. She quietly raised her phone, opened the camera, adjusted the angle, and captured both of them in the viewfinder.

After doing all that, she picked up her glass of wine and muttered, "It's not that exaggerated."

The glass in front of her looked like an ordinary milk wine. Without much hesitation, He Man tilted her head back and took a big gulp. The wine slid down her throat, the warm sensation instantly burning through her esophagus and reaching the bottom of her stomach.

He Man said with a bitter face, "Wow... that's really something..."

He Xintu saw it, raised his finger and pointed to the top layer of cotton candy: "Now you can eat it."

He Man looked down again and saw that half of the cotton candy was already submerged in the white liquor, looking wilted.

Sweet yet bittersweet, He Man remarked:

"I never expected it to taste like this."

"I mixed the heavy cream and milk together and added it in, but the base spirit is still whiskey, and I also added some apple juice."

After explaining, He Xintu looked at her again, his tone intriguing:

"So don't just look at the appearance; you have to taste it to know what it tastes like."

He Man understood that he was subtly implying that she had just made a hasty judgment on him. He Man was also straightforward and generously replied, "Okay, I apologize for my rudeness today. I'll recommend your place to my friends more often in the future. I just wonder if Mr. He could let us try some of his new dishes and broaden our horizons?"

He Xintu nodded: "Of course. You're welcome anytime."

After the dinner party ended, He Xintu kindly offered to take them home. Considering his past good behavior, they intuitively felt he couldn't be a bad person, so they agreed.

He Xintu left first to drive the car to the store entrance.

Liang Yizhi and He Man stood outside the bar, watching He Xintu's figure gradually disappear into the distance. He Man nudged the person next to her.

"How about it?"

"What?"

"Mr. He," He Man blinked, "Don't tell me you can't tell, Mr. He is obviously interested in you."

"You're overthinking it," Liang Yizhi denied. "He's probably just more cheerful."

Although they say that, there is always a natural magnetic field between men and women, and when sparks fly, both parties always sense it.

Tonight, Liang Yizhi felt as if a tingling electric current had passed through her body, and her heartbeat was faster than she had imagined. But she didn't know how He Xintu would feel.

He Man clicked her tongue: "But this guy has quite the attitude. I wonder what he'll be like in a relationship. Let's wait and see before things officially start."

Liang Yizhi scolded her for having too much imagination: "...It's not even close to happening yet."

"Who can say for sure?" He Man put her arm around her shoulder. "Relationships are all about finding the right opportunity, you know? When the time is right, any relationship can be elevated."

Liang Yizhi took her words to heart and was gazing into the distance, deep in thought, when He Man's words broke the somber atmosphere:

"Given the right opportunity, you never know, you might even hit it off with a pig."

Liang Yizhi: "...What nonsense are you talking about?"

He Man tilted her head back, looked up at the sky, and burst into laughter.

-

He Xintu set up navigation and, following the route, first took He Man back, and then took Liang Yizhi.

Before getting out of the car, He Manqian repeatedly reminded her, "Video call me when you get home, Mr. He. My Yizhi can't be missing a single hair. Please take good care of her."

Seeing her so cautious, He Xintu joked apologetically, "At most, I can only guarantee that she won't lose a single finger."

After He Man left, only Liang Yizhi and He Xintu were left in the car. The air suddenly felt thin, and Liang Yizhi didn't know what to talk about.

I looked at the scenery outside the window and then touched my hair.

He Xintu suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence: "You went home late today, will it affect your work tomorrow?"

"It's okay," Liang Yizhi said. "I'll rest tomorrow morning."

Would you mind if I guessed what you do for a living?

Liang Yizhi was taken aback: "Guess what it is?"

“I think it might be related to musical instruments? Or some kind of craft.” He Xintu glanced at the rearview mirror above him. The person in the back seat was also staring at him, alertly pricking up their ears.

He was amused by her appearance and clarified, "Don't misunderstand, I just noticed the calluses on your fingers and was just guessing. If you think I'm being offensive, you don't have to answer me."

Liang Yizhi was stunned. She was probably too tense and didn't expect that the other party would see through her.

"No, I'm just a little surprised."

Liang Yizhi relaxed: "You guessed right, I am a cellist. The calluses on my hands are from practice."

This answer seemed to have taken He Xintu by surprise.

He Xintu: "That's interesting. I remember now, the store just played Bach's 'Air on the G String,' no wonder your expression changed when you heard that piece."

"Really?" Liang Yizhi smiled. "It might be an occupational hazard."

The car was playing pop music that had nothing to do with their conversation.

He Xintu muttered to himself, "Bach sounds pretty good."

Do you like Bach?

"like."

"Then you must be a very smart person."

He Xintu thought she was being sarcastic and laughed it off, saying, "Okay. You saw right through me. Actually, I don't understand anything at all."

“No,” Liang Yizhi quickly tried to smooth things over, “I didn’t mean to mock you.”

She explained earnestly: "Bach's music is very particular about order and arrangement, which may be quite obscure and difficult to understand. He likes to combine multiple melodies together, and the notes must follow rules while achieving perfect harmony."

"To truly appreciate his music, one might need to approach it from a more rational perspective to understand it better. That's why I thought you must be a smart person who enjoys studying logic."

He Xintu felt utterly ashamed and somewhat regretted having talked to her about these things:

"You're really good at praising people."

We chatted about trivial things, and before we knew it, we had arrived at our destination.

Before leaving, He Xintu said to Liang Yizhi, "See you next time. If I have the chance, I really want to see one of your performances."

“Our orchestra has a lot of performances. If you have time, you can let me know and I’ll treat you.”

Through the car window, He Xintu chuckled softly. He shook his head, his curly hair casting a slight shadow under the streetlight.

His tone softened:

"What if I said I'd rather see a performance just for me?"