The shadow of childhood illness, deep in my heart, deep in thought, I fall into the bar

Lin Yiyi usually spoke with only the answer, either concise and thought-provoking, or directly to the point. Today, the Qiu couple heard her analyze a matter in detail for the first time. They were surprised by her well-reasoned and detailed analysis, which was beyond reproach. This made the couple smile at each other, and their joy was self-evident in their eyes.

"You're right. I almost made a mistake. Yiyi, you're such a good kid, hahahaha..." Elder Qiu admitted readily, and was very happy. He soon remembered what Lin Yiyi had said earlier, "You said Xiaoyue's treatment has made progress. I heard Qiu Nian say that. What exactly is it?"

"I also heard it from Sister Yue herself. I don't know the details, maybe I need to ask her psychiatrist."

"Oh, so that's it." Old Qiu lowered his head and pondered.

At this time, Mrs. Qiu interrupted and asked, "Have you seen Xiaoyue's psychologist? How is it?"

"I've seen him. He's quite handsome and gentle. I heard from Sister Yue that he's very dedicated to her treatment and has put in a lot of effort."

"Xiaoyue is not a child anymore, and she is always single. Her parents must be very worried. Poor parents in the world!" Mrs. Qiu sighed with a double meaning.

Perhaps fearing that Lin Yiyi would be embarrassed, Mr. Qiu quickly tried to smooth things over, "What's there to worry about? Just let things take their course." But as wise as he was, he found that the more he explained, the worse the situation became.

The old man was anxious and wanted to add something, but Lin Yiyi smiled and said, "Actually, Qiu Nian is very good."

This was earth-shattering, and now it was the old couple's turn to be embarrassed.

It was Elder Qiu who recovered first and spoke first: "What's so great about him? He's far behind you and Xiaoyue. I'd even be willing to let him come here full-time to study with you guys."

"Is it because you are too demanding of him that he seems insecure?" Lin Yiyi gave another direct answer.

Mrs. Qiu smiled and replied, "Yiyi, that's not true. Qiu Nian is our only son, but Old Qiu has always wanted a daughter, so since he was little, Old Qiu has always spoiled him like a daughter. He was really afraid that he would melt if he held him in his mouth, and afraid that he would fall if he held him in his hands, for fear that the child would suffer any hardship. Other families have loving mothers and strict fathers, but in our family, it's a loving father and a strict mother. Because I have to be strict. If a son is not well educated, it's the father's fault. If a father doesn't fulfill his responsibilities, then I have to step in and do the work for him."

As she spoke, Mrs. Qiu glared at Mr. Qiu.

Seeing this, Mr. Qiu bowed his head and begged for mercy. Mrs. Qiu then continued, "Maybe it's because I was too strict, which left a psychological scar on the child. Since kindergarten, he hasn't liked playing with girls and gets nervous talking to them. At first, his father and I didn't care because we were busy during those years. By the time we realized it was a problem, the child was already older. He's in his twenties and still hasn't been in a relationship. I'm worried and blame myself."

Mrs. Qiu's guilt was beyond words.

Elder Qiu said disapprovingly, "A loving mother often spoils her son. If it weren't for your strict discipline, there's no telling what Xiao Nian would have become. Right now, at most, he's a little shy and reserved around girls, which is fine too! Do you really want our son to be a playboy? I've seen him talk to female subordinates at work without any problems; it's quite natural. I think more practice is all that's needed! Right, Yiyi? You've been around him a lot, what do you think?"

Lin Yiyi smiled and nodded.

"Yiyi, Jianjun isn't always harassing Xiaoyue, is he? He's not shy when he sees girls, and I guess he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve." Old Qiu glanced at the bag hanging on the wall and picked up Qian Jianjun.

"Mr. Qian is a very good person. He acts with affection but stays within the bounds of courtesy. Don't worry."

"That's good, that's good. Actually, I understand Jian Jun'er's character, but I'm always worried about what might happen."

"You're just too concerned, and I'm losing my mind. You two are always so caring and attentive to both Sister Yue and me. Every time Sister Yue or I look a little off, you both worry that we're sick or that something's happened. I feel so unworthy."

Mrs. Qiu explained on Mr. Qiu's behalf, "Didn't I just say that I always wanted a daughter, but unfortunately, I didn't get it. So when I see you good children, I treat you as my own. And I don't feel guilty about it. I love the silk scarf you gave me so much that I can't bear to wear it. I take it out and look at it whenever I have nothing to do. And we see and remember the care you take for us all the time."

At this point, Mrs. Qiu remembered something. "In about ten or twenty days, Old Qiu and I will go out of town for a few days of vacation. It's these days every year. I'm afraid I'll forget to tell you and you'll worry about us like before. You're such good children..."

Mrs. Qiu's words made Lin Yiyi's smile completely widen. Even though they were far away, Qiu Nian was still stunned by her drunkenness.

"Ahem..." Ke Yike's signature greeting did not shake the persistent Zui.

“Cough cough… cough cough…”

"It's so beautiful!" Qiu Nian was still not awake.

This time, Ke Yike directly stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Qiu Nian's eyes, "You're blocking my way."

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry... cough cough, you did it on purpose, you had to squeeze through me..."

Their whispered conversations melted away without a trace, without a single spill. The continuous, compressed time here froze, shattered, dispersing into a roomful of silence that grew thicker and thicker, converging into a warm liquid that enveloped and healed everyone beneath its wings, like Shu Xiaoxian, like Qiu Xue...

Ever since that conversation with Xue Jiuyue, Qiuxue has spent almost all of her non-work time here. Unlike Shu Xiaoxian, who spent her days reading and working on her graduation project, living a simple yet fulfilling life, Qiuxue was silent. Especially at first, her silence was always tinged with sadness, lost in reminiscing about the past. Only after several conversations with Tu Xinyue did things begin to shift. While her smile remained rare, the deep wounds no longer shed tears, perhaps a sign of reconciliation. Every day, she nurtured the glimmer of hope that Xue Jiuyue had planted in her heart, as if only here could she protect that flickering spark, preventing it from being extinguished by a whirlwind of thoughts.

When Xue Jiuyue returned to the café, all the joy and chaos had been buried beneath the calm surface of time. Greeting someone familiar with a glance, the connection between hearts was so simple and indescribable. Liu Che's foot injury had indeed healed quickly, which allowed Xue Jiuyue to put her guilt at ease. She became one with the quiet of the café, and the occasional ripples were like longing, drifting away without a trace.

Days accumulate, like leaves and flowers, with similarities yet differences. Qian Jianjun's love cards are still engraved with his powerful penmanship, but the content is no longer entirely corny. Several times, what appear to be Qian Jianjun's own sentences appear. For example, "A fish cannot live without water, and I cannot live without air. Therefore, I miss you and cannot help myself." The words are simple, but quite interesting.

This wasn't the only interesting thing. Thanks to Ke Yike's tireless efforts, the flavor that Xue Jiyue longed for was recreated from his "memory." This new croissant wasn't just a favorite of Xue Jiyue; many customers who tried it also found it incredibly flavorful. Mass production was quickly put on the agenda. Xue Jiyue suggested using both wild and cultivated Gynostemma pentaphyllum as the raw material. The elderly woman in the old house naturally became the supplier, and Ke Yike naturally received a salary increase.

However, due to a sudden surge in takeout orders starting Monday, Ke Yike's workload increased significantly. Fearing he'd be overwhelmed, Zhou Ying and Lin Yiyi both tried to share some of the workload. Ke Yike, however, refused to let them help. As he puts it, "It takes a thousand times of practice to hone your skills into art." That's why you can often find Ke Yike busy and focused behind the bar. His normally delicate appearance now appears resolute in his dedication, quite handsome and interesting.

Not everything was so rosy. Mei Rugu had clearly not yet recovered from her immense grief. She emerged from the Friday twilight into "Inch by Inch of Time," the heavy air of twilight thickening over her even more intense than the darkening sky outside. Her smart outfit couldn't hide her age, and her delicate makeup couldn't conceal her hair's tangled mess. She looked completely different from when they first met, even less vibrant than the last time they'd met. She was so haggard that Xue Jiuyue felt heartbroken.

"Hello, Ms. Mei, please sit down." Before she could speak, Xue Jiuyue stood up to greet her.

"Thank you, Xiaoyue." Mei Rugu tried her best to keep her voice mellow.

"Boss Mei, do you have something to talk to me about?

"I have no idea……"

Mei Rugu's expression was as confused as her words. Xue Jiuyue could only comfort her, "That's okay. This is a place for casual chatting. Let's chat for a while..."

"You should know, right?" Mei Rugu asked suddenly.

"I know. What? What's wrong?"

"I am divorced……"

"Ah?" Xue Jiuyue was indeed surprised. Not only did she not know how long the cooling-off period for divorces lasted, but also because Qian Jianjun had just chatted with her here the day before yesterday before leaving on a business trip, but he hadn't mentioned a single word. "When did it happen?"

"Last Friday."

Restraining the turbulent waves in her heart, Xue Jiuyue asked as gently as possible: "What can I do?"

"I have no idea……"

The confused Mei Rugu didn't know, and the sober Xue Jiuyue didn't know either. The comfort she gave with all her heart might only bring a dream that would be verified by time.

Each day, these interesting and uninteresting embellishments distinguished each other, then unified and overlapped into a memory, or that pile of leaves. By the time the leaves had accumulated, there were about thirteen or fourteen more, and the flowers had spread across the entire cafe, and Liu Che had fully recovered.

Another Friday night arrived as promised. It engulfed the city's hardness, exhaled the day's scorching heat, yet offered Xue Jiuyue not even a hint of cool breeze. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to free herself from the entanglement. Watching the relentless passage of time, after countless fruitless attempts, Xue Jiuyue finally picked up her phone again.

"Are you there?"

"Here I am."

Liu Che's gentle voice instantly gave her peace.

"I, can't sleep..."

"Want to go out for a walk?"

"Your feet?"

"I'm fine now. Even the broken bones have healed after so many days."

"I'm afraid you'll be like that time at the movie..."

This time Liu Che's voice was a few seconds late. "I've already left. You should get ready."

Instead of driving, the two of them headed to Xialin's bar district. The day's bustle was condensed into this short pedestrian street at night. Bars lined up on either side, emitting a vibrant riot of music, creating a continuous allure. Even the gentle breeze was crushed into a rhythmic beat by the bustling crowd. Perhaps the daytime was too blunt, forcing the disoriented people to thickly disguise themselves, only to find some release in the hazy darkness of night. Thus, music and wine became the medicine, slowly pouring out the truth from their souls.

Xue Jiuyue stopped in front of a bar, following her ear. It was a single-story, old building with a narrow entrance and a single window. It must have been converted from an old residential building. Through the window and glass door, she could see the music that had moved Xue Jiuyue's heart. It was the resident band performing there.

"Do you like this one?" Liu Che's gentle voice was always so understanding.

"Well, do you like it?"

"like."

"Really? Xiao Ming, you're not going to give in to me again, are you?"

"Really? The lead singer has a great voice. The bass is deep but not hoarse, and the high notes are bright but not harsh. He stands out on this street."

"Uh, Xiao Ming, you've got it!" Xue Jiuyue was skeptical, "Then let's go in?"

“Why not?”

The first floor of the bar was long and narrow, with a small stage and bar occupying most of the space, but the second floor was spacious. Especially above the band, a table of guests had just left.

Walking up the creaking wooden stairs, Xue Jiuyue led Liu Che to the second floor and sat down. Sitting here, the view was wide and it felt like watching a performance in a theater. Xue Jiuyue was in a good mood.

"One bottle, oh no, two bottles of red wine first. Xiao Ming, what do you like to eat? We have fritters, spicy snacks, marinated platters, various grilled skewers, as well as Western-style steaks, borscht, cream of mushroom soup, etc."

"Two bottles, we can't finish them, right?" Liu Che was still struggling with his alcohol tolerance.

"Two bottles might not be enough. Can you drink with me today?"

"Obedience is worse than respect. But..." Xue Jiuyue rarely made such requests, and Liu Che would definitely not refuse, "Those two bottles may not be enough."

The waiter politely reminded them, "How about you two order two bottles first, and then order more if you're not satisfied?"

"Okay, thank you." Xue Jiuyue expressed her gratitude and asked Liu Che, "What do you want to eat, Xiaoming?"

"As you say. As usual, don't worry, I have a big appetite and I'll cover it. I'm not afraid of waste."

Xue Jiuyue didn't refuse anymore. "Then I'll order two steaks, one medium rare. What about you, Xiao Ming?"

"Same."

"One marinated platter, one plate of croquettes, and six roasted pork tendons. A fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine. Any desserts? Cake or something?"

The waiter apologized, "Sorry, the pastry chef is off duty."

Xue Jiuyue was a little disappointed. "Can you help me buy it from another store?"

"I'm so sorry, but as far as I know, we're the only one on this street that can make desserts." Afraid Xue Jiuyue wouldn't believe him, the waiter added, "If you like other dishes, as long as they're available nearby, we can get them for you without having to order takeout."

"Oh, I'll take these first. Excuse me, what time is it now? Where can I find a clock?"

"It's on the wall behind you. It's a quarter to eleven."

"OK, thanks."

Liu Che heard disappointment in Xue Jiuyue's tone, and after the waiter left, he asked with concern, "What's wrong?"