living room on the street corner

When Lin Zhiyi revisited "Time Sequence," she was no longer carrying books, but a small, exquisite cardboard box containing a sea salt cheese tart she had bought from "Shiguang Cafe" at the alley entrance. The aroma of coffee and desserts wafting in the air clashed with the quiet smell of machine oil in the watch shop, like a friendly collision between two worlds.

Lu Shixu was still at his workbench, this time assembling a pocket watch. Upon seeing Lin Zhiyi, he stopped what he was doing and his gaze fell on the cardboard box she had brought.

"The desserts from that shop at the alley entrance," Lin Zhiyi placed the cardboard box on the empty space on the workbench, a hint of joy in her smile as she shared, "I heard they're really good, so I brought them for you to try. Consider it... a return gift."

She was naturally referring to the gear bookmark and their pleasant conversation last time.

Lu Shixu glanced at the simple "Shiguang" logo on the cardboard box, his eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded: "Thank you. The items in Chen Bei's shop are made with high-quality materials."

This was the second time he had mentioned the name "Shen Bei." Lin Zhiyi followed up by asking, "Are you very familiar with this Boss Shen?"

“She’s a long-time neighbor.” Lu Shixu’s tone was devoid of emotion. He opened the box, looked at the cute cheese tarts inside, and added, “She’s a very nice person.”

Just then, the shop door was pushed open, accompanied by the clear sound of a wind chime—this wind chime was probably the only object in the shop that would make a loud sound on its own.

"Master Restorer Lu, are you busy? I just received a new batch of beans from Yunnan, I'll get you some..." a cheerful female voice called out.

Lin Zhiyi turned around and saw a young woman wearing an apricot-colored knitted dress and a brown apron walk in. She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with her long hair loosely tied up, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck. Her eyes were bright and her smile was infectious. She was carrying a small paper bag. When she saw Lin Zhiyi, she paused slightly, her smile unchanged, but her gaze held a hint of friendly scrutiny.

"We have guests?" She smiled at Lu Shixu and nodded to Lin Zhiyi.

“Chen Bei,” Lu Shixu introduced simply, “This is Lin Zhiyi, editor Lin.”

"Hello, Mr. Shen," Lin Zhiyi replied with a smile.

"Just call me Shen Bei." Shen Bei stepped forward and handed the small paper bag to Lu Shixu. "Here, have a taste." Her gaze casually swept over the dessert box from her shop on the worktable, and her smile deepened as she looked at Lin Zhiyi. "Miss Lin, do you also like my desserts?"

"Mmm, it tastes great," Lin Zhiyi praised sincerely.

"I'm glad you like it. Next time you come to the shop, I'll treat you to a hand-drip coffee." Shen Bei was very enthusiastic. Then she looked at Lu Shixu and said in a familiar tone, "Shixu, remember to try the beans and give me feedback. I won't bother you any longer." She came and went quickly, like a breeze carrying the aroma of coffee.

The wind chimes rang again, and the shop returned to silence.

Lu Shixu placed the beans that Shen Bei had brought aside, closed the dessert box again, and seemed to have no intention of eating them immediately.

“Shen Bei…is a very warm person,” Lin Zhiyi said, carefully choosing her words. She could sense the natural familiarity between Shen Bei and Lu Shixu that had developed over many years of living as neighbors.

"Hmm." Lu Shixu responded, picked up his tools again, and looked back at the pocket watch. It was as if he was explaining, or as if he was just mentioning it casually, "When she first took over that shop, the old wall clock in the shop broke, and she asked me to fix it a few times."

His tone was flat, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

However, a few days later, one afternoon, when Lin Zhiyi was looking for a quiet place to proofread her manuscript for work, she naturally walked into "Shiguang Cafe". After Shen Bei served her a latte with exquisite latte art, she sat down opposite her and started talking about this topic.

The café has a great atmosphere, with wooden tables and chairs, warm yellow lighting, and a rich aroma of coffee in the air, while soft jazz music plays in the background. It truly is a comfortable "living room" on this old street.

"Miss Lin, you've been frequenting Shi Xu's store lately, haven't you?" Shen Bei rested her chin on her hand, her smile still bright, but her question was very direct.

Lin Zhiyi held the warm coffee cup and nodded: "Yes, because of work, I asked him for some knowledge about watch repair."

“Oh—” Shen Bei drawled out the last syllable, her eyes filled with knowing smiles, “Shi Xu, that person, is quiet and reserved. I doubt his brain can hold anything else besides his gears and springs.”

There was no derogatory meaning in her words; they sounded more like an objective statement, even carrying a hint of... helpless intimacy?

Lin Zhiyi didn't respond, but just listened quietly.

Shen Bei looked at her, her smile fading slightly, and her tone becoming a little more serious: "Speaking of which, when I first moved to this street, I also thought Shi Xu was quite an interesting person. He was good-looking, had excellent skills, and was quiet, unlike those noisy men outside."

Lin Zhiyi's heart tightened almost imperceptibly.

Shen Bei seemed to be lost in a brief recollection, her fingertips lightly tapping the table: "I even tried to invite him twice. Once was to invite him to see a movie about craftsmen, and the other time was to say that my shop had received new beans and I wanted him to taste them."

"And then?" Lin Zhiyi heard her own voice ask.

"And then?" Shen Bei laughed, with a hint of self-deprecation and relief. "The first time, he said he had to look after the shop at night and couldn't leave. The second time, he did come and sat right where you are now. I talked to him about coffee and movies, and he listened most of the time, occasionally responding with just the right words, but... it just felt like there was an invisible glass between us."

She paused, her gaze drifting to the window, as if she could see through the walls to the watch shop deep in the alley.

“He’s not indifferent, nor is he arrogant. He’s just…” Shen Bei searched for the right words, “He seems to live in a very stable rhythm that he has set for himself, and it’s hard for outsiders to get in. He also seems to… not intend to let anyone in.”

She turned back to look at Lin Zhiyi, her eyes clear and honest: "So later I understood. Lu Shixu is like the antique clocks he restores—precise and beautiful, but requiring extreme patience and a specific frequency to resonate with. He's not the kind of person that ordinary people can easily approach."

Shen Bei picked up a rag from the table, wiped away non-existent stains, stood up, and resumed her cheerful proprietress demeanor: "But Miss Lin, you seem very patient, and the frequency seems... quite right?" She winked at Lin Zhiyi, "Take your time, there are many interesting people and things on this old street."

After saying that, she turned around to greet the newly arrived guests.

Lin Zhiyi sat alone, the latte in her hand gradually cooling down. Shen Bei's words stirred a subtle ripple in her heart.

"Not someone that ordinary people can get close to..."

"It needs a specific frequency to resonate..."

These words, far from deterring her, acted like a riddle, igniting an even stronger desire for exploration within her. Shen Bei's carefree and honest nature also won her favor; at least, she wasn't someone who would harbor hostility because of past affections.

She looked down at the latte art gradually disappearing in her coffee cup, and the image of Lu Shixu's clear yet weary eyes, and his focused and gentle expression when they talked about clocks, came to mind.

What kind of world is he protecting? What lies hidden behind that "invisible glass"?

A mixture of curiosity, competitiveness, and a touch of pity that she herself was not yet fully aware of was quietly growing in her heart.

She picked up her cup and downed the slightly chilled coffee in one gulp. A thought became clear in her mind: she wanted to try, to see if she could find that "specific frequency."