Chapter 1
The glass doors of the "corner" gently kept the afternoon hustle and bustle outside, letting in only a layer of warm light. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly ground coffee and the warm sweetness of freshly baked desserts. Lin Xiaotang, holding an empty plate, nodded to a couple who were laughing softly, a gentle smile curving her eyes. Soft jazz music played from the radio behind the bar, and everything was enveloped in a perfectly balanced, busy yet fulfilling tranquility.
Almost everything.
Her gaze casually swept over the most secluded corner of the street. It was the third day.
That man is still here.
The dim light filtering through the gray windowpane fell on his broad but stiff shoulders. He always wore a dark suit, impeccably dressed, which seemed out of place in this cozy, even slightly shabby little shop. In front of him was always just a cup of black coffee. Lin Xiaotang knew the taste; it was the darkest Brazilian coffee, no sugar, no milk, bitter enough to numb the tongue.
He was always looking at her.
That gaze was heavy, as if it were soaked in some kind of silent, sticky pain, passing through the few scattered customers and landing precisely on her—when she lowered her head to make latte art, when she turned around to pick up desserts from the display case, when she pointed to her sweaty forehead and whispered instructions to her apprentice Xiao Wei.
But whenever she sensed that weight and subconsciously looked up to meet it, that gaze would shatter as if burned, hastily turning away to the window, leaving her only a taut jawline and a slightly bobbing Adam's apple. A kind of almost pathetic hiding.
Lin Xiaotang wiped the coffee machine, now spotless, her curiosity growing stronger. It wasn't an unsettling spying; there was no offense in that gaze, only… too much. Pain, struggle, a deep, inexplicable longing, and many other complex emotions she couldn't define. Like a deep well, even a glimpse of it felt like being frozen by its chilling air.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, the sun was setting. "The Corner" enjoyed a brief respite. The oven dinged, releasing a rich aroma of mascarpone cheese and coffee liqueur ladyfingers. Lin Xiaotang put on heat-resistant gloves and took out a slice of freshly baked tiramisu. She cut off a corner, sprinkled it with fine cocoa powder, and placed it on a clean white porcelain dish.
Her heart started racing for no reason. She took a deep breath, picked up the plate, and walked towards that corner.
The sound of high heels clicking on the wooden floor was drowned out by the music. The man seemed lost in his own world, not immediately noticing her approach. It wasn't until the shadow fell, blocking the dim light from his view that he realized what was happening.
He suddenly looked up.
Lin Xiaotang finally saw his eyes clearly. Deep double eyelids, dark pupils, and now, as if startled, his pupils contracted sharply, reflecting her tentative smile. The deep pain churning within those eyes was almost overflowing, so intense it made her breathless.
"Sir, excuse me, this is our new tiramisu. If you don't mind, you can try it..."
Her voice was gentle, with a professional sweetness, just like she would with any customer.
Before he could finish speaking, the man's face turned deathly pale, as if he had seen something utterly terrifying. He abruptly stood up, the movement so violent that the solid wood chair scraped against the floor with a piercing screech!
"Splash—"
The almost untouched, extremely bitter cup of black coffee was knocked over by his suddenly raised arm, the dark brown liquid splashing out, staining his suit trousers and creating a messy stain on the floor.
The porcelain cup shattered into pieces.
He ignored her completely, giving her one last, broken look, filled with immense panic and pain, as if lingering for even a second longer would be torture. The next second, he whirled around, almost staggering, and stumbled toward the glass door behind her.
The doorbell rang frantically from the violent force.
He pushed open the door, his figure scrambling into the bright, crowded afternoon stream outside, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Everything happened too fast, like a silent pantomime suddenly sped up.
Lin Xiaotang stood frozen in place, still holding the small, white porcelain plate in her hand, a few drops of cocoa powder from the tiramisu slightly shattered. She stared blankly at the swaying glass door, then looked down at her feet.
Coffee stains meandered down, and ceramic shards were scattered everywhere.
Amidst the mess, an exquisite silver business card holder lay scattered among the stains on the ground. Lin Xiaotang opened the card holder, revealing a stack of business cards, sturdy in texture, with elegant gold lettering embossed on them.
Perth year.
Below is a concise line of titles and contact information.
The brief silence in the shop was broken by quiet exclamations and whispers from customers. Apprentice Xiaowei rushed over with cleaning tools, asking, "Sister Xiaotang, are you alright? What's wrong with that person...?"
Lin Xiaotang acted as if she hadn't heard.
She slowly crouched down, her fingertips brushing across the cold floor, and picked up the business card.
The gold lettering was slightly raised, imprinted on her fingertip.
Perth year.
Those three words, along with his final, broken, and pained look as he fled, were like a scorching hot nail, unexpectedly and brutally driven into her heart.
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