Laughing about intentions and making it clear that they were dating, drunken talk and careless criticism
No matter how Xue Jiyue taunted her, stabbed her openly and secretly, "Spit Star" didn't care at all: "Oh, a date, I wonder which prince on a white horse will be able to win the favor of this beautiful lady?"
"A younger brother invited me to taste his new coffee called 'Date', and then I came back to play cards and met Tang Monk riding a white horse!" Xue Jiuyue joked to clarify the misunderstanding.
"Spit Star" took the opportunity to back down, "Wukong is being naughty again. He didn't tell me he liked you, so how did you know he liked you? He even made a 'date' to insinuate things, causing the beautiful Yue to lose sleep. This is truly a heinous crime!"
"You think too much. He is just my younger brother, a very simple one!" Xue Jiuyue continued to insist on her opinion.
"Well, okay, beauty is justice. You are a beauty and you have the final say." "Spit Star" repeated her previous words, but quickly added: "How about we just go on a simple 'date'."
Xue Jiuyue was just about to start cursing when the other party sent another message: "Let's play cards?" Even the details of the punctuation were done very naturally, which forced Xue Jiuyue's words into a helpless smile. She had no choice but to delete the text she had already typed and replaced it with: "It's quite late. Aren't you going to work tomorrow? Go to bed early and give me some peace and quiet!"
The night was indeed deep. The moonlight outside the window drowned out the day's clamor, casting a cool breeze across the somewhat empty street. Qian Jianjun, still clinging to Old Zhou's father's shoulders, reluctantly said, "Uncle, dear uncle, I'm so glad to have a drink with you today. It's a great honor, a great honor! I regret, I regret, I regret that we met so late! You, you must give me the chance to meet you often, often, and listen to your teachings!" His halting words revealed that Qian Jianjun was already drunk.
When Lao Zhou and his son finally helped him into the car, he only uttered one last mumbled sentence: "Go, go, go home..." and then began to snore loudly.
But Spittle Star still didn't want to sleep and continued to act like a spoiled brat: "Boss Yue, today is the weekend, you can rock out as much as you want! BTW, if you want some peace and quiet, you can choose mute!"
"Didn't you also stay out late yesterday? What's the difference?"
"Your mood is different! You struggle for life on weekdays, but you can look for poetry and the countryside on weekends. Unlike Boss Yue, you can wander around in his own coffee shop, where there is no sky, and you can leisurely see the Nanshan Mountains?" "Spit Star" sent another rambling text, but his accurate judgment, and even the details he brought up intentionally or unintentionally, once again aroused Xue Jiuyue's vigilance.
Xue Jiuyue carefully chose her words and asked, "What are you talking about? How did I become the owner of a coffee shop?"
"Being invited to taste freshly brewed coffee, being free from the constraints of workdays and working hours, this is as obvious as lice on a bald head—Isn't it? I don't even need to count the days to know!"
The "spitting star" statement seemed reasonable, but Xue Jiuyue still asked doubtfully, "Can't I just be the manager of a bookstore?"
"Uh, well, beauty is justice. You're a beauty, so you have the final say." Although he copied and pasted the previous record again, this time "Spit Star" was noticeably slower, as if he was actually thinking. He quickly added, "That's indeed possible. I can't refute it!"
Seeing that "Spit Star" was defeated, Xue Jiuyue was very proud, but soon the other party shamelessly extended an invitation: "Beautiful lady, you should enjoy life to the fullest. In this beautiful time, how about a few more games?"
"Let's go!" Xue Jiuyue, in a good mood, did not refuse...
The rising sun was powerless to penetrate the heavy curtains, peeking through only the gaps between them. But it also stirred the pendulum of time, shaking Mei Rugu awake from a restful night's sleep. Looking at Qian Jianjun, still dozing, she couldn't help but recall Old Zhou's hesitant words from last night, "Boss Mei, um, um, Boss Qian seems to be worried. He's been drinking non-stop. I haven't seen him this drunk in ages!"
It was these words from last night that brought back memories, transforming into a pang of heartache, soothing the chasms within her. So, just like before, she changed clothes, wiped his face, and washed his feet for Qian Jianjun, who had returned from a social event, passed out drunk. The pain from last night lingered like a lingering hangover. Mei tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. After a quick wash, she headed straight for the kitchen.
She was so busy after such a long absence. Fortunately, not long after, Aunt Feng appeared in front of her and said guiltily, "I'm sorry, President Mei, I'm back late. Do you want to make breakfast? Let me do it."
Mei Rugu hesitated for a moment, then dodged and handed the main battlefield to Sister Feng. Then, she smiled and whispered, "It's okay. I thought you wouldn't be back until the afternoon, so I tried to do it myself. I'm still a little rusty! It's just for Lao Qian and me, so please leave it to me!"
"Okay, don't worry, Mr. Mei!" Sister Feng responded in a low voice and started to get busy.
"Also, Old Qian drank too much yesterday and is still sleeping. He probably won't eat until later. Prepare an extra cup of honey water for him." Before leaving the kitchen, Mei Rugu turned back and added one more sentence before leaving with peace of mind.
Mei Rugu finished breakfast, put on her makeup, and once again checked her phone to check the time... Finally, as she made up her mind to leave, she realized her ID card seemed to have been left in the small bag she'd changed out of yesterday. So she tiptoed back to the bedroom and gently searched through the closet...
The night hadn't dragged on too long due to his biological clock, so even the faintest rustling sound still caught Qian Jianjun's eye. His momentary daze was dispelled by the familiar sight, and then Mei Rugu's gentle voice came: "Are you awake?"
Qian Jianjun's tongue was still as stiff and hard as dry land, and he only made a "hmm" sound in response.
"You have a bad stomach, why do you drink so much?! Have a cup of honey water for breakfast to nourish your stomach." The sudden concern mixed the long-lost happiness with a bit of confusion, completely confusing Qian Jianjun who was not very clear-headed to begin with.
"Okay," he replied as he stood up, his mind mulling over his next words of flattery. But when he turned and saw Mei Rugu, who looked even more refined and capable in her dark blue business suit, all his emotions coalesced into a single question: "You, are you going out?"
Mei Rugu hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip. Facing a questioning gaze, she answered with certainty, "Yes, there's a major client in Qiuting City who needs on-site communication to resolve a problem. The flight is at nine in the morning."
The question mark of happiness suddenly turned into an exclamation mark weighing more than a thousand pounds, leaving Qian Jianjun dumbfounded. After a long while, he finally muttered, "Can, can I not go? Look, I finally get a break..."
"No!" The awkward words touched Mei Rugu's back, wiping out the softness in her heart. She replied firmly, "If you rest, do I have to give up my work?"
The clear voice brought Qian Jianjun back to his senses more clearly than the refreshing morning breeze, and it also made him recall the whole process clearly. So he said in a gentle tone: "That's not the way it should be. It's all for this family. There will always be some sacrifices and some compromises..."
The extreme rebelliousness and the urgency of time consumed all of Mei Rugu's patience, and she interrupted Qian Jianjun again: "Home? Why should I always be the one to sacrifice our home? Why should I be the only one to be wronged and ask for your whole life?"
With that, he slammed the door and left. The slamming sound of the door was just the first in a series of firecrackers, followed by a series of low roars, crisp cracks, and dull thuds, which eventually faded away quietly in the rising sun in the east...
The clear morning light illuminates the entire city into a dazzling bubble, reflecting the colorful colors of all kinds of hope, and allowing "every inch of time" to usher in a new day.
Ke Yike, who was leaning behind the counter, was wearing a formal white shirt with a dark gray plaid vest over it, and had a sculpted hairstyle. He seemed to be in a different situation from Lin Yiyi, who was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans.
"Ahem." Ke Yike said in a serious tone, "We should pay attention to our attire during work hours. Even though Sister Yue doesn't say it, we should all keep it in mind!"
"No matter how formal the clothes are, they can't hide the evil in your heart!" Lin Yiyi was as neat and tidy as ever, leaving Ke Yike speechless.
Just then, Zhou Ying came out from the kitchen. "Ying'er, come here and let me perform magic for you!" As he spoke, Ke Yike produced a piece of black velvet from somewhere, and his slender fingers flew up and down, dazzling everyone. As he muttered something, a rose appeared out of thin air in his hand.
"In the sleeve..." Lin Yiyi disappeared, leaving only three words to reveal the answer.
Zhou Ying was momentarily stunned, then used a sweet smile and encouragement to smooth out the awkwardness, "It's already wonderful. If you become more skilled, it will be even more perfect!"
"Thank you, Ying'er."
After thanking him, Ke Yike quickly returned to his own practice. Zhou Ying, who had just turned to leave, smiled even more deeply upon hearing this. Gradually, their respective busy schedules filled the somewhat empty "moments of time" of the early morning.
The breakfast and warm milk Sister Feng had brought didn't completely soothe Qian Jianjun, but they did allow him to temporarily forget his burdens. Strolling out of the house, the vast expanse of space and the sudden lack of things to do left Qian Jianjun bewildered and at a loss. He looked up at the cerulean sky, grinning self-deprecatingly, his hands, restless and unused, slipping into his trouser pockets. A hard card, from beyond his memory, touched his left hand, and Qian Jianjun looked down at the unexpected object he had retrieved. "Inch by Inch of Time"—the words on the card brought back fond memories and pointed the way forward for Qian Jianjun, trapped in a sea of nothingness by idleness...
Qian Jianjun was likely the first customer in the restaurant, so he was free to choose any seat except the one by the window. Not wanting the scenery outside to interrupt his tranquility, Qian Jianjun chose a seat near the back.
Sitting here, his view perfectly covered most of the cafe, starting from the entrance. Free from yesterday's restraint and preoccupied thoughts, he half-reclined on the incredibly soft sofa to rest his alcohol-soaked body. Only then did Qian Jianjun unleash his five senses and savor this cafe, which he had found "interesting" even after his cursory glance yesterday.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
