Unfinished tea
Chen Xu still comes every week, sometimes more frequently, sometimes with longer intervals, like a migratory bird following some invisible seasonal rhythm.
This afternoon, when he came, he was not carrying the usual snacks or takeaways, but a set of simple and elegant tea sets and a small jar of tea that looked very valuable.
"A friend gave it to me, saying it's top-notch Mingqian Longjing. It would be a waste if I drank it myself, so I gave it to you to taste." He smiled, put on his slippers as if he knew the way, and walked to the kitchen to boil water. His movements were smooth and natural, as if this was his other living room.
Ye Shu didn't refuse, simply watching him busy himself. Boiling water, warming cups, placing tea, steeping... Chen Xu's movements weren't particularly professional or elegant, even a little clumsy, but he was incredibly dedicated. The elegant aroma of tea quickly replaced the apartment's usual chill, and wisps of white mist rose between them.
Chen Xu pushed a cup of clear blue tea in front of Ye Shu, with a rare, cautious expectation in his eyes.
Ye Shu picked up the teacup, first observing its color, then smelling its fragrance, and finally taking a sip. The tea was fresh, refreshing, and mellow, truly a top-quality product.
"Very good." He gave a rare and clear compliment.
Chen Xu immediately smiled like a kid who had won a prize. He breathed a sigh of relief and took a big sip from his cup. "Really? I said good things have to be given to you so they don't go to waste."
The two sat facing each other, sipping tea in silence. The setting sun stretched the shadows, lengthening them. A comfortable, wordless silence pervaded. This silence, unlike the absolute stillness of Ye Shu's solitude, was warm, flowing, and imbued with a certain shared tranquility.
After three rounds of drinking, Chen Xu put down his teacup, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cup wall. He looked out the window at the high-rise buildings, and suddenly spoke, his tone becoming somewhat distant:
"Ye Shu, tell me...if one day, I flew far away like a migratory bird and only came back once in a long time...will your place become completely quiet?"
His question came suddenly, without any cause or consequence, like a leaf that fell by chance.
Ye Shu's hand holding the teacup paused for a moment, a fleeting moment, almost impossible to capture. He looked up at Chen Xu, but he wasn't looking at him, still gazing out the window, his profile blurred in the setting sun.
He did not answer "yes" or "no", nor did he ask "why" or "where to". He just remained silent, watching the tea leaves in the cup unfold and slowly sink.
The silence stretched in the air, but it was not suffocating.
After a long time, Ye Shu drank the slightly cool tea in the cup, and gently placed the teacup back on the table with a very slight "knock" sound.
"Tea," he began, his voice as light as ever, yet like the fragrance of the tea, it carried a strange soothing power, "each brew has its own unique flavor."
He raised his eyes and his gaze fell calmly on Chen Xu, as if he could see through the unspoken choice or confusion hidden under the relaxed tone.
“Things of the future should be left to the taste of future tea.”
Chen Xu was slightly startled when he heard this, then turned to look at Ye Shu. The uncertainty in his eyes slowly settled, transforming into a deep, complex smile that showed relief, understanding, and a subtle hint of regret.
"That's right." He smiled and shook his head, pouring himself another cup of tea. "Why think so much? Drink tea, drink tea."
The sun finally sank below the horizon, and the light in the room dimmed. The two of them didn't talk much, but just drank a pot of tea in silence.
When Chen Xu stood up to say goodbye, he didn't say he'd come back tomorrow as usual. He simply patted Ye Shu's shoulder gently and said, "I'll leave the tea set here. Come back next time."
Ye Shu nodded slightly.
The door closed gently.
The apartment was completely dark, but the aroma of tea had not yet dissipated, and the air lingered with the warmth and scent of another person. On the table, two used teacups stood facing each other, one empty, the other still with a little tea residue at the bottom.
Ye Shu didn't turn on the light immediately, nor did he get up to clean up. He sat alone in the dim light, his figure almost blending into the twilight.
Outside the window, the city lights gradually light up, outlining countless stories that are either warm or lonely.
His silence was still complete, but it was no longer the empty silence of the beginning. It contained a warm noise that lasted for many years, a cup of good tea shared, and a light but real question about the "future".
He didn't know whether Chen Xu's words were a simple sigh of emotion or a preview of what was about to happen. He also didn't know when the next knock on the door would come.
Maybe it will be a long time. Maybe it will be tomorrow.
He only knew that no matter when the door was knocked, no matter whether the figure outside the door was familiar or unfamiliar, no matter whether the pot of tea was finished alone or shared with others -
This silence will embrace everything as usual. And tea will always be drunk cup by cup.
The story is not over yet, it is just like a cup of tea that is brewed to perfection, with its fragrance lingering and aftertaste lingering, waiting for the next filling of water.
The future, like a piece of unopened tea, lies quietly in the jar of time, waiting for its own unknown water temperature and time.
(over)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
