Chapter 31 The Best for You
"Boss, why are you closing so early today?" Lin Xiaotang, with a high ponytail and a star-shaped hairpin in her hair, was holding a stack of new books. She stood on tiptoe with her chin resting on the cash register, her almond-shaped eyes wide open with confusion.
Su Nian's fingers tightened slightly around the bone china coffee cup, causing tiny ripples to appear on the rim. "I have something to do today. Come tomorrow and I'll give you a cappuccino."
"The boss is so partial!" Two girls who were flipping through a poetry collection came over at the same time. The short-haired girl waved "The Bird's Nest" in her hand. "We are VIPs who check in every week!"
Su Nian was startled, but soon smiled indulgently, "All of them. Okay, let's go back."
As the crisp tinkling of wind chimes drifted around the corner, the laughter of the three girls gradually faded. Su Nian gazed at the empty bookshelf, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the legs of her glasses. The magnolia tree outside the French window swayed gently in the evening breeze, its petals casting pale pink shadows as they brushed against the glass.
Su Nian slowly put his glasses back on and watched a familiar figure push the door and walk in.
Ling Shen had actually arrived a long time ago, but he waited until everyone in the bookstore had left before getting out of the car with the box.
The moment the copper bell rang, he saw Su Nian putting "One Hundred Years of Solitude" back to its original place, with a fallen petal in her hair.
"Go try it, I think it should be very suitable for you." Ling Shen handed the box to Su Nian, but his words did not give Su Nian any room for rebuttal.
Su Nian opened the box and saw a neatly folded white suit lying on the sandalwood base. The snow-white satin glowed like a pearl under the fluorescent light.
His fingertips brushed across the dark lines on his cuffs, and the touch felt like touching frost flowers condensed on branches in December - each wintersweet flower had its petals outlined with silver thread and its core filled with gold thread, and the stitches were so fine that one could almost see the warmth of the needleman's hand.
When the first subtle groan came from the wooden stairs on the second floor, Ling Shen's hands behind his back suddenly clasped together.
Su Nian slowly descended, holding onto the carved railing. The waistline of his suit perfectly cinched his slender figure, while his shoulders stood straight, like a plum blossom standing suddenly in the cold of an ink painting. His gold-rimmed glasses slid down to the middle of his nose, and his gaze through the lenses, like snow warmed by the winter sun, casually swept over the out-of-print books on display.
The light from the chandelier cast a golden edge on his head. The hem of his suit rose with his steps, faintly revealing the embroidered pattern of a hundred plum blossoms on the lining. Each flower seemed to want to break free from the fabric and leap into reality.
Ling Shen's gaze seemed to be attracted by a magnet, sliding from his straight shoulders to his slightly open neckline, and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously.
"Is it okay?" Su Nian walked in front of Ling Shen, with a hint of expectation in her eyes, and her fingertips unconsciously brushed the plum blossoms on her sleeves.
Ling Shen leaned against a vintage carved bookshelf, his bony fingers tapping the hardcover of The Grand Budapest Hotel. He suddenly lowered his head and chuckled softly, his amber eyes reflecting the spines of the books on the wall, as if they contained a ball of crushed moonlight.
Before Su Nian could react, her body temperature, scented with cedarwood, was already approaching. Her warm fingertips brushed across her Adam's apple and gently smoothed the crooked collar. "Sure enough, this dress suits you best."
The velvet box made a slight rustling sound when it was opened. Two mother-of-pearl cufflinks lay on the ink-colored velvet. The iridescence flowing on the surface contrasted with the wintersweet embroidery on Su Nian's cuffs.
Ling Shen's slender fingers pinched the cufflinks, and the cold metal pressed against the skin of Su Nian's wrist. After two light clicks, the cloud pattern on the surface of the mother-of-pearl and the dark pattern on the cuff of the shirt fit perfectly into a complete pattern.
"That's much better." Ling Shen took two steps back, his leather shoes making crisp sounds on the wooden floor.
Ling Shen took two steps back and nodded. "That's much better. Let's go." He then opened the door of the bookstore and made an invitation. "Please come in, Boss Su."
Su Nian took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the bookstore. Just as the last ray of sunset sank into the horizon, the streetlights across the street flickered on, their warm yellow light flickering across the bluestone slabs like a galaxy. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or reality.
"We are all here. When will Ling Shen come?" Yu Tao's fingertips repeatedly stroked the sapphires on the custom cufflinks. The subtle sound of metal and gemstones colliding was particularly clear in the silent private room.
He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down. The glass reflected the impatient wrinkles between his brows. The neon signs downstairs lit up one after another in the twilight, cutting his shadow into tiny spots of light.
Chang Zi sank into the leather sofa, a cigarette between bony fingers, the smoke rising and blurring half his face. He tilted his head back and blew out smoke rings, the grayish-white mist swirling into strange shapes under the crystal chandelier.
"We've already set off." The ending tone was nonchalant and lazy, as if it was too much trouble to even say one more word.
Before he finished speaking, Yuan Wenzhong pushed the door open and walked in. The pupils behind his gold-rimmed glasses suddenly contracted, and a rare ripple appeared on his usually calm face.
He loosened his tie in a hurry, and his Adam's apple rolled twice, "A Shen is here." His hoarse voice sounded like it had been polished with sandpaper, successfully arousing the curiosity of the other two.
Before anyone could ask, the carved wooden door of the private room slowly opened. A flash of white following behind Ling Shen plunged the previously bustling room into silence.
Years later, when Yu Tao described this scene to others, his voice still couldn't contain his amazement. For these aristocratic children, immersed in the world of fame and fortune since childhood, accustomed to seeing men and women in the world of makeup, Su Nian's appearance was like the first snow that suddenly fell in the dead of winter, silently covering everyone's eyes and even blousing the surrounding light and shadows.
Ling Shen looked at the various emotions in everyone's eyes with satisfaction, raised his hand and embraced Su Nian, "This is Su Nian, this is Yu Tao, Chang Zi, and Yuan Wenzhong."
Following Ling Shen's finger, Su Nian nodded to the people present one by one.
Yu Tao was the first to react and put out the cigarette in his hand. "Come on, I've been waiting for you."
As Yu Tao spoke, Chang Zi and Yuan Wenzhong came to their senses and moved closer. Su Nian also took this opportunity to break free from Ling Shen's arms and found a corner to sit down slowly.
All the wine on the table was removed, and the private room, which had been silent because of the two of them, became noisy again.
The waiter quickly opened all the bottles on the table. After a brief silence, the room returned to its lively atmosphere. Ling Shen was surrounded by the crowd, drinking frequently as they toasted each other.
On the other hand, Su Nian sat alone in a corner, his fingertips holding the champagne glass were cold and white, and his eyes casually swept across the dancing figure of the resident singer downstairs.
It was not until Ling Shen finished his round that Chang Zi walked up to Su Nian with the wine. "Ding," the two glasses clinked together with a crisp sound, and Chang Zi was the first to drink it all.
Su Nian chuckled and also drank the wine in the glass, so quickly that Chang Zi couldn't react.
"Haha, that's refreshing." Chang Zi couldn't help but laugh out loud after being surprised. After a few drinks, Chang Zi sat next to Su Nian and said drunkenly, "How could you tolerate this person?"
Su Nian lowered her head and chuckled, but did not explain. However, Chang Zi was still drunk and was unwilling to give in, shaking Su Nian's arm.
Yu Tao pushed away the person who came close to him and put his arm around Ling Shen's shoulders. "Ah Shen, who is this person? You have to tell the brothers, right?"
Ling Shen held the wine glass and looked at Su Nian who was being harassed by Chang Zi. There was a flash of confusion in his eyes. It seemed as if he didn't hear what Yu Tao said. He just poured one glass of wine after another into his mouth.
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