Chapter 45 Chapter 45 He's Coming
In March, there are fewer tourists in the town than during the Spring Festival, but there are still many travelers from the north who come here to relax and escape the cold.
Guan Mi's bookshop has unexpectedly become famous for its coffee. Someone's not sure who helped spread the word, but now many tourists buy coffee as soon as they enter the shop. They say a visit to this town is meaningless if you don't have a cup of "Fei Fei Yun Coffee."
She was afraid that business would be bad, but also afraid that business would be too good.
Some customers like to take photos after entering the store, but she always remains cautious and avoids being photographed. She would rather avoid the attention than take the risk of being photographed.
In the past few months, Li Ke rarely contacted Guan Mi, which meant that Shen Yanfeng had not come to Sanya again. She no longer had to worry like when she first came, and began to enjoy this regular life.
I walk to the bookstore every day, and after nightfall I go to the spicy hot pot restaurant I often visit, and end this ordinary and peaceful day with a bowl of hot and spicy food.
/
There were few customers that morning, only a few sleepy office workers came in to buy coffee.
After Guan Mi finished translating the information at hand, he turned on the store's speakers and soft jazz music began to play.
She picked up a damp rag and wiped the bookshelf as usual. In fact, there was almost no dust on it. She cleaned it thoroughly every two days, keeping every corner of the library sparkling clean.
The sea breeze rang the doorbell and someone came in.
"Boss Li, give me a cup of Feifei Cloud Coffee, on the rocks!"
The girl's clear voice was sweet and refreshing, which reminded Guan Mi of Guan Tang's voice.
They were unable to reunite this Spring Festival, and Qiao Qiuying couldn't contact Guan Mi. Even though Guan Tang helped explain that he was too busy with work, she was still worried.
Finally, Guan Mi came up with a plan. After the bookstore closed, under the warm yellow light of a desk lamp, he wrote three pages of letter paper, word by word, and then took a photo of it and sent it to Li Ke. He sent it to someone in Beijing, who printed it out and passed it on to Guan Tang.
Qiao Qiuying felt relieved after receiving the letter.
"Boss Li, it's a bit quiet today." The girl's name is Du Xiang, a local and the daughter of Ms. Zhu, the landlord of the rental house. She just graduated from college last year and has not gone out to work since the end of her internship. She helps manage the homestay business at home.
Guan Mi handed her the brewed coffee, "It's Monday after all, and the weather forecast last night said it would rain today."
"Not just today, my mom said it might rain soon, so there will probably be even fewer tourists." Du Xiang took a sip of coffee and said casually, "There's a good chance there'll be a typhoon."
Guan Mi looked out the window upon hearing this. The sky was indeed very gloomy. She had only been here for half a year, so she was still somewhat unfamiliar with typhoons and felt vaguely uneasy.
The two cities she had often stayed in before had basically never been hit by typhoons, and her understanding of typhoons was still limited to the horrifying reports in the news, such as the overturned roofs, the backflow of seawater, and the broken trees.
"What should we do if a typhoon really comes?" She asked humbly, a hint of worry unconsciously revealing in her tone.
Seeing this, Du Xiang smiled and comforted: "Don't worry, we have been through this since we were young. Just lock the doors and windows, prepare enough dry food and candles, and get a few buckets of water for later use. Listen to some music in the house, and it will be over after a few days of sleep."
Guan Mi immediately took off her apron and said, "I'll buy you coffee. Please help me watch the shop for a while." She grabbed her wallet and walked out. "I only have water at home."
"Are you inviting me again?" Du Xiang smiled and shouted towards the door that was about to close: "I'll ask my mother to reduce your rent some other day."
Guan Mi bought a lot of bread and candles, and even went to the hardware area to get waterproof tape and an emergency flashlight.
When I returned to the bookstore, Du Xiang was helping to greet new customers. From the back, he looked like a thin man.
I don’t know when it started, but when Guan Mi meets a man whose face she can’t see, she will subconsciously look at him carefully.
Du Xiang saw Guan Mi coming in and said to the man in front of him: "The boss is back, she will rush to you."
The man turned around when he heard the sound.
The moment his gaze met that of Guan Mi, his breathing stopped and he froze in place.
This is Xu Yao! He's from Shen Yanfeng's circle. He was there when Lu Kai celebrated his birthday at the hot spring villa that year, and he even took her into the photo when he went out to take pictures.
"Are you... Guan Mi?" Xu Yao asked with some hesitation.
Guan Mi's heart tightened violently, and she could barely control the urge to turn and run. She clutched the object tightly in her arms, knowing that the other party would definitely recognize her, but she still forced herself to deny it: "You've got the wrong person. My name is Li Fei."
"Guan Mi? What Guan Mi?" Du Xiang on the side was confused.
Hearing that voice, Xu Yao was certain that this woman was Guan Mi, whom Chen Yanfeng had been looking for for a long time. He was silent for a while, then chuckled and said, "I must have made a mistake. Sorry."
The atmosphere inexplicably became a little subtle.
Seeing this, Du Xiang quickly tried to smooth things over: "This guest would like a cup of Feifei Cloud Coffee."
"Okay." Guan Mi avoided Xu Yao's gaze, placed the shopping bag under the cashier counter, and pointed to a seat by the window. "The coffee will be ready soon. Please take a seat."
Xu Yao turned around and walked over, took off the camera hanging on his shoulder, and took out his cell phone from his pocket when he sat down.
Guan Mi washed her hands and began to brew coffee. Her hands were a little out of control, and they trembled slightly as she scooped up the coffee powder. Her mind was in a mess, wondering if Xu Yao would tell Chen Yanfeng now. She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on the coffee in front of her.
When he brought the coffee over, Xu Yao looked up at her.
She didn't dodge this time. When he looked confused again, she nodded.
"I didn't expect you to be here," he said.
She looked at him and pulled the corners of her lips: "I'm surprised too..."
"Don't worry, I'm just here for coffee." Xu Yao could see the reluctance in Guan Mi's smile.
Guan Mi breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you."
Not long after, heavy rain poured down.
Xu Yao was trapped in the shop by the rain. He finished his cup of coffee, and the rain showed no sign of letting up. He didn't have an umbrella with him, so he had to grab a book from the shelf to pass the time.
When Guan Mi came over to collect the coffee cups, he casually asked, "Where do you live?"
"Luosheng Street?" Xu Yao had just arrived today and wasn't very familiar with the place yet. "I think that's what it's called."
"That's quite far." Guan Mi said as he walked.
Xu Yao closed the book, raised the camera, adjusted the focus and aimed it at the glass wall blurred by the rain.
He came to Sanya specifically for field research. As a photographer, this kind of sea view in the rain has a unique charm.
After taking a few photos, he turned around and put down the camera, his eyes inadvertently falling on Guan Mi who was wiping the coffee cup.
He was really surprised that Guan Mi was in Sanya.
This place doesn't seem too far from Mr. Shen's residence. Shen Yanfeng should come here often, right? Isn't she afraid of being seen?
He knew that Shen Yanfeng was looking for her because when he was drinking with Lu Kai a while ago, Lu Kai spoke out of turn after getting drunk and revealed that Shen Yanfeng had not stopped looking for Guan Mi in the past few months.
Guan Mi pretended not to see Xu Yao's gaze and calmly busy himself with the work in his hands, but in his heart he was praying that the rain would stop soon.
An hour and a half later, the rain finally subsided.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Yao packed up his things, put the book back in its place, and took money out of his wallet to give to Guan Mi.
"The coffee is delicious. I've been here a lot lately, so I might come here more often."
Guan Mi nodded, put the money away, and took out a long-handled umbrella from the cabinet. "It's still raining, you can use it."
"Thank you." Xu Yao took it. He paused for two seconds as he turned around and said, "I won't tell anyone you're here."
Guan Mi pursed his lips and smiled: "Let's go back now while the rain is still light. It might get heavier later."
Xu Yao nodded and left.
The wind chimes on the door rang crisply, and only when the lingering sound faded away did Guan Mi's tense nerves completely relax.
Fortunately, it was Xu Yao who came today. If it was Liao Yihai or Lu Kai, or even Shen Yanfeng... could she continue to maintain the current calmness?
After much deliberation, she decided to hire a shop assistant. After teaching him the art of brewing coffee, she would let him watch the shop during the off-weeks and come over to help during busy times, minimizing her time outside.
Sometimes she would get tired of having to hide from others, especially when she wanted to send money home but couldn't.
She sighed, took a piece of A4 paper, and carefully wrote the recruitment notice.
/
After nearly half a year, Qiao Qiuying saw Shen Yanfeng at her doorstep again.
He leaned against the door frame, wearing a white shirt and black trousers. His figure was still upright, but his aura was much lower.
Compared to the calm young man half a year ago, there was a lingering weariness between his brows at this moment, his jawline was a little tense, and his whole body seemed to be consumed by something invisible for a long time.
What remains unchanged is that he still did not come empty-handed, this time he brought various expensive supplements.
Qiao Qiuying asked Guan Tang, and Guan Tang admitted that Guan Mi and Shen Yanfeng had been together, but said that they broke up when Guan Mi went to Los Angeles. So she wondered, when he brought so many things to "propose marriage" last time, was he actually trying to win Guan Mi back?
She put down the teacup and asked slowly, "Mr. Shen, are you and Xiao Mi...broken up?"
Shen Yanfeng was slightly startled, then shook his head: "No. It's just that we quarreled for a long time this time, and she is still angry with me."
"What are you arguing about?" Qiao Qiuying couldn't help but ask.
"It's my fault." Shen Yanfeng lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "But please believe me, it's not a matter of principle. I love Guan Mi very much, so I have been trying to win her back."
He paused, his Adam's apple rolling slightly: "It's just that she doesn't want to see me at all now."
Qiao Qiuying looked at the handsome and devoted young man before her, and thought of Guan Tang's illness, with mixed emotions in her heart. She sighed softly, her tone softening slightly, "Mr. Shen, to be honest, our whole family is very grateful to you. Especially for Xiao Tang's matter, we will always remember this kindness. But between you and Xiao Mi... I can't interfere. She is my daughter, and as a mother, I naturally stand on her side first."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yanfeng only smiled slightly, "Auntie, has she contacted you recently?"
This was the purpose of his trip.
He didn't believe it, didn't believe Guan Mi could completely cut off contact with her family. She must have used some method he hadn't found yet to secretly keep in touch with her family.
Qiao Qiuying shook her head. "She's been busy with work in Los Angeles. She hasn't called home in all the time she's been gone. She did send a letter back during the Chinese New Year."
"Letter?" Shen Yanfeng keenly caught the word, and after a moment's silence, he asked softly, "Auntie, can you let me see the letter?"
Qiao Qiuying felt that there was nothing wrong with reading the letter, so she stood up and took the letter out from the cabinet in the room.
"The child is busy with work, and we understand her. It would be nice if we could just talk on the phone once in a while."
Chen Yanfeng read the three-page letter word by word. It described Guan Mi's life in "Los Angeles" and urged Guan's family to take care of their health. The words on the letter were indeed Guan Mi's, but they looked like they were typed.
He suppressed the throbbing in his heart and asked in a steady voice, "Did Guan Tang bring the letter back?"
After receiving Qiao Qiuying's affirmative answer, Shen Yanfeng stood up and said goodbye.
Qiao Qiuying asked Chen Yanfeng to take everything back. Since they had already broken up, she really couldn't accept these things. The "bride price" from last time was still unopened in the sisters' room.
"Auntie, please accept these." Shen Yanfeng looked earnestly, "Just think of it as a token of my gratitude as a junior."
To be fair, Guan Mi's refusal to come back was entirely his fault, and these things were his compensation.
After Guan Tang received the call from Chen Yanfeng, she had originally decided to answer all his subsequent inquiries with "I don't know". But when she sat down at the agreed restaurant and saw the piece of paper that Chen Yanfeng pushed over, she was completely stunned.
It was a handwritten "Kidney Donation Commitment Letter".
Kidney Donation Pledge:
To Guan Tang:
I, Shen Yanfeng, hereby solemnly promise:
If your condition requires a kidney transplant in the future and my kidney is a match for yours, I will voluntarily donate a kidney to you.
Promiser: Shen Yanfeng
Date: March 7, 2016
Guan Tang was speechless for a long time. She certainly understood that Shen Yanfeng's heavy promise and extraordinary sacrifice were all for her sister Guan Mi. She was simply shocked by Shen Yanfeng's love. To what extent must he love her so much that he would sacrifice everything to find her?
She pushed the letter of commitment back in front of him and said, "Mr. Shen, thank you...but I can't accept it. I already owe you too much for being able to use such good medicine."
She lowered her head and said, "The letter was given to me by a man from Beijing. I don't know him, let alone where my sister is."
Shen Yanfeng did not embarrass her, nor did he take back the letter of promise.
He immediately asked Special Assistant Liu to check the person from Beijing. As expected, it turned out to be Shao Xin's man, and the other party had already left Beijing and was nowhere to be found.
The clue that finally emerged was interrupted again.
Lu Kai was chatting and laughing with a few friends in the booth on the first floor. When he turned around, he saw Shen Yanfeng walking in from the door.
He was dressed in black, with a long, thin cigarette between his lips and a weary look on his face. When a drunk customer accidentally bumped into his shoulder, he simply turned aside indifferently, his face expressionless.
Lu Kai patted his friend's shoulder and said, "You guys play first, I'll go up and take a look."
He followed him up to the third floor and pushed open the door to the private room. He saw Shen Yanfeng sitting alone on the sofa, the whiskey in front of him half empty. Lu Kai didn't ask anything, but opened another bottle of wine and sat down next to him.
The two drank in silence until Chen Yanfeng fell drunk on the sofa.
Lu Kai extinguished the cigarette in his hand and stood up to help him. Just as he leaned over, the dim light in the box swept across Shen Yanfeng's cheek, and the clear tear marks made Lu Kai's movements pause instantly.
He sighed heavily, "Why bother."
/
Guan Mi went to the secondhand market on Monday afternoon to look for books. Realizing the store's cultural and creative products were sold out, she returned from her book hunt and headed to the beach to collect shells. She wanted to do more this time, as she feared she wouldn't have the time during summer vacation, when the tourist season increased.
The job posting had been posted for a while, but the phone hadn't rung. The salary she offered wasn't low, with two meals included. There was a small storage room in the library that could be used for living after a bit of tidying up. Sister Zhu said the conditions were quite good and advised her to be patient and wait.
"If you don't mind, how about I work for you?" Xu Yao put down the camera and said half-jokingly.
He had been here for half a month, coming to the book bar every day for a cup of coffee. He had become quite familiar with Guan Mi after a few visits. Today, knowing she was going to collect shells, he brought his camera along.
"I only recruit girls." Guan Mi continued walking forward carrying the bamboo basket.
Xu Yao smiled and followed her pace.
After picking up the shells, Guan Mi's cell phone rang.
She put the basket down and pulled her phone from her pocket.
It was a message from Li Ke: [He's here. Just got off the plane.]
Her head buzzed, and she turned to look at Xu Yao, who was taking pictures of the sunset. "I'm closing the shop for a few days. If you want to drink coffee, go to another place in the city."
Xu Yao immediately understood what she meant.
He walked over and asked hesitantly, "Suddenly closing the store? Is Yan Feng here?"
Guan Mi hummed a low "hmm," bent down to pick up the basket, and unconsciously quickened his pace: "If he happens to meet you, please don't tell him you've seen me here."
"Don't worry." Xu Yao said in a deep voice, looking at her back.
Guan Mi went straight back to her rental apartment. She carefully washed the shells she had collected and spread them out on the balcony table to dry. Then she went to the kitchen to check the stock and found only enough vegetables for one meal. Just as she was about to call Li Ke to get some, the whole room suddenly went dark with a snap.
The sudden darkness was like an invisible hand strangling her breath. Guan Mi's body froze, and she stood there motionless, her heart pounding in the silence. She pricked up her ears, trying to distinguish any subtle sound in the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, a series of rapid knocks on the door reached her ears clearly. She held her breath and listened carefully. The sound was indeed knocking on her door.
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