Soon, the coffee was brought over. A slight sound was made as it was placed on the table. “Please enjoy.”
Zhu Jingru had a secret penchant. He discreetly gazed at the hand beside the cup, still able to detect the faint scent of pine-scented hand soap.
Because of his fair skin, the blue veins on the back of his hand were prominent. His palm was broad, his fingers long and slender, the protruding knuckles slightly red. Thin calluses hinted at strength, perfect for insertion or deep throating.
Thinking of this, Zhu Jingru immediately picked up the coffee he had just put down and gulped it down in one go. In just a few dozen seconds, he drained the cup, his voice slightly hoarse from the heat. His expression, however, remained perfectly composed. “Another iced Americano, please. Thank you.”
This smooth and practiced maneuver left the server next to him dumbfounded.
If an ordinary person did this, they’d be suspected of being insane. But with Zhu Jingru’s attire and demeanor, he didn’t seem like someone with mental problems.
“Certainly.” The man, strangely, was also very calm. He placed the empty cup on a tray and turned to leave.
Only when the man turned his back did Zhu Jingru open his mouth, repeatedly inhaling and exhaling, feeling as if his internal organs had melted. The corners of his eyes welled up with moisture from his physiological reaction. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his tears and couldn’t help but conclude:
Drinking plenty of hot water couldn’t cure love at first sight.
By evening, the burning sensation in his throat persisted, his voice much hoarser. To avoid truly jinxing himself, Zhu Jingru reluctantly went to the hospital to register.
On the way, staring at the white walls of the hospital, he couldn’t help but recall the coffee shop.
After the examination, the doctor prescribed medicine, advising him to drink fewer hot beverages in the near future, to protect his throat, and to drink lukewarm liquids instead.
Lost in thought, Zhu Jingru blurted out, “If I can’t drink it, can I touch it…”
“What???”
Zhu Jingru calmly replied, “Nothing.”
Under his direct and frank gaze, the doctor began to wonder if he had misheard.
The next morning, Zhu Jingru deliberately chewed on ice cubes to wake himself up. His sore throat didn’t prevent him from preening himself like a peacock. Then he entered the coffee shop again, obediently ordered lukewarm coffee, sat at the window seat closest to the counter, and basked in the sun for a full hour.
Two weeks passed by unnoticed. Zhu Jingru went to drink coffee every day, entering, ordering, finishing his coffee, and leaving, without revealing his intentions.
On the fifteenth day, a hazy drizzle began to fall.
Zhu Jingru sat there with focused attention, his charcoal pencil meticulously sketching in his sketchbook. On the paper, a lifelike image emerged — a hand holding a glass, knuckles distinct, the masculine beauty of the hand evident. Next to it, he wrote small characters:
Surname Bai, given name Qinglin.
The server had told him.
Zhu Jingru had a discerning eye and had immediately taken a liking to the shop owner. After finishing the sketch, he quietly gazed at Bai Qinglin’s back in the distance.
The man was standing by the back door, making a phone call, his voice lowered so that it was indistinct. The muscles of his arms, with their armbands, were well-proportioned, suggesting regular exercise. His figure and posture exuded self-discipline.
This phone call was quite long. Bai Qinglin was usually a man of few words, but he was good at managing things. He handled almost all the matters of the coffee shop, big and small.
Zhu Jingru timed his departure perfectly, glancing back at Bai Qinglin twice before leaving.
A gust of wind blew, and both the wind chimes and his heart stirred.
At nightfall, Zhu Jingru parked his car by the roadside in front of the coffee shop. The back seat was piled high with more than ten takeout coffee cups, washed spotlessly clean. He had come to drink during the day and had also ordered takeout in the evening, a very supportive customer.
Tang Chen sat in the passenger seat, yawning, “So that’s why you’ve been running here every day. Turns out the peacock has finally found someone to its liking.”
“He is indeed pleasing to the eye.”
“It’s no use if he’s pleasing to your eye; he has to find you pleasing to his. What if he has a partner?”
“He doesn’t.”
“Alright, according to you, he’s not only single, handsome, and has a great figure, but he’s also highly educated. Can a dropout like you even compete?” Tang Chen rambled on, “If you can’t get him, let me have a go…”
His phone alarm rang. It was exactly nine o’clock.
Bai Qinglin’s coffee shop closed at nine in the evening, and Zhu Jingru’s bar opened promptly at nine. They were separated by a single street, distinctly different.
Bai Qinglin would definitely pass in front of Zhu Jingru’s car when he came down the steps after closing.
Bathed in the streetlight, Bai Qinglin lowered his head and flicked his lighter. His slender fingers held a Su Yan cigarette. His clothes were all dark, his collar neat and tidy, with the solitary air of a mature man. Every gesture was visually appealing.
Zhu Jingru gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on him. “When did I say I was going to pursue him?”
Tang Chen: “???”
Only when the figure walked further and further away did Zhu Jingru look away, replying slowly, “I have to think of a way to make him chase me.”
