Qin Yan took the phone from me and looked at Yan Yan’s photo for a long time before sighing, “She’s truly an extraordinary woman! You can tell from her confident smile. She’s young and beautiful. It’s really hard to imagine that a woman like her would endure the pain of being abandoned. I can sense a sort of tragic emptiness in her that spans seven years. It’s hard to put this feeling into words.”
I nodded. The word “tragic” was shocking when used to describe Yan Yan, especially coming from a man who had never met her. I had never described her so accurately myself. Perhaps only with deep subconscious attention could someone find such a fitting word.
Although Qin Yan was talking to me, he still held onto my phone. After a while, he noticed my uneasy gaze, awkwardly returned the phone to me. Suddenly, I felt afraid that he had developed feelings for Yan Yan. Because infatuation means heartbreak. Yan Yan has her own complexities. The man she needs isn’t someone like Qin Yan. Moreover, Qin Yan comes from a good background, and his parents would likely have high expectations for his partner and might not accept Yan Yan, a divorced woman. Yet, sometimes love defies all logic. I saw a determined, fiery look in Qin Yan’s eyes, similar to the way young boys look at Xiaojun. This seemed like a dangerous signal!
I put the phone into my pocket, but Qin Yan’s attention was clearly not as focused as before. He had clearly become a man with something on his mind. Concerned, I asked him, “Qin Yan, are you perhaps too immersed in the shock of this story? Do you feel like your perceptions have been overturned, and that there are still women in this world who live purely for love, placing material concerns in a secondary position?”
“Yang Ge, the example you gave me did shock me, but that’s not what’s on my mind…”
“Then what is on your mind?”
“Do you believe in love at first sight? Or fate?”
This familiar dialogue involuntarily made me think, “Oh no, here it comes,” as I inwardly braced myself against the thought. I replied to Qin Yan with a sense of rejection, “I don’t believe in that. Because getting to know someone is a very complex proposition. We need to gradually peel away the layers to truly understand the other person’s essence. Relying solely on love at first sight is too superficial!”
Qin Yan was momentarily speechless, staring at me for a while without saying anything… until Mi Cai appeared outside the coffee shop, habitually tapping on the glass window to greet me. Only then did he turn his head to look outside.
In a good mood, Mi Cai came over to us, rubbing her cold hands together, and asked, “Zhaoyang, is this the new barista we hired for the coffee shop?”
“Yeah, let me introduce you. The one rubbing her hands is my fiancée, Mi Cai, and also the owner of this coffee shop!”
Qin Yan politely said, “Hello,” and then returned to his own thoughts, leaving the first impression on Mi Cai that he was somewhat aloof and a quiet type.
Recently, Mi Cai has become obsessed with candied chestnuts, so today she spent 20 yuan buying two portions. She also brought a small bottle of honey from the large jar at home, so she could dip the chestnuts in honey while eating. I found her behavior quite endearing because it showed she had quite the sweet tooth—otherwise, why would she go to such lengths to carry a small honey jar around with her?
Mi Cai and I sat on one side while Qin Yan sat alone on the other. We three shared the two portions of candied chestnuts. Obviously, Mi Cai and I were focused on eating while Qin Yan was just going through the motions, peeling only two chestnuts before losing interest.
At that moment, Dai Wenshan from Long Photography came in with four customers for photo sessions. Clearly, his photography business was booming. In the past three days, he was the only one consistently bringing customers in for photo shoots.
Dai Wenshan greeted us, and Mi Cai offered him some chestnuts. He smiled and said, “I don’t even have time to eat chestnuts. Why don’t you help me take pictures for these customers?”
Mi Cai smiled and replied, “You don’t fear that I might mess it up? If the customers aren’t satisfied, I can’t take that responsibility!”
In reality, Mi Cai is quite a reserved woman. Her ability to respond to Dai Wenshan with a smile, especially in a joking manner, indeed showcased the power of shared interests. Dai Wenshan also laughed and said, “I absolutely trust your photography skills!”
“But I can’t help you take pictures. I’m busy having snacks with my husband!”
This was the first time Mi Cai had called me “husband” in front of others. I felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment and joked with Dai Wenshan, saying, “Go ahead and take your pictures. Don’t interrupt us couple’s snack time!”
“What a perfect harmony between husband and wife! However, I really hope Mi Cai could shoot a set of portraits for my customers from a female perspective. These would be displayed in our studio as samples. Honestly, in photography, the male and female perspectives are definitely different. Women are better at capturing details while men excel at handling grand scenes. Therefore, I’d really like to see how a female photographer would handle personal portraits that require more attention to detail. Of course, this favor won’t go unrewarded. I’ll treat you two to dinner tonight. You can choose the place.”
With things said to this extent, Mi Cai found it hard to refuse. Plus, this was something she genuinely enjoyed, so she nodded in agreement. She wiped her hands with a napkin and took the camera from Dai Wenshan. She started adjusting the settings inside the shop, exchanging some photography insights with Dai Wenshan. The first customer was already ready. After finding the right angle, Mi Cai began taking pictures. Watching her work so diligently brought me a sense of comfort. I hoped that life in Xuzhou would be easy and free for her, allowing her to fully engage in the things she loved. This was also one of the reasons why I built the café around the theme of visual arts. Here, Mi Cai could frequently have opportunities to pursue her interests and hobbies.
Inside the coffee shop, Qin Yan was making coffee for customers, while Mi Cai and Dai Wenshan were busy taking photos. I thus became the only idle person. As the sun had not yet fully set, I gazed into the slightly empty distance. My thoughts wandered, inevitably recalling many people and events. They all seemed to be struggling with unhappiness. Yet, Mi Cai and I had already settled down, seeing happiness waving at us from not far away!
I wondered whether CC and Luoben would have a beautiful encounter at our wedding when they heard the news of our marriage.
Would Leyao, this prominent figure, really skip the wedding because of my previous teasing rejection? Or would she attend with Cao Jinfie?
And Zhou Zhaokun? He was also a good friend of mine. Probably, seeing Leyao and Cao Jinfie together on that day would be a painful sight for him. I knew he had feelings for Leyao before. But now, it seemed that Cao Jinfie was indeed more suitable for Leyao than he was.
I thought of Jian Wei again but didn’t dwell on it. It was just a fleeting thought because she was also a source of pain and an unresolved attachment for me. The more I thought about her, the more crises arose between Mi Cai and me. I could only wish her to find a good man who could truly shoulder the responsibility of a lifetime with her.
Outside the window, the evening grew darker as my thoughts continued. The streetlights once again cast their unique glow, creating a hazy night. I felt weary in this haze and stopped thinking about everything, closing my eyes to rest. Gradually, I fell asleep and in my sleep, I dreamed of twenty years passing in an instant. I dreamed that Mi Cai had become my wife, giving birth to a son and a daughter. This was actually part of our plan. But there were also unexpected parts of the dream. I had become the CEO of a listed company, standing at the peak of the business world, directing affairs with confidence. I also dreamed of Fangyuan and Xiangchen, but I didn’t dream of their endings. They were still running wild in my dreams…
Suddenly, I felt a wave of warmth, which pulled me out of my dream. It was Mi Cai covering me with a blanket. Only she and I remained in the coffee shop. Outside the window was an endless night, illuminated by the flattering glow of the streetlights.
“Are you done shooting?”
“Yeah… By the way, Wenshan wants to treat us to dinner. Shall we go? He’ll probably call us soon.”
“Let’s wait for his call… First, let’s go home and see what lucky date Dad and Mom have picked for us.”
Mi Cai linked her arm with mine and smiled, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
…
Outside the coffee shop, I locked the door while Mi Cai took the opportunity to capture the hazy night with her camera. She seemed to have taken another photo she was satisfied with and happily showed it to me to share. My approval made her even happier as she linked her arm with mine and said, “Zhaoyang, do you know? I really like this current life. It’s so relaxed and fulfilling. Every day, I can live for the expectations of tomorrow… Even coming to the coffee shop to find you after work every day feels like a happiness!”
Touched by her words, I hugged her tightly… At that moment, even the night and lights seemed to come together, as if symbolizing our fulfilling lives. I looked forward even more to the wedding date that Dad and Mom would choose for us. For us, marriage was not just a symbol; it represented real life that we needed to carefully nurture.
We drove for twenty minutes without encountering any traffic and returned home smoothly. After parking the car, we saw the lights shining down from our house, brightly guiding us. Mom, busy in the kitchen, noticed us first and waved to us from above, as if she had prepared another dinner we liked… This was the warmth of home!
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