Chen Jingming ended the call after informing me of the news. It seemed that both of us found it difficult to face each other. I didn’t ask where he was working now, and he didn’t inquire about what I was busy with in Xuzhou.
I placed the phone back on the table. Suddenly, the fatigue from a morning of work overwhelmed me. I lit a cigarette, leaned back in my chair, and tried to relax. Yet my mind kept imagining what kind of person Mi Cai’s mother could be. Although we had never met, she had become increasingly vivid in my mind, perhaps because we would meet soon. However, I was reluctant to meet her—maybe because Mi Cai’s aversion had infected me, or perhaps it was because I lacked confidence at this moment.
Soon, it was already noon. In the half-day that had passed, I had successfully recruited a coffee shop employee I was satisfied with. He was a well-rounded barista, capable not only of making coffee but also cocktails and pastries. His versatility saved me many troubles, and naturally, I offered him a high salary. Now, all that remained was to find a female server with a good appearance and pleasant demeanor.
As I was thinking about what to have for lunch, Mi Cai appeared in front of me holding two insulated lunch boxes. She placed them on the table and cheerfully said, “Zhaoyang, this is lunch from Auntie. There’s chicken soup, sweet and sour ribs, and vegetables with tofu. She really knows how to put together a good meal—not just great taste, but also balanced nutrition!”
I smiled and replied, “When someone truly cares about another person, even if they didn’t know how to make good combinations before, they can learn now.”
“You mean Auntie really cares about me?”
“Mm-hmm… Tell me secretly—since you and Xiaoyun share an office, did she prepare lunch for Xiaoyun too?”
Mi Cai shook her head.
“See? Your mother’s strengths and weaknesses are very clear. Once she truly accepts someone, she’ll care for them selflessly.”
Mi Cai looked touched but suddenly said, “If that’s the case, won’t Xiaoyun feel disappointed? After all, she used to be your girlfriend, and Auntie treated her so well selflessly before, but now she’s shifted her attention elsewhere!”
Mi Cai’s sudden shift in thinking made me feel quite embarrassed. After a pause, I replied, “You really shouldn’t make this kind of comparison. My relationship with Li Xiaoyun already feels like ancient history. Besides, Xiaoyun certainly won’t feel disappointed—her mother-in-law treats her extremely well!”
Mi Cai nodded, “Oh, then I can feel at ease enjoying Auntie’s kindness.”
“How come I feel like there’s something else behind your words?”
“If there’s anything hidden, you’ll have to figure it out yourself,” Mi Cai said, opening the lunch box. “Now hurry up and eat. I only have an hour and a half for lunch break, and I already spent 30 minutes getting here.”
“Thirty minutes? Does it really take that long by taxi?”
“I took bus 101. After reaching the terminal station, I walked another ten minutes.”
A wave of emotion welled up inside me—deep gratitude mixed with guilt. It was because of me that she had to endure such hardships, even though she didn’t seem to mind.
I reached for her hand, pulled her to sit beside me, and softly said, “If you think driving a Q7 is too flashy, then switch to a more ordinary car. I don’t want your commute to be this inconvenient.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine… Hurry up and eat. You’re lucky today because Auntie specifically told me not to bring you lunch—she only made enough for one person. Sigh! But when I think about how you don’t even have a proper lunch on such a cold winter day, I feel terrible.”
Although she changed the subject, my thoughts still lingered on her taking the bus. I couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions. However, seeing that she truly didn’t mind, I finally smiled and replied, “Come on, my mom is just testing how much you care about me. This lunch box clearly contains enough for two people… You must realize I’m her real son, not picked up from a trash can. I’m precious to her!”
“Yeah, so precious… Auntie really cares about you!” Mi Cai said, taking out a bowl from the lunch box that obviously only had a single serving. She filled a small portion for herself and transferred the majority to a compartment in the lunch box before handing it to me.
I made a face. This lunch break had been so busy, and I had been overly optimistic. The reality was that Mi Cai and I had to split a single portion of food between us.
During lunch, Mi Cai and I discussed buying appliances for the new house. After deciding what to purchase, we fell into a brief silence.
In the middle of this silence, I thought back to the phone call from Chen Jingming earlier. I was unsure whether I should tell Mi Cai immediately. She probably wouldn’t want to hear this news, otherwise she wouldn’t have deliberately avoided contact with her mother. This deliberate avoidance gave me an even stronger signal: she and her mother were in conflict, and her mother opposed our being together—or more specifically, she opposed Mi Cai’s current, ordinary lifestyle.
As I hesitated, a minivan suddenly stopped in front of the coffee shop. The door opened, and a photographer, his assistant, and six women entered. Mi Cai and I instinctively put down our chopsticks and stood up to greet them.
The photographer was a man wearing a beret and sporting a small mustache. He approached me and asked, “Are you the owner of this coffee shop?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Hello, hello… I’m Dai Wenshan, owner and photographer of Xuzhou Long Photography. I heard from Director Li (Li Xiaoyun) at Osen Advertising that we can collaborate here for free location shooting. So I’ve brought some customers over to test the effect.”
I extended my hand and smiled, “Welcome, welcome… I believe this color-themed coffee shop will surely inspire your photography.”
Dai Wenshan nodded, immediately removed the lens cap, and began professionally capturing every clever detail of the coffee shop through his camera. Finally, his lens settled on Mi Cai. With a “click,” her figure was captured in his shot. He lowered his camera, apologized to Mi Cai, and said, “Sorry for taking your photo without permission, but photographers are naturally sensitive to beauty—especially when it appears through the lens, it’s hard to resist!”
Mi Cai smiled and replied, “It’s okay, I understand. I also enjoy photography…”
After thanking Mi Cai, Dai Wenshan looked at the photo he had just taken and nodded in satisfaction. He then invited the female customers to view the image. Mi Cai was a natural-born model. Thanks to her, the women became even more eager to have their portraits taken here. However, Dai Wenshan once again keenly noticed the scenery outside the coffee shop. As he walked toward the door, he said to the women, “Please go ahead and order your drinks first. Give me ten minutes—the sunlight is perfect right now, and I want to photograph the scenery outside. I never expected Xuzhou to offer such a unique perspective with such an open view!!…”
Dai Wenshan seemed to be a very persuasive photographer. Therefore, the female customers did not show impatience. They approached me to place their orders. I felt helpless and apologized, explaining that the coffee shop had not officially opened yet and I personally didn’t know how to make coffee. However, they refused to compromise and insisted I make coffee for them because without a proper cup of coffee as a prop, they couldn’t properly showcase their bourgeois style.
Mi Cai came to my rescue. She said she could make several types of specialty coffees. The women weren’t picky and said coffee was fine. Then they all sat near the windows and asked me if anyone had previously come here for photo shoots. When I told them they were the first, they expressed deep honor, which I found amusing. In fact, sitting quietly here and enjoying a cup of coffee was the real expression of style… But at this stage, I really needed customers like them because their liveliness was actually a powerful form of promotion. As soon as they settled in, they took photos of the coffee shop and shared them on their WeChat Moments, which meant potential new customers for the shop!
Shortly afterward, Mi Cai finished the first cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Dai Wenshan had already finished photographing the exterior and was now helping the first female customer take portraits with his assistant.
To avoid disturbing the photo session, I took the unfinished lunch Mi Cai and I had and moved it to the bar counter. Standing beside her, I watched her make specialty coffee and asked, “When did you learn how to make coffee? I didn’t even know you could.”
Mi Cai smiled and teased me, “A well-rounded skill set is important. Did you think just being able to play guitar gives you a place in the martial arts world? At best, you’re just a minor sect leader!”
“In that case, you must be the Grand Master of the martial arts world. When are you going to unify the martial world, Master Mi?”
“While I’m making coffee, you stay quiet and just stand there obediently.”
“You really get into character, Grand Master Mi…!”
Mi Cai deliberately frowned, “The martial world is dangerous. I’m keeping you safe by telling you to stay still. Don’t waste my good intentions!”
I smiled and gently patted her head. Sometimes she really was such a lovely woman! I truly wished to live a simple life with her forever.
About an hour later, all six female customers brought by Dai Wenshan had finished their photo sessions against the backdrop of our coffee shop. Eager to see the results, they immediately asked Dai Wenshan for the raw photos and shared them on their WeChat Moments. As they left, they paid for their consumption at our coffee shop—six cups of coffee totaling 200 yuan… This was the first money Mi Cai and I earned after returning to Xuzhou.
Before we could even savor our sense of achievement, Mi Cai suddenly gasped. She had already missed her work start time. Without even finishing her lunch, she grabbed her handbag and ran out of the coffee shop, catching up with Dai Wenshan’s van to head back to the city center.
I stood there, gazing at the direction she had gone. During this lunch meeting, I hadn’t had the chance to tell her that her mother was coming back. I wondered whether, when her mother saw how increasingly ordinary Mi Cai had become, she would feel the same sense of fulfillment as I did…
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