Blue Cocktail chapter 12
Cheng Shuo’s attempt to free his hand from Lu Huaiqian’s grasp was caught in his throat. He withdrew his hand somewhat sheepishly, then suddenly felt like he was being a bit hypocritical. He had to explain dryly, “I just don’t like physical contact with people I’m not familiar with.”
“Not familiar?” Lu Huaiqian responded with mock seriousness, placing his right hand over his left chest. “We are both in this room alone, and you still think we’re not familiar, Cheng Shuo, the way you’re talking is hurting my feelings.”
Cheng Shuo was momentarily stunned, even though Lu Huaiqian was clearly joking, he realized there was some truth to his words when he thought about it more.
He was silent for a few seconds and then confidently added, “Everyone has different definitions of familiarity. That’s normal.”
Then, his voice got smaller, “You might consider someone you’ve met twice as a friend, but that doesn’t meet my criteria for familiarity—”
Cheng Shuo finished his sentence, pursed his lips, and, finally, added, “Well, not completely unfamiliar.”
He explained his contradiction, and when he raised his head, his gaze fell directly into the other’s eyes – there was a triumphant look in them.
Lu Huaiqian nodded, somewhat ambiguously, and then changed the subject, saying, “Are you afraid of thunder?”
Cheng Shuo replied, “No.”
Lu Huaiqian asked again, “Afraid of the dark?”
Cheng Shuo said, “No.”
His denials were quite straightforward. Lu Huaiqian found it amusing and asked, “Then what are you afraid of?”
Cheng Shuo played dumb, “What am I afraid of?”
Lu Huaiqian chuckled at how stubborn he was. He cut to the chase, saying, “Then why did you ask me to stay and hold my hand so tightly?”
Cheng Shuo fell silent instantly. After a long pause, he finally managed to say confidently, “A dark environment combined with the sound of thunder triggers some memories from my childhood. However, it only works when both of these factors are present. If only one of them appears, I won’t be afraid.”
From Cheng Shuo’s explanation, it seemed that his earlier answers about being afraid of thunder or the dark weren’t entirely wrong.
Lu Huaiqian raised an eyebrow and made a sound of acknowledgment.
Cheng Shuo remembered something and hurriedly added before Lu Huaiqian could speak, “Don’t ask me what memories were triggered. I won’t tell you.”
After speaking, perhaps realizing he had been too harsh, he added quickly, “But I haven’t told anyone else either.”
Lu Huaiqian nodded with a smile, “Alright, alright, I won’t ask.”
After that, he suddenly sat up, startling Cheng Shuo, who instinctively moved to the side.
Lu Huaiqian glanced at him, then stretched lazily. His hand brushed against Cheng Shuo’s hair, causing Cheng Shuo to shift away again.
After these movements, Lu Huaiqian picked up his phone from the coffee table, checked the time, and sighed, “It’s almost midnight. It’s late.”
Cheng Shuo asked, “Are you leaving tonight?”
Lu Huaiqian didn’t answer directly but asked, “Do you want me to stay?”
Cheng Shuo seemed caught off guard. He paused for a few seconds before saying, “Your actions are beyond my personal will.”
“Wrong,” Lu Huaiqian immediately refuted. He began in a solemn tone, “Words can’t be spoken casually. Before you speak, you should touch your conscience.”
Then he adopted a nonchalant look, with a lazy tone. “My actions aren’t subject to your personal will?”
He looked somewhat serious in his eyes and tone.
“Cheng Shuo.”
Being called by his name, Cheng Shuo froze.
The prolonged tone lingered in his ears, resonating in his chest. Eventually, Cheng Shuo muttered, “You can stay.”
“But there’s a very serious question.” Lu Huaiqian continued.
“What is it?” Cheng Shuo asked.
“There’s only one bed. Where am I going to sleep?”
Lu Huaiqian appeared somewhat troubled. “If you and I sleep on the same bed, you probably wouldn’t like that. After all, we’re not that familiar.”
Cheng Shuo suggested, “There’s also a sofa.”
Lu Huaiqian replied without hesitation, “I don’t like sleeping on the sofa.”
Cheng Shuo hesitated for a few seconds, as if making a decision. “You sleep on the bed then.”
Lu Huaiqian, knowing full well what Cheng Shuo was going to say, asked, “And you?”
“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Lu Huaiqian seemed a bit surprised. “So, you’re giving up the bed for me to stay. I’m touched.”
“What do you mean by ‘for you’?” Cheng Shuo immediately denied, “I prefer the sofa. The sofa is softer and more comfortable than the bed.”
Lu Huaiqian couldn’t help but smile, his eyebrows slightly raised. He thought that Cheng Shuo was not being completely honest, but he found it quite interesting.
“By the way, Cheng Shuo, did you bring your toiletries?”
“No.”
“Just so you know, you don’t need to go to the convenience store downstairs. It’s raining lightly outside. I brought a set of disposable toiletries from the hotel in the bathroom, and it’s brand new, unopened.”
“I’ll transfer you the money.”
Lu Huaiqian flatly refused, “No need.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Shuo couldn’t help feeling a slight tug at his heart.
But in the next moment, Lu Huaiqian laughed, “I’ve already included the money in the rent.”
Cheng Shuo: “…”
Suddenly, there were a few flickers all around, and the chandelier lit up all at once, illuminating the living room abruptly.
Finally, the power came back on!
Cheng Shuo’s pupils hadn’t yet adjusted to the sudden brightness. He subconsciously used his hand to shield his eyes while squinting.
He heard the faint rustling sound beside him and caught sight of Lu Huaiqian’s figure standing up and heading towards the hallway.
Lu Huaiqian, not knowing how many times he’d put on his black leather shoes, opened the door without hesitation, “okay, I’m leaving. Contact me if there’s anything.”
Shielding his eyes from the light, Cheng Shuo blurted out in a rush, “Didn’t you say you were going to stay?”
Finally turning back, Lu Huaiqian sighed, “Do you think I’d believe your words? That you actually prefer sleeping on the sofa? I have things to attend to at the bar. I didn’t plan to stay overnight.”
“Good night, Cheng Shuo. Sweet dreams.”
With that, he decisively closed the door.
A gust of wind slipped through the door crack, brushing over Cheng Shuo’s face and gently rustling his hair.
The bar closed at one o’clock.
It was nearly a thirty-minute drive from the apartments to the Mo Blue Bar, and there were few people on the road.
Back at the cocktail bar, Lu Huaiqian pushed open the door, and there were only a few scattered customers.
Zhao Ge behind the counter seemed to see Lu Huaiqian as a savior. He was tearful with gratitude, “Boss Lu, you’re finally back!”
Lu Huaiqian was initially confused but, seeing the Caucasian next to Zhao Ge, he quickly understood.
Although Pei Jiang was not the capital city, it was still considered a metropolitan area with a high level of inclusivity and openness. Hence, the Mo Blue Bar occasionally received foreign visitors.
The customer in front of him seemed to have encountered some trouble or maybe had an overwhelming desire to talk. He leaned on the bar counter and spoke rapidly in English.
Unfortunately, Zhao Ge only knew a few English words related to cocktails. He smiled politely, feeling embarrassed, occasionally acknowledging with a few ‘yes’ sounds to show he was listening.
Seeing this, Lu Huaiqian put away his umbrella, walked over to the customer, and found that he seemed somewhat familiar; he was probably a repeat customer.
They greeted each other in English. The customer used his native language to say hello to Lu Huaiqian.
So, the two began to communicate.
The customer was very emotional, speaking quickly and with heightened gestures, changing from agitation to desolation.
Lu Huaiqian engaged in conversation, using impeccable English pronunciation, rhythm, intonation, and pauses – not much different from a native English speaker. While he listened, he provided Zhao Ge with the tools for mixing drinks, occasionally using English to respond or furrowing his brows.
After the customer finished sharing his story, Lu Huaiqian responded in a low, sympathetic English tone, “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how you feel, dude.”
The customer, a burly man with developed chest muscles, couldn’t hold back and burst into tears, saying, “I’m fine,” while picking up the cocktail Zhao Ge offered, before leaving, feeling dejected.
Zhao Ge was stunned at seeing the tough man crying. After the customer had walked away, he quietly asked Lu Huaiqian, “What did he say to you?”
Lu Huaiqian shook his head with a complex expression, “A rather melodramatic story about love and breakup.”
“What story?” Zhao Ge asked.
Lu Huaiqian briefly summarized the lengthy English narrative in a few simple sentences in Chinese.
Stunned, Zhao Ge stood in place for a long time, until Lu Huaiqian snapped his fingers in front of him, “Stop thinking about it. Get back to work.”
Though he resumed serving the next set of drinks, Zhao Ge kept unconsciously mulling over the twists and turns of that heart-wrenching story.
Meanwhile, Lu Huaiqian had fully focused on mixing the drinks, seemingly unfazed by the events.
After a while, noticing scratches on the back of Lu Huaiqian’s hand, Zhao Ge asked, “Boss, what happened to your hand?”
Lu Huaiqian glanced at it and casually replied, “Scratched by a stray cat.”
Zhao Ge repeated, “A stray cat?”
“Yep,” Lu Huaiqian said as if it were the truth, “I came across a homeless little stray cat and decided to shelter it for a night.”
Were these scratches from a cat?
Staring at them, Zhao Ge, half-believing, said, “That doesn’t quite look like it.”
Lu Huaiqian thought it looked fairly similar. The usual cocky stray cat was motionless during the thunderstorm, crouching silently in a corner.
Suddenly, Zhao Ge realized something, “No, Boss Lu, if a cat scratched you, you should get a rabies shot immediately!”
“I was just kidding.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not from a stray cat.”
“Then what is it?”
Lu Huaiqian smiled slightly, “It’s a secret.”