Blue Cocktail chapter 15

Song Wenyuan fell silent upon hearing this. He faced Lu Huaiqian in a silent standoff. Although the latter appeared indifferent, his eyes conveyed an intangible coercion—informing him that there was absolutely no room for negotiation in this matter.

Thinking of Lu Huaiqian, representing the entire Blue Bar, where the bar employees were visible helpers, and the network behind the bar was even more intricate, Song Wenyuan felt it wasn’t a good idea to provoke. Thus, he signaled the other three not to act rashly. However, ceasing his actions made him feel uneasy.

Song Wenyuan couldn’t swallow this anger. Pointing at Cheng Shuo, he spoke firmly, ‘He took pictures of me at the bar and posted them on the campus forum, inciting netizens to cyberbully me. I don’t want to make things difficult, I just want him to delete the posts and apologize!’

Lu Huaiqian pondered. ‘Is this the conflict between you?’

Song Wenyuan nodded. ‘Yes.’

Lu Huaiqian turned to Cheng Shuo. ‘Did you take photos of Song Wenyuan?’

Cheng Shuo scoffed, ‘Why would I take pictures of him?’

Lu Huaiqian turned back and faced Song Wenyuan. He shrugged, ‘You see, he says he didn’t. You must have misunderstood.’

He gestured. ‘I express regret for what you’ve been through, but let’s stop it here. Each goes their own way. Disperse, please.’

Lu Huaiqian said this and started to walk back, hand in hand with Cheng Shuo. After a few steps, he was stopped by Song Wenyuan’s outstretched hand.

‘He’s lying! Just because he says he didn’t do it, you believe him?’ Song Wenyuan pointed at Lu Huaiqian, demanding action. ‘Mr. Lu, you can’t protect Cheng Shuo out of personal sentiment!’

Cheng Shuo couldn’t bear it. He turned to interrogate Song Wenyuan, ‘Without evidence, why are you defaming me?’

In a cold voice, Song Wenyuan retorted, ‘You were speechless when I questioned you earlier! If not guilt, then what was it?’

Lu Huaiqian looked at his empty palms, somewhat indifferent, paused briefly and, hearing Song Wenyuan’s hysterical voice, rubbed his forehead with a headache. He suddenly raised his gaze to Song Wenyuan. ‘Don’t you want evidence?’

Song Wenyuan was momentarily stunned.

‘I can provide evidence to prove Cheng Shuo’s innocence. But,’ Lu Huaiqian paused. His brow furrowed slightly, his eyes narrowed, and he unintentionally emphasized the latter part of his sentence, ‘after proving it, you owe Cheng Shuo an apology and then take your people and leave.’

‘Agreed,’ Song Wenyuan said.

‘Then follow me back to the bar.’

Lu Huaiqian took Cheng Shuo’s hand and walked ahead. After a few steps, he turned back and, with a glance, made it clear to the other four. An unnamed sense of pressure was embedded in the statement, ‘It’s best to stick to the matter at hand, and no unnecessary actions behind the scenes. I know many people. If it comes to a real fight, you’re no match.’

The six eventually stopped at the bar’s surveillance room.

Lu Huaiqian sat on the swivel chair with a screen in front. After several operations, he skillfully brought up the surveillance footage from last Sunday night.

Then, spinning the chair halfway, he stood up slowly, offering the position to Song Wenyuan and others. ‘Take a look.’

Lu Huaiqian’s face showed no expression. ‘If you spot any frame where Cheng Shuo is holding a phone toward Song Wenyuan, then you can continue arguing. If not, apologize and leave.’

Eight eyes fixed on the surveillance footage. The video was played repeatedly three times, causing the four to squint their eyes. Still, they couldn’t find a suspicious clip.

Finally, Song Wenyuan stood still, let out a barely audible ‘I’m sorry,’ and left with his entourage.

Cheng Shuo felt relieved and refreshed but couldn’t help murmuring a few times to Song Wenyuan’s retreating back.

Unprepared for it, his cheek’s wound was activated, and Cheng Shuo let out a painful hiss.

As the group left the surveillance room, Lu Huaiqian also walked Cheng Shuo to the door and locked it with a key.

Seeing this, Cheng Shuo suddenly remembered how tight Lu Huaiqian had held his hand until now. He felt strangely hotter, hesitated, but said in a low voice, ‘Lu Huaiqian, you… could let go.’

Upon hearing this, Lu Huaiqian’s eyes bent slightly at the corner, seemingly an accidental smile. However, his face showed a genuinely surprised look. He immediately let go, ‘Why didn’t you remind me earlier? I nearly forgot; I’m sorry for holding it for so long.’

Cheng Shuo looked up at Lu Huaiqian with suspicion, unable to determine if it was a genuine lapse of memory or a deliberate act. This person’s words always mixed truths with lies.

He couldn’t figure it out.

Cheng Shuo lowered his head again, covering his eyes with the fringe of his hair. ‘Thanks for today.’

Lu Huaiqian smiled. ‘No need to thank me.’

As the two walked up to the bar counter, Cheng Shuo glanced up and, by chance, saw an orange outside the glass door lying quietly on the grey-blue bricks.

Suddenly reminded of something, he quickly walked toward the door.

Lu Huaiqian hurriedly asked, ‘Are you leaving?’

Cheng Shuo didn’t look back. ‘I’m going to pick up the orange. After all, I paid for it.’

‘I’ll come with you; strength in numbers.’

Cheng Shuo didn’t respond, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Thinking he agreed, Lu Huaiqian strolled alongside him.

Cheng Shuo bent over to pick up the orange facing the glass door, wiped off the dirt and dust with his fingertips, and tucked it into his denim jacket pocket.

He looked around and soon fixed his gaze on a semi-transparent white plastic bag. It was the place where he had the fight with Song Wenyuan and others earlier. Cheng Shuo rushed over.

Silently, he lifted the plastic bag, opened it, and found many more oranges inside. Only a few had fallen out, so it should be easy to pick them up quickly.

He thought this way and ran around the alley, mechanically repeating the process of picking up and putting the oranges into the plastic bag.

Picking up one.

And another.

Cheng Shuo exerted himself to pick up the oranges at the fastest speed, but it still wasn’t as fast as he expected.

His head hardly lifted, possibly thinking that raising and lowering his head was a waste of time. Suddenly, he saw an orange roaming at the alley’s mouth. He ran swiftly, crouched down, and reached out to grab it—

But he first touched Lu Huaiqian’s fingertips.

Cheng Shuo abruptly withdrew his hand by a section, pursed his lips, sounding a bit uneasy, “This is the last one, let me do it.”

At these words, Lu Huaiqian squatted silently in front of Cheng Shuo, making a gesture to indicate, ‘Please.’

There was a missing half on the stone brick before them. Its size was just right to hold one orange.

The orange peel had some cracks, likely caused by passersby earlier. So, the orange got stuck tightly in the gap.

Cheng Shuo made repeated attempts without success. His hand drooped, motionless, seemingly a bit defeated.

Lu Huaiqian observed for a while. He suggested, “Let me try.”

Cheng Shuo’s figure paused for a moment and then vaguely agreed with a soft ‘mm.’

Lu Huaiqian started to try. He had no lack of patience in what he was willing to spend energy on.

Oranges were fragile after all. Moreover, his strength could easily subdue the fully grown Song Wenyuan.

Lu Huaiqian cautiously pried for a while, managing to take it out while preserving the orange’s outer skin. He discovered that the back of the orange was already badly rotten, muddy juice sticking to his fingertips.

“I tried my best,” he somewhat helplessly smiled, “It’s too rotten to eat.”

Lu Huaiqian scooped up the rotten orange with his palm, holding it out in front of Cheng Shuo.

Cheng Shuo didn’t take it.

“Cheng Shuo?”

Lu Huaiqian looked up, but Cheng Shuo’s head was hung very low, his disheveled hair covering his eyebrows, making his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, his palm was heavily hit by a drop of liquid.

Lu Huaiqian stared at the blurred lines on his palm caused by the water stain.

Cheng Shuo was crying?

Silence crept in quietly between them. Cheng Shuo never raised his head, never spoke, never took the oranges in his hands, just stayed silent, motionless.

So, Lu Huaiqian squatted alongside Cheng Shuo for a while.

When the palm received a second teardrop, Lu Huaiqian suddenly looked up at the sky, “It seems like it’s raining.”

He earnestly said, “Let’s quickly return to the cafe; don’t wait until it rains heavily.”

Clearly, at this moment, it was a clear sky for miles, with thin clouds and bright sunlight.

How could they speak nonsense with their eyes open? Cheng Shuo sniffed and suddenly stood up, softly agreeing.

“Yeah.”