Blue Cocktail chapter 17
Cheng Shuo: “Oh.”
He took a sip, bitterness spread across his taste buds, causing him to frown involuntarily.
Unconvinced, Cheng Shuo took another sip, and to his surprise, it indeed started to taste sweeter. He raised the glass, scrutinizing it from all angles, “How did you do that?”
“Add a few drops of bitter liquor on the surface of the sweet cocktail,” Lu Huaiqian explained, “Liquids with lower density will float on top of those with higher density, forming layers.”
Cheng Shuo suddenly understood, nodding in realization.
Grasping the glass, he took a big gulp, decreasing the liquid level by a third. He slammed the bottom of the glass onto the bar and suddenly felt drowsy. He felt sluggish, a little dizzy, and words slipped out without thought, “I think love is meaningless.”
Lu Huaiqian, following Cheng Shuo’s lead, teased, “It is pretty meaningless.”
Cheng Shuo’s gaze wandered off a bit, “Seems like I’m the only one worth loving, no one else deserves it.”
Lu Huaiqian echoed, “Hmm, not deserving.”
Cheng Shuo tightened his grip on the glass, “I don’t want to fall in love with anyone again. I think I’ve figured out the essence of love. It’s possibly just a well-timed and advantageous lie that starts with a fleeting stroke of luck.”
Lu Huaiqian was momentarily stunned by his words, then chuckled. He seemed to understand what Cheng Shuo was trying to convey, but he never dared to claim he’d figured out the essence of love. He was probably just being carefree due to his youthful arrogance.
“Oh, how much is this drink?” Cheng Shuo asked.
“It’s free, it’s on me,” Lu Huaiqian replied.
“Why are you so kind?” Cheng Shuo raised an eyebrow.
Lu Huaiqian smiled, “Because of that fleeting stroke of luck.”
Cheng Shuo was taken aback for a moment.
“Damn,” unable to hold back a laugh, he glanced at Lu Huaiqian and said, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Lu Huaiqian looked back, “Of course I do.”
“You’re really confident,” Cheng Shuo said, “But what I mean may not be what you understand.”
“But I think my understanding isn’t wrong.”
“Prove it.”
“My understanding is that love starts with a fleeting stroke of luck.”
Lu Huaiqian leaned down slightly, looking into Cheng Shuo’s eyes, “So I think my answer isn’t wrong about why I’m giving you a free drink.”
Cheng Shuo locked eyes for a moment, only seeing his reflection in the deep, dark pupils, then quickly averted his gaze. He tightened his fingers around the glass, took another sip, and said, “Lu Huaiqian, we are friends now.”
Lu Huaiqian countered, “Just friends?”
Cheng Shuo replied, “What else?”
“Okay,” Lu Huaiqian shrugged, “I thought we were already friends. Maybe we have different definitions of the word ‘friend.'”
“I think so,” Cheng Shuo paused and added, “After all, I wouldn’t tell someone I just met that I hope we become friends.”
Lu Huaiqian raised his eyebrows, “Are you hinting at me?”
“Not at all,” Cheng Shuo seemed to smile, he shook the glass in his hand, “I’m just stating a fact.”
“Don’t you think being friends is the start of many stories?”
“But I can’t easily trust others. What if I trust the wrong person? So I take the word ‘friend’ seriously and won’t easily give it to others,” Cheng Shuo pondered, “Come to think of it, you seem to be my first friend from my college days.”
“Oh, that makes me feel honored,” Lu Huaiqian nodded, silent for a few seconds, then said, “Cheng Shuo.”
“Yeah?”
“I find you really interesting.”
“What’s interesting about me?”
“Maybe everything.”
“…Thank you, my English isn’t good.”
Lu Huaiqian chuckled beside him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a customer enter and order coffee. Cheng Shuo picked up the glass and walked away, sitting alone at a scattered table. The more he drank, the dizzier and more fatigued he became. Eventually, he laid his head down on the table and fell asleep.
When Lu Huaiqian finished serving the customer and went to look for Cheng Shuo, he found him with his head resting on his arms, like a student dozing on a desk during school days, leaving only the gray-blue back of his head still visible, motionless.
Must have fallen asleep.
A glass or two was more than enough.
The window was open, facing Cheng Shuo’s position. Sleeping there for hours in the early spring breeze could cause a cold when waking up. Lu Huaiqian immediately closed the window, then stealthily approached Cheng Shuo, tapping his shoulder, “Cheng Shuo?”
No response.
Well, he was deeply asleep.
Lu Huaiqian hesitated for a moment before deciding to take him upstairs. There was his bedroom on the second floor, and lying down would be more comfortable than sleeping at the table.
He cautiously picked up Cheng Shuo. The latter didn’t seem to notice, subconsciously moving closer to Lu Huaiqian’s embrace. This reminded Lu Huaiqian of a little wild cat he once saw outside his family’s villa.
Cheng Shuo was slender and light. Carrying him upstairs felt effortless.
He nudged the bedroom door open with his foot. The movement had been too loud, Cheng Shuo, in his arms, suddenly blinked his eyelashes and slowly opened his eyes.
Their eyes met.
Perfect timing to wake up.
Cheng Shuo looked quite puzzled, “Why are you… holding me?”
Lu Huaiqian replied, “I called you, and you didn’t wake up.”
Cheng Shuo didn’t say anything, as if he was racking his brains to recall what happened before falling asleep.
Lu Huaiqian continued to find reasons for himself, “You fell asleep downstairs at the scattered table, occupying a seat, which would affect my customers’ seating.”
Cheng Shuo furrowed his brows, thought deeply for a moment, and said, “I remember there were quite a few empty spots downstairs.”
“Still so clever even when you’re drunk,” Lu Huaiqian carried him into the bedroom, “Sleeping face down is uncomfortable, so I brought you upstairs to sleep, won’t charge you.”
Cheng Shuo was taken aback for a moment, then squinted, “Do you treat everyone this way?”
Lu Huaiqian pretended to be clueless, “What way?”
Cheng Shuo paused for a few seconds and suddenly reached out, using his fingertips to trace Lu Huaiqian’s lips, just a light touch, “Like this…?”
Lu Huaiqian suddenly stopped, slowly suppressing his smile, lowered his eyes and glanced at Cheng Shuo, his eyes deep and unreadable, “Perhaps it depends on the person.”
Cheng Shuo repeated, “Perhaps?”
“What’s the matter?” Lu Huaiqian raised an eyebrow.
“You seem to… like using uncertain words.”
“I have used something else?”
“Maybe.”
Lu Huaiqian was a little surprised, “I thought you didn’t understand.”
Cheng Shuo frowned, arguing, “My English isn’t that bad!”
Lu Huaiqian couldn’t help but chuckle. He bent down, preparing to lay Cheng Shuo on the bed—
Suddenly, Cheng Shuo’s right hand grabbed his collar and pulled him forward.
Unexpectedly, Lu Huaiqian fell onto Cheng Shuo’s chest, the other’s breath brushing against his face. With just a slight tilt of his head, he could see Cheng Shuo’s neck. He thought he looked really thin. “What do you want to do?”
Cheng Shuo let go of Lu Huaiqian’s clothes, imitating an apologetic expression, “I thought I was about to fall, so I instinctively pulled your clothes. Sorry.”
Lu Huaiqian’s throat rolled, he was well aware that there were no feelings in Cheng Shuo’s eyes. They gleamed with mischief and a hint of teasing.
He squinted unintentionally.
Cheng Shuo’s thick and dense eyelashes slightly curved upward, casting a fan-shaped shadow on his porcelain-like skin. Lu Huaiqian suddenly thought crazily: If tears were hanging on his eyelashes, they would probably fall. The redness at the ends of his eyes and on his neck would look beautiful. After all, rouge suits fair skin.
Maybe he had been silent for too long. He heard Cheng Shuo urging him, “Lu, Lu Huaiqian, why aren’t you getting up!”
He wanted to tell Cheng Shuo that teasing came with a cost.
He heard Cheng Shuo complaining, sounding a bit anxious, “You’re too heavy. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
Sigh.
Lu Huaiqian took a deep breath, quickly got up, “I won’t disturb your nap. I’ll be downstairs. If you need anything, message me, or come down to find me. Have a good nap.”
He finished speaking, turned and left, gently closing the bedroom door.
Then Lu Huaiqian leaned against the nearby wall, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, his breathing getting heavier.
Damn, there was really a reaction.
The means of teasing were quite clumsy, clearly.