Blue Cocktail chapter 39
On Friday evening, in the changing room, Cheng Shuo finally changed into his work uniform. Absentmindedly touching his pocket, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to pass the letter to Lu Huaiqian. He wasn’t sure if the content of the letter had a time limit, probably not, he thought. If it were urgent, generally, it wouldn’t be conveyed in the form of a letter.
After searching the first floor without finding Lu Huaiqian, he asked Zhao Ge, who said Lu Huaiqian was still on the second floor. So Cheng Shuo went to the stairs leading to the second floor, and there were no available tables or booths nearby.
Cheng Shuo could only stand and wait. After a while, feeling his legs getting sore, he squatted down. After squatting for some time, not only did his legs become more sore, but they also started to numb. So he stood up again, stomped his feet, walked back and forth in place. Now his legs weren’t sore or numb, but he looked a bit foolish.
Glancing at the stairs again, Cheng Shuo didn’t see Lu Huaiqian. He thought, where is he?
When it was almost six in the evening, with twelve minutes remaining, the familiar sound of footsteps finally reached his ears.
Cheng Shuo lifted his head, only to see the other person walking quickly, as if a hurricane swiftly passed by. In such a rush, Lu Huaiqian didn’t forget to wink at him with a casual greeting, “Hey, Cheng Shuo.”
Cheng Shuo immediately followed, “Hello, boss.”
Lu Huaiqian was tall with long legs, taking two steps for every three of Cheng Shuo’s. Cheng Shuo had to make an effort to catch up.
It wasn’t until Lu Huaiqian’s figure stopped at the bar that Cheng Shuo successfully caught up. Cheng Shuo seized the opportunity to hand the letter to Lu Huaiqian, “Boss, I found this letter in the paper bag when I was changing into my work uniform. I saw ‘For Mr. Lu’ written on the envelope, so I guessed it’s for you.”
Lu Huaiqian took the envelope and casually stuffed it into his pocket without looking at it. “Okay, thanks.”
He instructed Zhao Ge, “I have something tonight, going out for a while. I probably won’t be back until around eight or nine. Please take care of the bar for me. Pay according to the previous agreement, and multiply it several times if necessary. Thanks for your hard work.”
The words were polite but had an unquestionable tone.
“Not hard, not hard,” Zhao Ge replied repeatedly. Then, with a sly smile, he teased, “In such a hurry, are you going on a blind date again?”
Lu Huaiqian glanced at him without responding.
After all, they were friends for many years. Zhao Ge knew Lu Huaiqian too well. Without denying or confirming, he ignited Zhao Ge’s gossip soul, “Boss Lu, what’s going on with you lately? Didn’t you go on a blind date a few days ago? I remember your parents stopped caring about your love life long ago, and no one is forcing you. Why are you going on a blind date again? Could it be you’ve finally seen the light, felt lonely and empty, and decided it’s time to find a landlady for the bar?”
“Are you the ‘Ten Thousand Whys’?” Lu Huaiqian didn’t answer any questions. “Don’t pry into the boss’s personal privacy; it’s an employee’s duty.”
“Between us, how can our profound relationship be summarized with these five shallow words, boss and employee? We’ve been close friends for many years!”
Lu Huaiqian sneered, “Get lost, annoying friend is more like it.”
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
Shouting at Lu Huaiqian’s retreating figure, Zhao Ge said, “Boss Lu, if you meet a young model on the blind date and don’t like her, can you pass me her contact information? I really like this type lately. It’s better to enjoy happiness together than alone!”
Lu Huaiqian completely ignored Zhao Ge, not even slowing down. It was as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Cheng Shuo hadn’t left. He quietly stood by the bar, silently listening to the whole process. Watching Lu Huaiqian walk away and disappear at the street corner through the glass window, Cheng Shuo calmly withdrew his gaze.
Cheng Shuo pursed his lips, looking a bit hesitant between his eyebrows. Eventually, he chose to initiate a conversation with Zhao Ge, “Today is Saturday, and there were already many customers. You’re the only bartender in the evening. Can you handle it?”
Zhao Ge answered playfully, “If the money is enough, I can handle it. If the money is not enough, I can’t.”
The answer was quite in line with Lu Huaiqian’s unpredictable style. No wonder he was the right-hand man of Boss Lu. Cheng Shuo smiled and then, as if remembering something, he restrained his smile, “How do you know the boss is going on a blind date instead of handling other matters?”
“Him and I have been buddies for more than ten years. Besides, you saw it too. He’s wearing all black. Let me tell you, this is one of his few serious outfits. Apart from the bartender’s uniform, he usually wears casual clothes. He dresses however flamboyantly he likes, but only during blind dates does he dress so low-key.”
A vivid description. Cheng Shuo couldn’t help but laugh, and as he laughed, his expression changed slightly. “Listening to you, this situation seems quite common. So… does the boss often leave you alone in the bar and go on blind dates by himself?”
Zhao Ge made a surprised sound, his tone meaningful, “I thought you were suddenly looking for a chat with me. It turns out you want to inquire about the boss’s dating history?”
Cheng Shuo choked for a moment and hurriedly denied, “I don’t care about his dating history. Why would I be concerned about that? I’m just bored and idle, casually gossiping a bit. You don’t have to say anything. I know there are some things you can’t talk about, so I won’t ask.”
“Don’t, ask me. I love gossiping with others, and now that there aren’t many customers, playing with my phone is too boring. Let’s just chat.”
“Boss Lu has been actively going on blind dates this month,” Zhao Ge chuckled on the side, his laughter carrying a mischievous sense of watching a lively show. He counted on his fingers, “Let me calculate—oh my god, I just realized, today is his fourth blind date. Once today, once on Wednesday, and twice before you started working at the bar. Not bad, this guy is quite lucky.”
“On Wednesday,” Cheng Shuo thought for a moment and said, “The one on Wednesday was in the evening, right?”
“Yes, how did you know?” Zhao Ge asked.
Because that day, in the changing room, Lu Huaiqian received a call and then casually postponed his written test to the following Wednesday. Cheng Shuo, who thought it was about to end, had to endure the torture of repeating last week’s memorization. He even asked Lu Huaiqian if there was an emergency, to which Lu Huaiqian said it was, now realizing that he actually went on a blind date, keeping it from him.
When he came back, he irrationally got angry, accusing Cheng Shuo of being too close to Aru. Yet, he went on a blind date himself. What was this? Strict with others, lenient with oneself? Why did Lu Huaiqian have the right to manage so much?
Cheng Shuo furrowed his brows, “I guessed it. Since today’s blind date is in the evening, then the one on Wednesday was also in the evening.”
“He also went on a blind date during the day,” Zhao Ge said with a smirk, “But I certainly hope he goes on dates in the evening, preferably more often. Every time he asks me to take care of the bar, he triples my salary. That’s a lot of money.”
He glanced at Cheng Shuo and casually added, “What about you?”
“I don’t care. He won’t triple my salary if he goes on a blind date.”
Understandingly nodding, Zhao Ge said, “True, you don’t benefit from it.”
After pondering for a moment, he continued to exaggerate, “Four times a month, on average, seeing one person a week. He has never been this crazy before. Do you think the boss suddenly woke up, realizing he’s getting old and needs to find a partner quickly?”
“I’m not him, how would I know,” Cheng Shuo paused, “How old is he?”
Surprised, Zhao Ge exclaimed, “You don’t know?”
“I don’t”
“Well, I guess boss Lu is afraid you’ll think he’s old, so he didn’t tell you,” Zhao Ge bluntly pierced through the age concealment, “Twenty-nine.”
Cheng Shuo was momentarily astonished, “Only twenty-nine?”
Laughing heartily at Cheng Shuo’s words, Zhao Ge said, “What’s the matter?”
“At this age, he’s not that old yet. There’s no need to hurry to find a partner. Why did you make it sound like he’s about to turn forty?”