Blue Cocktail chapter 47
But Cheng Shuo didn’t expect that this matter wasn’t over.
Because at ten o’clock that night, Lu Huaiqian visited the changing room and personally handed Cheng Shuo an exquisite gift box. Under Cheng Shuo’s puzzled gaze, he explained with a smile, “Inside is a suit. I hope that on my birthday, you can wear this suit to the party.”
After speaking, Lu Huaiqian hurriedly added, “This is one of my few birthday wishes. I hope you can help me fulfill it. Thank you.”
As if waiting one more second would result in Cheng Shuo’s refusal.
Cheng Shuo: “…”
Lu Huaiqian was too serious about it, and he suspected that there was a trick.
Hesitant, Cheng Shuo opened the gift box just a crack and took a peek inside.
Well, it wasn’t a high-saturation fluorescent-colored suit; it could be worn.
He inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. As for the other half of the relief, he had to wait until he carefully checked the suit inside and out before he could exhale.
The reason Cheng Shuo thought this way was not due to questioning Lu Huaiqian’s aesthetic taste but purely because of the aftermath of the torture caused by the written test questions.
Truth be told, he now had the illusion that Lu Huaiqian could do anything.
“Take it out and have a look,” Lu Huaiqian urged on the side.
With this sentence, Cheng Shuo felt more at ease unwrapping the gift in person.
He really pulled up the shoulders of the jacket, looked at it repeatedly, and, after inspecting the ends of the pants’ waist, repeated the process. Finally, he confirmed that there were no strange patterns or decorations on the clothes.
It was just an ordinary black suit for formal occasions.
Lu Huaiqian asked, “Do you like it?”
“As long as you like it. After all, it’s your birthday wish,” Cheng Shuo said while tidying up the clothes. “I just need to be comfortable in what I wear. You also know that I don’t pay much attention to clothes.”
Cheng Shuo said this because not long ago, one evening, the curious Boss Lu, seeing him come to work wearing a blue denim jacket and black sweatpants for the umpteenth time, couldn’t help but ask: Why do you wear the same clothes every time you come?
He had to explain that he had two identical denim jackets and N pairs of black sweatpants that he bought wholesale.
The motivation was that buying the same clothes could save decision-making time, reduce the risk of online shopping failure to zero, and not waste energy on matching because there was no matching to be done. In general, it could greatly improve efficiency.
This view was also reflected in his diet. For example, Cheng Shuo ate Huainan beef noodles on time every day for a month, and at night, it was eight-treasure porridge with potstickers.
After getting the answer, Lu Huaiqian teased him, saying that Cheng Shuo dressing like this might make people think he didn’t bathe regularly.
Cheng Shuo’s reply was, “It doesn’t matter.”
Lu Huaiqian laughed heartily at the words, agreeing.
That night, Cheng Shuo arrived home twenty minutes later than usual. Coincidentally, Lu Huaiqian sent him a WeChat message asking: “Haven’t you reached home yet?”
The messages came one after another.
[Did you forget to check in?] [Hurry up and reply; don’t make me worry.]Cheng Shuo quickly sent a voice message to placate him. After washing up, he tried on the suit in his bedroom, and it fit perfectly.
Sitting on the bed, he suddenly remembered something and, as if by instinct, flipped the suit in his hands from top to bottom. Surprisingly, he couldn’t find a brand label.
…It turned out to be custom-made again.
…………..
Time flew, and it was already early Saturday morning. Cheng Shuo deliberately got up early, washed his hair, and applied some whitening skin cream. This was the most solemn etiquette he could think of before attending an important occasion.
Around eight thirty, Lu Huaiqian sent a message saying he had arrived. Cheng Shuo looked down from the third-floor window, and amidst the sea of green, there was a distinct purple dot, very eye-catching.
After going downstairs, Cheng Shuo saw Lu Huaiqian in the distance at a glance.
In a black suit, with hair styled up, but not entirely up—two tufts of hair left at the temples, both for shaping the face and for a cool look when blown, clearly dressed in a mature and steady style. However, the lively temperament, unstoppable, still radiated from inside to outside, especially when smiling and greeting, like now.
“Hi, Cheng Shuo!” Lu Huaiqian leaned against the car door, exaggeratedly waving his arm.
“Hi.” Cheng Shuo nodded, indicating that he had seen him.
After getting into the passenger seat, he realized that Zhao Ge, Aru, and another supervisor, Su Bingran, were all there.
Zhao Ge was a small shareholder in the bar, while Aru and Su Bingran jointly managed all the bar’s staff. The three of them were the backbone of Mo Blue Bar, and it was entirely normal for Lu Huaiqian to invite them to the birthday party.
Cheng Shuo turned back and greeted the three briefly.
Zhao Ge took the opportunity to praise, “Your suit fits really well.”
“Thank you.”
Cheng Shuo was naturally good-looking, and dressing up made him even more attractive. Zhao Ge couldn’t help but take a few more glances before shifting his gaze to Lu Huaiqian. He squinted at him, suddenly surprised and amused, “Damn, boss Lu, I just realized that your suit and Cheng Shuo’s are the same style. Are you guys wearing couple outfits?”
As soon as this statement came out, the car fell into a strange silence.
Cheng Shuo thought that this sentence wasn’t addressed to him and discreetly turned his head, pretending not to care.
Lu Huaiqian unexpectedly raised his eyebrows, thinking about responding but afraid that Cheng Shuo might feel awkward, so he temporarily remained silent.
Aru’s expression dimmed slightly, staying silent.
Only Su Bingran seemed oblivious to the suddenly frozen atmosphere, patting Zhao Ge’s shoulder. “This is called a brotherly outfit. Wearing the same clothes doesn’t mean it’s only a couple outfits. There are also sister outfits, best friend outfits, and parent-child outfits. Your statement is too narrow-minded.”
Zhao Ge smiled awkwardly twice, thinking: Xiao Su, you don’t understand.
He also knew that he had spoken too bluntly and said the wrong thing, quickly steering the conversation elsewhere.
On the way, Lu Huaiqian surprisingly focused on driving, remaining silent.
Cheng Shuo was already reserved with words, and the more people, the less he spoke.
Aru seemed to be in a less cheerful mood, not in the mood for small talk.
Only Zhao Ge and Su Bingran, one sentence after another, engaged in a back-and-forth conversation, easing the awkward atmosphere like a cross-talk performance.
Soon, the car entered the parking lot.
They arrived at the famous luxury hotel in Huafu City.
As soon as they got out of the car, Cheng Shuo looked at his empty palm, “Wait, I haven’t taken the gift I got for you.”
“Leave it in the car; it’s fine,” Lu Huaiqian said.
A smiling waiter walked up to everyone, saying, “This way, please.”
Zhao Ge, Aru, and Su Bingran followed, and Cheng Shuo was about to join them.
But Lu Huaiqian held his hand.
“Come with me, Cheng Shuo.”
It turned out there was more than one passage to the banquet hall. The path led by Lu Huaiqian was evidently more secluded.
After some thought, Cheng Shuo asked, “Is this considered the VIP passage?”
Lu Huaiqian answered, “Yeah.”
“I’ve noticed that you seem to like double standards.”
“You have to admit, double standards are human nature. My financial resources are limited, and preferential treatment will only be reserved for those I care about.”
“Smooth talker.”
“You didn’t just meet me today; I’ve always been a smooth talker.”
Tch, he’s feeling so pleased with himself, Cheng Shuo thought sarcastically.
Then Lu Huaiqian added, “Huai Xuan arranged a pre-dinner cocktail party for everyone to socialize. You can move around freely before eleven-thirty.”
“Once we reach the banquet hall, my younger brother will pull me into the protocol, and you probably won’t be able to find me. Even if you find me, you most likely won’t be able to interrupt. If anything happens, send me a message; if it’s urgent, call me.”
Cheng Shuo nodded, “Got it.”
“You don’t like drinking, you can have juice. We’ve also prepared some snacks, unlimited quantities. Eat as much as you want, don’t be polite.”
Cheng Shuo nodded again, “Understood.”
“The guest list isn’t solely my decision, and I don’t know if there are any lustful individuals. To be on the safe side, get your juice from the waiter to avoid contact with others. Also, if someone, under the guise of celebrating my birthday, tries to force you to drink, saying it’s disrespectful not to, don’t pay attention to him. Just say you’re allergic to alcohol.”
“Got it.” Cheng Shuo muttered under his breath, “Just realized you can be so verbose.”
“Verbose?” Lu Huaiqian raised an eyebrow and repeated.
“You misunderstood,” Cheng Shuo put on a professional fake smile, “I’m praising your thoughtfulness and meticulousness.”
Lu Huaiqian snorted.
But he continued to remind, “Tonight, I may not be able to take you home because I will have a few drinks. Anyway, you don’t have class on Sunday—no last-minute sketching arrangement from the school, right?”
“yes.”
“Then don’t go back tonight. I’ll take you to stay in the presidential suite.”
Unconsciously, the two had reached the end of the corridor, and in front of them was a vertical elevator.
As Lu Huaiqian pressed the button, Cheng Shuo suddenly noticed, on the white shirt cuff of the other party, two blue-purple gradient gems, adorned with silver powder, resembling the night sky and the Milky Way reflected in the deep sea.
It was the cufflinks he had given to Lu Huaiqian.
His heart skipped a beat.
Cheng Shuo said blankly, “You actually wore them today.”
“What?” Lu Huaiqian raised his right hand, looked at it a few times, satisfied, and said, “I think it’s quite suitable. It looks understated but is actually magnificent. You really have good taste.”
Cheng Shuo was momentarily speechless.
He thought that for a birthday party that cost millions, attended by business magnates and celebrities, wearing cufflinks that cost less than a hundred was actually not a match—too cheap. However, Lu Huaiqian seemed not to mind—not pretending not to mind but genuinely not minding.
Suddenly laughed silently, perhaps it was precisely because he didn’t mind that it was Lu Huaiqian.
“I usually don’t wear them because I need to mix drinks, and it’s easy to bump into the cup or shaker. In case there are scratches on the cufflinks, I would feel distressed.”
Lu Huaiqian explained, walking out of the elevator. The entrance of the banquet hall was lined with a red carpet, and there was a large signature wall on the right side.
Cheng Shuo looked up, only to see that the signature wall already had many birthday wishes and signatures.
Beside him, Lu Huaiqian handed over a pen. He took it, pondered for a moment, and left the simplest four words on the signature wall.
Happy Birthday.
“Is that all?” Lu Huaiqian said from behind.
Cheng Shuo lowered his head for a moment, wrote: Wishing prosperity in business and a wealth of financial resources.
“And then? Is that all?” Lu Huaiqian’s tone sounded somewhat surprised.
Cheng Shuo frowned and thought for another moment. He then wrote, “Wishing peace, smooth success, and dreams come true.”
Seeing Lu Huaiqian’s lips about to speak, Cheng Shuo preemptively said, “That’s really it. These are the idioms I know.”
“Is that so,” Lu Huaiqian clicked his tongue, “But I’ve seen the short essay you wrote in the exam. You used idioms quite skillfully.”
“…”
“Alright, alright, I won’t trouble you anymore.” Lu Huaiqian let it go, “why don’t you leave a signature as well?”
“I’m not a celebrity, why leave a signature.”
“Just consider it fulfilling one of the birthday boy’s few wishes, okay?”
“I see you have quite a few wishes,” Cheng Shuo retorted.
Although Cheng Shuo said so, he wrote down his name after the birthday wishes.
He handed the pen to Lu Huaiqian, who didn’t return it to the staff but instead removed the cap, waved it in a grand manner, and wrote his own name after Cheng Shuo’s in cursive, looking quite arrogant.
After that, the pen moved freely, drawing a heart that encircled the two names.
Cheng Shuo remained unfazed: he was used to it.
There were quite a few hearts drawn on the signature wall, but the one drawing a heart around two names belonged to the guy in front of him. Fortunately, most people here didn’t know Cheng Shuo.
Cheng Shuo was led to meet Lu Huaiqian’s parents and Lu Huaixuan, exchanged greetings, and with that, Lu Huaiqian was dragged away to socialize by his dear brother.
Cheng Shuo took a glass of juice from a waiter and found a discreet corner. Mechanically, he repeated the action of nibbling on a cookie, finding it more and more boring.
He didn’t know where Zhao Ge and the others had gone. It was familiar faces that sparked Cheng Shuo’s desire to chat.
Holding the juice, Cheng Shuo began wandering around the banquet hall.
He quickly found Zhao Ge, but the guy was engrossed in a conversation with a handsome guy, and Cheng Shuo didn’t want to be a third wheel, so he decided not to disturb them.
Cheng Shuo continued walking, circled around, didn’t see Su Bingran, so he gave up.
Returning to the corner, luckily, this position allowed him to see Lu Huaiqian’s profile.
The suit vaguely outlined a triangular figure, a tall figure with a long back. Lu Huaiqian was surrounded by several people, talking freely, gesturing casually, composed and at ease. Coupled with the neatly combed hair with gel, he even exuded a sense of a business elite.
Although Cheng Shuo didn’t want to admit it.
His line of sight was suddenly blocked.
Cheng Shuo looked closely and found that it was Aru.
Finally, an acquaintance arrived.
He hadn’t spoken yet when Aru took the lead, “I’ve been looking for you in the banquet hall for a long time. Finally found you now.”
Cheng Shuo instinctively felt that something was off about this statement, a bit tricky to respond to. So, he smiled politely.
Aru had a bottle of champagne in his hand, and there was only a shallow layer of amber liquid at the bottom of the glass, indicating that he had drunk quite a bit. “You look really good today.”
Cheng Shuo politely replied, “Thank you.”
After a few seconds of silence, Aru asked again, “The clothes… did the boss give them to you?”
He could have avoided answering vaguely, but thinking about how Aru often took care of him, Cheng Shuo felt it wasn’t necessary to do so. So, he nodded, “Yes.”
The answer was too candid, and Aru inexplicably felt a bit disappointed. Lowering his head, he took a sip of champagne. His fingers holding the cup tightened unconsciously, and the tips of his nails turned white. He directly asked, “So, do you like the boss?”
Cheng Shuo was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted and evaded the question, “What, have you also been brainwashed by Zhao Ge’s couple outfits remark? I’ve said that wearing the same thing doesn’t only mean couple outfits; there are also brother outfits.”
Aru stared into Cheng Shuo’s eyes, intense, “But I feel like you’re a person with clear boundaries.”
He omitted the latter part of the sentence: Like every time I want to give you a gift, you refuse to accept it, every time I invite you to dinner or watch a movie, you politely decline.
Cheng Shuo’s smile became awkward, giving an explanation, “Lu Huaiqian said that me wearing this suit is one of his birthday wishes, so I agreed.”
Aru stared at Cheng Shuo and unwilling to let go, asked again, “So, do you like him?”
Cheng Shuo stepped back half a step, “You seem a bit drunk, Aru.”
“Do you or don’t you like him?”
Aru suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Cheng Shuo’s wrist, “If you really don’t like him, can you… consider me?”