Blue Cocktail chapter 5

When the door was pushed open, moonlight spilled in, and a halo of light fell on the shoulders of the newcomer.

Tall figure, familiar gestures, gradually merging with Cheng Shuo’s memories, except that the blue school uniform from back then was replaced by a black shirt, as if Song Wenyuan had not changed at all.

The chandelier on the ceiling swayed, and the orange-yellow light and shadows changed, outlining Song Wenyuan’s brows and eyes. He seemed like a deity walking among mortals, finally converging into a bright pair of dots in Cheng Shuo’s pupils.

Cheng Shuo stared at him blankly, lost in thought.

Until Song Wenyuan stopped in his tracks and the guy behind him took Song Wenyuan’s arm with a smile, in return, Song Wenyuan pinched the guy’s nose with a smile.

Cheng Shuo suddenly felt a bit suffocated in his chest. The situation gradually became awkward, and his gaze slowly drifted away.

Song Wenyuan seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to look in Cheng Shuo’s direction.

Cheng Shuo hurriedly lowered his head, his fingertips pinching the brim of his cap, feeling a little overwhelmed.

Just like every encounter with Song Wenyuan during high school, he still couldn’t dare to meet Song Wenyuan’s eyes directly. Cheng Shuo’s eyelashes trembled, and he pursed his lips into a thin line. His ten fingers involuntarily curled into his palm. After a moment of silence, he tried to look up tentatively, using his gaze to follow Song Wenyuan’s figure.

They went to a separate table.

Song Wenyuan’s seat was perfectly hidden by a wall, and Cheng Shuo changed his seat several times but couldn’t get a clear view of him. After some contemplation, he had an idea.

Fancy cocktails themselves had a certain visual appeal, so some people leaned on the bar counter, chatting with the bartender while watching the show. Cheng Shuo estimated that when he walked to the bar counter, his field of vision would be much wider.

Although he didn’t really want to chat with the bartender whose name was… what was it? Cheng Shuo tried to recall for a few seconds but couldn’t remember. Nonetheless, he didn’t want to continue looking over there, so he decided to go to the bar counter.

Cheng Shuo walked up to the bar counter, and quite cleverly omitted the bartender’s name as he spoke, “Is my ‘Aladdin’s Lamp’ ready?”

He didn’t care about the answer, and after saying this, he looked in Song Wenyuan’s direction. Sure enough, he could see Song Wenyuan’s profile, along with the guy sitting across from him.

That guy… was he a date, a friend with benefits, or a lover?

“Just wait, the next one is yours,” said the bartender, without even looking up. While preparing the cocktail, he was unusually serious, his expression devoid of any humor. He disposed of the square ice cubes in the glass and poured the cocktail into a clear martini glass, finishing it with a cherry garnish. Then he handed it to a nearby server and immediately began preparing the next cocktail.

Before starting, however, he glanced up at Cheng Shuo. To his surprise, Cheng Shuo wasn’t looking at him.

Wanting to follow Cheng Shuo’s line of sight, he realized that Cheng Shuo was paying no attention to his surroundings.

Oh.

It seemed Cheng Shuo didn’t want to engage in a conversation, perhaps he just wanted to quietly watch the cocktail preparation.

In that case, why not showcase his skills?

With unwavering confidence, Lu Huaiqian raised his head high, straightened his back, and remained conscious of his movements’ elegance.

He slowly dipped the rim of the glass into the salt, meticulously mixing rum, lemon juice, and soda according to the proportions, all the while using a bar spoon to stir. His fluid, rhythmic movements resembled a dance, and he concluded by garnishing the drink with a lemon slice, then pushed it in front of Cheng Shuo.

However, in the midst of all this, Cheng Shuo had been too busy staring at Song Wenyuan and hadn’t noticed any of the bartender’s actions.

He saw Song Wenyuan say something, causing the guy sitting across from him to burst into laughter. Song Wenyuan had originally been sitting across from the guy but suddenly stood up during their conversation, moved to the guy’s side, and skillfully let his fingers linger around the guy’s waist—

Cheng Shuo furrowed his brows.

Suddenly, in his field of vision, Song Wenyuan stood up again. Cheng Shuo quickly lowered his head and directed his gaze to the “Aladdin’s Lamp” cocktail.

Someone was calling out the bartender’s name by his ear, helping him remember the name was Lu Huaiqian.

For now, Cheng Shuo didn’t want to leave this advantageous observation point, so he reluctantly engaged Lu Huaiqian in conversation, scraping for topics. “What time does your bar usually open?”

“Usually at 8 in the morning.”

“You’re open during the day too?” Cheng Shuo asked with slight surprise. “Do people really drink during the day?”

“Almost never,” Lu Huaiqian explained. “That’s why we run a coffee shop during the day, but it transforms into a cocktail bar at night. It’s like those stories where mysterious heroes live quietly during the day and turn into saviors of the world at night. My bar is the same.”

Cheng Shuo was briefly stunned, surprised by Lu Huaiqian’s explanation, which was as enchanting as the “Aladdin’s Lamp” cocktail in his hand.

“Boss Lu, can we change the drinks we just ordered?” Suddenly, Cheng Shuo heard Song Wenyuan’s voice beside him. He was surprised, as the woolen material of his sweater filled his peripheral vision.

Cheng Shuo immediately lowered his head even further, pulling his cap down over his eyes, motionless, barely even breathing, so as not to draw anyone’s attention.

“What did you order just now?” he heard Lu Huaiqian ask.

Then it was Song Wenyuan’s voice, “Two Gold Rush cocktails. I ordered them, but Xiao Jie said he doesn’t like drinks that are too sour. I remember Gold Rush has lime juice, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“My bad, I should have asked more questions. After all, it’s our first meeting, and when I invite someone for a drink, I should consider what they like to leave a good impression on them, don’t you think?”

The tone was light and flirtatious, completely overturning Cheng Shuo’s memory of Song Wenyuan. In his memories, Song Wenyuan was nothing like this; this was a completely different person from the one he had known.

Cheng Shuo even considered turning his head to see for himself, but he was afraid of Song Wenyuan noticing him, and even if there was a one in a million chance, he thought Song Wenyuan might still remember him.

“What would you like to change them to?” Lu Huaiqian asked as he turned to get the menu.

“No need, you don’t have to give me a menu,” Song Wenyuan said directly, stating the new drinks’ names, “Change them to two Whiskey Sours.”

“Alright.”

“Oh, by the way.” Song Wenyuan seemed to remember something and suddenly leaned in, lowering his voice. “In about twenty minutes, I might have to step out for a bit, but when I come back, please make sure to send the bill to me. After the third and fourth drinks tonight, I don’t want to order more.”

In an instant, Cheng Shuo felt like Song Wenyuan’s words had turned into sharp needles, piercing into his eardrums, and his heart shrank for a moment.

Song Wenyuan had already ordered two drinks tonight for himself and Xiao Jie, his current date. So, his reference to the third and fourth drinks, where the third belonged to him, made Cheng Shuo wonder who the other drink was meant for. Was it for Xiao Jie, the person he had just met, or someone else?

If it was for Xiao Jie, Song Wenyuan probably wouldn’t need to mention that he’d be leaving for a while.

With this thought, Cheng Shuo began to understand the situation better. The fourth drink was most likely intended for the new person Song Wenyuan would bring after his brief departure.

However, he couldn’t understand why Song Wenyuan had specifically mentioned it in front of Lu Huaiqian. Were Song Wenyuan and Lu Huaiqian good friends?

Before Cheng Shuo could figure this out, he heard Lu Huaiqian respond, “I got it. The bill will be sent.”

Then Song Wenyuan suddenly chuckled, “Haha, thanks, Lu Huaiqian.”

From start to finish, Cheng Shuo remained frozen in his spot. Only when he heard Song Wenyuan’s footsteps gradually fading away did he breathe a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to continue spying on Song Wenyuan and his companion. All he needed to do was watch who Song Wenyuan brought back after his brief exit to learn the truth.

But what if, what if Song Wenyuan had just gone out for a drink with another friend?

Or what if, what if he had met Xiao Jie for the first time due to an online date?

Cheng Shuo knew that these possibilities were extremely unlikely, but he wasn’t ready to completely rule them out. He didn’t want to conclude that Song Wenyuan was just looking for casual encounters. He realized he was subconsciously defending Song Wenyuan and felt like he was acting foolishly.

His fingertips touched the cold glass, and there was another person who could tell him the answer. Cheng Shuo’s fingertips tightened around the glass. After a few seconds of silence, he finally mustered the courage to ask, “Lu Huaiqian, does that person who was just here often come to the bar?”

Lu Huaiqian seemed to have figured something out and responded with a question, “Do you know him?”

Cheng Shuo’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively denied, “I don’t know him.”

Lu Huaiqian continued to smile and said, “I can’t help but feel like you were deliberately eavesdropping on his conversation.”

Cheng Shuo was caught off guard by the direct hit and remained silent for a moment. He wanted to know Lu Huaiqian’s answer but also didn’t want to appear defeated. He felt like he was defending Song Wenyuan subconsciously, and he considered it pathetic.

After a moment of silence, Cheng Shuo eventually admitted, “I just thought he looks decent, so I glanced at him a few times… Does he usually act like this?”

“What do you mean?” Lu Huaiqian asked.

Cheng Shuo pursed his lips and chose to be direct, “For example… hooking up with two people in one night?”

“I see you know.” Lu Huaiqian raised an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised. “As you saw, he’s quite popular.”

Cheng Shuo felt his heart skip a beat, and his throat went dry. He could barely manage a “thank you,” tightly gripping the glass, and hastily left, fleeing like a fugitive.