Blue Cocktail chapter 7
Lu Huaiqian didn’t understand for a moment. “What?”
However, Cheng Shuo didn’t want to say more. “Forget it.”
He withdrew his icy gaze, turned and left, walking swiftly.
Lu Huaiqian raised an indifferent eyebrow at his words. He watched as the other’s figure gradually disappeared around the corner and then turned back, lowering his gaze. He adjusted the water flow to the lowest setting to avoid getting splashed with water and carefully scrubbed his fingers, not missing the gaps between them.
Who is more dangerous?
Lu Huaiqian silently repeated in his heart.
He had seen all sorts of customers at the bar and had developed the ability to read people. Reflecting on Cheng Shuo’s tone, Lu Huaiqian could sense a hidden touch of sarcasm.
But looking at Cheng Shuo’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was mocking Song Wenyuan. Instead, it appeared directed at him.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Huaiqian suddenly realized and chuckled, raising an eyebrow.
So, Cheng Shuo was mocking him for being two-faced.
Indeed, as a bar owner, his position was unique. He came into contact with a variety of people, from high-level white-collar workers to industry elites, street thugs, and even the unemployed. However, these people all had one identity in the bar – his customers.
So, Lu Huaiqian’s approach was to strike a balance between his conscience and the customers’ money. He appeared to be a transient figure in the gray world, often taking a passive stance, with a less distinct standpoint.
When he considered his position, he realized that his words might indeed lack persuasiveness.
He kindly offered a reminder to the other person, but the other person didn’t seem to appreciate it. Nevertheless, Lu Huaiqian wasn’t angry. He closed the tap with a smile, and after blowing his hands dry under the air dryer until no water droplets remained, he put down his rolled-up sleeves, fastened his button, adjusted his gray tie, and walked towards the bar counter. After taking just a few steps, the tip of his black leather shoe suddenly bumped into something. He stopped in his tracks, bent down to take a look.
It was a piece of silver metal.
He picked it up, and the metal piece had a label with elegant and arrogant handwriting – “Huaiyuan 1314.”
It looked like a magnetic card key.
Could this have fallen from Cheng Shuo?
Lu Huaiqian quickly walked to the bar counter and looked at the seat where Cheng Shuo had been sitting. There was no sign of him; only a solitary highball glass remained on the table, with a thin layer of cocktail at the bottom. It was unlikely that Cheng Shuo would return for this last sip of drink.
He asked the bartender Aru, “Did the guy with gray-blue hair just leave?”
Aru responded, “Yes. What’s wrong, boss?”
Lu Huaiqian remained composed and rushed to the door, looking around, but the street was empty, with no trace of Cheng Shuo.
He ran so fast; is he born in the Year of the Rabbit?
Lu Huaiqian returned to the bar counter, tucked the metal piece into his vest pocket, thinking that Cheng Shuo should be back soon.
However, Lu Huaiqian waited until the bar closed for the night, but Cheng Shuo didn’t return.
Aru, Zhao Ge, and the other staffs were busy tidying up the glasses and cleaning the bar tools left on the scattered tables.
Meanwhile, Lu Huaiqian was reorganizing the liquor cabinet.
He patiently used a wet sponge to wipe away the remaining liquor and dust from the bottleneck and the liquor cabinet. During the wiping process, he noticed a bottle of whiskey with only one-third of its original content remaining. He took it out and transferred the liquor into a smaller bottle to minimize air contact and preserve the flavor of the liquor.
The entire process was done meticulously and deliberately, emphasizing a gentle and unhurried approach. If the bar manager Zhao Ge saw this, he would surely comment that Lu Huaiqian was too particular, even though the difference in transferring the liquor was not substantial.
Lu Huaiqian knew that Zhao Ge couldn’t be bothered with such details, so, he as the owner, had to take care of it personally.
On the other side, Aru was tidying the refrigerator and engaging in idle conversation with Zhao Ge, “Today, a handsome young man came to the bar. I was planning to personally give him a drink menu and maybe strike up a conversation, but unexpectedly, our boss got ahead of me.”
Zhao Ge, a close friend of Lu Huaiqian, found himself intrigued, “The guy with gray-blue hair?”
“Yes,” Lu Huaiqian replied.
Suddenly, the elusive bar owner, Lu Huaiqian, appeared behind Aru, startling him. Aru nervously chuckled, “B-boss, I absolutely wasn’t implying anything by saying this.”
“I know,” Lu Huaiqian said half-jokingly, half-seriously. “You thought I would have to bartend and deliver drink menus myself, and you were worried about me getting tired. I’m deeply touched. I’ll make sure to give you more work from now on.”
Aru was left speechless.
“Speaking of which, when I saw the handsome guy, I had to approach him with the drink menu myself. I chatted with him for quite a while,” Lu Huaiqian continued.
Zhao Ge, being a long-time friend, was comfortable teasing him, “Lu Huaiqian, are you interested in this handsome guy?”
Lu Huaiqian responded calmly, “I just felt like he resembled the way I used to be back then. I wanted to make a new friend.”
Zhao Ge inquired, “Resemble how?”
Lu Huaiqian explained, “When I size people up, I’m usually very accurate. I think he has a kind of determination.”
Zhao Ge couldn’t help but whisper, “I understand, you mean he’s as stubborn as you used to be, leaving home and defying everyone, even eight horses couldn’t bring you back.”
Lu Huaiqian came from a wealthy family, and after completing his studies, he should have taken over the family business. However, his heart wasn’t in it, so he voluntarily cut off his parents’ financial support and started his own business using the pocket money and scholarships he had saved up during his school years.
He opened a moderately sized bar in Huapu City and, after carefully managing it for some time, turned it from a loss into a profit, earning his first bucket of gold in life. With his newfound confidence and his family’s approval, he entrusted the entire family business to his younger brother, who was preparing for graduate school.
This old story from several years ago was being recounted by Zhao Ge, and Lu Huaiqian added, “Like I said, that the guy reminds me of my younger self. He has that fearless, brave, youthful spirit, and he’s handsome, too.”
Zhao Ge exclaimed, “…”
Unable to hold back, he whispered, “Boss, if you want to praise yourself, you can just say it directly. There’s no need to go around in such a big circle.”
Lu Huaiqian glanced sideways at him and raised an eyebrow, “I’m serious; I’m not joking.”
Zhao Ge quickly corrected himself, “My mistake, I didn’t say anything.”
Lu Huaiqian ignored Zhao Ge and turned to Aru, “The guy you guys are calling the handsome guy is named Cheng Shuo. He should be back at the bar again in the next few days, and he might call ahead before coming.”
He continued with his instructions, “Pay attention to the bar’s service phone. If he calls one day and I’m here, give me the phone. If I’m not here, write down his phone number for me.”
Curious, Zhao Ge asked, “Why would he call?”
Lu Huaiqian put his hand in his pocket and toyed with the metal piece he had picked up, his lips curled in a smile, intentionally building suspense, “Because I’m usually very accurate in sizing people up.”