Cloudside Café

The Eleventh Cup of Coffee Part 3

Ding-a-ling—

“Welcome.” Yun Xian was busy with the latte art in his hand. Without looking up, he asked, “What would you like to drink?”

Jiang Ying proficiently ordered, “One latte, one lime Yakult, and a slice of cheesecake.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Yun Xian looked up. His eyes stopped on Jiang Ying for a few seconds, and then moved to the girl next to her.

“Your friend?” He asked Jiang Ying.

“Yeah” Jiang Ying held on to the people next to him and introduced, “Shen Xuan. She lives in Shen City and came to have fun with me.”

Yun Xian smiled and nodded to Shen Xuan. He didn’t know why, but he felt that she did not look at him in a very friendly way. To be precise, it felt like a direct examination and inspection.

Like the mother-in-law checking on her son-in-law.

Yun Xian thought of this comparison and couldn’t stop his smile from emerging. He laughed at his conclusion.

After making the order, Yun Xian handed the receipt to her. “Please find a seat and wait a moment.”

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As soon as Jiang Ying was about to walk to the main hallway, Shen Xuan pulled the chair at the  counter and sat down.

“You want to sit here?” Jiang Ying asked.

Shen Xuan nodded, “Yeah, let’s just sit here.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ying also sat down and took off the bag on her shoulder.

They were very close to the reception table. Shen Xuan got closer to Jiang Ying and said in a low voice, “Not bad, he’s an attractive person.”

Jiang Ying raised an eyebrow, and as if she was praising herself, she said, “Can my eyes be wrong?”

“How old is he?”

“Thirty.”

“Local?”

“No, he is from Beijing. He just came to Xi City last year.”

“What does his family do?”

“…Are you investigating what his hukou1 is ?”

“I must ask carefully for when I marry my daughter off.”

Jiang Ying laughed and said, “My own mom is not as protective as you.”

Soon, two drinks and cakes were placed on the table. Jiang Ying asked Yun Xian, “Is Xinrou here today?”

“No, I gave her a break and she went to have fun with her classmates.”

“Oh, I see.”

As soon as Yun Xian left, Shen Xuan teased her: ”Oh ho ho, you are so familiar with the employees of the shop. You are worthy of being the future wife of the boss.”

Jiang Ying glared at her and gritted his teeth and warned, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

They sat and chatted for a while. From gossip to their family situations, there was a lot to talk about when they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

Suddenly, Shen Xuan slapped the table and shouted, “Where did my memory go? I forgot about that.”

Jiang Ying was startled by her and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Shen Xuan looked down into her bag. “An unexpected joy, but not yours.”

Jiang Ying had a bad feeling. “What do you mean?”

“Congratulations, a wedding invitation.” Shen Xuan took out an invitation from her bag and handed it to Jiang Ying. She corrected her words, “No, this could be a missile.”

Jiang Ying took the invitation. As soon as she untied the ribbon, she heard Shen Xuan slowly say, “Lu Tingyang’s wedding got moved up. This is the invitation.”

Jiang Ying looked up abruptly and her voice rose without realizing it. “Isn’t he holding the wedding later this year?”

Shen Xuan said, “His wife is pregnant. Otherwise, the wedding wouldn’t be set for his birthday. And you two have the same birthday.”

Jiang Ying clenched her fist and resisted the impulse to swear.

Shen Xuan didn’t mind watching her reaction and said, “Why do I remember how someone said that she would be there and bring her boyfriend with her?”

Jiang Ying defended herself in a low voice, “I was thinking that it would still be far away, I was bragging okay? Who told him to break up with me and say that people like me are not fit to fall in love?”

Shen Xuan shook her head and gave her conclusion, “Just go through hell to keep up with appearances.”

“What do I do now? If I don’t go, it will look like I’m afraid. I’ll go alone, I will be embarrassed again.” Jiang Ying stirred the latte, and the beautiful flower latte art could not be seen anymore.

Shen Xuan cleared her throat and fondled her hair. She said, “That’s what I thought, so when Lu Tingyang gave me the invitation, I said great, Jiang Ying would definitely bring her boyfriend to it.”

Jiang Ying only felt funny with what she heard. She asked weakly, “Where can I get a boyfriend?”

Shen Xuan’s voice was as light as a feather as she said, “He asked me what your boyfriend’s surname was so I said it’s Yun.”

Jiang Ying’s eyes widened. She gasped and gave her a what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look. She was breathing heavily as she quickly untied the ribbon. She opened the wedding invitation, and the impressive red paper with golden sparkle said “We sincerely invite Miss Jiang Ying” and added to it was “and her partner Mr. Yun”.

Her heart thumped and she blurted out four words: “Yun—What the fuck!”

The sound resonated, and the room full of people looked at her, including Yun Xian.

When their eyes met, Yun Xian pointed to himself and asked, “Me?”

Jiang Ying immediately shook her hand, “No, no.”

Yun Xian nodded. He looked away and continued to make coffee.

Jiang Ying put her hand to her forehead and gritted her teeth and said to Shen Xuan, “I really have to thank you.”

Shen Xuan replied, “You’re welcome.”

Jiang Ying stared at the invitation in her hands. She opened and closed it, and confessed, “I have to admit, if he can go with me, then I would be able to raise my head high in front of Lu Tingyang. But how can I ask him to do this?”

“Isn’t it easy?” As soon as Shen Xuan started talking, Jiang Ying saw her raise his arm and shout, “Xiang—oh, that’s right, Boss Yun, Jiang Ying is looking for you.”

Jiang Ying didn’t have time to cover Shen Xuan Mouth, so he could only glare at her before Yun Xian heard her voice.

“What is it?” Yun Xian put down the cup and wiped his hands on his apron.

“It’s just…” Jiang Ying’s mind went blank. Embarrassed, she touched her cheeks. “That, I…”

Yun Xian smiled and said, “It’s fine, tell me.”

Jiang Ying twisted her finger and toughened up to ask, “Can you help me out with something?”

Yun Xian asked, “Help with what?”

Jiang Ying felt complicated. She raised her voice and blurted out, “Can you be my boyfriend?”

The author has something to say:

Yun Xian: Did something wonderful just happen?

Footnotes

Hukou is the household registration system that tells where the person’s permanent residence is, family members are, birthday, etc.