Cloudside Café

tarararawr7-9 minutes 08.07.2021

Translator: tarararawr

The Sixth Cup of Coffee Part 1

Jiang Ying didn’t like to hold grudges, especially with something that happened so many years ago. It was all in the past now. Since it had nothing to do with her now, it would be nice if they could greet each other calmly, ask about their current situation, and keep a respectable distance from each other when they accidentally met.

Faced with Fu Chen’s Wechat friend request, Jiang Ying decided to leave it alone first, but he was very persistent. She didn’t know how he got her cell phone number, but he sent three text messages in a row.

Jiang Ying was afraid to ignore it for any longer, since Fu Chen might even send her an e-mail.

Sending a text on Wechat took too much time, and Jiang Ying was in no mood to talk too much with him. Thus, she quickly gave him a phone call.

When the phone was connected, the other side said first, “Have you been busy lately? I’m only getting a reply to my message now.”

Jiang Ying held back her displeasure and said in a business tone, “Sorry, I’m really busy. What are you looking for me for?”

Fu Chen laughed from the other end of the phone. “It’s nothing much, I just want to catch up with you.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ying was silent for a while, and asked sarcastically, “Catching up? We should just call this even between us.”

Before Fu Chen could answer, she said, “I’m really busy, I’ll hang up first.”

After pressing the red button to end the call, Jiang Ying, without pausing, put him on her blocked list.

Fuck off!

—

Fu Chen’s appearance in her life was only brief, so Jiang Ying did not take it to heart.

She went to Cloudside more and more frequently recently. Sometimes she feels inefficient at home on the weekends, so she brought her laptop to Cloudside. Jiang Ying was cautious of the noise on the first floor, so she often sat alone in the corner of the second floor.

The lighting on the second floor was not very good. Yun Xian saw her several times while she was working. He bought another floor lamp to adjust the brightness, and he replaced the wooden stool with an armchair.

That seat was not occupied often unless it was by Jiang Ying. Gradually, it seemed to be hers exclusively.

It was sunny that afternoon. Jiang Ying massaged her neck and pushed open the glass door.

Yun Xian was mixing coffee and glanced up at her. “Is your neck uncomfortable?”

Jiang Ying gave a casual yeah. She sat down on the stool at the counter. “I’ve been sitting without getting up. I’m sore.”

“Sitting for a long time is bad for your neck. I sometimes get up and move around.” Yun Xian handed her the menu. “What would you like to have today?”

Jiang Ying rubbed her deflated stomach. “Fresh taro milk and double cheese1, I need sugar urgently now.”

Yun Xian saw how weak she looked and asked, “Didn’t you eat?”

Jiang Ying nodded. “I was busy and realized that my lunch break was almost over. I snuck out. I’m starving.”

Yun Xian took away the menu. “Then you have to remember to eat.”

Jiang Ying smiled at him.

“Jiang Ying?”

Hearing someone calling her name, Jiang Ying looked back.

It was a man of her age, dressed casually. Jiang Ying thought he looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember who he was.

Seeing her frowning and thinking hard, the man came closer and introduced himself. “I’m Xu Hang. Do you still remember me? We were in the same class in the first year of high school.”

“Oh!” Jiang Ying remembered as soon as he said that. “I remember you. What a coincidence that you are here.”

“It is a coincidence,” Xu Hang said. “I was going to contact you.”

Jiang Ying froze, pointed to herself and asked, “Me?”

She hardly knew Xu Hang. For that one short year, her life didn’t have anything to do with this classmate. She only remembered that he was on the sports committee member for the class back then. He was a sporty guy and he was very popular.

Jiang Ying put her hair behind her ear and asked, “What are you trying to contact me for?”

Xu Hang looked down at his watch. “Are you free now? I want to talk to you.”

Jiang Ying hesitated for a few seconds, nodded and agreed, “Okay.”

They went to sit elsewhere. When the drinks and desserts were ready, Jiang Ying rubbed her thighs and said to Xu Hang, “Tell me, what are you looking for me for?”

Xu Hang drank a strong Americano. He swallowed the bitterness. It went down and he didn’t even frown. He asked, “Have you met Fu Chen recently?”

Jiang Ying’s heart jumped. “Did he tell you that?”

Xu Hang concentrated and smiled.

“He has been mentioning you often in the group recently and asked everyone about you.”

This sentence was unclear, and uncomfortable for Jiang Ying to hear. “If you have something to say, then just say it.”

“He had at least seven or eight girlfriends in high school, and he knew a lot of girls, but now.” Xu Hang paused. “Isn’t it strange that he only remembers you?”

There was a weird feeling at the bottom of her heart, like a cup of stale tomato juice was knocked over. The thick brown-red liquid smelled spoiled and disgusting. Jiang Ying leaned back in her chair and smiled silently. “What is this? Reverse Stockholm syndrome?”

Xu Hang put down his coffee glass, and his attitude was also unpredictable: “I don’t know what he’s thinking. I just wanted to tell you that he made a bet at a dinner party the other day and let everyone know that he will court you in a month.”

Truthfully, Xu Hang changed the wording. What Fu Chen said that day was: Guess who I met? Jiang Ying, do you remember her? I can’t believe she has become really beautiful now, but she still holds too much of a grudge and is so cold to me that she didn’t even look at me. Hm, Laozi still doesn’t believe it. You guys just watch, I’ll make her captured by me before it’s too late.

When Jiang Ying heard this, she only felt funny. “Why?”

Xu Hang just warned her. “Stay away from him. You don’t know how crazy he is.”

Jiang Ying looked at Xu Hang warily. “Then why did you come to tell me this? Do you think I’ll really be fooled by him?”

Xu Hang smiled and shook his head. “I just think I should tell you.”

Jiang Ying lowered her eyes and rubbed the mouth of the glass with her fingers, as if she was remembering something.

Xu Hang was always smiling. He treated everyone equally and seemed to be friends with everyone.

She didn’t have any good classmates at school before, and the reason why she was able to remember Xu Hang’s name was because he was one of the few people who had shown her kindness.

Jiang Ying said in a low voice, “Thank you.”

Xu Hang’s real emotions were hidden behind his smiling face as usual. “No need to thank me.”

Jiang Ying looked up and said, “I owe you those words. You opened the door of the sports equipment room for me.”

After saying goodbye to Xu Hang, Jiang Ying sat at Cloudside for a while, slowly thinking. Her hand supported her chin as she looked outside the room in a dazed state. She watched people come and go. As soon as the glass door opened or closed, the clear bell would ring.

A black Porsche parked in the open space in front of the door. Jiang Ying glanced at the license plate number that seemed familiar. Before she could react, she saw Li Zhicheng get out of the car.

What could be more terrible than sneaking out during office hours and being caught in front of the boss?