Chapter 28: Coffee
Today, she wore white. An intricate, elaborate white blouse, not quite business attire, but it accentuated her delicate features. A pristine white trench coat and matching trousers outlined her long, slender legs, works of art, culminating in elegant white high heels.
Beneath the white umbrella, she was as pure and radiant as a silver moon descending to earth.
Xiang Er stood frozen at the entrance, the murmurs of the crowd behind her filled with awe and astonishment. Many eyes, filled with various emotions, were fixed on her, everyone realizing that this silver moon had undoubtedly come for this slender girl.
But Xiang Er could no longer hear their words, she was too stunned.
Time and again, every time her world was struck by a downpour, it was her who came to the rescue!
It was always Shen Yuhe!
Something must be wrong with this world… Xiang Er thought, a wave of unexpected joy and happiness washing over her, making her dizzy and lightheaded, her lips curving upwards involuntarily.
Shen Yuhe stopped half a meter away, a formal distance that puzzled Xiang Er.
Shen Yuhe looked at Xiang Er’s face, her dark eyes filled with concern and curiosity, and perhaps other emotions Xiang Er couldn’t decipher.
Xiang Er composed her expression, trying not to appear too excited, and said softly:
“Aren’t you off work yet?”
Shen Yuhe said:
“I’ve been off work for a while. I was waiting for you.”
Xiang Er took a deep breath, the next polite remark caught in her throat, replaced by a shy, grateful smile.
Shen Yuhe tilted the white umbrella slightly forward, droplets of water sliding down the ribs, forming shimmering strings of pearls, making her eyes seem darker, her skin fairer, her neck even more elegant, like a swan’s.
She said:
“Come, I’ll take you home.”
Her captivating voice sent ripples through the crowd, gasps of envy and astonishment echoing behind them, their burning gazes making Xiang Er’s back tingle.
Xiang Er blushed, but she stepped forward resolutely, into the shimmering puddles, stepping beneath the white umbrella without hesitation, standing shoulder to shoulder, face to face with Shen Yuhe.
Coincidentally, she was wearing a black dress today, a stark contrast to Shen Yuhe’s all-white ensemble.
The girl in black, slender and pale, her shoulders slightly hunched, looked up, her eyes shining with excitement; the woman in white, elegant and noble, her dignified face lowered, her gaze focused on the other person, the white umbrella tilted slightly, shielding her from the rain.
Two beauties, black and white, in the rain.
The scene was too perfect. The onlookers at the entrance were momentarily stunned, someone even raising a camera, the click of the shutter capturing the image, preserving it like a precious work of art.
Shen Yuhe waited for them to finish taking pictures before looking up, glancing at them casually, smiling faintly, then turning to Xiang Er and saying:
“Let’s go.”
Xiang Er moved to walk beside her, suppressing her smile, and nodded:
“Mm, let’s go.”
The two figures, one black, one white, one tall, one short, gradually disappeared into the rain, leaving the onlookers at the entrance buzzing with excitement.
“Oh my god! Did you see that? CEO Shen and that girl… do they know each other?”
“I have to say, they look so good together! This scene, this walk in the rain, it’s like something out of a movie!”
“CEO Shen worked overtime on her first day, I thought it was strange, but it turns out it was for this girl!”
“What’s their relationship? I’m so envious of that girl…”
The rain washed over the world, and the sky quickly darkened as they walked.
It was difficult to see in the darkness and rain. As they walked, Xiang Er’s arm bumped against Shen Yuhe’s elbow as she held the umbrella, and she froze in alarm:
“Sorry, I couldn’t see clearly…”
She was still apologizing when Shen Yuhe gently grasped her arm, placing something cold into her hand and closing her fingers around it.
Xiang Er couldn’t see clearly, but it felt like the handle of the umbrella. As she was wondering, another cool, soft touch covered the back of her hand, slowly enveloping her entire hand…
Goosebumps rose on Xiang Er’s arm, a complex wave of sensations washing over her. She looked up, seeing a white figure in the darkness, but the details were blurred, the woman’s face veiled in mist, a hazy, beautiful image that both puzzled and captivated her.
She looked down again and saw a long, jade-white hand covering hers, extending from the cuff of a white shirt.
Shen Yuhe had enclosed her hand in hers, placing the umbrella handle in her grip, the two of them now holding the umbrella together.
Shen Yuhe whispered in her ear:
“There.”
Xiang Er’s cheeks flushed. Enclosed in Shen Yuhe’s hand, her own hand grew warm, quickly warming Shen Yuhe’s palm.
To avoid the awkward silence, Xiang Er started a conversation:
“Um, when did you leave that day?”
Shen Yuhe’s voice was calm:
“After you fell asleep.”
Xiang Er continued:
“I looked for you when I woke up, but I didn’t have your contact information… Oh, right, could you give me your contact information?”
Shen Yuhe paused, then suddenly turned and walked towards a shop by the roadside.
Xiang Er, her hand still held by Shen Yuhe, was led along:
“Oh?”
Shen Yuhe:
“Let’s find a place.”
She led Xiang Er into a coffee shop. It was quite crowded, with many young couples buying coffee. At the entrance, under the warm yellow light, Xiang Er pulled her hand away from Shen Yuhe’s, closed the umbrella, and hung it on the umbrella stand outside.
Turning around, she saw Shen Yuhe watching her intently, her large eyes sparkling with curiosity. Seeing Xiang Er look at her, she immediately straightened up, smiling and nodding politely.
Xiang Er, finding her adorable, entered the coffee shop first, stood in front of the counter, looked up at the menu, then turned to ask Shen Yuhe:
“What would you like to drink? My treat, as a thank you for taking care of me that time.”
The coffee shop was quiet and cozy, soft music drifting through the candy-colored decor, pictures of coffee beans hanging on the walls. Many white-collar workers were sitting inside, taking shelter from the rain, some still working, their laptops clicking busily.
Shen Yuhe looked up slightly towards the music player, seemingly captivated by the female vocals. It was a popular coffee shop song, “Moon River,” the singer’s languid voice echoing, evoking a sense of gentle melancholy.
Xiang Er asked her again, and she finally looked down at the menu, then asked Xiang Er:
“What do you like?”
Xiang Er considered her options:
“Hazelnut latte is good for this kind of weather, and I also usually drink cappuccino, they’re both quite sweet…”
Shen Yuhe spoke to the barista first, her voice firm and composed:
“One hazelnut latte, one cappuccino.”
The barista cheerfully took their order and asked about the sugar level and other details, but Shen Yuhe fell silent.
She turned to Xiang Er, her expression like a lost puppy, looking utterly helpless and pitiful.
She even reached out and tugged at Xiang Er’s sleeve.
Although she didn’t speak, her expression, her eyes, were… an adorable display of vulnerability.
Xiang Er smiled, stepped forward, and specified her preferred sugar level, ice level, and whether she wanted milk, rattling off a series of options. The barista printed the receipt and went to prepare their drinks.
Shen Yuhe was still holding onto Xiang Er’s sleeve, gently shaking it. Xiang Er turned to look at her.
Shen Yuhe looked at Xiang Er’s face and said sincerely:
“You’re so amazing.”
Xiang Er:
“Huh? Pfft… it’s just ordering coffee, what’s so amazing about that?”
Xiang Er thought, no way, wasn’t Shen Yuhe CEO Shen, the newly appointed CEO, couldn’t she order coffee? Oh, right, CEOs usually had personal assistants, so she probably always had her assistant buy her coffee, it was normal for her to be unfamiliar with the process.
They went to find a seat. Shen Yuhe held onto Xiang Er’s sleeve, following closely behind her, even though she was much taller.
Xiang Er chose a booth with a sofa and sat down. Shen Yuhe, instead of sitting opposite her, sat down beside her on the sofa.
The hem of Shen Yuhe’s trench coat rested on Xiang Er’s leg. Xiang Er suddenly remembered:
“Oh, you haven’t taken your red dress back, and I didn’t bring it today… Let’s exchange contact information, and I’ll bring it to you.”
Shen Yuhe said:
“The dress isn’t urgent. Contact information… what do you want?”
Xiang Er:
“Your phone number, your WeChat, anything is fine.”
Shen Yuhe pondered for a moment, then took out her phone and handed it to Xiang Er:
“You can do it yourself.”
Xiang Er was surprised:
“Huh? You’re just giving it to me…”
Xiang Er was a little taken aback. This was her phone! Even close friends rarely shared their phones, right? Now Shen Yuhe was just handing her phone over… wasn’t she afraid of her snooping around, discovering her secrets? Did she trust her that much?
Xiang Er’s ears felt warm. She took the phone and found that it had no passcode. She opened WeChat and was surprised to find that, aside from the official welcome message, there were no contacts at all!
She didn’t snoop, just opened her own contact information, scanned the QR code with her own phone, added Shen Yuhe as a friend, and returned the phone.
“There.”
Xiang Er was satisfied. She finally had her contact information! She was no longer afraid of losing touch! This was great!
Shen Yuhe watched her, and seeing her joy, handed her the phone again:
“If you like it, you can play with it.”
Xiang Er blushed:
“No, thank you, I’m just happy that we’re finally connected on WeChat, so we can contact each other anytime.”
Shen Yuhe took back her phone and looked at the only contact listed.
Nickname: Little Ears. Profile picture: a bouquet of golden daisies, supposedly a good luck charm.
Xiang Er looked at her own phone. Shen Yuhe’s nickname: Shen Yuhe. Profile picture: a solid red, no pattern.
Xiang Er asked:
“Do you like red?”
Shen Yuhe shook her head:
“I like black.”
Xiang Er was puzzled:
“Then… why is your profile picture red?”
Shen Yuhe looked at her without speaking, her gaze so intense that it made Xiang Er slightly uneasy.
Xiang Er chuckled nervously:
“It’s almost New Year’s, it’s good to use red, it’s considered lucky, right?”
But Shen Yuhe didn’t take the hint, her eyes fixed on Xiang Er’s as she said:
“It’s for you.”
Xiang Er:
“…”
What?
Just then, the waiter brought their coffee. The fragrant coffee, with its delicate latte art, was served in beautiful glass cups, and Xiang Er gasped in admiration.
She took a sip of her hazelnut latte, the warmth spreading from her throat to her chest, warming her entire body.
“This place always has good coffee… huh?”
Suddenly, a head rested on her shoulder. Xiang Er flinched and turned to see… a seemingly drunk Shen Yuhe?
Her beautiful, jade-like face was flushed, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and the area beneath her eyes all a rosy red, her eyes slightly closed, glistening with unshed tears, her full lips stained with coffee foam, her head resting heavily on Xiang Er’s shoulder.
Shen Yuhe raised her arms and wrapped them around Xiang Er’s arm, unconsciously licking her lips, her fragrance, mingled with the scent of coffee, enveloping Xiang Er completely.
Shen Yuhe tilted her head back, her neck arching gracefully like ivory, her eyes hazy as she looked at Xiang Er, her voice filled with grievance, almost on the verge of tears:
“So bitter… you tricked me, you tricked me…”
She complained, her voice slurred and full of grievance, then buried her face in the crook of Xiang Er’s neck, nuzzling against her, her soft hair tickling Xiang Er’s chin.
Xiang Er’s heart exploded.
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