36: Chapter 36 Afternoon Tea Time

The mall on a Saturday afternoon had at least thirty percent more people than usual.

Lin Wei linked arms with Liu Yanran as they wandered through a light luxury brand store.

She picked up a mauve-pink silk blouse and held it up to the mirror, turning to ask, "Yanran, what do you think of this color?"

Liu Yanran stood two steps away, her gaze fixed on a mannequin in the display window, and hadn't heard.

"Yanran?" Lin Wei raised her voice.

"Hm?" Liu Yanran snapped back to attention, glanced at the blouse, "It's nice."

Lin Wei hung the garment back up, walked over to her, and lowered her voice, "You've been distracted since we entered the mall.

You look at clothes but not the styles, look at jewelry but not the designs.

You stood in front of the perfume counter for five minutes just now and didn't even sample a single bottle."

Su Qing walked over from the other side, holding a pair of sharply tailored suit pants, "This cut is good; do you want to try it on?" She looked toward Liu Yanran.

Liu Yanran shook her head, "I have enough pants."

The three of them left the store and took the escalator up to the third floor.

As they passed the men's section, Lin Wei deliberately stopped in front of a display window.

Behind the glass hung several dark blue shirts; the tailoring was clean, and the fabric looked crisp.

"This shirt is nice," Lin Wei nudged Liu Yanran with her elbow, "It's suitable for wearing to work."

Liu Yanran's gaze swept across the display, lingered for about two seconds, and then moved away, "Let's go, aren't we going for coffee?"

Lin Wei and Su Qing exchanged a look, sharing a silent understanding.

The coffee shop was tucked into a corner on the fourth floor of the mall.

As soon as the three entered, they were greeted by a room filled with soft, light wood tones: pine grain flooring, birch wood square tables, complemented by light beige linen seat cushions.

Sunlight streamed through the Venetian blinds, casting long, thin patches of light on the tabletops.

Lush pothos and peace lilies adorned the windowsill and corners of the walls.

The greenery mixed with the aroma of freshly ground coffee, instantly melting away fatigue.

At three-thirty in the afternoon, they settled into a booth against the wall, and the waiter handed them the menus.

Lin Wei ordered a latte, Su Qing asked for an Americano, and Liu Yanran hesitated briefly before choosing grapefruit tea.

While waiting for the drinks, Lin Wei propped her chin in her hand and looked at Liu Yanran, "You can tell us now, right? What is it that has you so preoccupied?

You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders while out shopping."

Liu Yanran stirred the slices of grapefruit in her cup with a straw, "It's nothing, maybe I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Doesn't look like lack of sleep," Su Qing picked up her coffee cup, her tone calm, "You stopped three times in front of the watch counter, but you weren't actually looking at the watches.

You were checking the time."

Liu Yanran paused, her stirring action halted.

Lin Wei leaned forward solicitously, "Is it something about work? Did the project run into trouble?"

Liu Yanran put down the straw, lightly rubbing the glass wall of her cup with her finger, "It's nothing, it's just that yesterday... I made plans to have dinner with someone, but he suddenly had something come up."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Wei immediately perked up, "Who is it? What's his name? Do we know him?"

Liu Yanran was silent for a moment before uttering three words, "...Qiao Yichen."

"Qiao Yichen?" Lin Wei repeated, her expression blank, "Who is that? I don't recall you mentioning him.

A colleague? Or a new friend?"

Liu Yanran didn't answer, stirring her grapefruit tea again.

Just then, Su Qing set down her coffee cup, and the light clink of the cup base meeting the tabletop broke the silence.

"I know him," she said, her voice tinged with teasing, "He's my client; he's registering a studio called 'Yiran Consulting,' and I'm handling the legal paperwork."

Lin Wei instantly turned her head, her eyes lighting up, "Ah? Really? A studio? What do they do? What's he like? Is he handsome? How old is he?" A string of questions tumbled out like spilled beans.

Liu Yanran turned her face away, looking out the window.

Su Qing's tone carried an objective assessment, "They handle marketing planning and consulting.

He's also from Yanran's company; he seems very steady, and he speaks and acts in an organized manner."

"Ooh, an office romance!" Lin Wei exclaimed after hearing this.

"That's right," Su Qing nodded in agreement.

Lin Wei turned back to Liu Yanran, a mischievous smile in her eyes, "Not bad, Liu Yanran, keeping quiet about this."

Liu Yanran turned back, took a sip of her grapefruit tea, neither confirming nor denying anything.

Su Qing watched her for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Actually, this is quite good."

Liu Yanran looked up at her.

"The fact that you can get upset over something like this on your own," Su Qing's voice was soft but clear, "shows that you have truly moved on from that last incident."

Lin Wei also dropped her smile, reaching out to pat Liu Yanran's hand, "Su Qing is right.

Let the past stay in the past.

It's a good thing that you can care about someone again."

Liu Yanran lowered her eyes, looking at the floating grapefruit slices in her cup.

"But speaking of which," Lin Wei returned to her usual lively tone, adopting the air of someone who loves to organize things, "Just listening to Su Qing isn't enough.

Hearing is deceiving; seeing is believing.

Ask him to come out for dinner tonight, why don't we? We can help you check him out."

Liu Yanran immediately refused, "Stop messing around, it's unnecessary."

"How is it unnecessary?" Lin Wei pulled Su Qing to her side, "Su Qing, tell me, should she meet him?"

Su Qing thought for a moment before replying, "Although I met him a few days ago, it was in a professional setting, so I don't know him well.

Lin Wei interacts with many people usually, so she can also help take a look."

"Exactly!" Lin Wei pressed her advantage, "I have eyes like a hawk."

Liu Yanran stopped talking.

She looked at the tea in her cup; the surface of the water trembled slightly.

Observing her expression, Lin Wei suddenly lowered her voice, a teasing smile playing on her lips, "Don't tell me... you're afraid we'll scare him away?"

Liu Yanran looked up and glared at her, "Nonsense."

"Then invite him out," Lin Wei pushed her phone toward Liu Yanran, "Just treat it as a casual get-together with friends.

We don't bite."

Liu Yanran looked at the dark phone screen on the table, remembering the unanswered message from last night.

And the concerned message he sent this morning, which she also hadn't replied to.

She should give him an out; she wasn't the overly sensitive type.

Once she made up her mind, she took a deep breath and picked up her own phone.

She unlocked it, opened WeChat, and found that conversation thread.

The last message was his invitation, which she hadn't answered.

Her finger hovered above the input box, pausing for a few seconds, then she typed:

"Are you free tonight? Lin Wei and Su Qing want to grab dinner together. If you aren't busy, you can come over."

Sent.

She placed the phone face down on the table, picked up her grapefruit tea, and took another sip.

"Did you send it?" Lin Wei asked.

"Mhm."

"What did he reply?"

"Not yet."

Lin Wei leaned over playfully, "Nervous?"

Liu Yanran pushed her away lightly, "Stop fooling around."

But her fingertips were unconsciously tapping lightly on the glass cup.

Su Qing raised her coffee cup and looked at Liu Yanran, "He will come."

Liu Yanran didn't ask why; she just glanced again at the phone lying face down on the table.