A minor hermit hides in the wild; a great hermit hides in the city.
North Street was vibrant and alive. Amidst the constant flow of people, it possessed its own profound tranquility; within the hurried footsteps, it held its own great sense of ease. Most of the shops on North Street were quiet and unassuming: print shops, fruit stalls, opticians, convenience stores, bookstores, flower shops, and quiet bars. The students and faculty of C University, coming and going, were the most charming scenery of North Street.
In July, the Brazil World Cup kicked off in a heatwave of excitement. But for Xia Yinuo and Fan Mi, the hottest event of the summer was the preparation for the opening of "A Slice of Coffee."
Fan Mi was indeed the perfect partner. She possessed rich experience and a unique—even sharp—eye for detail. Almost everything Xia Yinuo had considered, and even the things she hadn't, Fan Mi had already accounted for. The renovations were nearly complete. The beige marble walls, coffee-colored leather booths, and marble mosaic floors were exquisite, exuding a classical atmosphere. The ceiling featured a massive mural of the Arizona starry sky, all because Liang Juejun had once mentioned in passing that it was her favorite night sky. Regarding funding, equipment, procurement, and personnel, there was a comprehensive plan in place. As for professional coffee knowledge and technique, with "Big Rice" Fan Mi there, it went without saying. One could say everything was ready, merely waiting for an auspicious day to open.
A coffee shop requires one to pour their heart into its decoration and atmosphere without ever tiring of it. If you don't treat the customers as mere customers, they won't treat you as a mere businessperson. As a lifestyle, you can find joy in it. Over time, customers develop a sense of belonging, and a happy, warm economic return naturally follows. The reasons a coffee shop attracts repeat customers are always multifaceted: a unique style, delicious coffee, pleasant music, or a selection of tasteful books. Of course, it might also be because of the interesting people within—the beautiful owner, the lovely staff...
Xia Yinuo felt a bit uncertain. She remembered a phone number her uncle, Li Qingfeng, had left her, saying it belonged to a Ms. Lin, the owner of a bookstore on North Street. She didn't know who this Owner Lin was or how old she might be. While she was hesitating, Fan Mi didn't say a word; she simply picked up the phone and dialed.
Xia Yinuo tried to stop her. "Isn't this a bit too sudden and abrupt? For such a small matter?"
Fan Mi gave a casual wave of her hand. "It's just asking for some information. We aren't stealing their bookstore's business, so what's the harm? I'll do it!"
As she spoke, the call connected.
"Hello." The voice on the other end belonged to a young woman. One could infer she was roughly the same age as Fan Mi and Xia Yinuo.
Fan Mi made a shushing gesture to Xia Yinuo. "Hello, is this Owner Lin of the North Street Bookstore?"
"It is." The voice was cool and detached, devoid of any particular emotion.
Fan Mi placed the phone on the table, turned on the speaker, and winked at Xia Yinuo. "Owner Lin! It's like this—I'm not sure if you've noticed 'A Slice of Coffee' on the east side of North Street? Perhaps you haven't, since your bookstore is at the other end of the street."
"Oh, A Slice of Coffee. I know it. I'm right across from you."
"Huh? Across?" Fan Mi looked at Xia Yinuo with a face full of questions; Xia Yinuo was equally puzzled.
The other party didn't seem to care about the confusion, asking with airy indifference, "So, may I ask what you need from me?"
"Oh! Right," Fan Mi snapped back to attention. "The cafe is opening soon, and we've run into a bit of trouble. We wanted to ask for your advice."
After a brief explanation of the situation, Owner Lin didn't say whether she had encountered similar issues. She simply stated that these matters were decided by the plumbing and electrical renovations and that there wasn't much of a solution; they should talk to the property owner first.
It was exactly as Xia Yinuo had expected.
Fan Mi hung up the phone, looking a bit sheepish.
"Strange. Isn't 'North Street Bookstore' on the west side? We're on the east. The place across from us should be 'A Certain Bookstore.' Did your uncle get it wrong? Who exactly is this Owner Lin? Her tone was so lukewarm; she sounds like someone you shouldn't mess with."
Xia Yinuo laughed. "Where do all these questions come from? Never mind that. Anyway, we have to make a trip there."
The two had no choice but to pay a visit to the property owner's home. For this, Fan Mi specifically instructed Xia Yinuo: "You look like someone who hasn't seen much of the world. If you run into someone fierce, you'll definitely get the short end of the stick. I'll lead the charge and play the 'bad cop.' When the time is right, you come out and play the 'good cop.' Isn't that why we're the best partners? Besides, if anything happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to Mai Mai?"
Fan Mi spoke with such conviction that Xia Yinuo couldn't find a reason to argue. Xia Yinuo suddenly felt as if another Mai Shining had entered her life...
The door was opened by a woman in her forties. After the two explained their purpose, the hostess remained blocking the doorway, showing no intention of inviting them in. Thus, the two were forced to stand at the door, trying to persuade her with kind words.
Fan Mi said, "Auntie, we are renovating according to standard procedures. We guarantee it won't affect the other owners. Besides, compared to an outdoor air conditioning unit, a ventilation duct hardly makes any noise, right?"
The owner's tone was far from friendly. "You make it sound so simple. Would you be willing to have some mysterious ventilation duct installed right under your window?"
Fan Mi took a breath. "Auntie, if I remember correctly, that ventilation duct was already there when the previous shop was in business."
The owner shot Fan Mi a sharp glare. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying I'm extorting you?"
Xia Yinuo hurriedly intervened. "Auntie, that's not what she meant. Looking at it another way, the ventilation duct is right below your kitchen. I don't think it should have much of an impact, right?"
The woman sized Xia Yinuo up and down and huffed. "I wasn't willing to live on the second floor in the first place. Those commercial shops downstairs are the most annoying. If I meet a reasonable owner, things are simple; but if I meet people who use twisted logic, there's really nothing I can do!"
Fan Mi got anxious. "Who's the one using twisted logic here!"
Xia Yinuo held Fan Mi back. "Auntie, in these matters, everyone has their own perspective. We'll consult with the renovation team again to see if it's possible to reroute the lines. Does that sound okay?"
Fan Mi started, "But—"
Xia Yinuo continued, "However, as my friend said, that ventilation duct has always been there. Before we started the renovations, the property management's electrician came to look at it and said it was fine. We're just giving you a heads-up now to avoid trouble later."
Seeing the woman preparing to shut the door, Fan Mi rushed forward. "We came here to negotiate in good faith. If you act like this, it makes it very..."
*Bang!* The heartless sound of a closing door.
"...difficult for us," Fan Mi finished, pulling her hand back and sighing out the rest of her sentence.
Xia Yinuo spread her hands, smiling helplessly.
With no other choice, the two left the owner's doorstep and stood by the elevator, waiting for it to go down.
Fan Mi couldn't let it go. "Hey, Little Treasure! Tell me, how can there be such an unreasonable woman? We were being so polite, and she turns around and bites us!"
With a *ding*, the elevator arrived from below, and a woman stepped out.
Neither of them paid her much mind. Fan Mi leaned gloomily against the wall, then suddenly straightened up as if struck by an idea. "Could it be because we called her 'Auntie' just now?! Women care a lot about their age, especially when being called 'Auntie' by young, beautiful girls!! No! I'm going back right now to call her 'Sister'!!!"
Xia Yinuo gave a charming smile. "Sure! Go ahead, I support you!"
The woman who had just stepped out of the elevator suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned back and spoke leisurely, "Actually, there's a simple way to solve this."
Xia and Fan looked at each other, confirming that she was indeed speaking to them.
The woman pointed nonchalantly at the neighbor's door. "That woman acts harsh because her husband is in business and they have a bit of money. But she's truly good to her daughter; she only moved here so her daughter could be in this school district. You could recommend a tutoring class to her daughter, or give her some membership cards and cash vouchers for the cafe, along with some pastries kids like. Hmm... as for the property management, they're basically useless. They can't handle anything."
Fan Mi shot Xia Yinuo a look, but Xia Yinuo remained silent.
Seeing this, the woman tilted her head and grinned. "Oh! I've been living next door to her lately. I just went downstairs to take out the trash and happened to overhear your conversation."
Fan Mi muttered under her breath, "Quite a 'happenstance' indeed."
Only then did Xia Yinuo take a good look at the woman before her. She was in her early twenties, tall and thin. She wore no makeup, her features were sharp, and her medium-length hair was tied casually into a small ponytail at the back of her head. She was dressed in extremely casual home attire—a short T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Her arms were crossed, and a rolled-up newspaper was tucked under her arm, giving her a lazy, afternoon yuppie vibe. From the looks of it, she really had just gone downstairs to dump the trash and pick up a paper.
Seeing that Xia Yinuo still hadn't responded, the woman laughed. "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions."
Xia Yinuo smiled and said, "We'll consider it. Thank you."
Fan Mi's eyes were fixed, staring blankly at the woman. The woman said to Xia Yinuo with a grin, "Pity your friend doesn't seem to believe me!" As she spoke, she leaned down and waved a hand in front of Fan Mi's face. "Isn't that right, curly-haired little sister?"
Mai Shining often teased Fan Mi about her natural curls; "Little Curly" was Fan Mi's "pet name."
Another one looking for trouble!
Fan Mi bristled. "Who are you talking to?! Huh?! What's wrong with curls? Plenty of people would kill for them! And don't go calling me 'little sister'! So what if you're tall? Let me tell you, a slip of a girl like you should be calling me 'Sister,' if not 'Great-Aunt'!"
The woman threw her head back and laughed. Then she pursed her lips and shrugged, as if to say—*there's a crazy woman across from me, and I'm innocent.*
Despite her words, seeing that the other woman wasn't getting angry, Fan Mi lost her momentum. She merely let out a huff through her nose, turned her head, and stopped talking.
*Ding!* The down elevator arrived.
The woman pointed at the elevator with a smile, turned around gracefully, and waved the newspaper over her shoulder as she walked away.
Fan Mi was still indignant. Looking at the woman's back, she said crossly, "What kind of person is that?! So rude! So narcissistic!"
Xia Yinuo held the elevator door for Fan Mi and pressed the button for the first floor with her knuckle. "But what she said makes sense. We might as well try it."
Fan Mi stepped into the elevator reluctantly, rubbing her chin in thought. "Fine then, I'll let it slide since she's actually quite good-looking!"
Xia Yinuo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh, you!"
Fan Mi argued back, "What! I've been interviewing too many 'fresh meat' candidates lately. Looking at faces too much has become an occupational hazard!"
Previously, Xia Yinuo had posted a part-time job advertisement for the cafe on the C University BBS. Lately, many students looking for part-time work had been coming to them.
Xia Yinuo looked up at the elevator ceiling, heartlessly exposing her. "Excuses. If you're a veteran 'looks-ist,' just admit it."
Fan Mi suddenly gave a mischievous giggle, her eyes darting around as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.
Xia Yinuo found it funny. "There's no one else in this elevator. If you have something to say, just say it."
Fan Mi stood on her tiptoes and reached out to drape an arm over Xia Yinuo's shoulder. "Hey, since that's the case, I'll... reluctantly say it!"
Xia Yinuo nodded. "Go on."
But Fan Mi started to stammer. "Little Treasure, you and Teacher Liang... Liang Juejun... are you two..."
Xia Yinuo arched an eyebrow, smiling without a word.
"Actually, I'm just a little confused. You say Teacher Liang is your friend, but you call her 'Senior'; Mai Mai, on the other hand, calls her 'Senior Liang' or 'Teacher Liang' all over the place, sometimes even in a weirdly sarcastic tone... I've been wondering..."
Xia Yinuo pursed her lips and nodded for Fan Mi to continue.
"The main thing is, the way you two look at each other... it's too tender! Too full of longing! Too mushy! It's practically animal cruelty to us single dogs!"
Xia Yinuo burst out laughing.
Fan Mi was frantic. "Please, say something!!!"
Xia Yinuo smiled. "I was wondering when you'd finally figure it out!"
"Whoa!" Fan Mi slapped Xia Yinuo on the back. "So it's true! You two really are a couple?!"
Xia Yinuo rubbed her back and nodded. "Yes."
Fan Mi bristled again. "Why didn't you say so earlier!"
"You're a friend I trust; I never intended to hide anything from you. But some things aren't exactly meant to be talked about all the time."
"Oh, please! I'm very open-minded. This kind of thing is no big deal to me. I accept it!"
Xia Yinuo felt a mix of amusement and warmth. "I know."
"But speaking of which, I really couldn't tell. I mean, from your appearance and vibe, I couldn't tell you'd like women. Now, that yuppie we met at the elevator—she's a likely candidate."
"..."
"I didn't understand before. You aren't even that into drinking coffee, yet you wanted to open a coffee shop. Thinking about it now, it's probably because of Teacher Liang, isn't it?"
"That is indeed part of the reason."
"Tsk tsk!" Fan Mi couldn't help but marvel. "But tell me, how did you meet? How did you hook up? How did you know for sure you liked her?"
"So many questions. Hmm... I don't know which day it started, but I'd find myself thinking of her for no reason. I'd see something, and through some convoluted path or a complete circle, my thoughts would always end up at her..." Xia Yinuo crossed her arms, a smile playing on her lips.
"And then?!" Fan Mi pressed.
"And then I realized—oh no, I'm in big trouble!"
*Ding.* The elevator reached the first floor.
Fan Mi blocked the door with her hand, her curly hair leaning close to Xia Yinuo as she gave a sly grin. "Alright, last question. Tell me, who's the top and who's the bottom?!"
Xia Yinuo took a step back to dodge Fan Mi, her eyes narrowing as she let out a knowing, radiant smile before slipping out of the elevator.
"Hahaha! Actually, the answer is obvious!" Fan Mi laughed boisterously behind her. "Xia Little Treasure, you really are something!"
And wasn't she?
I am no peerless hero, but I can still step upon the seven-colored clouds to build a rainbow that belongs to us.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 一爿咖啡 | A Slice of Coffee | The name of the cafe. "Pian" is a classifier for shops. |
| 北街 | North Street | The location of the cafe and bookstore. |
| 小隐于野，大隐于市 | Minor hermits hide in the wild; great hermits hide in the city | A classic Chinese proverb about true reclusion. |
| 唱白脸/唱红脸 | Play the villain / Play the hero | Equivalent to "Bad cop / Good cop." |
| 攻/受 | Top / Bottom | Slang for roles in a same-sex relationship (Gong/Shou). |
| 盖世英雄 | Peerless Hero | A reference to the film "A Chinese Odyssey." |
| 七色云彩 | Seven-colored clouds | A reference to the prophecy in "A Chinese Odyssey." |
