DMPSA CH 23

Chapter 23: Yue Qi Left

When Su Qing woke up, it was already 3:30 in the afternoon, leaving only half an hour before his shop’s opening time. He could hear sounds downstairs—Da Wang, along with Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao, were already preparing the store.

He jumped out of bed, eager to freshen up and head down to open the shop, but the lingering osmanthus fragrance in the room made him freeze in place.

What… exactly did I do last night?

He collapsed back onto the bed, clutching his head as disjointed memories started to piece together. Everything that happened last night was vividly clear—pouring out his feelings in the seating area, leading someone to the bed… every detail remained etched in his mind.

He had made a move on Yue Qi. He had initiated it.

“Ahhhh!” Su Qing screamed internally, completely overwhelmed. Then what? What happened after they got into bed? What had he done to Yue Qi?

He sneaked a glance at himself. His clothes were intact, save for a few buttons undone on his shirt.

Su Qing felt puzzled. Logically speaking, it would have been unlikely for someone to completely redress themselves after the deed.

Moreover, his own body…

Curling up on the bed, Su Qing squirmed a little. Though he lacked experience, he was sure it wouldn’t feel like this—completely normal.

So… nothing happened last night?

A long sigh of relief escaped Su Qing, though it left behind a tinge of disappointment. More than anything, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

He felt guilty because Yue Qi was a guest at his tea house—perhaps even someone who considered him a friend—and yet, he had made a move on a friend.

As for the twinge of disappointment, Su Qing didn’t dare delve too deeply into it. It probably echoed his mother’s words: Someone as flawed as him, even if he willingly threw himself at others, would still be unwanted.

Sigh!

Su Qing rubbed his face and pulled himself together. He needed to stay optimistic—things hadn’t spiraled into an irreversible disaster, and that was already a blessing.

Grabbing a clean set of undergarments, he prepared to take a shower. However, he noticed a bright yellow sticky note on the bathroom door.

“I had to leave early due to some urgent matters. Please call me when you wake up.”

Beneath the message was a phone number and Yue Qi’s elegant signature.

Su Qing stared at Yue Qi’s neat handwriting and froze. After a few seconds of dazed hesitation, he peeled the sticky note off, stretched his arm, and stuck it higher up on the door—somewhere well out of his usual sightline.

Let’s just pretend I didn’t see it.

As if guilty of a crime, Su Qing hurriedly took a shower. He changed into fresh clothes and went downstairs to open the shop. Until he left his room, he didn’t dare glance back at the bathroom door.

By the time Su Qing made it downstairs, it was already close to 4:30 PM. Normally, he was the first to arrive at the tea house since he lived just upstairs. But today, he was uncharacteristically late, and the other three staff members couldn’t help but let their imaginations run wild.

The timing—Qixi Festival night, the last two people left in the shop—was simply too suggestive. They grinned at Su Qing with teasing and knowing expressions, brimming with gossip and ambiguity.

Ugh, it’s not what you think!

Su Qing suffered in silence, his frustration bottled up with no outlet.

When the shop just opened, there was only one table with customers. Su Qing sat idly at the counter, tugging absentmindedly at Da Huang’s fur.

Ring ring ring!

The phone at the counter rang. Su Qing picked up and answered reflexively, “Good evening, Night Owl Tea House.”

A familiar low voice, laced with a hint of laughter, came from the other end of the line. “You sound lively. Feeling better?”

“Much better, much better.” Su Qing noticed Xiao Qiao glancing at him curiously. He hunched over, covering the mouthpiece with his hand, and turned to face the wall as he continued, “Wait, why are you asking if I’m feeling better? I’m perfectly fine.”

“You fainted yesterday,” Yue Qi reminded him.

“Ah… oh.” The mention of yesterday left Su Qing so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to say. Left without options, he simply fell silent.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Yue Qi asked, then added, “I left a note for you—it was stuck to your bathroom door. Didn’t you see it?”

“No, no, I didn’t.” Su Qing tried to deflect, his tone suspiciously defensive. “I went straight downstairs after I woke up. I didn’t see anything.”

Yue Qi’s grin widened. Su Qing was someone who valued cleanliness—it was obvious from how meticulously he kept the counter. There was no way he had gone to bed in the same clothes he wore the previous night, woken up, and gone downstairs in them, all rumpled and unkempt. Not to mention, wouldn’t he at least brush his teeth, wash his face, or use the bathroom?

When Yue Qi didn’t immediately respond, Su Qing, feigning calmness, continued, “Was everything alright yesterday? I was drunk and don’t remember anything… I didn’t cause you any trouble, did I?”

A textbook case of “nothing to see here.”^[1]

“Ahem, you did cause a bit of trouble.” Yue Qi suppressed his laughter, faking a cough. “You suddenly passed out, scared me half to death.”

“I’m sorry,” Su Qing replied awkwardly.

Amid their conversation, Su Qing caught the sound of an airport announcement in the background. It prompted him to change the subject hurriedly. “Are you at the airport?”

“Yes, I’m at the airport,” Yue Qi replied, walking with his luggage while talking. “I forgot to tell you yesterday. I spent a year in the U.S. for training before. This year, the hospital started a new advanced training program, so I’ll be heading back there.”

Su Qing was momentarily stunned. “Training in the U.S.? You never mentioned that before,” he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you going for another year this time?”

His voice sounded muffled, weighed down by an unmistakable sense of loss.

“This time, I’ll only be gone for a month,” Yue Qi replied, laughing cheerfully. “What’s the matter? You’re going to miss me?”

“Yeah, I’ll miss your money,” Su Qing retorted, his face flushing red as he stubbornly quipped, “Without a loyal customer like you, the tea house might go under.”

Yue Qi burst out laughing. “Hahaha, it won’t go under. I’ll be back spending money soon enough. Alright, I have to get ready to board. I just wanted to let you know I won’t be able to come by to see the cats this month.”

“Got it,” Su Qing mumbled. “Go on, then.”

After hanging up, Su Qing felt like he had forgotten something. Thinking it over, he suddenly rushed upstairs.

He grabbed the sticky note he had stuck up high earlier, tore it off, and entered the phone number into his own phone. Hesitating only briefly, he tried calling the number.

“Hello? Who’s this?” Yue Qi asked, sounding distracted as he spoke to someone nearby, likely confirming his seat.

“It’s me, Su Qing.”

“What’s wrong?” Yue Qi sounded surprised. “Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing,” Su Qing replied softly. “This is my number. Save it, okay?” He quickly added, “Let me know you’re safe after you land.”

“Alright. Wait for my call,” Yue Qi said, his voice brimming with warmth. Then, almost tenderly, he added, “And wait for me to come back.”

His gentle tone left Su Qing momentarily dazed.

Hanging up the phone for the second time, Su Qing felt his face grow warm and tingly, the sensation spreading over the side of his cheek that had held the receiver.

Meanwhile, on Yue Qi’s end, he boarded the plane with an unrelenting smile on his face.

The truth was, what he said during the first call wasn’t entirely honest. He hadn’t forgotten to tell Su Qing about leaving the country.

This trip to the U.S. had been in the works for quite some time. There were plenty of opportunities to mention it if he’d wanted to. But before, he hadn’t felt the need to explain.

Su Qing was merely the owner of one of the many establishments he frequented. He visited plenty of places regularly: the noodle shop downstairs, the convenience store next to it, the fruit stand near the hospital… and so on.

Was Yue Qi supposed to notify every single one of them?

However, somewhere along the way, the tea house owner’s status began to diverge from that of the noodle shop’s granny, the convenience store’s part-timer, and the fruit stand’s uncle.

Maybe it started when Yue Qi inadvertently got involved in a few of Su Qing’s personal matters—like when he forcibly “confiscated” Su Qing’s watch, or when the two of them stayed up late drinking tea and discussing books. Or perhaps it was when they unexpectedly shared that moment of an uncontrollable heat together.

These moments changed their simple relationship of customer and shop owner into something fundamentally different.

And that’s how the absurdity of last night came to be.

Absurd, yet sweet.

That’s why, before leaving in the early hours, Yue Qi left a note for Su Qing, hoping he would reach out.

That’s why, as he prepared to board and still hadn’t received a call, Yue Qi decided to take the initiative himself.

He didn’t want to leave quietly, leaving Su Qing feeling abandoned.

What would come of their relationship? Yue Qi didn’t know.

But at least, for now, things were moving in a good direction.

At least Su Qing’s reaction earlier hadn’t let him down.

(To Be Continued…)

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