LHKE Ch19

A black sports car stopped at the entrance of the bar, and the door on the passenger side opened. A man stepped out, opening a black umbrella. The back door opened next, and a tall, elegantly dressed young woman stepped out. She wore delicate makeup and a nude-colored spaghetti strap tulle dress, paired with a long, semi-transparent lace outerwear embroidered with roses. With her slim waist, long legs, and neat short hair, her earrings swayed gently as she walked, her bright eyes full of charm and grace.

The man, standing tall, shifted the umbrella to cover her, his handsome face calm, seemingly oblivious to the rain soaking his shoulders. A breeze passed by, carrying the fresh scent of ivy and a subtle woodsy fragrance from the woman. Lu Changting silently stepped aside and entered the bar, placing the folded umbrella on a rack by the door, coughing softly.

Hearing this, Xiang Wan asked with concern, “Mr. Lu, do you have a cold?”

“It’s nothing,” Lu Changting replied calmly.

Behind the bar sat a young man. While the bartenders were busy mixing drinks for customers, he sat leisurely on a bar stool, playing with his phone.

“I’ve only ever seen photos that people posted in their Moments. Today, I finally came myself,” Xiang Wan said in a warm and cheerful voice. “Mr. Lu, do you have any drink recommendations?”

Before the words were fully spoken, the young man behind the bar raised his eyes and looked over, his gaze meeting a pair of clear and deep eyes.

Lu Changting started coughing again, suddenly feeling guilty. Bringing a blind date in front of the person he liked—was he simply exhausted from a long day’s work, or had he lost his senses entirely?

Xiang Wan, not receiving an answer, turned her head to him with a puzzled expression. “Mr. Lu?”

Lu Changting lowered his gaze, avoiding Shen Li’s eyes. “You can tell the bartender what flavors you prefer.”

“What would the lady like? A long drink or a short one? What flavor do you prefer?” Le An, a bartender, handed over the menu just in time.

Shen Li lowered his head, distracted by his phone. In that brief moment, he felt like he had seen the past Lu Changting and Tang Yao. Tang Yao had short hair too.

He remembered once during a lunch break, he had passed by Class 13’s door and saw Lu Changting clumsily tying up Tang Yao’s shoulder-length hair with a small sunflower hair tie. He assumed it was a gift from Lu Changting to Tang Yao since she always wore it, sometimes in a small ponytail, sometimes on her wrist.

Shen Li thought, Lu Changting probably wouldn’t give anyone a sunflower hair tie anymore; he’d give more expensive and exquisite gifts to win over girls.

Then Shen Li thought, this beautiful woman must be Lu Changting’s blind date. They look perfect together.

He overheard the woman softly describing the kind of drink she wanted—something sweet, with low alcohol content. Le An recommended Baileys with milk, and Lu Changting ordered a Last Kiss. Then, Lu Changting’s low cough echoed again, tugging at Shen Li’s heart.

Lu Changting probably hadn’t taken his words from last night seriously.

After ordering their drinks, the two of them went to a booth by the window. The flickering lights in the bar created an intimate, romantic atmosphere.

Shen Li’s gaze cut through the lively scene, landing on Lu Changting and Xiang Wan from afar. Xiang Wan said something to Lu Changting, but the bar was too noisy. Lu Changting leaned in slightly, closing the distance between them.

What were they talking about? Was Lu Changting smiling?

A flood of questions and emotions crashed through Shen Li’s mind, desperate for an outlet. He stood up, expertly grabbing the cocktail shaker—45ml of rum, 10ml of brandy, 5ml of lemon juice… Wait, 5ml wasn’t enough. His hand paused, accidentally pouring in several extra milliliters.

The carefully memorized recipe was suddenly altered, and a sense of lightness washed over him. He tossed ice and the alcohol into the shaker, sealing the lid, with his thumb pressing down on it while his middle and ring fingers supported the bottom, shaking vigorously.

He shook the cocktail shaker with all his might until he felt a bit drained, then placed it back on the bar. Using a lemon slice, he gently rubbed the rim of the glass and poured the drink.

He felt like he was losing control of his emotions. Before he could dump out the Last Kiss he had just made, he placed the glass on a tray, signaling for the server to deliver it.

Then, he fled.

He didn’t want to know how Lu Changting would react to drinking a Last Kiss with nearly half a glass of lemon juice mixed in. He just wanted to be reckless for once.

Just this once.

Let Lu Changting taste it too—the feeling of unrequited love, so sour, so bitter, and slightly painful.

…

The server brought the drink over, placing it on the table with a polite, “Enjoy your drink, and have a pleasant evening.”

Xiang Wan smiled as she raised her glass. “Cheers—”

She took a small sip. The sweet creaminess paired perfectly with the alcohol, creating a rich, smooth flavor.

“‘Gu Jiu’ isn’t quite like the bars I imagined,” she remarked.

Most people think of bars as places filled with thumping bass, men and women flirting wildly on the dance floor, and flashing lights that make it hard to keep your eyes open. Or, they picture quiet, artsy bars playing folk music, with rustic décor and endless stories of love and heartache. But “Gu Jiu” had a better vibe than a dance club, and it was livelier than a quiet bar. Here, you could drink to forget or drink for peace of mind. No wonder the wealthy heirs and second-generation rich kids all flocked here.

Lu Changting gave a distracted response. His thoughts were elsewhere, trying to figure out how to explain his true intentions to Xiang Wan. He wasn’t attending this blind date because he liked her or wanted to continue seeing her, but rather to make it clear that he wasn’t interested. If it had been anyone else, he would have rejected them outright. But because of the business connections between the Lu and Xiang families—and the fact that this meeting was arranged by their parents—he had to be tactful in his refusal.

He took a sip of his drink, and the sourness of the lemon juice completely overpowered the alcohol. Lu Changting frowned and coughed twice as he struggled to swallow the sour, bitter Last Kiss.

He waved over the server, only to be told, “This was personally prepared by our boss. Is there an issue?”

Lu Changting glanced at his glass, letting out a bitter smile. “No problem…”

It was just too sour.

Was Shen Li trying to sour him to death?

Or was this clumsy trick Shen Li’s way of telling him—he was jealous?

Though the latter thought seemed a bit self-indulgent, Lu Changting did find some small comfort in it. And then, masochistically, he lifted his glass and took another sip.

He had never in his life drunk something this sour.

The sweetest candy, the bitterest drink—both had been given to him by Shen Li.

Thinking of this, Lu Changting smiled lightly.

“Mr. Lu?” Xiang Wan looked at him, unsure why he was smiling. She asked gently, “What are you thinking about?”

Xiang Wan’s voice brought Lu Changting back to reality. No matter what he was thinking, or what he wanted with Shen Li, he first had to deal with the issue at hand.

Carefully choosing his words, he said, “I’m thinking about how to politely and gracefully turn down a beautiful lady.”

Xiang Wan took a moment to process this, her almond-shaped eyes widening in surprise. Her smile became a bit awkward, but she still tried to ease the tension, saying, “Turning down a beautiful lady is inherently ungentlemanly.”

“That’s why I feel so sorry.”

“Then why are you turning her down?” Xiang Wan swirled her drink, taking another slow sip. “Please don’t tell me it’s because you think you’re incompatible, or shower her with compliments. She’s not buying it.”

Lu Changting replied bluntly, “Because I’m already in love with someone.”

Xiang Wan lowered her gaze, the smile on her face fading. “In that case, why did you agree to this blind date?”

“Mr. Lu, your actions… are truly disappointing.”

“I don’t care how you view me,” Lu Changting said, “but I hope that our personal issues won’t affect the relationship between the Lu and Xiang families.”

Lu Changting’s words were clear enough, and Xiang Wan wasn’t the type to be unreasonable. Her admiration for Lu Changting had piqued her interest in continuing to see him, but it didn’t mean she was head over heels for him.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to make this awkward.”

“But I am a bit curious,” she said, her tone lightening, now freed from the constraints of the blind date. “What kind of person is your love?”

Thinking of Shen Li, Lu Changting’s eyes softened. “He’s a very lovely person.”

“Well then,” Xiang Wan said, completely giving up, “I wish you both happiness.”

At the end of the evening, when settling the bill, the cashier handed Lu Changting a plastic bag. “Mr. Lu, this is from our boss.”

Xiang Wan glanced over unintentionally, noticing several boxes of medicine. She thought to herself how close Lu Changting must be with the boss of “Gu Jiu.” She also wondered, since she hadn’t seen the boss all night, how he knew that Lu Changting had a cold.

Lu Changting was a bit surprised as he took the bag and glanced inside—ibuprofen, aspirin, licorice tablets, cold and flu granules, cough syrup… various cold medicines, and a box of chocolates.

Looking at the bitter Last Kiss he had just drunk and the bag of medicine in his hand, Lu Changting’s expression softened.

“Please thank your boss for the Last Kiss.”