After lunch, Sun Pinting's father wanted to have another chess match with Su Xuan, but Su Xuan got a call and needed to go to his company.
"Work is more important than playing. We can play chess during your next visit." Sun Pinting's father waved his hand.
Su Xuan nodded with a smile and then looked at Xu Ai, saying, "It's still early. Do you want to go with me, or…"
"I'll go with you!" Xu Ai stood up immediately.
"Ai-Ai, what's the hurry? You and Shen are from the same school. Today is Sunday; let Xuan leave first. You can stay for a while longer," said Grandma Li, reluctant to see her go.
"Grandma, you're befuddled!" Sun Pinting put in, "They're in love and can't stay away from each other."
"Well, you're right. I'm indeed befuddled!" Grandma Li patted her own head and urged them with a smile, "Go then!"
With a blush, Xu Ai gritted her teeth and grabbed her bag before walking out with Su Xuan.
Sun Pinting and her mother walked them out.
Su Xuan said to them with a smile, "Goodbye, Aunt!"
"Come and see us again when you have time," Ting's mother said with a smile.
"Certainly." Su Xuan nodded.
"Sis, you did the right thing!" Sun Pinting leaned close to Xu Ai and gave her a thumbs-up.
Xu Ai rolled her eyes. "Don't forget your promise. I'll see the result in three months' time."
"No problem!" Sun Pinting patted her own chest.
Xu Ai and Su Xuan got into the car and drove away.
Sun Pinting pulled her mother over and whispered, "Mom, how come I never knew our family is close to Lin Shen's family?"
"Lin Shen's father was friends with your dad. His mother is the daughter of a close friend of your grandma during the Down to the Countryside Movement. Your grandma introduced her to Lin Shen' father. They had come to our house when you were little, but you don't remember them now. Later, Lin Corporation collapsed, and your dad helped Lin Shen's mother keep the company. She worked so hard for the company that she got sick for a few years. In the past years, she came to see your grandma each Spring Festival, but you were always out playing during the winter vacation, so you never ran into them. This time, his mother heard your grandma is sick and came to see her. Today is Sunday, so she brought Lin Shen with her," Ting's mother explained.
Sun Pinting mumbled, "This is a small world."
"What are you mumbling about? Let's go back in!" Ting's mother turned and walked into the house.
Mumbling silently, Sun Pinting entered the house after her.
Driving out of the residential community, Su Xuan glanced at Xu Ai and asked with a smile, "Are you going back to school or to home? I'll drive you back."
"It's not necessary. Drop me at the nearest subway station." Xu Ai glanced at her cellphone and saw it was 2 PM. "Go and handle your business."
"In fact, there's nothing urgent in the company. I can handle it later," said Su Xuan.
Xu Ai turned her head and looked at him.
Su Xuan smiled. "I saw your discomfort, so I found an excuse to leave."
Xu Ai froze; a sly and observant guy, Su Xuan must have noticed something. She pursed her lips and looked away without saying anything.
As she remained silent, he said, "How about this? My home is not far from here; let me take you to my home."
Startled, Xu Ai objected immediately, "No."
"I'll drive you to school tomorrow morning," said Su Xuan. "Ever since she met you, my grandma talks about you every day. You'll go and see her next Sunday anyway. It's as well you go now."
Xu Ai shook her head. "I said no."
Su Xuan turned his head and glanced at her.
"Stop. I want to get off now." Xu Ai moved to unfasten the seat belt."
He stopped her by placing his hand on hers and said with a smile, "Okay. I won't take you to my home. Where do you want to go? Home or school?"
Seeing he gave up the idea of taking her to his home, she said after a moment of consideration, "School."
Nodding, he drove in the direction of her school.
Xu Ai closed her eyes and lounged on the seat.
One hour later, they arrived at the gate of the school.
Pointing out of the window, she said, "Do you see that coffeehouse? Drop me over there."
"Appoint?" Su Xuan looked at the coffeehouse and nodded. Then he turned his head and glanced at her. "You're not going to your dorm room?"
"It's still early." Xu Ai shook her head. "They're not in the room at this hour. I'll sit in the coffeehouse for a while."
Nodding, Su Xuan stopped the car before the coffeehouse.
As Xu Ai unfastened the seat belt and got out of the car, Su Xuan got out, too, and locked the car. He said with a smile, "Your dad said you operate a coffeehouse. Is this it?" He walked toward the entrance.
"Hey!" Xu Ai strode up and blocked his way. "What are you doing?"
Su Xuan raised his brows. "I drove you all the way here and feel a bit thirsty. Don't you want to invite me to have coffee?"
"Are you sure you don't have anything urgent in your company?" Xu Ai looked at him suspiciously.
Su Xuan nodded. "Nothing is more important than spending time with my girlfriend."
Xu Ai scowled. "Su Xuan!"
He looked at her with a smile. "I want to try the coffee in your coffeehouse."
Resigned, she stepped away.
Su Xuan pushed open the door and entered.
He was greeted with light music and the strong aroma of coffee.
The waiter sitting at the counter looked up at the sound and saw Su Xuan. Saying hello to Su Xuan, he saw Xu Ai walk in and smiled, "Sister Ai! You came!"
Xu Ai nodded.
Su Xuan glanced around and found the place neat and clean; decorated in warm and slightly dim colors, the coffeehouse was divided into small compartments. The aroma of coffee came from the compartments.
The walls had no decorations but some photos.
Photos of all shapes.
In each photo were one woman and one man; there were no single-person portraits.
In the pictures, the couples either feed each other food, gazing at each other or frolicking; their faces were full of the pleasure of being in love.
Su Xuan glanced around and turned back to Xu Ai, asking, "You don't receive single customers?"
Xu Ai made a confirmative sound.
Su Xuan smiled. "Fortunately, I'm not single."
Rolling her eyes, she walked up and asked the waiter, "Han Ye, do we have empty compartments?"
Han Ye looked at Su Xuan and then at Xu Ai. With a "Oh", he pointed at Su Xuan and said, "He's…"
Xu Ai slapped his hand down. "I asked you if there're empty compartments."
Han Ye withdrew his hand and snapped his mouth closed; shaking head, he whispered, "No. Except for your room, the house is full. Today's Sunday."
"Then…" Xu Ai frowned and turned to look at Su Xuan.
"Then we can go to your room." Su Xuan put in; he said to Han Ye with a warm smile, "I'll have the signature coffee. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Since you're Sister Ai's…" He was about to say "boyfriend" but swallowed it back at Xu Ai's sharp glance. He said instead, "I'll get the coffee for you."
With a smile, Su Xuan took Xu Ai's hand. "Where's your room? Show me the way."
Xu Ai pursed her lips. "Do you really want to go to my room?"
"What? Do you have secrets in your room? " Su Xuan looked at her with a smile.
Xu Ai looked down and gazed at the floor for a while before saying, "Come with me."
Su Xuan nodded.
The coffeehouse was a shopfront of three stories. The layouts on the first and the second floors were the same, but on the third floor, there were only three big compartments with high-end decorations.
Coming before one of the compartments, she took out her room card and swiped it before the lock. Opening the door, she gestured to him to enter.
Casting a glance at her, he walked in.
When he saw the photos on the walls, Su Xuan chuckled, "This is why you hesitated to let me enter the room, huh?"
Standing at the entrance, Xu Ai said, "If you regret coming here, you can leave now."
Su Xuan shook head and sat down on the sofa leisurely. "No, I don't regret it."
His smile remained in place when he saw Lin Shen's pictures, looking as elegant and casual as usual. She closed the door and said, "You can leave after a cup of coffee."
Su Xuan nodded.
Xu Ai sat down on the sofa opposite to him.
"You come here often?" Su Xuan picked up the menu card mockup from the table and asked with a smile.
The mockup was the only thing on the table except a pair of coffee cups. It was a picture mockup but there was no picture in it.
She had put it there in the hope that she'd put her photo with Lin Shen in it.
But the dream hadn't come true after three years; it seemed it would never come true.
Her face dimmed as she shook her head. "Not often."
"Really?" Su Xuan looked up at her.
She made a confirmative sound.
She only came when she was low in spirits. But even when she was low, she usually didn't come here. This place was like a secret chamber in her heart and even she didn't dare to intrude it.
Su Xuan was the only person that she took into the room.
She had thought Lin Shen would be the first visitor to this room.
Unfortunately, she had been wrong!
Putting down the mockup, he said with a smile, "I'm the first person you bring into this room, right?"
Xu Ai nodded.
With a chuckle, he lounged on the sofa in an elegant and comfortable posture. "I feel honored."
Xu Ai's lips pressed tightly as she glanced up at him.
"Sister Ai, the coffee is ready. Do you want me to bring it in or you come out and get it?" Han Ye asked softly outside the door.
Standing up immediately, she opened the door and took the coffee from him.
"Do you want cakes?" Han Ye asked in a low voice.
Xu Ai shook head. Closing the door, she brought the coffee to the table and placed it before Su Xuan.
"It smells good. Do you have a full house each day?" he asked with a smile.
She nodded. "People need to make appointments to have coffee here; sometimes, they have to book a room one week in advance."
"So popular?" Su Xuan was surprised.
She played with the mockup and said with some resentment, "I guess they come here not to drink coffee but to enjoy time with their loved ones."
Su Xuan raised his brows.
Xu Ai looked at him in earnest. "You know love is a permanent topic. Every person needs to love and be loved, especially college students; next to study, love is their top priority. They need such a romantic place to spend time with their loved ones."
"You're making money from romance, huh?" Su Xuan chuckled.
"You can say so." Xu Ai nodded.
"Your dad said you purchased this coffeehouse right after you got admitted into the university. I'm sure you've made big money from it in the past three years."
After a moment of consideration, she said honestly, "The profit from the coffeehouse is enough for me to open five more coffeehouses."
"Did you do it?"
"No." She shook her head. "Before it went into business, I planned to make it into chain stores in colleges all over the country before graduation. But later I changed my mind."
"Why?"
She lowered her head to look at the mockup in her hand and fell silent.
Gazing at her, Su Xuan picked up the cup and sipped the coffee, saying in his melodious voice, "It's a pity that you gave up your dream. Such coffeehouses will be popular not only in the country but abroad, as well. Maybe you can make it into not only national but worldwide chain stores."
"You overestimate me!" Xu Ai chuckled.
Su Xuan savored the coffee and praised, "The coffee is good. The customers come not only to spend time with their loved ones but to enjoy good coffee, too."
Xu Ai looked up at him.
His smile was charming; dressed in white shirt and casual pants, he sat there with the coffee cup in his hand, looking like a picture.
The first time she saw him, she had found this man was not only good-looking; he was gorgeous.
Lin Shen wasn't as handsome as he or had as many good qualities or as much achievement.
But she had fallen in love with Lin Shen long ago and no matter how good Su Xuan was, he just couldn't touch her heart.
She gazed at him for a long time and he sipped coffee and let her look without a word.
Then she turned her eyes to the table and said, "Su Xuan, you know I like Lin Shen."
Su Xuan raised his brows but didn't speak.
Drawing circles on the table with one finger, she said in a sad low voice, "I've liked him for three years. Even though he doesn't return my feelings, I still like him."
Su Xuan remained silent.
Biting her lip, she looked up at him. "You asked me why I changed my mind about making the coffeehouse into chain stores. It's because I lost my heart in the school right after I entered it and I don't want to move."
Su Xuan listened quietly and his expression didn't change.
Looking at him, she inhaled deeply and continued, "You're a great guy; no one can name anything bad about you. But my heart has no room for you, so…"
Su Xuan put down the coffee cup and continued for her calmly, "So, you took me here to tell me that you can't accept me; you want me to give up the pursuit, right?"