Atmos was one of the trendiest cafes in town. It was known for being especially big. The owner had turned it into a club of sorts. Yin Niankai was the Second Young Master of the Yin Conglomerate and had a love for different cultures and talent. So he had established the opulent Atmos which was a café in name but had so much more going on in it. From small screening rooms for amateur filmmakers to showcase their art, to painting rooms, art galleries, mahjong tables, kitchens, everything you could think off, Atmos had a place for it. It offered hobby classes and offered people to a place to showcase their talents. Many talents had started off from this very place and Atmos had helped them grow to new heights.
Chef Nuo Tai had made his famous desert 'Fawn' in a small kitchen in this very building that he had rented here. Yin Niankai had been passing by and had by chance sampled the absolute delight of the berry mousse and had signed him to be the head pastry chef of Atmos and his 'Fawn' became the signature dish of the café.
Similarly the renowned qin player Su Nian, Film Empress Du Sisi, national Go player Chi Chen had all frequented Atmos.
It is at this place that I often go to play the piano in the café. That day after class, I did the same. I sat down at the grand piano just off to the side, a place that was surrounded by a whole crowd of people occupying the tables but no one really paid attention to the pianist. I flexed my fingers a few times before starting to play the last score that I had written, Drowning.
"So you play the piano." A low voice commented. I turned around to look at Ling Bingchen surprised. I never expected to meet him here, though it is one of the most likely places to bump into a youth, but Ling Bingchen just does not give off the vibe of being someone who moves with the crowd.
However, it looked like I was the only one surprised. His eyes were still calm as if me being here or knowing how to play the piano was no new knowledge to him.
"En."
He sat down at the adjacent empty table, putting down the tall glass of lemonade in his hand on the table," I've never heard that piece before. What is it called?"
"Drowning," I peeked at him as he nodded. A need for his acknowledgement grew inside me again and I could not stop myself from blurting out, "I wrote it."
I cringed.
"It's sad."
"Huh?"
"It sounds sad."
"It's actually not. You just perceive it that way. This piece is just a state of trance for me, a moment of emptiness. Now it's on you on how you fill that emptiness in."
"So you mean I'm sad?" Ling Bingchen questioned, a flash of interest glinting in his eyes. I internally flushed with pleasure at his unconscious attention towards my music.
"Not really. It just means that I just gave you time to think about yourself and your feelings. We don't pay attention to our changing moods enough in this fast paced world. We only pay attention to our needs and wants."
Ling Bingchen smiled and nodded," You're right."
His smile was wide and closed mouthed that formed crinkles around his eyes, hooking his eyes up and giving him a charming light. The smile made my breath hitch up in my chest as it didn't go with his clean manly image at all. The smile, it was...cute.
The smile also made me relax a little, enough to finally say it.
"Senior, actually I wanted to thank you for saving me that day."
"Oh, it's okay. Just pay attention when you cross roads always." Ling Bingchen waved it away.
"Let me invite you to a meal?" I asked.
"It's really okay, you don't have to."
"No no, I should. How about this, you can order whatever you want and I'll pay for it?"
"Well, actually I had a big meal for lunch and I'm not hungry. Next time I'll starve the whole day and eat a big meal with you?" Ling Bingchen asked, with a hand placed on his stomach to show his reluctance to eat a meal.
"Okay Senior, then next time."
"So can you play something if I request it?" Ling Bingchen brought back the topic to the piano, and I smiled freely as a burden of having something to say to him but being unable to, lifted.
"Of course. If I know it, I'll play it for you."
"Fur Elise."
I laughed out loud.
Ling Bingchen cocked an eyebrow as if asking me why I was laughing.
"It's the most requested piece actually." I commented as I got ready to play it for him. As the soft tones of Beethoven filled the café, many people started swaying in their seats to the well known melody. For once people turned to look at towards the piano. Though it didn't unnerve me, the only stare that made me frazzled was the Ling Bingchen's whose eyes, I knew, had not swerved even once throughout the whole song.
"There you are, Bingchen. Here's your desert." Yin Niankai, the owner of this place, arrived holding a plate on which a cup shaped red mousse sat with pink crystallized sugar sheets cut like jagged glass was aesthetically decorated. This was the famous dish of Atmos, that attracted thirsty travelers from far and wide, Fawn.
Niankai turned and spotted me sitting and a delighted grin spread through his face, "Yuyu, you're here!"
"En, Brother-in-law." I called. Niankai was my paternal cousin's boyfriend.
"Just good that you're here. Help me convince Nuo Tai. I'm going for that dinner at your Grandma's this Saturday with your sister. I told him to help me make a big sized Fawn mousse cake for your Grandma but he refuses to! Says I'm disrupting his art!" Niankai's face distorted and he looked like he was this close to crying.
Niankai really had it difficult as my cousin's parents didn't like Niankai very much. Though the Yin family was very well known, but the Second Young Master was known for being frivolous and fun loving, a Jack-of-All-Trades-and-Master-Of-None kind of person. He had had to chase my cousin for a long time too, to make her believe that he was absolutely serious about her before she promised to be his girlfriend. However, my uncle and aunt were still not moved by his passionate chase. They thought that a serious scholarly man suited my serious cardiologist sister more than the immature and pure Niankai. Thus, his position as the future son-in-law was still under inspection.
"Brother-in-law, it's really difficult to do that. If the dish is not made according to appropriate portions then it's difficult to properly serve and it could make the desert too sweet or not sweet enough. Or there could be an imbalance between the mousse and the sugar glass. How do you-"
"I don't care! Then tell him to make another masterpiece for me then! But the bastard keeps saying no inspiration, no inspiration! Inspiration, your sister!" Yin Niankai shouted looking towards the kitchen door as if his words would carry over to the man inside the kitchen.
"Okay! Okay, I'll talk to him." I tried my best to placate the man. Ling Bingchen looked between the two of us silently without interrupting.
"He's my cousin's boyfriend." For some reason I hurried to explain. I didn't want Ling Bingchen to misunderstand.
"You two know each other?" Yin Niankai asked.
"He's a senior in my college."
"Oh that's great. Ling Bingchen then you should try another dish." Yin Niankai told Ling Bingchen, his attitude turning all the more enthusiastic towards him.
Ling Bingchen, who was taking a picture of the platter in front of him, looked up," Oh, which one?"
"Cupid. It's a desert that Nuo Tai made for Qiu Yu. It can only be ordered off the menu so not a lot of people know about it." Yin Niankai said as he gestured to a waiter and told him the order.
"Cupid?"
"It's my internet username," I explained.
My heart thudded irregularly as Ling Bingchen gave me that blank stare again. He maintained eye contact for sometime before he slowly nodded.
"How do you two know each other?" I asked.
"Oh we're business partners. Remember I told you I want to build an ice rink behind for different ice sports? Ling Bingchen's company is helping with that."
"Your company?" I asked Ling Bingchen.
"Family business."
Conversation ended there as Yin Niankai got a call and Ling Bingchen focused on his desert. And I focused on playing a few more songs on the piano. Simon, the in house pianist returned after sometime and I shifted to sitting on the same table as the two men as Simon took his place.
"You came for Venerate's gig tonight? The boys are really famous now. We sold out so quickly even though the ticketing system was invite-only."
"I know. I didn't think they would ever come back here."
"The little punks know how to be grateful, after all the instant noodles they squeezed out of my pockets for free." Yin Niankai shook his head with a fond smile. "Ling Bingchen, you should stay to watch the kids too."
"Oh who are they?"
"They're a band. They used to perform and practice here. My younger brother who owns a entertainment company then signed them. They're pretty famous- Nuo Tai, here!." Yin Niankai suddenly looked up and called out.
I turned to look at the young man with a baby face come towards us. He was wearing his chef suit holding a black leaf shaped platter that was especially used to serve 'Cupid'.
"I came out to look at who suddenly ordered this dish, should've known it is your scheme to get me out." Nuo Tai said as he put down the dish in front of Ling Bingchen after moving the empty plates in front of him, "Here you go."
Ling Bingchen looked at Nuo Tai for a long time, probably very surprised at his young age as many people are. Becoming a head pastry chef so early in life is a big feat. The dish itself was very beautiful. It was a cake in the shape of a bright maroon glazed apple with Nuo Tai's personally made vanilla bean ice-cream centre. Beautiful dainty golden arrows made of sugar was arranged in a way that showed a battle scene as some pierced the apple while some were strewn around strategically. This was the second dish that Nuo Tai had made, after 'Fawn'.
"Senior, you enjoy your food and talk to Brother-In-Law. I have some work with Nuo Tai, I'll come get you for the concert." I told Ling Bingchen before winking at Yin Niankai, assuring him that I'd get some solution for his problem before leaving with Nuo Tai.
~
Ling Bingchen looked as Qiu Yu walked away with the young man without a backward glance.
"Try it, it's really good. This Nuo Tai rarely comes up with dishes, but when he does they are masterpieces. He has only ever come up with three till now." Yin Niankai sighed.
"Why did he make one for her?" Ling Bingchen asked as he looked down at the beautiful dish. It looked like a painting, a piece of art for looking only.
Ling Bingchen didn't want to eat it, anyway.
"She's his muse of sorts. His dad was a pastry chef too, taught him everything he knows but his parents died early leaving him alone. The young Nuo Tai was already a genius, but he has an unpleasant personality. He couldn't work under anyone so he wanted to use all his inheritance and savings to open his own bakery. He used to come here to rent a kitchen space to come up with new creations but he lacked inspiration. When he was close to giving up, one day Qiu Yu was passing by and shared some raspberries with him to encourage him. That's how 'Fawn' came into being." Yin Niankai explained.
"He has always been grateful to her. I think that's why he still stays here. Many people tried to poach him away. He could have even gone to open his own store but he still persists to stay here. Not that I'm complaining." Yin Niankai laughed as Ling Bingchen smiled back at him, though it seemed forced.
"He made Cupid for her birthday as a gift. And because it's a special dish made for a special reason, we didn't put it in the menu so you only know about this dish through word of mouth."
Ling Bingchen looked at his dish, still not wanting to eat it.
"Why aren't you eating? Do you want me to take a picture for you?" Yin Niankai said as he reached to pick up his phone.
"Are they very close?" Yin Niankai stopped mid action as he went to open the camera app, he looked up with a smirk as if he knew something.
"Looks like you still haven't met Ju Linping."