socalfunplaces Chapter 325 Coffee Shop
Chapter 325 Coffee Shop
September 17, 1998, 2:50 PM.
Palo Alto, University Road.
The sun was shining brightly, illuminating the palm trees lining the street. There weren't many people on the road, except for a few students riding by on bicycles, their bells jingling. The coffee shop was on the street corner, with a blue sign and white lettering that read "Blue Bottle."
Lingyun pushed open the door and walked into the store.
The shop wasn't crowded; there were only three or four tables occupied. Some people were reading, while others were typing on their laptops. The air was filled with the aroma of coffee beans and a hint of toasted bread.
He glanced around the shop; it wasn't big, and every corner was clearly visible.
Li Wenli sat by the window. Today she was wearing a white shirt and a dark blue skirt, her hair was down, and her makeup was lighter than last night. There was a cup of coffee in front of her, but she didn't drink it; she held the cup with both hands and looked out the window.
She saw Ling Yun come in, stood up, and said, "Ling Yun."
Ling Yun walked over and sat down opposite her.
Li Wenli looked at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.
The waiter came over; he was a young man wearing an apron and holding an order book.
"What would you like to drink?" Ling Yun asked casually.
"Anything is fine," Li Wenli said.
Lingyun looked at the waiter and said, "Two Americanos."
"Okay." The waiter left.
The table was silent for a few seconds.
Li Wenli looked at him, her eyes sparkling, "You... have changed so much."
"You're more mature than before," she continued. "You used to be like a student, but now..."
She didn't finish speaking.
The waiter brought the coffee over and placed it in front of Lingyun. The white cup held a dark brown liquid that was steaming.
Ling Yun picked up his glass, took a sip, and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Li Wenli was stunned for a moment.
"I just...I just wanted to see you," she said. "It's been so many years."
Ling Yun looked at her with a playful smile.
She lowered her head and looked at the cup in her hand.
"Lingyun, it's been so many years," she said. "Do you still remember what happened before?"
"Back in school," she continued, "we went to the cafeteria together, studied together in the evenings, and walked together on the playground. Do you remember?"
Lingyun picked up his coffee, took another sip, and said nothing.
Li Wenli looked up at him, her eyes filled with expectation.
"Those were the good old days," she said. "We didn't have to think about anything, and we were happy just being together."
Ling Yun put down his cup; he had lost interest in the conversation. "Where did you get my phone number?"
Li Wenli paused for a moment, "A phone call?"
"Hmm. You called last night. Who got my phone number from?"
Li Wenli's eyes flickered, and she lowered her head to look at the cup.
"I...I asked around," she said.
"It's...it's someone from your company," she said. "I called, gave them your name, and they transferred me to them."
Ling Yun looked at her and said, "You're lying. Not many employees know my phone number, and those who do wouldn't give it to you."
Li Wenli remained silent.
"Dell?" Lingyun asked.
"I...I..." Her voice was very low.
Ling Yun had his answer and stood up, preparing to turn and leave.
"Ling Yun." Li Wenli also stood up. "What are you doing? Are you leaving?"
"Don't go." She reached out to pull him, but pulled her hand back halfway. "Sit a little longer, just a little longer."
She stood there, her hands hanging at her sides, clenched into fists. Her eyes were a little red, but there were no tears.
"Lingyun," she said, "I...I just wanted to see you. Really, I didn't mean anything else."
"These past few years," she continued, "I often think about the past. I think about the times we spent together. I think about how good you were to me."
She paused, then said, "I was so stupid back then."
Ling Yun looked at her and said coldly, "You and I are not on the same wavelength. If I didn't want to know where you got my phone number, I wouldn't bother with you at all."
Li Wenli's tears fell.
"I know," she said. "It was my fault. I was too willful before."
She wiped away her tears.
"But Lingyun, I was only twenty-two years old then. I wanted to come to America, to see the outside world. I thought..."
Ling Yun turned and walked out.
"Ling Yun!" Li Wenli caught up and grabbed his sleeve.
She stood behind him, her hand gripping his sleeve tightly.
"Don't go." Her voice trembled. "Stay with me a little longer, just a little longer."
"Lingyun," she said, "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I was too young and naive back then. I thought everything in America was great, and that I could have a good life here. But..."
She couldn't continue.
Ling Yun turned around and looked at her.
Her face was covered in tears, her makeup was ruined, and her eyes were red. Her hand was still clutching his sleeve, her knuckles white.
"But what?" he asked.
"But when I got here, I realized," she said, "that's not how it was."
She let go and wiped her face.
"I've been here for almost three years," she said. "I've been studying and working at the same time. I've had three different jobs, all of them low-level. I've worked as a waitress, a cashier, and a babysitter."
She looked up at him.
"And you?" she asked. "You're doing well, aren't you?"
"I've heard about you," she said. "Starry Sky Technology, Starry Language, raised billions in funding, and everyone's talking about you online."
Ling Yun looked at her. "So?" he asked.
Li Wenli was stunned for a moment.
"So..." her voice trailed off, "So you succeeded, you have everything."
"What does it have to do with you?"
Li Wenli looked at him, opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Several seconds passed before she spoke.
"Lingyun," she said, "can we...can we start over?"
She stood there, tears still streaming down her face, her eyes filled with expectation. Her hands hung limply at her sides, trembling slightly.
Ling Yun was almost laughing in anger. He didn't say anything, turned around, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Li Wenli stood in the store, watching his back.
The glass door closed, and his figure receded into the distance, finally disappearing around the street corner.
She stood there, motionless.
A waiter approached and asked quietly, "Miss, are you alright?"
She ignored him.
After a long while, she slowly walked back to her seat and sat down.
The coffee on the table had gone completely cold. She picked up the cup and took a sip. Cold, bitter, and astringent.
She sat there, looking out the window with a sorrowful expression, and silently made a phone call.
People were coming and going on the street, but no one was looking at her.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there.
A luxurious black Mercedes was parked at the entrance.
She stood up, walked out, the car door opened, and she got in.
The car started and slowly drove away.
She did not look back.