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墨書 Inktalez
The bar owner glanced at me and then turned to prepare a cocktail for her.
I had never heard of such a drink name before, and I had no knowledge of alcohol. I only saw the owner quickly mixing various spirits together, shaking and stirring, and finally, when he handed it to Mina, he tossed in a piece of ice.
The splashed liquid landed on the table, forming a small round puddle.
Mina smiled at him, took a sip from the glass held to her lips, and then said, "Not bad, it has a complex flavor."
The owner just smiled and then turned to ask me, "Miss, what would you like to drink?"
I looked at Mina and didn’t say anything. She waved her hand at him and said, "Don't ask her. Just give her a glass of water; she can taste the flavor of alcohol in that too. This girl is not one of us."
I couldn't help but hit her lightly on the shoulder and said, "What are you talking about? If I'm not one of you, why did you invite me to drink with you?"
The owner just smiled at the two of us.
His movements slowed down as he took a glass of red wine from the rack, poured a glass for me, and said, "Try this. It's pure; well, you could also call it friendship or some might call it good buddies—more down-to-earth."
Perhaps the wine wasn't the most important part; it was the different names and meanings he gave it that made drinking it feel unique.
Mina squinted at me; her expression revealed nothing, but I knew she wasn't feeling well inside. Even for love, when a woman leaves her hometown, there are always things she can't let go of.
After finishing a glass completely, she finally spoke up: "Zhuo Feng has it tough too. That company is almost all his hard work. I know he cherishes it and wants to do well, but his abilities are limited. Plus, that woman isn't cut out for business either. So if I really leave, considering Xiao Zong is still friends with him, maybe I can help him out. Actually, he's not a bad person."
I didn't expect Mina to speak up for Zhuo Feng at this moment; I stared at her for a long time without saying a word.
Perhaps Zhuo Feng's efforts to impress Longwen had its reasons. He must have been aware of his own capabilities and how important Mina was to him. Yet in the end, he gave up on the relationship he wanted and nearly abandoned his company to be with another woman.
The state of his company resembled how we saw him that day—holding on but everyone knew he was both enduring until the end and ultimately losing.
I didn't know if Xiao Minxing would help him, but I didn't want Mina to have regrets. So I nodded and said, "I'll talk to him; as for the outcome, I can't guarantee anything."
Mina looked at me and smiled; "You're quite the big boss now."
I had no need to hide anything and looked at her saying, "You know better than anyone what I can do. To be honest, even now I don't understand why Xiao Minxing is doing this. Perhaps he's planning something."
This time, Mina didn't say anything. She shook her cup, downed the drink inside, and then pulled me along, saying, "Let's go, it's noon. Call Longwen and let's go eat."
I casually replied, "He's not around here, why call him? Can't we just eat together?"
Mina shot me a glance and said, "You can also invite your husband to join us. It's more lively with more people."
When I called Xiao Minxing, he was probably still busy; I could hear a lot of voices in the background.
However, when I asked him to come out for lunch, he agreed and asked what time and where.
Mina and I found a place, she called Longwen, and I sent a text to Xiao Minxing.
The two men arrived almost simultaneously and both looked in a good mood.
Mina hooked her arm around Longwen and asked, "What did you do this morning? Why didn't you call me?"
Longwen smiled and tapped her cheek, saying, "Didn't you go to the headquarters to meet the big boss? I was afraid it would affect your work, so I waited for you."
Mina glanced our way and then deliberately raised her voice, saying, "I can bring the boss out now for you to meet."
Longwen followed her gaze towards Xiao Minxing and me, then picked up his glass in front of him.
Xiao Minxing clinked glasses with him, and they both drank their contents without saying a word; overall, the atmosphere was good.
The four of us chatted but avoided sensitive topics, trying to keep things light and discussing trivial matters.
Mina acted like a complete woman, being coy with Longwen and leaning on him.
I felt a bit awkward because Xiao Minxing was quite proper, and we had an old couple vibe that made it hard to express the same enthusiasm as they did.
However, at the end of the meal, Longwen pushed Mina away and said, "You sit with Anan for a while; I have a few words to discuss with Xiao Zong."
Mina clung to his arm and murmured, "What can't be said here?"
Longwen just smiled and gestured for me to accompany Mina.
I watched as they walked towards the restaurant entrance while I stood outside on the street.
The noon in Haicheng during autumn was still very hot. Even in the shade, one could still feel the heat rising. However, after the two of them stood there, passersby forgot about their hurry and couldn't help but turn their heads to look.
I also stared at their backs.
Mina glanced outside and no longer had the infatuated look she had when she was with Longwen. Instead, she asked me, "If these two men were standing there after work, wouldn't it cause a traffic jam?"
I smiled at her, and she smiled back.
Then, seemingly casually, she asked me, "You should know that we are in a May-December relationship, right? I'm several years older than Longwen."
I nodded; Mina had told me this when I first met Longwen. So every time I saw her acting like a little woman and being coy with him, I found it a bit strange.
But she said, "I know you're worried, and I am too. But worrying about this kind of thing is pointless; we have to move forward. If in the future we love each other as we do now, then those worries are unnecessary. If things don't go well... well, we can just return to where we started."
I had always thought that she was doing well with Longwen as she said, but hearing her words made my heart sink. I advised her, "Don't force yourself. Didn't you used to tell me that love isn't everything in life?"
Mina nodded and said, "That's right. So even if I lose, it's okay; it won't be life-threatening. Why shouldn't I give it a try?"
She had already tried and knew she was taking a risk, but still wanted to move forward. What could I do about it?
Longwen and Xiao Minxing returned. From their faces, I couldn't read anything; I only saw Longwen linking arms with Mina as they left, while Xiao Minxing led me out as well.
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