Cloudside Café

The Twelfth Cup of Coffee Part 2

In the car, Shen Xuan looked at the warm and delicate café from the rearview mirror and asked Jiang Ying, “If you got Xiangqin to be your fake boyfriend this time, when will you make him become your actual boyfriend?”

Jiang Ying shook her head. “We aren’t there yet.”

Shen Xuan laughed and pinched Jiang Ying’s arm. “Then when? You’re  still enjoying the ambiguous period, right?”

Jiang Ying cried out in pain, “Then you tell me when.”

Shen Xuan said, “Going to Shanghai will be a good opportunity. You have to seize it.”

Jiang Ying thought about it for a moment and nodded, “Yeah, it’ll be a good opportunity. Then tell me, how should I confess? If it’s expensive or cheesy, then forget it.”

Shen Xuan was shocked for a second, and then laughed, “You really like Xiangqin. I asked you to build up the relationship, but you made up your mind to confess?”

Jiang Ying frowned and asked, “Isn’t that what you mean? For me and him to quickly become a real couple.”

“I want you two to fall in love sooner, but…” Shen Xuan paused. “I thought you would never take the initiative in your life. To be honest, I had suspicions that you are frigid.”

She added more context, “After all, when you were in love with Lu TingYang, you didn’t openly show your love to him. I thought you would always be used to being passive and accepting things the way it is.”

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Jiang Ying lowered half the car window. The spring air was full of the smell of flowers.

In the past during late spring and early summer, a boy came to her with a sincere heart and full of joy and expectations.

The trees on the street outside the window flashed by, and her voice was scattered into the breeze. “I remember what Lu TingYang and I had talked about, so I am determined to not make the same mistakes again.”

——

When Jiang Ying walked out of the office building that day, it was already dark and it was drizzling.

She saw the silver car. She put her hand in front of her forehead and jogged over quickly.

When Jiang Ying sat in the passenger seat, Yun Xian looked at her wet hair. He took out a few napkins and handed them to her. “Why didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

Jiang Ying took it and wiped herself randomly. “I forget. It’s all right, it’s just light rain.”

During the rainy season, the humidity swept through the cities south of the Yangtze River. It was hot and damp everywhere

Yun Xian told her, “It will rain next week. Don’t forget it again.”

Jiang Ying nodded obediently.

They were going to leave for Shanghai in two days, and were going to buy outfits for the wedding today.

A few days ago, Yun Xian had asked her for her opinion and if she wanted to prepare matching outfits with him.

Jiang Ying thought that since she had troubled him with a favor, she proposed that she would buy the clothes.

Yun Xian thought about it for a moment before he nodded and agreed to her proposal. They made arrangements to go shopping today.

Jiang Ying prepared a French dress for herself. It had an orange pattern on a white background, a vintage square collar, and was down to the calves. The slit on the lower half added a touch of charming sexiness with elegance. She also made the hard decision of buying a pair of 8 cm suede heels.

The weather during May was muggy, and a formal suit was too thick. Jiang Ying thought a button down with trousers would fit Yun Xian. He was tall and had long legs. His body type was very appropriate for just entering a store and trying on clothes.

Jiang Ying sat on the sofa, watching the two shop assistants laughing and whispering as they stroked their hair unnaturally.

Yun Xian came out of the fitting room. He tidied up the buttons, turned around and asked Jiang Ying, “What do you think?”

“It’s great, it suits you really well.”

The shop assistant nearby said, “Dear, your boyfriend is so handsome that he looks good in everything.”

Yun Xian nodded at her slight smile, then he looked at Jiang Ying. “I want to ask, do you think it matches your dress?”

Before Jiang Ying could speak, she heard two shop assistants excitedly clap their hands and exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh, he’s so sweet!”

Jiang Ying and Yun Xian looked at each other, and the latter shrugged helplessly.

“Let’s go with this.”

“Okay.”

Yun Xian went back to the fitting room to change clothes, and Jiang Ying went to the checkout to pay for it.

While paying, the shop assistant said to her enviously, “The first time I saw you shopping with your boyfriend, I thought you two have a really good relationship.”

Jiang Ying only smiled.

The outfit situation was resolved in less than half an hour. As they walked out of the men’s clothing store, Yun Xian asked Jiang Ying if she was hungry.

Jiang Ying shook her head. “I need to lose weight soon, I won’t be eating dinner.”

Yun Xian raised the corners of his lips gently and teased her, “I only thought that the bride should go on a diet before the wedding.”

Jiang Ying asked him, “Who wouldn’t dress up when she meets her ex?”