The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

With ten days to go until Sister Chen Xing's wedding, she and her brother-in-law were scheduled to go home early to prepare, so tonight would be her last night at Corner Tea House.

There were no special ceremonies; everything was done as usual until closing time.

But tonight, Ye Shu doesn't have to attend tutoring classes because Chen Xing and her boyfriend... well, now she should call him her fiancé, are having dinner together as a simple handover.

After closing, Ye Shu did the usual clean-up work in the store, wiping the machines, tidying up the materials, sweeping and mopping the floor.

Just as they were dragging out the last little piece, the shop door opened.

Xiao Nuan stood at the store entrance wearing a gray coat. The wind seemed a bit strong tonight, making her face a little red and her hair a little messy.

Xiao Nuan was invited by Ye Shu, and Chen Xing insisted that he bring his girlfriend along, and Xiao Nuan happened to be online tonight.

"You're here. Find a place to sit for a while. I'll be right there."

Ye Shu smiled at Xiao Nuan and, as she spoke, she mopped the floor even faster.

Xiao Nuan didn't speak, she just nodded, and silently walked to a seat by the door, sitting down as quietly as the Mona Lisa.

Chen Xing was still busy behind the counter when he heard the noise and saw Xiao Nuan. He immediately greeted her warmly.

"It must be cold on the way. Want something to drink to warm up? I'll make you a cup, since you'll be waiting a while anyway."

Xiao Nuan sat there, and when she heard the sound, she looked up at Chen Xing, but only shook her head slightly and still did not speak.

But her emotionless attitude made Chen Xing's smile freeze slightly.

Why isn't this girl saying anything? She wasn't like this last time I saw her. Did she have a fight with Ye Shu? The atmosphere feels a bit strange.

But then she turned to look at Ye Shu and found that Ye Shu was busy mopping the floor, moving quickly and occasionally glancing at the doorway. Her eyes were as gentle as usual, and she didn't look angry at all.

Moreover... Chen Xing looked at Xiao Nuan again and examined her closely. He found that although the girl didn't speak, her eyes hadn't left Ye Shu's face since she sat down.

That gaze was direct, focused, almost absent-minded, yet devoid of emotion—it was simply a literal look.

Chen Xing suddenly felt a pang of unease; those eyes seemed somewhat familiar.

She suddenly remembered that when she first met Ye Shu, his girlfriend, he seemed to be staring at her intently, without saying much.

However, she didn't say much. After all, everyone has their own way of getting along. As long as Xiao Ye thinks it's good, that's fine. She's an outsider and doesn't need to care so much.

Chen Xing and Ye Shu quickly finished up the work. Ye Shu washed her hands, took off her apron, and there was a car parked outside the shop. It was that familiar forklift.

The car door opened, and my brother-in-law was still dressed in the style of a middle-class white-collar worker.

He pushed the door open and came in, saw Ye Shu smile, and nodded:

"Xiao Ye, are you all packed?"

"alright."

Ye Shu responded, then stepped to the side, took Xiao Nuan's hand, and introduced her:

"This is my girlfriend, Xiao Nuan."

Xiao Nuan had also stood up. Holding Ye Shu's hand, she gave her brother-in-law a slight nod, then said emotionlessly:

"Hello there."

My brother-in-law was clearly a worldly man. Although he sensed Xiao Nuan's lukewarm attitude, he remained gentle and polite, responding with a smile:

"Hello Xiaonuan, have you been waiting long? We're coming right now."

Xiao Nuan shook her head gently again and didn't say anything more, but just moved closer to Ye Shu.

Since Xiao Nuan wasn't saying anything, Ye Shu couldn't let her words fall to the ground, so she had no choice but to take over the conversation:

"No rush, we just finished packing up here. Shall we leave now?"

"Yes, I've made a reservation at the restaurant. It's not far. Get ready, and we'll head over now."

Brother-in-law looked at Chen Xing, who responded, picked up his large shoulder bag, and then habitually looked around the cleaned shop.

Her gaze moved from the familiar workbench to every table and chair, then to the decorations on the wall, the green plants on the shelves, and the lights overhead... She looked over them little by little.

As she looked around, the smile that had been playing on her lips as she prepared to leave gradually faded. She stopped in her tracks, standing motionless in front of the bar, simply looking back and forth at the small shop that she had built up with her own hands.

Under the light, her eyes slowly reddened.

Ye Shu saw it, and he understood that feeling.

Just like the day before Qin Lili introduced him to a new job and he went for an interview at Qianxue Group, the thought of possibly leaving this place made him feel suffocated and empty.

If someone who's just a wage earner is like this, then you can only imagine what Sister Chen Xing must be like.

This store has been built from scratch, with meticulous attention to detail in site selection, decoration, product selection, and recipe development, gradually building its reputation. It has been a labor of love.

Now that we need to let go completely, this kind of relinquishment cannot be done in a short time.

Ye Shu was also very perceptive; she gently tugged at Xiao Nuan's hand and whispered:

"Let's go outside and wait a bit."

Xiao Nuan didn't mind. The two of them held hands and quietly pushed open the shop door, waiting outside and leaving the shop to Chen Xing and the others.

Ye Shu knew that this was not the time for her to show her support. The other person had someone to comfort her, and as an outsider, she shouldn't get involved.

He pulled Xiao Nuan to stand under the eaves by the door, not deliberately looking at the situation inside the glass window, but he still inadvertently caught a glimpse of his brother-in-law walking over to the bar and gently pulling Chen Xing into his arms while saying something.

Chen Xing leaned against his chest, his shoulders trembling.

Ye Shu stopped looking and turned to fantasize about the pedestrians on the street and the distant, fading neon lights.

He understands, he really understands, that some farewells require tears.

He turned his head and looked at Xiao Nuan, who had been quietly sitting beside him.

Xiao Nuan didn't care about the touching scene unfolding in the store, nor did she care about waiting. She just tilted her head slightly, looking at the sky where she couldn't see any stars, or perhaps she didn't even look at the sky, just looking straight ahead.

Ye Shu reached out and took her other hand in his. Sure enough, her hand was very cold.

They are all like this; their hands and feet are easily cold, especially in autumn and winter when they feel like they've just been taken out of the refrigerator. It takes them a long time to warm them up.

Xiao Nuan's hand was held, and she looked at Ye Shu's face.

"Are you cold?"

Xiao Nuan blinked, then nodded:

It's a little cold.

Upon hearing this, Ye Shu gathered Xiao Nuan's two hands together, then used his own hands to sandwich Xiao Nuan's hands in the middle, just like a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

He lowered his head, breathed on Xiao Nuan's hand, and rubbed it.

Xiao Nuan didn't make any move, she just quietly watched Ye Shu warm her hands.

The two of them stood quietly at the entrance of the coffee shop, in the slightly cool night breeze, waiting.

Chen Xing and his brother-in-law came out when the shop door opened.

Chen Xing's eyes were still slightly red, but his face had regained its usual bright smile.

She linked arms with her brother-in-law and smiled a little shyly at Ye Shu and Xiao Nuan:

"Have you been waiting long? Let's go eat!"

After locking the door, the four people got into the car and drove off down the street.

One phase has ended, and a new phase is beginning.

And some people will continue to walk together in the new phase.