MG2018 - Ximen + Xiaoyou

Part 2

The mood was somber everywhere Ximen went. Si had a thunder cloud above his head and was impossible to deal with. Shancai always looked like she was in between wanting to cry and wanting to throw things whenever they caught sight of her. Meizuo and Lei were worried. The tension was so toxic, Ximen needed to get away.

He found himself strolling around the mall, trying to clear his head. To his surprise, his footsteps led him to Talent's Tea Shop, and he saw Xiaoyou through the shop window. The sight of her lifted his spirits and he decided to go inside. "Hey pretty girl," he greeted her, and she turned to him with a smile. "Ximen! What are you doing here?" He shrugged, "I was in the mood for bubble tea. What would you recommend?" He expected her to offer their bestseller and tell him about its selling points, and was surprised when she looked at him thoughtfully. "I would recommend... this one," she pointed at the menu, "It has a bold flavor that puts off some customers at first, but I think you'll like it. Once you get through the strong flavor, it releases this calming effect that stays with you. The pearls give it a texture that makes it a unique and interesting drink." He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded, "Okay, I'll try it." She smiled, pleased that he had accepted her recommendation. She rang up his order then he sat down at the far end of the tea shop, bringing out his laptop. He might as well get some homework done while he was here.

He was busy at his laptop when Xiaoyou brought his drink over, but before he could say anything, she rushed back to the counter to greet new customers. He took a sip of the drink and was pleasantly surprised-- it was just as she described it and she was right, he did like its bold flavor. She anticipated his flavor profile so accurately that he found himself watching Xiaoyou with renewed interest. She chatted easily with customers, moved quickly to prepare their drinks but never seemed flustered, rang up sales confidently, and served everyone with a bright smile. When she wasn't busy with customers, she was checking the display cases to make sure they were still full, cleared tables efficiently, and even organized cups and lids. All this, she did with an air of quiet self-assurance that told him she knew exactly what she was doing and took pride in her work.

Before he knew it, it was closing time and he was the only person left with Xiaoyou inside the tea shop. He stood up and went up to her at the counter. "Let me help you close up," he offered. She began to shake her head, "No, it's okay, you're a customer--" He held his hand up, "The shop is closed. I'm not a customer anymore. Let me." She looked at him and he stared back at her, until she finally gave in and passed him a rag. "You can help by wiping the tables down," she said. They set about working side by side in silence, and when they finished cleaning the shop, Xiaoyou sat at a table to finish computing and accounting for the day's sales. Ximen sat beside her and watched as she worked intently, chewing on her lip as she crunched the numbers. She was whispering computations to herself and it made him smile. Finally, she closed the ledger with a flourish and he stood up to applaud her. "Well done!" he said and she stood up and gave him a theatrical bow. She beamed at him, "What a day!"

They took their seats and he looked at her. "It seemed like you were having fun the whole time," he observed, and she nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to be the manager of this place someday," she shared, "It's always been my dream to run a tea place." He reached out to pat her arm, "I think you'd be great at it." The feel of her skin against his palm sent a jolt of electricity through him and he quickly withdrew his hand. She looked like she was about to say something, but she bit her lip and looked away. "What is it?" he asked. She looked at him hesitantly and seemed to be debating with herself about something, then she took a deep breath and asked quickly, "I've been experimenting with mixing flavors. Could I ask you to try them?" He looked at her in surprise, and she hastened to add, "It's nothing fancy, just me trying things, I understand if you don't want to or if you think it's silly or--" He touched her arm again to stop her and he looked into her eyes. There was something about Xiaoyou's wide-eyed gaze that enchanted him, and this time, even if the sparks were still running through his body just from this simple touch, he let himself feel it. "I'd be honored to try them," he said quietly, seriously, and Xiaoyou blushed. Time stood still for Ximen as they sat there, staring at each other, and the spell was broken when Xiaoyou smiled softly. "Let me just go make some for you," she said, and he felt a sense of reluctance when he let her arm go. She stood up and walked back to the counter to make him a drink. The importance of this moment for Xiaoyou was not lost to him, as Ximen knew that sharing with him this new flavor that no one had ever tried before was like showing him a piece of her heart. And he wondered how it could be so difficult for him to allow himself to feel anything, yet it was so easy for Xiaoyou to share her art and her heart.