Chapter 13: Long Island Iced Tea
The bartender smiled and called out, "Coming right up!"
He then began a dazzling display of cocktail mixing. Chen Xing watched as the glasses flew skillfully through the bartender's hands, almost tempted to cheer him on.
She couldn't even tell how tightly the shaker was sealed, how did it not spill?
Chen Xing was watching the show; Li Tongrui was watching Chen Xing. Neither disturbed the other.
Such a handsome man. His features were a little youthful, though, was it because he was actually young, or just naturally baby-faced? Either way, she didn't mind. A pretty boy wasn't bad either.
Two glasses of cocktails were placed in front of them. The bartender smiled and said, "Welcome to Mandarin Rose Bar. Here are two complimentary Long Island Iced Teas. I don't expect you to remember my bar, but I hope you'll remember this night."
Each drink was served in a short glass, filled with a wine-colored liquid and garnished with two lemon slices.
Chen Xing picked up her glass and asked the bartender, "Is this your own bar?"
He shrugged. "Small business like mine can't afford employees. Try it. Long Island Iced Tea is my specialty. But here's a bit of advice, don't get carried away."
Chen Xing wanted to ask more about why he was holding such an event, but Li Tongrui had already lifted her glass and gestured toward her. Chen Xing had no choice but to raise hers and gently clink them together with a crisp "clink."
"Where are you from? Are you here in Lijiang for vacation?"
"Yeah, just traveling."
By the time she looked back, the bartender had already moved on to other guests, so Chen Xing gave up and looked around. "Let's find another spot to chat."
Chen Xing found the event interesting, but didn't find Li Tongrui herself all that interesting.
She was undeniably beautiful, but Chen Xing didn't feel that spark. If he were to date someone, her appearance wouldn't matter, he only cared about one thing: that feeling of heart-pounding attraction.
Li Tongrui didn't give him that.
He suggested moving because too many people in the bar were staring at them, which made him uncomfortable.
A glance or two was fine, why keep staring?
The bar was spacious. The deeper they went, the dimmer the lighting became. The atmosphere turned hazy and moody. He had to admit, the owner knew what he was doing. He'd probably charmed his fair share of young women over the years.
The singer started performing a song called "Red Rose."
"I am a beautiful, beautiful red rose. I don't regret spring's brief stay. I bloom till dusk, making passersby drunk on me..."
As soon as they sat down, Li Tongrui asked, "You look so young, how old are you?"
"Asking that right after we meet? Feels like a blind date." He chuckled, sat down, and took a sip of the so-called Long Island Iced Tea through the twisted straw.
Lemon, cola, fizzy soda flavor.
Delicious.
The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it.
In today's world, information comes from everywhere, ads, social media, TV, movies. It's like everyone's trying to cram every useless little piece of trivia into your brain just to grab your attention.
That's why Chen Xing often felt like he'd seen or heard something before.
"You've been on blind dates?"
"Not yet."
Whose family sends their 19-year-old out for blind dates? How desperate would they be for grandkids?
Just over a month ago, during summer break, his mom had still been telling him to focus on school and not rush into relationships.
"I've been on blind dates."
Li Tongrui began sharing her story.
She was 26, a producer in Yanjing. Her job came in waves, intense periods of busyness followed by long stretches of free time. That's why she came to Lijiang for a vacation. She'd even rented a place here, planning to stay for half a year and escape the summer heat.
At her age, even if she didn't care much about marriage, her family certainly did.
They'd already set her up on three blind dates this year.
"Just talking about it makes me mad." As their conversation deepened, Li Tongrui's tone grew less composed. "The guys my mom picks, no income, no looks. All they have is a 'stable job.' But seriously, what's the point of that these days? Don't you think so?"
"True."
Chen Xing believed it was more important to have a skill.
Like his photography.
Or his enhanced sense of taste, even if he didn't know how useful that was yet.
It really was stronger. He could taste all the different layers in the drink and even separate them in his mind.
Li Tongrui saw that Chen Xing had already finished his drink and called out, "Boss, another one!"
"No, no, I'm good!"
"Come on, what else do you do in a bar if not drink?"
Chen Xing had nothing to say. She had a point. The more he drank, the thirstier he felt. He was basically treating it like soda.
Soon, another drink arrived.
Just then, Zhou Peng called to ask where Chen Xing was. He checked the name of the bar and sent it over.
Li Tongrui didn't say anything while he was on the phone, but once he hung up, she frowned and asked, "You came with a friend? Girlfriend?"
"No, I don't have a girlfriend."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Earlier, he'd dodged the question. He'd only come to have a drink and enjoy the vibe of live music in a bar, not to find a girlfriend.
So why had he said that?
Slip-up.
"Let's add each other on WeChat. It's getting late. Let your friend take you back to rest," Li Tongrui said.
"Ah, sure."
He checked the time. It was almost 11. No wonder Zhou Peng had called, he'd been in the bar for over an hour without realizing it.
Ten minutes later, Zhou Peng walked into the bar hand in hand with Quan Jing.
As usual, the bartender greeted them, "Welcome to Mandarin Rose. Are you two a couple? Tonight, couples get 20% off all drinks."
"Thanks. We're just looking for someone," Quan Jing replied politely.
Zhou Peng scanned the place and finally spotted Chen Xing in the back. Seeing the dim lighting and the beautiful woman across from him, Zhou Peng was instantly dumbfounded and silently cursed himself for showing up.
Wasn't he just getting in the way?
Chen Xing, on the other hand, was happy. He stood up and said, "You're here? This is Muzi—ah crap!"
He was about to introduce them, but the moment he stood, his head spun and his legs wobbled. He nearly fell.
Zhou Peng rushed to steady him. "How much did you drink?"
"Just two or three. It didn't feel strong while drinking, but now it's hitting me hard."
Chen Xing was definitely drunk. He'd never say things like "ah crap" in front of strangers, especially women. He usually cared a lot about his image, even if this woman wasn't his type.
"Hi, I'm Li Tongrui. You can call me Muzi."
"Zhou Peng."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Quan Jing."
After a quick exchange of greetings, they decided it was late and said their goodbyes.
Outside the bar, Li Tongrui suddenly turned around.
"Chen Xing, you said you're good at photography, take a photo of me."
"No problem!"
Even drunk, Chen Xing snapped to attention at the mention of photography. He'd taken lots of portraits today and was getting better with practice. He raised his camera and captured a photo of Li Tongrui standing beneath the bar's sign.
Then, Li Tongrui waved at him.
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Muzi."
There were no cars on the old town roads, so Zhou Peng had to support Chen Xing as they slowly made their way back to the inn, with Quan Jing helping too.
"I thought you were always so self-controlled. What did you drink today?"
Zhou Peng had often gone out for late-night snacks with Chen Xing and knew his limits. With beer, he could pace himself and drink six or seven bottles. With hard liquor, about three shots. Anything more and he'd always refuse, no matter how much Zhou Peng pushed.
Chen Xing drank to enjoy the buzz, not to get drunk.
"Long Island Iced Tea. Sounds like the name of a milk tea."
Zhou Peng stopped in his tracks, looked at Chen Xing, and sighed deeply.
"I really shouldn't have come."
(End of Chapter)