A few days later, Jiang Zijian tidied up his outfit, wearing a white striped polo shirt, khaki pants, and a pair of sixty-yuan sneakers, all popular items from Taobao. He carried a volume of “Youth Digest” as a prop and sat down at Starbucks. He flipped through the wallet his assistant had prepared for this blind date, but there were so many cards he didn’t know what they were for. The T-shirt he wore had an irritating tag on the back of the collar, making him uncomfortable.
“Hi!” Jiang Zijian raised his hand when he saw a young man who looked like a college student wearing a checkered cotton shirt, rolled up sleeves, and loafers, with a silver necklace hanging around his neck.
The young man greeted him enthusiastically, “Hello!”
Jiang Zijian smiled brightly and said, “Just finished work?”
“Yes, yes, I just got off.” Tong Kai’s eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Zijian. “Are you off today?”
“It’s my day off until 8 p.m, then I have to work the night shift. What would you like to drink?” Jiang Zijian said, “I’ll treat you. I was just thinking of having a cup of coffee, or else I won’t have energy tonight.”
Tong Kai quickly said, “Let me treat you. I just got paid.”
“No, no, I’ll do it. I got two hundred yuan in tips today.,” Jiang Zijian said as he walked to the counter to order drinks. Tong Kai followed him quickly. Jiang Zijian said, “Two large vanilla lattes…”
“Medium size will do. I don’t drink much, don’t waste money,” Tong Kai replied.
The cashier said, “We have three cup sizes. The large cup you want is actually a medium here, and the medium is actually a small. The largest size is this one. Sir, did you mean the large cup as a medium or the extra-large cup?”
Jiang Zijian was confused by the coffee shop’s sizing, wondering if they were intentionally messing with him. “Just any cup… let’s go with medium.”
“Medium is actually the smallest size.”
“What I meant was a large cup…”
“The large cup is actually a medium, or do you want to order an extra-large cup?”
“My dear, are you practicing tongue twisters on me?”
“This size.” Tong Kai accurately understood Jiang Zijian’s preference and pointed to a paper cup that appeared to be medium-sized but was actually called a large.
“Do you want to upgrade to the extra-large cup? It’s just an additional five yuan…”
“Upgrade, upgrade.” Jiang Zijian finally escaped the curse of the medium, large, and extra-large cups and said to Tong Kai, “Brother, don’t be polite.”
Tong Kai had just turned twenty-nine. Previously, when his assistant helped him chat with people online, he had reported his age as twenty-three, which happened to be one year younger than Jiang Zijian. Hearing this address, he felt a bit uncomfortable and quickly said, “It will be a waste if we can’t finish it.”
“It’s only five yuan,” Jiang Zijian said with a smile. “It’s fine.”
“Five yuan is still money,” Tong Kai said with distress, and went to wait for the coffee.
“Please enter your credit card pin.”
Jiang Zijian: “…”
Cashier: ??
Jiang Zijian: “Uh, what was it again? Wait, let me ask… No, never mind. Swipe this one.” He took out a black card from his pocket and said, “I don’t need to ask for the pin on this one. But please hurry, thank you.”
The cashier swiped it, and Jiang Zijian quickly put the card away. Fortunately, Tong Kai was not looking.
The two got their coffee and sat by the window glass wall. Jiang Zijian cast a glance around the shop with an upper-class demeanor and said to Tong Kai, “I like coming here when I have time off. I order a cup of vanilla latte, sit in the shop for an afternoon, read a book, and pass the leisure time.”
Tong Kai said, “I like coming here too. They have many good things here that we can’t find back in my hometown.”
Jiang Zijian asked, “Do you miss your family after coming to the big city to make a living?”
Tong Kai thought for a moment and replied, “Not too much. I do miss them a bit. My parents are in He… uhh… Henan.”
“Ah,” Jiang Zijian responded, “People from the central plains are tall and handsome. My ancestral home is in the northwest.”
Tong Kai said earnestly, “I went and bought a copy of the book you shared with me!”
Book? Jiang Zijian didn’t remember any mention of this in the information, perhaps he had missed it. Then Tong Kai took out a book titled “Amitabha Buddha” and said, “I bought this at the night market. It was quite cheap, only eight yuan each.”
Jiang Zijian was a bit puzzled, figuring that it might have been recommended by the manager’s younger brother to the other party. Regaining his composure, he said, “Great! This is my favorite book.”
They placed the coffee on the table but didn’t drink. After a brief silence, Jiang Zijian smiled and scrutinized Tong Kai.
“Why are you smiling?” Tong Kai found this person quite interesting. His assistant was a girl, but she would always be amused by him during their chats, and this was what caught Tong Kai’s attention. After seeing his photos, he even asked for the assistant’s opinion and changed into street stall clothes before coming to meet this online friend.
“Smiling at how handsome you are, you’re like a star,” Jiang Zijian had a straightforward personality. As long as he liked someone, he could praise them to the sky.
This time, Tong Kai was determined not to let the other person know he was wealthy, and he didn’t want to repeat the failed relationship experience from before. He wanted to test the waters first and see if it worked out; if not, he would think of another way. But he never expected that the first person he met this way would make his heart pound faster.
Jiang Zijian was also a bit surprised. Originally, he was just trying things out, but he didn’t expect the other person to be of such high quality. He didn’t seem like someone working at a foot bath center.
“Work must be tough,” Jiang Zijian said.
Tong Kai wanted to burst into laughter. This statement was amusing when it came from a young man five years younger, and who worked as a doorman at a hotel. After holding it in, he replied, “It’s alright. I’m about to get promoted to senior foot bath attendant.”
“That’s good!” Jiang Zijian thought that this person was very motivated.
Tong Kai said, “It’s just tiring; I often work overtime.”
“For the sake of making a living, there’s no other way,” Jiang Zijian replied.
Tong Kai earnestly said, “After getting promoted, you can earn an extra three yuan per foot massage.”
“Great!” Jiang Zijian nodded repeatedly and said, “Then when can you stop doing foot massages?”
Tong Kai replied, “Why? Do what you do and love what you do. I love this job, it’s great.”
Jiang Zijian quickly changed his tune and said, “I’m worried you might get tired.”
Tong Kai eased the tension and said, “There’s a chance I’ll be moved to the medicinal foot bath center when I transfer to another department. There, I can massage the guests’ shoulders, which will be more comfortable.”
Jiang Zijian suddenly thought about this young man giving massages to guests, and he couldn’t help but worry. His expression changed slightly, and Tong Kai read his thoughts, so he quickly clarified, “Such things have never happened in our hotel.”
“What kind of things?” Jiang Zijian kept smiling and asked back.
“Those things you’re thinking about,” Tong Kai couldn’t hide his playful nature and tried to conceal it with a smile.
“I haven’t been thinking about anything,” Jiang Zijian replied.
Tong Kai smiled but didn’t say anything. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Zijian added, “Such things have never happened in our hotel either.”
Both of them so laughed they lay sprawled on the sofa. Tong Kai said, “Brother, you’re really interesting.”
“Haha,” Jiang Zijian took out his cracked phone, checked the time, and said, “It’s time for dinner. Let’s go have a meal and continue chatting.”
“I’ll treat you,” Tong Kai volunteered. “You bought me coffee, and I know there’s a Western restaurant here. I just got paid, so let me treat you.”
“Okay, I won’t be polite then,” Jiang Zijian agreed.
Tong Kai: “Don’t forget the coffee.”
Tong Kai took Jiang Zijian to a self-service steakhouse. After they sat down, Tong Kai went to the front desk to pay the bill but struggled with the process. He said to the cashier manager, “Never mind, I’ll pay by card.” He casually took out a black card and added, “The color of your lipstick looks nice.”
“Thank you,” the cashier manager smiled and said, “Let me offer you a fruit platter.”
“Excuse me, may I ask how well you want the steak cooked?” The waiter came to take their order.
“Eight points,” Tong Kai faithfully followed the script he was given.
“I’ll have the same way as well,” Jiang Zijian added, “But not too well-done.”
The waiter noted it down, and the two began chatting happily. Jiang Zijian asked Tong Kai what he liked to do in his spare time, and Tong Kai said he enjoyed browsing Douyin (TikTok). Tong Kai asked Jiang Zijian where he lived, and Jiang Zijian told him the hotel provided dormitories with eight people in one room. He would visit his parents in the village on weekends.
“I haven’t been to your hotel yet,” Tong Kai said. “The decoration must be nice.”
“It’s not worth it. A glass of water costs sixty yuan. It’s ridiculously expensive. Only fools go there to spend money. What’s the point of having money if you do that?”
“That’s right.” Tong Kai looked at the wallet in Jiang Zijian’s hand and casually said, “Wow, that is a high-quality replica LV. Was it a gift from a friend?
*Lv-Louis Vuitton.
Jiang Zijian: “I bought it as a birthday gift for myself on Taobao. Do you like it? I can buy you one another day.”
Tong Kai: “Replicas are getting more and more like the real thing nowadays.”
At the same time, he appreciated Jiang Zijian’s honesty; honesty is the best quality a person can have. However, he suddenly felt something was amiss. According to his current setting, how could he know what’s real and what’s not?
But Jiang Zijian didn’t think too much about it and casually said, “Yeah, many people like to buy branded items, but it’s not worth it.”
The steak was served. It was sizzling with steam and covered in pungent sauce, sticking to the iron plate like a lump. The vegetable salad had something unknown stuck to it, and the cream soup was floating with foamy bubbles.
Both of them tried their best not to look at it. Tong Kai had a bite of the salad, while Jiang Zijian stirred the cream of mushroom soup in a bowl with a spoon, creating an atmosphere of satisfaction.
