Chapter 36: A Wish Made Over a Cup of Hot Cocoa

“Hello, sir. What would you like to drink?”

When the server behind the counter saw Lin Ye, her pupils contracted ever so slightly. She immediately composed herself and asked in a warm, friendly tone.

Unfortunately, Lin Ye did not notice. His gaze was fixed on the seat where he and Su Qing had sat that morning, and he seemed to have fallen into his memories once more.

By sheer coincidence, nearly every seat in the café was occupied, yet that particular spot remained empty. It was a wonderful seat by the window, so it was strange that no one had taken it.

The server did not urge the distracted Lin Ye to hurry. She simply stood behind the counter and waited patiently.

“Oh, sorry. I was spacing out just now. Could I have a… hot chocolate, please? A small one will be fine.”

Lin Ye finally came to himself and turned toward the server, speaking with a hint of embarrassment.

“Of course. No problem. Please take a seat and wait a moment.”

Lin Ye’s legs seemed to carry him there of their own accord. He walked to the spot beside the glass window and, just as he had that morning, sat in his usual place. He stared blankly at the empty chair across from him.

It was almost as though Su Qing were still sitting there, just as she had that morning, smiling sweetly at him.

If—if he had not forgotten to ask Su Qing for her contact information that morning, was it possible that she would be sitting across from him right now?

Who could say?

If he came here every day for a cup of hot chocolate, how many cups would he have to drink before he saw her again?

If he had a choice, Lin Ye hoped he would meet her with his very first cup—as unexpectedly and delightfully as he had encountered that girl sitting with her back to him when he pushed open the door that morning.

Well, no wonder it was the Tank 700. No matter what angle he viewed it from, it had an unmistakable allure. Lin Ye’s wandering gaze soon settled on the Tank 700 parked by the roadside.

He had to find something—anything—to distract himself. Otherwise, Su Qing’s image would keep appearing in his mind against his will.

It sounded like the sort of problem that afflicted a hopelessly devoted man whose love could never be requited. But in some ways, Lin Ye was not merely thinking like such a man; even his actions resembled one.

He did not care. Was there anything wrong with a husband missing his wife? It was perfectly reasonable.

“Sir, here is your hot chocolate. Please be careful—it’s hot.”

The server’s voice sounded beside Lin Ye. Before the cup had even been placed on the table, he had already caught the rich aroma of chocolate.

Lin Ye turned his head and saw that the server was the same young woman who had been standing behind the counter. She looked very young—perhaps even a year or two younger than Lin Ye, who was nearing graduation.

“All right, thank you. I’m sorry, but may I ask about around ten this morning—”

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Lin Ye had originally wanted to ask whether the server knew anything about Su Qing, but his own thought startled him into stopping.

How could she possibly know anything about Su Qing? Su Qing had merely liked coming here for coffee before she entered the hospital. And at that time, how could this young server possibly have been working here?

A thoughtful glimmer passed through the server’s eyes, but she said nothing. She simply picked up her tray and walked away.

It was childish, really. Before drinking the hot chocolate, Lin Ye had actually closed his eyes and made a wish: when he had finished all but the final sip, Su Qing would appear before him.

The moment he finished making the wish, Lin Ye laughed at himself. His laughter was not especially loud, but against the quiet murmur of the café’s patrons, it sounded surprisingly conspicuous.

The customers around him repeatedly turned to look at the solitary man sitting by the window and drinking hot chocolate.

Lin Ye cleared his throat, clasped his hands before his chest, and cast an apologetic glance at those around him. Naturally, no one was angry merely because a stranger had suddenly laughed.

Instead, they responded with kindly smiles. After all, who could object to someone thinking of something happy while having coffee?

Lin Ye lifted the cup of hot chocolate before him. A few wisps of steam slowly rose through the small opening in the lid provided for drinking, then vanished before his eyes.

He took a small sip. A rich, mellow flavor bloomed instantly across his tongue, as though a warm current had passed through his entire body. The charm of hot chocolate lay in the delicate balance between its sweetness and bitterness.

It was neither cloyingly sweet nor lacking in coffee’s deep, fragrant richness. With every sip, the smoothness of chocolate mingled with the softness of milk, creating a flavor so exquisite it was almost intoxicating.

The chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually settled. In their place came a sense of inner peace and contentment. At that moment, this simple cup of hot chocolate was, for Lin Ye, more than a delight to the palate.

It was also a comfort to the soul.

The customers in the café came and went, and several waves had already passed through.

Life always had to move forward, and even hot chocolate would eventually be finished. Lin Ye shook the cup, then opened the lid and gazed at the tiny amount of liquid remaining inside.

In truth, there had long been only one final sip left. There was no way he could keep drinking smaller and smaller mouthfuls in order to preserve that last sip.

Lin Ye closed his eyes and kept telling himself, Drink it already. How could making a wish over hot chocolate possibly make it come true? He was more childish than a little boy.

He was not as disappointed as one might imagine. The café was still here, after all; it was not going to grow legs and run away. If he waited here every day, he would eventually see her again. It was only a matter of how long it would take.

Lin Ye seemed to sigh—or perhaps he did not. He raised the cup, now almost weightless, and brought it to his lips.

That final trace of thick, brown liquid slid crookedly down from the bottom of the cup along its inner wall, finally touching Lin Ye’s upper lip.

It was slightly cool, and smooth as well. In his daze, it felt as though Su Qing’s lips had lightly brushed his own before withdrawing at once. That sensation—of seeming to possess something while truly possessing nothing—sent a trace of desolation through Lin Ye’s tightly closed eyes.

In his daze, Lin Ye seemed to catch that faintly familiar fragrance once more. He knew it was the scent unique to Su Qing.

And because of that elusive fragrance, Lin Ye could not bring himself to open his eyes for a long time. As long as he kept them closed, he could pretend that the wish he had made had already come true.