Translator: Lynn
Sponsored chapter (2/3)
No grand promises.
Cheng Ke found himself a bit surprised, not by his father’s words – it was quite typical of him – but by Jiang Yuduo’s reaction to such an evaluation. After a moment of silence, Cheng Ke smiled.
This unexpected response seemed to perplex Dad, who observed his son closely.
“Quite refreshing,” Cheng Ke remarked, handing the watermelon juice back to his father.
Taking the cup, Dad frowned after a couple of sips. “It seems you agree with this assessment.”
“What is it that I agree with? That he’s not promising?” Cheng Ke countered. “It’s similar to your assessment of me.”
Dad remained silent.
“I don’t care about these assessments anymore, whether they’re for me or him,” Cheng Ke continued. “I used to care a lot, from frustration to indifference. When I reached that point of indifference, it didn’t matter anymore. And now, I truly don’t care whether you can laugh.”
Dad furrowed his brow and glanced at him.
“Whether he’s deemed a failure or a success, and to what degree of success,” Cheng Ke met his gaze, “It doesn’t matter what you say; your standards, your judgments, they’re meaningless.”
“Is that so,” Dad sneered.
“Especially in Jiang Yuduo’s case,” Cheng Ke added. “For him, you’re a stranger whose judgment holds no sway over him. Your opinion of him and whether you’re satisfied with him have no bearing on his life.”
“You have a lot to say now,” Dad commented.
“You didn’t come here just to have a casual conversation with me, did you?” Cheng Ke grinned.
“Is he still as fiery as before?” Dad glanced towards the store entrance.
Jiang Yuduo stood by the door, smoking a cigarette and occasionally casting glances in their direction. The bright sun made him squint, although Cheng Ke knew that he wasn’t experiencing any particular emotions, he seemed impatient.
“He’s undergoing treatment, and he’s stable for now,” Cheng Ke informed.
“Alright, I won’t delve too much into your personal affairs, as long as you believe everything is fine,” Dad said.
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke acknowledged.
Dad lowered his head and took a couple more sips of watermelon juice. “This car doesn’t even have air conditioning?”
“No,” Cheng Ke replied, switching on the air conditioning.
“This car has air conditioning?” Dad inquired.
“…Yes,” Cheng Ke responded, a bit perplexed. “This isn’t an old scooter; it’s a new energy vehicle.”
Dad turned his head.
“I’m not trying to sell it to you; I just wanted to introduce it,” Cheng Ke explained. “It’s a car, and introducing a car is quite straightforward.”
“What’s your point?” Dad asked.
“If it were a person,” Cheng Ke said, “I wouldn’t say much either. Your judgment of this car is akin to passing judgment on a person.”
“Are you suggesting I’m judgmental?” Dad looked at him.
“No,” Cheng Ke grinned, “I’m suggesting you’re overly confident.”
Dad fell silent, turning his gaze toward Jiang Yuduo, who continued to smoke his cigarette in silence.
Jiang Yuduo continued to gaze in their direction, unable to see the car’s interior. He probably hadn’t expected his father to keep watching him.
Cheng Ke felt that there was little left to discuss, and this might be the longest conversation he had with his father in several years.
As he was about to conclude their chat, his father turned around and asked, “Aren’t you going to inquire about Xiao Yi?”
“Is there something I need to know about him?” Cheng Ke replied.
Dad remained silent for a moment. “He’s taken charge of the new company.”
“Oh,” Cheng Ke nodded.
Since Dad’s new company was located elsewhere, Cheng Yi had already left. Perhaps Dad wanted to convey to him that Cheng Yi wouldn’t cause him any trouble anymore. Maybe he hoped for an improved relationship between the two brothers. Perhaps it was to inform him that Cheng Yi had made compromises. After all, Cheng Yi had to give up all his hard work here over the years…
But Cheng Ke had a feeling he might disappoint his father. Improvement would be difficult, and he couldn’t provide the reaction his father desired. The relationship between him and Cheng Yi was probably at the level of two strangers who had grown up together.
“I’m going now,” Dad opened the car door. “Call your mother when you have time and visit her occasionally when you’re not too busy.”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke replied, opening the car door and stepping out.
He hadn’t completely lost contact with his mother. He’d sent her blessings on Mother’s Day along with a red envelope. His mother hadn’t replied with a single word after receiving it. He couldn’t quite fathom what his mother thought about him. Nevertheless, he never truly missed her. Still, when his father asked him to go home and visit his mother, he saw no harm in it.
Many things could only be mended with time.
As soon as Dad exited the car, Jiang Yuduo was waiting by the door, taking the cup from his hand.
“My dad is leaving,” Cheng Ke said, handing Jiang Yuduo the cup he was holding.
“Uncle, take care,” Jiang Yuduo immediately greeted.
“Are you looking forward to my departure?” Dad couldn’t help but tease.
“No,” Jiang Yuduo replied.
“…Let’s go,” Dad turned and headed toward the car parked on the opposite side of the road.
“Uncle, take care,” Jiang Yuduo repeated, “Goodbye, uncle.”
Dad didn’t say anything in return, he simply waved his hand, and the sense of resignation was evident in his departing figure.
After Dad’s car had started, Cheng Ke overheard Jiang Yuduo, who was standing beside him, release a long sigh of relief.
“Are you alright?” Cheng Ke smiled and patted him on the back.
“I was a bit nervous,” Jiang Yuduo confessed, “Talking to him makes me anxious; I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong… Did I mess up?”
“No,” Cheng Ke assured him, “You did well.”
“I still won’t join you two when you meet again; it’s just too uncomfortable,” Jiang Yuduo stated.
“I don’t get many opportunities to meet him…” Cheng Ke smiled, “Actually, you could have stayed in the store just now; there was a performance on the second floor, you know?”
“I was worried,” Jiang Yuduo frowned.
“Are you… afraid that my dad might take me away again?” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“I know he won’t,” Jiang Yuduo said, “but I just can’t bring myself to trust him.”
“Well,” Cheng Ke squeezed his shoulder, “let’s go inside.”
“Did you mention that there are some things that can’t be reconciled?” Jiang Yuduo walked into the shop with him.
“What?” Cheng Ke inquired.
“Everything about me is irreparable,” Jiang Yuduo softly said, “For example, I understand that your father won’t abduct you again, and he’s invested in you, even humbled himself to seek you out… Yet, I still have doubts.”
“I understand now,” Cheng Ke suddenly grasped why Jiang Yuduo had been standing in the corner, “It’s normal; you don’t need to feel pressured.”
“I can trust you too,” Jiang Yuduo said, “You, Chen Qing, Lu Qiang, Sister Luo, Dr. Li… Well, maybe not Sister Luo and Dr. Li, but I have to trust them.”
“It’s fine,” Cheng Ke said, “Actually, if you asked me to name a few people I can trust now, I might not be able to count anyone except you.”
“Really?” Jiang Yuduo halted in his tracks.
“Well, I haven’t really contemplated this matter at all, but if I had to say, Jiang Yuduo, you’re someone I can trust unconditionally,” Cheng Ke said, “I trust others too, but it’s always conditional. For instance, my trust in Xu Ding is based on my assessment of him. If he tells me he only had contact with my father in the past two months, I believe him because I can tell he’s not lying. If necessary, he never interferes in my family matters… Do you catch my drift?”
“Yes,” Jiang Yuduo nodded.
“So, to put it simply,” Cheng Ke grinned, “You’re ahead of me. I trust you without reservation, and the same goes for Chen Qing and Lu Qiang.”
“That’s two more than you,” Jiang Yuduo raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke chuckled.
“When you got kicked out, there wasn’t even one,” Jiang Yuduo pondered for a moment, then clicked his tongue, “That’s rough, Young Master.”
“…Indeed,” Cheng Ke sighed.
Jiang Yuduo’s mood had considerably improved, and as he entered the store, he did so with raised eyebrows, a stark contrast to the stern demeanor he had displayed when confronting his father.
Unfortunately, his father likely wouldn’t have the chance to witness Jiang Yuduo in such high spirits.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t hold any concept of a joyous store opening. After the decoration was completed, he had no intention of organizing an opening ceremony and planned to open directly.
However, Chen Qing and Sun Qinqin clearly had a different perspective. They checked the auspicious date in the lunar calendar and made various preparations.
“Do we really need six flower baskets on each side?” Sun Qinqin asked while seated at the table beneath the parasol, scribbling notes with a pen.
“Six?” Jiang Yuduo frowned. “The middle space is quite wide; six baskets could almost line the opposite side of the street.”
“In that case, let’s remove two, and it’ll be perfect,” Sun Qinqin suggested.
“Alright, sounds good,” Chen Qing nodded.
“Ah,” Jiang Yuduo sighed.
Cheng Ke smiled but remained silent.
“As for the date, it’s the day after tomorrow,” Sun Qinqin continued. “The most suitable day for the grand opening is Saturday; it’s when we’ll have the most customers.” “Okay, I think that works,”
Chen Qing agreed.
“We’ve also prepared posters for promotional activities, including a week-long 50% discount on milk tea, buy one get one free, and we’ll have a few people distributing ‘Meow Cards,’ which have our address on them,” Sun Qinqin added.
“What’s a ‘Meow Card’?” Jiang Yuduo seemed puzzled.
“It’s just a membership card where customers buy a drink and receive a stamp; after ten stamps, they get a free drink,” Chen Qing explained. “That’s the ‘Meow Card.'” “…Oh,” Jiang Yuduo finally understood.
While Sun Qinqin continued to share these ideas, Chen Qing received consistent praise for his cooperation, while Jiang Yuduo remained somewhat bewildered. From Meow Cards to stickers to various discounts, it all seemed a bit overwhelming for him.
Cheng Ke listened and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Boss Jiang, can I ask you something?” He leaned in closer to Jiang Yuduo’s ear and whispered, “Are you really the boss here?”
Jiang Yuduo laughed, “Seriously?”
“Why don’t you seem to know anything?” Cheng Ke continued in a hushed tone, “Do you just show up here every day for show?” ”
“No, sometimes they make decisions after discussing things, and I leave it to Chen Qing,” Jiang Yuduo whispered back, “And honestly, I… have trouble remembering all this.”
“Hmm?” Cheng Ke looked at him questioningly.
“I’m taking medication, and it has side effects,” Jiang Yuduo admitted somewhat embarrassed. “I’m seeing Dr. Li next month, and he said we’ll check if there’s a medication with fewer side effects.”
Cheng Ke felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this. He regretted not considering this aspect before. Normally, they didn’t notice any obvious effects when they were together.
“It’s okay, it happens when you’re on medication,” Cheng Ke reassured him, touching his face. “I sometimes feel confused even after taking cold medicine.”
“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo looked around, “Let’s not make a spectacle.”
“What’s wrong with touching you?” Cheng Ke playfully touched him again. “Am I not allowed to touch you? How many times have I done it? Don’t you remember…”
“You!” Jiang Yuduo tried to suppress his laughter.
“It doesn’t matter if you can remember all these things clearly or not,” Cheng Ke said softly, “What matters is that you remember me.”
“Don’t worry, I’d recognize you even if you turned into ashes,” Jiang Yuduo said with a smile.
“…I’m truly touched,” Cheng Ke replied.
“Hey,” Chen Qing turned to them, “How many people should we call?”
“How many people?” Jiang Yuduo was taken aback.
“Just our buddies, call a few of them to come help distribute Meow Cards, and with so many discounts, we might need some extra hands to manage the crowd,” Chen Qing explained. “And we might need some security…”
“Security?” Cheng Ke couldn’t help but interject, finding it amusing that a milk tea shop’s grand opening would involve security.
“We’re just being cautious in case someone causes trouble, like the guy who tried to extort money from us last time or those folks we had issues with before,” Chen Qing elaborated. “Although it’s quite a distance from their turf, it’s not entirely our territory here.”
Sun Qinqin was somewhat shocked. “Were you involved in such things before?”
“No,” Chen Qing replied, “We’re just locals.”
“Huh?” Sun Qinqin continued to express her surprise.
Chen Qing instantly switched into bragging mode, trying to impress them: “Why do you think I call them my two brothers? San-ge! Brother Ke, if you ask around East Bar Street in the city, everyone knows us, especially our San-ge, who’s been around for the past ten years. It’s not for nothing…”
“Good grief,” Jiang Yuduo sighed in exasperation.
Cheng Ke couldn’t help but suppress a smile, took out his phone, snapped a photo of the store’s entrance, and then looked down at it. “Go stand by the door, I’ll take a picture of you inside.”
“Why?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“So I can post it on my social media to promote it,” Cheng Ke explained.
“Come on, do you really think you have twenty friends combined in your social media circles?” Jiang Yuduo teased. “Half of them are misfits. Who would come to a small street shop for milk tea?”
“Actually, it’s more than twenty,” Cheng Ke replied, “I’ve added quite a few regular customers from the restaurants here. They’re all regular young folks, the type who always go for milk tea while shopping.”
“Let me see,” Jiang Yuduo leaned in to take a look at Cheng Ke’s phone.
“Are you coming or not?” Cheng Ke hushedly urged him.
“Fine, I’m going,” Jiang Yuduo replied, standing up reluctantly. “Just for a photo.”
“Why?” Chen Qing questioned, looking at Jiang Yuduo. “Taking pictures?”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke confirmed, pointing his phone at Jiang Yuduo. “Don’t come over; I want to take a photo of Boss Jiang alone.”
“I won’t go unless you beg me on your knees,” Chen Qing taunted.
“In a bit,” Cheng Ke said quietly, “Go take a photo with Xiao Sun.”
Chen Qing immediately stood up and approached them. “San-ge, stand facing us; the lighting is perfect.”
Jiang Yuduo positioned himself at the entrance, hesitated briefly, and then turned to face Cheng Ke. “Hurry up!”
“Where should I stand? Oh.” Jiang Yuduo took a step to the side this time without hesitation and stretched his arms out.
Sun Qinqin burst into laughter.
“… Damn!” Cheng Ke couldn’t help but laugh and swear. “Do you have any other poses?”
“Too stiff,” Chen Qing sighed.
“Then let’s take a few more shots,” Cheng Ke instructed. He first took a picture of Jiang Yuduo in a heroic pose. “San-ge, now go inside the store…”
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo turned and walked into the store.
While snapping photos, Cheng Ke continued, “Come out, go in, come out, go in…”
“I’ll kill you,” Jiang Yuduo turned and glared at him.
“Snap!” Cheng Ke took a shot as Jiang Yuduo snatched back a very handsome picture with a golden outline on his face. “Go in, come out! Hurry up! Go in, come out again!”
He was impatient, but he reluctantly followed Cheng Ke’s instructions, entering the store and then walking out, then turning around and going back inside before emerging once more.
After going back and forth a few times, Cheng Ke nodded in approval. “Indeed, the snapshots look better.”
“Let me tell you,” Chen Qing boasted, “I used to post pictures of him on my social media, and it was never this good. Just one click and it’s a hit.”
“One click?” Cheng Ke marveled at his use of onomatopoeia.
“Go on, San-ge, how many people did you invite?” Chen Qing returned to the previous topic.
“Just a few…” Jiang Yuduo hesitated.
“Fifty,” Chen Qing stated.
“Fifty? Are we opening a store or hosting a parade, Brother Qing?” Jiang Yuduo looked surprised.
“I was worried that inviting fifty people would offend others. Many were eager to come. I had to limit it, or there’d be fifty people here every day,” Chen Qing explained. “They can take turns.”
“Fine,” Jiang Yuduo sighed and sat back down.
“Indeed,” Chen Qing became serious. “San-ge, after all these years, to be honest, you’ve become a respectable boss who doesn’t let troublemakers in. Each of these people counts as one, and you’ve supported them all. Now that you’ve opened such a great shop in such a prime location, don’t you think they can’t reciprocate? This is your shop, San-ge, not someone else’s. Do you see anyone going to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s store?”
“…Nobody’s going there,” Cheng Ke remarked.
“San-ge, this is your moment,” Chen Qing declared.
Jiang Yuduo noticed his silence, so he kicked his legs against the floor, pushed his chair back into the sunlight, and rubbed his arms.
“Damn!” Chen Qing expressed some frustration and turned to Cheng Ke. “Jaeger-LeCoultre, what do you think?”
“Can you call me by my real name first?” Cheng Ke chuckled.
“Brother Ke, what’s your take on this?” Chen Qing asked.
“Yes,” Cheng Ke replied with a smile.
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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