He had been wrong.
Yan Heqing did not deserve to set terms with him at all.
The next time he caught him, he would go straight for it!
At Oxygen, the atmosphere in the main hall reached a fever pitch thanks to the new bartender.
Chu Ziyu stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, drinking the Godfather Yan Heqing had mixed.
It tasted a little different from those he had drunk before. Alongside the rich fragrance of whiskey and the intensity of almond liqueur, there was a faint trace of bitterness.
Everything was balanced just right.
"The new bartender is really good," Chu Ziyu marveled. "It's good to be young. No limits to creativity."
Xie Yunjie held an Old Fashioned. They were black-gold VIPs at Oxygen and had ordered the new bartender's first two cocktails.
The cocktails tasted excellent, but Xie Yunjie was focused on something else. He narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the uniformed youth busy behind the bar. "Don't you think he looks a lot like someone?"
Chu Ziyu clicked his tongue in admiration several more times before answering Xie Yunjie. "Who's he?"
Xie Yunjie shook his head. "On closer inspection, not really."
In fact, they were quite different.
One was a hothouse flower who inspired no desire to explore; the other was like the drinks he mixed, mysterious and full of depth.
Chu Ziyu was lost. "What the fuck are you talking about? Can you say something I can understand?"
Xie Yunjie could not be bothered with him. He turned and sat back down on the sofa. Still wanting more, he summoned the manager to order a Martini.
The manager looked troubled. "Mr. Xie, this new bartender set a condition during his interview. He'll only mix one drink per person per night."
"Oh?" Chu Ziyu came over and sat opposite Xie Yunjie. "Quite the big shot."
The manager gave an apologetic smile. "Isn't he just? But his drinks really are good. The boss values talent, so I'm afraid you and Mr. Xie will have to bear with it, Mr. Chu."
Chu Ziyu nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If you've got the skills, you've earned the right to throw your weight around."
Xie Yunjie was even more interested. "What's his name?"
"His surname is Yan. His given name is Heqing." The manager added, "Since you're both valued guests, if you really like his drinks, I'll let you in on something: he only works Fridays and Saturdays."
In the first-floor hall, Yan Heqing could feel appraising eyes on him from every direction.
After the college entrance exam, he had taken a job at a bar, where wages were relatively high, to earn enough for his first year's tuition as quickly as possible.
Bright and hardworking, he had learned the ropes within a week at the bar, rising from waiter to bartender and tripling his pay.
But the bar drew too mixed a crowd, and he had encountered plenty of harassment, both overt and covert.
Once he had earned enough for tuition, Yan Heqing quit.
This time, he had applied to Oxygen of his own accord solely for Lu Lin.
To approach someone in a position of power like Lu Lin's, he could not use conventional methods.
His gaze swept discreetly over the conspicuous private room on the second floor.
He knew Lu Lin would not appear today. Fridays and Saturdays were working days for Lu Lin; he only came occasionally on Sundays.
Yan Heqing quietly mixed drinks, ignoring the suggestive looks, and finished work at two in the morning sharp.
For the cocktails Yan Heqing mixed, Xie Yunjie and Chu Ziyu frequented Oxygen for half a month straight.
"Old Lu, you really should try them." After dinner, Chu Ziyu sent yet another voice message to their three-person WeChat group. "The new bartender's Godfather is fucking phenomenal!"
"His Martini is even better." Xie Yunjie followed immediately with a voice message. "I'd go so far as to say it's the best Martini in the capital."
It was not until one in the morning that Lu Lin replied, "Schedules don't match."
Xie Yunjie was still awake and replied instantly. "Bro! My dear, dear brother! What's wrong with clearing a Friday or Saturday? The earth won't explode if you work one day less!"
Chu Ziyu also popped up immediately. "This Saturday! The fifth anniversary of me getting dumped! If Daddy Lu doesn't come, I'm jumping off a building."
Xie Yunjie: "...Fuck, Chu Ziyu, you're even more phenomenal."
Chu Ziyu: "You can't catch Mr. Lu without sacrificing Yuyu!"
Xie Yunjie: "Blech..."
At five the next morning, Lu Lin replied, "What time?"
Chapter 7: 007
When Yan Heqing left for work that evening, the trees along the way were wrapped in alternating white and blue light strips.
Christmas was approaching.
Yan Heqing took the subway as usual. He wore a thick black scarf that covered his palm-sized face completely, leaving only a pair of calm eyes devoid of warmth exposed.
Yan Heqing was sensitive to the cold. He had dressed warmly all month and had almost forgotten what being cold felt like.
After leaving the subway, Yan Heqing suddenly unwound his scarf. The bone-cutting wind blew against his face and rushed down his neck. Lowering his fine, thick lashes slightly, Yan Heqing raised both hands, cupped them together, and breathed into them.
Half a month had passed.
Once it gets a little colder, the reservoir will freeze over, he thought. I'll have to learn ice fishing.
Just then, a Maybach drove along the street, passing Yan Heqing.
With Christmas approaching, Oxygen was even busier. By the time Yan Heqing reached the bar, the order list was already full.
The manager hurried over to instruct him. "Xiao Yan, make the three drinks for 202 first."
His nervousness was plain to see.
Yan Heqing lowered his eyes and glanced at the order.
All three were Negronis.
"I really don't understand why you both love Negronis." Chu Ziyu took a sip and looked disgusted. "I'd rather drink orange juice."
Xie Yunjie ignored him and looked at Lu Lin. "What do you think?"
The private room was dimly lit, making Lu Lin's expression impossible to discern. "Not bad."
Xie Yunjie clapped. "Getting a 'not bad' from Mr. Lu isn't easy!"
Chu Ziyu speared a piece of honeydew and crunched into it. "This young bartender really does have some skills. The manager chatted with me just now. He's only eighteen! I was still playing in the mud at eighteen."
"You were squandering money at eighteen, thank you very much," Xie Yunjie retorted.
Lu Lin silently set down his glass, then suddenly called the manager over. "An Old Fashioned."
The manager's mouth fell slightly open. He wanted to explain but did not dare. Xie Yunjie and Chu Ziyu were one thing, but Lu Lin... he truly did not have the courage to tell him he could only have one drink.
Xie Yunjie and Chu Ziyu were happy to watch the fun and stir up trouble. Neither spoke.
The manager really did not dare meet Lu Lin's eyes. His suit jacket was already soaked with cold sweat. Bracing himself, he nodded. "One moment, please."