Chapter 157: Your Eyes Cannot Deceive Me

When Manager Zhao strolled back, he found the young bartender standing there, frowning and lost in thought.
"Hey," Manager Zhao called out to him, "what are you daydreaming for? Did we pay you to stand around and zone out?"
The bartender turned his head with a woebegone expression. "Manager Zhao, a customer ordered a 'Rainy Night Murder'. You know as well as I do, I've never mixed this before. I tried making several cups, but they all tasted somewhat off. Do you know how to make it?"
Manager Zhao frowned. "I don't work behind the bar, how would I know? But the person who used to make this drink happens to be here today."
"Really? Could you please ask her for a favor?"
Before long, Jiang Yao was seated inside the bar counter.
Ye Yiyi crossed her arms nearby. "Hey, is this how you treat people? We are guests here today, yet you've dragged her over for unpaid labor."
Manager Zhao looked apologetic. "I'm terribly sorry."
If it were anyone else, he would have let it go and never troubled Jiang Yao.
However, the young bartender had mentioned that the order came from the largest private VIP booth—a client who could not afford to be offended, a client who had to be one hundred percent satisfied.
Jiang Yao picked up the cocktail shaker with practiced ease. "It's fine. It's been a while since I mixed drinks, and I actually miss the feeling from back then."
Shortly after, an authentic "Rainy Night Murder" was ready.
With the immense relief of someone who had successfully completed a difficult task, the young bartender thanked Jiang Yao and carried the drink to the private room to find He Yunqing.
In situations like this, customers were usually quite generous with tips.
"Sir, your drink."
He Yunqing had not held out much hope, considering Jiang Yao was no longer working here.
Moreover, although his alcohol tolerance had improved quite a bit over the past two years, he still could not be considered much of a drinker.
"Yunqing, what kind of drink did you order?" Jin Nana leaned in, gazing at the colors swirling within the glass. "We have every fine liquor available here, so why did you specifically order this?"
He Yunqing smiled faintly. "Just picked it at random."
With that, he raised the glass and took a light sip.
At the very first sip, a sharp gleam immediately flashed across his dark, ink-like eyes.
Quickly, he took a second sip, then stared blankly at the colors in the glass.
"What's wrong?" Jin Nana looked at He Yunqing in bewilderment. His expression did not look like someone who had just casually ordered a drink. "Is it really that good? Let me try some, too."
Saying this, Jin Nana also picked up the glass and took a gentle sip from the exact spot where He Yunqing's thin lips had just touched.
This gesture immediately provoked another wave of teasing laughter from the group.
Jin Nana blushed and waved her hands at everyone. "Stop messing around."
Then she frowned slightly. "This drink isn't even all that good."
He Yunqing, however, had already stood up and was walking with long strides toward the door.
"Yunqing, where are you going?"
As if he heard nothing at all, He Yunqing rushed straight down the stairs and reappeared in front of the bar counter. "Did you mix this drink?"
The young bartender froze, wondering if there was something wrong with the cocktail, and hesitated whether he should tell the truth.
"Speak," He Yunqing urged him impatiently.
The bartender pressed his lips together. "Uh... actually, it wasn't me."
"Then who made it?"
"It was our former bartender. She happened to be visiting here today."
"Where is she?"
The young bartender pointed toward the entrance. "She already left. Just walked out a moment ago."
Without another word, He Yunqing bolted straight toward the door...
The young bartender watched He Yunqing's retreating figure and let out a long sigh of relief. Was the drink so terrible that the customer was coming to settle scores?
Thank goodness he hadn't claimed to have made it himself, otherwise he would have been the one in bad luck.
He Yunqing stood at the entrance of Spring Breeze Ten Miles, looking out at the bustling traffic on the street, searching carefully for a glimpse of Jiang Yao, but found nothing at all.
In this sprawling city, it was simply too easy for an insignificant person to hide.
He turned back, feeling a sense of emptiness, only to find that Jin Nana had somehow appeared behind him.
Having been fitted with a new prosthetic leg and after two years of unremitting effort, Jin Nana had adapted to it so well that standing there, one could hardly tell her legs had ever been impaired.
"Yunqing, I still prefer life abroad. Back then, our lives consisted only of each other."
He Yunqing walked over to support her. "Why did you come out alone?"
Jin Nana brushed He Yunqing's hand away. "The sky abroad is very blue, and the days are carefree. Do you remember that little house we lived in together? If not for my father's birthday this time, I would really love to stay there forever and never come back. At least, back then, your eyes held only me, and no one else."
He Yunqing looked quietly at Jin Nana. "When have you ever seen anyone else in my eyes?"
"Then why did you chase after her?" Jin Nana retorted. Clever as she was, she had sensed long ago that something was wrong. "This is the place where she used to work, Yunqing. Your eyes cannot deceive me."
He Yunqing gently patted Jin Nana's shoulder. "Stop letting your imagination run wild."
"Then tell me, our promise remains unchanged, right? No matter what, it will never change?"
He Yunqing smiled faintly at Jin Nana, his tone gentle. "Of course it won't change. On the day of Uncle Jin's birthday, I will ask Uncle Jin in front of everyone to let you marry me."
Jin Nana's expression relaxed slightly, and she nodded. "Alright, let's go back then. Our friends are still waiting."
In the car on her way home, Jiang Yao stared blankly at the scenery flashing past the window.
Her phone in her pocket vibrated violently, yet she remained completely oblivious.
Ye Yiyi, who was driving, glanced at Jiang Yao. "Ayao, your phone is ringing."
Only then did Jiang Yao snap out of her daze and answer the call.
From the other end of the line came Elder Jin's slightly raspy voice. "Ayao, it's been a while since we last spoke. How have you been lately?"
Jiang Yao looked down at her legs.
Living in the same city for two years, Elder Jin still did not know that she could no longer walk.
Part of the reason she always refused to appear before Elder Jin was because of this.
"I'm doing well. Is there something you need?"
"In a few days, it's my birthday. Do you think you might have some time to come over to the Jin residence?"
"I'm sorry, I don't have time."
Jiang Yao refused and hung up the phone.
"Elder Jin?" Ye Yiyi frowned. "Why does he always keep asking you to go over there?"
Jiang Yao shook her head and continued looking out the window at the scenery.
"Perhaps as people get older, they just yearn more for liveliness and company. Jin Nana isn't by his side right now. Even though he's very wealthy, his heart inevitably feels desolate. They say the older people get, the more they cherish family ties," Ye Yiyi muttered.
Jiang Yao recalled that on Elder Jin's birthday last year, she had intended to go, but unfortunately, she was hospitalized at the time.
Perhaps Ye Yiyi was right; her father was growing older and probably just wanted his daughter by his side.
She took out her phone again, hesitated for a moment, typed a line of text, and pressed send: "Alright, I will come on that day."