NOVEL NEXT Ch. 34
Chapter 34: Gold Medal Bartender (7)
The short-haired office lady sitting in the middle, called “Sister Li” by her companions, couldn’t help but ask Bai Lengci.
“Aria, are those two your regular customers?”
Bai Lengci shook her head.
“tsk, they really look classy, not like the kind of people who usually come to a place like this.”
Sister Li realized she was being self-defeating, curled her lips, and muttered something in a voice neither loud nor soft, her tone carrying a trace of envy mixed with sourness.
“Don’t even know which rich family’s young ladies they are.”
Bai Lengci still remained silent, as if she hadn’t heard that slightly sarcastic remark at all.
Just then.
“Junzhu? What a coincidence, you’re here too?”
His voice carried just the right amount of surprise and familiarity.
Bai Lengci lifted her eyes in the direction of the voice.
Not far away stood a tall, slender man wearing a dark blue casual suit.
His looks were outstanding — deep brows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips naturally curved into a smile.
He was the kind of man who would turn heads instantly when walking down the street.
The moment he appeared, Yan Junzhu, who had been calm and relaxed.
Her slender brows furrowed imperceptibly, and in her eyes flashed a hint of helplessness, as if saying Why is it you again? Though she quickly masked it with the gesture of lowering her head to sip her drink.
Still, she gave a slight nod in the man’s direction.
It counted as a greeting, but she didn’t open her mouth to respond — her distant attitude was obvious.
Bei Ningrui seemed already used to Yan Junzhu’s indifference.
His face showed no displeasure; instead, his smile became even warmer and more proper, maintaining a comfortable sense of distance.
“I came with some friends to hang out, happened to see you. Today is one of my childhood friends’ birthday, they’re at that booth over there. Would you like to come over and say hi? They’d all love to meet you.”
He spoke with humility, his tone sincere, leaving no fault to be found.
“Thank you, but… I already made plans here with my friend, it’s not convenient for me to leave. Please pass along my birthday wishes to your friend.”
“It’s fine, come along, the more the merrier.”
Just as Yan Junzhu was about to politely refuse, a head popped out from behind Bei Ningrui — a stylishly dressed young man grinning mischievously.
“Sister-in-law! It really is sister-in-law!”
“Brother Rui keeps hiding you from us, and today we finally caught him, didn’t we?”
“Sister-in-law, come join us! Give the birthday boy some face!”
“Exactly, exactly! We’ve all been dying of curiosity about what kind of goddess could tame our Brother Rui so completely!”
The sudden heckling made Yan Junzhu’s expression stiffen instantly.
The words of refusal stuck in her throat.
“Hey hey hey! You guys, that’s enough!”
At this moment, Xiao Ran, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t stand it anymore.
She put down her glass, placed her hands on her hips, and like a mother hen protecting her chick, addressed the young men causing the fuss.
“Can’t you see our Miss Yan is having an important private best-friend talk with me?
What are a bunch of grown men butting in for? A birthday is for singing songs and playing games, isn’t it? Don’t try to steal away our Junzhu! Right, Junzhu?”
As she spoke, she wrapped her arm around Yan Junzhu’s shoulder.
Seeing this, Bei Ningrui immediately raised his hand to stop his friends from speaking further.
His smile remained flawless, and he went along smoothly.
“Alright, alright, it was our fault for being rude. Sister Ran is right, your best-friend time is most important.”
He looked at Yan Junzhu again, his gaze gentle.
“Then Junzhu, enjoy your chat. Have fun. If you need anything, come find me. I won’t disturb you further.”
With that, he nodded politely at Xiao Ran, then led his group of friends back to their booth not far away.
His manners were measured to perfection, expressing care without lingering, fully displaying his maturity and thoughtfulness.
Xiao Ran watched Bei Ningrui’s retreating figure, then leaned toward Yan Junzhu’s ear and whispered a complaint.
“tsk tsk, your fiancé… he’s getting better and better at putting on a flawless front.
Makes it hard for anyone to find fault.”
Yan Junzhu let out a helpless sigh, lifted her glass, and downed a large gulp, not answering.
“Forget it, don’t think about him!”
Xiao Ran patted her back, trying to dispel some of the gloom.
Then she turned toward Bai Lengci behind the bar, snapping her fingers.
“Aria, right?”
Xiao Ran lifted her chin, pointing at the slightly downcast Yan Junzhu beside her.
“Come on, make a drink for our Miss Yan here!”
Bai Lengci lifted her eyes, her gaze falling on Xiao Ran’s face.
“Miss, what kind of drink would you like?”
“Hmm…”
Xiao Ran stroked her chin, then pointed at Yan Junzhu.
“Something to help her relax, so she won’t keep frowning! Make it good, and you’ll get plenty of tips!”
Bai Lengci’s gaze shifted to Yan Junzhu, lingering on her face for a moment longer than usual.
Then, she turned and fetched a bottle of gin and a bottle of dry vermouth from the shelf, along with ice, a mixing glass, and a strainer.
Ice clinked crisply inside the mixing glass as the liquors were poured in.
She stirred, strained, and finally pushed forward a cocktail adorned with only a single olive.
“Martini.”
“It’s said to have first been born in the late 19th century in Martinez, California, after the Gold Rush, created to comfort miners who had failed to strike it rich. The recipe is simple — the sharpness of gin intertwines with the bittersweet mellowness of vermouth, its taste sharp and awakening. It doesn’t bring numbing joy, but perhaps it can let your troubles drift away, if only for a while.”
For once, Bai Lengci spoke a passage that wasn’t short, though her tone remained calm.
Yet the content was surprisingly apt, even carrying a touch of philosophy.
Xiao Ran blinked in surprise, staring at the seemingly simple yet intensely cold-looking drink.
She muttered softly.
“Didn’t expect that, turns out you’ve got some skill.”
She had only spoken casually, without expecting Bai Lengci to really make anything special.
She hadn’t thought that this young bartender not only mixed a proper drink but also offered such meaningful words.
Yan Junzhu, too, was a little surprised.
She enjoyed reading and knew a bit about such things, enough to recognize Bai Lengci wasn’t speaking nonsense.
She glanced at the drink before her, then looked up at Bai Lengci’s expressionless face under the light.
Lifting the glass, she took a sip.
The strong alcohol instantly swept across her taste buds, bringing a sharp clarity.
Afterward came a faint botanical fragrance and a bittersweet aftertaste.
Yan Junzhu furrowed her brows.
“Hu~”
“…Thank you.”
Her voice was softer than before.