Chapter 44

Ten minutes later, still on the same sofa in the tavern, everyone still had that glass of soda water in front of them, but there were a few more plates of pre-made snacks on the table.

However, the moods of the few girls sitting on the sofa were completely different from before.

Among them, Park Xiaomin was the most obvious, her eyes looking at Lin Xiuyuan at the bar.

Watching his skilled bartending techniques, she bumped Xian Enjing with her shoulder inadvertently, "Enjing, when did Zhiyan get to know him?"

When did they get to know each other?

Xian Enjing recalled the situation that night. Since then, Park Jiyeon had almost always been with them, and had no time or energy to sneak out at night.

So...

"A little over a week ago."

"In just over a week, they're this familiar? Zhiyan wouldn't have really taken a fancy to this little handsome guy, would she?"

Park Xiaomin muttered while continuing to stare at Lin Xiuyuan at the bar.

At this moment, he was focused on mixing drinks, his movements skillful and smooth, while Park Jiyeon sat on the outside, her hands on the bar, chatting with him excitedly.

Then her gaze passed over Park Jiyeon and fell on Lin Xiuyuan's face, her brows raised slightly.

This boy was indeed quite clean and delicate, especially those clear eyes like a child's, which were so bright they were almost free of impurities. Having lived for so many years, this was truly the first time she had seen such a pair of eyes.

And when Park Xiaomin's mutterings fell into Xian Enjing's ears, it also made her a bit distracted.

After all, as far as she knew, the two had indeed only met once.

It was just that she was also confused about their sudden familiarity, and in the end, could only sigh helplessly, "I don't know, maybe."

On the other side.

Lin Yun'er, who also heard the conversation between the two, hurriedly leaned against Zheng Xiuyan, "Unni, where did you find this little boy? Clean and sunny, daebak, it's just perfect."

"He approached me on his own."

Zheng Xiuyan, who was a little proud for a while, answered, and then also looked at Lin Xiuyuan at the bar.

Recalling the scene of their first meeting, and then looking at Lin Xiuyuan, who was now dressed appropriately and had a clean temperament, a sense of "nurturing" satisfaction suddenly surged in her heart, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift.

It was just that when her gaze fell on Park Jiyeon, who was sitting next to Lin Xiuyuan, her smile faded, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan, with Park Jiyeon's help, brought over a few carefully prepared drinks.

"You can't just drink soda water in a tavern. You have to taste some alcohol to not waste time. I can't let this tavern of mine be treated as a decoration."

Lin Xiuyuan, who was speaking with a smile, placed the drinks in his hand in front of the few people, "Try my craft, how is it?"

Zheng Xiuyan looked at the drink placed in front of her by this boy, and asked with a few smiles in her eyes, "When did you learn this craft? Can it be drunk? I remember these hands of yours, weren't they holding a camera before?"

Facing Zheng Xiuyan, Lin Xiuyuan wasn't as unfamiliar as he was with others, so he made a small joke, "Afraid I'll poison you? Try a sip yourself and you'll know."

This relaxed banter made Lin Yun'er and the others on the side slightly stunned.

This joke, which implied a close relationship, added another layer of ambiguity to their already vague relationship.

"Generally speaking, cocktails have names. What is this drink of mine called?"

"Ah, name?"

Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment, because this recipe was self-taught in 2025, so where would he have bothered to name it?

He said casually, "Let me think about it, it seems to be called A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Zheng Xiuyan recited softly, lowered her head to look at the pale pink liquid in the cup, and took a light sip.

The entrance was the sweetness of lychee, followed by the elegant fragrance of cherry blossom herbs, the finish was slightly salty but clear, the overall lightness was refreshing, not as strong or pungent as imagined.

Thinking that this was actually a recipe Lin Xiuyuan had casually copied from 2025, and after becoming self-taught, she longed for the knowledge and news of that space-time even more.

But these thoughts could only be shelved for now. She put down her glass and gave Lin Xiuyuan a thumbs up very satisfactorily, "Amazing. Although the taste is a bit different from what I've drunk in other bars before, it's very comfortable and very suitable for afternoon tea now."

With Zheng Xiuyan's review, the surrounding girls tasted it one after another.

And these cocktail recipes from more than a decade later immediately captured their taste buds.

Although these few weren't alcoholics, they had drunk a lot of drinks like cocktails, but the taste mixed by this boy in front of them made their eyes light up.

Their gaze towards Lin Xiuyuan became even more interested, wondering if they could drink the other party's new works in the future?

But before that, there seemed to be a problem that needed to be solved.

Because this small tavern was membership-based.

Thinking of this, Park Xiaomin, who was most interested in drinks among the few, asked, "Boss Lin, I heard you say before that this small tavern is membership-based. I don't know if there are any conditions?"

"Conditions?"

Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing on the side with a tray, heard this, but his eyes swept over Zheng Xiuyan and Park Jiyeon, then shook his head, "No conditions, just pleasing to the eye is enough."

Huh?

As soon as these words came out, Lin Yun'er, Xian Enjing, and Park Xiaomin all looked at him in unison.

What do you mean? Are you saying that none of us can catch your eye?

Zheng Xiuyan and Park Jiyeon looked at the reactions of the few and guessed their thoughts, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

And Lin Xiuyuan only then realized the ambiguity of his words, but since he had already said it, he was too lazy to explain too much, just gave the few an apologetic smile, and then turned back to the bar.

Browsing his phone, letting his mind wander.

He was happy to be quiet, so he simply left the sofa area for the few to chat.

It was just that this leisure didn't last long before a fragrant scent interrupted his daze first.

As Lin Xiuyuan looked up, he saw a short-haired figure walk to the bar and ask, "Excuse me, is there water?"

"Ah, yes, wait a moment."

He looked at the empty cup in her hand, quickly turned to fill a pot of clear water and handed it over, and asked curiously, "Don't you like drinking?"

Xian Enjing, who heard this, nodded lightly, "Rarely drink, basically don't drink."

Now Lin Xiuyuan became interested, "Then do you think there will be a day when you get dead drunk?"

?

Xian Enjing was slightly stunned. Although she didn't know why Lin Xiuyuan would ask her this, for Park Jiyeon's sake, she still answered the other party, "No, I don't not drink at all, but I've never been drunk, let alone dead drunk."

Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but smile after hearing this, looking at the cold and self-restrained appearance in front of him, a sentence suddenly popped into his mind—

Dragging a good woman into the water, persuading a woman of the night to turn over a new leaf.