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Join the ServerOn a weekend afternoon, Jiang Yu was bartending the midday shift at the bar, as arranged by Li Xiao.
“Lost” opened during the day too, but the atmosphere was completely different from night.
The lights were bright, the music was relaxed jazz or pop, and most customers were office workers grabbing a light meal or an afternoon drink.
Jiang Yu stood behind the bar, wearing a lighter-colored shirt than at night.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow over him.
“One Mojito, one Long Island Iced Tea.”
The server handed over the ticket.
“Got it. Just a moment.”
Jiang Yu’s movements were quick and deft as he started mixing.
Daytime customers kept it simple, mostly classics—easy work for him.
“Jiang Yu?”
A tentative voice called out.
Jiang Yu looked up to see a man in a casual suit standing at the bar, about twenty-three or twenty-four, with a refined look and gold-rimmed glasses.
“It really is you!”
The man’s eyes lit up.
“I’m Zhou Mingxuan. Remember?”
Jiang Yu searched his memory.
Zhou Mingxuan… high school classmate, top grades, later got into a key university.
“I remember.”
Jiang Yu nodded.
“Long time no see.”
“Really long time!”
Zhou Mingxuan sat down on a bar stool, his eyes sweeping over Jiang Yu.
“You work here? I heard you…”
He paused, not finishing the sentence.
But Jiang Yu knew what he meant to say—heard about your parents’ accident, heard you didn’t go to college.
“Yeah, bartender.”
Jiang Yu replied briefly, continuing his work.
“What’ll it be?”
“A Gin and Tonic, please.”
Zhou Mingxuan’s gaze never left Jiang Yu.
“You’ve changed a lot. But I still recognized you at once.”
Jiang Yu didn’t respond, focusing on mixing.
He handed the completed Mojito and Long Island Iced Tea to the server, then started on Zhou Mingxuan’s Gin and Tonic.
“How’s your sister? Should be in high school by now, right?”
Zhou Mingxuan asked.
“Senior year.”
“Time flies.”
Zhou Mingxuan sighed.
“I remember your sister used to follow you around, two pigtails.”
Jiang Yu paused in his movements.
“You remember that.”
“Of course I do.”
Zhou Mingxuan smiled.
“You two were really close back then.”
The Gin and Tonic was ready. Jiang Yu slid it over.
Zhou Mingxuan took a sip.
“Tastes authentic. Did you study professionally?”
“Self-taught.”
Jiang Yu started washing the tools.
“Impressive.”
Zhou Mingxuan said sincerely, then hesitated.
“Um… Jiang Yu, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“What?”
“Next month, there’s a high school reunion. Are you coming?”
Zhou Mingxuan looked at him expectantly.
“The class monitor organized it. It’s at the Junyue Hotel, everyone splits the cost—about five hundred per person. If money’s tight, I can—”
“No need.”
Jiang Yu cut him off, his tone calm.
“I’m not going. Too busy with work.”
“But—”
Zhou Mingxuan tried to persuade.
“Really, I can’t.”
Jiang Yu met his eyes.
“Thanks for the invitation.”
The refusal and distance in his gaze were too obvious. Zhou Mingxuan fell silent, embarrassed.
He drank a few sips quietly, then suddenly said, “Jiang Yu, actually… in high school, I always admired you.”
Jiang Yu looked at him.
“You had good grades, played basketball well, were popular.”
Zhou Mingxuan smiled.
“A lot of people had a crush on you back then, including… my deskmate.”
Jiang Yu said nothing.
“Later I heard about what happened to your family. It really saddened me.”
Zhou Mingxuan spoke sincerely.
“If there’s anything you need help with, just say the word. I work in investment banking now, still new at it, but…”
“Thanks.”
Jiang Yu said.
“I’m fine.”
His tone was polite but distant. Zhou Mingxuan knew it was pointless to continue.
“Then… can I get your contact info?”
Zhou Mingxuan pulled out his phone.
“Keep in touch.”
Jiang Yu hesitated.
He didn’t want to give it out.
His life was already complicated enough; he didn’t want to drag old classmates into it.
But Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes were too sincere. In the end, Jiang Yu recited his number.
“Great!”
Zhou Mingxuan saved it, chatted a bit more, then paid and left.
Jiang Yu watched his back as he walked out of the bar, feeling a twinge of unease.
Zhou Mingxuan represented an alternative life path—going to university step by step, finding a respectable job, attending class reunions, talking about the past and future.
Himself? Trapped in the bar, in debt, under Li Xiao’s control.
“An acquaintance?”
A low voice came from behind.
Jiang Yu spun around and saw Li Xiao standing at the passageway inside the bar, seemingly out of nowhere.
He wore a simple black T-shirt and jeans, with sunglasses, but Jiang Yu could feel the gaze behind those lenses fixed on him.
“…High school classmate.”
Jiang Yu answered, his heart inexplicably racing.
“Had a nice chat?”
Li Xiao walked over, leaned against the bar, and glanced at the spot Zhou Mingxuan had just occupied.
“Just catching up.”
Li Xiao took off his sunglasses, his sharp eyes locked onto Jiang Yu.
“Did he ask for your number?”
Jiang Yu’s fingers curled.
“…I gave it.”
Li Xiao was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.
“Alright. Schoolmates should keep in touch.”
His tone was light, but Jiang Yu caught a hint of displeasure.
It wasn’t anger—it was more like irritation over a territory infringement.
“Why are you here now?”
Jiang Yu changed the subject.
“Aren’t we meeting tonight?”
“Just passing by, thought I’d check in.”
Li Xiao looked around.
“Not bad for daytime.”
He walked to the bar and sat on a stool.
“Make me a drink. Anything, your call.”
Jiang Yu nodded and started selecting liquors.
He chose tequila as the base, added lime juice and Cointreau, then a splash of grenadine to create a gradient effect.
“Tequila Sunrise.”
Jiang Yu slid it over.
“Modified version.”
Li Xiao tasted it.
“Too sweet.”
“Daytime suits a bit of sweetness.”
Jiang Yu said.
Li Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“You adjust your style between day and night?”
“Different customer preferences.”
Jiang Yu wiped a glass.
“At night, they want strong drinks. By day, they prefer something refreshing.”
“And which do you like?”
Li Xiao asked.
Jiang Yu thought about it.
“Both. Different drinks for different moods.”
“So what drink fits my mood right now?”
Li Xiao leaned forward, elbows on the counter, closing the distance.
Jiang Yu caught the faint scent of his aftershave—crisp and clean.
He took half a step back.
“You… seem in a good mood today.”
“Wasn’t so good earlier.”
Li Xiao looked into his eyes.
“Better now.”
The words carried a clear implication. Jiang Yu averted his gaze.
“Then have something refreshing.”
He mixed a Gin Fizz, this time adding a bit of mint.
“Here.”
Li Xiao took a sip.
“Mm, this is good.”
He drank slowly, his eyes fixed on Jiang Yu.
Sunlight danced across Jiang Yu’s light-colored shirt through the glass window. His eyelashes were long, his nose casting a straight shadow in the side light.
“Jiang Yu.”
Li Xiao suddenly spoke.
“Huh?”
“Back in high school, a lot of people had a crush on you, didn’t they?”
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