《Chapter 2 – Cafe 109》

(Translated and adapted by Hearty & Ink) I brewed two cups of coffee—one for Zhang Yuesheng, one for myself—and then sat down across from him. “This place is nice. Those three bookshelves are filled with books of all kinds. The smell of coffee mingling with the pages… reading in this kind of atmosphere is one of life’s great pleasures,” he said, glancing around before lifting his cup for a sip. “This is... medium roast Yirgacheffe, isn’t it?” I smiled, taking a sip from my own cup. “You could tell with just one taste. Looks like you really know your coffee.” “Only medium roast can bring out that tangy brightness so vividly.” He took another drink, slower this time, like savoring more than just the flavor. “How have you been these past years?” he asked, placing the cup down. “Back then, you had a terrible fever that wouldn’t go away. My ex-wife had a sudden miscarriage—I had to fly back to the U.S. I couldn’t wait for you to recover… I’m sorry. Later, your friend Miss Fang told me you were okay. Only then did I feel at ease.” “Your ex-wife?” I asked, surprised. He gave a faint nod. “We finalized the divorce last month. It dragged on for years, but… it’s finally over.” “You two didn’t get along?” “That marriage was a mistake from the beginning. I lost a dear friend because of it,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “And you lost the one you loved.” “Kai-Jie’s death was an accident,” I said gently. “If I hadn’t gotten married, or hadn’t invited him to the wedding, he wouldn’t have died,” he murmured. Only then did I understand why, that day at the cemetery, Zhang Yuesheng had quietly whispered “I’m sorry.” He believed he was the one who took Kai-Jie’s life. “Two brokenhearted people trying to love each other… we were just using each other as substitutes. We both had someone else in our hearts. After a while, we decided to part ways.” He took another sip of coffee and added, “But right then, she got pregnant. So we got married. But in the end, the child never had the chance to come into this world.” “This is all my fault,” he said softly, his voice thick with regret. “I believe life and death have their own paths. Even if you hadn’t married, even if Kai-Jie hadn’t gone to the wedding… maybe he still would’ve left this world,” I said. “By the way, how did you find me?” I asked suddenly. “In this age, finding someone isn’t hard,” he replied, then added, “You’re still single?” I shrugged and smiled. “Still haven’t let go of Kai-Jie?” “Maybe it’s more like… I haven’t met someone I could truly love again.” “Do you think that person will appear?” “I don’t know,” I said after a moment of thought. “No one can predict what the future holds.” “It’s getting late. Let me walk you home,” he offered, glancing at his watch. “No need. I live here,” I replied with a small smile. “Here?” He looked surprised. I nodded. “There’s an extra room. I didn’t want to keep going back and forth, so I just decided to stay.” “You live alone?” “There’s a part-timer. She’s a college sophomore.” He picked up the menu on the table and flipped through it. “You only serve pasta and salad?” “Yeah, those are the only things I know how to make.” “Do you have time tomorrow? Will you come with me to visit Kai-Jie’s grave?” he asked, closing the menu. I nodded. “Of course.” “Meow…” A soft sound interrupted us. Mocha, my cat, had appeared from somewhere and now sat at Yuesheng’s feet. “You have a cat?” he asked, reaching down to pet her. “Mm-hmm. Her name’s Mocha, but I usually call her Kaka. She used to be a stray around here. I fed her every day until she started following me home. I thought she was pretty clever, so I took her for a spay and adopted her. She likes to hide when she sleeps, so most customers don’t even know she’s here.” “She’s adorable,” Yuesheng said, picking Kaka up and placing her on his lap. As he gently stroked her head, she began purring loudly, clearly enjoying his touch. “Kaka seems to really like you,” I said with a smile. To be continued…

Chapter One – Café 109

It was 7:45 p.m. The café was due to close in fifteen minutes. The last two customers had left fifteen minutes ago. Outside, a torrential downpour battered the windows, turning the street into a blur of silver rain. Just then, the door suddenly opened with a soft chime. A tall man stepped inside, probably in his thirties. In his hand was a dripping umbrella, rainwater trailing behind him as he crossed the threshold. His coat was damp, clinging slightly to his frame, and his dark shoes left wet prints on the wooden floor. “Sorry, sir,” I said from behind the counter. “We’re closing in fifteen minutes.” He placed the umbrella into the stand by the door and walked slowly toward me. I watched him, curious yet wary. “Don’t you recognize me?” he asked. “You are...?” I searched his face, racking my brain for any clue of who he might be. But nothing surfaced. No familiar memory, no name. “I’m Zhang Yuesheng,” he said. “We met three years ago, at Kaijie’s funeral.” At that moment, everything came rushing back. Three years ago, Kaijie had died in a plane crash on his way to the United States to attend Zhang Yuesheng’s wedding. I was supposed to go with him, but the night before our departure, I came down with a high fever. That fever saved my life—and left me alone in this world. If I had been given a choice, I would’ve chosen to leave with Kaijie. Zhang Yuesheng had been Kaijie’s childhood best friend. He was a head chef at a prestigious restaurant and had a promising future. But four years ago, following a painful breakup, he gave up everything here and left to travel the world. About a year later, Kaijie told me that Yuesheng was getting married in the U.S. I only met Kaijie after Yuesheng had left, so I had never met the friend he so often spoke of—until that funeral. The first time I saw him was after the funeral service. A gentle drizzle had persisted all day. Once the final prayers were said and the guests began to leave, the rain finally stopped. I remained in front of Kaijie’s grave, unable to walk away. My two closest friends, Fang Jingxin and Zhang Suyue, stood by me, trying to persuade me to go. “I’m okay. I just want to stay with Kaijie a little longer,” I told them. “Alright, we’ll wait in the car,” Jingxin said, hugging me softly. Suyue gave me a silent hug too, then turned to leave with her. Soon after they left, the rain started again—this time, a steady, quiet patter. I couldn’t tell anymore whether it was the rain or my own tears on my face. My vision blurred, and I began to cry uncontrollably. Someone approached quietly and stood beside me. “I’m Zhang Yuesheng. I’m sorry,” he said in a gentle voice. I wiped my face and looked up at him. I didn’t understand what he was apologizing for. In that moment, my entire body felt weak, and the world turned black. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The fever had left me dazed and foggy. Somewhere in that haze, I thought I saw Kaijie. I had forgotten, for a moment, that he was gone. A few days later, the fever broke. Jingxin and Suyue visited me every evening after work. They told me that a man had brought me to the hospital after I collapsed at the cemetery. He had stayed by my side every day until the fourth day, when he said he had an urgent matter and had to return to the U.S. before dawn. Before leaving, he gave them his contact information and told them to call him if anything happened to me. “He said he was Kaijie’s best friend—Zhang Yuesheng,” Jingxin told me. I had seen a photo of him with Kaijie once, but I hadn’t had a clear look at his face before collapsing at the grave. If he hadn’t said he was Zhang Yuesheng, I would never have remembered who he was. To be continued…