Band Girl Drink Mixing Action

But the more this happened, the more the thorn in my heart began to ache, making it impossible to ignore...

Chapter 17 Community of Destiny

"Qingchuan Xiang." Xiangzi put down the cup in his hand, raised his head and looked into Qingchuan Xiang's eyes. His serious tone was enough to show his serious attitude at this moment.

"What's wrong?" Qingchuan Xiangye immediately noticed the change in Xiangzi's tone, and his heart began to ring alarm bells.

Something is wrong. Wasn't the atmosphere quite good just now?

"What I want to talk about is the contract we signed." Xiangzi's face was calm, and she seemed to be talking about a very ordinary little thing. However, the knuckles of her hand, which were clenched so tightly around the cup, revealed her uneasy heart. "First of all, I want to tell you again...

"Thank you."

"Eh, what a sudden thank you! If you wanted to express your gratitude to the bartender, the compliment about the drink above would have been enough."

"Please don't change the subject, Xiang." Xiangzi ruthlessly exposed Qingchuan Xiang's intention to change the subject.

It's become difficult to deal with, Qingchuan Xiang thought to himself. Is it because after so many days of calm, I have re-examined my original words and felt that there was something wrong with my lies?

Although he knew that with Xiangzi's intelligence, it was only a matter of time before he would be questioned, Qingchuan Xiang had not expected it to happen so soon. Xiang had thought that Xiangzi would have to wait until the summer vacation was over and he entered high school before he would come to him.

But it doesn't matter. Qingchuan Xiang is not panicked. He is just bringing forward the rhetoric he would have prepared for the future.

Xiangzi continued:

"I now feel that this so-called contract is just a one-sided pity and gift from Qingchuan Xiang to me.

"When you were trying to convince me to accept the contract, you said that whether the terms were equal shouldn't be judged by the difficulty of giving the other party the item, but by the degree to which the recipient desired the item. That's roughly what you meant, right?"

"Yes, and I also told you that the water source does have a special meaning to me. I think this is enough to equal the conditions I offer you." Qingchuan Xiang responded calmly.

"Yes, but that still doesn't compare to the help you gave me. Before that, I was already in a desperate situation, and you gave me the opportunity to escape from my suffering. You even gave me the opportunity to meet my life needs while continuing to improve myself."

Xiangzi suppressed the pangs of pain in his pride and said, "That's why, even though I thought it was a one-sided gift, I still had the audacity to interview for this job... I really need it, and I must seize this opportunity, just like a person lost in the desert seeing a glass of water.

"And do you really need me to do what you proposed?

"So I beg you, Xiang. Please change to a new, more stringent condition so that I can accept this contract with peace of mind."

Qingchuan Xiang opened his mouth, but no words came out for a while.

After drinking the cup of tea brewed by Xiangzi, Qingchuan Xiang realized the existence of Xiangzi's distorted self-esteem. He had expected that Xiangzi would be angry for being deceived and would forcefully demand to terminate the contract.

But at this time, although Xiangzi was still acting for his own self-esteem, he lowered his self-esteem in front of Qingchuan Xiang...

why?

The cloud of emotion once again enveloped the theoretical edifice he used to understand others. This cloud remained elusive and unfathomable, and the only thing he was certain of was that he had made another mistake.

A simple mistake that I should not have made: I only knew the self-esteem in a corner of Xiangzi's heart, and rashly regarded it as everything about Xiangzi.

I just mixed up what I knew about Xiangzi's self-esteem with other clues that I could observe with my naked eyes, without really understanding that feeling.

The larger and deeper emotions behind Xiangzi's self-esteem were revealed in front of him, mercilessly mocking Qingchuan Xiang's arrogant mistakes.

"Xiang?" Xiangzi looked at Qingchuan Xiang who was in a daze. The pain in her heart was tormenting her all the time. She desperately wanted to get Qingchuan Xiang's answer.

Qingchuan Xiang came back to her senses but did not say anything. She urgently needed to drink water to relieve her increasingly confused and anxious mind - and there was a glass of water in front of her.

Xiangzi watched in shock as Qingchuan Xiang's first action after coming to his senses was not to respond to his request, but to pick up the Mojito in front of him that he had drunk and take a sip.

The cool water quickly cooled Qingchuan Xiang's mind, and he even had the energy to make some witty remarks. This has become the instinct of a bartender:

"Hey, don't be so surprised. I haven't had a sip of water in ages. Anyway, here are two straws... Which one did you use just now?"

Xiangzi can guarantee that the straw chosen by Qingchuanxiang is exactly the one he has just used. No matter that this is not the most important thing now, Xiangzi will not be fooled by Qingchuanxiang's sudden intimate behavior this time.

"First, I refuse to modify the terms of the contract." Qingchuan Xiang put down his cup and suppressed his smile. "Second, I admit that I did deceive you before."

Xiangzi was speechless when he heard that he was rejected. Now he was the one receiving charity. How could he have the nerve to make demands on the other party when he still hoped to get help from the other party?

Seeing Xiangzi's face darken, Qingchuan Xiang didn't say anything to comfort him. Ordinary words of comfort only worked for someone who was too drunk to think rationally. Light words couldn't be a good medicine for treatment.

Therefore, Qingchuan Xiang would only prepare more intense "liquor".

"I deceived you. But I didn't do it simply to save you, Xiangzi. I'm not a saint. I'm just a junior high school student your age, a bartender shaking a shaker behind the bar.

"I have no other desire in this contract. What I want is Xiangzi's future."

The sudden and explosive speech and the series of punches that were like a roller coaster experience stunned Xiangzi. She raised her head in confusion, trying to find a lie in Qingchuan Xiang's eyes.

But no, Qingchuan Xiang's eyes were like a mysterious sea, and at this moment it was calm and peaceful.

"Xiangzi, you are different from me. You have a very strong motivation that can push you to achieve your goals, and that is your self-esteem that is so twisted that it makes you feel heavy.

"I'm sure that even if you don't come to me today to revise this contract, you'll take the initiative to break it someday in the future because you won't be content with just doing a part-time job like this."

This is the conclusion that Qingchuan Xiang came to after incorporating Xiangzi's self-esteem into the "archive wall", although it now seems that there were huge errors in the process and there are still a large number of unknown variables besides self-esteem.

But the result was almost the same: Xiangzi wanted to modify the previous transaction terms.

Fortunately, the conclusion was correct, so the arguments I had prepared before could still be used, avoiding the breakdown of the relationship between the two due to this incident today.

"Your self-esteem will inevitably make you want to climb higher and higher peaks, rather than simply muddle through.

"You are also very capable, smart, hardworking, and even pretty. Xiangzi, I'm sure you can definitely reach the peak you desire.

"And when you get there and have everything you want, then please make me a drink.

"Your ambitions, setbacks, joys, and achievements along the way...will become your unique ingredients, blended into a special blend that is uniquely yours and cannot be made by anyone else. Isn't this the unique and novel experience I'm pursuing?"

——At the same time, it may also be a drink that can help me fully understand emotions.

"Then... why do you propose the same unequal contract terms as before?" The huge amount of information made Xiangzi at a loss for words, so he had to continue asking questions.

However, this was a question that Qingchuan Xiang expected, and it was not difficult to answer.

"It's because of your pride, Xiangzi. As long as I continue to give you one-sided help, your pride will constantly remind you that you still owe me a favor. If it's a mutually beneficial relationship, since neither of us owes anyone anything, you can choose to leave at any time, but then my goal will be thwarted."

"Just like the word you used before, I want to bind you and me together, and we will become a community of destiny."

A long silence fell at the bar. Xiangzi was digesting the fraudulent declaration that was arrogantly announced in front of her, while Qingchuan Xiang was waiting for Xiangzi's response, and was a little worried in her heart whether that damn emotion would interfere somewhere else.

After a long moment, Xiangzi finally spoke. His voice was a little low, but the gloom in his heart had been swept away. He let out a long sigh as if admitting defeat: "Today, I saw many different sides of you that I have never seen before, but now I feel that I can no longer understand you, Qingchuan Xiang."

"It doesn't matter. After all, I don't think I know you very well." Qingchuan Xiang responded.

"Really? You've been pressing me every step of the way, setting so many traps for me?" Xiangzi laughed self-deprecatingly. "But it doesn't matter. I think we'll still be together for a long time, and I won't let you get away with it like this."

"So you accept this contract?"

"Yes." Xiangzi nodded and drank the last sip of Mojito. He wanted to say a lot, but in the end, only one sentence remained in his mouth: "Thank you, Xiang."

"You're welcome."

"This time I'm thanking you for making me this Mojito. It's really delicious."

"Well, I deserve this thanks." After all, this is what a bartender does at the bar:

Mix a drink, change your life.

Chapter 18 Leisure time after drinking

Perhaps because they had just experienced a fierce "confrontation", Qingchuan Xiang and Xiangzi suddenly fell silent again, not knowing what to say.

Finally, it was Qingchuan Xiang who spoke first: "I wish we were in a scene of a drama right now."

"Well, why do you say that?" Xiangzi tried hard to follow Qingchuan Xiang's train of thought. After all, he had just said that he wanted to get to know the other person better.

"Look, if the conversation we just had was in a play, it would definitely be considered a peak of conflict, right?" Qingchuan Xiang crossed his arms, his face serious, looking quite serious.

"In a play, after we finish our scenes together, we usually draw the curtain, leaving the audience with a moment of endless aftertaste. When we appear again, we jump straight to the next scene. That way, there won't be this awkward, unspoken situation."

After hearing what Qingchuan Xiang said, Xiangzi was also stunned. It was obvious that he still couldn't successfully follow Qingchuan Xiang's thoughts. After a while, he reacted and laughed helplessly: "Really, why do you always jump around like this?"

"Because you see, for a bartender, having enough topics to talk about is an important condition for maintaining a pleasant conversation with customers." Qingchuan Xiang shrugged with a smug smile on his face. "The facts have proven that this really eases the current atmosphere, doesn't it?"

From the rainy day when it all started, to the confrontation at the bar just now, to the ordinary chat now, I have been completely led by the other party.

Is Qingchuan Xiang his natural enemy? Xiangzi pondered subtly.

If Qingchuan Xiang could hear what Xiangzi was thinking at this moment, he would definitely say two things. One would be "Natural enemy, Xiangzi, you are a chuunibyou" and the other would be "You CRYCHIC guys are my natural enemies!"

Thank God, Qingchuan Xiang originally just wanted to come to the bookstore to read some books today, and then go to VA-11 HALL-A to make a few drinks for a few customers who were lucky enough to meet the real owner, and end this relaxing and enjoyable day.

When I first met Xiangzi, I didn't think anything would happen. I just wanted to see if her interview went well. Who would have thought that Xiangzi would turn around and expose herself...

Maybe it was because he was too exhausted from the high mental tension just now, or for some other reason, Qingchuan Xiang now wanted to drink something again.

Qingchuan Xiang fumbled around on the bar, originally thinking of mixing himself a different drink, but he was so thirsty that his hand froze in the air for a while, and finally he chose to take out a can of Sprite.

Then Xiangzi looked at Qingchuan Xiang with his eyebrows twisted together, and his calm eyes were staring at the can of Sprite with a complicated look, which seemed like the epitome of all the evil in the world.

Qingchuan Xiang came out from behind the bar holding a Sprite. Only then did Xiangzi see Qingchuan Xiang's entire outfit clearly. It was exactly the same outfit that Qingchuan Xiang usually wore, just more refined.

After Qingchuan Xiang walked out of the bar, he kept walking, clattering all the way away from the bar, and only stopped when he was almost at the door and stood still.

"Puff-hiss..." Qingchuan Xiang finally opened the Sprite he had been holding. The first sound was the accumulated gas suddenly bursting out with the opening, and the subsequent continuous sound was the bubbling sound of the remaining gas in the can slowly separating out from the Sprite.

Qingchuan Xiang put the Sprite bottle to his ear, listened to the hissing sound of the water vapor escaping for a while, and only started drinking it gulps until he was satisfied.

Xiangzi sat on a chair in front of the bar, watching Qingchuan Xiang's confusing behavior the whole time.

"Why do I have to stand there..." Xiangzi asked in confusion when suddenly a light bulb went off in his head.

He didn't order ready-made drinks at the bar. He even followed this principle so strictly! He even went so far away from the bar, preferring to drink his soda while standing.

Xiangzi held his forehead with one hand, his face full of black lines. He was just thinking about understanding Qingchuan Xiang more, but now that he guessed the motive behind Qingchuan Xiang's behavior, why did he still feel defeated?

It's that feeling that I'm actually starting to understand this weird and crazy idea, and I'm probably going crazy too.

For a moment, Xiangzi was caught in the strange question of whether he would be gradually assimilated by Qingchuan Xiang. This person seemed to have a very contagious magical charm. Anyone who wanted to delve into her thoughts would fall into a bottomless pool. It was dangerous, but mysterious and hard to resist.

Qingchuan Xiang quickly finished the can of Sprite and burped a little. Then, perhaps because he wanted to drink something or for some other reason, Qingchuan Xiang inexplicably stuck out his tongue quickly, but quickly retracted it, so it did not attract Xiangzi's attention.

After drinking the Sprite, Qingchuan Xiang walked back, but he did not go back to the back of the bar. Instead, he sat directly next to Xiangzi.

"Really? You must have choked by drinking so fast." Xiangzi looked at Qingchuan Xiang who was sitting next to him and burped from time to time. He reached out and gently stroked Qingchuan Xiang's back to help her calm down.

Xiangzi, who had never drunk Sprite, thought that Qingchuan Xiang burped because he drank too fast.

Qingchuan Xiang explained: "Burp, you have to finish the soda quickly. The bubbles are the essence of the soda. Once the bubbles are gone, it will be just like sugar water, burp."

Xiangzi said unhappily to the bartender who was still insisting on the correct way to drink the drink, "There's no need to drink it so fast. You deserve to be burping like this."

Then Xiangzi saw Qingchuan Xiang staring at him with a subtle look.

"Why...why are you staring at me like that, hiccup."

An uncontrollable burp interrupted Xiangzi's speech. According to the education he received since childhood, burping in public was an uncultured act, which made Xiangzi's face turn red like a ripe apple.

"Huhu, I told you, soda water is easier to produce bubbles than soft drink." Qingchuan Xiang laughed without hiding his gloating smile.

The embarrassment caused by the hiccups was directly catalyzed into anger by Qingchuan Xiang's strange and deliberately annoying laughter. The hand that was originally trying to help Qingchuan Xiang calm down turned around and slapped him hard.

"Ugh." Qingchuan Xiang covered his back with tears in his eyes.

I've clearly swallowed my pride and pleaded with myself before, so why would I have such a bigger reaction in such a small matter? It's really hard to understand.

"Xiangzi, it hurts so much." Qingchuan Xiang turned around and accused Xiangzi of violent behavior.

"Hmph, Xiang, you deserve it..." Before Xiangzi could finish his harsh words, he saw Qingchuan Xiang turning around. At this time, tears had completely overflowed from her eyes, and two tears flowed down.

"Did I hit you too hard just now? I'm sorry, Xiaoxiang." Xiangzi hurriedly took out a tissue, stood up, walked close to Qingchuan Xiang, held Xiang's face and helped wipe away her tears.

Qingchuan Xiang was also wondering why Xiangzi suddenly started to care about him. Could it be that Xiangzi was so soft-hearted that he couldn't bear to hear a casual accusation?

But Qingchuan Xiang soon understood what was going on.

"Wait, Xiangzi, these are just physiological tears from the hiccups I just had."

"Hmm?" Xiangzi knew what physiological crying was. After yawning or something like that, a few tears would flow out of the corners of his eyes uncontrollably. However, Xiangzi had never seen anyone as exaggerated as Qingchuan Xiang.

"Maybe it's because I usually drink too much water. My fluid output is quite high. Basically, once I start, I feel like I can't stop. But actually, I'm really fine."

"..." Xiangzi was a little speechless. His mood today was really like riding a roller coaster with ups and downs, and he was really tossed around.

"Forget it, I'm glad you're okay." Xiangzi sighed, but still gently wiped Qingchuan Xiang's tears.

Qingchuan Xiang looked at Xiangzi who was right in front of him, feeling his cheek being gently wiped, and in front of him was Xiangzi's lips, which were still rosy although not made up. He also glanced at the straw in the Mojito glass on the bar.

He subconsciously stuck out his tongue again.

Chapter 19: Fragmentary Throbbing

"Well, Xiao Xiangzi, I'll send the shift schedule to your Line account later."

It was already half past eight in the evening. The sky was shrouded in darkness, and the dim lights of the old street lamps shone against the bright moonlight.