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was at the burg3rville drivethru and this came back to eat my brain so #rongye #ćźčć¶ coffee shop meetcute threadfic i guess https://twitter.com/sylleblahsome/status/1380035347887742977
This was all thanks to the free-drink coupon he received last week. Ye Baiyi was no stranger to Zhou Zishu and his pet menace giving his personal email to odd shops and bizarre mailing lists, and while he groused, the occasional complimentary snack offers that ---
--- filtered through made it worth putting up with their nonsense. If it was their way of thanking him for securing a lifetime supply of those nuts the pet menace liked, he would accept it.
But this, he could not accept.
That was Rong Changqing standing behind the counter. ---
But this, he could not accept.
That was Rong Changqing standing behind the counter. ---
--- The RCQ that had up and quit from Changming Industries when YBY was overseas on a business trip without so much as a by-your-leave was staring back at him, wearing the most ridiculous frilly apron.
After an interminably long silence that made YBY want to put his own head through the display case glass, he thrust his phone screen at RCQ, saying, "I'm here for a free drink. Says here I'm entitled to one."
(and i need to go back to work so more to come later!)
(and i need to go back to work so more to come later!)
(Continuing!)
"Indeed you are," replied the man across the counter, faintly amused. The familiarity's irritating. "You are entitled to one drink of your choosing."
"I want the largest size of the best drink you have to offer." YBY lifts his chin.
"Indeed you are," replied the man across the counter, faintly amused. The familiarity's irritating. "You are entitled to one drink of your choosing."
"I want the largest size of the best drink you have to offer." YBY lifts his chin.
"One large dark chocolate mocha with Kopi Luwak," says RCQ, punching in the order without hesitation. "Please scan your coupon here."
His broad palm indicates the scanner. YBY remembers how he got the scar bisecting the meaty part of his thumb.
YBY scans the QR code wordlessly
His broad palm indicates the scanner. YBY remembers how he got the scar bisecting the meaty part of his thumb.
YBY scans the QR code wordlessly
"We will have your order made soon. Please pick it up at the end of the counter."
RCQ turns away to make the drink, and in the deserted coffee shop, YBY can't help but snipe at him.
"Is that apron worth the drastic cut in pay, you think?"
RCQ turns away to make the drink, and in the deserted coffee shop, YBY can't help but snipe at him.
"Is that apron worth the drastic cut in pay, you think?"
(had to grab food)
RCQ takes this in stride. "It means I get to spend more time with Xuan'er." His son. "That is worth even the ugliest apron, to me."
"It's the worst thing I have ever seen you wear." The straps draw attention to RCQ's broad shoulders, his trim waist. ---
RCQ takes this in stride. "It means I get to spend more time with Xuan'er." His son. "That is worth even the ugliest apron, to me."
"It's the worst thing I have ever seen you wear." The straps draw attention to RCQ's broad shoulders, his trim waist. ---
--- Frills notwithstanding, it is tailored to fit him, so clearly he isn't here on a lark, or at the behest of that scheming man Zhou Zishu calls a soulmate.
"I want a fruit sandwich, too," YBY adds breezily. "To make up for the accounts I had to take over when you left."
"I want a fruit sandwich, too," YBY adds breezily. "To make up for the accounts I had to take over when you left."
"You were already planning to take over those accounts. It just happened earlier than first pla-"
"Scratch that - I want TWO fruit sandwiches. And an egg tart. The Ping An account gave me a gray hair."
"All right," RCQ replied, too amused by half.
"Scratch that - I want TWO fruit sandwiches. And an egg tart. The Ping An account gave me a gray hair."
"All right," RCQ replied, too amused by half.
He feels a retort coiling up to strike when a boy emerges from a back room, holding a piece of paper and a pencil topped with a banana-shaped eraser.
Xuan'er looks so much like his mother that YBY's vitriol dies in his throat.
Xuan'er looks so much like his mother that YBY's vitriol dies in his throat.
"Baba, I'm stuck on this problem," Xuan'er says, pressing the homework into RCQ's thigh as he tamps ground Kopi Luwak into a funnel and notches it into the espresso machine.
"One second, kiddo. Greet your shushu first. He came all this way to see you."
"One second, kiddo. Greet your shushu first. He came all this way to see you."
"RCQ, you-"
But Xuan'er has already noticed YBY, and plasters himself acroas the counter excitedly. "Shushu! I knew you would come!"
This, of all things, causes RCQ to falter. Never once did he back down or waver in business dealings, but a few choice words from his son ---
But Xuan'er has already noticed YBY, and plasters himself acroas the counter excitedly. "Shushu! I knew you would come!"
This, of all things, causes RCQ to falter. Never once did he back down or waver in business dealings, but a few choice words from his son ---
--- throw him completely off-kilter.
"How did you know I'd come, kid? Your dad didn't tell me he worked here." He ignores RCQ's betrayed expression.
Xuan'er just grins wider. "I told baba that if he offered free food you'd come find us! And you did!"
"How did you know I'd come, kid? Your dad didn't tell me he worked here." He ignores RCQ's betrayed expression.
Xuan'er just grins wider. "I told baba that if he offered free food you'd come find us! And you did!"
"Xuan'er!"
Though the boy looks like his mom, his smile is entirely his father's. "I figured out my problem, baba! Don't leave before saying goodbye, shushu!"
And he scampers to the back. For a beat there is only the sound of hot water being forced through espresso grounds.
Though the boy looks like his mom, his smile is entirely his father's. "I figured out my problem, baba! Don't leave before saying goodbye, shushu!"
And he scampers to the back. For a beat there is only the sound of hot water being forced through espresso grounds.
They have a lot to talk about, but the kid's taken the wind out of both their sails, and anyway, YBY hasn't eaten all day.
The mocha is the most amazing thing he's ever tasted, and RCQ gives him /three/ egg tarts to go along with the fruit sandwiches.
"What makes this coffee
The mocha is the most amazing thing he's ever tasted, and RCQ gives him /three/ egg tarts to go along with the fruit sandwiches.
"What makes this coffee
so good? It's spectacular," YBY mutters, licking a mustache of mocha foam from his upper lip.
He lobs one of the free egg tarts at his friend's head when he finds out why Kopi Luwak is so prized.
"RONG CHANGQING!"
He lobs one of the free egg tarts at his friend's head when he finds out why Kopi Luwak is so prized.
"RONG CHANGQING!"
"You asked for the best of what we had on the menu!"
"That is absolutely disgusting! I want another," YBY yells back, and sets into one of the remaining tarts. RCQ gathers the empty mug from the table, laughing at him.
"That is absolutely disgusting! I want another," YBY yells back, and sets into one of the remaining tarts. RCQ gathers the empty mug from the table, laughing at him.
(pausing this thread here for a little because i want to watch at least one episode of NiF before bed)
(TBC tomorrow!)
