MC - Chapter 22

The beef noodles were served in a large bowl. Shen Mingjin, in a good mood and with a healthy appetite, polished off his serving. Zhang Rufan had a smaller appetite, but she still did her best and ate quite a bit.

After finishing the meal, Zhang Rufan went to pay the bill. This time, Shen Mingjin didn’t stop her. He knew that refusing to let her treat him every time would dampen her enthusiasm for dining with him. Bringing her out for beef noodles today was a deliberate choice with this in mind.

After leaving the noodle shop, Shen Mingjin didn’t take Zhang Rufan back the way they came. Instead, he led her down a different path, winding through a few side streets, turning left and right, until they arrived in front of a café.

Zhang Rufan stood outside the shop and looked up at the sign: "Old Alley Café." The name was simple, but even before entering, she could already smell the rich aroma of coffee.

"The owner of this café is a veteran among baristas. His Turkish coffee is very authentic," Shen Mingjin said.

"Turkish coffee?"

"It’s a traditional coffee, with a completely different preparation method and taste," Shen Mingjin explained. "Come on, let’s go in and sit for a while."

Zhang Rufan followed Shen Mingjin inside. The café’s decor matched her usual impression of such places—classic and elegant. Under the warm, dim lighting, the furnishings took on a bronze hue, resembling an old European palace, exuding a quiet sense of grandeur.

Classical music played softly in the background. The café wasn’t noisy at all, though there were quite a few customers. Everyone was quiet, speaking only in whispers.

"Uncle Zhou," Shen Mingjin called out warmly as he walked toward the counter.

Zhang Rufan looked up at the person Shen Mingjin had addressed. This "Uncle Zhou" appeared to be an old gentleman—wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his hair neatly combed despite being streaked with gray. He had on a white Oxford shirt with a bow tie and vintage suspenders, a classic retro outfit that matched the café’s ambiance perfectly.

"What brings you here today?" Zhou asked.

"We were eating nearby, so I thought I’d drop by to see you," Shen Mingjin said, leaning against the counter. He flipped his wrist and raised his thumb to point at the man behind the bar, introducing him to Zhang Rufan: "This is the owner, Zhou Kang. Everyone in the industry calls him 'Uncle Zhou,' not because of his age, but because of his long-standing experience in the field. In Shangjing, if you want to learn about coffee culture, you can’t avoid him."

"Stop flattering me," Zhou Kang said, adjusting his glasses before turning to look at Zhang Rufan.

"My friend," Shen Mingjin introduced her.

"Friend?" Zhou Kang smiled knowingly and asked Zhang Rufan bluntly, "Is this kid chasing after you?"

Zhang Rufan shook her head, glancing at Shen Mingjin out of the corner of her eye before answering truthfully, "I’m the one chasing him."

Zhou Kang raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Shen Mingjin, beaming, said with a laugh, “Uncle, looks like you miscalculated this time.”

Zhou Kang’s gaze, from behind his glasses, flickered between the two of them before finally settling on Shen Mingjin’s face. The smug expression he wore didn’t resemble someone being pursued at all.

Zhou understood, but chose not to expose it. Instead, he remarked meaningfully, “This is the first time you’ve brought a ‘pursuer’ to my place.”

“I need your help with something.”

“Oh?”

“She works at OW and is currently doing a project related to coffee. She’d like to invite you to participate,” Shen Mingjin said directly.

“Oh?”

Meeting Zhou Kang’s gaze, Zhang Rufan immediately explained her reason for coming and sincerely invited him to participate in the "Coffee Market" event.

Zhou Kang hesitated slightly.

Sensing what was on his mind, Shen Mingjin quickly added, “She’s put a lot of thought into planning this event. It’s definitely not just using coffee as a gimmick. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought her to you.”

“I was wondering why you’d suddenly show up here.”

“Well, you are a senior figure in the industry. And haven’t you been wanting to find an opportunity to promote Turkish coffee? Now the opportunity is knocking,” Shen Mingjin said earnestly. “Uncle, even the best wine fears a deep alley. OW gets a lot of foot traffic—if you participate, more people will learn about Turkish coffee.”

Shen Mingjin’s words clearly struck a chord. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Kang turned to Zhang Rufan with a kind expression and asked, “Would you like to try some Turkish coffee?”

Zhang Rufan was momentarily stunned, unsure what this meant, and looked at Shen Mingjin for guidance.

“Of course—two cups,” Shen Mingjin said with a smile.

“With spices?”

“Let’s skip the spices. It’s her first time—I’m worried she might not be used to it.”

“Alright.”

Once Zhou Kang turned away, Shen Mingjin looked back at Zhang Rufan and gave her a bright smile. “Uncle Zhou agreed,” he said.

Zhang Rufan blinked. Because it was Shen Mingjin who said it, she didn’t doubt him in the slightest.

She hadn’t expected it would be so easy to secure the participation of such a respected veteran in the coffee world. Zhang Rufan let out a quiet breath of relief. The success of this matter was entirely thanks to Shen Mingjin, and her gratitude toward him deepened even more.

Zhou Kang returned with carefully selected coffee beans and turned on the induction stove on the counter.

Zhang Rufan had already noticed earlier that there was a small pot with a lid sitting to the left side of the counter. She had found it odd—this was a café, not a restaurant—so why did the counter look like a kitchen? What surprised her even more was that when Zhou Kang lifted the lid, there was a pot full of sand inside.

She looked at Shen Mingjin in astonishment, and he said with a smile, “You’ll find out what the sand is for in a minute.”

Zhou Kang heated the yellow sand in the pot, then poured the coffee beans into a grinder. Zhang Rufan had seen Shen Mingjin grind beans before—though she’d never timed it, she could tell Zhou Kang’s grinding process took noticeably longer.

In the time leading up to this, she’d read the books Shen Mingjin lent her and learned that the grind size of coffee beans has a significant impact on flavor. If the grind is too fine, it can easily lead to over-extraction, which makes the brewed coffee overly bitter.

Once the grinding was finished, Zhou Kang took out a small pot with a unique shape—it had a long handle. Holding it by the handle, he poured the ground coffee into the pot.

“This is a special tool for making Turkish coffee—a cezve,” Shen Mingjin explained to Zhang Rufan. “Turkish coffee isn’t filtered, so the flavor is very strong. Depending on personal taste, people sometimes add ground spices into it.”

Zhang Rufan found it all fascinating. She watched as Zhou Kang inserted the cezve into the pot of sand, poured in water, and then began moving the handle back and forth. When steam began to rise from the cezve, he dropped in a lump of sugar. Not long after, the coffee began to boil.

Just as the coffee was about to overflow, Zhou Kang swiftly removed the cezve from the sand and poured the frothy top layer into the cups that had been prepared earlier. Then he returned the pot to the sand and repeated the process several times, until both coffee cups were filled.

Zhou Kang placed the steaming coffee in front of Zhang Rufan and Shen Mingjin and gestured politely, “Enjoy.”

A strong, rich aroma rose from the cup. The dark liquid, held in an antique coffee cup, looked like a mysterious drink from some distant land.

“Give it a try,” Shen Mingjin said.

Zhang Rufan lifted the cup, first taking in the fragrance, then cautiously took a sip. The coffee’s rich, full-bodied flavor immediately filled her mouth. Because it wasn’t filtered, she could still taste traces of fine grounds, despite the careful grind.

“Bitter, right?” Shen Mingjin asked.

Zhang Rufan savored the initial taste, then nodded. “A little.”

“It’s normal to find it bitter. Most people aren’t used to Turkish coffee at first,” Zhou Kang commented, glancing at Shen Mingjin. “He didn’t like it in the beginning either.”

Zhang Rufan looked over at Shen Mingjin, who explained, “Turkish coffee is often brewed with spices like cinnamon or cardamom. When I first started learning about coffee, I couldn’t get used to it—thought it tasted like Chinese herbal medicine. Really weird.”

“But after spending some time here and drinking it regularly, I got used to it. Now, if I go too long without it, I actually start craving it.”

“You worked here?” Zhang Rufan asked, surprised.

“Him? He came here during his senior year to learn the craft,” Zhou Kang said while tidying up the counter. Then he looked up and asked Shen Mingjin, “Does she know you used to be an athlete?”

“She knows.”

Zhang Rufan had never known exactly why Shen Mingjin switched careers from athlete to barista. It seemed like a private matter, and she didn’t feel comfortable prying. Now that the topic had come up naturally, she wasn’t sure whether to stay quiet or take the opportunity to ask.

She didn’t have to decide for long—Zhou Kang continued, “He came to me after returning from abroad while recovering from an injury. Said he wanted to work here. Since he already had some basics, I let him in.”

Zhang Rufan remembered hearing from Liu Ziyue about Shen Mingjin getting injured and going abroad for treatment. She’d only half-believed it at the time, but now she was sure—it really had been because of an injury that he gave up his athletic career.

She pressed her lips together. After a moment of hesitation, she looked at Shen Mingjin, gathering her courage, and asked, “You were recovering abroad… What happened?”

Zhou Kang looked up. “You didn’t know?”

Zhang Rufan nodded, her eyes still fixed on Shen Mingjin—hoping for an answer, yet worried her question might be intrusive.

“It wasn’t anything major. Just a minor car accident,” Shen Mingjin said breezily, as if it were nothing of importance.

“A car accident?” Zhang Rufan’s eyes widened. “Was it serious?”

“Not really. I just had surgery on my leg, then went overseas for some rehab.”

Sports medicine abroad was more advanced. Shen Mingjin had gone there for recovery, but in the end, he still left his athletic career behind. From the outcome, Zhang Rufan could infer that his recovery hadn’t been ideal. Her gaze instinctively dropped to his legs, filled with concern.

Sensing her worry, Shen Mingjin smiled warmly and reassured her, “My legs are fine—I can run, I can jump. It’s just that continuing as a professional athlete would’ve made training a bit too hard.”

Still, Zhang Rufan’s brows remained furrowed.

Seeing how much she cared made Shen Mingjin’s heart warm. He comforted her instead. “You don’t need to feel sorry for me. Even if I’m no longer an athlete, I’m doing just fine now.”

“Life was never meant to be smooth sailing. If the heavens close one door, you find a window to open. If that doesn’t work, then you take your time and carve a hole through the wall.” There wasn’t a trace of resentment in his voice—only a bright, easy optimism. “When I was recovering overseas, I had lots of free time, so I started learning how to make coffee. And the more I learned, the more I enjoyed it. Running used to be my passion and my strength. Now, coffee is both.”

“I never thought I’d become a barista. Never thought I’d open a café either. Sure, my life plans got a little derailed—but I don’t think my life now is any worse than before. On the contrary, it’s a new experience.”

Shen Mingjin spoke with an effortless, upbeat tone, as if changing the entire direction of one’s life was as simple as unlocking a new game level. What he said was simple—many people have heard those same words—but few could live them the way he did.

To Zhang Rufan, if personality had form, Shen Mingjin would be the sun—radiant, and unfazed by the harshness of winter.

“Besides,” Shen Mingjin said, “when you lose something, you gain something else. If I hadn’t opened a café, how could I have…” He glanced at Zhang Rufan—and found her looking at him with rapt attention. His heart gave a sudden, unexpected thump, and for a moment, he almost lost his composure.

He quickly lifted his cup and took a sip of coffee to cover it up. Then, regaining his calm, he looked at her again and said with a light smile, “Hurry and finish your coffee. Let Uncle Zhou read your fortune.”

“Huh?” she blinked.

“Turkish coffee can be used for divination.”

Zhang Rufan looked at him in surprise, then instinctively turned to Zhou Kang. He nodded and explained, “Turkish coffee isn’t filtered, so the grounds settle at the bottom of the cup. After finishing the coffee, Turks read the patterns left by the grounds to tell fortunes.”

This was the first time Zhang Rufan had heard that coffee could be used for divination. She found it a little mystical—almost magical.

After draining her cup, she handed it to Zhou Kang. He took the saucer and placed it over the cup, then gestured to her. “Put your hand on top.”

Zhang Rufan hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and did as instructed.

“Silently ask the gods what you wish to know.”

Her lips pressed together, Zhang Rufan found herself stuck—she had never done anything like this before and didn’t know what to ask. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, she caught a glimpse of Shen Mingjin from the corner of her eye.

In that instant, clarity struck. She knew exactly what she wanted to ask.

She lowered her gaze and made her silent wish.

After a few seconds, Zhou Kang told her to remove her hand. He flipped the cup upside down onto the saucer and spun it three times before lifting it to examine the pattern of grounds left inside.

Zhang Rufan had never been one to believe in vague or intangible things—she was a practical, grounded materialist. But now, she actually felt a little nervous, as if she were afraid that whatever the gods had to say might not match her hopes.

After a long moment, Zhou Kang gently set the cup down.

Zhang Rufan couldn’t help curling her fingers slightly in anticipation.

Then she heard him say, with calm certainty,

 “Your wish will come running to you.”

1. 老胡同咖啡馆 (Lǎo Hútòng Kāfēi Guǎn) – Old Alley Café, a vintage-style coffee shop

2. 土耳其咖啡 (Tǔ'ěrqí Kāfēi) – Turkish Coffee, a traditional unfiltered brewing method

3. 咖啡师 (Kāfēi Shī) – Barista, a professional coffee maker

4. 咖啡渣占卜 (Kāfēi Zhā Zhānbǔ) – Coffee Ground Divination, a fortune-telling method using leftover coffee residue

5. 周叔 (Zhōu Shū) – Uncle Zhou, a veteran barista and café owner

6. 土耳其壶 (Tǔ'ěrqí Hú) – Cezve/Ibrik, the special pot used to brew Turkish coffee

7. 运动医学 (Yùndòng Yīxué) – Sports Medicine, the field related to athletic injuries and recovery

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

Awww, the pun at the end. Enjoy!