Chapter 16#
Coffee Shop#
As the promotional campaign for Blade drew to a close, the publicity for the New Year film A Perfect Match also kicked off.
Filming was in its final stages. Unlike Blade, which had been shrouded in secrecy before its completion, A Perfect Match had been releasing bits of news intermittently since shooting began. Various official trailers, character stills, and behind-the-scenes interviews with the crew could be found online by anyone interested. The real publicity push was originally scheduled to come later, but since Lu Yan had roles in both films and both were backed by Starry Sky, and Blade’s promotional momentum was strong, the Perfect Match crew hitched a ride and started their final major campaign early.
As a result, Lu Yan became the biggest winner, enjoying an extremely high exposure rate during this period.
Unlike Blade, which focused on ground-level promotions, Perfect Match concentrated its efforts on major variety shows. Though relatively more relaxed, it still involved shuttling between cities.
A day’s schedule had just wrapped up. Despite his youth and stamina, Lu Yan was finding it hard to keep up with such a heavy workload. Fortunately, the next show was being recorded in the same city, and he had the following day off—a chance to catch his breath at last.
The apartment provided by the company was well-located, quiet, and fully equipped. Though not in the city center, transportation was convenient enough. Besides, now that Lu Yan had a dedicated driver for workdays, there was no real inconvenience.
As the car was about to enter the residential complex, a beam of headlights suddenly shone over. Lu Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the back seat, was startled awake by the glare. Even Song Hui, who was driving, had to slow down nearly to a stop.
Lu Yan followed the lights. A black Lexus was parked quietly under the shade of a tree near the complex entrance. Without that beam of light, it would have blended almost completely into the night, like a leopard lurking in the dark, waiting for prey. In the driver’s seat sat someone Lu Yan had never expected to see here at this hour. That person held the steering wheel with one hand and looked over with a calm gaze that somehow carried an oppressive weight.
Lu Yan sighed inwardly. He’d been so busy lately that he’d almost forgotten about this person. But the moment the man appeared, memories came flooding back—an existence impossible to ignore.
Lu Yan quietly told Song Hui to go back first, then opened the car door and stepped out. Song Hui, always tactful, said nothing, simply nodded in agreement, waited for Lu Yan to get out, and drove off silently.
The sound of tires on asphalt faded into the distance. Lu Yan walked slowly toward the Lexus. He was wearing a light-colored casual suit today, the jacket unbuttoned to reveal his shirt underneath, elegant yet slightly untamed. He walked step by step, neither fast nor slow, with a steady rhythm. The backlight blurred his features but made his tall, upright figure stand out even more, exuding calm confidence.
He stopped by the driver’s window. With a swish, the window rolled down quickly.
Lu Yan leaned down slightly and said flatly to the person inside, “Chairman Su, are you here for something at this hour?”
Su Mo looked up at him. “The night is long. I wonder if Mr. Lu would do me the honor of having a cup of coffee together?”
Lu Yan straightened up and looked around. “Here?”
“No,” Su Mo shook his head. “Get in.”
Lu Yan said nothing more, walked slowly around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and sat down.
Su Mo switched off the headlights and started the engine.
It was past nine in the evening—the most beautiful time in a city, with thousands of lights illuminating the entire night sky.
Neither spoke during the drive. The car moved in silence until it entered the university district.
Lu Yan was slightly surprised. He had assumed someone of Su Mo’s status would choose a place like a top-floor café in a five-star hotel to invite someone for coffee.
Su Mo found a spot to park, made an inviting gesture to Lu Yan, and they both got out.
They walked a short distance along University Road before Su Mo led Lu Yan into a side street. The street was narrow, with very little traffic. The shops on both sides were mostly small, casual places. Even within the culturally rich atmosphere of the university district, this street felt especially quiet—a perfect spot for couples on dates. Here and there, pairs of intimate lovers could be seen leaning on each other.
Lu Yan had attended university in this city as well, but his film academy wasn’t located in the university district, so he had hardly ever been here and was unfamiliar with the area. Su Mo, on the other hand, seemed very familiar with it. He navigated the streets with ease and soon pushed open the door of a small shop. A rich aroma of coffee hit them, instantly clearing Lu Yan’s tired, throbbing head.
The coffee shop was called “Leisure Sip.” It was medium-sized, with two floors, decorated quite tastefully. Behind the counter stood two young, good-looking staff members in neat uniforms, full of youthful energy—clearly students from the nearby university working part-time.
Both men were dressed in suits, which made them stand out in this casually dressed university town. On top of that, they were both handsome, drawing plenty of sidelong glances as they walked. But neither was unused to attention; they remained calm and composed, paying little mind to the stares.
Inside, Su Mo led Lu Yan to a secluded but not cramped seat. A server soon brought over the menu. Su Mo glanced at Lu Yan, silently asking if he had any preferences. Lu Yan made a gesture for him to go ahead. Su Mo then quietly ordered two of the shop’s signature drinks.
The server said a soft “please wait a moment” and withdrew.
Silence returned. Neither knew how to break it. Lu Yan looked around instead. This was prime time for such a casual shop, and the place was nearly full. Thanks to the clever layout, it didn’t feel crowded. Most of the customers were students, many of them couples. A few tables had three or four girls whispering and laughing together. They were all well-educated and well-behaved, so the noise level was low.
Lu Yan finished his survey and met Su Mo’s quiet gaze. He smiled faintly. “Nice atmosphere here.”
Su Mo nodded. “The coffee is good too. Hand-ground, with imported ingredients. The flavor is very pure.”
Unable to resist his curiosity, Lu Yan asked, “You seem very familiar with this place, Chairman Su.”
“I went to university here. This shop was already around back then. It’s been nearly ten years now.”
“I only knew you graduated from Wharton. I didn’t know you studied here too.”
“Actually, I left before finishing at Wharton and came back home. I earned my degree here instead.” Su Mo said it casually, but Lu Yan knew there must have been an extraordinary story behind it.
“If this shop is still here after ten years, it must be popular. I’m starting to look forward to it.”
Su Mo’s lips curled slightly—a rare sight.
By then, the group of girls who had been stealing glances at them since they entered finally gathered the courage to come over. One of them, a short-haired girl with glasses, smiled at both of them, then cautiously addressed Lu Yan. “Excuse me, are you Lu Yan?”
Lu Yan nodded and smiled, recognizing a potential fan. This had happened more than once lately. “I am.”
The girl’s eyes lit up. The others behind her let out excited little exclamations.
The same girl spoke for the group. “We really like your movies. Could we have your autograph?”
“Of course,” Lu Yan said.
The girls happily produced a notebook and pen they had prepared. Lu Yan signed for each of them, even kindly asking if they wanted a personalized message, which made them even more thrilled.
After the autographs, they hesitated before asking, “Um, could we take a photo with you?”
Lu Yan glanced back at Su Mo. Su Mo indicated he didn’t mind and moved aside a little.
Lu Yan turned back with a smile. “Of course. My pleasure.”
Each of the four girls took a photo with Lu Yan, and finally, with Su Mo’s help, they took a group shot together.
Satisfied, the girls apologized for the interruption and said they would definitely support Blade and A Perfect Match when they hit theaters.
Lu Yan thanked them in return, smiling throughout without a hint of impatience. His attitude and demeanor instantly turned the girls from mild fondness into loyal fans.
That night, a post appeared on the entertainment board of X University’s BBS forum: “Excited! With proof! Lu Yan spotted at ‘Leisure Sip,’ even more handsome in person, super nice and polite.” The post described the scene at the coffee shop. Replies came in—admiration, jealousy, accusations of Photoshop, requests for details, questions about who Lu Yan was, and helpful explanations. In no time, the thread grew tall. The end result was that Lu Yan won over nearly every female student on X University’s campus who followed the entertainment board.
Lu Yan, of course, knew nothing of this. At that moment, the two were still in the coffee shop.
Su Mo looked at him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Before your film is even released, you’ve already gained countless fans. Truly worthy of the person I’ve set my sights on.”
Lu Yan returned the smile, as if he hadn’t caught the double meaning. “It’s thanks to the company’s good publicity.”
He added, “Actually, I’ve had a question I wanted to ask you, Chairman Su.”
“Go ahead.”
Lu Yan tapped his fingers lightly. “I’ve been thinking—for a newcomer without any background, my treatment seems too good.”
Su Mo immediately caught on. “You’re wondering if I had a hand in it?”
Lu Yan nodded.
Instead of answering directly, Su Mo asked with interest, “So, what answer do you want? Yes or no?”
Lu Yan smiled but didn’t answer directly either. He just looked at Su Mo calmly, as if he didn’t really care what the answer was.