After Weiran walked into the coffee shop, everyone looked at me and Mi Cai with unanimous eyes, but the emotions contained in this gaze were different, but I was not in the mood to understand them one by one. I guess Mi Cai was the same, so we looked at each other, opened the door of the coffee shop before the others and walked in.

After walking into the coffee shop, the boss Xia Fanye was still sitting on the bar and reading a magazine. He didn't have much enthusiasm. I knew that all the enthusiasm of this man had been consumed in the story of "west of the old city", and Weiran, who came in before us, sat alone in a corner, as if there was nothing.

Xia Fanye stood up to greet him, and I smiled and said to him, "I brought all my friends for coffee today. There are 10 people in total. You can make 10 cups west of the Old Town."

Xia Fanye nodded, took out some coffee beans and started grinding. I looked around and found that the coffee shop was so small. Yesterday, I didn’t think it was just Mi Cai and I didn’t think it was, but today there were more people, and I felt the space was crowded. So I put several tables together and sat down around everyone. But Wei was still sitting alone near the window, looking at the rain outside the window without any expression.

Xiang Chen, who was the most unfamiliar with him, turned around, patted his arm and said, "Come and sit together."

Weiran just shook his head and turned his gaze outside the window. The rainwater had already attached to the glass to form a layer of water vapor. The world outside the window was blurred, so he seemed to have become the loneliest person in this small coffee shop.

After a moment, Xia Fanye finally brought the coffee, put it down in front of us one by one, and said to everyone: "This is the coffee west of the old city of the shop, please taste it."

cc first took it and took a sip. I thought she would be frowning bitterly, but she was very calm. After taking a sip, she nodded and said to us: "Coffee is bitter, but you can feel a hint of sweetness and refreshment. There is an indescribable loneliness in the taste, but it makes people enjoy this loneliness, because there is still hope to wait in loneliness."

, nodded subconsciously, and said, "The water used to make coffee is cooked with mint leaves, but only half a piece is added, the taste is very light, and not many people can drink it."

, I think it's very strange. A woman who smokes and drinks all day long looks rough but so delicate. At least I really didn't taste the taste she said.

"Thank you for this cup west of the old city!" After cc said that, he picked up the coffee cup and took a sip, as if he liked the bitter and sweet taste. Others also picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. As Xia Fanye said, there were not many people who could taste this taste, so we all frowned, including me and Micai who had already drunk it before.

Robben took the lead in putting down the coffee cup in his hand and looked at the painting behind me. At first, he looked at it casually, but suddenly he stood up and walked up, squatted in front of the painting and looked at it carefully. I turned around and asked him, "This painting is good, it is from the boss's hand, called the Forbidden City!"

Robben didn't respond to my words, and his expression was solemn. He reached out to Wei Manwen behind him and said, "Give me paper and pen, hurry up!"

Wei Manwen hurriedly took out paper, pen and a notepad from her handbag and handed it to Robben. Robben sat cross-legged on the ground and stared at the painting intently. After a moment, she lowered her head and wrote words and scores on the notepad, so the small coffee shop became quieter. We all know that this painting gave Robben's inspiration for his creation. In fact, inspiration is often contagious. Perhaps Robben and Xia Fanye are the same type of people. They were born lonely, but instinctively looked for comfort in loneliness to seek survival... So they all have a very strong artistic temperament!

After the coffee was colder, I drank it all the way, then walked to the bar and said to Xia Fanye: "Find a place and let's chat alone for a while."

He nodded.

......

Walking through the small compartment, I and him came to a small balcony. There was a circular awning for rain on the balcony. We stood below, then took out a red plum cigarette from our pocket, handed it to him, and lit it for him. After each took a sip, I smiled and asked, "What do you think of the girl who tasted your coffee just now?"

"He's a pretty special woman!"

"Of course, she is a wandering singer. She can smoke and drink. A few years ago, she came to Suzhou to open a music restaurant called Kongchengli. The restaurant is very special. The guests voluntarily pay. Although the business model does not comply with the market rules, we have been living until now. We all admire her, especially her attitude towards life and love."

Xia Fanye smiled and said nothing more. I understand: He was already desperate in that lost love, and this kind of despair will not be easily awakened!

We were silent while smoking, but I was thinking about how to speak and let him accept the help from his own kindness. I really didn't want to see this cafe "west of the old city" go bankrupt.

I knew very well that I was not a tactful person. After taking a deep breath of cigarettes, I said in the most straightforward way: "I want to help this coffee shop."

He looked at me, but did not refuse, and asked, "What do you want to help?"

"If this coffee shop does not expand its business scope and operates it in the existing model, it will definitely make a loss. Do you agree with this?"

"I agree, because I've been losing money all these years."

"Then are you willing to expand your business scope?"

He shook his head: "I don't want to. If I change the appearance of this coffee shop, I would rather close the door and treat it as an eternal memory."

"I think so too, so let this store keep losing money..."

He looked at me with some difficulty understanding.

I smiled and explained, "I have a company that is working on a tourism project called the Arts Road. When this project is finally completed, it will create countless distinctive coffee shops, inns, bars, and restaurants on the domestic tourism map... If this road has life, then a story-like coffee shop west of the old city must be the soul of this road... For you, you cannot afford to operate a loss-making coffee shop for a long time, but for this road, such losses are precisely a humanistic manifestation. I need a loss-making but authentic store."

Xia Fanye looked thoughtful and said to me for a long time: "I understand what you mean. I can give you this coffee shop..."

I interrupted him: "I'm not asking you to give it away. You are still the owner of this coffee shop and can still make coffee here. I just hope that this coffee shop can join my literary and artistic path, and all the losses will be borne by my company!"

"This...I don't quite understand what you mean!"
Chapter completed!