After Wei Ran walked into the coffee shop, everyone looked at me and Mi Cai in unison, but the emotions contained in this gaze were different, and I was not in the mood to understand them one by one, presumably 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 owner Xia Fanye was still sitting at the bar reading a magazine, he didn't have much enthusiasm, I knew that all this man's enthusiasm had been consumed in the story of "West of the Old City", and Wei Ran, who came in before us, was sitting alone in a corner, as if he didn't order anything.

Xia Fanye got up to greet him, I smiled and said to him: "I brought all my friends for coffee today, a total of 10 people, you can make us 10 cups west of the old city." ”

Xia Fanye nodded, took out some coffee beans and began grinding, I looked around, only to find that this coffee shop was so small, yesterday only Mi Cai and I didn't feel it, but today there are more people, I feel the crowd of the space, so I put a few tables together, beckoning everyone to sit down, but Wei Ran is still sitting alone near the window, looking at the rain outside the window with no expression.

Xiang Chen, who was least familiar with him, turned around, patted his arm and said, "Come and sit together." ”

Wei Ran just shook his head, and then shifted his gaze to the window, and the rain had formed a layer of moisture on the glass, and the world outside the window was blurred, so he seemed to be the loneliest person in this small coffee shop.

After a while, Xia Fanye finally delivered the coffee, put it down in front of us in turn, and said to everyone: "This is the coffee west of the old city of the small shop, please taste it." ”

CC took a sip first, I thought she would be frowning bitterly, but she was very indifferent, after taking a sip, nodded and said to us: "The coffee is very bitter, but I can vaguely feel a hint of sweetness and freshness, there is an indescribable loneliness in the taste, but people enjoy this loneliness, because there is still hope waiting in loneliness." ”

Xia Fanye looked at CC, nodded subconsciously, agreed with CC's comment, and said: "The water for making coffee is boiled with mint leaves, but only half a slice is put in, the taste is very light, and not many people can drink it." ”

I looked at CC and thought it was strange, a woman who smoked and drank all day, she looked rough, but she was so delicate, at least I really didn't taste the taste she said.

"Thank you for this cup west of the old city!" CC picked up the coffee cup and took a sip after speaking, as if he liked the bitter and sweet taste very much, and the others also took a sip of the coffee cup, and sure enough, as Xia Fanye said, there are not many people who can taste this taste, so we all frowned, including me and Mi Cai, who had already drunk it before.

Robben took the lead in putting down the coffee cup in his hand, looking at the painting behind me, at first he looked at it very casually, but suddenly got up and approached, squatted in front of the painting and looked at it carefully, I turned around and asked him: "This painting is not bad, it is from the hand of the boss, it is called the forbidden city!" ”

Robben didn't take my words, his expression was solemn, and he stretched out his hand to Wei Manwen behind him and said, "Give me paper and pen, hurry up!" ”

Wei Manwen hurriedly took out paper and pen and a notepad from his handbag and handed it to Robben, Robben sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the painting, after a while, bowed his head and wrote the words and scores on the notepad, so the small coffee shop was quieter, we all know that this painting gave Robben inspiration to create, in fact, many times inspiration will be contagious to each other, maybe Robben and Xia Fanye are the same kind of people, they are born lonely, but they instinctively will find comfort in loneliness, In order to make a living, they all have a very heavy artistic temperament!

After I waited for the coffee to cool down a bit, I drank it all as before, then walked to the bar and said to Xia Fanye: "Find a place, let's talk alone for a while." ”

He nodded

Walking through the small compartment, he and I came to a small balcony, on which there was a round canopy to shelter from the rain, we stood underneath, then took a red plum cigarette from his pocket, handed it to him, and helped him light it, and after taking a puff each, I smiled and asked, "What do you think of the girl who tasted your coffee just now?" ”

"She's a very special woman!"

"Of course special, she is a wandering singer, she can smoke, drink, a few years ago came to Suzhou to open a music restaurant called Empty City, the restaurant is very special, the guests voluntarily pay, although the business model is very inconsistent with the rules of the market, but has survived until now, we all appreciate her, especially her attitude towards life and love."

Xia Fanye smiled and didn't say anything, I understand: he has despaired in that lost love, and this despair will not be awakened lightly!

We were silent smoking, and I was contemplating how to open my mouth and get him to accept my kind help, and I really didn't want to watch this café "west of the old city" go out of business.

I knew I wasn't a tactful person, and after taking a deep puff of cigarette, I said in the most straightforward way, "I want to help this coffee shop." ”

He looked at me, didn't refuse, and asked, "How do you want to help?" ”

"If this coffee shop doesn't expand its business scope and operate in its current model, it will definitely lose money, do you agree with that?"

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

"Are you willing to expand your business?"

He shook his head: "No, if I change the appearance of this coffee shop, I would rather close it and treat this place as a memory forever." ”

"That's what I thought, so let's let this store continue to lose money."

He looked at me with some incomprehension.

I smiled and explained: "I have a company that is doing a tourism project, called the Road of Literature and Art, and when this project is finally done, it will create countless distinctive cafes, inns, bars, and restaurants on the domestic tourism map If this road has life, then this kind of café with a story west of the old city must be the soul of this road For you, you can't afford to run a loss-making café for a long time, but for this road, such a loss is just a humanistic embodiment, I need a loss-making, but authentic shop. ”

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

I interrupted him: "I don't want you to send it, you are still the owner of this coffee shop, you 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!" ”

"I don't quite understand what you mean!"

I was just about to further explain his doubts when there was a violent quarrel downstairs, and I leaned down to see that it was Janeway and Xiang Chen who were standing under the eaves across the cafe, their expressions full of suppressed anger