They sat down at a four-person table near the back.

The server who would take their order was determined by a game of rock-paper-scissors, and the winner came to their table with a smile. “Lawyer Meng, Boss, what would you like to drink?”

Chen Yu glanced at him. “A macchiato.”

He preferred something sweet and rarely drank black coffee, which was different from Lawyer Meng. Xiao Lan had mentioned that Lawyer Meng always ordered an espresso.

Espresso is the base of many coffee drinks, extracted by forcing hot water through finely ground coffee beans under high pressure. It has a rich and pure flavor, without the softening effect of milk, and requires higher quality beans.

Chen Yu had specially roasted some of his premium coffee beans for the occasion. The coffee shop had a roaster, but it wasn’t used often. He hadn’t roasted beans in a long time and succeeded on his third try, wasting quite a few beans in the process. In the end, Meng Tingchuan ordered a latte.

Fortunately, a latte is also an espresso-based drink, so his effort wasn’t entirely wasted.

The coffee needed a little time to prepare, and after the server left, Chen Yu and Meng Tingchuan sat facing each other in silence, neither speaking.

The coffee shop had been open for five years, and the law firm for the same amount of time. Chen Yu and Meng Tingchuan might not have met every day, but they had certainly passed each other many times. This was the first time they had sat down together in such a formal setting.

They were familiar with each other, yet in a way, they were also strangers.

Meng Tingchuan didn’t speak, and Chen Yu didn’t know how to start the conversation. No one had told him how to open a conversation during a matchmaking meeting. He recalled what Aunt Zhang had said—basic family information should be shared.

But before that, he needed to confirm something.

“Lawyer Meng, do you like men?” Since Meng Tingchuan was sitting there, the question seemed redundant, so Chen Yu clarified, “I mean, do you only like men?”

The question was a bit odd and forward, but fortunately, Meng Tingchuan didn’t take offense. He nodded. “Yes.”

Just as the coffee arrived, served by a different server who was more lively. He smiled and said, “Lawyer Meng, this is the special blend our boss prepared for you. Please try it.”

Meng Tingchuan’s gaze first fell on the latte, then he looked up. “Thank you.”

Chen Yu felt a bit awkward and lowered his eyes to avoid eye contact. He organized his thoughts to introduce himself. “I’m 31. I opened the coffee shop five years ago… My family situation is a bit complicated. I haven’t been in touch with them for over a decade.”

Chen Yu didn’t elaborate on why he hadn’t been in touch. Even after so many years, it wasn’t an easy topic to bring up. He was grateful that Meng Tingchuan didn’t ask, but the topic of education couldn’t be avoided.

“I didn’t finish high school.”

These days, many people don’t go to college, but not finishing high school was rare.

Meng Tingchuan didn’t pry and introduced himself in return. “I’m 33, a partner at a law firm. My father is a teacher, and my mother retired last year.”

Meng Tingchuan’s introduction was gentle, briefly touching on his family background without mentioning his education.

But Chen Yu already knew from Xiao Lan that Meng Tingchuan’s father was a university professor, and his mother had been a judge at a mid-level court before retiring.

As for Meng Tingchuan himself, a top graduate from a world-renowned university, Chen Yu was well aware. Even if he had followed a normal path and taken the college entrance exam, he doubted he would have been Meng Tingchuan’s classmate.

Aunt Zhang hadn’t gone into detail about Lawyer Meng’s family, just mentioning that they were intellectuals. It was expected that Meng Tingchuan’s background would be better, but it was still surprising. It was so good that Meng Tingchuan had to hold back some information to avoid making the comparison too stark.

Earlier, Aqi had suggested deducting points, but Chen Yu felt he was the one who should be evaluated. Given his conditions, what right did he have to judge Meng Tingchuan?

The coffee hadn’t even finished, and Xiao Mei entered, running to their table. “Lawyer Meng, Mr. Luo from Tianyuan said he’ll be here at three.”

She then hurriedly left.

Chen Yu glanced at the time; there were ten minutes left.

Meng Tingchuan said, “I’ll be quite busy with work until the end of the year.”

Chen Yu thought this was likely a polite way of declining. “I see.”

Aunt Zhang had said that matchmaking was about comparing conditions, and if they matched, then the next step could be taken. Clearly, their conditions didn’t match, so there was no need to arrange further meetings.

This coffee was the beginning and the end.

After Meng Tingchuan left, everyone in the shop came to inquire about matchmaking.

Aqi asked, “Why was it so quick? Master said it should take at least forty minutes.”

Chen Yu felt a bit regretful. Meng Tingchuan was probably the best match he could find, not just in terms of economic conditions but also in personal qualities, character, and future plans. It wasn’t true that he didn’t feel any attraction.

But that was all.

“You only spend time if you have something to talk about. If not, it’s naturally quick.”

Xiao Lan was the first to doubt. “You both are so good-looking, how could you not have anything to talk about?”

Chen Yu laughed. “Does being good-looking mean you can be together?”

Xiao Lan started to cover her ears.

Matchmaking often didn’t work out, and while everyone was interested in their boss’s love life, they didn’t overstep. After a few words, they went back to work.

It started raining in the evening, so business would be a bit slower. Chen Yu let everyone go home early and stayed behind.

When Aunt Zhang arrived, Chen Yu was fiddling with the syphon pot at the counter.

The liquid flowed through the transparent glass tube, bubbling from the lower chamber to the upper one, and then back down with the coffee, filling the air with the characteristic bitter-sweet aroma of coffee.

Aunt Zhang took a deep breath as she entered. “Foreign stuff, though it’s a bit strange, it smells really good.”

Chen Yu smiled and poured her a cup of warm milk.

Aunt Zhang asked, “Did you meet Xiao Meng today? How was it?”

“Pretty good.”

“Good, good, good.” Aunt Zhang beamed. “Not to rush you, but you should chat more. Even in matchmaking, feelings need to be cultivated.”

She casually asked, “Did you add each other on WeChat?”

Chen Yu: “No.”

“No?”

“Um,” facing the question, Chen Yu found an excuse, “We’re neighbors, so it’s close enough.”

The truth was that Meng Tingchuan hadn’t suggested it, and Chen Yu didn’t think it was necessary. Anyway, they probably wouldn’t be in touch again.

Aunt Zhang thought about it and said, “You should add each other.”

She took out her phone, held it a bit away, squinted to find the contact, and showed it to Chen Yu. “Here, this is it. I can’t figure out the settings, so you take it and send the request.”

She handed the phone to Chen Yu, who saw that Meng Tingchuan’s profile picture was a passport photo, and his ID was simply “Meng Tingchuan.” This was probably his work account. Chen Yu added the account and sent a friend request.

The request was approved by the evening, and the chat interface showed only two messages.

I am Chen Yu.

I have approved your friend request. Now we can start chatting.

Since he was the one who initiated the friend request, Chen Yu felt he should at least say hello.

Chen Yu: Lawyer Meng, hello. I am Chen Yu.

Meng Tingchuan: What’s up?

Chen Yu thought that either Aunt Zhang had given him a work account, or Meng Tingchuan had forgotten his name.

In either case, Meng Tingchuan’s response indicated he wasn’t interested.

Chen Yu wasn’t very proactive. Sending the friend request was already a significant effort on his part. Since Meng Tingchuan wasn’t interested, he didn’t bring up matchmaking.

Chen Yu: I opened a bar with friends early on and now want to transfer my shares to him.

Meng Tingchuan: Agree on a price, draft a transfer agreement, and register it with the business administration.

It sounded simple, and this kind of small matter was probably not what a lawyer like Meng Tingchuan handled.

Meng Tingchuan found a few contract templates and was about to send them when he paused. Perhaps it would be better to meet in person and hand them over.

He had been looking down for a while, and the woman in the hospital bed started to scold him. “I told you it’s a minor surgery, no need for you to be here, and now you’re working.”

Meng Tingchuan looked up at her. Mrs. Huang took a spray bottle from the bedside table to add water to her face mask. “Turn on the humidifier for me. The hospital heating is too dry.”

Meng Tingchuan got up to turn on the humidifier and replied, “I’m not working.”

Mrs. Huang was surprised. “Do you have something other than work?”

Meng Tingchuan: “Matchmaking.”

This time, Mrs. Huang was truly impressed. “Matchmaking?”

She remembered. “Is it the one Aunt Zhang mentioned?”

“Uh-huh.”

Mrs. Huang sat up a bit, somewhat reserved, and asked, “Do you have a photo?”

“No.”

No photos, but no rush, she said. “Go on, keep chatting.”

Meng Tingchuan looked at his phone.

Chen Yu: Okay, thank you, Lawyer Meng.

“Finished chatting.”

“…”

When her husband returned, Mrs. Huang sent her son away.

“Get lost.”

Meng Tingchuan smiled. “Take care of yourself. I’m on a business trip this week and won’t be back until the weekend.”

The next day, Lawyer Meng went to work as usual. After parking his car, he paused as he passed the coffee shop. The warm, fragrant air inside was inviting, especially on such a day.

Meng Tingchuan immediately thought of Chen Yu, the bitter-sweet aroma of the coffee.

Before, Lawyer Meng always ordered coffee with his colleagues at the office and had never ordered alone, let alone visited the coffee shop in person. He looked at the menu and ordered a latte.

“No sugar.”

The coffee shop’s counter was semi-open, and he could see that Chen Yu wasn’t there.

Meng Tingchuan asked, “Where’s your boss?”

Xiao Lan recorded the order and poked her head out from behind the computer. “Lawyer Meng, you’re looking for our boss?”

Meng Tingchuan paused. It seemed he wasn’t specifically there for Chen Yu.

He had no particular reason, and if Chen Yu had been there, he probably wouldn’t have spoken to him, but he had entered the coffee shop.

While he was thinking, Xiao Lan continued. “What a coincidence, the boss just went out.”

She winked playfully. “If you answer one question, I’ll tell you where he went.”

Meng Tingchuan agreed. “Okay.”

“What do you think of our boss?”

Meng Tingchuan gave the same answer Chen Yu had the day before. “Very nice.”

Xiao Lan was satisfied. She had been right; how could they not get along? The boss was great, and his looks were unbeatable.

“The boss went to your law firm. He needs to draft a contract.”

Xiao Lan was selling out the boss without hesitation. But even if she didn’t say anything, Lawyer Meng would find out when he got to the office.

Meng Tingchuan realized this was a small trap created by a lack of information and smiled. “Can the coffee be delivered?”

Xiao Lan understood that he was going to the law firm to find Chen Yu. She waved her hand. “Go ahead, go ahead. I’ll have Aqi deliver the coffee later.”