Chapter Thirty-Two: "A Smile with Dimples"

“One cappuccino, extra sugar for her. One espresso, with a glass of water.”
Ren Qian sat down, putting on a subtle display of sophistication.

“Oh… this gentleman actually knows about coffee?”
The waitress asked in surprise. In the Huaxia Charter Empire, few people drank coffee, and even fewer understood it. Usually, it was just some novices trying something new, but Ren Qian was the first customer she’d met who knew that an espresso should be accompanied by a glass of water to cleanse the palate.

“I know a little, just a little…”
Ren Qian paused at her words, then replied with a modest smile.

But the nurse girl found his expression infuriating! He had brought her to the café, yet he was flirting with the waitress right in front of her, all while acting graceful and experienced.

“Not bad, huh.”
The nurse girl gritted her teeth. If there weren’t so many people in the café, she would have lunged at him and twisted him like steel.

Ren Qian didn’t catch the irony in her tone, thinking she was genuinely praising him.

“Oh, someone like me—versed in astronomy and geography, well-read, extraordinary, elegant, a model youth—should know a thing or two.”

Wen Run: “…”

It’s impossible to communicate! The nurse girl was extremely frustrated and turned her head to take in the café’s décor instead. Small round tables set for candlelit dinners, dim pendant lights casting a soft glow, and at the back of the hall, a band was singing foreign songs.

A moment later, the waitress brought over two cups of coffee, placing the cappuccino gently in front of the nurse girl.

It was filled to the brim, with a third of it being delicate milk foam. As the cup was handed over, a slight tremor caused the foam to float atop, shimmering softly under the lights, paired with beautiful latte art and a subtle, romantic fragrance.

Carefully, the nurse girl took the first sip. The cup tilted slightly, leaving a light foam mustache above her lips, paired with her gently dimpled smile—a scene as poetic as a painting.

Ren Qian was stunned, feeling a tingling sensation from head to toe! Compared to the nurse girl’s uniform allure, the so-called baby-faced temptations paled in comparison!

This was the true beauty that could captivate a nation with a single smile.

Sipping his strong coffee, Ren Qian stood and headed toward the band. He had promised to sing for the nurse girl.

Negotiating was no easy task.

“I just want to dedicate a song to my beautiful girlfriend. For true love, you should consider it…”

Ren Qian was at a loss; no matter how he ‘persuaded,’ the icy, elegant manager wouldn’t budge.

“No way. Who knows if you’re sent by another shop to make trouble, or if you’re tone-deaf and up to no good—if you howl up there and scare my customers away, how am I supposed to do business?”

Uh…

This owner clearly suffered from severe paranoia.

“Well, have you heard ‘Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies’?
If not, surely you know ‘Guardian of Flowers’?
If you haven’t heard either, then you must be familiar with ‘Lingering Regret’!
If none of these, don’t tell me you haven’t heard ‘Rogue’!
Heh…
I sang the first three, composed the last—my character is guaranteed, I won’t ruin your place.”

He was truly desperate to sing for the nurse girl!

“You’re Ren Qian?”
The attractive manager asked in confusion.

“I am Ren Qian!”

Finally, the manager agreed to his request. Such malice! Sweating profusely, Ren Qian borrowed pen and paper to transcribe the lyrics for the nurse girl.

He then settled into the lead singer’s seat, picked up the guitar, adjusted his posture, and played a gentle, watery solo.

The café’s atmosphere instantly changed—from a cozy afternoon to a romantic moonlit night.

All the singles sipping coffee were suddenly struck by a wave of envy, battered by emotional blows.

Ren Qian was about to sing the legendary Xu Guanjie’s “Dimpled Smile,” because the nurse girl’s sudden dimples always left him entranced, and he decided to serenade her with this song rich in charm.

…

A customary cough to clear his throat.

“There’s an old legend: when people die, they must cross the Bridge of Forgetfulness. After drinking the Lady Meng’s soup and forgetting their past lives, they can reincarnate.
But some refuse to drink, so Lady Meng marks their faces with dimples, sending them into the River of Forgetfulness, to be drowned and scorched for a thousand years before they can be reborn.
I once doubted this legend, but now… I believe it wholeheartedly.
I’m grateful and fortunate that my girlfriend—Wen Run—endured millennia of hardship to come to my side, to share a deep bond with me. For this, I wish to dedicate ‘Dimpled Smile.’”

Ren Qian’s gaze drifted; he felt this was the highest fate, crossing time and space, living two lives, only to meet her, who had suffered for a thousand years.

…

‘Dimpled smile—do you know its mystery?
Lonely, locked away, secretly swayed—
Soul consumed, spirit adrift—

Troubled—how can we cross the Blue Bridge together?
Dimples lightly shine—reflecting floral moon melodies—
Just hope to gaze and ease the loneliness—
Sharing every moment together—
Willing to bow, this life as a pair of birds—
Dimpled smile—as if inviting you—
Dreams gently stir the tide—
Still unaware of dawn—’

Each line, every word, exuded elegance and refinement. With Ren Qian’s ancient, evocative singing style, the image of a gallant gentleman, tossing and turning for a graceful lady, sprang vividly to life.

The nurse girl sat with her legs together, clutching the lyrics and gazing dazedly at her Ren Qian. The legend of the Bridge of Forgetfulness and those sweet words were irresistible. Every lyric seeped into her heart, sinking deep, etched forever within. Hearing “this life as a pair of birds,” her eyes nearly brimmed with tears of happiness.

Yet, recalling that she shouldn’t cry at such a joyous moment, she smiled instead, and in that instant, her dimples bloomed.

At that moment, Ren Qian happened to meet her gaze… tender affection swirling endlessly.

In volume twelve of Song Dynasty’s “Crane Forest Jade Dew,” it is written: “Hu Dan’an was exiled overseas for ten years. Upon returning north, he drank in the Hu family’s garden in Xiangtan, inscribing a poem: ‘The favor of the lord permits my return, here to drink; beside me, a dimple appears on a cheek.’
Later generations thus used ‘dimples’ to refer to wine dimples, and by extension, to beauties. But what is gained from paper is always shallow; three thousand volumes of description and depiction fall short.
Nothing compares to seeing that one person smile in real life.

It is the nurse girl who astonishes him again and again.

…

“This song is wonderful, very refined yet not cliché, though the lyrics are a bit hard to understand.”

“So pleasant, so much better than those ancient-style songs—truly refreshing.”

“An excellent song, utterly intoxicating.”

“Sing another, sing another. Come on, another one!”

As the first person called out, others followed suit.

“All right, I’ll sing another to lighten the mood. Manager, you can record it and play it at the front desk; it might make your café business boom.”

Ren Qian cleared his throat twice and smiled at the icy manager with paranoia.

PS: Listening to Cantonese songs is a very stylish thing, and the lyrics aren’t as easy to understand as pop songs. To savor their flavor, wear headphones and listen twice, reading along with the book. That’s it—if you feel it, please vote for recommendations~