The cafe had gone unusually quiet after Zhong Sihan left. The door hadn't been slammed, but his absence lingered like a bitter aftertaste.
Lin remained seated on his chair for a long time, hands resting on the table's surface without purpose. His gaze was unfocused as he stared ahead.
Shui had been observing him from a distance this whole time. She didn't rush over. She knew better than to interrupt the kind of silence that left a heavy void. He was already dealing with his perplexities over his parents' situation and Zhong Sihan now made everything more complicated.
When she finally approached, she didn't speak at first. She simply took the other chair where Zhong Sihan had been until sometime ago.
"Do you want tea," she asked softly, "or coffee would be a bad idea right now?"
Lin blinked, as if remembering where he was. "It's okay. I'll make it later."
"No, you won't do it. I will. Just tell me what you want."
"You don't have to-"
