SG 7

When he heard the “Welcome” sound coming from the door, Yan Anqing was shaping a rose decoration on a cup. Normally, unless a customer called to him first, he wouldn’t go out of his way to greet them, especially since the small rose in his hand was already half-finished.

Three female coworkers had followed the address Chu Baiyan gave them. As soon as they walked in and saw no shop owner, they were stunned by the ceramics filling the room. Every piece was creative. Every one was unique. The ceramic fruit ornaments didn’t just look real, they even looked fresh and glossy. The texture of the orange peel had been recreated perfectly, and only when one held it did the cool hardness of porcelain reveal itself.

There were also adorable little animals, clusters of small mushrooms, shells, conches, and starfish, and even a full set of plants from Plants vs. Zombies, each with expressions identical to the game. Everything looked lively. Like most first-time visitors, the three found everything fascinating.

“Oh my god, look at this cup.” One coworker picked up a bamboo-shaped mug with a panda and gasped in admiration. “How can it be this cute?” She turned it over in her hand. The panda had one foot on the handle and the other over the rim, looking as if it were about to sneak inside the cup when no one was watching.

“Hey, hey, look at this.” Another coworker found that the store had not only the strawberry mugs but also matching plates and bowls. She couldn’t imagine how happy it would feel to eat from a full set of “No Berry Troubles,” “Good Luck Orange,” “Everything Persimmon,” and “Peace and Joy Apple.”

No wonder so many bloggers recommended the place. Humans always had a weakness for cute, beautiful things. Just looking at these ceramics made their moods brighten. Each piece was one of a kind. Even two of the same design had small differences in detail because they were handmade.

They completely forgot why they had come, pulling out their phones to take photos from every angle. The shop’s decor looked great in pictures too, with smooth concrete floors, shelves in natural wood, and all the color focused in the ceramics displayed in each cubby.

When each of them finally went to pay, they saw the “merman” plate on the counter and suddenly remembered what they came for.

“That’s the one, right?”

“We finally saw it.” One of them felt the trip had been worth it. The real thing was even more exquisite than the photos.

“No wonder it’s the shop’s treasure.” As the three discussed it, they took photos of the plate from every direction, not noticing the glass wall separating the workspace behind them.

Yan Anqing finished the little rose, washed his hands, and came out. When he saw the three women crowded around the counter, he walked over nervously and said softly, “You can’t touch it.”

All three turned around at once. When they saw him, they stopped moving like someone had pressed pause. He looked familiar, like the man who came to the aquarium every morning. But since he didn’t seem to recognize them, they didn’t dare assume.

“This ‘merman’ plate is beautiful.” One of them spoke first and studied the shop owner quietly. His features were delicate, his air was clean and clear. He didn’t look like an artisan at all, but more like a student who hadn’t yet graduated.

“Thank you.” Yan Anqing nodded slightly.

“The ‘merman’ on the plate, is he the one from the aquarium across the street?” another asked.

“Mm.” Yan Anqing gave a short reply. Chu Baiyan hadn’t come today.

“Do you know us? We’re also ‘mermaids’ from the aquarium,” the third asked, unwilling to give up.

Yan Anqing shook his head. He never remembered people or things that didn’t catch his attention. Other than the very few he cared about, everything else meant nothing to him.

The three looked at each other. Seeing that the owner wasn’t talkative and didn’t seem interested, they didn’t insist further. They paid for their selected pieces and left.

That evening, Chu Baiyan didn’t cook at home. He ate a bowl of clay pot noodles called “Family Reunion” at a restaurant by the complex gate. After eating, he walked along the tree-lined sidewalk back toward home. But when he reached the main gate, he didn’t go in. Without realizing it, he turned and walked the other way. The light from the streetlamps filtered through the leaves and softened the lines of his face.

He stopped under a tree outside “Starfish Pottery” but didn’t go inside. A young couple out for a walk opened the door, and besides the electronic voice saying “Welcome,” no sound came from within. He stood under the tree, letting the evening breeze cool him, until the warmth from dinner faded. Then he turned back toward the gate of the complex, leaving behind a long shadow.

The next morning, as soon as he entered the break room, the three coworkers started chattering about their visit the day before.

“That place is a treasure. I wanted to take everything home. But that guy’s so cold, he barely said ten words to us combined.”

“And he didn’t remember us at all. He used to come watch the shows before you joined.” another complained.

“The first thing he said to us was ‘You can’t touch it.’ We were big customers too. The three of us spent almost a thousand yuan yesterday.”

Chu Baiyan’s fingers brushed the cool surface of his strawberry mug. “Cold,” “few words,” “no impression” he repeated the words in his mind. The descriptions didn’t match the Yan Anqing he met that night at all.

“He only remembers you, Xiao Chu,” one coworker said indignantly. “Sure, you’re handsome, but saying he has no impression of us at all is just insulting.”

“Is that so?” Chu Baiyan replied calmly.

“The owner’s too laid-back. His business runs only because his work’s good–and, okay, his looks too. If those ceramics weren’t just pretty but also made by a handsome guy, who wouldn’t buy them?” another said, pulling a sunflower ornament from her bag. She smiled as she showed it off. “See this twin sunflower? Double sunshine.”

Her words stirred something in Chu Baiyan’s chest, and it wouldn’t fade. He’d planned to wait another day before going back, but he barely slept that night. The scene of that meeting with Yan Anqing kept replaying in his head. What his coworkers described and what he had seen felt like two different people.

He woke up early. Since he couldn’t sleep, he decided to go. After washing up and changing clothes, he left home. The morning air wasn’t hot yet. The two sides of the complex gate showed two different worlds.

The side leading to the subway was crowded with people heading to work. Every breakfast stall had a circle of customers. The other side was quiet, with only a few people passing by. No one would buy flowers or pick up laundry that early, and the row of shops along the street was still closed.

When he reached the door of “Starfish Pottery,” the door was unlocked. Chu Baiyan pushed it open, and the electronic “Welcome” sounded. At that same moment, through the glass wall, his eyes met Yan Anqing’s gaze.

Without even washing his hands, Yan Anqing hurried out of the workspace.

“I waited two days for you.” There were faint dark circles under his eyes. He hadn’t slept well. In the end, he hadn’t called his grandma. Yan Anqing didn’t want to rely on her for everything. Every night before sleeping, he told himself that Chu Baiyan would come the next day.