"My mom never came here before, probably."
Xia Liang smiled politely and waved her hand, saying, "I'm just here to take a look with some friends."
"Haha, looks old man's memory isn't too bad yet."
The old man laughed heartily, "So what would you like to see? There should be photos of your mom and her friends back in the day on that wall. Do you want me to take you there?"
"...Thank you, we will go in a bit." Emerald Sparrow bowed politely, "We'll just walk around by ourselves, no need to trouble you."
"Alright then, back in the day your mom and her friends were regulars here, they contributed quite a bit to my business, so I won't charge you. Just go ahead."
The old man said cheerfully, "I've got a bit of stuff to take care of, but if you change your mind and want some coffee, I'll be right here, just let me know."
He explained kindly and then went back to the counter to continue his work.
Emerald Sparrow didn't engage in further small talk and led Xia Liang inside.
As they turned a corner, what appeared before their eyes was a spacious and quaint coffee shop. The interior décor was very old-fashioned, almost making one wonder if they had traveled many years into the past.
Not only the floor but also the walls were covered with wood, and old photographs and posters of many years ago hung on the walls. The years on many of the posters could be traced back three or four decades, imbued with a strong sense of nostalgia. Looking towards the deeper part, there were several old carpets on the floor, creating a quiet and comfortable atmosphere.
The round coffee tables, delicate little ornaments, and high wooden chairs, though weathered by time, possessed a unique charm.
The whole café was filled with a strong aroma of roasted coffee. If someone who understood coffee stood there, they could probably identify that the scents came from quite sophisticated beans. This was enough to show that the coffee shop was no ordinary establishment; the owner indeed put a lot of effort into the quality of the coffee.
Regrettably, maybe because the location on the second floor was too remote, the business inside was somewhat quiet. Only a few locals were there, chatting softly while enjoying their coffee.
Emerald Sparrow didn't speak, just slowly walked among the furnishings of the room.
This place was no longer the coffee shop it once was; because it had moved from its original location and undergone a new round of renovation, the interior looked quite different from what she remembered.
However, even though it looked completely different, she still found a touch of nostalgia here.
Not just because of the similar decorative style but also because many of the furnishings felt familiar to her.
In the meantime, they passed by a wall of photos, where various customers had left pictures from their time at the coffee shop.
Among them was one of four girls with different expressions.
Xia Liang noticed this photo. She didn't recognize three of the girls, but the one with blue hair was undoubtedly the person standing beside her.
"Speaking of which... junior,"
she suddenly spoke up, then quietly lowered her voice and leaned in to whisper to Emerald Sparrow, "What were the people in your old team like?"
Her voice was very low, but Emerald Sparrow clearly heard the question.
Emerald Sparrow had also been looking up at those old photos but lowered her head upon hearing Xia Liang's words, fell silent for a moment, and pointed to a seat nearby, "Let's sit down and talk."
Xia Liang understood and didn't ask any further, simply followed Emerald Sparrow to the corner booth. The two sat down on the sofa-style chairs, immersed in a somewhat quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
"This is where our team used to hang out. Well, even though the place has changed."
Emerald Sparrow gently rubbed the wooden table in front of her with a hint of nostalgia, "But the objects are still the same, the round table that looked newly purchased back then, has aged now."
Xia Liang, driven by curiosity, asked, "Why did you want to come to a coffee shop in the first place?"
"Because of the strong demand of someone in the team, or rather, because of the strongest demand from the most troublesome person in the team."
"Is it Xiaolu's mom?"
"No, it's another troublesome character." Emerald Sparrow couldn't help but droop her eyelids, "Much more troublesome than you are now."
"I'm being a good kid, I do whatever junior asks me to."
"Then I ask you to delete all the photos from your phone."
With that, the two fell into a silent stare. Emerald Sparrow showed indifference, while Xia Liang was beaming with a sly smile.
"...Anyway, let's get back to the matter at hand."
After a while, Emerald Sparrow sighed, "This actually is part of the reason why I brought you here. Some stories are complicated to explain to Bai Mei and others, but since you already know some truths about me, I can tell you."
"Like your question about what kind of people were in the old Fangting City team."
Lifting her palm from the table, Emerald Sparrow slowly raised her head, looking at Xia Liang, "If I really must say, the beginning of the gatherings in this coffee shop started with just four people."
"And amongst them, the most strong-willed one, her name was Su Shengzi. She, out of her own preference, arbitrarily picked this coffee shop as the place to meet..."
With a soft voice, she began to recount to Xia Liang the stories about the old team members.