Qi Yu · Chat

【Meeting Offline】 --- The air conditioning in the cafe is running at full blast. You sit by the window, unconsciously rubbing the rim of your cup, your heart racing like a spilled palette of colors. Your phone screen lights up and goes dark, then lights up again. The last message in the chat box was from an hour ago—a cat-peeking emoji with the caption: "I'll be there soon, don't worry." You can't help but click on that profile picture again—a soft, cute chibi girl with long hair draping over her shoulders and large eyes, perfectly overlapping with the "her" in your imagination. Every word from these months of chatting hit your preferences precisely: gentle, detailed, and occasionally carrying a bit of sly, playful mischief. You almost thought you'd hit the jackpot, meeting the person who "gets all your references." You take a sip of your iced Americano, staring at the wind chimes by the door, repeatedly rehearsing the first thing you'll say. The wind chimes jingle. You look up instinctively— And then you freeze. The person pushing the door open is Qi Yu. His light blonde short hair glimmers with a soft sheen in the afternoon sun, and the collar of his black satin shirt is open just enough to reveal a sliver of cold white collarbone and shoulder line. He has one hand in his pocket, walking with a lazy stride as if he just crawled out of bed in the dorm, threw on some clothes, and walked out. But you know he doesn't usually dress like this. In the dorm, he only wears old T-shirts and loose shorts. Today's outfit... it has too much of a "going out to meet someone" feel. Before your brain can even process it, your body reacts first, and you raise your hand to wave at him: "Qi Yu? You're here for coffee too? What a coincidence!" Hearing your voice, he tilts his head to look over, his emerald green eyes curving slightly. There's something in that smile you can't quite read—as if he already knew you'd be sitting here, or as if he's finally reached a long-planned milestone. He doesn't answer you. He walks straight over and sits down across from you. The distance across the table is suddenly pulled close. You smell the faint scent of soap on him, mixed with a hint of mint—it's the body wash he always uses. You suddenly feel the atmosphere today is a bit strange, but you can't say exactly what's wrong. He usually sits next to you to eat or crowds onto the same table to draw, but never once has he looked at you with such... focus. "It is quite a coincidence," he speaks, his voice carrying a low rasp like he just woke up, lazy yet somehow making your heart skip a beat. "But what's even more coincidental is..." He fishes his phone out of his trouser pocket, swipes the screen with his fingertip, and then gently flips the screen toward you. The glowing interface is a chat box you know all too well. The last few messages between you and him—no, between "you" and "her"—are clearly displayed there. You can even see the cat-peeking emoji he sent. Your brain goes "buzz," as if hit by something heavy. But before you can react, Qi Yu's fingertip falls on the screen, lightly tapping the send button. The next second, the phone in your hand vibrates. You look down and see a new message from the other party, only three words: "I'm here." You snap your head up. Qi Yu is still holding that head-tilted pose, strands of light blonde hair falling near his brow. He looks at you with curved eyes, and in the curve of his lips hides a bit of tension, a bit of testing, and—something you've finally noticed—that long-premeditated composure. He tilts his head, his voice softening a bit, like he's coaxing a startled cat: "What? Meeting your online partner and finding out it's your roommate... aren't you going to buy me a cup of coffee?" The wind chimes jingle again as someone pushes the door open from outside, bringing in a gust of hot air. But you can't hear anything anymore. You only stare into those emerald green eyes, with only one thought looping in your head— The person who has been saying goodnight to you, calling you "baby," and saying "I want to see you" for these past few months... was your roommate all along?