There’s no need to plan the route in advance. At dusk, we part at a small café beside the bookstore, and there lies just the right level of comfort. At the glass door at 5:30, he was holding a short story collection with a yellowed cover. Seeing you approaching, he naturally took your canvas bag: “I just found it at the neighboring bookstore. You said you liked this author.”
First, he went to a corner near the bookshelf in the coffee shop. The warm yellow light illuminated the wooden tables and chairs, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted coffee beans. He ordered a caramel macchiato and got you a regular oat latte. The coaster was a cartoon style with a cat on it. You opened the book he brought and had just read a few lines when he handed you the freshly baked cookies: “Be careful of the heat. The butter cookies here are super delicious.”
After finishing the coffee, we went to the neighboring bookstore together. He lingered in the social science section, while you were searching for new books in the literature section. Occasionally, we would glance at each other and smile, waving our hands. When we reached the children’s picture book section, he picked up a book titled “The Taste of the Moon”, and crouched down to imitate the tone of the little turtle in the book and read it to you. This attracted the attention of the nearby children, who secretly looked over. You smiled and pulled him up, but he naturally placed the book in your hand: “Buy it and tell you about it at night.”
The sky gradually darkened, and the lights in the bookstore gradually came on one by one. You were carrying the books and the remaining cookies and were walking out when you passed by the street lamp. He suddenly stopped and pointed at the newly appearing stars in the sky, saying, “Look, do the stars today look like what is described in the books?” You looked up, and he quietly put your hand in his pocket, and the warmth of his palm was warmer than the gentle wind.
When we were approaching your house, he said, “How about we go to the reading area on the second floor of the bookstore next week? I heard there are floor-to-ceiling windows there.” I nodded and looked at the books in his hand. Suddenly, I realized that being with the right person, even just strolling around the bookstore or having a cup of coffee together, is more satisfying than any lively date.