The Unquiet Corner

Across the road stood a pharmacy. Just around the corner of the alley next to it, the black-on-yellow sign of a cafe was visible from a distance, emblazoned with the bold word, "CAFE."

Xiaojie was out running errands today. Knowing her tasks would be done close to noon, she arranged to meet her friend, Xiaoxiang, who lived nearby, for lunch.

Before leaving, Xiaojie had checked online for restaurants in the area. She found the cafe had good reviews, so she and Xiaoxiang decided this was where they would eat.

Pushing open the cafe door and stepping inside, they were greeted by a cozy, country-style decor. The lighting was a soft, subdued glow. The proprietress was behind the counter, preparing the guests’ orders.

"Welcome. Please feel free to take any open seat," the proprietress greeted Xiaojie and Xiaoxiang as they entered.

Several groups of customers were already seated. Xiaojie's preferred corner seat by the window was occupied by a refined-looking young man in black-rimmed glasses. Besides his meal, a laptop was on the table; he seemed to be working intently.

Xiaojie surveyed the other seats. In the innermost corner against the wall were two tables. The seat at the table on the left was empty, but a pot of herbal tea and a tablet lay there—the owner was likely in the restroom. They opted for the table on the right.

"The menu is on the table; you can look it over first. I’ll be over shortly to take your order," the proprietress called out to them, peering over the bar.

"Okay, thank you," Xiaojie replied.

The cafe was not large, but it was small and exquisite. In addition to the regular seating area, there was a bar area. The menu options were limited, featuring simple, healthy light meals. Both Xiaojie and Xiaoxiang ordered the light breakfast and coffee combination.

Just as they finished ordering, a young woman, perhaps in her twenties, approached from the direction of the restroom. She was short and plump, dressed head-to-toe in black, with her hair tied up in a bun. Upon reaching her table, she propped up her leg, put on her headphones, and began chatting with her boyfriend on her phone. Her voice was quite pleasant.

The proprietress was busy preparing the food. The air was filled with the aroma of cooking—a scent Xiaojie preferred over the standardized smells of pre-packaged meals, appreciating the freshness of food made to order. The cooking smells mingled with the low murmurs of other customers, the lazy background music, and the occasional hiss and whir of the espresso machine.

"Here are your coffees," the proprietress announced, bringing over two black coffees.

Xiaojie took a sip. It was a coffee with layered aromas, slightly acidic and mildly astringent, leaving a fragrant aftertaste in her nasal cavity.

Next came the freshly griddled pancakes. Three warm, round pancakes topped with two small pats of butter. Eating the pancakes with the melted butter released a delicate buttery fragrance. Unlike the cake-like texture of pancakes found elsewhere, these had a soft consistency, somewhere between a cake and a steamed rice sponge. While the flavor was decent but unremarkable, the fact that they remained soft and didn't dry out when they cooled was a huge plus. Xiaojie praised them internally.

"These pancakes are quite good, actually," Xiaoxiang commented.

"I think so too. Glad we didn't end up with a dud," Xiaojie smiled.

"This black coffee is a bit bitter for me, though. I should have ordered a latte..." Xiaoxiang mused.

Xiaojie and Xiaoxiang were chatting softly when they noticed the volume of the adjacent girl's phone conversation escalating. She was oblivious to her surroundings, making it impossible not to overhear.

"I’m telling you, I’m really upset. I feel like you don’t respect me. Are only the people in your family important?" the young woman complained to her boyfriend over the phone.

"You never consider my feelings. Why should I have to accommodate your family?" she continued, her tone angry yet laced with a hint of petulance.

"How did we run into someone so ill-mannered again? She acts like this is her living room," Xiaoxiang muttered, rolling her eyes at the next table.

"It can't be helped. You're bound to meet people like this. Let's just pretend we're listening to gossip or a story," Xiaojie said resignedly.

The young woman kept talking to herself, oblivious to the displeased expressions of the people around her.

"Here are your meals. Everything is here. Please enjoy," the proprietress said, setting down the final dish: a warm salad.

"Thank you!" Xiaojie replied.

The warm salad plate contained mixed greens drizzled with vinaigrette, roasted vegetables sprinkled with black pepper—including zucchini, baby corn, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes—plus scrambled eggs with cheese, and a scoop of mashed potatoes. Finally, there was a cup of unsweetened oatmeal and fruit yogurt. Each serving was modest, but the whole meal was rich and perfectly satisfying.

"This unsweetened oatmeal and fruit yogurt is delicious. I was worried it would be one of those super-sour, unsweetened types, but thankfully, it’s not," Xiaoxiang praised.

"I especially like this scoop of mashed potatoes—it’s mixed with lots of herbs and spices. The flavor is really unique," Xiaojie complimented as well.

The delicious meal momentarily diverted Xiaojie and Xiaoxiang's attention from the adjacent "noise."

After a period of complaining, the young woman changed the subject with her boyfriend. The rest of the conversation was almost entirely about playing a monster-hunting video game, and her tone shifted from unhappy to excited—but her volume increased even more.

Xiaojie glanced at the girl. She was using both hands to play the game on her tablet while discussing the hunting details with her boyfriend. The young woman asked her boyfriend how to score points, how to get treasures, and what the best techniques were. Following the action of the game, she occasionally shrieked excitedly or cursed angrily...

The proprietress kept refilling the young woman’s pot of nearly flavorless herbal tea several times.

"She’s really playing the long game, isn't she? She’s been chatting since we got here. She probably came right when they opened, only ordered the minimum-spend drink, and has been sitting here forever. Really smart," Xiaoxiang said with sarcasm.

"If she talks any louder, I’m going to have to ask her to keep it down," Xiaoxiang said, annoyed.

"If she genuinely gets any louder, we really should remind her. Sometimes people don't realize they're disturbing others," Xiaojie agreed.

"Some people just have thick skin. If they aren't embarrassed, they figure the embarrassment is on everyone else," Xiaoxiang continued.

Customers came and went in the cafe. By lunchtime, the cafe was completely full. Perhaps sensing the increase in people and the strange looks they were giving her, the young woman at the next table finally lowered her voice a little.

Xiaojie glanced at her watch. They had been there for two hours and were ready to leave.

As Xiaojie and Xiaoxiang were walking out, the young woman next door was still deep in conversation.

"I seriously admire her stamina. I wonder what her record is for the longest chat? Won't her phone overheat? Won't her ears hurt?" Xiaoxiang said to Xiaojie.

Xiaojie pushed open the cafe door and stepped outside, thinking, Finally, away from the noise. The air suddenly felt exceptionally fresh, and the slightly overcast sky from earlier had been replaced by a comforting shaft of warm sunlight.