Chapter 11
前同事敲门
A Former Colleague Knocks
下午两点。门推开了。
不是铜铃响——因为今天苏茉没有挂铜铃。她早上开门的时候忘了。
走进来的人——
不是 Lisa。
是 VP。
苏茉的前老板。六年前的。
他穿着西装，头发梳得整齐，皮鞋在水泥地上发出很响的声音。
「小苏，」他说。「你还在这里。」
不是问句。
他把一张名片放在吧台上。
「公司需要一个新的用户研究总监。带领一个十五人团队。薪资是你的茶馆年营业额的三倍。」
苏茉给他倒了一杯茶。
他看着茶杯，没有喝。喝了一口自带的瓶装水。
「你在这里已经待了太久了，」前老板说。「六年前的你，从最顶尖的 UX 研究院毕业——现在在研究什么？客人更喜欢红茶还是绿茶？」
苏茉说：「黑茶和白茶的区别。」
「有什么区别？」
「白茶是还没说出口的话。黑茶是说完了很久，但还在等回答的。」
前老板听不懂。他笑了——那种在会议上对不准的话题的官方微笑。
「你可以考虑三天，」前老板留下名片。
苏茉把名片放在收银机旁边。没有收进抽屉。也没有扔掉。放在她能看见的地方。
下午四点半。老太太来了。
看了一眼收银机旁边的名片——上面写着大大的「VP」。
她没有评论。
「小茉，」她说。「今天最便宜的茶，换一个人喝。」
苏茉愣了一下。「换谁？」
「换那个——」老太太指了指名片，「——六年前的你。」
苏茉的手停在吧台上。
「你以为你在等客人，」老太太说。「其实你在等她回来。但她已经回来了——就是现在泡茶的这个人。」
晚上八点。苏茉把名片翻过来——背面写着手写手机号。
她盯着那个号码看了十秒。
然后把名片撕了。
不是扔了。是撕成两半，放进垃圾桶。
抽屉里不留退路。
她重新挂上了铜铃。
第11章 · 完
Two in the afternoon. The door pushed open.
No copper bell — because Su Mo had not hung it today. She forgot when she opened up this morning.
The person who walked in —
Not Lisa.
The VP.
Su Mo's former boss. From six years ago.
He wore a suit, hair neatly combed, leather shoes loud on the concrete floor.
"Xiao Su," he said. "You are still here."
Not a question.
He set a business card on the counter.
"The company needs a new Head of User Research. Leading a fifteen-person team. Salary is three times your tea house's annual revenue."
Su Mo poured him a cup of tea.
He looked at the cup. Did not drink. Took a sip from his own bottled water.
"You have been here too long," the former boss said. "Six years ago, you graduated from the top UX research institute — and now? Researching whether customers prefer black tea or green tea?"
Su Mo said, "The difference between dark tea and white tea."
"What difference?"
"White tea is the words you have not said yet. Dark tea is the words you said a long time ago, but are still waiting for an answer."
The former boss did not understand. He smiled — the kind of official smile you give in meetings when a topic is off-target.
"You can think about it for three days." The former boss left the card.
Su Mo set it beside the cash register. Did not put it in the drawer. Did not throw it away. Placed it where she could see it.
Four-thirty in the afternoon. The old woman arrived.
She glanced at the card beside the cash register — the large letters "VP" printed on it.
She made no comment.
"Xiao Mo," she said. "The cheapest tea today — switch it for a different person to drink."
Su Mo paused. "Switch for who?"
"Switch for —" the old woman pointed at the card, "— the you from six years ago."
Su Mo's hand stopped on the counter.
"You think you are waiting for customers," the old woman said. "But really you are waiting for her to come back. She already came back — she is the one brewing tea right now."
Eight in the evening. Su Mo turned the card over — a handwritten phone number on the back.
She stared at the number for ten seconds.
Then tore the card in half.
She did not throw it away. Tore it in two, put it in the trash.
No retreat left in the drawer.
She hung the copper bell back up.
Chapter 11 · End
To be continued — Chapter 12: The Demolition Notice