Mingyu Shorts

Mr. Xu's 5AM Dumplings

The two of you walked hand-in-hand, draped in knowing silence. The darkness stretched across the sky and yet it was still bright. The abundance of stars and full moon illuminated the countryside and you once again found yourself wondering why his mother, such a seemingly high-end woman was living in the middle of nowhere.
Before you knew it, you and Mingyu were standing at the train station and then on a train and then walking the streets of the city down sketchy back alleys and "short cuts". When you finally stopped it was in front of a seemingly run-down dumpling shop at the back of a dark alley.

You looked from the half-illuminated sign on top of the shop, to the discarded boxes, stray cats, and dirty blankets in the alley around you, and then finally up to the man standing beside you. He was too busy smiling at the dumpling shop in front of him to even begin to notice your obvious and blatant confusion.

"Mingyu where in the fuck are we right now," you asked, your grip on his hand tightening.

"C'mon." was the only response you received as he drug you into the shop and to one of the bar stools sat at the counter of the shop. He motioned for you to wait one second before he disappeared around the counter and headed into the back of the shop.

You hissed out a quiet and fearful "Mingyu" as you looked around the shop. It was cleaner than you have thought it to be and there were actually a few people sat sporadically around the shop. You did your best to focus on the talking that you heard behind the counter, but it was no use and soon Mingyu appeared again, but this time on the opposite side of the counter and in an apron.

You gave him a dead stare and his eyes darted to the side, "Listen," he stated, "I used to work here when I still lived at home with my mom. Minghao's dad runs the place."

The look didn't leave your face and he shot you a smile you couldn't quite decipher, "Just sit back and relax ma'am. Welcome to the 5 AM dumpling shop. I'll be your server this morning, my name is Mingyu, what can I get for you?"

With a sigh, you decided to play along, "Well Mingyu, I was never given a menu."

"Ahhh, you must be new here," he pulled out a little note bad from the pocket on his apron and smiled at you, "I'll just go ahead and put you down for our regular and a Huang Meigui tea," he scribbled quickly on the notepad before looking back up "I'll be right back with that, sit tight baby," you couldn't help but grin at him, so you rolled your eyes to show that you were still a tad unimpressed with what was going on.

You watched him attach the order to a string in the window behind the counter. A handsome, obviously much older man smiled widely at Mingyu and let his eyes dart to you. You smiled an awkward closed-lip smile and he returned with a genuine one before turning his attention back to Mingyu. The older man said something in a weird mixture of Korean and Chinese to Mingyu who smiled proudly and nodded. The man nodded back and then disappeared again, this time with your order in hand.

You watched Mingyu run around the shop taking and delivering orders. His eyes looked so happy and he moved with obvious trained expertise. Soon you were so enraptured with your surroundings and the cosiness of it all, that the only thing that shocked you out of it was a small plate of dumplings being sat in front of you. Your eyes snapped away from the far wall and instantly warmed as you saw the man from behind the window placing your drink down next to the food.

"Hello," he began, his accent thick and his voice soothing, "I am father of Minghao, you Mingyu girlfriend?"

Your face dusted itself in a light shade of pink and the man chuckled softly, "I am his girlfriend," you replied quietly, smiling small.

"He did good job," his eyes are so sincere when he speaks that you can't help but to believe him, "And don't listen to any words that come out of his mother's mouth!" His exclamation turns a few heads and your face really heats up at the attention.

"Y-yes, sir!" You reply back trying to mimic his conviction and he smiles widely.

Before he can continue, Mingyu appears at his side, "叔叔，请不要理她。"

The older man chuckles before turning to smile up at Mingyu. "她可能不像前一个女孩那样可爱，但是她的幸福使她更加美丽。"

Mingyu smiles softly and looks at you with bright eyes, " 叔叔，她是我约会过的最漂亮的女孩"

Minghao's dad only nods before turning away and heading back into the kitchen, leaving you staring at Mingyu in confusion.

"What did he say?" you whispered nervously.

"Just that you are beautiful... and I agreed."

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叔叔，请不要理她 means Uncle, Leave her alone.

她可能不像前一个女孩那样可爱，但是她的幸福使她更加美丽。 means She may not be as conventionally pretty as your last girl, but her happiness makes her beautiful.

叔叔，她是我约会过的最漂亮的女孩" means Uncle she is the most beautiful girl I've ever dated.