At Cafe 6 2016

On a rain-soaked night, Miss Liang argues with her long-distance boyfriend. Her car breaks down, and she searches for shelter, following a bearded passerby to an address that isn’t in the sixth lane but is named Street Six Cafe. Inside, the cafe owner serves a cup of unsweetened cappuccino and begins to tell a story that unfolds in the summer of 1996. That particular segment, tied to the cafe owner’s political stance, was later deleted when the film was released in mainland China, a note that shadows what you’re about to hear. The tale that follows is presented by the atmosphere of the cafe and its quiet routine, inviting viewers to lean into memories and what-ifs.

The narrative then shifts to that summer, when the characters were in high school. Guan Minlü, known as Xiao Lu, spends time with his friend Xiao Bozhi, navigating the blur between adolescence and what might come after. Xiao Lu quietly harbors a crush on his classmate Li Xinrui, who is almost always seen beside Cai Xinyi. Another classmate, Song Yiren, also has a soft spot for Xiao Lu, adding a delicate tension to the group dynamics. They’re all in the same class, sharing conversations and secrets, yet the distance between Xiao Lu and Xiao Rui grows as time moves forward. The central question lingers: even if love can blossom, can the long-distance after high school graduation keep their hearts as close as they feel in the moment, or will time and space pull them apart?