Chen Yuxi rented in an older residential compound, and it was a weekday.
By a little past nine o’clock, everyone who went to school or work had already left. The compound was quiet, populated only by elderly residents or seniors pushing baby strollers.
Qi Xun and Chen Yuxi each carried a few bags filled with meat and vegetables, walking at a leisurely pace. They didn’t look like bad guys at all, so even though Qi Xun wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, the residents merely glanced at them briefly before walking past.
Chen Yuxi relaxed and led him up the elevator to his apartment.
“It’s a bit modest inside, please bear with it,” he said, pulling out his keys to unlock the door, then retrieving a pair of slippers. “What’s your shoe size? Can you fit into mine?”
Qi Xun walked inside following him, kicked off his shoes, and stepped in—revealing a bare section of his heels.
Chen Yuxi: “…”
Helplessly, he said, “Don’t take your shoes off, I’ll clean the floor later.”
Instead, Qi Xun walked into the apartment in the ill-fitting slippers, looked around, placed the groceries on the dining table, and took out his phone. “I’ll just buy a pair of slippers.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
Da Ge, you’re only here to eat a meal!!!
However, the man tapped away deftly on his food-delivery app, completed the purchase in the blink of an eye, and put his phone down.
The action was so fast that Chen Yuxi was stunned: “Do you even know the address? Make sure you don’t have them delivered to the wrong place.”
Qi Xun took off his sunglasses and cap, casting him a look: “Do I look like someone with an IQ that low?”
Chen Yuxi: “This has nothing to do with IQ, I never told you which building or floor this is.”
“…I have eyes.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
“Wait,” he hurriedly fished out his phone, “let’s buy a pair for Qinghe-ge and the others too—”
Qi Xun pressed down on his phone: “Don’t bother. President Pei is a picky man; he won’t wear borrowed slippers, and if he doesn’t change his shoes, Qinghe-ge won’t change his either.”
With that, he handed his sunglasses and cap to Chen Yuxi, using his other hand to take the bags from him. “Put these away.”
“Like this?” Chen Yuxi instinctively took the items and nodded. “Okay.”
Qi Xun picked up the bags from the table and turned to walk into the kitchen.
Chen Yuxi: “!?”
He lifted his foot to follow, but then looked at the hat and sunglasses in his hands and hurriedly called out, “Leave them on the counter for me to handle! I’ll come over right after I put these away.”
Qi Xun didn’t answer.
Chen Yuxi rushed over to store the items properly: he hung the hat on his coat rack and placed the sunglasses on his dressing table.
Then he scurried swiftly into the kitchen.
Qi Xun had actually already put on his apron, rolled up his sleeves, and dumped the fish and shrimp into the vegetable-washing basin.
Chen Yuxi: “!!”
He rushed forward to grab the task, “I’ll do i—”
“Did you buy ginger, scallions, and garlic?”
Chen Yuxi: “Bought them, bought them, they’re right here.” He fished a bag out from the plastic grocery bags.
Without raising his head, Qi Xun instructed: “You process these first. I’ll need them in a moment—peel the ginger first.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
He looked at the ginger, scallions, and garlic in his hands, then looked back at the young man who had already started cleaning the fish and shrimp. Hesitatingly, he asked, “Didn’t we say I was cooking to treat you guys?”
Qi Xun paused and looked at him: “Did I say I wouldn’t cook?”
Chen Yuxi: “You know what I mean…”
Qi Xun: “Dividing the labor makes things faster. You wouldn’t want to make the guests sit around pouring their own tea and chatting while you, the host, hide in the kitchen doing all the work, would you? Or were you seriously planning to make Qinghe-ge come over and cook? His man can’t even bear to let him step into the kitchen—would you dare boss him around?”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
He didn’t dare.
That was precisely why he had gone out to the market at the crack of dawn, intending to come back early and prep everything.
Now, who was he going to burden: the Grand Slam Film King or the triple-threat Film King senior?
…
Better a dead comrade than a dead friend.
Chen Yuxi offered a flattering smile: “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
Qi Xun let out a soft hum, sounding as though he were explaining himself: “Xu Qinghe’s partner, Pei Shengye, is a major client of my group. I’m just using your dinner gathering as an opportunity to build a bridge.”
Light dawned on Chen Yuxi. No wonder…
He gave a thumbs-up: “And here I thought you didn’t understand social etiquette.”
Qi Xun: “…”
Feeling reassured, Chen Yuxi stood beside him and began peeling the ginger.
In City A, every inch of land was worth a fortune. His rental apartment only consisted of one living room and one bedroom, and the kitchen was even tinier—a narrow, elongated space where two people had to turn sideways just to pass each other.
Fortunately, the horizontal space was just enough for two grown men to stand side by side handling ingredients.
Seeing that Qi Xun rinsed everything quite deftly without half-assing it, Chen Yuxi let out an inward sigh of relief. While peeling the ginger, he struck up a conversation: “I honestly thought heaven’s favored children like you wouldn’t know how to cook.”
Qi Xun fell silent for a moment before replying: “I originally didn’t.”
Chen Yuxi asked casually: “How long ago was ‘originally’? Did you learn back in school?”
Qi Xun: “No, I just learned this year.”
Chen Yuxi: “!!”
He turned his head to look at him, bewildered. “It’s only June 4th today, you’ve only been learning for a few months? And you’ve already learned how?”
Qi Xun was completely calm: “Anything that can make food cooked and edible counts as cooking. Nobody ever specified that knowing how to cook means achieving Michelin-star chef standards.”
Chen Yuxi: “…Your mindset is truly impressive.”
Qi Xun: “Thank you for the compliment—hand me a plate, the fish head is prepped.”
Chen Yuxi: “…”
He hurriedly fetched a plate to load it up.
Next, while he was busy peeling ginger, deshelling garlic, and chopping scallions, Qi Xun washed the fish, meat, and shrimp, and even cut the beef into pieces.
After that, he intended to cut the remaining pork belly as well.
Helpless, Chen Yuxi reached out and pressed down on the back of Qi Xun’s hand. Taking advantage of the moment the man froze, he slid past his thumb-web and deftly snatched the kitchen knife right out of his grip.[1]Lhaozi’s screaming: sjdhdhslwnwbjsmdbdk hahahahahsha jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3519145_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3519145_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Qi Xun: “…”
His face darkened, and he demanded angrily, “Are your brains soaked in water? Do you not know how to spell the word ‘danger’?”
Chen Yuxi set the kitchen knife down safely before replying: “I’m watching, I’ll be careful, don’t worry.”
By now, he had shared several meals with Film King Qi, worked the fields together, and prepped ingredients side by side. Even though Qi Xun’s tongue remained as sharp as ever, he was a soft-hearted man of action underneath, which had emboldened Chen Yuxi significantly.
Qi Xun was still indignant: “What if I suddenly—”
“Alright, alright,” Chen Yuxi interrupted him, soothing him in a gentle tone, “I promise I won’t do that next time, don’t worry.”
Then he leaned in behind the man to untie his apron. “Hand this over to me.”
The apron was a tunic-style coverall: you looped it over your neck, and tied two straps across the back—very traditional.
Qi Xun’s bow in the back was tied into a standard butterfly knot as well.
With a simple tug on the knot by Chen Yuxi, the wide panels on both sides of the apron instantly slid loose, dangling against Qi Xun’s left and right flanks.
Taking advantage of the motion, Chen Yuxi pushed the two dangling apron panels forward around Qi Xun’s front to make it easier for him to slip out of it.
Just as he finished pushing them forward, he realized both of his arms were pressed directly against Qi Xun’s shirt, as if he were leaning sideways to embrace the man. He could even feel Qi Xun’s body heat—
Chen Yuxi quickly retracted his hands and straightened his posture: “Ahem, go ahead and take it off, I need to cut the meat now.”
Awkward.
If he usually pulled that kind of slip-up with others… he’d probably get yelled at.
Qi Xun’s gaze swept over the tips of Chen Yuxi’s reddened ears. Uncharacteristically holding back his venom, he said calmly, “My hands are dirty, you take it off.”
With that, he turned around and lowered his head toward him.
Chen Yuxi, feeling a bit timid and guilty, hesitated for a second upon hearing the instruction, but still reached out to grab the cloth strap looping around Qi Xun’s neck, gently pulling it down.
Without another word, Qi Xun turned around, squeezed some dish soap onto his hands, and began washing them.
Breathing an inward sigh of relief, Chen Yuxi quickly slipped the apron over his own body. As he tied the back straps, he said, “One person shouldn’t be bothered with two tasks. Since you’ve washed your hands, go wash the fruit on the side too so they can snack on something later and won’t have to just sit around.”
“Fine.”
Wiping his hands clean with a sheet of paper towel after washing, Qi Xun picked up the bowl of fruit and headed out.
Completely relaxed now, Chen Yuxi accelerated his pace.
Cutting meat, mixing sauces.
He started stir-frying the ingredients for the braised dish, then transferred it to a clay pot to simmer slowly over low heat.
He simply marinated the stir-fry meat, setting it aside until it was time for the wok.
As for the double-cooked pork, he tossed the slices into the pan to render out the oil.
While rendering the oil, he also measured out rice for the cooker, started it, and washed the vegetables.
The doorbell rang halfway through. Peeking out, Chen Yuxi discovered it was the delivery rider dropping off the slippers Qi Xun had ordered.
When the doorbell rang a second time—
Chen Yuxi dashed out of the kitchen with wet hands. Qi Xun, who happened to be walking past the kitchen, gave him a light tap on the head: “What’s the rush?”
Chen Yuxi still followed right behind him: “I need to go greet them.”
Without a word, Qi Xun led his little tail to the front door and opened it.
“Hi~” Xu Qinghe, dressed in a casual sweatshirt, smiled and waved. Then his eyebrows arched as he swept a glance over Qi Xun—who had rolled up his sleeves—and looked past him to Chen Yuxi, who was wearing an apron with his arms crossed and peeking out from behind. “Am I late?”
Chen Yuxi: “Not at all, good morning Brother Qinghe, good morning President Pei.”
Qi Xun greeted them as well: “Brother Qinghe, President Pei.”
The tall man trailing behind Xu Qinghe gave a slight nod. “Sorry to intrude.” He looked over at Qi Xun. “We meet again.”
Qi Xun’s tone revealed a hint of deference: “Yes. Coincidentally, Brother Qinghe and his husband made plans, so I came over to help hold down the fort. I actually had a few questions I wanted to ask for your guidance on.”
Pei Shengye gave a dry chuckle: “Can’t call it guidance. The old man has already stepped back from management, so how could it ever fall to me.”
Qi Xun: “I still have much to learn from you—”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Xu Qinghe interrupted with mild exasperation. “Let’s not stand at the doorway exchanging official pleasantries. Can we go inside first?”
Pei Shengye was left speechless.
Qi Xun clamped his mouth shut as well, stepping sideways to clear the pathway.
Feeling nervous, Chen Yuxi retreated alongside him and whispered a reminder: “Brother Qinghe, you don’t need to change your shoes, just come straight in.”
Xu Qinghe, who had just started to bend down, paused in surprise. He glanced down at the slippers on Qi Xun’s feet and asked, “Then why did Xiao Xun take his shoes off?”
Chen Yuxi: “This is—”
“These are mine,” Qi Xun stated.
Chen Yuxi: “…”
Meeting Xu Qinghe’s back-and-forth inspecting gaze, he offered an awkward explanation: “They really are Teacher Qi’s, he just bought these new slippers.”
Xu Qinghe: “Oh, new slippers then.”
“Alright, then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Pulling Pei Shengye along, he stepped inside.
Chen Yuxi hurried to follow.
Qi Xun closed the door and walked leisurely at the rear.
Pulling Pei Shengye with him to take a quick tour of the living room, Xu Qinghe remarked with satisfaction: “It’s clean, tidy, and decorated so warmly. You can tell at a glance he’s someone who really knows how to live a comfortable life.”
Chen Yuxi felt a bit embarrassed: “I don’t go out much, so I just made the place a bit more cozy—”
“Aren’t you still rendering the pork belly in your pot?” Qi Xun stopped behind him and asked.
“Ah! Right, right!” Chen Yuxi cast a glance toward the kitchen and spoke in a rush, “Brother Qinghe, President Pei, please have a seat for a moment—I’ll go finish cooking, it’ll be ready in no time!”
Seeing Xu Qinghe nod and say “Go ahead,” Chen Yuxi patted out in his slippers with a rapid tap-tap-tap back into the kitchen, not forgetting to call out over his shoulder, “Teacher Qi, please help brew a pot of tea. The tea leaves are in the sideboard cabinet.”
Qi Xun actually acknowledged the request, turned toward the sideboard, and started rummaging through it to find the teapot and tea leaves for brewing.
Xu Qinghe stared at Qi Xun’s practiced movements, then glanced back down at the slippers on his feet, smiling warmly: “Xiao Xun, you sure arrived early~”
Qi Xun rinsed the tea leaves with calm composure: “Not too early, just got here a little past eight.”
Xu Qinghe raised an eyebrow with a meaningful look: “So early~~”
Pei Shengye, seated on the nearby sofa, added a remark: “Not early at all.”
Xu Qinghe turned back, speechless: “Past eight isn’t early? I can’t even get out of bed by then usually.”
Pei Shengye glanced at Qi Xun, who was busy brewing tea, smiled, and said nothing.
Having finished brewing the tea, Qi Xun carried the pot over and asserted with certainty: “Indeed not early.”
Xu Qinghe: “The likes of you who wake up earlier than roosters really aren’t human—can’t be bothered talking to you, I’ll go check if Yuxi needs help.”
He slipped into the kitchen.
Qi Xun and Pei Shengye exchanged a brief glance. Lowering his gaze, Qi Xun poured a cup of tea and respectfully handed it over with both hands.
Pei Shengye tapped his fingers against the coffee table in acknowledgement, took the cup, and set it aside before asking, “Going through such a massive roundabout, and you still haven’t sealed the deal?”[2]AHAHAHAHAN translation: You’re so slow in making Chen Yuxi his lol. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3519145_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3519145_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Qi Xun poured another cup, placed it beside Pei Shengye’s, and finally poured one for himself. Picking it up to take a slow, gentle sip, he stared at the light green tea liquor in his cup and murmured softly, “No rush.”
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