Yan Zhen looked Lin Yangfeng up and down, feeling that he had lost a lot of weight, his eyes filled with heartache. “You haven’t been eating lately, have you?” he said, quickly stepping aside to let him in. “Come in, I’ve already made four or five dishes. You can start eating while I make a few more in the kitchen.”
Lin Yangfeng opened his mouth to say something, “Hey—”
But Yan Zhen had already dashed into the kitchen, the sound of his spatula clanging loudly as he stir-fried.
Lin Yangfeng’s lips twitched as he wheeled himself into the living room.
On the coffee table in the living room, several dishes were indeed laid out—both meat and vegetables—each exuding a rich and pure aura of Spiritual Energy. Lin Yangfeng’s stomach growled loudly in response.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Lin stared at the dishes, unsure whether he should start eating.
Just as he was hesitating, a gentle breeze wafted toward him, carrying the fragrant aroma of rice. Yan Zhen, beaming, brought over a large bowl of rice and placed it in front of him.
Yan Zhen looked a little sheepish. “I forgot to serve you rice earlier. Here, go ahead and eat.” He paused, then gazed at Lin Yangfeng expectantly. “Or should I feed you first?”
Dan Zai had grown up so fast. Though Yan Zhen was proud of how handsome he had become, he had always dreamed of raising Dan Zai with his own hands even before he was born… Maybe Dan Zai wanted to experience… what was it humans called it? Ah, right—childhood.
Lin Yangfeng was speechless. If anyone else had said that to him, he would’ve kicked them to death without hesitation. But with this guy… He pressed a hand against Yan Zhen’s forehead as he leaned in and pushed him away.
“No need. I can eat by myself.”
Yan Zhen’s face instantly fell with disappointment.
Lin Yangfeng simply ignored him, picking up his bowl of rice and heading to the coffee table to eat—he refused to admit that if he moved any slower, this guy would probably grab a spoon and start shoveling food into his mouth.
Seeing Lin Yangfeng eat heartily, Yan Zhen could only sigh and return to the kitchen to cook more.
It was fine if it didn’t work out this time. Maybe Dan Zai would want it someday? For now, the priority was feeding him well. The rest could wait…
·
Lin Yangfeng ate his fill, polishing off over twenty dishes brimming with Spiritual Energy, downing plenty of juice infused with Spiritual Energy, and devouring four large bowls of five-colored rice.
After the meal, the table was a mess. Yan Zhen eagerly cleared the dishes, taking them to the kitchen to wash.
*Clink!*
*Crash!*
*Smash!*
Lin Yangfeng had just turned on the TV to catch the news when a series of shattering dishes echoed from the kitchen—one after another, the clattering sounds almost musical. Almost. What the hell was that guy doing?
Taking a deep breath to suppress his rising irritation, Lin wheeled himself to the kitchen doorway and looked inside, his face darkening.
Was this supposed to be washing dishes? Wash twice, drop once, pick it up and drop it again while rinsing. If he kept breaking them while washing, would there even be any dishes left? Might as well skip the washing and throw them straight into the trash.
Lin Yangfeng forced out through gritted teeth, “Leave it. I’ll wash them.”
Hearing Dan Zai’s voice, Yan Zhen turned around with a radiant smile. “No need, I can do it.”
*Crash!*
The moment he spoke, another dish slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor.
Seeing this, Yan Zhen swept his sleeve across the ground, summoning a gust of wind that gathered all the trash and sent it flying into a nearby bin. By now, apart from the majority of dishes that had shattered, the remaining five or six were washed clean and neatly arranged on the countertop.
“All done with the washing,” Yan Zhen said gently, smiling at Lin Yangfeng.
Lin Yangfeng: “…” He rubbed his temples—damn headache. “Fine, fine. Now that you’re done, stop fussing.”
Hearing this, Yan Zhen’s mood brightened considerably, his eyes sparkling—Dan Zai must be worried he’d worked too hard.
Satisfied, he nodded. “Mm, I’ll just cut some fruit and be right there.”
Lin Yangfeng wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but after spending those days together, he knew this guy wouldn’t listen if he really wanted to do something. So he just gave a noncommittal “Mm” and headed back to the living room to wait.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later, Yan Zhen emerged with a large plate piled high with all sorts of strange fruits. He shoved the plate directly into Lin Yangfeng’s arms. Lin Yangfeng took it and, under Yan Zhen’s intense gaze, popped one into his mouth. Yan Zhen immediately beamed with delight.
After silently eating seven or eight pieces, Lin Yangfeng set the plate aside and turned a serious expression toward Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen blinked at him—what was up with Dan Zai?
Lin Yangfeng was filled with exasperation. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t mess around? So why are you here?”
Yan Zhen pouted slightly. “I’m not messing around.”
The sight of his pout made Lin Yangfeng’s breath hitch. He tensed, watching closely—thankfully, Yan Zhen’s eyes didn’t redden. Sighing internally, he unconsciously softened his tone. “I think I heard you say… you’re my roommate now?”
Yan Zhen pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yes, I helped your school’s board director with a small favor. He gave me an Auditing Certificate and pulled some strings to let me room with you.” His expression brightened again. “Since you won’t let me deliver meals to you, I’ll just cook here for you from now on! That way you won’t go hungry.”
Lin Yangfeng wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. His emotions were tangled.
Who was this person? And why was he so…? He really wanted to ask, but every time he tried, it felt awkward and melodramatic, so he swallowed the words back down.
As for Yan Zhen?
He had no idea about the turmoil in Lin Yangfeng’s heart. After this round of feeding, he propped his chin in his hands and stared at the man, thinking more and more how handsome his grown-up Dan Zai was.
·
Gradually, night fell.
The TV was playing a recent popular idol drama, filled with star-crossed lovers stumbling through romance. Yan Zhen sat on the sofa, watching with rapt attention—this TV was usually just for Lin Yangfeng to catch the news occasionally. But now that Yan Zhen had moved in, after the news ended, the channel had been switched to this.
Normally, Lin Yangfeng wouldn’t eat dinner—he’d just come back, shower, watch the news, and go to bed. But with Yan Zhen here, he couldn’t just leave him alone, so he stayed, scowling as the drama blared lines like “Do you love me or not?” “I won’t listen!” and “Oh, it’s all your fault—I’m pregnant with his child!”
The more he watched, the more baffled Lin Yangfeng became. What kind of nonsense was this? Why would anyone watch this? And more importantly—why on earth was he torturing himself by sitting here watching it with him???
Lin Yangfeng wiped his face and wheeled his chair toward the bathroom.
However, Yan Zhen, who had been intently watching TV, suddenly appeared beside him.
Lin Yangfeng: “!!”
Damn, this guy is so elusive!
Yan Zhen asked with concern, “Are you going to take a bath? Let me help you wash, okay?”
Lin Yangfeng sucked in a sharp breath: “…No need.”
Yan Zhen was puzzled: “Why not?”
Lin Yangfeng placed his large palm on Yan Zhen’s face and gently pushed him back.
“Really, no need.”
The moment he finished speaking, the wheelchair automatically slid into the bathroom.
“Bang!”
The bathroom door was immediately shut.
Yan Zhen stared blankly at the closed door, somewhat confused—why wouldn’t Dan Zai let him help? He frowned and thought hard before suddenly realizing—Dan Zai was shy! Of course, Dan Zai wasn’t a newly hatched little one anymore; he had grown so big. When little ones grow up, they don’t like being helped anymore.
Having figured it out, Yan Zhen busily dug up a handful of grass from the mountain—thin, long, and tough blades—then gathered a clump of silk and a ball of wool, slowly twisting them together into thread. Ah, it was his fault for realizing it so late. If he had thought of it earlier, he could have already woven clothes by now and changed Dan Zai into them…
Lin Yangfeng took a quick shower and came out to find Yan Zhen sitting on the sofa, surrounded by unknown clusters of things.
Yan Zhen’s ears twitched slightly as he looked up and flashed Lin Yangfeng a big smile: “Captain Lin, you’re done showering?”
Lin Yangfeng: “…Yeah. Go ahead if you want to.”
Yan Zhen, in high spirits, replied, “I’ll go later.” Then he added with concern, “You must be tired, right? Go rest early.”
Lin Yangfeng: “Hmm.”
He ran a hand through his hair as his wheelchair glided toward his room.
Yan Zhen watched him enter before lowering his head and continuing to twist threads.
In the room, Lin Yangfeng lay on his back, unusually wide awake.
In truth, his enrollment at South Lake University had been arranged through private communication between the Special Affairs Bureau and the university president. Though nothing was stated outright, it was tacitly understood that he would live alone. Whoever had helped Yan Zhen move in must have bypassed the president’s private arrangements. He should have taken this opportunity to call the Special Affairs Bureau and have them resolve the matter—then Yan Zhen would naturally have to move out. But…
Lin Yangfeng closed his eyes and slept.
In the end, he never made that call.