Chu Kai gripped the iron spoon with one hand, concealing it behind his back.
The further they walked, the more wrong Chu Kai felt.
Moving further ahead, after passing through this dim, narrow alley, they wouldn’t be in the village chief’s courtyard anymore.
“Brother Zhang,” Chu Kai stopped in his tracks, tightening his grip on the iron spoon, “where is the kitchen, exactly?”
Zhang Zijun stopped ahead without answering, scaring Chu Kai so much that he turned around, wanting to run.
Before he could even turn fully, Zhang Zijun pinned his shoulder against the wall, and the brick-paved wall behind them shed a flurry of dust.
“Zhu Kai,” the corner of Zhang Zijun’s mouth hooked into a lewd smile, his gaze roaming up and down Chu Kai’s body, “be my partner on the show. I guarantee I won’t treat you poorly.”
“What partner!” The cramped space made it difficult to breathe, Chu Kai’s eye sockets grew slightly red, and as he tried to raise his arm, it was forced back down. “I’m already partners with Zhenzhen.”
Hearing this, Zhang Zijun laughed even more audaciously. “I didn’t expect you to be so naive. The two of us…”
Clang.
Just as Zhang Zijun lowered his guard, his words revealing complacency, Chu Kai didn’t hesitate to raise his arm and fiercely strike Zhang Zijun over the head with the iron spoon.
When he panicked and swung at Zhang Zijun again, the hand holding the iron spoon was enveloped by a large, warm palm.
He whipped his head around, a tear dropping from his lower eyelid out of terrified, reddened eyes.
“Yan…” Upon recognizing the owner of that palm, his lips parted slightly. In his panic, he forgot that his hand was being grasped and stepped backward to run, only to be yanked back, his whole body pitching forward into the embrace of Yan Chi, who was holding a milk bottle.
“Damn it! You dare hit me, I think you’re tired of living…” Zhang Zijun, gradually waking up from his dizziness, clutched his head. The unprintable curses tumbling from his mouth came to an abrupt halt the moment he looked up and met Yan Chi’s livid face.
“Brother Yan,” Zhang Zijun guiltily pointed at Chu Kai, who was being tightly held by Yan Chi, “this punk hit people with an iron spoon, he must be out of his mind. You should stay away from him so you don’t get hurt.”
“Out of his mind?” Yan Chi’s lips parted slightly. When those words tumbled out, he looked mechanically at the trembling Chu Kai in his arms.
Indeed, he was out of his mind.
The Beta who had nearly driven him out of his mind had actually appeared right before his eyes.
Sensing Yan Chi’s scorching gaze in his peripheral vision, Chu Kai straightened his waist, desperate to break free and rush outward.
Who knew that single movement would completely infuriate Yan Chi.
The palm resting on Chu Kai’s waist transformed into an invisible iron lock, firmly binding Chu Kai against his body, while the hand holding Chu Kai’s wrist shifted up to his chin.
He pinched Chu Kai’s lower jaw, forcing this heartless Beta to meet his gaze.
Chu Kai bit down hard on his teeth. When he locked eyes with Yan Chi’s deep, alluring, and obscure peach-blossom eyes, he finally lost control, and his tear glands opened automatically.
Two lines of clear tears fell rapidly, turning into spring water that poured into the palm of the hand, bringing life back to Yan Chi’s unhealable wasteland.
Yan Chi drew a deep breath, pinched Chu Kai’s neck, and growled, “Wait for me here,” before dragging Zhang Zijun out of the narrow alley.
“It’s ruined, everything is ruined.”
That sentence echoed repeatedly inside Chu Kai’s mind.
He didn’t know why Zhang Zijun had inexplicably wanted to be show partners with him, nor did he understand why Yan Chi, who should have been looking for Room 6, had suddenly appeared right here.
He squatted in the corner for two or three minutes before hearing a series of heavy footsteps that felt close to shattering his eardrums.
He was abruptly hauled up from the corner, and the hand holding the iron spoon was viciously grabbed and raised.
“As I thought,” Yan Chi was practically grinding his back molars, his voice terrifyingly low, “it was you last time in Pingci Village.”
Chu Kai pressed his lips tightly together. As he looked down at the palm holding the iron spoon, his gaze flashed with surprise.
He was accustomed to holding things backhanded, especially accustomed to holding water kettles backhanded.
Ever since he was a child, his family had told him to change it; pouring water backhanded was uncomfortable and easily caused spills.
Yet that habit was like a birthmark, growing on him in a way he couldn’t shake off.
Holding things and pouring water backhanded felt both comfortable and handy to him.
He didn’t remember Yan Chi knowing about this habit; he only remembered that every time, Yan Chi would lean on a crutch, limping and hobbling over to get ahead of him to pour water, especially when it was hot water, practically wishing he had no leg injury so he could fly right over.
“I…” Chu Kai, his complexion as pale as paper, bit down hard on his lips, enduring the waves of pain shooting from his wrist as he spoke.
Yet the violent pounding and suffocation in his chest left him powerless to continue.
The iron spoon in his hand also crashed heavily to the ground along with this loss of strength, emitting a crisp sound.
That sound echoed within the confined space, as if striking directly upon Yan Chi’s bleeding wounds.
“You what?” Yan Chi pinned Chu Kai against the wall, choking his neck with a single hand.
His gaze devoured people like a phantom, and his voice roared with hoarse exhaustion as if venting pent-up frustration:
“Didn’t you want to stay in Luoshan Village with your fiancée for the rest of your life? Didn’t you only have her and your family in your heart? Weren’t you childhood sweethearts with deep mutual affection, destined for a long life together? Why did you show up here? Speak!”
His throat was gripped until it hurt terribly, and Chu Kai forcibly suppressed the heavy breathing at his lips.
Chu Kai blinked a few times with all his might, attempting to keep a clear head, and said in a voice as tiny as a mosquito’s, “I came out to earn money. I didn’t intentionally run into you.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Yan Chi seemed struck by a shockwave. The strength in his hand instantly intensified, then suddenly relaxed, like a deflated ball.
“Get lost!” Yan Chi turned his head away and barked the command.
Whether from oxygen deprivation or heatstroke, Chu Kai felt the Yan Chi before his eyes shaking.
“I said get lost!” Yan Chi gave Chu Kai another shove and strode rapidly deeper into the narrow alley.
Watching Yan Chi’s vanishing figure, Chu Kai collapsed limply against the corner of the wall, gasping heavily for breath.
After resting for a moment, he laboriously picked up the spoon from the floor, steadied himself against the wall to slowly stand back up, and dragged his heavy footsteps out of that suffocating, crowded alley.
When he walked back into the village chief’s courtyard, he felt everyone’s gaze linger on him for a fraction of a second before vanishing as if nothing had happened.
He rubbed his eyes, placed the spoon back onto the table of the chef from earlier, and spoke in a weak voice, “Sorry, I accidentally dropped the spoon.”
Instead of taking back the spoon, the chef took a few steps further away and casually continued discussing culinary techniques with another chef.
Chu Kai’s energy was nearly spent; he had no strength left to investigate the strange reactions everyone had toward him, dragging his exhausted body toward the staff living quarters next door.
This batch of houses was larger than the ones in the first episode with more rooms, so the dorms were two people per room.
Returning to his dorm, he sat on the edge of the bed, pressed a hand to his forehead, and called Zhu Xinqing.
“Xinqing,” Chu Kai said with half-closed eyes, “I’ve been recognized by Yan Chi. I have to go back.”
“What?” Amidst her shock, Zhu Xinqing asked, “Then what about Zhuo?”
A few seconds of silence nearly made Zhu Xinqing’s breath catch in her throat.
Her voice involuntarily rose. “Xiao Kai, don’t be scared, Big Sis is coming to pick you up right now.”
“I was only recognized by Yan Chi,” Chu Kai finally spoke up. “He doesn’t know about me and Zhuo yet.”
He took another deep breath, forcing his voice to sound clearer. “Xinqing, I’m going to hitch a ride home now. You need to talk to the director about what happened here. You cannot let Yan Chi know about the relationship between Zhuo and me.”
“Rest assured,” Zhu Xinqing’s tone was resolute, “I’ll handle it. Xiao Kai, are you really sure you don’t need me to come get you?”
“No need, I’m fine, I can go back by myself.” Chu Kai adjusted his breathing as he finished speaking and hung up the phone.