“Thanks, this should be the place.”
Wen Ying slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and politely closed the taxi door.
Qu Huo’s place was a bit of a distance from school, and since he wasn’t great at riding a bike, he figured taking a cab was the easier option.
This place was much better than the run-down shantytown he’d imagined it was just an old residential complex with some years on it.
An elderly man dozed by the entrance, cigarette butts scattered yellow and white on the ground.
Beside his feet lay a brick that had fallen from some wall.
The old complex basically had no security gate. The old man just cracked open his cloudy eyes, lazily glanced at Wen Ying, his gaze carrying something between scrutiny and curiosity.
Wen Ying quickened his pace, walking along a path covered in fallen leaves that no one had bothered to sweep.
Compared to the villa district near Mingying Academy, this place was practically another world.
Two young men who looked less than reputable noticed Wen Ying’s sharp attire and started trailing him sneakily, only to be glared back into submission by a single sharp look from him.
[Your Highness, if it comes down to it, just leave quickly.]
“Gentleman” was extremely uneasy.
His young prince had almost never set foot in a place like this, how could he know the dangers of the world!
If anyone took advantage of his young prince, even self-destruction wouldn’t atone for it.
“I took Gu Xiche’s notes, so of course I have to do him this favor.”
The old complex actually had decent greenery, and Wen Ying’s pace slowed to a leisurely stroll.
“Gentleman” was worrying too much.
Those stick-thin thugs from earlier? He could take three of them on his own.
Checking the signs, Wen Ying continued toward Qu Huo’s place.
Tall camphor trees shaded the road, and dark clouds drifted over what had been a clear sky. Fortunately, the air didn’t turn humid it wouldn’t rain today, just clearing to overcast.
With the gloomy weather, Wen Ying lost interest in sightseeing. He cut straight to the point, pushing open the door of the aging apartment building.
Qu Huo lived on the third floor.
A bag of trash sat at the corner of the second-floor landing, already starting to turn sour and rancid. Wen Ying wrinkled his nose and shuffled past it in small, dainty steps.
“So dirty.”
[It really is dirty. This place is hardly suitable for Your Highness.]
“Gentleman” kept nagging him to leave early, but Wen Ying naturally didn’t look back.
Reaching the halfway point between the second and third floors, Wen Ying glanced down at the bulging trash bag.
If the Huo family hadn’t lost Qu Huo, he probably wouldn’t be living like this now. He would have been Huo Juéyuè’s older brother the true heir of the Huo family.
The thought flickered past.
Wen Ying’s gaze lifted from the trash bag to the third-floor apartment with no Spring Festival couplets on its door.
There was no doorbell. Wen Ying curled his fingers and knocked three times in a steady rhythm.
Knock, knock, knock.
Then he quickly withdrew his hand and tightened his grip on his bag strap.
The response came fast just a few seconds later, Wen Ying heard the sound of slippers shuffling against wooden floorboards.
Creak
The door opened a crack, and a pair of dark, deep-set eyes looked at him.
Then those dark eyes filled with surprise.
“Wen Ying?”
Wen Ying pulled out the insurance form he needed to deliver, keeping it brief: “The class monitor asked me to give this to you. It’s due tomorrow.”
Qu Huo reacted quickly, immediately smoothing over the surprise on his face.
“Thanks for the trouble. Come in and sit.”
Should he go in?
Wen Ying hesitated for half a beat, about to decline, when a faint whimper came from near his feet.
“Mew.”
It was a cat, its fur a golden hue tinged with red.
The cat wasn’t particularly plump, but its soft, slightly curly fur was clean, and it had a pair of large chestnut-red eyes.
Wen Ying’s calves tensed.
Because the cat had extended a paw wearing little white gloves and was clinging to his pant leg, refusing to let go.
Sensing Wen Ying’s gaze, it blinked innocently and gave a little wag of its slightly curled tail.
“Meow”
Like a pretty princess.
“Egg Yolk.”
Qu Huo’s voice dropped a bit, but not all the way.
The cat named Egg Yolk glanced at Qu Huo but still didn’t let go of Wen Ying.
Clearly, it didn’t listen to Qu Huo all that well.
“Sorry.”
With his own cat causing trouble, Qu Huo had a bit less confidence when facing Wen Ying.
Wen Ying let out a breath. “It’s fine.”
His pants needed washing anyway.
Meeting Wen Ying’s gaze, Qu Huo crouched down.
“…”
Wen Ying’s eyes widened slightly, unsure of Qu Huo’s intent.
Even in slippers, Qu Huo was a bit taller than him, but at this moment, all Wen Ying could see was the crown of Qu Huo’s head.
His hair looked coarse and stiff just like his personality.
Seeing Qu Huo open his arms in welcome, the kitten finally released Wen Ying and settled comfortably into his embrace.
“She’s got a temper.” Qu Huo stood up, holding the big ball of fluff, and explained. “She only moves if you carry her.”
“Oh.” Wen Ying liked cats too, so he offered a casual comment. “You like clingy cats.”
Qu Huo didn’t respond to that observation.
Because Egg Yolk wasn’t clingy at all she’d been beaten while straying, so she was very wary of strangers and would scratch anyone she didn’t know.
He had no idea why Egg Yolk was so attached to Wen Ying.
“Stay for a meal before you go.”
He changed the subject.
Facing the kitten’s reluctant gaze, and seeing that Qu Huo didn’t seem to be just being polite, Wen Ying found it hard to keep refusing.
“Thanks for the trouble.”
He’d helped Qu Huo with the form a hot meal was the least he deserved.
Wen Ying quickly came up with a reason.
Qu Huo’s home was clean and cozy, though all the furnishings looked somewhat old-fashioned the pendulum clock on the wall seemed like a relic from the last century.
“Grandma is resting, so it’s not convenient to see guests.”
Qu Huo poured Wen Ying a glass of water, handing it to him in a disposable cup.
“Is it because a family member is sick that you’ve taken such a long leave?”
Wen Ying couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.
“Yes.”
Qu Huo didn’t avoid the question either, nodding: “Her health has always been poor, and she has check-ups these next few days, so I asked for a week off.”
His tone was flat, with no hint of complaining—just a simple statement.
Wen Ying set the cup down on the coffee table.
He thought of those nasty rumors—things like Qu Huo “running with the wrong crowd” or “doing shady business.”
The students at the aristocratic school called Huo Jueyue the school bully because he was cool and unconventional.
But calling Qu Huo the school bully probably carried mockery and disdain.
He completely understood why Qu Huo had turned dark.
Having been stripped of nineteen years of a life of luxury and constantly suppressed at school if it were him, he wouldn’t give Huo Jueyue a single good look either.
Of course, he wouldn’t now either.
“What do you want to eat?”
Qu Huo’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts: “There’s still ingredients at home, so cooking will be quick.”
A guest follows the host’s lead Wen Ying naturally wouldn’t order anything: “Anything’s fine.”
“Alright.” Qu Huo stood up. “You don’t eat green peppers, cucumbers, or radishes anything else you avoid?”
Wen Ying:
Why are you remembering all this!
Because he felt embarrassed, his face visibly turned red.
Wen Ying lowered his head to hide his awkwardness, his voice growing softer: “Just make whatever you think is good.”
[Your Highness, if you want something to eat, you should say it out loud!]
The “Gentleman” was deeply distressed, wishing it could compile His Highness’s likes and dislikes into a PDF and send it straight into Qu Huo’s brain.
Its young master had never suffered such treatment before.
But Wen Ying felt guilty, so Wen Ying said nothing.
Qu Huo didn’t ask again and went into the kitchen.
The sweet scent of tomatoes drifted through the air, and half of Wen Ying’s anxiety eased.
Before long, vinegar-sautéed shredded potatoes and tomato scrambled eggs were set on the table.
Qu Huo scooped out two bowls of rice and also carried a bowl of lean pork congee into another room.
The one resting in there must be the grandmother who took Qu Huo in.
Only after Qu Huo returned did Wen Ying pick up his chopsticks.
The clingy cat crouched at his feet, gnawing on meat and lazily swishing its tail. Wen Ying picked up a strand of shredded potato, frowning at the ginger disguised as potato that burned his tongue with spice.
In the past, he would have sulked and refused to eat shredded potatoes for a month.
But now, he forced himself to swallow it.
Wen Ying called this behavior growth.
Not guilt.
A glass of water was silently pushed in front of him.
Wen Ying’s face grew even redder, blending with the flush at the corners of his eyes from the spice.
He bit the inside of his cheek, quietly drinking the water.
“It’s really good.”
Except for that one strand of ginger that was worse than Huo Jueyue.
Wen Ying’s praise was sincere.
His life had been filled with French sandwiches, pork cutlet sandwiches, and bacon sandwiches it had been a long time since he’d had hot, home-cooked food like this.
“That’s good.” A faint, barely noticeable smile finally appeared on Qu Huo’s face.
“You might prefer sandwiches more, but I don’t have any at home.”
“I don’t like sandwiches!”
His resentment toward sandwiches burst out, and Wen Ying didn’t notice the complaining tone in his own voice.
“Eating sandwiches every day it’s because there’s nothing else to eat.”
Mentioning sandwiches made Wen Ying’s tone droop, his voice trailing off unconsciously at the end, looking somewhat pitiful.
Just then, Egg Yolk hopped onto the table, lowering its head to look for meat in a way that perfectly matched Wen Ying’s demeanor.
Qu Huo recalled some rumors about Wen Ying.
It seemed Wen Ying was the only one left in his family, which was why this precious young master never got proper meals.
The boy’s vulnerability flashed by in an instant, quickly returning to that distant, aloof demeanor.
“But sandwiches aren’t bad either.” Wen Ying looked away, awkwardly trying to cover it up.
[Your Highness, this is the perfect opportunity!!]
Seeing that Qu Huo’s gaze toward him had shifted, the “Gentleman” jumped in as a scheming advisor.
Qu Huo’s favorability toward the young master was rising if Wen Ying asked Qu Huo now to help bring him meals, Qu Huo would most likely not refuse.
No one could refuse the young master!
But unfortunately, the little prince wouldn’t speak up on his own. He lifted his head, stubbornly silent.
The “Gentleman’s” hanging heart finally died.
It silently mourned for His Highness’s fragile stomach.
No one could refuse the young master, but the young master would refuse everyone.
“I’ll hand this to the class monitor tomorrow morning.”
Outside, the sky was growing dark. Wen Ying took the signed form from Qu Huo, stuffed it into his backpack, and prepared to leave.
“It’s dark out, and this area isn’t safe. I’ll walk you out.”
Qu Huo’s tone was firm.
A guy as tall as him, how could he be afraid of walking in the dark?
With that thought, Wen Ying straightened his back.
But Qu Huo, now in sneakers, was even taller, and Wen Ying hadn’t managed to tower over him through this method.
The motion-sensor lights in the building were still under repair. Having given up on resistance, Wen Ying followed Qu Huo, who was holding a flashlight, and yawned.
“Woof ”
A rustling sound drifted through the wind, along with faint barking from some unknown building.
Eerie.
Wen Ying’s half-finished yawn was forcibly swallowed back.
Alright, he was indeed a bit afraid of ghosts.
He awkwardly shuffled a few steps closer to Qu Huo.
If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.
It was too dark at night he didn’t notice that as he drew near, Qu Huo’s back had gone rigidly stiff.
Temperature is contagious.
“Thanks, you can stop here.”
At the intersection where cars passed by, Wen Ying had already booked a ride.
He looked at Qu Huo, who seemed a little distracted, not daring to meet his eyes directly.
“Okay.”
It took a few seconds before Qu Huo replied in a low voice.
Wait, what had he done to upset Qu Huo today?
Qu Huo’s face looked like he was in a bad mood whenever he wasn’t smiling, which made Wen Ying think for a moment.
Could it be that his disgust for ginger was too obvious, making Qu Huo think he looked down on his cooking?
Wen Ying couldn’t come up with any other conclusion.
“Your cooking is really good. Thank you for having me.”
Wen Ying flashed a nice smile, trying to reassure Qu Huo: “Better than a sandwich.”
As soon as he said it, the flashlight in Qu Huo’s hand flickered.
Instead of snapping back to reality, Qu Huo seemed even more distracted.
“Ah, thanks.”
Qu Huo’s voice was dry and stiff, lacking his usual calm composure.
Tsk, it had the opposite effect.
Wen Ying had never been patient, and he was sleepy now, so he had no intention of guessing further.
Who knows what goes on in the mind of a gloomy villain?
Anyway, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
He waved at Qu Huo: “Goodbye.”
But Qu Huo didn’t leave.
Under the glow of the streetlights along the road, his eyes seemed less dim than before.
Wen Ying didn’t know that Qu Huo was thinking of many things.
Thinking of the back view of Wen Ying leaving in grievance on the rooftop, curled up in a corner quietly peeling apart a sandwich.
And what he’d overheard Huo Jueyue mention that Wen Ying had no food to eat now.
Very much like a homeless purebred cat.
“Wen Ying.”
“Hm?”
Wen Ying turned around, confused, his eyes sparkling under the streetlight.
Qu Huo hesitated, then spoke quickly.
“If you need it, I can bring you lunch every day.”
[Young Highness, he’s willing to bring you lunch every day ]
The “gentleman,” disregarding all decorum, was already screaming and throwing a party in his mind, but Wen Ying was stunned.
The lunch he’d dreamed of had come to his doorstep.
Just like that? So easily?
But he hadn’t done anything.