Winter in Luohai City didn’t arrive early; it wasn’t until late November, after a light flurry of snow, that a tepid chill finally wrapped itself around the city.
In the early morning, cold air surged through the screen window into the room, and Xu Qiushi woke up from the cold.
Last night, after showering, he had lain on the bed shirtless to look at some recipes; he had fallen asleep while reading, with the quilt entirely pinned beneath him.
He sat up with his upper body bare, the wheat-colored skin of his back marked with several clear creases from the sheets.
Just the day before, he had been reminding Xu Qiuze that the temperature was dropping and to remember to wear more clothes; yet here he was, having slept like this all night. Luckily he woke up early, otherwise, he might have caught a cold.
Xu Qiushi glanced at the short-sleeved loungewear on the nightstand but finally decided to change his attire. He opened the wardrobe and took out a neatly folded black knit sweater—one that Xun Wenyao had helped him buy previously.
The stitches of the knit were fine and sturdy with great elasticity. Xu Qiushi pulled the garment over his head.
His broad, solid shoulders and back, built from years of labor, easily filled out the silhouette of the clothing. The sleeves reached exactly to his wrists, hugging his entire arms. The muscles connecting to his shoulder blades formed a perfect, fluid curve, and the fabric cinched sharply at his waist and abdomen, revealing a narrow waistline that stood in stark contrast to his sturdy chest.
Once dressed, Xu Qiushi touched the collar that wrapped halfway up his neck. He raised his arms somewhat uncomfortably; the most form-fitting clothes he’d worn in the past were thermal underwear, and even those weren’t this tight. He felt as though his strength was being bundled up, making it hard to move freely.
Just as he was hesitating whether to change, the alarm on the nightstand rang. it was his usual time to get up.
Forget it, clothes are meant to be worn. I’ll get used to it if I wear it more.
Xu Qiushi found a pair of long trousers to put on and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.
Today’s breakfast was pan-fried buns (shui jian bao), which Jiang Yichi had specifically requested the night before.
The dough had been fermented in the refrigerator overnight. Xu Qiushi had prepared a pork and vermicelli filling, added scallion-ginger-garlic water, and began wrapping the buns.
On the stove, a clay pot simmered over a low flame, containing thick, orange-yellow pumpkin porridge.
Xu Qiushi rolled up his sleeves, held a spatula, and carefully flipped the buns once one side was fried. Oil splattered lightly in the pan, sizzling loudly. Once the buns were golden brown on both sides, he poured in a bit of starch water and covered the pan to let them steam for a few minutes.
Jiang Yichi walked downstairs rubbing his eyes, following the scent toward the kitchen. When he saw Xu Qiushi clad in the black, mock-neck, tight-fitting knit sweater that showcased his broad shoulders and narrow waist focused intently on the stove, the last trace of sleepiness in his brain instantly vanished.
“You’re up? Sit for a moment, it’ll be ready soon.” Xu Qiushi lifted the lid and skillfully shoveled the buns onto a plate one by one.
Jiang Yichi sat down obediently at the dining table.
Besides the pan-fried buns and pumpkin porridge, Xu Qiushi had prepared some refreshing side dishes, including the pickled radishes that Gu Chengfei had highly recommended.
Jiang Yichi aimed his chopsticks directly at a pan-fried bun, picked one up, and took a small bite; scalding meat juices instantly spilled out.
“Careful, don’t burn yourself,” Xu Qiushi said while scooping a bowl of porridge for him. The steaming porridge emitted a warm, sweet aroma.
Jiang Yichi alternated between bites of porridge and bun, occasionally eating a couple of slices of crunchy radish to cleanse his palate. Before he knew it, he was stuffed.
Seeing Jiang Yichi reluctantly setting down his chopsticks, Xu Qiushi asked, “Are you full?”
“I’m full.” Jiang Yichi leaned back against the chair.
Seeing this, Xu Qiushi began the cleanup work, sweeping the remaining porridge and buns into his own stomach like a whirlwind.
“Why did you change your clothes today?” Jiang Yichi’s gaze couldn’t help but drift toward Xu Qiushi’s upper body. This clothing was so form-fitting; what was the difference between wearing this and wearing nothing at all!
“The weather is cold. You should wear more, too,” Xu Qiushi reminded him, glancing at what Jiang Yichi was wearing.
“Can you actually feel the cold?” Jiang Yichi asked sincerely. The temperature had dropped as early as the beginning of November. While it wasn’t cold enough to require many layers, everyone on the street was wearing long sleeves or light jackets. Yet, Xu Qiushi had worn his two rotating short-sleeved shirts until now; Jiang Yichi had never seen him change into anything else.
“I check the weather forecast.” Xu Qiushi had this habit back in his hometown; for people like them who took odd jobs everywhere, bad weather was the greatest fear.
Using Jiang Yichi’s old phone, Xu Qiushi discovered that the built-in weather app allowed him to see the conditions several days in advance. It was incredibly convenient.
“Oh.” Jiang Yichi looked away, his ears turning red. “Um, those clothes actually suit you quite well.”
“Really? Brother Wanyao helped me buy them. He has good taste,” Xu Qiushi smiled shyly.
The curve of Jiang Yichi’s lips stiffened. He stirred the porridge in his bowl. “The quality is just average.”
“It feels alright to me. It’s my first time wearing this style, so I’m a bit unused to it. If you think it looks good, then it definitely looks good.” Xu Qiushi smiled at Jiang Yichi again and lowered his head to focus on finishing breakfast.
“I’ll help you look at some winter clothes in a few days.” Jiang Yichi believed his taste and aesthetics could definitely run circles around Xun Wenyao.
Xu Qiushi: “I have enough clothes. Brother Wanyao also bought me a jacket. I don’t need to buy new clothes for now.”
Jiang Yichi suddenly felt the clothes didn’t look so good anymore.
…
Learning to bake was not a simple task, especially for someone self-taught like Xu Qiushi. He was even using an oven for the first time. The only recipes he could refer to were those searched online, and many details weren’t explained very clearly.
Xu Qiushi studied diligently for a while, and his consumables were used up very quickly. Jiang Yichi noticed something when giving him living expenses: the materials used for practice were bought with Xu Qiushi’s own money.
“Who told you to spend your own money? Do you think I can’t afford this little bit of money?” Jiang Yichi questioned when he saw Xu Qiushi’s ledger.
“I told you before, and you said okay,” Xu Qiushi said innocently.
“When did I say that?”
“The day we ate the cake. I told you that learning to make desserts at home might be a bit expensive for electricity and water, so I would buy the materials myself, and you said okay.”
Jiang Yichi claimed he didn’t remember—in fact, he hadn’t heard it at all. He forcibly reimbursed Xu Qiushi’s material costs.
The Little Master was wealthy and generous, but to Xu Qiushi, this was also a matter of him learning a new skill. He was already using someone else’s kitchen; how could he justify spending more of their money?
So, Xu Qiushi discussed it with Xun Wenyao. On his days off, he would buy materials and try making desserts at his house.
Xun Wenyao and Xu Qiuze showed extremely intense interest in this. Xu Qiushi was responsible for the production, and the two of them were responsible for the taste testing—a clear division of labor and a happy cooperation.
Soon, Gu Chengfei, having heard the news, scurried over to join in. Jiang Yichi was the last to find out about this.
He asked Xu Qiushi sourly, “Aren’t you supposed to be making them for me? How come everyone else has eaten them, but I haven’t?”
“I’m still practicing. I’m afraid they won’t suit your taste.”
“I see them eating very happily.” Jiang Yichi pulled out a video Gu Chengfei had sent to show off.
“That’s just them being polite,” Xu Qiushi said modestly.
“You think I wouldn’t be polite to you?” Jiang Yichi felt truly chilled at heart; in his view, he had already been indulgent enough to this nanny!
Xu Qiushi: “No, I want you to eat the very best batch.”
Jiang Yichi’s lips immediately curled upward.
Xu Qiushi coaxed Jiang Yichi into a happy mood with a single sentence. Jiang Yichi then announced he would go to Xun Wenyao’s house as a guest with Gu Chengfei this Sunday.
Sunday.
Xun Wenyao looked at the three university students on the living room sofa discussing their major coursework and felt his house was receiving a strong cultural influence.
Jiang Yichi didn’t come empty-handed. Knowing that Xun Wenyao worked in a bar, he brought him two bottles of wine.
Xun Wenyao indeed had a habit of collecting good wine; the bottles Jiang Yichi brought immediately elevated the class of his entire wine cabinet.
Xu Qiushi was in the kitchen carefully pouring cake batter into colored paper cups.
Xun Wenyao leaned against the kitchen doorframe with his arms crossed. “Qiushi, is your Little Master a bit clingy toward you?”
“Clingy to me?” Xu Qiushi turned his head to look at him, seemingly asking why he would think that.
“If it weren’t to follow you, why would he be willing to come to my house?” Xun Wenyao saw clearly as a bystander.
“Xiao Fei came too. They’re friends.” Xu Qiushi didn’t feel anything special.
“Then he could have had Xiao Fei go to his house to play.”
“Xiao Fei and A-Ze are close.”
Xu Qiushi spoke frankly and with self-consistent logic; Xun Wenyao shook his head helplessly.
In the living room, after finishing the discussion on assignment ideas with Xu Qiuze, Jiang Yichi waited and waited but didn’t see Xu Qiushi come out. Xun Wenyao had also been there for a long time. Finally unable to contain himself, Jiang Yichi stood up and walked toward the kitchen: “Xu Qiushi, are you done yet?”
“The cake isn’t ready. Have some cookies first.” Xu Qiushi brought out a tray of freshly baked butter cookies. Little bear-shaped cookies were stacked on a white porcelain plate, emitting a sweet milky scent.
“Oh, new molds?” Gu Chengfei said in surprise when he saw the shape of the cookies.
“Yes, they’re very cute.” Xu Qiushi nodded with a firm tone, showing clear fondness for them.
The other four present looked at his expressionless, cool face and felt strangely healed.
The cookies Xu Qiushi baked now were not at all inferior to those sold in dessert shops outside. The plate was empty before Jiang Yichi could even finish two; he felt quite resentful that something that should have belonged exclusively to him was being shared by everyone.
After having afternoon tea, Xu Qiushi wanted to go tidy the kitchen, but was held back by Xu Qiuze and Xun Wenyao: “You’ve worked hard all afternoon. Let us handle the aftermath.”
Jiang Yichi still maintained his “Young Master” air, sitting on the sofa as steady as a mountain. He only shifted his seat when Xu Qiushi came over to make room for him.
Xu Qiuze, having finished cleaning, pulled a square box out of his schoolbag and handed it to Xu Qiushi with anticipation.
Xu Qiushi took it instinctively; it turned out to be a brand-new phone.
“Ge, I bought this with my part-time job salary. It’s for you,” Xu Qiuze said.
Jiang Yichi immediately looked at Xu Qiushi.
“You should keep your salary for yourself to spend. I’ll buy one myself.” Xu Qiushi had originally only intended to buy a second-hand phone. Seeing the money his brother worked hard to earn at a part-time job being spent on him, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
“I kept some. I didn’t even use the living expenses you gave me, and I still have salary to collect this month. Ge, please accept it,” Xu Qiuze pleaded.
Xun Wenyao and Gu Chengfei also joined in the persuasion.
This was a gesture from his brother; Xu Qiushi couldn’t bear to refuse. His rough palms kept stroking the phone box, reluctant to open it for a long time.