The two of them wandered from the produce section to the snack aisle. Wen Xia wasn’t particularly fond of snacks, but with Lin Fengqi following behind him and considering the reason he tagged along, the young master was in an exceptionally good mood, generously picking out items.
See a snack that looks good? Take it!
Nice packaging? Take it!
Something he had before and liked? Take it!
By the time they strolled into the Shenxian Dao section, their shopping cart was nearly overflowing with snacks.
Lin Fengqi didn’t say a word. Every time Wen Xia tossed a snack into the cart, he would glance at it and silently commit it to memory.
Wen Xia picked out some chicken breasts and beef for Wen Da Ge and noticed that the supermarket also sold prepared quail, so he bought one as well. After packing everything into the cart, he asked Lin Fengqi, “Is there anything else we need at home?”
Lin Fengqi was momentarily stunned. He had originally thought Wen Xia was only here to buy what he needed, not expecting him to consider the household’s needs as well.
He distinctly remembered Wen Xia saying they should keep their distance and mind their own business… Yet, this morning, when he made breakfast for Wen Xia, Wen Xia ate it. When he came to the supermarket to find him, Wen Xia wasn’t angry.
And now Wen Xia was actively discussing household matters with him…
Had Wen Xia forgotten about the whole “keeping distance” thing?
If so, he had to be careful not to bring it up and do his best to ensure Wen Xia wouldn’t remember it either. He didn’t want to keep his distance from Wen Xia.
“It’s a bit chilly today. How about making some soup?” Wen Xia suggested.
Lin Fengqi snapped out of his thoughts and made up his mind. “I’ll handle it.”
Wen Xia was more than happy to leave the cooking to him, so Lin Fengqi took the lead, pushing the cart to pick out vegetables and meat, while Wen Xia leisurely followed behind, sightseeing.
They left the store with their cart fully loaded.
At checkout, just as Wen Xia was about to pull out his phone, Lin Fengqi silently handed over his bank card ahead of him.
Wen Xia glanced at him.
Lin Fengqi’s expression remained calm, performing this action as naturally as ever.
The items were too much for one bag, so Wen Xia had the cashier split them into two bags. Each carrying one, they walked out together.
The supermarket’s basement floor connected directly to the parking lot, but their cars were parked in different areas. Lin Fengqi had only walked a few meters with his bag when he realized Wen Xia was no longer by his side.
He turned around to see Wen Xia walking in a different direction with the other bag.
Noticing his gaze, Wen Xia stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“My car isn’t that way,” Lin Fengqi replied.
“I know,” Wen Xia pointed in the direction he was heading. “My car’s parked over here.”
“…”
Seeing the man’s confused expression, Wen Xia suddenly understood.
Lin Fengqi was offering to give him a ride home, wasn’t he? But he had his own car! It’s not like Lin Fengqi didn’t know that.
Unless Lin Fengqi thought he didn’t drive here.
Wen Xia’s mind worked quickly, piecing together the situation within seconds—so Lin Fengqi must have assumed he didn’t drive and didn’t have an umbrella, which is why he wanted to pick him up, but ended up waiting in the wrong place for over an hour, then rushed to the supermarket just to pick him up?
Wen Xia’s guess was mostly correct.
However, he didn’t realize that Lin Fengqi hadn’t just thought he didn’t drive; he had completely forgotten that Wen Xia had a car.
Or rather, whether he forgot or not, Lin Fengqi just wanted an excuse to see him.
But Lin Fengqi assumed Wen Xia would go with him, only to find out Wen Xia had driven himself, so he wasn’t needed at all…
Which made him seem… overly eager.
Lin Fengqi’s ears flushed red faster than the speed of sound.
His expression stiffened, as if he had done something wrong, and he awkwardly looked away, giving a nonchalant reply.
Wen Xia was about to say something, but Lin Fengqi didn’t give him the chance. He turned and walked away, his steps steady yet carrying an unmistakable sense of embarrassment, like someone fleeing in haste.
Soon, the man’s figure disappeared into another section of the parking lot.
Wen Xia stood in place for a while before he couldn’t help but laugh.
How could someone be so silly?
Tsk, but damn, he’s really cute.
They returned home one after the other.
Lin Fengqi was still embarrassed by his “over-eagerness” and couldn’t bring himself to look Wen Xia in the eye when they got home. Every time he glanced at him, it seemed to remind him of something, making the tips of his ears quietly redden.
Wen Xia pretended not to notice and put Wen Da Ge’s chicken breast and beef in the freezer to kill any parasites before turning to look at the bag of groceries Lin Fengqi had carried back. “What should we eat tonight? Are you cooking, or should I?”
Lin Fengqi had already stolen several glances at him while he wasn’t looking. Being suddenly called out, he froze for a moment before responding, “I’ll cook.”
Wen Xia left the kitchen to him and went to rummage through the pile of snacks he bought.
You know, sometimes shopping is like that—you think you want everything when you’re buying it, but once you have it, you realize you don’t like it as much. For instance, out of all these snacks, there weren’t many he really enjoyed, but in the heat of the moment, everything seemed “oh, not bad.”
Since Lin Fengqi had paid, Wen Xia suddenly felt a bit guilty. He pulled out the receipt buried at the bottom of the bag and calculated the total cost of his snacks and Wen Da Ge’s raw meat. Then, he shouted toward the kitchen, “Lin Fengqi, I’ll transfer you the money in a bit!”
As soon as he said that, there was a loud clang from the kitchen, like a stainless steel bowl hitting the floor.
Thinking something had happened, he rushed over, only to find Lin Fengqi frozen in place. It wasn’t until Wen Xia arrived that he snapped out of it and bent down to pick up the bowl.
“What are you doing?” Wen Xia asked from the doorway.
“…Nothing,” Lin Fengqi’s expression was indifferent as he picked up the bowl. “What money?”
“The money for the snacks I bought at the supermarket. Didn’t you pay at checkout?” Wen Xia explained, “It’s too much.”
Lin Fengqi didn’t say anything and turned away with the bowl.
Wen Xia was baffled. “Is there something wrong?”
Lin Fengqi: “No, nothing.”
The problem was with him.
He had thought Wen Xia had forgotten about “keeping their distance.” But now, how could he be calculating money so meticulously? Did that mean Wen Xia hadn’t forgotten at all? That he was only willing to have dinner with him out of politeness because he had come to pick him up? After all, even in the supermarket, although Wen Xia smiled at him, he also said “thank you.”
Thank you…
What a distant word.
How could it come to this…
A shadow suddenly fell over the man’s back, as if the rain outside had moved indoors.
Wen Xia was completely confused. He thought about it for a while and realized he couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation.
Forget it, just transfer the money.
After all, he had eaten Lin Fengqi’s food; he might as well not take anything else from him.
After transferring the money to Lin Fengqi, Wen Xia stood by the kitchen door, watching someone busy inside. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
They still hadn’t finished what happened in the parking lot earlier.
He stepped inside. “Let me give you a hand.”
Lin Fengqi: “No need.”
“It’s getting late, and I’m hungry. Two people can work faster.” Wen Xia said, pulling on an apron.
When he looked up, he saw Lin Fengqi staring blankly at him, his ears slowly turning red again.
Wen Xia glanced down at himself and thought, it’s just an apron for cooking, nothing too much… Wait, Lin Fengqi wasn’t wearing one, was he? And there’s only one apron in the house.
Somehow… he kind of wanted to see.
He wanted to see Lin Fengqi in this.
Lin Fengqi only spaced out for two seconds before forcing himself to snap out of it. The sight was too overwhelming. He had never imagined that one day he would see Wen Xia wearing an apron and cooking with him in his home.
Why is Wen Xia so cute, even in an apron…
Who could resist?
He discreetly turned his head away, pretending nothing had happened, and continued washing the vegetables. “Then could you cut the radish?”
But after saying that, there was no sound of chopping. He tilted his head slightly to see what was going on, only to unexpectedly find himself face-to-face with a pair of eyes suddenly close to his.
He didn’t know when Wen Xia had moved behind him. The apron was already taken off. Seeing Lin Fengqi turn his head, Wen Xia innocently blinked and then slowly let his gaze drift down from Lin Fengqi’s face to his hands. “What are you washing? Why is it taking so long?”
They were a little too close.
Lin Fengqi’s body tensed up. “Spinach.”
“Oh… Well, that’s true. Spinach roots have a lot of dirt, so they need to be washed thoroughly,” Wen Xia said, shaking the apron in his hand. “Why don’t you wear this? I’m just helping out, so I won’t get much oil on me.”
Lin Fengqi was startled. “No need.”
“You should wear it.”
“I… don’t need it.”
“You need it.”
“…”
Ever since Wen Xia moved in, Lin Fengqi hadn’t worn the apron while cooking.
In front of someone you like, it’s a bit… embarrassing.
Up close, Wen Xia could clearly see Lin Fengqi’s ears turning red again. Lin Fengqi probably didn’t even realize how much his expression changed while looking at the apron.
At first, he tried to resist, then he was conflicted, and even looked a little pitiful. But he didn’t want to show that pitiful side, so he hesitated and hesitated until he finally closed his eyes and seemed to make a resolute decision—Wen Xia felt like he was watching a silent drama with intense emotional ups and downs.
Lin Fengqi reached out and took the apron, very politely saying, “Thank you.”
Wen Xia smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome.”
He watched as Lin Fengqi put on the apron, and just as he was about to tie the waist straps behind him, Wen Xia spoke up at the perfect moment, “Let me help you.”
Before Lin Fengqi could refuse, Wen Xia had already taken the straps from his hands.
Their fingers brushed against each other.
Lin Fengqi had just been washing vegetables, so his hands were wet and cold.
The man froze and quickly pulled his hand back, as if he had been shocked.
But Wen Xia gently grasped his four fingers, and with Lin Fengqi nearly holding his breath, casually said, “So cold? Don’t tell me your house doesn’t even have hot water?”
He only held them for two seconds before letting go, glancing around the kitchen and spotting the water heater above the sink. “Isn’t this it? Why didn’t you turn it on?”
As he spoke, he reached up to turn on the heater.
The two of them were already standing close, and now Wen Xia stepped even closer, leaning forward.
Their clothes brushed against each other, and Lin Fengqi was in utter disbelief. He had nowhere to retreat, his hand braced against the edge of the sink. He could feel Wen Xia’s body heat through their clothes, his breath near his ear, and…
“Isn’t this better?”
Wen Xia’s soft murmur echoed in his ears, sending a shiver from his eardrums all the way to his brain, heart, and every inch of his body.
Lin Fengqi suddenly felt his hand supporting him against the sink grow weak.
Within seconds, Wen Xia had already stepped back, acting as if nothing had happened. “Alright, I’ll chop the radish. You wash the vegetables with warm water.”
With that, he turned away, not looking at him again, and went back to work.
Lin Fengqi swallowed hard, forcing himself to relax his stiff body as he awkwardly resumed washing the vegetables, but he couldn’t focus.
The knife cutting through the radish made a crisp sound, finally thudding against the cutting board with a loud “thunk.”
After a while, Wen Xia asked, “I’m done chopping. Is there anything else?”
At this point, Lin Fengqi was still washing the spinach.
“No,” he replied without turning around, his voice flat.
“Okay, let me know when dinner’s ready.”
“Mm.”
Wen Xia left the kitchen.
After he was gone, Lin Fengqi turned off the water, bracing one hand on the sink and the other against his forehead, feeling completely drained as he let out a long, long sigh.
He still hadn’t turned on the hot water, and the cold water droplets on his hand clearly indicated that his forehead wasn’t feverish—he wasn’t sick.
But he felt like he was dying.
Wen Xia hadn’t even washed his hands when he returned to his room.
Wen Da Ge meowed and greeted him, but for the first time, Wen Xia didn’t respond to his cat. He numbly closed the door, then, two seconds later, slid down against it, burying his face deeply into his slightly cool palms, and slowly murmured, “Save me…”
Soft strands of hair fell over his temples, revealing his pale ears.
A blush, like the hue of the evening sky, began at the base of his ears, slowly spreading across them and down his neck, disappearing into his collar.
Wen Da Ge, confused, meowed softly and pawed at the man’s pant leg.
As the warmth from his palms seeped into his cheeks, Wen Xia listened to the sound of his own heartbeat and thought to himself, maybe this is what they mean when they say, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”
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