Translator: Lynn
Thanks to ‘Another Wu Zhe Lover‘ for the ko-fi!
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Sponsored chapter (1/1)
If it had been a normal situation, a month ago, even if Cheng Ke was daydreaming, Jiang Yuduo’s action wouldn’t have had any particular impact on him. At most, he would have felt a little embarrassed after the excitement.
But now, after not seeing Jiang Yuduo for quite some time, Cheng Ke was caught off guard when he suddenly appeared. He stumbled and lost his balance for a moment. Jiang Yuduo didn’t seem to notice, as he was in a cheerful mood. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a move. Seeing Cheng Ke stagger, he burst into laughter. “I have an incredible inner strength. Maybe I’ve already mastered Zen.”
“Shut up and mind your own business,” Cheng Ke said.
Jiang Yuduo continued to smile for a while before dropping the subject. “Are you spending Chinese New Year alone?”
“Yes,” Cheng Ke nodded. “Otherwise, should I go home? Cheng Yi wouldn’t let me go back anyway.”
“Did he say not to let you go back?” Jiang Yuduo glanced at him.
“No, he said I could go back,” Cheng Ke frowned.
Jiang Yuduo remained silent.
Annoyed by these thoughts, Cheng Ke changed the topic. “Have you been inside my house?”
“Oh,” Jiang Yuduo rubbed his nose. “I checked before leaving. Since you’re not living there anymore, I was worried that you wouldn’t understand certain things and might cause a fire or a gas leak.”
“I’m not that incompetent,” Cheng Ke said.
“I didn’t unplug anything. Everything is still connected,” Jiang Yuduo replied. “The balcony window was half-open. If I hadn’t gone there, the house would be covered in dust by now.”
“Did I forget to close the window?” Cheng Ke was surprised.
“It’s alright,” Jiang Yuduo assured him.
“I probably…” Cheng Ke sighed. The emotions he felt when he left were overwhelming, so it’s no wonder he might have forgotten to close the window, or maybe even the door. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
During the Chinese New Year period, all the restaurants, especially those in this area that usually have good business, were packed with customers. This moment happened to be the dining peak. When Cheng Ke saw the waiting crowd in the restaurant’s lounge, his appetite disappeared.
“I won’t eat,” he said. “I really don’t want to wait. It’s too annoying.”
“I’ll treat you,” Jiang Yuduo said.
“Huh?” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“If I ask you to let me treat you, will you eat then?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“Get lost!” Cheng Ke pointed toward the people in the restaurant. “I won’t eat even if someone asks me to.”
“Then what should we do?” Jiang Yuduo pondered. “Let’s go to another place.”
Cheng Ke couldn’t make up his mind. At the moment, finding a hot pot restaurant was probably the best option. There’s nothing better than a hot pot in this weather.
“How about this,” Jiang Yuduo hesitated, “If you really don’t want to wait…you can do it yourself?”
“Me?” Cheng Ke pointed at himself in shock. “Me, cook? Do you want me to make it for you?”
“No,” Jiang Yuduo frowned. “I’ll do it.”
“That’s fine,” Cheng Ke immediately replied.
Jiang Yuduo glanced at him and clicked his tongue.
But as they took a taxi to the supermarket, Cheng Ke felt like their brains might have frozen.
“From the time we spend buying the ingredients, the waiting time won’t be any shorter than at the restaurant, right?” he asked.
“In that case, sitting on the sofa at home, watching TV, and playing with our phones, is better than waiting aimlessly at the restaurant,” Jiang Yuduo’s thinking was still clear. “Are you not willing to wait there, or are you not willing to wait at all?”
“Let’s go buy the ingredients,” Cheng Ke pointed to the supermarket.
He didn’t really want to wait, but he thought that if he was with Jiang Yuduo, even waiting for a while at the hot pot restaurant wouldn’t be so bad.
“Spicy, right?” Jiang Yuduo grabbed a small cart and pushed it. “Let’s start by getting the broth base.”
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke followed him. “I don’t get it though, you just take things and I’ll pay later.”
“Then you go line up first,” Jiang Yuduo said. “There are a lot of people, so line up to save time.”
“Okay,” Cheng Ke glanced at the checkout counter and indeed saw quite a few people.
Sometimes he didn’t understand. He had been buying groceries for a month, and yet he still hadn’t bought enough. What was he buying…
“Let’s go,” Jiang Yuduo urged.
Cheng Ke didn’t want to go.
Even if he wasn’t strolling in the supermarket with Jiang Yuduo, he still didn’t want to stand in line foolishly.
“Okay,” he replied half-heartedly, but he still pretended to be lethargic and walked slowly beside Jiang Yuduo, looking at the shelves.
Jiang Yuduo remained silent and observed him.
“I’m not going,” Cheng Ke said.
“Then what are you doing just now?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
“Just say yes,” Cheng Ke cheekily replied.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t ask him to line up again. Instead, he swiftly pushed the cart, grabbed a bunch of items from the shelves, and then hurriedly made his way to the chilled section.
Cheng Ke just followed behind, not that he didn’t want to help, but mainly because he didn’t know what ingredients they needed. He only reached out when they arrived at the freezer section.
“Is this lamb roll?” He picked up a box of meat and examined it.
“You’re blind,” Jiang Yuduo remarked. “Can’t you read the label? It says beef, marbled beef, Wagyu beef…”
“You know so many words,” Cheng Ke looked at him. “Shall I give you a round of applause?”
“Clap,” Jiang Yuduo replied.
Cheng Ke clapped his hands loudly.
Several people around turned to look, and he quickly put his hands in his pockets.
Jiang Yuduo quickly grabbed the meat, tossing it into the cart hurriedly. Cheng Ke felt his hunger intensify, wishing he could eat half of the ingredients right away.
“Go join the line,” Jiang Yuduo instructed when they were close to the checkout.
“Oh,” Cheng Ke walked towards the cashier. “Grab a few packs of instant noodles too, we can add them to the hot pot.”
“Sure,” Jiang Yuduo responded.
The feeling was enjoyable, strolling around the supermarket together, filling up the shopping cart, and later sharing a hot pot meal.
However, deep down, Cheng Ke couldn’t completely shake off a small bunch of doubts that made him feel uneasy.
Jiang Yuduo seemed to be in a completely different state compared to when they parted ways, both mentally and physically.
But Jiang Yuduo didn’t mention anything, and Cheng Ke didn’t want to bring it up for now.
In some cases, ignorance can be bliss, especially when it comes to ambiguous enjoyment, and Cheng Ke was willing to prioritize enjoying this meal with Jiang Yuduo.
Jiang Yuduo noticed Cheng Ke standing in line at the cashier. He glanced around twice, then turned his head to grab more boxes of meat before pushing the cart to collect packets of noodles.
However, regular instant noodles wouldn’t be suitable as they don’t fully cook in the hot pot. So it was better to opt for simple braided noodles that resemble instant noodles.
As Jiang Yuduo walked out from between the shelves towards the cashier with the noodles, he glanced back.
The intense feeling of being stared at made him slightly uneasy, but when he turned around, he only saw a store clerk restocking the shelves.
With so many people and things blocking his view, he turned back and walked up to Cheng Ke. There were four people ahead of him, each with a considerable number of items.
“Did you get everything?” Cheng Ke asked, looking at the items in the cart.
“Yeah,” Jiang Yuduo pushed Cheng Ke forward, maneuvering behind him to stand closer.
The woman behind them seemed a bit annoyed and said, “Why are you crowding? It’s fine when there’s only one person in line.”
Jiang Yuduo looked back at her.
“…Ouch.” The woman glanced at his face, turned her head, and remained silent.
Jiang Yuduo held the shopping cart with his right hand, pushing it forward slightly to create a barrier on Cheng Ke’s right side with his arm. He didn’t worry much about the left side.
Cheng Ke felt a bit lightheaded as if he had been drinking.
Jiang Yuduo stood right behind him, his right arm extended from his side to support the cart, their bodies extremely close. Cheng Ke even felt an illusion of Jiang Yuduo’s body heat against his back.
As the line slowly moved forward, Cheng Ke pondered over this situation.
Based on his understanding, it was impossible for Jiang Yuduo to exhibit such an intimate gesture toward him. Perhaps he was merely “protecting” his safety. But Jiang Yuduo had previously mentioned that he would be “fine after a while.” So… was it not yet time for him to be “fine”?
“What are you thinking?” Jiang Yuduo nudged him from behind. “Keep moving.”
Cheng Ke noticed a gap between the person in front and himself, and hastened to step forward and follow along.
After hesitating for a long time, he turned his head.
“You…” Upon turning around, Cheng Ke found himself almost face-to-face with Jiang Yuduo. If they weren’t standing in the supermarket cashier line, Cheng Ke would have felt as if a kiss was imminent.
“Huh?” Jiang Yuduo slightly stepped back.
This small movement made Cheng Ke awkwardly regain his composure, and he softly asked, “Is there… someone?”
“Did you see someone strange?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“No,” Cheng Ke replied. “I just wanted to ask if you saw anyone?”
“No,” Jiang Yuduo said. “Don’t be suspicious.”
“…Oh,” Cheng Ke turned his head.
Jiang Yuduo appeared normal, but his gaze was different from when he saw “them” in the past… Could it be that he was suspicious?
If there was no “protection” for that reason…
What’s… wrong?
Cheng Ke glanced at Jiang Yuduo’s right arm, which was still wrapped around his side.
After contemplating for two seconds, he clenched his teeth, casually raised his own arm, and rested it on top of Jiang Yuduo’s arm.
Jiang Yuduo didn’t resist or make any movements.
Cheng Ke didn’t anticipate this turn of events, and now he wasn’t sure if he should remove his arm or continue holding it like this.
If he removed it, he couldn’t bear it. The subtle ambiguity that only he could sense in the midst of the crowd was more thrilling than a kiss in broad daylight.
If he didn’t remove it, he felt like a fool taking advantage of someone.
Fortunately, although the people ahead had bulky items, they didn’t have many, so they quickly paid and left. Cheng Ke swiftly regained his composure, placing the items on the cashier’s counter.
“I’ll go over there,” Jiang Yuduo squeezed out from behind and waited at the register.
Finally, the close and intimate dance-like state came to an end, and Cheng Ke let out a sigh of relief.
They would be eating at Jiang Yuduo’s place, which was conveniently nearby and equipped with all the necessary utensils.
As they entered the corridor, the door opposite opened, and a little boy dashed out, holding a small bag filled with firecrackers.
“Uncle Jiang!” The little boy rushed towards Jiang Yuduo, raising the bag in his hand. “Guess what’s inside.”
He shook the bag, causing a few firecrackers to fall out.
“Carrots,” Jiang Yuduo glanced at the firecrackers on the ground.
“No! They’re firecrackers! And fireworks!” The little boy proudly smiled.
“Your grandma is here,” Jiang Yuduo glanced at the door behind him.
The little boy was taken aback, quickly grabbed the bag, and anxiously ran away.
Jiang Yuduo picked up the firecrackers from the ground, opened the door, and entered the house.
“Is he three and a half years old?” Cheng Ke asked.
“Well, he’s four years old,” Jiang Yuduo nodded. “His grandma doesn’t allow him to set off firecrackers outside by himself.”
Cheng Ke smiled.
After entering the house and closing the door, Meow lazily entered from the backyard, wagging its tail.
“What a lazy cat,” Jiang Yuduo glanced at it. “Can’t you walk more energetically instead of swaying like that?”
“That’s how cats walk,” Cheng Ke knelt down and patted Meow’s head. “What about the outfit? Meow Fugui’s outfit?”
“It’s been washed and put away. It doesn’t like wearing it,” Jiang Yuduo said. “I’ll boil the water first, and you can help by separating the meat and placing it on a plate.”
“Okay,” Cheng Ke followed him into the kitchen.
While Jiang Yuduo filled the pot with water, Cheng Ke noticed an unhealed scar on the palm of his left hand. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “How did you injure your hand?”
“It happened a while ago,” Jiang Yuduo replied. “It’s healing now.”
“Oh,” Cheng Ke didn’t probe further, took a plate, and opened a box of meat rolls to transfer them onto the plate.
The box was larger than the plate, causing two meat rolls to fall onto the floor.
Before Cheng Ke could pick them up, Meow swiftly pounced on the fallen meat rolls, snatched one, and disappeared through the kitchen door.
Cheng Ke glanced at Jiang Yuduo.
“It’s fine,” Jiang Yuduo reassured him.
Before Cheng Ke could feel his heartwarming, Jiang Yuduo added, “There’s still plenty left, let’s discard them.”
“Get lost,” Cheng Ke playfully scolded.
Making hot pot at home was actually quite simple, as long as you knew how to prepare the soup base and dipping ingredients.
…well, maybe it wasn’t that simple after all.
Standing in the kitchen, Cheng Ke observed Jiang Yuduo bustling about. It was the first time he witnessed the process of cooking a meal in the kitchen since he grew up.
If it hadn’t been for Jiang Yuduo doing the cooking, he would have already gone to the living room to watch TV.
“Did you buy sesame paste?” Jiang Yuduo turned to him and asked.
“No,” Cheng Ke replied.
“Do you want to learn?” Jiang Yuduo inquired.
“…I’ll pass,” Cheng Ke said.
“Lazy,” Jiang Yuduo muttered as he scooped two spoonfuls of sauce for himself and started to eat.
Due to the heat from the stove, the temperature in the kitchen was much higher than in the living room. Cheng Ke leaned against the wall, feeling the warmth. The pot on the stove emitted steam, and the fragrant aroma of the spicy broth filled the small space.
Having hot pot at home was different from eating out.
Cheng Ke observed Jiang Yuduo’s serious expression as he prepared the sesame sauce. Today, Jiang Yuduo was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt under his coat, revealing the muscle lines on his arms that appeared and disappeared with his movements.
There were two more scars.
In the past, Cheng Ke would eat hot pot at home, but he usually stayed in his own room and only came out when someone called him to eat. Sometimes, if his dad was in a bad mood, he would ask not to be called and would either go to a restaurant or skip the meal altogether.
He never expected that watching someone cook a hot pot in the kitchen could create such a strong and soothing feeling.
Of course, maybe it was just because that person was Jiang Yuduo.
A man who exuded attractiveness inside and out, as long as one delved into certain details.
Jiang Yuduo had indeed lost weight, not just on his face. Though Cheng Ke didn’t dare to touch him, he could tell that he had shed weight from his body, probably more than ten pounds.
“Are you alone during the New Year?” Cheng Ke asked, feeling a bit too relaxed, his voice sounding a little wavering.
“Yes,” Jiang Yuduo nodded.
“You didn’t eat well,” Cheng Ke remarked. “You’ve lost so much weight.”
“I tend to lose weight when I change my living environment. I have trouble adjusting, and I can’t sleep at night,” Jiang Yuduo explained. “Did you have instant noodles for the Chinese New Year?”
“No, the hotel had a restaurant,” Cheng Ke smiled.
“That’s why you didn’t lose weight,” Jiang Yuduo commented. “Chen Qing will probably gain weight in a few years, considering the portion size when Chen Qing eats.”
“I can see what you mean,” Cheng Ke said.
Jiang Yuduo ceased stirring the bowl with his chopsticks.
One can never be too complacent.
Cheng Ke’s previously relaxed and erratic feeling vanished instantly, replaced by embarrassment. He cleared his throat, turned his head, and scanned the kitchen.
There was truly no way to salvage the situation, so he clenched his teeth and carried on.
“Bring it out, and also grab the sesame oil,” Jiang Yuduo handed him the prepared sesame paste.
Cheng Ke took the bowl, and on the desk, there was a pile of seasoning bottles he had just purchased. Unable to distinguish which one was sesame oil, he simply hugged all the bottles, took them to the living room, and placed them on the table.
Then, lacking the courage to reenter the kitchen, he sat at the table with Meow, waiting to eat.
Jiang Yuduo went back and forth several times, retrieving various items. Finally, he took out a bottle of wine and placed it on the table. He sat down and sighed, “You truly are a spoiled young master, beating me! Each strike is a knockout.”
“…Call me if you need help,” Cheng Ke felt a bit embarrassed.
“You’re seated here more securely than Meow,” Jiang Yuduo remarked. “I don’t have the courage to call you.”
Cheng Ke took the wine, opened it, and poured a glass for Jiang Yuduo. “Calm down. I’ve long let go of my anger.”
“I lost my temper a while ago,” Jiang Yuduo said. “You’re the most straightforward person I’ve ever met, and you stay calm. It’s different when you’re accustomed to being served by others.”
Cheng Ke smiled, poured himself a glass of wine, and raised it to Jiang Yuduo.
Jiang Yuduo picked up his cup and clinked it with Cheng Ke’s. “For…”
Cheng Ke waited for him to finish his sentence, but Jiang Yuduo seemed to have no words, so he just held the cup in a daze.
“For friends,” Cheng Ke said.
Jiang Yuduo looked at him with determination. After a moment, he lifted his head, downed the wine in his glass, and placed it heavily on the table. “For friends.”
The hot pot was fragrant, and Cheng Ke felt like he had added several bags of seasoning, as the aroma was exceptionally strong. Just as he was about to pick up a chopstick to taste it, Jiang Yuduo picked up the plate.
“San-ge, San-ge,” Cheng Ke quickly pressed his hand. “I have a request.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Yuduo looked at him.
“Can we eat one at a time with a single chopstick?” Cheng Ke suggested. “You have a plate all to yourself this time, and I can’t wait. I’m starving.”
Jiang Yuduo furrowed his brow. “There’s so much food, is that alright?”
Cheng Ke smiled.
Jiang Yuduo divided the plates on the table into two piles, one by one. Then he pointed to the pile in his hand and said, “Yours.”
“Huh?” Cheng Ke was taken aback.
“Mine,” Jiang Yuduo pointed to the pile in front of him once again.
“Ah.” Cheng Ke didn’t understand why he suddenly wanted to share and eat together.
Jiang Yuduo picked up a plate and poured the meat into the pot with a splash.
“What the—,” Cheng Ke couldn’t contain his delight. “Fuck!”
“How about that?” Jiang Yuduo picked up a large piece of meat with his chopsticks. “This arrangement works quite well.”
“Childish,” Cheng Ke said with a smile.
“Childishness is naivety, and I’m much younger than you,” Jiang Yuduo took a sip of his wine, pondered for a moment, and leaned closer to Cheng Ke. “Hey, Cheng Ke.”
“What?” Cheng Ke looked at him.
“Your birthday is next week, right?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
Indeed, Cheng Ke thought for a while, realizing that his birthday was indeed next week, and there were only three days left until then.
But if Jiang Yuduo hadn’t brought it up, he probably wouldn’t have even remembered.
He usually doesn’t pay much attention to his own birthday. Liu Tiancheng is the one who remembers and always invites him to a gathering. But those birthday parties, aside from receiving a bunch of gifts, don’t really feel like a birthday to him. He just watches everyone eat and drink, from one place to another.
At home, there’s just a pile of gifts, and his mother takes care of buying them. They end up having things they want and things they don’t want. It’s not particularly exciting.
“Yeah,” Cheng Ke nodded.
“Then… are you planning to celebrate your birthday?” Jiang Yuduo asked.
Cheng Ke fell silent.
This would be his first birthday after leaving home. Although his past birthdays weren’t particularly eventful, he had grown accustomed to that routine. Now that Jiang Yuduo asked him this question, he suddenly felt a bit disoriented.
Should he celebrate?
How should he go about it?
After a long pause, he sighed, “It doesn’t matter.”
“…Oh,” Jiang Yuduo looked at him and also sighed, “Well, you’re 28, and birthdays can be quite sad.”
A piece of meat held by chopsticks paused in the air.
“You’re turning 29,” Jiang Yuduo said, “In three and a half years, Grandma used to say that in their hometown, if you’re two years away from 30…”
“You’re not done yet, are you?” Cheng Ke looked at him helplessly.
“Have you ever celebrated?” Jiang Yuduo smiled. “I’ll celebrate your 30th birthday.”
“No!” Cheng Ke objected.
“28th birthday,” Jiang Yuduo insisted.
“No!” Cheng Ke stuffed the meat into his mouth and took another sip of wine.
“18th birthday,” Jiang Yuduo proposed, “It’s okay, you’re younger than me.”
Cheng Ke couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“On Chen Qing and Lu Qiang’s birthdays, we celebrate all the time,” Jiang Yuduo said. “Birthday celebrations can be fun. If you want it lively, we can invite them to join. If you prefer a quiet celebration, I’ll take care of it for you.”
“Do you really enjoy it that much?”
“Birthday?” Cheng Ke asked with a smile.
“Well, it’s interesting. It’s the day a person enters this world,” Jiang Yuduo explained.
“Okay,” Cheng Ke pondered for a moment. “How did you celebrate your birthday?”
The smile on Jiang Yuduo’s face froze momentarily, then slowly faded. After taking a sip of wine, he replied, “I don’t celebrate my birthday.”
“Why?” Cheng Ke was taken aback. Here was someone who seemed to genuinely enjoy birthday celebrations, yet he didn’t celebrate his own?
“I don’t know when my birthday is,” Jiang Yuduo shrugged.
“Isn’t it written as June 1st on your ID card?” Cheng Ke said.
“That… was filled in randomly,” Jiang Yuduo admitted.
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