In the evening, on the way back.
“Last night, I took care of those roses. Do you want to try making a fresh flower cake?”
“Is that okay?” Chai Heling asked.
“Of course, the petals are very fresh, the taste should be good,” Chu Qianze said just as he noticed the other person speeding up.
Looking at the speedometer, the needle visibly shifted, and he warned, “Be careful not to speed.”
“I’m paying attention,” Chai Heling said, shifting gears and overtaking the car next to them.
Seeing Chai Heling driving steadily, Chu Qianze didn’t say anything more.
Seeing the store ahead, he suddenly remembered.
“Oh right, we need to go to the mall first and buy some things. We definitely don’t have enough flour at home, and there aren’t many empty jars. We need to get those.”
Chai Heling responded, turning the steering wheel to change the route to the nearest mall.
Back at home, Chu Qianze brought in the petals that were drying on the windowsill.
“What do we need to do first?” Chai Heling asked, bringing in the last of the petals.
He was completely clueless about all of this.
“Just wait a moment, let me check.”
Chu Qianze opened his phone and searched for tutorials online.
“Didn’t you say you know how to do it yourself?” Chai Heling asked, peering over to take a look.
“I do know, but it’s good to review before the ‘exam’.”
Chu Qianze gestured for someone to come over and fetched a large bowl from the house. “We need to make petal filling first. Help me crush these petals; it will be more convenient later.”
Chai Heling took off his coat and energetically chopped the petals. After chopping the petals, he mixed them with white sugar and then proceeded to make the dough…
As time passed, his enthusiasm visibly waned.
“How long is this going to take?”
“Can’t handle it?” Chu Qianze chuckled, his hands still busy.
“How can a man say he can’t handle it?” Chai Heling took a deep breath and continued with determination.
“Well, let’s leave this for a while. The dough needs some time to rise. Let’s do something else in the meantime.”
As he spoke, Chu Qianze carried a plate of petals into the kitchen.
He put a few spoons of oil in the pan, lit the fire, and placed the breadcrumbs prepared a moment ago on the side. The roses tumbled in the breadcrumbs for a moment and went straight into the pan.
“Are we deep frying this?”
Chai Heling stood beside him, secretly looking forward to it.
“Yes,” Chu Qianze lifted some fried petals, placed them on a plate, and handed them over. “Chopsticks are over there, help yourself.”
Chai Heling took a few bites, his eyes lighting up. “Delicious!”
“Not bad, huh?” Chu Qianze said proudly, his hands moving swiftly.
After the two had filled their stomachs, and the dough had risen, they continued to make the fresh flower cakes.
As the oven completed its cycle, it made a satisfying ‘ding.’
In Chai Heling’s expectant gaze, Chu Qianze brought the finished flower cakes. “Give it a try?”
“It smells delicious,” Chai Heling went in directly, then quickly pulled back his hand. “It’s hot!”
“Don’t be in a hurry, let it cool a bit before eating.” Chu Qianze placed the items on the table.
Picking up the chopsticks, Chai Heling blew on the flower cake a few times and then took a bite. It wasn’t convenient to speak now, so he just gave a thumbs up.
Seeing him enjoy it so much, Chu Qianze also picked one to taste.
The flavor was indeed not bad.
“I also made some filling for preservation. Let’s make it again in a few days; it should be more flavorful by then.”
“We need to preserve this filling?” Chai Heling looked a bit puzzled.
“It depends. Adjustments can be made according to your preferences. There are no strict rules for this.”
Chu Qianze said, stuffing another one into his mouth.
“Take some of these home; you can snack on them when you have time.”
Chu Qianze, still searching for a suitable container nearby, found the recently prepared rose jam. “Take this with you too.”
Chai Heling looked at the several large jars on the table and then at Chu Qianze, who was rummaging through the cupboard for something. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“I was saying—”
“Hmm?” Chu Qianze was still looking for a bag to pack things.
After waiting for a while without a follow-up, he leaned back and looked at Chai Heling. “What’s wrong?”
Chai Heling sighed, “This is my first time eating something that wasn’t cooked by a chef.”
“Are you saying my cooking doesn’t match up to a chef’s?”
“Not at all,” Chai Heling stumbled for a moment. “Your cooking is delicious; I meant…”
“Alright, I was just teasing you.”
Chu Qianze chuckled lightly, picked up a bag, and walked over to put the glass jars and the box of fresh flower cakes inside.
Chai Heling said, “The first night we met, I slept in your room, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, I thought, maybe if we go through a similar situation, I might feel something.”
As he spoke, Chai Heling observed Chu Qianze’s expression, but couldn’t discern any noticeable changes.
“Is that how you plan to remember?” Chu Qianze finished packing and leaned against the table.
“Whose fault is it that I can smoothly craft sentences? You’re quite the novelist,” Chai Heling rolled his eyes.
“So, I thought, staying here for a while might help me retrieve my memories.”
[Hidden Mission: Help Chai Heling regain his memories]
“If you think it’ll help, then come and stay.”
Chu Qianze stretched lazily and walked over to the nearby sofa. “I’ll do my best to cooperate with you.”
“In the next few days, I have more free time. So, I plan to make the most of this time.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Chu Qianze inquired.
“We’ll temporarily live together, following the lifestyle from my memories.”
Chai Heling continued, “Not necessarily following it exactly, but we’ll try to increase our time together. Conveniently, my company is close to the filming location, so we can commute together and have dinner in the evenings.”
Chu Qianze leaned on the sofa, his slender fingers resting on his forehead, casually acknowledging the plan.
Looking incredibly lazy.
Chai Heling picked up a fresh flower cake, “That’s the general idea. As for the details, I want to adjust based on our previous interactions.”
Chu Qianze turned over, propping his elbow on the armrest of the sofa, chin resting on his forearm.
“For example?”
“We can start with the way we address each other,” Chai Heling pursed his lips, looking serious.
Looking up at the person in front of him, Chu Qianze observed his expression and teased, “So, what should we call each other?”
Seeing the other person a bit uncomfortable, he teased even more.
“Hurry up, don’t be shy. It’s been a long time for me too.”
“Chu Chu.”
These two words came out more naturally than imagined, even giving a feeling of being the right thing to call each other.
“Chu Chu,” Chai Heling repeated.
It was as if they were back in those days.
Chai Heling, who couldn’t remember anything, was taken in for the night by kind-hearted Chu Qianze. The bed was not big, but it seemed to isolate all the unfamiliarity and helplessness. When he woke up in the morning, he found himself lying on Chu Qianze’s back and called out that very intimate nickname.
Back then, what was he thinking? It seemed like he believed that by making the names more intimate first and then gradually getting closer, the other person would gradually become familiar with him.
The atmosphere in the hall quieted down, as if invisible particles were scattered, isolating all the noise. Even the voices of people in the audio system suddenly became distant.
In this momentary overlap of memories and reality, Chai Heling was surprisingly entranced.
“Pfft—”
Chu Qianze couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter, collapsing on the sofa.
“I can’t take it; it really sounds like calling a girl. Like one of those charming little white lotuses, you know?”
The atmosphere was instantly shattered.
“With you saying that, how am I supposed to take this name seriously in the future?” Chai Heling, distracted by the teasing, lost the melancholy mood and said with a touch of irritation.
“Do you still want me to call you that?”
“Of course.”
Taking a deep breath, Chu Qianze regained his usual composure.
“How about I reciprocate and call you… Chai Chai? I can’t take it; wait a moment, let me laugh some more.”
Chai Heling, with a serious expression, continued to play with the words, sounding oddly coquettish, creating a strange contrast.
For some reason, he was repeatedly hitting the funny bone.
As they laughed, a shadow appeared in front of Chu Qianze. Looking up, he saw the person who had just been sitting next to him now standing in front of him.
Chai Heling said, “Stop laughing.”
Chu Qianze pressed his lips together and made an OK gesture with his hands, but the laughter in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
Chai Heling was irritated to the point of itching his teeth.
Watching the slight curve of Chu Qianze’s lips, Chai Heling leaned down, intending to bite the other’s lip, only to have his chin covered.
Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow. “You think I’d fall for the same move a second time?”
A second time.
Catching onto that phrase, Chai Heling squinted his eyes and grabbed the hand covering his chin.
“You mean, I’ve kissed you like this before?” Chu Qianze’s gaze subtly shifted as he allowed this person to hold onto his wrist.
“I didn’t kiss you anywhere.”
Chai Heling felt a sourness in his heart. Why was it that he could do this before, but now he was met with resistance?
Clearly, it was still him. Why the differential treatment?
Damn it, I don’t remember any of those things.
Chai Heling propped himself on the sofa with one hand, his knees kneeling on the edge of the cushion, effectively locking the person in place.
Originally, Chu Qianze had leaned on the sofa because it was comfortable, but now it hhasbecome a natural obstacle.
“I didn’t kiss you anywhere?” Chai Heling looked down at the person in front of him and repeated the question.
“You—” Chu Qianze had barely started to say something when he felt a slight dampness in the palm of his hand.
Chai Heling lowered his head and kissed that hand, his shallow breath sprinkling over it, causing a tingling sensation.
His lips followed the smooth joints, moving up to the moist fingertip. Then, he opened his mouth and bit down firmly.
Chu Qianze’s eyes darkened slightly, and the curve of his lips contracted a bit.
Releasing his teeth, Chai Heling’s gaze lingered for a moment at the shallow tooth mark on the index finger before settling back on Chu Qianze’s face. “Did I kiss your hand before?”
“It seems not.”
Chu Qianze’s fingers moved slightly, rubbing against each other for a moment, feeling the indentation clearly.
He lifted his hand and pressed it against Chai Heling’s cheek, using the pad of his thumb to press against the lip, applying slight pressure. A curve formed between the lips, faintly showing a hint of white.
“So, what do you plan to do?” Chu Qianze asked.
Chai Heling seized the hand in front of him and kissed each finger.
The fingertips, the pads, the joints, and then he reached the wrist at the ulna, leaving a deep kiss there.
“Where have I kissed you before?” he asked.
Moving his cheek away, Chai Heling looked down at this person.
Chu Qianze pondered for a moment, a playful smile forming, his tone a mix of laziness and teasing.
“How about you try to guess?”
A blatant challenge.
Gripping the back of his head, Chai Heling lowered his head and kissed.
An indescribable sensation made it hard to let go.
Chai Heling sighed in satisfaction, slowly and earnestly sucking. Suddenly, he felt an external force interrupting the rhythm. After a moment of confusion, he lost the initiative.
Refusing to accept defeat, Chai Heling entwined back, attempting to regain control, but he always fell short.
The sofa was soft, and Chai Heling’s hand pressing down created a small depression.
After a while, they separated.
Chu Qianze brushed back the scattered hair on his forehead, capturing the emotions in Chai Heling’s eyes.
This person is shy.
Drawing a conclusion, Chu Qianze pulled up his collar, closing the gap between them once again.
“Every time you laugh, I’ll kiss you,” he declared.
Chai Heling’s voice sounded fierce, but due to the exaggerated intonation, it gave off a somewhat pretentious vibe.
“Oh, really? How about we do it again?” Chu Qianze, despite being in a disadvantaged position, held his ground.
He tilted his head, curled his fingers under his chin, and raised an eyebrow, displaying an unabashed boldness.
“You, you…”
The word was repeated for a while, but there was no follow-up. Chai Heling’s expression became serious, and his ears turned as red as tomatoes.
Chu Qianze, satisfied with the effect he created, prompted the person in front of him.
“Chai Chai.”
With a slight pause, Chai Heling leaned in.
As the kiss ended, Chai Heling exhaled and countered playfully, “Of course, I have to fulfill your request.”
His hand, originally cradling the back of Chu Qianze’s head, slowly moved down to the back of his neck. Leaning forward, he whispered lowly into his ear:
“So, smile a little more. That look is quite charming, and I especially like it.”
With his hand on Chu Qianze’s shoulder blades, Chu Qianze buried his head in Chai Heling’s neck.
“Really?”
Surprised by the sudden embrace, Chai Heling quickly responded by wrapping his arms around him.
Never let an opportunity go to waste.
“Of course, we just agreed that every time you smile, I’ll kiss you.”
The corner of Chu Qianze’s mouth twitched as he spoke.
“Okay, you can let go now.”
“No,” Chai Heling exerted even more strength, “this time, since you made the first move, I’ll decide when it ends.”
“Fine.”
“So, how long are you planning to hold on? I need to take a shower today.”
“We can shower together,” Chai Heling blurted out.
“…You’re pushing it.”
“I just remembered something,” Chai Heling changed the topic.
“What did you remember?”
“During the time I kissed you, the people from the old man’s side wanted to take me back. Did I tell you about my past before?”
“No.”
“My family situation is quite complicated, with a vast scope. Due to some historical reasons, there are many ancestral rules to follow, and some children cry from learning them. According to tradition, our parents are responsible for the initial upbringing, and when the children reach a certain age, they undergo centralized training. Competitions are held periodically.”
“I see.”
“Later, I couldn’t accept those ideas. After planning for three months, I escaped from there. Let me tell you, I wasn’t the only one with such thoughts. Many people in the past wanted to do the same but failed. I found the escape route they left behind, and the information was clear. Following that path increased the chances of success. Can you guess how I escaped?”
“Didn’t choose any of the given routes, found a new one myself,” Chai Heling said.
“Very clever,” Chu Qianze chuckled. “So why did you do it that way?”
“If the given routes were effective, they wouldn’t have failed,” Chu Qianze said, his gaze now a bit cold.
“Yeah, at the time, I felt something was off. Following my instincts, I found a way out myself. Only after this selection did I faintly realize that those so-called clues were nothing more than bait left by the old man,” Chu Heling gritted his teeth, feeling the urge to go back and punch that man.
“But, Chu Chu, your skills are really something. I trained for a long time before, but I’m just at an average level,” he said, burying his face in Chu Qianze’s shoulder, feeling his warmth.
Even though he didn’t reveal much, his strength was already terrifying.
“Your marksmanship is even better than my training instructor back then.”
His former instructor was a famous sharpshooter.
“Your instructor once used a similar scenario as an example to demonstrate, comparing it to how Chu Qianze performed back then. It’s easy to draw conclusions. Even though I’m not familiar with these things, I could still see some details. If someone more knowledgeable came across it, they would see even more,” Chai Heling said, hiding his emotions by lowering his eyelids.
“Why bring this up all of a sudden?” Chu Qianze asked, veiling his own emotions.
“In this world, are there others who can reach your level, Chu Chu? It feels like there are many secrets about you that I don’t know,” Chu Heling said calmly, as if he were just expressing his thoughts.
[Warning]
[Warning!]
[Chu Heling questions the world, triggering world consciousness. If not stopped, the host will be forcefully ejected!]
“Chu Heling.”
Chu Qianze pressed Chu He Ling down onto the sofa, half-kneeling as he leaned in closer. The sound of friction against the leather sofa was particularly harsh, creating a grating noise.
“…I know you have many doubts and are working hard to find answers.” Chu Qianze lifted Chu Heling’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact.
“Continue thinking, and you might succeed,” he pursed his lips, then revealed the truth: “But I will leave.”
The choice is yours, what will you do?
On the television, a popular skit was playing. The vibrant curtains hung in the air, and as the scene unfolded, the audience inside laughed uproariously, applauding the actors.
A teardrop fell from the corner of Chu Heling’s eye, sliding down onto the leather sofa.
Chu Qianze reached out to wipe away the tear, his tone slightly solemn, “Why are you crying?”
“I don’t want to think about it anymore. Those things don’t matter at all. I don’t want to.”
Chu Heling held onto the hand beside him, his voice tinged with grievance, “Please don’t leave.”
[Warning lifted.]
Chu Qianze remained silent for a moment, ran his hand through his hair, and then got up from the sofa, saying, “I won’t leave.”
“Having secrets is normal. I won’t tell you about the bedwetting when I was three,” said Chai Heling.
Chu Qianze: “Now you’ve said it.”
Seeing the terrified expression on Chai Heling’s face, he sighed, “As for shooting, if you want to learn, I can teach you.”
Chai Heling sat up, showing his excitement without any concealment. “Really?”
With a nod, Chu Qianze said, “There’s a shooting club near your company. We can go there together sometime.”
“Sure!”
“Chu Chu, it’s already early morning.”
Chai Heling suddenly threw out this remark.
“Uh?”
“Are you still going to take a bath today?”
“It’s too late now. To save time, let’s take a bath together,” Chai Heling suggested.
Chu Qianze’s mouth twitched, and he slowly uttered three words, “Dream on.”
“Alright,”
Although feeling a bit regretful, such things should be taken slowly; you can’t rush them. “Let’s meet on the bed later, Chu Chu.”
Chai Heling beamed, as if he had already cast away any negative emotions.
This person is always like this.
Chu Qianze sighed inwardly, took the chocolate out of his pocket, and placed it on the table.
“We talked about taking a bath, so let’s do it together.”
“Because there have been night scenes recently, the entire crew has been working overnight.”
Rubbing his eyes, Chu Qianze refocused on his notebook, recording the newly acquired knowledge.
At this moment, the cinematographer was suspended in the air, moving around in a dynamic manner.
“Don’t be like this; you need to move! Move, do you understand?” Director Wang, seeing him struggling to reach a certain position, sighed heavily.
“Director Wang, give me a moment to find my rhythm. This pressure is making it too uncomfortable,” the cinematographer’s voice weakened at this point.
Zhu Yan expressed understanding, “The first time I operated a crane, my legs were shaky for half a day. You’re doing well; take it slow, no rush. It’s a good opportunity for us to take a break.”
After saying this, he felt a deathly stare on him. He stiffened a bit and looked towards the source. Director Wang was giving him a penetrating look, a sly smile on his face, somewhat eerie.
“Director Wang, don’t look at me like that, it’s impossible between us!” Zhu Yan took a step back.
“Get lost, you fool! Stay away from me!” Director Wang rolled his eyes, showing a hint of disdain.
Zhu Yan didn’t get upset upon hearing this; he laughed twice, “Director Wang, don’t be unhappy. I have no choice; after all, I have a family. If you feel lonely, just go find Xiao Chu.”
Chu Qianze, who was analyzing movements with the martial arts instructor, suddenly heard this sentence, turned around, and looked in their direction. “Brother Yan, have you lost weight recently?”
“You even noticed that!” Zhu Yan replied.
“No wonder, you’ve been floating so much recently,” Chu Qianze said, pulling out a polite smile and then returning to the previous matter.
“Hahaha!” Director Wang laughed heartily.
“Mr. Chai has arrived!”
Duan Fa saw the takeout and immediately recognized who it was, loudly announcing their arrival.
Chai Heling came to the film set, nodded in the direction of the voice, “I brought you all some supper. It’s hard work filming at night; let’s fill our stomachs.”
After saying that, his gaze moved around the film set, looking for the person he wanted to find.
Chu Qianze finished his discussion and looked towards the door, meeting eyes with Chai Heling. He walked over, saying, “I brought some barbecue and a dessert.”
Following him to the side, Chai Heling raised the things in his hand.
Chu Qianze took the bag of barbecue, opened it to see the spices and spicy aroma, whetting his appetite.
He took a skewer and handed it over, saying, “You come here every night. Don’t you feel tired?”
“Well, without you around, it’s hard to sleep anyway.”
Chai Heling took it and took a bite.
Hearing this, Chu Qianze chuckled, “Wait for another two days, and we won’t need to work through the night.”
“Still two days?”
“That’s already considered fast.”
Chai Heling took a skewer of potatoes and pushed the things in his hand to the side. “We might start shooting later. Try this dessert first.”
“Yeah,” Chu Qianze opened the dessert box. “What brand is this? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”
He picked up a spoon and took a bite, then fell silent.
Chai Heling put the bamboo toothpick back into the bag. “How is it?”
“It’s delicious.”
Chu Qianze took a spoonful and examined it. “Did you make this yourself?”
“Cough, cough—”
Chai Heling got choked by the chili sauce and started coughing violently.
“Hey, be careful.”
Unexpectedly, the man’s reaction was so intense. Chu Qianze patted his back and handed him a cup of water.
Chai Heling took a sip of water and gradually recovered. “How did you know?”
“Inherent skill~”
Chu Qianze withdrew his hand and continued eating his small dessert, ignoring the grilled food.
“Seeing how much you like these, I took the time to learn.”
Originally, he just wanted some feedback, but he didn’t expect to be exposed directly. He felt a bit embarrassed but quickly resumed his composure.
“Is it really delicious?”
“Yeah, why would I lie to you? Haven’t you tasted it before?” Chu Qianze said.
“I have.” Chai Heling replied.
Mainly, Chu Qianze had very high standards for food, so even if he thought it was delicious, he couldn’t guarantee that Chu Qianze would feel the same.
So at first, Chai Heling didn’t mention that he made it himself; he just wanted to get the most direct feedback.
Seeing that there was only half of the cake left in his hand, Chu Qianze struggled for a moment and scooped up a spoonful to offer. “Then have another bite.”
“You have a talent in this aspect; you should try to explore it, don’t waste it.”
“You just want to eat, where are all these reasons coming from?” Chai Heling seemed to have figured it out.
Chu Qianze just smiled brightly without saying a word.
Under such scrutiny, Chai Heling surrendered first, saying, “Okay, I admit defeat.”
Passing over a skewer of pork belly, Chu Qianze continued dealing with the food in his hands.
Zhu Yan finished gnawing on a chicken wing, observing Chu Qianze and Chai Heling still chatting in the corner, sighing.
“These two have a really good relationship. Back when I was in the army, it was the same with my roommate. We were inseparable, competing in who could fold the blanket like a block of tofu, who had better grades, reminiscing about the past. Huh? Wangdao, why are you looking at me like that?”
Director Wang’s expression was complex. “I feel like your situation is probably different.”
“How is that possible? Director Wang, you don’t believe in the bond between me and that brother? I even served as the best man at his wedding!” Zhu Yan protested.
“Believe me, your relationship is the best.” Director Wang responded casually, not expecting to clarify things with this person.
After finishing the late-night snack and getting enough rest, it was time to resume filming.
Chai Heling didn’t linger here; instead, he prepared to go and rest.
“Have a good sleep. When I come back in the morning, I’ll bring you breakfast,” Chu Qianze said.
“I want to eat something you’ve made.” Chai Heling took out the car keys from his pocket, and the keys jingled as he moved them.
“You, this guy,” Chu Qianze chuckled, “so, what do you want to eat?”
After listing a few dishes, Chu Qianze chatted with someone for a few moments before turning back and walking away.
The crowd was still busy arranging the scene.
As Chu Qianze approached their direction, Wangdao cleared his throat lightly and casually said, “These past few nights of shooting, Mr. Chai brings late-night snacks every day. We’re all very grateful to him.”
Quickly, spill some gossip about yourselves.
“Is it because you find him exceptionally nice?” Chu Qianze flipped open the script, glancing at the scenes they were about to film.
“Yes,” Director Wang agreed, “I’ve never seen a relationship as good as yours!”
Come on, share some details.
Chu Qianze chuckled, unfolding the script in his hands. “Director Wang, we’re shooting this next, right?”
“After these scenes, let’s try to finish everything,” Wangdao said.
After discussing the details with someone, Chu Qianze said, “We need to seize the time. We also need to leave some time for everyone to rest.”
“Indeed.” With that reminder, Director Wang also felt the urgency of the task and shouted to the crew, “Hurry up, everyone, get ready!”
He felt like something was forgotten. Oh well, let’s finish today’s work first.
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