Twenty days after moving into Fifth Garden, Ye Luan finally informed Zhao Yijia that he would be coming to stay for a while.
When Zhao Yijia received the call at 9 a.m., he was still half asleep. He heard Ye Luan’s gentle laughter through the phone, “Still not awake?” His voice, coupled with a slight crackle from the phone, brought a tingly sensation.
Zhao Yijia, still groggy and floating as if on clouds, mumbled, “Mmm~ Ye Luan~”
After a long silence, Zhao Yijia forced his eyes open and called out again, “Ye Luan~”
“I’m coming back tomorrow and will be staying in Y City for a while.”
“Oh, I’ll cook for you~”
Unlike most boys his age, Zhao Yijia loved cooking, and his Weibo and friend circle were full of his culinary posts. He even discussed recipes and cooking techniques with other users on Weibo, much to his fans’ lament: “Our little prince who supposedly doesn’t eat human food is cooking?!”
Having gotten to know Ye Luan, Zhao Yijia had boasted many times about his cooking skills, promising to cook for Ye Luan if he ever stayed over. Now that Ye Luan was coming, it was time for Zhao Yijia to fulfill his promise.
Ye Luan’s flight arrived in the afternoon, just in time for dinner. Zhao Yijia, after updating his novel in the morning, started preparing: cleaning the house, airing out the bedding, and then buying and prepping the ingredients. When Ye Luan arrived, he found Zhao Yijia busy cooking fish in the kitchen, oil sizzling in one pan while he skillfully sautéed in another. Zhao Yijia, wearing a blue apron given by the store, turned and smiled at Ye Luan standing in the doorway, “Just a bit longer, the fish will be ready soon.”
He prepared the fish two ways: fillets for one dish and the head with tofu for soup. He also made minced pork with sour beans, garlic sautéed water spinach, and cold seaweed salad, making for a rich and satisfying meal.
Ye Luan took out his phone and snapped several photos, then said to Zhao Yijia, “Just wait, the vain Shiye is about to go online.”
Shiye V: [Photos x6]
Yakult is My Happy Water: I’m hungry just looking at this~
CCCCCC_C: Did you make this yourself, boss? drool.jpg
Milk Tea Princess: Ordering takeout and re-plating it, Shiye, you’ve changed.
A Round Watermelon: When are you starting a new book?
Ling Family’s Little Girl: Am I the only one who noticed there are two sets of chopsticks? One next to the seaweed salad, and another pair reflected in the glass on the right, held by someone.
All-Night Immortal replying to Ling Family’s Little Girl: Whoa.
Cloud Flying replying to Ling Family’s Little Girl: So posting photos = hinting at a relationship = announcing romance?!
…
Zhao Yijia laughed out loud at the comments, “Hahaha, Master Twelve, your fans have such wild imaginations, no wonder they grew up reading your stories.”
As if to stir the pot, within minutes, Tian Gai had shared Shiye’s Weibo post in their group:
Tian Gai: Master Twelve, how could you! Betraying us to have dinner with a girl? @Shiye
Shiye: smile
Tian Gai: Share a photo, don’t be stingy…
Ye Luan glanced at Zhao Yijia, who could only smile helplessly. They hadn’t mentioned co-renting in the group to avoid complications, and since Ye Luan hadn’t moved in yet, it felt like a single apartment. Suddenly announcing their cohabitation might seem strange.
While Zhao Yijia hesitated, Ye Luan quickly snapped a photo of Zhao Yijia’s hand and posted it. The picture was a bit blurry, making it hard to tell if it was male or female.
Shiye: [Photo]
Tian Gai: Master Twelve, you’re doing well! Look at that delicate hand!
Tian Gai: @Zhao Zhao @Sleepy Fox @Qin Hai Come see, congratulations to Master Twelve, and we demand a red envelope!
Sleepy Fox: Congrats on the baby, Master Twelve!
Qin Hai: Best wishes for a long and happy marriage, Master Twelve!
Shiye: One blessing short, no red envelope.
Tian Gai: @Zhao Zhao @Zhao Zhao @Zhao Zhao Come on, just need you!
Zhao Zhao: …
Tian Gai: Hurry up, need the red envelope to order takeout! @Zhao Zhao
Zhao Yijia, annoyed by Tian Gai’s relentless tagging, glared at Ye Luan and reluctantly typed: Congratulations~
True to his word, Ye Luan immediately sent a big red envelope in the group, prompting a flurry of “Thank you, boss” memes. The two then ate dinner while chatting.
Mostly, it was Ye Luan talking and Zhao Yijia listening. Ye Luan’s job in venture capital involved a variety of projects, a field Zhao Yijia was unfamiliar with. Ye Luan’s lively stories made it all interesting. Eventually, their conversation drifted to their co-written novel, “Guide to Conquering the Villain.”
“Master Twelve, I like the new character you added. Do you have a detailed outline for him?”
Ye Luan understood right away. Zhao Yijia was referring to Lan Zhen, Duan Ruxing’s master, introduced last week. As a fellow writer, Ye Luan easily caught Zhao Yijia’s enthusiasm: “Not yet, just his basic personality.”
“Lan Zhen has a lot of charm, seems like a character with a rich backstory.” This wasn’t flattery; despite the brief introduction, Lan Zhen was vividly depicted.
Ye Luan nodded, “He’s indulgent, though he looks ethereal, he’s very much a worldly man.”
“A person like that must have experienced great joys and sorrows, gained and lost much.”
“He could have a background as a noble’s child, setting up a conflict between court and cultivation.”
“Extremely talented, but full of flaws, loved and hated by his sect.”
“For example, he often skips morning classes because he sleeps in.”
Zhao Yijia laughed, “And he’s biased, always protecting his own.”
“And the more ethereal he looks, the better.”
“We could have a scene where a disposable character tries to frame Duan Ruxing, only to be taught a lesson by Lan Zhen.”
“Even though Duan Ruxing has become a villain, Lan Zhen still treats him as his disciple.”
“Living by his own rules.”
“Give him a dramatic exit, then occasionally mention him later.”
“We can include Shen An in the plot. I’ve always struggled to write Shen An and Duan Ruxing’s interactions alone; adding the master might make it easier.”
…
The two bounced ideas off each other, getting more excited as they went. Zhao Yijia’s eyes sparkled, and he almost forgot to eat, eager to write down all their ideas immediately.
“Darn, I just remembered, it won’t be my turn for another three chapters. I hope there’s still room for Lan Zhen.”
Ye Luan put down his chopsticks and looked seriously at Zhao Yijia, “No worries, we can insert an interlude in the middle of the main story.”
Zhao Yijia brightened up again, “Right, I didn’t think of that.”
“You write Lan Zhen’s interlude.”
“Okay.”
“So, if I gave Lan Zhen bones, and you gave him flesh, does that count as a male-male birth?”
“…You know too much.”
After dinner, Ye Luan volunteered to wash the dishes, and Zhao Yijia happily went to watch TV. Despite their short acquaintance, their familiarity felt like old friends, a comfort Zhao Yijia attributed to Ye Luan’s high emotional intelligence. While he was lost in thought, he heard Ye Luan calling him from the kitchen: “Zhao Zhao, can you help me for a second?”
Zhao Yijia found that Ye Luan had forgotten to roll up his sleeves while washing dishes. He couldn’t help but tease, “Master Twelve, it’s obvious you don’t do housework.” He then gently bent down to unbutton Ye Luan’s sleeves, carefully rolling them up. His fingers brushed against Ye Luan’s arm like a feather, tickling him slightly. Ye Luan looked down at Zhao Yijia’s soft hair and couldn’t resist touching it with his left hand.
Only when Zhao Yijia looked up in surprise did Ye Luan realize what he was doing.
He calmly patted Zhao Yijia’s head, saying seriously, “Now you know how to write Shen An and Duan Ruxing’s interaction, right?”
Zhao Yijia was stunned, “Huh? Oh.”
He thought, Master Twelve is really dedicated, truly a top writer. But—
“Wait, isn’t there still detergent on your hand!”
“Don’t mind the details.”
…
On the first day of cohabitation at Fifth Garden, at 9 p.m., Ye Luan was washing dishes in the kitchen while Zhao Yijia took a shower. The TV in the living room played a singing competition show, where a contestant gently sang:
“I met you, like the sky meeting blue, like the sea meeting raindrops.”
