Chapter 2: Mooching for Food

The moment the door opened, Zhu Yu instinctively picked up the cat in his arms and held it in front of his face, desperately exclaiming, “It wasn’t me, it was it!”

Even his usually wild and unruly voice was startled into breaking.

The air became still, and the entire hallway was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

It was understandable. With such a commotion outside his door, and then seeing someone holding a cat while kneeling at the doorstep, anyone would fall silent at such an odd scene.

“Sorry.”

Finally, Zhu Yu took the initiative to apologize for his outburst.

There was still no response from across the door. Zhu Yu then realized that he was in a foreign country, and apologizing in Chinese here was just like apologizing in English in China—it lacked sincerity.

So, Zhu Yu gently placed the cat down and hugged it again, preparing to repeat his apology in English.

However, at this moment, a soft laugh drifted down from above, light and without malice, with a hint of tenderness and warmth. It brushed past Zhu Yu’s eardrums, making his heart flutter with an almost itchy feeling.

“Hello.” It was perfect Chinese.

The voice was gentle, with clear enunciation.

It felt like the gentle flow of spring water. “It’s alright.”

The moment Zhu Yu heard the Chinese words, his eyes widened in surprise. He looked up at the person in front of him.

The man was tall, with broad chest muscles, and his features were well-defined, typical of an East Asian appearance.

His handsome face carried a trace of kindness from someone older. His eyebrows, like ink drawings, curved slightly, and his deep gray eyes were mesmerizing. The corners of his lips naturally held a soft smile.

It was clear that he wasn’t angry about Zhu Yu’s rudeness.

At this moment, both were sizing each other up. There was a fleeting moment of surprise in Bai Chen’s eyes.

Zhu Yu, on the other hand, was staring so intensely that it almost seemed like he was trying to see through the man.

Bai Chen lightly coughed and slightly turned his head away.

“Sorry.” Zhu Yu snapped out of his daze, feeling embarrassed. “This was an accident, I… I can explain.”

He held Liu Bo in his arms as he explained, “It smelled something delicious outside, so it quietly ran out. I came to carry it back, but didn’t notice I bumped into your door.”

Zhu Yu’s voice grew softer and softer.

His eyes, with their pale gray irises, had a hint of misty water, like clear glass. His long lashes made his eyes even more striking, and he looked so beautiful yet pitiful.

The pinkish bump on his forehead, which matched the color of his hair, confirmed Zhu Yu’s words.

A gust of wind swept through the hallway, and Bai Chen noticed that both of Zhu Yu’s arms and legs were exposed.

He shook his head and replied in a gentle voice, “It’s fine, just get up.”

Bai Chen bent down and extended his right hand to Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu said thank you, and reached out to take his hand. However, he paused when he saw two moles on Bai Chen’s knuckles and wrist.

He instinctively looked up and started examining the man again.

The man was wearing a blue apron with cloud patterns, his physique strong, with smooth and powerful arm muscles. The apron covered his broad shoulders and narrow waist, highlighting his perfect inverted triangle figure.

Then Zhu Yu remembered that the blogger he had been following had also come to the UK, and was making Huangmen chicken rice at this very hour.

Could it be that it was just a coincidence?

His sudden distraction made the person in front of him feel confused. Bai Chen softly called to Zhu Yu, “What’s wrong?”

Zhu Yu quickly placed his hand on Bai Chen’s, and with his help, stood up from the floor.

His head throbbed from hitting it, and his knees didn’t feel much better either.

As he got up, he staggered forward uncontrollably, but Bai Chen was quick to steady him.

Zhu Yu hurriedly thanked him, and at that moment, the cat in his arms became quiet.

“I’m your neighbor, I live in 515,” Zhu Yu introduced himself.

Bai Chen nodded and gently replied with one word: “Okay.”

Then, he looked at the cat in Zhu Yu’s arms and asked, “Was it the cat that scratched my door earlier?”

Was he… calculating the damage?

Zhu Yu sneakily glanced at the door behind Bai Chen, which had several scratch marks.

His brow twitched, and for a moment, he almost wanted to sever ties with the little troublemaker in his arms.

“Well… but Liu Bo didn’t mean to,” Zhu Yu couldn’t help but speak up for the cat. “How much would it cost to compensate for the door?”

As the saying goes, a ^[1]“a kind father often spoils his son” means that when a parent (or guardian) is too soft, indulgent, or overly forgiving towards their child, the child may become spoiled, irresponsible, … Continue readingkind father often spoils his son.

Zhu Yu sighed in exasperation.

Bai Chen laughed again, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a faint smile, “No need to compensate.”

“It’s very cute,” Bai Chen added.

Zhu Yu looked at Bai Chen with a skeptical expression, but saw that the man didn’t seem to be saying it out of politeness.

Bai Chen didn’t notice and continued asking Zhu Yu, “Is it called Liu Bo? You just called it that.”

“Yes!” Zhu Yu patted Liu Bo’s rear and ordered, “Liu Bo, greet him.”

Then Bai Chen heard the cat in Zhu Yu’s arms make a sound: “Meow.”

It was a short but not dismissive meow.

After a moment of surprise, Bai Chen chuckled twice, but didn’t respond aloud.

“By the way, are you cooking?” Zhu Yu asked.

Bai Chen nodded, not trying to hide anything, and then added:

“Since your cat has found you, I’ll go in first. The food in the pot might burn.”

He took his gaze off the top of Zhu Yu’s head.

“Wait!”

Suddenly, Zhu Yu picked up Liu Bo and covered the lower half of his face with the cat. His eyes peeked out from above Liu Bo’s head.

Their gazes met—four eyes… six eyes meeting. Zhu Yu awkwardly said, “Uh…”

“What’s wrong?” Bai Chen patiently looked at the man and the cat, waiting for Zhu Yu to continue.

Forget it, fortune favors the bold, while the timid starve!

Zhu Yu gathered his courage and said, “Could you… give us father and son a meal?!”

“We haven’t eaten in three days.” Dry bread and vegetable salad probably couldn’t be called a meal, right?

He lifted Liu Bo higher, pleading, “Please, I’m really willing to do anything with Liu Bo.”

Liu Bo also raised his front paws, making a gesture like a beckoning cat, eyes moist. Just as Zhu Yu finished speaking, Liu Bo let out a sound: “Meow.”

Both pairs of eyes across from him were beautiful, both filled with a pleading look.

Bai Chen stared intently, his brows furrowing slightly as he observed the man and the cat.

What did his silence mean?

Did he think it was impolite?

Well, it was indeed impolite. Zhu Yu’s heart was already breaking, he wished he hadn’t asked.

He was about to apologize when Bai Chen nodded. However, his expression seemed troubled. Zhu Yu heard him say, “It’s fine, but… but no one has ever eaten my cooking, it might not be good.”

What a joke, even if Zhu Yu was given a bowl of ^[2]West Lake Vinegar Fish (西湖醋鱼, Xī Hú Cù Yú) is a famous dish from Hangzhou, China. It features a whole fish, usually grass carp, poached until tender and then covered with a sweet and sour … Continue readingWest Lake vinegar fish, he’d finish it.

The difference between him and a glutton might just be that his name had fewer strokes than theirs.

Zhu Yu immediately nodded rapidly, like a chick pecking at rice, “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“It smells so good, it must be delicious! And I’m not picky at all, I can make do with anything!” Zhu Yu’s eyes sparkled, and the mist on his pupils cleared, leaving them bright and full of life, like stars.

Bai Chen slightly turned to the side and pushed the door open. “Come in.”

Zhu Yu, holding Liu Bo with both hands, carefully stepped into his neighbor’s home.

The room was cooler, and besides the rich aroma of the braised chicken rice filling the room, Zhu Yu thought he could also faintly smell the delicate fragrance of locust blossoms, which seemed to match the person’s temperament.

Bai Chen led Zhu Yu to the dining table in the living room and poured him a cup of hot tea before saying, “I’ll go check on the food in the pot, please wait a moment.”

Zhu Yu nodded, his soft pink hair slightly disheveled.

Once Bai Chen went into the kitchen, Zhu Yu quietly began to look around the living room.

It was clear that his neighbor had just moved in, as many of the furnishings were still incomplete. The items in the room were neatly arranged, and the overall color scheme was cold-toned, with dark gray accents decorating the space.

It felt cold and sparse, not like someone had truly settled in yet, but that was normal for a recent move.

Knowing he had barged in, Zhu Yu sat up straight, not daring to relax like he would at home.

He held the tea cup with both hands and took a small sip of the hot tea. At home, he didn’t drink tea, but now, in a foreign country, he finally understood the appeal of tea.

He turned his head to glance at the kitchen.

The live streaming stand by the kitchen window hadn’t been put away.

This confirmed that his new neighbor was indeed the food blogger he followed, Bai Ze.

So, what was his name? Does he also have the surname Bai? Zhu Yu quietly wondered.

The person in the kitchen was busy, and Zhu Yu felt a bit restless. After thinking for a moment, he decided to initiate a conversation.

“By the way, about your…” He didn’t finish his sentence before the person in the kitchen interrupted him.

Bai Chen turned to look at Zhu Yu. “My name is Bai Chen, the ‘Chen’ in ‘Chenxiang’ (a fragrant wood).”

Sure enough, his surname was Bai.

No, no, the focus shouldn’t be on that.

Zhu Yu quickly mimicked his way of speaking to introduce himself. “My name is Zhu Yu, ‘Zhu’ as in ‘blessing,’ ‘Yu’ as in ‘unwavering.’“

Bai Chen paused, visualizing the two characters in his mind before asking, “What were you about to ask?”

Zhu Yu came to his senses and quickly replied, “Oh, Bai Chen, I wanted to ask what brand of tea this is. It’s really good.”

Bai Chen didn’t answer right away. He turned off the heat, and the braised chicken in the pot was ready. He lifted the lid, and the “gurgling” sound came from the pot as the thick broth bubbled and split open, releasing a mouth-watering aroma.

He sprinkled some chopped green onions, carried the pot out of the kitchen, and placed it on the cloth mat on the dining table.

The chicken, served in a stone pot, was golden and fragrant, with caramelized, thick broth enveloping each piece of meat and potato, garnished with green onions. Just the sight of it was enough to make one’s appetite grow.

Liu Bo, sensing the smell, poked his head out from Zhu Yu’s arms.

Both the man and the cat fixed their gazes on the pot.

Bai Chen arranged the dishes and, noticing that Zhu Yu had already finished his tea, said, “I made this tea myself.”

“Wow, you’re so amazing!” Zhu Yu finally shifted his gaze away from the bowl. He and Liu Bo both looked up at Bai Chen with admiration.

Bai Chen felt a little overwhelmed and turned his head, explaining, “I just learned it online when I had some free time.”

After explaining, Bai Chen went back to the kitchen, brought out two bowls of rice, and also placed a bowl of shredded chicken breast at Zhu Yu’s feet.

Zhu Yu looked a bit confused, and Bai Chen explained, “This is the chicken breast I usually eat. It’s boiled in plain water.”

Zhu Yu’s eyes fluttered slightly, surprised.

He fiddled with the hem of his clothes and, looking at Bai Chen, quietly said, “But your bowl will get dirty…”

“It’s fine. You mentioned earlier that you and the cat haven’t eaten for three days, so even a kitten needs food,” Bai Chen said, looking up at Zhu Yu with a gentle smile, his expression relaxed and kind.

“Thank you,” Zhu Yu said. Today, he had said “thank you” more times than he had in an entire month at home.

Bending down, Zhu Yu placed Liu Bo on the floor and added, “He can eat anything. You don’t need to worry about him too much.”

Bai Chen stood up and sat down across from Zhu Yu at the dining table, placing the rice and chopsticks in front of Zhu Yu. “Let’s eat. The food will get cold soon.”

Zhu Yu had been waiting for Bai Chen to say that.

He quickly picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of chicken, and shoved it into his mouth. The chicken, tender and juicy from being simmered, melted in his mouth. It wasn’t dry. The distinct flavor of the braised chicken immediately spread across his tongue, and his taste buds were completely satisfied. Zhu Yu’s eyes began to well up.

Bai Chen stared at him.

It seemed like he was waiting for a response from Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu lifted his hand to fan his lips and then looked up, meeting Bai Chen’s gaze.

Bai Chen saw the tears in his eyes.

“What’s wrong? Is it not to your taste?” Bai Chen asked.

Zhu Yu shook his head and explained, “It’s hot.”

There was a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

Bai Chen chuckled and advised him to eat more slowly.

Zhu Yu buried his head in his food again. He ate with good manners—fast but not sloppy. It was clear that he was really hungry.

In no time, he had devoured most of the rice, and the food in the stone pot visibly diminished.

Bai Chen watched the emptying pot and Zhu Yu’s serious expression as he ate, and for some reason, a strange sense of satisfaction rose in his heart.

This feeling prompted Bai Chen to push the stone pot closer to Zhu Yu, making it easier for him to grab more.

Zhu Yu noticed the gesture. For some reason, his emotions welled up. His bright eyes were first filled with transparent tears.

Then, his long eyelashes became wet, and his nose suddenly felt tight with the onset of emotion.

Bai Chen looked up just in time to see a tear drop from Zhu Yu’s long lashes, splashing on the table with a soft, transparent ripple.

Bai Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He put down his chopsticks and handed Zhu Yu a tissue. “What’s wrong? Did you burn yourself again?”