Chapter 14: Xiao Yu

And so, this brightly colored porcelain cup was placed in the position that Bai Chen thought was the most suitable.

Zhu Yu pressed his hand to his chest, his pupils slowly dilating with the increasing beat of his heart. Oh my, why is it beating so fast?

Little heart, don’t break on me!

Bai Chen stepped back, and the sense of pressure, along with the fragrance of locust blossoms, faded away.

“What’s wrong? Did I scare you?” Seeing Zhu Yu clutching his chest, his cheeks flushed, and his ears nearly the same color as his hair, Bai Chen’s low, magnetic voice once again gently pierced Zhu Yu’s ear.

“No, just a little bit,” Zhu Yu’s voice was a bit shaky, as he didn’t even know why he was reacting like this.

Just after speaking, he smelled the aroma of scrambled eggs with tomatoes drifting from the dining table, mixed with the fragrance of chopped green onions.

Zhu Yu looked over.

There, on the table, were two bowls of tomato egg noodles that Bai Chen had placed.

The red tomatoes had been sautéed into a rich broth, and then the half-cooked, bright yellow eggs were added. After stirring, warm salted water was poured in, boiled, and the noodles, previously cooked and soaked in cold water, were added. The broth was reduced on low heat, and then seasoning, chopped green onions, and the steaming noodles were added…

A bowl of noodles, perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

Zhu Yu’s dark pupils reflected the noodles on the table, and he asked Bai Chen a redundant question: “Is it already done?”

“Yes, it’s done. You can eat now.” Bai Chen nodded, stepping aside to give Zhu Yu space.

Zhu Yu looked up at Bai Chen, his eyes full of shock and admiration, his tone full of worship: “Senior brother, you’re so fast!”

—

It seems like there might be some ambiguity?

Zhu Yu realized what he had just said, quickly waved his hand to clarify, “Brother, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Bai Chen hadn’t thought much of it, but Zhu Yu’s attempt to clarify made him think elsewhere.

“Ahem.” Bai Chen raised his hand to his lips, clearing his throat twice, looking somewhat awkward. “I understand.”

See? When you explain, you end up thinking more about it. Zhu Yu silently mocked himself.

Probably affected by his own words, Zhu Yu’s gaze unconsciously drifted towards Bai Chen, and as he looked up, he met Bai Chen’s confused eyes. His already pink cheeks instantly turned bright red.

“It’s a bit hot.” Zhu Yu raised his hand to fan his face, an action that seemed to make things more obvious.

“Well… Let’s eat, or the noodles will get soggy,” Bai Chen’s voice trembled slightly. After speaking, he loosened his apron, which had been tied a little too tightly.

Upon hearing the words “eat,” Zhu Yu immediately pushed all his worries aside.

Who cares.

Now that it’s come to this, let’s eat first!

“Okay!” Zhu Yu quickly ran to the dining table and naturally sat down across from Bai Chen.

Bai Chen followed and sat down as well.

“Can I start eating now?” Zhu Yu asked, picking up his chopsticks, still checking with the host.

“Go ahead.” Bai Chen nodded, pouring a glass of cold water for Zhu Yu and placing it on his right side.

Zhu Yu didn’t hold back at all as he began to pick up the noodles and bring them to his mouth. The soft noodles soaked up the broth, and the fragrance of the scallion oil immediately spread in his mouth. Soon after, the sourness of the tomatoes followed, and the taste of the eggs wasn’t as strong. The noodles had a great texture, and the flavors blended together perfectly, completely satisfying his taste buds.

It was just a bit hot.

The noodles, already cooked, had essentially been “stir-fried” again in Zhu Yu’s mouth.

As expected, the heat made Zhu Yu tear up. With teary eyes, he grabbed the cold water next to him and started drinking it quickly.

Bai Chen smiled silently, unable to help but advise, “Eat slowly, there’s more in the kitchen.”

Zhu Yu covered his face, feeling so embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing that Zhu Yu didn’t take his hand away or speak, Bai Chen asked with concern.

Zhu Yu replied in despair, “I just need a moment… it’s a bit embarrassing.”

The tuft of hair on his head, which had been standing tall, also drooped down.

Bai Chen’s lips still curled up, “It’s okay, it’s not embarrassing.”

He refilled Zhu Yu’s water.

“Okay!” Zhu Yu had learned his lesson. He picked up a bundle of noodles, blew on them to cool them down, and then fed them to himself.

Zhu Yu ate silently, without making a sound. The steam rising from the bowl surrounded him, and he was enveloped in a white mist.

Thin sweat appeared on his forehead and neck, and his lips, slightly reddened from the hot noodles, looked moist.

“Senior, you’re really good at cooking,” Zhu Yu said after swallowing the food in his mouth, “Since I met you, I feel like every day is a lucky day.”

“How so?” Bai Chen asked, curious.

Zhu Yu finished swallowing his noodles before answering, “I found a part-time job, made some new friends, and the report I wrote last month got a high score…”

“Overall, a lot of good things!” At this point, his bowl was almost empty.

Bai Chen fixed his gaze, quietly watching Zhu Yu eat. His eating habits were no different from those of an ordinary person, and if one had to point something out, it was that he ate a bit faster. But even so, his manner of eating was far from sloppy—it was actually quite pleasing to the eye.

The steady beating of Bai Chen’s heart began to quicken. He could clearly feel that his heartbeat was different from usual, and that inexplicable sense of satisfaction surged up again.

He parted his thin lips, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Is it delicious?”

Zhu Yu was still bringing noodles to his mouth, but his left hand had already raised. He gave Bai Chen a thumbs-up and nodded in agreement, “Super delicious!!”

“Senior, I want to follow you forever and ever!” Zhu Yu looked up, his eyes sparkling. A light sheen of sweat clung to his bangs at the corners of his forehead, and there were traces of soup at the corners of his lips.

So beautiful.

And so dazzling.

His eyes were bright and shining.

His sincere and earnest gaze unexpectedly met Bai Chen’s, and for a moment, Zhu Yu froze. He realized that Bai Chen seemed to be looking at him with a kind of expectant gaze.

But before Zhu Yu could get a clearer look, Bai Chen quickly shifted his eyes away. Zhu Yu thought it was just his imagination and didn’t think too much about it, continuing to focus on his meal.

Seeing that Zhu Yu’s bowl was nearly empty, Bai Chen lifted his lashes and looked at him, asking, “Do you want more? There’s still some left in the kitchen.”

“Yes!” Zhu Yu quickly drank the remaining soup from his bowl and handed it over with both hands.

Bai Chen went into the kitchen and scooped the remaining noodles from the pot into Zhu Yu’s bowl.

When he turned around to look at Zhu Yu, he found that Zhu Yu was no longer at the table.

“Zhu Yu, it’s ready,” he called out, walking to the table.

Zhu Yu’s voice came from the sofa, “I’ll be right there!”

Bai Chen saw Zhu Yu rummaging through the bag he had brought. After a few seconds, Zhu Yu took out a rolled-up sheet of drawing paper.

“This!” Zhu Yu pulled up the strap of his overalls, ran over to the table, and unrolled the drawing for Bai Chen to see. “I want to give this to you.”

This was a sketch he had done earlier today while out painting.

Because it was a quick sketch, the details weren’t handled very well, but it certainly captured the features of the Sigeng Palace.

The drawing was also in color.

It didn’t quite match the color scheme of Bai Chen’s home.

“Did you draw this yourself?” Bai Chen asked, his voice slightly husky.

Zhu Yu nodded, rolled the drawing back up, and handed it to Bai Chen, saying, “Because you’ve helped me so many times, and you’ve let me eat with you so many times…”

“I think sending that cup isn’t enough, but right now I don’t have any money, so I can’t buy you something more valuable or presentable…” Zhu Yu wanted to say that he couldn’t give Bai Chen a more meaningful or impressive gift right now.

But Bai Chen interrupted him just in time, “It’s enough.”

“The gifts you gave me are all great. I really like them,” Bai Chen said, placing the drawing he was holding aside, his voice as gentle as always.

“Really? Do you not think that I haven’t put much thought into our friendship?” Zhu Yu leaned his arms on the table, looking up at Bai Chen with an innocent expression, almost like an elementary school student waiting for the teacher’s words.

Bai Chen’s gaze lingered on Zhu Yu’s face, his expression soft, with a faint smile at the corners of his lips, and the dimples on his cheeks resembling ripples in water. “What’s going on today? You seem to have something more to say.”

Zhu Yu was taken aback, blinking and hesitating, “Is it that… obvious?”

“Yeah, very obvious,” Bai Chen nodded seriously.

“Okay.” Zhu Yu pulled his hands under the table, nervously fiddling with his fingers. “Actually, I have a small request.”

“You’ve seen my cooking skills, and to be honest, I’ve really been trying, but… I always fail.”

Zhu Yu sighed deeply, then mustered up some courage. “I was wondering… would it be okay if I take responsibility for buying the groceries for both of us, and when you’re cooking, you could just make a portion for me too?”

“It doesn’t have to be often! Just occasionally!” Zhu Yu quickly added this part.

“Please, Senior—” Zhu Yu drew out the last word, raising his hands, making a “congratulations” gesture with his fists, and shaking them on the table, showing a pleading expression.

Starry-eyed jpg.

“I won’t just take advantage! I can wash dishes, Liu Bo can act cute, and I can…” Zhu Yu desperately searched his mind for things he and Liu Bo could do for Bai Chen.

So cute.

Bai Chen felt that calling a guy cute was usually inappropriate, but if it was Zhu Yu, it couldn’t be more fitting.

Looking at the furrowed brows of Zhu Yu, who was tangled up in his own nervousness, Bai Chen couldn’t help but laugh.

Bai Chen smiled so widely that his eyes curved into crescent shapes. Zhu Yu didn’t know why Bai Chen was laughing, but seeing him so happy, Zhu Yu couldn’t help but laugh along.

The two at the dining table laughed so deeply that they almost forgot where they were.

After a long while, Bai Chen finally managed to calm his laughter.

“Okay,” Bai Chen nodded, agreeing to Zhu Yu’s “small” request. Then he asked, “So the thing that’s been bothering you all night is this?”

“Huh?! How did you know I was troubled all night?” Zhu Yu asked in surprise, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

“Secret.” Bai Chen replied with just one word.

In fact, there was no secret to it. Zhu Yu’s eyes couldn’t hide his inner thoughts. When Bai Chen first saw him in the evening, he could tell that Zhu Yu had something on his mind.

“So secretive.” Zhu Yu huffed lightly before picking up his chopsticks. Like he did at home, he habitually wanted to poke at the noodles in his bowl, but seeing how delicious they looked, he couldn’t bring himself to ruin them.

“But! Senior Brother, you just agreed, didn’t you?” Zhu Yu looked up at Bai Chen again.

“Mm, I did.”

“Actually, you don’t have to do anything.”

“Because when you gave me a gift before, we were already friends.”

“To me, if someone is a friend…” Bai Chen’s usually gloomy eyes seemed to brighten slightly. “That’s enough.”

He emphasized those last two words, and Zhu Yu’s ears twitched slightly.

Hearing this made him really happy. “So it’s settled then?”

“If I want to eat your cooking, I’ll message you, then buy groceries and bring them to your place. Sound good?” Zhu Yu asked.

Bai Chen nodded. “No problem.”

Zhu Yu’s eyes lit up. “Do you know how to cook everything?”

Bai Chen hesitated for a moment before replying uncertainly, “I… think so?”

“Actually, I’ll eat whatever you make. I’m not picky at all—really easy to take care of!” Zhu Yu was confident in his stomach, he could eat anything—except plain white people food…

“Alright then, our easy-to-feed, not-picky-eater…” Bai Chen trailed off. Come to think of it, he didn’t actually know how to properly address Zhu Yu. He seemed like a little kid, but calling him that didn’t feel quite right.

Noticing Bai Chen’s hesitation, Zhu Yu quickly supplied, “Xiao Yu!”

“That’s what my friends call me.”

Bai Chen repeated the name in his mind before saying, “Alright then, our easy-to-feed, not-picky-eater Xiao Yu, hurry up and eat your noodles. They’re getting soggy.”

“Ah! My noodles!!” Only now noticing, the person sitting across from Bai Chen let out a dramatic cry.

—

After dinner, Zhu Yu enthusiastically volunteered to help Bai Chen wash the dishes.

As usual, he took on the task of drying.

The two of them chatted idly as they worked.

“Oh, right, Zhu Yu.” Bai Chen suddenly remembered something.

“What is it?” Zhu Yu yawned as he asked.

After eating his fill, Zhu Yu felt sleepy. He seriously suspected he had a sensitivity to carbon dioxide.

Bai Chen said, “I have a food tutorial account online.”

“I might record tutorial videos from time to time and upload them, and I also live stream on Friday nights… would you mind?” Bai Chen asked while observing Zhu Yu’s reaction.

Zhu Yu froze mid-wipe—seriously? He just told him that outright, without any hesitation?

He was tempted to just say, I already know your secret identity!

But—

“Can I ask for your ID…?” Zhu Yu pretended to be shocked. His acting is clumsy but effective.

Bai Chen had no intention of hiding it. Since Zhu Yu would find out sooner or later, he might as well tell him himself.

He wiped the water off his hands on his apron, took out his phone, scrolled a bit, and then showed his account to Zhu Yu.

“Bai, Ze.” Zhu Yu read the name out slowly, then lifted his gaze to look at Bai Chen. “Alright! I’ll follow you as soon as I get home!”

Bai Chen coughed lightly—he had to admit, hearing someone close to him say his online identity out loud felt a little embarrassing…

—

After washing the dishes, Zhu Yu framed the painting he had gifted Bai Chen and hung it in a prominent spot—right by the entrance, so it would be the first thing anyone saw when they walked in.

Zhu Yu said it was so that Bai Chen would remember him whenever he saw it.

Bai Chen replied that he would remember Zhu Yu even without the painting.

But in the end, he still allowed Zhu Yu to hang it on the wall near the door.

Then, the two of them sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table, letting their food digest.

Liu Bo had eaten before heading out, so he wasn’t being too noisy. However, he kept trying to get into Bai Chen’s arms, and Zhu Yu couldn’t pull him away no matter how hard he tried.

“It’s fine, I’ll hold him.” Bai Chen scratched under Liu Bo’s chin.

“Seriously, Liu Bo. When Han Geonju wanted to hold you before, you refused, but now you insist on squeezing into his arms?” Zhu Yu huffed.

He reached over to pinch Liu Bo’s cheek fur, enunciating each word clearly: “Trai. Tor. To. Friends.”

Bai Chen let out a helpless laugh. “What do you mean, ‘traitor to friends’?”

Zhu Yu answered matter-of-factly, “Because you’re handsome.”

“I mean, I’m not bad-looking either, but maybe it’s because you can cook that he likes sticking to you more.” Zhu Yu rested one arm on the coffee table, tilting his head to lay against it. His eyes seemed to sparkle, like stars shining bright.

As he spoke, he continued to playfully tease Liu Bo in Bai Chen’s arms.

Bai Chen’s gaze lingered on Zhu Yu’s exposed right ear, where a dark black ear stud glinted coldly under the light.

After a long pause, he slowly retracted his gaze and pulled out the design plans from under the coffee table.

He asked Zhu Yu, “You don’t mind, do you?”

Zhu Yu shook his head, then propped himself up and leaned in closer to Bai Chen. The two of them were now very close, their scents—camellia and locust blossoms—blending together. Bai Chen was briefly dazed, but Zhu Yu seemed completely unaware.

Looking at the architectural design draft in Bai Chen’s hands, Zhu Yu furrowed his elegant brows and said, “This design…”

“I saw it last time when I came to your place to borrow oil.”

Bai Chen nodded. “Yes, my professor asked me to design the landscaping around his villa.”

Zhu Yu suddenly understood and slowly nodded. Then, looking at Bai Chen, he asked, “Do you have any ideas yet?”

Bai Chen’s voice was calm. “I don’t know.”

“Are you not satisfied with the current design?” Zhu Yu asked, puzzled.

“Do you think it’s good enough?” Bai Chen countered.

Zhu Yu blinked and pushed himself slightly closer to Bai Chen, reducing the space between them. “You want me to say it?”

“Yeah.”

Zhu Yu raised his hand, gesturing a small gap between his thumb and index finger. “I feel like… something’s a little off.”

“I can’t pinpoint exactly what, but it looks a bit out of place.”

Resting his face in his hands, he stared directly at Bai Chen. “But I’m not in your field of study, so…”

“Just take it as some random feedback.”