Eighteenth Meow

Seeing Huo Zheng give such a face,^[1]to show deference or praise publicly He Yunzhou couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“Freshly roasted matsutake are of course the most delicious… However, it didn’t burn you, did it?” Noticing Huo Zheng taking small breaths, He Yunzhou asked worriedly. 

“It’s not very hot either.” Huo Zheng’s face was a little red.

Heavens knows why he would eat something directly from the pot.

This kind of behavior is completely out of line with his habits. But as soon as he saw He Yunzhou lowering his eyebrows, averting his eyes, and earnestly roast matsutake for him, Huo Zheng inexplicably felt that his stomach became so hungry in an instant.

He Yunzhou helplessly looked at Huo Zheng, who was obviously burnt, he pretended to take the chopsticks from Huo Zheng’s hand as if nothing had happened and also put a piece of matsutake in his mouth.

The tasty and crispy matsutake was as delicious as he imagined.

Olive oil, pepper, and salt are the perfect match for matsutake. It’s just that on this night, the seasoning that could make these matsutakes so delicious was something else besides the previous three. 

And by the time He Yunzhou realized it, he noticed that he was huddled in the kitchen with Huo Zheng like that, like a child, wiping out those slices of matsutake with chopsticks.

“Ah, wait… wine…”

Looking back again, He Yunzhou couldn’t help but laugh when he found the bottle of wine on the table just standing there alone, forgetting to drink it again.

“I can only wait until next time to drink.” He couldn’t help but sigh.

“Let’s drink it tomorrow ba.” Huo Zheng saw the bottle of wine, his mind moved and the words came out.

“Ah?”

“I don’t know why, but I suddenly kind of want to eat shrimp… the kind that people can eat.”

Huo Zheng muttered awkwardly, then forcibly added, “I, for one, have never liked shrimp. But you said so many times today, I can actually make an effort to try it la.”

“Pfft…”

He Yunzhou was caught off guard when he heard Huo Zheng’s reluctant muttering, and couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Good ah, I’ll definitely make shrimp for you tomorrow.” He turned his head sideways and looked at Huo Zheng. 

It was smoked by fire in front of the stove, and there was a thin layer of light red on the cheeks of the arrogant green-eyed man beside him.

He Yunzhou endured and endured but still couldn’t hold back his bad habit, and added, “Is it to eat dried shrimps… or you want to try my fried salted shrimp with egg yolk? This is my specialty private dish, and I don’t cook it for most people.”

Hearing the last sentence, Huo Zheng, as what He Yunzhou had expected, instantly showed satisfaction in his eyes.

It’s almost exactly like Guaji eating freeze-dried from He Yunzhou’s palm contentedly in front of Nangua.

He Yunzhou couldn’t help but look at Huo Zheng, lost in thought.

Guaji ah…

Gazing at Huo Zheng’s green eyes and long silver-gray hair, He Yunzhou even had an urge to reach out and gently pet his favorite kitten. 

I wonder if Guaji is doing well in the distant cat heaven?

Does anyone scratch its chin and make snacks for it?

The intense longing and love once again churned incessantly in the bottom of He Yunzhou’s heart.

“I, I still have something to do, I’ll leave first.”

Just at this time, Huo Zheng suddenly spoke in a weird tone and his movements were uncomfortable.

After the words fell, He Yunzhou watched as he hurriedly walk towards the door… 

Almost a little bit like running away.

“Huo Zheng?”

He Yunzhou was hit with a jolt and instantly regained his senses. Only then did he realize that he had unknowingly thought about Guaji again, so much so that he was stunned, staring at Huo Zheng for a long time.

Seriously, Huo Zheng probably also thinks he’s a bit odd?

He Yunzhou cursed at himself in his heart with chagrin. 

It’s easy to be in a daze when you think about it. This can be regarded as He Yunzhou’s old problem, he has always wanted to change it but couldn’t. 

[Xiao Chuan…^[2]“Little Boat” his name ‘zhou’ means boatdon’t always look at others in a daze in the future… it’s very easy to make people misunderstand.]

He remembered a long time ago, that man also once reminded He Yunzhou in such an indirect manner.

It’s just that He Yunzhou has forgotten what that person said later, What was the misunderstanding?

Vague doubts flew through He Yunzhou’s mind, then he quickly left them behind. 

He accelerated his steps to catch up with Huo Zheng, who had already pressed his hand on the doorknob and his movements became stiff when he heard He Yunzhou’s arrival.

“Sorry, I get a little dizzy when I’m full, so I looked at you in a daze before I knew it.” He Yunzhou hurriedly apologized in a low voice.

“Shall I make more dishes tomorrow? What else do you want to eat besides the salted shrimp with egg yolk?”

“… all, all fine. I, I’ll leave first.”

Leaving an incoherent farewell, Huo Zheng quickly fled into the elevator.

……

……

……

Huo Zheng’s mood was very complicated.

He admitted that it felt really good to have a midnight snack with He Yunzhou.

Although nothing happened between the two, everything was so normal, and there seemed to be no trace of extra ambiguity. 

However, Huo Zheng wouldn’t mistake He Yunzhou for the kind of emotion that… made Huo Zheng unable to find words to describe when He Yunzhou looked at him.

That person looks unskilled and clumsy most of the time, but only in some ways, he was naturally alluring.

Huo Zheng has never met someone like He Yunzhou who can express everything with his eyes alone without words or movements.

When they first met, Huo Zheng only felt that He Yunzhou was just an ordinary man.

Let’s just say that his facial features can be said to be delicate and pretty, and his temperament is also considered warm and not annoying.

But just now, Huo Zheng discovered that when He Yunzhou stared deeply at a person, his eyes could really evoke the softest and most intimate bit of affection in a person.

“This can really… give people a headache.” Huo Zheng muttered.

In fact, he had already made up his mind to reject He Yunzhou’s infatuation with him.

He also didn’t want the other party to continue to get along with him holding unrealistic expectations.

However, once he met He Yunzhou’s eyes, Huo Zheng completely lost his helmet and abandoned his armor, he had no way of saying those words.

Moreover, Huo Zheng was keenly aware that he himself was actually also a bit shaken.

Thinking of this, Huo Zheng’s heart was suddenly alarmed. 

“Welcome home, Mr. Huo. It has been detected that your heart rate is above average and your body temperature is slightly higher. Is there a need for further health analysis?”

With his heart full of entanglement, Huo Zheng returned home.

And the moment he stepped into the house, Huo Zheng heard the detached and cold electronic voice of the CALO system.

Bang—

As if being punched by something, Huo Zheng’s movement froze.

And CALO was still running on its own.

“… An emergency contact person has been set up for you in case of emergencies. The current first option is ‘A small boat rowing and rowing’, the second option is ‘Brain with only the size of a pea—”

“Shut up, CALO.”

Well, Huo Zheng didn’t understand why some people didn’t like CALO before, but at this moment, he was deeply aware that this kind of overly self-assertive home system was really maddening at times. 

CALO quieted down instantly.

Huo Zheng took off his coat and buried himself deeply into the sofa.

Without any commands, the system had already adjusted the lights to a dim level based on Huo Zheng’s past habits.

“En?”

Huo Zheng couldn’t help frowning.

Was it because the lights in He Yunzhou’s house were always on and were dim and warm, and the atmosphere was always noisy? For a moment, Huo Zheng unexpectedly felt a little uncomfortable with the home environment he personally created.

It seems a bit too dark.

He thought.

And it was also too quiet. 

However, even after Huo Zheng brightened the lights and ordered CALO to put on soft music, the cold and empty feeling still lingered like a ghost.

After discovering this, Huo Zheng was really a bit flustered.

It was also at this time that Huo Zheng received that unexpected phone call. 

The words that jumped on the caller ID were the three words [Huo Xiao Yun].

All the sweet and slightly sour complex feelings, the moment he saw those three words, faded away like a tide, leaving only the hideous and rough, dark, strange stones at the bottom of his heart.

Huo Zheng’s face was expressionless, quietly waiting for a while. Seeing that the woman had absolutely no intention of giving up to connect, he silently allowed the communication.

“I thought you wouldn’t be willing to answer my call.”

As the call connected, the other party uttered an indifferent mockery from a distant place.

“Is something wrong?” Huo Zheng asked calmly. At this moment, his voice sounded no different from CALO’s electronic synthesized voice.

“Shouldn’t you know? For so many years, the only thing Mom has ever begged for you is this one thing…” 

Huo Zheng’s eyes gradually filled with frost.

Yes, this woman he was talking to wasn’t someone else, it was his own mother.

It’s just that ordinary people’s mothers aren’t probably like Huo Zheng’s mother, every word spoken was filled with resentment and blame that cannot be concealed.

“You know I won’t agree,” Huo Zheng said.

Then he closed his eyes, and as expected, Huo Xiao Yun quickly fell into a state of hysteria at the other end of the phone.

“Huo Zheng, you monster, I really doubt what your heart is really^[3]He really here meant ‘when all is said and done’ in this context. I’m not sure how to phrase it properly.made of. How could I give birth to such a… disgusting thing like you… That’s your biological father and he’s about to die! He just wants to see you, just a small request, you’re unwilling to agree?! Do you still have any conscience at all?! Yes, I know, we all made mistakes back then. We treated you badly, Mom apologize to you, okay? I also apologize on his behalf… Go and meet him to make him feel at ease…”

He had obviously listened to the same words countless times, but when Huo Zheng heard his mother start talking about the same old story again, he still couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

He must desperately control his tyrannical mood, and he cannot reveal any flaws in front of this woman.

“Are you going to continue talking nonsense?^[4]It can also be “bulls***” or “crap”Mother.” 

Huo Zheng interrupted Huo Xiao Yun.

“I don’t know where you got my current contact information, but again, no matter what you do, the ending will not change. I won’t see him and I won’t forgive him.”

After pausing for a moment, Huo Zheng said once again, “… like I won’t forgive you.”

Immediately afterwards, he pressed end in advance before Huo Xiao Yun start screeching and insulting him.

After a brief pause, the CALO system began to continue playing soft music for Huo Zheng, but the soft and sweet music was even more hollow and tasteless than before. 

Huo Zheng easily picked up the wine glass on the table and smashed it directly into the stereo hidden in the corner.

“Quiet—be quiet, do you hear me—”

He roared hoarsely.

The music stopped.

Huo Zheng stood in the living room blankly, hearing his heavy panting and the sound of his teeth gritting and crunching.

---

The author has something to say:

Mr. Huo and Mr. He are two super lonely people…

To put it bluntly, this writing is a story of two people with serious flaws in their lives who found each other and found that wow, we both just happen to make a pair.