Chapter 70: CH 67

Chapter 67: I eat the food you cook, am I the person you like?

Bringing Xie You to the sofa to sit down, he carefully rolled up his sleeves and asked Xie You, “What do you want to eat since you’re hungry? I’ll make it for you.”

Xie You was fixated on Yu Nian’s wrist and took a second to react to the question, “Anything is fine.”

As long as it’s made by you, anything is fine.

“Well then, let me think. There’s some leftover rice from last night in the fridge, and there are also some vegetables, tofu, and shredded meat. How about I make you fried rice and a vegetable tofu soup?”

Seeing Xie You nod, Yu Nian turned and headed to the kitchen, “Wait for me a moment, I’ll be quick.”

However, as soon as he entered the kitchen, he noticed that Xie You quietly followed him. Yu Nian saw that Xie You didn’t seem to know where to place his gaze and asked with a smile, “Why are you following me?”

Xie You responded after a moment, “I want to help you, is that okay?”

After considering it for a moment, Yu Nian took a peeled potato from the fridge and handed it to Xie You. He then pointed to the location of the knife and cutting board, “Then I’ll leave this potato to you. Please cut it into thin shreds, and once it’s done, I’ll stir-fry the potato shreds for you to eat.”

Xie You seemed to have taken on a significant task and nodded seriously. He took the knife and potato, standing in front of the countertop, and studied it for a while. He first cut the potato in half.

While keeping some attention on Xie You, Yu Nian skillfully prepared the other ingredients. He turned on the range hood and boiled water in one pot to make the vegetable tofu soup. In another pot, he fried the rice. Soon, the aroma of the food filled the air. As if sensing something, Yu Nian paused his actions and turned his head, finding Xie You looking at him with a focused gaze. He raised the corner of his mouth and reminded him, “Be careful not to cut your finger.”

Xie You seemed to come back to his senses and nodded, focusing on cutting the potato shreds again, and replied softly, “Okay.”

In less than twenty minutes, the fried rice and soup were ready. Yu Nian took out the tableware and plated the dishes. He glanced at Xie You’s achievement, “Oh, the potato shreds look great!”

Xie You, who was doing it for the first time, brightened his eyes at Yu Nian’s praise.

Yu Nian took out his phone and snapped a photo of the uneven but decent-looking potato shreds. While taking the photo, he said, “This is the first time our Xie You has cut potato shreds. Let’s take a picture as a keepsake!”

Xie You’s palms felt warm—he said, “Our Xie You.”

The fried rice and the dishes were placed on the table. Yu Nian got himself a set of chopsticks and served a bowl of soup, joining Xie You for a late-night snack.

Xie You ate quietly, without any unnecessary noises, and looked quite elegant and attractive. After swallowing a spoonful of fried rice, Xie You held the porcelain spoon and asked somewhat awkwardly, “Why… have you been watching me all this time?”

Yu Nian rested his fingers on the edge of the bowl and looked directly at Xie You, “Because you look good.”

Xie You held his breath and replied, “Well, then, continue watching.”

Yu Nian couldn’t help but almost burst into laughter—

The person he liked seemed aloof and difficult to approach on the surface, but why was he so… adorable on the inside?

Slowly sipping the soup until it was finished, Yu Nian noticed that Xie You had eaten every last grain of rice on his plate. He stood up with the bowl in his hand, “I’ll wash the dishes.”

“I’ll do it!” Xie You stood up suddenly, placing his hand on Yu Nian’s arm, but then withdrew it as if he had been shocked, meeting Yu Nian’s gaze, “Shall I do it?”

“How about we decide with rock-paper-scissors? The loser washes the dishes?” Yu Nian suggested.

Xie You nodded, “Alright.”

After setting the bowl down, Yu Nian raised his hand, “Okay, rock-paper-scissors!”

Xie You threw out scissors, and Yu Nian presented paper.

With a slight hint of disappointment on his face, Xie You said, “Let’s do it again?”

Yu Nian smiled, “Sure!”

But for six consecutive rounds, Yu Nian lost every time. Xie You looked at his own fist and said, “Shall we try again?”

On the seventh round, Yu Nian finally won. Xie You’s eyes brightened with a hint of joy, and he said, “I’ll wash the dishes!”

After saying that, as if afraid that Yu Nian would compete with him, he quickly carried the dishes into the kitchen, and soon the sound of running water could be heard from inside.

Standing by the dining table, Yu Nian took out his phone and posted the photo of the potato shreds on Weibo with the caption “Potato Shreds.”

In no time, Xie You reposted it.

“Xie You: Not cut well. //@Yu Nian: Potato Shreds [picture].”

At the kitchen doorway, Yu Nian was about to ask if he could help, but unexpectedly, as soon as Xie You heard the approaching footsteps, he hurriedly said, “I’m seriously washing the dishes.”

Pausing and not continuing to walk in, Yu Nian smiled and replied, “Alright, take your time!”

Meanwhile, fans gathered to comment on Xie You’s Weibo post.

[President Xie, well said! Can’t stand these current popular stars who need to post a bunch of pictures even when cutting vegetables and cooking! And then there’s a bunch of brainless fans below blindly following, it’s hard to put into words!]

[So, is this Yu Nian now setting himself up as a perfect family man? Cooking and posting on Weibo for no reason?]

[Ah, damn! It hasn’t even been a minute since Yu Nian updated his Weibo, and Xie President has already reposted it! Isn’t this what setting someone as a special attention is all about! The YouYu CP fans are thriving today! I’m buying potatoes tomorrow to stir-fry too!”

Not long after, Xie You came out of the kitchen and saw Yu Nian wearing loose light-colored clothes, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding a pencil and writing and drawing on paper.

With his head slightly lowered, the warm light from the chandelier cast a warm hue on his facial features. The loose collar of his shirt revealed his collarbones and shoulder line, and his fair nape was also exposed without any cover, with skin as smooth as white porcelain.

Hearing the movement, Yu Nian continued to write while saying, “Just a moment, I’ll finish writing this line. Wait for me a little longer, it won’t take long.”

As he spoke, he unconsciously wiggled the toes of his bare feet, and the blue veins on the top of his feet were very prominent.

Without making any noise, Xie You stood still, leaning against the kitchen door frame, quietly watching Yu Nian.

For a moment, the room was filled only with the sound of the pencil scratching across the paper.

Suddenly, Xie You remembered that when he was a child, his family used to be like this too. After dinner, his father and brother would discuss the news while his mother would relax on the sofa doing her own things. He would either read music scores or play the piano, and the family would chat casually from time to time.

It felt so warm.

However, those memories seemed to have been covered with a layer of gray curtain, gradually becoming distant. Since his father passed away, he rarely reminisced about those moments. Longing for the past warmth would make him feel vulnerable, and he couldn’t indulge himself in those memories.

“I’m done writing!”

Yu Nian put down the pen in his hand and looked up at Xie You with a smile, “I had a sudden inspiration and wrote an entire verse just now!” His eyes were filled with joy, “Am I impressive?”

Xie You returned to his senses, and warmth filled his gaze, “Yes, very impressive.”

Yu Nian’s smile widened, and he was about to stand up, but his legs had been folded for too long, and they felt numb. His body wavered, and he fell back onto the sofa. Xie You instinctively took a few steps toward the sofa, relieved to see that he didn’t fall.

“My legs got numb, I need to rest for a bit.” Yu Nian leaned back on the sofa, looking up at Xie You, and asked, “Are you still hungry?”

Xie You wasn’t particularly hungry to begin with and nodded, “No, I’m not hungry anymore.”

He lowered his head and saw Yu Nian so close by. Suddenly, his throat felt dry, and his heartbeat accelerated. He even felt as if the oxygen around them was being depleted, and his breath grew tight.

Xie You heard his own voice, and it sounded dry, almost as if it wasn’t his own, “I came here because I wanted to ask you.”

Yu Nian gazed at Xie You, waiting for him to continue.

Xie You tightened his fingers, and finally, he smoothly said the words he had repeated countless times in his mind, “You said that you learned to cook in college and wanted to cook for the person you like.”

He restrained his heartbeat and breath, asking softly, “Nian Nian, then… when I eat the food you cook, am I the person you like?”

“Of course,” Yu Nian also lowered his voice, “You can try kissing me and see if I refuse.”

As if the entire night sky had been illuminated, Xie You’s fingers suddenly relaxed, then instantly clenched again. He forgot to breathe and cautiously bent down, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips against Yu Nian’s.

A light and tender kiss.

Each heartbeat seemed to resonate in his ears. Yu Nian adjusted his breathing and parted his lips, gently holding Xie You’s upper lip.

As soft as he had imagined.

Stimulated by this tiny action, Xie You stood still, not daring to move. He felt as if, apart from their lips, his entire body had evaporated like water vapor.

One Yu Nian had occupied all his senses.

When their lips separated, Xie You couldn’t help but raise his hand and use his fingertips to wipe off any traces of saliva from Yu Nian’s lips. He whispered, “Nian Nian.”

“Hmm?”

“Nian Nian.”

Yu Nian turned his head slightly and kissed Xie You’s moist fingertips. He replied, “Yes, I’m here.”

As if his fingers were burnt, Xie You bent his left leg and pressed against the edge of the sofa, wrapping his arms around Yu Nian and resting his forehead against his shoulder, only showing the tips of his ears that were tinged with a light shade of red.

“I… I’m heating up.”

Hearing this, Yu Nian playfully kissed Xie You’s earlobe, and indeed, Xie You reacted as if startled, hugging him even tighter.

At that moment, it felt as if something had been fulfilled.

After who knows how long, Xie You finally let go of Yu Nian, looking composed again, “I… should go back now?”

Yu Nian checked the time, “Yes, it’s already past ten.”

Xie You seemed a bit disappointed, but then he heard Yu Nian say, “Tomorrow night, I’ll make mushroom and pork rib soup. Do you want to taste it?”

Xie You’s eyes lit up, and almost as soon as Yu Nian finished speaking, he replied, “Yes!”

“Alright, then I’ll wait for you to have dinner together tomorrow!”

Walking him to the door, Xie You leaned against the door handle, suddenly turned back, quickly bent down, and gently kissed the corner of Yu Nian’s lips. Then he quickly opened the door and left.

The door closed with a “bang,” and only a faint “See you tomorrow” came through the crack in the door.

Yu Nian touched his lip corner, which still seemed to retain the warmth of the touch. He chuckled to himself, “He closed the door so quickly, at least he should have kissed me properly!”