Chapter 85

Chapter 85

After massaging Cheng Nanyi for a while, Yuan Ting also fell asleep. When he awoke, it was already dark. He lay on the sofa, covered with a blanket, the room filled with the aroma of food.

Yuan Ting sniffed, drawn by the scent to the kitchen, where he saw Cheng Nanyi cooking.

"You can cook?" Yuan Ting approached, peering into the pot, genuinely surprised, "How can you cook?"

"Just learned a few dishes, I made them for you to try today."

Yuan Ting leaned against the counter, sizing up Cheng Nanyi: "Brother... no, I won’t call you brother anymore, you’re not just my brother."

"Indeed, I'm not your brother," Cheng Nanyi replied, cutting vegetables with his head down, "We're not related by blood, it’s just a title."

Yuan Ting pouted, scoffing to himself.

"Sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded potatoes in vinegar, and they're hand-cut too. Look how thick, like fingers. And this is..." Yuan Ting lifted the lid, "braised pork... all my favorites." He looked at Cheng Nanyi, "How come it’s such a coincidence?"

"It's not a coincidence. I made all your favorites. I didn’t bother learning the ones you don't like."

Yuan Ting instinctively stepped back, eyeing him warily: "What are you doing? You're making me nervous. It feels like I'm about to head to the guillotine after this meal."

Cheng Nanyi chuckled lightly, looking up at him: "What, can't I try to please you?"

！！！

Yuan Ting reached out to touch his forehead: "Cheng Nanyi, you're acting strange."

"Hmm." Cheng Nanyi stepped forward, pinning him against the counter, "Is it strange to treat you well? So, I never treated you well before?"

Their proximity was too close for comfort, making Yuan Ting's breathing quicken and his mind slow to respond. Cheng Nanyi reached over him to grab a spatula, then stepped back.

The kitchen felt too hot, and Yuan Ting nearly fled.

There's something fishy when things are out of the ordinary. Cheng Nanyi is definitely up to something.

He must be plotting against me.

I absolutely can't eat this food!!!

……

Dinner was served, and Yuan Ting eagerly grabbed his chopsticks to taste.

Well... the young master’s cooking looks quite good, even plated nicely, but the taste... well...

"How is it? Tasty?" Cheng Nanyi asked.

"Delicious." Yuan Ting nodded, hugging his bowl and eating heartily.

After tasting a bite, Cheng Nanyi set down his chopsticks and said, "Yuan Ting, it's a shame you're not an actor."

"Hmm..." Yuan Ting tilted his head, looking at him, "Brother, no, Cheng Nanyi, feelings can't be defined in just one way."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that my definition of delicious isn't just about flavor and aroma. The most important thing is the intention behind it."

"I see..." Cheng Nanyi stood up, went into the kitchen, and brought out a dish of something pitch-black and indiscernible, placing it in front of Yuan Ting. "This is the first dish, full of heart, definitely the tastiest. Try it."

Yuan Ting: "..."

Apparently, some people really don't understand praise or criticism.

Yuan Ting, resigned to his fate, reached for the chopsticks, only to be knocked on the head by Cheng Nanyi: "Are you stupid?"

"You're the stupid one." Yuan Ting glared at him, took out his phone to take a photo, "I'll keep it as a memory. After all, it's the first dish you've cooked for me." After taking the photo, Yuan Ting also grabbed a Polaroid camera, making Cheng Nanyi pose with the pitch-black dish for another picture.

Cheng Nanyi's suggestion to order takeout was blocked by Yuan Ting. The dish wasn't particularly tasty, but it wasn't inedible. Yuan Ting embarked on a 'clean plate' mission, ending up sprawled on the couch, groaning.

Cheng Nanyi wanted to take him for a walk, but Yuan Ting was too lazy, so Cheng Nanyi went downstairs to buy him digestive tablets.

This meal was indeed quite an ordeal.

By the time Yuan Ting had digested his food, it was past ten at night. Having slept half the afternoon, neither of them felt sleepy, and Cheng Nanyi, still adjusting to the time difference, was wide awake.

The two sat in the living room, playing video games.

They played the classic King of Fighters game. Yuan Ting was exceptionally good at it, having spent most of his previous life gaming.

Unable to beat him, Cheng Nanyi heard Yuan Ting's taunt: "Call me 'brother', and I'll share some tips with you."

Cheng Nanyi hooked his arm around Yuan Ting's neck and pulled him closer: "Tell me how to execute that move."

"Call me 'brother' first," Yuan Ting insisted with a laugh while trying to push him away.

The two jostled and pushed, and finally, Yuan Ting ended up half-sitting in Cheng Nanyi's lap, held down, their four hands gripping the same game controller. Cheng Nanyi’s chin rested on Yuan Ting's shoulder: "Come on, little brother, teach me."

Yuan Ting felt a tingle run through half his body at being called "little brother," pressing several buttons on the controller without managing to execute any special move.

"Tsk, seems like the little brother isn’t so skilled after all."

"You're the one who's unskilled," Yuan Ting huffed, "You're just too slow to learn."

They stopped talking, and the room was filled only with the sounds of characters from the game. Yuan Ting, distracted, lost three games in a row.

Cheng Nanyi laughed, to which Yuan Ting stubbornly retorted, "I was just letting you win."

"Well, thank you, little brother."

Yuan Ting couldn’t take it anymore and stood up, pushing Cheng Nanyi away: "Let's sleep, I'm tired."

Watching Yuan Ting enter the bathroom, Cheng Nanyi found it hard to fathom Yuan Ting’s thoughts.

He had grown up with Yuan Ting, and though they had been apart for a while, Yuan Ting had always been close to him. Cheng Nanyi couldn't tell if Yuan Ting now saw him just as a dear brother or harbored feelings beyond that.

He had tried to see if Yuan Ting blushed earlier, but the kid was so tanned that it was impossible to tell.

The house had only one bedroom, so naturally, they shared it. Yuan Ting, no longer minding, flopped onto the bed after his shower.

The bed, with its freshly changed sheets and covers, felt even more comfortable.

After taking a shower, Cheng Nanyi came in to find Yuan Ting sitting on the bed, staring at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized something," Yuan Ting eyed him, "When you asked me this morning if I brought someone home, you weren't just asking about bringing someone, were you?"

"I was just asking about bringing someone," Cheng Nanyi removed his shoes and got onto the bed, draping a corner of the blanket over himself.

"By bringing someone, you meant, you know..."

"Meant what?" Cheng Nanyi countered.

"Shameless." Yuan Ting kicked him lightly, "Do you often bring people home? Is that why you asked so smoothly?"

Cheng Nanyi rolled over to face him: "Yuan Ting, think about how you looked this morning. Was I the one overthinking?"

Yuan Ting pondered for a moment, admitting there was indeed something suggestive about his demeanor that morning.

Turning his back to Cheng Nanyi, Yuan Ting switched off the light with a snap, muttering, "So that's what you think of me."

"What kind of person?" Cheng Nanyi chuckled softly, "You're eighteen now, a grown man. It wouldn’t be surprising whatever you did."

"Shut up," Yuan Ting thought to himself, fearing if the conversation continued, he might indeed start acting like the adult he was.

"Alright," Cheng Nanyi turned over, ending up close to Yuan Ting's side.

Yuan Ting stiffened, but Cheng Nanyi didn't do anything more, prompting Yuan Ting to yawn and close his eyes.

Sleep, sleep, dreams have it all!

When Yuan Ting woke up in the morning, Cheng Nanyi was still asleep. He was dealing with jet lag, having suffered from insomnia for most of the night and only falling asleep in the early hours.

Yuan Ting woke up to find himself completely embraced by Cheng Nanyi, like clutching a doll. No wonder he felt a ghostly pressure in the middle of the night, unable to fully wake up – he had been entangled by someone.

Yuan Ting quietly wriggled out from under Cheng Nanyi's arm, only to hear a groggy voice from above: "What would you like for breakfast? I’ll make it for you."

Yuan Ting sat up, turning to look at the sleep-deprived person, pleading with hands clasped: "Please, brother, I beg you, if the cooking's not good, don't do it again, okay? A younger brother's life matters too."

Cheng Nanyi let out a low chuckle.

Author's note:

A big thank you to the angels who supported me with King's tickets and nutrient solutions from 2023-09-28 11:15:36 to 2023-09-28 19:45:35~

Thank you to the angels who irrigated with nutrient solutions: Wan Zi 15 bottles; Darling i 13 bottles; Qin, Ku Ge Hao Tian 1 bottle each;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!