Chapter 126: Seafood Satay Noodles

Chapter 126: Seafood Satay Noodles

Tan Xing slept straight through until dusk, his eyes opening to a scene bathed in a ripe golden hue.

The room was awash with the sunset's afterglow, as if it were an unreal mirage.

The silence around him was profound enough to hear his own breath. He made no move, merely watching as the light within the room dimmed gradually, sinking into an infinite stillness.

He had no clue about the leads for the mission; tonight would likely be rough. All he could hope for was Liang Xigui's safety, which alone would give him peace of mind.

"Zzzt—"

The door behind him creaked open, and with a "snap," the room was flooded with light.

He closed his eyes, somewhat disoriented, burying his head into the blanket before him.

He felt the bed dip beside him as someone sat down, and a large hand reached out to pull his head from under the covers.

"Are you suffocating?" Liang Xigui asked.

Tan Xing disliked facing the light directly, so he simply tilted his head, shifting his body into the shadow cast by the other person to shield himself from the brightness.

"It's alright."

Liang Xigui scratched under his chin, treating him like a cat, only missing a catnip toy in his hand.

"Mr. Liang didn't wake me up?"

Now that night had fallen, he realized he had slept through the entire afternoon. Most employees would be preparing to leave work at this hour.

"I forgot."

Of all the reasons, Liang Xigui chose the least convincing one, hard to believe.

Tan Xing raised his eyebrows slightly, deliberately saying, "Is this what they call the forgetfulness of the wealthy?"

"I don't know if it counts, but I do know someone who's getting the best of both worlds and still complaining."

Liang Xigui lifted his hand to pinch the kitten's nose, watching as the other party scratched at him in defiance, his lips slowly curling into a smile.

Teasing a cat was such a joyous affair, but one had to control the intensity, enjoying the cat's display of its true nature without truly angering it.

When he felt he had teased enough, Liang Xigui released his hold, leaning down to place a kiss on Tan Xing's lips.

"Get up, change your clothes, we're leaving soon."

Tan Xing took the lead in pulling out a shirt from the paper bag, the simplest step in dressing, and the only one Liang Xigui allowed him to do himself.

"Mr. Liang, I've put on my shirt."

"Good, Xingxing, come over here."

Liang Xigui had already dressed in his pants, and Tan Xing was secretly regretting not being able to see him attach his shirt clip—it must have been sexy.

"Mr. Liang, are we going to eat dinner before we go?"

"Are you hungry, Xingxing?"

Liang Xigui was busy tying his tie, his focused expression once again capturing Tan Xing's attention. Beauty was indeed food for the eyes.

"I'm okay, not very hungry."

"In that case, we'll grab something to eat downstairs later. Don't work on an empty stomach."

Tan Xing naturally had no objections. In his heart, eating was always important. One needed strength to carry out missions after a good meal.

When it came to attaching the shirt clip, Tan Xing still felt embarrassed. He found the idea of having something tied to his thigh rather suggestive.

Feeling his muscles tense, Liang Xigui placed his palm on him, kneading gently but firmly.

"Xingxing, relax."

The warmth from the palm traveled through his senses to his brain, causing small fireworks to explode in his mind, blanking it out for a moment.

"I'll try."

To alleviate the inexplicable stiffness, Liang Xigui helped him sit on the edge of the bed, then placed his foot on his own thigh.

The more nonchalant Liang Xigui's expression, the stronger Tan Xing's sense of shame grew. He was indeed a dirty-minded person, seeing filth in everything.

"Still uncomfortable?"

Tan Xing bent over, snatching the tie clip from his hands. "I'll do it myself, Mr. Liang."

Noticing his red ears, Liang Xigui deliberately reached up to playfully touch them, asking knowingly, "Is Xingxing blushing?"

"It's just...it's a bit strange."

Seeing that he didn't refute him, Liang Xigui's smile widened slightly.

"It's just a tie clip, everyone wears one. What is Xingxing embarrassed about?"

Tan Xing fell silent, silently struggling with the tie clip in his hands. Damn it, why couldn't he thread it through the hole.

A thin layer of sweat formed on his nose, and Liang Xigui watched quietly, not offering any guidance.

"Mr. Liang?"

"What is it, Xingxing?"

The inflection at the end of his last word rose slightly, like bait tossed by a hunter, waiting for the prey to take the hook.

"Help me out."

Hearing what he wanted to hear, Liang Xigui picked up the tie clip again, and Tan Xing didn't utter another word of refusal, obediently extending his leg in cooperation.

After finishing dressing, Liang Xigui checked every detail of the clothes from top to bottom, smoothing out any slight wrinkles by hand.

Then he pulled a small box seemingly out of thin air from his pocket, inside which lay a brand new brooch.

This time, the style of the brooch was chain-like, with one end a pure white wing and the other a tender yellow star.

"This brooch design is so childlike," Tan Xing commented.

Liang Xigui fastened it for him, and with the addition of the chain, the whole thing felt much more luxurious.

"I wish I had a pair of large wings, able to fly into the sky and pluck down the stars."

This design slogan, full of fairy-tale charm, struck a chord with Liang Xigui's heart, as if it were predestined, and he bought it without hesitation.

"Alright, let's go have dinner first."

He sent a message to the driver, asking him to wait downstairs half an hour later.

Liang Xigui held Tan Xing's hand, walking down Business Street next to the company, occasionally discussing what to eat.

"Satay noodles? Are they good? Has Mr. Liang tried them?"

A series of questions came at him, but Liang Xigui guessed Tan Xing's thoughts, and at this moment, the answer didn't seem that important.

"Had them once, not bad, want to give them a try, Stars?"

Tan Xing nodded along with his words, and the two walked into the restaurant together, each ordering a bowl of seafood satay noodles.

Within ten minutes, two steaming bowls of noodles were served, filled with a rich variety of ingredients.

Tan Xing picked up his chopsticks and mixed the noodles, revealing all the ingredients inside: oysters, shrimp, squid, old clams, and various animal innards.

He leaned in for a sniff and said, "Smells delicious."

"The name 'satay noodles' comes from satay sauce, which has a very unique taste when you eat it, give it a try, Stars."

Tan Xing couldn't wait, picking up a mouthful with his chopsticks.

The crushed peanuts blended perfectly with the special sauce, carrying a hint of garlic, and the broth was incredibly fresh.

"It's really good."

Liang Xigui pulled out a tissue and wiped off the soup that had splashed on the other's cheek.

"If it's good, eat more, but don't overdo it, or the buttons won't hold later."

Tan Xing took Liang Xigui's warning as mere background noise, knowing that the other would surely remind him to stop at the right time.

"In that case, I want another bowl later."

"Okay."

The first peeled shrimp was still placed in Liang Xigui's bowl, and whenever Tan Xing had something delicious, he would save the first bite for him.

In the world of food lovers, sharing food was probably the best way they knew how to show their affection.