Chapter 52: Jianbing Guozi

Chapter 52: Jianbing

The anticipated head-smashing blow never came. Liu Erxing watched Yun Fan approach and remount his electric scooter.

"I'll lead, you follow!" Yun Fan called out.

What, did Yun Fan have enemies here? Liu Erxing paused, forgetting to start his own scooter.

"What's wrong with you?" Yun Fan waved, then realized, "Oh, don't be scared, I'm not looking for a fight."

"The road ahead is flooded. I grabbed a brick so drivers won't dare speed through and splash us," Yun Fan explained. "It's just street smarts."

Liu Erxing couldn't help but burst into laughter, doubling over. He decided to get off and pick up a brick himself—double the deterrence, even more effective!

It had rained the day before, and the low-lying areas were still waterlogged. As they navigated the deeper sections, both lifted their feet to avoid the splash.

Fortunately, Yun Fan was quick-witted and prepared. The moment he flashed his brick, oncoming vehicles halted, not daring to approach them.

"Nice one!" Liu Erxing praised once they were past the flooded stretch. "I genuinely wonder what treasures are stored in that head of yours."

"Just average, third-best in the country," Yun Fan said, tucking the brick into a hidden spot and clapping his hands. "It's nothing, really. You learn these things with experience."

Liu Erxing paused, curious, but Yun Fan simply smiled, offering no further explanation. Liu Erxing understood—Yun Fan was a master of understated achievement.

The auntie selling jianbing had been at this spot for over thirty years. They arrived early, but others had come even earlier, and the queue stretched long.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Liu Erxing grew impatient at the sight of so many people.

Yun Fan turned away, chuckling, unable to console him. The auntie, however, paid no mind to who was in line; her sole focus was on making her jianbing.

When it was finally their turn, Liu Erxing eagerly handed over the eggs: "Auntie, two eggs, two jianbing, two portions. Here are the eggs."

"Oh, isn't this Xingxing? Finally decided to come back, huh?" The auntie's voice was loud, drawing glances from those nearby.

Liu Erxing, uncharacteristically shy, scratched his ear: "Yeah, brought a friend to try it."

The auntie cracked the eggs, looking up, and her face lit up at the sight of Yun Fan: "Is this your friend? He's so handsome! Auntie will add extra scallions for you."

It seemed Liu Erxing was a regular here. Yun Fan tilted his head, smiling at him. He'd never heard anyone else call Liu Erxing "Xingxing"—only someone who saw him as a child would use such a nickname.

The usually boisterous Liu Erxing was unusually bashful. He nudged Yun Fan's head, his cheeks flushed an uncommon red.

"Stop laughing, stop laughing. Do you want spicy?" Liu Erxing asked, feigning composure.

Yun Fan shook his head. The auntie cheerfully handed them their jianbing: "Here you go, take it. Grab two sausages from the stall next door—Auntie's treat."

"No need…" Liu Erxing began, but Yun Fan patted his arm.

"Okay, Auntie, I've scanned the payment," Yun Fan said with a bright smile. "See you next time!"

"Ah, see you next time!" The auntie quickly turned to her next regular customer, sighing, "They're gone already. That boy is really good-looking."

After collecting the sausages, Yun Fan took a bite. Juice and gristle dripped, burning his mouth. He yelped, shaking his tongue and hopping on the spot.

"What's wrong, what's wrong? Let me see." Liu Erxing reached out, intending to cup Yun Fan's chin for inspection.

Yun Fan dodged, fanning his mouth with his hand. Once he recovered, he said, "Auntie gave us sausages because she likes you. You're not short on money, and she knows it, but if you insist on paying, she'll be sad."

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Liu Erxing replied glumly.

Yun Fan smiled, shaking the substantial jianbing in his hand: "It really smells amazing. So this is what real jianbing tastes like—what I had before was fake."

Crispy yet soft, the perfect heat giving the pancake the right texture. Yun Fan thought, the auntie truly was a master—every bite carried the mark of years of experience.

"I lived with my grandparents when I was little, right around here," Liu Erxing pointed. "See, where that tall building is now? It's been demolished."

"I see," Yun Fan replied. "So you're like Mr. Zhaofu, not living with your parents as a child."

Liu Erxing glanced at him: "Zhaofu was lying low. I just had no one to look after me. But it was better than being with my parents—saved me from listening to them argue all day."

Yun Fan looked at Liu Erxing sympathetically. He knew childhood wounds take a long time to heal, sometimes never fully.

Then Yun Fan remembered their first meeting, when Liu Erxing jokingly called himself a "mixed heritage," half-Tianjin, half-Beijing. Thinking back, those words carried a tinge of sadness.

Noticing Yun Fan's changed expression, Liu Erxing turned away. Yun Fan's gaze held teasing, indifference, pity—but not a trace of affection.

He knew Yun Fan had only ever seen him as someone easy to talk to. But after all this time, they hadn't developed any other feelings, which left him feeling defeated.

And now, Yun Fan had to bring up someone else, making Liu Erxing even more frustrated.

"You seem to know a lot about the Wen family," Yun Fan said, pulling out a tissue to wipe his mouth. "You're like a walking encyclopedia."

Liu Erxing shrugged, his smile fading. He could tell Yun Fan was testing him. It only made him angrier, thinking how seriously Yun Fan took his role as Wen Zhaofu's little butler.

So he chose to skip the question, yawning and running his hand through his hair. Tall and striking, his every move exuded ease. With just that slight motion, more eyes turned toward him on the street.

"I'm racing on Saturday. You should come watch," Liu Erxing tilted his head.

Yun Fan raised an eyebrow, thinking: "Sure, I've never seen one before."

Hearing this, Liu Erxing finally smiled satisfactorily, even enjoying his jianbing with a childhood nostalgia.

*

They'd slept far too little the previous night. Back at the hotel, Yun Fan could barely string words together. Liu Erxing found his dazed state amusing, gently tapping the back of Yun Fan's head.

"What?" Yun Fan squinted at Liu Erxing. "I really need to sleep. If I don't, I'll pass out."

"Okay, sleep, sleep." Liu Erxing found Yun Fan too adorable, his voice soft and doting, unlike his usual self. "Get a good rest. I'll take you out tonight."

"Mm, okay. Thank you, Young Master Liu." Yun Fan waved behind him, opening the room door.

Liu Erxing stood at the door until it closed again, then shrugged and left with a smile. He felt strange—his heart racing, the person he liked right there, yet his mind didn't command him to rush in and hold them tight.

He felt Yun Fan had a certain magic, making him excited yet instantly calm. But then he realized it was himself being too cautious, afraid to overstep and lose Yun Fan completely.

Before passing out entirely, Yun Fan remembered to send a message to Wen Zhaofu. They kept in close contact, and Yun Fan worried if he slept through the notification, Wen Zhaofu would worry.

In Hong Kong, Wen Zhaofu covered his mouth with a hand, smiling at Yun Fan's diary-like message. He was in a meeting and couldn't linger on the chat with Yun Fan.

A moment later, Wen Zhaofu placed his phone face down and returned his attention to the presentation on the screen.

But though Wen Zhaofu thought he hid his emotions well, everyone in the meeting saw the vivid happiness in his eyes.

It was a palpable joy, making the usually inscrutable Wen Zhaofu even more enigmatic.

By evening, Yun Fan woke up at eight, rubbing his forehead and thinking his sleep schedule was ruined. Everything was a mess, and he had no sense of time.

Liu Erxing was also groggy, seemingly still tired, his demeanor dull. He took Yun Fan for skewers but ate little himself, mostly drinking soda.

Yun Fan had seen many sides of Liu Erxing—flying high, running wild, dancing in clubs—but rarely this foolish, spacey version.

In Yun Fan's eyes, Liu Erxing was actually the most enigmatic among the four big shots. He used his street-smart vibe to conceal his sharpness, floating around everywhere like he didn’t belong. No one knew what he truly cared about, which in turn gave him a layer of safety.

Yun Fan was all about good food. Holding two skewers in each hand, he ate from the left, then the right, and even put away a good number of spicy crayfish. Watching him eat with his hands and mouth covered in oil, Liu Erxing was cracking up, laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Yun Fan blinked his big eyes and opened his mouth: "Don't sweat it, this round's on me. I'm gonna eat a bit more—it's really delicious."

"You're not paying for anything," Liu Erxing wiped his palms and looked down at the lamb skewers. "There's so little I can do for you. At least let me handle this."

"Aw, don't be like that, you're making me cringe," Yun Fan chuckled. "Alright then, I won't fight you on it."

Not wanting to ruin Yun Fan's appetite, Liu Erxing didn't say anymore. He smiled and handed Yun Fan a small plate.

Later, Liu Erxing took Yun Fan to a flea market. They kept a tight grip on their phones, strolling while keeping an eye on their belongings.

When Liu Erxing was young, his grandfather often brought him here. Every time, he'd end up losing some money—a rather painful childhood memory. With barely any pocket money to begin with, it all ended up in the hands of petty thieves.

Yun Fan looked around at the various stalls displaying all sorts of items. He peered under the light and let out an "Ah!"

Liu Erxing, puzzled, leaned in closer and saw the excitement in Yun Fan's eyes. But Yun Fan quickly covered his mouth, as if afraid to reveal something important.

"Didn't you say most things here are fakes?" Yun Fan moved closer to Liu Erxing, unable to contain his excitement. "That jar is real—it's from the Ming Dynasty!"

"You know about this?!" Liu Erxing was astonished.

Yun Fan got pumped, totally ready to go. "My family used to subscribe to antique magazines—I loved reading them. Follow me, Young Master Liu's gonna bag some legit antiques today."

For the next few hours, Liu Erxing barely noticed the annoying mosquitoes buzzing around him, too busy following Yun Fan and paying for his purchases.

Although his cash was draining fast, he never once doubted Yun Fan's judgment.

On the contrary, this antique guru went from stall to stall in the not-so-long alley, haggling like a pro.

Liu Erxing sucked in a breath as Yun Fan picked up another small bowl. He had a feeling Yun Fan would help him clean up tonight.

"Ah, that's really it for now," Yun Fan rubbed his hands together, satisfied as he looked at the items Liu Erxing was holding.

Liu Erxing thought for a moment, handed Yun Fan one of the bags, then picked up a brick at the corner of the alley. Yun Fan laughed and asked what he was doing.

"In case things get sketchy," Liu Erxing whispered.

Yun Fan's eyes widened instantly, his lips forming a small "o." Liu Erxing found him so adorable that his heart fluttered. He bit his lip to regain his composure.

"Come on, stay close," Liu Erxing jerked his chin.

Once they stepped out of the dark alley into an open area, Yun Fan breathed a huge sigh of relief. He'd been so caught up in the excitement that he'd forgotten the potential dangers.

"Thank you," Yun Fan said generously.

Liu Erxing shook his head. "Don't mention it. I should be thanking you. I'll contact the auction house tomorrow—after reselling these, I'll make more this month than Cheng Yu. Don't worry, I'll give you the lion's share."

Yun Fan burst out laughing. Who would've thought these young masters from wealthy families were so hung up on comparing themselves?

"Cheng Yu would never come to places like this with you, right?" Liu Erxing looked at Yun Fan with interest. "Hao Chen wouldn't either—places like this aren't part of his world."

"What about Zhaofu?" Liu Erxing gazed deeply at Yun Fan. Before Yun Fan could reply, he added, "Don't put him through that. Besides, he doesn't need any of this—the place where he stores his antiques has the highest level of security, even higher than Wen Yanlan's mansion."

"Oh? Really?" Yun Fan blinked.

"You've never been?" Liu Erxing asked curiously. "Wow, so Zhaofu still sees you as an outsider."

Yun Fan frowned and retorted, "It's because Butler Yun wouldn't let me go. He only allowed me to visit the wine cellar."

"Well, that's Zhaofu's loss," Liu Erxing shot back. "You have so many talents, and he hasn't discovered half of them."

With that, Liu Erxing put on his usual cheeky grin: "It's much better staying with me, isn't it? We can have fun and make money at the same time."

Yun Fan thought to himself that staying at Langyuntai wasn't exactly like being in prison—it's not like he was locked up.

Just then, Liu Erxing's phone rang. He frowned as he read the messages from Cheng Yu and Wen Haochen.

Damn—these two were planning to come watch his racing event. Wen Zhaofu had told them about it.

Annoying Cheng Yu: "Da Liu, I'll be arriving Friday afternoon. Please arrange food and accommodation for me. I'll cover the expenses myself."

Little Wen: "Brother Xing! I finally got my big brother's permission. Please save me a seat next to Butler Yun~"

Sit together, my ass! Liu Erxing spat angrily.

That Wen Zhaofu—even though he wasn't coming himself, he was still stirring up trouble from a thousand miles away.

Damn it, what a pain in the ass!