Chapter 174

Chapter 174

◎ Love deepens from the ache of cherishing you. ◎

As night fell, all was quiet.

Nearly midnight, a lamp still glowed in the kitchen of Xiangyanghua Elementary School, and occasionally, a few whispers like spring drizzle drifted out.

Half an hour earlier, Meng Qi, Ren Suiyi, and the other four had finally finalized the specific rules for the "Xiangyanghua Elementary School Parent Incentive Mechanism." By then, Qu Liang, Zhao Zheyuan, Li Qingjiang, and Liang Wenkai were already drowsy and wiped out, dying to bolt back to their rooms and sleep. When Meng Qi said, "Let's call it a day for now; we'll pick up the rest tomorrow," it was like a starter's pistol fired. The moment his words faded, their butts were out of their chairs, racing each other out the door.

Meng Qi wasn't sleepy, but he was hungry and wanted to grab a bite. Eating alone felt a bit dull, so he called out to the others as they left, "Anyone want a late-night snack?" The unanimous response was a firm "No."

What a shame, Meng Qi pouted slightly.

Just then, Ren Suiyi, who had been sitting steadily behind him, stood up and said, "Come on, I'll eat with you."

And that led to the scene at the beginning.

Tonight's late-night snack wasn't the easy-to-digest clear noodle soup but a rich, elaborate meatball soup.

Knowing that Meng Qi's hunger wasn't because he ate too little, but because someone was competing with him for the nutrition, Ren Suiyi made this first post-revelation meal hearty, doubling up on the nutrition so that Meng Qi could both fill his stomach and replenish his energy.

"But meatball soup is so much trouble. I say just boil some noodles. It's snowing outside, getting colder by the minute—it's not worth it. I'll just eat more of Uncle Gu's nutritious meals tomorrow during the day to make up for it."

Meng Qi stood behind Ren Suiyi, who was wearing an apron and mincing meat, peeking over his shoulder. He watched Ren Suiyi peel the skin off a piece of pork belly with a perfect mix of fat and lean, then sliced it, diced it, and minced it into a paste. The movements were fluid, clean, and graceful—very pleasing to watch, and even—magical.

Whenever such a simple, happy scene played out before him, a sense of unreality would linger in his heart, making him wonder if this happiness was truly his. Things he had longed for but never had, only to wake up and find it right there—wasn't that even more amazing?

Ren Suiyi turned his head back, rubbing his chin against Meng Qi's cheek, a beautiful curve forming at the corners of his mouth. "I don't find it troublesome. Make up for today's nutrition tomorrow? Tomorrow's nutrition is for tomorrow; tonight's is for now. They don't interfere."

Meng Qi wanted to respond, "It looks troublesome to me—how can it not be for you?" But then he glanced at the pork on the cutting board, already minced into a paste mixed with green scallion bits, yellow ginger pieces, and white lotus root cubes, looking like a beautiful painting. Suddenly, he didn't want to say it anymore. The urge to taste Ren Suiyi's meatball soup swept over him irresistibly, making him swallow hard...

How embarrassing!

With saliva flooding his mouth, Meng Qi silently buried his face, which was beginning to flush, into Ren Suiyi's back to cool down while inwardly digesting the awkwardness.

"Tired? Go sit on that chair over there and wait. It'll be another twenty minutes before we eat." As he spoke, Ren Suiyi leaned forward slightly, curving his back into a smooth arch so Meng Qi could rest more comfortably.

Meng Qi shifted with Ren Suiyi's movement, searching for a cozier spot, and mumbled into Ren Suiyi's back, "Not tired, just craving. I'll just stand here and take in the aroma."

Instantly, Ren Suiyi's shoulders shook with laughter, trembling for a good while before he steadied his breath and said to Meng Qi, "Alright, I'll speed up then. Can't have you craving too badly."

"Cross my heart, it's not me being greedy. Let me tell you," Meng Qi inched his way up slowly, eventually resting his chin on Ren Suiyi's shoulder, staring at the meat paste on the board while drooling, and vehemently explained, "I'm really not greedy. I never had this problem before."

Ren Suiyi's shoulders shook with laughter again. His hand, which was stirring the meat paste, nearly lost grip on the chopsticks. He paused for a while before continuing to mix the Sichuan pepper water into the paste.

Using Sichuan pepper water that had been soaked in hot water for half a day to mix the meat not only made the meatballs smoother but also removed any gamey smell and enhanced the aroma—much more effective than using seasoning alone.

But it was very tiring and troublesome. Usually, when adding seasoning to the meat, a few stirs to blend it in would suffice, taking less than a minute. But with the Sichuan pepper water, to incorporate half a bowl of water, you'd need to stir for at least ten minutes, because if you didn't stir enough, the meat wouldn't hold the moisture.

It was an old trick used by grandparents' generation. Ren Suiyi actually knew it too. The more Meng Qi watched, the more stunned he became, inwardly guessing if the author of this novel was a hardcore foodie, thus giving Ren Suiyi the "master chef" skill point.

"I know. The greedy one is someone else. I've got a score to settle with him. When he comes out, I'll teach him a lesson for you. Making you work so hard and making you misunderstood—he deserves a spanking." Ren Suiyi stopped laughing, adopting a more serious tone, slapping the meat paste forcefully while talking to Meng Qi.

It gave Meng Qi quite a start, and he couldn't help but mutter inwardly: Is he taking out his anger on the meat paste as if it were the little one?

"Actually... maybe it's me who's greedy. I haven't felt the little one move for half a day. I guess he's sleeping now. People don't feel hungry when they're asleep, so of course they wouldn't be craving, right?" Meng Qi asked cautiously, with a hint of pleading.

Ren Suiyi stopped slapping the meat, turned his head to glance at Meng Qi, and was probably touched by Meng Qi's flinching, rabbit-like expression. The next second, he raised his oily hands high, clamped Meng Qi's face with his elbows, quickly leaned down, and planted a kiss on Meng Qi's lips. Then, with a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, he said, "For your sake, I'll let this one slide. But if he bullies you again, I'll still hold a grudge."

Meng Qi: ...

It seemed that if he wanted the little one to leave a good impression on his biological father, he'd really have to watch his words from now on.

Over ten minutes later, the plump, round meatballs finally bobbed to the surface one after another. Amid the swirling steam, the aroma of pork belly, combined with the fragrance of the scallions thrown into the pot at the last moment, rushed into Meng Qi's nose, making his stomach growl and his mouth water uncontrollably.

"Are they done, bro? They say once they float up, they're cooked."

His eyes fixed on the meatballs rising and falling with the rolling water, he asked Ren Suiyi impatiently. Not stopping there, Meng Qi kept leaning forward, almost sticking his head into the pot.

Ren Suiyi scooped out a meatball with a ladle, but just as Meng Qi leaned in to take a bite, he turned it away. Then, while explaining, he fanned the meatball with his hand to cool it down, "It's too hot straight out of the pot. And I need to taste it first to see if it's done. Then it's yours."

"They float, so they're done. I guarantee it!" Meng Qi raised three fingers, swearing his words were the truth, a golden rule.

Ren Suiyi smiled but didn't respond. He stepped back a few paces to where the utensils were, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, then, under Meng Qi's unblinking stare, picked up the meatball and took a small bite.

"How is it? Done? It's done, right?" Meng Qi asked immediately, looking utterly impatient.

It should have been a funny scene, but Ren Suiyi's eyes were full of concern. He nodded, shoved the remaining half of the meatball into Meng Qi's mouth, and urged him to chew slowly, warning that the meatball had soup inside and might burn him... As Meng Qi savored the joy of eating, Ren Suiyi let out a soft sigh, turned around to get two bowls, and began ladling the meatballs into them.

Lost in the deliciousness, Meng Qi didn't notice the change in Ren Suiyi's expression. After finishing the half meatball, he was truly blissful. Wrapping his arms around Ren Suiyi's waist, he began to flatter him, "So good, bro. This is absolutely the best meatball I've ever had. If you opened a meatball shop, it'd be a smash hit. I'd come every day to support you!"

Ren Suiyi placed one bowl of meatball soup on the table, then set out a stool for Meng Qi. Before he could beckon Meng Qi over, Meng Qi was already there, having grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and taken a seat. He first hugged the bowl, took a sip of the soup along the rim, swallowed it with delight, and then used his chopsticks to pick up a meatball.

"Careful, it's hot. This batch has plenty of soup. You need to bite into it slowly, don't pop the whole thing in your mouth." Ren Suiyi sat down with his own bowl, reminding Meng Qi before he even settled.

"I know, bro. I'll be careful." Meng Qi cautiously took a small bite of the steaming meatball. Eating it hot was even better than when it cooled, making him hiss and sigh with pleasure as he savored it.

Ren Suiyi watched Meng Qi enjoying the food, and that flicker of concern appeared in his eyes again. Then he lowered his head, slowly stirring his bowl of meatball soup with his chopsticks, round and round, without taking a bite.

Although Meng Qi seemed completely focused on the meatballs, this time he noticed Ren Suiyi's emotional shift. He unconsciously slowed down his eating, casting puzzled glances at Ren Suiyi from time to time.

"Eat up. I'm not hungry. This bowl is yours too." Perhaps Ren Suiyi misinterpreted Meng Qi's intent, or maybe he was deliberately using this banter to avoid worrying Meng Qi. When Meng Qi snuck a peek at him for the umpteenth time, he said this.

Meng Qi instantly blushed. "You eat too. This one bowl is enough for me."

He was hungry, and there was an uncontrollable craving, but he wasn't a pig—he couldn't possibly gobble down Ren Suiyi's portion too. After all, Ren Suiyi had been busy all evening and only got to taste a tiny bite. That would be too heartless.

Ren Suiyi pointed to the pot behind him. "If I want more, I'll get it. There's still some in the pot. This bowl is for you. I'm just cooling it down."

"...Thanks, bro. But I want to eat together with you. It tastes better when we eat together." Meng Qi rested his chin on his hand, smiling at Ren Suiyi. But as he looked, he became embarrassed and looked away first.

He wasn't yet good at whispering sweet nothings like that. He said it on impulse, but his mental fortitude wasn't strong enough; he couldn't hold Ren Suiyi's gaze for more than a few seconds before backing down.

Just as Meng Qi lowered his head, Ren Suiyi abruptly stood up from his stool. Then, as Meng Qi looked up in confusion, he leaned down and fiercely captured Meng Qi's lips.

A man of action, indeed—no warning at all...

Meng Qi was kissed senseless, and in the end, he didn't even know if he was still hungry.

But as he sank into the soft clouds, he thought he heard Ren Suiyi say something to him. If he hadn't misheard, Ren Suiyi had said, "I'm sorry, you've been through a lot."

That was really touching.

"Author's Note"

In the days I was away, I wrote a short story, "Solo Reflection," to gather some motivation [hug]. Feel free to check it out if interested [hug]. It's in the "Short, Sweet, Modern" column.

Also: 'yexiao' or 'xiaoye'? After reading it a few times, I suddenly got choice paralysis—felt like both were correct, but neither was quite right. I even forgot which one I usually say... In the end, I went with 'yexiao' (nighttime food). That's that [hug].

Finally, thank you to those who share my stories with friends. I'm not sure which story is being shared, but as moonstones slowly increase, my happiness keeps soaring [hug].