Chapter 13 First Order

"Alright, I'll pass on the message."

Sun Zhiqiang turned and left, his two lackeys quickly followed.

Lu Shiyan, who had watched the whole thing, leaned in toward Xie Fengshi after they left, his soft cheek pressing against Xie Fengshi's arm. "Did he give you trouble before?"

"Mm, he cornered me once."

"What?! Where? When? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Xie Fengshi, startled by Lu Shiyan's outburst, he nearly dropped the frosting on his clothes. "Keep your voice down."

Lu Shiyan lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his agitation. "He cornered you?! Why would he do that?!"

Amused by Lu Shiyan's indignant reaction, Xie Fengshi chuckled. "Why are you so fired up?"

Lu Shiyan was already pulling out his phone. "How can I not be worked up when someone bullies my friend? No, I need to find out."

Xie Fengshi pushed his phone down. "Alright, it's already resolved. Someone helped me."

"Who?"

"A friend of a friend."

Lu Shiyan looked at him suspiciously. "You're not lying to me? You have other friends here?"

Xie Fengshi: "...You make it sound like I'm not worthy of having friends."

Lu Shiyan scratched his head sheepishly. "That's not what I meant. You used to be alone a lot, right? I see you don't talk much at school and leave right after class. I thought you didn't have many friends."

Xie Fengshi didn't respond. He picked up his hot cocoa and took a big gulp. This time it didn't taste too sweet—maybe his tongue was already numb from all the sugar.

Lu Shiyan explained, "I didn't mean that, don't read too much into it."

Xie Fengshi set down the cup. "I'm not overthinking. I really don't have many friends. You're one of them."

When he thought about it, that was true. Isaac was his first friend here and also his lunch partner. Kaelen didn't count—he was Isaac's brother and he'd only seen him three times. Aunt Lin and Uncle Li were his bosses and also his elders.

So aside from Isaac, his only friend was Lu Shiyan.

Lu Shiyan was touched by Xie Fengshi's words. "Really?"

"Mm."

"Then I'm so happy! Don't worry! From now on, if I have food, you have food! If anyone messes with you, I'll be the first to step up!"

Seeing him act like he was about to swear a blood oath right then and there, Xie Fengshi finally burst out laughing. "You're so weird."

"What's weird about that?"

"You trust people way too easily. How long have we even known each other?"

Lu Shiyan brushed it off. "You think I believe everything people say?"

True, Lu Shiyan wasn't dumb. And everything he said was genuine—you couldn't argue with that.

The two sat in the café for a while until Lu Shiyan got a phone call and had to leave. Before leaving, he didn't forget to remind Xie Fengshi: "Don't forget tonight! I'll come get you!"

"Yeah, got it."

After Lu Shiyan left, Xie Fengshi sat alone and finished the remaining cinnamon roll. The sun made him feel lazy. He leaned back in his chair, squinting at the people running across the lawn.

The autumn sunlight was nice—not as harsh as summer or as cold as winter. It felt warm on his face, making him drowsy.

……

When Sun Zhiqiang walked out of the café, his face was as dark as the sky before a storm. His two lackeys followed behind, barely daring to breathe.

After walking quite a distance, one of them cautiously spoke up: "Brother Qiang, about that Xie Fengshi..."

"Shut it."

The lackey immediately shut up. It wasn't that Sun didn't want to blow up—he just couldn't.

He still remembered clearly the look Xie Fengshi had given him in the café earlier. There was no anger, no resentment, not even contempt—just a mild confusion.

Xie Fengshi truly didn't understand why he always targeted him.

This confusion was the worst part, because it meant in Xie Fengshi's eyes, he was no better than a clown.

Plus, Lu Shiyan's attitude really bothered him.

Lu Shiyan was known in the international student community for his easygoing nature. His family was rich and powerful, but he never acted stuck-up, so he could chat and hang with anyone. But everyone knew Lu Shiyan only seemed easygoing on the surface. He could be friends with everyone, but he only let a very few people into his real circle.

As for the message Xie Fengshi asked him to pass on, Sun could already picture Xie Yun's face when he heard that.

Sun Zhiqiang knew Xie Yun quite well.

When he was first brought back, he acted humble and polite, always knowing his place. He was dutiful and respectful to Xie's parents, and also polite to Xie Fengshi, calling him affectionately. During that time, everyone thought this real young master was easy to get along with, while Xie Fengshi, the fake one, was the clueless and tactless one.

Later, the tides turned. When Xie Fengshi was sent away, Sun was actually relieved.

Xie Yun seemed gentle on the surface, but deep down he had an indescribable oppressive aura about him. His methods toward Xie Fengshi were like slowly boiling a frog—each instance was a small thing, but no matter how minor, they piled up into a mountain.

Xie Fengshi was crushed under that weight, and Xie's parents completely took the side of their wronged biological son.

At the time, Sun felt Xie Yun's methods weren't exactly honorable, but he got it.

After all, he was the real deal. After twenty years out in the cold, he finally came back, only to find a fake young master in the family taking his spot and enjoying the wealth and status that were rightfully his.

So when Xie Yun repeatedly hinted for him to 'look after' Xie Fengshi, Sun agreed without a second thought.

Sending a few texts, spreading a few rumors, kicking Xie when he was down—these were small favors he could do on the side.

But now Sun was a bit confused. Xie Fengshi had already been sent far away, to a country with a time difference of over ten hours. He had no family, no money—just enough to be down and out, like a homeless mutt.

Why wouldn't Xie Yun just let him go?

Sun had thought about these things before, but he hadn't wanted to look too closely. Now, sitting in the car with the autumn sun making him irritable, he couldn't push these questions away anymore.

The Xie Fengshi today was no longer the glorious young master from memory, nor the walking corpse he'd been when he first arrived.

The ease Xie Fengshi now radiated from head to toe couldn't be faked. Sun considered himself pretty experienced with life abroad and had seen many kids sent here. They arrived full of energy, started missing home after two months, and after six months either completely went wild or got crushed under coursework.

Freedom overseas is a double-edged sword.

Some people sink into that freedom—partying day and night, failing classes, putting off graduation or dropping out, and getting sent back home.

Some people thrive in freedom, learning to cook, to be alone, and to take care of themselves in a foreign land.

Xie Fengshi clearly belonged to the latter group. The first time Sun Zhiqiang went to hassle him, the man poked his head out from the kitchen, looking at him as if he were a stranger. That feeling really got under Sun Zhiqiang's skin, so he decided to ambush Xie Fengshi that night.

He wanted to see if this guy truly didn’t care or was just pretending.

But before he could make a move, he was intercepted. It wasn’t the two bodyguards behind the man that intimidated them; it was the man himself, whose presence was overwhelmingly powerful. Sun Zhiqiang had felt that same kind of presence in many high-ranking officials.

Sun Zhiqiang later made inquiries and learned that this man was called Kaylen Zephyr.

The Zephyr family, a multi-generational old-money family, had interests in finance, energy, and luxury goods, with deep connections in both political and business circles. Kaylen Zephyr was the heir to the family. That someone like him would appear in this shabby neighborhood and claim he was just passing by—hell if anyone believed that.

He passed this information on to Xie Yun. It took a long time before the voice on the other end of the phone spoke. All Xie Yun said was telling Sun Zhiqiang to keep a closer eye on Xie Fengshi.

When Xie Yun said "keep an eye on him," his tone sounded very concerned for Xie Fengshi, who was alone abroad. But Sun Zhiqiang knew Xie Yun didn’t mean that. Xie Yun wasn’t someone who cared about others; he only ever cared about himself.

He was afraid Xie Fengshi would climb the social ladder, afraid he would turn things around, and even more afraid that one day Xie Fengshi would come back to get even.

Sun Zhiqiang wasn't sure how to explain today's events to Xie Yun, nor how to describe Xie Fengshi’s current state.

"He’s doing pretty well."

Saying that would probably upset Xie Yun.

But it was also the truth. In this place where no one knew him, Xie Fengshi had genuinely come back to life, and he was living more seriously than anyone else.

...

At seven in the evening, Lu Shiyan showed up right on time at the entrance of Good Fortune. Xie Fengshi hadn’t even untied his apron when he saw Lu Shiyan stick half his head out of the car window and wave at him: "Over here, over here!"

Xie Fengshi said goodbye to Aunt Lin and walked out. He pulled open the car door and was startled by the scene inside. The backseat was packed with several shopping bags, stuffed full—everything from vegetables to meat to seasonings, all in abundance.

"Did you empty the supermarket?"

"No way, I only bought enough to last. I was afraid you’d come over and find something missing, so I bought a bit more."

"How are you going to finish all this?"

"Hey, I’ve got you, don’t I?"

The car merged onto the main road. Xie Fengshi leaned against the window, watching the scenery shift from dilapidated low-rise buildings to modern glass facades. The streetlights grew brighter, the roads wider, and the pedestrians’ attire noticeably more refined.

"Where do you live?" Xie Fengshi asked.

"Right near the school. We’ll be there soon."

Xie Fengshi didn’t ask any more questions. Lu Shiyan drove just like he was—steady but not fast, slowing down well before any speed bumps. While waiting at a red light, he would even take the opportunity to glance at Xie Fengshi: "Are you hungry? I bought some fruit—want to grab a snack?"

"I’m not hungry. Just focus on driving."

"Okay." Lu Shiyan obediently turned back, but after two seconds, he spoke again: "Do you think I should buy a rice cooker tomorrow? Mine at home seems a bit old."

"Let me take a look first."

"Good point."

The building styles along the streets gradually changed from modern glass facades to classical stone fronts, and the streetlights became retro black wrought-iron lamp posts. Warm yellow light spilled onto the road, casting shadows of the trees.

Lu Shiyan drove into an even quieter street, lined with orderly row houses. Lights were on in the porches, and pedestrians passed by walking their dogs. The car stopped in front of a building. Lu Shiyan swiped his card to open the gate and drove into the underground parking garage.

"We’re here, we’re here." Lu Shiyan turned off the engine.

Xie Fengshi picked up the shopping bags from the backseat. Lu Shiyan immediately reached out: "Give those to me. You take the lighter ones."

"I’ll handle it."

"I invited you to cook—how could I let you carry the stuff?"

"You said it yourself, you invited me, and you’re paying me."

They went back and forth for a while, and finally each carried half.

The elevator was private, requiring a card swipe for access. Lu Shiyan swiped his card, and the doors closed. The mirrored walls reflected the two of them holding shopping bags.

The elevator doors opened to reveal an entryway paved with dark gray stone. An abstract painting hung on the wall. Lu Shiyan kicked off his shoes and ran in barefoot: "Come in, come in, no need to take off your shoes."

Xie Fengshi walked in, passed the entryway, and the view opened up.

The living room had a high ceiling, with a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the city’s nightscape. Thousands of lights spread out below like a carpet, and in the distance, the spire of a landmark building was visible. The living room had a set of sofas, a fireplace opposite them, and a large oil painting hanging above it.

The kitchen was open-plan, equipped with an island, a double-door refrigerator, a built-in oven, and a six-burner stove. Unfortunately, the countertops were bare—not even a seasoning bottle in sight.

Standing by the island, Xie Fengshi looked around and couldn’t help but remark: "Your place is really big."

"What’s the use of having a big place if I don’t know how to use it?" Lu Shiyan had already curled up on the sofa, only his head visible. "I moved in over half a year ago, and I’ve only used the kitchen once—set off the fire alarm."

Lu Shiyan crawled out of the sofa, looking aggrieved: "Do you know how I’ve been surviving these past six months? Takeout, convenience stores, takeout, convenience stores. Occasionally, I go out to eat at a restaurant, but eating alone is so boring. If I order more, I can’t finish it; if I order less, I feel shortchanged."

Xie Fengshi carried the shopping bags into the kitchen and started taking things out one by one: "Why don’t you eat with friends?"

Lu Shiyan followed him, leaning on the island to watch him organize: "Friends aren’t free every day, and everyone has different tastes. Some don’t eat spicy food, some don’t eat cilantro, some won’t eat this or that—it’s exhausting trying to eat together."

Xie Fengshi put the vegetables in the fridge, separated the meats by type, and lined up the seasonings on the counter: "What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Whatever. I’ll eat whatever you make."

"Then I’ll just go with what I think."

Actually, Xie Fengshi already had an idea in his mind while putting away the shopping bags. He decided to make a few dishes with rich, savory-sweet flavors.

He tied on an apron, took out pork tenderloin, and began slicing it into shreds. His knife skills were precise, producing evenly thick, uniform shreds.

Lu Shiyan couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. Xie Fengshi glanced up: "What are you ‘wow’ing about?"

"You cut vegetables nicely."

"What’s so great about cutting vegetables?"

"It’s therapeutic."

Xie Fengshi put the sliced pork into a bowl, adding cooking wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch to marinate. Then he took out cucumber and green onion, peeled and cored them, and cut them into fine shreds. The cucumber shreds were bright green, the onion shreds snowy white, all neatly arranged in a bowl.

"What are you making?" Lu Shiyan asked curiously.

"Jingjiang shredded pork."

With that, Xie Fengshi fetched sweet bean sauce from the cabinet. He heated oil in a pan, added the marinated pork shreds, and quickly stir-fried them. The shreds rapidly changed color in the hot oil—from red to white to a light golden brown. After a few flips, Xie Fengshi removed them and set them aside.

He left some oil in the pan, added the sweet bean sauce, and stir-fried over low heat to bring out the aroma. Then he poured the cooked pork shreds back in, turned up the heat, and stir-fried quickly, coating each shred evenly with the dark, glossy sauce. Beneath, the plate was lined with emerald cucumber shreds and snowy white onion shreds, topped with the glistening, reddish-brown pork shreds.

Lu Shiyan couldn't sit still anymore. He came around from the island counter and watched eagerly.

Xie Fengshi didn't stop. He took out some beef from the fridge.

He sliced the beef thinly against the grain, then marinated it with light soy sauce, cooking wine, and cornstarch. Finally, he drizzled a spoonful of oil to seal in the moisture. He heated oil in the wok until it just started smoking, added the beef slices, and stir-fried quickly over high heat. In about ten seconds, the beef changed color, and he immediately removed it. Leaving a little oil in the wok, he sautéed minced ginger and garlic until fragrant, then added oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and a touch of dark soy sauce to create a savory sauce. He returned the beef to the wok, stir-fried a few times, and finally added a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Then he plated it.

Lu Shiyan watched from the side, his eyes wide with amazement. "How do you know how to cook everything?"

"Picked it up a while back," Xie Fengshi replied casually, carrying the beef to the island counter.

The last dish was scallion-braised tofu. He cut the tofu into thick slices, heated oil in a frying pan, and pan-fried them until both sides were golden. Leaving a little oil in the pan, he sautéed scallion segments until fragrant, then added light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. He poured in about a cup of water, brought it to a boil, and added the fried tofu. He simmered it over low heat for five minutes, allowing the tofu to absorb the sauce. Finally, he turned up the heat to reduce the sauce until it thickened and coated the tofu. Before serving, he sprinkled a handful of scallion greens on top.

All done.