Chapter 14 Coat

Chapter 14: The Coat

The Beijing-style shredded pork glistened with a rich red sauce, each strand coated in a thick, glossy glaze. At the bottom of the plate, the cucumber and scallion shreds softened slightly from the steam, giving off a fresh aroma.

The oyster sauce beef slices were uniform in thickness, glossy on the surface, and dotted with a few vibrant green scallion pieces. The scallion-braised tofu was the most home-style dish—the tofu pan-fried to a golden brown on both sides, soaked in the savory sauce, the large scallion sections were stir-fried until fragrant, releasing a sweet aroma that blended with the sauce.

Lu Shiyan pulled out his phone: "Can I take a picture now?"

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Lu Shiyan circled the kitchen island three times, snapping photos from every angle with the intensity of a professional food photographer.

"Are you done yet?" Xie Fengshi leaned against the stove, watching him fuss.

Lu Shiyan took one final shot, then pocketed his phone with satisfaction: "Alright, alright, let's eat!"

He grabbed the shredded pork and hurried to the dining table, with Xie Fengshi following behind, carrying the other two dishes.

Lu Shiyan had already served the rice: "Sit down, quick."

Xie Fengshi sat across from him: "Eat up."

Lu Shiyan alone polished off most of the shredded pork, polished off half the beef, and finished every last bit of the tofu, even mixing the sauce into half a bowl of rice.

After the meal, Lu Shiyan flopped into his chair, patting his belly in contentment: "Have you ever thought of opening a restaurant?"

"Running a restaurant is way too tiring."

"Then come work as my personal chef. I'll pay you a salary, room and board, five social insurances and one housing fund. Wait, they don't have that here—I'll buy you insurance."

Xie Fengshi stood up to clear the dishes: "Aren't you already employing me?"

"I want to eat your cooking every day."

"If you eat it every day, it won't be as special."

Lu Shiyan thought for a second and thought that made some sense.

Xie Fengshi put the dishes in the sink, and Lu Shiyan hurried over: "Let me, let me."

"Do you even know how to wash them?"

"Who are you looking down on? I don't cook at home, but I sure as hell know how to wash dishes, okay?"

Xie Fengshi, instead of arguing, just leaned against the counter, watching the young master get his hands dirty.

Lu Shiyan took washing dishes very seriously—he rinsed each plate three times and used way too much detergent, making the sink full of foam. As he scrubbed intently, his mouth didn't stop: "Xie Fengshi, what are your plans from now on?"

"First, get my schoolwork done. Then build up some savings."

"Save for what?"

"I don't know. I'll just save it first; it'll be useful someday."

Lu Shiyan placed the last plate on the drying rack and shook the water off his hands: "If you want to make money, there are lots of ways. You're such a good cook—you could totally take orders. Lots of people here are dying for good food."

Xie Fengshi was intrigued. Lu Shiyan dried his hands and turned around: "I'm serious. Do you know what the worst part is for us when we come abroad? It's not the language barrier or the stress of coursework—it's not having good food to eat."

"You're so exaggerating."

"Not at all." Lu Shiyan pulled out his phone, scrolled through it, and handed it to Xie Fengshi: "Look, I just posted this."

Xie Fengshi looked down and saw a status update from Lu Shiyan, with only the photos he'd taken earlier and a caption of four words: "Back to life."

There were already several comments below:

"Damn, what restaurant is this?"

"Lu Shiyan, whose photos did you steal?"

"Wait, since when did you learn to cook?"

"This presentation looks legit—drop the address!"

Lu Shiyan replied to each comment one by one. Xie Fengshi watched him show off and shook his head in exasperation.

Lu Shiyan flipped through the group chat: "See, it's all over the group too."

"Meat Every Day: Lu Shiyan, what did you just post! Are you trying to make me drool at this hour!"

"Impossible Dream: I'm already ordering takeout, but seeing your pic makes me feel like what I ordered is garbage"

"Missing You Every Day: So who actually made it?"

"Xiao Lu Xiao Lu: I told you guys I booked Xie Fengshi, why won't you believe me!"

"Impossible Dream: No way, you actually got to eat something good?"

"Missing You Every Day: Uh... does he take orders from others? I have a friend..."

"Meat Every Day: +1"

"Impossible Dream: +1"

"Anonymous User: +1"

"Meat Every Day: Who the hell are you? Why are you anonymous?"

Lu Shiyan said, "See, I told you. A lot of people want you to cook for them."

Xie Fengshi handed him back his phone: "I'll think about it."

Lu Shiyan replied, "What's there to think about? This is a business opportunity! Look, our school is full of rich people—they all have money to burn, but none of them can cook. If you're willing to take orders, you could book up a whole week easy."

"But I don't have that much time. I still have classes."

"On weekends! Everyone's free on weekends. You could take two orders a day, charge this much per order." Lu Shiyan didn't hesitate to take advantage of his own friends, holding up a hand gesture. "In a month, you'd earn back your tuition."

Xie Fengshi was stunned. Lu Shiyan was the most ruthless one of all.

But he had to admit, Lu Shiyan's words were tempting. He really needed the money now. He had paid the rent, but he still owed money, and the school's material fees were a big chunk of money.

"I'll think about it. Let me finish up for you first."

With that, Lu Shiyan didn't push any further: "Alright, take your time. But you're always welcome here."

By the time Xie Fengshi left Lu Shiyan's place, it was almost ten. Lu Shiyan insisted on driving him home, and Xie Fengshi couldn't convince him otherwise, so he let Lu Shiyan drop him off at the apartment building. The car stopped next to the broken streetlamp, with faint light from a distance casting a blurry outline of the building.

Lu Shiyan looked at the shabby apartment complex, his face unreadable: "This is where you live?"

"Yeah."

"The place is a dump."

"It's okay, it's cheap."

Lu Shiyan wanted to say something more but held it back. He looked seriously at Xie Fengshi. "Are you sure it's okay living here alone?"

"No problem, don't worry."

Xie Fengshi was about to say goodbye to Lu Shiyan when out of the corner of his eye he saw someone emerge from the stairwell. The streetlight had been broken for a while, and the moonlight blended with the distant light, casting the newcomer's figure in sharp relief.

The blond hair turned a faint silver in the darkness, his features hidden in the shadows, but Xie Fengshi couldn't mistake those blue eyes—as if a fragment of deep autumn night had been set into his eyes.

"Kaelen?"

Kaelen stepped closer and stood in front of Xie Fengshi. "Good evening."

Kaelen chose an interesting position—right beside and slightly behind Xie Fengshi, not too close, not too far, as if he had just happened to pass by to say hello. But Xie Fengshi clearly felt that most of the moonlight was blocked.

Xie Fengshi found he had to tilt his head up to see Kaelen's expression. This guy's superior height was ridiculous. He wasn't short himself, but standing next to him felt like being covered.

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see Isaac." Kaelen looked down at him, taking in Xie Fengshi's hair tousled by the autumn wind and his slightly reddened nose. "Just got back?"

Xie Fengshi nodded and stepped aside to reveal Lu Shiyan behind him. "Went to a friend's place to cook."

Lu Shiyan had already rolled down all the windows, his whole face pressed up against the window frame. Kaelen leaned slightly forward and nodded at Lu Shiyan. "Hello."

Flawless Chinese. Lu Shiyan's eyes instantly went wide as he stammered back, "H-Hello."

After speaking, Lu Shiyan couldn't help his gaze darting back and forth between them. Xie Fengshi stood by the car, wearing his thin jacket that had been washed who knows how many times, the collar slightly open from the wind.

Kaelen stood next to him—not exactly next to him. The distance between them was a bit closer than that, close enough that Lu Shiyan felt Xie Fengshi was completely swallowed in the other man's shadow.

Lu Shiyan searched his mind for a fitting description but couldn't find one. He usually read fashion magazines, and in those big spreads, models standing near each other—even with distance between them—you could still feel something flowing between them.

That was exactly how Lu Shiyan felt now.

There was only about half a step between Xie Fengshi and Kaelen. Neither touched the other, but that half a step felt filled with something.

"It's cold outside," Kaelen said.

This remark came out of nowhere. Xie Fengshi was taken aback for a moment before responding. "It's fine, I just got out of the car. I'm not cold."

As soon as he said that, a gust of autumn wind swept across the ground, lifting the hem of Xie Fengshi's thin jacket. He instinctively shrank his neck, and Kaelen happened to look at him at that moment.

That look wasn't particularly intense. Xie Fengshi probably didn't feel much, but Lu Shiyan, watching from the car, sensed it—understanding, helplessness, and something he couldn't quite name.

Lu Shiyan's brows furrowed as his mind frantically searched. It was like... like he wanted to wrap Xie Fengshi in his own coat.

Lu Shiyan was startled by his own thought and quickly hit the mental pause button.

He cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Hey, Xie Fengshi, I'm going now. I'll pick you up on Thursday."

Xie Fengshi turned around, his face showing the gentle smile Lu Shiyan was familiar with. "Okay, take care."

Lu Shiyan responded and was about to roll up the window when his peripheral vision met Kaelen's gaze.

Kaelen's gaze had no aggression in it—it could even be called polite—but Lu Shiyan still felt a chill down his back. It felt like some large predator was watching you nonchalantly from a distance.

Staking a claim.

These four words suddenly popped into Lu Shiyan's mind.

No no no, where did that come from?

But...

Lu Shiyan couldn't help but look again. Kaelen stood beside Xie Fengshi, their height difference making Xie Fengshi seem like he was enclosed in an invisible territory. Kaelen didn't even have any extra body movements. He just stood there, slightly turned toward Xie Fengshi, blocking half the wind for him.

From this angle and distance, if anyone wanted to get close to Xie Fengshi, they'd have to go through him first.

Lu Shiyan instantly understood why Xie Fengshi could tell him "don't worry" while living in a place like this.

With someone like that around, who would dare cause trouble?

"I'm off then!"

Lu Shiyan's voice unintentionally went up half a pitch. He waved at Xie Fengshi, nodded at Kaelen, and stomped on the gas. The car shot off, and only after he'd gone a good distance did Lu Shiyan take one last look in the rearview mirror.

Those two were still standing there. Xie Fengshi was saying something, his face slightly tilted up, and Kaelen was looking down at him. Lu Shiyan abruptly averted his gaze, staring at the road ahead, his heartbeat slightly irregular.

He's straight, right? He's straight, he must be straight.

But the sight of those two standing together was too beautiful—so beautiful that even a straight guy felt his heart skip a beat.

Calm down, Lu Shiyan, calm down.

They're just maintaining a normal social distance. Just standing a little closer, exchanging a few more glances.

Lu Shiyan remembered the look in Kaelen's eyes as he looked down at Xie Fengshi—those blue eyes flickering with light like a flame burning in the deep sea.

Oh my god, this is too intense!

...

Xie Fengshi watched Lu Shiyan's taillights disappear around the street corner. Before he could look away, his nose itched.

"Ah-choo—"

Xie Fengshi's whole body shook with the sudden, violent sneeze. He rubbed his nose, belatedly realizing the autumn wind was colder than before.

The temperature difference between morning and evening was ridiculous. At noon, he'd felt the sunlight pleasantly warm, but now standing here, his jacket felt as thin as paper.

Kaelen's brows furrowed at the sound of his sneeze.

Xie Fengshi rubbed his nose and took a step back. "It's nothing, just a sneeze. Where were you just now? Isaac—"

Before he could finish, a weight settled on his shoulder. The coat dropped over him, wrapping Xie Fengshi completely.

The coat was too big. When Kaelen wore it, the hem came to his lower calves. On Xie Fengshi, it dragged to his ankles, and the sleeves were far too long, swallowing his fingers.

Xie Fengshi looked down at himself, then at Kaelen. Kaelen was now only in a thin sweater. Without the coat, the outline of his shoulders and back was clear—broad shoulders, narrow waist, standing there like a silent wall.

Xie Fengshi, wrapped in the coat, felt like a kid wearing an adult's clothes. But it was so warm.

The inside of the coat still held Kaelen's body heat, wrapping from his shoulders to his ankles, shutting out the autumn chill completely. The fabric was soft and comfortable, thick and airtight. Xie Fengshi tucked his face into the collar and suddenly caught a faint scent.

A subtle and elusive scent, with a hint of clean, bitter citrus in the base notes—crisp and clean. The fragrance had thinned with his body heat, leaving only the faintest woody undertone lingering at the tip of his nose.

Kaelen actually wore cologne. The thought crossed Xie Fengshi's mind, and he almost laughed at himself. For someone of Kaelen's caliber, wearing cologne was just standard practice—why was he so surprised?

But the scent kept worming its way into his nose through the fabric of the coat, impossible to ignore. And the coat was way too big.

Xie Fengshi looked down at his hands, engulfed by the sleeves, and couldn't help wiggling his fingers, creating tiny bumps at the cuffs.

Seeing him like this, Kaelen's lips curved slightly. "Let's go."

Wrapped in the coat, Xie Fengshi followed Kaelen, realizing that with every step, the hem swished against his ankles. Kaelen walked half a step ahead, shielding him from the wind.

Half a step apart, neither of them touched the other.

The coat was a bit heavy, forcing Xie Fengshi to slow his pace, and Kaelen matched his pace, walking unhurriedly.

From behind at an angle, Xie Fengshi's gaze fell on Kaelen's shoulders and back. The thin sweater traced a modestly muscular build—just the smooth, controlled lines of someone who exercises regularly.

Kaelen was more than a head taller than him. Xie Fengshi wasn't short by any standard, but standing in front of Kaelen, he had to look up to see his face.

Just like now, when Kaelen turned to check if he was keeping up, Xie Fengshi had to lift his chin.

Kaelen asked, "Are you cold?"

Xie Fengshi's face was half buried in the collar. "Not at all. Your coat is incredibly warm."

Kaelen looked away. "Good."

They kept walking, and Xie Fengshi couldn't help zoning out, then realized—Kaelen barely made a sound when he walked.

And it wasn't deliberate; it was an ingrained habit. His steps were steady and composed, each step sure and steady.

Xie Fengshi just found it quiet, reassuring, as if being supported by something steady.

Just like this coat—so big and so warm, wrapping him from head to toe, keeping even the wind out.