Chapter 21 I Think You’ll Like It

Chapter 21: I Think You'll Like It

Xie Fengshi's last few days had been like a clock wound too tight.

On Monday, he cooked at Lu Shiyan's place. The young master couldn't stop praising the new mala hot pot, sweat beading on his nose as he stuffed himself. Fengshi poured him water while cursing him and telling him he deserved it.

On Tuesday, he went sketching with Kevin. Thankfully, Fengshi finally managed to produce one barely decent piece. Thankful for the original body's muscle memory, sparing him a lot of trouble.

Wednesday hadn't arrived yet, but it had been on Fengshi's mind for days.

After getting home, Fengshi took a shower and, with his hair still damp, curled up on the bed staring at the ceiling in a daze. Kaelen had said last time that he didn't have anything he particularly liked. This kind of person was the hardest to deal with—saying "anything" when they actually meant "nothing but the best."

That's when his phone rang. The screen lit up with a name he had saved but never actually dialed. He stared at it for two seconds, cleared his throat, cleared it again, and answered: "Good evening."

A low chuckle came from the other end. The voice carried a slight crackly static, brushing against his ear like the tip of a feather.

"Good evening, Fengshi."

Fengshi tightened his grip on the phone. "Why did you suddenly call?"

"Just finished a meeting. On my way back to the hotel, I thought of you, so I called."

Fengshi switched the phone to his other ear, rolled onto his stomach on the bed, and rested his chin on the pillow. "You just finished a meeting? What time is it there?"

"Almost ten."

"That late? Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet."

Fengshi frowned. "You're skipping dinner again."

There was a brief silence before Kaelen's voice came again, laced with amusement. "You said 'again.'"

Fengshi realized what he'd just said. Last time, and the time before that—every time Kaelen had appeared in front of him, his first question was always, "Have you eaten?" And the answer was always no.

This guy seemed born without knowing what hunger was. Or maybe he did, but there was always something more important than eating that came first.

Fengshi said, "Because you never eat on time. You didn't last time, and you didn't the time before that."

"No, the first time I ate wontons."

"That's because you missed breakfast."

"Mm. So I'm planning to mooch another meal this time."

Fengshi muttered, "Who said I'd cook for you?"

"Oh really?" Kaelen's voice fell. "Then I'll have to go to a convenience store."

Fengshi was speechless. These two brothers are cut from the same cloth.

"Cut it out. What do you want to eat tomorrow?"

"Whatever you decide. I'll eat whatever you make."

He said it like they'd eaten together many times. Fengshi asked, "What time will you get in tomorrow?"

"Afternoon flight. I'll land around four or five."

"Then come straight over here. I don't have class in the afternoon."

"Alright."

There was a quiet pause on the line, but neither of them hung up.

Fengshi heard faint wind and the occasional sound of a passing car on the other end. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm walking back to the hotel."

"I thought you said you were on the way back? Where's your car?"

"I sent the driver ahead. I wanted to walk a bit."

Fengshi was a little surprised. For a man like Kaelen, wouldn't he always have a car pick him up?

"Is your hotel far from the conference venue?"

"Not far. About twenty minutes on foot."

"Then you said it's almost ten. By the time you walk back, it'll be past ten. Aren't you going to eat?"

Kaelen let out a soft laugh, not taking the hint. But Fengshi felt something was off about that chuckle.

Kaelen was still hungry, walking alone at night instead of taking a car, and calling him to talk about all this. Normally, Fengshi wouldn't overthink it, but these past few days, after being asked by Isaac and Lu Shiyan, those words hadn't fully left his mind.

Fengshi said, "Was your meeting smooth today?"

"Not bad, just really long. The person in charge wanted to move the project up, needed head office to approve the budget, but Q3's financial report isn't out yet. Several shareholders disagreed. It went on for over two hours."

Fengshi's head was spinning. "Are your meetings always like this?"

"Mostly. Sometimes even more boring."

"Do you dress like that for meetings too?"

"Like what?"

"A magazine model all suited up."

Kaelen's laughter came through the receiver, low and pleasant. "Today wasn't that formal. Just an ordinary suit."

Fengshi laughed. "You rich people's world is way too complicated."

"It's just that some occasions require dressing like that. Usually I prefer to be comfortable."

"For example?" Fengshi asked.

"For example, right now. I'm just wearing a shirt, no jacket."

Fengshi imagined Kaelen walking down the street in just a shirt, then quickly pushed the image out of his mind. "Aren't you cold? Winter will be here soon."

"It's fine. The nights here are warmer than I expected."

"Where are you?"

"Prague."

Fengshi paused. "You're in Prague?"

“Yeah, there’s a project here that needs me to come over.”

“How long will it take you to fly over tomorrow?”

“A little over an hour.”

“That’s not too bad.”

“Mm-hmm, so I figured I’d stop by and see Isaac while I’m at it.”

Xie Fengshi couldn’t help but laugh. “You always say ‘while I’m at it.’”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Kaelen spoke. “Do you really think it’s just a side trip?”

The sudden directness caught Xie Fengshi off guard. Words hovered on the tip of his tongue but felt too perfunctory; saying nothing felt too deliberate. Finally, he went with the safest answer: “Well, aren’t you here to see your brother?”

Kaelen didn’t push further, just hummed in acknowledgment. Xie Fengshi sighed in relief. “Where are you now?”

“Near Charles Bridge.”

“Is it nice there?”

“Yeah. The moon is very bright, shining on the Vltava River, turning the water silver. The streetlamps are all lit up, and so is the castle hill.”

Listening to Kaelen’s description, Xie Fengshi curled deeper into his blanket. “You’re describing it in too much detail.”

“That’s because you asked, so I looked carefully.”

Xie Fengshi pulled the blanket higher. “What else do you see?”

“A few couples taking photos on the bridge. A street musician playing the violin, though there aren’t many pedestrians left now. A late-night cruise ship on the river.”

Xie Fengshi had never been to Prague, but he’d heard about it many times. People said it was one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, that Charles Bridge was a must-see with its thirty Baroque-style statues of saints, offering a panoramic view of the castle hill and the old town.

“Are you listening?” Kaelen asked.

“I’m listening.”

“Then, do you see it?”

Xie Fengshi opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. “I can see it. Have you been to Prague before?”

“A few times, all for work—never had time to wander. Tonight is the first time.”

“So you never saw it during the day?”

“Daytime has its own beauty, but night is different. The lights at night soften everything, and the darkness hides all the edges.”

Listening to Kaelen’s deep, unhurried voice, Xie Fengshi felt his own heartbeat fall into that rhythm. “The way you talk is just like you.”

“How so?”

“It’s really comforting to listen to.”

Kaelen didn’t respond right away. Xie Fengshi could hear the wind on Kaelen’s end, along with faint music—probably that street musician.

“Feng Shi,” Kaelen said.

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever looked at the main road on your campus? When I passed by last time, I thought it was a beautiful road.”

But Xie Fengshi’s mind was elsewhere. “When did you pass by?”

“Last time I came to see Isaac, I drove by.”

“You drove past my school?”

Kaelen hummed an affirmation, not explaining why he’d detour to Xie Fengshi’s school on his way to his brother’s place.

But Xie Fengshi got it. “Kaelen, you’re really strange.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Things you could say directly, you beat around the bush with me.”

Kaelen spoke softly. “Then I’ll say it. Don’t think I’m being rude.”

“Go ahead.”

“When I came out of the meeting today, and saw the moon so bright, the first person I thought about was you. Standing on Charles Bridge, looking at the reflection on the Vltava River, I wanted to tell you what the moon looks like here—to let you see it too.”

When Xie Fengshi stayed silent, Kaelen went on. “I know we haven’t met many times, and we haven’t exchanged many words. But tonight, walking on the bridge, all I could think about was how you looked sitting in that chair, as you talked to me.

You looked so small then. I thought, this person should be put somewhere comfortable, not curled up in a stiff chair.”

Xie Fengshi whispered, “How can you even remember something like that?”

“I remember everything about you.”

Kaelen’s tone was too calm, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact. But that very calmness gave the words a weight Xie Fengshi could barely handle.

“Kaelen.”

“Mm.”

“I don’t think you’re being rude.”

A light laugh came through the phone, no longer restrained or distant-sounding—a genuine, heartfelt one that softened his voice. “That’s good.”

“Did you get to your hotel?” Xie Fengshi asked.

“Almost there. It’s right ahead.”

“Then go eat something.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t just grab anything. Make sure you eat a proper meal.”

“Okay.”

“Can you say anything, besides ‘okay’?”

“See you tomorrow.”

Xie Fengshi couldn’t hold back his smile anymore. “See you tomorrow.”

The next day, as soon as class ended, Xie Fengshi headed straight to Hao Yun Lai.

Actually, he didn't have to go today. Aunt Lin told him to just focus on his classes and not worry about the shop.

But Xie Fengshi figured he was leaving at the end of the month, so he figured he'd work every extra day he could. Besides, the new guy from back home wasn't arriving until next week.

At this hour, "Hao Yun Lai" was almost empty. Aunt Lin was doing the accounts, Uncle Li was prepping ingredients, and Xie Fengshi tied on an apron and got to work.

But Aunt Lin had been running a restaurant for over a decade—she had a sharp eye. One look and she knew something was up with the kid.

"Xiao Xie, why do you keep checking your phone today?"

Xie Fengshi paused mid-motion. "Do I?"

"You've looked at it at least ten times since you walked in. What, waiting for something important?"

Xie Fengshi shoved the phone back in his pocket. "No, just checking the time."

Aunt Lin gave him a meaningful glance but didn't press further.

Feeling awkward under her stare, Xie Fengshi quickly ducked into the back kitchen.

...

Business was slow that day, so Aunt Lin shooed Xie Fengshi out right on time.

As he neared the entrance to his apartment building, his steps slowed without him realizing it. Parked by the roadside was a car that clearly cost a fortune. Xie Fengshi had become sensitive to cars like that, since the last time Kaelen helped him out, he came in a car just like that one.

Just as he was thinking that, the car door opened.

When Kaelen stepped out, Xie Fengshi almost didn't recognize him.

In just a week, Kaelen had gotten a lot thinner. His already chiseled features were now even more pronounced, the lines sharper. The dark circles under his eyes weren't too heavy, but they stood out starkly on his handsome face.

An inappropriate thought popped into Xie Fengshi's mind: Isn't this just a corporate slave drained by work?

No wait, this guy is the capital—a top-tier corporate slave.

Kaelen's assistant got out of the driver's seat, took a small tote bag from the trunk, and handed it to Kaelen. Kaelen took it, said something, and the assistant nodded, got back in, and drove off.

Now it was just the two of them on the street. Kaelen turned to look at Xie Fengshi. "Did you wait long?"

Xie Fengshi stepped closer and looked up at him. "No, I just got off work. How did you lose so much weight?"

Kaelen was slightly taken aback. Xie Fengshi also felt he'd been too blunt, but he couldn't help it. "You weren't this thin when you came last week. It's only been a few days. Have you not been eating?"

A slow smile spread across Kaelen's lips. "Are you worried about me?"

"I'm stating a fact." Xie Fengshi pointed under his own eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think someone beat you up."

Kaelen shook his head. "I've been a bit busy lately."

Xie Fengshi didn't buy it. "You call that 'a bit busy'? If that's 'a bit busy,' then what's 'very busy'?"

Kaelen didn't reply. He looked at Xie Fengshi. "You've lost weight too."

Xie Fengshi touched his face. "Have I? I eat a lot every day."

"You have."

"It must be the angle."

"No, it's not the angle."

Xie Fengshi looked away and headed toward the apartment building. "Okay, okay, let's head upstairs. Your brother is waiting."

"Hold on a second."

Xie Fengshi turned back. Kaelen was still standing there, holding the tote bag. Dusk was settling in from all around. The streetlights weren't on yet, and the last sliver of orange in the sky was fading. The whole street was bathed in a gray-blue twilight between day and night.

"What's wrong?" Xie Fengshi asked.

Kaelen held out the bag. "I got you something."

Xie Fengshi took the bag and peeked inside. There were two square boxes, beautifully wrapped, with writing he couldn't understand. "From Prague?"

"Yeah."

Xie Fengshi opened one box: chocolates. The other box had a bag of coffee beans with a black cat printed on the bag.

He held it up to take a look. "Is the coffee brand called 'Black Cat'?"

Kaelen replied, "I found this café near Charles Bridge. Went in for a cup and thought it was pretty good. The barista said they roast it themselves, so I bought some."

Xie Fengshi held the bag of coffee beans. It was a small bag, not heavy at all—clearly not mass-produced. "You actually went to a café during a business trip?"

Kaelen paused. "Not specifically. I walked past and saw it, and I just thought... you might like them."