Chapter 17: 17

Chapter 17: Pig’s Trotter Soup

It was a bit cold at night. It was also raining.

The lights were a warm yellow.

There were several bowls on the countertop in the kitchen. There was a fire in the stove, and a stone pot was placed on top. Steam was rising towards the lid of the pot, whistling as it rose.

The top half of the kitchen was filled with hazy, white steam. Only the bottom half of the kitchen was free and clear of it.

Gu Qingchi sat on a short stool in front of the stove. When he was sitting like this, he was even shorter than the stovetop. He even had a little blanket around his shoulders. When he wrapped himself up, he could hide his entire body behind the stove.

Not even the top of his head could be seen from outside the kitchen.

He was right in front of the burning stove, the fire reflected on his face. His porcelain-white face was covered with a layer of red, like rouge.

Xie Luyu stood beside Gu Qingchi, leaning down slightly. Half of his body was hidden in the steam. He wrapped the lid of the stone pot with a towel. When he opened the lid, both the gurgling sound and the fragrance of the soup poured out of the pot.

Even the sound of rain outside was drowned out.

Lotus root and pig’s trotter soup. The pig's trotters were cooked thoroughly, and the lotus root and various other ingredients melted together in the pot. The bubbling soup was light and not greasy. It could be seen that the cook was experienced. The food was handled well.

Xie Luyu picked up a spoon and tasted it.

The steam lingered around him. Xie Luyu was facing sideways. The side of his crew cut had a pattern shaved into it. It was a line that started out wide before narrowing towards the end, like a knife’s blade traveling through his hair. It made him look a little intimidating.

But now, he was wearing a Peppa Pig apron, holding the lid in one hand and the soup ladle in the other, concentrating on the soup’s flavor.

If a picture of him like this were to spread, it would definitely end up trending. Not even the most unreliable tabloids would dare to write something as unbelievable as this.

Who do you think you’re kidding, that's Xie Luyu.

Since the day he entered the entertainment industry, he had been domineering and arrogant. Now, even his name carried a cool and arrogant connotation.

The cool and arrogant Xie ge smacked his lips and said with satisfaction.

"That’s about right."

Gu Qingchi was sitting on the small stool by Xie Luyu’s feet, covered by a small blanket.

The small kitchen was warmed by the fire.

This kind of atmosphere made Gu Qingchi slowly calm down. It had a very reassuring feeling, and he was gradually able to break out of the chaotic emotional state he was in.

The unceasing stomach pain didn’t irritate him anymore.

He covered up those negative feelings, separated himself from those negative emotions.

The fire in the stove was burning vigorously. Occasionally, the burning firewood would make a crackling noise. Gu Qingchi watched the fire and started to want to doze off.

The soup was just about finished cooking. Xie Luyu put the soup ladle into a small bowl on the counter. Then, he picked up another spoon, filled another bowl with soup, and handed the warm porcelain bowl to Gu Qingchi.

"Hold onto it for now, warm your hands. Wait for it to cool down before drinking."

The sides of the bowl were very thick, so the boiling hot soup didn’t burn. Only a comfortable amount of warmth seeped through the bowl.

Gu Qingchi cupped the small bowl in both hands, earnestly waiting for the soup to cool down.

Although the bowl wasn’t big, it still took a while for the bowl to cool down completely. Seeing that he was waiting so earnestly, Xie Luyu found a small porcelain spoon for him to use.

"Use this."

Gu Qingchi began to drink little by little. The hot soup settled in his stomach, and the pain was relieved almost immediately.

Xie Luyu stood to the side, watching and worrying at the same time.

"Eat something, don't just drink soup. You didn’t eat anything during the day, did you? Getting up in the middle of the night to look for chocolate…”

Gu Qingchi paused. He hesitantly pushed around a bone that Xie Luyu had given him with his spoon before he finally found a peanut in the soup. After eating the peanut, he acted like he had finished his task and didn’t bother touching anything else.

Xie Luyu huffed and understood exactly what Gu Qingchi meant.

"You think it's inconvenient to gnaw on the bones? It’s not like your teeth can’t handle it at your young age…”

As he was nagging, Xie Luyu started taking the meat off the bones and cutting them into small pieces. Then, he put them back into the stone pot.

The second time he served the soup to Gu Qingchi, he switched it up and gave him half a bowl of soup and half a bowl of meat.

The pig’s trotters had been cooked to become so tender that they could almost be swallowed without chewing. 

This time, Gu Qingchi obediently ate all of it. Then, he handed the bowl to Xie Luyu.

Xie Luyu placed it on top of a stack of bowls on the counter next to him.

Gu Qingchi: Stare.

"You can't drink any more. If you eat too much in the middle of the night, it’ll be bad for your stomach. Go back to sleep, I'll make more for you tomorrow."

It was only then that Gu Qingchi slowly looked away from his bowl.

The fire in the stove still hadn’t been extinguished. Xie Luyu put the bowls and chopsticks in the sink. He put on gloves and took the stone pot off the fire first.

Then, Gu Qingchi stood up and went to wash the dishes.

"Hey, hey, just leave it there."

Gu Qingchi paused and put down the dishes.

"Don't touch that, it’s super greasy. Help me put the seasonings back in the cupboard.”

Xie Luyu gestured to the arrangement of seasonings on the cutting board. There was also a knife next to it.

"Don't touch the knife, I'll put it away later. Once you’re done with that, you can put away your stool and blanket.”

Xie Luyu cleaned up the kitchen very quickly. He was used to it. After all, he was a good cook. Although it sounded kind of unbelievable, he cooked his own meals at home.

Besides cooking, he could also make pudding and cakes. He was practically a perfect example of a virtuous wife.

Gu Qingchi quickly put the seasonings back in place, folded the small blanket, and put the small stool back in the corner. Then, he stood quietly at the door and watched Xie Luyu tidy up everything in the kitchen.

Xie Luyu cleaned up the stove and dishes. Finally, he took off the Peppa Pig apron.

Then, he picked up his coat. He didn’t wear it, but rather hung it over his shoulder. He bit a cigarette out of habit and became that confident and unrestrained Xie ge once more.

However, he took the cigarette out of his mouth immediately and held it between his fingers.

“Let’s go.”

Gu Qingchi hummed and quietly followed him upstairs.

Xie Luyu appeared like he was speaking confidently and freely, but he was actually a little nervous.

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He had always said whatever he wanted to say and did whatever he wanted to do because he didn’t care what other people thought of him.

Xie Luyu had experienced all kinds of ups and downs that an artist can go through, such as cyberbullying, relationship rumors, and scandals. The tabloids had always been unusually fond of him.

Any one of these could destroy a celebrity’s acting career.

But Xie Luyu had experienced all of it.

Xie Luyu grew too fast. He was like a tree that grew above the rest. He was bound to face harsh winds. Everyone was waiting for him to lower his head and compromise. 

But Xie Luyu made it through everything.

He didn't stop just stop growing. He withstood the harsh winds, kept expanding his roots, and grew into a giant, towering tree, creating a never-before-seen phenomenon.

Xie Luyu, who grew up facing all kinds of harsh winds, had a strong heart.

Even when he was a teenager, he was still just as arrogant.

Nervousness, worry, these kinds of hesitant emotions were things he had virtually never experienced before.

There were many people who hated him and many people who liked him.

Xie Luyu didn't care. It was impossible for everyone to like him. He was naturally the way he was, and he wouldn’t change himself just because someone didn’t like him.

But in front of Gu Qingchi, he subconsciously wanted to show him his good side.

Xie Luyu wanted to make Gu Qingchi happy and wanted to get along well with him.

He wanted to please him.

Because Gu Qingchi wasn’t someone unimportant.

He was someone who moved his heart.

Was Gu Qingchi good-looking? This was a matter of course. Xie Luyu had been in this circle for so many years, yet Gu Qingchi had to be the most attractive person he’d met.

In the beginning, Xie Luyu's gaze towards Gu Qingchi was purely out of admiration.

Everyone likes beautiful things, and Xie Luyu was no exception.

There wasn’t a person in the world who didn’t care for beautiful things.

Anyone who “didn’t care” simply hadn’t found something beautiful enough to move them.

The first impression Gu Qingchi left on him in the changing room was really intense. He was beautiful, truly beautiful. He was so beautiful that it was unreal.

He had such a sharp-edged beauty. The moment he opened the changing room door, it struck him head-on, slashing deeply into Xie Luyu's heart, leaving an indelible mark.

Xie Luyu didn't intend to get close at first. Some things were better off admired from a distance, leaving the memory of it in your heart, slowly reminiscing on it.

Later, while he was in the crowd, he absentmindedly looked up and his heart suddenly skipped two beats.

At that time, Xie Luyu had been blocked by paparazzi for a long time and was asked a bunch of stupid questions. Xie Luyu had walked in full of anger.

One glance from him had made Xie Luyu calm down.

Then, there was an inexplicable sense of loss.

He was still the same, indifferent. There was nothing in his eyes. He looked at Xie Luyu the same way he looked at everybody else.

Xie Luyu meant nothing to him.

Xie Luyu had lived for more than twenty years, and this was the first time he had worried so much about a single person’s opinion.

He still couldn’t quite understand why he was acting so differently than usual.

But he couldn't help but think about him, couldn't help but approach him.

It was no coincidence that Xie Luyu met Gu Qingchi here.

How could there be that many coincidences in the world? All of their fateful encounters had been used up in those two meetings.

Xie Luyu was already lucky enough that God favored him and granted him two encounters.

Everything that happened afterward, Xie Luyu had taken the initiative to take the next step.

Their time together had gone well.

He was still the same. Silent, minding his own business, being beautiful, ignoring the stares of other people.

He was kind of cool.

Gradually, he saw more and learned more about that person.

He knew that his name was Gu Qingchi.

He knew that, although Gu Qingchi looked lazy and actually was lazy, he would still earnestly complete the tasks that he was given, even if he was reluctant.

He knew that Gu Qingchi liked to be alone, was always very quiet, and had a melancholy temperament.

He knew that Gu Qingchi sometimes showed a fragile expression when he was by himself.

He knew that Gu Qingchi didn't actually like chocolate and would become a little unhappy whenever he tasted something bitter.

He knew that Gu Qingchi looked easy to take care of, but he was actually a picky eater.

Then, he wanted to get closer to him.

It was like drinking poison to quench his thirst, sinking deeper and deeper.

Xie Luyu was actually pretty sharp. He was an actor and a rather talented actor at that.

He was used to observing others.

Xie Luyu could accurately perceive the hidden meanings expressed by small movements, subconscious actions, and subtle changes in emotions.

In other words, Xie Luyu's ability to read a person’s body language had been sharpened to a terrifying degree.

But Xie Luyu had never used this ability to please anyone or win anyone’s favor. He disdained doing such a thing, and there was no need to do such a thing. Only when he was acting would he become serious and use this ability to understand and analyze his character.

He once thought, how far would he have to fall in order to use this skill to please someone else.

Now, he used this ability on Gu Qingchi, trying his best to make him happy.

That’s why he was able to know when Gu Qingchi was happy, when he was unhappy, and the reason for his frown.

Like a pervert.

That’s why he also knew that, Gu Qingchi, he didn't really like Xie Luyu all that much.

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