With his head full of questions, Ren Yi spent the entire drive wondering what kind of restaurant Gong Yingxian was taking him to. Perhaps it was some exceptionally high-end, members-only club?
To his surprise, it turned out to be a hot pot restaurant. It looked quite upscale, but the entrance was wide open and people were freely coming and going. It didn’t seem like the sort of private establishment he’d imagined.
Ren Yi laughed. “You really brought me here to eat hot pot?”
“Mm.”
“I’m supposed to eat while you watch?”
“We’ll eat together.”
Ren Yi turned to stare at him in astonishment. “You can eat hot pot? A hot pot?”
“It uses electricity.” Gong Yingxian parked the car and looked back at Ren Yi, perfectly composed. “What’s wrong with occasionally eating hot pot outside?”
Ren Yi gave an awkward laugh. “Don’t you think places like this are dirty?”
“Since becoming a police officer, I’ve had to go to plenty of places that are much dirtier. If I can learn to tolerate them, it’ll be good for me.”
Ren Yi happily clapped his hands once. “That’s wonderful! You’re a police officer, after all. Being a little more down-to-earth will help with both your work and your relationships with people. Come on, come on! Let’s go eat hot pot!”
Once they entered the restaurant, Gong Yingxian gave the staff the name under which he had made the reservation, and a server led them toward a private room.
The restaurant’s decor was luxurious. There were very few dining tables in the main hall; most of the space had been given over to decorative sculptures and ornamental water features. It lacked the lively, bustling atmosphere one would normally associate with a hot pot restaurant and instead felt somewhat aloof and exclusive.
Ren Yi, however, paid none of this much attention. Gong Yingxian had voluntarily invited him to eat somewhere other than home, and to eat a hot dish with the word fire in its name. That was practically three huge leaps forward all at once. He was already delighted.
After they sat down, the server brought over the menu. Gong Yingxian lifted his chin toward Ren Yi, indicating that he should take it.
Ren Yi accepted the menu. “I’ve pretty much memorized everything you don’t eat. Is there anything in particular you feel like having?”
“Order whatever you like.”
Ren Yi scanned the menu and thought the prices were outrageous. He ordered several dishes according to Gong Yingxian’s likes and dislikes. As for himself, he ate just about anything.
After placing the order, Ren Yi looked around. “Is this your first time eating out?”
“Didn’t you take me out for crayfish last time?”
Ren Yi laughed. “Last time, all you drank was bottled water.”
Gong Yingxian pursed his lips. “I’ll eat today.”
Ren Yi dragged a chair over and sat down beside him. “Once you try it, you’ll realize it isn’t that difficult. You can eat at my house and in my dorm room, can’t you?”
“…That’s different.”
“Mm, eating here is certainly different from eating at home, but…” Ren Yi remarked thoughtfully, “I think this place is even cleaner than my dorm.”
Gong Yingxian gave a scornful laugh. “At least you know that.”
“So you think my dorm is dirty?” Ren Yi raised an eyebrow. “You seemed to have a pretty good time rolling around on my bed last time.”
Gong Yingxian’s face instantly turned bright red. Embarrassed and annoyed, he snapped, “Shut up!”
Whenever Ren Yi saw Gong Yingxian blush, he couldn’t resist teasing him. “I’m not lying, though. Why are you telling me to shut up, Officer? You certainly didn’t seem bothered by my bed last time. When I told you to get off, you wouldn’t budge. And you even…”
Gong Yingxian leaned forward and silenced Ren Yi by pressing his lips against his, putting an end to the teasing through direct action.
Ren Yi blinked. Gong Yingxian’s distinctive scent drifted into his nostrils—a dry, faintly grassy fragrance that seemed to purify his respiratory system with every breath.
Ren Yi was instantly lost in it. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss tenderly. His hand unconsciously caught hold of Gong Yingxian’s tie, tugging at it intermittently, revealing a restrained impatience beneath his gentle movements.
Gong Yingxian’s eyelids drooped in relaxed contentment as he savored the kiss. In his blurred field of vision, a tiny black dot swayed faintly. He knew what it was: that little mole that always seemed to stir something inside him. He couldn’t explain why a mere mole could make his thoughts wander so far, but he liked it. He liked it very much…
Suddenly, a knock at the door jolted them both back to reality. They sprang apart at once.
A server was pushing a food trolley into the room.
Gong Yingxian lowered his head and straightened his tie to conceal his embarrassment, while Ren Yi struggled to suppress his laughter beside him.
The server brought in individual hot pots, and the table was soon covered with side dishes.
Ren Yi examined the utensils and serving plates. They were clearly different from the ones he had seen in the main hall, and they looked brand-new. The two little hot pots were equally pristine and gleaming.
After the server left, Ren Yi waved his chopsticks. “You brought all of this yourself, didn’t you?”
“Good observational skills.”
Ren Yi grinned. “How do you manage to arrange all this just to eat out?”
Gong Yingxian replied calmly, “I have money.”
Ren Yi burst out laughing.
Gong Yingxian picked up a piece of white radish, hesitated briefly, then dropped it into his pot. “Eat. Don’t you like hot pot?”
“When eating hot pot, you should cook the meat first. It makes the broth richer, and everything you add afterward will taste better.” Ren Yi picked up a slice of beef and dropped it into Gong Yingxian’s pot. Then he smiled at him. “So, is this meal for my sake?”
Gong Yingxian cleared his throat awkwardly. “Although I disagree with the social custom of celebrating every little thing by having a meal, going along with the crowd is one of the most important steps toward integrating into society. So today, we’re celebrating the end of your training.”
Ren Yi’s eyes curved into a smile. “Mm. That’s really nice.”
Gong Yingxian had taken the initiative to invite him out to eat, and he was even trying hot pot—a food that, for someone like Gong Yingxian, might as well have been forbidden.
That had to mean Ren Yi held a fairly significant place in his heart, didn’t it?
For some time now, a certain thought had kept surfacing, until Ren Yi could no longer deceive himself into ignoring it.
He wondered whether Gong Yingxian might actually be falling for him. Even though their relationship had started with physical intimacy, perhaps Gong Yingxian would grow accustomed to him and eventually accept him. After all, for most of the time these days, they interacted just like an ordinary couple.
No matter what warnings Qiu Yan and Dr. Pompeii had given him, no matter how much concern they had expressed, and even though Ren Yi himself had doubts and worries, he simply couldn’t suppress his heart’s constant longing for Gong Yingxian.
If human beings could use reason to restrain their emotions, there would be no sorrow in this world.
Seeing Ren Yi’s broad smile made Gong Yingxian feel warm and happy inside, too. He fished the slice of beef Ren Yi had put into his pot out of the broth and carefully blew on it to cool it down.
Ren Yi watched him with an amused smile. “You’re just like Miao Miao.”
Gong Yingxian shot him a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?”
“Cats are afraid of burning their tongues. When the chicken you cook for Miao Miao first comes out of the pot, it sits right in front of the bowl, staring at it eagerly and waiting for it to cool down. It’s so cute.” Ren Yi propped his chin on his hand and watched Gong Yingxian. “You’re even cuter than Miao Miao.”
Gong Yingxian pretended to be annoyed. “Don’t compare me to a cat.” To hide the smile that was threatening to spread across his face, he hurriedly lowered his head and ate the meat.
Ren Yi watched him with shining eyes. “Is it good? Is hot pot good?”
Gong Yingxian nodded. “No wonder so many people like it.”
Ren Yi grinned. “Next time, we can have it at my place. You won’t feel so uncomfortable then.”
Gong Yingxian froze slightly. “I… I’m fine.”
“I know eating out still makes you uncomfortable, even when you bring your own utensils and ingredients. It’s good that you want to change, but you need to take it one step at a time. Don’t force yourself.” Ren Yi smiled. “I’d much rather you relax while eating and enjoy the food than feel like you have to complete some kind of assignment.”
Gong Yingxian felt a warmth spread through his heart.
He had been eager to prove to Ren Yi that they could have a meal together just like an ordinary couple. But the result had shown him that he still couldn’t manage it—not yet, at least. That left him somewhat discouraged.
Still, perhaps Ren Yi didn’t care that much about it. Maybe Ren Yi cared more about whether he enjoyed his food than about where they ate.
Ren Yi seemed to accept him just as he was, always so accommodating and never making demands of him.
The two chatted and laughed as they finished their meal. The server then brought them a pot of tea to help with digestion.
Ren Yi took a few sips and checked the time. “Shall we leave now?”
“Let’s sit a little longer.” Gong Yingxian took a small sip of tea.
“You’re not busy today?”
“I happen to have some free time today.” He wanted to spend what little free time he had with Ren Yi, even if all they did was sit together, eat, and drink tea.
“Any new discoveries over the past couple of days?”
“Quite a few. But I’ve had nothing but this case on my mind for days, and now I want to give my brain a break. Let’s talk about you instead,” Gong Yingxian said. “How was the training?”
“Nothing special. We have a few sessions like this every year.”
“Did you used to attend classes with that Yan Jue, too?”
“No. He was only recently promoted to company commander.”
“How did you two get so familiar with each other so quickly?” Remembering the way Yan Jue had looked at him, Gong Yingxian’s tone grew a little unfriendly.
“He’s fun to be around, and he’s good at games, too.” Ren Yi smiled. “You’re still holding that one cigarette against him? There’s no need.”
“So now you’re going to say I’m petty again?” Gong Yingxian asked stiffly.
“No, no.” Ren Yi stroked Gong Yingxian’s head affectionately. “He was the one in the wrong. Just don’t stoop to his level.”
Gong Yingxian caught Ren Yi’s hand and tucked it against his chest.
Ren Yi leaned closer and gently pinched Gong Yingxian’s smooth cheek. “Have you been missing me a little?”
“…Mm.”
“But I have to go back to the station. I was disciplined last time, so I don’t dare leave my post without permission for a while.”
“Mm.”
“Shall we go, then?”
Gong Yingxian held on to his hand, refusing to let go. “Can’t you ask for leave?”
“I can’t.” Ren Yi sighed softly. He wanted to stay glued to Gong Yingxian every moment of the day, too, but he still had to be reasonable.
Gong Yingxian fell silent. They had finally managed to see each other despite their impossibly busy schedules, and he had never before experienced this kind of tormenting longing that made him miss someone repeatedly after just a single day apart.
Ren Yi gently nipped Gong Yingxian’s ear and chuckled. “Eating out is already a huge step forward in your life. Want to try something even more exciting?”
Gong Yingxian’s body immediately stiffened. Ren Yi always managed to bring him thrilling new experiences beyond anything he could have imagined.
Ren Yi abruptly pulled him up from his chair and dragged him into the restroom.