Chapter 13

Gu Fei: “Take your medicine first.”

Lin Hening tossed the capsule into his mouth and swallowed it down with a big gulp of warm water.

Gu Fei sat down on the couch opposite him and said, “You’re always busy with work. I guess you don’t have time to cook?”

Lin Hening nodded.

Gu Fei continued, “I own a restaurant, and I’d say my cooking skills are pretty decent.”

Lin Hening caught on. “Are you offering to be my personal chef?”

“You can come to my restaurant or order takeout anytime. I’m open until 10:30 PM, but if you need something in the middle of the night, I can cook and deliver it wherever you want. After all, you’re my creditor.” Gu Fei chuckled as he finished his sentence.

That laugh reminded Lin Hening of the first time he saw Gu Fei smile.

Gu Fei had a strong, sharp look—intimidating when serious. But when he smiled, he radiated warmth, like sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Serious, he looked like a German Shepherd. Smiling, he was more like a fluffy Samoyed.

Lin Hening couldn’t help but combine the two images in his head—majestic yet goofy, aloof yet approachable, fierce yet skilled in combat, with a muscular build.

Damn, a Tibetan Mastiff!

His fever-addled brain ran wild with the thought, making him chuckle uncontrollably.

Gu Fei: “?”

Still laughing, Lin Hening asked, “Do you take house calls, Chef Gu?”

Gu Fei answered without hesitation, “Sure. Like I said, you’re my creditor.”

The same words, spoken with a smile, but this time, carrying an unnoticed hint of warmth and affection.

“Cooking to pay off a two-million-yuan debt? How many imperial banquets would that take?” Lin Hening wiped away the tears forming in the corners of his eyes from laughing. “Guess I’ll have to go all out—Almas caviar, Italian Alba white truffles…”

Gu Fei pursed his lips, pulled a tissue from the box, and handed it to Lin Hening with the same casual ease as passing a pair of chopsticks. “I run a Chinese restaurant.”

Lin Hening took the tissue and dabbed at his eyes. “Then I’ll take Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, braised shark fin, Longjing shrimp, and squirrel fish.”

Gu Fei grinned. “Just send me a message on WeChat when you want something. But for complicated dishes like those, you’ll need to give me a heads-up—some ingredients are hard to source on short notice.”

Lin Hening had only been joking, but Gu Fei’s serious response caught him off guard. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, sounds good!”

“Oh, by the way, do you serve breakfast?”

Gu Fei: “Yeah, things like soy milk and steamed buns.”

Lin Hening: “I’ll take a breakfast set then. One cup of plain soy milk, no sugar, and a basket of steamed beef buns.”

“Got it. I’ll deliver it tomorrow morning. Six o’clock okay?” Gu Fei paused for a moment before adding, “You’re running a high fever—you’re not going to work tomorrow, are you?”

“I’ll be fine by morning.” Honestly, Lin Hening was already feeling better. Whatever brand of cold medicine this was, it was practically magic.

He waved Gu Fei off, telling him to get back to work instead of keeping him company.

Gu Fei got up, pulled on his windbreaker, and said, “Get some sleep. Remember to drink plenty of warm water. I filled a thermos for you. And if anything happens during the night… call your boyfriend. Isn’t he a doctor?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not three years old.”

Like hell he’d call Xia Zhile even if he had a seizure from the fever. That guy would only make him more upset!

After Gu Fei left, Lin Hening went to the kitchen and lifted the glass thermos—full to the brim with hot water.

He stood there in a daze for a moment before pouring himself a cup. Just then, his phone buzzed.

Thinking it was Xia Zhile, he checked the screen—turned out to be Jian Xiaoxi.

[Jian Xiaoxi: Got your takeout yet? I’m already eating mine. Went with the A-set meal from Apricot Blossom Restaurant. What do you think?]

[Image]

Lin Hening opened the picture—Jian Xiaoxi was holding up a meal box, with the bustling office in the background. His coworkers were gathered around the conference table, happily eating.

Mu Shu pork, braised eggplant, seaweed and egg drop soup.

Lin Hening: “?”

Where was the tomato and egg stir-fry? And the sizzling tofu?

The soup wasn’t right either.

Lin Hening quickly texted back: [I ordered the same set as everyone else.]

That was the whole point of being close friends, right? No special treatment.

Jian Xiaoxi: [It is the same. Our team ordered 13 A-set meals, including yours. What’s up?]

Jian Xiaoxi: [Confused cat GIF]

Now it was Lin Hening’s turn to be baffled.

He quickly opened the takeout app, found Apricot Blossom Restaurant, and checked the popular single-portion meal sets.

There was no “four dishes and one soup” option?!

Lin Hening hurriedly went to dig through the trash can, only to find it spotlessly clean.

Before leaving, Gu Fei had thoughtfully taken out the trash for him.

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