AADWFL Chapter 21
by SuxxiThe semi-open kitchen in the suite looked as though it hadn’t been used in ages, yet it was spotless. The hotel staff arrived with not only the requested bag of ingredients but also another paper bag filled with cooking utensils and condiments.
An Ning checked everything carefully, thanked the staff, then took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped into the kitchen.
He rummaged through the bag, found an apron — printed with the hotel logo — clearly borrowed from their kitchen, and tied it around his waist.
It had been quite a while since he’d last cooked — at least two months, maybe longer. Ever since he’d come here, he hadn’t once had the chance to make a meal himself.
He used to love cooking.
Back in college, when he was renting near his internship company, the interns didn’t get cafeteria benefits. So every few days, he’d order groceries online, cook for himself, and save on both commuting and meal costs.
It was tiring, but it gave him a sense of progress — his cooking skills got better and better. Even without eating out, he could create something delicious with his own hands.
Those lean, frugal days were gone now — like a distant dream. Though he was still at the lower end of the financial ladder in his current circle, it was already more than he’d ever dared imagine in his past.
As his hands touched the familiar utensils, memories came rushing back — both familiar and strange.
When had he learned to cook? He couldn’t quite remember anymore.
Growing up in an orphanage, An Ning had always been independent. Practical skills like cooking and saving money were things he’d mastered early.
He wasn’t a Michelin chef, nor could he make fancy food, but he could cook simple, hearty meals — enough to get by and keep his spirits up.
His knife work wasn’t refined — rough, self-taught, but skillful — and the end result was surprisingly good.
Yu Xiuming sat at the dining table not far away, watching as An Ning’s fingers moved deftly up and down the cutting board. Before he realized it, he’d drifted off into a daze.
When the last dish was done, An Ning turned off the stove and began bringing everything to the table, one by one.
“Stir-fried lettuce, kelp and tofu soup.” He carried both dishes over, then turned back for the rest. “Steamed sea bass — the hotel handled the prep, but it looked quite fresh. And here’s mung bean and lily porridge.”
An Ning arranged the four dishes on the table and, sticking to his habit of adding a small extra comment, said, “All of these help clear heat. Eating them today should make you feel comfortable.”
Even before taking a bite, Yu Xiuming felt particularly pleased by those words.
“Go ahead and sit.” He spoke hastily, feeling that it would be improper for him to remain standing while An Ning prepared everything.
“Just a moment, Mr. Yu.” An Ning slipped back into the kitchen. “I’ll tidy up a bit.”
“Just have the hotel staff clean up afterward. You’ve been working all this time — come eat.” The aroma of the dishes wafted through the suite, and Yu Xiuming felt his usually clear-headed, composed mind swept along by it.
“I’ll just tidy a little.” An Ning’s hands didn’t stop moving. “Nothing bad will be left behind — I’ll just plate what’s in the pot; the rest can go back to the hotel to handle.”
Yu Xiuming patiently waited.
It took An Ning barely a minute to finish tidying, but to Yu Xiuming, it felt much longer.
Honestly, the dishes on the table weren’t exactly perfect in color, aroma, or taste. Yet Yu Xiuming felt that his assistant was capable of anything, and somehow the meal tasted especially good.
After all the preparation, An Ning himself had almost forgotten why he had decided to cook this dinner in the first place.
Perhaps it was Yu Xiuming’s calm and gentle demeanor that made everything feel pleasant, quickly erasing any annoyance from the afternoon.
Lunzhao was farther south than Binzhou, so autumn and winter arrived later, and temperatures were generally higher. In Binzhou, the season had already shifted from autumn into winter, with noticeable day-to-night temperature swings. Lunzhao, by contrast, was still early autumn; only at night did the heat of the day ease into a mild coolness.
The suite was even warmer, thanks to the hotel’s climate control maintaining the perfect indoor temperature. Sitting at the table enjoying the dishes An Ning had prepared, the two of them felt a surprisingly deep sense of satisfaction.
An Ning calculated in his head — there were no business obligations the next day. Finally, he had a full day of rest.
He couldn’t help but feel a little thrilled.
Even the most dedicated workers always look forward to a day off.
“The day after tomorrow—”
“The day after tomorrow—”
Almost simultaneously, both of them spoke, their eyes showing surprise, then they fell silent together.
After two seconds of locked eyes, Yu Xiuming couldn’t hold back and let out a small laugh.
An Ning relaxed as well; those two seconds of silence had felt strangely pressure-free, and he smiled. “Go ahead.”
He just wanted to confirm that there were no other plans before the gathering the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t a matter of importance — there was no need to speak before Yu Xiuming.
Yu Xiuming went first, opening his mouth. “You remember tomorrow night’s gathering, right?”
The next evening, Yu Xiuming would attend a gathering hosted by Jing Yan and some friends — An Ning knew this.
Yu Xiuming had attended similar private gatherings before. Usually, An Ning would just drive him there, have a light meal while waiting for him to finish, and then drive him back to the hotel.
Not entirely understanding Yu Xiuming’s intent, An Ning nodded. “I remember. I’ll make sure to take you there on time. Will you be staying overnight? If not, I can drive you back afterward.”
Yu Xiuming never stayed overnight at these gatherings, so An Ning’s question was more out of habit. He was already prepared to drive him back once the gathering ended.
“I won’t stay overnight,” Yu Xiuming answered succinctly. “I mean — if you don’t have anything else to do, how about joining me?”
An Ning froze, taking a moment before fully grasping Yu Xiuming’s meaning.
Join him — that meant attending as a guest at the gathering, not just waiting outside.
Seeing An Ning hesitate, Yu Xiuming added, “Jing Yan knows you came to Lunzhao with me. No matter what, he insisted you come along.”
An Ning knew Jing Yan.
Not only that, but in his memory, the original An Ning had harbored a secret crush on Yu Xiuming. To figure out his boss’s preferences, he had interacted with Jing Yan more than a few times.
“Mr. Jing—” An Ning hesitated. “I only know him… we’re not really close.”
“Jing Yan is naturally outgoing. He probably thinks you two get along well,” Yu Xiuming said, keeping his expression unchanged while teasing his friend. “He specifically told me to invite you.”
An Ning’s face briefly registered surprise.
Given Jing Yan’s status and position, there would be no reason for him to pretend familiarity with An Ning. If An Ning naïvely admitted the truth, it might embarrass him — and ultimately, it wouldn’t benefit himself.
“Th-then I—”
“Then, why don’t you just go? It’s only a private dinner, take it easy. It won’t be tiring,” Yu Xiuming said at the right moment.
Under his boss’s gentle but firm persuasion, An Ning gave in completely and replied, “Alright.”
The next morning, before going to Yu Xiuming’s room to help iron his clothes, An Ning received a call from the real estate agent.
Before coming to Lunzhao on this business trip, he had originally scheduled a viewing with the agent, but the trip had temporarily postponed it.
The call was the agent asking when he would be available to go again. Besides the properties they had previously scheduled, they had found some new listings that met An Ning’s requirements, which they could visit together next time.
An Ning was relieved he hadn’t gone to Yu Xiuming’s room yet.
Although buying a house with his own money was perfectly reasonable, he still didn’t want Yu Xiuming to know about it too early.
After giving the agent his return date from the trip, he hung up and then went to do Yu Xiuming’s usual clothing arrangements.
The outfits he had prepared for Yu Xiuming for the private gathering finally came in handy.
The hotel offered a clothing ironing service, but Yu Xiuming was accustomed to having An Ning do it and never entrusted his clothes to the hotel.
Seeing An Ning finish ironing, Yu Xiuming glanced at the outfits he had paired and smiled. “What are you wearing today?”
“Me?” An Ning looked up and thought for a moment. “Anything should be fine, right—”
“I’ll go check.” Halfway through, An Ning realized that since he was accompanying Yu Xiuming to the gathering, dressing too casually might reflect poorly on his boss. So he agreed to change as well.
Yu Xiuming was about to say something else when his mind went blank. All he could remember were the clothes An Ning had worn before; he had no idea what An Ning had brought to Lunzhao.
An Ning was slim. Though he hadn’t trained like Yu Xiuming over the years, his natural build made almost any stylish outfit look good.
Thinking this, Yu Xiuming felt a sudden wave of happiness, and the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but lift into a small smile.
An Ning noticed his boss’s sudden smile, but no matter how he guessed, he couldn’t figure out the reason.
Muttering to himself, he slowly walked back to his room and began rummaging through his wardrobe.
Recently, Yu Xiuming had become harder to read. Although he seemed more generous with money, situations often arose that An Ning could not fully anticipate.
He pulled out a suit, frowned at a crease, and temporarily pushed aside his wandering thoughts, focusing on ironing.
After all, he was getting paid, and there were no unreasonable demands. He didn’t mind Yu Xiuming becoming more inscrutable.
After finishing the clothes, An Ning went through Yu Xiuming’s schedule for the morning as usual, and then checked the office from the study for any urgent matters. Both lunch and dinner were ordered through hotel room service. After dinner, he reported a few updates from the Binzhou office to Yu Xiuming.
They were routine, insignificant matters. Seeing that Yu Xiuming had no special instructions, An Ning prepared to wrap up work, brewing tea for his boss before leaving.
He thought it would be a quiet, peaceful day, waiting leisurely for the gathering the next evening.
However, the silence of the room was shattered by a piercing phone ring.
Yu Xiuming’s private phone rarely rang. Most work calls, unless extremely urgent, would be directed to An Ning, who would relay messages to the boss as appropriate.
Besides An Ning, occasionally Tao Kang would call to check on Yu Xiuming’s life. Other than that, the few calls from Xu Jianan were rare.
The last time Yu Xiuming had spoken with Yu Linshan was half a year ago — practically a “contact only if the sun rises in the west” level of rarity.
As for Xu Jianan, the frequency of calls roughly matched how often she arranged blind dates for Yu Xiuming in the past year.
Yu Xiuming glanced down at the incoming call. It was Xu Jianan.
Author’s note:
[Throwing flowers] Please bookmark, and feel free to comment [hearts][hearts]