AS CH 15

Chapter 15

Lü Chenyue never expected Xu Wenhao to choose something as humble as roadside stall noodles!

He watched as Xu Wenhao casually ordered a bowl of shredded pork with pickled mustard noodles and a few small side dishes before sitting down at a table like he’d done it a hundred times.

“I’ve already ordered. Your turn,” Xu Wenhao prompted, smiling innocently.

Without thinking much, Lü Chenyue also ordered the same noodle dish.

The owner was fast—soon, two steaming bowls of noodles and a big plate of side dishes were placed in front of them.

Lü Chenyue still wasn’t used to sitting so close to someone while eating.

At school, he always ate alone on the rooftop during lunch, never sitting face-to-face with anyone like this. The closeness made his whole body feel awkward. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat slowly, mechanically.

“Try this,” Xu Wenhao said, placing a piece of pork liver on Lü Chenyue’s spoon.

Lü Chenyue usually just grabbed food from convenience stores. Even when he brought noodles home, he never ordered side dishes like this. He stared wide-eyed at the unfamiliar piece of organ meat on his spoon, hesitant to put it in his mouth.

“What? Scared to eat it?” Xu Wenhao teased, clearly amused.

“Who—Who said I was?!” Lü Chenyue shot back, stubbornly eating the piece of liver.
To his surprise—it wasn’t nearly as gross or weird as he imagined.

“Here, have some pork intestine,” Xu Wenhao offered next.

“I…” Lü Chenyue stared at the oddly shaped item and couldn’t find the words. But he steeled himself and ate it anyway.

Apparently having fun now, Xu Wenhao kept feeding him: pork intestine, pig lung, more offal, tofu—piece after piece onto Lü Chenyue’s spoon.

Lü Chenyue could only brace himself and keep eating the strange, pale, and frankly scary-looking food. But over time, he started getting used to it. Even enjoying it.

He had no idea organ meats could actually taste good. It was all new to him. He kept eating his noodle soup, occasionally sharing bites of Xu Wenhao’s side dishes.

Xu Wenhao watched him quietly, satisfied. So, Lü Chenyue had never experienced even these simple, ordinary things… He’d have to show him more, introduce him to the full world of everyday life—step by step.

After the meal, Lü Chenyue paid the bill. They walked together to a pet store to buy some canned food for the kitten. Worried the little guy might be hungry, Lü Chenyue’s pace quickened. Xu Wenhao followed behind, helplessly amused.

Back home, Lü Chenyue hurriedly opened a can, scooped it onto a small plate, mixed in some meat purée, and placed it in front of the kitten. He watched silently as it ate.

Xu Wenhao, meanwhile, watched him—quietly, gently.

Only after some time did Lü Chenyue remember that Xu Wenhao was still there. He snuck a glance at the wall clock and realized just how long he had stayed. A faint sense of guilt rose in his chest.

“Um… it’s getting late,” Lü Chenyue murmured.

“It is,” Xu Wenhao smiled and stood up. “I’ll head home. I’ll come by tomorrow… to check on him.”

At the front door, Lü Chenyue looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. In the end, he lowered his eyes and awkwardly mumbled, “Thank you… for everything today.”

Xu Wenhao didn’t reply. Instead, he reached out and gently brushed Lü Chenyue’s cheek—then smiled, and left.

Even after Xu Wenhao disappeared from view, Lü Chenyue still felt the lingering warmth in his chest… slow to fade.

(To be continued…)