ALCSRB Chapter 48
by Suxxi“Why are you guys here?”
Jiang Mingyi couldn’t hold back and asked.
Pei Shiqing didn’t bother hiding anything.
“My brother said he had some free time today, so he brought me out for lunch.”
“…” Jiang Mingyi was speechless.
He had just told Shen Xingyan that Pei Mingyue was a total workaholic—absolutely impossible for him to have time for lunch on a workday.
This felt like a slap right across his handsome little face.
Seeing Jiang Mingyi suddenly cover his face, Pei Shiqing looked puzzled.
“Why are you covering your face?”
He glanced up at the corridor’s ceiling. Clearly, there was air conditioning—it wasn’t hot.
Jiang Mingyi suddenly shot him a glare, then lowered his hands and said grumpily:
“I’m giving myself a facial massage.”
“Huh?” Pei Shiqing looked even more confused.
Jiang Mingyi added, “You wouldn’t understand.”
Fine, not understanding was fine. Pei Shiqing asked instead:
“So, are you really happy to see me today?”
Jiang Mingyi originally wanted to say, “Not happy at all,” but seeing Pei Shiqing’s bright, expectant smile, he could only reluctantly say:
“A little happy.”
“A little happy is still happy! I knew you’d be happy!”
Inside the room, Shen Xingyan had already taken a seat. Noticing someone still standing dumbly at the door, he called out:
“Why are you still standing there? Come in already.”
Jiang Mingyi was still locked in a silent eye-staring match with Pei Shiqing—though honestly, it was more like him being slightly exasperated while Pei Shiqing beamed with joy.
“Yeah! Come on in!”
Pei Shiqing also called out cheerfully and turned to walk inside.
Jiang Mingyi stood there, pouting a little.
Well, since he was already here, there was no turning back now.
Muttering silently to himself in protest, he finally lifted his foot and stepped inside.
Shen Xingyan poured himself a cup of tea. Soon after, someone sat down right next to him. With one glance, he saw the teen’s lips pressed tightly together.
“Have some tea first.”
He poured Jiang Mingyi a cup too, smiling warmly as he handed it over.
“I know you wanted hot pot, so I brought you here on purpose.” After a brief pause, he added,
“The fish hot pot here is phenomenal.”
Hearing that, Jiang Mingyi’s mood finally lifted a bit. He took the cup and took a small sip.
Holding the cup with both hands, he looked up at Shen Xingyan with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.
“Is it really as good as you say?”
On his other side, Pei Shiqing—also here for the first time—turned to ask Pei Mingyue with equal curiosity:
“If it’s that good, why haven’t you ever brought me here before?”
Pei Mingyue’s gaze lightly swept over the slender fingers resting on his arm, his tone calm as he said, “You’ve never liked eating fish.”
“I just think the bones are too much trouble,” Pei Shiqing muttered.
Pei Mingyue lowered his eyes. “And how is that any different from not liking fish?”
Pei Shiqing choked on that. Thinking it over carefully… yeah, not much of a difference.
Jiang Mingyi shot a glance toward Shen Xingyan. The look in his clear eyes was obvious, and Shen Xingyan understood it immediately—it was the same question.
Shen Xingyan raised his brows slightly and replied with a look—I wasn’t in the country before, and even after coming back, a certain little guy always seemed to avoid me.
So when would he ever have had the chance to bring him to this fish restaurant?
Jiang Mingyi also recalled his past resentment toward the other and looked away a little awkwardly.
Shen Xingyan watched him lower his gaze and sip his tea, a faint smile blooming in his eyes. “Try it later. If you like it, we can come here often.”
Jiang Mingyi took a small sip. The light taste of tea lingered gently in his mouth. He peeked at him again and mumbled softly, “Then I don’t want to come alone.”
Even though his voice was quiet, Shen Xingyan still heard it clearly.
He reached out and gently patted his head, his voice tender. “Then you’ll like it if I bring you often.”
Only then did Jiang Mingyi quietly hum in agreement.
You’re the one saying you’ll bring me often. I didn’t ask you to.
Hmph.
Shen Xingyan watched the subtle expressions flicker across his face, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
—
Behind the fish lodge was a lake, popular among people who liked fishing. The lodge charged a small fee for it.
But the real draw was their chef—he made incredible fish dishes.
Of course, some guests weren’t into fishing and came just to eat. For them, the lodge had an indoor fish pool where guests could handpick their own fish.
Jiang Mingyi and Pei Shiqing left the private room and followed the lodge manager to the fish pool.
The manager introduced, “We have a small indoor fish pool here. The two young masters can pick whichever fish they like. Our chef is skilled at cooking all kinds of fish.”
Listening to his proud tone, Jiang Mingyi suddenly asked, “If he’s that good, then I guess he doesn’t make salted fish?”
“Salted fish isn’t very fresh—we don’t usually recommend it,” the manager replied with a straight face.
The next second, a burst of laughter exploded from the two boys.
The manager looked confused. Once they finished laughing, Pei Shiqing clapped the manager on the shoulder. “It’s okay, we can handle that ourselves.”
The two salted fish (a.k.a. the two human clowns) urged the manager to keep explaining.
The manager still looked a bit dazed, clearly not realizing that “salted fish” in this case wasn’t talking about actual preserved seafood.
He led the two toward the indoor fish pond and continued his introduction: “There’s also a large outdoor fishing pond—that lake out back. It’s mostly for fishing enthusiasts. If you two young masters feel like it after lunch, you’re welcome to give it a try.”
“In this scorching heat? Who wants to go fishing?” Jiang Mingyi muttered with disdain.
When they reached the small fish pond and saw the variety of fish swimming around, the two of them were instantly overwhelmed.
“I don’t even know which fish is which.”
Pei Shiqing’s frustration echoed Jiang Mingyi’s. They stood side by side, staring blankly at the lively pond full of fish, completely at a loss.
The manager then started enthusiastically explaining which fish were good for what kind of dishes. But to the two of them, it was all a confusing mess of technical jargon. They listened with glazed-over eyes, understanding nothing but still vaguely impressed.
Eventually, they returned to the private room empty-handed. Since they hadn’t picked anything, the manager had made the decision for them. Shen Xingyan was thoroughly amused when he heard the story.
Even the usually cold and composed Pei Mingyue gave them a pointed look that practically screamed, “Useless.”
Jiang Mingyi tried to explain, “I mean, I couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying—bian fish, silver carp, blackfish… I can’t tell any of them apart. Some of the names were just weird and impossible to remember.”
Honestly, Jiang Mingyi felt like recognizing a carp was already pushing his limits.
Oh, and he knew ribbonfish too. That was something.
Pei Shiqing nodded in agreement. “There were just too many types. Since we couldn’t tell them apart anyway, we figured we’d just let the manager decide. All we needed to do was tell him if we wanted it fried, steamed, or stewed.”
The two looked rather pleased with their “brilliant” shortcut. Who cared what kind of fish it was—as long as it tasted good in the end?
Shen Xingyan looked at them and teased, “Well, at least you got something out of the trip. Now you both officially know your IQ has limits.”
Jiang Mingyi: “…”
Pei Shiqing: “…”
The two exchanged a silent glance.
Pei Shiqing: What do we do now? Your brother just called us dumb.
Jiang Mingyi: Just pretend we didn’t hear it, duh.
What else could they do? Admit he was right?
Still, Jiang Mingyi hadn’t forgotten about the fish hotpot he’d been craving. Soon enough, the soup base was brought in.
The broth was milky white—clearly the result of hours of simmering fish bones. Tofu, bean sprouts, and a massive fish head bobbed gently in the pot.
On the serving cart were six large plates of fish slices, each piece cut thin as cicada wings—so thin, they were practically translucent.
Jiang Mingyi carefully picked up a slice with his chopsticks, and as the light passed through the fish, he caught Pei Shiqing staring at it in awe.
Together, they exclaimed, “The knife work is insane!”
“One word: flawless.”
Pei Mingyue picked up a slice with his chopsticks and placed it in the soup. “You’re here to dip the fish in the broth, not to admire the chef’s knife skills.”
With that, he fished the piece out—it had already turned a delicate milky white.
Jiang Mingyi and Pei Shiqing watched as he popped the now-curled-up fish slice into his mouth.
His expression remained neutral, as if he were eating something utterly mundane.
Didn’t seem that tasty…
The two exchanged a slightly skeptical glance before each grabbing a piece, giving it a quick swish in the broth, and popping it into their mouths.
The flavor of the fish exploded on their tongues like a firework—fresh, rich, and absolutely divine.
“Wow! So delicious!”
Two pairs of chopsticks launched a frenzied attack on the fish meat, and for a while, the only sounds in the private dining room were the bubbling of the fish soup and the occasional exclamation of “So good!”
Shen Xingyan ate slowly while chatting with Pei Mingyue about work.
During that time, more fish dishes were served, but Jiang Mingyi and Pei Shiqing were too busy eating to bother with the two older men talking about business jargon they couldn’t understand.
By the time the meal ended, it was nearly two in the afternoon.
Jiang Mingyi put down his chopsticks and slumped in his chair, his previously flat stomach now slightly bulging.
Shen Xingyan glanced at it, his brows slightly furrowed. “I told you to eat less. Why didn’t you listen?”
“It’s just… too good… hic…”
He couldn’t help but burp mid-sentence, covering his mouth in slight embarrassment, his delicate face full of post-meal satisfaction.
Next to him, Pei Shiqing wasn’t doing any better. He leaned against Pei Mingyue, asking the latter to rub his stomach.
With his eyes half-closed in contentment, he murmured, “Ge, your massage feels so good. I feel like I could eat more.”
The hand massaging his belly stopped the moment those words were said.
Pei Shiqing opened his eyes slightly and, noticing the chill on Pei Mingyue’s face, immediately changed his tune. “I was just saying—really, I can’t eat anymore, I swear.”
Shen Xingyan glanced at the pair of brothers, then looked over at his own younger brother who was rubbing his own belly.
Finally, he raised his hand.
“Come here. I’ll rub your belly to help you digest.”
Hearing this, Jiang Mingyi immediately scooted over with glee.
The two sat close, Jiang Mingyi nearly half-leaning into Shen Xingyan’s arms, eyes squinting in comfort.
“Ge, you’re the best,” he said, fully enjoying the pampering.
A warm palm landed on his stomach and began to massage in a clockwise motion. Even through the fabric, the warmth seeped in.
Jiang Mingyi shifted a little, only for Shen Xingyan to press him down.
“Don’t move.”
He obediently replied with an “Okay,” and settled down.
The pressure on his stomach was just right—neither too hard nor too soft—and felt incredibly soothing. Jiang Mingyi could feel the tightness in his overstuffed stomach gradually easing.
“Ge, your technique is amazing.”
He suddenly blurted out.
The hand on his stomach paused for a moment.
Jiang Mingyi opened one eye in confusion. The ceiling light was blocked by Shen Xingyan’s body, casting a blur over the man’s expression.
He stared at the man’s tightly pressed lips, and after a while, heard Shen Xingyan’s deep voice quietly say:
“You’re the only one who gets to enjoy this.”
Gentle and indulgent, the tone lingered faintly in Jiang Mingyi’s slightly sluggish brain after eating his fill.
Jiang Mingyi felt like his heart had gone all tingly and fuzzy for a moment.
How strange.
But somehow… it made him secretly a little happy.