Chapter 10: BBQ Skewers

The two of them stared at each other for a moment.

Cheng Si followed the direction of Wen Xi’s finger. When his eyes landed on the words “Sao-Ge” (Charming Bro), his face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. He was so embarrassed he nearly covered his eyes.

“I didn’t…” Cheng Si’s lips trembled slightly as he struggled to speak. “I didn’t come up with the name for this stand.”

Wen Xi watched him at her leisure, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Does it matter who came up with it? I think it suits you quite well.”

“…”

Cheng Si’s face was so red it looked ready to drip blood. He was no match for Wen Xi in a war of words, so he gave up on defending himself. Instead, he stiffened his neck and added in a low, heavy voice: “If you like it… I can be that for you.”

Wen Xi raised an eyebrow at his blunt insinuation. If they were in a private setting, she might have answered with a simple “I like it,” but since it was broad daylight, she cleared her throat. Ending the inappropriate topic, she asked tonelessly, “Can I still order something now?”

Cheng Si was slightly surprised. “You’re here to eat skewers?”

“Wanran wants to eat them,” Wen Xi corrected him. “We saw you while driving by.”

Cheng Si nodded, not entirely surprised. “What would you like?” Knowing Wen Xi as he did, he didn’t expect her to actually stomach street food prepared in this kind of environment.

“Hold on.”

Wen Xi took a photo of the menu taped to the trike’s canopy and sent it to Luo Wanran. A moment later, a long string of replies came back. Her lips twitched as she turned her phone around to show him the wall of text on Star-Chat. “Just grill according to this.”

Cheng Si noticed the note asking for extra spice. “What about you? Is there anything else you want to eat? I can make something fresh.”

“Whatever you think is best. Sorry for the trouble.” Wen Xi didn’t refuse, but an indescribable feeling rose in her chest. She hadn’t said a word about her own preferences, yet Cheng Si had thought of everything.

Cheng Si put on a pair of brand-new gloves before taking her phone. He looked straight ahead as he picked out a basket of skewers according to the list. But when he handed the phone back, he couldn’t help but steal a few glances at her Star-Chat avatar.

Her nickname was a question mark, and her avatar was a black-and-white question mark. It was a complete contrast to her polite and aloof public persona; this blunt question mark felt dismissive and provocative.

Cheng Si’s lips curved slightly, excited to have caught a glimpse of her true self. He then pulled out a folding wooden table and two small stools from the trike. “Sit for a while. It’ll take a few minutes to grill.”

Wen Xi glanced at the stool, which was covered in scratches and missing most of its paint. She stood still.

Cheng Si had actually wiped the stools clean, but because they were so old, they didn’t exactly look clean. He came up with an idea: he fished out a bag from the trike, took out his school uniform jacket, folded it a few times, and spread it over one of the stools. “I usually don’t wear my jacket; I keep it in here as a spare. It’s been washed. It’s very clean…”

Wen Xi lowered her eyelids. Although her brow was still furrowed, she gathered her uniform skirt and sat down.

“Was skipping class before also just to sell skewers?” Wen Xi asked, seemingly casual.

“Not entirely.” Cheng Si moved nimbly to relight the fire, brushing oil over the skewers until they sizzled. “This stand belongs to my downstairs neighbor. His old illness flared up and he couldn’t make it out, so I took over. I don’t usually do this; I have other part-time jobs.”

“Part-time jobs?” Wen Xi was puzzled. “Are you that short on money?”

Cheng Si hummed, admitting frankly, “Yes.”

Wen Xi gave him a surprised look. No matter how she looked at him, she couldn’t imagine him being destitute. Remembering something, she asked, “I forgot to ask—how are your parents? Has their health been okay these past two years?”

“…”

Cheng Si’s lips thinned into a silent line. His hands curled powerlessly for a moment. Finally, he spoke in a low, raspy voice. “They are… both gone.”

The sky gradually darkened. At 7:00 PM, the streetlights in the alley flickered on punctually.

From Wen Xi’s angle, she could only see the boy’s back. He was hunched over, his shoulder muscles tense, looking like he was in pain. A shadow fell behind him, looking as if it might swallow him whole.

“Gone… Do you mean what I think you mean?” Wen Xi asked softly.

“Yes,” Cheng Si’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke slowly. “Shortly after leaving the Wen family, they were involved in back-to-back accidents. I’m the only one left.”

Wen Xi frowned, her eyes filled with sudden shock and regret. Cheng Si’s parents were good people; she never imagined that good people would have such short lives.

No wonder he lived in such a remote area now. Since he was alone, did nothing else matter?

Wen Xi didn’t press him on what kind of accidents they were. Cheng Si seemed to lose the courage to continue speaking as well. He busied himself with scattering seasoning over the food, appearing too preoccupied to be distracted. Only the scent of cumin hung in the air, making one’s nose sting.

Silence fell over the alley. When Luo Wanran arrived, she thought she had walked into a cold war.

“Are the skewers on? Remember to make them extra spicy!” After greeting Cheng Si, Luo Wanran pulled over the other small stool and sat down without ceremony. “What’s with this heavy atmosphere? What were you talking about?”

“Nothing.” Wen Xi let out a breath, glad for the change of subject. “What took you so long to park?”

“There were no spots, so I went to the nearby mall. Speaking of which,” Luo Wanran said excitedly, “guess who I ran into in the parking lot?”

Wen Xi played along. “Who?”

“Lin Xiayang!” Luo Wanran said. “He guessed we were together but was too shy to come over. He asked me to ask you if you’d do him the honor of attending his birthday party next week.”

Wen Xi: “Who is Lin Xiayang?”

Just as Luo Wanran was about to answer, Cheng Si appeared like a ghost, carrying a plate full of skewers and interrupting the conversation. “Everything is ready.” He then placed a small bowl in front of Wen Xi. It was filled with a delicate, tofu-like substance, topped with chili oil, dried shrimp, and green onions.

“This is yours,” Cheng Si said to Wen Xi. “It’s savory Tofu Pudding. I only put a little chili oil for flavor; it won’t be spicy.”

Luo Wanran saw this and was about to say that he shouldn’t waste his breath—Wen Xi never ate food from random street stalls. But before the words could leave her mouth, Wen Xi had already scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.

Luo Wanran: “?”

“Is it to your taste?” Cheng Si asked cautiously.

Wen Xi had never had Tofu Pudding before and found it quite novel. The texture was similar to steamed egg custard, but without the slight fishy smell. “Not bad.” She took another bite.

“Good.” Cheng Si rubbed his ear, turning his head away shyly as if he’d received the greatest praise in the world, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

Luo Wanran was stunned. The Princess really has descended to the mortal world?

Some items, like the chicken wings, needed a bit more time. Cheng Si went back to the grill.

Luo Wanran picked up a skewer and tried it. The skill was indeed impressive. When she came over, she had intended to ask the coconut chicken restaurant owner to save a takeout portion for her—she couldn’t let Wen Xi go hungry while she ate skewers. Well, it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary now.

“Where was I? Oh, Lin Xiayang…” Luo Wanran said while eating. “I’m asking you, are you going to his party or not?”

Wen Xi didn’t look up. “I don’t know him. Why would I go?”

“You do know him! You helped him in the tenth grade,” Luo Wanran said. “That ‘Sugar Overload’ chat group? He started that specifically to defend you against haters. It’s basically your fan club now. He’s also in your class—the male Omega who asked you a question this afternoon. He even posted in the group saying your speaking speed when explaining the problem was so ‘Alpha’ it made his legs weak, hahahaha… He’s quite cute.”

“Oh, him.” Wen Xi gradually remembered. She had an impression of the boy, she just didn’t recall his name.

“See, I told you that you knew him. So, are you going?” Luo Wanran had promised to ask, but she was prepared to tell her to be polite if she refused.

Then, a series of clatters echoed in the quiet alley, forcefully interrupting the conversation again.

Cheng Si looked like he had accidentally knocked something over, fumbling around while pretending he wasn’t listening to them.

Luo Wanran looked at Wen Xi, who was focused on her Tofu Pudding, then at Cheng Si’s poor acting. She felt a sudden urge to tease him and raised her voice. “Hey, Cheng Si, do you know that Lin Xiayang in your class? What do you think of him?”

Wen Xi froze and gave Luo Wanran a warning look. Luo Wanran ignored it and urged Cheng Si: “I’m asking you.”

Cheng Si turned around, his usually uninviting face showing little expression. He instinctively looked at Wen Xi’s reaction, finding that she was also looking at him, seemingly waiting for his answer.

He did know Lin Xiayang. After all, Lin Xiayang was one of the few people in Class 7 who didn’t show him any malice. In his memory, Lin Xiayang was sweet-looking, cheerful, and very popular. Everyone habitually lowered their voices when speaking to him.

“He’s a good person,” Cheng Si said, eyes downcast. Even if the boy was a potential rival, he couldn’t lie. He answered dejectedly, “He is… indeed cute.”

After saying that, he didn’t look at Wen Xi again, afraid to see an expression of interest in Lin Xiayang on her face.

As he turned his back, Luo Wanran’s laughter erupted behind him. “Oh my god, how can a person like Cheng Si exist? I’m going to die laughing, hahahahaha!” It was punctuated by a very faint “tsk” from Wen Xi.

Cheng Si was baffled by the laughter, and his heart felt even heavier. He pursed his lips and brought over the grilled chicken wings.

When he looked up and saw Wen Xi staring at him with a slight smile, he couldn’t help but mutter, “What are you looking at me for?”

Wen Xi smiled. “Who wouldn’t look at a fool?”

Cheng Si: “…”

“The Tofu Pudding was delicious,” Wen Xi said out of the blue. Then, while Cheng Si was dazed, she stood up and walked to his side. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she whispered, “What reward do you want today?”

Before Cheng Si could answer, Luo Wanran suddenly cried out in pain, her tongue stinging so much that tears were coming out. She yelled angrily, “Cheng Si!!! Did you knock over the chili jar just now?! I said extra spicy, not ‘dump the whole bag for free’!!!”

“…”

Cheng Si looked at the sky, then the ground, feeling guilty. Damn, friendly fire.