Chapter 50: Afternoon Hotpot and Tender Moments

Carrying their shopping bags, they returned to Lu Chen’s residential complex just as the sun began its descent in the west.

The afternoon sun was exceptionally bright and clear. The flagstone path leading to the apartment building was quiet and spacious.

A few elderly people sat beneath the dappled, swaying shade of trees, fanning themselves as they chatted about daily life. Occasionally, the chirping of birds drifted from the dense, green foliage.

Lu Chen arrived before his apartment building. He pulled open the dark green iron gate, its paint somewhat chipped.

When he first arrived in Linzhou, his finances were quite tight. Consequently, he rented a modest room in this old residential complex.

After he successfully joined Xingguang, his financial situation improved considerably.

However, he was too lazy to move to a place with too many people, choosing instead to simply switch to a more spacious rental within the same complex.

The young woman stepped out of the sunlight first, darting into the cool, shadowed corridor. Lu Chen followed closely behind her.

Their footsteps echoed for a moment in the quiet stairwell. Leaving the stairwell, they reached the apartment door and opened it.

Lu Chen rummaged in the kitchen for a while, retrieving a soup pot that hadn’t been used in ages. He placed it on the stove and began stir-frying the hotpot base.

Meanwhile, Xia Shi took the purchased ingredients from the shopping bags. She washed and drained the vegetables, then arranged the meats on plates to bring them to room temperature.

Their figures moved in tandem within the kitchen. The rich aroma of the tomato hotpot base gradually began to spread.

The young woman cleared the clutter from the dining table. She neatly arranged the various dishes and dipping sauces.

Just as she set down the last plate of baby bok choy, Lu Chen entered the living room, carrying the prepared hotpot base.

He carefully placed the pot in the center of the dining table and plugged it in.

The young man and woman settled into their seats on one side of the dining table. They exchanged a glance, then spoke in unison:

“You’ve worked hard. You choose what to put in first…”

They both paused, surprised, before smiling simultaneously. Lu Chen nodded at his beloved.

Xia Shi no longer demurred, eagerly picking up two plates of meat rolls and carefully adding them to the pot.

After simmering and swirling in the hotpot for a moment, the cooked, color-changed meat slices floated to the surface. A rich, savory aroma of meat spread across the dining table.

The young woman picked up a slice of meat roll. After dipping it in vinegar, she brought it to her mouth, and her eyes immediately lit up.

Steaming with warmth, she chewed the food in small bites. A blush bloomed on her fair cheeks from the heat.

“…Mm… truly delicious.”

Just by seeing her happy, contented expression, Lu Chen couldn’t help but smile. For a moment, he even forgot to serve himself.

After savoring her first slice of meat, the young woman noticed the empty plate before the young man. She asked with concern:

“Aren’t you eating? It’ll get overcooked, you know.”

“I’ll eat soon. I just wanted to watch you eat for a bit first.”

“…Wh-what are you talking about?”

The young woman’s cheeks grew even redder.

She immediately extended her chopsticks, picking up another perfectly cooked slice of meat. After dipping it in sauce, she cupped it gently with her hand from below, and brought it to the young man’s lips.

“Please, have some. I want to see you eat too.”

The aroma drifted towards him. Xia Shi’s fair hand was now before his eyes.

Lu Chen quickly turned his head away, saying:

“O-okay. But I can do it myself…”

The young woman gave him no chance to escape. She leaned in slightly, bringing the meat slice even closer.

“Ah—”

Lu Chen could only endure the embarrassment. He opened his mouth and bit into the meat slice, and a rich aroma spread across his tongue.

Xia Shi put down her chopsticks and asked:

“How is it? Is it good?”

Lu Chen looked at his beloved’s contented smile and nodded.

“Very delicious.”

Steam rose into the air. Time flowed gently in the afternoon sun as the two chatted idly about their lives and work, picking piece after piece of food from the pot.

Before long, most of the plates that had held ingredients were empty.

A few lamb eyeballs were quite resistant to cooking, so they had been added to the pot at the beginning. Now, they finally floated to the surface of the boiling broth.

Turning over, their lifeless pupils stared up at the two people by the table.

Lu Chen put down his chopsticks. He picked up the glass of juice and turned to look at his beloved beside him.

“My dear Magical Girl Fireworks, I am truly powerless against this monster. Only you can eliminate it.”

“Understood, my dear Agent Lu. Please enjoy your juice with peace of mind. I will complete the mission.”

After responding with solemn seriousness, the young woman extended her small tongue and licked the corner of her lips.

She picked up the colander that had been prepared beforehand, and scooped an eyeball from the pot.

After letting it cool on her plate for a moment, the young woman picked up the eyeball. She carefully brought it to her mouth, a genuine blush rising to her face.

Lu Chen watched the increasingly relaxed young woman, and couldn’t help but ask:

“How is it? Does it taste strange? Is there a fishy smell?”

Xia Shi reluctantly swallowed the eyeball. Her voice was tinged with excitement.

“No fishy smell at all, it’s super delicious! It’s a bit like bursting beef balls, but the texture is even crisper and more savory.”

“That’s good.”

The young woman eagerly fished out a second eyeball, followed by a third and a fourth. Soon, she had scooped the last eyeball from the hotpot and placed it on her plate.

However, just as she was about to put it in her mouth, she turned her head to look at Lu Chen.

“It’s always just me eating… won’t you have one too? It’s really not to be missed.”

The eyeball on the plate, having absorbed the broth, had its lifeless pupil slightly distended. Lu Chen’s scalp tingled.

He shook his head.

“N-no, I think I’ll pass, you enjoy it—”

Mid-sentence, he noticed the young woman immediately droop her eyes in disappointment. The young man quickly changed his tack, saying:

“—That would be too much of a pity. I’ll try one too.”

Xia Shi’s eyes brightened. Two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

She deftly pulled out a napkin and wiped her mouth. Then, she scooped up an eyeball with a spoon and said to Lu Chen:

“Excellent. Now, please close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes? Why?”

“Because then you won’t be disgusted by its appearance. I’ll feed you.

Come, ah—”

The young man couldn’t resist the young woman. He could only close his eyes as she instructed, and nervously opened his mouth.

He heard Xia Shi stand up from her chair. The faint, unique scent of the young woman drew near, and the round eyeball gently rolled into his mouth.

He hesitated for a moment. Then, he bit through the surprisingly resilient outer skin, and hot, savory juice immediately burst forth.

‘Just in terms of taste, it’s actually not bad. Try not to think about its appearance,’ Lu Chen thought.

Thinking this, Lu Chen swallowed the eyeball, his eyes still closed.

A soft peck.

At the same instant, a soft touch suddenly brushed against his face.

Lu Chen quickly opened his eyes. He saw the young woman had already left her seat and was beside him, leaning in close, her delicate face almost touching his.

Seeing her beloved’s eyes open again, she nonchalantly returned to her seat. She pulled out a napkin and wiped her lips again, though they were already clean.

“Very delicious, thank you for the treat.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

Lu Chen sighed helplessly. Yet, a smile involuntarily surfaced in his eyes.

****

After they had eaten their fill, the two moved back and forth between the living room and kitchen, washing the pots, bowls, and plates clean, and returning them to their places.

By the time everything was tidied away, it was already two in the afternoon.

The young woman glanced out the window, and said:

“The sun is so fierce.”

“It is. They say this is the hottest time of day.”

“It feels like it’ll be really sunny on the way back… Can I stay a little longer?”

Lu Chen nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. Shall we watch a movie together, or play some games?”

The young woman looked thoughtfully towards the bedroom door. Then, she dramatically let out a yawn.

“No, I’m a little sleepy. How about we take a nap together?”