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25. Arrogance and awkwardness...
Shawn felt like he was dreaming. If he wasn't dreaming, how could Xu Qi possibly say "thank you" to him? Not to mention the seemingly shy expression on Xu Qi's face. He knew exactly how awkward Xu Qi was, which made him even more incredulous at his ears.
He repeated blankly, "Thank...me?" He was usually quick-witted, but today he seemed to have a mental block. In Xu Qi's eyes, he looked incredibly stupid.
Xu Qi snorted, "If you don't understand, then forget it." Although he said that, his resolute facial features softened, and the corners of his cold, hard mouth even turned up slightly. For a moment, Shawn stared blankly, and it took him a few minutes to come back to his senses.
"Uh..." Shawn's tongue wobbled, his usual quick wit completely useless. After a long pause, he finally managed to stammer out, "My pleasure." Before he could finish speaking, he regretted it so much that he just wanted to slap himself into the gleaming floor—he must look incredibly stupid right now!
Xu Qi was taken aback. His gaze swept over the blush on Shawn's cheeks, and the corners of his mouth gradually widened as he let out a muffled sound.
"You don't need to hold it in anymore, just laugh if you want to," Shawn muttered sullenly, looking down. Seriously, this guy just said something he'd almost never say in his entire life. He should be the one blushing, why is it me who's blushing in the end… Damn it!
Xu Qi held back in the end. He narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything, but took a bite of the osmanthus cake, as a way of giving poor Shawn some face.
They ate in silence for a while, the atmosphere quite pleasant. Suddenly, Shawn stared wide-eyed at Xu Qi's back, his expression very strange.
Xu Qi subconsciously followed his gaze and turned to look at the doorway. When he saw that familiar figure, he froze completely.
Seeing his expression, Shawn could only sigh. He glanced around and noticed that some people inside the store were already staring at the two men at the entrance—they were just too conspicuous.
The stunningly beautiful and slender Xu Yi and the handsome and dashing Su Xibai were already eye-catching enough on their own, let alone together, and... acting so intimately. Shawn was unaware that he and Xu Yi had already attracted enough attention since they entered the room. The waitress standing not far behind him was practically drooling, inwardly screaming: "What incredible luck I've struck today! All the handsome guys are coming in pairs!!"
Su Xibai noticed the two people as soon as he entered the room, and he immediately turned his head to look at Xu Yi's expression.
Xu Yi keenly sensed Xu Qi and Xu Qi's gaze, and his sharp eyes immediately swept over. Seeing that it was them, he frowned, his disgust evident.
"Xiaobai, this restaurant's food is pretty good, although I think it's not as good as yours..." Xu Yi turned his head and snuggled up to Su Xibai like a puppy, almost licking her face with his tongue.
His voice was originally a clear baritone, and he didn't deliberately lower it, instantly drawing the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant. Their behavior was so ambiguous that it was hard not to think in a certain direction.
Su Xibai stiffened as he endured the strange looks from those around him. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "What the hell are you doing?"
Xu Yi took his hand and walked directly to the corner: "I like the fish maw from this restaurant. I've been thinking about bringing you here to try it sometime, and we've finally made it today."
The other person had a strong grip, and Su Xibai was jolted. He stopped trying to shake off the other person and let them lead him to a table in the corner, where the two sat down facing each other.
He understood that although Xu Yi had always been unruly, he had toned it down considerably after his repeated protests. His relapse today was clearly related to Xu Qi sitting over there—even he couldn't bear to look at the pained, contorted expression on Xu Qi's face, let alone Xu Yi. However, Xu Yi was the kind of person who would never back down first.
Xu Qi stared blankly at the two people. The excruciating pain, like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart, made it almost impossible for him to breathe. His whole body felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He was completely frozen by the disgust on his younger brother's face.
Shawn was heartbroken. Such a strong man was always as fragile as glass in front of his younger brother, as if he would shatter at the slightest touch. He gritted his teeth, stood up, and forcibly dragged Xu Qi out.
Xu Qi seemed to have lost his soul, letting him drag him along, his palms soaked with cold sweat. But when they reached the door, Xu Qi seemed rooted to the spot, refusing to move another step.
As more and more people looked in this direction, Xu Qi refused to leave, making Shawn sweat with anxiety.
Su Xibai sighed, stood up, and slowly walked towards the door. Then she stopped in front of Xu Qi and said, "Mr. Xu, may I have a cup of tea with you?"
Seeing this, Shawn tactfully took his leave, leaving Xu Qi staring blankly at Su Xibai. Half a minute later, Xu Qi finally came to his senses and nodded with difficulty.
Su Xibai looked at the two brothers and sighed countless times in her heart. Xu Yi kept his head turned away and refused to look Xu Qi in the eye, while Xu Qi wanted to say something, but after opening and closing his mouth several times, he still couldn't say anything.
The waitress placed a teacup in front of them, and Su Xibai instructed her: "Pre-rain Longjing tea." He remembered that Xu Yi liked this, even though she always said things like "Only old men drink tea."
The tea had gone lukewarm, but the atmosphere among the three was becoming increasingly tense. Su Xibai was getting anxious and reached out to pull Xu Yi, but the teacup was knocked over by her sleeve, spilling the warm tea everywhere.
Just as Su Xibai was about to call the waiter to wipe the table, she saw Xu Qi dip his right index finger in tea and write "I'm sorry" on a dry spot on the table. He wrote it again and again, tirelessly repeating the process.
His hands trembled violently, his knuckles turning white from the force, yet the characters he wrote were strong and powerful, the light brown ink gradually darkening on the wooden tabletop.
Xu Yi snorted. Su Xibai nervously looked up at him, then gave him a meaningful look.
"I'm sorry." Xu Qi suddenly spoke, his right hand clenched into a fist on the table. He paused for a moment, then continued with difficulty, "I just want to apologize... I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. I know... I don't deserve your forgiveness."
"I've never thought apologies are of any use." Xu Yi finally looked at him properly, his thin lips slightly parted, uttering cold words that made Xu Qi's face turn pale.
Su Xibai sighed: This guy... can't he be a little more honest? He clearly forgave her a long time ago, and now he's saying things like this! Looks like there's no way to talk to him today.
“However, I never thought that my all-powerful brother would apologize.” Xu Yi said sarcastically, then lowered his head and took a sip of tea.
Xu Qi's eyes widened suddenly; he thought he must have misheard. Xu Yi was calling him "brother"? He wanted to ask, but didn't dare, and just stared blankly at the other person for a moment.
Su Xibai was somewhat amused and exasperated; these two brothers were truly quite dishonest. What he didn't know was that this was a family trait passed down between the Xu and Shao families—he himself was a prime example. In today's parlance, it was called—arrogance and awkwardness.
The waiter brought the dishes, and Su Xibai immediately called out to Xu Yi, "Which one is your favorite...?"
“Hundred Flower Fish Maw.” Xu Yi raised an eyebrow, picked up his chopsticks, placed a piece in Su Xibai’s bowl, and then glanced at Xu Qi.
Xu Qi seemed to wake from a dream: "Ayi..." His voice trembled with excitement, and he could only call out once before he could no longer utter a word.
Fish maw with a hundred flowers was a dish he used to frequently make. He couldn't remember exactly when, but he had taken his younger brother to a Chinese restaurant. His brother really liked that Cantonese dish, and although he wasn't a great cook, he spent an entire evening learning how to make it. Seeing the satisfaction on his brother's face as he ate the food he had prepared melted his heart. So, no matter how busy he was, he would still make time to learn to cook some of his brother's favorite dishes and enjoy the smiles of satisfaction on his brother's face. But his brother's favorite was still this "Fish Maw with a Hundred Flowers."
Staring at the dish, Xu Qi took a deep breath and then asked softly, "Is it better than mine?"
Xu Yi glanced at him sideways, pursed his lips, and said nothing. Su Xibai immediately understood what he meant: Nonsense! He shook his head and finally couldn't help but smile.
"I'd like to learn how to make this dish. Would you do me the honor of teaching me?" Su Xibai said with a smile.
Xu Qi was stunned for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said, "Of course."
Even that evening, in the kitchen of Xu Yi and Su Xibai's new home, as Xu Qi patiently taught Su Xibai how to cook, he still felt as if he were in a dream, everything before him so unreal. His younger brother, leaning against the kitchen doorway, still wore that awkward expression, yet the joy in his eyes was undeniable.
Looking at Su Xibai's earnest expression, Xu Qi suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He was no longer the one cooking for A-Yi. Once Su Xibai learned this dish, he feared he would never have the chance to cook for A-Yi again. Thinking of this, his heart, which had been floating in mid-air, instantly sank.
“I’m thinking, should I call you my brother, or…” Su Xibai stood by the pool and suddenly turned her head and whispered.
“Please… call me by my name.” Xu Qi was startled and turned her head away somewhat awkwardly, her ears turning bright red.
Su Xibai couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Alright. Well then... Aqi, your fish is about to burn."
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