Chapter 47 Anorexia Relapse?
"Because of songwriting?" She reached out and touched the sheet music in front of him—it was densely covered with musical notation, and a few crooked stars were drawn in the corner. "Have you hit a roadblock with your new song?"
Lu Linchuan's fingers tightened slightly, and the sheet music made a soft "rustling" sound. He was silent for two seconds before whispering, "...The melody is always a little off, and I can't even imagine the flavor I want to eat."
Su Yingxue was taken aback, then suddenly understood—she remembered that Lu Linchuan had released a song called "Frosting" last year, with lyrics that included "sweetness is sugar hidden in bitterness, like you hidden in the gaze of the crowd," which some fans later guessed tasted like red bean syrup. So, his songwriting sometimes involved "taste."
“So you’re not without appetite,” she chuckled softly, “it’s just that you’re feeling down and can’t eat.”
Lu Linchuan looked up at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his indifference: "It's none of your business."
“It’s none of my business,” Su Yingxue stood up and took out a thermos from her bag. “But Aunt Huang asked me to take care of you, so I can’t just ignore it.” She unscrewed the lid and handed it to him. “Have some stomach-soothing tea first, to warm your stomach. Without food, even the best inspiration will turn to stone.”
Lu Linchuan stared at the steaming cup of tea, his brows twitching slightly. Xiao Zhou whispered beside him, "Teacher Lu, you mentioned yesterday that your stomach was bloated..."
“…Annoying.” He muttered under his breath, but still took the cup and sipped it. The warm tea flowed down his throat, and his tense shoulders seemed to relax a little.
Su Yingxue sat down on the single sofa next to him and flipped through the sheet music in front of him: "Can I take a look? Maybe... I can help you 'find the flavor'."
Lu Linchuan raised an eyebrow: "You can compose music?"
“No,” she shook her head honestly, “but I can cook.” She pointed to a line of small print on the sheet music—“The second verse is like the roasted chestnuts at the alleyway when I was a child, hot but irresistible to peel.” “For example, here, you said you wanted to find the feeling of ‘hot but irresistible to peel,’ maybe you could try roasted chestnuts with osmanthus honey? Hot, sweet with a hint of caramel aroma.”
Lu Linchuan's gaze fell on the line of words, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the pen. After a while, he snorted softly, "Childish."
“But it works.” Su Yingxue smiled. “Last time I made three-delicacy buns for the cafeteria ladies, they said, ‘Tasting one is like holding a hand warmer in winter’—taste can sometimes awaken memories, and memories can nourish inspiration, right?”
Lu Linchuan didn't speak, but he didn't push her away again. Xiao Zhou quietly retreated to the kitchen, giving the two of them some space.
Moonlight streamed through the half-drawn curtains, falling on Su Yingxue's hair and giving it a gentle golden edge. Lu Linchuan gazed at her profile as she intently turned the pages of sheet music, and suddenly felt that the tightness in his stomach wasn't so bad anymore.
Half an hour later, Su Yingxue closed the sheet music: "I have an idea—the verses can be based on the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, and the chorus can be made with a little sweet and sour bayberry juice, like a 'sudden surprise in the sweetness'; the bridge part..." She paused, "If it's about 'longing', how about trying the crispness of green plums? When you bite into it, it will be a little sour and a little bitter, but the more you chew, the sweeter it becomes."
Lu Linchuan's pen paused for a moment on the paper, then slowly wrote a few notes. He looked up at her, his eyes no longer cold: "...You understand very well."
“Because when I’m cooking,” Su Yingxue blinked, “I’m always thinking about how the person eating it will feel.”
Outside the window, the evening breeze lifted a corner of the curtains, causing the sheet music on the coffee table to rustle. Lu Linchuan suddenly reached out and pushed the sheet music towards her: "Then... help me rewrite it?"
Su Yingxue raised an eyebrow: "What are the conditions?"
"I'll treat you to dinner." He turned his face away, his ear tips slightly red.
"Deal." She reached out her hand and gently touched the back of his hand with her fingertips. "But now, let's go eat first—I brought pork buns from the cafeteria, and the wontons you said were delicious last time, which Aunt Huang specially asked me to bring."
Lu Linchuan looked at the insulated lunchbox in her hand and finally curled the corners of his mouth: "...Troublemaker."
But this time, he didn't push away the steaming bowl of wontons. This time, inspiration seemed to have struck.
At 3:30 a.m., the city was already fast asleep. The streets outside the window were quiet and still, with only the occasional car headlights flashing by like shooting stars. Su Yingxue stood by the stove, the flames leaping merrily and illuminating her focused face.
She skillfully heated up four steamed buns and two bowls of wontons. The steamed buns were extra ones made in the cafeteria that morning, each one plump and white, emitting an enticing aroma; the wontons were filled with her carefully prepared fresh meat filling, with thin wrappers and generous fillings.
Su Yingxue even took a picture for Aunt Huang. In the photo, the steaming hot meat buns were round and plump, the skin slightly translucent from the steam, and you could vaguely see the pink meat filling inside;
A bowl of fresh meat wontons looks delicious and tempting, with scallions and cilantro floating on top, like green gems and green stars adorning the soup.
Su Yingxue also poured a small spoonful of the chili oil she had brought with her. The bright red chili oil floated on the surface of the soup, adding a bright touch to the bowl of wontons.
At the dining table, Lu Linchuan sat there, staring blankly at the steamed buns and wontons that Su Yingxue had brought out. His hair was a little messy, clearly from a sleepless night, and dark circles were faintly visible under his eyes.
"Thank you." The man looked down at the steaming food, his voice low and hoarse. He felt the emptiness in his stomach ease a little, like parched land receiving a refreshing rain.
"It's okay, I just saw that there's nothing in your fridge." Su Yingxue took a big bite of wonton, the delicious soup filling her mouth, it tasted really good.
She continued, "Why don't you buy some groceries? If that's not possible, have your assistant bring you some instant food. It's even harder to write songs when you're hungry."
"I don't want to buy groceries," Lu Linchuan said, taking a bite of the meat bun. The first bite caused the soft bun skin to easily split open between his teeth, followed by the flavors of scallions and pork filling that filled his mouth. The juicy meat filling burst forth, giving him a long-lost feeling of warmth. He closed his eyes slightly, savoring the delicious taste.
"Then let's hire a nanny to cook for you. It's not right for you to always be hungry." Su Yingxue was biting into a three-delicacy bun. She nodded as she ate. The bun hadn't spoiled even after being left so far away, and it still tasted delicious.
"I would like to invite you." Lu Linchuan looked at Su Yingxue's face, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes.
"My sister is busy, and I have to take care of Grandma," Su Yingxue replied with a smile, her smile as warm and radiant as the spring sunshine.
Lu Linchuan looked at her small face, then lowered his head and took another sip of the wonton soup. The soup was incredibly delicious, but why did he feel a little sad at this moment? He couldn't explain it; it was just a strange emotion welling up inside him.
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