To win someone's heart, you must first win their stomach.
As evening fell, Lu Zhian opened the door to his home, and the familiar aroma of food wafted towards him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and walked towards the kitchen, where he saw Xiao Jin busy at the stove.
The warm yellow light outlined his broad back, but his usual flamboyant and unrestrained wildness was much more subdued at this moment.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Jin turned around.
The moment she saw Lu Zhian, an extremely obvious, almost tangible, feeling of grievance quickly spread through her.
His lips were slightly downturned, like a large dog that had suffered a great injustice, even his hair drooping down as if it had invisible ears. He was still holding a spatula in his hand, just staring at Lu Zhian with longing eyes, not saying a word, but silently accusing the "torture" of the whole day with his eyes.
Lu Zhian leaned against the kitchen door frame, quietly watching him. Xiao Jin was still wearing the same clothes he had worn during the day, his hair was damp with sweat and stuck to his forehead, making him look rather disheveled and pitiful.
Lu Zhian's gaze swept over his lower body without leaving a trace. Although it was covered by the apron and pants, he could imagine what was going on down there.
He didn't speak immediately, but walked over, stood next to Xiao Jin, looked at the food simmering in the pot, and asked in a calm tone, "What are you making?"
When Xiao Jin saw him approach, his body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed and replied with a slightly nasal tone, "That beef you said was delicious last time..." His voice was muffled.
Lu Zhian hummed in response, reaching out not to take the spatula, but to gently brush away the damp stray hairs on Xiao Jin's forehead with his fingertips. His movements weren't exactly gentle, even somewhat casual, but this small touch made Xiao Jin's body tremble violently, and his eyes even stung a little.
"Feeling unwell?" Lu Zhian asked knowingly.
Xiao Jin nodded heavily, his eyes brimming with tears, almost overflowing. His voice was hoarse, filled with utter grievance and dependence: "Mmm...it's been...so painful..."
He almost couldn't wait to recount his "suffering," trying to gain a shred of pity, even if it was just a verbal relaxation of the ban.
Lu Zhi listened quietly as he finished speaking, observing his demeanor, so different from his usual arrogant self. A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered deep in his eyes. He withdrew his hand, his tone remaining calm:
"Bear with it."
After saying that, he stopped looking at Xiao Jin's face, which had instantly collapsed and looked even more aggrieved, turned around and left the kitchen, leaving only the words: "Call me to eat when you're done."
Xiao Jin watched his retreating figure, pursed his lips, and finally resigned himself to turning back, continuing to sulk over the beef in the pot. However, he unconsciously softened his stirring motions considerably.
The physical discomfort persisted, but the restlessness in my heart caused by wanting to see people was strangely soothed little by little.
Xiao Jin's mind was racing with calculations. He planned to use a little trick to get his brother to stay at the company and work overtime for a while because a certain project required urgent attention.
After he placed the last soup on the table, he casually said to Lu Zhian, "My brother just messaged me saying he'll be busy late today and won't be home for dinner. He told us to eat first." He carefully observed Lu Zhian's reaction.
Lu Zhian paused in his chopsticks, glancing up at Xiao Jin with a calm, unwavering gaze that seemed to see right through him. Xiao Jin's heart skipped a beat; he almost thought his little scheme had been exposed. But Lu Zhian said nothing, only giving a faint "hmm" to indicate he understood, before continuing to eat.
Xiao Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and diligently served food to Lu Zhian. It must be said that he was very talented in this area, and the dishes he made were indeed very much to Lu Zhian's liking.
After the meal, Xiao Jin quickly cleaned up the dishes and kitchen, then carefully cut a plate of Lu Zhian's favorite fruit and arranged it neatly.
He carried the fruit and, instead of casually approaching as usual, deliberately adopted a pitiful demeanor as he sidled up to Lu Zhian, who was sitting on the sofa watching a tablet.
He didn't sit down immediately, but stood there, head slightly bowed, like a big dog that had done something wrong and was waiting for its master's pity, his voice low and soft: "Would you like some fruit?"
Lu Zhian looked up from the tablet screen, his gaze falling on the plate of colorful fruit, then shifting to Xiao Jin's face, which was filled with "grievance" and "wanting attention".
How could he not see through Xiao Jin's tricks? From deliberately sending Xiao Yuan away to now showing weakness and trying to please him, his purpose was obvious.
But he didn't expose it.
He put down his tablet, patted the seat next to him, and said in a calm tone, "Sit down."
Xiao Jin felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately sat down next to him, carefully placing the fruit plate on the coffee table within Lu Zhian's reach.
He was very close, so close that Lu Zhian could feel the heat emanating from him, as well as the subtle tension that had become more pronounced after a whole day of restraint.
Lu Zhian picked up a piece of melon with a fork and ate it slowly and deliberately. He didn't look at Xiao Jin, but it seemed that he knew Xiao Jin's condition perfectly.
Looking at his neck so close to Lu Zhian's, and smelling the faint scent of grapefruit on him, Xiao Jin felt the fire within him surge even higher. He couldn't help but snuggle closer to Lu Zhian, almost pressing against him, his voice heavy with suppressed breaths as he muttered softly, "...It's still so tight...it's uncomfortable..."
This time, he didn't say "it hurts" directly, but instead used a more vague and suggestive word, trying to evoke even the slightest bit of tenderness in Lu Zhian.
After Lu Zhian finished eating the melon, he put down his fork and finally turned his head to look at him.
He didn't speak, but simply reached out his hand. Instead of touching the bound area, he raised it and gently rubbed Xiao Jin's soft hair, the gesture carrying a touch of casual comfort.
"He brought it on himself," he said calmly, his tone devoid of emotion, but the hand that was rubbing his hair didn't immediately leave.
These three simple words and that brief touch shattered all of Xiao Jin's pretense and forbearance.
He reached out and hugged Lu Zhian's waist, burying his burning face in the crook of his neck, greedily breathing in the comforting scent, his body trembling slightly from excitement and the ongoing torment.
"I know I was wrong... really..." His muffled voice came through, thick with a nasal tone, "I'll listen to you from now on..."
Lu Zhian let him hold him, neither pushing him away nor responding. He simply sat quietly, feeling the warm, moist breath on his neck and the trembling of the body in his arms.
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