Chapter 5 Perfect Roommate
Just as I was thinking about it, a familiar aroma came from the kitchen again.
These days, every time it’s mealtime, he can smell the tempting aroma of food, which makes Shi Yanchen unconsciously reduce the frequency of ordering takeout.
He pushed the chair away and walked out of the study. Pei Song was busy in the kitchen.
Today's aroma is different from last time. It has less spicy stimulation and more freshness and elegance.
"What is it this time?" Shi Yanchen asked standing at the door, his tone still cold, but his eyes betrayed his expectations.
Pei Song was startled, but he was no longer as flustered as he was the first time: "Ah, it's a squirrel fish."
Seeing Shi Yanchen's puzzled look, he explained: "It's just scoring the fish into grids, coating it with starch and frying it until golden, then pouring sweet and sour sauce on it..."
"I know." Shi Yanchen interrupted his explanation, "I ate this dish with my grandmother when I was a child visiting relatives."
Pei Song was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that this aloof roommate knew so much about Chinese food.
He secretly observed Shi Yanchen's expression and found that although he still looked cold, his eyes were completely attracted by the fish in the pot.
"Do you want to eat together?" Pei Song asked with a smile, "I'm afraid I can't finish it."
Shi Yanchen was silent for a while, as if he was weighing whether to accept the invitation.
Finally, he nodded: "Thank you for your help."
Watching Pei Song skillfully handling the fish in the pot, Shi Yanchen suddenly asked: "I heard that you often participate in food events?"
Pei Song's hand paused: "How do you know?"
"I guessed." Shi Yanchen said calmly, "Your cooking skills are so good, there should be a lot of people inviting you."
"There are indeed some." Pei Song did not think much about it and continued to focus on the work at hand. "Mainly some gatherings of international students, and occasionally participate in local food festivals."
Shi Yanchen nodded and did not ask any further questions.
But he noticed that whenever Pei Song talked about food-related topics, his tone would become more natural and his eyes would light up unconsciously.
This discovery sparked a little interest in Shi Yanchen.
In his impression, Pei Song has always been a cautious and introverted person, who always seems to be deliberately keeping his distance.
But when it comes to his areas of expertise, he shows a completely different side.
"Your Sichuan cuisine is very authentic." Shi Yanchen suddenly said, "Especially the twice-cooked pork last time, it was better than any I've ever had."
Pei Song looked up in surprise, not expecting such an evaluation.
You know, this roommate usually speaks in short imperative sentences and rarely gives such specific comments.
"Thank you." Pei Song smiled, "If you like, I can cook some Sichuan dishes more often."
Shi Yanchen nodded, his eyes falling on the squirrel mandarin fish being plated: "This dish looks good too."
"Would you like to try it now?" Pei Song placed the golden and crispy fish meat in the center of the plate and poured the steaming sweet and sour sauce on it. "I tried to restore the most traditional method."
Shi Yanchen didn't answer, but walked towards the dining table unconsciously.
Pei Song found it a little funny to see this usually cold and indifferent genius senior showing an expectant expression because of a home-cooked dish.
It turns out that in front of delicious food, any strong aura of elite will be broken.
The two enjoyed their dinner quietly.
Although there wasn't much conversation, there was a sense of comfort in the air.
This feeling is very strange. When I moved in, I was so worried about getting along with this aloof roommate.
But now I feel that perhaps through food, they can find a unique way to get along with each other.
Shi Yanchen finished the last piece of fish and wiped the corner of his mouth elegantly: "It tastes really good."
It was a brief comment, but it was enough to make Pei Song happy.
After cleaning up the dishes, Pei Song returned to the room and opened Instagram to update today's food video.
At the same time, Shi Yanchen in the study reopened the report and his eyes lingered on the last line for a long time:
"Summary: Mr. Pei Song has extensive connections among international students and has an excellent reputation. He is good at building social relationships through food, but he is cautious and never gets too close, making him a perfect roommate."
Shi Yanchen curled the corners of his mouth slightly and closed the document.
It seems that this unexpected roommate is indeed much more interesting than he imagined.
…
Pei Song stood at the door of the supermarket, hesitating whether to go out.
He always felt that the figure in the coffee shop opposite looked familiar.
Although the man was wearing a hat and sunglasses, the familiar sitting posture made him feel uneasy.
"Maybe I'm too sensitive..." Pei Song took a deep breath and decided to change the way of speaking.
On the way home, he kept looking back, fearing that someone was following him.
This feeling of being watched has lasted for several days, making him nervous even when buying vegetables.
The next afternoon, Pei Song just came out of the library and saw James standing at the school gate from afar.
His heart suddenly rose to his throat and he immediately turned and walked in the other direction.
"We have to take a long way back..." Pei Song sighed, took out his cell phone and checked the time.
He had promised Shi Yanchen to make Sichuan hotpot tonight, but now that he had taken this detour, he was afraid he would be late.
Halfway through the journey, the phone rang with a message alert.
It was a message from Shi Yanchen: "Why haven't you come back yet?"
Pei Song looked at the phone and bit his lip.
He knew that although Shi Yanchen seemed indifferent on the surface, he had been looking forward to this hotpot in recent days.
"Sorry, I may be back a little late..." Pei Song hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth.
"What happened?" Shi Yanchen replied quickly.
"Nothing, just... just wandering around."
A few minutes later, Shi Yanchen sent another message: "Do you need me to pick you up?"
This sentence made Pei Song feel warm in his heart, but he still replied: "No, I can do it myself..."
When Pei Song finally returned to the apartment after a long detour, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening.
As soon as he walked in, he saw Shi Yanchen sitting on the sofa in the living room with the laptop in front of him still on.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long..." Pei Song said with his head down.
Shi Yanchen raised his eyes and glanced at him: "You're still out 'strolling' so late?"
The "casual stroll" was bitten hard by him, and it was obvious that he did not believe Pei Song's previous explanation.
Pei Song opened his mouth, but didn't know how to explain.
Of course, we didn’t get to have hotpot that night.
In the middle of the night, Pei Song was awakened by the sound of German conversation coming from the living room.
Shi Yanchen seemed to be in a video conference, and his voice sounded a little irritated: "Nein,
nein... The parameters of this model are completely wrong..."
Pei Song wanted to continue sleeping, but he vaguely heard the sound of tableware falling.
He hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the room.