Chapter 238 - Daily Love
Xie Zhao: “…” I don’t believe you!
On the fourth day, Xie Zhao slept until noon before slowly waking up. As soon as he moved, he felt a pain all over his body, especially in a place that was difficult to talk about.
Chu Linyuan had already gotten up and was sitting by the window meditating and regulating his breathing. When he noticed the movement, he opened his eyes and looked over.
"...water..." Xie Zhao's voice was hoarse.
Chu Linyuan stood up, poured a glass of warm water, helped him up, and carefully fed him the water.
"Are you hungry? I'll ask the waiter to bring up some porridge and side dishes." Chu Linyuan's voice was much softer than usual.
When Xie Zhao heard the word "clear porridge", he immediately frowned and protested in a hoarse voice: "No... my mouth is bland... I want to eat spicy food... Jinguancheng's spicy hot pot..."
"No." Chu Linyuan refused flatly, his tone refusing to allow for negotiation, "You are currently... suffering from excessive internal heat, so avoid spicy and stimulating foods." He meant that Xie Zhao's body had not yet fully recovered, and also implied that he was prone to "bringing disaster upon himself."
Xie Zhao's face suddenly fell, and he looked at him aggrievedly, his peach blossom eyes sparkling with tears, silently accusing him.
Chu Linyuan's heart softened when he saw him, but he would never give in on matters of principle. He stood up and said, "I'm going out for a while."
About half an hour later, Chu Linyuan came back, holding a bowl of soft and fragrant Linggu shredded chicken porridge and an oil-paper bag.
He placed the porridge on the bedside table and opened the oil-paper package. Inside were several strings of bright red, sugar-coated, tempting-looking candied haws! There was also a packet of sweet-smelling osmanthus cake!
"Drink the porridge first. You can try some of this after dinner." Chu Linyuan handed the candied haws and pastries to Xie Zhao. His tone was still calm, but his eyes held a subtle expectation, as if he was coaxing a grumpy child.
Xie Zhao stared at the crystal clear candied haws and delicate pastries, stunned for a moment. Then, a huge sweetness surged in his heart, even sweeter than the candied haws! His icy senior brother actually bought these little snacks to cheer him up!
His expression instantly brightened up. He took the candied haws and took a bite. The sour and sweet taste melted in his mouth, making him squint his eyes and smile like a cat stealing fish: "Thank you, senior brother~ Senior brother is the best~"
Seeing Xie Zhao's satisfied smile, the tenderness in Chu Linyuan's eyes deepened. He sat down on the bed, picked up the bowl of porridge, scooped up a spoonful, blew it gently to cool it, and handed it to Xie Zhao: "Drink porridge."
Xie Zhao took his hand and drank the porridge obediently, while he ate vaguely: "Brother, after we have rested, let's go eat hot pot first! Then go to the market! I heard that the silk and embroidery in Jinguan City are particularly famous, bring some back for Su Xiaotang and Xiaolu! And..."
Chu Linyuan listened quietly, saying "hmm" from time to time, and his subordinates fed him porridge carefully and patiently.
The sunlight shone through the window lattice onto the two of them. One was feeding the children seriously, while the other was eating happily. Occasionally, Xie Zhao would pass the candied haws to Chu Linyuan's mouth and insist that he have a taste as well. Although Chu Linyuan frowned, he would still force himself to take a small bite.
The air was filled with the aroma of porridge, the sweetness of desserts, and a cloying atmosphere of affection. "GunGun," placed on a specially crafted cushion and munching on bamboo shoots, raised his dark circles, glanced blankly at his two owners, then lowered his head to continue munching, seemingly accustomed to this kind of scene.
After a day of rest, Xie Zhao, who had recovered his energy, finally got his wish and took Chu Linyuan to the streets of Jinguan City, starting their real journey.
Of course, the first stop is to go straight to that famous old-fashioned hot pot restaurant!
The store was bustling with people, steam was rising, and the spicy aroma stimulated the taste buds.
The waiter enthusiastically led them to a relatively quiet private room.
Xie Zhao couldn't wait to pick up the menu, his eyes shining as he rattled off a string of dish names: "Signature beef hot pot! Premium marbling beef! Thousand-layer tripe! Yellow throat! Brain flower! Tribute vegetable! Bamboo fungus..."
With each name he named, Chu Linyuan's brows furrowed slightly. When Xie Zhao excitedly pointed to the extra spicy option, Chu Linyuan finally spoke. His voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable chill. "Double-boiled hotpot. Spiciness: mild."
Xie Zhao's face instantly fell, and he turned to glare at Chu Linyuan, his peach blossom eyes full of accusations: "Slightly spicy?! How can it still be called hot pot?! What's the point of eating a bland soup! Brother, this is boring!"
Chu Linyuan took the menu expressionlessly, ignoring his protests, and added to the waiting waiter, "Replace the fatty beef with tender beef, remove the brain, and add an extra portion of yam and greens. Also, bring a pot of warm osmanthus wine."
"Okay! Please wait a moment, sir!" The waiter took note and retreated quickly.
Xie Zhao puffed up his cheeks with anger. He moved closer to Chu Linyuan, lowered his voice and gritted his teeth: "Chu Linyuan! You control everything in the world, and why do you care about what I eat! Who am I like this because of?! If it weren't for you..." He was embarrassed to say the rest of the words, but his ears turned red.
Chu Linyuan looked up at him, his cold gaze sweeping across his red ears and lips that were slightly pursed in dissatisfaction.
His Adam's apple rolled slightly, and his voice deepened a bit, "You have excessive internal heat, so avoid spicy food. This is for your own good."
"Thank you!" Xie Zhao rolled his eyes at him unhappily and turned his head away sulking, but he couldn't help but secretly glance towards the kitchen and swallowed.
Soon, the bubbling steamboat and various dishes were served.
The red oil was only a light shade of red, while the clear broth was a rich, milky white. Xie Zhao sighed plaintively, resignedly picking up a piece of tender beef, swishing it in the slightly spicy red pot before putting it into his mouth.
Hmm… Although the spiciness wasn't nearly enough, the beef was tender and the aroma of the pot base was rich, making it quite delicious. He narrowed his eyes, temporarily forgetting the regret of the lack of spiciness.
Chu Linyuan slowly and gracefully dipped the greens and yams in the clear broth, his movements in stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere around him. However, his gaze remained fixed on Xie Zhao, who was feasting across from him.
He watched as the chili oil stained Xie Zhao's lips, making those already beautiful lips even more vibrant and juicy, with an alluring sheen.
Watching Xie Zhao's nose being sweated due to the slight spiciness, he stretched out his tongue and gently licked the oil stains from the corner of his lips. That unconscious action was full of natural charm.
Looking at Xie Zhao's peach blossom eyes narrowed in satisfaction, he looked like a cat that had successfully stolen some fish.
Chu Linyuan's fingers gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly, his eyes darkening. He suddenly felt that this slight spiciness might be a bit too stimulating, at least for him.
"Why are you looking at me? There's something on my face?" Xie Zhao noticed his gaze, raised his head, and touched his face in confusion.
Chu Linyuan calmly looked away, picked up a piece of boiled yam and placed it in his bowl: "Eat this, it will clear your internal heat."
Xie Zhao looked at the clean white yam in the bowl, then at Chu Linyuan's serious expression, and suddenly had a bad idea.
He picked up the piece of yam, but instead of eating it himself, he dipped it in some red oil and then, smiling, passed it to Chu Linyuan: "Brother, try it too~ It's delicious!"
He thought Chu Linyuan would avoid him in disgust, but Chu Linyuan just glanced at him indifferently, then opened his mouth slightly, and ate the piece of yam dipped in red oil with his chopsticks, chewing it slowly.
Xie Zhao was stunned. He watched Chu Linyuan finish the meal without changing his expression, even swallowing with his Adam's apple rolling. His face suddenly turned red! When... when did this ice slag become so good?! This was even more heart-pounding than kissing him directly!
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