At noon, the hotel delivered their meal along with a small box of sweet wine.
Shen Yu glanced at it, remembering it was the “apology gift” that the green-haired young man had insisted on sending. He frowned and said coldly, “This doesn’t belong to us. Please take it away, thank you.”
The servers exchanged a look before reluctantly removing the items.
The two finished their lunch in the room. As Shen Yu set down his bowl, he suddenly noticed two small pieces of paper tucked under a plate.
“What are those? Advertisements?” Qi Fang glanced at the papers, unable to understand the flowery local text, and casually inquired.
Shen Yu shook his head, quietly examining them for a few seconds before saying, “They’re tickets for tonight’s bonfire concert.”
Qi Fang was surprised. “You can read that too, Professor Shen?”
Shen Yu took out his phone to use a photo translation app while replying, “I can only understand some of it.”
Qi Fang, long removed from his student days, once again felt the sting of his intelligence being bullied by Shen Yu.
The translation app proved effective, quickly translating the text on the card. It was indeed an invitation to a bonfire music evening, starting at 5:30 p.m., located on the beach not far from the hotel. They were VIP entry passes.
Qi Fang stroked his chin, musing, “The hotel certainly justifies its price.”
Before going out, Shen Yu still hesitated slightly.
Indulgent activities like bonfire concerts had always been worlds apart from Professor Shen, who valued time above all else.
Compared to his mastery of numbers and words, Shen Yu’s grasp of music was akin to his culinary skills, basically equivalent to half an idiot.
Qi Fang tried to persuade him with phrases like “We’re already here” and “It’d be a shame not to go,” but seeing Shen Yu unmoved, he thought for a moment and added, “Shen Yuyu, you’ve never accompanied me to a concert or music show before, have you?”
Shen Yu was silent for a moment before countering, “I’ve watched the videos you sent me on my phone.”
“That’s not the same,” Qi Fang moved beside him, boldly taking Shen Yu’s hand. He lowered his voice, shamelessly playing the sympathy card:
“I’m in this condition, Shen Yu, and you still won’t accompany me to a free bonfire concert?”
“While I can still walk and move, shouldn’t we do more things we haven’t tried before?”
Shen Yu: “…”
After successfully tricking Shen Yu out the door, Qi Fang suddenly had an epiphany, realizing that not everything during this period had been entirely bad.
Shen Yu’s illness certainly needed treatment. But rather than constantly worrying over it, it was better to go with the flow and play along with Shen Yu’s thinking, acknowledging these imaginary ailments.
He could also use the pretext of being ill to deepen his relationship with Shen Yu.
Since Shen Yu had developed that strange MSBP, Qi Fang observed that in just a few short weeks, Shen Yu’s tolerance for him had skyrocketed, even to the point of doting on him.
Qi Fang’s heart, which had been in suspense since learning of Shen Yu’s illness, finally surged with passionate excitement once more.
To share this excitement and impulse, Qi Fang immediately opened his phone and sent the same message to Li Congming and Qin Xiaosa.
[Qi Er Shao: I’m about to enter a second spring with Shen Yu^^ Be happy for us]
[Qin Xiaosa: …Congratulations.]
[Li Congming: ??? You’re sending this to an overworked single dog? Happy now that you’ve hurt me?!]
[Li Congming: I’ll curse you fiercely – go enjoy your spring then! Qi, you vicious married man!]
*
The beach in the evening had fewer people than during the day.
The distant market was still brightly lit and lively, but Qi Fang had already bought enough souvenirs and wasn’t particularly interested. Shen Yu, remembering the day’s events, was also unwilling to waste time going there again.
On the white sand beach near the shore, a large area was cordoned off with colorful ribbons. Pulsating music throbbed excitedly as men and women in shorts and short skirts busily built a large bonfire in the center.
Shen Yu stopped in his tracks when he saw the bustling crowd in the distance.
As he stopped, Qi Fang, who was holding his hand, naturally noticed. He turned to examine Shen Yu’s expression and asked, “Shall we just walk around outside?”
Shen Yu disliked crowded places, especially bustling ones.
Knowing Shen Yu’s personality, Qi Fang had only used the concert as an excuse to lure Shen Yu out for a private beach stroll. He didn’t necessarily intend to attend the bonfire event, so he offered an out:
“Shen Yuyu, let’s walk along the shoreline. If you don’t like the bonfire music…”
Shen Yu was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.
“Let’s go in,” Shen Yu said. “I’ve never… seen a place like this before.”
More and more people arrived, including vendors setting up barbecue stalls and carrying beer crates, seizing the opportunity to make a profit.
Shen Yu stopped about ten meters from the bonfire. Knowing he was uncomfortable, Qi Fang led Shen Yu to sit down on the sand.
“This spot is nice,” Qi Fang said. “We can see both the bonfire and the ocean view.”
Shen Yu sat cross-legged, perfectly upright, and suddenly asked, “What are we supposed to do?”
In Shen Yu’s understanding, he wasn’t clear on what such a large group of people surrounding a bonfire was meant to do. Everyone’s actions seemed different, and he couldn’t discern a specific purpose.
Professor Shen excelled at organizing plans meticulously. Sitting idly like this, waiting for unknown events to unfold, was a rare occurrence for him.
The unfamiliar experience left Shen Yu feeling somewhat tense.
Just when he was at a loss, Qi Fang answered his question:
“We do whatever we want. Shen Yuyu, many things aren’t like experiments. There’s no strict sequence of steps or necessary checklist to follow.”
“For example, right now…” Qi Fang looked around, then suddenly stood up and said, “I’m going to prepare a surprise for you on the spot.”
Shen Yu looked up at him in confusion.
Qi Fang strode over to a nearby barbecue stand, conversed with the black-haired, dark-eyed vendor for two minutes, after which the vendor stepped aside and handed Qi Fang his apron.
Shen Yu: “?”
After putting on the apron, Qi Fang expertly rolled up his sleeves, selected a few skewers of meat and vegetables, examined the nearby sauces and seasonings, then set to work at the grill.
A few interested onlookers gathered around, asking, “Are you going to try grilling yourself?”
Qi Fang answered shamelessly, “Of course, I’m a gold medal chef!”
The crowd responded with good-natured laughter.
Five minutes later, Qi Fang’s specialty skewers were ready. He shared some with the vendor and onlookers, then loaded the rest onto a plate and walked briskly back to Shen Yu.
Before he got close, Qi Fang saw Shen Yu waiting for him with his head slightly raised, looking impossibly well-behaved in his quiet, proper posture.
Meeting such a gaze, Qi Fang felt almost dizzy.
“Try some,” he said, sitting down and offering the plate to Shen Yu. “I made them all to your taste.”
“And here’s some wine others gave us.” Qi Fang produced a few bottles of sparkling wine from behind his back, as if performing a magic trick. “We didn’t drink earlier, so I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
Knowing Shen Yu liked sweet things, Qi Fang had deliberately added extra honey. With one bite, warm, honeyed juices burst forth, the tender texture complementing the savory meat and fragrant sauce. Every detail was controlled with utmost precision.
After Shen Yu tasted a few skewers, he suddenly noticed Qi Fang watching him with a constant smile and asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“No need,” Qi Fang replied, clearly delighted at feeding his Shen Yuyu. “I tasted enough while learning to make them.”
Shen Yu’s hand, holding a skewer, paused.
It did seem to be true – no matter what dish, whether at home or elsewhere, Qi Fang always managed to prepare food suited to Shen Yu’s palate. As for himself, he seemed indifferent, content to fill up on Shen Yu’s leftovers.
As far as Shen Yu could remember, he had never seen Qi Fang be picky about food.
When Qi Fang was young, he had been a chubby child, very active and with a hearty appetite. Shen Yu searched his childhood memories but couldn’t recall anything Qi Fang particularly liked or disliked eating.
As they grew up, Qi Fang’s menu had always catered to Shen Yu’s tastes, making it even harder to discern his preferences.
Today, Shen Yu suddenly wanted to ask.
“Don’t you like to eat?” he asked, looking down at the skewer in his hand.
“Hm?” Qi Fang was puzzled. “No, I do. I just didn’t make much, so I want you to try my cooking first.”
Shen Yu pressed further, “Then what do you like to eat?”
Qi Fang couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why are you suddenly asking this… I’m not picky, I can eat anything. I’m easy to feed.”
Shen Yu was silent for a moment, then exposed Qi Fang’s lie. “You probably don’t like cilantro.”
Qi Fang: “…”
Cilantro… well, okay.
He indeed didn’t care for cilantro and wouldn’t voluntarily try it unless he was starving enough to eat garbage.
But how was this discovered?!
Shen Yu didn’t explain – he personally had no bias against cilantro, but after eating Qi Fang’s cooking for so many years, the complete absence of this one ingredient on their table was enough to be noticeable.
“The advantage of being a cook is that you can freely choose what dishes you want to eat,” Qi Fang declared.
Then he saw Shen Yu smile.
It was truly a faint smile, his beautiful willow-leaf eyes curving for an instant, his dark pupils reflecting Qi Fang’s figure and the bonfire behind him. The firelight danced in those inky depths like stars.
Quickly, Shen Yu’s smile faded, and he asked, “Can you tell me about how you learned to cook?”
Qi Fang, still not recovered from that smile, was taken aback. “Huh?”
“Me?” Qi Fang repeated. “Learning to cook? A story?”
Shen Yu nodded.
Qi Fang unconsciously rubbed the edge of the plate he was holding, murmuring, “Shen Yuyu, you…”
Shen Yu had never asked him such a question before.
Specifically, Shen Yu had never been interested in anything outside of work and academic research. Since he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t waste even a second on it, let alone have time to “listen to stories.”
Was this a blessing in disguise? Qi Fang thought, feeling a bittersweet mix of emotions.
——Perhaps Shen Yu thought his time was short, and that’s why he was wasting so much tenderness and patience on him.
Qi Fang pushed aside that hint of bitterness, cleared his throat, and said, “Alright, since you want to hear it, I’ll tell you.”
“Look at that fire.”
Qi Fang suddenly pointed to the large bonfire nearby and said, “Do you remember? When we were in elementary school, the school once organized an outdoor camping activity.”
Shen Yu’s memory was as good as ever, and he easily recalled that camping trip.
The elementary school Shen Yu and Qi Fang attended was an expensive private school, with annual tuition and various activity fees running into six figures.
Besides teaching basic curriculum, the school organized activities of various scales every week and month to cultivate and enhance the children’s comprehensive qualities and practical skills.
When Shen Yu was in fifth grade, the school organized a two-day outdoor autumn outing.
For such a large-scale outdoor activity, the school, as the main organizer, not only had to plan suitable routes for children to play but also had to contact venues and hospitals in advance, ensure safety measures, and distribute knowledge manuals to teachers for science education during the activity. The time and money spent were considerable.
In Shen Yu’s recollection, this autumn outing required registration, and many parents signed up, but not Shen Yu’s parents.
At that time, his father had passed away, and his mother was busy conducting a new experiment abroad. The only moving things at home, besides the housekeeper who came to cook regularly, were a vacuum robot that occasionally bumped into walls.
Shen Yu had no interest in jumping and running around in the wilderness with a bunch of kids who could only do basic arithmetic, so he didn’t raise his hand to sign up.
However, the day before departure, he was notified by his homeroom teacher to remember to bring his personal luggage and arrive at school on time the next day.
“You’re registered,” the homeroom teacher said gently over the phone. “Let me think… it was that classmate called Qi Fang who registered for you. He even paid your registration fee.”
Shen Yu: “…”
Arguing with Qi Fang would be fruitless. After a few minutes of consideration, Shen Yu still decided to participate in this autumn outing.
——After all, he was already registered, and the school had prepared activity groups and supplies. Withdrawing at this point would cause trouble for the teachers.
Moreover, Shen Yu wanted to confront Qi Fang face-to-face and ask why he deliberately signed him up.
The next day, in response to Shen Yu’s question, the chubby Qi Fang shamelessly put his hands on his hips and said:
“Shen Xiaoyu, I signed you up for your own good. The news says staying in the classroom reading books all day can cause juvenile dementia, turning you into a bookworm, nearsighted, and a big fool. You should come out and exercise more so you won’t become senile.”
Shen Yu was very angry, but he couldn’t do anything to Qi Fang.
In fifth grade, Qi Fang stood out as both tall and sturdy among the group of short kids. One of his chubby paws could easily push Shen Yu down.
After careful consideration, Shen Yu concluded that his chances of winning a fight against Qi Fang were slim to none, so he could only swallow his anger for now and wait for a chance to get revenge later.
Subsequently, this autumn outing that Shen Yu was reluctantly participating in soon began under the excited gaze of the children.
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