Lu Ping: “!!!”
He panicked.
An An often borrowed his phone to watch English cartoons and such, and Lu Ping never stopped her. Kids her age were naturally curious about electronics, and she occasionally used his phone to take photos or record videos of herself dancing… It must have been when his sister was flipping through the photo album that she saw the pictures he had saved before!
He felt extremely guilty and instinctively looked toward Shen Yuze across from him.
Shen Yuze’s interest was piqued by An An’s words. He first gave Lu Ping a half-smiling glance, then lowered his head and asked the little girl in a gentle tone, “Oh? My photo is on your brother’s phone? What kind of photo is it?”
Who said kids couldn’t tell beauty from ugliness? An An had never seen such a handsome big brother before. She even thought Shen Yuze was more dashing and princely than the princes in her fairy tale books. Dazzled by him, she naturally spilled everything she knew.
An An recalled, “Um… there’s a photo of you wearing patient clothes, sitting on the bed with an IV drip!” She blinked and asked with great concern, “Big brother, were you sick too?”
When Lu Dad had surgery and was hospitalized before, An An had gone to visit with her mom and brother. At that time, Lu Dad was lying in bed in his patient gown, his face pale and ashen from blood loss, completely unlike his usual gentle and kind self.
After returning from the hospital, the little girl had nightmares for several nights. From then on, hospitals, patient gowns, and sickbeds became her trauma. Every time she had to go for a shot, she cried her eyes out. A few days ago, when she saw Shen Yuze’s photo on her brother’s phone, the familiar patient gown startled her, and she deeply imprinted his appearance in her memory.
—It was that photo!
—Thank goodness it was that photo!!
Hearing his sister’s words, Lu Ping’s heart, which had been in his throat, settled halfway. His brain raced as he desperately came up with an excuse for that sneaky photo.
“Ah… that one… Shen Yuze, when I went to see you that day, didn’t I bring a bouquet of flowers? That was bought with class funds!” Lu Ping stammered. He was afraid that speaking too slowly would reveal a flaw. “The Class Monitor said I had to take a photo after delivering the flowers to prove they really reached you, so he could report it to the teacher. It’s called… earmarking funds! Right, right, earmarking funds! So I took a photo of you! I didn’t expect An An to see it.”
As he spoke, his eyes didn’t dare meet Shen Yuze’s gaze at all; instead, they darted guiltily everywhere.
This excuse sounded reasonable at first glance, but it wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny. If Shen Yuze actually checked with the Class Monitor, the truth would come out.
Shen Yuze thought he really should hand Lu Ping a mirror so he could see just how red his face was and how flustered he looked while lying.
When it came to acting, Shen Yuze was still a cut above.
He pondered for a few seconds, putting on an expression that was somewhat believing but not entirely convinced, and asked the little girl beside him, “An An, is the only photo of me on your brother’s phone from the hospital room?”
An An: “There are a few more… Waaah!”
Lu Ping reached out and covered An An’s mouth, flashing her a “gentle” smile that showed his teeth but not his eyes. “An An, what did the teacher teach you in interest class today? Are you tired? Come on, perform a program for us!”
An An: “???” She felt extremely wronged. She was still chatting with the handsome big brother—why did she suddenly have to perform?
Lu Ping didn’t give her a chance to protest and directly threw out three options: “Sing an English song, recite the multiplication table, or poetry recitation?”
“…Can I choose none?” An An had no choice but to pick one reluctantly.
“If you don’t choose, then go back to your room and do homework,” her black-hearted brother said.
What could An An do? She swallowed all her remaining words, jumped down from her brother’s lap, and went back to her room with little whimpers.
After finally shooing his sister away, Lu Ping turned his head and met Shen Yuze’s thoughtful gaze.
Lu Ping gave an awkward laugh. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. She always flips through my phone and makes a big fuss over one photo. H-How could my phone have a bunch of your photos!”
Of course, Shen Yuze knew the truth, but he had no intention of exposing him.
Back then, after learning someone online was impersonating him, Shen Yuze immediately had people track the IP address and easily located this boy of the same age in a small city. Then, out of some bored curiosity, he came to this city and to Lu Ping’s side.
Before that, Lu Ping’s family background had been laid out clearly on his desk. He knew the Lu Family was poor and that Lu Ping was a marginal figure at school, so he naturally assumed Lu Ping was impersonating him out of vanity.
But after truly getting to know Lu Ping, he found him completely different from what he had imagined.
This boy was clean and pure, with a pair of eyes so straightforward they almost reflected his soul. Shen Yuze had never met anyone like Lu Ping—self-deprecating yet proud, naive yet cunning.
The longer he knew him, the less Shen Yuze could understand why Lu Ping had impersonated him.
He admitted he had a wicked sense of humor—in the time before getting the final answer, he was willing to let the little mouse keep pretending to be the cat.
However, Lu Ping was really too careless. Was there such a dumb mouse in the world? How many times had this been that Lu Ping slipped up in front of Shen Yuze?
This time, Shen Yuze didn’t want to let him off easily. He decided to tease him a bit.
—It was just mutual acting, and Shen Yuze knew how to act too!
Shen Yuze: “Lu Ping, why don’t you just admit it.”
“!!” The little mouse had no idea what the cat was thinking and thought he had been exposed. His whole body stiffened as he stammered, “A-Admit what?”
“Admit that you admire me.” Shen Yuze made it up on the spot. “Back at my previous school, there were people who secretly took photos of me like you. Some even sold the sneaky shots to younger girls. If you want to do that business too, just tell me directly. I’ll let you take photos openly, and we can split the profits eighty-twenty.”
“I’m not so poor that I’m desperate! Why would I sell your photos!!” Lu Ping had never even thought of such a thing and denied it outright. But after the words left his mouth, his brain suddenly turned the corner, and he asked hesitantly, “…Wait, is it you eighty, me twenty?”
Shen Yuze: “What are you thinking? Of course it’s you twenty, me eighty.”
Lu Ping grumbled and whined about how black-hearted he was, but he couldn’t help counting on his fingers. The more he calculated, the more profitable this business seemed.
Shen Yuze had only meant to tease him, but seeing Lu Ping actually start planning, the smile on Shen Yuze’s face gradually faded.
“Lu Ping, you’re not really planning to sell my photos for money, are you?”
“Um… well…”
“Lu! Ping!!”
“Why are you getting mad? It’s not like I won’t give you a cut…”
Just as the two were bickering and muttering like kindergarten kids, Lu Mom’s voice came from the kitchen—
“Lu Ping! Stop chatting and come help me serve the dishes!”
“Oh!” Lu Ping hurriedly stood up.
With Lu Mom’s interruption, the matter of the photos was immediately tossed to the back of their minds. Of course, nothing was more important than eating!
The Lu Family’s house was a self-built two-story little building. On the first floor, right after entering the door, was a spacious (though simply decorated) hall that served as both living room and dining room.
Lu Ping pulled out the rarely used folding table from behind the cabinet, wiped it clean, set up folding stools beside it, laid out bowls and chopsticks, and then hurried to the large kitchen nearby.
As soon as he pushed open the kitchen door, the aroma of food rolled out. The Plum Blossom Cake he had eaten that morning was long digested, and now, smelling the familiar home-cooked flavors, his stomach growled hungrily.
In the kitchen, Lu Dad and Lu Mom each manned a stove, the couple “double-sword combining” as they produced one local Jiao River specialty dish after another.
Jiao River was by the sea, where the rule was “no fish, no feast.” No matter who was hosting guests, shrimp, crab, fish, and squid were essential. The area produced a small octopus with a very romantic name: Tide Watcher. Its scientific name was shortarm octopus, living in coastal tidal flats—out with the rising tide, back to its nest with the ebb. Because of its small size and elusiveness, Tide Watchers were expensive on the market and only available for special occasions. The preparation was simple—no seasonings needed; just blanch in boiling water, then dip in soy sauce for the pure original flavor.
Of course… Shen Yuze, who was allergic to almost all seafood, couldn’t partake.
Though Shen Yuze couldn’t eat it, his driver and the two “distant relatives” could.
At the round table, Lu Dad and Lu Mom urged everyone to dig in. Shen Yuze looked at the seafood dishes on the table and the driver and “relatives” devouring them beside him, falling into thought: Maybe he should try it too. Worst case, he’d head to the hospital afterward.
“Shen Yuze, those seafood dishes are for them. These ones here were specially prepared for you—they’re our local specialties. Give them a try.” Seeing him hesitate without touching his chopsticks, Lu Ping thought he didn’t recognize the food in front of him and quickly introduced it.
This season was perfect for pumpkin vines and Chinese kale shoots; any later, and they’d be too tough to eat.
For pumpkin vines, you removed the tough stems, keeping only the tender tips and thin stalks. Heat oil, sauté garlic, then quick-fry the vines. It was a fast dish—once softened, it was done, a vibrant green mound on the plate, fresh and crisp.
The Chinese kale shoots still had a bit of flower bud in the center, stir-fried with ham. The oil from the cured ham slices blended with the kale’s freshness, making another common local rice companion.
Besides that, the table had hawthorn flower omelets picked in summer, wild mushroom greens stir-fried with rice cakes, sticky Chui Yuan, and glutinous rice-stuffed pork belly packed full of chestnuts and carrots…
Shen Yuze, a northerner, had never tasted these dishes before.
For a moment, he didn’t know which one to try first.
At that moment, Lu Dad suddenly stood up, ladled a bowl of soup from the earthen pot nearby, placed it in front of Shen Yuze, and urged him in halting Mandarin to drink it while hot.
The soup was brownish in color, with a strong aroma of yellow wine wafting up. Shen Yuze stirred it with a spoon and found large chunks of meat, ginger slices, and… some kind of fruit?
“This is—lychee??” Shen Yuze’s voice involuntarily rose. Lychees in meat soup? What kind of wondrous combination was this?
“Right, lychees.” Lu Ping loved seeing northerners’ expressions of ignorance like this! He was in high spirits. “This is one of our specialty stews called Lychee-Stuffed Pork. The stuffed pork is from the front leg—chewy; the lychees are aged dried ones. This is my dad’s secret family recipe. Once Mom takes over the shop, he’ll sell it!”
Don’t underestimate this small bowl of soup. The base was simmered with yellow wine and ginger, sweetened with brown sugar, resulting in a rich, deep color. The ginger’s spice and lychee’s sweetness fully infused the meat. One bowl down, and it was both sweat-inducing and nourishing.
Truth be told, the pairing of lychee and pork seemed totally mismatched—a “dark cuisine” to many outsiders. But for Lu Ping, who had grown up with it, this was a delicacy reserved only for when he was sick.
Shen Yuze didn’t tell Lu Ping that he never ate ginger. If his family’s chef placed a bowl of ginger-laden hot soup like this before him, he absolutely wouldn’t touch it. Moreover, he hated cooked fruits too—like pineapple sweet-and-sour pork, water chestnut stir-fry with pork, pear soup—all on his food blacklist.
But looking at Lu Ping’s sparkling eyes, Shen Yuze really couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
Fine… he’d force himself to take just one sip.
As one spoonful of hot soup slid down his throat, a sweet and spicy flavor unlike any he’d experienced exploded on Shen Yuze’s tongue. It was different from Korean sweet-spicy or Thai sweet-spicy—this spiciness from ginger blended with the fresh sweetness of lychee in a perfectly authentic local taste.
They didn’t clash at all… instead, they fused together ingeniously.
This was too weird. He’d try another sip.
Another sip.
Another sip.
Before he knew it, he’d drained the entire bowl of soup, polishing off even the chunks of meat and dried lychees at the bottom.
For someone who normally picked at his food, this was utterly unbelievable.
If his family’s private chef saw him down a bowl of ginger soup so cleanly, their jaw would probably hit the floor.
Lu Ping watched with a grin as Shen Yuze finished the whole bowl, and his own mood lifted—he felt the same sense of accomplishment as when he fed the big black cat behind the school gate!
…
This lunch had Shen Yuze unable to put down his chopsticks. Boys of seventeen or eighteen already had huge appetites, and he and Lu Ping nearly cleared every dish in front of them. With them setting the example, An An ate half a bowl more rice than usual today.
With their guest showing such enthusiasm, Lu Dad and Lu Mom were naturally delighted.
After lunch, Shen Yuze brought out the gifts he’d prepared for the Lu family—a lifetime physical exam card from a private hospital for the elders, five princess dresses for the little sister, and English textbooks for Lu Ping.
The family of four reacted differently to the presents.
Lu Dad and Lu Mom repeatedly declined, wiping their hands on their aprons over and over, unsure whether to accept: “Little Shen, this is too extravagant!”
An An spun in circles with excitement. She hugged one of the sky-blue princess dresses, too impatient to change out of her clothes before slipping it on over them. Then she climbed onto a chair, clutched a piece of scrap paper, and belted out a solo performance of “Let It Go.”
Only Lu Ping stared at the stack of English textbooks, which was half a person tall, completely dumbfounded.
Thanks, the gift was received a minute ago, and so was he—gone a minute later.
He slumped in his chair like a wooden statue, his soul nearly flying out of his mouth.
For the moment, he couldn’t tell whether the books Shen Yuze had given him were a thank-you… or revenge…
“Look at this kid, he’s overjoyed!” Lu Mom didn’t notice his dazed stiffness at all and assumed he was just too thrilled.
She was both relieved and touched that her son had become friends with Shen Yuze.
In her eyes, Shen Yuze was an exceptional child. Despite his wealthy background, he had no trace of arrogance or entitlement. He spoke and acted with perfect propriety, and knowing Lu Ping struggled with English, he’d even brought so much study material. It was truly her son’s good fortune to have such a great friend.
Shen Yuze asked the two “distant relatives” to move the books to Lu Ping’s room, but Lu Mom quickly said, “No need to trouble yourselves—a few books aren’t that heavy. Lu Ping can carry them himself; he’s not that delicate. In fact, why don’t you go rest in Pingping’s room for a bit?”
Lu Mom’s eyes crinkled with extra laugh lines. “Knowing you were coming, Pingping swept and wiped the tables yesterday, and even changed into a fresh set of bedsheets and covers. Little Shen, if you’re tired, feel free to take a nap on his bed.”
