Lin Heyu deftly started the fire and tossed the freshly washed vegetables into the wok. With a sizzle, the hot oil released an enticing aroma.

Ji Huai thought to himself that he must truly be hungry even plain greens smelled delicious to him now.

Life in Li Village was harsh, and Ji Huai had it worse than most. His household couldn’t even scrape together a bit of minced meat, and the vegetables they had were only thanks to the kindness of Aunt Li next door.

Ji Huai licked his lips, reminiscing about the braised pork knuckle he’d enjoyed at the inn the other day.

Lin Heyu, long accustomed to eating wild greens, found these tender vegetable hearts a treat. With practiced ease, he added oil, vegetables, and seasonings, his cooking movements so fluid that Ji Huai couldn’t help but find them pleasing to watch.

Ji Huai knew how to cook too as a single man, it was a necessary survival skill. But his cooking relied on modern appliances, and he’d always been content with barely edible results. Using this primitive stove with firewood was beyond his capabilities.

He’d expected Lin Heyu to know cooking, but hadn’t anticipated such proficiency.

Standing in the cramped kitchen, Ji Huai found himself in the way. As Lin Heyu moved between fetching ingredients, stir-frying, and adding firewood, Ji Huai stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves, watching with curious amazement.

“…” Lin Heyu finally spoke when he bumped into Ji Huai for the third time while reaching for seasonings, “Would you mind waiting outside?”

After speaking, Lin Heyu briskly pulled a small stool from the corner. After considering the blazing sun outside, he thoughtfully placed the stool beneath the kitchen eaves where it would catch the breeze while remaining shaded from the heat.

“Here, sit,” Lin Heyu said, taking Ji Huai’s hand and guiding him onto the stool before turning back to his cooking.

Ji Huai felt slightly indignant. He admitted Lin Heyu was more efficient in the kitchen, but that didn’t make him completely useless!

After struggling to hold back, he finally muttered, “Wasn’t I the one who invited you to stay for dinner? Why are you acting like I’m in the way?”

Amid the smoke and cooking fumes, Lin Heyu could no longer detect the faint scent of Chinese bellflower that usually clung to Ji Huai, but he clearly heard the complaint. He chuckled lightly, his tone teasing, “Not at all! How would I dare find my Teacher troublesome? I’m just concerned you might tire yourself. I still understand the importance of respecting one’s teacher. Just wait my cooking skills are quite decent.”

With things put that way, Ji Huai stopped being fussy. Instead, he watched Lin Heyu cook attentively, taking the opportunity to learn how to use the traditional stove.

Soon, Lin Heyu prepared a simple meal: stir-fried seasonal vegetables, rice, and vegetable soup.

He brought out a small table and arranged the dishes beneath the eaves.

The cooking had left Lin Heyu drenched in sweat. Accustomed to rough living in military camps, he thought nothing of it. Seeking relief from the heat, he casually crossed his arms and lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his well-defined, athletic torso.

Ji Huai’s gaze abruptly met Lin Heyu’s bare upper body, causing his face to flush crimson in an instant. Lin Heyu’s tall and athletic physique made it impossible for Ji Huai to continue viewing him as an underage student. Beneath the sun-tanned skin lay full, well-defined muscles, with a straight spine and rippling musculature that tapered down to his waist each contour distinctly exuding masculine charm. Yet upon closer inspection, the skin was not smooth but scattered with scars of varying sizes.

Unable to resist, Ji Huai reached out and touched an old coin-sized scar on Lin Heyu’s shoulder, his tone laced with concern as he asked, “How did this happen? From mischief?”

“Hmm?” The tingling sensation of fingertips brushing his shoulder, carrying a scorching heat as if to burn a hole through his skin, made Lin Heyu look up. Meeting Ji Huai’s captivating fox-like eyes filled with heartache and care, Lin Heyu’s mind went blank, and his movements faltered. The chopsticks he had just picked up trembled and clattered onto the table. His expression stiffened, tinged with redness, and he awkwardly rubbed his nose before retrieving the chopsticks under Ji Huai’s puzzled gaze.

“…Do you have Parkinson’s?” Ji Huai eyed him with a complicated expression, blurting out the modern ailment.

Lin Heyu’s eyes widened, and he retorted loudly, “Afraid of what? I’m not afraid of anything! This injury was from saving the commander in the military camp. Facing thousands of enemy troops, I didn’t flinch. What’s this ‘Parkinson’ or ‘Silverson’? We, the people of Great Sheng, fear nothing!”

His impassioned speech, however, fell on deaf ears. Ji Huai stared at him with a strange look, picked up a bite of vegetables with his chopsticks, and muttered under his breath, “You’re insane.”

He simply assumed Lin Heyu was talking nonsense.

“How dare you! Calling me insane again I understand that insult now! Don’t think you can fool me just because I’m not well-read.” Lin Heyu shot to his feet, glaring like a young bull, panting heavily as he stared indignantly at Ji Huai, who remained utterly unruffled.

Without even looking up, Ji Huai easily deflated Lin Heyu’s fury with a calm, “Sit down and eat.”

Defeated, Lin Heyu sat back with a huff, biting fiercely into a large mouthful of vegetables and stuffing his cheeks with rice. His gaze remained fixed on Ji Huai, sharp enough to devour him alive.

Ji Huai ignored him completely, elegantly eating the simple meal while occasionally marveling at Lin Heyu’s cooking skills.

Hearing this rare praise, Lin Heyu practically preened with pride. He snorted haughtily, swallowed his food, dabbed his mouth with dignity, and declared, “The Fenglin Army doesn’t keep idlers.”

Unable to hold back, Ji Huai fired back, “Looks to me like you’re plenty idle.”

“You!” Lin Heyu, tongue-tied and unable to retort, ground his teeth and glared with wide, round eyes.

Seeing Lin Heyu’s fierce, wolf-cub-like expression, Ji Huai burst out laughing. Holding his bowl in one hand, he couldn’t resist using the other to pat Lin Heyu’s head lightly, as if soothing a pet, and chuckled, “Little wolf cub.”

Lin Heyu was momentarily dazzled by Ji Huai’s serene smile. He sat obediently, allowing Ji Huai to pat his head. When he finally snapped out of it, his face flushed crimson. Embarrassed and flustered, he jerked backward as if Ji Huai’s hand were covered in thorns. The movement was too abrupt the small stool wobbled, and with a loud “thud,” he toppled over, bringing down both the stool and the table in a chaotic heap.

Ji Huai: “…”

Lin Heyu: “-.-”

A lone bowl of plain rice remained in Ji Huai’s hand, while the dishes meant to accompany it had “heroically sacrificed themselves.”

“Seriously?” Ji Huai said incredulously. “I just touched your head. Was that really necessary? You had to go and smash everything! This is my only set of bowls and plates!”

Ji Huai was on the verge of despair. He was already poor, and now with this set shattered, his already strained finances were dealt another blow.

Lin Heyu lay awkwardly on the ground, greasy vegetables and soup splattered all over him, still steaming. He seemed dazed, unaware of the heat, his face red and burning. His mind raced, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Ji Huai was the first to notice something was off. Complaints aside, his student’s safety came first. He quickly set down the bowl, crouched beside Lin Heyu, and worriedly tried to help him up. But with Lin Heyu drenched in soup, there was no clean place to grab. Ji Huai hovered his hands awkwardly, unsure whether to reach out, his expression tangled in conflict.

To put it bluntly, Ji Huai was a bit of a neat freak.

Lin Heyu’s expression shifted from initial hope to exasperation. In the end, he got up on his own, deliberately avoiding Ji Huai for fear of staining his pristine clothes with his own mess.

“Could you tone down the disgusted look?” Lin Heyu said, his well-built upper body bare and strewn with vegetable leaves, obscuring his abdominal muscles.

Ji Huai rubbed his nose, feeling somewhat guilty. He let out an awkward chuckle and hurried inside to fetch a towel, thoughtfully soaking it in cool well water before heading straight for Lin Heyu’s eight-pack abs.

“Did it burn you?” Ji Huai asked as he wiped, genuine concern in his eyes.

Lin Heyu’s skin was slightly red from the heat, but he felt little pain. He took the towel and shook his head. “It’s not hot.”

Ji Huai’s hands were pale and soft, but the towel was rough and stiff. The two textures slid alternately over Lin Heyu’s skin, sending shivers and raising goosebumps.

It was a peculiar sensation.

Lin Heyu pressed his lips together, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, but more than that, he was stirred by the tingling stimulation coursing through his skin. He didn’t dare let Ji Huai continue, afraid he might reveal even more awkwardness.

Making a fool of himself in front of Ji Huai was utterly mortifying for Lin Heyu.

His whole body felt numb and feverish, hotter than the spilled soup.

Ji Huai clearly didn’t believe him how could it not be hot when his skin was red?

But Lin Heyu firmly held onto the towel, wiping himself bit by bit, not giving Ji Huai another chance to touch him.

Ji Huai, however, misinterpreted this, thinking the young man was too proud to accept his help. Realizing this, Ji Huai sheepishly lowered his hands and stood aside, waiting for Lin Heyu to clean up on his own.

But Lin Heyu’s pants were also soiled. While the soup on his body was manageable, the pants were another issue…

Lin Heyu stared at his sticky trousers, troubled. Ji Huai was equally troubled…

My pants probably won’t fit you…

Lin Heyu also became aware of the issue. He looked Ji Huai up and down, shook his head, and muttered to himself, “Too small. It won’t fit.”

His deadpan tone made Ji Huai blush crimson. Ji Huai’s eyes darted around nervously until they inadvertently landed on the prominent bulge between Lin Heyu’s legs full and substantial, far beyond what one would expect from someone underage. It appeared even larger than an adult’s. Realizing where his thoughts had wandered, Ji Huai instantly grew flustered. Especially upon hearing the words “too small,” which easily wounded male pride, his defiant spirit surged to its peak.

“If you don’t wear it, what do you plan to do? Run around naked? No way! Put it on!” Ji Huai stood up and scolded Lin Heyu with false bravado, his face still flushed, before turning and hurrying into the inner room to find him pants.