Keith’s stomach growled loudly at the worst possible moment.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Let’s go out and get something to eat. My carriage is still outside,” Cassius offered, thinking of a nearby restaurant that was only a few minutes away by carriage.
Keith replied, “There’s no need to go through all that trouble. I still have to water the plants and feed the bird. Besides, Vincent will be back soon.”
Cassius thought to himself that Vincent’s cooking was downright terrifying. In times like this, they needed a proper meal. Keith finally agreed.
The two of them watered the flowers and went back inside to feed the bird.
Keith carefully prepared food for the parrot and arranged it on a small dish. In addition to the usual feed, there were fresh fruits laid out with surprising care, as if the parrot was the true master of the house while the humans were left to eat strange experimental meals.
“Little Green, come eat,” Keith called out by the birdcage near the window.
Little Green was perched on a branch just outside. “I don’t want to. I want to go online.”
They have internet in this era? Cassius looked confused. “What do you mean, go online?”
Mages really were ahead of their time.
“Eat first. You can go online afterward,” Keith said firmly as he placed the dish on the table next to the cage.
He looked just like a parent trying to control a child who was addicted to the internet.
“Coo coo coo. Internet!” Little Green spread its wings, trying to fly, but couldn’t. It was still recovering from an injury.
Keith quickly grabbed the bird and gently pressed it down onto the table to make it eat. He then pointed to the ceiling.
“That net,” he clarified.
Cassius looked up and saw what he meant. Hanging below the ceiling was a net made of hemp rope, resembling a fisherman’s net. It was clearly meant for the bird to play with.
So that’s what Little Green meant. A physical net, not the internet.
Keith changed into a fresh coat, and once everything was settled, they left the house together.
Keith sat quietly in the carriage. Although he still felt a little weak, he was clearly in high spirits sitting next to Cassius.
They hadn’t gone far when they saw Vincent returning. He was holding a few drooping flowers and green plants that looked very unhappy. Cassius had the carriage stop, and both he and Keith looked out the window.
“Where are you two going?” Vincent called out and waved.
Keith leaned over the windowsill. “We’re going out to eat.”
Cassius added, “Do you want to come with us, Vincent?”
That would just make him the third wheel. Vincent was sharp. He had no intention of doing that. In fact, he was hoping his friend would find someone and settle down sooner rather than later.
“I need to hurry home and take care of these potion ingredients,” Vincent said, finding a quick excuse. He shook the plants in his hand. One of them let out a grumpy noise and looked like it was frowning.
Vincent turned to leave, but Cassius stopped him.
“Wait, Vincent, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
Are you really going to ask him? Keith became nervous and pulled at Cassius’s sleeve.
“You…”
“What do you want to ask?” Vincent asked again.
“Can’t I ask?” Cassius turned to Keith. He noticed the nervous look in Keith’s eyes and how he was trying to stop him.
“There’s no need to ask him. I know the answer. I’ll tell you myself,” Keith said quickly.
He didn’t want all three of them to get stuck in an awkward moment. He imagined what it would be like if Vincent answered. All three of them would be embarrassed. Then he’d have to go home and face Vincent afterward. It would be unbearable.
Vincent left.
The carriage continued toward the restaurant. Cassius said nothing, waiting for Keith to speak.
The silence was already becoming uncomfortable. Keith pressed his lips together and briefly looked at Cassius before turning away.
“That method is kissing. Saliva can…”
Keith’s face turned red. He felt like his whole body was heating up.
Cassius didn’t know how to respond. He really hadn’t expected that answer. He looked at Keith’s lips, tightly pressed from nervousness, and didn’t say a word for a long time.
Keith could only hear his own heartbeat and the sound of the carriage wheels. Cassius’s silence made him feel a little disappointed, but he understood. Cassius had someone he liked. Being friends was already more than he could hope for.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a restaurant by the sea. Cassius was the first to speak.
“We’re here. Let’s get out.”
A waiter led them to a table by the window. The restaurant had a warm and cozy atmosphere. The table was covered with a checkered tablecloth and decorated with a candleholder and a vase. Outside the window was a breathtaking view of the ocean at sunset.
The food began to arrive dish after dish. Lanchi’s cuisine featured a lot of seafood, along with other dishes and desserts.
Then a whole roasted suckling pig was brought to their table. It was golden brown and crispy, its mouth wide open as if it were screaming. The head was facing Cassius directly.
To Cassius, it looked like a tortured animal from some horrific experiment. Couldn’t they just serve a normal dish?
That expression on the pig’s face looked like pure agony.
“This expression is really over the top. It looks like a clown,” Keith said, finding it amusing. He poked the pig’s head with his knife.
Cassius could only go along with it. After a second look, he reluctantly admitted it did resemble a clown a bit.
“Gentlemen, this is one of our signature dishes. It’s called the Roast Train,” the waiter announced, pushing a cart to their table.
It was a strange combination of half a chicken, half a rabbit, half a duck, and half a pig, all stitched together. The dish was so large it had to be served from a rolling cart.
“What a creative name,” Keith said with interest. He was clearly fascinated again.
Cassius, on the other hand, could only think of that disturbing film where people were sewn together. He didn’t find this creative at all.
Keith noticed Cassius didn’t look very excited.
“Are you not hungry?” he asked.
Cassius glanced at the bizarre dish and felt his appetite vanish. Still, he picked up a knife and started carving the roast pig.
“Eat something. You need rest. Go to bed early tonight. I won’t be able to visit tomorrow or the day after.”
“What’s keeping you busy?”
“I need to help with the inspector transfer and prepare for the arrival of the Third Prince.”
Keith nodded quietly. Still feeling a little down, he lowered his gaze and focused on the food on his plate. Trying to lighten the mood, he said, “I’ve been to many places over the years, but I’ve never seen a desert.”
“What’s so special about the desert?” Cassius asked. “There’s nothing out there.”
“It’s so open and wide,” Keith said with longing in his voice.
Cassius paused with his fork in midair. “Yeah.”
That was awkward again. He had heard that mages and sorcerers loved nature, but he really didn’t understand it. He felt completely disconnected from elements like wind, fire, or earth. He would never be like the heroes in fantasy stories who mastered both magic and physical combat.
When they walked out of the restaurant, the sky was growing darker. A soft orange-red glow still lingered along the horizon over the sea.
Across the street, they saw someone familiar sitting by the roadside. The person was chewing on a piece of bread and had several paintings displayed nearby.
Cassius took a closer look and recognized the young painter they had met before. Keith was already back in the carriage. When he saw Cassius still outside, he asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’m going to check on him,” Cassius replied, nodding toward the young artist.
Lanchi didn’t have night markets. Shops closed by eight in the evening, and street vendors usually packed up around five thirty.
At this hour, the young painter was still sitting outside. Cassius wondered if something had happened to him.
He walked up and asked, “Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
Although Lanchi had many patrol teams, it was best for civilians not to be out after eight in the evening. If anything happened, it could get complicated.
“Governor, I’ve already closed up. I’m just having dinner. I’ll go home in a bit…” The young painter replied as he took small bites of bread. He looked like he was in his early twenties, tired and dusty from a long day.
Cassius noticed that a single thin slice of bread counted as his dinner. Judging from that, business probably hadn’t gone well. He asked, “Is this all you’re eating tonight? How long have you been sitting here?”
“I’ve been here for a while. I have water too, so don’t worry about me.” The young painter forced a smile and pulled out a bottle of water from his bag.
Cassius glanced at his paintings. The technique was actually quite good, but without a name for himself, they were hard to sell. From where the painter sat, one could clearly see the spot where he and Keith had just been dining.
“You saw us eating over there, didn’t you?”
The young man choked on his water. “Y-Yes, sir.” He looked at Cassius nervously, afraid the governor might be angry. “I was just resting here and happened to see…”
“Paint that scene for me. Me and that gentleman sitting at the table. Don’t worry about setting up your stall the next few days. Just focus on the painting. I’ll pay you an urgent commission.” Cassius pulled out a pouch of gold coins. “This is your deposit.”
“Wait—what? Oh, yes! Absolutely!” The painter clutched the pouch, stunned and overjoyed. The governor wanted him to paint something? He felt like he was dreaming. “I’ll do my best, sir! I’ll go start right now!”
He shoved the rest of the bread into his mouth, nearly choking, then grabbed the unsold paintings and rushed off.
Cassius climbed back into the carriage. Through the window, he saw the young painter struggling to wave at him with the rolled-up canvases in his arms.
“What were you two talking about?” Keith leaned out the window, watching the painter with wide eyes as he practically ran down the street.
“You can guess,” Cassius replied with a slight smile. When he saw the paintings, he had suddenly wanted one of him and Keith together. There were several paintings at home of him with Longshi, but he had never been interested in those.
Keith asked, “Is it because you think the last one I bought made you look weird?”
It wasn’t that it looked bad. The expression was just too goofy. Blame it on the original host of the body.
The oil lamp in the carriage gave off a warm glow, but it was still rather dim. Cassius just smiled, saying nothing.
Keith took that silence as agreement. “You’re not going to scold him, right?”
That painting was still one of Keith’s favorites. He looked at it every day.
“If I scolded him, do you think he would’ve looked that happy?”
“Good point…” Keith frowned thoughtfully, genuinely trying to figure it out.
Cassius called softly, “Keith.”
“Yeah?” Keith looked up, and in that instant, two strong arms wrapped around him. The carriage jolted slightly, causing him to lean forward into Cassius’s chest.
Keith stared in confusion as Cassius’s face came closer. The warm glow from the lamp lit the right side of his face, while the left was lost in shadow. Then Cassius’s lips pressed against his in a firm and steady kiss.
There was no Alpha pheromone surge, just a gentle embrace that surrounded him.
Keith’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he even forgot to breathe.
Cassius held him around the waist. Keith was much slimmer than him, and his waist felt delicate to the touch. His lips were soft like a freshly made dessert, and he smelled faintly of narcissus.
Cassius lowered his eyes as he kissed him, while Keith’s widened in shock. His cheeks turned bright red, as if he were about to pass out from holding his breath.
The sound of the carriage wheels covered any noise inside. The driver was completely unaware. He simply slowed the horses and called out, “We’re almost there, gentlemen.”
The carriage came to a stop. Cassius reluctantly let go of the person in his arms.
“I’ll see you at the docks the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay… the day after tomorrow.” Keith’s head was spinning. As he stepped out of the carriage, he saw Vincent already waiting for him at the door.
A breeze blew across Keith’s burning cheeks, helping him come back to his senses. He turned to wave at the carriage.
Neither of them mentioned Long Shi.
The first thing Vincent said was, “Are you running a fever?”
“I’m fine,” Keith replied, still feeling like he was in a dream. He had no idea what Cassius was thinking. Things had been awkward between them, and yet the man had suddenly kissed him.
Vincent shut the door behind them. “I saw a new bottle of pain reliever at home. It doesn’t even have a label yet.”
“Cassius made it for me,” Keith said as he took off his coat. There was a note of quiet joy in his voice.
“What? The governor made medicine for you?” Vincent was shocked.
“Yeah. He blew up three cauldrons before getting it right. Can you make another one for me tomorrow? I don’t want to drink this one. I want to sleep with it.” Keith picked up the freshly made pain reliever from the coffee table, smiled sweetly at Vincent, and went upstairs.
“Are you even speaking human language anymore? All you care about is him. Unbelievable,” Vincent grumbled as he followed him up the stairs.
What kind of person hugs a bottle of pain reliever to sleep? He needed to get this friend married off as soon as possible. That way, he could finally rest.
And so, a peaceful and strange night passed by quietly.
