“Don’t worry.” Chu Xingxiao sounded confident as he started prepping the tomatoes. Seeing that Chi Zhan still hadn’t left, he added, “Can you help me tie the apron? It’s in the drawer.”
He held out his hands—both slick with tomato juice.
Chi Zhan retrieved the apron, eyeing Chu Xingxiao with a flicker of doubt.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but sometimes Chu Xingxiao gave him a strange, almost unreal feeling.
Maybe it was because… the contrast was just too stark.
That flamboyant, high-spirited idol he’d seen on TV was now clanking around in a kitchen, cooking like it was second nature? It was hard to reconcile the two images.
As he helped him into the apron, Chi Zhan naturally had to step closer. He remained entirely composed and focused. “Lower your head,” he instructed.
Chu Xingxiao obediently bowed his head. Chi Zhan’s fingers accidentally brushed against the side of his neck—it was a little cool to the touch. After fastening the apron around his waist and making sure it was secure, Chi Zhan finally stepped away.
Back in the kitchen, however, Chu Xingxiao remained frozen for a long moment.
Juice from the tomatoes dripped steadily onto the cutting board, forming a small puddle.
He raised a hand and gently touched the spot on his neck where Chi Zhan’s fingers had just grazed him.
It felt warm.
His heart had jumped just now, when Chi Zhan leaned in.
Why… was that?
He frowned slightly, puzzled.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Chi Zhan had picked up the Lego model Chu Xingxiao had casually left on the side table and was poring over the instruction manual.
He hadn’t realized until now—those instructions were printed in the tiniest font, tightly packed with diagrams and details. Just looking at it made his eyes ache.
And when he opened the box of parts?
It was downright terrifying.
“……”
He hadn’t even started, and he already wanted to give up.
As he was sorting through the pieces, his phone suddenly rang.
“Hello, your delivery has arrived at the front door. Is now a good time to sign for it?”
“Sorry, I didn’t order—”
He paused mid-sentence, a thought hitting him.
A few days ago, Seven had mentioned sending him a gift. Could this be it?
“Just a moment,” he said, then headed out through the neighboring front door to sign for the package.
It was a fairly large rectangular box. Chi Zhan hugged it to his chest—it had some weight to it. His coat and keys were still inside Chu Xingxiao’s apartment, so he decided to set the package on the coffee table for now.
A gift from Seven—what could it be?
The shipping label didn’t reveal anything, and Chi Zhan couldn’t guess. The curiosity was maddening. In the end, he couldn’t resist—he opened it.
The contents were wrapped with layers upon layers of shockproof film, like a Russian nesting doll.
What on earth could it be?
He had no idea. He couldn’t imagine what Seven would choose to send him—or what kind of relationship Seven believed they had.
If this was meant for a business partner, something formal like tea or a luxury pen would make sense.
If it was for a fan, then even just a signed photo would be enough.
When he finally opened the box, Chi Zhan froze. Inside wasn’t anything he’d imagined.
It was… a complete set of professional-grade gaming gear—keyboard, mouse, and headset. And not just any set.
Chi Zhan had seen Seven use the black version of this setup during livestreams. The one in the box? A white version.
Looking closer, he spotted a tiny, semi-transparent cat-head emblem engraved in the corner of the keyboard—delicate and adorable. The mouse and headset had matching cat-head motifs.
…This was ridiculously cute.
“……”
He nearly passed out on the spot.
But soon, reason took over. He carefully put everything back into the box, albeit reluctantly, casting it a few more wistful glances before composing a message to Seven, thanking him and explaining that the gift was far too extravagant.
Yes, he really wanted it. But another voice in his head told him—it wasn’t appropriate.
As a secretary acting on behalf of the company, he couldn’t accept gifts.
Seven usually took at least a day to respond, so Chi Zhan was fully prepared to be left on read. What he didn’t expect was for Seven to reply almost instantly.
Seven: Don’t like it?
Chi Zhan had never found rejecting a gift to be this hard.
He typed carefully: It’s a great gift, but our company policy doesn’t allow us to accept presents. It’s to prevent any future misunderstandings.
Seven: It’s not for Secretary Chi.
Seven: It’s for Chi Zhan.
“……”
Seven must’ve realized what was bothering him, because a moment later, another message came through.
Seven: Use this set when we game together next time. cat-head spinning.gif
Chi Zhan felt completely cornered.
How was he supposed to say no to that?
The message made it very clear—this wasn’t a gift to a business partner. It was a gift to a friend.
Was Seven always this nice to his friends?
Wait a minute… when did he become Seven’s friend?
Also, for some reason, that cat-head emoji reminded Chi Zhan of someone else:
Song Guang.
They both liked using those same cat-head emojis.
So cute.
Chi Zhan sent one back: cat-head nodding.gif
A delicious aroma drifted in from the kitchen. Chi Zhan looked up, suddenly realizing he’d completely lost track of what Chu Xingxiao was doing. When he went to check, he saw that Chu Xingxiao had not only finished cooking the sauce and noodles but had even plated everything with meticulous care.
“…!!”
“What’s with that expression, gege?” Chu Xingxiao caught the flash of astonishment on Chi Zhan’s face. “Is it that weird that I know how to cook? Come on, try it.”
With the air of a well-trained waiter, Chu Xingxiao placed the plate in front of him with a flourish.
“Bon appétit.”
Chi Zhan took a bite—then stared in disbelief.
It was…
Absolutely delicious.
The meat sauce was seasoned to perfection, subtly layered with the sweet-tart tang of tomatoes. The flavor lingered on his tongue.
Drawn by the smell of meat, Dabai bounded over, tail wagging furiously. The dog tried to stand on his hind legs, pawing at Chi Zhan’s thigh with pleading eyes, clearly saying:
Please share some with me!
