Drunk On The Night Breeze - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

In the end, Ruan Lingfeng didn’t get a detailed answer from Tao Zhi about why he was in a bad mood.

Tao Zhi’s call had come in abruptly, and he had hung up after only a few words. Ruan Lingfeng sat on an unopened moving box, clutching his phone in thought.

Truthfully, he could sense that Tao Zhi had been acting a bit unusually lately. Ordinarily, when a professional collaboration ends, the relationship ends with it. Even if they could be called friends who shared a common language in music and performance, they shouldn’t be chatting so much when there was nothing specific to discuss.

Yet, Tao Zhi looked for him every now and then.

After spacing out for a while, Ruan Lingfeng stood up, put his phone on the charger, grabbed a pair of scissors, and began slicing through the boxes. He started taking out items—already sorted into different marked boxes—and placing them one by one into their new spots.

There were two signed Xie Jiashu CDs that Tao Zhi had given him; Ruan Lingfeng placed them on the shelf next to the TV.

He couldn’t help but wonder again if inviting someone over to the new house for dinner was a bit too much.

After all, it wasn’t eating out; it was at home.

He had simply thought that according to the customs of his hometown, “lighting the stove” in a new home required inviting guests. He didn’t have any particularly close friends in this city, and it just so happened that Tao Zhi had reached out.

But really, what would happen if he didn’t follow that custom?

Since the invitation was already made, Ruan Lingfeng decided not to overthink it. He continued tidying. When he said earlier that he’d hurry up so he could start cooking tomorrow, it wasn’t because he was in a rush, but because he didn’t have that many things and had organized them in advance. Unpacking wasn’t much of a chore.

Once things were mostly in order and he had done a quick cleaning, he checked his phone and saw that Tao Zhi had left a message.

Earlier on the phone, Tao Zhi had been awkward and hadn’t said much, but this time he said he was fine with eating anything and asked for the specific time.

Ruan Lingfeng figured that even if the other person said they weren’t picky, everyone has preferences. Remembering something, he opened the file he had kept on Tao Zhi during their work together. It contained notes from a “Quick Q&A” where Tao Zhi had mentioned his favorite dishes.

Plus, having eaten together several times while working, he remembered at least a few of Tao Zhi’s preferences.

Since he was hosting, he would naturally accommodate the guest’s taste; this was Ruan Lingfeng’s long-standing way of treating people.

The next evening, Ruan Lingfeng had originally planned to wait until the food was almost ready before calling Tao Zhi over. Tao Zhi’s place wasn’t far—about a twenty-minute drive.

However, Tao Zhi arrived uninvited, ringing the doorbell just as Ruan Lingfeng started prepping the ingredients.

When the door opened, Tao Zhi saw Ruan Lingfeng wearing a light brown apron. He was dressed in loungewear, and unlike his usual capable and efficient aura, he looked very soft.

Tao Zhi had a black messenger bag over his shoulder. Ruan Lingfeng naturally took it to hang it up and said, “Why are you here so early? I’ve only just started getting ready to cook.”

Tao Zhi rubbed his nose and stepped inside after changing his shoes. He didn’t answer directly, instead taking a look around Ruan Lingfeng’s new home.

Tao Zhi had never been to the previous apartment, so he had no basis for comparison. Honestly, Tao Zhi felt that a person’s residence was the most private domain; he hadn’t originally thought they were at the stage where they’d enter each other’s homes. Yet, for some reason, here he was.

Once inside, he surprisingly didn’t feel too constrained.

It was a one-bedroom apartment. One could tell there weren’t many “signs of life” yet, but Ruan Lingfeng had already done some decorating. For example, there were several pots of succulents on the balcony further away, and the sofa and coffee table in the living room were covered in beige fabric. It looked very cozy, fitting Tao Zhi’s imagination.

Tao Zhi’s gaze swept to the two Xie Jiashu CDs on the shelf, and his brow furrowed. “Why put his discs in such a prominent place? And you say you’re not a fan.”

Only after this did Tao Zhi seem ready to answer Ruan Lingfeng’s question: “I came early to watch you cook, otherwise I’m afraid you’ll poison me to death.”

Ruan Lingfeng: “…”

Tao Zhi added: “Well, I just happened to have nothing to do so I came. Coming early doesn’t get in your way.”

“Then go play by yourself for a bit,” Ruan Lingfeng said, turning back into the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

Tao Zhi followed the instructions and sat on the living room sofa, though he didn’t actually have anything to do. Sitting there, he could see into the semi-open kitchen where Ruan Lingfeng was taking out the groceries he had bought and stored in the fridge.

He pursed his lips, watching the busy figure.

Ruan Lingfeng seemed to feel his gaze and looked up. “What are you looking at me for? If you’re bored, there are books on that shelf, or turn on the TV and find a movie.”

“You’re so slow.”

Ruan Lingfeng: “…You talk too much.”

Tao Zhi stood up before his seat had even gotten warm. He rolled up his sleeves and walked toward the kitchen.

Ruan Lingfeng was startled. “What are you doing?”

Tao Zhi said impatiently, “Helping.”

“Don’t be a hindrance.” Ruan Lingfeng wasn’t being polite; he meant it sincerely. Seeing Tao Zhi’s usual appearance as a pampered young master who didn’t lift a finger, it was hard to imagine what kind of fatal blow he might deal to this kitchen that hadn’t even successfully opened for business yet.

Tao Zhi got a bit anxious. “Who are you looking down on?”

Due to the one-bedroom layout, the kitchen itself wasn’t large. It was fine for Ruan Lingfeng alone, but with the sudden addition of a young, tall Alpha, it became quite cramped.

But this Alpha seemed quite practiced as he took the green beans Ruan Lingfeng had just rinsed and started snapping the ends off.

Ruan Lingfeng watched for a few seconds. “You actually know how?”

“Duh…” Tao Zhi didn’t look up. “Did I never tell you I’ve lived alone for a long time?”

“No.” Ruan Lingfeng shook his head.

“Well, now you know.” After a moment of silence, Tao Zhi lowered his eyes and added, “…It’s been a long time since someone specifically cooked for me.”

And it seemed to be all the dishes he liked.

He had said he could eat anything, but Ruan Lingfeng had gathered intel from somewhere—it couldn’t all be a coincidence. They weren’t exotic things, but they were exactly what he liked.

He knew Ruan Lingfeng was always thoughtful—thoughtful to everyone. He knew that if Ruan Lingfeng hosted someone else, he would be just as considerate. Ruan Lingfeng seemed to naturally know how to make people feel comfortable.

But at this moment, he couldn’t control the strange emotions surging in his chest.

Truly, it had been a very long time since someone had opened the door to welcome him, bought the ingredients he liked, and told him “dinner will be ready soon.”

He knew this was sudden… or perhaps not so sudden… He really wanted to stay like this forever, without thinking about anything else, just standing next to this Omega, quietly helping him prep vegetables while waiting for him to cook a very ordinary dinner.

…He didn’t seem to want these emotions to grow, so he put on a “bothered” expression again and started nitpicking. “The bowl is so far away, how am I supposed to reach it?”