Chapter 10
“Xing-ge, youâre back.”
“How did you know I wanted to eat watermelon?”
Wu Xing smiled and said, “Here, I bought the batteries too.”
The large, thin-skinned, juicy watermelon was cut open, and the red fruit released sweet, syrupy juices. Wu Xing and A-Jiu sat cross-legged on the wicker sofa, each holding half a watermelon and digging in with spoons.
“So sweet.”
A cool breeze ruffled the Alpha’s hair, and they enjoyed the icy, refreshing watermelon. Wu Xing looked at A-Jiuâs profile and scooped up the sweetest part from the center of his own melon, placing it into the other’s bowl.
“You eat more; I can’t finish all this.”
The TV screen cast a pale blue light, seemingly playing the news. On the screen, a female anchor in a pink professional suit was interviewing an executive from the Jiang Group.
“Mr. Jiang, could you talk about the Jiang Group’s layout in new energy vehicles this time?”
The man in a crisp suit and leather shoes smiled slightly, the designer watch on his wrist catching the light and emitting a dazzling halo. People like him, the favorites of heaven, always seemed to be surrounded by an endless supply of 24-hour air conditioning, even in the heat of midsummer.
Wu Xing couldn’t help but wonder if he and people like that truly lived in the same world.
“Xing-ge, aren’t you going to eat anymore?” A-Jiu looked at the extra fruit in his bowl and turned his head slowly. He noticed that Wu Xing had been staring at the man in the suit for a long time. He glanced at the man, and his own old wounds, which had long since had their stitches removed, felt inexplicably painful.
Is this the type of person Xing-ge likes?
He only heard Wu Xing say “Mm,” claiming he was full, and lean back.
A-Jiu had no memories. He wasn’t sure what kind of person he had been before, but he liked his current self, and he liked being with Wu Xing. He relied on this person. Compared to the present, those lost memories weren’t that important to him. If he had family or a lover, why hadn’t they come looking for him? Was it that they couldn’t find him, or that they didn’t want to?
A-Jiu didn’t want to think about it; he felt that being “A-Jiu” for the rest of his life wasn’t a bad outcome.
After eating his fill, Wu Xing started to feel drowsy. His eyelids fought each other until they finally closed.
“Xing-ge?”
The Omega curled into a small ball and fell asleep on the sofa. The TV screen went completely dark.
In the air, beyond the faint, almost imperceptible scent of soap, a hint of wormwood slowly rose. It was the Alpha’s pheromone, sinking heavily to envelop the naturally overflowing scent of the low-quality Omega. The two distinct pheromones became entangled.
Wu Xingâs nap lasted about two hours. By the time he woke up, A-Jiu had already prepared the vegetables and meat he had bought.
“Xing-ge, you’re awake.”
The Alpha was wearing his own gray striped apron, smiling at him with those beautiful eyes.
Wu Xing felt a warmth in his heart. He didn’t really like napping because when he woke up from oversleeping, it would be dark everywhere, and the world would feel as if only he were left.
Suddenly, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door. Wu Xing turned to open it. A bouquet of champagne roses blocked Dr. Zhu Qian’s face, with only the faint glow of his gold-rimmed glasses visible.
“For you.”
Wu Xing took the flowers, dazed, and sniffed them before replying, “They’re beautiful, so fragrant.”
“Did one of your patients give them to you?”
Standing at the door, Dr. Zhu was taken aback. He went along with Wu Xing’s assumption and said, “Yes, see where youâd like to put them.”
After Zhu Qian sat down, he felt an unfriendly, gloomy gaze landing on him from time to time.
Wu Xing couldn’t find a vase, so he unwrapped the bouquet, took out the roses one by one, and placed them in an idle water pitcher. He had removed the plastic lid, leaving only the ceramic container. Ignoring the wooden handle meant for pouring water, it looked about the same as an ordinary vase.
Inside the pitcher, water droplets rolled slowly down the edges of the light yellow petals, looking fresh and delicate. One or two champagne roses at the edge were still in the shy, budding stage.
Wu Xing didn’t know much about flowers, but he felt that having them in the center of the table added a touch of style to the otherwise plain dining area.
On either side of the dining table, Dr. Zhu sat and A-Jiu stood; neither spoke. The Alpha pursed his lips. He might have lost his memories, but he could still perceive what it meant to give someone roses.
Itâs good that Xing-ge is a bit oblivious to these things.
Wait, why did I think that?
A-Jiu leaned against the wall in a relaxed posture, occasionally glancing at Zhu Qian, trying to find flaws. He was a bit short, his proportions were average, he wore glasses so his eyesight wasn’t great, and although he was a doctor, he could only work in a small clinic. Plus, he was just a Beta who couldn’t smell pheromones.
In short, the more the Alpha looked at the Beta, the more he disliked him.
Under such scrutiny, Dr. Zhu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He stood up abruptly and said to Wu Xingâs back, “Wu Xing, let me help you.”
There was constant noise in the kitchen, and Wu Xing was focused on the fish; he didn’t hear him and didn’t turn around. The blade moved along the grain of the fish meat, every cut precise and uniformâclearly the result of years of practice.
Outside the kitchen, A-Jiu blocked Zhu Qianâs path, squeezing out a thin smile. “Dr. Zhu is a guest; how can we let you handle the kitchen work?”
Zhu Qian pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses with his middle finger and replied gently, “Among friends, Iâd like to contribute too.”
Just as the two were facing off, Wu Xing finally turned around.
“A-Jiu, where did you put the balsamic vinegar?”
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on the Alpha’s face, smooth as peach blossoms following the current, and he slipped right into the kitchen.
“Xing-ge, I’ll help you.”
In front of the four-burner stove, Wu Xing and A-Jiu worked in perfect sync. The thin glass sliding door closed, shutting out the rest of the world.
Zhu Qian sat back at the table, watching their busy backs, feeling rather uneasy. In this weather, staying in a kitchen without air conditioning was no different from suffering, yet he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy toward the Alpha who could follow the Omega inside.
At the frying pan, Wu Xing held the ladle in one hand and grasped the starch-coated fish in the other, drizzling hot oil over it. A-Jiu watched Wu Xing while rinsing the noodles in ice water; even though he knew the other was experienced, he still worried about him getting splashed by the hot oil.
Soon, Wu Xing and A-Jiu brought out five dishes: two cold, two hot, and a bowl of brown sugar ice jelly.
The cold dishes were yuba, black fungus with cucumber, and tomato-based chilled noodlesâboth in temperature and presentation, they were perfect for summer. The hot dishes were Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish and sweet-and-sour pork ribs, tangy and appetizing enough to make one want to eat more even in this heat.
“Dr. Zhu, try this. Itâs my first time making these cold noodles.”
Zhu Qian tasted them. He particularly loved noodles and flatbreads, and he praised Wu Xingâs cooking skills highly. No one could refuse such colorful, fragrant, and delicious food on a sweltering summer day.
“Wu Xing, whoever ends up with you in the future will truly be lucky to have had eight lifetimes of good fortune.”
After finishing the cooking, Wu Xing was inevitably flushed from the oil fumes. He scooped a large ladle of ice jelly into his own bowl and ate it in small bites.
“Dr. Zhu, stop teasing me.”
He lowered his head; he truly didn’t think being with him was a blessing. But Zhu Qianâs words stirred the deepest longings in Wu Xingâs heart. The Omega wanted a homeâa home that was entirely his own, with a thoughtful lover and cute children, where they could live a simple, peaceful life. He wouldn’t have to walk on eggshells because he was a burden to his mother, and he wouldn’t have to compromise everywhere because of his awkward social status. Even if the home was small, as long as it was warm, Wu Xing would be content.
“Xing-ge, eat more.”
A-Jiu noticed Wu Xing hadn’t eaten much meat and placed two pieces of sweet-and-sour ribs into his bowl.
The four dishes and the dessert were all eaten clean. Before leaving, Zhu Qian offered to help with the dishes, and this time, Wu Xing didn’t refuse.
The next morning, Wu Xing sliced the remaining cucumber into thin strips, blanched some bean sprouts, and laid them at the bottom of the dry-tossed wontons.
“Xing-ge, this way it won’t be as cloying by the time I finish eating. You’re amazing.”
Wu Xing felt A-Jiu lean in, the young body radiating the faint scent of shower gel.
“Not amazing.”
The Omega looked away to check the weather forecast on his phone, changing the subject. “It seems a typhoon is coming.”
“We don’t know if it will make landfall yet. It would be good if it just bypassed us.” A-Jiu said while wiping the table. “If the typhoon comes, will it be less hot?”
Three days later, the dry-tossed mixed sauce option was added to the Wu Wonton Shopâs menu. If a customer was allergic to sesame paste or peanut butter, they could request to omit them.
During the heatwave, business at the wonton shop was moderate. Dr. Zhu would occasionally message Wu Xing to say he had been promoting the shop to his colleagues. Seeing Wu Xing reply with a “Thank you” made him feel a little disappointed, but then Wu Xing would send a happy smiley face.
“Dr. Zhu, why are you ordering wontons from this place again? Aren’t you tired of them?”
Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, a light rain began to drizzle. Wu Xing, wearing a navy blue poncho, rode his electric tricycle to the market as usual to restock.
The vendor at the wholesale market rubbed his eyes as he tallied the money. Wu Xing skillfully picked out all the items, loaded them onto the cart, and prepared to put on his poncho.
Outside, the rain suddenly intensified, mixed with the whistling sound of the wind, sounding rather intimidating.
“Oh my, this rain is really heavy. Little Wu, you still need to rush back to the shop, right?”
Wu Xing looked outside. The rain poured down like a waterfall, striking the road and kicking up muddy splashes.
