Chapter 24: Bought with Kisses

Chapter 24: Bought with a Kiss

Back at home, Cheng Miao quickly kicked off his shoes and dragged Lu Yu onto the heated brick bed. He flopped around like a pancake on a griddle, rolling back and forth until his whole body was warm and toasty.

Lying on his stomach, he looked up at Mother Cheng, who was busy working, and asked, "Mom, what's for lunch?"

"All you ever think about is eating! Look at what Lu Yu is doing!" Mother Cheng said, sounding exasperated, while deftly rolling out dough.

Cheng Miao turned his head and saw Lu Yu holding a book, pretending to read it all seriously. Cheng Miao shot him a glare—he didn't believe for a second that Lu Yu could actually focus on an elementary school textbook.

Lu Yu quietly closed the book and shifted his gaze to Mother Cheng. She spread the thinly rolled dough flat, brushed a light layer of oil over it, folded it over and over, stacked it up, and sliced through it in one clean cut—producing strips of noodles all the same thickness.

In the pot, tomatoes and green beans were already stir-frying. The tomatoes were canned from autumn, with a few dark green chili peppers scattered in, and the bright green beans made it look pretty appetizing.

She neatly arranged the cut noodles over the vegetables, covered the pot, and let everything cook together.

Cheng Miao took a deep sniff. "Braised noodles with green beans!" he said, scooting over next to Lu Yu and whispering in his ear, "I love this too. It's so good."

Lu Yu felt the warm breath tickle his ear as Cheng Miao spoke.

He turned to look at Cheng Miao's round, chubby cheeks, which jiggled slightly as he spoke. He instinctively reached out to pinch one, but before he knew it, his own face got pinched first.

Cheng Miao raised an eyebrow and grinned at him, gently pinching his cheek with one hand. "Pretty soft. You've got some chub on your face."

Lu Yu started to lean away, but Mother Cheng's voice cut him off: "Cheng Miao, grab the bowls and get ready to serve!"

Cheng Miao let go and ran off to get the bowls. The rule in their house was: you serve yourself, take only what you can eat, and don't leave anything behind.

Today was Cheng Miao's favorite, so he piled his bowl high, with noodles spilling over the top. Sure enough, the first bite tasted just like he remembered—chewy noodles coated in tangy, spicy tomato sauce.

The only downside was that green beans in winter weren't nearly as good as in summer. Cheng Miao took big bites.

But he'd overestimated his appetite. The third-grader version of him was a totally different person from the grown-up version. Staring at the half-bowl of noodles still left, he shuffled over to Lu Yu.

"Lu Yu, are you full? Want some more?" Cheng Miao looked at him hopefully.

"I'm full!" Lu Yu said, pulling his bowl closer to himself.

"So you're not stuffed, right? Can you help me finish this?" Cheng Miao tugged on his arm, whining.

Lu Yu didn't budge.

Cheng Miao leaned in again. "Brother, please, just eat a little, okay? Otherwise, my mom's gonna scold me again."

Lu Yu's face flushed slightly. The word "brother" made him feel weirdly uncomfortable. "Don't call me that," he said, pushing Cheng Miao, who had leaned in too close.

Cheng Miao seized the moment, dumped his leftover noodles into Lu Yu's bowl with a plop, and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, bro!"

Lu Yu completely froze, not even registering that his bowl now had an extra pile of noodles. He instinctively touched his face—sure enough, it was slick and a little greasy. Cheng Miao definitely hadn't wiped his mouth after eating. Lu Yu stared off, zoning out.

Just then, Mother Cheng walked in. Cheng Miao quickly handed her his bowl. "Mom, I'm finished."

Mother Cheng raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You took so much—I thought you wouldn't finish! You must really be hungry today!"

Cheng Miao puffed out his little belly proudly. "I'm growing!" He pointed at Lu Yu, who was still holding his bowl. "He's not done yet!"

Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and shot Cheng Miao a look. Cheng Miao guiltily looked away.

"Xiao Yu, can you finish that? If you can't, you don't have to force it. We don't force kids to eat in this house," Mother Cheng said, worried he might be struggling.

"I can finish it," Lu Yu said, picking up his chopsticks.

Cheng Miao complained, "Ms. Ma Lianhua, you're so biased! Why do you scold me when I can't finish, but not him!"

"Who told you to take so much when you can't eat it all? And did I ever force you? You always just sweet-talk your dad into eating your leftovers."

"That's why Dad's gotten so plump! Aren't you happy?" Cheng Miao joked.

"Happy? I'd be happy if he weren't—he's gotten so fat!"

Lu Yu listened quietly as he stuffed noodles into his mouth. So, was Cheng Miao just acting cute with him?

A moment later, when Cheng Miao saw Mother Cheng go to wash the dishes, he sidled up to Lu Yu again, feeling a pang of guilt. "If you can't finish, you don't have to eat it all, you know."

Lu Yu's face stayed cold, staring at him without a word.

Cheng Miao glanced at him guiltily, then straightened up and said matter-of-factly, "Whatever, I don't care. I paid for it with a kiss, so you got a good deal."

"So, you'd trade a kiss for anything you want?" Lu Yu said slowly, emphasizing each word.

"That's a kid's privilege. And it's not like I'd do it with just anyone. I did it with you because I wanted to." Cheng Miao lifted his chin proudly, as if this was the greatest honor he could bestow on Lu Yu.

Lu Yu ate in silence. Fortunately, because of his weak stomach, he usually only ate until he was about sixty percent full, so the bowl of noodles didn't leave him too stuffed—though he did toss and turn a bit during his nap, unable to fall asleep.

He looked at Cheng Miao's rosy, sleeping face, slowly reached out a finger, and poked it. Each poke left a little dent that bounced right back. He poked several times without any reaction, then boldly poked the other cheek, and finally gave it a vengeful pinch before lying back down, content, and closing his eyes.

After the nap, they were back on the familiar road to school. The two spotted a familiar figure—Lin Jinrui, leaning against the wall, looking around as if waiting for someone.