ATLT Chapter 4

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(10)

Zhang Lingrui went out, and Zhang Linghao asked Chu Yi, "How did you end up hanging out with my brother?"

Chu Yi honestly recounted how he had run into Zhang Lingrui on the bus and how Zhang Lingrui had told him about his family situation, but he left out the part where Zhang Lingrui had run off the bus in distress, and he had to take a taxi to bring him back.

Zhang Linghao was speechless. "The bus? He actually took the bus?"

Chu Yi asked, "Where's the rest of your family?"

Zhang Linghao replied, "Who else would there be?"

Chu Yi knew that Zhang Lingrui’s mother was not Zhang Linghao’s biological mother. Not sure how to phrase it, he hesitated and carefully tested the waters. "I mean, um… your brother’s mother…"

Zhang Linghao chuckled casually. "Why are you so nervous? I don’t have any grudges against my stepmother. You can mention her."

Chu Yi asked, "You call her your stepmother?"

Zhang Linghao shook his head. "Not really. I call her Aunt Fang."

Chu Yi glanced at the entrance. Several pairs of shoes were scattered messily near the doorway, all belonging to men. He then asked, "She doesn’t live with you guys?"

Zhang Linghao shrugged. "She went back to her family for a while."

The two of them kept chatting here and there, as if the current "downfall" of the Zhang family's young master, son of the deputy governor, wasn’t a big deal. It was as if he had simply moved houses, lost his household staff, and now had to handle things on his own—nothing more.

After a few minutes, they ran out of topics to talk about. Zhang Lingrui still hadn’t come back, so Chu Yi stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "What are you cooking? Let me see if I can help."

Zhang Linghao followed behind him without much politeness. "Carrot and scrambled eggs, stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers. The vegetables are washed but not all cut yet. The rice is steaming and should be done soon."

Chu Yi smiled. "That’s simple, I’ll do it." He washed his hands, took the apron off Zhang Linghao, tied it around himself, and picked up the knife to continue chopping the carrots. As he cut, he chatted, "Are you cutting these into chunks? They won’t cook easily. I’ll slice them thinner."

Zhang Linghao corrected him. "I was trying to cut them into shreds."

Chu Yi was stunned. Judging by the half-cut carrot on the board, there was no sign of any attempt at shredding. He nodded and adjusted his cutting to match Zhang Linghao’s intention. Trying to compliment him from a different angle, he said, "Your meat-to-vegetable ratio is actually quite balanced."

Zhang Linghao said, "Aunt Fang bought the ingredients and even gave me a list, said it had to be nutritionally balanced."

Chu Yi thought, This Aunt Fang seems pretty good at running a household. So he asked, "Did she usually cook for you guys before?"

Zhang Linghao answered carelessly, "Sort of. But she either undercooked the dishes, burned them, made them tasteless, or too salty. The rice would turn into porridge, and she couldn’t even make instant noodles right. She was always crying and causing trouble, so I sent her back home. Out of sight, out of mind."

(11)

Zhang Lingrui spent half an hour getting the band-aids and iodine povidone, returning exhausted and drenched in sweat. As he ate the food Chu Yi had cooked, he was so happy he almost cried. "So carrot and scrambled eggs aren’t that bad after all…"

Zhang Linghao glared at him. "If you think my cooking is bad, do it yourself."

Zhang Lingrui quickly flattered his brother, picking up some food for him with his chopsticks. "I don’t think it’s bad! Bro, eat more!"

Zhang Linghao served Chu Yi a bowl of rice as well, but Chu Yi barely touched it. The two dishes were just enough for two people, but with three, it felt a bit lacking. He said he had already eaten and wasn’t hungry. Instead, he sat at the table with a glass of water that Zhang Linghao had poured for him, watching the two brothers devour their food. Strangely, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

After the meal, Zhang Linghao ordered Zhang Lingrui to wash the dishes. Zhang Lingrui went into the kitchen and, within two minutes, broke a plate, walking out with a miserable expression.

Chu Yi sighed. "At least you didn’t cut your hand. I’ll do it."

Zhang Linghao stopped him. "No way. He has to learn. These plates aren’t expensive—we can afford to break a few."

In the end, Zhang Lingrui washed the dishes with a pitiful expression. His unreliable older brother and his seemingly more reliable friend inspected his work in the kitchen. Chu Yi noticed there was still a lot of rice left in the cooker, so he put on the apron again. "I’ll make some egg fried rice and put it in the fridge. You can heat it up in the microwave for breakfast tomorrow."

After finishing up, Chu Yi felt hungry himself, so he decided to go home and eat some instant noodles. He told Zhang Linghao he was leaving, and Zhang Linghao said, "I’ll walk you out."

They stepped out one after another.

Half the streetlights in the old neighborhood were broken, leaving the path dimly lit. As they walked side by side, Chu Yi suddenly felt a bit restless. He reached out his hand to Zhang Linghao. "Got a cigarette? Give me one."

Chu Yi wasn’t addicted to smoking. He only smoked occasionally and never bought cigarettes himself—always bumming them off others. Zhang Linghao, on the other hand, was a regular smoker who only smoked foreign brands. Chu Yi had bummed a few from him before—they were smooth, not too strong or harsh, seemingly more for show than for an actual nicotine fix. They weren’t the kind that real chain smokers liked.

Zhang Linghao shrugged. "Nope. I quit."

Chu Yi made small talk. "Just like that? That’s impressive. Strong willpower."

Zhang Linghao replied, "It saves money. A pack of cigarettes costs as much as two big cartons of eggs—enough to eat for days."

Chu Yi continued making conversation. "That’s true. You’re pretty good at budgeting."

Zhang Linghao pointed his chin toward the market at the neighborhood entrance. "Aunt Fang’s groceries are almost gone. She told me to buy more from there, but I’ve never done grocery shopping before. Feels kinda intimidating."

Chu Yi found it amusing. "What’s so hard about that?" Seeing that the market was already closed for the night, he generously offered, "Whenever you need to buy groceries, just let me know. I’ll go with you and teach you how to pick the good stuff."

Zhang Linghao grinned. "How about the day after tomorrow? You free?"

Chu Yi replied, "I’m free anytime."

(12)

Chu Yi, as promised, came to Zhāng Línghào's house again to accompany him to buy groceries.

The two of them picked and chose, eventually buying two large bags of vegetables, one bag of meat and eggs, and one bag of fruit. Zhāng Línghào insisted on paying, and they carried everything back home together.

Chu Yi took out a pack of ESSE cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. "I don’t know if you’ll get used to these."

Zhāng Línghào smiled. "Why are you even buying cigarettes? You should quit, it's bad for your health."

Chu Yi replied, "I'll just keep them. If I really want one, I’ll indulge occasionally. As long as I don’t get addicted, it's fine."

Zhāng Línghào nodded and accepted them. "Thanks."

Chu Yi naturally walked into the kitchen and tied on an apron. "Since I'm here, I’ll cook another meal for you guys. I haven’t had dinner yet anyway."

Zhāng Línghào leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching him. "If my brother eats your cooking, he’ll dislike mine even more."

Chu Yi chuckled. "Shouldn't he? You don’t even know how to cut carrots properly." As he spoke, he efficiently started washing the vegetables. With the sound of running water in the background, he added, "If you guys like my cooking, I can come over again."

Something stirred in Zhāng Línghào's heart.

Back then, he had pursued Chu Yi flamboyantly, relying on his wealth and status. He couldn't even tell how much of it was genuine interest and how much was just playing around. It didn’t matter—he lacked nothing and feared nothing. Life was meant to be spent indulgently.

After his family’s downfall, he had been too busy—handling the crisis, moving houses, comforting his weeping stepmother, and supporting his younger brother, who almost refused to continue school. There was no time to think about Chu Yi, and even if there had been, he wouldn't have dared. He had nothing left to squander. He needed to focus on survival.

But unexpectedly, Chu Yi had shown up.

His wealthy and well-connected friends now kept their distance, and he wouldn’t reach out either, unwilling to invite humiliation. But through social media, he had learned that the club where Chu Yi worked had been shut down.

He figured that now, both of them had lost everything. He no longer had the right to look down on Chu Yi, but he assumed Chu Yi would look down on him. Yet, here he was, offering warmth. That spoke well of his character. Zhāng Línghào decided to shamelessly enjoy the care of this one remaining friend—until the day Chu Yi got tired of it and left.

With that in mind, he thickened his skin and said, "Then it’s settled. If Língruì complains about my cooking again, I’ll invite you over to ‘hold the fort’."

‘Hold the fort’—that phrase sounded just like the club’s VIP rooms.

With his looks and physique, Chu Yi had been one of the top "hosts" at that club. His clients were both men and women, and his "services" were available to anyone willing to pay. Zhāng Línghào had never figured out whether Chu Yi was straight or not. Or maybe, like himself, he didn’t care about gender—just about attraction.

Of course, the most likely possibility was that Chu Yi wasn’t interested in relationships at all. He had just been in it for the money.

Thinking about it, Zhāng Línghào felt guilty about letting him cook for free. So he added, "Do you know how to cook lobster? Next time, I'll buy the ingredients, and you can make it."

And I’ll treat you to a meal.

If we can’t talk about money, then at least I can buy you something expensive to eat.

Chu Yi turned around and looked at him with disdain. "Give it a rest. Lobsters are expensive, you know? If you want shrimp, next time I’ll take you to the seafood market to buy some white shrimp."

Next time. I’ll take you.

There will be a next time. Zhāng Línghào nodded in satisfaction.

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