Chapter 120

When they got in the car, Li Jiuzheng said something that made s.h.i.+ Jin get a feeling of dj vu: This is my second senior apprentice brothers car. He let me borrow it.

s.h.i.+ Jin: I see. Does your second senior apprentice brother know he has so many cars?

They didnt speak more. Except for the murmur of the engine, the whole drive was spent in silence.

Fifteen minutes later, the car stopped at the residential building complex affiliated with the medical university, south of the university town. Arent you taking me out for a meal? s.h.i.+ Jin asked, confused.

Mhm, well eat at my place. Im going to make longevity noodles for you, Li Jiuzheng said, getting out. He went around the car and, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, took out two shopping bags full of food ingredients from the trunk.

s.h.i.+ Jin, who also got out of the car and followed him, choked for a moment. You know how to cook? he asked, keeping his voice neutral.

A little, Li Jiuzheng replied earnestly, his voice a bit stiff.

s.h.i.+ Jin was silent, pretending not to know that according to the original s.h.i.+ Jins memories, Li Jiuzheng was a cooking idiot. He stepped forward and took one shopping bag from his brothers hand.

I can Li Jiuzheng reached out to take it back.

s.h.i.+ Jin took a step, avoiding him. How will you open the door holding bags in both hands? Come on, wed better hustle. My lunch break is long, but if you planned a home-cooked meal, we might be a little tight on time.

Li Jiuzheng retracted his hand, taking in s.h.i.+ Jins mellow, unaffected behavior and speech. Suddenly, he beamed a smile and moved so they stood close, side by side.

s.h.i.+ Jin felt gooseb.u.mps rising on his skin. Barely suppressing the urge to back away, he asked, Whats the matter?

Xiao Jin, you are so considerate, Li Jiuzheng praised, b.u.mping their shoulders together. Not giving s.h.i.+ Jin an opportunity to push him away, he immediately started to walk towards the apartment building in front of them, saying, Lets go, our place is on the top floor. It has a very nice view.

How and when did it become our place?

s.h.i.+ Jin couldnt keep up with Li Jiuzhengs thoughts and mood changes. He moved his b.u.mped shoulder, then followed his brother.

The hospital-affiliated residential building complex was small, consisting of only two buildings. It looked a little deserted as most of the residents were likely off at work. Li Jiuzheng led s.h.i.+ Jin into the elevator in one of the buildings. He pressed the b.u.t.ton for the top floor, then stared at s.h.i.+ Jin fixedly.

He wasnt hiding it at all, so s.h.i.+ Jin would have to be blind not to notice. Is something the matter? he asked.

smiled and replied, No, I just think that Xiao Jin is very good-looking, Li Jiuzheng replied, smiling.

Inwardly, s.h.i.+ Jin admitted defeat. I think your looks are better than mine, Fifth Brother, he politely returned the compliment.

Really? Li Jiuzheng touched his face. He said seriously, But I dont like my appearance very much.

s.h.i.+ Jin recalled what Li Jiuzheng told him in front of his mothers grave. Seeing that the expression in his brothers eyes grew visibly depressed, he frowned slightly and lightly knocked on Li Jiuzhengs head. You not liking it is your business, me liking it is mine. People will like what they willits not like you can control the others personal preferences.

Li Jiuzheng, whod never had somebody knock on his head like this, froze in shock for a few seconds. He raised a hand and touched the place that was. .h.i.t, staring at s.h.i.+ Jin foolishly.

Fifth Brother, were here, s.h.i.+ Jin said, pointing towards the elevator door that slowly started to open.

Li Jiuzheng came back to his senses and clumsily stepped out of the elevator. Making an invitation gesture, he said dazedly, Pl-please, after you. Our apartment number is 3602, dont remember it wrong

s.h.i.+ Jin walked out of the elevator, found the door with the number 3602, stopped in front of it, and looked back at Li Jiuzheng.

Li Jiuzheng, who didnt move from where he stood next to the elevator, watched him as if he couldnt comprehend what he was seeing, his expression still dazed. A moment later, the elevator door closed with a soft sound, startling him back to reality. A flicker of life again appearing in his empty eyes, he smiled wordlessly and quickly walked over to s.h.i.+ Jin. He took out the key, saying, Xiao, Xiao Jin, were home. Ill make longevity noodles right away.

s.h.i.+ Jin looked at his trembling hands and slightly red ears, and sighed inwardly. Reaching out, he took the key that Li Jiuzheng couldnt fit in the keyhole, and helped him unlock the door.

Warm air poured out along the widening crack as the door opened, revealing the warmly and comfortably decorated entrance and living room.

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translators site to get the fastest updates!

It was s.h.i.+ Jins turn to be stunned. In the original s.h.i.+ Jins memory, Li Jiuzheng was a person who was indifferent to his living environment. He could live pretty much anywhere, his only preference being inclined towards a cool color scheme and instinctively rejecting warm and cozy decor. His clinic in Rongcheng, decorated in depression-inducing gray, black, and white, and feeling as cold as a coffin, was the original s.h.i.+ Jins last and most frightening nightmare.

This apartment, however, was warm and welcoming. From the pigeon gray, low pile carpeting to the wooden furniture and wide, comfy-looking fabric sofa, from the cartoon doormat to the abstract sunflower painting hanging on the wall and cream-colored curtains, there was barely any speck of cool color. The whole apartment was a definition of coziness; even the furniture edges were rounded.

It definitely didnt look like a place Li Jiuzheng would live in. No one in the s.h.i.+ family would decorate their home in this style.

s.h.i.+ Jin didnt hate it, though. To be precise, he was instantly fond of the sofa since it looked as if it was really comfortable to lounge on.

While s.h.i.+ Jin was watching the apartment, Li Jiuzheng was watching him.

s.h.i.+ Jins face was easy to read, his surprise and a bit of fondness in his eyes noticeable at a glance. Li Jiuzheng followed the teenagers gaze to his brand new sofa, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed. Smiling, he stepped past s.h.i.+ Jin and walked inside, then took out a pair of plush slippers from the shoe cabinet and put them in front of him. Its cold outside, come in, he said.

This woke s.h.i.+ Jin up, and he gave an embarra.s.sed cough, finding that the way hed been staring at the sofa was a little too obvious. He stepped through the door, closing it behind him, and handed Li Jiuzheng the key.

Its for you. Li Jiuzheng reached out, but instead of taking the key, he took the shopping bag s.h.i.+ Jin was carrying. Sit down in the living room, Ill get you something to drink, he said with a smile, replacing his shoes with another pair of plush slippers like the one he gave s.h.i.+ Jin, and headed to the kitchen with the bags.

s.h.i.+ Jin watched him leave, then looked at the key in his hand. He frowned, hesitating, but finally put the key in his pocket.

He couldnt help but feel that if he refused to take it, he would hear the sound of something gla.s.s-like shattering

He changed into slippers and stepped into the living room. He looked around it with curiosity, then apprehensively sat on the edge of the sofa. Satisfied to find it properly soft and yielding, he took off the scarf and jacket and sat down again. There was a magazine lying on the coffee table as if someone left it there intending to finish reading it later. s.h.i.+ Jin picked it up and flipped through it casually.

A dense text in a foreign language, interspersed with medical ill.u.s.trations, appeared in front of his eyes. s.h.i.+ Jin turned the pages with a stiff hand and, with the sense of awe of a poor student that accidentally stumbled into studying tyrants world, quietly put the magazine back.

Lets pa.s.s time by playing phone games, shall we?

He reached for the phone in his pocket.

What do you want to drink, Xiao Jin? Juice or milk? Li Jiuzheng called, leaning out of the kitchen. He was holding an ap.r.o.n, apparently about to put it on.

Li Jiuzheng, ap.r.o.n The image of Li Jiuzheng in a doctors coat and holding a scalpel standing quietly in the darkness flashed through s.h.i.+ Jins mind, forcing him to suppress a shudder. Resignedly leaving the phone in his pocket, he stood up and replied, Juice will be great. Dont bother yourself though, Ill get it. So I wont have to worry about the juice possibly being drugged He knew he was being paranoid but he couldnt help itwhat happened in the previous life left too much trauma in the original s.h.i.+ Jins heart, making him subconsciously afraid of his fifth brother.

Li Jiuzheng seemed to immediately realize the meaning behind s.h.i.+ Jins words, and the smile on his face dimmed. Come on, then. The juice is in the fridge, he said in a subdued voice.

s.h.i.+ Jin: It shattered, it shattered, it definitely shattered again.

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The two brothers stood side by side in the kitchen. One was holding a cup and pouring himself juice, the other wrestling with a piece of dough on the counter.

Out of the corner of his eye, s.h.i.+ Jin saw Li Jiuzhengs methodical motion of kneading dough, and his jaw almost dropped in shock. You actually really can cook?

Li Jiuzheng glanced sideways at him, his lips tightened, and he continued kneading.

This reaction

Are you angry? s.h.i.+ Jin asked.

No, I wont get angry with you, Li Jiuzheng replied.

Liar, youre obviously angry.

This Li Jiuzheng was not quite the same as Li Jiuzheng in the original s.h.i.+ Jins memory. His character wasnt cold and withdrawn, nor did he only like books and hate people, refusing to let anyone approach him, not to mention he certainly didnt appear to be crazy, full of pain, and murderous. The current he was proactive, knew how to smile, sensitive, and easy to understandcompletely like an ordinary person. And facing such a Li Jiuzheng, s.h.i.+ Jin inexplicably treated him in a way that was almost cold, even saying some hurtful things.

Since Li Jiuzheng was cooking in order to make a meal for him, s.h.i.+ Jin didnt press further and changed the subject: This dough was made in advance, right? Did you get up very early to prepare the dinner?

Li Jiuzhengs kneading movements became stiff. Abruptly, he turned to the side, busying himself with putting the small pot standing on the counter on the stove to heat up. It wasnt that early.

It seems he got up very early.

Whats in this pot? s.h.i.+ Jin continued to ask, ignoring his discomfiture.

Li Jiuzhengs hand on the pot handle tightened. Chicken broth, for cooking the noodles I made it myself, its not store-bought.

So he knows how to cook noodles in chicken broth. s.h.i.+ Jin praised sincerely, Youre really amazing. Li Jiuzheng making chicken broth by himself really was an impressive achievement. The cooking idiot in the original s.h.i.+ Jins memory couldnt even cook instant noodles.

Li Jiuzheng didnt answer, but s.h.i.+ Jin noticed that his back straightened slightly. The praise seemed to make him very happy.

Is this person really the head of a hospital, a child prodigy turned outstanding doctor? He feels more like a young, immature student than I.

s.h.i.+ Jin had a slight feeling of dissociation. The scary, ice-cold brother in his memory and the clumsy, easy-to-see-through brother in front of him seemed to be two different people. It was unbelievable. Could a person really change so much?

Were having hot pot, Li Jiuzheng said suddenly while kneading dough. In a smaller voice, he continued, There was too little time and I only learned how to make longevity noodles, so the dinner is a hot pot Next time, next time Ill really cook a big meal for you.

Startled, s.h.i.+ Jin turned to take a closer look at the shopping bags placed on the table. Seeing that they were filled with common hot pot ingredients, the sense of dissociation in his mind fadedit seemed Li Jiuzheng was still the same Li Jiuzheng for whom cooking was a predicament.

Yet, this cooking idiot had actually learned how to make chicken soup and knead the dough. What was important about the longevity noodles was the symbolic meaningit would be enough just to cook them in hot water, there was no need to go this far. And what did he mean by There was too little time? Had Li Jiuzheng started learning how to make longevity noodles not too long ago?

Reason told s.h.i.+ Jin that he shouldnt feel soft-hearted towards Li Jiuzheng, the attempted murderer, but He glanced at Li Jiuzheng in an ap.r.o.n, bathed in the warm glow of kitchen lights, and stifled a sigh.

Rather than the tired, cold, crazy, miserable Li Jiuzheng of the past, he much more preferred this clumsy guy who was timidly reaching out, trying to touch the warmth.

He downed the rest of his juice. Which cupboard are the plates in? he asked, rolling up his sleeves.

Taken aback, Li Jiuzheng pointed to the cupboard above his head. In this one. What do you need plates for, Xiao Jin?

For the hot pot ingredients, of course. It would take a long time for you to finish preparing them by yourself, my lunch break is not that long, s.h.i.+ Jin replied. He took the plates from the cupboard, walked to the table, and began unpacking the shopping bags.

Li Jiuzheng turned to stare at him, stunned, then reached out to stop him. No, you dont have to. Its your birthday, the only thing youre responsible for today is eating.

s.h.i.+ Jin blocked his hand and motioned to the dough. Fifth Brother, Im hungry. At most half an hour later, I want to see your noodles coming out of the pot.

Li Jiuzheng looked at him, his face slowly falling. His lips tightened; suddenly, he reached out and grabbed s.h.i.+ Jins wrist, saying, Xiao Jin, Im sorry. Ill take you out to eat. Lets eat in a restaurant.

Dont be silly. s.h.i.+ Jin pushed him away and continued preparing the ingredients. These will go to waste if we dont eat them. Start cooking the noodles you pulled. In the meantime, you can pull more and put them in the hot pot later.

Li Jiuzheng looked down at his hand that had been pushed away. He raised it to touch s.h.i.+ Jin again, hesitated, and let it fall back, whispering, Okay.

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translators site to get the fastest updates!

After being busy for more than half an hour, the two finally put the meal on the table. The hot pot soup base was not homemadeLi Jiuzheng had bought it in a well-known hot pot chain restaurant. There were three flavors; seeing that Li Jiuzheng had enough pots, s.h.i.+ Jin simply boiled them all.

The sight of a table full of plates with ingredients was oddly satisfying.

You can start eating first, Ill bring the noodles. Li Jiuzheng took off his ap.r.o.n, motioning for s.h.i.+ Jin to sit down.

s.h.i.+ Jin hummed in affirmation and pulled out a chair at random. While waiting, he picked up some raw ingredients and started putting them in the pot with a boiling soup base.

Click. Suddenly, there was a sound of a camera shutter. s.h.i.+ Jin paused and looked up towards the kitchen door. Li Jiuzheng, caught in the act, hurriedly stuffed his phone back into his pocket and walked into the kitchen as if nothing had happened.

Speechless, s.h.i.+ Jin turned his attention back to the hot pot. What the heck? Did all of his brothers like taking sneak photos?

Soon, the longevity noodles were served.

In front of s.h.i.+ Jin, there was a large soup bowl with a long, chopstick-thick noodle. It was not pulled very skillfully, and the thickness was not even. s.h.i.+ Jin glanced at Li Jiuzheng and picked up the chopsticks. Under his brothers nervous gaze, he lowered them into the bowl, found the beginning of the strand in the tangle, and caught it.

Be careful! Dont break it, its unauspicious, Li Jiuzheng couldnt help but urge. He leaned forward, looking as if he wanted to help s.h.i.+ Jin hold the noodle.

s.h.i.+ Jin wanted to laugh, but he found he couldnt.

This was clearly a warm, happy moment, so why did he feel a little like crying?

This is definitely the emotion of the original s.h.i.+ Jin. With his other hand, he pinched himself hard under the table, using the pain to clear his mind. Bowing his head, he put the noodle into his mouth, exaggeratedly slurping the actually not-very-long noodle up.

Click.

He looked up and faced Li Jiuzhengs mobile phone camera. Playing along, he rolled his eyes with mock disgust. This much noodles is too little, Im not full at all.

Li Jiuzheng looked from the phone screen to him, and a brilliant smile lit up his face. It didnt break, Xiao Jin will live to a hundred years old! There are more noodles, wait a moment, he said, getting up.

A bowl of noodles generously topped with eggs, shredded meat, and pickles was brought out of the kitchen.

Here, Li Jiuzheng said, putting it down in front of s.h.i.+ Jin in place of the longevity noodles bowl. Dont eat too much, though, theres still hot pot.

Not standing on ceremony, s.h.i.+ Jin raised his chopsticks and began to scarf down the noodles, not forgetting to scoop up the cooked ingredients from the hot pot every now and then.

Li Jiuzheng watched him eat with a happy expression on his face.

What an easy-to-understand person, s.h.i.+ Jin thought. He swallowed a mouthful of noodles and rubbed his nose.

No, hes actually not easy to understand at all.

This person has so many faces. Which of them is the real one?

After dinner, Li Jiuzheng took s.h.i.+ Jin back to school. When the car stopped at the school gate, s.h.i.+ Jin thanked him for the meal and opened the door to get off. Before he could, Li Jiuzheng suddenly spoke.

Im sorry.

s.h.i.+ Jin paused and looked back at him.

And happy birthday. Li Jiuzheng didnt avoid his gaze. After a momentary blankness, the gentle and warm smile he often showed today once more appeared on his face. Xiao Jin, I was very happy today. Thank you for having a meal with me.

The current Li Jiuzheng smiled a lot in front of s.h.i.+ Jin. His smile was warm, harmless, gentle, and happy, but every time s.h.i.+ Jin saw it, it didnt feel real to him.

He wondered again, which Li Jiuzheng was the real one? The young prodigy, the outstanding doctor, the scalpel-wielding murderer, the clumsy big brother making noodles Which one is the real you?

I still remember the way you were dressed when we met again last year. You wore a long, black, b.u.t.ton-up coat, a suit with a dress s.h.i.+rt, and didnt have a scarf. You looked mature and cold. I also remember your appearance in a white coathandsome, and a little scary, s.h.i.+ Jin said, his gaze resting at the coffee-colored coat his brother was wearing now. He fell silent for a moment, then continued, After my term-end exams, come over for a reunion dinner. Ill let the others know too.

Li Jiuzhengs fingers trembled. He stretched his hand and grabbed s.h.i.+ Jins wrist as if to stop him from leaving.

Remember to come early. Were going to cook by ourselves, like ordinary families do. s.h.i.+ Jin broke away from his grip, again thanked him for a meal with a smile, and got out of the car. He walked towards the school door without looking back. Some repressed emotions swirled in his heart, making him walk faster and faster.

Wrong, wrong, what clumsy and kind big brother, what warm, sensitive person, this was a murderer, a devil who stood over your hospital bed every night waiting to take your life. Go back, blame him, hurt him, return to him the pain you suffered thousand times over, and drag him down to h.e.l.l with you

Honk honk

Suddenly, a familiar-sounding car horn honked not far away. s.h.i.+ Jin stopped in his tracks and glanced towards where it came from. To his surprise, he really saw the black car he knew well parked on the side of the street. He stared at it blankly for a few seconds, then changed direction towards it, breaking into a run. The moment he got close, he pulled open the rear door and threw himself at the person sitting inside.

Lian Jun opened his arms and hugged him. He reached out to pull the car door closed, then gently stroked s.h.i.+ Jins hair. You smell like hot pot, he said. It even got in your hair.

Surrounded by the familiar presence, the churning sea of emotions in s.h.i.+ Jins chest immediately calmed down. He tightened his embrace and took a deep breath. His tense nerves relaxing as Lian Juns familiar scent filled his nose, he asked, Why are you here?

I was going to take you out for dinner. Didnt you say you wanted to eat bacon bamboo rice? Just yesterday, I booked a room in a very good private restaurant, Lian Jun replied, pinching his cheek. Unexpectedly, it turned out you already had an appointment.

s.h.i.+ Jin paused, surprised, then his expression fell. Why didnt you tell me when I called you before? he asked, brows drawing together in a frown. Rather than hot pot, he obviously wouldve preferred to eat bamboo rice with Lian Jun.

I thought youd want this chance to talk with your fifth brother, but as soon as I saw you coming out of his car, I knew I had made a wrong decision, Lian Jun explained, giving him a soothing kiss on the forehead. Im sorry, I wont make another mistake like this. Did he bully you?

No. Done recharging, s.h.i.+ Jin sat up straight and gave his beloved a contented kiss. Lets go eat that bacon bamboo rice next time No, never mind, lets cook it ourselves in the club. The weather forecast says another cold wave is coming and it may snow, so you shouldnt go out.

It definitely wouldnt be as authentic as the one made by a professional chef, though. Lian Jun tidied up s.h.i.+ Jins clothes, then reached to the side and picked up a takeout box. Which is why I asked them to pack it so I could bring it back for you.

The takeaway box is about the size of two normal boxed lunches. It was made of paper, with a cute cartoon rice ball pattern and the name of the shop printed on it. The moment he saw it, s.h.i.+ Jins eyes lit up. He took the box and opened it, revealing several bamboo tubes tightly tied with string. A savory aroma of rice and bacon wafted out, making him salivate.

It already got cool. Remember to heat it up before eating, Lian Jun warned. He took out a not very big, narrow black box and handed it to s.h.i.+ Jin. Here, a birthday gift. Happy birthday, may you always be healthy and happy, and may all your wishes come true.

A birthday gift? s.h.i.+ Jin accepted the box, surprised but very happy. I thought your birthday presents for me were the CQC game and birthday party last weekend.

Lian Jun leaned forward and hugged him again, without speaking.

s.h.i.+ Jin stopped unwrapping the gift and tilted his head to give him a confused glance.

Be good, dont think about it anymore. Im here, Lian Jun murmured, gently running his hand along s.h.i.+ Jins back.

s.h.i.+ Jin glanced at Li Jiuzhengs car in the distance, which still hadnt left. Mhm, he whispered, raising his hands and hugging his lover back.

Extra:

The brothers chat group:

After a long time of no activity.

Li Jiuzheng [suddenly appearing]: Xiao Jin said he would have a reunion dinner with us after his term-end exams.

The other brothers: !!!

Li Jiuzheng [adding the caveat]: But he said we have to do it the way ordinary families do and cook by ourselves. Can you cook?

Fei Yujing: Cough.

s.h.i.+ Weichong [frowning]: I can only do the most simple dishes.

Rong Zhouzhong plays dead.

Xiang Aoting [hesitantly]: I can cook a little, but taste aside, what I make doesnt usually look very good.

Li Jiuzheng: I can only make noodles.

Indescribable silence.

s.h.i.+ Weichong: Lets learn. We cant let s.h.i.+ Jin be disappointed.

Everyone [silently agreeing]: Mhm.