Chapter 15: Food Must Not Be Wasted
Lost in thought, Li Yuezhou drifted off into his own world. Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Lu Zhaoye felt a wave of panic wash over him.
Did I say something wrong again? Lu Zhaoye scratched his chin, mentally retracing his words. There didn't seem to be anything that could have upset Li Yuezhou.
With that in mind, he reached out and poked Li Yuezhou’s cheek, which was tilted downward so that only half of it was visible. It was delightfully chubby. The last time Lu Zhaoye had seen a cheek like that was on a newborn infant back at the Alliance. Plump and round, it left a little indentation whenever it was poked, soft and incredibly tender.
Poked so unexpectedly, Li Yuezhou blinked in confusion. He lifted his head to look at the finger, inadvertently exposing his red-rimmed eyes to Lu Zhaoye.
"Y-You... why are you crying?" Lu Zhaoye was thoroughly shaken. At a complete loss, his hand hovered awkwardly, utterly unsure of what to do or say.
Li Yuezhou quickly wiped at his eyes, his voice muffled. "It's nothing."
"That's not true. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Lu Zhaoye was no fool. There had been absolutely nothing wrong with what he just said, so why did it move Li Yuezhou to tears? Could it be... could he still think of himself as a burden?
"Did Brother say something wrong just now? Zhou’er, I truly don't see you as a burden. What I said just now came straight from the heart. You..."
Before he could finish, Li Yuezhou reached out and clapped a hand over his mouth. "N-No, it's not because of that!"
This time, it wasn't just Li Yuezhou’s eyes that were red; a fierce blush rushed up his cheeks, burning hotter than the midday sun.
How could he possibly explain it? Was he supposed to admit that he had been thinking about how Lu Zhaoye had arrived at the Alliance as a lonely, fatherless child, and because he found it so pitiful, he couldn't hold back his tears? Just thinking about it felt completely absurd!
Li Yuezhou’s emotions were in a tangled knot. He didn't remember being this easily moved in his past life.
As he dithered, his hand relaxed, and Lu Zhaoye seized the opportunity to gently pull his wrist down. "Then why?"
Lu Zhaoye’s brow was furrowed so deeply his features were practically bunched together. He was clearly determined not to let this go without an explanation.
Li Yuezhou ignored the demand for a moment. It suddenly occurred to him that back in his modern life, he really had seemed to lack an emotional wire.
At the time, he had assumed the consecutive deaths of his family members had simply left him numb to the core. Perhaps this current state was how a normal person was actually supposed to experience emotions.
He let out a soft sigh. What a mess.
"I’m truly fine. I was just a little touched by what Brother said. In the past, aside from Big Brother Yi, Brother didn't have many peers to talk to in the Alliance, so I felt a bit..."
Li Yuezhou trailed off, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
Lu Zhaoye had been desperately seeking an answer, constructing all sorts of scenarios in his head, worrying that his words had triggered a sensitive spot, wondering if he had inadvertently caused offense, or fearing the youth was simply exhausted. He had never imagined it would be because of him.
Li Yuezhou had cried out of sheer heartache for him.
This profound realization filled Lu Zhaoye’s chest. He pressed a hand over his heart; something felt incredibly strange. His heartbeat seemed... a fair bit faster than usual.
An awkward, lingering silence settled between them. Neither of them knew what to say next.
A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the green leaves and blowing the stray hairs around Li Yuezhou’s ears. It felt as though the wind itself was carrying the echo of Lu Zhaoye’s racing heartbeat right to him.
"Brother, I... I don't pity you. I just..." Li Yuezhou wrestled with his thoughts for a long time before finally figuring out how to phrase his explanation. He was terrified Lu Zhaoye might think he was looking down on him, which would undoubtedly breed resentment.
But in the next second, he was pulled firmly into Lu Zhaoye’s embrace.
The scent was intimately familiar, it belonged entirely to Lu Zhaoye, and it instantly brought a sense of profound security to Li Yuezhou. The embrace was incredibly broad.
Li Yuezhou realized a moment too late that although Lu Zhaoye stood only half a head taller, his frame was vastly sturdier than his own. Held tightly against him like this, Li Yuezhou felt like a tiny fledgling, completely shielded from the outside world.
"Brother...?" Li Yuezhou asked hesitantly. After a brief pause, he reached up and wrapped his arms around the older youth in return.
"Zhou’er... Brother won't misunderstand you. I'm just... really happy." For some reason, Lu Zhaoye’s voice sounded slightly raspy, but his words allowed Li Yuezhou to completely relax.
He absolutely couldn't let Lu Zhaoye misunderstand him; after all, he was relying on this man to protect him for the rest of his life!
"Alright, alright, let's keep moving. Otherwise, we'll end up having to spend the night on the mountain." Li Yuezhou gave the chest in front of him a gentle nudge, signaling that he had rested enough.
Lu Zhaoye looked down at him with a deep, intense gaze. His dark eyes seemed capable of drawing a person's very soul inward, yet Li Yuezhou didn't feel a shred of fear. Instead, his eyes curved into crescents as he beamed up at him.
The two companions resumed their journey, walking steadily until they finally reached the foot of the mountain just before lunchtime.
---
At the base of Lingjue Mountain lay Lingjue Town. Because it served as the seat of the Martial Arts Alliance, the town bustled with a constant influx of martial artists. The local townsfolk were thoroughly accustomed to seeing people carrying all sorts of weapons. When they spotted Lu Zhaoye and Li Yuezhou descending from the mountain path, they merely glanced over before looking away.
At most, they stole a second look due to the pair's exceptionally striking appearances.
Over the past few years, Lu Zhaoye had frequently been dispatched down the mountain to hunt down demons and cultists, making him a familiar face to many of the locals. As they walked, they ran into several acquaintances. Someone asked curiously, "Hero Lu! It's been a while. Who might this be?"
"My junior martial brother."
Most of the common folk didn't understand the complex feuds of the martial world; they only knew that with the Martial Arts Alliance backing the town, no one dared to cause trouble for them. Furthermore, the fact that the Alliance Leader had a son who was once simple-minded was a detail most ordinary citizens remained entirely unaware of.
To make traveling easier, Lu Zhaoye never introduced himself as the Alliance Leader's foster son. He preferred to pass himself off as a solitary wanderer who merely possessed a passing connection to the Alliance.
Li Yuezhou politely greeted them from the side. How could ordinary townsfolk tell whether someone knew martial arts or not? They simply showered him with praise: "No wonder he possesses such an extraordinary and elegant bearing! A truly promising young man!"
After winding through the bustling streets, Lu Zhaoye led Li Yuezhou over to a wooden table and sat down.
Li Yuezhou looked around. It was a small wonton stall run by a busy middle-aged couple. The husband was systematically dropping plump, round wontons into a massive, steaming cauldron. Once they were cooked, a single glance was all it took for him to accurately scoop out the perfect portion, transferring them into waiting porcelain bowls.
As soon as the wontons settled into a bowl, the wife would swing a massive ladle to scoop up a generous portion of broth, pouring it over the seasonings to dissolve them. In a matter of seconds, a piping hot bowl of wontons was complete.
In truth, during such sweltering weather, wontons weren't exactly a popular choice, this sort of fare was far better suited for winter to warm the bones. Yet, perhaps because the food was simply that exceptional, the stall was reasonably well-populated.
Lu Zhaoye ordered two bowls of pork wontons, explicitly requesting the proprietress to give them extra-large portions. Only after paying did he turn to Li Yuezhou and explain,
"This wonton stall has been open for many years. In my memory, my father brought me here when I was very small. Back then, it wasn't these two running it; it must have been their parents. They must have a secret family recipe. The wontons here are incredibly delicious, the meat filling is exceptionally tender and springy, and the wrapper is paper-thin and fragrant. Many people travel from afar just to try them."
He scanned their surroundings. "Probably because of the intense heat and the fact that it's exactly midday, it isn't too crowded right now."
Li Yuezhou’s mouth watered at the description. He stared intently at the couple, eagerly waiting for them to serve their food.
Overhearing Lu Zhaoye’s praise, the proprietress offered a warm smile and called out, "Then I must thank you all for your patronage! If it suits your tastes, you must come back often."
Li Yuezhou nodded repeatedly, calling back, "of course!"
The surrounding patrons burst into hearty laughter. Someone teased, "If you ask me, this secret recipe of yours isn't a bit inferior to any legendary martial arts manual."
The husband wiped the sweat from his brow, his smile incredibly honest and humble. "You flatter us, sir. We're just simple folk making a living off a small shop. We're nothing like you heroes, who walk the land enforcing justice with such magnificent gallantry!"
With everyone exchanging pleasantries and lighthearted banter, the atmosphere was incredibly lively, and no one felt slighted.
Li Yuezhou had rarely experienced such a vibrant, bustling scene. Ever since he realized he possessed a cursed, unlucky constitution in his past life, he had rarely ventured outside, avoiding public spaces whenever possible. On the day he transmigrated, he had only gone out to visit his parents' graves.
And then he had been struck by a car.
Seeing a scene so full of warmth and everyday life, a sudden tightness gripped his throat, making him want to cry. Fortunately, he caught himself in time. Closing his eyes tightly, he forcefully suppressed the turbulent wave of sorrow within his chest.
Sitting directly across from him, Lu Zhaoye immediately noticed his distress. "What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice.
Li Yuezhou shook his head. "It's nothing. It's just a bit hot, and some sweat got into my eyes."
Believing him, Lu Zhaoye reached into his robes and pulled out a clean, plain cloth handkerchief, handing it across the table. "Wipe it away."
Li Yuezhou paused for a fraction of a second before accepting it. The cloth was remarkably simple, with a small pattern embroidered only in one corner. It looked like an item standardly distributed by the Martial Arts Alliance.
Once he had carefully patted the sweat from his face, Li Yuezhou was about to hand the cloth back when the proprietress arrived with two steaming bowls of wontons.
"Enjoy your meal, gentlemen. The side dishes are over there, please help yourselves."
Lu Zhaoye thanked her, picking up his porcelain spoon to gently stir the broth before reaching over to do the same for Li Yuezhou.
The rich aroma wafted up from the rim of the bowl straight to Li Yuezhou’s nose, making his stomach let out a loud rumble. They had only eaten a light meal of plain congee and side dishes before setting out that morning to prevent him from getting an upset stomach on the mountain path. Now, the savory scent thoroughly awakened his appetite.
"Keep the handkerchief. I have more," Lu Zhaoye said. He scooped up a plump wonton, blew on it to cool it down, and carefully bit it open. The rich meat filling and savory juices spilled out, perfectly caught by the spoon beneath.
Li Yuezhou didn't press the matter. He folded the cloth and tucked it securely into his shirt before scooping up a wonton of his own and popping it into his mouth. It was scalding hot, but incredibly delicious.
The two buried their heads and ate in silence. The extra-large portions practically filled the bowls to the brim. Toward the end, Li Yuezhou found himself entirely stuffed, looking down at the remaining portion in his bowl with a conflicted expression.
Lu Zhaoye looked up. Although Li Yuezhou usually ate like a bird, the amount he had managed today already far exceeded his usual intake. The shopkeepers were simply too generous with their portions.
"Can't finish it? Leave it be." Without another word, Lu Zhaoye continued to methodically guide wontons into his own mouth.
Li Yuezhou nodded, wiping his mouth clean. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "These leftover wontons..."
"Pour them into my bowl. I can still eat." Lu Zhaoye spoke with complete earnestness, but Li Yuezhou’s hands froze on his bowl.
Giving my leftovers to Lu Zhaoye? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?
"It's fine. Why should there be such formalities between brothers? Besides, food must not be wasted." Thinking Li Yuezhou was reluctant to share, Lu Zhaoye suddenly paused as a thought struck him. "Does Zhou’er find me distasteful?"
"Huh? No, no, no, absolutely not! Uh... then I shall trouble Brother." Li Yuezhou suppressed the heat rising in his cheeks, tilting his bowl to slide the remaining wontons into Lu Zhaoye’s. "I don't find Brother distasteful at all. I was only worried that Brother would mind eating after me."
"No matter the circumstance, food must never be wasted," Lu Zhaoye stated firmly.
Li Yuezhou nodded with equal seriousness. "Brother is right. No matter what, food must never be wasted."
The two brothers looked at each other and smiled. Though they were merely eating simple wontons, Lu Zhaoye felt entirely intoxicated by Li Yuezhou’s smile, which seemed brighter than the very sun above them.
Only then did a sudden realization hit Lu Zhaoye. I usually carry such a cold, detached expression... Am I perhaps a bit too fierce?
If he were to smile as beautifully and openly as Li Yuezhou... Lu Zhaoye gave an involuntary shiver. Never mind. He was far better suited to a cold face. If he looked too amiable, he wouldn't be able to keep certain people in line.
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