SD chapter 4

The old colonial house had a unique charm, exuding more urban warmth than the cold, towering skyscrapers. However, it lacked parking spaces, had outdated facilities, and didn’t offer the convenience of modern living, making its residential value much less than its historical value.

Most of the previous generation of homeowners had moved elsewhere, turning these old colonial houses into rental properties. This particular neighborhood, situated in the city center and with a rich historical ambiance, attracted many people who decided to set up businesses here. One such business was the art studio run by Xiang Mo, and across the street was Luo Yang’s restaurant.

Luo Yang’s restaurant was named “Eight Jin,” and according to him, he was born weighing a whopping eight jin (about four kilograms). Thus, he named the restaurant to match his body size.

Recently, Eight Jin had undergone renovations. The elegant courtyard now featured more greenery and soft lighting, giving it a sense of seclusion, like a hidden garden in a Zen temple.

Xiang Mo and Du Chi, stepping on the cobblestone path, entered the restaurant. At the moment, several staff members were preparing for business. Luo Yang noticed them from behind the bar counter and waved enthusiastically. “Du Ge, Teacher Xiang, come over here!”

Xiang Mo couldn’t help but pause, turning to Du Chi. “Do you two know each other?”

“No,” Du Chi replied casually and continued walking ahead.

Many chefs started their cooking journeys at a young age, just like Luo Yang, who began helping in the kitchen when he was only fourteen. Now, he had been a chef for twelve years.

Xiang Mo couldn’t feel the usual formality and politeness of an adult when dealing with Du Chi. He had assumed Du Chi would be under twenty-five years old, but it turned out that the twenty-six-year-old Luo Yang called him “Du Ge.”

Luo Yang’s hands moved deftly, and soon he offered each of them a fork. “Freshly made honey mustard shrimp balls. Give them a try.”

The shrimp tails, curled up on the white plate, were about the size of ping pong balls. The pale pink shrimp meat was coated in lemon-yellow sauce, with a simple side of shredded cabbage.

The fork pierced the shrimp meat, and it bounced back, delivering a burst of freshness to the palate. It was a satisfying dopamine signal.

Xiang Mo put his fork down, about to compliment the dish when the sharp taste of mustard suddenly rushed up into his nostrils. He couldn’t help but close his eyes momentarily, reflexively shutting out the stinging taste.

“Is it very spicy?” Luo Yang asked, seeing Xiang Mo’s reaction, as he quickly poured him a glass of water.

“A bit,” the spiciness from the mustard came and went quickly. Xiang Mo took a sip of water to clear the remnants of the pungent taste from his mouth.

“Here.” Du Chi picked up a napkin from the side and handed it to Xiang Mo, likely noticing his squinting eyes and the attempt to hold back tears.

“Thank you.” Finally, Xiang Mo felt relief, using the napkin to wipe his mouth. He commented, “The initial flavor is nice, sweet and moderately spicy. It’s just that the aftertaste is a bit overpowering.”

“Indeed.” Du Chi nonchalantly glanced at Xiang Mo’s reddened lips and speared another shrimp ball with his fork, putting it in his mouth. “A milder mustard flavor might improve it.”

“But then the honey’s flavor would dominate,” Luo Yang said thoughtfully, pushing up his round glasses on his nose, “I’ll try using ginger instead of mustard.”

As an experienced chef, he immediately thought of an alternative to the spicy flavor.

Xiang Mo fully understood why Eight Jin always had a long line of customers. The owner and head chef, Luo Yang, was genuinely skilled.

Du Chi placed his fork on the bar counter and leaned casually against it. “Has the Michelin inspector visited yet?”

“Who knows,” Luo Yang sighed with frustration. “We haven’t even finished putting up the sign outside the restaurant.”

Xiang Mo knew that Michelin inspectors often posed as regular customers and secretly visited the restaurants for evaluation. However, that wasn’t the focus of the conversation. He took another sip of water and casually joined their discussion. “Are you planning to participate in the Michelin selection?”

“Yes.” Luo Yang’s previously troubled expression turned determined. “This year, I’m going to earn a Michelin recommendation.”

Xiang Mo had thought that Eight Jin, as a highly popular restaurant, was already very successful. However, he hadn’t realized that Luo Yang had even bigger aspirations.

The two of them had known each other for three years, but they had never discussed personal topics like goals. Such conversations were usually quite private, as they maintained a casual neighborly relationship, so they never delved too deeply.

Yet, Du Chi, who had only moved in a week ago, seemed to have instantly become close friends with Luo Yang.

Leaving Eight Jin restaurant, customers were pouring in at the entrance, eager not to miss out. Xiang Mo and Du Chi moved through the crowd towards the street. The cobbled path was rough underfoot, and Xiang Mo accidentally stepped into the gap between the stones, causing his body to sway uncontrollably.

He was immediately steadied by someone grabbing his back. Xiang Mo turned to look at Du Chi and said, “Thank you.”

Perhaps, thinking Xiang Mo was walking too slowly, Du Chi maneuvered past him, stepping over his shoulder and walking ahead.

The people who came their way found themselves naturally moving aside as Du Chi approached. The once-uneven path suddenly became much smoother underfoot.

Xiang Mo realized that Du Chi wasn’t walking ahead because he thought he was slow; he was, in fact, creating a path for him.

Finally, as they exited the courtyard, the mild spring breeze dispersed the discomfort caused by the crowded restaurant. Walking shoulder to shoulder, Xiang Mo and Du Chi made their way back to their home courtyard. Just then, Xiang Mo’s phone suddenly rang.

Seeing that it was a call from Tan Song, he instinctively slowed his pace, and Du Chi, glancing at him casually, walked ahead into the courtyard.

“Mo Mo, I have a dinner engagement tonight, so I won’t be able to make it.”

Hearing that address, Xiang Mo raised his eyebrows slightly. He had repeatedly asked Tan Song not to call him by that name, but Tan Song always had his own way.

Xiang Mo replied with a simple “Okay” and was about to end the call.

“Can I come tomorrow?” Tan Song asked.

“No, you can’t.”

Monday nights at 9 pm were the designated time for Xiang Mo and Tan Song to meet. If either of them had other plans, the meeting was canceled.

Xiang Mo disliked when his plans were disrupted. He wanted to have full control over his own time. If he decided to do something at a certain time, it was because he wanted to, not to accommodate someone else.

The greatest advantage of being single was that he had complete ownership of his time, a precious aspect many people often overlooked.

With his evening now unexpectedly free, Xiang Mo decided to tidy up his bedroom. His room was around forty square meters, which was relatively spacious, but with his art piled against the walls and a large easel in the center, it felt somewhat cramped.

After spending a couple of hours, he managed to fill two trash bags with unwanted items. The room was now neat and clean, and this had significantly improved his mood.

Wearing flip-flops, he held a trash bag in each hand and left his apartment, intending to walk to the nearby street corner to dispose of the trash. That’s one of the inconveniences of living in an old colonial house. Unlike residential areas, there were no trash bins conveniently located at the bottom of each building.

He considered this short trip an opportunity to enjoy an evening stroll. He walked with a pleasant cool breeze around him. The moonlight softly lit the deserted path, making it feel like he was in a peaceful nocturnal painting.

The trash bins were just a few meters away around the corner. As Xiang Mo approached, he overheard a conversation.

“Why aren’t you responding to my messages?”

Another voice replied lazily, “Didn’t see them.”

Xiang Mo assumed it was a quarreling couple until he saw Du Chi’s face. He halted his steps, and as the individuals noticed him, they formed a perplexing triangular standoff.

One of them, an unknown man, seemed to have the most bewildering expression.

This man had an attractive appearance, well-groomed eyebrows, and lips that shimmered in the lamplight, indicating he might be wearing light makeup. Regardless of his relationship with Du Chi, if Xiang Mo guessed correctly, this man was Du Chi’s “date.”

How awkward.

Xiang Mo was standing there with his trash bags, heading directly toward the bins in front of him. If he changed direction now, his intentions to avoid the situation would be too obvious.

Moreover, he saw no reason to avoid it. He was just a passerby. After all, these two were standing in the middle of the road, talking.

He realized he wasn’t a nosy person, and he didn’t really care about the situation before him. If it weren’t for Du Chi suddenly talking to him, he could have easily left like any other passerby, without leaving an impression.

However, Du Chi didn’t seem to want to answer the man’s questions. He looked at Xiang Mo with a raised eyebrow, his tone slightly displeased, as he asked, “You’re just going to stand there and watch?”

Stand and watch what?

Xiang Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, and then he realized that Du Chi was basically accusing him of leaving him to handle this situation by himself.

His face displayed a more bewildered expression. After all, he was just here to throw out the trash.

He was about to answer, but before he could, a hand suddenly reached out. By the time Xiang Mo realized what was happening, he had been forcefully pushed into Du Chi’s arms.

Perhaps his thoughts were a little inappropriate for the moment, but he couldn’t help thinking that Du Chi’s chest was indeed quite solid.

“We are together,” Du Chi’s voice rang out from above.

Xiang Mo, who had been single for three years and intended to remain so, looked even more bewildered.

He was just here to take out the trash.