Extra Chapter
Eleven
After Lin Nan hung the clothes that the trio had swapped out yesterday on the balcony, she plopped down on the couch, half-watching TV while knitting a scarf for Chen Yao.
Lunch was laid out on the coffee table—a bowl of plain noodles so basic it might as well have come with a side of loneliness, because there was no meat in sight.
She had no appetite. Ever since Chen Jing started high school, he left the house at six-thirty every morning and didn’t return until ten at night. It felt like he was more of a myth than a son. And Chen Yao? He’d been so focused on work lately, living that 997 lifestyle—working nine hours a day, seven days a week.
With two noisy man-children missing from the house, it felt a bit eerily quiet.
But she heard that Chen Yao’s project was finally finished, so he should be back home early lately.
She glanced down at the few parrots that were crawling up her pant leg and the two cats sitting on either side, looking like they were guarding a very plush kingdom.
Without these little rascals, she would’ve probably bored herself to d*ath by now.
Stifling a yawn, she set down her knitting and bent over to grab the bowl of lunch. Just as she slurped a couple of noodles, the doorbell rang.
“Who’s that?”
It was barely noon—there’s no way the father-son duo was back yet, and she hadn’t ordered anything online these past few days. Who could it be?
She lifted herself off the couch and walked to the door, peering through the video doorbell to check the situation outside.
But the video doorbell was just black, nothing but darkness.
The camera was blocked!
Lin Nan felt an unexplainable wave of panic wash over her.
“Who’s there?” she shouted through the doorbell.
But the person outside just kept ringing the doorbell, the clear sound echoing through the house and making Lin Nan more flustered.
After a moment of silence, she warned, “I’m calling the police! Remove your hand from the camera! Let me see who you are!”
“No, it’s me! It’s me! What’s the big deal about a joke?”
Finally, the dark screen cleared, revealing a big face that startled Lin Nan so much she nearly stepped back.
What in the world?
As that face got a little farther away, she recognized the person outside.
It was Tu Junhui!
She hadn’t seen this guy in years. Rumor had it he’d settled down and was working hard at some big job.
Tu Junhui, the same age as Chen Yao but still tipping the scales at two hundred pounds, sporting a beer belly and dressed to the nines in a suit, looked like he could walk right into a corporate boardroom and start bossing people around.
“Why didn’t you give me a heads-up before dropping by?”
Lin Nan muttered as she flung the door open, but just then, there was a loud bang that made her jump back.
Once she composed herself, she saw colorful confetti lazily drifting down from above.
And lo and behold, besides Tu Junhui, there was the eternally single Xiong Da, along with the Chen Yao who should have been busy at work. Both were hoisting confetti cannons and were grinning like they’d just hit the jackpot.
“What’s wrong with you guys?” Lin Nan let out a deep breath, giving Chen Yao a fierce glare. “What are you doing here instead of working?”
“Project wrapped up, and the company gave us a little break!” Chen Yao explained cheerfully. “They both weren’t busy either, so they decided to take a day off and hang out.”
“You could’ve told me you were off work…” Lin Nan brushed the confetti off her shoulders, “And what’s with all this confetti?”
“We hardly ever get together, so popping some confetti isn’t too much to ask, right?” Tu Junhui leaned in, still wearing that cheeky grin. “Where’s your kid? It’s been ages since I’ve picked on him.”
“I brought him a gift.” Xiong Da pulled out a creepy figurine of a demon god from his bag.
“He won’t be back until ten at night.” Lin Nan tried to regain her composure, but looking at Tu Junhui and Xiong Da, she couldn’t help but laugh.
It had been at least five or six years since she’d seen Xiong Da. This guy had run off to the North years ago with his savings just to escape his family’s marriage pressure, and they’d lost contact since.
Today’s surprise was delightful!
With a warm smile, Lin Nan welcomed the two into her home, then gave Chen Yao a sly kick and shot him an angry stare, whispering, “Why didn’t you warn me? I wasn’t ready! We’ve run out of food here!”
“What’s our relationship? What’s there to prepare?” Tu Junhui settled into the couch comfortably, then glanced over at the simple noodles on the coffee table and raised an eyebrow. “Chen Yao, is this what you feed your guests?”
“Nan Nan, if things aren’t going well with Chen Yao, just let us know. Come stay with me, and I’ll guarantee you gourmet meals and drinks!”
Lin Nan kicked him again.
Xiong Da felt a bit awkward—he hadn’t been in touch with these guys for so long.
But seeing Tu Junhui act irreverently and blabber like usual eased his apprehension.
Chen Yao looked surprised when he saw the meager lunch spread. He thought Lin Nan, the glutton, would whip up a feast for herself when home alone.
“I was too lazy to cook, it’s too much trouble,” Lin Nan pouted, explaining. “And I feel like I’ve gained some weight lately—I should probably diet.”
“What are you talking about? You’re skinny!” Tu Junhui glanced down at his own belly. “What does that make me then?”
“A lazy pig?” Xiong Da chimed in. “You always talk about dieting since college, yet here we are and you’ve never shed a pound.”
“Xiong Da, at least I’m married! You still don’t have a girlfriend—you don’t like guys, do you?”
“Hehe.”
The two started trading friendly jabs, and the familiar scene made Lin Nan incredibly happy. She turned to Chen Yao, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed watching the spectacle, and smiled, asking, “What’s with the sudden gathering today?”
“Noticed you’ve been a bit down lately.” Chen Yao ruffled Lin Nan’s hair. “I contacted them, and they had some free time, so we all got together.”
“That’s nice.”
Although Tu Junhui’s face had sagged from age and his belly had expanded since college, his personality was still as lively as ever.
And as for Xiong Da? Approaching forty, he still clung to his love for figurines and waifus, completely unbothered by the passage of time aside from a few gray hairs.
“Let’s order some supermarket takeout; I’ll personally whip up a nice meal for you guys.” Lin Nan suggested. “And tonight, let’s drink! There’s still a whole box of booze left!”
Earlier in the year, they’d bought two cases, and the couple had barely made a dent.
“Oh ho! Nan Nan’s cooking! What an honor!” Tu Junhui said teasingly. “Chen Yao, you seem to have built up quite the immunity these past years, huh?”
Chen Yao sighed, “Lin Nan’s cooking really is quite good.”
Xiong Da and Tu Junhui exchanged skeptical glances at Lin Nan. In their minds, she was the ultimate foodie—she didn’t exactly fit the profile of a top chef.
Besides, who’d ever heard of such an adorable chef?
A normal chef was supposed to be big-headed and big-necked, looking a bit like Tu Junhui, wasn’t it?
