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Call Xia Fei whipped, but it's not his fault Vein was such a nice boyfriend. He had offered him to cook dinner for him. Him! His boss! The Vein wanted to cook for Xia Fei. Nobody would've believed him— well, maybe Liu Xiao would. But Vein was cooking dinner for Xia Fei. Vein!
Xia Fei had been sitting on the cold stool, facing the humming Vein in the kitchen. The heels of his palms pressed against his cheek as Vein tied the apron he bought out of impulse just because it had the words "Stand back DADDY is cooking". (Rich people could really buy anything.)
While Xia Fei believed his boss could do anything, he had never seen him stand in front of a stove, let alone a microwave. Xia Fei would be lying if he said he wasn't… nervous. With Vein, there's a non-zero chance the kitchen would set on fire. And yes, they're using an induction stove.
But Xia Fei couldn't say no to Vein's offer. He was smiling and radiating with joy. Xia Fei didn't notice it at first, but now replaying that memory, he saw Vein bouncing slightly on his heels during the time he asked Xia Fei. How could he say no to that? How dare he say no to that?
If his kitchen got set on fire, so be it! He wanted to see his boss happy.
Until… Vein opened the cupboard.
Cobwebs on every corner. Dust on every surface. They swore a cockroach ran out of the edge and in a spur of panic hid in the tiny gap between each storage. "Oh, that needs a pest control before it gets out of hand," Vein says mindlessly.
Right. They had never cooked since they moved in. Not their fault! The last time Xia Fei touched the kitchen was when he still lived in the flat his university provided him. Liu Xiao (and Vein. But let Xia Fei blame Liu Xiao for a moment) also continuously spoiled them with expensive takeouts for months— they didn't even need to lift a finger!
Vein's surprised oh cut through the silence. "Theres something there."
Xia Fei covered his eyes. "If it's a spider, I don't want to see it—"
"Tada!!!"
Vein spun around with two packets of instant noodles.
Xia Fei's stomach rumbled. "Oh. I forgot we had that."
Vein opened the package and peeked inside. His smile spanned wider. "Everything is still in tact. Ah, these do wonders!"
"But…" Xia Fei began. "Isn't it… bad for me? Wouldn't it ruin my diet?"
"Nonsense!" Vein snatched out the seasoning packets. "All we need is some garlic, an egg or two, chopped scallions, oh and a handful of bok choy."
"Ooh right. Boss is a genius!"
Maybe Xia Fei's just biased. He's done that before too. But let the guy fall in love with him again just because Vein reminded Xia Fei of something he forgotten.
Vein began preparing the ingredients. He took two cloves of garlic, two eggs, rummaging through the crisper drawers for scallions. While searching through the fridge for bok choy, he accidentally opened the freezer. His eyes stumbled upon frozen dumplings tightly packed in a plastic package.
"I'm definitely adding those."
Xia Fei glanced at the ingredients on the table. "But it looks like a lot already."
"Big boys like you need big food," Vein says, "and if you don't finish your meal, give it to me."
I wonder where all that food you're eating is going to, Boss.
Vein took a small glass bowl and began cracking the eggs over it. The insides and yolk fell out, laying bare on glass. As he whisked, his words fell out of his mouth like a waterfall.
"Youngsters these days and their small appetites. You leave every morning to jog, to exercise in the gym, and then continue to model while balancing university? Where did all your energy come from? Food! How would I react to seeing you on the floor dried? Beef jerky Xia Fei does not sound tasty."
He's beginning to sound like Xia Fei's mom when she's mad (minus the odd description at the end. But Boss has always been odd). "Okay, okay. I'll eat and finish the meal. I promise."
"But I thought you'd give me your leftovers."
Okay. He really was sounding like his mom. "I'm confused."
"Why so confused, dear?"
Do you want me to eat the whole thing or not?! Xia Fei pouted and decided not to respond. Maybe it'd receive a forehead flick or two, but at least he'd get his food from Vein.
On the counter laid two empty bowls. Vein opened the seasonings and oil packets and placing one in each bowl. He added the finely sliced garlic, the white parts of the scallion, and the egg. Then, with his chopsticks, he mixed them all together to form some sort of reddish liquid paste.
Xia Fei's nose caught a waft of spice and savoury. His mouth watered just from the scent.
"How many more minutes?" He asked, though it sounded more like a whine.
Vein took a pot and hovered it under the faucet. His voice drowned in the sound of running water. "Be patient, Felix."
"Do you need help on anything?" Xia Fei's desperate at this point.
"Oh, how sweet of you." Vein chuckled, the water-filled pot placed on the stove. "Help me boil water in another pot, then."
Xia Fei nodded and quickly sprung into action.
"Good boy," Vein praised.
Minutes went by. The water from both pots had finally bubbled. Xia Fei stood and watched direcly behind Vein as he washed the bok choy under running water.
"Felix," on the cutting board, he chopped the bok choy, "drop two eggs in one of the pots."
After excitedly shouting a yes, two warm eggs were dropped from above to the pot. Xia Fei squeeled when the hot water bounced upon having the first egg dropped. The second egg, Xia Fei dropped it from a lower point, the heat nearly burning his hand alive.
"Anything else?"
"In the other pot, dumplings first," Vein says.
Xia Fei took the freezing-cold dumplings and slid them into the pot. The water went quiet from the cool, before returning the moment the cold melt and mingle into the water together. Smoke began to exude out of the pot again.
"Now, put the noodles in."
The noodles were in. Vein clapped his hands together while saying Xia Fei did a great job. Even though Xia Fei had only done a small thing, hearing his boss's words made his heart pound and face warm.
"While that boils, I have to finish my calculations." Vein walked around the corner to sit on the stool, tablet ready and on.
Xia Fei frowned. "Aww, but Boss. What do I do next?"
"Don't worry," Vein held a stylus began writing on the screen. "I'm right here. Keep watch and tell me if it's been three minutes."
Xia Fei nodded. He checked the time on his phone. Three minutes. That wasn't that long.
CRACK! Xia Fei flinched at the sound. Pshh…. He turned to the side.
A gasp. "Boss!"
"Hmm?"
"The eggs! The eggs!"
Vein looked at the sight.
It was a mess: the water was bubbling uncontrollably, spewing water out of the pot. And to make it worse, there's white foam surrounding the edges of the water, leaking to the stove. It left a foul smell that's similar to rotten egg. But Vein's sure there's no rotten eggs; it would've flown to the surface of the water. The egg must've cracked while it was boiling. The eggs weren't cold, though. Then…
"Shit! Shit!" Xia Fei took a shammy and tried to wipe all of the overflowing foam.
"Oh, wow." Vein stood, impressed rather than panic. "It looks just like the foam that bubbles out of the hole you made on someone's lungs!"
"Help! Boss, please."
"Relax, darling."
He sauntered to the stove and tapped on the power button. Immediately, that part of the stove turned off and the foam remained stagnant on the water.
Vein looked at Xia Fei. "Felix."
Vein didn't give Xia Fei a chance to respond. He simply flicked his forehead. Once, twice.
Xia Fei took a few steps back. His hands shook as they covered his forehead. "Ow! I know, I know! I'm sorry. I didn't know it could crack like that."
A long disappointed-sounding sigh heaved out of his mouth, but his lips showed no sign of frowns. It had smiled the whole way. "You dropped the egg too hard. Be glad it's only one. Go sit on the stool."
"Yes, Boss…" Xia Fei slumped forward and trudged to his designated stool. He left like a puppy who had just broken an expensive vase. While that was not the case exactly, the guilt was still strong.
Vein went back to work. He lowered the bok choy in the noodle-dumpling-filled pot. With a spoon, he lifted out the cracked egg. While there's a broken piece, whites and shape of the egg was visible through the fracture. "It's fully cooked and managed to hold its shape. Let's hope it's edible."
The beeping went off. The timer has ended. The stove turned off and Vein began plating.
He dumped the noodles into each bowl. With his chopsticks, he mixed until the water and the paste merge into one red-tinted, spicy and pungent broth. The dumplings were placed on the side with Vein purposefully giving himself an extra portion on his bowl. Then, he set the bok choy on the other side.
It was time for the eggs.
Vein peeled the cracked one first. He discarded the one that was obviously hanging by a thread. From there, he tapped the egg onto the table. The sound resonating through the walls. His nails flaked through the shell one by one.
In it's clean form: the egg had a crater at where it had broke. Vein laid the egg on the cutting board and sliced it in half.
Xia Fei huffed, hands on his cheeks. "The outside looks horrible."
"Well, yes, the exterior will definitely be asymmetrical and crooked, but—" The egg parted. Inside was… a totally fine boiled egg. No, it was perfect! The whites were hard and fully boiled. The yolk was slightly cooked around the outside, but deeper in the middle, it was round, soft, gooey, and slightly runny. "—does it matter when the inside is beautiful?"
He let out a shaky exhale. "I thought I ruined it."
Vein howled a laugh as he eased the eggs on Xia Fei's bowl. "You're a mess, Felix. I love cooking with you. We should do this again sometimes."
Xia Fei pouted. "You just want to see me set the kitchen on fire."
Vein shrugged. "There's fun in chaos, sweetie."
He wheeled around and confidently planted the bowl on the table. The bowl was steaming. Boiled dumplings on the left, bok choy on the right. Soft boiled eggs floating on the bottom with the yolk glistening yellow. Sliced scallions had been sprinkled atop the meal, adding color out of the dominant red-yellow.
A soft rumble sounded. Saliva formed in Xia Fei's mouth.
Xia Fei didn't want to ruin the beautiful plating. Vein worked so hard on this. But Vein's eyes was drilling into him, practically demanding him to take a bite.
"Bon appetit," Vein said.
Xia Fei wasted no time. He pierced his chopstick into the bowl. The two tips pinched a mouthful of noodles. Lifting it up, the concentrated tangy scent seeping into his nose.
He shoved it into his mouth. The broth immediately coated every surface of his tongue. The oil, the mixed egg, the bitterness of the bok choy, and the kick from the spice.
He groaned, munching the whole way through. "It tastes so good." Call him dramatic, but he nearly cried. "Boss is amazing. I don't deserve this."
Vein leaned forward and lifted his hand. "Don't make me flick your head again."
Xia Fei profusely apologised for doubting himself before stuffing another mouthful. Vein told him to eat slower. Xia Fei, again, apologised, this time with his mouth full.
The bowl sat half-eatened. Xia Fei was at his brink. Maybe a slurp or two and by then would his stomach start complaining.
Vein's bowl was left untouched on the kitchen counter. He was turned away, his back facing Xia Fei as his hand sunk deep into the water that had ran from the faucet.
"Boss, aren't you going to eat?"
"After I wash the plates. Oh! Also, Xavier texted me minutes ago. He said he's on his way home. Apparently, he's already eaten. But you ought to just leave the leftovers for him to try."
"Hmm." A thought shot through Xia Fei's briliant and evil mind. "Something feels missing."
"Add as much flair as you want, Felix."
Not even a second, and Liu Xiao was dragged by the excited Vein to the kitchen. Liu Xiao happily slurped on the noodles. Definitely not because his glasses were fogged up from the steam, but immediately after, his face gave an indistinguishable expression.
Vein bowed and tilted his head to face directly at Liu Xiao. "So? Isn't it scrumptious?"
Liu Xiao coughed.
"Oh my. That's not good. Too spicy? Would you like some water?"
Liu Xiao wiped his mouth over cloth. His smile didn't falter once. "… There's cilantro in this."
Vein snapped his head at the fleeing culprit (Xia Fei) running to the other side of the room. "Felix!"