Chapter 24

Since he had decided to invite Huo Siyi over as a guest, Xi Shi simply scheduled it for the following Sunday.

However, inviting just him felt a bit awkward, so Xi Shi also asked Qin Mingtian to join them, ensuring it wouldn't be just two men alone. Upon further consideration, he felt that wasn't quite right either—Qin Mingtian was too unreliable. Xi Shi then remembered how much Huo Siyuan had helped him and felt he should show his gratitude as well, so he decided to invite them all. A group of four; it was perfect.

Sunday morning.

Xi Shi had just managed to drag himself out of bed and was drifting toward the bathroom like a lost soul to wash up when the doorbell chimed. It must be the grocery delivery. Xi Shi gave his face a quick splash and went to open the door.

Standing there, however, was Huo Siyi.

"Good morning, Senior," Huo Siyi said with a smile.

Xi Shi blinked. "You... you're here so early?"

Huo Siyi looked at him—still in his pajamas, eyes bleary with sleep, a stray tuft of hair sticking up on his head. It was clear he had just rolled out of bed. *Such a senior—so! Adorable!*

Huo Siyi resisted the urge to reach out and smooth down the tuft of hair and said shyly, "Sorry, Senior, did I disturb your rest?"

"No, I’m already up. Why did you bring so much stuff?"

Beside Huo Siyi's feet sat a large box, and in his hand was an exquisite package.

"These are some small pastries from our kitchen. They're for you, Senior; they’re delicious." Huo Siyi handed the box to Xi Shi, then picked up the large box from the floor. "And this is a robot vacuum, a housewarming gift for you."

Xi Shi stepped aside to let him in. "Thank you, that’s too much."

"As long as you don't mind," Huo Siyi said with a beaming smile. "Go ahead and wash up, Senior. You should eat these while they're hot."

Xi Shi realized it wasn't appropriate to greet a guest looking like this, so he hurried to wash up and change. By the time he returned, Huo Siyi had already unpacked the pastries.

As Xi Shi looked at the assortment of treats on the table, they seemed vaguely familiar. It felt as though Jing Chen had brought him the exact same ones before... The only difference was that the ones Jing Chen brought were store-bought.

*Oh!* Xi Shi realized. It must be that the pastries were so good that Huo Siyi’s family chef had specifically gone to learn the recipe from that shop! After all, being the son of the richest man in the city, there wasn't a level of pastry he couldn't afford. Xi Shi easily convinced himself, walked to the table, and took a bite.

Wow, even the texture and flavor were identical. He had to admit, the Huo family chef was a genius.

"How is it, Senior?" Huo Siyi asked. This was his chef’s signature craft. Huo Siyi had wanted to learn it himself to show off for Xi Shi, but the process was too complex to master in such a short time.

Xi Shi gave a thumbs-up. "Delicious. Your family chef is top-tier."

"Then, once I learn how to make them, I'll make them for you."

"..." Xi Shi nearly choked on his pastry. *My friend, you are the son of the richest man; why are you learning such a trade!* He quickly said, "No need to go through all that trouble. I don't really like pastries that much, haha."

Huo Siyi sat down across from him, watched him, and took the opportunity to ask, "Then what does Senior like to eat? Maybe I can make that for you today."

"I... I don't think I have any particular favorites. As long as it's cooked well, I like it," Xi Shi said dryly.

Huo Siyi replied with a smile, "Senior is really easy to feed."

Xi Shi: "..."

Just as the awkward conversation was about to stall, the doorbell rang again. Xi Shi hurried to open it. This time it was the grocery delivery—all top-quality, fresh ingredients: items flown in from abroad, freshly picked mountain produce, and farm-raised goods.

Xi Shi and Huo Siyi carried the ingredients into the kitchen. Looking at the dozen or so bags of various sizes, Xi Shi asked, "Are you sure you can handle this alone?"

Xi Shi had originally intended to hire a professional chef, but Huo Siyi had refused, insisting he was perfectly fine on his own.

"You have to trust me," Huo Siyi said, rolling up his sleeves. "You can go play some games or take a nap, Senior. There will be food ready by the time you wake up."

Xi Shi didn't dare let him work alone. "Let me help you prep."

Huo Siyi, of course, had no objections. It was getting late, so the two got busy in the kitchen. Xi Shi noticed Huo Siyi handled the ingredients with practiced ease, unlike a kitchen novice, and he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't worried about Huo Siyi ruining the meal, but rather that he might try to be a hero and get hurt—Xi Shi couldn't afford to pay for that!

He didn't know the mysterious "richest man" personally, but he had heard the rumors. Before becoming the head of the Huo family, he wasn't the heir, nor did he live in the main household; he lived with his maternal grandparents in Jiangcheng. He was an overlooked figure until the previous head, the elderly Mr. Huo, fell gravely ill. Amidst the heated power struggle that followed, he suddenly descended, seizing control of the entire Huo family with ruthless efficiency.

Rumor had it he kept a brutal team of bodyguards; those who didn't submit were beaten until they did, and the high-ranking officials who opposed him were intimidated directly. A few stubborn uncles were even made examples of and sent off to prison. With such a leader, the shaky Huo family quickly stabilized and flourished. With his own business ventures in Jiangcheng and the backing of the Huo family, he became the richest man in Yanjing in one fell swoop.

Xi Shi didn't know how much of this was true, but in every version he heard, the man was depicted as a cold-blooded, murderous demon. It was terrifying. So, if the son of this "evil" tycoon got hurt while cooking for him, Xi Shi couldn't even imagine how miserable his own end would be.

Huo Siyi was determined to impress Xi Shi, preparing all his best dishes. He had even consulted with their home chef the night before, intent on creating a meal that would earn him extra points.

"The red-braised pork is ready, Senior. Turn around."

Xi Shi was washing vegetables by the sink. Hearing this, he turned around, and just as he opened his mouth to say "Huh?", a piece of perfectly tender, aromatic pork was placed into his mouth.

"Help me taste if the seasoning is right," Huo Siyi said with a soft smile.

"..."

It was at that moment that Huo Siyuan and Qin Mingtian walked in. They didn't know each other, but they had bumped into each other downstairs, shared the elevator, and realized they were heading to the same place. Qin Mingtian was already used to the fact that Xi Shi knew someone from the Huo family, assuming that Huo Siyi had introduced them.

Qin Mingtian had been to Xi Shi’s place before and knew the door code, so he walked straight in, only to be met with the sight of Huo Siyi feeding Xi Shi in the open kitchen.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Oops, did we come at a bad time?" Qin Mingtian, that idiot, was the first to speak. "Carry on, carry on, just pretend we aren't here, haha."

Huo Siyuan: "..." He shouldn't have come today.

Huo Siyi had expected this lunch to be a romantic dinner for two. Seeing two more people pop up, he felt incredibly annoyed. He looked at Huo Siyuan, his eyes demanding to know why he was here acting as a third wheel. Huo Siyuan felt bitter inside; being caught between this father and son was impossible. But since he was already here, he had to bite the bullet and finish the meal.

Huo Siyuan pretended not to see the glare, placed the gift he brought on the coffee table, and looked around. "Nice place. Is the rent expensive here?"

"Quite high. I decided to rent it precisely because it was so nice," Xi Shi said, wiping his hands and opening the fridge. "What would you like to drink? I have cola, juice, and water."

Huo Siyuan was a bit puzzled by the high rent. He had assumed that since his uncle knew Xi Shi was looking for a place, he would have intervened—perhaps by buying a property in a good location, furnishing it, and renting it to Xi Shi at a low price. *Forget it, don't get involved in their business. Self-preservation is key.*

Thinking this, Huo Siyuan said, "Cola is fine, thanks."

Huo Siyi and Qin Mingtian also asked for cola. Xi Shi handed them their drinks and went back to the kitchen to help. The food was ready quickly. He had to admit, Huo Siyi had real talent; the table was filled with dishes that were as beautiful as they were delicious.

Everyone ate and praised the food, making the tips of Huo Siyi's ears turn red.

"Did you learn to cook during the quarantine period?" Xi Shi asked while eating. He couldn't understand how the son of the richest man, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, could be such a good cook at such a young age.

"Earlier than that. When my dad... um, when he first returned to the Huo family, I lived abroad for a while. I couldn't get used to the food the local chefs made, and my dad was too busy to look after me. So, I learned to cook what I wanted from cookbooks. At first, I kept almost blowing up the kitchen and burning my hands, but I learned eventually."

Huo Siyi was vague, but Xi Shi understood. When his father returned to the Huo family, it was during their most chaotic period. He had likely sent Huo Siyi abroad for his own safety. The power struggle wasn't an overnight affair; his father must have been incredibly busy and unable to look after his dietary needs or hire a Chinese chef. So, Huo Siyi had chosen to be self-reliant.

He spoke about it so lightly, but by the timeline, Huo Siyi would have been only eleven or twelve—just a child. *Poor kid,* Xi Shi thought, almost feeling a sense of fatherly love.

Qin Mingtian also said sympathetically, "I didn't know you back then, or I would have flown a chef from my family's hotel over to you."

Huo Siyi lowered his eyes and gave a bitter smile. "It wasn't actually that bad. My neighbor was a Chinese guy, a few years older than me, who took good care of me. It's just that later..."

Huo Siyuan was bewildered. He knew the cooking part was true, but what was this about a neighbor? *Fine, fine, go ahead and make up stories.*

Surprisingly, Xi Shi bought it completely. He comforted him, "It's all in the past now."

"Yeah, it's all in the past," Huo Siyi said, forcing a smile. Then, he suddenly asked, "Senior, can I call you brother in the future?"

Xi Shi: "Huh?"

"Actually, you really resemble that brother of mine. That’s why I felt so close to you the first time we met. It’s okay if you don't want to, I just miss him, and I wasn't thinking clearly."

*So that’s it.* That explained why he was the only one Huo Siyi treated differently. Xi Shi felt a sense of relief. He had been terrified that Huo Siyi was interested in him. If he were to pursue him, a candidate of such high caliber, Xi Shi wouldn't have a reason to refuse—but he hadn't had enough of Jing Chen yet, and he wasn't ready to break it off.

Being a brother was good. A brother isn't a husband, so there was no need for all that worry. Plus, since he was the son of the richest man, it was really Xi Shi who was getting the better end of the deal...

Xi Shi quickly said, "Sure, you can just treat me like that brother of yours."

Huo Siyi followed up smoothly, "Okay, brother."

Huo Siyuan couldn't bear to watch any longer. *Xi Shi, how are you so easy to trick! No wonder my uncle has you wrapped around his finger, and you’re even spending money on him.*

After lunch, everyone discussed what to do for the afternoon. Qin Mingtian suggested, "I heard there’s a new VR gaming center in the Technology City with top-tier feedback. Why don't we go there?"

"VR games? No need to go to a center; come to my place. The version and experience I have there are definitely better than any public facility," Huo Siyi said.

When Qin Mingtian heard it was at Huo Siyi's house, he immediately backed down. "That might not be appropriate... wouldn't we be bothering Mr. Huo?"

Huo Siyi: "Not at all, my dad isn't home these days. Just me and the household staff."

"Really?" Qin Mingtian’s courage immediately returned. He looked at Xi Shi, asking expectantly, "Shall we go?"

Xi Shi felt a bit uneasy. But it was the home of the richest man! Who wouldn't want to go and see what it was like?