In the evening.
Lin Cheng stared at the cup of instant noodles on his desk and suddenly regretted not saving a couple pieces of braised pork belly from lunch.
It was red braised beef flavor—his absolute favorite. Every other time, it made him feel pretty content. So why did it taste so bland now?
He didn’t even feel like drinking the broth this time.
After wolfing it down, Lin Cheng flopped onto his bed and rolled back and forth several times.
This wasn’t fair!
The next morning.
Lin Cheng woke up in a daze, his stomach growling fiercely. He’d lived here for over a decade. Downstairs, there were breakfast spots selling steamed buns, rice rolls, and noodles. He’d eaten at every one of them more than two hundred times. The pancake stand was new, so he’d gone there the most. The clock on the wall read eight-thirty. Lin Cheng figured it was time to grab something to eat.
So he headed downstairs and bought a pancake.
Why? Why did even the pancake taste off?
After finishing it, Lin Cheng collapsed back onto his bed and lay there like a corpse. This year’s spring felt unusually short. The weather was warming up, and in another month, the peach blossoms would be gone. Spring was mating season for cats and dogs. Luckily, he lived on the Thirteenth Floor and couldn’t hear the stray cats yowling in the complex below.
He lay there until eleven, when a knock came at the door. He swore it was the fastest he’d ever answered—faster than grabbing delivery. He opened the door and froze for about three seconds at the sight of Xu Wanyue standing there.
“What’s this…?”
“Hm?” Xu Wanyue tilted her head.
Lin Cheng’s surprise came from Xu Wanyue’s outfit: a maid skirt.
The black-and-white dress had a slightly low neckline that revealed a hint of soft cleavage. The hem, edged with white lace, fell just to her knees. Below it, her slender legs were clad in sheer white silk leg socks, and she wore chunky black high heels. A white lace headband adorned her dark hair.
It was a proper cosplay outfit—serious, not the flimsy kind that tore at a touch.
“Doesn’t it look good?” Xu Wanyue asked, lightly pinching the hem of her skirt.
“It looks… really good. But… why are you dressed like that?” Lin Cheng was still processing it. Xu Wanyue stepped inside, her eyes wide with innocent confusion as she looked at him. “Because it looks good.”
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Lin Cheng got it. The reason was that simple: because it looked good.
Xu Wanyue sat in a chair, bent down to slip off her chunky black heels. “High heels are still kinda uncomfortable… walking in them is exhausting.”
“So exhausting… why wear them?”
“Because high heels look good.” Xu Wanyue’s reply was utterly innocent. Once the shoes were off, her dainty feet—pale and tender, wrapped in sheer white silk—were revealed. Her frame was delicate, her hands lovely, so her feet were lovely too. Lin Cheng considerately handed her a pair of slippers. She slipped them on, stood, and looked up at him. “What dishes do you want to learn?”
“I want garlic pork belly, boiled pork slices, potato-braised beef brisket, and spicy chicken.”
“Those are tough for beginners.”
“I want them. I’m starving.” Lin Cheng gazed at her pleadingly.
“Hmm, two meats and one veggie—you pick three?” Xu Wanyue’s voice was like she was coaxing a child.
“Boiled pork slices, garlic pork belly, and garlic oil lettuce.”
“Then come downstairs with me to buy ingredients?”
“Sure.”
And so Lin Cheng and Xu Wanyue headed to the supermarket below. She taught him how to pick fresh produce. Along the way, he drew plenty of odd stares—her maid skirt was a bit eye-catching, after all. But Xu Wanyue seemed oblivious. After shopping, they went back upstairs. She explained how to slice pork loin and mix the sauce for garlic pork belly… but Lin Cheng’s eyes kept drifting to her delicate collarbone, where beads of sweat had gathered.
The kitchen had no air conditioning.
“Are you even listening?”
“Here!”
“…” Xu Wanyue gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re not even trying to learn. Out. Food in half an hour.”
So Lin Cheng got booted from the kitchen. He cranked the living room AC and left the kitchen door open so she’d stay cooler. He sprawled on the sofa watching Kamen Rider. White clouds drifted outside, and soon a tantalizing aroma wafted in. Xu Wanyue emerged from the kitchen. “All done. Help me untie my apron.”
She turned her back to him. Lin Cheng stepped behind her and realized she’d knotted it too tightly. He poked at the stubborn knot. Patience wasn’t always his strong suit—like with delivery bags, which he usually just ripped open. This was tricky. Glancing up, he caught a faint, pleasant scent from her hair.
“Your hair smells nice.”
“Hehe, it’s this shampoo a beauty vlogger recommended. Sage and sea salt scent—super sweet, right?” Xu Wanyue stood straight-backed, facing away. After a while, she muttered, “Still not untied? You’re so slow.”
“It’s a dead knot—you tied it.”
“The apron’s so small. If I don’t tie it tight, it’ll get the skirt dirty.”
As they bantered, Lin Cheng finally undid it. Together, they carried the dishes to the living room, where the AC blasted full force. Xu Wanyue sat across from him, picked up her chopsticks, and looked at him. “Did you wash your hands?”
“Yeah.” Lin Cheng held out his hands for inspection.
“Dig in.” Xu Wanyue smiled.
Stuffed full, Lin Cheng slumped in his chair again. Xu Wanyue cleared the dishes. He felt a twinge of guilt—wasn’t he supposed to do the dishes? But he really didn’t want to move. Fortunately, she didn’t mention it. She just carried the bowls to the kitchen. Lin Cheng heard running water and her softly humming a tune.
It was a song he knew well, by a superstar idol—or more precisely, a massive celebrity who’d started as a singer and was now eyeing acting gigs. She had a face too beautiful for her own good.
Lin Cheng glanced back casually. Sunlight poured through the kitchen window onto her porcelain collarbone. It dappled her slender arms too. Her skirt wasn’t long; the glimpse of her long legs below it was enticing.
“Do you have much cat food at home?” Xu Wanyue asked suddenly, noticing his gaze.
“Huh? I use canned stuff—got three cases left.”
“Can you share some with the cats downstairs?”
“Sure.”
“Then come with me later? I saw a few meowing at me on the way here…”
“Yeah.”
Xu Wanyue finished the dishes and came over. She was still in those pink slippers. They headed downstairs together, Lin Cheng carrying six or seven cans of wet food. The complex always had stray cats. To Xu Wanyue’s surprise, as soon as Lin Cheng appeared, he beckoned—and the cats hidden in bushes and corners meowed to each other before trotting over.
“Huh? They just meowed at me earlier but wouldn’t come close.” Xu Wanyue blinked.
“Stray cats are super wary.” Lin Cheng opened the cans one by one, muttering to the five cats in front of him. “Line up. No stealing.”
The cats actually waited their turn and ate politely. Xu Wanyue found the scene magical. “Can you talk to cats?”
“Nah, I just feed them whenever I’m bored. They know me now.”
Xu Wanyue crouched beside him, watching the cats eat. Lin Cheng glanced at her and saw pure, surprised innocence in her eyes.
Most strays don’t survive winter. Over the years, Lin Cheng had watched generations come and go. He fed them occasionally—his canned food stock was always more than he could use anyway. Others in the complex did too sometimes.
“You’re so kind-hearted,” Xu Wanyue said suddenly, looking at him.
“Feeding strays? More of them die from cat hunts—small birds eaten by those cats. To birds, I’m the ultimate villain. Remember that wolf-and-deer lesson from school?”
“Forgot.” Xu Wanyue stuck out her tongue. “But cats are so cute.”
“…”
Once the cats finished, Lin Cheng collected and tossed the empties. They scattered again. He eyed Xu Wanyue’s pink slippers—she’d have to come back up with him. Lin Cheng was already scheming how to convince her to stay for dinner.
Back home, Lin Cheng shut the door as she went to grab her shoes. He’d been plotting the whole way up but came up empty. Now, with the door closed, Xu Wanyue paused.
Lin Cheng’s gaze traveled slowly from her head to her toes.
Her eyes sharpened with wariness. She stepped back, silent.
His gaze swept back up to her face. Before he could speak, her little nose twitched. “Are you plotting something naughty in that head of yours?”
“Nope.” Lin Cheng blinked innocently, glancing out the window. “Isn’t it… still pretty hot outside…?”
“A bit.” Xu Wanyue nodded. “I wanna go home and scroll videos.”
“Wanna… watch Kamen Rider together?”
“I’m not a kid anymore. No more Kamen Rider for me.” She tilted her chin up.
“How about… an idol drama instead?”
Xu Wanyue eyed him oddly. “Why together?”
“Don’t you think… TV alone… is kinda boring?”
Her gaze stayed peculiar. One second. Two. Three. Realization dawned. “I get it—you’re trying to trick me into staying and cooking dinner.”
“…Yeah.”
“Wash the dishes, and it’s a deal.”
“Done.”
…So he could’ve just said it straight.
Lin Cheng retreated to his room and fired up his computer. He’d meant to ask if she wanted TV, but Xu Wanyue had already sprawled on his bed, earbuds in, scrolling short videos.
“…” Lin Cheng stole one last glance at her white silk stockings before turning to his screen.
Black silk, white silk—neither beats my Apex.
