Three Years and Three Years

Chapter 5: Let’s Negotiate

Braised beef is a Hunanese home-style dish, and Zhou Mushi’s mother has a unique technique for cooking it. He used to eat it without much appreciation, until there was no one left to cook it for him and he suddenly realized how good it was.

The flavor is salty and fragrant, the beef is tender and succulent, and it’s the perfect meal to have with a bowl of rice in the winter.

After leaving the kitchen in a good mood, Zhou Mushi remembered the painting he had set aside. Before dinner, he decided to set up his easel, take out his paintbrushes and paint, and continue working on the autumn landscape he hadn’t finished the previous week.

He had recently bought an oil painting kit, but he hadn’t learned from a proper teacher. He just followed tutorial videos and did his best, without any classmates to compare his work to, so he couldn’t tell if it was good or not.

He also bought a guitar at the same time, but it was already gathering dust.

With nothing better to do, he decided to work on his painting and play the guitar. He figured that pursuing art was better than just lounging around and watching TV.

Jin Yang had not seen many oil paintings before, so he lit the stove and leaned against the door to watch Zhou Mushi paint.

He was painting a wide expanse of sky and fields in “The Wind Blows Over the Wheat Waves”, with his brush making dabbing strokes that looked pretty good. If he weren’t wearing a cooking apron, he’d look even more handsome.

The room was lit by a lamp that shone a golden halo on Zhou Mushi’s hair, making him look like a star even though he was dressed simply, emitting a radiance that was almost palpable.

Without a doubt, he was good-looking, and even twenty years later, he would probably still be a man that could make people’s hearts skip a beat.

The soup in the pot on the stove bubbled and boiled, and he stood there for a while, adding a few spices, stir-frying a plate of spicy and sour shredded potatoes, cutting a plate of cold dishes, serving the rice from the pot, and pouring the egg drop soup with seaweed into bowls.

Finally, he served the pot of braised beef, washed his hands, and cleaned up the kitchen. He put on a thick coat and went over to embrace the little painter who had already finished his work.

He gently kissed Zhou Mushi, enjoying kissing his eyelashes. He couldn’t help but hold his breath and pecked his beautiful peach blossom eyes like water, bringing some indescribable warmth, and then covered up the small mole under his left eye with a very light color.

“Let’s eat, go wash your hands.”

Zhou Mushi had already smelled the fragrance and his stomach was hungry. Of course, he wouldn’t refuse and quickly got up to wash his hands.

When he returned, Jin Yang had already put all his tools on the balcony outside and closed the glass door connecting to the balcony.

He always thought that Jin Yang was considerate, putting the painting outside to dry, but he didn’t know that the smell of the paint in his nose was like cheap wall paint.

Jin Yang didn’t like the smell of oil paint, but he liked the person in front of him, so he indulged him and never let him give up this little hobby.

Zhou Mushi happily sat at the table. He felt like he hadn’t waited for Jin Yang to finish cooking a meal like this for a long time. The three dishes and one soup on the table seemed more precious and delicious than a feast.

The appearance of the house was the same as when he first came three years ago, except that Jin Yang had rented the house back then, but now he had paid for it in full.

Everything was the same, and the orange light in the dining room made the food look very appetizing.

For the past few days, he had been feeling uncomfortable in his stomach and had only just felt hungry now. When he faced the fragrant food, his appetite was opened and he wanted to eat it all.

He picked up a piece of beef brisket with his chopsticks, but before he could put it in his mouth, Jin Yang sat across from him and said in a gentle tone, “Mushi, let’s discuss something.”

Zhou Mushi, still savoring the salty and soft beef in his mouth, replied vaguely, “You say.”