Big Brother Zhang, the Ordinary Guy

In the kitchen, Zhang Yang cleaned and butchered the chicken with swift, practiced movements, chopping the bird into pieces before placing them into a clay pot with astragalus and red dates to stew.

In the living room, Bei Wei's roommate sat idly eating snacks and fruit, watching Zhang Yang bustle about the kitchen.

When he was butchering the chicken, she had frowned slightly, but by the time Zhang Yang had finished cleaning up and set the pot to simmer on the stove, her eyes held a hint of surprise.

"Hey!" she tapped lightly on the kitchen's glass door.

"What is it?" Zhang Yang looked back at the young woman while washing his hands.

"You certainly don't stand on ceremony. Please restore the kitchen to its original state when you're finished." She pointed at the sink and the trash can filled with chicken feathers, her face showing a fair amount of disdain.

Zhang Yang glanced at her, then efficiently tied up the trash bag and wiped the sink clean.

Aside from the clay pot simmering on the stove and filling the room with an increasingly rich aroma, the kitchen had been restored to exactly how it was before.

Since this was someone else's home, Zhang Yang couldn't be bothered to engage in a back-and-forth war of words with a girl; it simply wasn't worth the effort.

The girl opened her mouth as if to say something else, but she couldn't suppress the scent that kept drilling into her nose.

She turned away, though she began to mutter to herself.

Why is this chicken so fragrant? I wonder where he bought it.

As the sun set, the kitchen was already overflowing with a rich, savory scent. It was a three-year-old free-range hen that had been fed on corn and other grains, and the result of the stew was absolutely intoxicating.

The girl in the living room paced around for a while, but unable to bear it any longer, she retreated straight into her own room.

Zhang Yang lifted the lid to check on the fragrant chicken soup, then turned off the heat.

A moment later, inside Bei Wei's room.

Bei Wei drank the rich, aromatic soup, feeling a warm glow spread through her body and a sense of happiness bubbling up from within.

After eating her fill, it felt as though her cold had already improved by more than half.

"Brother Zhang, I want a hug..." Bei Wei looked up with flushed cheeks, her black hair draped over her shoulders, and opened her arms to ask for an embrace.

Zhang Yang smiled and pulled Bei Wei into his arms.

"How did your roommate agree to let me come over?" Zhang Yang asked, stroking Bei Wei's long, dark hair.

"I asked, and she just agreed. She's actually a softie despite her sharp tongue; she's not a bad person at all." Bei Wei smiled gently. "Oh, right, her name is Gu Jiani."

Zhang Yang nodded and went out to get a bowl to serve Bei Wei another portion.

Passing by her roommate's room, Zhang Yang looked at the closed door, thought for a moment, filled a bowl, and knocked.

"What is it?" Gu Jiani poked her head out, her eyes guarded.

"Have a bowl and try it," Zhang Yang said.

"Ah... I... I ordered fish maw chicken, it'll be here soon." A flash of panic crossed Gu Jiani's face.

"It won't taste as good if it gets cold." Zhang Yang held the bowl out toward her.

The fresh, savory scent of the chicken soup wafted out, teasing her taste buds, and Gu Jiani was instantly tempted.

"Then... then I'll try some." She blushed and took the bowl with a hint of embarrassment. "Thank you."

Zhang Yang stayed at Bei Wei's place until evening. During that time, he accompanied Bei Wei as she finished two bowls of soup and watched her eat several pieces of chicken.

"You shouldn't have a fever anymore, right?" Zhang Yang reached out and retrieved the thermometer from Bei Wei's collar.

Bei Wei blushed, letting Zhang Yang pull his hand back from her neckline.

"Thirty-six point five. Get some good rest; if you're still not feeling well, take another day off tomorrow." Zhang Yang nodded in satisfaction and set the thermometer down. "I have to head back now."

Bei Wei nodded gently and stood up to see Zhang Yang off.

Outside in the living room, Gu Jiani had just finished washing her bowl and caught sight of Bei Wei and Zhang Yang walking out of the room.

"Jiani, I'm going to see Brother Zhang downstairs," Bei Wei said.

"Don't bother. Is your cold even gone?" Gu Jiani looked at Bei Wei helplessly, then at Zhang Yang. "How about this: I'll see him off for you. You go back and rest."

"That..." Bei Wei looked at Zhang Yang.

"Yeah, just go back and rest." Zhang Yang pinched Bei Wei's cheek and walked straight out the door.

As soon as he stepped out of Bei Wei's place, the sound of the door closing came from behind him. Gu Jiani followed closely and pressed the elevator button.

"The chicken soup was very good. I wanted to ask where you bought it," she said, looking at Zhang Yang.

"I didn't buy it. I brought it from my hometown," Zhang Yang replied with a smile.

"Brought it from your hometown? Isn't that a hassle?" Gu Jiani looked at Zhang Yang in surprise. "Magic City is so big, you couldn't buy it here?"

In an instant, the image of a young man from a small town, raised on a farm, surfaced in her mind.

"You're quite thoughtful."

Zhang Yang glanced at her, not bothering to respond or explain. To a rich girl raised in the lap of luxury, everything was just a matter of "why don't they just eat meat porridge."

Seeing that Zhang Yang ignored her, Gu Jiani frowned slightly. "Although the chicken soup was delicious, I still have to remind you: today was an exception. In the future, please come over less. I really mind having men in the apartment."

"Understood. I'll have Bei Wei move out as soon as possible," Zhang Yang said calmly.

"Move out?" Gu Jiani raised her voice. "Do you know how much it costs to rent an apartment in this area? How much money can you possibly have working in Magic City? I know you're very thoughtful when it comes to taking care of people, but that's useless."

"What are you trying to say?" Zhang Yang found it somewhat amusing.

Whether they moved out or not was their own business; why was Gu Jiani getting so worked up?

"Gentleness that amounts to nothing is no match for reality." Gu Jiani looked at Zhang Yang and shook her head. "Sorry for being blunt, but that's just the way it is."

The elevator doors opened. Zhang Yang stepped out, and Gu Jiani followed him, seemingly still having more to say.

"Aren't you going back?" Zhang Yang glanced at Gu Jiani.

"Right, there's something I forgot to tell you." Gu Jiani stood by Zhang Yang's side, watching him, and said out of the blue, "Bei Wei's college crush is back in the country."

Outside the corridor, it was pitch black. Zhang Yang stopped in his tracks.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Bei Wei doesn't know about this." Gu Jiani smiled. "Bei Wei and I were in the same year but different classes. There was a senior in our year who was exceptionally brilliant—the 'white moonlight' for many girls. Bei Wei had a secret crush on him too."

Zhang Yang's expression remained unchanged as he continued to listen to Gu Jiani.

"Later, the guy went abroad, and the secret crush naturally fizzled out. But none of that matters. Guess what? I ran into him when I visited the school a while back," Gu Jiani said. "He even asked about how Bei Wei was doing."

"When a 'god-tier' guy turns back, realizes he missed out on this treasure of a girl, and decides to go all out, how are you, as an ordinary guy, supposed to defend your relationship?"

Gu Jiani finished speaking, trying hard to detect any sign of distress on Zhang Yang's face, but she was disappointed.

There was absolutely nothing.

"Aren't you even a little bit nervous?" Gu Jiani asked, feeling somewhat unwilling to let it go.

"Trying to mess with my state of mind by using an emotional blade to cut me down, are you?" Zhang Yang looked at Gu Jiani with a half-smile. "I didn't expect you to hold such a grudge over that night."