Can He Cook, Too?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The last time they had spoken, they had set their meeting for today.

Ye Nanxun had come to the Academy of Sciences that morning to sign a contract, so he would not be going home for lunch.

He sat down at a nearby coffee shop and ordered a hot Americano and a slice of New York cheesecake.

Only a few buttery biscuit crumbs from the cheesecake remained on the bone china plate, while the rich hot Americano had turned into half a cup of bitter dishwater.

Considering Yan Beiyou's status, Ye Nanxun had assumed that this high-ranking, endlessly busy alpha would send someone to pick him up.

No matter what, he had never expected Yan Beiyou himself to appear at the coffee shop and sit across from him.

Yan Beiyou must have used some sort of advanced technology. His face was somewhat different from before, but that distinctive aura had given Ye Nanxun a sense of familiarity the moment he saw the alpha.

The instant Yan Beiyou spoke, that familiarity confirmed his true identity.

Yan Beiyou said, "Have you eaten?"

Under the small wooden table, Ye Nanxun pinched his fingertips. "Has Mr. Yan not eaten yet?"

Yan Beiyou admitted frankly, "No."

Not long after sitting down, Yan Beiyou and Ye Nanxun left the coffee shop together.

It had been sunny in the morning, but by the afternoon, wind and snow were blowing outside again.

The tall alpha opened the black umbrella in his hand. Standing behind Ye Nanxun, he held the umbrella with one hand and gripped the handles of Ye Nanxun's wheelchair with the other.

Ye Nanxun's back instantly stiffened.

He thought, How could Yan Beiyou push my wheelchair?

Then he remembered that on General Zhu Yucheng's birthday, Yan Beiyou had pushed his wheelchair in exactly the same way.

As the wheelchair rolled forward, Yan Beiyou asked, "How is your foot?"

Before Ye Nanxun could make an excuse, he looked down at his feet in snow boots. "It is mostly healed. The doctor said I can try walking tomorrow."

In fact, he could already walk with crutches.

It was simply inconvenient to go out with crutches today, so Ye Nanxun had chosen to use a wheelchair.

Yan Beiyou did not ask any more questions, and Ye Nanxun said nothing either.

A black hovercar glided steadily down the street and stopped by the curb.

The cabin door opened, and a boarding ramp lowered.

Yan Beiyou pushed the wheelchair into the hovercar. Ye Nanxun saw no one else in the spacious cabin. The driver's seat was empty, and the screen displayed an AI operating system.

Once the wheelchair was secured, clasps popped up from below and locked its wheels in place. Ye Nanxun pulled over the seat belt and fastened it himself.

Yan Beiyou sat opposite Ye Nanxun. The man lowered his head to handle work as if no one else were present. Ye Nanxun did not dare look too much and simply kept gazing out the window.

The cabin was quiet. The hovercar jolted only once when it started and rose onto the aerial route; otherwise, it was so smooth that it felt as though it were still parked on the ground.

Ye Nanxun stared absentmindedly at the cityscape flashing past outside.

Yan Beiyou had said he had not eaten lunch yet and that they would talk while they ate, but he had not told Ye Nanxun where they were going. Ye Nanxun had not asked, either.

He guessed it would probably be a highly private estate, or perhaps a reservation-only restaurant that served only certain regular clients.

So when the hovercar descended from the air and drove into a building, Ye Nanxun was slightly surprised.

This was neither a luxurious private estate nor a place with anyone besides the two of them.

It was a spacious, bright, warm, and comfortable apartment.

The decor was simple yet tasteful, with traces of everyday life everywhere.

Yan Beiyou stepped out of the garage with practiced ease and changed into slippers. He also brought a pair for Ye Nanxun, who was still in his wheelchair.

They were brand-new, off-white, fluffy slippers.

The slippers fit perfectly. A bizarre thought flashed through Ye Nanxun's mind, only to be swiftly dismissed.

"Wheelchair or crutches?" Yan Beiyou asked.

"...Crutches, thank you."

Not only had Yan Beiyou prepared slippers, but he had also prepared crutches for Ye Nanxun to use indoors.

Wearing the new slippers and leaning on the new crutches, Ye Nanxun followed Yan Beiyou into the exceptionally spacious living room.

"We will eat together in a while. Is there anything you cannot eat?"

With his back to the omega, Yan Beiyou took off his long black coat. Underneath was a black turtleneck sweater, snug but not tight against the alpha's fit body, outlining his powerful, fluid lines.

"No." Ye Nanxun said, "I have no dietary restrictions."

"So easy to feed?"

Yan Beiyou had his back to him, so Ye Nanxun could not see the alpha's expression. Yet he vaguely detected a trace of amusement in those words.

Ye Nanxun sat down on the sofa. A shadow fell over him, and then a cup of warm water was placed before him.

Yan Beiyou said, "I will make lunch."

Ye Nanxun was startled.

A familiar egg was placed in his hands.

Yan Beiyou said, "Get acquainted with it first. We will discuss the details over dinner."

The warm egg was placed in his arms, and Ye Nanxun was startled again.

Perhaps the young man's helplessness was too obvious. Yan Beiyou silently curled his lips and padded toward the kitchen in his slippers.

The kitchen was semi-open, so Ye Nanxun, sitting in the living room, could clearly see what the alpha was doing.

Yan Beiyou crouched down, opened a cabinet, and took out some plates.

The tall alpha walked to the refrigerator beside it, took out some fresh green vegetables, and set them on the cutting board.

Thud, thud, thud—

A steady, rhythmic sound came from the cutting board.

Ye Nanxun gradually came back to himself. He looked down at the egg in his arms, still carrying the alpha's scent, then occasionally stole glances at Yan Beiyou's back as he cooked.

He suddenly could not tell which was more unbelievable: that he had been reborn after death, or that Yan Beiyou could cook.

The egg in his hands suddenly bounced.

Ye Nanxun panicked and hurriedly hugged it tightly, lowering his head to inspect it.

"Mr. Yan, it moved. This egg just moved."

Sizzle—

The vegetables went into the hot pan. Without turning around, Yan Beiyou said, "It does that when it is happy. Maybe it has not seen you in a long time. Now that it can sense your presence, it is quite happy."

As though responding to Yan Beiyou's words, the egg jumped again in Ye Nanxun's palm, frightening him so badly that his heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

Freshly stir-fried beef was poured onto a warm plate, and Yan Beiyou glanced toward the living room.

Ye Nanxun sat ramrod straight like a taut green bamboo stalk, holding the egg in both hands, his brows slightly furrowed and his expression tense.

"Relax. It is formed from the fused pheromones of two top-tier alphas and an omega. It is very sturdy. It would be fine even if you threw it off a rooftop."

Yan Beiyou carried the plate out and set the porcelain dish on the wooden table with a soft clink.

Ye Nanxun's tense shoulders lowered slightly. Hearing that, he nodded.

When the egg jumped again, he still hugged it tight in alarm, just as he had before.