The Burnt Egg

This question lingered in Qi Gu's mind for only a few brief seconds, quickly slipping away from his heart like soft silk. Compared to this question, Qi Gu was more concerned about Lan Han Zhi's fondness for hugs. The little version of Lan Han Zhi in his mind seemed to have a grasp on Qi Gu's psychology, simultaneously extending adorable, plump little arms towards him, gazing at him with pitiful eyes—utterly against the rules. Qi Gu felt that if he kept looking, he might actually try to hug Lan Han Zhi. He quickly attempted a carp flip... then failed, making a grand gesture. He paused for two seconds, honestly sat up, washed his face, and went to the dining room.

Butler Yi had just headed towards the dining room; upon seeing Qi Gu awake, he went to prepare breakfast. Half the dining room was bathed in sunlight. On the wooden dining table sat a bouquet of purple-blue hydrangeas, with tender green chive flowers deeply placed in a transparent vase, occasionally bubbling slightly. Lan Han Zhi stood half-bent at the dining table, placing a white ceramic plate on the surface. In that moment, he exuded a certain air of a family man. "Awake?" Lan Han Zhi recalled last night's events and still felt a little guilty conscience upon seeing Qi Gu, especially when his gaze lingered on Qi Gu's lips. He forced himself to quickly look away. Fortunately, Qi Gu forgot everything as soon as he saw food, thus not noticing Lan Han Zhi's slight guilt.

Two breakfast plates were laid out on the table, with golden fried eggs and bacon, a Western-style breakfast. Qi Gu looked at the other plate, a completely black fried egg that entirely clashed with the style: "What's this?" Could it be that Butler Yi, out of careful consideration for his name, was now so ashamed that he decided to commit suicide? Lan Han Zhi blurted out, shifting all blame: "Nothing, the butler accidentally burnt it. You eat this portion; I'll eat the burnt one." Just now, Lan Han Zhi had gone into the kitchen and saw Butler Yi preparing breakfast. A sudden surge of inspiration led him to want to make Qi Gu a beautifully shaped love egg. Who knew that because he didn't master the heat correctly, he directly burnt a originally golden-yellow egg to charcoal black. Lan Han Zhi was unwilling to give up, feeling that he shouldn't fail at such a small task. So he tried harder, only to make it worse, and in the end, the last three chicken eggs in the refrigerator were all fried charcoal black. Lan Han Zhi had no choice but to pick the most presentable one from the three burnt eggs, half black and half yellow, and place it on a plate, intending to eat it himself. Perhaps it only looked bad; the taste might still be acceptable. After all, he had fried the egg himself, so it shouldn't be too unpalatable.

Qi Gu saw Butler Yi looking perfectly normal and said to Lan Han Zhi: "How about I eat it?" This egg looked like it would poison anyone who ate it. Lan Han Zhi was already physically weak; could he withstand eating this? Qi Gu actually had no intention of throwing away the egg; he always cherished food. Lan Han Zhi's peach blossom eyes lit up: "You're willing to eat... my egg?" Qi Gu: "Although it doesn't look great, it should still be edible." "Do you really think so?" Lan Han Zhi's eyes sparkled. From this reaction, Qi Gu had guessed eight or nine tenths of the truth. Wishing to encourage someone who was cooking for the first time, perhaps on a whim, he said: "Yes." Lan Han Zhi really wanted Qi Gu to taste his cooking. He also clearly knew that what he made probably didn't taste good, so he nervously said: "Then try it once. If you can't eat it, spit it out immediately." "Before eating it, I have one more thing to confirm." Qi Gu quickly stepped towards Lan Han Zhi. Lan Han Zhi was startled by his rapid movement, and just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he felt his drooping arm and waist being embraced by Qi Gu. The body temperatures of the two instantly mingled, as if becoming one. Lan Han Zhi's breathing quickened slightly, his breath brushing against Qi Gu's neck, an indescribably itchy sensation. As Lan Han Zhi's pupils contracted in surprise, he couldn't help but think—why did Qi Gu suddenly hug him? Was it because he liked him? Or had something happened? It definitely wasn't because he felt eating this egg would poison him, so he was giving a final farewell, was it? Thoughts flashed through Lan Han Zhi's mind one after another. He felt like a duvet cover on the sea, drifting aimlessly. Just as Lan Han Zhi was about to say something, Qi Gu suddenly lowered his voice and asked for his feelings: "Do you like it? This hug?" Lan Han Zhi found no reason not to like the hug. "I like it, but why did you suddenly hug me?" Clearly, Qi Gu wasn't the type of person who liked intimate physical contact with others. "Nothing," Qi Gu resumed his usual indifferent tone, "I just felt you looked a bit easy to hug just now." A little cuter than the chattering Lan Han Zhi in his head. Liking it was good; this proved that Butler Yi's words were correct—Lan Han Zhi liked being hugged. Lan Han Zhi was left dazed and confused by Qi Gu's words, feeling that what he had in his hand might not be milk, but high-proof liquor. Otherwise, how could he have such a beautiful dream so early in the morning? Qi Gu actually said he looked easy to hug! While Lan Han Zhi was dazed, Qi Gu used a fork to pick up the completely black fried egg, sniffed it, brought it to his lips, and took a small bite. The crispy golden edge was a bit like a crispy fried egg with a shrimp flavor, but it didn't actually have the sour and bitter taste he imagined. "The taste is alright," Qi Gu said, looking at Lan Han Zhi, "Did you make this?" Lan Han Zhi: "...Yes." "Thank you for the egg," Qi Gu said, and without warning, continued to eat the egg. Suddenly, caught off guard, he bit into a completely burnt piece. That taste was as bitter as a years-old, unreplaced sponge. Qi Gu's pupils trembled. He suddenly stood up and looked for a trash can. Lan Han Zhi, how could he make a chicken egg with such destructive power! If he were to catch ghosts later, he should have Lan Han Zhi make eighteen fried eggs to bring along. If he encountered those gaping-mouthed ghosts, he could just throw the eggs at them for a bit of stimulation. Qi Gu thought this, but to Lan Han Zhi, who was looking at him worriedly, still holding the trash can, he said after spitting it out and rinsing his mouth: "It's nothing, it's not unpalatable, I just can't quite adapt to this kind of flavor." Butler Yi, standing nearby: "..." Although he highly respected Lan Han Zhi, he had to tell the truth: Lan Han Zhi's fried eggs were worse than dog food! Yet Qi Gu could lie through his teeth to this extent, saying such devilish words about that devil's egg. It was clear that Qi Gu definitely had Lan Han Zhi in his heart! If he didn't, he... he would eat the other half of Qi Gu's egg right now!