Chapter 1361: ’BROTHER YAN’

LUO YAN awoke slowly, his eyelids heavy from the night before. He felt a faint soreness around his eyes, a reminder of how much he had cried. For a moment, he just lay still. Then he noticed the empty space beside him. The sheets were cool, indicating Shen Ji Yun had been up for a while. He blinked a few times, turned his head, and heard faint sounds coming from the kitchen.

A small smile tugged at his lips. He stretched his arms above his head and let out a long breath. He felt tired, but lighter. Like a massive burden was suddenly gone inside him. He sat up slowly, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and sat there for a moment, rubbing his face with his hands. Then he stood up and went to the adjoining bathroom.

He glanced at his reflection as he splashed water on his face. Just as he had expected, there was still some redness around his eyes. But at least they weren’t puffy. The ice pack Shen Ji Yun had used on him last night clearly helped. He was glad for that. He didn’t want to spend today with puffy eyes, especially since they would be going around the resort.

He picked up his toothbrush and squeezed a small amount of toothpaste onto it. He brushed his teeth slowly. After rinsing, he completed his usual skincare routine. He patted his face dry and took one last look in the mirror. Good. He was pretty again. He turned and left the bathroom.

Luo Yan made his way to the kitchen. The moment he stepped out of the bedroom, the smell of food hit him. He stopped for a second, then spotted Shen Ji Yun at the stove, his back turned as he worked. A smile spread across Luo Yan’s face without him even realizing it. He walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, pressing his chest against Shen Ji Yun’s back.

He felt Shen Ji Yun’s body go still for a second before slowly relaxing against him. "Good morning, Brother Ji Yun."

Shen Ji Yun turned off the stove and set down the spatula. The turnip cake he had been frying was ready. He turned around and wrapped his arms around Luo Yan in return.

"You’re up early," Shen Ji Yun said, pressing a kiss to the top of Luo Yan’s head.

"I have to," Luo Yan said, tilting his head up. "We have a schedule, remember?"

"Then I guess we should eat breakfast quickly," Shen Ji Yun said.

"Why did you cook breakfast, by the way?" Luo Yan asked, pulling back just enough to look at him. "We could have just ordered and had Mr. Du bring it to us. It’s your birthday. You shouldn’t be the one cooking."

"I don’t mind. I like cooking for you," Shen Ji Yun said. "Now go to the terrace. I’ll bring the food out, and we can have breakfast while enjoying the view."

Luo Yan let out a small, helpless laugh. "Okay." He gave Shen Ji Yun’s waist one last squeeze before letting go and heading toward the terrace.

He stepped out onto the terrace. The morning air was crisp, but the sun had already begun to warm the space, and the tall walls on either side shielded him from the cold wind. He settled into one of the chairs, his gaze drifting over the distant mountains, their peaks catching the early light. He let out a slow breath and leaned back, waiting for Shen Ji Yun to join him.

Shen Ji Yun appeared on the terrace a few moments later, carrying a tray of food. He set down two plates of turnip cake, two bowls of tofu pudding, a plate of fried dumplings, and two glasses of soy milk.

"Wait here. I’ll go grab one more thing," Shen Ji Yun said, already turning back.

Before Luo Yan could say anything, Shen Ji Yun had already disappeared back inside. He returned a moment later carrying a thick quilt. Without a word, he draped it around Luo Yan’s shoulders.

"So, you won’t get cold," Shen Ji Yun said.

Luo Yan looked up at him, a soft smile on his face. "Thank you."

Shen Ji Yun smiled back and sat down across from Luo Yan. Then the two of them started eating.

Luo Yan picked up a piece of turnip cake with his chopsticks and took a bite. Its crisp exterior yielded to a soft, savory interior, with a slight chewiness from the bits of cured meat. Warm and comforting, it tasted like home. He hummed in approval and reached for another piece.

"Your cooking is really the best, Brother Ji Yun," he said, reaching for a dumpling this time. "Where did you even get the ingredients for all this?"

"I called Mr. Du earlier, and he brought everything over," Shen Ji Yun said, taking a bite of his own turnip cake.

Luo Yan nodded. "That’s convenient." He dipped his dumpling into a small dish of vinegar and took a bite. It was good as expected.

"But Yan Yan," Shen Ji Yun asked suddenly, "Are you still going to call me ’brother’?" He paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Since we’ve established that you’re older than me, at least in terms of soul age, should I start calling you ’Brother Yan’ instead?"

The piece of dumpling Luo Yan was chewing almost went down the wrong way when he heard Shen Ji Yun call him ’Brother Yan’. He coughed a few times and quickly grabbed his glass of soy milk to wash it down.

Then he felt his whole face warm. He hadn’t expected hearing Shen Ji Yun call him "Brother Yan" to make him feel so... giddy. Was that even the right word? He wasn’t sure. But he knew he liked it. It’s just that, he felt more embarrassed.

"Are you alright, Brother Yan?" Shen Ji Yun asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern, though there was also a trace of playfulness underneath it.

Luo Yan narrowed his eyes at the other. "Are you teasing me?"

Shen Ji Yun just laughed in response. He picked up another piece of turnip cake and popped it into his mouth, still smiling.

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