The kiss lingered in Jiang Xiaoshuai’s thoughts long after the storm passed.

The morning after, he woke up tangled in his blanket, his heart pounding at the memory. He buried his face in his pillow and groaned. “What did I do…?”

But no matter how much he tried to scold himself, the warmth of that kiss clung to him like the scent of flour after days of baking. It had been soft. Real. Dangerous.

He stumbled into the kitchen, half-expecting to see Guo Cheng Yu already there with his usual smirk. But the apartment was empty. Quiet. Too quiet.

“Good,” Xiaoshuai muttered to himself, tying his apron anyway. “I don’t need him. I can cook on my own now.”

Yet as he chopped vegetables, his hand trembled. He heard Cheng Yu’s voice in his head: Don’t fight the knife. Let it do the work. He scowled at the memory, nearly slicing his finger.

By the time he finished the dish, the vegetables were uneven, the noodles clumped together, and the soup was bland. He stared at the mess, shoulders slumping.

“…I miss him,” he admitted aloud, his voice barely above a whisper.

The next day, Cheng Yu didn’t show up. Nor the day after.

Xiaoshuai tried to convince himself it was better this way. That he could finally go back to normal, without distractions, without someone looming over his shoulder. But his apartment felt emptier with each passing evening.

On the third night, he found himself pacing the living room, muttering. “He probably thinks I’m some idiot. Or maybe he realized I’m not worth the trouble. Or maybe…” His chest tightened. “…maybe that kiss didn’t mean anything to him.”

The thought made his stomach twist.

Finally, unable to bear it, Xiaoshuai grabbed his jacket and marched out the door.

Guo Cheng Yu’s office was as intimidating as ever—sleek glass walls, polished floors, a reception desk that made Xiaoshuai feel like he’d wandered into another world. The receptionist blinked in surprise as he stormed in.

“I need to see Guo Cheng Yu!” Xiaoshuai declared.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked politely.

“No! But tell him Jiang Xiaoshuai is here, and if he doesn’t come out, I’ll…” Xiaoshuai trailed off, realizing he hadn’t thought this far ahead. “I’ll make a scene!”

The receptionist hesitated, then picked up the phone. Moments later, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway—elegant as ever, but with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“Xiaoshuai?” Cheng Yu asked.

“You!” Xiaoshuai jabbed a finger at him. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

A murmur rippled through the nearby employees, curious eyes turning toward the scene. Cheng Yu’s brow twitched. “Let’s talk inside.”

Before Xiaoshuai could protest, Cheng Yu guided him into his office and shut the door.

The silence was thick. Xiaoshuai crossed his arms, glaring. “Well?”

Cheng Yu sighed, loosening his tie. “I wasn’t avoiding you.”

“Liar!” Xiaoshuai snapped. “You didn’t come by for three days! That’s avoidance!”

“I thought you needed space,” Cheng Yu said calmly. “After what happened…”

The memory of the kiss flashed between them, unspoken but burning. Xiaoshuai’s ears turned red. “I didn’t ask for space!”

Cheng Yu studied him for a long moment. “Then what do you want, Xiaoshuai?”

The question hit harder than Xiaoshuai expected. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, fumbling for words. “I… I don’t know.”

Cheng Yu’s lips curved faintly, though not into a smirk. “You barged into my office without knowing what you want?”

“Yes!” Xiaoshuai shouted, flustered. “Because I—because I missed you, okay?!”

The words hung in the air, heavier than thunder. Xiaoshuai’s face burned, his fists clenched. He half-expected Cheng Yu to laugh, to mock him, to turn it into another game.

But Cheng Yu didn’t. His expression softened, his eyes warming in a way Xiaoshuai had never seen. “I missed you too.”

Xiaoshuai blinked, stunned. “You… what?”

“I missed you,” Cheng Yu repeated, his voice steady. “Annoying as you are, loud as you are… I got used to being in that kitchen with you. Too used to it.”

Xiaoshuai’s chest tightened, something hot rising behind his eyes. He quickly looked away. “You’re too smooth, you know that? Always saying things like that.”

“It’s the truth.”

The silence stretched, but it was different now. Softer. Almost fragile.

Finally, Xiaoshuai muttered, “Fine. Then… don’t avoid me again.”

Cheng Yu’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “As you wish.”

From that day on, their rhythm returned—but it wasn’t quite the same. The air between them carried a new charge, something unspoken yet undeniable.

When they cooked, their shoulders brushed more often. When they laughed, it lingered longer. When Cheng Yu guided his hands, Xiaoshuai didn’t pull away.

One evening, while kneading dough, Xiaoshuai looked up to find Cheng Yu watching him, not the food. His chest fluttered. “What?”

“Nothing,” Cheng Yu said, though his eyes betrayed him.

“You’re staring,” Xiaoshuai accused.

“Am I?” Cheng Yu’s lips curved. “Maybe I like the view.”

Xiaoshuai nearly dropped the dough. “You—! Don’t say stuff like that!”

“Why not? It’s true.”

Xiaoshuai buried his face in his hands, groaning. “You’re impossible.”

“Yet you keep letting me in,” Cheng Yu replied softly.

The words made Xiaoshuai’s heart pound.

As spring bloomed, so did their bond. Cooking lessons turned into shared dinners, shared dinners turned into late-night talks on the couch. Sometimes they argued, sometimes they laughed until their stomachs hurt.

But always, always, there was that quiet thread pulling them closer.

One night, after successfully baking a cake without disaster, Xiaoshuai plopped onto the couch, exhausted. “We did it. Finally. A cake that doesn’t look like a crime scene.”

Cheng Yu sat beside him, handing him a fork. “It tastes better than it looks.”

Xiaoshuai took a bite, eyes widening. “It’s actually good!”

“Of course it is,” Cheng Yu said smoothly. “You had an excellent teacher.”

“You mean you did all the work.”

“Semantics,” Cheng Yu replied, smirking.

They ate in comfortable silence, the sweet taste lingering on their tongues. When the plates were empty, Xiaoshuai leaned back with a sigh. “You know, if someone told me a few months ago I’d be spending my nights cooking with you, I’d have laughed in their face.”

“And now?” Cheng Yu asked.

“…Now I think I’d miss it if it stopped,” Xiaoshuai admitted quietly.

Cheng Yu’s eyes softened. He reached over, brushing a smear of frosting from the corner of Xiaoshuai’s mouth with his thumb. “So would I.”

Xiaoshuai’s breath hitched. Their eyes met, and once again, the space between them dissolved.

This time, when Cheng Yu leaned in, Xiaoshuai didn’t hesitate. He met him halfway.

The kiss was deeper than the first—hungry, desperate, filled with all the unspoken words they hadn’t dared to say. Xiaoshuai clutched at Cheng Yu’s shirt, pulling him closer, while Cheng Yu’s hand cradled the back of his head with surprising gentleness.

When they finally broke apart, Xiaoshuai’s face was crimson. “You’re… you’re still impossible.”

Cheng Yu chuckled, his forehead resting against Xiaoshuai’s. “And yet, you’re still here.”

“…Yeah,” Xiaoshuai whispered, his lips curving into a small smile. “I am.”

Months later, the kitchen was no longer a battlefield. It was theirs.

Flour fights still happened, but they ended in laughter, not frustration. Mistakes still occurred, but they became part of the recipe—part of the story.

Xiaoshuai still burned things occasionally, but Cheng Yu was always there to steady his hands, to guide him, to remind him he wasn’t alone.

One evening, as they plated dinner together, Xiaoshuai looked around at the messy counter, the warm light, the man beside him. And for the first time, he didn’t see chaos.

He saw home.

“Hey, Cheng Yu,” he said softly.

“Hm?”

“Thanks… for staying.”

Cheng Yu glanced at him, his smirk giving way to something rare, something genuine. “Always.”

And as they sat down to eat, Jiang Xiaoshuai realized the secret recipe hadn’t been about cooking at all.

It had been about finding this—finding him.

Finding love in the unlikeliest kitchen.

THE END.

💖🍰✨ Thank you so much for reading my story!
Your support means the world 🌍💫 Every comment, every like, every moment you spend with these characters makes my heart so full 💕🥰

Here’s to more laughter 😂, fluff 🧸, and sweet moments 🍓💌 ahead.
Stay cozy, stay happy, and keep enjoying the journey with me! 🌸🌈

With love and gratitude,
Cloud Recesses Dropout💌💫