What Are Your Tastes? chapter 14

Rebirth of the Egg

Zhou Yanchuan really liked the thick omelette he had at Lu Yunchu’s place last week. It was perfectly seasoned, and the texture was tender. According to Lu Yunchu, he learned it from online tutorials, and it wasn’t hard to make, but required special cookware.

After returning to his apartment that day, Zhou Yanchuan ordered a rectangular pan online. When it arrived a couple of days later, he eagerly followed the video instructions.

However, his attempts at making the thick omelette either wouldn’t roll up properly or turned into a scrambled mess.

Having helped out with cooking at home since childhood, Zhou Yanchuan prided himself on his cooking skills. He was reluctant to admit that his cooking wasn’t as good as Lu Yunchu, who seemed more pampered. Seeing another perfect omelette roll on Lu Yunchu’s social media, he couldn’t resist asking for advice.

Lu Yunchu understood immediately upon receiving the message: [You want to make it too?]

Zhou Yanchuan honestly replied: [Yes, I bought the pan and followed online tutorials, but they didn’t turn out well.]

[Why don’t I teach you? At your place or mine?]

[Your place.]

Zhou Yanchuan had another reason for going to Lu Yunchu’s place; he wanted to see Sabrina again. He hadn’t seen them out walking in the past few days and missed the adorable dog.

[Then come over.]

The door was slightly open, and when Zhou Yanchuan pushed it open, Sabrina ran to greet him.

“Hey there, little one.” He closed the door and petted the dog for a while.

Seeing Zhou Yanchuan in casual clothes again, Lu Yunchu was subtly reminded of the conversation he overheard in the mall parking lot yesterday, but their relationship wasn’t close enough to ask about it.

Zhou Yanchuan squatted at the door, playing happily with Sabrina. Lu Yunchu, in no hurry to start the cooking lesson, called them over: “Come sit for a bit.”

“Oh, thanks.” The living room sofa was small, with a simple design and wooden frame, covered with a thin layer of leather. It was hard but suited Zhou Yanchuan just fine. He preferred firmer sofas and didn’t like fully wooden ones. Finding this ideal piece of furniture in Lu Yunchu’s place, he casually asked, “Where did you get this sofa? It’s quite comfortable.”

“Custom made online.”

“Custom made… that’s nice.” Zhou Yanchuan looked around, taking in the details.

“Yeah,” Lu Yunchu said, “actually, this sofa has another form.”

“What form? A sofa bed?”

Lu Yunchu sat down beside him and said seriously, “A coffin.”

“What did you say?” Zhou Yanchuan was shocked, thinking he must have heard wrong.

“You can flip the bottom up,” seeing Zhou Yanchuan’s confusion, Lu Yunchu explained patiently, “and cover it with the back panel. Want to try it? It’s very soundproof.”

“No, no, no… thanks,” Zhou Yanchuan quickly declined, examining the sofa’s structure. He could see how it could turn into a coffin, “You got a coffin… to cosplay as a vampire?”

Lu Yunchu didn’t have any particular purpose; he bought it because he found it interesting and rarely used it in its other form.

“Why would I cosplay a vampire? I’m not that edgy.”

If he actually did it would indeed not be edgy; but a case of a scrambled brain. Zhou Yanchuan was still a bit shaken.

“Mr. Lu,” he suggested, “how about we make some egg rolls?” He wasn’t used to calling it by the Japanese name and felt that “egg roll” sounded more down-to-earth.

“Sure,” Lu Yunchu immediately stood up, “wash your hands and come over.”

The apartment was small, and the kitchen was open, facing the living room. Zhou Yanchuan hadn’t taken a close look last time he visited. This time, as he entered the kitchen, he noticed the abundant supply of ingredients stored there. Not only were there many seasonings, but a small metal rack next to the fridge was also filled with various non-perishable foods, all neatly arranged and not at all messy.

“Well…” Zhou Yanchuan, recalling his earlier misunderstanding, smiled awkwardly. “I never thought you’d know how to cook.”

“Really?” Lu Yunchu cracked a few eggs and handed them to him to beat. “Cooking has a lot in common with my profession.”

His cooking skills weren’t developed for self-reliance or independence but out of a genuine interest, much like his childhood hobbies of drawing and sculpting clay. His family always hired a maid, and when he was young, Lu Changming and Wu Lan didn’t allow him into the kitchen. He could only sneak in and ask the maid to teach him when his parents were not at home. After living on his own, his cooking skills improved rapidly.

However, Zhou Yanchuan didn’t understand his enthusiasm: “Huh?”

“Uncooked ingredients are like raw wood, stone, or any material,” Lu Yunchu said slowly. “They are original, natural, and might seem ordinary.

“After a series of processes, they are cooked and reborn in a new form, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Isn’t that interesting?”

“Uh… yeah.” Zhou Yanchuan looked at the beaten egg mixture in the bowl with mixed feelings, then glanced at the small flame already rising on the stove.

Rebirth, maybe not. But flames, definitely.

Today’s egg mixture had only seasoning and milk, with no other ingredients. Lu Yunchu brushed a layer of oil on the bottom of the pan and asked, “What did you do wrong?”

Zhou Yanchuan briefly explained the problems he encountered.

“Maybe the oil wasn’t spread evenly, or the heat wasn’t low enough,” Lu Yunchu said while pouring the egg mixture, “everyone’s stove is different. Even after watching videos, you need to experiment and find the right temperature. Use low heat, and roll it when the surface isn’t completely dry.

“You do this layer.” After the first layer formed, Lu Yunchu handed the spatula to Zhou Yanchuan.

“…Okay.”

Zhou Yanchuan realized this delicate cooking style was very different from his usual one, no wonder he couldn’t get it right. His right hand trembled slightly as he carefully lifted the half-cooked egg layer, but only the right side peeled off smoothly while the other side seemed half-stuck to the pan.

“No worries, just be decisive when rolling, or it will tear more easily.” As Lu Yunchu explained, he placed his hand over Zhou Yanchuan’s, covering the back of his right hand.

Zhou Yanchuan didn’t react much, but Lu Yunchu felt a strange sensation at the moment of skin contact.

Normally, there’s a propriety between men and women, but for Lu Yunchu, who had awakened to his orientation early, avoiding close contact with men was more significant. Now, their right hands were tightly pressed together, Zhou Yanchuan’s chin almost resting on his shoulder, an intimate and ambiguous posture. He felt an invisible pressure.

How did they get this close?

“Okay, that’s good.” Lu Yunchu barely exerted any force, and it was Zhou Yanchuan who rolled up the egg layer, exclaiming in surprise.

He let go and stepped back slightly. Being straight, Zhou Yanchuan didn’t feel awkward at all and was happy about making the first roll successfully.

“Mm, pretty good,” Lu Yunchu took back the spatula, “I’ll do the next layer.” As the cooking continued, the previous tension gradually dissipated.