Benefit Extra: A Bustling Day, Everyone Enjoying Hotpot

Song Shuling wasn’t particularly fond of hotpot.

It was too “hot.”

Whether it was a clear broth, a spicy broth, or a combination of both, it was impossible to avoid the strong flavors. Even in the fanciest restaurants, the hotpot would inevitably permeate everyone’s taste buds and clothes. At home, the hotpot lacked a bit of the lively atmosphere.

Unless there were many people.

Four people… it was still okay?

The large copper pot sat proudly in the center of the room, bubbling away. One half was a milky-white bone broth, the other a fiery red oil broth with Sichuan peppercorns. Everyone except Song Shuling could handle the spiciness. The ingredients were all freshly picked from their own farm, incredibly fresh.

Whether it was the tender green vegetables, the thick slices of lamb, or the plates of mushrooms and tripe, everything became mouth-wateringly delicious when dipped in the hotpot. Ruan Zhen and Gu Yusheng were already drinking, while Lu Cuo, worried about breaking out from too much spiciness, sat primly drinking yogurt. The steamy, savory aroma filled the room. After a while, Song Shuling stood up, took off his coat, and unbuttoned his shirt a bit.

“Didn’t I say you’d get hot?”

Ruan Zhen turned and smiled, his cheeks flushed. “I told you to change earlier.”

“It’s fine,” Gu Yusheng said calmly, picking up a piece of old tofu. “Don’t the protagonists in novels always wear their shirts like they’re welded to their bodies, fighting in suits?”

He had seen it too many times. The “suit brute” character, with the hint of thigh-high stockings, was purely for the sake of being sexy.

Otherwise, who would have a CEO fighting in a shirt, risking the seams?

“Actually, I agree,” Ruan Zhen nodded. “And the glasses they wear while reading, it’s completely unnecessary…”

Lu Cuo tilted his head. “Why is it unnecessary? A husband’s appearance is his wife’s pride, right, honey?”

The random mix of terms left Song Shuling and Ruan Zhen speechless for a few seconds.

Lu Cuo looked completely serious, nudging Gu Yusheng with his shoulder and drawing out his words. “Baby, I want that.”

Gu Yusheng, expressionless, picked up a piece of beef tripe and placed it in his mouth.

Lu Cuo puffed his cheeks and chewed, then continued. “Baby, and that one too.”

Gu Yusheng picked up a piece of bamboo shoot, dipped it in the oil sauce, and placed it in his mouth.

Lu Cuo gave a thumbs-up. “Perfect.”

Ruan Zhen asked curiously, “How do you know which one he wants?”

Gu Yusheng looked up, having taken off his glasses during the meal. His gray eyes had a faint hint of tenderness. Ruan Zhen had been drawn to those eyes from the first meeting, finding the doctor, though a bit grumpy, not at all cold, and especially gentle with his loved ones—

Before he could say “good,”

“Because I picked it, and he has to eat it.”

Ruan Zhen’s chopsticks paused, shocked at Lu Cuo’s satisfied expression.

Song Shuling couldn’t bear to look, picking up a shrimp ball and placing it in Ruan Zhen’s bowl. “…Baby, eat more.”

Ruan Zhen was naturally laid-back and slow-paced. After getting married, he had become even more indulged by Song Shuling. He would cling to Song Shuling even while taking a shower, making the parrot fly to the living room, refusing to enter the bedroom for fear of developing eye problems.

They were unlike Gu Yusheng and Lu Cuo, who bickered while eating hotpot, their chopsticks moving with precision, leaving no trace in the pot. Ruan Zhen could chew a beef ball for ages, then drink some red wine, his skin flushing, his eyes dark and moist.

Song Shuling’s heart melted just looking at him.

Lu Cuo seized the opportunity to feed Gu Yusheng some yogurt. “Honey, when will you look at me like that?”

Gu Yusheng looked up, speechless.

“Look at Song Shuling,” Lu Cuo wiped Gu Yusheng’s mouth with a napkin. “The way he looks at Xiao Ruan, it’s like melted chocolate, so tender and loving…”

Gu Yusheng remained expressionless. “Burning with passion.”

Lu Cuo: “Fervent and intense… so, honey, I want you to look at me like that.”

Gu Yusheng: “Earth-shattering.”

Lu Cuo: “Shattering… why are we playing a word game again!”

Gu Yusheng looked at him. “You can’t continue.”

Lu Cuo slapped the table. “How could I not!”

“You get angry at me,” Gu Yusheng said calmly. “Would Song Shuling ever do that to Xiao Ruan?”

Amidst the bubbling of the copper pot, Song Shuling continued to pick shrimp dumplings for Ruan Zhen, the two of them whispering to each other, mostly ignoring the two across from them. They were used to it. The air conditioner blew, but the room remained steamy, the four of them each talking about their own things, creating a cacophony like eight hundred ducks in one room.

The most amazing part was that despite each talking about their own things, they could still connect with each other.

“Anyway, there’s no plot at the end,” Gu Yusheng drank Lu Cuo’s yogurt. “Everyone is already very happy.”

Like the ending of a fairy tale, the prince and princess get married and live happily ever after. The book is closed, the mother kisses the child’s forehead, the curtains billow in the wind, and it’s time for a peaceful sleep.

So, when two people are together, every day is a pleasant spring.

Time can certainly be wasted.

“Look, you’re sweating,” Song Shuling touched Ruan Zhen’s forehead, his voice low. “Tonight, I’ll carry you to take a bath.”

“Speaking of which,” Ruan Zhen had drunk a bit too much, his lips red. “I’ve never quite understood why it’s always… the other person carrying us to take a bath, especially after being intimate. Shouldn’t he be more tired?”

He spoke vaguely, and Gu Yusheng understood.

Ruan Zhen meant that after each time, the one who received was always the one with a sore back, while the one who gave was always energetic and lively.

Logically, there’s no such thing as a field that can’t be plowed, only a bull that can be worked to death. In most cases, except for navel oranges, it should be the one who gives who does all the work, while the one who receives is usually pinned down, the force so strong it could almost carve into the wall.

So, shouldn’t both be tired?

Gu Yusheng was silent for a moment, not explaining. “…I don’t know, the teacher didn’t teach us that.”

Ruan Zhen was truly drunk. “I think these settings are problematic. And even if he’s strong, I’m an adult man. Can he really carry me all night…”

Before he could finish, Song Shuling covered his mouth.

“That’s normal,” Gu Yusheng said calmly, drinking his yogurt. “Nowadays, in novels, there’s a lot of inflation, whether it’s wealth, height, frequency, or even…”

On average, they could all leave marks.

As a “dominant,” not carrying an 18+ thermos everywhere would make it embarrassing to greet others. But Gu Yusheng was already grateful. Even with these exaggerated settings, they were still within the realm of normal human physiology. If it were on Huayu (a website similar to jjwxc), it wouldn’t just be 18+, it could be used as a weapon.

After all, it’s not always just one, right?

Maybe two.

Or three.

But it’s okay, because the “receptive” ones there are also quite deep, possibly in more than one place…

Stop.

Huayu (a website similar to jjwxc) was under maintenance, and Gu Yusheng didn’t dare to think further. He quietly glanced at Lu Cuo, who was innocently blinking.

Gu Yusheng looked away. “…Anyway, we’re happy.”

Ruan Zhen pulled away from Song Shuling. “We are very happy.”

His face was flushed, his speech slow, his expression dazed. “I feel… very happy.”

“Since it’s an HE,” Lu Cuo interjected, “BEs are rare now, but I heard there were many tragic love stories in the past?”

“Right,”

Gu Yusheng nodded. “In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep peacefully at night. I’d be woken up in the middle of the night to go to the villa’s secret room, and be fed dog food.”

The broken one, the ultra-masculine one, and the one with a face of indifference carrying a medical kit.

“Me too,” Ruan Zhen said, supporting his cheek. “If it were in the past, I don’t think I could have been Song Shuling’s first love…”

After saying that, he thought of something, and his body involuntarily trembled. Song Shuling immediately held his hand, patting it comfortingly.

“It’s okay,” Gu Yusheng reassured him. “Now it’s simple, just call the police.”

But Ruan Zhen still frowned slightly, as if lost in some unpleasant thoughts.

“Don’t worry,” Gu Yusheng put down the yogurt. “No matter what, everything is the best arrangement.”

Song Shuling held Ruan Zhen’s hand. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Don’t worry,” Ruan Zhen smiled. “I was just mentioning it, thinking about some things from the past.”

But he had stood up countless times, whether in a small alley being bullied or walking deep into the mountains. Ruan Zhen never compromised, always strong.

“Exactly,” Lu Cuo said, peeling grapes with gloves. “And Song Shuling has been protecting you for a long time.”

Both of them looked up.

Lu Cuo placed the grapes in Gu Yusheng’s mouth. “Hey, didn’t you have a brother who helped you once?”

Ruan Zhen’s eyes widened. “But—”

He wanted to say, I don’t know that person. He had kept a youthful aspiration in his heart, using it as motivation to move forward. As he grew stronger, that light faded into the background, like countless stars in the night sky, not particularly noticeable but always present.

He looked back at Song Shuling. “Was it you?”

Song Shuling’s chest rose and fell. “I don’t know.”

He didn’t mind if Ruan Zhen had someone in his heart. He was even grateful that in the years he couldn’t reach, someone had treated Ruan Zhen with care, making the crying child a bit happier.

“It must have been you,” Gu Yusheng’s cheeks puffed up. “Otherwise, why would the author write this foreshadowing? Just for fun?”

It’s all a cliché.

Ruan Zhen opened his mouth. “I, I don’t remember what he looked like.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Gu Yusheng looked at him tenderly. “Isn’t he already by your side?”

The hotpot bubbled, and after eating for so long, everyone was a bit less “fresh.” Even the most vain Lu Cuo had his hair pinned back with a small clip, his beautiful face showing a light sweat. Song Shuling’s hair was no longer as neat, slightly drooping, his sleeves rolled up, revealing strong forearms and a warm hand.

Holding Ruan Zhen’s hand tightly.

The egg dumplings were already cooked, and after such a long chat, they were a bit old, but it didn’t matter. The bean curd skin had just been cooked, floating on the bright red broth, rolling with bubbles and Sichuan peppercorns, emitting a rich aroma.

There was red wine and yogurt. When they got tired of eating, they could go outside and pick some fresh grapes. This was a small plot of land that Gu Yusheng and Lu Cuo had planted two years ago, filled with large purple grapes. It was the harvest season, the grapes clustering together, covered in a white frost. When the skin was peeled, the purple-red juice stained their hands.

The peaches were also ripe, plump and round, too delicate to squeeze, leaving a small hole with just a touch.

Gu Yusheng and Lu Cuo had left a few trees for the greedy little birds. Sparrows perched on the branches in groups, pecking holes in the fruit, looking completely justified, their chests puffed out, unafraid of people.

No one chased them away.

After all, the hotpot inside was lively, and the laughter was loud.

Author’s Note:

A bonus extra for everyone, no plot, just a few friends chatting, complaining, and enjoying hotpot. In a corner of this world, they live their shameless and happy lives. Hehe!