Lack of Love

Extra Chapter 12

Lian Sijiao didn’t know why things had turned out the way they did; .

In the past, when they were together, Lian Sijiao rarely cooked. It was just an occasional whim, and Li Qi would be happy about it, which would then lead to some indescribable events.

Lian Sijiao hadn’t consciously thought about it, but after what happened between them, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander in that direction.

And then they kissed.

The feeling of their lips touching was indeed good. Lian Sijiao might have been able to restrain himself once or twice, but he couldn’t withstand such frequent temptations and teasing. Besides, he had never truly let go of Li Qi. He even opened his mouth while being kissed, gently extending his tongue…

But at that moment, they heard the sound of something falling nearby. A girl had stumbled upon their kissing scene, picked up her wallet, and hastily apologized, “I’m sorry…”

Blushing, she ran off, but a few steps later, she turned back and shouted, “I wish you happiness!”

By then, Lian Sijiao had already pushed Li Qi away. He turned his back, not knowing how to face Li Qi or how he had lost his mind to the point of doing such a thing on the street.

The girl had already gone far, and a few more people walked by, completely dispersing the ambiguous atmosphere from earlier.

Li Qi’s voice came from behind, “Do you know her?”

“No,” Lian Sijiao didn’t even get a clear look at the girl’s appearance and didn’t want to bring up the matter, “I’m going home.”

Li Qi tactfully didn’t ask and simply said, “I’ll walk you.”

Lian Sijiao refused, “No need. There are street lights around here, it’s safe. You should go back and rest early.”

“Alright.” Li Qi didn’t insist, standing in place and watching Lian Sijiao leave. He knew he had been a little impatient, but unexpectedly, it hadn’t backfired. Lian Sijiao’s reaction tonight gave him a sense of hope. He knew it was right to fight for this business trip; otherwise, Lian Sijiao might have found ways to avoid him again.

He couldn’t push too hard, but he also couldn’t let go too easily.

The next evening, as Lian Sijiao was tidying up in his studio, preparing to leave work, Li Qi happened to push the door open, holding a bag of ingredients in his hand.

Lian Sijiao was taken aback, “What are you planning to do?”

Li Qi answered, “Luckily, you haven’t left yet. Let’s have a meal together.”

He had been to Lian Sijiao’s studio twice before and knew that besides the room, there was a small kitchen on the second floor. After Lian Sijiao started living alone, he didn’t cook much, but he would still boil water and make some simple soups or desserts that didn’t require much effort. Moreover, even the refrigerator was plugged in. He thought that since Lian Sijiao didn’t want to let him into his home, there shouldn’t be any problem in the studio.

Although he hadn’t obtained Lian Sijiao’s consent, if he had explained his intentions in advance, Lian Sijiao would probably have rejected him again, right? “Can I use the kitchen?”

Li Qi had come this far; Lian Sijiao couldn’t say much. Lian Sijiao saw him putting on an apron and busy at the frying pan. He had a tall and slender figure, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Wearing an apron didn’t look out of place on him; instead, he had the appearance of a domesticated man. Only in moments like these could Lian Sijiao unabashedly stare at him.

The food quickly made its way to the table. The beef was cut into bite-sized pieces, tender and juicy on the outside, with a vibrant red color that showed no signs of blood vessels—looked very tasty indeed.

Li Qi seemed confident as he handed the plate to Lian Sijiao, saying, “Try it.”

Lian Sijiao picked up his fork and took a bite. The taste was indeed good. “where did you learn to cook this?”

Li Qi sat down across from him and said, “When I was studying abroad, my roommate was an intern chef. Whenever he made a new dish, he would share it with us neighbors and ask for feedback. I couldn’t get used to the food there, so I asked him if there were any simple recipes I could make myself. He taught me these.”

Li Qi’s explanation was simple, but making connections and building relationships with others while being away from home was not easy. Only someone with Li Qi’s personality could handle such a thing. At least Lian Sijiao couldn’t do it. He couldn’t help but envy Li Qi. If this had happened in the past, he would have probably felt jealous. After all, Li Qi got along well with everyone, not just him.

The longer they spent together, the more differences they discovered between them.

After observing Lian Sijiao for a while, Li Qi suddenly said, “Even Zhong Qiran hasn’t tasted this. You’re the first.”

“Really?” Lian Sijiao was a bit surprised. He thought at least Zhong Qiran would have tried it.

“The expression you had just now made me think you were jealous.”

“You’re overthinking.”

“It’s true that I pursued Zhong Qiran before, but in reality, I realized that I was looking for your shadow in him. You two don’t really look alike, but it’s that serious and stubborn manner that I like.” Li Qi laughed helplessly, “Of course, I don’t have any feelings for him now. His heart has always belonged to Yan Hao. So, I used to envy them, watching them slowly reconcile. It sounds shameful now, but maybe at that time, I wanted to pursue Zhong Qiran because I thought I could have that kind of love. But I know that even if we were really together, it wouldn’t last.”

Lian Sijiao asked, “Why?”

Li Qi said earnestly, “Because if it wasn’t Zhong Qiran, I wouldn’t have realized that I have feelings for you… and lingering attachment.”

Lian Sijiao didn’t know why the topic had circled back to him, and in this veiled confession-like manner. He could resist it once or twice, but if it happened repeatedly, he couldn’t be sure anymore. However, he couldn’t deny that in the two years they hadn’t seen each other, Li Qi had indeed changed. He had become more mature, stable, and charming, and he was stirring up emotions in Lian Sijiao.

Lian Sijiao’s hesitation lasted only a moment, but Li Qi caught it. Seizing the opportunity, he stood up and leaned across the table, kissing Lian Sijiao’s lips.

Lian Sijiao stared at him with his eyes wide open, still not resisting.

This time, Li Qi didn’t act too impatiently. He just kissed him briefly and pulled back. Now he was certain that Lian Sijiao had accepted his kiss, and that was a good starting point.

Lian Sijiao covered his lips, not knowing what to say to scold him.

Li Qi found Lian Sijiao’s annoyed expression quite cute and suddenly felt like teasing him, saying, 

───

“From now on, it would be hugging that wouldn’t be too excessive, and cuddling too…???