Chapter 36: Eating Hot Pot
He hurriedly focused his mind and searched through his spatial storage. Fortunately, their earlier sweep of the pharmacy had been thorough.
Before long, a brand-new, unopened box of sustained-release ibuprofen capsules appeared in his palm. “Found it! Yes, this will do the trick!”
Jiang Jue took the medicine box, carefully read the dosage instructions, and turned around. From the pile of gear Chu Yang had produced earlier, he quickly located the alcohol burner, skillfully lit it, and set a small pot of water to boil.
The dancing flame cast a warm glow across his sharp, well-defined profile, flickering in the dim room.
The water reached a boil within minutes. Pouring a cup, Jiang Jue tempered it with a splash of clean bottled water, testing the warmth against the side of the mug with his fingertips. Once he was sure it was just right, he handed it to Chu Yang. “Drink some water first, then take the pill.”
Chu Yang took a sip directly from the cup in Jiang Jue’s hands, then swallowed the capsule in one gulp. The soothing warmth slid down his parched throat, bringing an instant wave of comfort.
“Sleep,” Jiang Jue commanded, tucking the edges of the thick duvet tightly around Chu Yang’s shoulders. His tone returned to its usual crisp, no-nonsense manner, leaving no room for argument: “Rest properly. No tossing and turning.”
“Oh…” Chu Yang settled back obediently, though his bright eyes darted about, clearly far from ready to sleep.
Before long, he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. Watching Jiang Jue tidy up the scattered supplies, he asked tentatively, “Brother Jiang! How about we have hot pot tonight? We gathered so much sliced beef, jumbo shrimp, and all kinds of meatballs from the cold storage. It’d be a total crime not to eat them!”
Jiang Jue set the cup down. Without even looking up, he answered flatly, “No. Hot pot is too spicy. You have an open wound; you can’t eat spicy food.”
“We can make a divided pot!” Anxious to plead his case, Chu Yang sat up abruptly, but the sudden movement pulled at his injured flank, making him hiss in pain. “Hiss… I swear I’ll stick to the mild broth! I’ve got a dual-sided hot pot in my space, along with mild soup base, sesame paste, and chili oil from our previous hauls!”
As he spoke, he moved to summon the items, but Jiang Jue’s hand came down gently on his shoulder, keeping him in place. “Behave.” The man’s fingertips were cool against his skin, but his eyes were remarkably soft.
“Just a little bit,” Chu Yang pleaded, looking up with wide, imploring eyes. “I need good nutrition to heal faster! Look, I haven’t eaten a proper meal all day… and I took a blade for the team…”
Looking down at the boy’s pale face and glistening eyes, Jiang Jue’s Adam’s apple bobbed. In the end, his resolve crumbled. “Fine. But only the mild broth. You are not touching the spicy side.”
“Deal!” Chu Yang broke into a bright grin, the throbbing ache from moments earlier seemingly forgotten in an instant.
Just then, Lin Xiao and Su Mubai stepped through the doorway. Su Mubai walked straight to the bedside, asking softly, “How are you feeling, Chu Yang? Is the wound still hurting?”
“I’m doing great!” Chu Yang replied cheerfully. “You’re just in time—we’re having hot pot tonight!”
Su Mubai frowned with concern. “Can you eat spicy food with an injury like that? It’s really easy to cause inflammation.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sticking strictly to the clear broth!” Chu Yang patted his chest in a solemn promise. “My self-control is unmatched!”
Su Mubai gave an understanding nod, but Chu Yang noticed that Lin Xiao was unusually quiet. His friend stood with slumping shoulders and furrowed brows, staring gloomily at the floor. Chu Yang couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong, Old Lin? Who stepped on your toes? You look like someone stole your lunch.”
Su Mubai explained in a quiet, hesitant voice: “Lin Weiwei is gone. We told her to wait in the SUV earlier, but when we came out of the warehouse, both she and the vehicle were gone… All our spare clothes, blankets, and dry rations were in that car too.”
A complicated look crossed Su Mubai’s face as he spoke. Lin Weiwei had spent days clinging to Lin Xiao; while Su Mubai had harbored his own reservations about her, seeing her run off with their only car and all their supplies left him furious at her sheer betrayal.
Chu Yang raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. “Well, who would’ve guessed? She looked so fragile and helpless, but she’s quite the ruthless operator—taking off with both the car and the food?”
Turning to Lin Xiao, Chu Yang teased gently, “What’s the matter? Heartbroken over the pretty girl, or crying over your lost gear?”
Lin Xiao let out a bitter scoff, his mood still weighed down by disappointment. “It’s not about being heartbroken. I just can’t believe I misjudged someone that badly.”
He sighed heavily. “Back when we first escaped the campus, she gave me a hand. I kept that favor in mind and went out of my way to look after her, but I never expected… Whatever. Let’s just say those supplies paid off my debt to her in full.”
Seeing that Lin Xiao wasn’t grieving a broken heart, but simply beating himself up for being gullible, Chu Yang immediately waved it off to lighten the mood. “Come on, what’s the big deal?”
“What are a few old bags of rations worth anyway? My space is packed to the brim with top-tier food and daily essentials! It’s not worth letting a person like that ruin your day. Tonight, we feast on hot pot to celebrate finding the cold storage warehouse, help my wound heal, and cheer you right up, Old Lin!”
Lin Xiao didn’t answer, but the tension in his shoulders visibly eased.
Dropping the subject, Chu Yang eagerly began pulling items from his storage dimension. “Come on, gather ’round—tonight’s dinner is on me!”
First came a portable butane burner and a divided mandarin duck pot, followed by a dizzying spread of ingredients: thinly sliced marbled beef, tender rolled lamb, fresh shrimp paste, tripe, beef throat, and assorted meatballs. The table was soon loaded with a lavish display that rivaled a proper restaurant.
Lin Xiao stared in disbelief, his sour mood completely forgotten. “Holy crap, Third Brother! You really came prepared for everything! You even brought matching dipping bowls!”
“Naturally!” Chu Yang said with smug pride. “When Brother Jiang and I raided that supermarket, we specifically cleaned out the hot pot aisle, just waiting for the right moment to have a feast.”
Looking at the mountain of fresh ingredients, Su Mubai couldn’t help asking, “Does storing so much fresh food in your space ever spoil?”
Chu Yang thought about it for a moment. “It shouldn’t. Time seems completely frozen inside my space. Fresh fruit I stashed weeks ago comes out looking like it was just picked from the tree, perfectly crisp.”
“That’s a huge relief.” Su Mubai let out a breath and immediately began arranging the plates around the burner.
Jiang Jue checked his watch, noted the exhaustion lingering in Chu Yang’s eyes, and said gently, “Get some sleep first. I’ll wake you when the broth is boiling.”
Chu Yang nodded obediently. His body really did feel heavy and weak, and he knew he would only be in the way. Wrapping himself tightly in the duvet, he closed his eyes and drifted off.
The others carried the ingredients into the outer room, keeping their movements quiet so as not to disturb his rest.
Jiang Jue silently prepared the pot, pouring rich spicy tallow base into one side and savory bone broth into the other. He clicked the ignition, and blue flames licked the underside of the metal. Soon, a rich, mouth-watering aroma—spicy and fragrant on one side, mellow and comforting on the other—filled the drafty workshop, making everyone’s stomachs growl.
Half an hour later, the broth was bubbling vigorously. Jiang Jue walked back into the bedroom and gently tapped Chu Yang’s shoulder. “Wake up. The hot pot is ready.”
Chu Yang blinked groggily, blinking away the heavy haze of sleep. Jiang Jue naturally reached down to support him, wrapping a steady arm around his waist while carefully avoiding the bandage. With just the right amount of firm support, he guided Chu Yang out to the table and helped him into a chair.
“Take it slow,” Jiang Jue murmured, taking the chopsticks from Chu Yang’s hand and swishing a tender slice of beef through the clear, simmering broth.
Throughout the entire meal, Jiang Jue’s watchful gaze returned to Chu Yang again and again.
