7 Please Come to My House for Dinner 07

Lu Jin glanced around the room. He hadn’t noticed it last time, but the living room, when viewed all the way through, resembled the layout of his grandparents’ house. The elderly couple didn’t like overly spacious homes and thus chose a smaller place. Unlike the young people around him, who either lived in villas or large open-plan flats, this compact unit was quite rare.

Though it didn’t look very spacious, he rather liked it—it felt full of life and warmth.

After a brief casual chat, the kitchen pots started clanging. Jiang Yi immediately ran over, saying, "I’ll check the food first, you two keep chatting. Dinner will be ready soon."

Left alone in the living room were Su Ran and Lu Jin. For a moment, Su Ran didn’t know what to talk about. It seemed awkward to leave him alone in the living room. After thinking a while, he tentatively asked, “Want to see the cake I made?”

Lu Jin’s gaze circled Su Ran’s face before nodding, “Sure.”

Su Ran led Lu Jin to the kitchen. The island counter was still covered with half-finished items, just waiting to be put in the oven.

“It’ll be done soon. Once I finish these, I can put them in the oven,” Su Ran said. He then washed his hands and grabbed some dough from the bowl, kneading it into a lump.

Lu Jin quietly watched from the side. Su Ran’s expression was earnest as he worked, his eyes fixed on the dough. Each blink fluttered his eyelashes delicately.

Unconsciously, Lu Jin became captivated, his gaze drifting from Su Ran’s soft hair to his slightly upturned nose, then to his rosy lips. Watching the dough being shaped, he noticed Su Ran’s soft, fair fingers gradually molding the irregular dough into smooth, round balls.

Slowly, Lu Jin’s eyes fixed on Su Ran’s focused face until Su Ran looked up and asked, “Want to try?”

Lu Jin’s eyes flickered for a moment and he said instinctively, “Yeah, I’ll try.”

He took off his suit jacket, revealing a shirt underneath. He unbuttoned and rolled up his sleeves, the defined muscles on his arms becoming more pronounced. It seemed like a solemn ritual as he even took off his watch.

Finally washing his hands, he imitated Su Ran by taking a small lump of dough from the bowl. The dough was soft and fragrant. After just a couple of kneads, his hands were covered in sticky flour, making him frown in frustration—it felt tricky.

Su Ran looked at him and suddenly laughed, “Sorry, I forgot you’re a beginner. It’ll be easier once you grease your hands.”

“What now? Should I wash it off?” Lu Jin asked.

Su Ran immediately stopped him, not wanting to waste any dough. He grabbed Lu Jin’s wrist and used his fingers to carefully wipe the dough off bit by bit.

Lu Jin opened his palm as Su Ran’s fingers slid back and forth, making his palm itch and tempting him to curl his fingers. His ears flushed slightly.

If he did it himself, it wouldn’t be a problem. But being this close, that alluring fragrance was unmistakably vivid.

He almost suspected Su Ran was doing it on purpose.

At that moment, Jiang Yi, cooking with his back to them, glanced over and smiled, “Lu Jin, you want to learn how to make pastries too?”

Lu Jin ignored him and instead replied to Su Ran, who had just cleaned his hands, “Let Mr. Lu give it a try.”

Su Ran treated Lu Jin like a kindergartener—gentle and meticulous—after all, it was about his beloved pastries.

His hands moved deftly, quickly shaping all the dough balls and then placing several trays into the newly bought large oven.

Now it was just a matter of waiting. Su Ran washed his hands again and suddenly realized he had been so focused on baking that he never invited Lu Jin to look around the house. Last time, Lu Jin only entered Jiang Yi’s bedroom and then left; he should show him around properly.

He first led Lu Jin to Jiang Yi’s room. “This is Yi’s room—you saw it last time.”

Lu Jin nodded. He hadn’t looked closely before and wasn’t particularly interested in touring the rooms, just going along with the host.

But soon he frowned slightly, sensing something was off. The scent in this room wasn’t the unique fragrance that Su Ran carried. It was just the faint smell of baked goods, like the whole space.

Also, Su Ran’s words sounded strange: “Jiang Yi’s room?”

Su Ran answered with a hum, then took Lu Jin to Ye Qiao’s room, opening the door. “This room is where Yi’s younger brother stays now. He’s out playing and will be back in a few days.”

This room was about the same size as Jiang Yi’s. Lu Jin glanced around and remained uninterested. The house was small; after seeing two rooms, the tour was over.

Just as Lu Jin thought this, Su Ran said, “You haven’t seen mine yet.”

Lu Jin was momentarily surprised, then asked, “Yours?”

“Yeah,” Su Ran said sheepishly, as his room was the smallest. “By the way, the clothes you lent me last time have already been washed.”

Lu Jin looked doubtful but followed Su Ran to his room. Upon opening the door, a pleasant fragrance drifted out, and Lu Jin was sure this was indeed Su Ran’s room.

The cramped space meant the two could almost touch if they turned around. Lu Jin scrutinized everything inside—the fresh, bright curtains and bed linens perfectly matched Su Ran’s style, though it was pitifully small. He wondered, did the couple sleep in separate rooms?

They didn’t sleep together?

This thought circled repeatedly in Lu Jin’s mind, weaving through his thoughts. Yet he was clear that whether they shared a bed or not had nothing to do with him.

At this moment, Su Ran squatted and opened the bottom drawer. He neatly folded Lu Jin’s clothes into a box, then took the box out and put it into a paper bag. As he stood up, Su Ran suddenly swayed.

Whether it was because he had risen too quickly, or from the sleepless nights working on new recipes, or the fact that he hadn’t eaten all day, Su Ran’s vision darkened and intense headaches struck as he stood.

Lu Jin’s attention was still on the exquisite box when he noticed Su Ran’s figure wobble. Instinctively, he reached out, and the next moment, Su Ran leaned into his embrace. His soft hair brushed against Lu Jin’s jawline, the sweet scent filling his nostrils, instantly tensing his body.

At that moment, an ache swelled in his chest, as if something was filling that space. His mind swirled with chaotic thoughts—images of Su Ran urging him to drink hangover soup, caressing his neck, blushing in front of him, undressing—and now suddenly holding him.

That notion had appeared more than once but was always ignored. Now, it was impossible to dismiss. Could it be true?

Actually... Su Ran liked him? Su Ran did like him, continuously drawing his attention, tempting him—yes, he just liked him.

Su Ran heard a strong heartbeat, growing faster, and weakly whispered, “Sorry, I might have low blood sugar.”

But Lu Jin heard nothing. He was stunned, unable to come back to himself for a long moment.

About four or five seconds later, the darkness in Su Ran’s vision finally cleared. At that moment, Jiang Yi suddenly called out, “Dinner’s ready, come eat!”

Su Ran immediately pulled away from Lu Jin’s embrace, almost reflexively. Jiang Yi was suspicious; last time, when Su Ran wore Lu Jin’s clothes, Jiang Yi checked him thoroughly. If he saw them hugging now, who knew what misunderstandings might arise?

Lu Jin’s face was sharp and sculpted, his features cold and stern when expressionless. Now his eyes were vacant, lost in thought.

Su Ran looked at him, feeling a little embarrassed, about to speak, but Lu Jin’s eyes finally focused. He hushed him.

Lu Jin’s gaze slid from Su Ran’s eyebrows and eyes to his nose, then to his lips. His Adam’s apple moved, but his face remained calm, unreadable. He said, “Let’s go eat first. We’ll talk later if there’s anything.”

With that, Lu Jin led the way out. Su Ran found it strange but didn’t think much and followed.

At the dinner table, Jiang Yi chatted animatedly, but Lu Jin heard nothing. His eyes occasionally flicked toward Su Ran, who remained calm and played the devoted wife role.

It was as if nothing had happened earlier—in his room, how he had so eagerly held Su Ran. Now, it seemed like it had all been his illusion.

Su Ran, playing the attentive host, thoughtfully served him plenty of dishes, but Lu Jin, indifferent, didn’t take a bite.

Unable to join their investment talks, Su Ran simply focused on eating after tending to his guest.

Just then, the chat notification 555 popped up. “Ran Ran! The plot is going great today. Lu Jin’s storyline should unlock more parts!”

“Sometimes the story does flow pretty well,” Su Ran said. It was just a simple meal, yet the progress jumped so much.

“And you know what? The excitement level doubled!” 555 exclaimed.

“Huh?” Su Ran was puzzled. Had anything exciting happened today?

His gaze flicked back and forth between Lu Jin and Jiang Yi. It was very strange.

Maybe it had something to do with the "Excitement Space" in the storyline?

When it was time to leave, both Jiang Yi and Su Ran escorted Lu Jin to the door. Lu Jin was cool and distant but polite, responding courteously to their words. The distance between them made both think this dinner was not particularly successful.

As Lu Jin stepped out, Su Ran suddenly remembered, “Mr. Lu, let’s add each other on WeChat. If you want cake in the future, just tell me, and I’ll deliver it to you directly.”

Lu Jin turned, his gaze first meeting Su Ran’s sincere face, then falling on Jiang Yi, who still wore a smile, unchanged.

He truly had a broad mind.

If he knew that Su Ran had just hugged him in the bedroom earlier, would he still be able to smile like that?

Lu Jin had always believed in himself, thinking he wouldn’t cross any moral lines, but now he had to admit a dark, sinister pleasure was surging inside him, something he had never felt before.