INARTICULATION (MLM/MxM/M4M ORIGINAL)

6: Dinner Is On Xun Jie!

As an only child born of noble blood, meals were always prepared for him. He never had the time or opportunity, nor a caring mother to teach him the ways of the kitchen.

MEMENTO MORI

Another week passed and Wen Jingyi was spending more of his free time teaching Xun Jie how to use all sorts of technology on the days he did not have work or classes. He taught him how to manage the television within two hours, explain the science and significance of a toaster within thirty minutes, and fully operate a microwave within ten.

Wen Jingyi was trying to build up to a device that even he had yet to master: the kitchen stove.

Not only did he want to eat a proper meal without it tasting burnt or undercooked, but he wanted to see if he could have a taste of that lovely cooking he so enjoyed writing about. One could say that Wen Jingyi often appeared underweight, but gods he ate like his stomach had no bottom to it.

"Why can't I just cook us something over a fire? It would be far more efficient than this stove of yours. No offense," he quickly added that last bit.

"None taken. Would you feel better if both of us worked on dinner? Did you want to do the cutting or the real cooking?"

"Which job doesn't require me to wear this apron?" Xun Jie spoke as he tugged the cloth away from his chest. His build was so big that even something as loose as an apron was too small for him. Instead of helping him answer the question or take off the apron, Wen Jingyi picked up his phone and snapped a picture of the beautiful sight. Xun Jie had his sleeves rolled and his hair tied up, so how could he not want a picture?

"Really? Weren't you just complaining a while ago about people taking photos of me?"

Wen Jingyi giggled as he looked down at the image in his hands, "It's different this time."

Xun Jie rolled his eyes. "I'll do the 'real cooking' as you call it."

Wen Jingyi was rejoicing at this moment and grabbed a knife to begin taking care of cutting vegetables and meats. The dish on tonight's menu was a traditional hot pot created using the recipe from an elder in Wen Jingyi's family. He never had the greatest cooking abilities, so every time he tried to replicate the way it was made at family functions, he failed miserably.

Luckily now, he had the greatest cook in the world of xuanhuan protagonists in his kitchen!

Xun Jie did not feel like being too much of a bother, so conversation was avoided while Wen Jingyi was busy cutting the vegetables. Xun Jie had readied the other cooking utensils while he patiently waited for him to finish cutting all the ingredients necessary for the next step in the procedure.

In all honesty, Xun Jie was not confident in anything he was doing. He had only vaguely remembered what each of the buttons on the stove did and did not feel like troubling Wen Jingyi by asking a nth time.

"Xun Jie, did you ever finish that book?"

"Which one? If you are asking about Absence , then yes. I've already begun the third volume. I'm still not entirely sure where things are going in the storyline of your work, but I would assume that would hold the element of surprise to a higher level, wouldn't it?"

Wen Jingyi chuckled, "I don't remember you being so invested in literature as you are now. Is this something new or is there something I'm overlooking in your character?"

"I simply think the work of this modern age is quite intriguing. I'm grateful to have you teaching me everything this new world of yours has to offer."