Work Text:
The ride to Xiao Nai’s home is, as usual, filled with silence. Wei Wei feels bad to make a sick person drive, but she doesn’t have a driver’s license yet. Also, knowing the Great Master, he would always insist on driving for her, sick or not.
Speaking of sickness, the Great Master doesn’t look affected at all by his rising fever. Wei Wei studies him and apart from those furrowed brows, he looks as composed as ever. Instead of making Wei Wei feel better, she can’t help but be more anxious.
How can someone be unaffected by a fever? Maybe the Great Master is good at hiding his discomfort. Then a horrifying thought occurs to her. It’s hard to imagine someone not getting ill for a long time, so maybe… does that mean whenever he’s sick, Xiao Nai is keeping it secret? That’s the reason why nobody notices and thinks he doesn’t get sick?!
For someone like the Great Master, who doesn’t like to rely on others, it’s highly likely that it’s the case.
Wei Wei’s worry skyrockets. Even though the Great Master is putting up a brave front, she knows he still needs caring, still needs someone to look after him. Wei Wei wants to be that person for Xiao Nai, especially since he has always been by her side when she needs it.
After gazing at the rain outside her window, Wei Wei suddenly has an idea. She does know what to do to look after the sick Great Master. And it’s something that she hasn’t done yet. Wei Wei bites back a smile at that thought.
Soon, they arrive at Xiao Nai’s apartment. They share an umbrella and get into their destination without getting their clothes wet.
As they changed into their slippers, Wei Wei says, “Why don’t you take a hot shower first? You did get rained on, after all.”
Xiao Nai straights up and smiles. “It’s too late for that. I already have a fever.”
Oh, right. Wei Wei purses her lips and chastises herself. “Then change into comfortable clothes? Go on. Just be busy.”
As always, the Great Master is quick to notice. “Wei Wei, what are you planning to do?”
This time, Wei Wei can’t hold back her smile. “You’ll see,” she teases then proceeds to shoo him away. Thankfully, the Great Master complies and goes to his bedroom to change.
Wei Wei takes that opportunity to run to the kitchen and take out certain ingredients from the refrigerator. During the weekend, when she visited the apartment to study, she stocked up the empty fridge with basic food necessities. She doesn’t like that the only edible thing in the apartment are noodles and condiments. She stocked up on vegetables and fruits, milk and yogurt, and some frozen food.
When the Great Master tried to remind her that he can’t cook, Wei Wei replied that he didn’t need cooking skills to make a salad. That made Xiao Nai smile and he proudly remarked how lucky he was to have such a thoughtful and caring wife.
Even remembering that brings a flush to Wei Wei’s face, so she splashes some cold water on her face and works on dicing the onion and garlic.
Cooking for the Great Master. This is the brilliant plan she thought of in the car. Even though food delivery would be faster and easier, Wei Wei thinks that it’s not right, when she is by Xiao Nai’s side and they have a stock of food to cook.
It’s the first time Wei Wei has the chance to cook for the Great Master. Usually, when they meet up, they have already eaten or the Great Master would take them somewhere to eat. Since the semester started, Wei Wei has gotten so busy with school work that she only has enough time to see the Great Master during her internship and the rare Sunday when he goes home to rest. They also spend time together in the game, too when it’s the Great Master who is stuck in the office for work.
So despite the unfortunate situation, Wei Wei is somehow happy to have the opportunity to cook for Xiao Nai. She’s not as good as her dad, but she isn’t as bad as her mother either. And the dishes she knows how to cook are limited. Right now, she wants to make the most difficult dish she knows—sweet and sour pork. Alongside that would be wonton soup and then rice.
It’s not what a sick person usually eats. Wei Wei hopes that the Great Master won’t mind.
When she starts sautéing, the sounds and smell would obviously attract Xiao Nai’s attention. As Wei Wei expected, the Great Master arrives into the kitchen not long after.
At the sight of Wei Wei working behind the stove, Xiao Nai melts. “Have I traveled into the future where we’re married and having a blissful domestic life?”
Wei Wei laughs. “Don’t be silly.” With a spatula in hand, she can’t hide her blushing face from him. But what is new in this situation? “I’m cooking sweet and sour pork and wonton soup. Is that okay?”
Xiao Nai walks until he’s behind Wei Wei and wraps his arms around her waist. Wei Wei’s breath catches and her hand stops from stirring. She feels lips brushing her neck and her heart about to beat out her chest.
Then Xiao Nai rests his head on her shoulder and says softly right beside her ear, “More than okay.”
Wei Wei feels like she is about to combust. The Great Master is shameless. So shameless!
“Okay,” Wei Wei says weakly. She clears her throat. “If you don’t want me to burn anything, don’t distract me. Please.” The plea is much needed because Wei Wei will indeed ruin her work if Xiao Nai keeps this up.
The Great Master chuckles and, thankfully, moves back. “What do you need help with?”
“Hm? No, it’s okay. You should go rest,” she insists, turning her attention back to cooking.
Wei Wei is so focused on the pork and vegetables that she doesn’t notice at once the stare directed at her. She was pouring the sauce when she finally sees Xiao Nai leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and smiling fondly at her.
“What?” she asks with a smile of her own. The stares made her slightly self-conscious in the beginning of their relationship, but now she knows that it’s just the Great Master thinking of something usually about her or them so she got used to it.
Still, Wei Wei is caught off guard when Xiao Nai says something like this.
“I just thought getting sick might not be so bad after all.”
She can’t think of a reply to that, so she just resumes cooking. Fifteen minutes later, the sweet and sour pork is done. Wei Wei replaces her pan and immediately starts on the soup. Luckily, she bought a premade pack of wonton so she just tosses it into her soup, adds in green onions and spices. She’s done after boiling it for twenty minutes.
When Wei Wei turns around, the Great Master has plated the sweet and sour pork and has placed two white bowls for the soup on the counter. Xiao Nai is currently serving rice into two bowls and has set up on the living room table. Even when sick, he still helps and looks out for Wei Wei.
“Thank you,” Wei Wei says as she picks up the bowls. “You didn’t have to help. You’re sick.”
“And I have you to take care of me,” he says as he finishes serving the rice. The Great Master looks up with a grin, and Wei Wei is having a hard time remembering that this man has the tendency to respond to love letters as if they’re flyers with a boyish smile like that.
“Let’s eat,” is all she can say. Wei Wei brings the bowls to the table and sits down on the other side of Xiao Nai.
“I should buy a dining set,” the Great Master says as Wei Wei goes to pick up her chopsticks. “This table isn’t even wide enough for the plates.”
“You should,” Wei Wei agrees. “Go on. Drink some soup.” She places several meat pieces and carrots on his rice bowl.
“Thank you for the meal,” Xiao Nai says seriously before picking up his bowl. It surprises Wei Wei further when he says after trying the soup. “You’ve got yourself one point, my wife.”
“One point?” she asks, bewildered.
“One point over me. You’re a much better cook than I can ever be,” he explains.
Just like that, Wei Wei feels her face burn. She hasn’t thought of it that way at all! The Great Master is treating their skills as competition? And conceding one point to her? Then obviously the Great Master will win. As a working adult, he can already do a lot of things that she can’t!
Wei Wei opens her mouth to argue with the reasoning that just passed through her mind. But then she sees the way Xiao Nai lethargically eats his food and knows. He’s putting up a front again.
Wei Wei calms down and sighs. “If I do have one point over you,” Wei Wei starts to say, “then can I ask you for a favor?”
He immediately gives her his full attention and acts as if he’s not affected by his fever. “What is it?”
“Don’t hide anything from me again. Especially this.” Wei Wei reaches out to place her palm on his burning forehead. “Feeling sick. I know you probably handle this by yourself before, but I can’t help but worry.” Wei Wei frowns. “If you get upset when I’m sick, then so am I with you.”
Xiao Nai’s eyes soften and before Wei Wei can pull back her hand, he grasps it in his and gives a gentle squeeze. “Okay, I promise. One more point for you.”
Wei Wei laughs, happy that he has taken her worry seriously. “Two points in one day? No way!”
They continue eating, still holding hands, the mood happy and bright.