Chapter Text
"You should try cooking, it's a good calming experience. You gain skill and a good meal. Sounds pretty amazing if you ask me. I could teach you, skies above I know it would help your nerves."
"Huh, my nerves? What is that supposed to mean?" A snappy tone of voice responded.
"I'm just saying. J..i-ang Ch…eng,"The Hobbit struggled pronouncing the name correctly.
"Jiang Cheng."
"Yes, your name." He said as if it was a good replacement for his error and moved on. "Just saying that it would do you a lot of good. You're always so on edge."
He could practically hear the cultivator grumbling even though he wasn't looking at him.
"I'm not..on edge. I'm perfectly fine. Extremely calm."
"Ah. So, you were very calm then when you broke my table stand?"
"..Yes." There was extreme hesitance in that.
"Mhm. Look. I know you and I are well, very used to our lifestyles. Surely, judging from a fraction of what you would share with me, I can only assume that your way of life is….ah. Rough? No..harsh? Oh, darn, I can't think of the correct word for this."
A sigh, not of his own, could be heard from his living companion.
"It is alright, Bilbo. Your words are clear."
The sect leader was now leaning against the wall near the kitchen, a good enough distance where his words could still be heard.
"I am…sorry that I broke your table stand. It was not my..I didn't.."
Bilbo finally appeared before him, expressing a light smile while holding a bowl of warm food.
"You are too stressed, my friend. Understand that I may not know your hardships but my ears aren't big for nothing. I'm actually a really good listener. So please, try not to shoulder too many worries. I fear they'll drown you." The Hobbit then handed the bowl to the taller man in front of him.
The man returned a light smile, accepting the warm meal from his newest friend. Before Bilbo could go back to make his bowl and their tea, the sect leader then spoke with some reassuring words.
"I think..I'll take you up on that cooking offer."
Bilbo responded with a hearty chuckle as he made his way back to his kitchen, "Good decision, my friend. Before you know it, you'll have every hobbit recipe stuck in your head."
Jiang Cheng looked down at his warm bowl.
Perhaps.
It wasn't too bad being stuck here.