Work Text:
Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu felt dejected because they realized that they would never taste the delicacies of their world again. Desperate to relive the flavors of their past lives, they tirelessly attempted to replicate the foods and beverages they had once enjoyed. Unfortunately, their efforts fell short, and the imitations paled compared to the culinary experts from their former lives. Little did they realize the extent to which this longing had taken a toll on their lives until their bewildered husbands roused them from slumber to inquire why they were murmuring about "pizza" in their sleep. It was a difficult discussion to explain what a pizza was, with questions being asked every sentence they said.
"So...It's dough...with tomato sauce and other things...?" Luo Binghe questioned, sitting like an obedient child at storytime.
--
"it's a pie," Mobei-jun said, his icy air around him even there when he just woke up.
--
Neither Shang Qinghua nor Shen Qingqiu quite knew how to explain everything about pizza without explaining that they were from a different world. So they explained how it was made, hoping they would make them pizza, and they could finally taste it again.
Qingqiu and Qinghua contacted each other through the system, and the two talked about pizza for most of the night.
Once the two couples finally went back to sleep, Shen Qingqiu woke up extremely early, even earlier than Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe had a habit of waking up early to make breakfast, and...stare at Shen Qingqiu while he was sleeping.
As Shen Qingqiu embarked on a brief venture to the modest inn where Mobei-jun and Shang Qinghua were resting, he approached the wooden door of their room and rapped gently. Before he could repeat the gesture, the door creaked open, revealing Shang Qinghua with weary eyes but a bright, enthusiastic smile.
"'Cumber-bro!" Shang Qinghua said, excitedly
"Do not ever call me that again" Shen Qingqiu quickly said, pushing Qinghua from the doorway, and just as quickly, sat down at the lonely table next to the window.
"My bamboo cabin doesn't have anything to make pizza, and from the looks of it, you won't even be able to obtain anything to cook in general." Shen Qingqiu said, taking a small look around the tiny inn
"Well...Mobei doesn't really have enough time to find a place with everything you need. But Qing Jing Peak should have fancy kitchens!" Shang Qinghua defended the fact that Mobei just didn't have the money to buy anything other than rooms in shabby inns.
Mobei-jun was awake, just pretending to be asleep in the tiny bed in the corner of the room. "Will you two shut it." He said he lifted himself from the bed.
Shen Qinghua took this perfect chance to beg Mobei Jun to come with him and Shen Qingqiu, to Qing Jing Peak. Just so the two would stop talking, (and probably because it was Qinghua who asked) He agreed but he seemed to be full of disdain.
--
The three of them made their way back to the small bamboo house, which suddenly felt incredibly cramped with all near it. As they approached the door, they saw Luo Binghe waiting eagerly, his posture reminiscent of a loyal dog anticipating the return of its owner. Without hesitation, he swiftly opened the door and practically launched himself at Shen Qingqiu. Instead of reciprocating the embrace, Shen Qingqiu lightly tapped his fan against Luo Binghe's head.
"Binghe, do you happen to know if the peak has a ...spacious kitchen?" Shen Qingqiu inquired, deliberately ignoring the fact that the other two were observing how tightly Luo Binghe was holding onto his waist.
"Yes, we do! Why does Shizun ask?" Luo Binghe replied, his gaze not leaving Shen Qingqiu.
The Mobei-Jun face was brackish, but he spoke with a flat tone like he normally did, "They want to make 'pizza.' But they don't know where."
"Oh the thing we talked about last night, I wanna help too!" Luo Binghe said with aplomb, knowing if he did this, it would make his Shizun pleased. Binghe finally let go of Shen Qingqiu and instead quickly led the way to a large building made of bricks, it was empty inside besides the many cooking appliances island in the middle of the room with a sink and multiple mixing bowls with whisks, and...yeah there was a lot of things, so many things that Shen Qingqiu didn't know where to start.
"Shizun, you mentioned we need dough, cheese, tomatoes, and basil, right?" Binghe asked as he effortlessly navigated the kitchen, retrieving knives, bread, and fresh dough. Meanwhile, Mobei-jun stepped outside to pick some basil from the garden.
"No, not peppers, but we can do without the pepperoni," Shen Qingqiu replied, observing the two men gathering ingredients.
Shang Qinghua observed as Mobei-jun and Luo Binghe attempted to work with the dough, inadvertently making it unsuitable for pizza.
"How about we start with preparing the crust?" suggested Shang Qinghua, as he moved behind the kitchen island, grabbed a fresh batch of dough, and divided it into four pieces, putting flour on the surface or the counter. He began kneading the dough, stretching it, and letting it stretch by picking it up. Shen Qingqiu joined him, doing the same thing. Flour clung to their hands as they shaped it them a circle.
Luo Binghe watched them in bewilderment, and Mobei-jun, although slightly shocked, didn't care to change his face to match Binghe.
Shen Qingqiu cooked for his family, and his family's favorite food was normally pizza. Shang Qinghua worked part-time making pizza and learned quickly how to.
Neither even knew that this kitchen existed, and if they did, they wouldn't have to bed their husbands to make it for them, yet it somehow felt more lively as they joked and talked. Flour ended up everywhere, on their face, hands, arms, and robes.
Luo Binghe helped spread the tomato sauce that they made, with instructions from Qingqiu, and Mobei Jun placed the toppings on the pizza.
Luo Binghe was the one who decided to put the two pizzas in the Oven, that had raging fires underneath. It honestly looked like a pizza oven from Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua's own world.
Shen Qingqiu signed as he dipped his hands into a bucket of water, washing his arms and his face along with them. Luo Binghe appeared behind him, with a face he always gave him when he wanted something.
"Shizun, can you teach me how to do that thing you did with the bread?" Luo Binghe said, with puppy eyes staring at Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu was expecting Binghe to say something worse, but this was fine, "Yes. I can, tomorrow we can."
--
Shen Qingqiu, Shang Qinghua, Luo Binghe, And Mobei-jun tasted the triangle slice of pizza, Qingqiu and Qinghua seemed to almost tear up. Luo Binghe scarfed down the food and asked for more. And Mobei-jun left the pizza on his plate after one bite.
Shen Qingqiu heard the system say something about the male lead, but he couldn't hear it over the happiness around the table, of the laughing and talking.