Lu Yunchu hugged Wen Zhan gently. After an unknown amount of time, he felt his trembling gradually subside.
His breathing became slow and light, as if he was exhausted.
Lu Yunchu moved his chin away from the top of his head and, using the moonlight, gently stroked his hair that was wet with cold sweat.
Wen Zhan, who was breathing weakly, suddenly trembled violently and tried to struggle out of her arms.
Lu Yunchu didn't understand his thoughts, hesitantly let go of his hand, and whispered to him: "Don't be afraid, Wen Zhan, it's me."
Wen Zhan gasped heavily for a few times, trying hard to steady his breathing. His trembling gradually slowed down, and he tried to support himself and sit up.
Lu Yunchu's embrace around him had not yet been completely removed, so his back touched her hand.
He was startled again, as if a bolt of thunder suddenly exploded in the sky, making his whole body tremble and he subconsciously buried his head in his chest.
Lu Yunchu had never seen him shrink like this, so he called his name softly again, whispering: "Wen Zhan..."
Wen Zhan tilted his head slightly, as if trying to catch a sound from the noise.
The sweat on his forehead dripped onto the ground along with his black hair. He looked up at Lu Yunchu in confusion.
Lu Yunchu had never seen him in such a miserable state before. Even on the day they first met, when he was rescued by himself and covered in blood, he did not show the slightest reaction to the pain. He looked numb and empty.
But now he is like a drowning man, his eyes full of despair and pain, separated by a thick layer of mist, looking disheveled and broken.
Lu Yunchu did not show any impatience. He put his hand down and tried to give him a friendly smile.
The gloom in Wen Zhan's eyes gradually dissipated. He blinked, and sweat soaked his eyelashes, slid down the corners of his eyes, and stung his eyes, causing them to turn red.
He looked down at the mess on his body, then looked at Lu Yunchu, who looked respectable, and her clothes that were messed up by him, and lowered his head in panic.
Lu Yunchu raised his hand and gently stroked the top of his head, just as he had done to her before.
"It's okay. I don't mind."
The hair on top of his head is so cold that people can't help but stay on it for a while, bringing him a little warmth.
When she took her hand away, Wen Zhan finally raised his head.
His eyelashes were stained with sweat, making them look even thicker and darker, casting a timid shadow under his eyes.
Lu Yunchu smiled at him.
The panic in his eyes finally disappeared. He raised the corners of his mouth, imitated her expression, and gave her an unfamiliar and flattering smile.
Perhaps it was because the light in the small Buddhist hall was too dim, with only the bleak moonlight shining in, that Lu Yunchu felt that his eyes were so bright, staring at her so steadily, making her a little at a loss.
She patted her clothes, stood up, and said to Wen Zhan, "Let's go. I'll ask the servants to get some hot water for you to wash up."
Wen Zhan immediately lowered his head, the smile he had just forced out disappeared, and he rubbed his sleeves with his fingertips, trying to hide his uneasiness.
After Lu Yunchu said this, he sensed something was wrong. He turned around and saw Wen Zhan's appearance.
She sighed inwardly: "Do you feel uncomfortable?"
Of course, it was uncomfortable to hear Zhan Xijie. He didn't understand Lu Yunchu's intention of asking this question, so he nodded tentatively.
"That's right. I asked someone to prepare hot water so that you can wash up. You won't feel uncomfortable after you wash." She found it hard to imagine how nervous Wen Zhan must be to misunderstand such simple words.
Fortunately, she was patient enough and willing to explain it to Wen Zhan. When Wen Zhan realized what was happening, he was first surprised to have found what he had lost, but then he became ashamed.
He was always so cautious, afraid of causing trouble for Lu Yunchu.
Lu Yunchu knew that she couldn't convince him in a short time, so she wanted him to slowly understand her feelings. So she said nothing more, walked over and held his sleeve: "Let's go."
She held Wen Zhan's sleeve, and Wen Zhan lagged behind her by a step, slowing down his pace to follow her, keeping the distance between them at a suitable level, enough for her to pull up her sleeve without exerting too much effort.
He liked this action very much. He looked down at Lu Yunchu's hand holding his sleeve, letting her pull him forward and turn the corner. The corners of his mouth finally curled up quietly.
Lu Yunchu came to the gate of the courtyard and asked the maid to get hot water for her bath. The maid moved quickly and prepared the hot water.
Wen Zhan was already feeling extremely uncomfortable, so he immediately took off his clothes and took a bath, forgetting even to take a change of clothes.
Fortunately, Lu Yunchu remembered to get him some clean clothes. When she opened the closet door, all she saw were dark-colored clothes. She felt that she should find a way to buy him some soft, light-colored clothes. He had fair skin and a handsome figure, so he would look good in light colors.
When she took out the dark clothes, she suddenly remembered how he hid under the closet tonight. Even a glimmer of light would make him panic. Perhaps this dark color could give him a sense of security like darkness, allowing him to hide himself.
Lu Yunchu shook his head and sighed. Wen Zhan was obviously a gentle person, but he always had countless ways to make people helpless.
There was a sound of splashing water, and a shadowy figure appeared on the screen. Lu Yunchu walked closer and put his clothes on the screen: "I put the clothes here for you."
There was a sudden flurry of noise from inside. It was the sound of a wooden ladle falling on the water. It must be that Wen Zhan did not hold it firmly.
For some reason, a strange picture popped up in Lu Yunchu's mind, probably the steaming heat making the pale skin turn pink, wet hair, trembling hands, subconsciously tightened shoulder blades, and a cat whose fur stood on end when its back was suddenly touched.
Lu Yunchu coughed twice, put aside the images in his mind, and turned to go to the kitchen.
Wen Zhan hasn't taken the medicine yet and he vomited just now. We can't let him take the medicine on an empty stomach.
At night, you should eat less food that is difficult to digest. Porridge is the best choice, but Wen Zhan has been eating it for a long time, so Lu Yunchu hopes to make some new dishes for him. When it comes to light and tasty food, Lu Yunchu's eyes are on Cantonese cuisine. Why not make raw fish slice porridge?
Guangdong people pay more attention to the freshness and purity of food aesthetics. Ingredients that sound bland to ordinary people can be made into original and exquisite dishes in Cantonese cuisine. They think that wonderful texture and taste are indispensable. The porridge should be cooked until it is smooth and the rice grains are almost invisible, with only faintly visible rice flowers. When scooped up, it can be stuck to the spoon. When poured into the bowl, there is a slight muffled sound, which is the sound of the porridge bottom colliding with the porcelain bowl.
Under the high fire, the porridge is bubbling, add the fish fillet, remove from the fire, and let the residual heat cook the fish fillet. At this time, this simple porridge combines the characteristics of hot pot. It can be used to cook many kinds of meat, just like shabu-shabu mutton, but it is lighter and more original than hot pot, fresh and refreshing.
Lu Yunchu took a deep breath of the aroma and couldn't help but sigh at the wisdom of the Chinese people. How could they come up with such an exquisite cooking method that was refreshing yet not bland and one would never get tired of eating it.
The kitchen was filled with fragrance and white mist, which was perfect for this quiet and cold night.
Nowadays, you can order raw fish slice porridge, raw beef porridge, etc. for late-night takeout, but they always lack the taste of freshly made ones. Take raw beef porridge for example. Put the beef in and simmer it in the porridge for a while. The thin meat slices are cooked in a short time. The fresh taste is tightly wrapped by the sticky rice paste. While the meat slices are shrunk by the hot temperature, the mellow rice paste penetrates into the texture of the beef, making it tender and fresh, with a unique and rich rice aroma.
It’s a pity that there is no beef. Lu Yunchu thought that he had to find time to take advantage of Wen Jue.
She brought the raw fish porridge back to the room. Wen Zhan had already finished washing and was leaning against the fire, drying his hair. Under the orange firelight, his whole body was covered with mist-like water vapor.
"Come and have dinner." Lu Yunchu shouted.
Wen Zhan's hair was half dry. When he heard Lu Yunchu's call, he hesitated for a moment, picked up a hairband to tie up his wet hair, and walked over with the fire basket.
He was washed clean, with his wet hair tied up loosely, which made him look different from before. His whole body was immersed in a layer of softness like that of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, which was more of a loose and relaxed softness.
Lu Yunchu liked his state very much, so he gave him a small bowl of porridge and said, "You can take the medicine after eating."
Wen Zhan nodded, put down the fire basket, and sat down opposite her.
The orange light from the fire basket gave the porridge a shiny surface. The porridge was stirred with a porcelain spoon, and the rice paste slid open, revealing the fish fillets with slightly curled edges due to being scalded.
Wen Zhan's numb stomach suddenly felt hungry. He looked up at Lu Yunchu, not knowing what he wanted to confirm. After Lu Yunchu nodded habitually, he lowered his head and began to drink the porridge.
The porridge was very hot, so he could only eat it in small mouthfuls. He was very hungry, so his movements were a little hasty. When the tip of his tongue was burned, he immediately stopped, slowed down, and continued. It took him three sips to finish a porcelain spoonful of porridge.
The rice porridge melts in your mouth, without any extra ingredients. It is so pure and clear, so clear and sweet. The rice paste absorbs the deliciousness of the fish fillet, becomes smoother, penetrates the bone marrow, and the warm current flows through the lungs, gradually warming up the whole body, and all the veins in the body are activated, giving people a gentle and long-lasting spiritual energy.
Fish fillet is a test of knife skills and cooking time. The fish fillet should be thin enough to be cooked by the porridge water; the heat should be controlled, and the fish fillet should not be overscalded. The fish fillet and rice paste are piled on the porcelain spoon, the aroma is fragrant, thick and sticky, and when you take a bite, the tender fish fillet is as smooth as the porridge, the meat is delicate, and the most fresh and sweet taste is stimulated.
Lu Yunchu warned, "You can only eat this small bowl as a filling. Don't eat too much, or you'll feel uncomfortable."
Wen Zhan nodded, and his speed slowed down visibly, reluctant to finish the drink quickly.
Lu Yunchu also served himself a bowl, bathed in the heat from the fire basket, and slowly savored the steaming raw fish porridge with him.
Drinking porridge, the body gradually warms up from the inside out, the whole body feels comfortable, and the limbs are soft. Quiet night, warm house, fresh and sweet porridge, the whole person falls into a sense of happiness wrapped in deliciousness, this is probably the reason why people love midnight snacks.
After Wen Zhan finished eating, he even cleaned the bottom of the bowl and scraped away all the white liquid left by the porridge.
Lu Yunchu felt as if he was bullying him, and asked, "Does your stomach hurt?"
Wen Zhan raised his hand to touch his stomach and shook his head.
She had no choice but to be stingy and give him another small spoonful.
Wen Zhan's eyes quickly lit up, and he quickly lowered his head to eat small sips of porridge. If he had a tail, he would definitely swing it on the ground to show his satisfaction.
This was really a foul, Lu Yunchu couldn't help but gave him another spoonful.
In order to prevent herself from being soft-hearted again, she drank the remaining porridge in one go, gulping it down. She had obviously cooked some porridge for him to fill his stomach, but ended up overfeeding herself.