The apartment smelled like stir-fried garlic and soy sauce as Cheng Xiaoshi set the last dish on the small dining table. He clapped his hands together, proud of his work. “Dinner’s ready!” he called toward the couch.

But Lu Guang didn’t answer. Instead, Xiaoshi heard the soft flick of a page turning. Curious, he padded over, wiping his hands on a towel. “Oi, you better not be working while I slaved over that stove.” His words cut off mid-sentence when he saw the cover of the book in Lu Guang’s hands.

Xiaoshi’s eyes widened. The bold letters spelled something he never thought he’d catch Lu Guang reading: Yaoi Anthology Vol. 3.

For a second, Xiaoshi just stood there, mouth open. Then he blurted, “哥! You’re reading that while I’m cooking for you?!”

Lu Guang, as calm as ever, didn’t even flinch. He slowly closed the book, marking the page with a ribbon, and turned his golden eyes toward Xiaoshi. “And? Is there a problem?”

“Problem? Of course there’s a problem! You’re—” Xiaoshi fumbled, his face turning red as a chili pepper. “Reading that while I was waiting for you to say, ‘Thanks for dinner, Xiaoshi.’”