The Mushroom Effect - ZhanYi

Chapter 7

On the morning of August 5th, at ten o'clock, Xiao Zhan went out to pick up the pre-ordered birthday cake.

Wang Yibo had flown a night flight yesterday and slept until noon. In a daze, he walked out of the bedroom and didn't see Xiao Zhan, he assumed that he had gone to work. After freshening up, he walked to the dining table where Xiao Zhan had left him a sandwich and a glass of milk. He tore off the sticky note attached to the edge of the table and read, "I went to get the cake. Don't drink the milk if it's cold, make yourself a fresh cup. I might be back around noon."

Oh, today is August 5th, Xiao Zhan is going to celebrate his birthday. Wang Yibo finally woke up and remembered why he didn't go to work.

He sat down and read the sticky note again, then took out his phone. While eating the sandwich, he sent Xiao Zhan a WeChat message asking, "Did you get the cake? How long until you come back?"

After sending the message, he looked at Xiao Zhan's unchanged profile picture and suddenly had a whimsical idea.

He clicked on Xiao Zhan's WeChat Moments, which had only been active three days ago, which was in line with Xiao Zhan's personality, so it wasn't surprising. But precisely because of that, the one and only post in his Moments stood out.

Wang Yibo stared at it for a few seconds, swallowing the food in his mouth. He opened the picture and saw the birthday cake Xiao Zhan had bought for him in advance - the Little Prince sitting on a blue planet, holding a rose in his hands.

They had a copy of "The Little Prince" at home. He had seen it when he was tidying up the bookshelf. The book cover was old, purchased by Xiao Zhan many years ago. This cake might have some symbolic meaning, but he didn't have the mood to recall the contents of the fairy tale now. He was captivated by Xiao Zhan's brief caption.

He said, "Wang Yibo xiao-pengyou, happy birthday."

"Xiao-pengyou," Xiao Zhan used to call him that, and back then, he really was a little friend. Later, when he grew up, Xiao Zhan rarely called him that anymore, probably afraid that he would dislike it since he was already an adult.

Wang Yibo thought for a moment. If it were someone else calling him that, he would definitely be speechless, but if it were Xiao Zhan, he didn't feel anything wrong with it. It seemed quite normal.

"I've got it. I'm in the car now. I'll be home in about ten minutes," Xiao Zhan replied in a voice message. Wang Yibo listened and typed a reply, "Okay, should we have lunch at home then? Should I start steaming the rice in advance?"

After a while, Xiao Zhan sent another voice message, "Let's have lunch at home. I bought groceries yesterday. I'll take care of it when I come back. Birthday boy doesn't need to do anything today."

His voice contained a hint of laughter, and Wang Yibo laughed after listening. He thought for a moment, then pressed the record button and said, "So, I have special privileges today?" He took another bite of the sandwich, as if trying to surprise him.

Wang Yibo swiped the screen, waiting for Xiao Zhan's reply, and as soon as the message popped up, he immediately opened it.

"You have special privileges every day."

His chewing speed suddenly slowed down, and his face suddenly felt hot. Wang Yibo looked at his phone, swallowed the sandwich, and used his thumb to replay the three-second voice message—"You have privileges every day."

The sandwich was the simplest one, with whole wheat bread, fried egg, and ham slices, but it tasted better than tuna salad, better than black pepper beef, and better than any sandwich bought outside.

Wang Yibo put down his phone, forgetting what Xiao Zhan said, he picked up the cold milk and drank half a cup.

Xiao Zhan didn't arrive home until half past twelve, and they had lunch later than usual.

The exquisite cake box was placed on the dining table. Wang Yibo had already seen what it looked like before it was boxed, so he wasn't curious enough to open it early.

The TV was playing a popular variety show, and Wang Yibo sat cross-legged on the sofa playing Honor of Kings. Every few minutes, he would look up at Xiao Zhan in the kitchen. He wondered what extraordinary thing he was preparing. He hoped it wouldn't be a table full of dishes. Wang Yibo silently mocked himself and burst into laughter. Pushing the table aside, he put down his phone, put on slippers, and walked into the kitchen.

Xiao Zhan turned his head when he heard the sound of the door opening, shook off the water on his hands, and asked him, "What are you here for? Inspecting my work?"

"Yeah, can't I take a look?" Wang Yibo turned back, closed the door, and walked to Xiao Zhan's side. He looked at the various fresh ingredients in the sink and on the countertop, then looked at Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan leaned against the countertop and asked him, "How is it? Satisfied, Commander Wang?"

To be honest, it was hard for him to imagine that the man in front of him, wearing a checkered apron and cooking, used to fly fighter jets. This was a perfect example of being able to adapt to any situation. Wang Yibo was amused by his own whimsical thoughts and cleared his throat, saying, "The preparation work is well done, but the result is what matters. Keep up the good work, Comrade Xiao."

"Thank you for your guidance, Commander Wang." Xiao Zhan smiled and saluted him.

He just wanted to make a joke, but muscle memory wouldn't allow him to give an imperfect salute. Wang Yibo watched as his hand went up and down, momentarily recalling the image of the valiant Xiao Zhan from the past.

"Hey, Major." He took the small tomato that Xiao Zhan handed over and tossed it into his mouth, asking, "If you were asked to fly a fighter jet now, could you still do it?"

"Of course, what a silly question." Xiao Zhan answered while washing the vegetables. "If you were asked to ride a bicycle now, wouldn't you be able to?"

"What's the comparison? Riding a bicycle is much simpler." Wang Yibo said.

Xiao Zhan smiled and shook his head. "There's no difference. It's just that you can't do it, so you think it's difficult. Anything, as long as you practice it day after day, for several years, it becomes ingrained in your bones, just like eating and sleeping, you can't forget it."

"Is that so?" The sweet and sour taste of the tomato juice swept over his taste buds. Wang Yibo looked at the floating tomatoes in the sink and reached out to pick up another one. "Is it the same concept with our thoughts? If we think about it day after day, it becomes even more stubborn, and changing it is like removing a part of our body."

Xiao Zhan paused his vegetable washing and turned his head. Wang Yibo was just looking at the small tomato in his hand.

He originally wanted to tell Wang Yibo not to overthink, but just by looking at him, he also started to overthink—just like loving him. Love is evergreen, like layer upon layer of lacquer on the soul. By the time you want to break free, the lacquer has become a thick shell, and the soul is no longer the same.

"Just a passing thought, just a casual remark." Wang Yibo held the small tomato to Xiao Zhan's lips and smiled. "It's quite sweet. Have you tried it?"

Xiao Zhan lowered his gaze and shook his head. Wang Yibo's fingertips seemed stained red with tomato juice, making him want to describe them as "dripping with freshness." He thought he had tasted it before, and it was indeed very sweet, even the water droplets on the skin carried the taste of honey.

Xiao Zhan opened his mouth, and Wang Yibo pushed the small tomato into his mouth with his index finger before withdrawing it gently. Xiao Zhan couldn't help but feel his heart race, and when he looked up, he saw Wang Yibo's rare smile. He suspected that his face was turning red and said softly, "It's very sweet."

"Yeah, let's buy from this place in the future."

"Okay." Xiao Zhan swallowed the sweetest tomato in the world and smiled.