If nothing else, Tian Han's recommendations never seemed to fall short, even when it came to restaurants. Everything he did, except for his pragmatic tendencies to beg, carried a certain level of class.
Although Fu Ran had requested a table in the farthest corner, the restaurant was still bustling. It was strange how everything seemed to settle into normalcy when the sun came up. Masks weren't worn during the daytime, so the streets looked no different than a regular city—People filling every corner, and children running and laughing unattended.
The view from the restaurant window reinforced the sentiment: an alleyway in which the locals seemed to frequent. They passed by in front of the crimson backdrop. Jinan's beloved maple trees spanned the entire hillside below the mountain city.
In truth, it was exactly to Fu Ran's tastes.
The tranquil atmosphere and the smell of tea, alongside delicate scrolls of poetic calligraphy, served the mature experience.
He could have almost lost himself in a quiet bliss.
Almost.
Because just as he reached for his teacup, a menu was shoved in front of his face.
"Shizun, can I get this?" Meng Xiao asked, grinning as he practically pressed the paper to Fu Ran's forehead.
"Shizun, I think I want sweets," Lin An chimed in.
Fu Ran blinked at the ambush. "Only sweets?" He turned to Meng Xiao, already sighing. "And I don't care what you—what?! That is too much!"
He pulled the menu closer, rereading the amount. The painted picture showed an entire family-sized portion of roasted pork: enough to feed six.
Meng Xiao's grin widened. "Hah hah hah, Shizun said he doesn't care." He looked utterly pleased with himself, as if he had just pulled off some great scheme instead of ordering too much food.
Fu Ran was about to lecture him when he felt a tug at his sleeve. Wan Yu's gaze was fixated on him, too.
"And you," Fu Ran sighed. "I already told you… your gege can order for you."
Wan Yu pouted immediately, then turned to Tian Han instead. "I want this bun."
Tian Han, unbothered, relayed the order to the waiter.
Fu Ran's hand hit the table with a sharp thud. "Tian Han!" His voice came sharper than he intended. "Do not let him order just a steamed bun. He needs to eat properly."
At this point, paper menus shuffled chaotically across the table, the server hesitating between them as Lin An pointed at desserts and Meng Xiao loudly protested her every word.
The poor server scribbled furiously, struggling to keep up with the sheer number of cakes, sweets, and absurd portion sizes the table was demanding.
Through the growing noise, Fu Ran's gaze flickered to the one person who wasn't adding to the chaos.
Su Biyu.
She had been staring at the menu for a long time—too long. Unlike the others, she didn't look excited or overwhelmed. She just looked... hesitant.
"Su Biyu," Fu Ran called. He wasn't going to let her go hungry. "Do you know what you want?"
She stiffened. "Um, I will have anything, really. I'm not picky."
Meanwhile, the volume at the table spiked again.
"Meng Xiao! You're so rude!" Lin An yelped..
"No, you're just too slow." Meng Xiao smirked, then, as if he had just thought of the most cutting insult in the world, added, "And why order so much cake? You're gonna get fat."
Lin An's face burned red. "Wh—you—!"
Meng Xiao snickered, looking far too pleased with himself.
Fu Ran sighed. He set his teacup down. Then, without hesitation, he rolled up his menu, lifted his arm…
…and smacked both disciples over the head.
The disciples were startled, their eyes wide, as they took a few moments to register Fu Ran's attack.
"Hey!" "Shizuuuun!" Meng Xiao clutched his head, and Lin An whined.
Fu Ran barely blinked. "Behave." Finally, once they were quiet, he turned back to Su Biyu. "There. Now you can talk."
Su Biyu hesitated, fingers curling slightly against the table. "I can't…"
Fu Ran tilted his head. "Hm?"
"I… can't read it." She looked like she wanted to shrink away.
Fu Ran stilled. He had the luxury of being taught basic characters and communication when he was very little, and he had completely forgotten that many people didn't receive that kind of education unless they were of higher status. In a distant fishing village or farming town, it wasn't uncommon for even some adults to be illiterate.
Biting the inside of his jaw, he realized his mistake. It was shameful to put her on the spot like that. "That's okay." He quickly tried to backtrack. "It's understandable if you haven't learned yet."
She was still quiet, so Fu Ran forced a smile and continued, "What is your favorite food?"
"I really like steamed buns."
Fu Ran gawked. "That's it? Just steamed buns?" And when Su Biyu nodded, he added with a sigh, "...Just as bad as Wan Yu."
Fu Ran pulled out a small sheet of paper and got up to borrow a writing utensil from the restaurant. Standing near her side of the table, he began to write, carefully going over the small strokes of just two characters. She watched like he was drawing a complex picture beyond her imagination.
"Does this say… steamed bun?" Su Biyu blinked and her lips noticeably quivered. Even the way she held the paper between her fingers tugged at Fu Ran's heart. She looked like she was going to cry.
"I can teach you how to read and write." As soon as the words left his lips he froze. Dammit. He wasn't going to—but the offer slipped.
In just a second his unfiltered lips promised to teach her. What happened to being suspicious of lying children? Fu Ran's gaze shifted to the other sight of the room. Well, it's already done now.
"Really?" Su Biyu asked. "Really?" She was so shocked she had to ask twice.
Fu Ran's brows furrowed together but the corners of his lips rose into a smile. "Yeah… I will teach you. Actually…" He glanced back at the rest of the children. "Can you all read and write?"
Lin An and Meng Xiao nodded, but Wan Yu was the one to speak. "Gege taught me."
"You?" Fu Ran's question was directed at Tian Han.
"Mn." Tian Han smiled.
"I didn't picture you as a teacher."
However, Tian Han shook his head. "It's not like that." He absentmindedly tapped his finger against the rim of his teacup. "I learned pretty late in life, and just wanted Wan Yu to learn earlier. I taught him no differently than my Shizun taught me."
Fu Ran cocked his head. "Your Shizun?" It was almost jarring to hear that someone else was given that title other than just him. After All Tian Han was insistent on using that as a nickname since the moment they met. "What… kind of person is your Shizun?"
Without missing a beat, Tian Han pressed his palm to his lips and smiled. "Shizun is… the single most precious thing to me."
"Ah…" Fu Ran felt a burn of embarrassment flush his cheeks. He wasn't the one being talked about right now, however hearing Tian Han say it so sweetly… he couldn't deny the implications.
Tian Han continued, "He was so busy, and yet he still took me in. It was just the two of us, but he gave me every waking minute."
Fu Ran was so lost in thought, that he barely registered the words. Tian Han was being open about his history, for once. Perhaps if he so dared, Fu Ran could press to ask a little bit more—Tian Han's connection to The Impostor, the reason for his reactions, the reasons for coming to An Xian Yun Peak—
Only the clamoring of dishes brought his mind back to dinner.
Fu Ran stiffened, and a realization pulled his face into a grimace. He hadn't ordered anything to eat.
As if reprimanding him, his stomach grumbled, leaving him to lament the missed chance to try fish and rice seared over maple wood. It nearly brought a tear to his eye to think of missing out on desert pastries glazed in honey.
The whole reason food had been brought up in the first place was because he had a habit of skipping meals, and yet…
The server set a plate in front of him, too.
"What's this?" he asked, confused.
Peppered carp and rice, cooked nearly to perfection, was elegantly arranged on the plate. Beside it sat a small bowl filled with honey-covered fruits. It might not have been exactly what he would have ordered, but it was startlingly similar.
Tian Han ruffled the back of his hair and glanced nervously toward the window. "I'm sorry, um… You were talking with the children, and you looked busy, so I ordered for you. Do you not like it?"
"Oh…" Fu Ran's voice simmered.
Kindness slapped him across the face again. That burning sensation in his cheeks returned, and he tried to hide it with a downward stare.
"It looks good." A quiet, tiny resignation, "Thank you." It was all he could muster—just a quick word of thanks. And yet, feeling Tian Han's gaze urged him to take a bite.
The fish was perfectly tender and pulled apart easily. Unlike most of the food delivered to his Xingti Pavilion, this was actually seasoned with a proper kick of flavor.