"...Mm. Okay. You be careful, too. Don't catch a cold in the snowball fight."
Lu Cheng held the phone, his expression a mixture of seriousness, excitement, and a lingering worry.
A voice came from the other end. Lu Cheng paused and glanced over his shoulder.
Jiang Mo didn't look up. She was still busy setting the table, acting as if she hadn't even noticed he was on the phone with their son. Her actions spoke louder than words.
Lu Cheng let out a soft sigh and turned back. "Your mom is fine. ... Happy New Year's Day. You've got the afternoon off, so try to relax."
Finally, he hung up.
He stood in place for a moment, then faced the kitchen. "Kai doesn't have the day off, either. He was training all morning—physicals, simulator. But all his cultural classes were canceled since the coaches are on holiday. He just finished at the gym and is on his way back."
He continued, feeding her information, but Jiang Mo just kept working, only giving a slight nod to show she was listening.
Lu Cheng didn't give up.
"It's snowing in Maranello. Kai's really excited. A kid from the south, he's never really seen snow. He said he just had a snowball fight with the base staff."
"...He says he misses home-cooked food. There are no Chinese restaurants in Maranello, so he's going to try and cook for himself tonight."
At that, Jiang Mo's movements stopped.
Her shoulders and back went visibly rigid. Her head was bowed, her face hidden in shadow, but she seemed lost in thought.
In truth, Jiang Mo had already "forgiven" Kai. She had spoken to him on the phone several times over the past month. But she'd kept her distance, never asking about the racing, only about his health, as if he were just away at a math camp.
Both Lu Cheng and Kai understood that she was still angry.
And how could she not be?
The lies. Skipping school. The street racing.
Every single one was a major offense. They weren't just things that could affect his future; they were life-threatening. This wasn't something that could be erased with a simple "Sorry, it won't happen again."
She knew Kai was smart, mature beyond his years, and had his own ideas. But he was still only seventeen. As his mother, it was her responsibility to worry about him, to protect him, and to teach him. She couldn't just let this go.
In their house, Lu Cheng was the easygoing one, letting Kai get away with everything. If she didn't play the bad guy, if she didn't draw the line, how would their child learn to tell right from wrong?
She was angry. Of course she was. She was still angry at both Kai and Lu Cheng. But she was also angry at herself. She worried she had been too focused on her work, that she had neglected her son.
These feelings weren't simple. They couldn't be resolved with a few words, and she refused to just brush them aside.
And yet... anger was one thing, but she couldn't stop worrying.
Her boy, Kai. He seemed mature, but he was still a kid. At home, he'd never had to lift a finger. He'd never even stepped inside a kitchen. And now he was all alone in Maranello, with no friends or family, surrounded by a language he didn't speak.
On every holiday, one thinks of one's family even more.
He had never been away from them for this long. And now, he was spending New Year's Day all by himself on a distant continent.
When she heard that Kai was missing home so much he was going to try and cook for himself, the softest part of her heart was struck, and she froze.
She looked down at the Peanut and Pig's Trotter Soup in her hands, and she could almost hear his bright, cheerful voice. "Ah, are we having pig's trotter soup tonight?"
It was too much.
Jiang Mo put the soup bowl down, turned, and walked quickly into the kitchen. With her back to the door, she frantically wiped at the hot tears in her eyes with the back of her hand. But the emotions were threatening to overflow.
She took two deep breaths, found her composure, and quickly, efficiently, fixed her expression before carrying the rest of the dishes out.
Lu Cheng met her at the table, gently taking the bowls from her, his eyes anxiously trying to read her face. He was worried about his son, but he was also worried about his wife.
They both stood at the table, and Jiang Mo froze. She realized there were already bowls and chopsticks on the table. She had set them once, and now she had just set them again.
And both times, she had set three places.
Looking at the six sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, Lu Cheng was stunned into silence.
Far away in Maranello, Kai hung up the phone, feeling dejected. He knew his mother was still angry, and there was nothing he could say.
He tilted his head back, letting the snowflakes land on his face, a light, cold touch. The initial joy of seeing snow for the first time had faded. He kicked resentfully at a patch of slush and walked, head down, toward his apartment.
The building was empty. Christmas and New Year's was the biggest holiday of the year in Europe, and all the other students had gone home.
Only Kai was left.
He had planned to go home, too. But his final exams were coming up, and then the Lunar New Year right after that. It was too much trouble to fly back and forth. So he'd decided to just stay in Maranello.
Now, it seemed the only solution was to go home, apologize to his mother in person, and ace his exams to prove he was serious.
He let out a long sigh but didn't let himself wallow in the feeling. He balled his fists, gave himself a mental shake, and straightened his spine.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
His phone was vibrating in his coat pocket. He pulled it out, expecting a single message, but found a stream of them, one after another, flooding his screen.
His first thought was "Happy New Year" spam.
But it wasn't.
"Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Braised Pork Belly, Spiced Beef Shank, Mushroom and Duck Soup, Steamed Sea Bass..."
A long list of recipes, one after another. Kai stared, confused, until the last message came through. It was from his father.
"These are the recipes. Not from the internet, these are your mom's. She doesn't know what ingredients you can buy in Maranello, so she just wrote down a few. See what you can make. They're all your favorites. Try and cook for yourself. You deserve a good meal."
"P.S. Be careful. Don't burn the kitchen down."
Kai stood frozen in the snow, a bitter, sharp taste on his tongue, his eyes turning red.
He took another deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, but his blood felt warm. A smile spread across his lips, and his step became lighter. He looked up at the swirling snow, his mood bright once more, and a wild idea struck him.
"What should I try to make today?"
Unfortunately, his culinary ambition was short-lived. He had forgotten:
It was New Year's Day. Not a single shop in Maranello was open. Even the little vegetable stand and the butcher shop were sealed tight. It seemed Chef Kai's debut would have to wait.
But!
That still wouldn't stop him.
In a culture where food is king, you learn to be resourceful. Even without culinary talent, even without the right ingredients, there was always a way to eat well.
And in this situation, the most perfect solution of all was...
~~----------------------
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