Battle kitchen (Guardian BL) ✔completed

Recipe page 2

He screamed in terror. The kitchen was filled with smoke. It was penetrating his lungs through his nose quickly. Yunlan started couching and run to the window to let some fresh air in. When he composed himself he rushed to the oven and managed to turn it off. The fire alarm turned off as well, but when he opened the oven and a huge cloud of smoke came out, the fire alarm went on again with its annoying beeping.

Yunlan grabbed a dishcloth and started beating the smoke out of the window. Eventually, the fire alarm went silent again, for good. Yunlan supported himself on the windowsill because his head was spinning from all the vapors and fear. He feared to look into the oven and see what's left of his precious dinner for Shen Wei. He also refused to look at the clock for the dread of realizing there are only couple of hours left until Shen Wei steps inside of their apartment. Still, something inside of Yunlan made him move and do something before loosing the last straw of hope.

"Oh-my-God!" he exhaled upon seeing the charcoal-ed skeleton of a chicken inside of the baking pan. Yunlan sank down to the ground. The meal he prepared with care was useless and his carefully picked clothes for the grand night was now damaged. He felt tears forming in his eyes, and he knew it was not because of the remaining smoke in the area. 

He failed.

"I am really good for nothing, right?" Yunlan asked himself and screamed in frustration. "I am so sorry Shen Wei... so sorry... there is no one who would be able to save this tragedy."

Yunlan took out his phone and cold sweat run down his spine. He had only two hours left until his puppy comes back home. He looked through his contact list to see if there is someone worth contacting.

"No way I am going to call Chu...Zhu is also not a good choice... the cat cannot cook at all... Guo... Guo... Guo?... Guo!" Yunlan jumped up and pressed the call button.

"C-Chief Zhao?" the response on the other side had hints of surprise.

"Guo, my dear friend! How are you doing?"

"I-I am doing fine. Chief Zhao... did you drink again?"

Yunlan closed his eyes for a moment. Why would he think he is drunk?! "No, I did not. I am calling you because I need your help, Guo. Only you can save me."

"What happened? Are you all right?" Guo was suddenly alert. 

"I am not hurt, not hurt, do not worry. I just..." Yunlan looked around. "I would really appreciate if you come over to my place as soon as possible."

"But I am in the middle of-"

"Please, Guo," Yunlan insisted. "Or I will give it to you as command."

Guo sighed heavily. "Okay, I can be there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you so much! You are saving my butt, really," Yunlan was overjoyed. Maybe his plan B will work out just fine. He opened the fridge to make sure there are some ingredients left and also checked the refrigerator. "Oh, and can you bring over an ice-cream as well?"

"An ice-cream?"

"Yes, mango flavored one, if possible."

"O-Okay." Guo had no idea what his boss wants to do with an ice-cream and he did not dare to ask. "I will be there shortly then."

"I will see you later then." Yunlan ended the call with some faith and started cleaning up the apartment again. He was just putting the chicken disaster into a trash bin, when the door bell rang. 

Guo froze when he saw Chief Zhao in stained clothes from head to toes. "W-What happened?"

"No time for small talk," Yunlan grabbed him by wrist and pulled him into the apartment. "I need you to cook a dinner for me."

"What?!" Guo thought Professor Shen cooked plenty of food for Chief Zhao for the time he will not be in town.

"I... Well..." Yunlan did not know how to best describe his situation without loosing his face. "Shen Wei is returning today and I do not want to order some delivery food."

"Ohhh..." Guo decided not to comment the very obvious fact that someone had tried to cook something at this place already. The stench, the badly cleaned up pieces of food in the kitchen, Chief Zhao's messy clothes, patches on his fingers to hide knife cuts... and was that a burned baking pan on the kitchen counter? Guo fell pity for the man in front of him. 

"Okay... I will see what I can do."

Yunlan almost hugged him in thankfulness. "... did you manage to get the-"

Guo hold up a plastic bag. "Mango ice-cream?"

"This just earned you the diploma of the best employee of the year."

Guo smiled slightly and made his way to the kitchen area. After he put his bag aside, he scanned the place to see what is there to be done. Cleaning, for sure. But what about the ingredients? He opened the fridge and was surprised to see all kinds of vegetable, some meat, and he even discovered something which looked like a good portion of pre-made dumplings dough.

"How does it look?" Yunlan whispered from behind Guo's back, making the poor boy jump in shock. "I am sorry," he apologized for scaring the boy like that.

"I-I think there is enough ingredients for a good meal for two," Guo nodded. "I will put the ice-cream into the refrigerator and start cooking then?"

Yunlan gave him a thumb up and smiled. "Thank you."

"Chief Zhao?"

"Yes?"

"Could you... perhaps clean the place in the meantime? I do not think this will make Professor Shen happy."

Yunlan looked around bewildered. "I already cleaned twice today. Is it not good enough?"

Guo shook his head in a silent "No".

They went ahead with their separated tasks. Guo started preparing three-course meal for two and Yunlan put all his mind into cleaning. If nothing else he has to make sure Shen Wei returns into a spot-free environment. He was satisfied with how things turned out, but when watching Guo's back in the kitchen the scene was so unfamiliar to him it made him a bit uneasy.

"Well, what. Better than nothing, right?" Yunlan asked himself and glanced at the clock. Guo noticed it and asked when is Professor Shen going to be back.

"In less than an hour." Yunlan almost whispered those words. His whole body was trembling with the thought of his beloved Xiao Wei coming back home. It was, indeed, a long week. 

"It is fine then," Guo reasured him. "This is not going to take more than half an hour."

Yunlan came closer to see what Guo prepared and he was in awe. How his young subordinate managed to cook all the dishes in not even an hour was a mystery.

"This... this..."

Guo tensed. "Is there something you or Professor Shen do not like?"

Yunlan shook his head. "That is not it. This is... perfect. I really do not know how to..."

"It is fine," Guo smiled. "But if Chief Zhao decide to give me a few more days of vacation I will not be angry."

Yunlan pointed his finger at Guo and after a long pause said: "Deal."

"Maybe you should go and change your clothes," Guo suggested. There was still a lot to do and Chief Zhao was making him even more nervous by standing behind him, watching every of his move.

"Right," Yunlan agreed and turned to leave, but soon he was back behind Guo. "You want to take the vacation next week?"

"...if that is not a problem."

"No, no problem at all. Well... I am going to wash then." Yunlan finally moved to the bedroom. He was still surprised how he managed the whole situation. What was left for him to do was to wash himself, dress up and welcome Shen Wei with opened arms. But before that all he had to find new clothes to wear.

+++End of chapter+++

Really, Yunlan? Did you just call someone else to clean up the mess you did? Well... yes you did because I made you do that :D Anyway, do you believe this is the end of it? Shen Wei did not yet arrive and there is plenty of time for another flop.