Pizza

The kitchen in Wei Xun’s penthouse looked like a spaceship, and Xiao Shen felt like an alien trying to pilot it. He was supposed to be "teaching" the billionaire how to make a basic pepperoni pizza, but it was turning into a literal combat zone

"You’re supposed to knead the dough, Xun, not punch it like it owes you money!" Shen barked, grabbing a handful of flour

Wei Xun, wearing a designer apron that probably cost more than Shen’s scooter, looked at the sticky mess on his hands with pure disgust. "It’s clinging to me, Shen. It’s aggressive. Just like you."

With a wicked glint in his eye, Xun flicked his wrist, sending a glob of wet dough flying straight into Shen’s silver hair.

Shen froze. The silence in the kitchen was heavy. "You did not."

"I did," Xun smirked, leaning back against the marble counter. "You looked too serious. You needed a lifestyle upgrade. Flour suits you."

For the next hour, it was chaos. Wei Xun spent the entire time plastering Shen with ingredients—flour in his eyebrows, tomato sauce on his cheek, and a stray piece of basil stuck to his forehead.

Every time Shen tried to actually cook, Xun would "accidentally" bump into him, his tall frame looming over Shen, trapping him against the counter just to see him turn a bright, furious red.

"You are a menace!" Shen yelled, finally snapping and dumping a cup of water over Xun’s head. "I’m done. Eat the raw dough for all I care!"

Shen stormed out, still smelling like a bakery and looking like a Jackson Pollock painting. By the time he got home, he was vibrating with rage. He slammed the door, only to find Meiling sitting on the sofa, her eyes glued to her phone, surrounded by her manga.

She looked up, saw her brother covered in flour and sauce, and her eyes went wide. "Ge? Did you get into a fight with a pizza?"

"I got into a fight with a bratty billionaire," Shen hissed, scrubbing at his hair.

Meiling’s face transformed. A slow, terrifyingly familiar grin spread across her lips—the look she got when her favorite BL webtoon updated. "A billionaire? Who spent all day with you? And got messy with you?"

"Don't start," Shen warned.

"Ge, honestly," she squealed, hugging a pillow. "You’re twenty-two and grumpy. He’s rich and obsessed with you. Please just get a boyfriend already! My fan-girl heart can't take the slow burn. Is he the 'top' or are you?"

"Meiling! Go to bed!" Shen roared, but as he washed the flour off his skin, he realized he could still feel the heat of where Wei Xun had leaned into his space.

"Asshole," he whispered, but he wasn't sure if he meant Xun or his sister.

Shen stood under the lukewarm spray of the shower, frantically scrubbing his scalp. The flour had turned into a thick, gluey paste that refused to leave his hair. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Wei Xun’s smug face, that sharp jawline, and the way the man had looked at him through those expensive sunglasses.

"Twenty-nine years old and acting like he’s five," Shen muttered, slamming the soap bar against the wall. "Interesting bully? I’ll show him a bully."

He stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a threadbare towel, only to find Meiling leaning against the doorframe. She wasn't just smiling; she was vibrating.

"So," she started, her voice way too high-pitched. "I did a little digging. Well, not digging. I just googled 'Wei Group CEO Penthouse' and oh my god, Ge. Is your 'boss' actually Wei Xun? Like, the Wei Xun who is on the cover of Business Weekly and was voted 'Most Eligible Bachelor Who Will Probably Never Marry Because He’s Too Mean'?"

Shen groaned, throwing his towel at her. "I don't know his resume, Mei. I just know he’s a jerk who thinks a kitchen is a playground."

"Ge, listen to me," she said, following him into the kitchen as he tried to find something to eat that wasn't covered in flour. "This is literally a plotline. The hardworking, feisty commoner and the lonely, arrogant prince. You’re living my Wattpad library! Does he have a deep, husky voice? Does he lean in close and make you feel like you're the only person in the world even though he's insulting your shoes?"

Shen froze, a memory of Xun’s breath against his ear flashing through his mind. He shook his head violently. "He’s a nightmare. He made me wait an hour for a pizza delivery just to prove he could. He’s not a 'prince,' he’s a parasite."

"But he sent you home in a car that costs more than this entire street," Meiling countered, hopping onto the counter. "And he got you the dumplings. And the pink helmet. Ge, he’s courting you!"

"He is not courting me! He’s bored!" Shen yelled, pointing a finger at her. "He’s a rich guy with no friends who found a new toy to poke with a stick. That stick is me. I am the stick."

"Then be a feisty stick!" Meiling laughed, dodging his hand. "Honestly, you need a boyfriend. You’re always stressed, you’re always tired, and you have that 'I’m going to fight the sun' energy. If this rich guy wants to pay your rent and give you butterflies, just let him! My BL heart needs this. I’ll even write the fanfiction for you."

"If you write one word about me and that man, I’m taking your phone away," Shen threatened, though there was no heat in it.

He slumped into a chair, his body finally feeling the exhaustion of the day. His phone buzzed on the table. He didn't want to look, but he couldn't help it.

Wei Xun:I had the chef make a real pizza. It was boring. It didn't taste like flour and spite.

Wei Xun:Also, I’m still wet from that water you threw. My silk robe is ruined. You owe me.

Shen stared at the screen, his heart doing a weird, unwanted little flip.

Shen:Good. Stay wet. I hope you catch a cold.

Wei Xun:f I get a cold, you’re coming over to feed me soup. It’s in the contract I’m currently making up in my head.

Shen tossed the phone across the room. "He’s insane," he whispered to the empty kitchen.

"He's in love!" Meiling shouted from her bedroom.

Shen buried his face in his hands. It was going to be a very, very long week.

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