Chapter 329
The sweetness slowly receded, and the heat began to creep up.
It wasn’t overwhelming at first; it felt light, like a feather brushing across his tongue. He swallowed the bite and decided it was manageable—not nearly as spicy as he had feared.
"It’s really good!" Liam offered his earnest evaluation.
Suzy had been watching him intently, and hearing his approval filled her with quiet satisfaction. "Eat as much as you like then."
Encouraged, Liam took a second bite. This time, the noodles carried a bit more sauce. It hit his palate with that initial sweetness, followed by a wave of heat that felt noticeably heavier than the first. The spice crept from the tip of his tongue to the back of his throat, quickly filling his entire mouth. His ears began to feel hot.
For his third bite, Liam pierced the poached egg, letting the rich, golden yolk run and mingle with the crimson sauce. Coating the springy strands in the egg made the texture incredibly velvety, and the rich yolk temporarily mellowed the heat, making the entry much gentler.
He chewed twice and swallowed.
Then, the heat detonated.
Like a sudden flare of gasoline, a fierce, raging burn surged up from the depths of his throat. Tears instantly welled in Liam’s eyes, pooling uncontrollably against his lower lids. A burning flush bloomed across his cheeks, creeping from his cheekbones to his jaw, and all the way to his ears.
His skin was naturally incredibly fair, like fine porcelain, which made the sudden rush of color exceptionally striking. A deep scarlet bled outward from his cheekbones, dusting the bridge of his nose, the corners of his eyes, and the tips of his ears. His naturally beautiful lips flushed a deep, vivid red—looking like ripe, slightly swollen cherries, making them appear extraordinarily full.
"Is it too spicy?!"
Realizing something was wrong, Suzy hurriedly retrieved a carton of ice-cold milk from her space, poured a glass, and thrust it into his hand. "Here, drink some milk to cool your mouth down," she urged.
Liam took the glass, his fingers trembling slightly at the sharp contrast between the icy condensation and his burning palms. He leaned down and took a sip. The cold milk washed over his tongue, temporarily suppressing the fiery sting, but it could do nothing to stop the tears.
A tear finally spilled over his crimson lower lid, tracing a wet path down his face. It wasn’t because he was crying, but rather an involuntary physiological reaction to the sheer heat.
"So... so hot..." Liam gasped, looking entirely helpless. He had never imagined noodles could be this spicy. He was practically dazed. Although he had tried to prepare himself mentally, the actual level of spice far exceeded his expectations.
More importantly, Leonard’s bowl looked significantly redder than his, yet the man was eating it without showing the slightest hint of distress. Does he not have taste buds?
With eyes rimmed red and watery, Liam looked over at Leonard.
Leonard was already watching him, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement. "Liam, you’re a total lightweight."
Liam felt his cheeks burn even hotter. Compared to the utterly unbothered Leonard, he really was a lightweight...
But it really was incredibly spicy!
Oh no... with me reacting like this, is Suzy going to find me pathetic?
With that anxious thought, Liam stole a glance at Suzy.
Tears were still slowly tracking down his face, the transparent droplets cutting through the deep blush on his cheeks and cooling his overheated skin. A single tear clung to his chin, trembling but refusing to fall, while the tip of his delicate nose had flushed a bright, watercolor pink.
As Liam looked up, he realized Suzy was staring right back at him, completely entranced.
He blinked in confusion, squeezing out a few more tears in the process. Two stray droplets caught on his long eyelashes, shimmering like tiny diamonds under the living room lights.
"Suzy..." Liam murmured, utterly defenseless.
His quiet voice finally snapped Suzy out of her daze. "Is it still burning?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
Liam gave a tight, strained nod.
"Then don’t eat any more. It’s too hot, don’t force yourself."
Even as she spoke, Suzy couldn’t take her eyes off his face. She had to admit, he was breathtakingly beautiful. Especially now—with his cheeks flushed crimson, his lips a dark, swollen red, and his eyes glistening with tears—he looked absolutely striking. The vivid red against his pale skin lent him an almost ethereal, mesmerizing quality.
Suzy had never imagined someone could look so utterly gorgeous while struggling with a bowl of fire noodles. Is he doing this on purpose? she wondered, feeling a sudden, fluttery warmth in her chest.
She wasn’t the only one staring.
Derek curled his lip and muttered under his breath, "What a schemer."
Though he kept his voice barely above a whisper, the living room was quiet enough for Leonard, sitting right next to him, to catch it. Holding his beer can, Leonard cut him a sideways look, a small smirk playing on his lips, though he chose to stay silent.
Realizing he had let his frustration show, Derek quickly grabbed his can of cola and took a long, hard gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, cooling his physical heat but doing absolutely nothing to soothe the burning jealousy in his chest.
He glared back at Liam.
Liam was still nursing his glass of milk, cradling it in both hands with his head lowered, diamond-like tears still clinging to his lashes. A small smudge of milk had caught on his upper lip, and he instinctively ran his pink tongue over it to clean it off. The gesture was entirely subconscious and natural, yet it looked incredibly enticing.
Derek’s fingers tightened around his soda can, making the aluminum warp with a sharp crackle.
I... I can do that too!
An idea suddenly sparked in his mind. Derek reached out and snatched the half-empty bowl of noodles sitting in front of Leonard.
There was still about a third of the noodles left at the bottom. The red sauce had begun to thicken against the sides of the ceramic bowl, the melted cheese had congealed, and the seaweed flakes had gone limp and soggy. It certainly didn’t look as appetizing as it had when fresh, but the pungent, sweet-and-spicy aroma was still very much there.
Blinking at his empty hands, Leonard looked at him. "What are you doing?"
"Uncle, let me try some too. I want a bite," Derek offered a bright, cheeky grin. Without waiting for a proper response, he pulled the bowl close, picked up his chopsticks, and hoisted a clump of noodles.
The noodles had gone cold, but they were still heavily coated in the thick, crimson glaze. He paused, shooting another glance at Liam.
Liam was still quietly drinking his milk, hands wrapped around his cup, his head bowed as the blush on his face slowly receded.
Derek shoved the noodles into his mouth and chewed.
It wasn’t spicy.
He took another bite. Still not spicy.
Determined, he gathered a massive nest of noodles, packing his chopsticks full, and shoved the entire mass into his mouth until his cheeks puffed out. He frowned.
Seriously? It’s not spicy at all!
What is wrong with Liam?! Is he faking it?
What a manipulative, calculative guy!
Frustrated, Derek reached for a piece of fried chicken from the coffee table, shredded off a few thick pieces of meat, and laid them over his noodles. He wrapped the noodles around the chicken and shoved the whole combination into his mouth.
The rich grease of the fried chicken mingled beautifully with the spicy, sweet glaze of the noodles, making the flavor profile explode, though the heat level remained perfectly mild.
...How bizarre.
But, he had to admit, eating it this way tasted incredibly good!