I am a Chef in the Modern Era

Chapter 111: Opera Cake

Translated by Yan of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Los Angeles was renowned around the world not only because of its flourishing economy and industry, but also because of its sightseeing attractions. Beaches and sunlight stretching as far as the eye could see, worldwide famous Hollywood and Disneyland (*Actually in Anaheim) – all of these destinations helped create Los Angeles’ unrivalled tourism and movie culture.

Lin ShuYi found all this on the internet.

Before coming to this foreign city, he had already researched the place very carefully.

It was because they were about to tour the city in its entirety during the next few days. As for the most, most important task – the wedding – Mama Shen said to leave it all to her. All they needed to do was pick a day to go get the marriage license.

As for the sightseeing, Lin ShuYi didn’t really think too much about it. After all, he only had so much understanding of what this place was like. They couldn’t count on him displaying any strengths in a place where he didn’t know the language or culture at all. As a result, he felt no burden at all as he handed over that responsibility to Shen Fu.

All in all, Los Angeles couldn’t be considered unfamiliar to Shen Fu at all.

Lin ShuYi only fell asleep very late at night, but he was awoken early the next day by Shen Fu. The unceasing gentle touch that traveled over his face made him a little muddled at first, all the way up until soft lips covered his own, and he finally woke up a little.

“Are you awake? If you don’t wake up soon, I’m going to consider using a more exciting method.”

The faint scent of aftershave still clung to Shen Fu, and he was clearly already done washing up. Lin ShuYi ignored the insinuating tone of his voice, and he lifted his head to look at the color of the sky outside. He asked, “Are you already up?”

“En.” Shen Fu propped himself up on the bed, still wearing his soft pajamas. There were a few tiny marks on his bare chest, not very clear, but still enough to make Lin ShuYi blush. After all, those were all marks that he had left behind.

“I know that you didn’t sleep enough. You should sleep some more when we get on the car in a bet, I’ll take you somewhere good.”

Shen Fu reached out and lifted up Lin ShuYi before he undid his buttons and changed his clothes for him. Lin ShuYi was given a shock, and he finally sobered up completely. “I can do it myself.”

Shen Fu laughed lowly. “Embarrassed? As if there’s anything I haven’t already seen?”

Lin ShuYi didn’t speak, and he changed his clothes at the speed of light before he went to wash up in the bathroom. He only discovered once he finished tidying up that it was truly still very early. The sky wasn’t even that bright outside, and everything was extremely quiet in the house, nobody else was up.

Lin ShuYi wanted to go to Xiao Yu’s room to wake them up, but he was stopped by Shen Fu., “I’ll take them along to play in the afternoon. For now, can you leave this private time for me?”

Lin ShuYi, who very rarely had personal time to himself after having two children, smiled because of that line. He laughed as he closed their door. “Okay.”

Actually, he also wanted quite a bit to spend this time with just the two of them. Even though he didn’t know where in the world Shen Fu was taking them, Lin ShuYi was still full of anticipation for their destination.

Shen Fu chose a car that wasn’t too flashy from the garage, before he drove slowly out of the residential district with Lin ShuYi. At the beginning, Lin ShuYi was interested in seeing the outside world, but half an hour later, sleepiness stole over him again. He lowered the back of the chair and fell deeply asleep.

Shen Fu changed the music into something that was relaxing and calming before he rolled up the window on Lin ShuYi’s side. He only left a tiny crack in the window on his own side, and the gentle wind slipped past in threads, making the air inside the car clean and refreshing.

Lin ShuYi felt as if he hadn’t slept for very long before he was woken by Shen Fu again. “We’re here.”

Lin ShuYi opened his eyes, and his breath caught in his throat at the beauty of the scenery outside.

The car window was already lowered, and the breeze caressed his face, carrying the freshness distinctive to early morning, as well as the slightly salty smell of the sea. There was a beach stretching as far as he could see outside the window, and the dark blue ocean joined in a line with the sky at the horizon. It seemed like the sun was about to rise, as a faint yellow peeked over the ocean.

“Isn’t it beautiful? Santa Monica Beach is at its most beautiful at sunrise and dusk.”

Lin ShuYi nodded, and he said rather poetically, “It’s as if it’s connected to the end of the world.”

Lin ShuYi hadn’t expected Shen Fu to take him to see the ocean, nor had he expected the blue of the ocean to be so pure and so pretty. He remembered how though he was so close to the ocean while living in S City, the first time he ended up seeing the ocean was in a foreign land a thousand miles away.

Shen Fu opened the car door and circled over to Lin ShuYi’s side. He opened the door for him before he made a ‘go ahead’ gesture. They came very early, so there were only a few people here and there on the beach. It was easy to imagine just how lively and crowded this beach would be in the afternoon or at dusk. The two of them leaned against the car, standing side by side. Shen Fu held Lin ShuYi’s hand, gripping it slightly, and he said amidst the tranquility, “Look, the sun is about to rise.”

Lin ShuYi made a noise of agreement, as his gaze swept distantly towards the horizon.

The radiance of the sun was growing brighter and brighter against the water, and it was about to rise above the sea.

Shen Fu produced a camera out of nowhere, and he fiddled with it in his hands for a moment before he handed it to Lin ShuYi. “Do you want to capture this moment?”

Lin ShuYi looked at it and nodded.

Shen Fu reached out and tugged Lin ShuYi into his embrace. He held his hand as he lifted the camera in front of them, patiently explaining how to use it. Then he hugged Lin ShuYi’s waist as he allowed Lin ShuYi took pictures of the ocean enthusiastically.

The sun finally rose bit by bit, forming an enormous yellow halo above the water, accompanied by the endless ripples of the waves. It was gorgeous enough to steal people’s breaths, and Lin ShuYi got carried away taking pictures. By the time he finally took enough and looked back, he discovered that Shen Fu was already no longer behind him.

He looked at the other side of the car. Shen Fu was bent over, getting out of the car, holding something in his hand.

Just when Lin ShuYi was going to show him the camera he was holding, Shen Fu suddenly walked over to him, before he bent a single knee and slowly kneeled down.

Lin ShuYi was instantly stunned. “What are you doing?”

Shen Fu’s lips curved. “I remembered that I apparently haven’t ever formally proposed to you. A proposal without a ring doesn’t seem to be that official.”

When Lin ShuYi understood what he was doing, he grew even more uneasy. Even though there weren’t a lot of people around them, there were still already people looking over because of Shen Fu’s unique move.

“I don’t need any formal proposal, it’s not like I’m a woman. If I agreed, then I agreed, hurry and get up.”

He couldn’t move Shen Fu, and he could only watch as Shen Fu fished out a ring from his pocket. He finally understood why Shen Fu still insisted on dressing so nicely even though they were just coming out to play. Had Shen Fu planned this long ago?

Finally, all the tourists at Santa Monica Beach looked over because of Shen Fu’s actions, and they all surrounded them, people of all skin colors and all languages crowding together. Nobody cared that the two main stars were both men; instead, someone had already crowed, “Proposing marriage? Well done!”

Lin ShuYi hadn’t expected Shen Fu to play this card at all. He was extremely embarrassed, but his heart began to thump wildly despite himself.

As if the people around them didn’t exist at all, Shen Fu opened that delicate box, still kneeling, and lifted it before Lin ShuYi. “If there’s somebody that I have no choice but to love, that person would definitely be you. I want to see you each morning when I wake up, and hear your voice every night when I fall asleep. Your happiness is because of me, and my joy is also because of you. If there’s anything that can separate us, then I imagine that it can only be death.”

Shen Fu’s voice was deep and pleasant to the ear, and Lin ShuYi lost himself in Shen Fu’s eyes, which were deep like water. Shen Fu spoke quietly, his expression sincere and devout. “Are you willing to bind your life together with mine, and pledge ourselves to each other under the gaze of god?”

Shen Fu looked into Lin ShuYi’s eyes, and Lin ShuYi’s slightly reddened earlobes revealed the current emotions in his heart.

In reality, he had already answered that question countless times. But when Lin ShuYi was silent, Shen Fu still couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“En. I am.”

Before Shen Fu could do anything, all the people around them began to cheer. “Kiss! Kiss!”

Shen Fu took the simple but exquisite rings out from the box. He put the slightly smaller one on Lin ShuYi’s ring finger, sliding it on snugly. It fit perfectly.

After that, amidst the crowd’s encouragement, the two of them embraced gently before they finally kissed passionately.

Lin ShuYi thought, This was truly a perfect city.

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