He Was Deemed Useless By The Person He Loved The Most

"Hey, lad!"

"..!"

Lucas jolted awake from his stupor when a heavy pat landed on his back. Turning around, he saw Michael grinning at him widely. The older man was already in his casual outfit instead of the white chef one.

"...Mr. Lou?" Lucas stuttered.

"What did you do? Standing in the cold like this?"

Lucas blinked, regaining his senses.

Looking down, he found himself still holding to the shovel. The frosty coldness almost numbed his limbs. His movements were a bit stiff when he lifted up the shovel and turned around to face Michael.

"Ah, I was just shoveling the snow. Then..."

Lucas clamped his mouth shut, suddenly lost what he wanted to say to the pastry chef.

Michael didn't point out anything about him seeing Lucas so drowning in his thoughts. He reached out for the shovel and took it into his own hand.

"Shouldn't you clock out already? Wanna go for a drink?"

"Eh?"

The invitation startled Lucas.

Michael brought the shovel to the storage room in the backyard. Glancing at the young man, he said, "It's cold. We should have a bowl of good noodles. Or, do you want to go home to your girlfriend already?"

At the mention of Daphne, Lucas smiled faintly. He slowly shook his head.

"She has dinner with her colleagues tonight."

Lucas heard it when Daphne was talking to her fellow teacher on the phone last night. She didn't inform him herself.

"All the more reason for you to join me," Michael shrugged, "Come now. Go and change into your clothes."

"Alright."

In less than ten minutes, Lucas followed Michael out of the cafe. The business was quite slow today. Most of the other staff already looked so bored.

Michael rented an apartment within the same area although the place was far more comfortable than Lucas'. The older man often walked or jogged to get to the cafe. He needed to maintain his stamina for his job.

The eatery they were heading to now was a famous noodle shop in the neighborhood. Almost all the people here knew its name; Grandma's Stove.

The place was opened more than three decades ago by a single mother raising her three children alone. According to the locals who were close to her, the recipes she used came from her late grandmother.

From a rundown shop, both the interior and exterior got rebuilt a few years ago.

Right now, the eatery provided not only delectable noodle dishes but, also a good physical ambiance. They also provided a few private rooms for group gatherings.

"Please give me spicy beef noodles," Michael placed the order to the waiter.

"I'll have the same, thanks," said Lucas.

The waiter quickly left to key in the orders. The two men sat at a corner of the shop, slightly hidden by a bamboo partition that decorated the area.

"You looked so troubled earlier. Did something happen?" Michael began to pry. His tone remained light, not sounding interrogative at all.

Lucas held back from sighing. He forced up a smile, "Just some personal stuff."

Michael shrugged, deciding to end the subject. It was better to distract the young man's attention with something else.

"I've perfected a new recipe. Do you wanna see it?"

"Oh?" Lucas' initially dull eyes flickered in awe, "When would you make it? Yes! I hope to see it."

The two men were engrossed in their own talk even after the waiter returned with bowls of noddles. The spicy beef noodles were so flavorful and enticing to their tastebuds, helping them to chase the remaining chillness away.

"I'll go to the toilet first," Lucas' face was a bit red from all the spice. He finished even to the last drop of the broth.

"Go," Michael poured more drinks to himself. He was slightly tipsy.

Lucas headed toward the toilet. It was located far down the hallway nearby the kitchen. Most of the tables were already occupied by patrons.

"Daphne! You're drunk!"

"...no, I'm not!"

The shout prompted Lucas to pause his steps. His eyelashes fluttered while he registered the words. In a stiff movement, he turned around in the direction of the familiar voice.

It was really her!

Lucas saw Daphne and a few of her female and male colleagues sitting at the table that was pushed to the wall of the hallway. She sat while facing the other side, making Lucas unable to see her properly.

Never did Lucas expect to come across Daphne here. He thought she might go to another fancier restaurant as always.

"Aiya, are you thinking of your boyfriend?" One of the female teachers poured plain water into Daphne's empty glass.

At the mention of his name, Lucas immediately hid. He stood with his back close to the wall, hidden by a huge pot of bamboo poles and leaves. His heart started beating erratically.

Lucas didn't know why did he have such a bad feeling right now. The conversation at the table was still ongoing.

"Do you have problems with him?" Another female teacher asked. She sounded so interested in the potential gossip.

Daphne rubbed her temples. Her face was flushed red due to alcohol. She muttered incoherently, "Problems... huh? My only problem is... hic! ...of how useless... he is."

"How could your boyfriend be so useless, Teacher Mu? Tsk, tsk, how dare he disappoints a pretty lady like you?" A male teacher had a smirk on his face.

"Aiya, you don't know, Teacher Jiang," The female teacher who sat next to Daphne looked at the man, "Teacher Mu's boyfriend still works part-time jobs. He doesn't even have a college degree. How could Teacher Mu stand that?"

"Oh? Wow, I didn't expect that," The second male teacher laughed, "No wonder. Yes, he's so useless. He should start making solid money. Does he ask for your income, Teacher Mu?"

"...he didn't ask," Daphne grabbed the glass and downed everything. She roughly rubbed her mouth, "I'm mad... I hope he can be a more... hic... decent man."

"Then, what if he suddenly proposes to you in his current state?"

"Heh... do you think I'd accept that?" Daphne continued drunkenly slurring, "Not even in hell... no promising future... with him right now..."

Neither one of them knew how those words cut through Lucas' heart. He remained standing there until the end. The whites in his eyes had long reddened, threatening to spill his man's tears.