Chapter 92 - Side Story (1) – The Frivolous Youngster Who Experienced Sorrow (Gu Xi x Shen Jiaze)
Editor: Amaris
Gu Xi got up while pressing his temple. The feeling of a hangover was really unpleasant.
It was still overcast outside. He had probably immediately gone to sleep right after he returned, thus he woke up early.
Gu Xi felt his throat was dry and hoarse, so he felt around for his cup and grabbed it from the bedside. There was warm water inside. The water didn’t cool off because the cup could preserve heat.
Gu Xi drank a sip and immediately felt much better.
Who poured the water?
Oh, Gu Xi finally recalled…
Shen Jiaze had come to pick him up last night. He was probably the one who had sent him home, too.
Gu Xi lowered his head to take a look at himself. He had been bathed and his clothes had been changed. It was probably Shen Jiaze who had also helped him with these…
He had done that much, yet nothing actually happened?
Gu Xi laughed at himself. Shen Jiaze had really changed now that he was older, truly behaving himself.
Winter had set in. Even though the empty room was warm, the chilliness from outside was seeping into the bones. It would be difficult to ward off the coldness.
Gu Xi was a bit puzzled. Why did Qi Qi not climb the bed today?
He kept a husky, its ‘professional skills’ were wrecking the house and climbing the bed. When Gu Xi wasn’t at home, it would wreck the house; when Gu Xi was at home, it would climb the bed. To cut it short, the dog was living its best life.
Gu Xi went out of the bedroom, thinking of searching for his dog. In the end, he found two dogs at once when he reached the living room.
They were his husky and Shen Jiaze.
Shen Jiaze was tall. He was sleeping on the sofa with his pair of long legs curled up pitifully. In such a tight space, the husky was still snuggling with him…
The moment he saw that view, Gu Xi’s irritable temperament had inexplicably vanished.
He gave the husky a kick and the dog whimpered in response. Then it rolled over and looked around clumsily like it was looking for the culprit.
Gu Xi snorted.
Qi Qi immediately stuck its tongue out when it saw Gu Xi, then dutifully pounced on him.
Gu Xi scolded it. “Go away!”
The more it got scolded, the happier the husky got instead. It wagged its tail so excitedly that it could dance a tango already.
Gu Xi raised the corner of his lips. Just then, Shen Jiaze woke up. He stopped pursing his lips and instantly looked expressionless.
Shen Jiaze frowned before he sat up and said, “You’re awake?”
He must have stayed up late and couldn’t sleep soundly. He had probably caught a cold too, which was why his voice was very hoarse.
Gu Xi said, “Who let you sleep here?”
Shen Jiaze went silent. He got up and said, “I’ll go back now.”
Gu Xi didn’t say anything in response.
Shen Jiaze’s clothes were wrinkled all over and his hair was quite unkempt. Looking at his appearance like this had unexpectedly brought back Gu Xi’s memories.
When they were in college, Shen Jiaze wasn’t even as meticulous as he was now.
He had been spoiled from a young age that he grew up to be hot-tempered. Not to mention that he always got a group of people following him to serve him when he was at school.
Gu Xi couldn’t get used to his behavior. He drew up a set of rules: they could cohabitate, but Shen Jiaze had to be ‘self-reliant’; apart from once a week housekeeping service, he had to do everything else by himself.
At that time, Shen Jiaze was so obsessed with Gu Xi that he lost his bearings. Let alone such tiny requirements, he would even go up to Heaven and down to Hades for Gu Xi, so Shen Jiaze readily agreed to his demands.
Nevertheless, Shen Jiaze suffered many privations afterwards.
He unexpectedly had to wear the clothes he had already worn on the next day. What could he do? His clothes had wrinkles all over!
He went to sleep without blowing his hair dry after washing his hair. The next day, his hair immediately became so messy like a chicken coop.
Shen Jiaze was drop-dead gorgeous, yet a single day of ‘labor’ was enough to lower his attractiveness by ten percent!
Gu Xi bluntly laughed out loud upon seeing Shen Jiaze’s appearance. He even mocked Shen Jiaze, “Shen Jiaze, you look so ugly.”
Shen Jiaze, “…”
Shen Jiaze felt quite embarrassed, but he felt an itch in his heart after seeing Gu Xi laughing loosely like this. He pulled Gu Xi over and messed up his clothes, too.
The past was in the past after all. Things remained the same, but people had changed.
Gu Xi averted his gaze, looking slightly dejected as he did so.
Shen Jiaze felt reluctant to leave. He had thought about it for a while before eventually asking, “Are you hungry?”
Gu Xi replied, “No.” As he finished saying so, a certain someone’s stomach instantly rumbled.
This damned belly!
Shen Jiaze promptly said, “I’ll make something for you to eat.”
Gu Xi felt terribly distressed upon hearing his words. He said, “No need. Little Wang will be here soon.”
Shen Jiaze, “Don’t eat out all the time. I’ll be very quick. When the food is ready…I’ll immediately leave.”
Gu Xi pursed his lips. He didn’t agree but didn’t drive Shen Jiaze away anymore.
Shen Jiaze went to the kitchen. Gu Xi sat down on the sofa and Qi Qi immediately pounced on him full-on, asking to be carried.
Gu Xi scorned it. “Do you think you’re still a baby? You’re already getting so fat like a pig, yet you’re asking to be carried? Who could even carry you!?”
Qi Qi didn’t understand what he said anyway. It used its head to rub against Gu Xi’s arm energetically. It seemed to really think of itself as a puppy.
Gu Xi had always been sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. He couldn’t stand any living beings acting spoiled to him, thus he kept scolding the dog as he stroked its fur…
With this circumstance, one could imagine why the chubby dog still thought of itself as a baby.
—It was completely spoiled by him!
Not long after, the smell of rice drifted out of the kitchen. Gu Xi remained unmoved, pretending as if he didn’t smell anything.
Shen Jiaze’s cooking skills had improved a lot in these few years. His cooking wasn’t as skilled as a chef, but it had a unique taste. This was especially the case for Gu Xi. If he had to explain it, Shen Jiaze’s cooking was so ‘powerful’ it could be considered a delicacy.
After serving breakfast, Shen Jiaze asked, “I’ll go back first?”
Gu Xi didn’t raise his head. “Have breakfast before you go.”
Shen Jiaze’s eyes brightened up. He immediately replied, “Alright!”
Gu Xi still wouldn’t look at him.
They sat face to face and ate the meal very quietly.
Shen Jiaze simply couldn’t taste the flavor of his own cooking. Rather than eating, he focused more on looking at Gu Xi up and down carefully. When he noticed that Gu Xi wanted black pepper, Shen Jiaze immediately handed it over; when he noticed that Gu Xi wanted sugar, Shen Jiaze immediately passed it over for him. It could be said that he was being quite considerate.
Gu Xi ate joyfully. He was born with a ‘comrade filter’: those who were dear to him would have an extra ‘boost’ in his eyes no matter what they did. Even if what they did wasn’t perfect, it would become flawless to him.
Although Gu Xi had been avoiding Shen Jiaze all this while, in fact…he had never let go of him.
After they were done with breakfast, Gu Xi said, “See you.”
Shen Jiaze said, “I’ll help you clean up.”
Gu Xi repeated his words, “No need. Little Wang will be here soon.”
Shen Jiaze paused. He was obviously still trying to make an excuse so that he could stay longer. Coincidentally, the doorbell rang at this time…
Little Wang had really arrived…
Shen Jiaze’s expression turned gloomy. He said softly, “I’m leaving.”
Gu Xi, “Mhm.”
Before leaving, Shen Jiaze couldn’t help but turn his head around and called out quietly, “Brother Xi…”
Gu Xi really couldn’t endure at all when Shen Jiaze called him this way. He knitted his brows and raised his voice a little as he said, “Are you leaving or not?”
Shen Jiaze pursed his lips. His voice was filled with disappointment when he said, “I’m…going back.”
He opened the door and ran into the person outside head-on.
Instead of Little Wang, it was…
Ye Chen blinked, then said awkwardly, “N-Never mind me, you should continue your business, I’m going back first!” Ahhh, I come at the worst timing! Have I disturbed people’s happy occasion?
Ye Chen was about to slip away when Shen Jiaze said, “Gu Xi is inside the house, you should go in if you need anything from him. I’m about to leave.”
As he left, Ye Chen carefully sized Shen Jiaze’s receding figure. He looked quite lonely from behind.
Gu Xi folded his arms on his chest and stood at the door as he stared at Ye Chen. “You can go away now if you have no business here.”
Ye Chen immediately slipped into the house. He looked around before asking, “Why did you throw him back home this early in the morning?”
Gu Xi replied, “I just want to.”
As soon as it noticed an acquaintance, Qi Qi immediately pounced on Ye Chen like a puppy, asking to be hugged.
Being suddenly pounced on, Ye Chen with his small physique immediately fell down. He said as he laughed, “Qi Qi, you’ve become fatter again!”
Qi Qi woofed as if it really understood Ye Chen’s words.
Ye Chen coaxed it, “I’ll give you something yummy later, you should get up first!”
Qi Qi woofed again. It rubbed itself against Ye Chen for a good while before finally moving aside.
Ye Chen’s sweater has been completely covered with dog fur after Qi Qi rubbed against him. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he said, “Don’t keep spoiling it anymore, else it’d be ready to be eaten soon!”
Gu Xi said, “Yeah, just in time to be slaughtered to celebrate the New Year!”
Ye Chen didn’t believe his words. Gu Xi would definitely kill that person if someone was really going to even just lay a finger on this silly husky.
Ye Chen came to see him for ‘proper business’. He asked, “Are you going out in the morning? I need to hide in your house for a bit.”
Gu Xi immediately knew what was going on. “Did Queen Mother come to see you again?”
Ye Chen said as he forced a smile, “Indeed.”
Gu Xi rolled his eyes. “I think there’s something wrong with you. Isn’t it great that Auntie likes Ren Jing? Could it be that you want her to oppose you two with all her life?”
Ye Chen was unable to explain the truth to Gu Xi, he could only talk about Death System to his close relatives. Other people would just forget it in seconds even if he told them about it.
Ye Chen had initially laid his cards on the table to Gu Xi before. Gu Xi didn’t believe him at all at that time. Though, he would definitely forget everything about it the next day even if he had believed Ye Chen.
At this time, Ye Chen had truly experienced what it meant by ‘suffering unspeakable misery’.
When ‘both sides meet’ for the first time, Ye Chen’s parents pretended pretty well, getting so deep into their ‘cold, serious, and expressionless’ characters!
But in the end, the couple who had originally accepted Ren Jing completely had exclusively become his ‘biological’ parents after getting in touch with him at close distance.
Ren Jing was truly outstanding, after all. Him looking drop-dead gorgeous was already more than illegal, yet he also conducted himself well, being very considerate: he didn’t get too intimate but not being awkwardly unfamiliar at the same time, talking in a very natural attitude. It was really difficult to not like him even without seeing through rose-colored glasses.
After meeting Ren Jing once, Queen Mother wanted to meet him again for the second time…
Ye Chen was haunted with fear every time Queen Mother mentioned it. He truly felt that his mother’s acting would be seen through very soon!
He had no choice but to avoid her in order to not get his parents’ acting exposed. Whenever his mother wanted to visit him, he would send Ren Jing away first before running out of the house too himself. He had perfectly avoided her a lot of time using this method. He would hide as long as he could still have somewhere to hide!
Gu Xi asked doubtfully, “Why does Uncle and Auntie like Ren Jing that much?”
Ye Chen, “This…this is because…”
Gu Xi asked again, “Have you told your parents that Ren Jing has liked you for more than ten years?”
Ye Chen was dumbfounded. “Eh?”
Death System shouted, “Dear me, Old Gu sure is smart. You certainly could tell them that!”
Gu Xi said, “Whoever heard what Ren Jing has experienced would definitely feel sorry for him. Also, since you insisted on wanting a man to be your ‘wife’, he is definitely the most suitable one.”
It was indeed a word that awakened the dreamer. That’s right! He could tell his parents his and Ren Jing’s story from fourteen years ago so that they would feel extremely moved. On top of that, he liked men and had to find a man to keep him company. Ren Jing definitely was the most suitable partner for him!
It seemed that it would be plausible enough if he said it this way?
Ye Chen jumped up high as he said excitedly, “Thanks a lot, Brother Xi!”
With that, he ran away.
Gu Xi had confusion written all over his face: What’s the matter with this brat?
The author has something to say:
I’m here~~ I might only update one chapter today or one more at night. It depends on whether the traffic is jammed or not *laugh and cry*
By the way, Weibo has published a lottery when you send cash in red packets, you girls might want to try your luck there!
T/N: Most of u prolly think I’m already ded (well I kinda am) and already off to somewhere but I LIVED BINCH. Yeah u heard it right. Am here to offer (?) my Last Offerings™, which are the side stories~ Early precautions mebbe, Gu Xi and Shen Jiaze’s story especially is guaranteed to make u sob at least, so pls grab ur tissues, towel, handkerchief, snacks, cookies, plushies, whatever u need to support urself and keep ur tears at bay (don’t get me wrong, ur allowed to cry as much as u can—but pls remember to wipe it and keep urself hydrated! Crying might make u feel tired, too, so pls rmb to take care of urself~)! Well dats all for now I think, see u later~