It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 32

 

ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 32

In the previous world, Xie Ye wasn't fond of going out, and in this world, it could be said that he took it to the next level.

Because he loved to eat, all the related equipment in the smaller account's home was readily available. Otherwise, the idea of becoming a food blogger wouldn't have arisen after facing setbacks.

Gu Cong's college was in the new campus, not far from Xie Ye's apartment, just a few bus stops away. He returned to the dorm during the day to get some books that weren't moved the day before, he also treated his roommate to a meal. It wasn't until the sky darkened that he returned home.

With so many things to deal with during the move, and the landlord fainting halfway through, it wasn't until he stood in front of his "new home" again that he belatedly remembered he seemed to have forgotten to ask Mr. Xie for the keys.

Unable to do anything about it, Gu Cong had to grit his teeth and ring the doorbell.

Click

When the door opened, the black-haired youth was no longer in his pajamas but in a loose-fitting T-shirt that almost enveloped him entirely. His expression wasn't as obvious as yesterday, with only a slight furrow of his brows.

Subconsciously glancing down, Gu Cong indeed saw those pink and tender bunny slippers again. Before the youth could speak, he took the initiative, "You forgot to give me the keys."

Xie Ye: Keys? Did he ever have such a thing?

1101: "Apparently not."

1101: "But there should be spares in the bedside drawer."

After developing an aversion to food and becoming extremely thin, alternative Xie Ye was even more of a homebody than Xie Ye. Unless necessary, he wouldn't go out. Going out for a stranger tenant was an impossible thing to consider.

There were still a bunch of things in the kitchen that hadn't been dealt with. Xie Ye turned around, "Later."

In theory, this was the time for him to return to his room. However, the meal of fish and chicken soup from last night was too enticing. Although Gu Cong wasn't hungry, he still followed along.

"Are you cooking?"

Where there's smoke, there's fire. With at least some camaraderie from the bowl of noodles last night, Gu Cong quickly gave up on the stubborn Mr. Xie and went straight to the point.

Having noticed the recording equipment set up in the kitchen and seeing the red dot indicating it was in use, he immediately lowered his volume and took a step back, "Sorry."

The hoarse and unpleasant voice, a result of excessive vomiting, made the alternative Xie Ye who could chat with the audience all day while playing games became increasingly averse to speaking. During video recordings, he would speak as little as possible, valuing words like gold.

If it weren't for the need to create a distinction between the two accounts and avoid being recognized by old viewers, the alternative Xie Ye would definitely mute himself, using text to convey everything.

Xie Ye, however, was different.

No matter how downtrodden or miserable he looked, he never knew how to write the words "self-pity." The gauze on his index finger had been replaced with a new one. Holding a knife, he slowly cut the pear, "It won’t film you."

After being reminded by the other party, Gu Cong only then noticed that the camera was focused only on Xie Ye's hands and couldn't capture his stunning face.

Yes, stunning.

A person truly beautiful enough to blur the boundaries of gender, even when ill and emaciated. Upon closer inspection, they could still be called a sick beauty.

Assuming that the other party allowed him to watch, Gu Cong carefully avoided the area captured by the lens and asked, "What's for dinner tonight?"

Xie Ye succinctly replied, "Pear-fried chicken."

Pear and chicken?

As soon as this combination came out, Gu Cong immediately thought of some creative dishes on the school cafeteria's menu that were often referred to as "dark cuisine." While feeling a bit regretful, he was also curious, "Chicken again?"

Considering the other's picky behavior last night, looking as if he would only drink water, it didn't seem like he had a particular fondness for chicken.

Xie Ye didn't even lift his eyes, "Because it's cheap."

Especially chicken breast, the recent videos of the smaller account were all replicas of the “Suiyan the Food list" series. Xie Ye was too lazy to change the theme and casually chose a main course from the book that hadn't been done before and was relatively simple.

Gu Cong:...

He hadn't thought of this reason. Whether it was the appearance, demeanor, or the equipment in the apartment, the other person didn't seem like someone who needed to save money or was lacking funds.

Moreover, if he only drank water, shouldn't this person be easy to take care of, like a simple plant that didn't even need sunlight?

The eyes from across the camera were too focused, so focused that it couldn't be ignored. 

Staring at the knife in Xie Ye's hand made him cut even faster. Having witnessed yesterday's mess, the nervous 1101 was on edge, afraid that he might accidentally cut himself again.

Mix a teaspoon each of sweet potato starch, salt, ginger juice, and ground Sichuan pepper. Xie Ye furrowed his brows, heated the oil in the wok, and quickly stir-fried the thinly sliced chicken breast several times until cooked.

 He added sesame oil, the prepared seasoning, and then snow pear and shiitake mushrooms. The whole process was seamless, without hesitation, and didn't require checking the time or recipe. It was a skilled performance that sharply contrasted with his frail and delicate appearance.

But Gu Cong felt that the other person was not happy.

Like a cat reluctantly forced to stand in front of the stove, he stared at the smoke and broth in the pot, afraid it might splatter onto his sleek and shiny fur.

The most challenging part of stir-frying is mastering the heat. Once that is done, the rest becomes much easier. Following the example of the alternative Xie Ye, who found a beautiful plate to serve the dish, pulled it into the frame for a close-up shot, Xie Ye looked up and met the foolish smile on Gu Cong's face:

"It's for you."

For a moment, Gu Cong reasonably suspected that his new landlord was intentionally messing with him.

However, the nearby camera was still recording, and the other person probably wouldn't do anything to tarnish his image unless Xie Ye could maintain this icy expression while being a quirky online personality.

Reaching for the chopsticks placed at the edge of the porcelain plate, Gu Cong, trying not to disrupt the overall presentation, picked up the outermost piece.

It was clearly a chicken breast, but due to the pre-processing, it was lean but not dry. The relatively strong seasoning was balanced by the sweetness of the snow pear, making it fresh and not overwhelming. Gu Cong, who had just finished eating not long ago, suddenly felt hungry again.

Rather uncharacteristically, his Adam's apple bobbed.

Xie Ye, however, paid no attention to such details. He shut down the equipment and headed towards the bedroom.

Gu Cong, feeling a sudden enlightenment, asked, "Xie Ye, have you eaten today?"

—Quite bold.

Didn't he address him politely as Mr. Xie yesterday?

1101 burst into tears: Yes! Have a meal! Finally, someone reminds our host to eat!

Despite its efforts to balance the body's data, drinking only water could still be detrimental to one's health.

"..." Pretending not to hear Gu Cong's question, Xie Ye replied indifferently, "Remember to wash the dishes after eating."

"Let's eat together." Since he had helped the person onto the sofa last night, Gu Cong hesitated for a moment, then quickly stepped forward, grabbing the young man's wrist.

Xie Ye's pupils were black, and his skin was fair. When he stared at something with such intensity, it inevitably gave an eerie feeling. 

However, Gu Cong, who seemed to lack the inherent fear response in his mind, not only didn't flinch but also seized the opportunity to climb onto the young man's shoulders, pushing him into the dining room. "I'll help you get the dishes."

1101, suppressing a sneaky laugh, raised its thumbs up, "Truly him."

Whether it was genuine or not, as long as he could handle the host, it was good.

Xie Ye let him fiddle with him for a simple reason: he had little strength, this body was extremely weak, and even a quick run would make him dizzy. Besides, there were no knives at hand.

【Stop your dangerous thoughts quickly,】 just as 1101 was pleased for a second, it froze and blurted out, "What if you accidentally murder your husband?"

Xie Ye:...

【I think murdering the system might be quicker.】

To make Xie Ye feel more comfortable, Gu Cong deliberately sat diagonally across from him at the dining table. Idle as he was, Xie Ye simply used chopsticks to randomly pick at the rice with one hand, and with the other, he propped up his chin, staring at Gu Cong.

A cat.

Gu Cong thought, it's almost identical to the lion cat raised by his classmate's family. Gracefully grooming itself, solemnly causing trouble, only missing the part where it flips over the water and food.

Fortunately, as a human, he didn't have the habit of wasting food. Even if the rice was turned upside down, it remained in the bowl.

Waited for a full five minutes without the young man moving his gaze, Gu Cong turned the tip of the chopsticks, extended his long arm, and dropped a piece of meat into Xie Ye's bowl:

"Eat."

The black-haired youth fluttered his eyelashes slowly, not responding.

Usually, direct eye contact tends to have a certain aggressive implication, but for some reason, Gu Cong, against his instincts, didn't feel offended at all.

Thinking that the other person might dislike eating meat, he picked the freshest-looking piece of pear, silently exchanged it for the meat, and said nothing.

Xie Ye still didn't eat.

But his mood seemed to have improved a bit. He got up, sliced a few pieces of fresh pear from the kitchen, and brought a white kettle filled with hot water, letting the two steep in the glass.

The water was boiled by Gu Cong before he left, and it had long cooled down. However, Xie Ye seemed unconcerned, sipping it slowly, moistening his lips.

The sweet taste on the tip of the tongue made the body feel sick, and the reflexive urge to vomit arose. However, due to the small amount and the suppression of Xie Ye's will, it didn't end up as embarrassing as when he first arrived.

The target was unresponsive to his hard and soft approach. As a stranger he had only met twenty-something hours ago, Gu Cong was momentarily at a loss. He began to doubt whether he was meddling too much.

Five minutes, or maybe ten minutes later, Gu Cong finished the last bite of his meal with a heavy heart. Suddenly, he thought of a question and looked up, "What if I was not here— I mean, new tenant?"

Xie Ye responded decisively, "Stray dog."

Visibly, Gu Cong's expression froze.

Without exchanging another word with the other party, following the principle of not taking advantage of others and having a short mouth, Gu Cong tidied up the tableware and quickly went to the kitchen, leaving the young man with a disgruntled back.

Xie Ye, who hadn't smiled all day, finally curled his lips.

1101 couldn't help but feel both amused and annoyed, "You did it on purpose."

They are both named Gu Cong, yet the difference in treatment was a bit too much.

Xie Ye couldn't explain what was happening to himself. With anorexia, depression, and low blood sugar, both his body and mind were not in good shape. Although he knew that the other person might not be the familiar "Gu Cong," he still couldn't be bothered to put on a facade in front of that face.

Setting down the half-drunk pear water, he held the memory card and returned to the bedroom. Opening the computer, he lay flat on the bed and said, "The hardware is ready; the rest is up to you."

Whether to do it himself or urge the host to strive, it was knee-jerk obvious which one was simpler. In just ten short minutes, 1101 uploaded the edited video according to the habits of the alternate account.

At 8 p.m. local time in City B, Y Station released its seventh original video titled "Big Bites."

Smooth camera movements, comfortable editing, well-placed background music, and the clear, vibrant sounds of cooking captured during the recording – everything was in order. It quickly climbed the ranks in the food section.

【Haven't seen this before, new content creator?】

【Skipped a day and made such great progress.】

【Those hands, that bone structure.】

【Sighing with admiration.】

【When did Fan Fan get a roommate? Feed Play?】

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Author's Note:

Due to the influence of his body, Mr. Xie in this world is a bit mischievous. As for how Gu Cong will get the grumpy kitty to eat, little angels can take a guess. The answer will be revealed tomorrow.