It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 35

 

ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 35

Seeing that the other's hand was about to appear in the frame, Xie Ye lifted his arm and gently blocked it, saying, "It will be captured on camera."

In this world, Gu Cong was completely unrelated to the plot. Considering that in the previous world, the protagonist repeatedly paid attention to him due to injuries and accidents, Xie Ye wanted Gu Cong to be a safe background character, just like in the original work.

Having just watched the other's submissions, Gu Cong raised an eyebrow. "It's already captured."

"Only the voice. It can be edited in post-production," Xie Ye said calmly. "If you mind, I can just delete it."

Real post-production 1101: Hey! You didn't mention this requirement to me before!

"I don't mind." Hearing that the young man was willing to delete the video that he had liked and saved, Gu Cong felt an unnamed frustration building up inside him.

Holding his arm up for too long became a bit tiring. Xie Ye lowered his hand and looked into the light brown eyes that were completely different from his memories. He said calmly, "Many people dislike me."

On the internet and in reality.

Gu Cong, being a well-known campus heartthrob, frequently in the spotlight, would undoubtedly fall from grace faster than him. Even though he could make 1101 try to avoid such situations, Xie Ye didn't want to deceive him or take advantage of his kindness.

—You can tell by just looking at him that he is a delicate, picky ghost.

Although he really wanted to say that, when he opened his mouth, Gu Cong spoke slowly, one word at a time, as if afraid that Xie Ye wouldn't understand.

"I... don't... mind."

With an extremely slow pace, as if worried that Xie Ye wouldn't understand.

"What others think of you has nothing to do with me." Probably figuring out the reason why the other distanced himself, Gu Cong still had a gloomy expression but his tone softened. "So, how should we proceed?"

Staring at the other seriously for two seconds, Xie Ye took a step back and gestured towards the cutting board, "Start by washing your hands."

"Place the shrimp on the wider side of the pork, then use the back of the knife to tenderize it."

At the time of the release of this video, many of Xie Ye's old fans noticed that he, who usually only filmed his own "meals," showed another pair of hands in the frame.

【Wow, having someone help with the labor, what a divine roommate.】

【Leave it to me! If I can eat a meal made by him, I'm willing to tenderize shrimp too! A hundred of them!】

【I'm a bit daring, let me be the first to say... the difference in body size is a bit satisfying.】

【Sweet and sour pork? The name sounds nice.】

【Even the presentation looks like a flower.】

【Drooling, drooling, I'm hungry, Meal-Meal!】

Forty shrimp and a plate of meat all ended up in Gu Cong's stomach. 

The sliced meat, shaped like a fan, was blanched in boiling water for two to three seconds, then lifted out. After that, it was poured over with boiling oil repeatedly until cooked, and finally, a mixture of soy sauce, cooking wine, and chicken broth was poured over it, creating a sauce. 

The diced lard, acting as the "stamen" at the tip of each "petal," was melted.

Sizzle—

The fragrance filled the air.

Gu Cong finished off half a pot of rice directly.

Although Xie Ye, the head chef, didn't touch even the lightest chicken soup without any oil, he went to take a shower and change clothes as soon as he turned off the heat. His hair was casually blow-dried, hanging half-wet, and he sat across from Gu Cong, holding a cup of warm water.

Gu Cong originally thought he had figured out the pattern of whether this person would eat or not: like a child, he needed to be fed.

But many times, even when he used public chopsticks to bring food to Xie Ye's lips, the other party would keep his red lips tightly closed, slightly tilting his head back, as if refusing with his life.

"Or should I toss a salad for you?" Gu Cong, being extroverted and understanding boundaries, didn't ask too much. After cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, he opened the refrigerator. "How about a fruit salad? There's still some left from yesterday..."

Before he could finish mentioning the word "banana," the black-haired youth by the kitchen door, wearing bunny slippers, said seriously, "Strawberries."

In an instant, Gu Cong's fingertips pressing against the refrigerator seemed to be electrified.

Unable to hold back, 1101 commented, "Tsk."

The person who made Gu Cong flee in panic while eating strawberries a couple of days ago seems to also have the last name Xie.

Xie Ye, with an unperturbed face, said, "I'm hungry."

Isn't it normal to eat when you're hungry?

1101: Who was the one lying on the bed playing dead and pretending to be a ghost when you just arrived?

"No yogurt, I want to eat it directly." After making the request, the black-haired youth disappeared again by the door and the fragrance returned to the living room.

Washing over a dozen strawberries, Gu Cong was absent-minded.

Even though he didn't deliberately want to remember, his body automatically remembered the sensation of being touched by the youth's tongue.

Probably more than forty hours ago, right by this sink, Xie Ye, who was bowing to handle ingredients, said his hands were dirty and he couldn't spare the time, so he asked Gu Cong to help feed him three strawberries.

Gu Cong bought the strawberries, thinking of letting the other person raise the rent a bit more since he had been having free meals for several days. Unexpectedly, he received a refusal, so he could only bring back some vegetables and fruits every few days.

Perhaps because his mind was focused on the knife, Xie Ye ate very slowly. In the end, he even took back his hand that Gu Cong hadn't managed to pull away and sucked it into his mouth.

So warm that it felt hotter than body temperature, soft...

...Damn it.

Two grown men, why was he thinking about these things?

1101: Oh my god, there's a fever in your ears, as if it's uncontrollably burning. Gu Cong seemed like he was trying to shake something off, vigorously rubbing his fingertips.

Sure enough, when he carried the washed strawberries out, the black-haired youth was holding his phone horizontally, sitting on the sofa, looking incredibly focused.

Gu Cong: ...

If it happens once or twice, fine, but if he still couldn't sense anything fishy, then he would be an idiot.

He placed the fruit plate on the coffee table with a thud, and Gu Cong bent down: "Mr. Xie."

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

The youth who pretended to be busy finally raised his head.

"Yes." Since confirming, Xie Ye hadn't planned to hide anything. He stepped by step tested the other's bottom line, and at this moment, he openly laid his cards on the table:

"It's strange."

"I have an eating disorder, yet I can eat something touched by you." And only by you.

Eating disorder?

So it is not because of liking him that...

An uncontrollable thought suddenly popped into Gu Cong's mind. He startled himself and, seeming somewhat guilty and flustered, avoided Xie Ye's eyes.

He is being overly imaginative.

Fortunately, he didn't impulsively ask.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Gu Cong stood up and asked, "Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"

Although he didn't think Xie Ye would lie or joke about such things, suppressing an eating disorder temporarily due to contact couldn't be explained scientifically no matter how he thought about it.

Xie Ye's answer was straightforward.

Picking up the strawberries washed by Gu Cong, Xie Ye first put on his slippers properly. Then, he opened his mouth, took a small bite, swallowed, and immediately ran to the master bedroom's bathroom, where he retched violently.

Gu Cong, separated by a door, felt extremely guilty.

It was his first time entering Xie Ye's room. The overall setting was very simple, with only curtains, a table lamp, bed, and wardrobe. The frosted bathroom door let some light through, revealing the slightly disheveled figure of the young man. 

After a while, the sound of water started and then stopped. Xie Ye pushed the door open, his wet bangs clinging to his pale skin. The scent of peppermint mouthwash lingered in his breath.

His throat, stimulated and even huskier than usual, displayed a calm gaze, seemingly unfazed: "Try again."

But Gu Cong felt a bit reluctant.

Cold droplets of water slowly slid down his chin. With his black hair and red lips, Xie Ye appeared almost transparent, delicate as if one more touch would make him silently shatter.

Lifting his phoenix-like eyes slightly, Xie Ye said indifferently, "Then, I'll eat by myself."

"Wait." Afraid that the young man, who had just calmed down, would fall sick again, Gu Cong hurriedly caught up with Xie Ye, biting his teeth and deciding to take the initiative, "I'll do it."

Carefully selecting a strawberry that looked the sweetest and plumpest, Gu Cong wiped his hands with a tissue. He pinched it between his index finger and thumb, feeling that eating something had become such a serious and difficult task.

The snowy white strawberry entered the rosy mouth, releasing a delightful sweetness. Excess juice trickled down the bite marks, moistening Gu Cong's fingertips.

The overly ripe strawberry was a bit too soft, mixed with the strange taste of mouthwash. 

However, Xie Ye ate it seriously. His long, curled eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyelids. The tip of his nose showed a hint of physiological pink. With lowered eyes, he looked obedient and soft.

Feeling a warmth on his fingertip, the slightly sticky liquid was swept away. Xie Ye's rosy tongue retreated into his mouth, and he pursed his crimson lips, tilting his head as if to say, "I've finished."

Gu Cong's Adam's apple rolled.

Almost involuntarily, he picked up another strawberry and offered it to Xie Ye's mouth, asking, "Is it sweet?"

"Um." A vague response escaped Xie Ye's mouth. He blinked his eyelashes and swallowed after the three strawberries entered his stomach.

The delicate stomach couldn't withstand greasy food, and the amount of food it could hold was limited. Even someone like Gu Cong couldn't hold his hand steady for long.

With furrowed eyebrows, Gu Cong expressed dissatisfaction, "Too little."

It was almost like cat food.

Shaking his head, Xie Ye replied, "I'm full."

...

Gu Cong began to doubt how this person managed to live safely until now, still having the energy to cook, cut videos, and upload them.

1101, with plenty of sarcasm: Ever heard of hibernation? Someone eats even less and moves even less, spending most of their time in bed, except for that short moment during dinner. If things continue like this, sooner or later, he'll end up in the hospital.

Even more frustrating for Gu Cong was the fact that after this confession, he thought they would have a shared secret, and they might become closer—at least like his other college roommates who would sit down and chat for a while. But Xie Ye, on the other hand, used him and left him discarded, not even saying goodnight.

Frustrated, he cleared the remaining strawberries. Gu Cong felt like a fool abandoned by a scumbag.

What was even more foolish was that after cleaning the kitchen, he actually went to search for the term "anorexia" in an attempt to find ways to help Xie Ye.

The alternative Xie Ye from half a year ago was chubby but often engaged in physical activities. 

Even if he lost weight due to anorexia, it didn't reach the level of the emaciated images in encyclopedias.

However, Gu Cong was still shocked.

It wasn't fear or disgust, but genuine concern that Xie Ye might really become a fragile person who could easily break a bone from a fall.

"Small meals frequently," silently reciting information found on Zhihu, Gu Cong twirled his pen, "reconciliation... psychological disorders, appearance anxiety?"

Could someone like Xie Ye also have appearance anxiety?

Aware that, besides the relationships between landlords and tenants, UP hosts, and viewers, he actually knew nothing about Xie Ye, Gu Cong opened WeChat and posted a moment.

【Level 1 Gu: Any suggestions for hand-held foods? The key is that they have to be delicious.】

In just a few minutes, comments started pouring in:

【Did my eyes deceive me? Is it really Gu Cong?】

【Gu, are you trying to be a caveman?】

【Hand-held food? Senior, do you have a child now?】

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