ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 29
Dang!
The crisp sound of a heavy object hitting the ground. Xie Ye opened his eyes to see a familiar looking hand. There was a large cut made on the index finger, with skin and flesh rolled up, and thick, red crimson liquid dripping down.
Strangely, he didn't feel too intense pain. His sense of touch seemed to be covered with a thick layer of heavy fabric, dull and numb. A blood-stained kitchen knife lay at his feet, and judging by the surroundings, it seemed to be a kitchen with complete utensils. There was even a small camera recording nearby.
On the cutting board lay a half-opened yellow croaker, its scales and innards removed, white bones exposed, with its head still intact. Combined with the blood spreading nearby, it was truly horrifying, reminiscent of the scene of a crime.
Coming a step too late, 1101 exclaimed, "Hand! Hand! Quickly bandage it."
—The host had too many available alternate identities, and each time it had to wait for Xie Ye to wake up in one of the alternate identities to accurately locate him.
His left wrist with the rolled-up sleeve was empty, and the silver chain that had been worn for decades, adorned with deep-sea pearls, was gone. Blinking, Xie Ye confirmed, "I'm dead."
Death was something he had experienced many times, but none felt like the "just now" moment. Lying on the rocking chair, it felt as calm as if he were asleep.
【Yes, otherwise, how would we jump to a new world?】 Quickly scanning the entire room, 1101 urgently directed, "There's a first aid kit in the living room, go bandage yourself first!"
However, Xie Ye didn't move. "Where's Gu Cong?"
The noisy 1101 from a second ago suddenly halted.
Like a malfunctioning phonograph, it stammered, "Uh... Gu Cong, he... he followed you."
It left later than Xie Ye, so it knows what happened in the previous world. Honestly, 1101 didn't expect that someone would accompany the host until old age. When Gu Gong discovered the host's departure. He held the host's hand, lay down next to the host, and then left without relying on any external force.
It's like, it's like his soul data being drawn away.
Of course, 1101 didn't tell Xie Ye about this unreliable speculation. Moreover, a system with little emotional intelligence would not describe the death of someone the host cherishes.
"Xie Ye?" Seeing the youth bend down to pick up the kitchen knife on the ground, 1101's mechanical voice trembled, fearing that he might do something rash.
But Xie Ye was much calmer than it had imagined.
In the corner, a pot was simmering chicken soup, and in the wafting white smoke, Xie Ye calmly took out the first aid kit, bandaged, cleaned the floor, and tidied up the messy kitchen.
This apartment had many mirrors of various sizes. Along the way, through the reflection in the mirrors, Xie Ye noticed that "he" was very thin, unusually thin.
His face was still the same, the skin was unnaturally pale, his wrist bones protruding sharply, as if there was no flesh under the skin.
Perhaps because of his poor physical condition and bleeding, this time the memories came later than usual. He was dizzy and had low blood sugar. He was unable to find any emergency food to replenish energy at home, Xie Ye had to lift the pot lid, pick up the spoon, blow on it, and taste the fragrant chicken soup.
The next moment, a severe and irresistible sense of nausea overwhelmed him.
Stumbling to the bathroom he had visited earlier, the black-haired youth bent over and opened his mouth, but couldn't vomit anything. A large number of unfamiliar memories flashed through his mind.
Xie Ye turned on the tap, splashed cold water on his face, and leaned on the sink to calm down.
This alternate version of Xie Ye used to be a virtual streamer—simply put, someone who submits live broadcasts on video platforms using a virtual avatar, avoiding showing their real face and staying active beneath the "skin" created by an artist.
With an introverted personality and a dislike for social interactions, the alternate Xie Ye was fortunate to find a job that allowed them to earn money without leaving home, shortly after graduating from college.
He had a pleasant voice, coupled with a habit of enunciating words, giving off a lazy vibe. His gaming skills were commendable, be it popular or niche games, and he could hold on his own even against professional players for a few rounds.
However, everything changed six months ago.
Perhaps due to network fluctuations or just sheer bad luck, the alternate Xie Ye encountered a bug on the platform during his birthday livestream, something that had never happened before.
The handsome and charming virtual avatar disappeared, leaving behind a chubby young man in his twenties with black hair.
His facial features couldn't be considered ugly, and in fact, they were more than decent.
However, he appeared somewhat swollen, and without any beautifying filters, the camera's distortion magnified these imperfections. The livestream went silent for a few seconds, followed by a string of questioning marks. The alternate Xie Ye wanted to explain but found it difficult to find the words.
Who asked him to look like this?
The alternate Xie Ye had a predisposition to gain weight easily. In middle school, due to an injury, he had received hormone treatments, and no matter how much he exercised, normal eating would only make their muscles more solid.
During adolescence, where good and evil were more straightforward than in the adult world, having a conspicuous body shape made him an easy target for ridicule, isolation, and bullying. It was during that time that the alternate Xie Ye learned to fight.
Being a virtual streamer, his initial image was drawn, and he thought the online world would be more accepting. However, those likes turned out to be so fleeting.
After accidentally revealing his face during a livestream, the alternate Xie Ye rapidly lost followers at an unprecedented speed. Under the posts where he used to share delicious food on Weibo, they now faced a barrage of comments from countless trolls.
['How many pounds are you and still have the face to eat.']
['People with good voices are indeed fat.']
['Pig.']
While there were fans and bystanders speaking up for the alternate Xie Ye, the damage caused by insults was not something that could be easily healed with a comforting word.
In his unprecedented low point, the alternate Xie Ye, holding onto a hopeful attitude for redemption, confessed to the person they liked.
The response they received was seven cold words: 'I'm sorry.'"
【I'm a beauty fanatic.】
Of course, this was Xie Ye being manipulated by the plot. The real him would never placed hope in anyone. His stomach churned, and he wiped his mouth, saying to his reflection in the mirror, "So foolish."
Guan Chen, the main character in the original work and the one Xie Ye was supposed to fall for according to the plot, was handsome, came from a good family, and was a former star player in a well-known competitive game. After retiring, he became a streamer with countless fans, and the alternate him was one of them.
The alternate Xie Ye had high skill levels and initially encountered Guan Chen in ranked matches by chance. Over time, they became familiar with each other, often queuing and even produced a lot of content together.
Later, during an offline gathering organized by the platform, Guan Chen lost a dare and accidentally revealed the chat records between him and the alternate Xie Ye on WeChat.
Although Guan Chen apologized immediately, hoping everyone would pretend they hadn't seen it, the platform's discussion couldn't be stopped:
['The toad wants to eat swan meat.']
['Why not take a look in the mirror at yourself.']
['Guan Shen is just too gentle.']
['Think about the teammate who claimed they could collectively debut in the entertainment industry before the competition, tsk tsk.']
People are truly mysterious beings. The alternate Xie Ye always loved to eat, daringly tried new things, and enjoyed experimenting with recipes. But after the unexpected exposure of his confession on WeChat, he suddenly lost interest in anything swallowable.
Initially, he induced vomiting by sticking his fingertips down his throat, and later, without any external force, his body developed a reflex.
At the cost of his health, the alternate Xie Ye unreasonably became extremely thin, went through hospitalization and discharge, depleting most of the inheritance left by his deceased parents. With no other choice, he had to create a new account on Y Station, recording and posting food tutorials, better than nothing.
['In the end, you will kidnap Guan Chen because you love him, set up a dark room, and eventually die in prison.'] 1101 summarized, knowing the host dislikes reading the original work.
After hesitating for a while, it added, "You haven't joined the agency, lacking the shelter of the Quick Transmigration Bureau. Dying of stomach cancer is too miserable, and you'll end up in jail. How about avoiding the plot in this world?"
Every day without being recruited by the Quick Transmigration Bureau is a day without a mission. The rest can be dealt with in the next world.
Wiping his face with a towel, Xie Ye asked casually, "Did you change your mind?"
Only then did he realize that his voice was significantly hoarse, like coarse sandpaper—weird and unpleasant. His lazy and elegant tone that fans once praised was gone.
Coupled with his emaciated figure, even without revealing his face, no one on the same platform would recognize that "BigMouthEating" in the food section was the virtual streamer "Xizhu" who silently left the gaming section in despair.
[Anyway, you wouldn't have obediently joined the bureau.]
In the previous world, Xie Ye laughed more than in all other worlds combined. 1101 felt soft-heartedness when facing the appearance of the host's natural death, so he felt a bit awkward and unwilling to admit it. So, he changed the topic and asked, "Is it okay to have two accounts with the same ID?"
Xie Ye replied, "The platform won't expose it voluntarily."
Unless he commits a crime like in the original work, and his personal information is included in the case report.
The kitchen was still active, and according to the original plan of the alternate Xie Ye, today he was supposed to recreate a dish from "Suoyuan Food list," a yellow croaker and chicken soup.
But plans changed, and now everything had gone awry.
From his peripheral vision he got a glimpse of a stack of boxes at the entrance of the master bedroom, Xie Ye was slightly taken aback. "What's that..."
1101: "Some useless pillows and bedding. Didn't the alternative you tidy up the side bed for renting?"
1101: "One deposit for one month, and three months' rent. The monthly rent is 1300. It counts as income, however small."
There were numerous rules and regulations, and it was surprising that someone managed to pass the screening.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Speak of the devil, just as the new tenant was mentioned, a knocking sound from outside the apartment.
Surprised that the person didn't ask to be buzzed in, Xie Ye, not caring about the dwindling balance of his alternative identity bank card, was ready to ask the person to refund the money directly.
Unexpectedly, after he opened the door, he was unusually silent.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Xie Ye?" His amber-colored eyes clear and bright, the young man in his early twenties was tall and handsome. He greeted him politely while dragging his luggage. "I happened to meet a lady living downstairs, and I came up with her."
This was a face Xie Ye had seen before.
Their facial features were almost identical, with only some differences in expressions, indicating the distinctions between the two worlds.
Subconsciously, Xie Ye spoke, "Gu Cong?"
"Yes, it's me." Not surprised that the other person knew his name, the young man stood honestly by the door, pointing to the luggage behind him. "May I come in?"
Having never encountered the same person in different worlds, Xie Ye was stunned. "System."
【Is this a benefit from the Quick Transmigration Bureau?】
For example, creating a new Gu Cong for him in the new world.
Author's note:
A new world begins.
Highlights: 1. Many recipes are from "Suoyuan Shidan" and a certain encyclopedia, discussing them on paper, please bear with it.
2. The description of anorexia has been handled to serve the plot, please don't take it seriously.
0 Comments
Post a Comment