ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 41
Being retweeted by Guan Chen, this is something that the original author wouldn't even dare to imagine.
What's even more absurd is that, influenced by the protagonist's halo, in the list automatically drawn by the platform the next day, there is actually Guan Chen's account.
The first to notice was Gu Cong. He also participated in the lottery with his own account but didn't win anything. When the results were announced, he saw Guan Chen's ID and felt extremely annoyed.
With twenty copies to be shipped individually, they have to be packed and sent one by one. Xie Ye would, of course, have to wait until the addresses on the list are confirmed before making another batch. This world always inexplicably involves the protagonist.
According to the logic of the later part of the plot, kidnapping the other person after "loving but not obtaining" might distort into an attempt to poison if he sends something thoughtful.
1101 hesitated, "I think at most it's just diarrhea."
After all, in the original work, it wasn't until the protagonist and the attacker officially got together that the kidnapping incident occurred. Before the official confession of the protagonist, Guan Chen shouldn't be in any life-threatening danger.
Xie Ye squinted his eyes.
Since he can't avoid it and it won't be fatal, helping his alternative self vent some frustration shouldn't be a big deal, right?
Always secretly looking forward to how Xie Ye would reject Guan Chen, Gu Cong even prepared to help the other side control the comments. But after waiting and waiting, all he got was the dispatch of twenty boxes of pastries.
Xie Ye personally helped move them to a distant courier station.
Having been a celebrity, a public figure, Xie Ye naturally understood how important it is to protect privacy. He provided a fake address, name, and phone number, and even had 1101 do some tampering.
He himself didn't care. Similar situations had been experienced countless times. But Gu Cong was different. Since he allowed the other party to frequently appear in submissions, he had to protect him.
Seeing that Gu Cong has been low-spirited since leaving, Xie Ye got out of the car and opened the floral umbrella. "Tired?"
Even though he didn't win the prize, Gu Cong had the freshest pastries. However, he felt a kind of frustration being overshadowed by Guan Chen. Unable to explain his thoughts for a moment, he shook his head, "Maybe it's just too hot."
As the words fell, a cool shadow moved over.
It was the umbrella held by Xie Ye.
"There are still some in the fridge," Xie Ye said calmly, looking ahead. "You can bring them to your roommate later."
Gu Cong suddenly became spirited, "For me?"
Xie Ye emphasized, "Leftovers."
Although he said it was leftovers, in reality, when Gu Cong excitedly opened the fridge at home, he was greeted with a carefully wrapped large gift box, brimming with goodies. It was almost stuck in the freshness layer and looked so good that, instead of sharing it with his roommate, he could have sold it in a store, and many people would have bought it.
Gu Cong suddenly felt a bit reluctant.
But the young man seemed to sense his thoughts, "Forty yuan, you'll be stuffed if you finish it all." Pausing, he added, "If you like it, I can make more in the future."
Gu Cong's heart soared in an instant.
Forget about the so-called deity or old acquaintance. Now, accompanying Xie Ye is...
The cold air from the fridge hit him, and Gu Cong blinked, slowly realizing his own inappropriate reaction.
Who Xie Ye likes or dislikes, his past with others, what does it have to do with him? Even if they went from landlord and tenant to friends, he shouldn't be this concerned.
The number of fans on the other side is increasing, some calling him "wife," some wanting to soul-transmigrate into their own bodies, and others expressing a desire to "join this family." Why is he fixated on Guan Chen?
Because some fans have shipped Guan Chen and Xie Ye as a couple.
Because Xie Ye clearly has a story with Guan Chen.
What is he doing? Possessive? Jealous?
Gu Cong thought, but who am I, and what qualifications do I have?
Holding a large box of reheated pastries, Gu Cong's thoughts were scattered as he stood in front of the dormitory in a daze.
The big brother who came out to fetch water was startled, "Whoa! Why are you stupidly standing outside? Where's the dorm guardian?"
"Xie... My landlord made some pastries, a lot of them. He asked me to share some with you guys." Gu Cong explained promptly, swallowing back the name that was about to slip out.
Upon hearing the voice, the second brother immediately rushed out, "Pastries? Is it the one he made in the video a few days ago? Hurry, comfort my disappointed stomach for not winning the lottery."
In the entire dorm, the second brother was the biggest food enthusiast and, apart from Gu Cong, the most devoted fan of "eating heartily." With his enthusiastic response, others also became interested.
Xie Ye's apartment was not far from here, and Gu Cong took a taxi to get here. The pastries were still warm when he tasted them—chewy and refreshing glutinous rice complemented by the not overly sweet red sugar filling.
Even the eldest, who was usually indifferent to desserts, ate two pieces in a row and reached for the chestnut cake.
"It’s a pity to not open up a shop with these skills," commented the second brother, enjoying the crispy and fragrant pine nuts. "If we had more girls in our monk temple, we can just rent a place on that street outside and it would definitely be popular."
While acknowledging the culinary expertise, Gu Cong shook his head and said, "He doesn't like interacting with people."
The second brother raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you also a person?"
Gu Cong replied, "I'm not an outsider."
"Alright," unable to argue with that reasoning, the second brother took another bite. "But you can tell he rarely speaks in the videos. The first few, there were subtitles almost the entire time."
The eldest added, "He didn't speak when we played games together before."
"Maybe it's because of his voice?" Three-three speculated, mentioning the recent barrage comments in Guan Chen's livestreams. "After all, his voice..."
Knowing that he was just stating a fact without malice, Gu Cong still couldn't help but frown, "That's not true. He just doesn't talk much, he is not a fan of chatting."
Moreover, Xie Ye probably damaged his throat due to his aversion to food and vomiting. Once he recovers, everything will be fine.
The others exchanged a silent glance and wisely changed the topic.
Seeing a rare appearance of the guy who is usually not around, and noticing Gu Cong was about to leave after sitting in the dorm for a while, the dormitory leader, quick-witted and sharp-eyed, grabbed him, "You didn't come to the previous gatherings. Let's have a barbecue tonight, get a couple of pots of crayfish, and we won't go home until we're drunk."
The second brother patted his slightly bulging belly, "Then I better go run a few laps."
Several big guys sat together, and the delicately cute pastries quickly disappeared. As the conversation reached this point, Gu Cong couldn't easily refuse anymore. He took out his phone, "Let me inform my landlord first."
The dorm leader asked, "You don't have a key? Are you letting him know to leave the door open?"
The eldest added, "I remember Gu Cao saying that the contract prohibits coming back late."
The second brother smacked his lips, "Like a submissive little wife." Then, he quickly shifted the conversation, "But if I could eat the dishes from the videos every day, I'd be willing to be our landlord's little wife."
Gu Cong didn't hesitate, "Get lost."
In just three words, it's unclear whether he was refuting the term "little wife" or opposing the idea of the second brother becoming a wife.
Despite being outgoing and cheerful, Gu Cong had good relationships with his roommates and was well-liked in class. However, for the first time, he felt going out for a late-night snack with friends was such a torment.
Four o'clock, five o'clock, six o'clock...
The closer it got to the usual time he would have dinner with Xie Ye, the more tormenting it became for Gu Cong. Though he appeared calm on the surface, his mind was wandering, filled with thoughts of what it would be like without him, whether Xie Ye might go hungry. With no filming plans for today, would Xie Ye be too lazy to cook and settle for mineral water?
As the mealtime passed, these worries intensified with the ticking of the clock. Finally, when the crayfish were served, Gu Cong quietly took a photo and, under the table, opened the chat with Xie Ye.
This WeChat contact was added when he confirmed the rental and paid the deposit. After that, they rarely used it to chat, exchanging only a few words when necessary.
【Have you eaten?】
Seemed like a pointless question.
【My roommate ordered crayfish. Do you want me to bring some back for you?】
Also seemed like a pointless question. Given the delicate stomach of the other party, eating spicy food might cause discomfort all night.
Gu Cong deleted and rewrote words in the input box for a long time but couldn't decide what to send. Sensing that there were meaningful glances directed at him, he looked up and happened to meet the knowing smiles of the other three.
The dorm leader said, "Something's up."
Three-three added, "Since when has Gu Cao been so sneaky when texting?"
"It’s exactly how I was when I was dating," Gudong took a big gulp of beer, and the second brother peeled open another crayfish, "Which beauty is it? Spill the beans."
Dating?
The words "dating" left Gu Cong's head in a daze, and he subconsciously said, "No..."
"No way? Unrequited love? Is there someone that Gu Cong can't catch up to?" With widened eyes, the second brother exaggerated, "Alright, now I feel balanced. The heavens are fair after all."
What does "someone that Gu Cong can't catch up to" even mean? He has never pursued anyone or felt that kind of romantic affection for anyone.
Defiantly, Gu Cong denied, "It’s nothing, your imagination is too wild."
"Tsk tsk tsk, should have taken a picture of your expression when you sent that message just now," the dorm leader shook his head, seeing Gu Cong stubbornly denying it. "Let's put it this way, you've been unable to make any plans recently; there must be something going on."
His third friend added, "Exactly, with your image of a big straight guy who only cares about studying and playing basketball, apart from craving for food at midnight, when did you ever take a photo before a meal?"
"You're the least likely to play with your phone usually. Come clean, who are you sending it to? It definitely can't be a guy."
...But it really was a guy.
Gu Cong thought. However, he was only worried that Xie Ye would have stomach pains if he didn't eat, and if he did eat, he might vomit. He thought of the vibrant red color of the crayfish, even if the photo had no taste. It might stimulate Xie Ye's appetite.
It was different from the photos he had sent to his roommates before.
Gu Cong belatedly realized.
That he didn't want to make Xie Ye's stomach growl with hunger, leaving him rolling on the bed unable to eat. Instead, he wanted to bring back something he thought was delicious and feed Xie Ye.
But even if Xie Ye didn't like it or didn't want to eat, it didn't matter.
It seemed like he simply wanted to share, to let Xie Ye know.
"See, see, your eyes are wide open now. And you're still saying there's nothing going on," waving his hand, the second brother spoke in a tone of someone with experience, "You don't have to thank us even if you figure it out. Just remember to treat us to a meal when it happens."
Two hours later.
Walking slowly, Gu Cong, with a slightly flushed face, strolled from the school snack street to the vicinity of the apartment. He looked up at the brightly lit night sky and took out his phone to make a call, "Hey? Mr. Xie."
"The stars are so beautiful tonight."
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