ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 54
Xie Ye inviting people over to his place was something that, in the past, 1101 wouldn't even dare to imagine.
Gu Cong had prepared enough disposable slippers in advance, assuming the role of a host, and welcomed his roommates into the apartment.
The once gloomy apartment, adorned with dozens of mirrors, had undergone a transformation.
On the shoe rack by the entrance stood a glass vase containing a lucky bamboo plant, its leaves lush green and vibrant, providing a stark contrast to the snowy scenery outside.
The sofa and curtains in the living room had also been replaced with softer, warmer, and more translucent tones. The small potted plants that used to be on the balcony were now brought indoors, each about the size of a palm, casually placed on the coffee table and around the furniture.
Apart from some dishes that needed to be freshly cooked, Xie Ye had prepared everything in advance. The aroma of the food mixed with the scent of the vegetables wafted through the air, plentiful yet not chaotic, enough to whet one's appetite in an instant.
Sansan, who had become a dedicated fan of "Big Eater," remarked, "I'm drooling already."
Gu Cong couldn't believe his luck. Just by renting a room, he had managed to find a boyfriend who was not only a popular UP host on Y station with millions of followers but also a great cook, and his gaming skills were impeccable.
Even Sansan found it miraculous. He was only half a fan of Guan Chen, yet here he was, having dinner at the home of "Xi Zhu," and genuinely feeling that the latter was a very peaceful person, completely different from the sensational rumors spread on the internet.
"Sour or not, we still need to eat," the last one to enter, the eldest, took it in stride and even politely asked, "Is there anything we can help with?"
As the host, Gu Cong couldn't let his guests do any work. He quickly tidied up Xie Ye's usual blanket, pillows, and bunny plushies, and then gestured for everyone to sit on the sofa. "Let's watch TV," he said, gently pushing them down.
"Don't steal my job," he joked.
The first one pushed down, replied: My native language is speechless.
Though usually diligent, why didn't I notice over the past three and a half years that you love cooking so much?
As the living room bustled with activity, Xie Ye was in the kitchen cutting fruit and brewing tea. The oranges he bought a couple of days ago were a bit sour to eat on their own, but they were perfect as ingredients.
Chop, chop, chop.
After finishing cutting the apples as ingredients, someone wrapped their arms around him from behind. "Are you tired? Is there anything left to do?"
What's tiring about cutting a few fruits?
Raising an eyebrow, Xie Ye shook his head. "Passion fruit."
Giving a peck on the young man's ear, Gu Cong playfully took the knife from his hand. "Let me do it."
The season most suitable for beer and barbecue had passed, but Xie Ye still ate it as Gu Cong’s friends had once suggested.
The crayfish were ordered from a nearby off-season breeding base. Although they were a bit pricey, the quality was excellent. Gu Cong took the time to wash and prepare them one by one before his exams, so as not to dirty the home of his clean-loving cat.
As for the ingredients, Xie Ye consulted the information in the system database and combined it with his past cooking experience to prepare them himself. As for the taste, as the roommate put it, "This stuff even tastes good even if it were stuffed in shoe soles."
The dinner consisted of six dishes and a soup, along with two bowls of crayfish served as snacks. Surprisingly, there was almost nothing left by the end of the meal. In accordance with Gu Cong's prior hints about Xie Ye's delicate stomach, everyone tacitly refrained from drinking alcohol and instead emptied the pitchers of sweet fruit tea and chilled cola.
1101 cried into its handkerchief: "Sob, sob, sob, I want to eat too."
Xie Ye remarked, "I remember, the system can connect to the host's senses."
1101 replied, "Yes, it can."
However, functionalities involving privacy require the host's explicit consent and are typically used in situations where unbearable pain is experienced or when one doesn't want to engage intimately with someone undesirable. Since the host's consciousness was dormant, leaving the body under the system's control, allowing others to manipulate one's body, was something Xie Ye couldn't accept. Nevertheless, ensuring his consciousness remained clear while the system borrowed his senses to taste the food was a feasible option.
Quietly finishing the half cup of fruit tea used for cleansing his palate, Xie Ye remained calm. "Five minutes."
Realizing that this was allowed, 1101 was overjoyed, practically on the verge of flying.
After months of being hand fed, Xie Ye had gradually become accustomed to eating on his own, no longer entirely reliant on Gu Cong.
Yet, despite this, Gu Cong's eyes never left him.
After seeing the young man finish his tea, Xie Ye picked up his chopsticks and tasted each dish, taking small bites. Gu Cong was a bit surprised and smiled, "Are you happy today?"
Xie Ye nodded.
With tears in its eyes from experiencing all the delicious flavors through its host, 1101 exclaimed, "I'm happy too!"
"Good to hear. I'm happy too." As the host treating them, they naturally sat close together, but public displays of affection seemed inappropriate. So, Gu Cong quietly held Xie Ye's hand under the table.
Wearing gloves and peeling shrimp, the second roommate made a cross with his arms and declared loudly, "No small talk allowed! No mistreating animals!"
Sansan echoed, "Protecting animals is everyone's responsibility."
Although it sounded like a complaint, the atmosphere was relaxed. Throughout his long life, Xie Ye had hardly any friends, or rather, hardly any normal friends.
He should have disliked noise, but at this moment, Xie Ye felt that occasionally meeting Gu Cong's friends and experiencing ordinary life was not a bad thing.
Since the school was nearby and nobody had been drinking, the eldest group naturally didn't want to disturb the couple in love by staying overnight. Gu Cong ordered a car using a mobile app, and they all left like a mother hen shooing her chicks, ensuring everyone got downstairs safely.
It had snowed during the night, and when Gu Cong returned, there were partially melted ice crystals clinging to his hastily thrown-on down jacket. Xie Ye, the delicate cat who disliked both cold and heat, was likely impatient to get inside. Gu Cong was about to stand in the corridor for a moment, waiting for the cold air to disperse, when the door clicked open from the inside.
"Standing foolishly outside," Xie Ye's expression remained calm, and his tone wasn't particularly gentle, as if he hadn't been waiting at the entrance for them at all. He urged, "Come in, it's windy."
Unable to resist the urge, Gu Cong quickly stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug.
With a feigned look of disdain, Xie Ye muttered, "It's cold." Yet, he made no move to push Gu Cong away.
"Even if it's cold, I still want to hug you," Gu Cong insisted, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. He skillfully coaxed, "Just let me hug you."
The heating was turned up high in the house, making it warm and cozy. Since there were guests present, Xie Ye hadn't changed into his usual home clothes and was still wearing the soft gray sweater he had on when he went to meet Gu Cong’s friends.
In contrast to Gu Cong, he rarely wore bright colors, but his discerning bone structure made even a simple outfit look exceptionally good on him.
Resting his chin in the crook of Xie Ye's neck, Gu Cong gently nuzzled him and playfully protested, "I don't feel like doing the dishes anymore."
"I feel warm and full..."
The latter half of the sentence hasn't been finished yet, but before Gu Cong could continue, the hand behind his head was lifted by the young man, who lightly tugged at his hair.
*Pfft.*
Gu Cong chuckled softly.
Of course, he knew that his darling cat was a clean freak. Even the slightest oil stain on his clothes would make him frown, let alone tolerate a messy kitchen piled with dishes overnight.
Standing up, Gu Cong leaned in to peck the corner of the young man's mouth, still smiling as he released him. "Alright! Fully charged, I'll go wash the dishes."
But Xie Ye grabbed him back. "Together."
The kitchen faucet was set to hot water, adjusted to a comfortable temperature even in winter.
Despite this, Gu Cong was still hesitant to let Xie Ye handle the dishes alone. He only fetched a chair, insisting that Xie Ye sit beside him as a "supervisor."
—Gu Cong might be tough enough to withstand some knocks and bumps, but Xie Ye was different. Even a slight collision could leave him with a large red mark.
As a serious foodie influencer, over the past six months, Xie Ye's kitchen utensils had only increased in variety. Tonight, he prepared a wide array of dishes, from frying to stir-frying, from cooking to stewing.
There were pots, bowls, and pans piled up everywhere. Perhaps no one else, except for Gu Cong, could happily hum a tune while facing this mess.
Unconsciously, Xie Ye took out his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture.
Two minutes later, a new update popped up on his "Big Eater" YouTube channel. Under warm-colored lights, a tall figure stood by the sink with his head lowered, captioned "Snow Night."
Due to the experiences with his previous account, Xie Ye's new account only focused on sharing videos related to cooking, never sharing his emotions or personal life. It was purely a "tool account" for video uploads.
Unexpectedly seeing a photo from his boyfriend's perspective, the longtime fans who thought they knew Xie Ye well were collectively shocked, followed by an indescribable sense of comfort.
【They're together, right? They must be together.】
【Darn it! I thought it was an extra upload, turns out it's just dog food.】
【Bring on more of that dog food, I love it!】
【Aww, that's so nice! It feels like seeing the old Bamboo who loved gaming, loved food, loved life.】
【Clearly getting healthier.】
【The wrong person isn't worth it, but love is.】
【Wishing you a lifetime of happiness! Pretty please! I wanna ship you even when I'm 80!】
According to the data analysis by 1101, publicly apologizing on Weibo and Y Station should have been an easy way to win over public sympathy and defuse the situation.
However, due to the vehement backlash from some radical fans who were single-mindedly defending their idol, even though he had apologized, Guan Chen not only lost a large number of followers and experienced a decline in popularity, but also alienated many ordinary viewers who were disgusted by the fandom culture.
Most importantly, after learning about the whole situation and reflecting on his relationship with Guan Chen, the protagonist shou, who was said to have a well-modeled face in the original work, decided to reevaluate himself and Guan Chen's relationship.
Tormented by this dilemma, he ultimately chose to take on a long-term project in another province, completely shelving the confession plot line that was supposed to happen later.
The behavior that once caused the suspension and injury of the alt Xie Ye and was subjected to online abuse eventually boomeranged back to the protagonist. In a sense, Guan Chen, who suffered setbacks in both career and love, ended up reaping what he sowed.
Meanwhile, the comment sections of the "Xi Zhu" and “Big Eater" accounts returned to a peaceful and lively state after a long absence of tranquility and purity. Whenever topics related to romance were brought up, people no longer thought of Guan Chen but rather the familiar yet mysterious "roommate" acknowledged by the main character.
Unaware of his newfound acceptance among Xie Ye's fans and lying on the bed while drying his hair, Gu Cong proposed, "The winter break came so quickly. How about spending New Year's Eve at my place this year?"
Going to Gu Cong's house?
The sound of running water suddenly stopped.
"What? Scared now?" One could easily imagine the expression on the young man's face at this moment. Gu Cong chuckled, "Don't worry, my parents are very open-minded, and I've already prepared them in advance."
"No kneeling punishment, no 'beating the mandarin ducks,' uh, I mean, just a simple meal, it's New Year's Eve after all. I can't bear to leave you alone."
"Of course, if you're not ready yet..."
Swish.
The frosted glass door of the bathroom slid open, and the black-haired young man peered out from inside. "When?"
Gu Cong was taken aback. "The 29th of the twelfth lunar month?"
Xie Ye: "Okay."
He never expected the other party to agree so readily. Gu Cong dropped the towel, took a step with his long legs, and got off the bed with a whoosh. "Really? Xie..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he caught sight of the black-haired youth wearing that soft, loose, long-bottomed, and excellent-soft gray sweater.
Just the sweater.
His ears turned as red as burning clouds, but the young man seemed unaware, lifting his chin slightly with feigned calmness, like a cat. "What?"
"Don't you like it?"
Author's note:
The fishing operation is successful.
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