Chapter 14
Jiang Zhong’s face flushed red in the dark. He had casually come up with an excuse for not being able to sleep, without realizing it had a double meaning.
【Jiang Zhong: I’m just purely excited!】
【Xi Qin: Oh, I see.】
【Xi Qin: For a moment, I thought you were hinting at something.】
【Jiang Zhong: Get lost.】
【Jiang Zhong: You’re not cool anymore.】
The next morning, Jiang Zhong stayed in bed for more than ten minutes before getting up to take care of his physiological needs.
Last night, he and Xi Qin had chatted about all sorts of nonsense until they finally said goodnight to each other. As a result, he dreamed of doing some messy things with Xi Qin.
Fortunately, when he woke up in the morning, he realized it was just a physical reaction and not… anything more.
After relieving himself, Jiang Zhong walked out of the bathroom and bumped into Xi Qin, who was getting out of bed, directly facing him.
Jiang Zhong’s line of sight was at the same height as Xi Qin’s waist, where he stood on the ladder, and his gaze unconsciously focused below Xi Qin’s navel, between his legs.
“Pfft.” Xi Qin let out a small laugh.
Hearing the sound, Jiang Zhong snapped out of it and realized where he had been staring. He quickly turned his head, his face burning, and his heart racing.
“Turning your head so fast—aren’t you afraid of straining your neck?” Xi Qin whispered teasingly as he passed by Jiang Zhong, leaning in close to his reddened ear. “It’s already gone down.”
Jiang Zhong stared at Xi Qin in shock for a few seconds before he finally managed to speak, “How are you getting more shameless by the day? What happened to your image?”
Suppressing his laughter, Xi Qin turned and headed to the bathroom.
Jiang Zhong watched his back until the door closed, then raised his hand to cover his tingling ear. He silently cursed before climbing back into bed to try and sleep again.
He was definitely still half-asleep, or maybe it was Xi Qin who hadn’t fully woken up.
The chat group they had created for their social gathering hadn’t been disbanded even after the event ended. Every day, someone would gossip about various rumors from across campus.
According to Deng Letian, two couples had actually formed within two weeks of the gathering, with matchmaking speeds rivaling that of a major mobile game.
When Jiang Zhong relayed Deng Letian’s words to Xi Qin, who wasn’t in the dorm at the time, Xi Qin was silent for two seconds before asking, “Are you jealous?”
“No,” Jiang Zhong denied, “That’s just what Letian said. He’s the jealous one.”
Xi Qin chuckled, and Jiang Zhong added, “But for straight people, finding a partner is pretty convenient. If they like someone, they can just go for it, without worrying about anything else.”
“With this kind of ‘¹fast-food romance,’” Xi Qin looked Jiang Zhong up and down, “Someone like you would have no problem finding a partner, even if it’s the same sex.”
Jiang Zhong humbly accepted the compliment, “You can’t say that, though. Not everyone is in a ‘fast-food relationship.’ Some people might end up falling for each other deeply and last a lifetime.”
“Even then, they’d still start dating first and develop feelings later. It’s not like you can truly get to know someone after just ten days or two weeks,” Xi Qin raised an eyebrow at Jiang Zhong. “Do you want to give it a try?”
Jiang Zhong subconsciously wanted to respond: ‘With who? You?’
But as he opened his mouth, he realized he couldn’t say that—it would mean falling into Xi Qin’s trap again. Lately, he had been feeling like Xi Qin always had the upper hand. Every time they talked, Xi Qin would end up teasing him until he was left speechless.
Besides, they had known each other long enough and understood each other quite well.
So, Jiang Zhong simply hummed, looked Xi Qin straight in the eye, and smiled, “Nah, I prefer to have some kind of emotional foundation before dating.”
Xi Qin and Jiang Zhong locked eyes for a while before Xi Qin squinted his eyes slightly and seriously replied, “Alright.”
Jiang Zhong felt he had won this round, so he smugly lifted the corners of his mouth even higher and asked with a light tone, “By the way, they’re planning to have another gathering during Christmas. Do you want to go?”
“I can’t make it,” Xi Qin said, “I haven’t streamed much lately, and I promised my fans I’d do an extra two hours on Christmas.”
“Oh…” Jiang Zhong nodded.
“You should go hang out with them. By the time I finish streaming, it’ll probably be too late to go back to school.”
“I don’t really feel like going either, it doesn’t sound that interesting,” Jiang Zhong thought for a moment and then laughed, “Don’t your fans have significant others to spend Christmas with? Why would they stay up watching your stream?”
Xi Qin, deadpan, replied, “Esports has no love.”
“Pfft,” Jiang Zhong laughed for a long time, “Then you can spend your life with games.”
“That’s not my saying, I’m just quoting it,” Xi Qin paused briefly and, unusually hesitant, added, “So, um… do you… want to come to my place?”
Jiang Zhong: “Huh?”
Xi Qin: “I mean, on Christmas. If you don’t want to hang out with them, would you like to come over to my place?”
“Oh,” Jiang Zhong stammered nervously, “Then… what would I do there?”
“We could have a meal?” Xi Qin coaxed, “I’ll cook. I’ve mentioned it a few times before, but we never had the chance.”
“J-Just me?” Jiang Zhong stuttered.
“Aren’t I a person too?” Xi Qin smirked. “Or are you afraid of something?”
Hearing that, Jiang Zhong immediately straightened up, “No, I’ll come.”
As the semester neared its end, some courses had already wrapped up, and on Christmas Day, Jiang Zhong’s major only had two morning classes left.
As soon as they were done with classes at noon, Jiang Zhong left the campus with Xi Qin.
Xi Qin led Jiang Zhong straight to his rental apartment and explained, “I bought the ingredients yesterday, so we just need to cook them when we get back. It won’t take long.”
“Don’t rush, I’m not very hungry,” Jiang Zhong said as he looked around the neighborhood. “Your place looks pretty nice. I thought it would be…”
“That I live in a mobile home?” Xi Qin laughed.
“Not that extreme,” Jiang Zhong replied, “I just didn’t expect it to be this nice.”
“Well, it’s not as good as your big villa,” Xi Qin said.
“Enough already!” Jiang Zhong smacked Xi Qin’s arm. “You’re so sarcastic.”
Xi Qin’s apartment was on the ninth floor, with four units per elevator. Xi Qin was the one on the far left.
“Wow, it’s an apartment,” Jiang Zhong remarked as he entered.
“Yes,” Xi Qin handed him a pair of new slippers. “Feel free to look around. I’ll start cooking.”
The apartment had a duplex layout. On the left as you entered was an open kitchen, on the right was a half-height shoe rack and a bathroom. Further in, next to the kitchen, was a small fixed dining table with only two chairs.
The living room, which was straight ahead, didn’t have a sofa or coffee table but featured a high-end desktop computer and its equipment, with a leather gaming chair in front of it.
The outer side of the living room had a bay window with a plush mat on it. This was likely where Xi Qin rested when not streaming. The curtains were only sheer, providing excellent natural light.
On the other side, against the wall, was a wooden staircase leading to the second level, where the bedroom was presumably located.
Jiang Zhong didn’t go up to the second level. After taking a quick look around downstairs, he went to the bathroom to wash his hands and then unceremoniously lay on the bay window to wait for dinner.
Xi Qin diligently cooked, making rice, soup, and stir-fried dishes simultaneously, and even found time to wash an apple and bring it to Jiang Zhong.
“Wow,” Jiang Zhong said as he munched on the apple and wandered into the kitchen, “You’re so thoughtful, it makes me feel embarrassed.”
“Really? I didn’t notice,” Xi Qin said while chopping potatoes.
“Seriously, do you need any help?” Jiang Zhong asked, still munching on the apple.
“No need, just wait,” Xi Qin said as he heated oil in the pan.
“I really can cook too, so I won’t be a bother,” Jiang Zhong said as he finished the apple and rolled up his sleeves.
“I insist. I said I’d cook for you, so I’ll do it,” Xi Qin insisted.
“Alright,” Jiang Zhong conceded.
Jiang Zhong was actually quite looking forward to it and wanted to see Xi Qin cook. Since Xi Qin didn’t need his help, he decided to wait and enjoy the surprise, wondering what dishes Xi Qin would prepare.
After half an hour, a delicious aroma started wafting from the kitchen, making Jiang Zhong feel hungry.
Another ten minutes later, Xi Qin began bringing the dishes to the dining table. Jiang Zhong joined in to help, getting bowls and chopsticks.
There were four dishes and a soup, with a mix of meat and vegetables.
Jiang Zhong swallowed and said, “These are all my favorites.”
Jiang Zhong looked up at Xi Qin with surprise. “You…”
Xi Qin smiled, thinking, “Now you should know I know what you like and don’t like.”
Jiang Zhong exclaimed, “Your taste is really similar to mine! What a coincidence!”
Xi Qin: “…”
—
¹”Fast-food romance” is a term used to describe relationships that develop quickly and often lack depth or commitment. Similar to fast food, which is quick and convenient but may not be the most nutritious option, these relationships are characterized by immediate gratification, minimal emotional investment, and a focus on physical attraction rather than long-term compatibility or meaningful connection.