Chapter 26
Jiang Zhong’s heart beat was racing a bit, Xi Qin was really…
What’s a model boyfriend like?
Without hesitation, Jiang Zhong answered: Just like his boyfriend!
The colors Xi Qin picked were all relatively light, and the two colors for each item were quite similar.
Especially the two mouthwash cups, one in off-white and the other in beige. Jiang Zhong almost didn’t notice the difference.
If he accidentally picked the wrong one later, wouldn’t that be like an indirect kiss?
Jiang Zhong chuckled to himself, choosing the beige one, and also grabbed a light blue toothbrush from the side.
Both the mouthwash cups and toothbrush had been disinfected and cleaned by Xi Qin in advance, so they were ready to use.
Tsk tsk tsk, Jiang Zhong clicked his tongue. How many things had his boyfriend done while he was asleep?
By the way, how long had he slept? What time was it now?
Jiang Zhong vaguely remembered he had come downstairs to look for his phone. How did he forget again upon seeing Xi Qin?
Being in love really makes one forgetful.
After brushing his teeth, Jiang Zhong tidied up his messy hair in the mirror. He needed to pay more attention to his appearance in front of his boyfriend.
Xi Qin lifted the lid of the soup pot, scooped out a spoonful to taste, and then added a little bit of salt.
“Ahem,” Jiang Zhong’s voice came from behind, “I’ve made my choice.”
“Okay,” Xi Qin replied.
“Aren’t you going to ask me which ones I picked?” Jiang Zhong said, not waiting for Xi Qin to ask and answering himself, “I picked the relatively darker colors. The lighter ones are yours.”
“Got it,” Xi Qin said, “I’ll remember.”
Jiang Zhong nodded and licked his lips. “Did you buy the water cups? I want to drink some water.”
“Yes,” Xi Qin said, pulling open the cupboard and taking out two ceramic cups. They were simple in design, with smooth, rounded rims—one black and one white.
Xi Qin handed the two cups to Jiang Zhong and asked, “Which one do you want? The black one?”
Jiang Zhong went against the grain: “No, I want the white one.”
He then took the white cup and went to the water dispenser by the dining table to fill it up.
Xi Qin curved the corner of his mouth and placed the remaining black water cup in the most prominent spot.
The doorbell rang twice while Jiang Zhong was drinking water.
Xi Qin was busy with his hands, so he called out to Jiang Zhong, “Baby, go open the door.”
“Okay.” Jiang Zhong put down the half-finished cup of water.
The person at the door appeared to be a young man in his twenties.
“Sorry,” the young man hesitated before speaking, “I might have knocked on the wrong door.”
“It shouldn’t be wrong,” Jiang Zhong thought the person looked a bit familiar, “Are you looking for Xi Qin?”
“Yes, I’m looking for Xi Qin.”
“He’s cooking, you can come in.” Jiang Zhong felt a sudden sense of being the host as he said this.
“Cooking?” The young man muttered.
“Huh?” Jiang Zhong didn’t catch that, he was bent over looking for slippers in the shoe cabinet.
Obviously, visitors were not common here. Jiang Zhong only saw a pair of slippers in the corner of the bottom shelf. When he took them out, they were a pair of gray disposable slippers.
They were even used before, with a layer of dust on them.
Jiang Zhong: “Uh…”
The young man saw them too and said nonchalantly, “It’s fine, just give them to me. I wore these last time I came.”
Feeling relieved, Jiang Zhong handed over the slippers, turned, and went back inside, not forgetting to grab the phone that had been left on the shoe cabinet for a while.
Since entering the door led straight to the kitchen, he left Xi Qin to handle the guest.
“Fuck,” the young man exclaimed as he entered, “Brother Qin, you’re really cooking?”
Hearing “Brother Qin,” Jiang Zhong turned back and remembered who the person was. No wonder he felt a bit familiar when answering the door.
It was the guy who had called out “Brother Qin” on the street and had lent Xi Qin an electric bike for several days… well, he couldn’t remember the name.
Looking back, Xi Qin had lent the bike because he had injured his foot, and Jiang Zhong had been given rides to class during those days.
“Is this for hosting me?” the young man asked shamelessly.
“No,” Xi Qin cut off his fantasy without hesitation, “I forgot you were coming today.”
“Well, your memory might not be too good lately,” the young man said, “I told you last night and you don’t even remember.”
Xi Qin smiled, “No, it’s because what you said wasn’t that important.”
Jiang Zhong lowered his head to look at his phone, trying to minimize his presence. The tension was thick.
“You…” The young man hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject without a hint of embarrassment, “Forget it, I’ll give you some face in front of your friend.”
“Just admit you can’t argue,” Xi Qin wasn’t ready to let it go, “What excuses are you making?”
“Well…” Jiang Zhong saw the young man was about to blow his top and quickly played the role of peacemaker, “Hello, I’m Xi Qin’s… roommate.”
Xi Qin glanced at Jiang Zhong.
“Hello, hello,” the young man said, stepping down, “I remember you, we’ve met once before. I’m Peng Siyuan, and I was a friend of Xi Qin’s before coming in.”
Jiang Zhong smiled. Xi Qin’s friend was quite humorous, unlike him at all: “I’m Jiang Zhong.”
Peng Siyuan nodded and pointed to the bathroom: “I’ll use the bathroom first.”
As soon as the bathroom door closed, Xi Qin beckoned Jiang Zhong over: “Come here.”
“What for?” Jiang Zhong was puzzled.
“Come a bit closer,” Xi Qin said, “Stand next to me.”
Jiang Zhong glanced nervously at the bathroom and slowly moved closer to Xi Qin.
Xi Qin quickly bent down and bit Jiang Zhong’s lower lip: “What did you just say you were?”
Jiang Zhong covered his mouth and took a couple of steps back, signaling Xi Qin to be more discreet, and said, “I said I’m Jiang Zhong, what’s wrong with that?”
Xi Qin snorted, “Scumbag.”
“Not a scumbag,” Jiang Zhong said with a wry smile, “How am I a scumbag?”
“You are a scumbag,” Xi Qin lamented, “You won’t even admit our relationship in front of others.”
“I don’t,” Jiang Zhong protested, “Should I introduce myself to everyone as ‘I’m Xi Qin’s boyfriend, and Xi Qin is also my boyfriend’?”
“Why not?” Xi Qin was unreasonable.
Jiang Zhong: “…Crazy.”
“You’re ¹calling me names now?” Xi Qin said with a hurt tone.
Jiang Zhong: “…Drama queen.”
“Scumbag!” Xi Qin huffed.
Jiang Zhong: “…”
Is that the only word he knows? Is this never-ending?
Why does Xi Qin seem like a completely different person compared to how he was just now with Peng Siyuan? Is he split-personality?
Xi Qin was about to say something when the bathroom door suddenly opened from the inside.
Peng Siyuan, with an expression of discomfort, said awkwardly, “The soundproofing in your bathroom, well… it’s not very good.”
Jiang Zhong’s ears turned red as he looked down at his phone screen.
Xi Qin responded coldly, “It’s the landlord’s renovation.”
Peng Siyuan sighed deeply, “Looks like I’ve disturbed you.”
Xi Qin remained indifferent, “Glad you understand.”
Peng Siyuan complained, “You don’t welcome me here at all!”
Xi Qin nodded, “That’s true.”
Peng Siyuan gritted his teeth and turned to Jiang Zhong to complain, “Jiang Zhong, can you do something about Xi Qin? Is this how he treats his friends?”
“Ah?” Jiang Zhong, taken aback, looked up and after a pause, managed to say, “Isn’t it a pleasure to have friends come from afar?”
Both Xi Qin and Peng Siyuan were stunned and then burst into laughter.
In the end, Xi Qin decided to let Peng Siyuan stay for dinner, which Jiang Zhong found a bit strange.
Did he and Xi Qin just come out in front of Peng Siyuan like that?
Had Peng Siyuan accepted this so quickly?
This was all too smooth, wasn’t the progress a bit too fast?
After Jiang Zhong glanced at Peng Siyuan for what felt like the umpteenth time, Peng Siyuan finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Why do you keep staring at me?”
Xi Qin shot Peng Siyuan a sharp look.
“It’s not that,” Peng Siyuan said in exasperation, “Brother Qin, can you be reasonable? It’s your Jiang Zhong who’s staring at me, not the other way around.”
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Zhong quickly explained, “I’m just a bit curious. Don’t you think it’s odd that we…”
“It’s nothing,” Peng Siyuan waved his hand dismissively, “There are plenty of couples like you in our neighborhood.”
Jiang Zhong: “…”
“And,” Peng Siyuan added, “I’ve always known that Brother Qin likes guys.”
—
¹”calling me names” is an idiomatic expression in English. The word “names” refers to insulting or derogatory terms rather than literal names. For example, calling someone “crazy” or “stupid” falls under “calling someone names.”