You Chumu’s understanding of human society was something he figured out on his own after leaving the lab.
And the only things he learned in the lab were how to kill, how to torture, and how to make people wish they were dead.
Five minutes later, two bowls of noodles were served and placed on the table.
Xu Chi and You Chumu sat facing each other.
“Eat.” Xu Chi handed You Chumu a pair of chopsticks.
But You Chumu didn’t move, staring straight at him.
“What’s wrong?”
You Chumu said nothing.
Xu Chi understood… You Chumu didn’t know how to use chopsticks. He wouldn’t have had any chopsticks to use in the lab.
So Xu Chi picked up his own chopsticks and took a slurp.
With You Chumu’s high IQ, he should be able to figure it out just by watching.
But the next second, You Chumu flashed that innocent smile again and said,
“Brother, I want to eat yours.”
Xu Chi paused. “My noodles?”
“Mhm.” You Chumu nodded.
Xu Chi stared at You Chumu and suddenly realized… it wasn’t that You Chumu couldn’t use chopsticks. He was afraid Xu Chi had poisoned the food!
You Chumu was wary of him.
Without saying a word, Xu Chi swapped bowls with him.
You Chumu picked up his chopsticks, lowered his head, and started eating in big mouthfuls, but he didn’t touch the fried egg on top.
Only after Xu Chi took a bite of the fried egg in his own bowl did You Chumu push his bowl over.
“Brother, I want to trade with you.”
He wanted to swap fried eggs with him.
He wouldn’t even eat the fried egg unless Xu Chi had already taken a bite out of his own.
“You don’t mind that I’ve already eaten from it?” Xu Chi asked tentatively.
You Chumu looked at him and tilted his head with a smile. “Brother doesn’t want to?”
Xu Chi immediately swapped with him.
Both big bowls of noodles were eaten clean.
And after finishing, You Chumu said with a flushed face, “Brother, I want another bowl.”
“…”
So Xu Chi cooked him another bowl, adding two extra eggs.
While it was cooking, You Chumu watched the whole time, as if he were very curious.
When it was done, You Chumu again made Xu Chi eat first. Only after Xu Chi had taken a bite of both the noodles and the egg did You Chumu start eating in big mouthfuls.
As You Chumu ate, Xu Chi sat across from him and watched.
You Chumu was an experimental subject after all, with an underdeveloped mind. The way he ate noodles was a bit like Xu Chi’s teenage cousin.
But his cousin would never be so happy eating such bland, watery noodles. He only got that excited eating hamburgers or barbecue.
Xu Chi sighed. Of course he knew this was all an illusion. No one understood better than him, having been fed the entire story, what kind of madman You Chumu really was.
This was all temporary. At any moment, the boy eating noodles could turn into a knife-wielding lunatic.
He had to find a way to get rid of him.
He looked out the window at the rainless night, hating that he didn’t have the guts to be firm…
After the noodles, Xu Chi washed the dishes.
Now it was bedtime.
Xu Chi figured he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, since You Chumu was about to share the same apartment with him.
He didn’t think a single wall made any difference to You Chumu when it came to being in the same room.
He grabbed a quilt from the cabinet and carried it to the living room sofa, then said to You Chumu,
“You sleep in the bedroom. I’ll sleep here tonight.”
You Chumu looked at him, then at the sofa, and said innocently, “Brother is so tall. Won’t the sofa be cramped for you?”
Xu Chi shook his head generously. “No, it won’t. Don’t worry about it. Go to sleep. I’m tired too.”
You Chumu didn’t move. He stood there and asked, “Brother, can’t two people sleep in one bed?”
“Huh?” Xu Chi didn’t quite understand the question. “They can, if the bed is big enough.”
As soon as he answered, alarm bells went off in his head. Cold sweat broke out. Was You Chumu implying…?
“Then why won’t brother sleep with me? The sofa isn’t a place to sleep. The bed is.”
Xu Chi was immediately drenched in cold sweat.
Sleep in the same room as the yandere villain? He’d rather jump out the window!
No, wait. He wouldn’t want to jump either.
He forced himself to stay calm and answered, “I snore when I sleep, really loudly. I also talk in my sleep and hit people. My sleeping posture is terrible, and I sleepwalk. Sleepwalking is really scary. Anyway, if you slept with me, you definitely wouldn’t get any rest. You’re injured and need to rest properly. How could I disturb you?”
Even he himself was convinced by how well-intentioned he sounded.
Sure enough, You Chumu was stunned for a moment, thought about it, then nodded as if he believed him. “Alright. Then brother has to put up with the discomfort.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” You Chumu was being way too polite.
“I’ll go to the room now.”
“Okay.”
Xu Chi let out a huge sigh of relief, hugged his quilt, and lay down on the sofa.
He rested his head on the armrest and looked over the back of the sofa at the closed door.
The rain had stopped now. Only a dim yellow lamp was on in the entryway, leaving half the sofa in light and half in shadow.
And the clock on the wall ticked awkwardly.
Xu Chi secretly stared at the door that now held You Chumu inside. He kept feeling like it would suddenly swing open, and the monster inside would pounce on him and devour him.
He looked away, wrapped the quilt tightly around himself, and let out a long sigh. He figured he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
Ten minutes later, he was dead asleep.
Half the quilt was on him, half on the floor.
“Creak…” The door opened.
The thin young man in loose clothes walked out, looking perfectly innocent.
He looked around the room, then finally crouched down beside the sofa.
The young man on the sofa had a high, straight nose bridge, inner double eyelids, and skin so fair it had no blemishes. With his eyes closed, he looked somewhat cool and aloof, but when he opened his mouth to speak, he seemed gentle… no, actually a bit silly…
His features were very expressive. His eyebrows and mouth couldn’t hide anything.
Curiously, You Chumu reached out a finger and touched his face. No response.
He pressed harder, leaving a red mark on the skin. Only then did the sleeping man frown in dissatisfaction and turn his face away.
The young man was displeased. He turned the face back toward him and reached out to poke again. First a gentle poke… the man got itchy and scratched at it. Then a hard poke… the man winced in pain, let out a couple of grunts, and turned his head away again.
He turned it back and kept playing, laughing out loud, barely able to contain the excitement in his eyes.
“Brother, you’re so much fun.”
His voice trembled with excitement as he whispered maniacally beside the man’s cheek.
Until Xu Chi raised his hand and smacked him hard.
A sharp crack echoed through the living room.
The pale hand instantly turned red.
All movement stopped.
And Xu Chi, oblivious, turned over, hugged his quilt, and snored on.
You Chumu stared blankly at his hand, now red from the slap.
His eyebrows arched, as if some morbid thought was taking root in his mind.
He was about to stand up when another smell caught his attention. He leaned down and pressed his nose against the sleeping man’s collar.
It was the scent of the egg noodles Xu Chi had cooked for him. The egg smelled delicious.
He sniffed, then crouched down again, rubbed his stomach. He was a little hungry.
…