Liang Chu stared at the gym for a while, then turned and walked out. After closing the door, he crouched down, only to spring back up abruptly, awkwardly rubbing his bottom. Thankfully, no one was on the second floor.
Liang Chu made a resolute decision: “I can’t go on like this anymore.”
Banya Bear blinked its small black bean-like eyes and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Liang Chu rubbed his sore, burning bottom, which had endured a morning of torment, and gazed wistfully at the bay window at the end of the hallway. “This isn’t right,” he sighed.
Banya Bear, lying in its eggshell, kicked its feet and said, “What’s the matter? Everything seemed fine just a moment ago.”
Liang Chu thought for a moment, feeling a wave of frustration. He couldn’t help but pace back and forth, like a three-legged puppy chasing its own tail, his movements slow and sluggish. After a while, he stopped and said, “I think I might have been a bit unfair to Xie Shenxing.”
Xie Shenxing had given so much, and Liang Chu had no idea how to repay him. The burden of this unasked-for debt felt all too familiar and deeply uncomfortable. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he felt as though he had.
Banya Bear breathed a sigh of relief. “So that’s what’s bothering you? Well, he did it voluntarily. We didn’t force him. Don’t overthink it.”
“This isn’t overthinking,” Liang Chu insisted, patting himself on the back as he earnestly corrected the bear. “This is called taking responsibility. It’s a traditional virtue.”
Banya Bear crawled completely out of its eggshell and patted Liang Chu’s arm with its tiny paw. “So, what do we do now?”
Liang Chu felt a bit overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do right away. After thinking for a long while, he said, “We need to speed up the task progress.” The longer it dragged on, the more complications could arise.
Banya Bear nodded in agreement.
Liang Chu led the bear into the study and looked at the massive bookshelf, feeling a surge of ambition. “Let’s swap the books on the top shelves with the ones on the bottom,” he declared. That way, after he left, Xie Shenxing would have an easier time reaching the books.
It was a monumental task. Just looking at the sheer number of books made Liang Chu feel daunted. But as they say, the first step is always the hardest. Maybe once he got started, the rest would be easier. However, reality proved that not only was the beginning difficult, but the middle and end were no walk in the park either. By the time Xie Shenxing returned and couldn’t find him in the bedroom, he grew worried that Liang Chu might be curled up somewhere asleep. Without calling out, Xie Shenxing quietly checked each room and finally found him in the study.
Liang Chu, his grand ambitions unfulfilled, sat amidst a mountain of books. He had moved dozens of them and was feeling tired, thinking, “I’ll just rest for a bit, then get back to work. After all, balance between work and rest is important.” But once he sat down, he didn’t want to get up again. Fortunately, there were plenty of books on the floor. Liang Chu stacked them one by one to create a small table. In his mind, two little figures were locked in a fierce internal struggle: one clutching a book and scolding, “How can you be so lazy!” The other, looking aggrieved, retorted, “You just don’t understand. You have no idea how fun a phone can be.” The book-clutching figure crouched down and said, “Oh really? Show me how fun it is.” And so, they happily crouched together and started playing on the phone. In the end, Liang Chu completely succumbed to temptation.
When the man pushed the door open and entered, Liang Chu heard the footsteps and quickly switched his phone’s search to “busty beauties.” Xie Shenxing walked over slowly, crouched in front of him, and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Liang Chu confessed his shortcomings: “Because I’m lazy and don’t feel like moving. I didn’t even wash my face today. I’m really not very hygienic.”
Xie Shenxing chuckled softly, “It’s fine, no one minds you. What are you playing?”
Seeing his indifference, Liang Chu doubled down on his efforts and showed him his phone, saying, “I’m looking at busty beauties. See how pretty they are—so fair and soft.”
Xie Shenxing paused, his gentle expression cooling slightly as he forcibly averted his gaze. “Good taste.”
Liang Chu could tell he was being insincere and thought to himself, See? I’m just this kind of shallow, fickle person who only cares about looks. I have no depth whatsoever. Now that you’ve seen my true colors, hurry up and earn those mission points for me so we can go our separate ways. I’ll wish you happiness.
Before he could finish the thought, Xie Shenxing asked softly, “How long have you been looking?”
Thirty seconds. I was watching a movie before this.
Liang Chu lied through his teeth, “Over half an hour. I just can’t get enough of them. They’re so beautiful.”
Suddenly, the man’s hand reached over and brushed against him below. Liang Chu immediately clamped his legs together and glared at him warily. “Keep your damn hands to yourself.”
Xie Shenxing rubbed his fingers together and smiled. “You’re not hard.”
“…”
Only then did Liang Chu realize he’d been tricked. He regretted it instantly. How could he get hard so quickly after just starting to look? Now he felt like he couldn’t clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River. He either had to admit he was lying or confess that he was completely gay. But if that were the case, why would he be looking at pretty girls? It still meant he was lying. Before he could figure out how to respond, Xie Shenxing had already confiscated his phone. “Aren’t your eyes tired from staring at the screen?”
Liang Chu blinked his sore eyes.
Xie Shenxing pushed aside the book in front of him, placed a large hand on his head, and massaged his eyes for a while before pulling him outside to gaze into the distance.
Over the past two months of living together, Liang Chu had only discovered one thing: Xie Shenxing seemed incredibly difficult to offend. No matter what he did during this time, Xie Shenxing remained calm and never got angry, as if he were made of mud—a saint of patience. Some time ago, Liang Chu had asked Xie Shenxing when he could leave this place. Xie Shenxing replied, “You should stay here quietly.” Liang Chu said, “Are you afraid I’ll report you to the police once I’m out? Don’t worry, I’m not like you! I’m not that kind of person.” Xie Shenxing looked up at him and asked, “What kind of person am I?” Liang Chu had been waiting for this question and quickly said, “You’re not a good person.” Xie Shenxing turned a page of his book and said casually, “Then you’ll have to work harder to keep an eye on me in the future, so I don’t go out and cause trouble.”