Chapter 8 "I didn't expect you to care about me so much..."
Nan Zhiyi followed You Xin home as if in a dream.
You Xin's residence was a detached house, single-story, with about four or five separate rooms, plus an attic. The interior of the house was very simple, without a particularly warm or cozy feel, showing only a few signs of habitation.
"...Is this your home?" Nan Zhiyi asked blankly, standing at the door with her suitcase in hand.
"Um."
"A rented...house?"
Seeing that he was standing still, You Xin walked over and took the suitcase from his hands: "It was bought at home."
Nan Zhiyi: "…………"
He felt he couldn't stand there like a quail any longer, so he took a small step inside and closed the door behind him.
"Thank you, um, for taking me in." After a long while, Nan Zhiyi finally spoke dryly, "My phone was stolen on the street."
"Motorcycle gangs are rampant here."
As You Xin spoke, she glanced at him and said, "Aren't you going to come in and sit down?"
Nan Zhiyi walked rather clumsily to the only two pieces of furniture in the living room—the sofa—and sat down.
He stared at the box he had placed in the corner, then belatedly remembered that there were still some files and inspiration notes on his phone that he hadn't had time to back up. His heart ached: "If I call the police, can I still get them back...?"
“It’s difficult,” You Xin said. “If you stay here longer, it should be able to return home before you.”
"The one I lost last time arrived in Huaqiangbei about two months later."
Nan Zhiyi: "…………"
His whole world died.
Nan Zhiyi slumped onto the sofa. What's the difference between a modern person losing their phone and losing their soul?
Especially in this situation, he couldn't even pretend to be playing on his phone to hide his embarrassment.
But continuing to play dead isn't a solution.
While pretending to look at the cover of a book on the coffee table, Nan Zhiyi secretly glanced at You Xin out of the corner of her eye.
After disappearing for three months, this person didn't seem to have changed much, and was nothing like the online rumors that he had "completely turned into a monster." He was much better than he had imagined based on the information given by You Qing.
When he wasn't wearing his team uniform, the aura of "yux" that kept strangers at bay dissipated considerably.
Several anchors who were on good terms with Nan Zhiyi talked to him privately about You Xin, and they all mentioned that they felt that this little You Shen had a bad temper, was a bit too aloof and ignored people.
But in Nan Zhiyi's opinion, this is at most "acting cool"—a behavior unique to young kids who haven't finished puberty.
Then he watched as the "young kid who hadn't even finished puberty" produced a cigarette from somewhere and skillfully put it in his mouth.
You Xin pressed the lighter. He didn't light a cigarette, his eyes fixed on Nan Zhiyi's face: "Do you mind?"
Nan Zhiyi had no choice but to end her voyeuristic behavior.
Reason told him that whether the other person smoked or not was none of his business, but what he ultimately said was, "Do you smoke?"
"Mmm."
"...Didn't you quit a long time ago?"
You Xin, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, mumbled, "I've been craving a smoke lately."
Nan Zhiyi stared at him, unsure of what to say for a moment.
After a long pause, as if he had made up his mind, he asked, "Can I not smoke?"
"Okay." You Xin readily agreed and immediately put away the cigarettes and lighter.
The two remained deadlocked for a while longer.
“Actually, if you have any questions, you can just ask me,” You Xin suddenly said.
Nan Zhiyi was still figuring out how to start the conversation when he made her stumble over her words.
“Uh, well,” he said, “why are you here right now?”
You Xin: "I go to school here."
Nan Zhiyi suspected that there was something wrong with her ears.
“A language school.” Perhaps noticing the undisguised astonishment on his face, You Xin continued to explain, “My dad found it for me. Because I only completed one year of high school, I have to go through a preparatory course afterward. He hopes I can—”
"No, no, no, no," Nan Zhiyi interrupted him.
What he wanted to hear wasn't this nonsensical explanation of the education system, but rather—
"You Xin, you're not trying to tell me that you're really planning to retire, are you?"
You Xin blinked.
He did not answer immediately.
"You—" Nan Zhiyi felt a surge of anger rising in his chest. He stood up from the sofa uncontrollably. "You disappeared for three months without a word, didn't participate in competitions, didn't play ranked games, and came to this godforsaken place to say you suddenly changed your mind and wanted to go to school? Do you know how many people are worried about you? Do you know how anxious your fans are when they can't get any news from you? When you don't play games and your phone is off, people are wondering if you're dead!"
"You...you're not a child anymore. Can't you show a little responsibility before you do things?"
Nan Zhiyi himself didn't know why he suddenly got so angry. His chest heaved, his heart pounding in his chest.
The finals three months ago feel like yesterday. The guy on stage looked so unwilling to accept defeat, and now he's telling him he doesn't want to play anymore?
You Xin remained silent.
He maintained the same posture he had adopted a few minutes earlier when he put away his cigarette, his hands in his pockets, avoiding direct eye contact with Nan Zhiyi, his gaze slightly lowered.
After a long while, he suddenly burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly.
Nan Zhiyi looked at him incredulously: "Was what I said so funny?"
“No, that’s not what I meant.” You Xin pulled his hand out of his pocket. His lips twitched, as if he was trying hard to adjust his expression back to seriousness, but he failed in the end. “I’m sorry… I didn’t expect you to care about me so much.”
Nan Zhiyi was stunned by his ability to twist the topic. He stood motionless, staring at the other person.
"I'm sorry," You Xin apologized for the third time, speaking softly. "I didn't intend to retire. It's a long story—you must be hungry now, right? Let's eat first, and I'll explain later, okay?"
It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up, because once he did, Nan Zhiyi suddenly felt incredibly hungry.
He barely ate anything before leaving today, and only ate a couple of bites of the airplane food.
"Oh... okay." Nan Zhiyi's tone softened.
You Xin rolled up his sleeves: "There's not much in the fridge, so we'll have to make do for now."
Nan Zhiyi then realized that when he said "eating", he meant cooking for herself.
He quickly replied, "No need to trouble yourself, just order any takeout. I'm not picky about food."
But Yu Xin seemed determined to cook: "If you've ever eaten takeout near my house, you wouldn't say that."
He added, "It will be quick, within thirty minutes. If you're bored, there are books in the study you can read."
You Xin changed his clothes, turned around and went into the kitchen, leaving Nan Zhiyi alone in the empty living room.
Nan Zhiyi shrunk back onto the sofa like a deflated balloon.
He stared blankly for a while, then randomly picked up a book from the books spread out on the coffee table, only to find that it was all in gibberish.
She hadn't realized it when she was angry, but now, looking back, Nan Zhiyi felt struck by an unparalleled sense of embarrassment.
Someone kindly took him in, so why did he suddenly throw a tantrum? Even if You Xin really didn't want to fight anymore, what is his position now, and what right does he have to be angry? A fan who's disappointed in his idol?
Nan Zhiyi didn't know what was wrong with him. He wasn't usually the type of person who got angry so easily.
"Sigh..." He flipped through the pages of the book absentmindedly, not reading a single word.
You Xin didn't give Nan Zhiyi much time to wallow in melancholy. After he went in and out of the kitchen a few times, the aroma quickly filled the house.
With the final thud of the bowl hitting the table, You Xin called out from the other end, "It's time to eat."
Nan Zhiyi had no choice but to put down her book and slowly stand up.
However, as soon as he turned around, he was stunned by the sight before him—
You Xin stood by the dining table, wiping her hands with a wet tissue.
This is normal.
What's unusual is that he has taken off his black hoodie and replaced it with a black apron—thin straps hanging around his neck, the rest barely covering a small area in front of him, revealing the muscle lines of his chest, arms, and even his entire back, making it clear that this person has a habit of working out.
In addition, there was a silver necklace hanging on her chest, glittering and dazzling Nan Zhiyi's eyes.
Nan Zhiyi felt like her head was on fire again. But this time it wasn't anger.
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" he stammered.
You Xin looked at him, then looked down at herself.
“That shirt absorbs cooking fumes,” he said without batting an eye. “Sorry, I was just used to being home alone.”
Nan Zhiyi's gaze wandered all over the place except for the other person's body, and finally subconsciously landed on the window.
He needed to find a reason to persuade the other person to put their clothes back on: "It's winter now...aren't you cold?"
You Xin: "..."
You Xin: "I'll go change it."
A note from the author:
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If Xiao You and Xiao Yi are pretending not to know each other, then Xiao Yi is not familiar with each other, and Xiao You is pretending.
The next update will be at 9 PM tomorrow night, as usual.
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