Chapter 400: "Unrequited Love".
Chapter 400:
When Ye Qingxi woke up again the next day, it was almost lunchtime.
He rubbed his eyes, somewhat dazed, and then froze.
Ye Qingxi looked at the person in front of her, blinked, and then blinked again.
Qin Cheng: "Are your eyes bothered?"
Ye Qingxi shook her head. "Why are you still here?"
Qin Cheng: ?
"Can't I be here?"
Ye Qingxi took the phone and showed him the time on it, "It's almost twelve o'clock."
Qin Cheng remained calm. "It's nothing, I've taken leave."
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
That's not what he meant.
He meant that his brother, who never gets up early, should have been out of bed by now, right?
Qin Cheng belatedly realized what he meant and remained silent for two seconds.
He knew, of course, that he shouldn't be in bed at this time, but since it was a rare opportunity to see Ye Qingxi, he was really reluctant to part with their intimate moment.
So even though he had been awake for a long time, he didn't want to get up. He just lay down next to him, holding him, looking at him, and waiting for him to wake up.
Qin Cheng pretended not to notice, threw back the covers and got out of bed, casually asking him, "What do you want to eat?"
Ye Qingxi replied without hesitation: "Fried rice. I saw there was leftover rice from yesterday, which is perfect for frying."
"Okay," Qin Cheng agreed, "I'll make two more of your favorite dishes."
Ye Qingxi nodded, "Mhm."
"Then lie down for a while longer," Qin Cheng said. "I'll go cook."
“Oh, right,” he said, then remembered something, “Zhong Yan sent you several WeChat messages. I was afraid of waking you up, so I put my phone on silent.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi quickly picked up her phone and opened WeChat.
Wow, there are indeed a lot of unread messages.
Ye Qingxi clicked on it out of curiosity and saw Zhong Yan's daily routine for the past half day.
Zhong Yan: [Wow, this junior can cook! He even cooked a meal and warmly invited me to eat with him.]
Zhong Yan: [Photos][Photos][Photos][Photos]
Zhong Yan: [This bread is really good. You reminded me to buy it for you when I was about to leave.]
Zhong Yan: [[Photo] Isn't it cute? It's a little gift I bought for you.]
Zhong Yan: [After shopping, I'm going back to check out Pei Liang's cooking skills. I hope it's really as delicious as he claims.]
Zhong Yan: [Oh, the junior is still here.]
Zhong Yan: [Tsk, my junior came to see me. He said Pei Liang wanted him to work at a hotel for the next few days and transferred money to him, but he felt it was too expensive, so he hoped I could agree to let him stay. He's willing to cook for us every day.]
Zhong Yan: [I agreed, but I don't want him to cook. We're not close, so what kind of cooking would he make?]
Zhong Yan: [Wow, this junior is really enthusiastic! Pei Liang went to wash the vegetables, and he even wanted to help, saying that they would be more efficient if they did it together.]
Zhong Yan: [Why would I need to be so efficient? I'm not in a rush.]
Zhong Yan: [He likes tea, and he likes pretty girls. He asked if I disliked him, so this morning he invited me to lunch, which I declined. Now I'm having lunch with Pei Liang, and I'm not inviting him either. Seriously, does it matter whether I like him or not? Aren't I just an outsider? Why does he care so much about my opinion of him?]
Ye Qingxi looked at his numerous messages and replied to them one by one.
Ye Qingxi: [So he invited you this morning, but you didn't eat with him?]
Ye Qingxi: [The photos are so beautiful!]
Ye Qingxi: [I've already noted it down. I'll definitely remind you later.]
Ye Qingxi: [So cute~]
Ye Qingxi: [So, did he end up cooking for Pei Liang? You ate with Pei Liang, didn't you invite him along?]
Zhong Yan: [Does he have to eat with me just because he invites me? If so many people invite me, wouldn't I have to set up a competition and let them fight it out?]
Zhong Yan: [No, I don't know him, why would I eat his cooking? Besides, I was checking Pei Liang's cooking skills, not his, so I just told him not to help and to go do his own thing.]
Zhong Yan: [Of course we didn't eat together. Why would I eat with him? Are we that close?]
Ye Qingxi: ...
Well, in a sense, it really does sound like Zhong Yan.
From a young age, Zhong Yan had a rather spoiled personality; she either liked something or disliked it, was willing or unwilling.
He has never been one to stand on ceremony with people he doesn't know or with whom he has only a casual relationship.
Anyway, he is Zhong Jue's son and Zhong Xiang's most beloved grandson, so he doesn't need to be polite or courteous to anyone.
Pei Liang's roommates were considered alumni to him, but Zhong Yan was a complete stranger. He would never share a dish with a complete stranger, let alone take a step back.
Therefore, Ye Qingxi felt that although the situation was indeed a bit awkward, there was nothing she could do about it.
That's just Zhong Yan's personality.
Moreover, this junior is also very strange. A normal person, seeing Zhong Yan's attitude, would think that he dislikes them and should just ignore him, right? Why is he still going to ask him? How is the other person supposed to answer? If he says he dislikes them, both of them will feel awkward. If he says he doesn't dislike them, what if the other person actually does dislike them?
Something's definitely not right.
Ye Qingxi is protective of her own. Even if this junior hadn't done that, Ye Qingxi would still have stood by Zhong Yan without hesitation.
Please, this is his childhood friend, his closest friend ever!
Ye Qingxi: [He's so strange!]
Ye Qingxi: [So what do you say? Do you hate him?]
Zhong Yan: [I said it wasn't there before, but it's a little bit now.]
Zhong Yan: [I didn't at first, but when he asked me if I liked him, I thought he was a connoisseur of tea, so I started to dislike him.]
Ye Qingxi: ...That's really the truth.
Ye Qingxi: [So what did he say?]
Zhong Yan: [He said he didn't mean it, and asked me what I disliked about him, saying he could change.]
Ye Qingxi: ...
Zhong Yan: [I'll tell you the details when we get back. It's just so frustrating.]
Ye Qingxi: I suddenly became curious.
Ye Qingxi: [So what are you going to do?]
Ye Qingxi: [By the way, what did Pei Liang say?]
Zhong Yan: [I plan to have him stay at a hotel. I agreed to let him stay here before because I wanted to see what kind of person Pei Liang's roommate was. Now that I've seen him, I don't like him, so I don't want him in front of me.]
Zhong Yan: [Or Pei Liang and I could stay at a hotel.]
Zhong Yan: [I haven't told him yet; that junior just left.]
Ye Qingxi: [Okay, then go and talk to him.]
After saying that, Ye Qingxi immediately sent a message to Pei Liang: [Zhong Yan is coming to see you later, saying he wants to move out with you, or let your junior move out. Don't refuse! He flew all the way here to see you, just for a few days, so don't upset him.]
Pei Liang: ? ? ?
Pei Liang: [Kid, is it possible that he and I have been friends for twenty years?]
Pei Liang: [Don't worry, would I let him suffer?]
Ye Qingxi thought about it and agreed.
Pei Liang knew Zhong Yan and Kang Cong even earlier than him.
If he only met these good friends because of his grandfather after he transmigrated, then Pei Liang, who is the second youngest of the four and the same age as him, became good friends with Zhong Yan and Kang Cong almost from the moment he opened his eyes because of their elders.
He's just a fellow alumnus; he can't compare to a childhood friend as important as Zhong Yan.
Reassured, Ye Qingxi got up to wash up and told Qin Cheng about it.
Qin Cheng: ...
Qin Cheng felt that Pei Liang was just making trouble out of nothing.
"He shouldn't have let that alumnus move in."
“It’s not that their family is poor, but that they are fellow countrymen,” Ye Qingxi said.
"So what?" Qin Cheng asked indifferently, "A residence is a very private place, and there shouldn't be any outsiders there."
"But there are a lot of people sharing apartments now."
"There's no other way. There is a way. Who likes to share their personal space?" Qin Cheng looked at him. "Besides, does Pei Liang even need to share an apartment?"
Ye Qingxi: ...
"But it was a good deed."
Qin Cheng scooped the food out of the pot, saying, "I'm afraid his kindness will bring him trouble instead of good fortune."
The circle of Chinese international students is only so big, and it's easy for them to develop feelings for each other in a foreign country.
In this situation, you might encounter someone who is of noble birth, handsome, academically gifted, capable, and has helped you before.
To live under the same roof again.
Qin Cheng knew without even thinking what those so-called alumni were thinking.
Even though he doesn't participate in any social activities or attend any parties after he comes to F University, people still know that he is the son of the president of the Mu Group, and people still come to fawn over him and confess their love to him.
He's only been here for six months, while Pei Liang has been here for almost three years. He'll only have more admirers than he does.
"What is Pei Liang's attitude towards his junior?" Qin Cheng asked.
"It's alright. They say it's a shared apartment, but if the apartment didn't only have one door, they wouldn't even notice the smell," Ye Qingxi replied.
Qin Cheng nodded, then there's no need to worry about it.
As long as Pei Liang doesn't like him, he can't get past his childhood friend Zhong Yan, so Zhong Yan won't be bothered by it, and Ye Qingxi won't be unhappy either.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Ye Qingxi asked curiously. "Why are you asking this? And what was the trouble you mentioned earlier? Is it the current situation?"
"You want to know?" Qin Cheng asked him.
Ye Qingxi nodded, "Of course."
Looking at his innocent and adorable younger brother, Qin Cheng honestly said, "Then, junior, there's a high chance he likes Pei Liang."
Ye Qingxi: !!
Ye Qingxi was shocked, "Really?!"
"Otherwise, why would he come back so late at night? Isn't it just for convenience to stay somewhere? If he came back during the day, Pei Liang might have let him stay in a hotel, but it's so late at night, how could Pei Liang possibly ask him to?"
Ye Qingxi: ...That's true.
"Moreover, even when Pei Liang gave him money later, he still refused to stay in a hotel. If it were you, and your roommate's friend came over and offered you money to stay in a hotel, would you go?"
Ye Qingxi thought for a moment and replied, "I probably won't take his money. You know, even my roommates aren't as rich as me."
Qin Cheng smiled and found him rather cute.
Ye Qingxi added, "But you're right. In this situation, I would definitely stay elsewhere. Since the other party has already said that it would be awkward for me to be there, and I don't really know his friends, so it's better to go to a hotel by myself and be carefree."
Qin Cheng nodded.
Ye Qingxi exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you're quite knowledgeable, bro!"
Qin Cheng: ...
It's just a guess.
"And it's true that homosexuality is more likely to occur there," Ye Qingxi joked.
Qin Cheng: ...
Ye Qingxi asked curiously, "Brother, Pei Liang already has admirers, don't you? Does anyone like you?"
"Are there any foreign girls who like you?"
Qin Cheng listened to his words and looked at the excited confusion on his face. He remained silent for two seconds, and his eyes slowly softened, like a stream that had been warmed by the sun all afternoon in spring.
The person he likes is indeed very innocent; she doesn't understand anything, doesn't like anyone else, and doesn't like him either.
Therefore, it's understandable that they can still ask such questions with such enthusiasm.
That's good, Qin Cheng thought. He figured he wouldn't develop any inappropriate feelings for her.
So, perhaps this period before he falls in love with anyone else is the last peaceful and warm time he can have.
On the one hand, Qin Cheng selfishly hoped that this time could last longer.
On the other hand, I sincerely hope that he can get what he wants.
You meet someone you like, and that person happens to like you back.
He turned his head, poured the already broken rice into the pot, and started stir-frying it.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think there definitely is," Ye Qingxi guessed.
"Then you are very smart."
Do you like them?
"Guess again?"
Looking at him like this, Ye Qingxi said, "I guess you don't like it."
"Indeed clever."
Ye Qingxi sighed, "We really are brothers. One of us has finished university, and the other is almost finished, yet neither of us has someone we like."
Qin Cheng thought to himself, "Well, I'm different from you. I have something."
I just... can't tell you.
After the rice was fried and the two were eating, Ye Qingxi told Pei Liang about Qin Cheng's guess: "My brother said your junior likes you."
Pei Liang: ? ? ?
Pei Liang: ...
Ye Qingxi waited a while before receiving Pei Liang's reply: 【Really?】
He chuckled and replied, "Why not? Isn't your charm enough, Young Master Pei?"
Pei Liang: ...
Pei Liang fell silent.
Seeing this, Ye Qingxi said no more and focused on eating.
Pei Liang is a smart man; he doesn't need to say much.
After finishing their meal, Ye Qingxi changed her clothes and followed Qin Cheng out the door to F University.
As a world-renowned prestigious university, F University has always been the dream school for countless students.
In his previous life, he would never have dared to imagine that he would have any connection with F University.
Ye Qingxi was quite happy to be able to stand at F University in his lifetime, and even to be able to study here if he hadn't been unwilling.
He has lived a very good life in every aspect, which has surprised and satisfied him.
Ye Qingxi picked up his camera and kept taking pictures, and then asked Qin Cheng to take a picture of him with the school buildings.
He made a video call to Mu Shaowu and said happily, "Dad, look where I am!"
"Wow~" Mu Shaowu exclaimed enthusiastically, "You're at F University now, so are you with your brother?"
Ye Qingxi nodded and moved her phone to the side, allowing Qin Cheng to enter the frame and say, "Second Uncle."
"Okay." Mu Shaowu responded, "Alright, you two have fun. Xiao Xi, take good care of yourself. Xiao Cheng, keep an eye on him for me."
"Okay," Qin Cheng said. "Don't worry, Second Uncle."
"It's Dad, don't worry, when I get back I'll bring you and Daddy gifts!"
"Then I'll be waiting for your gift," Mu Shaowu said.
Ye Qingxi hung up the video call, picked up her camera again, and walked in another direction.
A passing Chinese student looked at him curiously, then approached him uncertainly and asked, "Are you Ye Qingxi?"
Ye Qingxi: ...
His fame is really high!
Ye Qingxi could only nod and sign autographs for them.
After visiting F University, Qin Cheng planned to take Ye Qingxi to see the art exhibition.
They didn't go by car, but by boat.
There is a river from here to the vicinity of the art exhibition, where visitors can choose to row a small boat themselves or have the staff help them row.
Ye Qingxi and Qin Cheng chose to row themselves, though Qin Cheng was the main one who rowed.
"Can you do it?" Ye Qingxi asked him.
Qin Cheng smiled at him and said, "You can give it a try."
He said, "My uncle taught me when I was a child."
"My uncle can also row a boat?"
"Uncle knows a lot," Qin Cheng said, blinking.
He rowed the boat slowly, gradually heading towards a place Ye Qingxi had never seen before.
Ye Qingxi looked at the colorful glass on the riverbank, the white doves flying overhead, the girl running with her skirt twirling like flowers, and the old cowboy with gray hair playing the guitar.
Golden sunlight slowly spilled down, falling on the shimmering river and onto Qin Cheng's face.
It's like a painting, like the legendary sun god.
Ye Qingxi picked up her camera to take a picture of him, but then she heard the sound of an accordion.
I heard someone singing: "The boy pursed his lips, not daring to say a word."
The girl looked at him with eyes that shone like stars.
The boy wanted to tell her the dance was at 7:30.
The girl wanted to ask him if he would take her home.
She didn't know he loved her.
All he knew was that he loved her.
Ye Qingxi listened and commented, "This melody is quite nice."
"But it turns out to be a story of unrequited love."
Qin Cheng nodded.
Ye Qingxi put down her camera and asked him, "Do you think that girl likes that boy?"
Qin Cheng: ...
Qin Cheng was silent for a moment before replying, "She doesn't need to like him."
"If she had a better option, she certainly deserved a better life."
"But how do you know it's not good to be with that boy?"
"It's not a matter of good or bad," Qin Cheng said, "it's that she might not be willing."
He rowed the boat to the shore, stood up, and reached out to help Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi placed her hand on his hand.
Qin Cheng took his hand and pulled him from the small boat onto the steps.
He said, "If she's unwilling and doesn't like it, then it's naturally not good."
Ye Qingxi blinked, thinking that what he said seemed to make sense.
They climbed the steps together and walked for about two hundred meters before finally arriving at the art exhibition for which Qin Cheng had bought tickets in advance.
Ye Qingxi followed Qin Cheng into the exhibition hall and looked at the paintings of all sizes.
Qin Cheng stayed with him and watched.
He didn't have any particular fondness for painting, but Ye Qingxi did.
He looked at each painting one by one, sometimes pausing in front of a particular painting for a long time without saying a word, just quietly appreciating it.
"If you like it, you can buy it," Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi shook her head, "It hasn't come to that."
After saying that, he went to look at the other paintings.
When the two came out of the exhibition hall after viewing the paintings, they realized that it had started raining outside.
Ye Qingxi was a little surprised. He was worried about what to do if he didn't bring an umbrella when he saw Qin Cheng take an umbrella out of his backpack.
Ye Qingxi: ...I've forgotten that his brother has a good habit of always carrying an umbrella.
Qin Cheng opened the umbrella, sheltering him under it, and walked outside with him.
Ye Qingxi stood next to him, watching the raindrops falling outside the umbrella, and felt that their world was peaceful and beautiful.
For some reason, he remembered that time when it rained, Qin Cheng carried him on his back all the way back to their house, and then they ate hot pot.
"Can we have hot pot later?" Ye Qingxi asked him.
Qin Cheng nodded, "Of course."
Ye Qingxi couldn't help but smile.
On this day, he suddenly didn't hate rainy days as much anymore.
He used to hate rainy days, but at this moment, he felt that rainy days weren't so bad after all.
When those beautiful memories occur on a rainy day, then the rainy day becomes a happy day for him.
The two hailed a taxi at the intersection and went back to Qin Cheng's house.
Qin Cheng picked up a towel and wiped Ye Qingxi's face and hair, then poured hot water for him to soak in.
"I'm going to prepare the ingredients for hot pot."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
He took off his clothes, took a bath for a while, put on his pajamas, and went to find Qin Cheng.
"Why don't you go for a soak too?" Ye Qingxi said.
"Okay." Qin Cheng did not refuse. "I've already washed the vegetables. Just wait a moment, and we'll be able to eat in a bit."
"Mm," Ye Qingxi said.
After Qin Cheng finished speaking, he went into the bathroom.
However, he didn't take a bath; he just took a quick shower and came out.
He didn't want Ye Qingxi to wait.
Ye Qingxi was sitting on the sofa playing on her phone.
While he and Qin Cheng were out having fun, Zhong Yan sent a new message saying that Pei Liang had taken him to a nearby manor, and the two of them would probably stay there for a few days.
Ye Qingxi: [What about that junior?]
Zhong Yan: [He's probably at home. As long as he doesn't show up in front of me, it's fine.]
Ye Qingxi privately messaged Pei Liang: 【Are you still planning to continue sharing an apartment with that junior?】
Pei Liang replied quickly: 【No.】
Pei Liang: [Zhong Yan doesn't like him.]
Ye Qingxi smiled: "Is it just that Zhong Yan doesn't like it?"
Pei Liang: ...
Ye Qingxi asked curiously, "So, does he like you?"
Pei Liang: ...
Pei Liang did not reply.
Ye Qingxi already knew his answer.
It seems that's true.
She truly deserves the title of "King of Rolls"; her charm remains undiminished wherever she goes.
Qin Cheng looked at the smile on his face and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"That junior, Pei Liang, really likes him."
“You told him.”
"Hmm." Ye Qingxi nodded. "I guess he also finds it troublesome."
Of course, Qin Cheng thought. It's always troublesome to be liked by someone for no reason.
Thinking about this, he also realized that he and Ye Qingxi were actually in the same situation.
In other words, Ye Qingxi didn't know.
Otherwise, he might feel that he's been inexplicably liked and find it troublesome.
Qin Cheng blinked, said nothing, and turned to bring out the hot pot.
"Can we eat now?" Ye Qingxi asked excitedly.
Qin Cheng nodded: "Mm."
Ye Qingxi quickly plugged in the power and started waiting for the hot pot broth to boil.
The rain is still falling outside.
Ye Qingxi was in an unexpectedly good mood.
In such a good mood, he grabbed two cans of Qin Cheng's beer, intending to drink them while eating hot pot with Qin Cheng.
Qin Cheng was worried about his alcohol tolerance, so he stood up and got him a bottle of cola: "Drink less."
"I know, I know, isn't that what you're here for?" Ye Qingxi said. "We're in your apartment now, just the two of us. Even if I'm drunk, it'll be fine."
Qin Cheng: ...
Qin Cheng suddenly remembered the scene when Ye Qingxi was drunk last time, the breath when he spoke close to his ear, and how he hooked his arm around his neck and pulled him down forcefully.
I remember... that kiss in my dream.
He lowered his head somewhat awkwardly and took a sip of beer.
Ye Qingxi asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you?"
"It's nothing," Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
Ye Qingxi found him somewhat strange.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange about it, and he never imagined that Qin Cheng was thinking about these things, so he didn't think much of it, opened the beer, and started drinking.
Halfway through their hot pot meal, Ye Qingxi suddenly said, "Let's play some games too."
What game?
"The kind of quick question and answer format," Ye Qingxi said.
"Okay." Qin Cheng did not refuse.
"Then let me ask you first."
"good."
"Hot pot stir-fry".
"Stir-fry vegetables."
“Rain or shine.”
"sunny."
"Bread and cakes."
"bread."
"Football and basketball."
"basketball."
"Arts and Sciences".
"science."
"Open or secret love".
"Unrequited love".
Ye Qingxi: !!
Ye Qingxi was shocked, "A crush?!"
"Brother, you actually like having a crush?!"
Who do you have a crush on?
Ye Qingxi could hardly believe it. "Have you forgotten that Grandpa forbids family members from having secret crushes?"
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