Chapter 18 Hate Him Like a Wood
Duan Rui is a newcomer in the workplace who just graduated from college. He is about the same height as Cheng Che, but his physique is obviously well-trained. He wears glasses, has neatly combed hair, and wears a black windbreaker, looking very capable.
As soon as Li Zimai entered the restaurant, he saw a man sitting by the window. The moment he saw Cheng Che, his eyes brightened up. Although he tried his best to hide it, the nervousness revealed in his body movements could not be concealed.
Although Cheng Che was unhappy that Li Zimai had snatched his ice cream, he didn't want to show his displeasure in front of others, so he politely introduced him, "Brother Rui, this is my classmate, Li Zimai."
Li Zimai greeted: "Hello, Brother Rui."
Duan Rui politely replied, "Hello, Xiao Che often mentions you to me. Are you his new roommate?"
Li Zimai's eyes were filled with anger, but he remained calm and said, "Cheche often mentioned Rui Ge to me, saying that Rui Ge took good care of him."
Duan Rui understood immediately because people of the same kind could identify each other so well. However, he didn't want to play jealous games with his brother and focused all his attention on Cheng Che. "My current company is on Qujian Road, and I live there too. I'll send you the address later. Come to my place when you have time, and I'll improve your food."
Li Zimai said, "Cheche lives with me now. He cooks so deliciously. Did Brother Rui teach him?"
Duan Rui frowned slightly and looked back at Cheng Che, "Are you staying at a classmate's house?"
Cheng Che explained: "No, I sometimes go to his place to draw pictures."
"Oh, that's right."
Duan Rui seemed to be relieved and said, "Don't bother your classmates. I know your majors often stay up late, and it's not convenient to stay in the dormitory. You can come to my place. It's only four stops away by subway. It's not far."
Before Cheng Che could politely decline, Li Zimai spoke first, "It's not a problem. My place is near the school, so it's very convenient for Cheche to come over."
"That would also disturb Li's family."
"No, I live alone."
"Don't you want to live with your family?"
"I'm an adult and I'm independent."
What independence? He can't even cook. Cheng Che rolled his eyes at him and signaled him to shut up. Li Zimai looked at him aggrievedly, his eyes showing: You are mean to me.
Duan Rui saw their little expressions and his uneasiness gradually grew, but he remained kind on the surface. "The last time we met was at home. You haven't been back for so long, and grandma misses you very much."
As soon as these words came out, Cheng Che's mood was obviously not right. Li Zimai, who was sitting next to him, could feel his shoulders tremble. His voice became muffled, "I called her. I will go back for the New Year."
Duan Rui nodded. "I often call grandma too. She always says that Xiao Che has grown up and won't come back. When you have time, you should pay more attention to the old lady. She is just a child and needs to be coaxed."
"good."
If he hadn't known that Duan Rui was just Cheng Che's neighbor's older brother, Li Zimai would have thought he was his biological son. He was furious at the way the other person kept saying "your grandmother is my grandmother," but Duan Rui also said, "We'll go back together for the New Year, and you can help me carry the New Year's goods."
Cheng Che nodded in agreement.
Li Zimai: "Cheche, can I come to your house to play too?"
"no!"
Perhaps Cheng Che's rejection was too harsh and thorough, causing the two people at the dinner table to be stunned at the same time. Li Zimai, who had reacted, leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly drooping, and his finger joints playing with the chopsticks that were about to be broken.
Not long after, he put on a smile again and put some food into Cheng Che's bowl, "Well, no, no, you should eat more meat and gain some weight."
Duan Rui reminded: "Xiao Che doesn't like eating animal offal, especially lung slices."
Li Zimai paused and said in a low voice, "I didn't know you didn't like these. Last time Yang Mingxi invited us to dinner, you wanted to eat them."
It’s not that he didn’t pay attention to Cheng Che’s eating habits, but he didn’t know that Cheng Che would not be picky about food out of courtesy when eating out.
Cheng Che saw his frustrated expression and blurted out, “I want to eat now.”
Li Zimai was silent.
"Grandma asked me to bring you something. Can you come to my place to get it after dinner?"
Cheng Che glanced at the time and was about to say that he would go next time when Li Zimai next to him suddenly stood up and "accidentally" knocked over the tea on the table. The hot water scalded the back of his hand, and it immediately turned red.
Li Zimai's hands were used for drawing, playing ball and playing the piano. It was a big deal if he bumped into something, let alone being scalded by hot water. Cheng Che quickly pulled him away, wiped the back of his hand with a tissue, and took him to the sink to rinse.
Duan Rui suddenly began to doubt the definition of an "ordinary" roommate. He rarely saw Cheng Che worrying about others.
"Are you going to his house later?"
In the bathroom, Li Zimai didn't care about his hands at all. He only cared about whether Cheng Che was going to Duan Rui's house. He could have brought the things with him before coming, but he insisted that Cheng Che go to get them.
Cheng Che replied calmly, "I have to go back to draw later, so I don't have time."
"So when do you have time to go?"
"Maybe after tomorrow. Don't we have to hand in the drawings tomorrow?"
Li Zimai was pissed off. Duan Rui was in love with his Che Che, and he must have been for a long time! At the dinner table, he kept arguing with him, both openly and covertly, almost pointing at his nose and saying, "Cheng Che and I are childhood sweethearts, who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'll help you get your things, don't go to his house."
"I can get it myself. I don't need your help."
"What do you mean, do you think I'm annoying?"
Cheng Che didn't quite understand his train of thought. It was just a matter of picking up something, and it was not like he couldn't lift it himself. Why did he bring up the issue of "being annoying to him"?
Li Zimai was determined to get to the bottom of it. Without even moving his hands, he pulled Cheng Che's arm and questioned him, "Are you tired of me? Your brother Rui knows you don't eat lung slices, and he's so thoughtful. I can't do anything, I can't even cook, and I still don't care enough about you, so you're tired of me?"
“…”
Cheng Che didn’t quite understand, he really didn’t quite understand.
Li Zimai hated that he was like a piece of wood.
"Speak some sense, I didn't say anything, you were the one who said it."
Sooner or later, Li Zimai will be so angry at Cheng Che that he will have a heart attack.
Back at the dinner table, Li Zimai noticed that the water in Cheng Che's cup was full and hot. The plates in front of his tableware were all filled with Cheng Che's favorite dishes, sour and spicy, and even boneless steak. Even the fruit after the meal was Cheng Che's favorite kiwi.
Duan Rui asked with concern, "Your hands are not burned, right?"
Li Zimai said calmly: "No, thank you for your concern."
Cheng Che also felt that he was making a fuss out of nothing. He didn't know why he reacted so strongly when he saw Li Zimai's hand burned, even though the tea was warm. "...When he plays the violin, his hands are more important."
Cheng Che tried to comfort himself by saying that he was thinking about the artist's hands.
This was the first time Duan Rui heard Cheng Che actively explain something in front of him. He followed up on his words and asked, "Play the violin? The violin?"
Cheng Che looked at Li Zimai and gestured for him to speak on his own. Li Zimai didn't want to discuss the issue and replied evasively, "I used to play the cello, but now I've changed my career."
"You're both majoring in the same field, so you should have a lot of common topics. Actually, after Xiao Che finished his college entrance exam, I persuaded him to study computer science. After all, the construction industry is in a downturn right now."
Li Zimai frowned and said, "Isn't this an opportunity? The architects who survive the elimination are the truly capable ones. I believe Cheche can become one of them."
Duan Rui was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "Yeah, I used to think the same way when I was in college. I had to think about what kind of life I wanted to live and what kind of career I wanted to pursue. Now that I'm working in my second job, I realize that life and dreams often cannot be achieved at the same time."
Li Zimai didn't refute him. He just looked at Cheng Che and said, "Cheche is the most amazing person I've ever met. No one in our profession can compare to him."
Cheng Che said coldly: "Shut up."
Not being able to surpass Li Zimai is Cheng Che’s eternal pain.
Duan Rui agreed, "Indeed, he has always been number one, and he is still number one now that he is in college."
"No, he's number one."
Cheng Che pointed at Li Zimai and said, "He always comes first. I can't pass the exam."
Duan Rui hadn't expected Li Zimai to have such good grades. After all, Hua University was one of the best universities in the capital, and anyone who could rank in the top few must be extraordinary. He half-jokingly said, "Xiao Che, your classmate is so handsome and outstanding, so he must have a lot of girlfriends. Don't follow his bad habits."
Before Li Zimai could explain, Cheng Che answered first: "He doesn't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend. He is very innocent."
Li Zimai: “…”
After dinner, Duan Rui wanted to take a taxi to send Cheng Che back to school. Li Zimai politely said that Cheng Che had to go back to his place first and they wanted to discuss the design drawings.
When Duan Rui saw the imported off-road vehicle at the door, he suddenly felt that what he had just said about life and dreams was quite embarrassing. Li Zimai didn't need to think about life, he just needed to pursue his dreams.
"I'm usually off on Sundays. Come to my place and pick up your things when you're free."
While Li Zimai was driving, Duan Rui advised Cheng Che again, "Although your classmate is a good person, there is a huge gap between us. If you find it tiring to be with him in the future, then don't get along with him anymore, okay?"
Cheng Che subconsciously wanted to refute, but he didn't know how to refute, so he could only respond in a depressed tone.
Li Zimai saw the two talking from the car window. Although he was very angry, he could do nothing. He couldn't stop Cheng Che from talking alone with his neighbor brother whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
When Cheng Che got in the car, he found that Li Zimai had a sullen face and looked unhappy. Cheng Che didn't want to deal with his inexplicable temper, so he said in a businesslike manner: "I'll go back and revise the drawing. If you think it's okay, I'll discuss it with Wu Ze and the others tomorrow."
"That's all you're telling me? Nothing else?"
"Does that mean I should redraw the CAD?"
Li Zimai honked his horn twice and asked weakly, "What did you just say?"
Cheng Che turned his head away, not intending to answer the question. Li Zimai's heart was pierced by his attitude, and he said pitifully, "Don't you think your brother Rui doesn't like me?"
"Why are you being so fussy like a girl? Why don't others like you?"
"He has some. It was obviously me who set my eyes on the ribs on the plate first, but he snatched them away and even ate them very slowly on purpose. He was jealous of me."
Cheng Che really wanted to slap him to death, but he suppressed his anger and tried to calmly say, "There are so many ribs on the plate, you can change one."
"No, I'm very innocent. I'll only eat the one I like. I don't want anything else."
The car was parked in the underground garage. The dim light shone through the window and hit his profile, which perfectly matched Li Zimai's jawline. His voice was low and sticky, like the bitter and sweet taste of sour plums when they first entered his lips, which made Cheng Che's heart itch.
At this time, Cheng Che still didn't understand what this wonderful feeling was. He just attributed it to the fact that Li Zimai was too talkative and always said corny and pretentious things.
Cheng Che replied rudely, "Then don't eat. You won't starve to death."
Sometimes Li Zimai really wanted to pry open his little brain to see what was going on. He had explained everything clearly, both explicit and implicit, but he still didn't understand. What was wrong? He said in great frustration, "Hey, it seems I still can't compare to the position Rui Ge holds in your heart."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Where do I rank in your heart?"
Cheng Che suddenly fell silent, opened the car door and got out with a frosty expression. Li Zimai quickly chased after him, "Why are you angry again? How have I offended you? You have to convict me of a crime first so I can change my ways."
Cheng Che was annoyed by his shamelessness and kept pestering him like this, "Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying?"
Li Zimai nodded, "Now I have it."
Every time Cheng Che looked serious and annoyed with him and wanted to send him away, Li Zimai would always come up to him with a playful smile, making it impossible for Cheng Che to be serious at all, as if he was punching cotton, completely powerless.
"I'm telling you, I'm only your teammate, not your friend, understand?"
"I understand. Whatever Brother Che says is what it is. I'm not worthy of being Brother Che's friend."
“…”
Cheng Che really annoys Li Zimai.
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