Open World 23
Move in? It was really within Xie Xi’s power to do this but…
Since Jiang Xie dared to open his mouth, he was naturally prepared. He was completely ready and just waiting to release it.
Xie Xi was silent for a long time before whispering, “This… it isn’t appropriate.”
Jiang Xie explained, “I’ve always had the problem of not eating breakfast. I know this isn’t good but I can’t change it.”
Xie Xi’s lips moved but he didn’t dare answer.
Jiang Xie continnued, “I can buy breakfast outside but you’ve already discovered that I’m picky. The outside food is either too oily, too salty or not very good. In short, I don’t like to eat it.”
This was really true. After spending a week today, Xie Xi noticed Jiang Xie’s preferences. He ate most things and wasn’t a picky eater, but he was picky about the ingredients.
Every time they went to the supermarket, they had to buy the best things. If it was a little bit worse, he would frown.
One time, the supermarket sent a small bag of a different brand of rice. Xie Xi was afraid of wasting it and used it to cook. Jiang Xie ate it and found it tasted wrong. He didn’t say to redo it but after eating, he said, “Use the previous rice.”
Xie Xi was surprised at the time because he couldn’t taste a difference at all.
Xie Xi hesitated. “If Teacher wants to have breakfast, I can come over earlier and do it for you.”
“You take one hour coming by bus. Since I get up at 7 o’clock, you will have to get up at 5 o’clock. Isn’t it a sin to not get enough sleep when growing up?”
Xie Xi knew this wasn’t realistic. The place where he lived didn’t have a direct bus to Jiang Xie’s place. He had to run more than 10 minutes to another bus stop. If he really wanted to make breakfast on time, he might have to wake up at 4.30.
It was okay for two days but he wouldn’t be able to endure it for a long time.
Jiang Xie spoke again, “It is convenient if you move in. I can eat breakfast and you don’t have to go back and forth. I also have an empty room and it is a waste to leave it empty.”
Xie Xi still thought it was inappropriate. “The accounts aren’t calculated…”
The two people lived in different ways.
Jiang Xie continued, “If you move in, we can go to school together.” Xie Xi wouldn’t have to spend money on the bus fare to go to school.
It would be false if Xie Xi said he didn’t feel warm.
Jiang Xie released all the reasons to move in. “If you live here, I won’t have to send you back at night and will save a lot of money on gas.”
Xie Xi’s face was slightly hot. “You really don’t have to send me back.”
“It is impossible not to send you back unless you move in.”
Xie Xi, “…”
Jiang Xie released the killing blow. He sighed and borrowed his hoarse voice to commit a foul. “A person living alone is really boring.”
Xie Xi was instantly distressed.
Jiang Xie knew Xie Xi’s soft belly and quietly stated, “I occasionally wake up at night and feel the house is empty and as quiet as a grave…”
Xie Xi quickly said, “How can such a good house be a grave?”
“It isn’t as good as a grave. At least a double tomb will have two people sleeping together.”
Xie Xi, “………………”
His distress was gone in an instant!
Jiang Xie had done this intentionally. He originally wanted to show weakness to stimulate the child but after seeing that the child was really sad, he just wanted to amuse the child and make him happy.
A gentleman didn’t need to use these tricks.
Jiang Xie cleared his throat. “If you move in and make me breakfast, I will double your salary!”
The offensive using money was really bad!
Xie Xi had long wanted to move in and have personal company. He knew the taste of living alone more than anyone else. This type of emptiness… it turned the whole house into another space, one isolated from the world and full of stillness and cold.
Xie Xi knew this so Jiang Xie definitely knew it…
Xie Xi muttered, “I can move in…”
Jiang Xie’s heart jumped and he held his breath.
Xie Xi gulped and continued, “I will be responsible for your breakfast. If you stay up late, I will also cook you a late dinner. You don’t have to give me a raise. I will… I won’t pay any rent.” His voice was really small by the end of his words.
Jiang Xie wasn’t deaf and his ears were excellent. He didn’t hesitate to clap loudly, “That’s it!”
Xie Xi still felt embarrassed and formed fists. “If Teacher every thinks that I am trouble, I will…”
“The water has spilt and you can’t take it back!” Jiang Xie was afraid that Xie Xi would feel regret.”
“I mean that if Teacher thinks it isn’t convenient for two people to live together in the future…”
Jiang Xie didn’t let him finish. “No way.”
That day would never happen.
Xie Xi smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
It didn’t matter. If that day really appeared, he would quietly leave. Jiang Xie sighed and couldn’t resist his restless heart. By all accounts, he should be reserved and let Xie Xi move in tomorrow but…
“Stay here tonight.” Forget it! Don’t talk about one night, he didn’t want to wait a minute longer!
Xie Xi was surprised. “Tonight?”
“Yes, you are going to move in anyway. There is no different from tonight or tomorrow.”
Xie Xi smiled helplessly. “I have to clean up.”
He said he would move in but he didn’t even have a change of clothes or toiletries.
Jiang Xie got up and walked to the front door. He opened the locker and many things fell out.
Xie Xi’s eyes were wide as he stared at the pile of items in a stunned manner. New bedding, pyjamas, home clothes, bathrobe, towels, mouthwash, cups, electric toothbrush, toothpaste, cleansing soap… there was even a set of men’s skincare!
“This…” Xie Xi was shocked speechless.
Since Jiang Xie wanted to persuade the child, he was naturally prepared. He had good intentions as he bought everything except for underwear. He was just waiting for Xie Xi to come!
This huge pile of things showed that not only was Old Jiang careful, he also couldn’t wait!
Teacher Jiang casually spoke nonsense and fooled the stunned child. “I didn’t say it in case you thought I was joking but I have prepared these things for a long time.”
Xie Xi, “???”
Jiang Xie looked ‘sad’. “I have a distant cousin who said he intended to test into X University. He intended to live here and I really hate living alone. Thus, I prepared all these things for his arrival. Who knew that kid would fly off like a bird and go abroad.”
This was a perfect reason. It covered his own craziness and also brushed up Xie Xi’s pity.
Xie Xi was fooled. “Teacher has a cousin?”
Jiang Xie replied, “He is the same age as you but far worse than you. He isn’t sensible at all and I can live leisurely without his presence.”
Xie Xi glanced at this pile of things and felt that Jiang Xie had been really looking forward to his cousin’s arrival. Really… it was heart-wrenching.
Xie Xi thought about it. If he had a cousin who wanted to live with him, he would… would… No, he wouldn’t do this! Poverty meant he couldn’t afford so many things!
Jiang Xie didn’t want to add any psychological burden to him. “Fortunately, you will move over or these things will only gather dust!”
Xie Xi’s lips curved uncontrollably. “Sometimes I always feel like…”
“Everything is just right?”
Xie Xi smiled and shook his head. “It’s a coincidence.”
If everything was just right and natural, if it was predestined then it was too beautiful to be true.
Xie Xi, stayed here, not because of the pile of things— he still had to go back to pack tomorrow since there were many bok=oks and other things to bring.
The reason he stayed tonight was because he didn’t want Jiang Xie to send him back.
Jiang Xie was very tired and fell asleep leaning against the kitchen door. How could Xie Xi let him drive?
Xie Xi couldn’t bear it.
In light of Jiang Xie’s sleepiness, Xie Xi ordered him despite it being only 10 o’clock. “Get some early rest.”
Jiang Xie acted tired all night and it was really unseemly to be energetic now. Thus, he honestly returned to his room.
He stated, “I have a bathroom in my room. You can use the one outside.”
Xie Xi nodded. “Okay.” His room didn’t have a bathroom and the only one available was next to the living room.
This location was deep in Jiang Xie’s house. Xie Xi had to go from the guest room past the study to the bedroom. As long as Jiang Xie didn’t close the door, he could see the child running back and forth in pyjamas.
How could he be so happy? He couldn’t see it tonight since he had to go to sleep first. But there was tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and the day after that…
Jiang Xie was startled. He didn’t know when the smile on his face had filled with such sweetness.
Life was really like a dream. The first half was a nightmare that he wanted to quickly wake up from. The second half became a dream that people were willing to indulge in.
This dream was so good. What did it matter if he didn’t wake up?
The two men slept opposite each other.
Xie Xi slept particularly well. He lay on a bed that was very comfortable and slept soundly in a room that wasn’t cold. Jiang Xie wasn’t the same. He was so excited that he couldn’t sleep. He was very sleepy and tired but he couldn’t close his eyes.
The thought of the child sleeping next door meant he couldn’t sleep!
The next day, Xie Xi got up to make breakfast. Jiang Xie stayed awake until 5 in the morning before sleeping for a bit. His ears were excellent. He heard Xie Xi getting up and immediately woke up.
He endured in bed before finally getting up to wash. He calculated the time and left the room.
Xie Xi saw him and smiled. “The noodles are just cooked.”
Jiang Xie stood in place, watching the thin light of the morning fall on Xie Xi, like an angel falling from the sky. If he could see this sight every day in the future, he would have nothing more to ask for in his life.
The happy days were particularly fast. In the blink of an eye, it was winter vacation.
In the past, Jiang Xie had been too lazy to celebrate the new year. He ran to foreign countries to do academics and was still busy. This year…
He wouldn’t leave the country even if the President of Country M came to beg!
Xie Xi asked, “Teacher, do you have plans for the new year?”
Jiang Xie pondered before replying, “Yes.”
Xie Xi lowered his eyes. “Then I…”
He hadn’t finished when Jiang Xie interrupted. “I bought a six pounds king crab as well as a large number of raw ingredients for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. How about using it for a new year’s dinner?” (TL: A type of Chinese soup. Wiki Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Jumps_Over_the_Wall)
Xie Xi, “…”
Jiang Xie added, “I also bought red paper. Later we should write blessings together and stick them up.”
Xie Xi tried hard to endure it but his eyes still turned red.
Jiang Xie saw it and felt distressed. His voice became softer, “The two of us will stay at home and spend the new year together, okay?”
Xie Xi’s nose was sore and he didn’t dare to say anything in fear that he would cry. “Hmm!”
For the first time, he experienced the taste of the new year.