Who could tell him what was going on?
Chapter 5: An Overture [Revised]
"Senior?" Xie Jianyuan looked at him. After his initial surprise, he quickly recovered and said with a smile in his voice, "I didn't expect us to be neighbors."
Xu Chun forced a smile. "Yeah."
He hadn't expected Xie Jianyuan to be the person who had just moved in next door. Then again, given his family background, it wasn't surprising that he lived here. What embarrassed Xu Chun was that he had made it perfectly clear not long ago that he didn't like him and had lectured him as his senior. Now they were neighbors. He had no idea what kind of ill-fated connection this was.
The atmosphere sank back into suffocating silence. Xie Jianyuan watched him while absentmindedly stroking the cat's soft white fur. Perhaps he had hurt it, because the white cat struggled in his arms and gave a meow. Then, while he wasn't paying attention, it pounced forward.
Xu Chun saw a ball of white fur flying at him and instinctively reached out to catch it. Its fluffy fur felt so wonderful that he didn't want to let go.
Xie Jianyuan looked at the gentle young man holding the white cat. He wore simple pajamas and thin-framed glasses, and his black hair stuck up slightly in unruly tufts. He looked completely different from the man who had lectured him with a stern face earlier.
"Looks like Zora really likes you," Xie Jianyuan said with a smile.
Xu Chun lowered his head slightly to look at the white cat in his arms. Apparently, its name was Zora.
The white cat seemed to notice his gaze. It glanced lazily at him, then languidly licked its paw, every movement full of grace.
Xu Chun's heart melted. A creature like this struck him right in the heart, and the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.
Xie Jianyuan smiled at the sight, then stepped slightly to the side. "Would you like to come in, senior? I was just about to cook."
"No, thanks. I only came over because I heard a noise."
"Oh, that? Zora made it. It knocked over the air purifier."
Xu Chun looked down and stroked its fur. So it was this mischievous.
Xie Jianyuan watched him and smiled faintly. "Cats are wary of strangers. It rarely gets close to other people, so it looks like it wants to play with you too."
Seeing Xu Chun's expression soften slightly, he curved his lips and continued, "Would you like to come in and play with it, senior?"
Xu Chun looked into the white cat's beautiful blue eyes and held its gaze for a moment. He couldn't help feeling tempted, but reason told him he couldn't agree. Just then, Zora gave a soft meow and gracefully licked his hand.
I give up.
Xu Chun sighed inwardly, then pressed his lips together and gave Xie Jianyuan a slightly embarrassed smile. "Sorry for the trouble, then."
The layout of Xie Jianyuan's home was much the same as his own, but the decor was completely different. Xie Jianyuan's place had a stark, minimalist style, with a predominantly gray and white color scheme. A ceramic vase stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.
What surprised Xu Chun most was that, for a man's place, Xie Jianyuan's home was far too clean.
Xu Chun knew about his college roommates' bad personal hygiene habits, and he was used to bachelor apartments piled with smelly socks and dirty clothes. Although he wasn't quite that bad himself, he was still rather careless about cleaning.
But Xie Jianyuan's home was outrageously clean and tidy. There wasn't even a single hair on the floor, and everything was neatly arranged by size.
"Make yourself comfortable, senior." Xie Jianyuan went over and drew the curtains, then headed into the kitchen. "I was just about to cook, so I'll make a portion for you too."
The corner of Xu Chun's mouth twitched. In his previous life, he would never have expected to find himself in the home of Jiang Xiuyan's white moonlight, much less have him cook for him.
The phone on the coffee table suddenly rang. Xu Chun stood up, picked it up, and walked into the kitchen.
He saw Xie Jian
yuan's expression
was focused as he chopped vegetables. The lines of his profile were graceful and deep-set. Even doing something like this, every movement was still full of charm, without looking out of place in the slightest. If his female fans outside saw him like this, they would probably scream with excitement.
"Your phone."
Xu Chun handed him the phone. Xie Jianyuan took it and said, "Thanks." He glanced at the caller ID and quickly answered.
Xu Chun tactfully left the kitchen. He had no interest in eavesdropping on other people's calls.
"Wei Jiahe, what is it?" Xie Jianyuan tilted his head slightly, pressing his cheek against his shoulder to hold the phone in place and keep it from slipping.
"Brother Yuan, come out and party! This place is full of gorgeous girls with fair skin!" Blasting DJ music came through the phone along with the voice.
Xie Jianyuan laughed and cursed. "You're out partying again? Did you forget the disciplinary action the company took against you not long ago?"
Wei Jiahe said, "My agent just got some inside information. Looks like the role I auditioned for last time is a lost cause. I'm going to drink all my troubles away."
Xie Jianyuan brought the knife down again.
"What are you doing, Brother Yuan? Why do I hear chopping on a wooden board? It sounds creepy."
"I'm cooking."
The alcohol seemed to be going to Wei Jiahe's head, and he grew bolder. "Brother Yuan, are you an old man? Cooking at home all by yourself?"
Xie Jianyuan said, "I'm not alone. There's someone else here."
"Who?"
"Xu Chun."
"Holy shit, how come you're with him?!"
"I only found out today that he lives next door."
"When did you get so close to him that you'd invite him over? Don't you have a cleanliness obsession? When I come over, you practically want to throw my shoes outside."
"I wouldn't say we're close. I'm just a little interested in him."
"Wow! Did he awaken your competitive spirit? Come to think of it, I haven't seen you this motivated in ages." Wei Jiahe sounded a little excited.
Something like this had happened before. Xie Jianyuan had always been indifferent about everything. In high school, he had joined the tennis club, but the club captain at the time had given him a harsh scolding for his poor attitude, even calling him a useless rich kid who would never amount to anything.