Xie Xiyi asked in return, "Don't you like me? You've said you like Senior Brother Xuanji plenty of times. Was that a lie?"
Chi Yu: "..."
Xie Xiyi looked at him, a victor's smile curling his lips, yet a faint chill drifted through his golden eyes. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Chi Yu said stiffly, "That's different..."
Xie Xiyi said with perfect seriousness, "How is it different? The feeling of liking someone is essentially the same, just as your face and mouth are essentially the same-merely flesh and organs. You're too attached to outward appearances, Chi Yu."
Chi Yu: "..."
Xie Xiyi said in his pleasing voice, "You see a difference, but I see none. That was my gift in return just now-well? Did you like it?"
He paused briefly as he spoke, his tone softening a little. "If you liked it, do that to me next time. A kiss on the cheek feels quite ordinary to me. It hardly qualifies as the highest form of courtesy. What we did just now was better-at least it had some novelty."
He looked at Chi Yu and smiled warmly, revealing a different sort of gentleness, but his golden eyes remained icy, creating an eerie contrast. "What do you think, Chi Yu?"
Chi Yu: "..."
What are you saying, Senior Brother Xuanji?
Chi Yu wanted to say something more, but under the heavy, unwavering gaze of Xie Xiyi's golden eyes, he swallowed every word and said with a faint blush, "...I understand, Senior Brother Xuanji."
He vaguely began to work it out-Senior Brother Xuanji seemed to really dislike having his cheek kissed, so his behavior just now had been an indirect expression of his displeasure.
But if you don't like it, you can just say so. Why did you have to...
Feeling the