ASSHKHME Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Favoritism

Chen Zhuo stared at the call screen that had just been hung up for two seconds, then put his phone in his pocket. He turned his head to look out the window and chuckled softly, “Nonsense, who’s playing hard to get?”

Beneath the tall buildings, everything seemed so insignificant, yet there were always people who could carefully tend to even the smallest emotions.

Kindness and goodwill were the most difficult things in the world to repay. The ten years since losing his parents had made Chen Zhuo terrified of becoming a burden to others.

Therefore, he wanted to rely on himself in everything and subconsciously rejected the concern of others. But in fact, he longed to be favored.

Chen Zhuo understood early on that the people who loved him were already dead, and no one in this world could give him unconditional love anymore.

He so yearned to receive it, yet didn’t dare to possess it.

Xie Yu’s straightforward passion was just enough to burn away his timidity and unease.

He thought that he should be able to accept this affection with peace of mind, and should also learn how to be a good boyfriend.

“On the way, on the way,” what he was really on the way to was…

Chen Zhuo sent the address and thought to himself, *Is Xie Yu cheating or something? How is he getting better at talking?*

Sweet words, strangely touching.

Come to think of it, this world is still pretty good, isn’t it?

He was the continuation of his parents’ lives. As long as he existed, it proved that his mom and dad had once been in this world.

He should live, and live happily.

The world kissed him painfully, and he returned it with his tongue, slurping, slurping…

Chen Zhuo pushed open the small window, letting the cold wind brush his face, thinking that when he had time another day, he could take Xie Yu to the cemetery to pay respects to his parents.

But wouldn’t that be like meeting the parents? He wondered if Xie Yu would feel pressured if their relationship developed too quickly…

Chen Zhuo thought in confusion, took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned and walked back to Xu Qingyou’s door.

He only realized he was empty-handed after pressing the doorbell.

*Crap, I left the gift in the stairwell.*

The door opened quickly.

Xu Qingyou was wearing an apron and holding a spatula. His usually neatly styled hair was now casually loose, masking his usual sharp aura and giving him the look of a twenty-something-year-old big brother next door.

Before Xu Qingyou could speak, Chen Zhuo hurried towards the fire exit, “Qingyou-ge! Wait for me a second, I forgot to get the gift!”

Xu Qingyou didn’t ask why he was running to the stairwell, and called out, “Slow down, don’t rush, be careful not to fall.”

In a few tens of seconds, Chen Zhuo came running back, panting, carrying his fruit gift box, and smiling, “Sorry, Qingyou-ge, I was on a call just now, I was wondering why I felt like something was missing.”

“You’re bringing gifts to my place, you really are… Don’t you know the password? Why ring the doorbell? Change your slippers, I still have fish frying in the pan.”

After Xu Qingyou finished speaking, he hurried to the kitchen, “Oh no! Is my fish burning?”

Chen Zhuo peeked into the living room and opened the shoe cabinet in confusion.

His slippers were still inside, but strangely, there were no women’s shoes, and there didn’t seem to be any traces of a woman living there.

Chen Zhuo took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, slipped on his slippers, and walked into the living room, watching Xu Qingyou cooking in the open kitchen.

He asked, “Brother, isn’t sister-in-law living with you? Are you waiting until after the wedding to live together?”

Xu Qingyou’s fish was broken to pieces, and he looked frustrated, “Ah? You don’t have a sister-in-law anymore, and now there’s no fish to eat.”

“Ah? What?”

Chen Zhuo didn’t understand Xu Qingyou’s meaning for a moment. He casually picked up a small tomato and put it in his mouth, looking at the blackened pan, “I know there’s no fish to eat, but what do you mean ‘no sister-in-law anymore’? Did you two have a fight?”

Xu Qingyou threw the ruined fish into the trash can, seeming to want to throw away the pot as well, but he resisted.

He squeezed a large amount of dish soap and vigorously scrubbed the pot.

Xu Qingyou’s tone was calm, as if he was saying the weather was nice today, “It wasn’t a fight, we just couldn’t agree on the prenuptial agreement, so we decided to call off the engagement.”

Chen Zhuo looked shocked, and it took him a long time to open his mouth, carefully asking: “Brother, didn’t you two just get engaged the day before yesterday? Such a big event, and you’re canceling it just like that? Is it that casual? Aren’t Uncle and Aunt angry?”

Xu Qingyou chuckled and looked at him: “So you have to keep it a secret for me first, until I’ve sorted things out before telling them.”

Chen Zhuo found it hard to digest this, and said with a complicated expression: “Qingyou-ge, is your belated rebellious period finally here? The mess you’ve made is much bigger than anything I’ve done. At most, I was caught by you in a bar and got a beating, but this can’t be solved with just one beating.”

Xu Qingyou paused in his scrubbing, feeling apologetic, “…Sorry, I was too impulsive then.”

Chen Zhuo rolled up his sleeves and washed the vegetables, smiling: “No, it was a good beating. You’re my brother, after all. Luckily, you snapped me out of it back then, otherwise, how could I have gotten into Jiangbei University? I’m grateful to you.”

Xu Qingyou lowered his eyes, looking at the foam on his hands, and asked cautiously, “Xiaozhuo, you don’t think of me as an elder, do you? We’re only seven years apart.”

Chen Zhuo said cheerfully: “Not a real brother, but better than a dad.”

Xu Qingyou was speechless, trying to correct him: “Seven years old doesn’t mean I can father you, so…”

Chen Zhuo couldn’t hold back his laughter, leaning his hands on the sink, “Pfft, hahaha – Qingyou-ge, you’re so funny, it’s so cold in winter.”

Xu Qingyou: “.”

Chen Zhuo rinsed the washed vegetables, drained the water and put them on a plate, looking around in surprise, “You haven’t made a single dish yet? Will we even have lunch?”

Xu Qingyou sighed helplessly: “It’s been so long since I cooked, I’m out of practice. Back when I was studying abroad, I used to cook my own meals on weekends, but I’ve regressed too much.”

Chen Zhuo pulled out a paper towel to dry his hands, “You’re busy with work now, so I’ll give you a hand. Let’s start by steaming the rice. Are you making soup? Then we can just make two dishes, it’s just the two of us anyway.”

Xu Qingyou watched Chen Zhuo skillfully put the washed rice into the rice cooker and suddenly said, “Xiaozhuo, you’ve changed a lot in the past few months, you’re much more cheerful.”

Chen Zhuo measured the water in the rice cooker, saying casually, “Oh? Maybe it’s because my friends are all good people. ‘One takes on the colors of one’s company.'”

Xu Qingyou wiped the cleaned frying pan dry, reheated it, and added oil. Amidst the sizzling sound of the oil, he asked, “What about Xie Yu? Has he become a good friend of yours too?”