ASSHKHME Chapter 32
by VolareThe Xu family’s atmosphere was completely opposite to the Xie family’s.
Xu Keyuan and Zheng Fei didn’t seem like husband and wife, but more like business partners, with Xu Qingyou being the most outstanding product they had jointly created.
Chen Zhuo couldn’t understand the topics at the dinner table at all, only answering a few words when occasionally addressed.
The food was delicious, but Chen Zhuo found it hard to swallow.
He unconsciously missed the warmth and ease he felt when eating with Xie Yu’s parents yesterday.
After lunch, Xu Keyuan and Zheng Fei went to take a nap, leaving only Chen Zhuo and Xu Qingyou in the living room.
Chen Zhuo instantly relaxed, slumping bonelessly on the sofa. He hadn’t eaten his fill just now, so he held a large, unpeeled apple, gnawing on it as he asked, “Qingyou-ge, are you really going on a blind date?”
Xu Qingyou sat on the single sofa next to him, reading a magazine. Hearing this, he turned a page without even looking up, “You don’t want me to go?”
“What are you saying? It’s just that I never expected even you would need to go on a blind date.”
Chen Zhuo suddenly sat up, resting his chin on the armrest of the sofa with a grin, “Ge, you’re not going for some kind of business marriage, are you? Just like uncle…”
Chen Zhuo glanced upstairs and quickly changed his wording: “Just like in TV dramas, where there’s no affection between them, only benefits.”
He was joking, but Xu Qingyou didn’t smile, his eyes filled with a pity that Chen Zhuo couldn’t understand.
Chen Zhuo retracted his bared teeth, feeling like he should check the almanac before joking in the future. Today, for example, was not suitable for jokes.
Xu Qingyou placed the magazine on his lap, took off his glasses, and reached out to catch the sunlight. “Xiao Zhuo, the world doesn’t have that much mutual love, and even less of the kind of love that can last a lifetime.”
Apple juice dripped onto Chen Zhuo’s chin. He sat up and took the tissue Xu Qingyou handed him to wipe it off.
“Your view of love is too negative. People only live once, and even if it changes in the end, at least they had the process of having it.”
As he said this, he suddenly thought of Xie Yu.
Xu Qingyou smiled, his laughter tinged with bitterness. “But there are many people who can’t even voice who they like, how can they have a process?”
Chen Zhuo finished the apple and threw the core into the trash can, raising an eyebrow. “Who said you can only like one person in your life? If it doesn’t work out, just change.”
Xu Qingyou lowered his eyes to watch the light dancing on his hand. The light was swayed by the shadows of the trees and danced onto Chen Zhuo’s face. He followed it to look.
Chen Zhuo leaned casually in the sofa without any regard for his image. The sun was piercing, causing him to squint slightly, and he changed his position.
Chen Zhuo noticed that Xu Qingyou was looking at him, and a strange feeling slid through his heart, but before he could figure out the reason for this emotion, Xu Qingyou had already turned his gaze away.
“You have someone you can’t tell you like them?”
Xu Qingyou turned his body slightly to block the sunlight, looking at him. After a long while, he nodded gently.
Chen Zhuo tentatively asked, “Do I know them?”
Xu Qingyou paused for two seconds, then shook his head. “No, you don’t know them.”
Chen Zhuo thought for a moment, then hesitated, “Qingyou-ge, love is precious, but destroying other people’s families is not advisable. You must never become someone’s mistress, it will ruin your reputation.”
Xu Qingyou’s eyes widened slightly. After a moment, he rolled up the magazine and gently tapped Chen Zhuo’s head, laughing helplessly. “Is that what you think of me? You little rascal, don’t worry, that person is not a married woman.”
Chen Zhuo rubbed his head. “Then what’s so hard to say? I really didn’t see it. Ge, you’re decisive at work, but you’re quite cowardly in love.”
Xu Qingyou nodded in agreement. “Indeed, there’s no way around it. I feel indebted if I love him less, and I’m afraid of making things difficult for him if I love him more. It’s better to maintain the status quo.”
Chen Zhuo sighed. “Then this girl must be very beautiful and have a lot of personal charm. Ge, you can do it.”
Xu Qingyou turned his head to look at the warm sun outside the window.
Remembering the teenager who had burst into his eyes and heart like the wind when he returned from studying abroad, he sighed softly, “She is indeed very beautiful.”
But not a girl.
Chen Zhuo was just a sapling he accidentally discovered on his smooth life journey.
He had no intention of cutting it down, he only wanted to stand aside and admire this free tree blooming free flowers, with a happy family and a happy life.
His arm was poked, and Xu Qingyou looked at Chen Zhuo. “Hmm?”
Chen Zhuo wore a bitter face, “Qingyou-ge, I’m really not full, are you full? Let’s go out and eat another meal.”
Xu Qingyou looked at his appearance of being completely unaware of his feelings for him, and a hard-to-hide bitterness rose in his heart.
He told himself again and again that this was good, it was already very good, don’t scare him, don’t make things difficult for him…
Xu Qingyou smiled. “Okay, let’s go. Do you want hotpot or barbecue?”
—
After dropping Chen Zhuo off at the Xu’s residence, Xie Yu returned the same way, wanting to take a nap.
The messy bed seemed to still retain Chen Zhuo’s warmth.
Xie Yu stared at the small curl on the pillow that didn’t belong to him, and rubbed his face in frustration.
His heart seemed to be hooked by a small hook, constantly lifted, rushing around recklessly. As long as he thought of Chen Zhuo’s name, it would splash up waves.
Xie Yu didn’t know how to identify this sudden emotion. He had stepped into a swamp, helplessly watching himself sink deeper and deeper.
In the end, he still couldn’t fall asleep. Even if he opened all the windows to ventilate, he still couldn’t blow away that sticky citrus fragrance.
After lunch, Xie Yu took out a few thick coats to prepare to return to school.
When he went to the balcony to collect the clothes he had changed out of yesterday, he saw Chen Zhuo’s underwear that he had forgotten to take on the drying rack.
Light gray briefs.
Xie Yu had seen them before.
During military training, on one of the hottest nights, Chen Zhuo was too hot in his sleep and took off his pajamas.
Xie Yu saw them through the light of the fluorescent lights in the hallway, tightly adhering to the owner’s curves.
Chen Zhuo, Chen Zhuo, Chen Zhuo! Annoying!
He was simply haunting him, omnipresent.
Xie Yu shook his head, trying to drive away the “virus” called Chen Zhuo from his mind.
He wanted to leave it here to drift in the wind, but after taking two steps, he returned, impatiently grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket, slamming the door shut.
Xie Yu went downstairs with his bag.
His mother was lying on the sofa applying a face mask.
The listening software on her phone played a shocked young voice: “I never expected that he would be a cut sleeve!”
Xie Yu slipped, almost falling down the stairs, and complained, “Mom, listen to less of this useless stuff! I’m going back to school!”
Cheng Tangyu was restricted by the mask and couldn’t scold him, so she made a “get lost” gesture.
Xie Yu returned to the dormitory with a gloomy face, Chen Zhuo hadn’t returned yet as expected.
Zhao Jiashu and Li Ang were rushing to finish their homework in the dormitory. They greeted him, “Where’s Zhuo’er? Did you lose him?”
Xie Yu threw the car keys into the drawer without answering.
Zhao Jiashu put down his pen and leaned over to look at him, “What’s wrong, Yu-ge? You look like you’re horny.”
Xie Yu closed his eyes and sneered, “Get lost.”