Xiang Xi’s sudden action almost caught Cheng Boyan off guard.

"What are you doing? You startled me." Cheng Boyan took a step back. "Let’s eat. Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"I just realized after thinking it over—you’re really a good person." Xiang Xi pulled out a chair and sat down, lowering his head and speaking softly. "You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met in my life."

"You just haven’t met enough people." Cheng Boyan sat down as well, took a lettuce leaf, and started wrapping the food. "Besides, I already told you, I have my own reasons for helping you. Stop overthinking it. Stay for a few days, but find a place and move out soon."

"Mm." Xiang Xi chuckled twice, grabbed a lettuce leaf, wrapped some food in it, and was just about to take a bite when he noticed that Cheng Boyan, after taking one bite, had stopped. His expression looked thoughtful. Xiang Xi glanced at his own lettuce wrap. "What’s wrong?"

"In my whole life," Cheng Boyan swallowed the bite and slowly took another, "the worst food I’ve ever eaten is the food I cook myself. No one has ever managed to surpass that."

Xiang Xi burst out laughing. He lowered his head, took a bite, chewed for a moment, then licked his lips and savoured it. "I think it’s okay. Just a bit bland. The stir-fried filling has even less flavour than the lettuce leaves."

"Too much salt isn’t good for you," Cheng Boyan replied.

"Says who? If a dish is too bland, it doesn’t bring out any flavours!" Xiang Xi took another bite. He really didn’t have high standards for food—he was fine as long as there was something to eat.

"Says who…? That nutrition expert you were praising earlier, the one with the smooth skin." Cheng Boyan smirked. "There’s beef sauce in the kitchen. If you think it’s too bland, dip it in some."

"Beef sauce, nice!" Xiang Xi immediately jumped up and ran to the kitchen. "Beef sauce is an angel!"

After lunch, Cheng Boyan gathered the dishes to wash them.

"I’ll do it." Xiang Xi rolled up his sleeves and followed him in. "You cooked, so I’ll wash the dishes."

"Do you even know how to wash dishes…?" Cheng Boyan sounded doubtful.

"Of course I do. One of my main jobs at Fengbo Zhuang was washing dishes. Did you think all I did was take out the trash? I washed dishes in the kitchen too." Xiang Xi placed the dishes in the sink. "Don’t worry."

"The white cloth is for washing dishes," Cheng Boyan pointed at the dishcloth hanging nearby. "The blue one is for wiping the cutting board, and the pink one is for.. wiping the knives -"

"Brother." Xiang Xi cut him off. "Brother, let me wash the dishes first."

Cheng Boyan was about to say something else when the phone in the living room rang. He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Boyan," the voice on the phone belonged to his cousin. "Are you at the hospital today?"

"I'm off today. What's wrong?" Cheng Boyan heard the sound of Xiaoxi crying in the background. "What happened to Xiaoxi?"

"She jumped down the stairs and fell. I don't see any swelling or bruising, but she won’t stop crying and says her arm hurts," his cousin said anxiously. "I've fixed her arm the way you taught me before, and I’m taking her to your hospital now. You’re off today?"

"I'll head over now." Cheng Boyan immediately got up to grab his coat. Xiaoxi was very attached to him, and he was especially fond of this little girl. Hearing her cry made his heart ache. "I’ll call Liu Fei. If you get there before me, just go straight to him."

After hanging up, Cheng Boyan put on his coat and changed his shoes while giving instructions to Xiang Xi, who had poked his head out from the kitchen. "I’m going to the hospital. My niece got hurt. You can watch TV or play on the computer. If you get sleepy, just crash on the sofa bed in that room. If you dare sleep on my bed, you’re dead."

"Got it, got it." Xiang Xi nodded. "I won’t go into your bedroom."

"If anything comes up, call me." Cheng Boyan pointed to the phone on the desk. "Use that one."

"Mm." Xiang Xi walked over and picked up the phone, surprised to see it was an old-fashioned model.

As soon as Cheng Boyan left, slamming the door behind him, Xiang Xi stretched lazily, stood still for a moment, then headed into the kitchen to finish washing the dishes.

When he was about to wipe the cutting board, he realized he'd forgotten which rag Cheng Boyan had said to use.

Standing before the three rags, he examined each one. They were all so clean, practically new. What was the difference between washing dishes, wiping the cutting board, and cleaning knives that required three separate cloths?

In the end, Xiang Xi grabbed the pink one and wiped down the cutting board.

Being alone in someone else’s house—especially in a place so spotless it felt almost unnatural—made Xiang Xi feel like a burglar. Even sitting in the living room watching TV felt too bold, as if the police might show up any second to arrest him.

Unable to sit still, and with nothing interesting on TV, he stood up and wandered into the study. He lay down on the sofa bed Cheng Boyan had designated for him—it was surprisingly comfortable.

Cheng Boyan definitely knew how to enjoy life. Even a sofa bed he didn’t use often was the thickest and widest kind available.

It was way better than the lame wire-frame bed with a broken leg he'd used at Uncle Ping’s place—at least this one didn’t hurt his back.

After lying there for a bit, he started feeling uneasy again. He got up, paced the room twice, then, moving carefully, pushed open the door to Cheng Boyan’s bedroom and peeked inside.

The bedroom’s decoration style was completely different from the living room and study. While the other rooms were dominated by black, white, and gray—neat to the point of being cold—this room had accents of orange, making it feel warm and inviting.

The natural light was excellent. Sunlight streamed in through the half-drawn curtains, filling the room with a warm glow.

A big, plush beanbag chair, thick woollen rugs scattered on the floor, a few casually placed books, a small step ladder leaning against the bookshelf, and a row of tiny plants lined up on a side table by the window—it was a space full of comfort and relaxation.

Xiang Xi had promised Cheng Boyan he wouldn’t go into his bedroom, but after hesitating for a moment, he tiptoed inside anyway.

He stood in front of the bookshelf for a while, sat briefly on the step ladder, then plopped down cross-legged on one of the floor cushions for a few seconds before finally stopping by Cheng Boyan’s bed.

The bed was huge—probably custom-made, significantly larger than a regular double bed. Xiang Xi reached out and pressed down on it—it was thick and bouncy.

"So extravagant," he muttered, pressing his hands against the mattress.

After a brief pause, he suddenly flung himself forward, landing flat on the bed. His body bounced slightly before he sprang up just as fast and dashed out of the room.

If Cheng Boyan found out, he’d be dead for sure.

The computer was still on. Xiang Xi sat down and aimlessly clicked the mouse a few times before quickly losing interest. To him, computers were just gaming machines. Aside from playing games, he had no use for them.

But this one had no games—not even Minesweeper or Solitaire.

"Tch." Xiang Xi clicked his tongue, set down the mouse, and got up again. What did Cheng Boyan even use this thing for? It was way too boring.

With nothing else to do, he went back to watching TV.

Curled up on the sofa with a cushion, he soon started feeling thirsty. He’d been here for a while but hadn’t had a single sip of water, and Cheng Boyan hadn’t told him which cup he could use.

Still holding the cushion, he stood in front of the water dispenser, inspecting it for a long time. There wasn’t a single cup in sight, so he finally went to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl.

Just as he was drinking from it, he heard the door open.

Xiang Xi glanced at the clock on the wall. Cheng Boyan had only been gone for a little over two hours—he was back pretty fast.

For some reason, knowing Cheng Boyan had returned made Xiang Xi feel oddly happy, like a dog left home alone all day, lying around bored, only to perk up and wag its tail the moment its owner walked through the door.

The door swung open. Holding a cushion in one arm and a bowl in the other, Xiang Xi called out loudly, "Welcome, great hero! Will you be staying for a meal or lodging for the night? Hey, you really should install some games on your computer—it’s boring as hell—"

His words got stuck in his throat.

Xiang Xi stared at the person who had just entered, suddenly feeling as if he'd been caught red-handed in a burglary.

Cheng Boyan never mentioned that someone else lived here!

A middle-aged woman walked in. It was hard to tell her exact age, but she was quite beautiful. And for some reason, she looked a little familiar.

The moment she saw Xiang Xi, she froze in place. Her hand, holding the keys and about to place them on the shoe cabinet, stiffened in mid air.

Xiang Xi stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking. “Big sister, are you sure you didn’t walk into the wrong place?”

The woman seemed to come back to her senses when she heard his voice. She didn’t say anything, just shook the keys in her hand before placing them on the shoe cabinet. Then, with practiced ease, she opened the cabinet, took out a pair of indoor slippers, and changed into them.

Xiang Xi stood to the side, still feeling like she looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place why. He awkwardly watched as she took off her coat, put it away, then squeezed some disinfectant into her hands and rubbed them together.

Her actions were exactly the same as Cheng Boyan’s. It was obvious—

She was his biological mother.

No doubt about it—this was Cheng Boyan’s mom!

And she looked so young…

How terrifying. Why did she suddenly appear?!

Xiang Xi’s legs went weak. He stood there awkwardly, still hugging a cushion in one arm and holding a bowl in the other, too afraid to move.

“And who are you?” The woman looked at him while rubbing her hands together.

Her voice was calm and polite, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny, subtly sizing Xiang Xi up. There was even a faint smile on her face, but Xiang Xi felt an invisible pressure weighing down on him.

“I… I’m…” Xiang Xi hesitated, unsure whether to say he was Cheng Boyan’s friend or a patient. Before he could decide, he suddenly realized why she looked so familiar. His eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re Director Xu! The… the nutrition expert…”

The woman didn’t respond immediately, probably not understanding what he was referring to.

“I, uh… I just saw you on TV at noon! That was you, right?” Xiang Xi turned to point at the TV, but since he was still holding the bowl, the motion sent the unfinished water inside splashing onto the floor.

“Ah, sh—” he muttered instinctively.

As if the situation wasn’t awkward enough already, now he’d spilled water everywhere. Without another word, he tossed the cushion onto the sofa, dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a random cloth, and rushed back out to wipe up the mess.

“You are… her, right?” Xiang Xi finished wiping and noticed the woman staring at the cloth in his hand. He followed her gaze and looked down—only to realize he had grabbed the white dishwashing cloth.

The embarrassment hit him like a truck. He opened his mouth several times before finally blurting out, “Uh… Hello, Auntie Xu.”

“…Hello.” Auntie Xu nodded. “You are Boyan’s…?”

“Friend,” Xiang Xi mustered his courage and answered in a small voice. “I’m his friend.”

“Oh.” Auntie Xu seemed a bit surprised. She gestured at the cloth in his hand. “You can put that down. No need to keep holding it.”

“Mm.” Xiang Xi scurried back to the kitchen, rinsed the cloth twice, and hung it back up.

When he turned around to leave, he saw Auntie Xu had followed him into the kitchen and was now peering into the fridge. He had no choice but to stand off to the side, feeling like he was about to suffocate from discomfort.

“You’re Boyan’s friend…” Auntie Xu turned to look at him. “What kind of friend?”

“Huh?” Xiang Xi hadn’t expected that question. He froze, not knowing how to answer. “Uh… just… just…”

“Boyfriend?” Auntie Xu asked, examining him carefully.

“Wha—Boy—what? Boyfriend?!” Xiang Xi was completely stunned.

“Oh, you’re not?” Auntie Xu chuckled. “Sorry about that.”

Xiang Xi also forced a smile but didn’t say anything.

Boyfriend?

What a mess!

The sound of a phone ringing came from the living room, probably from the old-style phone. Xiang Xi was about to go out to answer it when Auntie Xu had already walked out and picked up the phone.

Cheng Boyan was carrying Xiaoxi and walking towards the parking lot, holding the phone: “I’m done here, but I need to have lunch with my cousin this afternoon, you…”

“Boyan?” The voice of his biological mother came from the other side of the line.

“Mom?” Cheng Boyan froze when he heard the voice. “Why did you come over?”

“I heard from your dad that you've been busy lately, worried that you might not be eating well. And since I was going to visit your grandma today,” his mother continued, “I thought I’d stop by and check on you.”

“Oh, I have a friend here…” Cheng Boyan said, with Xiaoxi clinging to his neck, her face rubbing against his shoulder. He tilted his head and bumped foreheads with Xiaoxi. “Did you see him?”

“I saw him,” his mother’s voice lowered, “You’ve got a friend over, but you’re still going to eat with Li Yan? Are you really close with this friend?”

“Yeah… pretty close,” Cheng Boyan hesitated for a moment, “Should I head back later?”

“No need to go back, no need to go back,” Xiaoxi clung to him, “Brother, don’t go back.”

“It’s uncle,” Cheng Boyan corrected her. “Mom, I…”

“You tell him,” his mother said, “I’ll leave soon. I can see that my presence is making things awkward—he even had to use a dishcloth to clean the floor…”

“Weren’t you resting today? Why’d you go to the hospital? Is Li Yan sick?”

“No, Xiaoxi fell down and dislocated her arm, but it’s nothing serious,” Cheng Boyan chuckled. “Mom, give the phone to my friend, I’ll talk to him.”

“Mm.” His mother responded.

Auntie Xu handed the phone over, and Xiang Xi quickly grabbed it, not bothering with anything else. He turned and dashed back into the kitchen. “Brother, Dr. Cheng! Help! Why didn’t you tell me your mom would come over?!”

“I didn’t know she was coming today,” Cheng Boyan chuckled from the other side. “What’s wrong?”

“What do you think’s wrong? How awkward is this?!” Xiang Xi huddled by the fridge, lowering his voice, “And why didn’t you tell me that the expert, Director Xu, is your mom?! Damn, you…”

“She’s leaving soon,” Cheng Boyan laughed for a while. “Didn’t you ask her about nutrition tips?”

“Forget it, what do I do now? Do I need to get her some water? Should I try talking to her… nah, I can’t, I’m worried I’ll scare your mom off,” Xiang Xi sighed. “Brother, I already told her I’m your friend, and I feel like I’ve embarrassed you. I should’ve just said I’m your patient.”

“It’s fine, I told her I’m with a friend, too,” Cheng Boyan replied. “Are you okay to eat on your own tonight? My little nephew won’t let me leave, he insists we have a meal together.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, don’t worry about me. You…” Xiang Xi heard the door to the living room creak open. He quickly stuck his head out to take a peek. “Huh? Did Director Xu leave?”

“Director Xu probably thought she scared you, so she left,” Cheng Boyan said with a smile. “You can stay here, though. If you need to head out, there’s a spare key in the closet by the door. Take it.”

“Wow, you gave me a spare key,” Xiang Xi clicked his tongue. Once Auntie Xu left, he immediately relaxed, flopping down on the sofa in a sprawled-out position. “Aren’t you worried I’ll take the key, copy it, and come back to rob you?”

“I’m not worried. If you move out, I’ll change the locks immediately,” Cheng Boyan answered firmly.

“Damn…” Xiang Xi chuckled for a while, then suddenly noticed a small bag on the shoe cabinet. “Hey, Auntie Xu forgot her bag?”

Before Xiang Xi could finish saying, I'll take it to her, the door suddenly opened again. Xiang Xi didn’t even have time to adjust his sprawled-out posture before Auntie Xu walked back in.

Xiang Xi felt like he had completely embarrassed himself today. He almost wanted to say, Auntie Xu, are you doing this on purpose?

“Auntie, your bag?” Xiang Xi sprang up from the sofa and stood in the middle of the living room.

“Mm,” Auntie Xu glanced at him. “You can sit down.”

“I’ll stand for a bit, just stand for a bit,” Xiang Xi said, placing one hand on his hip and stretching his back. “I’m just stretching my back…”

Xiang Xi could hear Cheng Boyan laughing on the other end of the phone. He gritted his teeth, forcing a polite smile, and only yelled into the phone after Auntie Xu had closed the door: “What are you laughing at? Do you believe I’ll empty your house later?”

“You go ahead and do it,” Cheng Boyan replied, “Your pendant is still with me, do you know how much it's worth?”

“…Go eat, I’ll play around for a bit. There’s nothing on your computer anyway,” Xiang Xi sat down in front of the computer. “What do you usually use this computer for?”

“If you want to play a game, just download and install it yourself,” Cheng Boyan immediately understood what Xiang Xi meant. “Or you can watch a movie, there’s a folder on the desktop called ‘Movies’.”

“Oh, are there any horror movies?” Xiang Xi glanced at the screen, clicked on the 'Movies' folder, and saw quite a few horror movies inside. He started scrolling through them.

“There are, you can find one yourself,” Cheng Boyan said. “I’m not talking to you anymore, I still…”

“This one called ‘Refreshing Short Clips’… what’s in it?” Xiang Xi asked.

 

Translator : DarNan