What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door?

The kitchen is semi-open, separated from the living room by a decorative frosted glass partition.

Sitting in front of the spotless coffee table, Su Bin raised his voice and asked Yang Chengzhe, “Brother Cheng, who takes care of the cleanliness in the house?”

“Whoever has free time takes care of it!” Yang Chengzhe’s voice came through the glass.

Su Bin recalled his two years of living in a university dormitory in China. Even with a duty roster, no one would do the cleaning. His roommates were all lazy and reluctant to help. Every time, Su Bin couldn’t help but start cleaning himself. But he didn’t complain much because Yu Minhong was his idol…

During his university days, his idol had fetched water for his roommates for four years. Later, he founded “New Oriental,” and all his former roommates returned from the United States to help him. It was to repay the “water-fetching favor” from back then. This incident had a profound impact on Su Bin.

His idol had said that there is always a return for one’s efforts. Although Su Bin hadn’t received any substantial return yet, he firmly believed in it.

But now, it seemed that the new roommates were all very conscientious and clean people, which made Su Bin quite satisfied… Could this be considered a form of “return”?

“Do you all cook for yourselves normally?” Shouting through the glass was tiring, so Su Bin got up and walked to the kitchen door, asking, “I heard Allen requested that the roommates should be able to cook?”

“Really?” Yang Chengzhe smiled faintly, but his smile seemed a bit forced. Su Bin didn’t understand why until Yang Chengzhe brought two dishes he had cooked to the dining table…

Looking at the not-so-attractive appearance of the tomato and egg stir-fry and the potato and pork slices, Su Bin couldn’t find nice words to say.

Yang Chengzhe was aware of it too. “I’m not very good at cooking, and there aren’t many ingredients in the fridge. Let’s just make do for now. When Jin Fei comes back, we’ll set a day to take you out for a good meal.”

Su Bin waved his hand understandingly and joked, “I’m already honored to be able to eat a dish cooked by Dr. Yang himself!” Even if the appearance wasn’t good, it was still better than the tasteless cafeteria food he had in boarding school. Su Bin wasn’t a picky eater.

But after taking a bite, Su Bin changed his mind… He thought Yang Chengzhe really wasn’t being modest.

After a few more bites, Su Bin began to hesitate about eating the instant noodles he generously gave to the foreigner in the morning…

After finishing the meal, Su Bin decided that it would be better not to let Yang Chengzhe cook again. It was… a bit hard on the stomach!

After the meal, Su Bin rushed to wash the dishes, and Yang Chengzhe took the opportunity to tell him the placement of various kitchen utensils, as well as the usage methods of the oven, bread maker, coffee machine, and other appliances.

“There’s a convenience store nearby where fresh food is available every day, but the variety is limited. Occasionally, we also drive to a bigger supermarket a bit further away for a collective purchase, usually once every two weeks,” Yang Chengzhe opened the fridge and said, “Most of the food here is shared. Whoever needs it can take it, and if you feel like you took more, you can contribute a bit extra when shopping next time. It’s not a strict account…”

Su Bin was still marveling at the trust among roommates when Yang Chengzhe said seriously, “But you better not touch anything that belongs to Allen.”

Su Bin’s heart suddenly tensed up. “Ah? What if I accidentally take something that belongs to him?”

Yang Chengzhe pointed to the top compartment of the fridge and a row on the door. “This is Allen’s section. Anything he buys will be placed on his designated shelf.”

Su Bin saw many green glass bottles placed there but wasn’t sure if they were alcohol or beverages…

Yang Chengzhe then opened the freezer below and said, “It’s the same here. Except for the bottom compartment, which is Allen’s, you can use the other two compartments freely…”

Closing the fridge door, Yang Chengzhe smiled and said, “Actually, we don’t have the habit of cooking. Most of the things we buy are frozen food, like pizza, pasta, and such, which can be heated in the oven and eaten. That’s why Allen always says our food lacks nutrition and is unhealthy.”

Su Bin asked, “Does Allen know how to cook?”

Yang Chengzhe replied, “He only knows how to make some simple Western-style meals. He started learning after moving here.”

Su Bin would later learn what Yang Chengzhe meant by “knowing some.” It was nothing more than toasting sliced bread, spreading some butter, and sandwiching a few pieces of bacon bought from the supermarket. Or boiling instant noodles, mixing them with ready-made pasta sauce… What kind of “knowing some” was that? It was even less challenging than cooking instant noodles!

But at that time, Su Bin was still quite naive. Just hearing the term “Western-style meals” made him think it was all fancy and sophisticated…

After introducing everything, Yang Chengzhe didn’t hurry back to his room. He made a cup of tea for Su Bin and sat with him on the sofa, chatting and waiting for Allen to come back so that the three of them could formally get acquainted.

Su Bin talked about his own story, and the thing he could talk about the most was his girlfriend, Chen Xiaotian.

Chen Xiaotian was Su Bin’s high school classmate and also the beauty of the Foreign Languages Department at the Provincial University. However, they ended up being together due to a prank played by their friends.

In their sophomore year of high school, Su Bin made a bet with his classmates during a game, and the bet was to confess his love to the most beautiful girl in the school, who was widely recognized. Su Bin lost the game and couldn’t resist the encouragement and teasing from his classmates. With a brave face, he rushed into the broadcasting room and shouted into the microphone, “Chen Xiaotian, I like you! I’m Su Bin from Class 3 of Grade 2!”

This shout caused a sensation throughout the school.

There were already many people pursuing Chen Xiaotian, but in a high school that strictly prohibited early relationships, admirers could only keep their feelings hidden. Su Bin was the first one to make such a big scene about it.

Seeing Su Bin being driven out of the broadcasting room with a red face, his friends burst into laughter. But what they didn’t expect was that in the evening after school, Chen Xiaotian appeared at the door of their classroom…

Su Bin and Chen Xiaotian started dating. The teachers in the school turned a blind eye to their behavior because they were both top students, and a year and a half later, they both successfully passed the provincial college entrance examination and entered the best university in the province. This became a well-known story from their high school days.

However, their relationship did not develop as smoothly as expected.

At a class reunion after high school graduation, Chen Xiaotian learned that Su Bin’s pursuit of her was originally a “joke” among classmates. Surprised by this revelation, she proposed a breakup. However, by that time, Su Bin had already fallen in love with her from the bottom of his heart, so he made every effort to persuade her and started pursuing her again.

This pursuit lasted for three months.

Every day, Su Bin fetched water and bought breakfast for her. He accompanied her to class and picked her up after class. When he found out that she was late for the morning run, he tried his best to persuade the senior members of the disciplinary department to waive her penalty points. When he heard that her favorite celebrity was coming to the city for a concert, he lined up overnight to buy tickets for her… There were many small and big considerate things he did, not to mention all of them. In short, wherever Chen Xiaotian appeared, Su Bin could be seen taking care of her.

On the eve of Chen Xiaotian’s eighteenth birthday, Su Bin gathered several high school classmates who were involved in the bet and bought a bunch of candles to place them under Chen Xiaotian’s dormitory building, forming a huge heart shape.

That night, the windows of the girls’ dormitory in the Foreign Languages Department were filled with curious heads. They watched a group of passionate young people singing Wang Leehom’s “The One and Only Love” downstairs. Su Bin stood in the center of the heart shape, holding a prominent bouquet of roses. The whole night sky seemed to be dyed pink with romance…

After finishing the song, Su Bin shouted towards the dormitory building, “Chen Xiaotian, I like you! I’m Su Bin from Class 1 of the Finance Department!”

The screams filled both inside and outside the building, and everyone shouted for them to be “together”… Finally, Chen Xiaotian walked out of the dormitory building. That day, she was wearing a white dress and gracefully approached Su Bin. She accepted the rose he handed over and shyly said, “You all sang off-key…”

Their story caused a sensation and was even reported in the university’s newspaper. Since then, Su Bin also became famous in the school. Later, it was heard that the method of using candles to confess love was spread by netizens, spreading the good news to countless boys…

Su Bin talked enthusiastically, and Yang Chengzhe listened with great interest.

“It’s really romantic…” Yang Chengzhe sighed and asked, “But you only talked about how you pursued her. Does she treat you well?”

“She treats me very well!” Su Bin could list a lot of examples of how Chen Xiaotian treated him well. “Not only is she beautiful and kind-hearted, but she also has excellent academic performance, especially in English…” Even Su Bin’s idol was determined after he listened to a speech with Chen Xiaotian. “When I’m sad, she comforts me. When I’m down, she encourages me. She has a lot of ideas, is independent and sensible. She never bothers me to buy things for her.” Su Bin knew that some girls cared about these things. “In short, she is special.”

Yang Chengzhe nodded, “So you’re in a long-distance relationship now, with an eight-hour time difference. Isn’t it hard?”

“It’s tough! I think about her every moment, like an itch in my heart!” Su Bin said with a frown.

Yang Chengzhe comforted him, “But sometimes distance can test the strength of a relationship… If you can overcome this hurdle, you can consider proposing to her when you return.”

“Ahahaha, it’s too early for that…” Su Bin knew that Yang Chengzhe was joking with him, but despite laughing it off, his heart skipped a beat. “What about you, Brother Cheng? Do you have a girlfriend?” Su Bin quickly changed the topic.

Yang Chengzhe seemed a bit shy. “I’m afraid you’ll laugh at me, but I’ve never been in a relationship.”

Su Bin widened his eyes in surprise. “No way! You’re such a good person, good-looking, and a PhD… I can’t believe you’ve never had a girlfriend!” How could someone like him, a super nice guy, not have anyone pursuing him?… Well, let’s ignore the fact that he can’t cook.

Yang Chengzhe said, “I’ve always been focused on studying and academics from a young age. I skipped two grades, and later, the girls around me were older than me. When I went abroad for my master’s degree, I had a lot of pressure and no opportunities to date. I’ve been studying for my second PhD for nearly eight years now, and I’ve gotten used to being alone.”

“Second… second PhD?” Su Bin was shocked. Yang Chengzhe was only five years older than him, and he already had a second PhD. He must be a genius… It’s understandable that he can’t cook.

Yang Chengzhe smiled as he looked at Su Bin. “By the time I realized it, everyone around me was much younger than me, like you guys. I feel a bit hesitant to make a move.”

“What do you mean ‘much younger’? It’s only a five-year age difference. Don’t think of yourself as so old!” If he were a girl, he would definitely choose someone like Yang Chengzhe, who is both gentle and mature… It’s okay if he can’t cook, he can learn!

As they were talking, they suddenly heard some noises at the door, and both of them looked over… They saw a guy dressed in black standing quietly at the entrance, seemingly having entered unnoticed.

He extended his hand and pressed the switch on the wall, and the ceiling light cast a beam of white light, illuminating his deep facial features and prominent nose bridge. Long eyelashes cast two fan-shaped shadows, but they couldn’t hide his gray-green eyes…

At that moment, Su Bin felt his heart stop.

It was a stunningly beautiful face that caught one’s attention at first sight. At this moment, Su Bin’s mind was filled with various descriptions: mixed-race, celebrity, model, prince from a fairy tale, and even vampire… But apart from his jet-black hair, there was nothing about him that made Su Bin think of him as Chinese.

He took a step towards them, exuding an indescribable grace, walking without making much sound. However, the closer he got, the more oppressive it felt… Su Bin couldn’t help but stand up involuntarily.

“Allen, this is Michael,” Yang Chengzhe stood up as well and introduced with a smile.

“Hello,” he greeted in a calm tone, extending his hand to shake Su Bin’s. His fingers were slender, his skin fair like jade, resembling a nobleman stepping out of a medieval oil painting. “Nice to meet you.”

While speaking such words, his tone remained flat, and his expression remained unruffled. If Su Bin hadn’t already heard his voice over the phone, he wouldn’t have believed this person was Allen.

But apart from this appearance, Su Bin couldn’t imagine any other image that Allen might have. However, he had thought Allen would be more like a “real person”… but this person’s appearance was so perfect, like a sculpture.

Seeing Su Bin’s dumbfounded expression, Yang Chengzhe laughed.

“Michael, there’s no need to be nervous. Many people are initially shocked by Allen’s appearance, but you’ll get used to it as you spend more time together.” Yang Chengzhe switched to English, fluent and natural, and Su Bin understood.

Blushing, Su Bin awkwardly withdrew his hand, no longer daring to stare directly at him.

Yang Chengzhe asked Allen if he wanted a cup of tea, to which Allen agreed. He sat down next to Su Bin, and Su Bin instantly became nervous again.

Allen asked him a few casual questions, such as “Are you here to study at M University?” “What major are you pursuing?” “Are you planning to settle here?” “How long do you plan to stay?”

Su Bin answered them like a primary school student responding to a teacher, strictly and formally. “Yes,” “I’m studying finance,” “I’ve already moved my luggage to the vacant room upstairs,” “I plan to stay for a year”…

But even with such simple questions, Allen earnestly pointed out several vocabulary and grammar errors Su Bin made… Su Bin’s face turned red!

It wasn’t until Yang Chengzhe returned with a cup of tea that Su Bin felt relieved, but Yang Chengzhe smiled and said, “You’re right to listen to Allen. He has mastered a very refined and elegant aristocratic English. You should communicate with him more in your daily interactions. You’ll learn a lot.”

Su Bin roared inwardly: “What’s the point of communication? I came here to rent a place to live, not to learn English. This kind of interaction is really stressful…”

Ignoring Su Bin’s internal monologue, Yang Chengzhe directly mentioned the room exchange to Allen. Allen furrowed his brows and said, “I’m a bit busy in the next two weeks, and I’m not sure if I’ll have time on the weekend. Let’s see, we could also consider moving during an evening…”

“Sure, let me know when it’s convenient for you,” Yang Chengzhe replied.

Su Bin silently prayed for Allen to switch rooms with Yang Chengzhe soon. He had a feeling that if he had to constantly see this guy around, he would feel uncomfortable and restrained.