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

During the day, Su Bin was drenched in sweat from moving luggage. He decided to take a shower before bed, but the thought of using the bathroom that was originally meant for Allen alone made him feel awkward, as if he was going to a stranger’s house to take a shower. After hesitating for a moment, he took his clothes and knocked on Yang Chengzhe’s door.

Yang Chengzhe opened the door and was momentarily surprised. Su Bin stood at the door with a pleading expression and said, “Brother Cheng, can I take a shower at your place?”

Yang Chengzhe asked, “Is Allen using the bathroom?”

Su Bin hesitated and said, “Not really, I just feel like I’m not that familiar with him…”

Yang Chengzhe chuckled and said, “Come in.”

Su Bin breathed a sigh of relief, and Yang Chengzhe teased him, “Are you afraid that Allen will embarrass you? Although he’s a clean freak, he can tolerate it for a couple of days.”

Su Bin puffed up his face and said, “Well, we’ll be sharing the bathroom in the future, so we should get acquainted with it first!”

Yang Chengzhe smiled and shook his head, pointing to the bathroom, “Go ahead, the water is either too hot or too cold, but I’m sure you can figure out the shampoo and shower gel, right?”

With his head down, Su Bin quickly entered the bathroom and took a hot shower. He felt completely refreshed and thanked Yang Chengzhe before returning to his own room.

His room was in a peculiar location, possibly originally connected to the adjacent room as a “suite.” He had to enter a foyer first, which faced the communal washroom, and both rooms were on the right side.

Just as Su Bin arrived at the foyer, he heard the bathroom door click, and immediately, Allen appeared in front of him completely naked!

… The other person’s wet hair was still dripping, and their ivory-white skin was covered in water. Their slender limbs accentuated their tight and well-proportioned muscles, and the attractive V-line extended down to their thighs…

Su Bin’s face instantly turned red, and his whole body felt flushed and hot!

Allen was clearly taken aback as well. He didn’t expect Su Bin to come from the direction of the foyer. He quickly grabbed a towel from the shelf near the door and wrapped it around his lower body.

The situation was incredibly awkward, and Su Bin wished he could dig a hole and jump into it. He kept his eyes lowered and repeatedly said, “Sorry.” Allen didn’t respond to anything and gave him a cold glance before returning to his room.

Su Bin closed the door and his heart was still pounding abnormally… But that glance just now helped him understand why Allen had specific preferences for tenants. Regardless of gender, anyone would appreciate that physique. Even someone with poor self-control might succumb on the spot!

He touched his own nervously weakened egg and nervously thought, “Allen shouldn’t misunderstand, right? I’m a purely straight guy with no fantasies about him, really!”

Finally calming down, Su Bin lay in bed and started contemplating the words Yang Chengzhe had said the previous night – if he could endure this year, he could consider proposing to Chen Xiaotian when he went back.

It had to be said that this was a very good suggestion, and Su Bin was inspired. His mind was full of imaginative thoughts at the moment.

When would be the best time to propose? On the day Chen Xiaotian and their friends came to pick them up or on the anniversary of their relationship? What should he give during the proposal? Since his previous two pursuits had caused quite a stir, the proposal had to be even more sensational! If Chen Xiaotian agreed, he had a whole year of preparation during their senior year, and they could get married on the day of their graduation ceremony… absolutely perfect!

Lost in his fantasies of future happiness, Su Bin fell asleep, and the next morning he woke up with a smile. Even before opening his eyes, he reached for his phone and dialed Chen Xiaotian’s number.

“Darling…” Su Bin was still half-asleep. “Good morning…”

“It’s already afternoon here, so good afternoon,” Chen Xiaotian replied.

“I dreamt of you last night…” Su Bin lazily said. Of course, he wouldn’t tell Chen Xiaotian about his plans to propose. It had to be a surprise, and he couldn’t let Chen Xiaotian know until the last moment!

“What did you dream about?” Chen Xiaotian asked from the other side.

Su Bin made up a random lie, but unexpectedly, Chen Xiaotian immediately saw through it. “What kind of dream is that? Are you making things up?”

Su Bin laughed foolishly and pretended to be clueless. After playfully teasing Chen Xiaotian for a while, he finally got down to business. He carefully explained the situation of the two roommates he had met after moving into the new place.

Chen Xiaotian exclaimed, “Both of these people are so remarkable. One is a top student, and the other… um, they don’t seem real. They’re more like characters from a novel or a movie.”

Su Bin agreed, “I think so too, but this is a foreign country, and outstanding people might be more common here. We’re just used to living in a small place and haven’t seen much of the world.”

“That’s not necessarily true. Our province is also well-regarded in China. Maybe you just got lucky and happened to meet two great people,” Chen Xiaotian commented. “That’s why I think it’s good to broaden your horizons by studying abroad.”

Su Bin smiled bitterly in his heart, thinking that it would be better to be close to Chen Xiaotian in China, but he said, “Yes, yes!”

He mentioned the frustration he felt when Allen pointed out various issues during their chat last night, hoping that Chen Xiaotian would encourage him. However, she said, “What the Ph.D. said is right. You should take the opportunity to communicate more with Ellen. Having someone like him around is a great learning opportunity!”

Su Bin: “…”

Unconsciously, they spent an hour chatting on the phone, and Chen Xiaotian said goodbye first. Since he had plans to propose, Su Bin no longer thought about telling her “I love you.” He felt that saying those weighty three words would be more meaningful on the day of the proposal.

Su Bin got up to wash and was about to open the bedroom door when he remembered the awkward scene from last night. He thought that this time it wouldn’t be so unlucky… But just in case, he pressed his ear against the door to listen carefully. Not hearing any sound, he cautiously stepped out.

On the door of the shared bathroom, there was a conspicuous note. Su Bin leaned closer and saw some beautiful handwritten English characters on it. He was amazed by the printed-like writing and surprised that someone still used a pen in this day and age!

The note was left by Ellen. It seemed that not only did he have the appearance and speech of a noble, but even his handwriting was too. This guy… Could he be a loyal fan of the B-country royal family?

Su Bin silently mocked in his heart, but he couldn’t hide his admiration in his eyes. After appreciating the characters, he focused on the content.

Allen wrote about his habitual usage time for the bathroom, which was generally from 8 to 9 in the morning and from 9 to 10 in the evening. Su Bin could use it freely at other times, as long as he cleaned up after using it. At the end, Allen mentioned that if Su Bin tore the note directly after reading it, he would know that he had seen it.

In the lower right corner, the time of the message was written: 10 p.m. last night, which was shortly after Su Bin bumped into Allen after he had taken a bath…

Su Bin suddenly felt that Allen was actually a considerate person. He shouldn’t have been so aloof. He felt a twinge of guilt and carefully tore off the note.

As Su Bin was still adjusting to the jet lag, he woke up early today, and he hadn’t even reached 8 o’clock after talking on the phone for an hour.

Glancing at the neighboring door, Su Bin didn’t hear any movement. It seemed that Allen might still be sleeping. He quickly went to the bathroom before 8 o’clock to freshen up.

Stealthily going downstairs, when passing by Yang Chengzhe’s door, it was also quiet inside. Su Bin didn’t want to disturb him. The dinner last night almost gave him an upset stomach, so Su Bin decided to make something delicious for himself in the morning.

A person is made of iron, and a meal is made of steel. If you don’t eat a meal, you’ll feel hungry and panicked. Although Su Bin had a bit of a chuunibyou, he would never believe that he had an innate divine power to protect himself and could have irregular meals.

Breakfast was a must, and it had to be a good one.

Su Bin opened the refrigerator door and thought about Yang Chengzhe’s instructions on what not to touch. He was curious about what Allen had put on the shelf… bread, butter, carrots, ham. They all seemed pretty common!

Su Bin also glanced at the green bottles and saw a long string of uppercase English letters written on them. He didn’t know what they meant and was about to take them down to have a closer look when he heard a slight noise coming from upstairs.

Su Bin quickly retracted his hand as if he were a startled rabbit. He stood still for a while, and now there was no sound coming from upstairs… Su Bin let out a sigh of relief and chuckled at himself for being so jumpy. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, so why was he so afraid?

Apart from the top compartment of the refrigerator, there was a large bottle of milk on the door shelf. Su Bin carefully noted the brand of the milk and then withdrew his curiosity, not continuing to observe.

Yang Chengzhe was right; there wasn’t much food left in the refrigerator. Apart from a few fresh eggs, there were only three large potatoes. Su Bin scooped some rice into a white ceramic pot and simmered it over low heat to make porridge. He also cut some potato chunks and put them in the oven to roast… While he was busy, Yang Chengzhe came down from upstairs.

“Morning, Brother Cheng!” Su Bin greeted.

“Making porridge? Impressive!” Yang Chengzhe looked tired, but seeing Su Bin so energetic, his mood improved as well. “This pot hasn’t been used since I bought it!”

Su Bin said, “Let’s have some together later!”

Yang Chengzhe looked at his watch and said regretfully, “I’m afraid there’s no time. I stayed up all night writing my paper, and now I have to rush to the university.”

“Ah? So urgent? What about your breakfast?” Su Bin asked.

“I’ll just buy a sandwich at Tesco later… There’s not much left in the fridge. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring something back tonight…” Yang Chengzhe said hurriedly, changing his shoes.

Seeing how busy he was but still caring about himself, Su Bin was touched again. “Brother Cheng, don’t worry about me. I can handle it on my own.”

Yang Chengzhe said, “Okay, if you want to go to the supermarket, you can ask Allen for directions… I have to go now. See you tonight!”

Su Bin bid farewell to Yang Chengzhe at the door, feeling a bit sorry for him being so exhausted. He couldn’t help but think that it would be great if his senior could find a girlfriend soon! Looking at the well-equipped kitchen, Su Bin felt a bit regretful that Yang Chengzhe and the others couldn’t cook. If he were to marry Chen Xiaotian in the future, he would want their kitchen to be equipped with everything just like this so that he could cook delicious food for her every day.

The congee and roasted potatoes would take some time, so Su Bin took the opportunity to go to the living room and play with the exercise bike he had been craving for.

Su Bin first encountered an exercise bike in high school, just after graduating. One of his classmates’ relatives had opened a fitness center in the city and invited a few friends to try it out. Su Bin loved it after just one session. But for an ordinary college student, getting a gym membership was a bit luxurious, and the place was also quite far from the university campus, so Su Bin gave up on the idea.

But now, having this precious exercise bike in their shared house, Su Bin couldn’t be happier!

Eagerly climbing onto the bike, Su Bin fumbled around and turned on the music and videos… It was amazing! It was even better than the one he had tried at the gym before! Riding it felt incredibly easy, and the music was perfectly energetic… Su Bin was filled with excitement!

However, this thing was quite demanding on physical stamina. After just a few minutes, Su Bin was already sweating profusely and panting for breath. He realized that he needed to exercise more…

The rice cooker simmered the congee, filling the room with the aroma of rice in less than half an hour. The potatoes were also almost done roasting. Su Bin sprinkled some salt and pepper on top and prepared to fry a sunny-side-up egg before starting his meal.

The frying pan sizzled as the egg hit the oil, and Su Bin hummed a tune, completely unaware that Allen had come downstairs.

Only after turning off the heat did Su Bin hear a voice right next to his head say, “Morning.”

That familiar cold and slightly tongue-tied tone almost made Su Bin jump up again…

“You, you, you…” Nervously, Su Bin stammered for a while, and in the end, he could only manage to say, “Morning.” What was originally a normal greeting ended up sounding like he was rapping—Yo~~~~!

Allen couldn’t hold it in anymore and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Su Bin: “…”

If Su Bin’s heart almost stopped when he first saw Ellen, now he was completely blinded by him… Seeing Ellen’s smile, Su Bin’s mind kept echoing one phrase—Wow, this guy isn’t expressionless at all!

“Why do you always have such a big reaction when you see me?” Allen tilted his head slightly, asking with a hint of amusement, “Am I that scary?”

“No, no, no…” Su Bin didn’t know how to explain. He just felt uncomfortable around “foreigners” by nature, even though Allen had Chinese heritage, but… Well, it was hard to put into words!

Allen didn’t dwell on the question and simply glanced at the ceramic pot on the electric stove, asking, “Is that your breakfast?”

Su Bin immediately seized this opportunity to roll down the stairs, saying, “Yes, I cooked congee. Do you want some?”

Allen naturally replied, “Sure, I’d be honored.”

He agreed! He agreed!

…Su Bin roared inwardly. So Allen wasn’t as aloof as he seemed…

Su Bin immediately turned on the stove and poured some oil into the pot.

Allen asked what he was making, and Su Bin explained, “I’m frying an egg for you.”

Allen nodded and smiled, “Thank you.”

Su Bin heated the pan, adjusted the heat to low, and shook a raw egg in his hand before cracking it into the pan. “Zi…”

Allen leaned on his arm and stood by, watching Su Bin’s actions with great interest…

Su Bin was extremely nervous. Allen was standing there even when he was just frying an egg. What did that mean? Was he testing if Su Bin really knew how to cook?

“Fry one side until it’s half cooked,” Allen casually gave instructions.

Su Bin: “…”

Gosh, now he’s treating me like a chef?

“Should I add soy sauce?” Su Bin asked.

Allen frowned slightly, “Can you add that when frying an egg?”

“Why not?” Su Bin asked and then realized that foreigners probably just sprinkle fine salt on their fried eggs, without any fancy soy sauce. So he explained, “Chinese people often add this seasoning to fried eggs.”

Allen fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering it, and finally said, “Make one the way you’re used to.”

“Oh…” Su Bin interpreted Ellen’s “you’re used to” as referring to his hometown, Hangzhou. So he made a vinegar-glazed sunny-side-up egg for him…

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Author’s Note:

[Tesco]: Tesco is a well-known supermarket chain. There are many Tesco stores in the UK, ranging from large to small. Yang Chengzhe mentioned a place that sells sandwiches, which is a small convenience store near their home. It’s the smallest type of Tesco, and they sell fresh sandwiches, egg tarts, meat rolls, etc., every day.

[Vinegar-Glazed Sunny-Side-Up Egg]: It’s commonly found in Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Suzhou. It’s a regular fried egg with sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce or salt added, then covered with a lid until the egg puffs up.