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

Allen stared at the fried egg on the plate, his expression strange, as if it wasn’t an egg but a bomb.

Having seen Su Bin continuously adding various seasonings to the pan, whether it was white, black, or transparent, Ellen’s eyebrows were almost knitted together in a “川” character.

Uncertain if he would like it or not, Su Bin gathered his courage and said, “Give it a try.”

Allen gave him face and used a dining knife to cut a small piece of fluffy egg white. After chewing it a few times, his tightly furrowed brow relaxed… He cut another piece and took a sip of coffee, then raised his left eyebrow…

Su Bin was extremely anxious. What was this guy trying to say? Just make a statement already!

Noticing Su Bin’s anxious gaze, Allen finally spoke up and commented, “The taste is a bit strange.”

Su Bin’s elevated heart instantly plummeted. It seemed that foreigners were not accustomed to their flavors… Sigh!

“But…” Allen continued, “I really like it.”

Su Bin: “…” It felt as if he had gone from the depths of the earth to the skies in an instant!

Allen scooped a spoonful of congee, brought it to his mouth along with the third piece of fried egg he had cut, and said, “…Good.”

Although his tone was flat, Su Bin felt that this was the best compliment the other party could give. And in that moment, Su Bin seemed to see a hint of happiness on Ellen’s face…

He felt as if he had scored a perfect hundred on an exam, secretly excited.

Throughout the meal, Allen ate silently, his movements calm and elegant as he used the utensils. It made it seem as if he wasn’t just eating a bowl of congee but some high-class French cuisine. Su Bin thought that if it weren’t for answering his questions, Allen probably wouldn’t have spoken to him at all.

Only after finishing his meal did Allen wipe the corners of his mouth with a napkin and ask Su Bin, “How did you do it?”

Su Bin: “…Huh?”

Allen: “What did you add to the egg?”

Su Bin: “Sugar, soy sauce, and white vinegar.”

Allen: “Just those?”

Su Bin: “Yeah…”

Allen: “Oh.”

Su Bin went crazy. What did he mean?

Allen didn’t say anything more. He thanked Su Bin again and asked if he wanted coffee as a return for breakfast. Su Bin naturally didn’t refuse.

He noticed that the coffee Allen made for him had more milk and was topped with froth. Curiously, he asked, “Why is mine different from yours?” He was no longer as nervous when talking to Ellen.

Allen gave him a faint glance and said, “Don’t you like it?”

Su Bin licked his lips, which were covered in froth, and honestly replied, “I…like it.”

The taste was really good. The richness of the coffee and the smoothness of the milk blended perfectly, better than any coffee he had ever tasted in a café!

Allen looked at him with a half-smile, took a sip of coffee, and said, “I thought you would prefer more milk.”

Su Bin held the cup and asked, “Why?”

“You seem like a child,” Allen raised his cup slightly and went upstairs.

Su Bin: “…” Please find me a “child” who can make vinegar-glazed poached eggs!

Su Bin returned to his room, connected his laptop to the campus network, and uploaded the photos he had just taken with the caption: “Day 2 in Country B. Roommate made coffee, super delicious! [Smile]”

During his first few years of college, the campus network was very popular, and Su Bin was an active user. He was even considered a popular figure on the campus network, so he would occasionally go online to post updates.

Soon, a string of comments appeared below the photo:

Roommate A from Provincial University: “Seems like you’re living a comfortable new life!”

Roommate B from Provincial University: “Making… coffee… please don’t tease those of us who drink instant Nestlé every day. [Crying]”

Guo Li: “Damn, so satisfying! [Disdain]”

Huang Zhengming: “What time is it there now?”

…

Just as Su Bin was wondering why none of these people had classes, he saw a new comment from a senior student in his home country: “Share a photo of your wife! [Drooling]”

Su Bin nearly sprayed his coffee onto the screen and quickly replied with three words: “Male-Room-mate!”

Chen Xiaotian is a special girl. She doesn’t have QQ, doesn’t engage in any social networks, and rarely sends text messages. Even her campus profile on Renren (a Chinese social networking site) was created by Su Bin, and he is the only friend on her profile. Many people have requested to add her as a friend, but Su Bin has rejected all of them. Nevertheless, Chen Xiaotian’s profile has received a high number of visits, all because of her beauty.

Many people at Provincial University, where Su Bin and Chen Xiaotian are studying, are resentful of Su Bin’s possessiveness. However, since he is already in a relationship with Chen Xiaotian, a high school classmate who is smart and good-looking, there isn’t much to say about it.

But appreciating beautiful women is a common hobby among geeks, and Su Bin’s close friends like to tease him about it. One of Su Bin’s senior classmates is particularly fond of teasing him.

The senior classmate sent another message: “Leaving your girlfriend in your home country while you’re alone abroad, aren’t you afraid someone will try to steal her away?”

Upon seeing this message, Su Bin was momentarily stunned, but he quickly realized that there was no need to worry.

He had friends like Guo Li and Huang Zhengming who were always keeping an eye out. Who would dare to steal Su Bin’s girlfriend? Besides, Chen Xiaotian was not like anyone else. She was not vain or lacking love. Her biggest hobbies were reading books and listening to music. She had a strong and rich inner world… If she were to cheat, then there would be no woman in the world that Su Bin could trust!

So Su Bin simply ignored the message from his senior classmate, closed the campus network, and opened the guidebook on studying abroad that was given to him by K.

Yesterday, Su Bin had already skimmed through the book roughly while on the bus. The book contained comprehensive information, covering everything from entry and exit requirements to where to buy sanitary pads for women. It was truly a “study abroad treasure”!

Su Bin looked up the specific location of the “Chinese supermarket” in the guidebook and was attracted by one page that introduced Chinese restaurants in M City.

“M City has more than ten Chinese restaurants. As a food lover who loves Chinese cuisine, the author, Xixi, consulted several senior students who are regular residents of M City and compiled a list of recommendations for all freshmen…”

Being a foodie himself, Su Bin’s interest was instantly piqued! However, after scanning through the recommendations, he realized that there were Hunan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, northern cuisine, Taiwanese cuisine, and the most frequently mentioned Cantonese cuisine, but there was no Zhejiang cuisine!

Su Bin’s hometown was Hangzhou, and Hangzhou cuisine, also known as Zhejiang cuisine, was an important genre of Zhejiang cuisine known for its flavors of saltiness, sweetness, and slight sourness. Famous dishes like West Lake Vinegar Fish and Dongpo Pork were well-known and among Su Bin’s favorites. However, in this list of recommendations, apart from a restaurant called “Happy Meal” that served Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables, there was no other hometown delicacy that Su Bin missed!

Learning that the restaurant was located in “Chinatown,” Su Bin decided to go there in the afternoon to explore and buy some things.

He took a bus to the city center, asked for directions all the way, and finally found Chinatown. It was just in time for lunch. Su Bin found the “Happy Meal” recommended in the guidebook. Although the restaurant was small, it was crowded. Su Bin thought that the place must be popular, so the taste should be good. He joined the lively atmosphere and walked in.

The restaurant staff were all Chinese, so Su Bin didn’t need to worry about how to say “Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables Rice” in English. After ordering the food, he found a corner seat and relaxed.

During the gap between ordering and the arrival of the food, Su Bin observed the several young people working as waiters and cashiers and thought they looked like international students.

A girl with a ponytail brought the food to Su Bin, and he took the opportunity to ask her, “Are you studying here?”

“Yeah, I’m working part-time here,” the girl replied cheerfully. She smiled and asked, “It’s the first time I’ve seen you. Are you new here?”

Su Bin asked in surprise, “You can tell?”

The girl laughed, “Haha, M City sounds big, but the Chinese community is actually quite small. I’ve been working at this restaurant for a year, and I recognize regular customers… Alright, you enjoy your meal. I need to get back to work and can’t chat with you for too long!”

Su Bin smiled apologetically, and the girl winked at him before turning away to attend to her duties.

Su Bin had heard that many students in Country B work part-time jobs because the hourly wages are high and service-oriented jobs are not discriminated against. Working part-time during free time not only allows students to develop themselves but also helps them earn some extra money for their living expenses. It’s a good thing.

After taking a bite of the Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables Rice, Su Bin felt that the taste was quite good, but it didn’t impress him to the point of surprise. Perhaps because the restaurant was located in a foreign country, having this level of cuisine was already enough to please international students.

When he was almost finished with his meal, the ponytailed girl seemed to have some free time and approached Su Bin to strike up a conversation. “Hey handsome, how should I address you?”

“Michael,” Su Bin replied.

The girl asked, “I’m Casey. Which university and major are you in?”

“I’m at M University, majoring in Finance.” In M City, apart from M University, there was another city university, but neither its reputation nor academic strength compared to M University.

Casey said, “I’m at the city university. M University’s Finance department seems to be quite good…”

Su Bin didn’t want to discuss this with her and quickly asked, “Casey, if you don’t mind me asking, how much do you earn from working here?”

Casey was taken aback for a moment and then smiled, “Why, are you thinking of working here too?”

Su Bin shyly smiled, and Casey wrote down her phone number on an order pad and whispered, “It’s not convenient to talk here. Give me a call tonight, and I’ll tell you.”

Su Bin gratefully accepted the note, and Casey paid his bill. He said, “I’ll be around exploring this afternoon. I’ll contact you tonight.”

Casey waved at him with a smile and turned around, but she was seen by a male employee in the restaurant, who couldn’t help but tease her, “Casey, you’re already flirting with a handsome guy within minutes. What’s up? Have you set your sights on him?”

Casey retorted impatiently, “Go away! Stop talking nonsense. He’s a new student, and he might become our colleague tomorrow!”

The male colleague rubbed his chin and shook his head, “Doesn’t he look like someone who’s short of money? I bet he’s just here out of curiosity. Even if he starts working, he won’t last long.”

Casey sighed in exasperation.

Indeed, that person guessed correctly. Su Bin wasn’t in need of money.

Although Su Bin’s family wasn’t extremely wealthy, his father had never fallen short of providing for his son’s material needs. The money his father gave him was enough to cover his living expenses in Country B for a year and even allowed him to occasionally travel to nearby cities for sightseeing and broaden his horizons.

However, Su Bin, who still had a bit of a juvenile mindset, now had a “noble” goal: to propose to Chen Xiaotian in a year’s time. Since he wanted to propose, he needed to buy a ring, even though he had no idea how much an engagement ring would cost. But he believed it wouldn’t be cheap. He was determined not to ask his father for the money; he wanted to earn it through his own abilities, which was why he had just struck up a conversation with Casey.

After filling his stomach, Su Bin felt energized to look for a job. He wandered around the small Chinatown in search of the legendary “Chinese supermarket.” Excitedly, he plunged into the store, and when he emerged, he realized he was a hundred dollars poorer.

The exchange rate between B currency and RMB was close to 12:1, which meant that a hundred dollars amounted to 1,200 RMB. This sum was almost equivalent to Su Bin’s monthly food expenses back home! But in Country B, a hundred dollars would only buy him two bags of seasonings and dried goods like wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, which were ridiculously more expensive than ginseng and lingzhi in China!

Carrying the two plastic bags, Su Bin walked out of the supermarket, feeling the pain in his wallet. He realized that his money was flowing away quickly, making him increasingly aware of the long and challenging road ahead.

There was a pile of free newspapers at the entrance of the supermarket, and Su Bin noticed some job advertisements on them. Curiously, he leaned over to take a look.

[Job Ad 1]
Requirements: Male, no age limit, willingness to endure hardship
Job description: Fish carrying
Location and time: Seafood market 20km from M City, every Sunday from 7 am to 12 pm
Salary: Negotiable, paid on the same day
Contact number: 0161 XXXXXX1, Boss Wang

Su Bin: “Fish carrying?” What is that? Could it be… manual labor? (=_=)
But it’s too far from the city, and it seems quite dangerous…

Su Bin quickly skimmed over it and moved on to the next one.

[Job Ad 2]
Requirements: No gender preference, students preferred
Job description: Leaflet distribution
Location and time: The boss will drive to the designated location, 3-4 hours per session
Salary: 7 PDS per hour, paid on the same day
Contact number: 0161 XXXXXX2, Boss Li

Su Bin: So, it’s about 80 RMB per hour? If I work for 4 hours, I could earn around 320 RMB! It seems like a decent amount. But what kind of leaflets will I be distributing? What if they are political flyers, and as a party member, would I face discrimination?

Su Bin glanced at a few more ads and realized that most of the jobs offered same-day payment. Some even specified cash payment. He recalled reading on a study abroad forum before leaving that international students in Country B must apply for an official account through legitimate channels. Each person would receive an account card, similar to a bank card, where their earnings would be deposited. The B government limited the number of hours international students could work per week, and exceeding the limit would result in deductions. If payment was made on the spot in cash, it was highly likely that the employer was hiring undocumented workers to evade taxes. Although many people worked under such circumstances, if caught, they would face serious consequences, including possible deportation.

Being timid by nature, Su Bin couldn’t shake off this thought. He didn’t dare to look at the free newspapers anymore and, before leaving, caught sight of several pamphlets promoting “wheel teaching.” He didn’t dare linger for a moment and hurriedly walked away, clutching the two heavy bags.

However, halfway through, a breathless Su Bin realized something was terribly wrong.

He… he was lost! (QAQ)
____________________________

Author’s note:

[Freshman] refers to a newcomer or freshman.

[Happy Meal] is the name of a Chinese restaurant.

[Chinatown] refers to a gathering center for Chinese people and stores, equivalent to “Chinatown” in English.

“[PDS]” is a fictional currency abbreviation for Country B, equivalent to RMB.