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

During the meal, Allen didn’t speak much, and most of the time it was Yang Chengzhe and Su Bin chatting.

Yang Chengzhe praised Su Bin’s cooking skills and was curious why he knew how to cook. After all, many college students, especially guys, couldn’t even differentiate between different grains. Even Yang Chengzhe himself, when he was studying his undergraduate degree in China, was the kind of person who didn’t step into the kitchen. It was only after he came abroad and found that the school didn’t have a cafeteria and eating out was too expensive that he started learning to make simple meals. But his level was nowhere near Su Bin’s.

Su Bin casually mentioned his childhood situation and how he started cooking for himself in middle school. This evoked sympathy from Yang Chengzhe, and even Allen glanced at him frequently. However, Su Bin didn’t think it was such a bitter experience.

Su Bin had heard a motivational saying that went something like, “Any hardship that makes you feel pain will make you better.” Although he had once fallen into a state of self-pity and self-loathing, looking back now, he was grateful for the growth those experiences brought him. Otherwise, how could he have won the approval of two roommates with just one meal?

After chatting for a while longer, Yang Chengzhe couldn’t help but yawn. It was clear that he was exhausted from not sleeping the previous night.

“We’ve almost finished eating,” Su Bin looked at Yang Chengzhe and said, “Let me clean up. Joe, you should go and rest!”

Yang Chengzhe was touched by Su Bin’s thoughtfulness. He didn’t make a fuss and just thanked Su Bin before returning to his room to catch up on sleep.

“Do you need help?” Allen stood up and gentlemanly asked Su Bin.

“Uh…” Su Bin didn’t expect Allen to offer help because he had been acting like a young master from start to finish, and didn’t seem like someone who would “work.”

He looked at Allen with surprise when he saw his appearance and exclaimed, “Ah! Your eyes…”

Allen’s eyes had changed color at some point. The gray-green irises now had a ring of golden light around them, emitting an eerie feeling. Su Bin instantly associated it with the various speculations he had during the day when he saw the graveyard, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Allen said, “What’s wrong with my eyes?”

“You… go look in the mirror!” Su Bin nervously replied.

Allen glanced at Su Bin and walked into the first-floor bathroom. He came out after a while, frowning and saying, “Oops, it seems like I’m having an allergic reaction.”

Su Bin: “…”

Allergic reaction from eating mushrooms resulting in “Sharingan”?… Did I read too few books, or is he trying to deceive me?

Allen said, “Sorry, I can’t help you anymore. I need to go upstairs and get some medication.”

Su Bin was puzzled. Did he say “get medication” just now? What kind of medication?

Although it was strange, at least Allen didn’t offer an explanation that Su Bin couldn’t accept. Different people have different allergic reactions to the same food, and maybe Allen had a special constitution… maybe.

Outside, dusk was approaching, and the sky was darkening.

Su Bin only turned on the warm light in the kitchen. As he washed the dishes, he recalled Allen’s appearance just now. He admitted that Allen was handsome, cool, and beautiful… no, no, no, his perfect appearance and demeanor couldn’t be described with human language… and that’s why Su Bin found it strange.

Lost in thought, Su Bin suddenly heard the sound of the refrigerator door opening. He turned his head abruptly and saw Allen silently standing in front of the refrigerator, taking something out!

“!!!” Su Bin cursed inwardly. He almost dropped the plate because of the surprise!

…Is that guy a feline species? When did he come downstairs? Why is there no sound when he walks?

Allen took out a green bottle from the refrigerator. Seeing Su Bin staring at him, he asked, “Feeling better?”

“…” Su Bin nodded.

Allen had already recovered… so fast! It had only been a little over ten minutes, what kind of medicine did he take?!

Allen curled his lips into a smile again, and Su Bin quickly turned his head. For some reason, he felt a bit afraid to look at him…

While diligently scrubbing the pots, Su Bin listened attentively to the sounds behind him. He heard Allen close the refrigerator door and then walk away…

Well, there was some sound, but it was just very soft. Also, the entire house, except for the kitchen and bathroom, was carpeted. Once you stepped on the carpet, unless you used your shoe soles to vigorously rub against the floor, there wouldn’t be much noise.

“Phew…” After putting away the last plate, Su Bin let out a sigh of relief.

By this time, there was no daylight outside, and apart from the lit kitchen, the rest of the house was dark.

Su Bin wrapped the remaining ingredients in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. During this process, he noticed the green bottles on Allen’s shelf again. It seemed that the one he took out of the refrigerator earlier was also the same… What could it be?

Su Bin looked around and saw that Allen wasn’t there, so he mustered up the courage to take out one of the bottles and read the series of English letters printed on it. It looked high-end, but Su Bin didn’t understand its meaning. He memorized the sequence of letters and quickly put it back.

After turning off the kitchen light, the whole space plunged into darkness, with only a faint light from the second-floor hallway seeping through the stairs’ gaps.

The contrast between light and shadow quickly made Su Bin realize that something was off. He instinctively looked towards the stairs… and what he saw nearly scared him to death!

Su Bin only saw Allen standing motionless on the steps. In the dim light, he seemed to blend into the background with his black clothes, leaving only his pale and handsome face and his equally pale hands, as if floating in the air. His green eyes, which seemed to emit light even in the darkness, stared at Su Bin in a ghostly manner…

Then, Allen raised the green bottle in his hand and slowly took a sip of the liquid inside.

— WTF!!!

Su Bin was horrified…

…Allen saw it! He saw Su Bin peeking at his green bottle…

He had been standing in the dark, staring at him all along? Oh my god! It’s too terrifying!

But Su Bin didn’t do anything wrong, right? He just took a bottle out to take a look! Is it not even allowed to take a look…?

…It should be fine!

In just a few seconds, which felt like an eternity to Su Bin, he felt like prey being targeted by a venomous snake, frozen with fear.

Just when he was overwhelmed with fear, Allen simply turned on the light at the stairwell and smiled at him.

Su Bin: “…”

With the light on, all the associations related to terror seemed to dissipate instantly.

Allen glanced at Su Bin, said nothing, and turned to go upstairs.

Su Bin: “…”

Ten minutes later, Su Bin lay on his bed, feeling like he had overreacted…

Yeah, he just happened to pass by a cemetery, that’s a common thing, what’s there to think about… Damn it, common my ass! Who gets lost and ends up in a graveyard?

Su Bin sat up abruptly, shaking his head in frustration. He needed to do something to distract himself!

Ah, right, he should call Casey!

He found the piece of paper with the phone number written on it and dialed it. When Casey picked up, Su Bin introduced himself, “I’m the one who had Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables for lunch at Happy Meals… Michael.”

Casey laughed, “Yeah, I remember you! The cute guy in the off-white hoodie, right?”

Su Bin: “Hehe, that’s me…”

Casey: “I was actually waiting for your call… Are you calling about the job?”

Su Bin: “Yes, sorry for asking about the salary out of the blue earlier, it was a bit abrupt.”

Casey: “No worries, during the day, it’s a bit inconvenient for me to talk about it because the other staff is around, as each of us has a different salary.”

Su Bin: “Huh? Why is that?”

Casey explained in detail that the wages for part-time employees varied based on experience and performance. Shift leaders and senior staff usually earned 7 PDS per hour, and occasionally the boss would give bonuses if the business was good, which Casey falls under. Part-time employees who have worked for less than a year earn 6 PDS per hour, and probationary newbies like Su Bin only earn 4 PDS per hour without tips.

Su Bin: “Huh, but I saw on the international student forum that the minimum wage for working in Country B is 5.5 PDS. Even during the probationary period, it shouldn’t be lower than that.”

Casey bluntly replied, “You’re naive. We’re working under the table.”

Su Bin was shocked, “Ah? Won’t you get caught?”

Casey replied, “The regulations are just for show. The Chinese students who really want to make money won’t bother following them. Besides, I’ve been here for a year and haven’t heard of anyone around me getting caught for working under the table. Even if they do come to check, you can just say you’re the boss’s friend’s kid, here to help out. They don’t have any evidence… Anyway, Chinese people have plenty of cunning tricks, so don’t worry.”

Su Bin still didn’t understand something, “If you find a job through legitimate channels, wouldn’t the wages be higher?”

Casey: “First of all, there are fewer part-time job positions available through legitimate channels, and they often have high requirements, sometimes even related to specific fields of study. Moreover, most employers prioritize hiring local residents. As an international student still in the learning stage, you won’t have much competitiveness. Secondly, international students in Country B are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week. Even if the hourly wage is higher, the amount of money you can earn is not substantial. Let me give you an example. I have a classmate who worked three under-the-table jobs during one summer. She worked almost 10 hours a day, six days a week, with an average hourly wage of 6 PDS. Can you calculate how much she could earn in a month?”

Su Bin quickly pressed some buttons on his calculator and came up with 1440 PDS… which is roughly 10,000 RMB. Oh my god!

“I understand…” Su Bin was shocked. “I’ll think about it.”

Casey replied, “Sure, take your time to think it over. Feel free to call me anytime if you’ve made up your mind. I can help you find a job.”

“Thank you, Casey,” Su Bin said gratefully.

Lying in bed, Su Bin pondered over the matter, feeling hesitant.

The example Casey gave had a profound impact on him. Earning around 10,000 RMB in a month was more than many white-collar workers could make in China.

However, throughout his life, apart from the time in his sophomore year when he barged into the broadcasting room and confessed his love to Chen Xiaotian, as well as his early romantic relationships, he had hardly done anything against the rules. Although Casey said most international students worked under the table, it was difficult for Su Bin to accept this premise. It challenged his bottom line as a law-abiding citizen.

Moreover, his situation couldn’t be compared directly with Casey’s friend’s experience. After all, he was here for studying and couldn’t work full-time.

After much inner turmoil, Su Bin suddenly had an idea. Why not go out and see how much a diamond ring costs? With a specific monetary goal in mind, he could plan his finances more effectively!

Having settled on this idea, Su Bin felt relieved.

After the eventful day, Su Bin definitely needed a shower at night. However, Yang Chengzhe was already asleep, and Su Bin couldn’t borrow the bathroom again. Besides, Allen had left a note earlier, reserving the bathroom for himself in the morning…

Now that he thought of Allen, images of his sculpted face and those haunting green eyes filled Su Bin’s mind, making him easily associate him with “vampires”… Even though vampires in movies were all handsome and impressive, no matter how perfect they appeared, vampires were still monsters, not humans.

The mere resemblance between Allen and “vampires” made Su Bin’s heart tremble…

But he was merely indulging in baseless speculations. He had no substantial evidence of Allen actually being a “vampire.” Being overly suspicious was just a waste of time.

…Speaking of Allen, what was the time slot for using the bathroom at night? Su Bin retrieved the note he hadn’t thrown away from his pocket—it stated 9 to 10 p.m.

When Su Bin checked the time, he realized it was already 9:30!

Suppressing his drowsiness, he waited until 10:10 p.m. before finally entering the bathroom with a towel in hand. The room still had lingering steam and a faint scent of grass. The tiled walls and mirrors were moist, indicating that Allen had recently taken a shower.

Su Bin’s drowsiness dissipated instantly. He locked the door nervously, looking around inquisitively, without knowing exactly what he hoped to find.

He carefully examined every nook and cranny for about ten minutes but didn’t find anything strange. Su Bin finally relaxed and stepped into the shower cubicle…

On the shelf, there were shower gel, shampoo, and even a bottle of facial cleanser—all brands that Su Bin hadn’t seen before. He hadn’t had the chance to buy the first two items, so he planned to use his roommate’s for the time being.

The refreshing scent of grass in the bathroom emanated from Allen’s shower gel, which smelled amazing. The bubbles it produced were also gentle, and after using it, Su Bin’s skin felt incredibly comfortable. He checked the brand and decided to buy one for himself next time…

After showering, Su Bin dried himself off and sat on the toilet. It was time for a much-needed bowel movement. However, just as he was about to discard the used tissue into the trash bin, his hand suddenly froze…

…What is this?

In the trash bin, there were several paper balls stained with fresh blood, making them striking against the white background!

If his roommate were a girl, Su Bin could convince himself with the explanation of “period blood.” But how could he suspect Allen’s gender after witnessing something certain about him?

So, could it be… hemorrhoids?

Su Bin stared at those paper balls, his face filled with curiosity. Could hemorrhoids bleed this much? No way! Four or five paper balls were completely soaked in red!

Or perhaps it was a nosebleed?… But if it were a nosebleed, wouldn’t the tissue be rolled up into a shape that fits the nostrils? This shape definitely didn’t match!

Based on Su Bin’s common sense, he couldn’t figure out how such a large bloodstain had come about. This only heightened his nerves, and his thoughts took a negative turn…

Perhaps it would be best to ask Allen directly tomorrow, under the pretense of concern, to see how he would respond!

Back in his room, Su Bin, exhausted from the day, quickly fell asleep, but he soon had a terrifying nightmare that almost scared him to death.

Author’s note:

[WWWTF!] = WWWhat the fuck! = Holy shit!

[Sharingan]: A special eye with mystical powers in the manga “Naruto.” The eyes have red irises. You can search for images on Baidu to see how they look. The protagonist here used “Sharingan” to describe the way the bottom’s eyes change color.

————

【Friendly Reminder】All the unrealistic events in the story are the protagonist’s imagination and have nothing to do with the supernatural!