Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 63: Night Talk

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Gu Yu asked softly: “What’s the matter, can’t sleep?”

In order to ease the sweet yet awkward situation, Zhang Siyi wanted to continue to play dumb, but after listening to the gentle voice of Gu Yu, he suddenly decided to give up.

“Hmm …” In his mind, Zhang Siyi was frantic to find an excuse to save himself from embarrassment. Luckily, Gu Yu solved the problem for him.

Gu Yu smiled and softly said: “Since I can’t sleep, let’s talk for a while.”

Zhang Siyi: “What do you want to talk about?”

Gu Yu: “Whatever you want to ask.”

“Really?” Zhang Siyi’s clenched his hands repeatedly along the sides of his body, both excited and nervous.

Gu Yu did not affirm or deny Zhang Siyi’s question, but instead he smiled and said: “I know that you are very curious about me.”

Although he wants to deny Gu Yu’s assertion, Zhang Siyi is so curious about him, he is dyeing to ask him questions. He has been feeling emotionally tangled for a while now and he can’t resist forging ahead. “Whose house is this?”

Gu Yu: “A real estate businessman who my father knew in my early years.”

Zhang Siyi: “I thought you said he was your friend.”

Gu Yu: “He is my friend now.”

Zhang Siyi: “Well… Does he charge you rent?”

Gu Yu: “Nope.”

Zhang Siyi exclaimed: “Wow! So good!”

Gu Yu: “Nothing is free. Even though he doesn’t charge me rent, I owe him in favors. If he needs me to design something for him in the future, I must help, and I will not charge him architectural fees.”

Zhang Siyi: “Oh…… So, when did you start living here?”

Gu Yu: “After getting my master’s degree, I came to Haicheng.”

Zhang Siyi: “So, two years ago?”

Gu Yu: “Exactly, it has been two years and eight months in this house, but 11 years total in Haicheng. Since this house is located in Yuanshan Garden area, it is difficult to rent for commercial use. My friends took me to see the place and asked me to help him renovate it for rental. It hadn’t been renovated for ten years, but I liked it, so I spent a half year working on while living here.”

Zhang Siyi: “No wonder the look is quite new… Did you design the interior yourself?”

Gu Yu: “Hmm.”

Zhang Siyi paused and suddenly wanted to ask Gu Yu about what his father does, but he was worried it wasn’t appropriate to ask. However, Gu Yu himself said that he could ask anything and since he was in his own home, it should be fine!

“I heard you say you are an architect because of your father. Is your father an architect?” Zhang Siyi asked.

Gu Yu: “Oh, yes, but he is different from the architects of our time. His work is more like engineering.”

Listening to Gu Yu’s answer without hesitation, Zhang Siyi was not satisfied, but his inner gossip was getting stronger and stronger.

He also wants to ask about his mother, and his sister, and the girl who he saw holding Gu Yu at that time in KTV…. Just when Zhang Siyi was so eager to use this momentum to continue drilling him, Gu Yu suddenly said: “Isn’t it a little unfair if you are the one only asking?”

Zhang Siyi: “……” Wait, Wait, Wait! I only asked you a few questions!

Gu Yu: “Why don’t you let me ask some?”

Zhang Siyi clenched his fists on his chest: “Wha…, what do you want to know?”

Contemplating the issue, Gu Yu was silence for a long while then sighed and said: “But there isn’t much to be curious about. You are too simple. I basically know everything about you when I look through your circle of friends on social media.”

Zhang Siyi: “…” How can this be!

Giving himself some leeway, Gu Yu asked: “How about a game?”

Zhang Siyi saw the hope of continuing to gossip and immediately said: “What game?”

Gu Yu suggested: “Truth or Dare?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” Yes! Gu Yu, will actually play this type of game too?

“If you keep asking me mundane questions, if you don’t fall asleep, I will.” Gu Yu said and then yawned in a timely manner before he continued. “It’s simple. Ask a difficult question and who can’t answer will have to do what the other requested.”

Hearing the word “difficult”, Zhang Siyi was ashamed to be excited! Although he had a faint sense of crisis in his heart and his mind seems to have forgotten Gu Yu’s black-belly nature, Zhang Siyi couldn’t pass up this temptation to find answers. He wanted to continue gossiping. Especially those specific questions related to Zhang Siyi difficult problems…. oh… (☆ _☆)

“Okay, I’ll play!” Zhang Siyi readily agreed, but he still made some precautionary measures.” If you choose a dare, it can’t be too risky.”

Before, while at University in the UK, Zhang Siyi and several Chinese students often played this game. Some of the people’s risk-taking requirements were simple like eating wrapping paper or uploading a stupid dance on social media, but some were quite severe. Zhang Siyi remembered one time when a boy was asked to drink toilet water and another time a boy was asked to go to the dorm lobby naked. He genuinely did not care for this type of tricky trick.

Fortunately, Gu Yu clearly stated: “No, we limit the conditions. The scope of the Dare must not leave this bed. It is only between you and me. It must be something that the other party can do.”

Zhang Siyi breathed a sigh of relief and felt at ease. What can possibly be done in this bed with just the two of them? Together, they will be able to prevent accidents from being exposed. Very good!

Gu Yu continued to explain: “I have two requirements. One, you must declare in advance. Two, you can’t lie on a Truth and you can’t cheat on a Dare.”

Zhang Siyi agreed to the conditions: “Hmm, ok!”

Gu Yu followed up with: “Otherwise, the bonus will be deducted.”

Zhang Siyi: “…..” I already promised and you still threaten me with your identity of a boss!

Gu Yu: “Well, let’s get started … Do you want to ask first?”

After so many conditions were laid out, like a tantalizing, desert locked in a glass case, finally, it was opened for him. However, there are so many questions to ask and he felt so tangled he doesn’t know where to start! Forget it, first ask the one you just thought of —

“Last Christmas when we met at KTV, was the girl holding your arm your girlfriend?”

Seeing Gu Yu burst out laughing, Zhang Siyi was a bit confounded. How is this question funny?

“No.” Gu Yu quickly answered.

Zhang Siyi realized after the fact that he asked a stupid question. He should have asked directly who the girl was.

“It’s my turn?” Gu Yu indulged him for a moment and asked: “Just now, the same thing. How many objects have you had?”

“Just one.” Zhang Siyi also answered very quickly, although it was a bit strange. The wording in Gu Yu’s question is “object” rather than “girlfriend”. The word “object” sounds like the old market of the last century.

“Who was that girl?” Zhang Siyi then asked what he wanted to know.

Gu Yu: “My sister.”

Zhang Siyi suddenly realized, ah, she is the sister of Gu Yu! It’s no wonder she is so beautiful. Gu’s family’s genes are so good!

Gu Yu appraised Zhang Siyi with a smile: “Why do you care about her?”

Zhang Siyi didn’t know at which point he seemingly offended Gu Yu. Anxious to make amends, he quickly replied: “I don’t. I just wanted to know who she was.”

In jealousy, Gu Yu scoffed: “Do you want to be my brother-in-law? You are nowhere near it.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

“Is it my turn again?” Gu Yu’s tone was gloomy, as if he was making a move for the next question. Sure enough, he asked a question that Zhang Siyi was unable to parry: “What were you thinking just now when I wasn’t in the room?”

Zhang Siyi’s cheeks warmed up all at once, and he was thinking, thinking …

“Well??” Gu Yu urged him. “Come on, you were up because you were thinking of something all this time, right? Say it. Don’t lie. I can hear a lie.”

Zhang Siyi: “I, I… I choose a dare…..” (t////t)

Gu Yan grinned and asked: “How many clothes do you have on your body now?”

Zhang Siyi froze. He counted then confessed: “Three.”

“Then pick something to take off,” Gu Yu extended his hand out from under the covers: “Then hand it to me.”

“……” Why does this request make him feel a little ashamed? But the night is dark and staying under the covers, no one can see.

A minute later, Zhang Siyi took off an article of clothing and handed it to Gu Yu. Extending his arm, he touched Gu Yu’s already cold fingers, sending an electric current through him. Zhang Siyi quickly retracted his hand.

Feeling the heat of the fabric from Zhang Siyi body, Gu Yu rubbed the pure cotton cloth between his fingers and began to look at it in the darkness. “What is this? Long Johns?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” Eh? Why do you want to see it!

In fact, at bed time, Zhang Siyi normally wears a t-shirt and underwear to sleep in. Being at Gu Yu’s house, he is a bit shy and after taking his trousers off, he left his long johns on.

After Gu Yu finished looking at them, he threw the long johns under the bed: “Let’s continue. It’s your turn?”

Grinding his teeth, Zhang Siyi wants to retaliate and asked a very personal question: “Do you jerk off?” …….. Hey, in the eyes of others, the perfect Gu Yu will definitely feel embarrassed when faced with this kind of shameless question!! But to Zhang Siyi surprise, he didn’t have to wait more than two seconds before Gu Yu calmly answered him.

With a tone used to answer an idiot’s question Gu Yu replied: “Of course. I’m a normal man.”

Zhang Siyi: “….” How can you talk about it as a matter of fact like it’s nothing!?

Gu Yu quickly threw the question right back at him: “What about you? How many times do jerk off in a week? You don’t have a girlfriend now.”

Zhang Siyi: “Oh, two or three times.”

Gu Yu: “Tut, there’s a lot of demand.”

Zhang Siyi: “….” How is this a lot? This demand is normal, okay? Who’s so abstinent like you? “Well, how about you? How many times a week do you do it?” Zhang Siyi asked back.

“Before it was less. Maybe a few times a month, but more recently….” Gu Yu sighed in distress: “I want to do it every day.”

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 62: Pretend

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“Sleep, sleep on the couch!” Zhang Siyi blurted out without hesitation.

“OK” Gu Yu nodded and went upstairs to get a blanket for him. Zhang Siyi felt that he had made the right choice. He isn’t so familiar with Gu Yu. As a guest, who would sleep in the same bed as the owner on the first visit? That would be too embarrassing!

When he brought out a summer quilt, Zhang Siyi balked: “That blanket!?”

Gu Yu: “One is not enough?”

Zhang Siyi: “Do you have more?”… Shit! It’s such a cold day. Gu Yu wants to freeze him!

Gu Yan raised his eyebrows: “I live alone so I don’t have extras.”

Zhang Siyi hurriedly followed up: “But you invited me to stay over knowing you only had this!?”

With conviction, Gu Xiao answered him: “I didn’t think you would mind staying with me. How would I know your skin is so thin?” And then, full of ridicule, Gu Yu expelled a “heh”.

Riled up, Zhang Siyi is about to freak out, but suddenly a thought popped into his head. He and Gu Yu are straight men so why can’t they sleep on a bed? He used to sleep in a bed together with Fu Xinhui when they traveled so why is this any different? That’s right! Zhang Siyi, you have a rock for a brain!

Narrowing his eyes and puffing his cheeks to make a” who is afraid of who ” expression, Zhang Siyi clenched his fists and exclaimed: “I’ll sleep with you!” Once his mind accepted his own logic, he was a little enthusiastic. He finally came to Gu Yu’s home. Of course, he is curious about Gu Yu’s house and bedroom. His female colleagues will all be so jealous!

Gu Yu hadn’t yet put the quilt down before hearing Zhang Siyi change his mind. He turned and said: “Come with me.”

Zhang Siyi picked up his backpack and followed him. Gu Yu asked: “Do you want to take a shower?”

Zhang Siyi defensively replied: “No, I washed at home.”

Gu Yu chuckled, and although he said nothing, the laughter made Zhang Siyi nervous. His emotions are getting all mixed up again. “But I have to wash my face and brush my teeth. Is there a bathroom?”

 Pointing, Gu Yu replied: “Yes, there.”

The first thing Zhang Siyi saw when he got to the top of the stairs was the treadmill at the end of the corridor facing a small window inlayed with a wooden lattice. Behind him, he saw an open floor plan similar to the one downstairs, however, the similarities ended there. The floor was raised on a platform with tatami style mats covering it. Through glass doors next to it, there was a small open-air garden. Resting on the mats was a long, wooden antique table and on the table was a chessboard. With only a glimpse, Zhang Siyi recognized how elegant Gu Yu lifestyle must be.

Indeed, there were only two rooms upstairs. The door to one of the rooms was shut, while the other was ajar. Between the rooms was a bathroom. Still holding the quilt, Gu Yu walked into one of the rooms and Zhang Siyi slowly followed. With eyes forward scanning the area left and right, like a snail that stretched its tentacles to probe the space in front, collecting information, Zhang Siyi tentatively passed through the threshold into Gu Yu’s bedroom.

The bedroom is quite big, at least thirty or forty square meters, with a double bed about one meter wide centered against a wall. On one of the side walls, there is a large white desk covered in felt with neatly placed calligraphy brushes and pens in a rack on the desktop.

Just as Zhang Siyi was turning his head, he caught sight of something familiar. The stark contrast of the pumpkin lantern was quite eye-catching in his room. Not only the bright color, but also the crazy face carved into it was vastly different from the quiet elegance of his surroundings.

Gu Yu put down the quilt and turned around to notice that Zhang Siyi was staring at the pumpkin. He smiled and said: “That is the one you carved.”

Of course, he knew that this is what he did, but it has been more than three months, and even the best of pumpkins would be rotten by now! Looking at the brightly colored pumpkin lantern, Zhang Siyi was as shocked as if he saw a dead body that was buried in the ground for three months unchanged!

    “How? Why it not rotten!?” He dropped his bag to look closer and found that the jack-o-lantern was locked in a transparent acrylic sealed box.

    ……but even so, it’s just a pumpkin! It’s not supposed to be like that!

Gu Yu explained: “I applied an anti-corrosive paint on the surface of the pumpkin and asked a friend who studied chemistry to seal it in a box with nitrogen in the laboratory.”

Zhang Siyi was surprised: “This box is filled with nitrogen?”

Gu Yu: “Hmm.”

Zhang Siyi mood is in turmoil: “Is this necessary? It’s just a pumpkin!”

Gu Yu asked: “I want to cherish the things I like. Why is it unnecessary?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” Although Gu Yu’s “like” is with regards to the jack-o-lantern, he gets the feeling that he is also “cherished”. This illusion makes his heart surge madly, both happy and afraid.

Gu Yu looked at Zhang Siyi in the eyes and smiled. “You gave it to me so it’s mine now. I want to know how to do it, ok?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” What do you mean, “how do you want to do it?” You make it clear to me!

“All right, never mind that. Come wash your face.” Gu Yu said and went out.

Zhang Siyi had no time to think about it longer. He hurriedly followed and pulled out his own toiletries from his bag. Gu Yu showed him how to turn on the hot water. He saw Zhang Siyi pull out several bottles from his bag and questioned “What are those?”

Startled by his question, Zhang Siyi flatly responded: “Face cleanser, toner, face cream…”

Gu Yu frowned: “You need all that to wash your face?”

Zhang Siyi lifted an eyebrow and thought his comment was strange: “You don’t need them?”

When he was in college, most of the guys with money were using skin care products. Unless it was someone who didn’t care at all about his personal care and image, they used facial cleanser as much as shaving. He learned a lot from Fu Xinhui.

Gu Yu pointed to a single tube of “Dabao” on the shelf and said, “My sister bought it for me. I don’t use it very much.”

Zhang Siyi shocked: “You don’t regularly use facial products…… Why is your skin so good!?”

That’s not scientific! These days you can’t compare yourself to a male TV star because they are applying facial masks more diligently then women are. Even if Zhang Siyi has a great foundation, he has never stopped using skin care products since going to college, especially in the city areas, where a layer of dirty film gets on his skin. Can you wash oil clean with water?

He turned to inspect Gu Yu’s smooth skin and couldn’t find anything wrong. Zhang Siyi was suspicious. He absolutely did not believe Gu Yu did nothing!

Gu Yu’s thin lips slightly opened to give him two words: “Natural beauty.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Taking a tube of facial cream from Zhang Siyi’s hand, Gu Yu looked at it then looked at Zhang Siyi and taunted: “Washing your face is so complicated. No wonder you look like a pretty boy.”

Now provoked, Zhang Siyi grabbed his things from Gu Yu’s hands and forcefully pushed him out of the room: “Get out! I want to wash!”

Laughing, Gu Yu walked away.

Feeling irritated, Zhang Siyi rubbed his cheeks and told himself in the mirror, you are a man!

While waiting for Zhang Siyi to finish washing in the bathroom, he laid the quilt on the bed. He opened the air conditioner and said to Zhang Siyi: “Since I have to go downstairs to finish cleaning up and then take a shower, go to sleep first. I’ll be awhile.”

With a “mmmmm”, Zhang Siyi bowed slightly as Gu Yu leisurely exited the room. He went over to the bed in a trance and inspected it. The whole bed is covered with a thick blanket on the top and underneath there are two lighter weight quilts with a division in the middle. Ah! Great!

Zhang Siyi took off his sweater and pants and put it on the bedside table. He picked a side of the bed and trying not to mess up the bedding on both sides, he gently got under the covers.

After he had laid down and packed the covers around him like a cocoon, he was afraid to move.

Since Gu Yu is absent, Zhang Siyi curiously looked around the room for a while. He saw the cactus lamp that he gave to Gu Yu on the bedside table on the opposite side of the bed. Also, there were two moleskin black sketchbooks that he commonly saw Gu Yu use.

With great determination, Zhang Siyi suppressed his urge to peek at the books. Trying to convince himself to sleep, he shrank deeper into the quilt. It’s already nine and a half and only five and a half hours left to sleep…

Go to sleep, go to sleep…  aaaaahhhhhhh…  I can’t sleep at all! o////o

He can’t stop his thoughts: Gu Yu’s room. Gu Yu’s bed. Gu Yu’s quilt. Ohohoh…. All parts of Zhang Siyi are getting excited. Why would that happen!? Am I subconsciously adoring Gu Yu? Yes, that’s right! It must be like this! Gu Yu is the idol figure in high school! That’s why he’s so excited! The age of youthful worship has passed. Think of Gu Yu like an ordinary person, a neighbor, a big brother…. Bro, what are you excited about? Get down there!

…………

……

About half an hour later, Gu Yu returned to the room after bathing. On one side of the bed, half of a fluffy head was revealed. It seems like Zhang Siyi was already asleep. He softly walked to the bed with a light foot and looked at the sketchbook on the bedside table. He paused for a minute and sighed incomprehensibly. Sitting on the bed, Gu Yu was preparing to fold back the quilt to get under the covers when he suddenly found the half-revealed head shrinking inside the quilt further.

Gu Yu: “…” He laid down on the bed under the covers and asked in a low voice: “Are you still awake?”

Zhang Siyi, who is pretending to sleep “……” Why is the sheep he counted for a long time still so excited!

Gu Yu asked again: “… Asleep?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” What to do! Pretend not to hear him? Continue counting sheep? After a few seconds, there was a gentle, regular snoring on the side.

Gu Yu: “………”

Except for Zhang Siyi’s “snoring”, the room was quiet for a long-time.

When he thought there was no more movement next to him, he gently stopped his “snoring” and slowly stuck his head out from under the quilt and sucked in two deep breaths. Shit! It was so suffocating under there.

With a sensuous voice suddenly sounding low in Zhang Siyi ear, Gu Yu said: “I knew you were pretending to sleep.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 61: Stray Cats

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While sipping his wine, for three quarters of an hour Zhang Siyi was enjoying his moment. Sitting at the table, he couldn’t stop himself from catching glimpses of Gu Yu’s handsome profile. Now, feeling hazy from the wine, squinting his eyes, he was trying to focus on Gu Yu who was also looking at him.

Gu Yu couldn’t help himself from laughing at Zhang Siyi puzzled expression while squinting at him. He got his glass, stood up and signaled to Zhang Siyi: “Time for the dishes.”

Zhang Siyi: “???” What is this!? Telling a guest to wash the dishes?

Gu Yu saw Zhang Siyi’s resistant face and lazily raised his eyebrows in question. With a unique criticism to the tone of his voice he said: “Why after I cooked for you, do you not want to wash the dishes?”

Conditioned as a child, Zhang Siyi stood up and tidies up the chopsticks and tableware, but his face was still reluctant. The atmosphere of the meal was so good, he didn’t want it to end. Since he momentarily forgot Gu Yu’s status, like a child he petulantly complained: “Who is the one asking a guest to wash the dishes!”

Casting a sidelong glance, Gu Yu questioned him in disbelief: “Do you really think of yourself as a guest?”

Zhang Siyi: “……”  If I’m not a guest, then what am I?

Gu Yu took the bowls to the kitchen together with Zhang Siyi: “When you are the master of the family, does everything have to be served by others? I have a rule here. After you eat, you help wash the dishes.”

Zhang Siyi: “I just helped you when you were cooking!”

Gu Yu hands on the empty bowl: “Am I not also helping you?”

Zhang Siyi: “………”

Zhang Siyi opened the faucet and was frozen by the cold water. His previous comforting and warm feelings were instantly dispelled. He angrily said: “The water is too cold!”

Gu Yu wiped the table down and brought over the remaining dishes to wash. He heard Zhang Siyi’s complaint and snorted then he took the previously boiled water and dumped it into the sink, warming the temperature and in a low voice said: “So spoiled.”

With his hand in the water and the kitchen being cramped, Gu Yu was standing right next time him. Clearly Gu Yu criticized him, however Zhang Siyi is oblivious to the words and only listened to his soft, gentle tone causing his body to tingle with numbness. Now with hot water, Zhang Siyi didn’t feel so tormented.

“Completely wash the dishes clean. Then, carefully place them directly on the drying rack. Don’t be haphazard about it.” Instructed Gu Yu.

“….”  Ask so much, why not wash it yourself!

“Hey, don’t bang the bowls. What kind of washing is this? The plates will all be chipped.”

“……..”   One time!

“Hey, don’t forget to wash the rag!”

“……..……”   Annoying! (╯‵皿’)╯

Once the washing was done, without hesitation, Zhang Siyi walked to the sofa and sat down. Since he did the work, he made himself comfortable. Gu Yu boiled some water on the side of the coffee table. He took a tea jar made of bamboo wood from the bookshelf behind him and put a few small pieces of tea in the teapot.

“What kind of tea is it?” Zhang Siyi said curiously.

“Pu’er. Drink a little of it. It helps with digestion.” Gu Yu said.

Zhang Siyi watched Gu Yu’s skillfully prepare the tea and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion: “A day to nourish the soul.”

Gu Yu faintly smiled and whispered: “If you live, you must always pursue it…” Then he slowly poured a cup of tea for Zhang Siyi.

Listening to his words, Zhang Siyi thought about Borderless in a new light then thought about Gu Yu’s simple, but exquisite day. Gu Yu not only pursues his work, but he obviously pursues his life. In comparison, every day after work, in addition to chatting with Fu Xinhui, Zhang Siyi spends a few hours on the internet watching social media. With some introspection, he felt confused.

Awake now after two cups of tea, while reflecting on his usual time wasting behavior, he suddenly heard a rustling sound. “What is that?” He craned his neck to figure out where the sound was coming from.

Accustomed to the noise, Gu Yu poured himself a cup a tea and flatly replied: “It is a cat.”

Zhang Siyi widened his eyes: “Cat? Do you have a cat?”

“It’s not mine. It’s a stray cat,” Gu Yu replied. Seeing Zhang Siyi looking around, he asked: “Do you want to see it?”

Zhang Siyi stood up: “Where is it?”

With his arm, Gu Yu pushed aside the floor curtains in the living room and revealed a row of sliding glass doors. There was a small yard outside with an elevated patio space covered with grey-red tiles!

Gu Yu pointed to the corner of the yard and said: “There, see it?”

By the dim light of the floor lamp on the sofa, Zhang Siyi vaguely saw a wooden house in the corner of the yard. There were food bowls on the ground. Two stray cats, alerted to the change in environment, twisted their bodies towards the light. He couldn’t tell one of the cat’s coloring, but the other was black with green eyes reflected in the twilight.

For a while, they looked at Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu with tension, feeling threatened. Then, they went back to their business knowing there was no danger.

Zhang Siyi was both surprised and curious: “How did the cats come in?”

Gu Yu pointed to the canopy hole at the top of the outside wall: “From that hole there.”

Zhang Siyi nodded. He saw a small wooden house and the food bowl: “Have you been feeding them?”

Gu Yu folded his arms across his chest and said slowly: “Last year in July, during a typhoon, the awning top blew off. I was very busy for a while with projects, so I put off finding someone to fix it. While reading a book in the living room, one rainy night, I heard a scratching noise. I thought it was a thief trying to break in and waited patiently in the living room. I finally moved the curtains and saw a cat pressed up against the glass grooming itself.”

Zhang Siyi: “It didn’t run?”

Gu Yu: “I just watched. I didn’t make any effort to go near him and didn’t scare it. Why would he run? The cat looked at me for a while then continued to lick himself and ignore me.”

Zhang Siyi thought that the scene of a stray cat ignoring Gu Yu was a bit funny. “And after?”

Gu Yu shrugged: “I went back to my book and ignored the cat.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

If this is the end of the story, he will give the storyteller a zero!

Zhang Siyi said: “That’s it? It was all wet. Why didn’t you help it!”

Feeling like he was being accused, Gu Yu logically replied: “It will groom itself. What is there for me to help? Besides, cats are very alert and it’s not familiar with me. If I try to give the cat something, he might run away. At least there is safe shelter here.”

” ……Well, that makes sense. And then what?” Zhang Siyi asked.

“Afterwards, the cat started to become a regular visitor and in ten days I bought some cat food and put it outside. Then it came over to eat regularly.” It seemed to be a rather heartfelt story, however when Gu Yu squinted his eyes and grinned, the illusion ended. With a higher animal sense of dominance and control towards a lower one, he said: “These little things… Once they feel the environment is safe, they become defenseless and stupid. The cat doesn’t even know when the invisible rope has been tied around its neck.”

When Zhang Siyi heard this, he instinctively shivered and instantly remembered Liang Xuiying’s “black belly, bad water” comments he said about Gu Yu.

He quickly looked at the corner of the patio with the small wooden house and cat food and persuaded himself to think that no matter how many bad waters are in Gu’s stomach, the nature of a person who is willing to provide food and shelter to stray cats is always kind. (=_=)

“Is that a wooden house for them to sleep in?” Zhang Siyi asked.

“Well, at first it only occasionally came over for the night and ate some cat food. About two months ago, I found the cat bringing in a partner.” Gu Yu pointed to the cats: “That black cat was the first and the other is its companion. I began to think this little guy found a wife and seemed happy. Since the weather was turning colder, I thought I would make a special wedding room for the both.”

Zhang Siyi was surprised: “Oh! You made this house!’

Gu Yu nodded, but he quickly scoffed: “But these two little cats have never gone inside to sleep! It’s confusing since they rather sleep together on the cold tiles.”

Although Zhang Siyi wanted to laugh, he doesn’t make a peep. He finds the situation ironic. The grand architect who personally built a small house is unappreciated and ignored.

Reminding himself, Gu Yu mumbled: “While I’m gone over the holiday period, I’ll make sure to leave them with more food.”

Zhang Siyi heart warmed up and confirmed his judgment. Gu Yu rarely shows people what he is like underneath his “Boss” façade. Today Zhang Siyi ate a meal made by Gu Yu. Drank homemade wine with Gu Yu. Drank tea served to him by Gu Yu. He heard the story of his stray cats… through these details today, Zhang Siyi felt the life that was Gu Yu. This unreachable person has suddenly become the neighbor’s elder brother.

The people around Gu Yu see him with the highest regard and at work, he pays close attention to everything and takes care of his subordinates. At present, Zhang Siyi feels Gu Yu is very near to his heart. Which he realizes isn’t beating at the normal speed……

The two men looked again for a moment then Gu Yu let the curtains fall and returned to the coffee table to take the cups away into the kitchen. He poured the cold tea down the drain. Zhang Siyi asked, “You aren’t going to finish it?”

“When the tea is cold, it hurts the stomach. We must get up early tomorrow. If you drink too much, you won’t be able to sleep.” Gu Yu looked at the time and asked: “It’s nine o’clock, are you going to sleep?”

Since they planned on an early start in the morning, going to bed early sounds good. Zhang Siyi nodded: “Where am I going to sleep?”

“There are two rooms upstairs, one is my bedroom, the other is a guest room, but the room has been unoccupied for a long time, and there are a lot of storage boxes. Expressionless Gu Yu flatly said: “So, either sleep on the sofa, or sleep with me. Choose one yourself.”

Zhang Siyi: “………”

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