Can You Believe It? I Ran into My Ex on a Dating Variety Show - Chapter 10

He Xingzhi’s hands moved faster than his brain. While his mind was still in a daze, his hands had already automatically gripped Shi Yu’s wrist. It was a slender, porcelain-white wrist.

Tsk, he got thinner.

Back when they were together, He Xingzhi did all the cooking and had managed to feed him until he had a bit of meat on his bones. Now, after three years apart, he had shriveled back down. No, he was even thinner than when they first met. Was that dog Lin Wuwei incapable of taking care of people?

Wait. Why was he still worrying about an ex who dumped him?

Hmph. It served him right if he was not eating well. Who told him to bring up the breakup in the first place?

“Excuse me, is something the matter?” Shi Yu acted composed, as if they truly were strangers who had never met.

That look, the gaze one reserved entirely for a stranger, made He Xingzhi feel incredibly uncomfortable. He wanted to scold him, but he ultimately restrained himself.

“You are looking for a bathroom, right? There is one in my room.”

The moment those words left his mouth, He Xingzhi wanted to slap himself.

He Xingzhi, you are so damn pathetic.

Played for two years and separated for three, yet he still could not bear to see Shi Yu struggle. He did not even want to see him go and beg someone else, even if it was just for something as small as borrowing a bathroom. After all, this was the person he had held in the palm of his hand and protected for two years. Even though he did not like him anymore, seeing him run to others for help would make his past self look like an even bigger fool.

So, he was only inviting him in to shower to prevent his own past from becoming a joke. Yes, exactly. That was why.

Shi Yu hesitated. He looked into He Xingzhi’s eyes. They were still so easy to read!

“Okay, thank you.”

Holding his clothes, Shi Yu entered He Xingzhi’s room. He Xingzhi was staying in the master bedroom. The space was enormous, and the bed in the middle was large enough for two grown men to roll around freely.

Shi Yu scanned the room and failed to notice his footing, accidentally tripping over a suitcase He Xingzhi had left haphazardly on the floor. The suitcase was open, taking up a lot of space. He Xingzhi was walking right behind him. He could have reached out in time to support Shi Yu, but he hesitated for a split second. Because of that moment, he missed the best opportunity and watched as Shi Yu knelt right onto his luggage.

The suitcase was full of clothes and a slightly faded panda plushie. It was mostly covered by the clothes, leaving only its fuzzy ears exposed. Shi Yu thought it looked familiar. Just as he wanted to get a closer look, He Xingzhi scooped him up by the waist. His other hand scrambled to pull the clothes over the panda, hiding it completely. Had it not been for this “guilty conscience” move, Shi Yu might have just thought it was a similar-looking toy.

[He is so devoted. He actually kept the first plushie you ever gave him. Wuwu, I cannot help but be moved by such deep affection.]

Shi Yu remembered giving him that panda. It was only because the system had assigned a task: Give He Xingzhi a gift (random). They happened to be at an amusement park, and He Xingzhi happened to glance at a game booth where you could win prizes by popping balloons. Shi Yu suggested they play. After hitting ten out of ten, he chose the most conspicuous panda plushie for He Xingzhi.

At that time, they were not dating. He had only started approaching He Xingzhi for the sake of his mission.

“Shi Yu.”

Hearing his name, Shi Yu turned to look at He Xingzhi. He Xingzhi pointed at the suitcase on the floor and said, “Your underwear is on top of mine.”

Shi Yu’s underwear was a solid color. He Xingzhi’s underwear was either patterned with little rabbits holding carrots, two cats kissing, or a black puppy and a yellow puppy holding paws. With such a stark contrast, Shi Yu could not deny it even if he wanted to.

Moreover, their sizes were different. He still remembered how He Xingzhi used to complain whenever he stayed over and had to wear Shi Yu’s underwear, grumbling that they were too tight and made his “big treasure” uncomfortable. Shi Yu suspected he was intentionally showing off. Though, admittedly, he did have the capital to boast.

Just as Shi Yu was about to pick up his underwear, He Xingzhi beat him to it. He even went as far as to spitefully crumple the fabric in his hand before handing it over.

“I forgot to wash my hands,” He Xingzhi said.

Shi Yu’s face went dark. He Xingzhi felt much better. He hooked the edge of the underwear with his index finger, held it out in front of Shi Yu, and said provocatively, “Want to borrow a new pair of mine? I have washed them, but I have never worn them.”

Shi Yu snatched his underwear back and said coldly, “No need.”

Shi Yu navigated around the messy luggage. Several suitcases were piled chaotically on the floor, giving him a headache. Had he known this room was such a mess, he would not have come to borrow the bathroom. His obsessive-compulsive disorder made him want to tidy up, but he did not want their relationship to seem even more ambiguous.

Shi Yu went into the bathroom to shower. The master bathroom was also very large, featuring a circular bathtub that required walking up two steps, complete with rose petals and essential oils on the side. Shi Yu cleaned and disinfected the bathroom from front to back before taking his shower. After finishing, he tidied up again, making sure every stray hair on the floor was picked up.

[Shi Yu, just let your ex-boyfriend clean it. Did he not clean up after you all the time when you were dating?]

He and He Xingzhi were opposites in many ways. Shi Yu had germaphobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He Xingzhi was careless and unrefined. He would frequently walk right past clothes he had dropped on the floor without bending over to pick them up. In fact, he felt restless in environments that were too clean and felt more comfortable once things were a bit messy.

Shi Yu liked wearing comfortable pajamas to bed; He Xingzhi liked to sleep completely naked. Shi Yu liked to sleep flat on his back; He Xingzhi insisted on hugging something. As long as they were together, that “something” had to be him, no matter how hot the weather was. Shi Yu would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night from the heat. Seeing He Xingzhi sleeping as soundly as a pig, he would get so annoyed that he would kick him away.

But it was useless. Within moments, even while fast asleep, He Xingzhi would grope around until he found him, then scoop him back into a sticky embrace. They even had disagreements about “sleeping” in the other sense. Shi Yu thought it was better to use protection, but He Xingzhi preferred going without.

Shi Yu spent over an hour in the shower. After he went in, He Xingzhi actually started tidying the luggage on the floor and cleaned the room until it was neat and organized. However, once he finished, he felt like he was losing his mind, so he spent more time making everything messy again.

From the moment he moved into the room, He Xingzhi had covered all the cameras. The people in the observation room had no idea what he was doing. Of course, they did not dare to ask either.

Shi Yu walked out while drying his hair. He was wearing a set of ice-blue silk pajamas. The fabric draped heavily, making him look even thinner. Water droplets clung to his slender neck. His exposed skin was flushed pink from the steam, looking like a tempting strawberry jelly that made one want to take a bite.

He Xingzhi was lying on the bed playing games. Hearing the door open, he immediately looked over. Catching sight of this scene, he could not help but gulp.