Flirted Then Forgot Everything - Chapter 23.1

By the time Jian Li woke up, it was already dusk. The bedroom was bathed in a soft, hazy glow; the sunlight lay across the duvet like loose grains of gold, making everything in the room look ethereal and beautiful.

It was a picturesque scene, but it was promptly ruined by the unrefined rumble of Jian Li’s stomach.

He had slept for far too long and was starving—so much so that he began to hallucinate, thinking he smelled the rich aroma of braised pork. The scent drifted in through the crack of the door, swirling around his nose. He let out a yawn and rolled around on the bed a few times, waiting for the hallucination to pass.

To his surprise, instead of fading, the scent became increasingly real.

Salivating at the fragrance, Jian Li scrambled out of bed and wobbled toward the door, confirming that this was no trick of the mind.

Yu Cheng was busy in the kitchen, wearing a particularly ridiculous pink rabbit apron. The two ties at the back were furry, and when tied, they looked remarkably like a tail. The rabbit itself was a bit odd—it was both long and bald, with two prominent ears.

Jian Li felt like he had uncovered another of Yu Cheng’s little secrets: a fondness for small things that completely contrasted with his outward appearance. First the colorful embossed thermos, then the furry rabbit medical kit, and now a pink rabbit apron.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Yu Cheng spoke without turning around.

“Now that you’re awake, go wash your face. It’s covered in drool marks.”

Jian Li’s face turned bright red, and he slipped quietly into the bathroom.

Under the bright white lights, the high-definition mirror reflected every detail of his face. Jian Li touched the sleep creases on his skin, then wiped his perfectly clean mouth. He angrily splashed a handful of water at the mirror—there wasn’t a single drool mark on his face! Yu Cheng had lied to him!

Still, he obediently washed up, though he didn’t bother drying off properly. He ran out with his collar soaked and his hair dripping wet, water streaming down his neck.

Yu Cheng had already placed the braised pork Jian Li had been dreaming of on the table, along with a large, heaping bowl of freshly steamed white rice. Seeing Jian Li’s damp hair and collar, Yu Cheng frowned slightly and tossed a towel over.

Jian Li caught it sheepishly and began to dry his hair. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yu Cheng replied. “It’s for wiping the table.”

Jian Li choked on his words and immediately dropped the towel.

Without waiting for an invitation, he took his seat and used his chopsticks to snag the largest piece of braised pork, stuffing it into his mouth while offering a “rainbow fart” compliment.

“With your skills, Brother Yu, you could open a restaurant and it would be a total hit!”

Sitting across from him, Yu Cheng didn’t seem to find the nickname cringey, though he did raise an eyebrow. “Brother Yu?”

With his mouth full, Jian Li mumbled, “Or Brother Cheng?”

Yu Cheng picked up some stir-fried greens and didn’t bother correcting the address. Seeing that Yu Cheng didn’t seem interested in the pork, Jian Li slowed his eating speed; after all, the whole plate was practically his, so he might as well savor it.

Yu Cheng poured a glass of water and pushed it toward Jian Li. “Eat slowly.”

Jian Li didn’t even look at the water, keeping his head down as he focused on the meat.

“Do you like meat that much? Not even one bite of greens?” Yu Cheng glanced at the vegetables, of which only he had eaten.

Jian Li swallowed his food and took a long, satisfied drink of water. “Who needs water when there’s meat to eat!”

He had lived a hard life as a child and rarely saw a scrap of meat all year round, which likely contributed to his current habits. Once he started earning his own money, Jian Li made sure he never felt deprived when it came to food and drink.

His manager, Wan Tao, scolded him often for this, constantly reminding him to eat less at public events. While everyone else was treating it like a beauty pageant, Jian Li would spend the whole event with his head down, eating so much that his face was rarely visible in photos.

As the meal wound down, Jian Li slowed his pace again. Only a few scraps of seasoning remained on the pork plate, and his bowl held only a few lonely grains of rice. He ate those few grains slower than he had eaten the entire first bowl, poking them back and forth with his chopsticks instead of putting them in his mouth.

Yu Cheng couldn’t wait any longer. He stood up to go to the bathroom to wash off the smell of cooking fumes, but before leaving, he instructed, “Wash the dishes when you’re done.”

Jian Li nodded obediently. As soon as Yu Cheng left, he finished the last few grains of rice and carried the empty bowl to the kitchen at a snail’s pace. He took only one bowl at a time and even made two trips for the chopsticks, all while keeping his ears pricked for any movement in the bathroom.

Now that his stomach was full, Jian Li began to worry about his life again. He had slept through his entire day off, and now that darkness was falling, he needed a plan to stay at Yu Cheng’s place. The shattered painting was still lying on his bed next door; even if he moved the painting and took down the lights, the ceiling itself might fall on him for all he knew.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. He shuddered, the hair on his arms standing on end.

Yu Cheng emerged at some point and stood behind Jian Li. Seeing that he had only managed to wash one bowl in all that time, he asked, “Playing with water? Haven’t grown up yet?”

Jian Li jumped in fright, the bowl slipping from his hands. It nearly crashed into the sink before Yu Cheng reached out and caught it. Yu Cheng nudged him aside and finished washing and drying the dishes in a few deft movements.

When he turned back, he saw Jian Li curled up on the sofa with his back turned, seemingly asleep. But Jian Li had only been awake for a short while and had just finished eating; how could he possibly be asleep again?

Just then, Jian Li’s hand reached out to scratch his shoulder. After scratching, he took a peek over his shoulder, only to lock eyes with Yu Cheng.

Jian Li squeezed his eyes shut and turned back, continuing to feign sleep. He truly couldn’t think of a better way to stay here, so he had to resort to this.

While pretending to sleep, he questioned the System in his mind.

“System, I can’t just keep loitering at Yu Cheng’s place like this. I can’t exactly grow onto him. Once the movie is finished, we’ll have to separate eventually! Isn’t there some way to ease this situation?”

The System emitted a series of beeps as if it were thinking. After a long pause, it finally spoke.

“There is a way.”

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Jian Li pressed, “What way? Tell me, quick! I can barely keep this act up!”

Behind him, Yu Cheng stood leaning against the wall, silently staring at Jian Li’s back.

The System, usually so concise, took its sweet time. Its drawn-out mechanical voice made Jian Li want to kick it—if only he could reach it.

“I can activate an Emergency Safety Protection System for the Host. Within the duration, I will do my best to help the Host avoid accidents.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier! What are we waiting for! Turn it on!” Jian Li urged.

The System was silent for a moment before adding: “Activating safety protection is an additional operation. It requires Favorability Points as energy support.”

Jian Li processed this for a moment. “So, I have to buy it with points? How do I buy it?”

The System replied: “One favorability point can maintain safety protection for six hours.”

Jian Li was so shocked he nearly broke his pose. “Only six hours for one point! I’ve only managed to get him up to 68 points since I started! From 59 to 68—that’s only 9 points total! After all this time, a single point only lasts six hours?”

Facing the sofa, Jian Li’s brow was furrowed as he gnashed his teeth. Just as he was about to start a proper argument with the System, someone poked his cheek.

He snapped his eyes open and saw Yu Cheng leaning over the back of the sofa, looking down at him. Seeing him open his eyes, Yu Cheng didn’t withdraw his finger; instead, he poked him even harder.

“Why are you grinding your teeth so hard? Get up, stop pretending, and go back to your room.”

Seeing that the act was up, Jian Li sat up. His eyes darted around until they landed on the guitar sitting to the side, and a plan formed in his mind. He pretended to have forgotten the guitar and stood up to leave, making sure to thank Yu Cheng once more.

“Thanks for the braised pork!”

Stepping out, he returned to his own room. Once inside, he flipped on every light he could find, then leaned against the wall, staring at the shattered glass on his bed while trying to reason with the System.

“Six hours is too short. Increase it a bit—it should at least be twenty-four hours.”

The System delivered a decisive triple refusal: “No! Impossible! Forget it!”

Jian Li couldn’t help but mutter a curse under his breath. The System heard him clearly.

“One point for three hours now. No further discussion.”

Jian Li’s tone immediately softened. “Brother System, I’m your host after all. Have some mercy? One point for twelve hours, okay? Otherwise, if I pass away right here before the mission is done, what good does it do you? Don’t you systems have performance reviews or something? Wouldn’t I be dragging down your stats?”

The System seemed swayed and was silent for a moment before agreeing to his request.

“One point for twelve hours.”

Jian Li calculated his points and said immediately, “Exchange for two days first!”

“No,” the System refused again.

Jian Li’s patience was at its end. “Now what?”

“You think the System doesn’t consume energy for daily operations? Your current favorability points serve as the minimum operating energy and cannot be touched! Any exchange must use newly earned points!”

“You’re a system! Why are you so high-maintenance!”

Jian Li ruffled his hair, took a deep breath, and opened his door to stand in front of Yu Cheng’s once again. This time, the door opened quickly, as if Yu Cheng had expected him to return.

As the door opened, Jian Li saw Yu Cheng holding the guitar. Before Jian Li could even speak, Yu Cheng handed it over, cutting off the excuse Jian Li had planned.

Jian Li: “…”

Yu Cheng: “Something else?”

Jian Li stammered for a moment before squeezing out: “It’s getting dark.”

Yu Cheng: “And?”

Jian Li: “I’m afraid of the dark.”

Yu Cheng remained expressionless. “Turn on the lights.”

The edges of Jian Li’s ears slowly turned red. “I’m lonely.”

Yu Cheng gripped the door handle and began to close it slowly. “Watch a horror movie. You won’t feel lonely anymore.”

Jian Li grabbed the door, preventing it from closing. “No, I’m afraid of ghosts!”

Yu Cheng pushed Jian Li’s hand away. “What does that have to do with me?”

With Yu Cheng pushing, the gap in the door grew smaller. Jian Li pressed against it again, saying urgently:

“I can sing you a lullaby!”

Yu Cheng remained unmoved. “I don’t have insomnia.”

Jian Li’s almond-shaped eyes looked piteous. Clutching his guitar, his voice went as soft as possible. “But I really want to sing for you. Honestly.”

Yu Cheng looked away, avoiding Jian Li’s eyes. “Why do you want to sing for me?”

The question stumped Jian Li. Why?

For the favorability points, of course! For the points! For his life!

But he definitely couldn’t say that!

Jian Li squeezed further into the crack of the door, reaching in to grab a handful of Yu Cheng’s shirt as if it were a life-saving straw.

“Because, because I like it! I like singing to you!”

Yu Cheng paused and looked down at Jian Li. Jian Li always felt that Yu Cheng’s gaze was incredibly deep; he often looked at him like that for no reason, making Jian Li’s heart flutter.

Instead, Yu Cheng let out a soft laugh, his tone quite cynical. “That’s it?”

This left Jian Li a bit stunned, but since he was already committed, he lunged forward, forced the door open, and threw himself into Yu Cheng’s arms. He wrapped his hands around Yu Cheng’s neck and clamped his legs tightly around Yu Cheng’s waist.

The guitar Jian Li was holding in one hand slammed into Yu Cheng’s back. Yu Cheng let out a muffled groan and gripped Jian Li’s waist, scolding him: “Get down!”

Jian Li shook his head vigorously, his hair rubbing against the crook of Yu Cheng’s neck, creating a flurry of static electricity that crackled between them.

“I’m not getting down! I’m not! I’m staying here tonight, and nothing you say will change that!”

Yu Cheng carried Jian Li directly out of the room, his voice growing colder. “Get off me!”

Jian Li buried his face in Yu Cheng’s neck and refused to look up. He let out a piteous whimper and resorted to his last-ditch tactic: “I won’t get down! I like you! I really, really like you! I’m your fan! I’m not getting down!”

As he spoke, Jian Li squeezed even harder with his arms and legs, not even caring when his guitar thudded onto the floor. He braced himself to be peeled off, but to his surprise, the force Yu Cheng was using to push him away suddenly weakened.

“Get down.”

Yu Cheng’s tone was still harsh, but he had already stepped back into the room and closed the door.

“Congratulations, Host! Target Yu Cheng’s favorability +5!!! Please keep up the good work!!!”

The System had never announced a point increase so loudly; the volume made Jian Li’s head spin. Seeing that the door was closed, Jian Li finally slid off Yu Cheng.

He looked up and took a step back, startled by the intensity in Yu Cheng’s eyes. They were dark and predatory, like a beast that had suddenly broken free from its cage. Jian Li felt like a prey animal that had walked right into a trap—and one that had jumped in willingly at that.

Jian Li took another step back until his shoulders hit the door. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Yu Cheng?”

Yu Cheng walked slowly toward him and asked softly, “What did you just say?”

Jian Li was dazed. He had said a lot just now in his desperate attempt to save his skin. But given Yu Cheng’s reaction, it must have been those last few sentences.

Jian Li repeated hesitantly, “I said I like you?”

Yu Cheng let out a light laugh. Having shed his icy exterior, it felt as if something even more terrifying, hidden beneath the frost, was emerging. He stepped up to Jian Li, leaning in slowly. Looking at Jian Li’s bewildered face, he said seductively:

“Say it again.”

Jian Li’s back slowly slid down the door. His heart began to defy his brain’s control, thumping so hard it felt like it would escape his chest. He tried to duck under Yu Cheng’s arm, but as he slid down, Yu Cheng squatted down with him.

Eventually, Jian Li ended up sitting on the floor. Yu Cheng squatted in front of him, his eye level still much higher, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

“Trying to run?” Yu Cheng tilted his head slightly.

Jian Li didn’t find the head tilt cute at all. It was like a tiger tilting its head while deciding which part of you would taste best. How could that be cute?

But Jian Li knew one thing: you have to stroke a tiger’s fur the right way! If they’re happy, they’re just big cats showing their bellies.

Jian Li immediately pleaded, “I like you, I really like you, Big Boss Yu! Brother Yu! I’m your fan! Really!”

Yu Cheng’s brow furrowed. Hearing Jian Li say it again didn’t seem to make him particularly happy. He asked, “You’re my fan?”

Jian Li nodded emphatically. “Yes! I’ve seen all your movies! I’ve watched every single one many times! I can recite the plots! Heck, forget the plots, I remember almost all the lines!”

Jian Li was ready to start reciting dialogue to prove it, but Yu Cheng sat down on the floor, his long legs stretched out to hem Jian Li in on both sides. His expression was somewhat dejected, yet he still exuded a lingering sense of danger.

“Just a fan?” Yu Cheng asked.

Jian Li’s racing heart skipped a beat. He deliberately ignored the inexplicable unease in his chest and nodded. “I’m a long-time fan! I haven’t missed a single movie since your debut!”

“Is that so.” Yu Cheng’s voice grew even colder.

Suddenly unable to control his mouth, or perhaps following a gut feeling, Jian Li asked tentatively, “Is being ‘just a fan’ not good enough?”

Yu Cheng suddenly laughed—a cynical, mocking laugh. “Jian Li, is there a single word of truth in anything you say?”