I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: “I Thought the Little Young Master Chased Me Down Specifically…”

Before going to sleep, Qi Xu checked the system pop-up and was startled by Xie Chengyan’s value.

30 points.

He refreshed it several times before he was sure it wasn’t a system bug. He hadn’t expected that failing to go all the way would still be worth so many points.

He asked the system for a detailed breakdown and was surprised to find that 8 points came from that handkerchief he hadn’t even managed to hand over.

“It seems Xie Chengyan picked up the handkerchief,” Qi Xu murmured, scratching his cheek.

But he was confused. Why was it that the things he gave Jiang Yingshen and Chi Hui—whether cheap or expensive—never yielded high Simp Points? What was so special about this handkerchief?

Before he could study the difference further, there was a knock on his door. It was his father.

Qi Yuanzhou wasn’t joking about making Qi Xu move out; he had come specifically to ask if Qi Xu had any requirements regarding the location of his new apartment.

Qi Xu was going to say “anywhere,” but then he remembered his encounter with Chi Hui near the school and suddenly had an idea. He immediately asked the system to check the current addresses of the three male leads.

Since he had to move out anyway, he might as well live closer to his targets.

The system was quite capable at gathering information and quickly provided the results. Chi Hui’s residence was a bit far from the school, making it inconvenient for classes, but Jiang Yingshen and Xie Chengyan lived surprisingly close.

In the end, he chose the latter.

There was no other reason than the fact that “simping” for Xie Chengyan seemed more “valuable.” Besides, Jiang Yingshen attended the same school; even if they didn’t live together, he’d still have plenty of chances to run into him.

Qi Xu gave his father the detailed address provided by the system, specifically requesting a certain floor.

Mr. Qi was a man of action. The very next day, he arranged for someone to view the apartment. Everything went smoothly, and by Monday, Qi Xu moved in, becoming Xie Chengyan’s new neighbor.

The environment and facilities of the complex were quite good, though given Xie Chengyan’s status, it was still a bit surprising he lived in such a place.

Qi Xu stood in front of Xie Chengyan’s door holding a box of pastries and rang the doorbell. There was no response; most likely, no one was home.

He checked his watch. It was nearly 10:00 PM, and the man still wasn’t back.

While he was spacing out, the elevator behind him went “Ding!” The doors slid open, and a tall man walked out.

The man was looking down at his phone, a look of exhaustion visible between his half-closed eyes. He didn’t notice the figure at his door until he got closer. Lifting his head, his eyes met Qi Xu’s.

Xie Chengyan froze for a rare moment, perhaps not expecting to see Qi Xu at his own doorstep. However, he reacted quickly, and that familiar smile returned to his face.

“Little young master, what is this?”

Qi Xu didn’t like the way the man addressed him; it sounded strange. “Qi Xu,” he said.

“Hmm?” Xie Chengyan tilted his head.

“My name,” Qi Xu explained.

Xie Chengyan arched an eyebrow. “Mm, alright, Little Young Master Qi Xu.”

Qi Xu: “…”

Qi Xu pursed his lips, deciding not to dwell on the title. He handed over the pastry box.

“What’s this?” Xie Chengyan lowered his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the delicate box.

“Housewarming treats,” Qi Xu said, using the excuse he had prepared.

“Housewarming?” Xie Chengyan caught the keyword.

Qi Xu nodded. “Yes, I just moved here today.” He pointed to the door opposite.

Xie Chengyan looked in the direction he pointed. When he retracted his gaze, it inadvertently brushed over Qi Xu’s face again. The light in his eyes, hidden under his lashes, instantly darkened.

“How did you know I lived here?” From the moment they met tonight, Qi Xu’s face hadn’t shown a single trace of surprise. He clearly knew beforehand that the person living across from him was Xie Chengyan.

Qi Xu realized the flaw in his logic. He opened his mouth but couldn’t come up with an answer, so he gave an irrelevant one: “My family doesn’t feel comfortable with me living in the dorms. This place is closer to school.”

Xie Chengyan narrowed his eyes slightly and took a few steps toward Qi Xu without a word.

The distance between them vanished in an instant. Qi Xu instinctively backed up. But retreating didn’t create space; Xie Chengyan kept pressing forward until Qi Xu’s back hit the cold door. With nowhere left to go, he stopped.

Xie Chengyan was very tall—at least 190cm by the looks of it—with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. In front of him, Qi Xu looked as small and fragile as a little chick.

Being completely enveloped in the man’s shadow, Qi Xu couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the box. Xie Chengyan stood with his back to the hallway light, his face shrouded in shadow, making his expression hard to read.

He stared at Qi Xu’s face meaningfully, saying nothing.

After a long while, he reached out toward Qi Xu without warning. The well-defined hand enlarged in Qi Xu’s vision. His mind uncontrollably flashed back to the way he had been pinned down that night, and he instinctively closed his eyes.

A breeze carrying a cold fragrance swept past. That hand bypassed his neck and pressed against the door panel behind him.

Qi Xu slowly opened his eyes, but the face just inches away made his breath hitch. Their faces were less than half a palm’s width apart.

Leaning against the door, Xie Chengyan looked down at Qi Xu. Seeing the flicker of panic in his eyes, he laughed as if a prank had succeeded.

Warm breath brushed against his eyelashes. Qi Xu blinked rapidly.

Once he had laughed enough, Xie Chengyan pulled back his smile. His eyes turned dark and his tone grew cold: “But Little Young Master, I told you—intruding into someone else’s territory is impolite, and dangerous.”

Qi Xu’s eyelashes trembled. He felt a bit wronged; every time, it was the other person who forcibly pinned him into “his territory.”

Seeing him stubbornly pursing his lips with an aggrieved expression, Xie Chengyan helplessly dropped his overbearing aura. When he spoke again, his tone was playful:

“I thought the little young master chased me down specifically because he wanted to take responsibility for me.”

“?” A question mark appeared over Qi Xu’s head.

Take responsibility?

Being inexperienced in such matters, he was clearly dazed. “Should I take responsibility?”

Xie Chengyan’s smile turned a bit wicked. He answered with a question: “What do you think?”

As he spoke, he reached out his other hand toward Qi Xu’s waist. This time, Qi Xu was quick and pressed down on the approaching arm.

He pursed his lips, the moisture on them making them look slightly pale as he quickly gave his judgment: “I have no responsibility, because your condition wasn’t caused by me.”

Qi Xu analyzed the situation from that night rationally. At most, he was guilty of promising to help and then backing out. The one who should be responsible was the culprit who caused Xie Chengyan to be like that in the first place.

Qi Xu refused to take the blame.

Seeing his serious explanation, Xie Chengyan nodded solemnly, like he was praising a kindergartener for calculating $1+1=2$. “Mm, very smart.”

“So, will this little young master who doesn’t plan on taking responsibility please let go?”

Qi Xu hesitated for two seconds before slowly releasing the arm. However, Xie Chengyan didn’t pull his hand back; instead, he reached straight for the door handle behind Qi Xu.

“Beep—” The smart lock recognized the fingerprint and unlocked.

So, Xie Chengyan had just been reaching for the door. Realizing this, Qi Xu blinked, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Seeing the man bypass him and enter the apartment, Qi Xu grabbed the door handle. Xie Chengyan looked back at him again.

“You haven’t taken this yet.” Qi Xu handed the pastries through the half-closed door. He thought for a moment and added, “I didn’t make these.”

Although he had originally intended to make them himself, he had changed his mind after seeing the “indescribable” expression on his sister’s face when she came for the housewarming. After all, they would be neighbors for a long time; it would be impolite to poison him on the first day.

Xie Chengyan’s gaze moved from the box to that expectant face, and finally, he took it. “Then, thank you, Little Young Master.”

Having completed his task, Qi Xu didn’t linger. He turned and went back into his own apartment. At this hour, he was already sleepy.

Thus, he didn’t notice the person behind him staring at his back with a deep, unreadable gaze.

…

After changing into pajamas and climbing into bed, Qi Xu hugged a pillow his sister had bought him. He suddenly remembered that his sister had mentioned finding someone to look after him this morning.

Before he could recall more details, the exhausted Qi Xu fell into a dreamland.

Meanwhile, Ning Zhao was chatting energetically with her friend who studied psychology.

Ning Zhao: [My brother has had some psychological issues lately. My family is worried, so we plan to find a professional to look after him for a while. Do you have anyone reliable to recommend?]

The friend had seen Qi Xu’s diagnosis—there were no issues—but she knew how much Ning Zhao doted on her brother. After a moment of thought, a suitable candidate came to mind.

Friend: [I have a junior from my department. If it’s just a matter of looking after him and observing if his behavior is abnormal, he should be able to do it.]

Ning Zhao knew her friend well. If she said “should be able to,” it meant “definitely good.”

Ning Zhao: Great, then help me contact him. Pay isn’t an issue.

…

The weather grew colder. Jiang Yingshen changed the old man’s bedding for a thicker one.

The old man was sitting on a wooden chair taking medicine. He failed to catch a round pill, and it slid from his stiff fingers onto the floor. He leaned over for a long time but couldn’t pick it up.

Jiang Yingshen walked over, picked up the pill, and threw it in the trash. The old man’s eyebrows shot up. “Hey! Why’d you throw a perfectly good pill away? It’s not like I can’t take it.”

Jiang Yingshen didn’t say anything but popped a clean pill out of the blister pack for him.

The old man took the pill, still muttering, “You’ve grown up to be so finicky. When I picked you up back then, you were as thin as a stick. You’d eat a steamed bun off the ground and think it was delicious.”

“That was over ten years ago,” Jiang Yingshen said calmly while folding the scattered clothes in the cabinet. “If I still let you eat things off the ground like I did then, it would mean I’ve made no progress in life.”

Thinking of Jiang Yingshen’s current achievements, the old man felt a secret pride but couldn’t help being stubborn. “Hmph, wasn’t that to help you save money? Are you still doing part-time jobs?”

Jiang Yingshen: “Occasionally.”

Just then, the phone on the table vibrated. Jiang Yingshen looked over; a new message appeared on the lock screen:

Senior Cheng Xian: Xiao Jiang, are you there?