I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: “What’s wrong with your neck?”

Just after eight in the morning, the small mound on the bed shifted twice. The person curled under the covers groggily poked half a head out, the hair on the back of his head standing up from sleep.

The air conditioning in the room was set a bit high, and Qi Xu was covered in a light sweat. He rolled over and kicked the blanket aside.

The soft fabric bunched up, revealing a slim strip of pale white waist. As his skin touched the air, he woke up significantly.

Qi Xu stared at the unfamiliar chandelier above his head and blinked. After a few seconds of lingering daze, he suddenly scrambled into a sitting position.

“…”

This was Xie Chengyan’s bedroom.

Qi Xu closed his eyes to recall. His memory of last night seemed to end at the point where he sat in Xie Chengyan’s embrace, acting as a human body pillow.

So, he hadn’t been able to resist falling asleep, and Xie Chengyan hadn’t woken him up, but instead let him sleep in his own room…

Qi Xu pursed his lips and belatedly lifted the blanket covering his legs.

Mm… pants are still on. He moved a bit; his body felt no abnormalities.

It seemed they really did just sleep.

Qi Xu pulled up the system window to check yesterday’s harvest—

• Chi Hui: 25.6 points

• Xie Chengyan: 21 points

Earning over a month’s worth of life points in a single day—Qi Xu was very satisfied with this.

He casually converted all the Lickspittle Points into life points. Watching his life countdown extend all the way to 150 days, he couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

Since he earned 150 days so quickly, were 1,500 days or 15,000 days really that far off?

…Actually, still quite far.

Qi Xu scratched his hair and pouted helplessly. He still had to work hard.

After clearing his head, Qi Xu jumped off the bed, found his down jacket, threw it on, and walked out of the room.

Oddly, he hadn’t seen the owner of the house since he woke up. After circling the apartment, he confirmed that Xie Chengyan was not home.

“When did he leave?” Qi Xu muttered to himself.

How could he be so comfortable leaving a stranger alone in his house?

As he passed the dining table, Qi Xu noticed something placed there and tilted his head as he walked over.

Under a box was a piece of paper.

Thanks for the “hospitality” last night. I have things to do, so I left first. Inside the box is a butterfly specimen. I saw you staring at it for a long time last night, so I thought you might like it. Consider it extra compensation.

The handwriting was fluid and powerful, perfectly matching Xie Chengyan’s decisive personality.

Qi Xu opened the box and found the very specimen he had first noticed last night.

The surface of the butterfly’s wings was a bright blue that shimmered with a metallic luster under the light, with a pearly white band in the center. Because of its brilliant color and the interesting name “Morpho helena” (The Goddess of Light), he had looked at it a few extra times.

Qi Xu did like it very much, but he didn’t quite understand what the other meant by “extra compensation.”

While he was wondering, the phone in his pocket vibrated. It was a call from an unknown number.

“Mr. Qi, I’ve delivered the item you ordered last night. I’m at your door now. Are you home?”

Qi Xu took a half-beat to realize what it was: “Ah, I am! Wait a moment.”

He hurriedly stuffed the specimen and the note into his pockets and left Xie Chengyan’s apartment.

Standing outside waiting for the door to open, the delivery guy was stunned for a moment when the door behind him opened. Then, a young man who had clearly just woken up walked toward him.

“The wheelchair I bought is here!” Qi Xu didn’t notice the man’s bewildered look.

The delivery guy checked the address again to make sure he hadn’t gone to the wrong place.

“Then, please check it…” The man scratched the back of his head in confusion, but his words caught in his throat at what he saw.

Qi Xu’s pajama collar was quite low, easily revealing his collarbone. On his fair skin, even a slight mark was very conspicuous—let alone a tooth mark that was clearly a bite.

Sensing that the man hadn’t finished his sentence, Qi Xu gave him a strange look before bending down to unwrap the wheelchair.

“No problems, thanks a lot!” Qi Xu patted the dust off his hands and smiled at the man.

The delivery guy felt a bit embarrassed and stuttered a “no problem” before leaving.

…

By the time he finished cleaning up, it was almost 8:40 AM—only 20 minutes left until his official start time.

Fortunately, his home and Chi Hui’s home were relatively close. Walking there should take just about enough time.

However, once he got downstairs with the wheelchair, Qi Xu realized the trouble. Although the folded wheelchair wasn’t massive, it was difficult to carry. He stopped and started repeatedly, soon breaking into a sweat.

Left with no choice, Qi Xu unfolded the wheelchair, intending to push it all the way to Chi Hui’s house.

The wheelchair was much easier to push. However…

At 9:08 AM, Chi Hui received a call from an unknown number. He didn’t pick up.

A few seconds after hanging up, the same number called again. Chi Hui looked at the time on his phone, suddenly realized something, and answered.

“…” The call was connected, but for a moment, no one spoke.

Chi Hui frowned and glanced at the screen to confirm the call was active.

“Speak,” he finally said.

“Hello? It’s me.” The voice on the other end was airy and sounded a bit guilty.

The familiar voice confirmed Chi Hui’s suspicion: “…What’s the matter?”

Qi Xu stared at the wheelchair in front of him, his eyes darting around. After a pause, he said, “I might be late today…”

Chi Hui looked at the clock again, wanting to say “You’re already late,” but he held it back.

It had snowed heavily again last night, making the roads slippery and difficult. If Qi Xu lived far away, getting here would be a challenge.

Chi Hui considerately gave him some leeway: “I don’t have much going on. Just take your time getting here.”

However, after he spoke, the other end went silent for a long time. Seeing his hesitating attitude, Chi Hui’s eyelids twitched. He had a bad feeling.

“Where are you right now?”

Qi Xu pursed his lips tightly, looked up at the building in front of him, and whispered, “Downstairs at your place.”

Chi Hui sat on the living room sofa and turned his head toward the window: “Then come up.”

“…I can’t come up.” Qi Xu tried pulling the handle of the wheelchair again.

Chi Hui’s first thought was that the elevator was broken. Before he could ask, he heard the other say: “I’m stuck.”

“…” “…?”

You’re what?

Qi Xu sensed the sudden silence on the line and explained: “The wheelchair I brought got stuck in the roadside guardrail. I might need to find someone to help get it out.”

The veins on Chi Hui’s forehead throbbed. After a pause: “…Wait there.”

…

Five minutes later, the obediently waiting Qi Xu saw a fully bundled-up figure.

Chi Hui, wearing a mask and a baseball cap, looked around and eventually spotted a certain someone—who was not quite useful but very good at causing trouble—at the roadside not far below.

Several guardrails were set up by the road to prevent illegal parking. The gap between the rails wasn’t exactly small; it would actually take some effort to find the perfect angle to wedge a wheelchair in so tightly.

But Qi Xu had achieved this without breaking a sweat.

How should one put it? Qi Xu was perhaps truly gifted in the art of causing trouble.

Chi Hui stood there, staring at Qi Xu in silence for nearly a minute, his eyes full of speechlessness.

“You bring a wheelchair here, yet you want me—the one with the broken leg—to come down and help you with it? Do you think that’s reasonable?”

Qi Xu looked at the other’s arm in a sling and his right leg that couldn’t bear weight, lowering his eyes and shaking his head guiltily.

Although he had originally intended to call someone else for help, letting the injured person worry made Qi Xu feel very embarrassed.

After expressing his dissatisfaction, Chi Hui looked at the person who resembled a student caught being late by the principal and let out a sigh with his hand on his hip.

Qi Xu’s shoulders were already covered in a thin layer of snow, and the tips of his exposed ears were frozen red.

Chi Hui glanced at him, and his temper instantly died down. He shut his mouth, walked to the wheelchair, and dutifully began cleaning up his employee’s mess.

Passersby saw two young men and a wheelchair struggling by the roadside for nearly half an hour. It wasn’t until a kind elderly sanitation worker helped that the wheelchair was finally freed.

After thanking the old man, Qi Xu regained control of the wheelchair. He looked at Chi Hui with sparkling eyes, clearly wanting to make up for his mistake.

Chi Hui felt like a hole was being stared into the side of his face: “…”

“Do you think I dare to sit in it?” he struck down mercilessly.

Qi Xu raised one hand in a promise: “I definitely won’t let you fall.”

Chi Hui tried to pretend he didn’t hear it, but the other’s gaze was too persistent. He eventually compromised and sat in the wheelchair.

It’s only a short distance, surely nothing else can go wrong. That was his thought as he sat down.

However, by the third time he had to stand up from the wheelchair, Chi Hui just wanted to roll his eyes—

Passing a speed bump, the tires slipped and couldn’t get over; Chi Hui stood up to wait for Qi Xu to lift it over.

Passing steps, it couldn’t go up; Chi Hui stood up to wait for Qi Xu to lift it over.

Finally, they encountered a ramp specifically designed for wheelchairs. But he was too heavy, the ground was too slippery, and Qi Xu couldn’t push him up. Chi Hui stood up again.

“Tsk. Honestly, did you bring this wheelchair just to torture me?”

Qi Xu scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile: “No…”

A journey that should have taken five minutes took twice as long because of the wheelchair.

…

Finally entering the elevator, the small enclosed space was a bit awkward with just the two of them.

Qi Xu, spacing out, began to review his mistakes. Suddenly remembering something, he turned and looked directly at the man next to him who refused to sit in the wheelchair again.

Chi Hui was looking down, chatting with Xu Changshu. Sensing the gaze, he didn’t even look up: “Impossible. I’m not sitting in it again.”

But Qi Xu didn’t look away.

“Tsk.” Chi Hui put his phone away and turned to look back.

“You didn’t save my contact information, did you?” Qi Xu’s tone was a bit resentful.

He had specifically told him to save his number last night, but when he called just now, Chi Hui obviously didn’t know it was him at first.

Chi Hui: “…”

The world was turning upside down. The little employee who only caused trouble was actually lecturing him.

The most critical part was that for a split second, he actually felt a bit guilty.

“Hiss. Are you the boss, or am I the boss?”

Qi Xu finally realized they were in a superior-subordinate relationship and dejectedly looked away, feeling a bit wronged: “You are…”

…

Leaving the elevator, Qi Xu followed Chi Hui, pushing the wheelchair.

The moment the door opened, a golden shadow rushed out, lunging straight for Qi Xu. If the wheelchair hadn’t been in front of him as a shield, Qi Xu would have been tackled directly.

Chi Hui hadn’t expected it to rush out either and gave the giant creature a light kick.

Qi Xu recovered from the shock and stared at the large Golden Retriever licking his hand. He blinked in surprise: “A puppy.”

Seeing that he wasn’t afraid of dogs, Chi Hui didn’t stop it, but he couldn’t help but glance at the Golden Retriever again.

A puppy?

After getting the person, the dog, and the wheelchair all inside, Chi Hui finally felt at peace and poured himself a glass of water.

“Is it yours?” Qi Xu squatted in front of the Golden Retriever, petting its head. Why hadn’t he seen it yesterday?

Chi Hui sat on the sofa: “Xu Changshu was raising it. He sent it over last night.”

He had originally bought it from a dog dealer, but later he didn’t have time to care for it and gave it to Xu Changshu. After this injury, Xu Changshu insisted on sending it over, saying it was to keep him company.

Always finding trouble for me.

Chi Hui looked at the Big Trouble and the Little Trouble, feeling a bit of a headache.

The Little Trouble was being licked several times by the Big Trouble, laughing so hard his teeth showed: “You’re the real ‘Lickspittle’ (Tiantian), aren’t you?”

Chi Hui: “…” That was an interesting choice of words. Who else was a lickspittle?

“What’s its name?” Qi Xu was pushed by the Golden Retriever until he was sitting on the floor. While pushing back the overly enthusiastic dog, he looked back at the man on the sofa.

“What (Shenme).” Chi Hui’s expression was a bit numb.

“Huh?” Qi Xu didn’t understand.

“Its name,” Chi Hui said, watching the person the Golden Retriever was clearly favoring, “is ‘What’ (Shenme).”

Qi Xu froze. Once he realized, he couldn’t help laughing out loud: “Hahahaha, what a cute name!”

Chi Hui watched the person’s dazzling smile and, after a while, inconspicuously looked away.

Before giving the dog to Xu Changshu, he used to call it “Stupid Dog.” Later, when Xu Changshu took it to get a dog license, he called and asked what to name it. At the time, Chi Hui was busy catching up on sleep and replied irritably: “Call it whatever (Shenme)!”

As a result, when Xu Changshu came back, he had a license for a dog named “What.”

Last night when Xu Changshu insisted on sending the dog over, Chi Hui found it a bit bothersome. But looking at it now, it seemed somewhat useful. At least the Little Trouble was currently distracting the Big Trouble, giving him some time to rest peacefully.

..

The heating in the house was quite strong. After playing for a while, Qi Xu felt a bit hot. He stood up, took off his coat, and sat back down on the rug in front of the sofa.

Chi Hui unconsciously stared at his slim white nape for a few moments. Sensing the gaze, Qi Xu turned back.

Chi Hui’s eyes flickered for a second, but his gaze quickly dropped to a small patch of skin exposed at Qi Xu’s collar.

“What’s wrong with your neck?” Chi Hui frowned.