I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: “Why do you like me?”

Qi Xu was beautiful.

This was probably the first thought that occurred to anyone who met him.

Actually, if you analyzed his features individually, Qi Xu had a look that leaned toward bright and vivid. However, those apricot eyes were particularly striking against his porcelain-white face; their rounded, full shape softened the intensity of his beauty, adding a touch of liveliness and playfulness.

And those eyes, which were almost always curved in a smile, were currently focused intently on him. The clear depths of his pupils were shimmering brightly. Chi Hui found himself staring back, uncontrollably gripped by Qi Xu’s gaze.

For a split second, he had a bizarre, eerie sense of déjà vu. It felt as if, a long time ago, there had been a pair of eyes just like these that had stared at him with such earnestness and joy.

Chi Hui swallowed instinctively and reached out his hand.

Qi Xu caught the movement. Thinking Chi Hui wanted the candy, he conscientiously offered the sweet closer to the man. However, Chi Hui’s hand went straight past his palm.

“?” Qi Xu tilted his head in confusion. He looked back at Chi Hui, watching the hand get closer and closer. It took two seconds for him to realize that Chi Hui seemed to want to touch him.

Qi Xu pursed his lips and glanced at Chi Hui’s broad palm. Then, he naturally leaned forward, unhesitatingly offering himself up to Chi Hui’s hand. He blinked and subconsciously slowed his breathing, waiting to be patted.

However, just a moment before fingertips could make contact, a clump of loose snow fell from the pine tree above, landing squarely on the back of Chi Hui’s hand.

The icy shock brought Chi Hui back to his senses instantly. His raised hand froze in mid-air.

Seeing the sudden stop, Qi Xu was confused, but his body was honest—he lowered his head and leaned in again.

Before Chi Hui could even feel annoyed at his own lapse in concentration, he noticed that a certain someone not only didn’t mind but was practically impatient for the touch.

“…”

Chi Hui’s index finger hooked slightly, pressing against his thumb.

Flick.

It was a very soft sound.

“Ah!” The startled boy let out a small cry.

Qi Xu rubbed his forehead blankly, looking at the hand that was being unhurriedly withdrawn, then at the calm-faced Chi Hui.

“…”

This isn’t what I guessed. Wasn’t he going to pet me? Why did he flick my forehead?

Looking at the surprised boy, Chi Hui couldn’t help but curl his lips, turning his gaze away to hide it: “You came back too late.”

Though Qi Xu couldn’t see his full expression, he keenly sensed that the gloom that had been hanging around Chi Hui had gradually dissipated.

“Do you want to go home?” Having left the man alone for so long, Qi Xu licked his lips guiltily.

Chi Hui turned his head toward him, his tone indifferent: “So you went through all that trouble to bring me out just to let me freeze in this icy weather for an hour.”

“…” Although that wasn’t the intention, going back now certainly made it seem that way.

Qi Xu scratched his cheek, his gaze drifting away. He suddenly noticed a few snowmen someone else had built in the snow.

“Then how about… we build a snowman together?” Qi Xu looked back at Chi Hui, his eyes full of expectation.

Chi Hui looked at his leg, then at his arm, and finally at Qi Xu. Though he didn’t say a word, he said a lot.

Qi Xu met his gaze and blinked.

“Go play by yourself if you want,” Chi Hui scoffed, seeing through his little scheme.

Qi Xu saw that Chi Hui wasn’t actually angry and gave him a sweet smile: “Then I’ll build one for you.”

He was still holding the jujube paste cakes Jiang Ying-shen gave him, which were in the way, so he handed them over to Chi Hui. Worried that Chi Hui would be bored sitting alone, Qi Xu didn’t go far with “What.” He started rolling snowballs on a patch of pristine snow nearby.

Xu Changshu had sent him a few messages earlier. Chi Hui lowered his head to reply. When he looked up again, he saw the person and the dog making a mess.

Mainly it was the Golden Retriever. Qi Xu would squat down and make a snowball, and “What” would lunge up and take a bite. Every time he made one, the dog ate it. After a few minutes, the ground was covered in broken chunks of snow.

The scene actually amused Chi Hui: “Idiot.” It was unclear which one he was referring to.

Qi Xu was stubborn; he insisted on racing the dog to see who was faster, but he lost every time. Finally, having no other choice, Qi Xu stood up and pressed two small snowballs (not even the size of a fist) together to get the basic shape of a snowman.

To prevent “What” from destroying it again, he walked over to Chi Hui, holding the tiny snowman in both hands.

“Hold this for me first. I’m going to find some small twigs for its arms.”

Looking at Qi Xu’s frost-reddened hands, Chi Hui helplessly took it. Once the hand-off was successful, Qi Xu ran off happily.

Chi Hui was left staring at the tiny snowman in his palm.

“…” He felt like Qi Xu had brought him down here just to use him as a tool stand.

The snowman’s head and body had been rushed; the snow was a bit loose. Chi Hui watched it for a while and couldn’t help but poke it. Unfortunately, he didn’t control his strength, and the snowman’s head collapsed.

“…” Chi Hui quietly looked up, glancing at the person nearby playing tag with the Golden Retriever.

Fortunately, Qi Xu was focused on dodging the dog’s lunges and didn’t notice the “accident.” Chi Hui silently reached out, grabbed a handful of fresh snow from a nearby bush, and molded a sturdy new snowball.

Watching the boy who was so busy battling the dog that he’d forgotten to find twigs, Chi Hui remained silent for a few seconds. He then snapped two small wooden sticks from a branch and poked them into the snowman’s body.

Thus, when Qi Xu returned with his twigs, he found his little snowman nearly finished. He looked at the snowman, then at Chi Hui holding it, looking back and forth several times.

Chi Hui felt uneasy being stared at, thinking he’d been caught replacing the snow. However, in the next second, Qi Xu’s eyes curved: “I knew you wanted to play too.”

Chi Hui was stunned for a few seconds before looking away: “…Once you’ve played enough, we go home.”

Qi Xu had indeed played enough. His hands were getting numb, so he obediently pushed Chi Hui back home.

Once inside, Chi Hui returned the jujube cakes to Qi Xu and couldn’t help but ask: “Where did this come from?” Surely he didn’t buy them while walking the dog—that bakery was quite far from here.

Qi Xu looked up: “Ah, someone gave them to me.”

Chi Hui couldn’t help but frown: “Don’t eat things given by just anyone.”

Qi Xu pursed his lips, wanting to say it wasn’t just “anyone,” but then he remembered the time he gave Chi Hui cookies. He tilted his head: “But you ate the snacks I gave you.”

“…” Chi Hui was rendered speechless. After a long while, the look he gave Qi Xu was incredibly exasperated, as if to say, You have the nerve to bring that up?

Qi Xu was indeed embarrassed by the look and silently turned away, pretending he didn’t see it. Chi Hui didn’t press the matter and sat back on the sofa. Qi Xu squatted in front of “What,” helping him dry his damp fur.

For a moment, no one spoke, and the air grew quiet. Chi Hui stared at his phone for a bit, then involuntarily stole a glance at Qi Xu.

After a long time.

“Why do you like me?” “Can I put it in the fridge?”

The two of them, silent for so long, spoke almost simultaneously.

Chi Hui paused, then noticed the tiny snowman in Qi Xu’s hands. Qi Xu had insisted on bringing it back, though Chi Hui didn’t know why he’d bring home two clumps of snow destined to melt into water.

Interrupted by such a childish question, Chi Hui’s temple throbbed. He scoffed irritably: “Why don’t you build an ice palace to enshrine it?”

Qi Xu understood the rejection but wasn’t sad; he just pursed his lips. The air conditioning was on, and it was too warm inside; the snowman wouldn’t last long. Qi Xu had no choice but to carry the snowman and carefully place it outside on the windowsill.

Watching his back, Chi Hui let out a soft “Tsk.” He felt like he was bullying someone.

Just as he thought the question he’d asked in a moment of madness wouldn’t be answered, the person who had finished placing the snowman spoke.

“I just do. Do I need a special reason?” Qi Xu didn’t understand.

Chi Hui’s fingers on his knee curled uncontrollably. He looked at Qi Xu again. Before he could speak, Qi Xu added: “Because you’re handsome, you cook well, you’re kind-hearted… and you can build snowmen.”

Qi Xu worked hard to list the other’s merits, trying to “lick” him verbally.

Chi Hui, who only wanted to hear the first sentence: “…”

Fine, so he likes my face. It’s shallow, but I suppose it’s a motive. It turned out there was no such thing as love for no reason; there was always a desire for something.

Surprisingly, this made Chi Hui feel a strange sense of relief. At least it was an obvious process of equal exchange. As long as he could provide what the other sought, this affection wouldn’t be easily withdrawn.

Qi Xu, who hadn’t thought that deeply at all, was confused as to why Chi Hui looked like a weight had been lifted.

….

Before clocking out for the night, Qi Xu managed to snag another meal. As if to retaliate for the trouble Qi Xu caused today, Chi Hui specifically placed the spicy sautéed octopus in front of him.

“Still ‘cute’?”

Qi Xu stared at the spicy octopus tentacles on the plate, remembering he had “bonded” with it for half an hour earlier. He bit his chopsticks and blinked.

“…It looks very delicious now.”

Half an hour later, a well-fed Qi Xu left under the explicit and implicit hints of the host. The tired “What” curled into his bed, and the house finally grew quiet again.

Chi Hui stood by the window with a glass, frowning at the snowflakes beginning to fall again. I shouldn’t have let him stay for dinner; what if he’s clumsy and falls on the road?

After hesitating, he opened Qi Xu’s contact: [Let out a ‘squeak’ (Zhi) when you get home.]

The employer needs to ensure the safety of the employee. That’s reasonable.

Qi Xu had just reached his building when he received the text. He was quite surprised.

[Squeak.] He sent a single word back.

Qi Xu got into the elevator and watched the top of the phone screen show “Typing…” for a long time. Finally, only a symbol popped up.

[Chi Hui (3): ?]

Qi Xu stared at the question mark, confused for a moment, until another message followed.

[Chi Hui (3): That fast?]

“…” “…!!”

Only then did Qi Xu realize he had slipped up.

[Squeak, squeak, squeak. Don’t I sound like a little mouse?] [Sticker: Mouse drinking rat poison.jpg] [This is actually a cold joke. Did you laugh?]

[Chi Hui (3): …] [Chi Hui (3): Just go home. Stop being a freak.]

“Oh, okay.” Looking at the text, Chi Hui automatically imagined Qi Xu’s expression when his little trick failed and couldn’t help but curl his lips.

What a stupid joke. Not funny at all.

Chi Hui put away his phone and headed toward his room. But just as he reached the door, he turned back and pushed open the window. Cold wind and snow rushed in. The tiny snowman was still standing on the windowsill, now covered in fresh snow. It looked small and aggrieved, exactly like a certain someone.

…

On the other side, Qi Xu was celebrating his narrow escape from being found out. Standing at his door, he felt a hard object scratch his fingertip in his pocket.

He pulled the object out. Once he saw what it was, his gaze drifted toward the neighbor’s door across from him.

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang for only a few seconds before the door opened. The person standing behind the door seemed to be waiting for him, looking at him with an “as expected” expression.

“What is the Young Master here for?”

Qi Xu blinked and said nothing, handing over a small card. Xie Chengyan lowered his eyes, glanced at it, and took it.

[Li Yumao, Psychological Consultant]

“…” The smile on Xie Chengyan’s face froze.

Qi Xu said with total earnestness: “I asked for you. Sexual addiction can be treated. This psychologist is very good; you should try contacting him.”

“………” The fake smile on Xie Chengyan’s face almost shattered.