Chapter 4

Ji Qingzhou's survival instinct went into overdrive. Before Chu Cheng could say a word, he hung up on Fang Yaoxuan and blocked the number.

"So annoying!" Ji Qingzhou said. "What is wrong with this person? I made myself perfectly clear, and I'm still getting calls. Take a hint!"

He had barely finished speaking when a video call from Fang Yaoxuan came through on WeChat. Chu Cheng watched at his leisure. Without a word, Ji Qingzhou declined the call again and deleted the contact, all in one smooth sequence. Then he smiled. "There. All cleared out."

"Really?"

"Really. I promise."

Chu Cheng put the phone back. "But I still think someone like you is far too unreliable. What if you run off with Fang Yaoxuan? Then I'll have thrown away my money and lost you, too. Better to sleep with you first."

With that, he pushed Ji Qingzhou down and pinned him beneath him. Ji Qingzhou struggled, rolling about on the bed. "Don't! You were clearly just about to agree."

"I changed my mind."

"Your name means honesty, but you're really not living up to it," Ji Qingzhou said, pushing at him. "Just say yes. You already agreed a moment ago. Look, I've deleted every trace of Fang Yaoxuan. You can't go back on your—"

Before he could finish, a sudden gurgle sounded. Ji Qingzhou stopped moving at once and looked up at Chu Cheng, whose face bore a rare hint of embarrassment. Ji Qingzhou asked quietly, "How about I make you some noodles first?"

Chu Cheng: ...

In the quiet kitchen, the white fluorescent light cast a soft, warm glow. Ji Qingzhou stood obediently at the gas stove, cooking noodles for Chu Cheng.

The noodles were spaghetti, springy and silky, paired with freshly cooked black pepper sauce whose tempting aroma instantly whetted the appetite. Ji Qingzhou lifted the pasta out of the pot and onto a plate, ladled a thick layer of black pepper sauce over it, and garnished it with a cherry tomato cut in half. Only after fetching a fork from among the utensils did he carry it out to Chu Cheng.

Chu Cheng watched him set the plate down in front of him, then solicitously fill a glass of water and place that before him as well. "It's ready to eat," he said. Chu Cheng couldn't help thinking that Ji Qingzhou had switched roles with extraordinary speed.

Chu Cheng lowered his head and took a bite. It was actually quite good. He glanced up at Ji Qingzhou to find him watching with an anxious, expectant look. "Is it good?"

"Ji Qingzhou, why do I get the feeling you're different from before?"

"Really?" Ji Qing hadn't expected him to be so perceptive. "Maybe it's because I used to be too nervous around you."

"And now you're not?"

"Not as nervous as before." After a moment's thought, he ingratiatingly handed Chu Cheng a figurative good-person card. "You're a really good person."

Chu Cheng had absolutely no desire to receive that sort of card. "You're getting the wrong idea. You'd better go on being nervous."

Ji Qingzhou: "...Oh."

Watching Chu Cheng lower his head and start eating, he realized he was a little hungry himself. He hadn't eaten a thing since transmigrating here; he'd been too busy being terrified.

"Could I have some, too?" he asked. "There's still quite a lot in the pot. I'll wash the dishes and the pot afterward. Is that okay?"

"Were you planning to make me wash them?" Chu Cheng asked.

"No, no, of course not."

Chu Cheng glanced at him, and Ji Qingzhou smiled back. He really did seem different from before—he was even smiling at him now. "Go ahead," Chu Cheng said. "It's not as though I'd let you go hungry."

"Thank you," Ji Qingzhou said happily. He hurried into the kitchen, served himself a plate, fetched a fork, and carried it out, taking a seat a short distance from Chu Cheng.

"There are drinks in the fridge," Chu Cheng said.

Taken aback by the kindness, Ji Qingzhou said, "Water's fine for me."

Chu Cheng looked up at him. "I meant I want a drink."

Ji Qingzhou took the hint and got up to go to the fridge. "What would you like?"

"Cola."

He took out a can and even pulled the tab open before handing it to Chu Cheng. Chu Cheng was a little surprised. "That quick on the uptake?"

Ji Qingzhou handed him the cola with a smile, then sat down to eat.

Seeing how Ji Qingzhou seemed to have become an entirely different person tonight, behaving himself almost unbelievably well, Chu Cheng was both surprised and pleased that he was finally acting as he should. With that thought, he pushed the glass of water beside him over to Ji Qingzhou.

Ji Qingzhou gave him a questioning look.

"Drink," Chu Cheng said succinctly.

Remembering that he had just said water would be fine, Ji Qingzhou thought Chu Cheng was rather attentive. He nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

With that, Chu Cheng went back to eating his noodles.

The two of them soon finished all the noodles. After washing the dishes and the pot, Ji Qingzhou found Chu Cheng leaning against the kitchen doorway, waiting for him.

He still couldn't quite figure out what Chu Cheng intended—whether he was still going to sleep with him—so he could only make his way over slowly.

Chu Cheng reached out and switched off the kitchen light. "Come on. Bedtime."

Ji Qingzhou followed him, unsure whether this was the sort of bedtime that involved going to sleep or sleeping with someone.

"We're just going to sleep tonight, right?" he asked quietly.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're so kind, so handsome, and so understanding that we definitely are."

Chu Cheng turned to look at him. "I never said that~"

Ji Qingzhou's face fell instantly.

Chu Cheng found his reaction rather amusing. "Are you really that scared? Then why did you call me and tell me you agreed?"

I wasn't the one who agreed. Who knows where the person who agreed to this has gone by now, Ji Qingzhou said silently.

When he didn't answer, Chu Cheng gave a soft laugh. "You want the money, but you don't want to give anything in return. Where in the world do you get a deal that good? My money doesn't grow on trees, does it?"

Ji Qingzhou lowered his head.

Chu Cheng shook his head, went into the bedroom, and brushed his teeth again.

Looking at the disposable toothbrush set Ji Qingzhou had used earlier, he said gently, "Make do with that for now. Once we move your things over tomorrow, we'll see what you need and buy it for you."

"Huh?" Ji Qingzhou blinked involuntarily. What was happening? How had they gotten to moving his things over already?

"You don't want to?"

Ji Qingzhou shook his head. He felt as though his most frequently used phrases today were the triple denial: I didn't, I'm not, don't make things up. "I'm just a little surprised. Am I moving in tomorrow?"

"What else? Keep letting you stay somewhere I can't see you, waiting to rekindle your old romance with Fang Yaoxuan and pick up where you left off?"

"I already told you I'm not a fan of his anymore," Ji Qingzhou insisted.

Chu Cheng looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Just a few hours ago, you were making a scene and threatening to jump off a building because you wanted to be with him without paying me back or letting him find out about our relationship. Now you're telling me you're not a fan anymore? Am I an idiot? Am I that easy to fool?"

"A brush with death really puts things in perspective. The moment I stood on that windowsill, I realized nothing mattered more than staying alive. Since you can help keep my mom alive, I'm better off behaving myself and staying with you," Ji Qingzhou said in all seriousness.

"Then you'd better remember what you're saying now."

"I'll take it to heart," Ji Qingzhou solemnly promised.

"So tomorrow, we're going to your place to move your things." Chu Cheng smiled.

Seeing how insistent he was, Ji Qingzhou thought it over and decided that would be fine. As the original novel's designated scumbag top, Fang Yaoxuan came from a family far too powerful for him to cross. Right now, Fang Yaoxuan was determined to make him a stand-in and would inevitably keep pestering him. Staying here with Chu Cheng to fend him off would be a little safer. Besides, the original owner of this body had long since sold the family home to pay for his mother's treatment and was now living in a rental. Without anyone to rely on, even paying the rent might become a problem. In his current situation, he might as well save wherever he could.

"All right. I'll be imposing on you from now on, then."

"Not at all," Chu Cheng said with a smile. "It's not as though you're staying here for free." He looked at Ji Qingzhou. "Come to bed."

At the mention of bed, Ji Qingzhou felt another headache coming on. He cautiously followed Chu Cheng into bed and lay down under the covers.

Chu Cheng was lying on his side facing him. Seeing him settle onto his back, he said, "Turn over and face me, too."

Ji Qingzhou had no choice but to obediently roll onto his side.

Satisfied, Chu Cheng put an arm around him and drew him closer.

Held in his arms, Ji Qingzhou worried that he still wanted to do something after all. His nerves crept up again, and his whole body began trembling uncontrollably.

Feeling him tremble, Chu Cheng said helplessly, "Relax. I'm just holding you. You won't let me take the car for a spin, but surely you can at least let me touch the bodywork?"

Only then did Ji Qingzhou relax. He wasn't used to having someone so close, let alone holding him, but Chu Cheng had already compromised, and he could hardly push for more. He could only murmur an assent, close his eyes, and force himself to sleep.

Ji Qingzhou had thought it would take him a long time to fall asleep, but it didn't. Perhaps too much had happened that day. Now that things had finally settled down for the moment, a weight had lifted from his heart, and his tightly wound nerves relaxed. Before long, he was asleep.

Author's Note:

Ji Qingzhou: I can't believe I'm moving in with my sugar daddy already!! Panic!

Chu Cheng: Let's see what trouble you can stir up once we're living together!