Chapter 55: 55 She's Mine
Xu Qingyan didn't even lift his eyelids, slowly savoring his meal, completely ignoring Shen Jinyue.
There were nine guests in total on the show, all with different goals as to who would play the game openly. He didn't say, and was too lazy to explain; the kid was already foolish enough, there was no need.
He ate quickly and glanced at Pei Muchan beside him; he then leaned back in his chair to play a game.
Choosing the King of Lanling, he circled around Xiao Qiao.
Pei Muchan ate slowly, taking small bites, without any rush.
By the time she finished eating, only Xu Qingyan was left playing his game at the table, with Shen Jinyue and You Zijun each having gone back to rest, agreeing by default that the last person to finish would wash the dishes.
Just as she put down her chopsticks, Xu Qingyan also put down his phone, and, without a word, started to clear the table.
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"I can do it," said Pei Muchan.
"No need, you go rest. Consider it a tuition fee," said Xu Qingyan, rolling up his sleeves adeptly and swiftly scraping all the dishes into one plate.
With a clattering sound, he piled everything up and, in one go, took away all the dishes from the table.
This scene left the viewers dumbfounded, as they commented rapidly through the barrage.
"Who would've thought, Xu Dog is quite skilled at housework, huh?"
"He's just faking it for his image! Hilarious, how can a scumbag think of whitewashing himself?"
"I'd believe it if it was anyone else faking it for their image, but Xu Dog is a total disaster, faking what now? Xu Dog must have definitely worked as a plate carrier in a restaurant, there's no doubt."
Pei Muchan didn't leave. She quietly found a damp cloth and wiped down the table.
She was thinking of helping out, but when she turned around, she found that Xu Qingyan had already washed all the dishes and was now standing in the kitchen, shaking off the water from his hands.
"What's up?" Xu Qingyan asked her, noticing her strange gaze.
"You're... done washing?"
"Oh, what else?"
Her gaze fell on Xu Qingyan's wet hands, and she blinked.
"You don't wear gloves when washing dishes?"
"I'm not used to wearing them."
Indeed, he had finished washing; the camera had followed him the whole time. The live stream viewers were all eyewitnesses, and because of that, the barrage was even more intense than Pei Muchan's reaction.
"Our Ding Fatzi Square needs talents like this! Please come and grace us."
"What sort of dishwashing magic hands are these? Xu Dog, come to my place; sister will wear black stockings and show you a luminous watch!"
"The ancient Greek god of dishwashing, so adept at work, you could save a fortune on a dishwasher."
Pei Muchan was a beat slower in her response, turned her face away, and said she was going upstairs to rest. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but Xu Qingyan felt that her steps seemed hurried.
The afternoon in summer dragged on, inducing drowsiness.
Xu Qingyan didn't go back to his room. Instead, he took out a charger from his bag in the living room and began to charge it there. He then turned and walked towards the kitchen, through the narrow passageway.
At the end of the passage was a half-closed wooden door, leading to the backyard, with a view of the clear blue sky and deep blue sea in the distance.
A green tree peeked out from behind the door, covering a corner of the blue sky.
He stood there for a while, then pushed the wooden door open and entered the backyard. Sunlight filtered through the leaves onto a few outdoor lounge chairs, creating a blissful sense of wasting time languidly.
As the temperature gradually rose, he lay down on a lounge chair, with the warm sun above him. The secluded backyard offered a wide view, with only the scorching sea breeze sweeping past his ears.
Time seemed to slow down, and Xu Qingyan felt warmth seep through every inch of his body, as if he were soaking in warm water.
He squinted his eyes, remembering how as a child during the summer holidays, he always loved to lie on the cool mats spread out on the floor of the hall and sleep, the summer breeze lazily stirring now and then, lulling one into sleepiness.
He would eat his little pudding, clutching a borrowed magazine with a yellowed cover, flipping through it with relish.
Back then his mother was not sick yet, and watermelons were soaking in the tub. All the windows of the house, north and south, were open, electricity poles lined the roadside slicing through clouds, and the summer cicadas' chirping slipped into the house.
He slowly closed his eyes, waves of consciousness washing over him in the sea of memories... gradually quieting down.
When he opened his eyes again, Xu Qingyan felt his body slightly weak, the sunlight in the backyard had not moved far.
He was just about to get up and go back to the living room for his phone when footsteps came from the wooden gate in the backyard, slightly heavy. After a creaking noise, a shadow emerged.
The physique was like a double-door refrigerator, it was the fitness coach and male guest, Liu Renzhi.
He seemed a bit surprised to see Xu Qingyan in the backyard, his face awkward for a second, but he still walked towards him and stopped three meters away from him.
"Did the photo shoot with Sister Pei go smoothly this morning?"
Xu Qingyan didn't bother to get up, just turned his head to glance at him, his expression somewhat indifferent.
"Not bad."
He remembered that today it was You Zijun who went to shoot the Monkey King photos with Shen Jinyue, which meant the person left behind in the love cabin was Liu Renzhi right in front of him.
This guy's hairstyle and dress made him look like a Korean guy; if not for his slight accent, Xu Qingyan would have really thought he was from Korea.
Liu Renzhi fell silent for two seconds, then asked.
"Are you a gold digger?"
The wind blew past, Xu Qingyan looked utterly disinterested, as though he hadn't heard what Liu Renzhi had said.
"Are you?" Liu Renzhi enunciated each word, as if to remind him that tomorrow was voting day, and they were planning to vote him out.
"Does it matter?" Xu Qingyan glanced at him, there were no cameras in the backyard, he slowly uttered, "Pei Muchan is mine, don't even think about it, give up."
"From the beginning, you stood no chance. She won't choose anyone but me. Even if I were voted out, it would be the same. Do you understand?"
"I will only choose her, and she will only choose me."
The sultry sunlight seemed to cool off at that moment, Liu Renzhi stood there stupefied, the sunlight casting a clear line of shadow below his feet.
Pei Muchan was... his?
He must be crazy, how dare he say that?
Who did he think he was, this was just a reality show, the little queen... even if it was the little queen whose popularity had severely declined, she wouldn't fancy him.
A reality show romance as a casual affair, what kind of nonsense was he talking?
A jumble of chaotic thoughts flashed through Liu Renzhi's mind, and he couldn't sort out his emotions, anger, ridicule, unwillingness, all mixed together.
At this moment, Xu Qingyan had already stood up from the lounge chair. Only then did Liu Renzhi realize that the other man was even taller than him, their gazes collided, neither yielding.
Xu Qingyan's pupils were strikingly black and white, he looked clean and pure, yet his gaze upon others was cold.
Liu Renzhi's back stiffened, his gaze instinctively avoiding Xu Qingyan's.
"I... don't understand what you mean."
"Then I'll repeat it." Xu Qingyan looked emotionless, his gaze on him with his eyelids half-drooped, "She's mine, voting me out won't change that."
"Besides, you won't be able to vote me out. It's okay if you don't understand, just remember, I can assure that all three votes will go to Bai Jinze."