Starlight Descends - 67
Moving Out
Right up until the day he moved out, Zhou Qi had been convinced that something was seriously wrong with Yu Jiashu.
Originally, Yu Jiashu hadn't even planned to live here. He'd said the apartment had always been prepared for Zhou Qi, that moving back and forth was too much trouble. It was Zhou Qi who’d begged and pestered him into keeping the master bedroom for himself, saying at least it would shorten the commute on nights when work kept him late.
Somehow, though, the place had gradually become Yu Jiashu's permanent residence.
He was there every single day.
Wandering around the living room in the dead of night with all the lights off. Taking forever to open the door when you knocked. One time Zhou Qi had kindly warned him about a thief stealing batteries from the door lock, only to get a cold shoulder and a door shut in his face. Then there was that time Yu Jiashu went out late at night and came back half an hour later to take a freezing cold shower.
All of that was already strange enough.
Never mind the fact that he'd suddenly ordered Zhou Qi to move out.
And his reason? Because he was dating his goddess!
Every time Zhou Qi was grinding away on his thesis proposal at school and remembered that conversation, he couldn't help marveling at it.
He knew Yao-mei was perfect. It was only natural that people fell for her. But still, he had never imagined Yu Jiashu would come down with the same symptoms as him.
The two of them barely even knew each other. If there was any connection between them at all, it was him.
Yu Jiashu had sponsored his university education, and Qi Yao had once lived in the same orphanage as him. Their worlds couldn't have been farther apart. He'd never even seen them together.
How on earth did a relationship spring from that?
Seemed like a person really needed to decompress sometimes. Otherwise they'd start hallucinating and talking nonsense.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Zhou Qi concluded that his brother was a bit of a pitiful case.
That belief lasted until the end of the year.
The first time he realized Yu Jiashu hadn't been lying was that weekend.
According to Da Bai, the moment Zhou Qi moved out, Yu Jiashu had practically renovated half the apartment.
He’d converted Zhou Qi’s old room into a game room, complete with a massive LED screen and rows of limited-edition game cartridges lined up neatly in cabinets.
The bedroom beside the balcony had been turned into a home theater, with plush sofas, a mini fridge stocked with cold drinks and snacks, and every comfort imaginable.
Apparently there was even a walk-in closet and a completely refurbished guest room.
Though Zhou Qi couldn't understand why a grown man needed a walk-in closet, the news still made Little Buzz Cut outrageously jealous.
He'd never been treated this well!
As it happened, it was also Da Bai's birthday that week. The group had planned to go out for dinner, but since Fang Qian wanted to invite Yao-mei too, they decided to cook at the eighteenth floor apartment instead.
At the time, Zhou Qi was still scoffing at the idea. "Yao-mei is super busy, alright? You think you can just invite her whenever you feel like it? Anyone would think you guys have some kind of major pull!"
The group chat fell completely silent.
The topic died right there.
Zhou Qi took the silence as everyone admitting he was right. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he let out a smug snort and happily went back to binge-watching his drama.
When dinner time approached, he switched off the television, grabbed Da Bai's birthday present, and headed downstairs. He crossed the little pathway between the two apartment buildings and arrived at his "former" home.
The door was shut.
With practiced ease, Zhou Qi pressed his finger against the smart lock.
This time, it had battery and actually responded.
But the lock just beeped twice in warning. A cold, mechanical female voice announced: "Unlock failed."
"..."
"?"
He lifted his finger and tried again.
Still failed.
He wiped his finger on his shirt, switched hands, and tried again. Still failing!
The relentless beeping and alerts finally drew someone’s attention. Da Bai got up from the sofa and opened the door.
"Yo," he said, stepping aside to let Zhou Qi in. "You've only been gone half a month. Already forgotten how to open the door?"
"That's not it." Zhou Qi changed into his slippers with a bewildered look, closing the door behind him. "It won’t open for me. So weird. Is the lock broken again?"
Yu Jiashu happened to stroll past carrying a bottle of soda. He swept a glance over Zhou Qi and said casually. "Oh."
"I deleted your fingerprint."
"..."
Zhou Qi: "?"
"Seriously? Was that really necessary?"
He froze for two seconds before outrage finally caught up with him. Storming after Yu Jiashu, he protested all the way into the living room.
"This used to be my home too! Did you really have to wipe me out completely? It's not like I'd bother you or anything!"
Yu Jiashu sank onto the sofa, leaning lazily against the backrest. One eyebrow lifted just slightly. "I wouldn’t be so sure about that."
His voice drifted lightly through the air. As though Zhou Qi really had interrupted something before.
Zhou Qi opened his mouth to argue again when another electronic beep sounded.
He turned.
Someone was bent over the kitchen island.
A slender figure with long hair cascading over her shoulders was completely absorbed in fiddling with the oven.
Qi Yao checked the time, slipped on her oven mitts, took the freshly baked egg tarts out, and set them aside.
The rich aroma of warm custard immediately filled the living room.
She pressed a couple of buttons on the oven, then smoothly slid another baking tray inside.
The smell of dark chocolate mingling with butter and flour. Even before they finished baking, the brownies already promised to be impossibly soft and delicious.
Her every movement was practiced.
Neat.
Graceful.
Under the ceiling lights, her concentrated profile seemed to glow.
Zhou Qi stood there dumbfounded.
Yet somehow, that wasn’t the weirdest part.
The strangest part was what she was wearing. Instead of the polished image she always presented in public, she had on comfortable loungewear.
She seemed to be bare-faced, dressed in loose pants and a relaxed top. Peeking out from under the bar counter were her blue-and-white Cinnamoroll slippers, along with fluffy coral-colored socks.
Zhou Qi: "…"
"?"
His mouth fell open. He felt his brain short-circuit completely. Slowly, he turned his head to look at the two men on the sofa. "…What the hell is going on?"
The two of them looked back at him.
Neither spoke.
Zhou Qi's brain creaked painfully back to life as it searched through a hundred possible explanations.
"You didn't even let her change clothes before dragging her over here to make desserts for you?"
"Are you two even human?! Yao-mei's a celebrity! Even if she's your neighbor, even if she's sweet and gentle and too nice for her own good, you can't treat her like this!"
"She might not have a temper, but I sure do!"
Zhou Qi was getting angrier by the second, convinced these two were just taking advantage of Yao-mei’s good nature.
Just as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to defend justice...
A voice called from the kitchen island.
"Come help me carry this out."
Qi Yao hadn't specified who she meant.
Zhou Qi hesitated for two seconds and was just about to step forward when the man lounging on the sofa rose to his feet instead.
As he passed, Yu Jiashu lowered his gaze toward him.
The downward sweep at the corners of his eyes made him look cool and sharp.
"I never realized you were this dense."
His tone remained lazy and indifferent.
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have let you hang around with me."
Zhou Qi stood rooted to the spot, blinking twice, he watched as Yu Jiashu walked over naturally and took the tray from Qi Yao's hands.
Seeing dinner was nearly ready, Da Bai also stood up. He patted Zhou Qi on the shoulder with exaggerated solemnity.
"You’d better start thinking about what you’re going to call her from now on."
Zhou Qi's brain was still refusing to function. Then he saw Yu Jiashu look directly at him, he lifted his eyes and swept a look at him.
And, as if staking his claim, while Qi Yao stood in front of him handing something over...
He lowered his head and kissed the top of her hair!
Qi Yao didn't pull away. She only gave him a gentle shove, telling him with her eyes to behave and stop fooling around.
The gesture was so natural.
So practiced.
So intimately familiar.
In that instant, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck Zhou Qi five times over. His hand rose shakily into the air, his chest heaved violently. He didn't even hear Qi Yao calling him over to eat egg tarts.
Pointing at Yu Jiashu, who still wore that infuriatingly relaxed expression, he could only stammer, "Y-you... y-you..."
Not another word came out.
Only now...did he finally understand.
His precious cabbage had really been stolen away!!!!!
***
For the rest of the meal, Zhou Qi barely talk.
"Didn't your brother say egg tarts are your favorite?" Qi Yao asked in confusion, offering him a small dessert plate. "I baked these especially for you. Why aren’t you eating any today?"
Zhou Qi glanced at her, then at Yu Jiashu.
He lowered his head and poked absentmindedly at the rice in his bowl. "Just don’t feel like it."
Qi Yao looked questioningly at Yu Jiashu.
He simply raised an eyebrow, silently indicating he had no idea what was wrong.
The moment she looked away, however, he lifted his eyes and shot Zhou Qi a cool look.
Quit sulking.
Zhou Qi pouted miserably. Still, after taking a bite, his expression immediately brightened. If he weren't trying so hard to hide it, he would've looked blissfully delighted.
Qi Yao felt something was strangely off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Da Bai and Fang Qian hurriedly steered the conversation elsewhere.
The rest of dinner passed pleasantly enough. Though Zhou Qi remained unusually quiet, lost in his own thoughts.
After dinner, the two men went to wash the dishes.
Fang Qian shot Qi Yao a meaningful look.
Qi Yao crooked a finger at the younger guy, and the two of them stepped out onto the balcony.
"What's wrong?" she asked, resting her elbows against the railing.
At first Zhou Qi stayed silent. Only after she'd looked at him for quite a while did he finally mumble, "I only just found out you two are dating."
"And it seems like you've been together for a while."
"Everyone knew. I'm the only one who didn't."
He sounded genuinely aggrieved.
Qi Yao blinked in surprise. "Didn't your Ge tell you already?"
"..."
After a long pause, Zhou Qi frowned helplessly. "How was I supposed to know he was being serious? He barged into my room in the middle of the night saying he was dating you and that I had to move out. Who wouldn't think he was sleepwalking?"
Qi Yao nearly laughed. If you still didn't believe him after that, isn’t that a little on you for being slow-witted?
But seeing the rims of his eyes turning a little red, she kept the thought to herself.
She paused for a moment, then explained gently. "We wanted to tell you properly, but we just never found the right chance. I’m telling you now, is that okay?"
"Your Ge and I are dating. Seriously dating."
Her expression was earnest, her soft, peach-blossom eyes looked straight into his with quiet sincerity.
She had always possessed this remarkable ability to smooth away other people's emotions.
Warm and comforting.
Zhou Qi was silent for several seconds, and dropped his gaze. "Oh," he muttered. "He pursued you?"
"He did." Qi Yao smiled.
Another long silence.
Then Zhou Qi said quietly, "He's actually a really good person. Aside from being a bit cocky sometimes, he’s great the rest of the time."
Qi Yao didn’t interrupt, just listened quietly.
The stubborn little guy with the soft heart still looked unhappy, yet all he could talk about was how wonderful Yu Jiashu was.
"I wasn't originally accepted into Fengxing's sponsorship program. He sponsored my education personally, using money he'd earned from his startup."
"He never wanted my gratitude either. He spent all that money and didn't even want to meet me. I was the one who dug up information about him and waited outside Jingfan until I finally ran into him."
"He looked exhausted that day. After hearing me introduce myself, the first thing he said was that he didn't expect anything in return. He just hoped I'd stay sincere and kind. That was enough."
"I remember thinking...What a strange person. He wasn't after fame. He wasn't after profit. A huge sum of money thrown away, just so a stranger could have an education. And even his request was a ‘hope,’ not a demand."
"After that, I’d often pass by Jingfan on purpose. I kept pestering the receptionist until she'd let me in under the excuse of using the restroom. Then I'd stand outside the glass doors and watch him."
"He’s really an incredible person. While everyone else in college was skipping classes, playing games in the dorms, and worrying about failing exams, he'd already built a company. He spent every day in the lab and already accomplished so much."
"I really admire him." Zhou Qi finally said quietly, his eyes lowered, "I even switched my major to electronic information because of him."
He paused.
"I really do think you're amazing. Amazing beyond comparison. But if I had to pick one person out of everyone I know who’s the most worthy of you…"
"I think…it could only be him."
Zhou Qi kept his eyes down as he spoke.
Perhaps too busy with his research project to get a haircut lately, his buzzcut had grown out a bit. It wasn’t so prickly anymore, just a little bit fuzzy to the touch.
Qi Yao reached over and gently rubbed his head. "I know."
"He really is wonderful."
"But so are you."
She remembered the first time she'd met this kid outside a convenience store.
A loud, energetic little troublemaker.
Optimistic and bright.
No one would've guessed he'd grown up in an orphanage.
Back then he'd been chubby, always shrinking into corners.
Whenever he looked at people, it was only for the briefest glance before his eyes dropped back to his own shoes.
So lacking in confidence.
"Oh," Qi Yao remembered something and laughed. "You used to have a runny nose every single day."
Zhou Qi: "…"
His face instantly turned bright red.
“I was in bad shape back then," he muttered in protest. "I kept catching colds."
"But look at you now."Qi Yao ruffled his hair again. She found the texture oddly satisfying, a little addictive.
Her slender fingers lightly ruffled his hair. "You're doing so amazing. Top university for both undergrad and master's. Guaranteed admission to graduate school. Scholarships too. Right?"
Zhou Qi's face turned even redder. He answered softly, "...Mm."
He was taller than she was. To make it easier for her to pat his head, he even lowered it slightly.
Qi Yao spent quite a while coaxing the sulking little brother before he finally looked better.
Finally, she smiled at him and said, "A hug?"
His face now flushed all the way down his neck.
Pressing his lips together, he held his breath and carefully opened his arms.
He gave her a brief, perfectly respectful hug.
"The egg tarts were really good," he admitted after a moment's hesitation. “But it seems like there might not be enough for me."
"…"
She'd baked nine of them!
Qi Yao fell silent for a moment."You can have three more at most. I refuse to watch you turn back into your old self."
Zhou Qi broke into a huge grin. "Deal."
Looking thoroughly cheerful again, he turned and slid open the balcony door.Only to discover a certain someone was standing there quietly, pretending to admire the scenery outside.
The two men locked eyes.
The atmosphere became delicate.
The balcony door wasn't soundproof. Of course, Yu Jiashu had heard every word of Zhou Qi praise for him.
Yu Jiashu was the first to look away.
Rarely, he actually seemed a little awkward. Then he muttered, "You're only allowed to hug her this once."
Zhou Qi: "..."
What a petty guy!!!
---
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