Chapter 16: 16

Chapter 16: Kitty

To be honest, Gu Qingchi hated housework. However, he didn’t own a lot of things, and the things he did have were pretty easy to clean up, so this weak point of his wasn’t very obvious.

Very soon, he received the equipment prepared by the crew, which was a white towel and an ax with a wooden handle.

The place where he was going to chop the firewood was in the yard. A large wooden stump stood there in the center. It looked like it had been there for many years.

Next to it was a pile of wood.

Gu Qingchi hung the white towel around his neck and placed a piece of wood on the stump. Then, he stepped on the edge of the stump with one foot and leaned over, observing the angle.

He was dressed in punk fashion, but he had an ax in his hand and a towel around his neck.

And yet, the overall effect wasn’t bad. There was a strange kind of coherence to it.

Gu Qingchi observed for a while, looking very serious. Finally, he raised the ax, using the strength in his waist and arms, and swung it down.

As soon as he moved his waist, the metal accessories on his pants made a crisp tinkling sound.

Unexpectedly, it went without a hitch. The firewood was cleanly split in half.

Gu Qingchi had his foot on the stump and looked pensively at the pile of firewood next to him.

Things were going smoothly for Gu Qingchi. Similarly, Huang Hanyu's task was also progressing without a hitch. In fact, it was going so well that it would’ve made the other guests jealous if they had known.

The tool the program team prepared for him was a bucket. However, they didn’t give him any other restrictions, so he was free to do whatever he wanted.

Huang Hanyu was on his way to fetch water when he discovered the neighbor watering his plants with a hose.

He was stunned and watched the neighbor water plants as he held onto his bucket. The uncle1 in the garden next door saw him and glanced at the vegetable garden he was in charge of.

"Idiot, what are you doing? That’s no good. How can you be so behind the times? You’re gonna tire yourself to death. Come here, come here, uncle will give you a water hose."

So, Huang Hanyu happily threw away his bucket and went next door to borrow a water hose. Then, he sat at the edge of the field, his only task being to watch the gurgling water flow towards the ground.

Meanwhile, Xie Luyu was picking and choosing from the toolshed. When he came out, he was fully armed with a white apron, a scarf to cover his nose and mouth, and sleeve covers.

He looked very professional.

His actions also looked very professional. Anyone who saw him would think, “Ah, this is someone who’s really good at cleaning.”

However, in reality, the floor that he mopped was dirtier than before. It even started to get muddy because the floor hadn’t been swept before he added water, and it was already too late to fix it now.

When Xie Luyu looked back and saw the mess he made, he froze.

He only looked professional because of his posture and attitude.

After all, imitation was the thing actors were best at, but his lack of experience couldn’t be overcome by imitation alone.

In the kitchen, Chen Yueran and Zhou Yingying looked at each other in dismay when they saw the stove. It was the kind of stove that needed wood to burn.

The refrigerator next to it was full of unprepared vegetables. There was a bag of rice by their feet.

There were all kinds of bottles and jars spread across the counters. They tried to find the salt, but, after searching for what felt like forever, they finally gave up.

Zhou Yingying originally thought that she could cook. She usually cooked some soup or made some brisket whenever she had some free time. They may not have been anything fancy, but they had tasted alright. However, now, she felt that she actually, probably, maybe wasn’t very good at cooking.

Zhou Yingying thought about it for a while and then placed her hopes on Chen Yueran.

Earlier, Chen Yueran had confidently vouched for herself, saying that she knew how to cook a lot of dishes.

Zhou Yingying turned towards her with a sliver of hope and forced her red lips into smile.

"Ah, actually, I'm not very good at cooking. I’ll be counting on you, Xiao Ran. I'll be your sous chef."

Chen Yueran pondered for a while.

"I can make a few dishes, like dumplings, steamed buns, noodles, tangyuan2, hamburg steak, and scrambled eggs."

She looked at the refrigerator and spoke honestly.

"The fridge doesn’t seem to have anything I know how to make."

Chen Yueran turned her head and looked at Zhou Yingying. Zhou Yingying’s confidence seemed to have taken a very strong hit. Her face had even lost all its color.

"Also, I don’t know how to light a fire."

Zhou Yingying could barely maintain her smile.

Chen Yueran was still very optimistic.

"But I can learn. Different cooking methods can’t be that different. It should be enough to know how to boil, stew, and fry."

Zhou Yingying fake-laughed a bit and spoke reluctantly.

"Then, I’ll light a fire for you?"

Noon.

Gu Qingchi tilted his head to the side and wiped his sweat with the towel hanging around his neck.

Gu Qingchi was very serious while chopping wood, and his requirements were very strict. He strived to cut each piece of wood into equal halves. He would even summarize his experience afterward every time.

He had been repeating this process for a long time. The weather was rather warm, and the sun was out. Even the cameraman, who hadn’t moved much, had a head full of sweat.

The cameraman had been following him while filming. He had focused his attention on Gu Qingchi chopping wood all morning.

When Gu Qingchi got hot, his face wouldn’t grow red. He would just sweat. His loose hair was soaked in sweat and stuck to his cheeks, but his pale white skin still looked ice-cold at first glance.

That’s why, even though he was sweating, he still made the task look effortless.

Fortunately, the sleeveless shirt was loose-fitting. There was virtually no fabric on the back of the shirt, so it wasn’t too unbearable.

Every movement of Gu Qingchi’s would use his back and his waist. Every movement would rattle the necklace around his neck. The accessories on his clothes swayed rhythmically. From the slits on the side of the shirt to the opening on his back, you could see his tight waist and abdomen.

He was practically walking hormones, having both strength and beauty.

A beautiful person was always a hundred times more attractive when they’re lively rather than when they’re standing still.

The ax was also very stable, and every swing looked light and delicate.

After chopping the last piece of wood, he wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, revealing a full forehead.

Next to him was a pile of chopped wood. It was about as tall as a person.

The director finally came back to his senses.

"How come he chopped all of them? He chopped so much, way too much. Quickly, send him some water or something. We can’t have him collapsing from exhaustion."

The average person's physical strength could only cut about a third of the wood on set. The program team's original intention wasn’t to cut all of the wood, just enough to use for today.

After thinking about it, the director added another sentence.

"Send some food too, some chocolate or something. Otherwise, he’ll collapse from the physical exertion.”

Then, he spoke to the cameraman.

"When the time comes, cut this part, don't broadcast it. Just leave a small portion. Otherwise, if his fans get a clue about what happened, they’re gonna give us hell on our Weibo account."

He subconsciously started treating Gu Qingchi as a big shot.

The cameraman was watching the film.

"It’s a good shot though. It'd be a pity to cut it out. It has that—what’s it called? Sex appeal? Just a single glance is enough to catch your attention.”

In fact, the cameraman had wanted to give him even more shots.

"Even if we just broadcasted him chopping wood for a whole afternoon, the viewers would probably still eat it up."

When the director heard that, he relented.

"Alright, edit the beginning and middle part."

On the other side, Xie Luyu had started over by wiping the floor with a cleaning rag. After more than two hours, he finally cleaned up the mess of a dining room floor.

Huang Hanyu played in the water all morning. He took off his shoes and rolled up his pants, stomping around in the garden. Seeing that it was almost time to eat, he happily ran back to the house barefoot.

His feet were still wet, and he stepped straight onto the floor.

"I'm back! Watering plants was so much fun, I want to do this again next time. What are we eating for lunch?”

Huang Hanyu had barely stepped past the entrance when he was met Xie Luyu's cold stare.

Xie Luyu glanced down.

Huang Hanyu followed his gaze and also looked down. He saw the puddle of water his feet had brought with him, as well as the footprints trailing along from the door.

Xie Luyu took a few deep breaths and tried to persuade himself ‘no, I need to calm down and be gentle with my juniors.’

No, it's no good, it's too difficult.

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So, he gave up and switched his stance, persuading himself of the opposite. This time, things went much smoother.

The country was full of promising and talented young people. It didn’t need a punk like Huang Hanyu. What today’s young people needed was a good beating.

Xie Luyu’s thinking was starting to go haywire. His mind was already a huge mess.

He threw the cleaning rag, mop, and bucket on the ground. Then, he placed one hand on the back of the sofa and promptly jumped over it, shouting at Huang Hanyu.

"Just stand there for me and don't move!"

Huang Hanyu immediately turned around and ran.

"Xie ge, Xie ge, calm down!"

***

By the time the group settled down and sat down to eat, it was already almost 1:00.

There were three dishes on the table. Everyone was hungry, but no one moved their chopsticks.

Zhou Yingying no longer had the glamorous appearance she had when she first arrived. Her hair was messy, and her face was covered in dust. She sullenly stared at the dishes on the table.

Chen Yueran was actually rather happy with the cooking. The flavors were very ‘unique’, and she was just making it up as she went. Still, she felt good about herself and had a great sense of accomplishment, so she automatically viewed the results through rose-colored glasses. She even coyly rubbed the back of her head, acting shy.

"Hehe, I hope you enjoy. I took charge of the cooking today, so the taste might not be the best."

Xie Luyu glanced at her and was speechless for a while.

"You sure are modest, huh."

Chen Yueran shyly cupped her face in her hands and giggled.

"Oh, no, it's just so-so."

"No, no, no, you’re way too modest. How is this ‘just so-so’? That’s already way too much of a compliment for it. If you didn’t bring it to the table, I would’ve thought it was leftover food waste."

Chen Yueran stood up and made a move to grab him. When Xie Luyu saw her coming, he got up from his seat as he was talking and avoided her around the dining table. Even as he was being chased, his mouth never stopped, like he was performing crosstalk.

"Just look at the stir-fried tomato and eggs. If it wasn’t for my excellent eyes, I wouldn’t have even been able to make out what it is. It looks like a soup with how watery it is. See, the eggs are all muddled together with the tomatoes. Messing up tomato and eggs this badly can also be considered a talent I suppose.”

Xie Luyu circled back around to his seat and sighed.

"Alright, you can stop chasing me. What a tyrant, I was just expressing my opinions. I didn't say I wasn’t gonna eat it.”

Chen Yueran sputtered exasperatedly for a long time but, in the end, didn’t manage to get a word out. Finally, she went to Zhou Yingying, who was scooping rice, and complained sullenly.

"Zhou jie, make sure to give Xie ge extra!"

The group made do with the haphazard meal, but everyone didn't eat much.

Gu Qingchi was quiet and never said much. He looked like the type who wasn’t picky and easy to take care of.

But in fact, he was very picky, and his sense of taste was very sensitive. If the food was even a little bit off or didn’t suit his tastes, he wouldn’t take a single bite more.

He didn't eat much in the morning to begin with. During lunch, the others were a bit better and made an effort to at least eat a little bit.

Gu Qingchi, however, picked at his food for a while, but only ended up eating a little bit of rice. The rice was the one part of the entire meal that was somewhat successful. Even then, it was still a little undercooked.

Plus, Gu Qingchi had always had some stomach problems. When he was working at the restaurant, he would be too lazy to make dinner if he work ended late.

His occasional stomach pain was something he had never been able to fix.

It might have been because he was too hungry today.

At two o'clock in the night, Gu Qingchi's stomach started to hurt intermittently.

It might have been because of the unceasing stomach pain.

Gu Qingchi became a little irritable, the kind of irritability that welled up for no reason.

His whole being was entrenched in a very depressed state. In this state, he was a little dull to external stimuli, but his negative feelings were multiplied many times over.

Being angry was fine, being upset was fine, even sadness or sorrow was whatever. It was as if all of these emotions were coalescing into one very particular emotion.

Sometimes, he would suddenly start crying.

By the time he noticed that he was crying, he would be confused.

When did he start crying?

Why was he crying?

Clearly, there was nothing particularly sad to be upset about.

Gu Qingchi remembered that the staff from the program crew had given him chocolate earlier in the day to replenish his energy. Gu Qingchi didn't eat it at the time because it was bitter chocolate, so he quietly put it on top of a cabinet downstairs.

Gu Qingchi sat up and slowly put on his shoes.

He felt that eating something might help him shake off his low spirits.

Gu Qingchi was a little tired. His eyes were half-closed. He thought to himself, a little indifferently, at the very least, he might be able to fall asleep.

First-floor dining room.

The chocolate was still there. Gu Qingchi bit open the package, sniffed first, and then frowned.

It was a bitter after all. He didn’t like bitter chocolate, but he still reluctantly put up with it.

Before he could even take a bite, there were two knocks on the dining room door.

Gu Qingchi raised his head. Xie Luyu was leaning against the door frame and looked over with a smile. He held a cigarette in his mouth, which hadn’t been lit.

"Now that I’ve caught you, you gotta share.”

His words were a little muffled as he spoke, probably because he was still biting a cigarette.

But his voice was a lot deeper than usual. When he started speaking, you could almost feel the vibrations of his voice.

He probably thought it was inconvenient to speak like this, so he held the cigarette in his hand and spoke clearly with a smile.

"You eat half, leave half for me."

Gu Qingchi was still wearing the white shirt with black pants, as usual. The shirt was still unbuttoned. He had started using this outfit as pajamas.

When he heard what Xie Luyu said, he looked up said nothing. He simply walked over quietly and handed the unwrapped chocolate to Xie Luyu.

Xie Luyu looked at him for a few seconds.

When standing up straight, Gu Qingchi's height was 1.83 meters.

Xie Luyu was about half a head taller than him and had a shaved head. Along with his physique, he looked rather imposing when he stood at full height.

Then, he lowered his head and spoke ingratiatingly, like a big dog who had only done something wrong, wagging his tail tentatively.

"Are you angry? It’s my fault, I just can't keep my mouth shut. I just have a bad habit of speaking carelessly, you know? I know I’ve got a lot of bad habits, I'll definitely change it, okay?"

Gu Qingchi's temper wasn’t very good, but it also wasn’t particularly bad.

He was usually pretty easy to get along with, and he was okay with being by himself as well.

Because his emotional state was usually rather numb and indifferent, he didn’t really care about anything.

That’s why not many people realize—Gu Qingchi's emotional management was actually somewhat of a disaster.

Whether it’s positive or negative, he didn’t manage or restrain his emotions at all. He simply allowed himself to be completely immersed in them.

So, once something triggered him while in this kind of sensitive state—

He would start to get angry. If left alone with his emotions, he would continue to become more and more upset, shutting up his emotions inside himself.

Often, the thing that sets him off might not even be worth mentioning in the eyes of others, but Gu Qingchi would find it unbearable. His anger would far exceed the realm of normal.

It was just like stepping on a cat’s tail. Usually, the cat would explode with anger, its fur standing on end, as it meows and criticizes you.

Kitty Gu was a little different. He would just walk away silently, and the people who stepped on his tail often don't even realize what awful thing they’ve done.

He didn’t talk much, didn't show his emotions much, and often got angry without anyone noticing.

Gu Qingchi would usually hide away by himself until he was able to shake off that emotional state.

This was the first time someone had been so keenly aware that something was wrong with him.

He asked himself, why was he angry?

It might be because of the stomach pain, because it was very late and he was tired, because he was still hungry.

But in any case, Xie Luyu walked over and stepped on the cat's tail.

When the angry kitty was about to walk away, it was stopped by Xie Luyu.

He noticed the cat's unhappiness and patiently gave it comfort.

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