HD Chapter 14

Because Zhou Mu was busy paying off debts, the two of them didn’t eat until after eight o’clock in the evening.

Xu Zhi himself is not good at household chores, but after the meal, he symbolically asked Zhou Mu if he wanted to tidy up together, and Zhou Mu agreed.

So, Xu Zhi stood up and stacked the dishes the two of them had used, preparing to make a big effort. Zhou Mu didn’t stop him; instead, he cleaned up the plates and went into the kitchen.

There are two sinks in the kitchen, just enough for one person to wash and the other to rinse.

Zhou Mu assigned Xu Zhi the task of rinsing water over the washed dishes and chopsticks.

“Okay.” Xu Zhi nodded and stood by the clear water to wait for the dishes.

Zhou Mu first turned on the faucet, then picked up a dish towel and squeezed some dish soap on it, then put the bowl under the water and washed it.

His movements were very skillful, and his powerful fingers were covered with the white foam of dish soap, but they were not inconsistent at all, as if he was used to doing this kind of thing.

“Do you wash dishes often?” Xu Zhi asked subconsciously.

“Huh?” Zhou Mu’s hands washing the dishes paused. He seemed a little disappointed and then said in a very soft voice, “I don’t know.”

“Uh, sorry.” Xu Zhi blinked, feeling embarrassed for the first time because of his rude questions. Zhou Mu didn’t know anything before he came here.

He is an incomplete person.

“It doesn’t matter,” Zhou Mu shook his head and handed the first bowl to Xu Zhi, “What about you? Didn’t you wash the dishes before I came?”

“I didn’t wash,” Xu Zhi shook his head, “I find it troublesome, so I always order takeout.”

Zhou Mu nodded and didn’t ask any more questions. He handed the second bowl to Xu Zhi, “Are you a full-time novel writer?”

Xu Zhi took the bowl and rinsed it carefully under the water, “As of now.”

“That wasn’t the case before?” Zhou Mu seemed to be very interested in this question. He stopped washing the dishes and just stood aside, waiting for Xu Zhi’s answer.

“Don’t be lazy,” Xu Zhi rinsed the second bowl and put it on the dish rack, then touched Zhou Mu’s arm with his water-covered hand, “It wasn’t the case before.”

Zhou Mu picked up another plate and continued to wash it. While washing it, he asked, “Can you tell me something?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Xu Zhi said, shaking his hands under the water, apparently not wanting to talk about this issue.

So Zhou Mu stopped asking.

But Xu Zhi couldn’t help but say, “I used to learn programming.”

Zhou Mu stared at Xu Zhi for a while, and it wasn’t until Xu Zhi’s ears were almost burning that Zhou Mu said, “You don’t look the type.”

“What do you mean?” Xu Zhi took the plate and asked Zhou Mu.

If you just look at Xu Zhi’s appearance, most people would think that he seems to be more suitable for a career in the arts or in the direction of liberal arts.

His skin is very white, his eyes are round and bright, his mouth is slightly tilted, and he looks like he is easy to bully. Programming does not seem like a career that Xu Zhi engaged in.

But if you think about it carefully, Xu Zhi is actually a very contradictory person. When he talks nicely, people think he is harmless, but he has a bad temper and often gets angry when he disagrees with him. Not a deterrent, but still inconsistent with the image.

Zhou Mu no longer struggled with this question. He asked Xu Zhi, “Why did you want to learn programming?”

“This subject is very simple, isn’t it?” Xu Zhi blinked and asked simply.

“Simple?” Zhou Mu disagreed, tilting his head. He picked up the last plate for cleaning. “As far as I know, this course has a high failure rate among the compulsory courses in universities.”

“I mean…” Xu Zhi frowned, as if he were thinking about how to explain to Zhou Mu.

Quickly, he said, “I don’t mean the difficulty of the subject, but the nature of the subject itself.”

Zhou Mu stopped washing and listened carefully to Xu Zhi’s words.

“Everything is spoken with logic, persuading everything with reason,” Xu Zhi said, “Isn’t it quite simple?”

The most common emotion in Xu Zhi’s amber eyes was to pretend to be fierce, followed by shyness and avoidance, and occasionally embarrassment and unhappiness, but this was the first time he was disappointed.

Zhou Mu looked into those eyes, which instantly revealed emotions of loss and sadness. His heart seemed to be tied with a thin thread, unable to move up or down, and the pull was uncomfortable.

He covered the plate with foam and tried to liven up the atmosphere. “So, if you’re not writing novels now and not working in programming, won’t we run out of food?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Xu Zhi said nonchalantly, “I am a second-generation rich.”

Zhou Mu: “…”

Zhou Mu handed the plate to Xu Zhi, “Then I’ll be relieved.”

Xu Zhi rinsed the last plate and put it on the dish rack. He suddenly thought of the new scented shower gel they bought today and asked Zhou Mu to find it for him.

The bag containing the shower gel had not been opened since he came back from the supermarket. Zhou Mu opened the bag, took out everything that needed to be put in the bathroom, and asked Xu Zhi to take it with him.

When Xu Zhi took it, he saw what was left in the bag—some disinfectant wipes and two boxes of condoms.

Xu Zhi blinked but couldn’t help but look at it a few more times. Then, when Zhou Mu was about to tease him, he preemptively said, “You know how to spend money randomly!”

After saying that, he quickly ran into the bathroom, not caring where Zhou Mu put the two boxes of condoms.

Xu Zhi put some toiletries that did not need to be unpacked for the time being in the cabinet, unpacked a new shower gel, and took a bath. When he finished washing and returned to the bedroom, he found Zhou Mu moving the sofa out.

Xu Zhi wiped his hair and walked over, “Why are you moving out?”

Zhou Mu raised his head and glanced at him, straightened up, and naturally took the towel in his hand to wipe his hair, “I’m not sleeping. There’s no sofa in the living room, and there’s no place to sit.”

Zhou Mu wiped his hair a little lightly, itching, and Xu Zhi began to feel distracted again.

He muttered, “Who said I wouldn’t sleep?”

His voice was low, as if he was afraid of being heard.

Zhou Mu laughed, put the towel on his head, and turned around to move the sofa, “I’m not going to sleep anyway.”

Xu Zhi walked to the bed and sat down with a hot face, pretending to wipe his hair seriously. Although he didn’t help Zhou Mu move, he didn’t stop him anymore.

Zhou Mu had broad shoulders. When he bent over to push the sofa, he exerted force on his shoulders and back, which made him look very strong. Xu Zhi looked at it and looked away.

After Zhou Mu moved the sofa out, he didn’t come back in. He went directly to the bathroom to take a shower. When Xu Zhi’s short hair was about to dry, Zhou Mu came back.

He put his robes on his body casually and tied them loosely around his waist. He held a glass of water in his hand and the medicine Wen Shuyao prescribed for Xu Zhi in the other hand.

“Take the medicine first,” Zhou Mu handed the water to Xu Zhi, “Go to bed early today.”

When Xu Zhi saw the medicine, he became dizzy due to a conditioned reflex, but he still took the water and took the medicine obediently.

Zhou Mu waited for him to take the medicine and took the water cup back, then drank all the water in the cup without anyone noticing, “Are you going to sleep now?”

Xu Zhi didn’t answer Zhou Mu’s question, and his mind wandered elsewhere.

He felt inexplicably low-spirited. He thought that if he had a healthy body like Zhou Mu’s, he probably wouldn’t be content with just staying at home to serve someone water and medicine.

Although Zhou Mu came from the novel, he is actually an adult with a sound personality. He obviously belongs to the real world.

“Do you want me to help you find a job?” Xu Zhi leaned his arms back, raised his upper body, and suddenly asked Zhou Mu.

Zhou Mu was stunned for a moment while holding the cup, and then gently placed the it on the bedside table.

Xu Zhi noticed that the edge of the water cup just touched the side of the digital clock. This was his compulsive habit that Zhou Mu discovered at some point.

“It’s not necessary,” Zhou Mu sat down next to Xu Zhi without asking in advance and said seriously, “I’ll pay off the debt I owe you first.”

Zhou Mu should also be using the newly bought shower gel. The faint smell of shea butter was the same as Xu Zhi’s, making Xu Zhi feel a little warm.

So, Xu Zhi didn’t insist anymore. He thought about it and said softly, “Okay.”

 

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The author has something to say: I’ve regained my weight today; 1.4 pounds lost in vain, sorry!!!!