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墨書 Inktalez
After the effects of the medication began to wear off, Xin Yi quickly felt drowsy again after eating. Song Bunan, not one to be polite, urged him to go to bed, saying he would take a nap after tidying up the kitchen.
Unlike the beds at home, Song Bunan's bed was soft and inviting. The mattress perfectly conformed to his body, providing a comfortable embrace. The pillow, filled with buckwheat husks, made a gentle rustling sound when he moved, which was quite soothing.
There was a faint fragrance in Song Bunan's home that Xin Yi couldn't quite identify, but it was comforting and reassuring. He could hear the sounds of water splashing and dishes clattering from the kitchen outside the bedroom, while the occasional rush of passing cars outside added to the tranquil atmosphere that enveloped him.
Before long, Xin Yi drifted back into sleep, unaware of when Song Bunan returned to his side. This time, he found himself in a chaotic dreamscape where he couldn't discern his surroundings. It felt lively with people bustling about and various machines beeping around him.
He found himself trapped in an unyielding cocoon, struggling in vain to push through a small opening. After several attempts, he gave up and waited quietly for someone to notice him. Yet from the cacophony of voices to an eerie silence, no one or nothing came to his aid. He tried to speak but realized his mouth had been sewn shut.
"Test subject, no consciousness required," a voice came from behind him. He turned around abruptly and saw a pair of enormous eyes glowing with an eerie green light staring back at him through the cocoon. Panic surged within him as he instinctively kicked out but felt himself plummeting before waking up with a racing heart.
The curtains were drawn halfway open, sunlight flooded into the room, casting a golden glow on the surrounding plush toys. The aroma of food wafted in, stirring his stomach awake once more.
Following the path from last night, he found new toiletries on the sink and freshly washed clothes on the sofa. The dining table was set with rice and several steaming dishes. The clock indicated it was 11:32 AM. In the kitchen stood Song Bunan in an apron, seemingly busy with something while occasionally glancing at his phone and talking.
"Hey, remember to add the shrimp shells at the end for better flavor. You're practically a chef now and still asking me how to make this soup? How embarrassing," a gentle voice from the phone said—definitely a woman.
Though Xin Yi couldn't see Song Bunan's expression from behind, he could tell he was quite happy at that moment. "The dishes I know how to make are all taught by my mom! Making soup is tricky; I definitely need to ask for help. You finished all the dumplings you brought over? Next time can you make me shrimp dumplings? I really want some."
"Sure! I'll bring some back when I return. Tell your friend he can stay comfortably at home; it's not safe to go back after such a big incident. And you two should avoid wandering around for now. Alright, my boat is about to leave; go eat! Bye!" The tone of her voice was something Xin Yi rarely heard; he stood at the doorway until he heard the busy signal on the other end before snapping back to reality.
"Have fun, Mom! And tell Dad to remember to bring me gifts!" Song Bunan's words were cut off as she hung up. He didn't seem annoyed; instead, he simply tucked his phone back into his pocket and continued waiting by the pot for the soup.
So this is what having parents feels like? Xin Yi licked his dry lips, unable to articulate what emotions stirred within him. Fortunately, Song Bunan didn't give him much time for overthinking; almost as soon as envy flickered in his heart, he returned with a pot of soup and cheerfully greeted him with "Good morning!"
"Good morning?" Xin Yi feigned confusion. The man smiled broadly, replying confidently that whenever one opens their eyes and gets out of bed is considered morning; therefore, it was morning now.
You always have a point. Xin Yi could only shake his head helplessly at this clever retort before being ushered off by Song Bunan to wash up. "Hurry up and wash your hands; otherwise, the food will get cold."
In that moment, so many firsts converged: waking up past noon in an unfamiliar place where someone had prepared food for him without any other tasks or interruptions waiting for him.
Looking at the somewhat haggard reflection in the mirror, Xin Yi began to ponder whether he truly deserved such a life. It had appeared in his fantasies for decades, yet now that it was laid out before him, he felt an involuntary fear that made him want to retreat.
This kind of life was a scene he had never even dreamed of.
Song Bunan was awakened by a call from his brother. As an office worker, he adhered to a strict schedule; breakfast had to be finished before eight o'clock, even if his younger brother had only fallen asleep at four in the morning. With bleary eyes, he stood in front of the elevator, jolted awake by a bag of warm breakfast.
He complained about having barely slept, but the indifferent delivery man, Song Buxian, didn’t care. He playfully slapped Song Bunan on the head and remarked that if he stayed up late, he had no one to blame but himself. With sleepiness and resentment intertwining, Song Bunan rushed into the house and devoured two buns, imagining that what he held in his hands was actually Song Buxian's head.
Lying on the sofa, he succumbed to sleep once more. It was only the determination to care for his sick family member that eventually roused him and urged him to buy groceries and cook without any complaints.
He even considered Xin Yi's regular workouts when selecting ingredients, choosing foods suitable for fitness enthusiasts and preparing a well-balanced meal with both meat and vegetables.
In the midst of this, he took a call from his mother. He fabricated a small lie about a friend who had been laid off and was being stalked by a pervert, claiming that this friend needed to stay at his place for safety. His ever-kind mother immediately responded by reminding him to take care of his friend's emotions and offered to have his brother bring anything they might need.
Grateful for his parents' selflessness, Song Bunan silently made a cross in his heart, hoping to lessen the consequences of his lie through other divine powers.
From recent observations, Xin Yi was not picky about food; he generally ate whatever was given to him without much concern for taste. Despite having developed a muscular physique, he ate delicately and it remained a mystery how he maintained such good shape.
Xiao Mei even fell into a gloomy mood after seeing how little Xin Yi ate, complaining to Shui Su that she somehow managed to eat more than him. This also concerned Song Bunan; how could such a tall person eat so little? Was there something wrong with his health? He certainly didn’t look unwell.
The plan to fatten Xin Yi up was also noted down by Song Bunan.
“Is it good?” he asked eagerly as Xin Yi popped a piece of beef into his mouth. The other man ate slowly and gracefully, nodding in response and saying it was very delicious.
Flattered by the compliment, Xin Yi’s mood brightened as he took a hearty sip of soup, almost lifting his nose in delight. Song Bunan happily boasted, “You can trust my cooking; I guarantee my skills!”
“Okay,” Xin Yi thought to himself that he would establish a rule: whenever Song Bunan asked something, he would respond accordingly. This rule had been mentioned by an old boss when recounting his romantic history; he said only those who could do this were worthy of love.
A set of keys adorned with plush toys appeared before him as he looked up, meeting Song Bunan’s gaze. The latter smiled and said, “These are my house keys. Since we’re going to live together, you need your own set. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get back in without an access card after going out. I have to go to the store this afternoon and probably won’t be back until late at night. If you don’t have anything planned, just rest at home; you might still feel uncomfortable from the medication.”
He guessed that Song Bunan was going to the store to burn paper again. Although he didn't like this kind of work, Xin Yi respected Song Bunan's choice and took the key, agreeing to it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let me know when you're done tonight, and I'll come pick you up."
His words made the person across from him laugh so hard that their features seemed to come together, their ears tinged with pink. Song Bunan nodded happily and promised to finish quickly so as not to be too late.
"Brother Xinyi, if you feel uncomfortable staying here, just let me know. It's fine to go to your place," Song Bunan said cautiously, worried that Xin Yi might feel uneasy due to his living habits.
"I'll go back this afternoon to grab some clean clothes. It doesn't matter where we stay; if you want to move over, you can do so anytime," Xin Yi said, knowing that his home would likely not suit Song Bunan's preferences. He decided to tidy up a bit in the afternoon to make it at least somewhat livable.
With this promise, Song Bunan's fondness for Xin Yi soared once again. He couldn't help but smile and said that it was no problem; since they were now living together, they could stay at either place.
"If you don't mind, I need to bring Brother Rabbit with me when I go." This made Xin Yi quickly think of the big rabbit that had been beside him last night and was now sitting on the chair by the window soaking up the sun.
He asked about the rabbit's origin, and Song Bunan sat up straight, putting down his chopsticks seriously as he introduced it: "Brother Rabbit has been with me since I can remember. When I was little, my parents made me sleep alone, and I relied on hugging Brother Rabbit. Even now, I feel uncomfortable without him. But if Brother Xinyi doesn't like stuffed animals, I can leave him behind when we go to your place."
Xin Yi understood this well; many children in the orphanage had something they were reluctant to part with—be it a handkerchief, a toy, or even just a button. Those items served as comfort and companionship during their upbringing. He had once fantasized about having something similar for himself, but reality had long extinguished that dream.
"As long as he can sit in the back seat of the car, it's fine to bring him," Xin Yi said, causing the person across from him to light up with excitement. The man nearly jumped for joy and danced over with a giggle, planting a kiss full of cooking oil on Xin Yi's cheek, leaving a strong impression.
"Brother Rabbit has actually been patched up many times by my grandma. He's full of holes from my rough handling. But now my sewing skills are pretty good; I can always put patches on him. If Brother Xinyi has any old clothes you don't wear anymore, you can give them to me for patches."
That was another area he didn't quite understand. Nevertheless, Xin Yi nodded in agreement and said he would bring an old shirt tonight to celebrate their successful cohabitation.
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