By Zephyria 
Episode 4: The Moment We Reunited, I Lowered My Gaze and Stared at Him
The sound of rice frying in oil echoed from the cramped kitchen. He Yu sat at a small table that felt slippery with grease.
Xie Xue wiped the serious expression from her face and grinned, waiting for her brother to finish the fried rice.
He Yu forced a superficial smile as well, though internally, he was rolling his eyes in sheer annoyance.
Before long, the sliding kitchen door—plastered with posters—opened. Just as the familiar scent of rice hit his nostrils, Xie Qingcheng emerged and took off his apron. His shirt still hugged his waist tightly, and his dress pants were smooth and wrinkle-free. Despite his cold personality, he was quite a good brother. Having acted as the head of the household and looked after his siblings from a young age due to their parents’ early passing, his cooking skills were excellent.
As his brother, sleeves rolled halfway up, brought out a tray and placed it on the table, Xie Xue let out a squeal of excitement and hopped around to set out the bowls and utensils.
“Smells great! Oppa, you’re the best! I love you, I love you! Let’s eat! I’m starving to death!”
At those words, Xie Qingcheng frowned.
“A girl shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly. Have some tact. Go wash your hands first.”
He then turned to He Yu and added, “You too.”
It had been a very long time since He Yu had eaten fried rice like this.
The golden fried rice made by Xie Qingcheng had every single grain perfectly distinct. As a child, He Yu had observed Xie Qingcheng making fried rice in the kitchen. The secret to delicious fried rice was using day-old rice—not too mushy, but not too dry. The rule was to beat eggs in a large bowl and mix them with the rice before adding it to the wok, ensuring every grain was evenly coated in gold.
Once the oil was piping hot, two eggs were cracked into the wok, scrambled quickly, and then removed. Then, lard was added, and the egg-coated rice was stir-fried over high heat.
In truth, this wasn’t an authentic Yangzhou fried rice. It was a recipe with the peas removed to suit Xie Xue’s taste, yet the flavor was flawless. Three steaming bowls of fried rice glowed golden under the grime-covered light. With finely chopped ham, plump shrimp, and a garnish of fresh green scallions, it stimulated the appetite in both color and scent.
As he chewed the rice, He Yu silently plotted.
He was so preoccupied he barely knew if the food was going down his throat or his nose. Xie Xue chattered away with a smile the entire time. However, most of that laughter was directed toward her brother. While the siblings shared a harmonious conversation, He Yu, who had not interacted with them for a long time, found it difficult to join in and ended up becoming nothing more than an invisible background character.
Being a background character was deeply unpleasant. He had to get Xie Qingcheng out of the room by any means necessary.
“Want more?”
While distracted by his thoughts, He Yu had already finished the fragrant rice. Coming back to his senses, he acted politely toward Xie Qingcheng, who was looking at him.
“I’m fine.”
“Oppa, I want more! Give me a bit more!”
Xie Qingcheng stood up with Xie Xue’s plate. With chopsticks still in her mouth, Xie Xue said to He Yu, “My brother’s cooking is way better than yours, right? It’s seriously delicious; are you sure you don’t want more?”
He Yu replied with a forced smile, “One person breaking the scale is enough. I won’t get in your way.”
“Hey! What’s with that! You hate me, don’t you!”
“You were the one who said the stuff I made wasn’t that great—.”
As they were bickering, Xie Qingcheng’s voice drifted from the kitchen.
“Xie Xue, what is this water bottle doing here?”
“Ah.”
Xie Xue, who had been joking with He Yu, stopped instantly. She straightened her posture as if she weren’t the same person who had been giggling with He Yu just moments ago.
“I heard the dorms would have a water outage tomorrow, so I filled some up in advance. But the kitchen is too small and it was inconvenient to put it anywhere else, so I just left it on top of the dresser for now.”
“What if it falls when you open the door since it’s so high up?”
The fool replied, “Ugh, Oppa, don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”
Even a careless remark is heard by someone. Watching the girl he liked get nitpicked, He Yu scanned the kitchen with innocent eyes. Suddenly, a very mischievous plan sprang to mind.
After dinner, He Yu—acting the part of the kind, reliable, and wonderful male student in place of the indifferent Xie Qingcheng—stepped forward to take charge of the dishes.
“Want help?” Xie Xue asked.
“I’ll call you if I need you later,” He Yu replied with a mysterious expression, neither smiling nor not smiling, and closed the kitchen door.
The moment the door shut, the smile vanished completely.
He began to measure the angles meticulously. First, he slightly shifted the water bottle on top of the dresser toward the edge. It was positioned so that it would be hit the moment the door opened.
Next, he calmly took out the hairdryer Xie Xue had kept in the second drawer, dropped it into the sink without blinking, and turned on the faucet.
Swoosh—.
And so, the high-end hairdryer Xie Xue had bought by saving half a month’s salary was turned into a useless piece of junk by Young Master He, who she would never have suspected in her wildest dreams.
Good.
He Yu nonchalantly wiped the water off the hairdryer and put it back in the drawer.
The groundwork was complete.
He peered through the gap in the door at the girl who was in the middle of a lively conversation with Xie Qingcheng, then rolled up his white shirt sleeves, quietly turned the tap, poured in the detergent, and began washing the dishes.
Look at this! How wonderful! A perfect specimen of a young man!
But as they say, those who commit sins must pay their karmic debt.
Having thoroughly plotted from the shadows, he shook the last few droplets of water from his hands. Now it was time to gift the female lead the “coincidence” he had planned. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached the kitchen. He Yu snapped his head around. A tall man’s shadow was reflected through the translucent glass.
He Yu’s eyes widened. Before he could stop it, Xie Qingcheng’s voice came from outside.
“He Yu, let’s go inside for a moment so I can wash my hands.”
“Wait—.”
Before he could finish the word, a thunderous crash erupted as if the world were turning upside down. The water bottle he had intentionally moved to the edge wobbled in a circle and finally—.
Splash!
The water bottle, filled to the brim and intended to pour over Xie Xue’s head according to plan, instead slammed directly onto Xie Qingcheng’s handsome face.
Holy shit!
And not a single drop was left behind!
The two of them fell into a simultaneous, silent meditation.
“…….”
“…….”
Water sprayed everywhere, leaving the kitchen a mess. Having smoothly accumulated “merit,” the water bottle rolled from Xie Qingcheng’s head down to his feet and slowly drifted toward the living room like an old man on a stroll, finally coming to a proud stop right in front of the slippers of Xie Xue, who had rushed over upon hearing the noise.
Having witnessed the entire process from outside, Xie Xue shuddered in horror.
I’m screwed…
Crap, I’m screwed, screwed, totally screwed!
Her brother, drenched from head to toe, slowly turned around. Perhaps because he had been washed by an unexpected rain, his already pale face looked like white jade, and his eyes seemed even darker. Water dripped from the hair clinging to his forehead. As droplets flowed into his wide eyes from the sudden disaster, he narrowed them and regained his composure.
“Xie Xue!”
Xie Xue flinched and shrank back in fear.
Brushing back his wet bangs, Xie Qingcheng exploded in anger.
“I told you not to put it on top of the dresser!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Trembling, Xie Xue rushed over, grabbed a mop, handed her brother some tissues, and searched the dresser for the dryer.
“Oppa, I really didn’t think it would actually fall… It was fine when I went in just now… Let’s dry your hair first. You’ll catch a cold.”
His conscience pricked him, and He Yu stood behind them, quietly blinking his almond-shaped eyes.
Xie Xue led Xie Qingcheng to the living room, took out the hairdryer that He Yu had turned into junk by dunking it in water, plugged it in, and pressed the switch.
But there was no response.
“Huh?”
She pressed it again. Still no response.
“…….”
She pressed it one more time.
“……Oppa.”
Looking at her brother’s heavily sunken face, she felt as if her own funeral date were approaching. Xie Xue said in a trembling voice, “I-I think the dryer is broken…”
Ice-cold peach blossom eyes shot a piercing glare.
“Is this the four-thousand-yuan hairdryer you talked about?”
Xie Xue almost fell to her knees.
Why is today so unlucky!
In the first place, Xie Qingcheng couldn’t understand why Xie Xue wanted to buy a hairdryer more expensive than an average TV. Facing her brother’s merciless criticism, Xie Xue had repeatedly explained how wonderful this machine was—that it was excellent for hair care and especially durable, that it wouldn’t break even after twenty years of use.
—I swear I’ll only use this hairdryer for twenty years! If I break the promise, I’ll offer my neck as payment for the cost of my stupidity!
The words she had spoken back then echoed in her ears. Feeling a chill at the back of her neck from Xie Qingcheng’s eerie gaze, she took a step back and covered her neck with her palm.
While she was stamping her feet in panic, Xie Xue spotted He Yu, who had appeared shamelessly after wiping the water from his hands. A spark flashed in her mind. As if she had seen a god of salvation, she rushed toward him, on the verge of tears.
“He Yu! Can you help me? I think the hairdryer is broken! I don’t know why it has to be now! You have a change of clothes at your dorm, right? You have a hairdryer too, right? Could you take my brother and lend him some clothes? I’m asking you as a professor!”
“…….”
Still acting polite just because her brother is present.
He Yu finally smiled and played along.
“Professor Xie, are we not family?”
Then he turned his gaze to Xie Qingcheng.
Xie Qingcheng was leaning back on the sofa. Water was dripping along his sharply defined jawline. Because the drenched gray shirt clung to his skin, the outline of his chest and his indented waist were faintly visible. He tilted his head slightly, pressing his thin lips together, glaring at Xie Xue with a dark expression. He looked as if he were about to grant his human-trash sister a peaceful euthanasia.
Looking at that sight gave He Yu a headache.
According to plan, the person who should have looked like a drowned rat and returned to his dorm to dry their hair should have been Xie Xue.
For Xie Qingcheng to take that spot—how could things have gone so wrong?
He Yu was a self-proclaimed straight and hated doctors. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the prospect of the old-fashioned Xie Qingcheng visiting his dorm.
But what choice did he have? The milk was already spilled. Xie Qingcheng had suffered because of him, and Xie Xue had asked for help. He let out a quiet sigh and approached the formidable Dr. Xie sitting on the sofa.
“You’re completely soaked. And stop glaring like that. Mr. Xie, would you like to come with me to change your clothes? The dorm is close, only ten minutes from here. Let’s go.”
The male dorms at Huzhou University’s College of Arts were four-person rooms. Since he brought Xie Qingcheng during the peak dinner hour, no one was in the room. It seemed everyone had crawled out to find food.
“Wear this.”
He Yu took a clean T-shirt and pants from the wardrobe and handed them to Xie Qingcheng.
Xie Qingcheng’s face showed immediate displeasure.
“Tracksuit?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
What’s wrong with it? Isn’t this the style only students wear? It had been twenty years since Xie Qingcheng had worn such clothes. He barely remembered what he looked like in a tracksuit. It was obvious it wouldn’t suit him now.
“Just give me a shirt.”
“Goodness. I’m truly sorry, but you don’t have a choice, Teacher.”
He Yu said with a smirk. Now that Xie Xue wasn’t around, there was no need for pretenses.
His smile vanished like a piece of tissue. There was no trace of sincerity in his dark, sunken eyes. The polite language he had used shifted in an instant.
“This is the only thing in my dorm that will fit you. My shirts would be too big.”
Xie Qingcheng looked up. Beyond the damp hair stabbing his eyes, his gaze met He Yu’s face.
With his polite mask removed, blatant mischief clung to the corners of He Yu’s mouth. Meeting Xie Qingcheng’s gaze, he arched an eyebrow.
“Not wearing it? If you won’t, you can just leave naked.”
“…….”
Xie Qingcheng snatched the clothes from his hand and headed for the bathroom with a stern face.
While waiting for him to change in front of the bathroom, He Yu suddenly felt that this scene was strangely familiar.
He spoke to the man inside through the glass door.
“You know, Mr. Xie. I suddenly remembered something from the past. I don’t know if you remember, but back in your college dorm, I—.”
“I don’t remember. Piss off.”
He Yu couldn’t help but laugh. To deny it so bluntly before he even finished speaking—what could be a more certain affirmation than that?
It was clear that Xie Qingcheng also held a grudge from that time, just as he did.
Everything has a hidden meaning. This clothing was, in fact, a revenge act after several years, returning the favor to Xie Qingcheng.
Thinking about it, it was actually quite pleasant. Was this roughly how it felt when roles were reversed after a long time?
“Then hurry up and put them on.”
With Xie Xue gone, He Yu’s true colors were fully exposed before Xie Qingcheng. With a smiling face and arms crossed, leaning against the bathroom door, he tapped the translucent glass with his index finger. An unhideable, slouchy habit was embedded in his voice.
“You need to change quickly so we can go see your sister.”
A few minutes later, Xie Qingcheng pushed the door open with force. He Yu, who had been leaning against the door, was nearly knocked flat on the floor.
Caught off guard, He Yu let out a low groan, bending over and clutching his nose.
Xie Qingcheng looked up indifferently.
“Why were you standing so close?”
Feeling like he was dying of pain, He Yu decided to throw away the mask entirely.
“……Xie Qingcheng, is that something a human says? You’re the one who hit me.”
Whenever his temper flared, he would openly call Xie Qingcheng by his full name in private.
Xie Qingcheng paused for a moment before speaking.
“Go put some ice on it.”
“Where am I supposed to find ice?”
He Yu removed his hand from the bridge of his nose and rubbed it. He managed to suppress his anger, but he didn’t forget to talk back.
“Your hands are like ice anyway, so I’ll just use those for the compress.”
Xie Qingcheng imagined the scene for a moment, then replied concisely with a cold face.
“That’s too gay. I’m a homophobe.”
Saying so, he pushed He Yu’s chest aside and walked past him, entering the room and beginning to search everywhere.
He Yu was speechless.
“What do you mean? I didn’t mean it like that! And I’m more of a homophobe than you—.”
“Where’s the dryer?”
Xie Qingcheng had no need to listen to a male student’s excuses. In the first place, he wasn’t in the mood to listen.
“……On the chair.”
Xie Qingcheng plugged it in and went to dry his hair. With a dissatisfied feeling, He Yu stood on the balcony and stared at the man drying his hair from a distance. Why was a person like that Xie Xue’s biological brother?
Xie Xue worshipped her brother as if he were a savior.
He couldn’t understand for the life of him what part of Xie Qingcheng was worth such worship.
He was just an older man, after all.
As he stared for a long time, his thoughts began to wander.
He recalled the image of Xie Qingcheng, who had been nothing short of a nightmare in his childhood. He Yu had been afraid of him, yet he had been pushed to meet him. He had to make a fool of himself and be broken before him. Xie Qingcheng had watched everything, including his seizures. Bound by restraints, he had snarled and thrashed toward him like a crazed beast. The look in Xie Qingcheng’s eyes as he watched him back then was nothing but cold. As he approached under the surgical shadowless lamp, he smelled of cold disinfectant. Then, the needle pierced the skin…
Back then, Xie Qingcheng had felt immense.
Utterly cold.
Powerful, and uncompromisingly firm. In that way, he had been enveloped by the man like a dark cloud. It felt as if he would never escape this nightmare for the rest of his life.
Yet, he never imagined that in the few years they hadn’t seen each other, the positions of the one looking up and the one looking down would be reversed.
He Yu quietly lowered his gaze and looked at him.
What a strange turn of events.
Looking at him again now, he didn’t seem as scary as he used to be.
They say that unrealistic memories from childhood are shaped by the brain as it filters through the sediment of time, differing from reality. Perhaps this was a similar case. For instance, a drama watched as a child might have felt incredibly long at the time, only to realize upon reflection that it was barely twenty episodes; or a German Shepherd feared in childhood might have seemed as massive as a horse back then, but looking at photos again, it barely reached an adult’s knee.
Perhaps he was feeling this kind of sense of disparity toward Xie Qingcheng.
After staring for a long while, Xie Qingcheng noticed the gaze.
He turned back with cold eyes.
“What are you looking at?”
He Yu remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“I was just wondering if the clothes fit me well.”
“…….”
“They really are big.”
Then, he added one more thing.
“Xie Qingcheng, you seemed so much bigger back then.”
To that, Xie Qingcheng replied frostily.
“There’s no need to brag about height or physique.”
He then turned around to finish drying his hair. The expression glimpsed just before he turned away looked quite dark.
In that moment, He Yu realized that the nightmare of his childhood was, in fact, nothing more than an ordinary man. He was even slightly lean, making the white T-shirt hang loosely on him. The pale skin visible through the stretched neckline sank into the shadows, resembling a stream of water flowing through snowy mountains.
How strange. Why was he so afraid back then?
While he was lost in thought, Xie Qingcheng finished drying his hair. Being a ‘manly man’ far removed from any notion of grooming, he shook his hair out roughly while looking in the mirror, set down the dryer, and turned to He Yu.
“I’m leaving first. I’ll return the clothes tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to. I don’t really like wearing clothes others have worn. They’re old anyway, so just wear them until you’re done and throw them away.”
At the blunt remark, Xie Qingcheng dropped the subject and spoke while shaking his still slightly damp hair.
“Fine. I’m leaving then.”
“Weren’t we going back to Xie Xue’s dormitory together?”
“Forget it,” Xie Qingcheng added. “I have other business this evening.”
“Writing your thesis?”
Whether he lacked the habit of hiding his privacy from social life or simply didn’t think it was a big deal, Xie Qingcheng glanced at He Yu while fastening his wristwatch buckle.
“A blind date.”
He Yu, who had spoken without much thought, remained indifferent upon hearing those words. He even felt a surge of inner joy, thinking that Xie Qingcheng was finally leaving. However, a few seconds later, the two words ‘blind date’ traveled through his nerves, circled the globe, and arrived at the destination: his brain.
Unable to hide his shock, He Yu’s eyes widened as he whipped around to look at Xie Qingcheng.
Didn’t he already get married?
Then why a blind date?
Why hadn’t Xie Xue mentioned anything?
He blinked his eyes as a flood of thoughts overwhelmed him. Amidst the confusion in his head, a single clue emerged.
Looking at Xie Qingcheng, who was half-submerged in the shadows and blurred, he hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively.
“Teacher… did you get a divorce?”