Chapter 21: 021 Mutual Harm
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After breakfast, Chen Xu took his notebook and went into Luo Xiyun’s room. He sat on her chair for a while, feeling uncomfortable, and then moved his own computer chair over.
“What are you doing?” Luo Xiyun asked, a bit furious when she returned from drying clothes and saw the scene.
Chen Xu replied, “Moving the chair.”
“Who told you to do that?”
Chen Xu asked incredulously, “Can’t I move it?”
...
“At the very least, you should ask for my permission. This is my room.”
Chen Xu realized, “Oh, so you do know that you need soone’s permission before touching their things.”
Luo Xiyun was left speechless, her face turning sowhat red. It was an undeniable sore point that she had tampered with Chen Xu’s computer without his permission.
Chen Xu smiled triumphantly and pushed the chair back into the room.
“Wait a minute.” Luo Xiyun stomped her foot, stopping him, “Clean it first.” With that, she took out a bottle of cleaning spray and a cloth and ticulously cleaned Chen Xu’s chair inside and out.
Chen Xu watched from her chair and couldn’t help but say, “How does your boyfriend put up with you like this?”
Luo Xiyun didn’t respond, focusing on wiping the armrests of the chair.
Chen Xu shook his head and continued, “If it were , I wouldn’t stand it. Never mind the hassle, it’s just that you act like I’m filthy or sothing, honestly, it makes feel quite uncomfortable…”
Luo Xiyun suddenly paused her hand movents, turned her head, and said coldly, “First, we are not friends. Second, we’re not even acquaintances. We are rely two grasshoppers tied on the sa rope. We can chat and share our thoughts when we have spare ti, but please refrain from interfering in my affairs. This is the most basic respect between us.”
Chen Xu was at a loss for words, feeling the consequences of his actions arriving swiftly. It was what he had told her the day before yesterday, and now she threw it back at him word for word, leaving him speechless.
He silently turned around, put on his headphones, and started watching a TV drama.
…
All day, Chen Xu stayed at the villa, didn’t go out, and kept sitting on the living room sofa reading a book. He let Luo Xiyun busily tidy up the storage room, going in and out.
The day passed by quickly. In the evening, Luo Xiyun stopped her work and began to cook.
Dinner was simple, just so noodles.
When Luo Xiyun saw Chen Xu eating noodles without taking his eyes off the book in his hand, she was about to burst with anger. She thought to herself that she had been busy all day tidying the room for him, and he hadn’t helped at all; he just sat there reading all day.
She sneered, “I didn’t know you read Sci-Fi novels.”
Chen Xu didn’t take his eyes off the book, casually saying, “I’ve wanted to read this ‘Three-Body Problem’ for a long ti, just never had the ti. I saw it on your bookshelf, so I took it to read. It’s quite good.”
Luo Xiyun felt even more depressed since he couldn’t detect the sarcasm in her words, gritting her teeth she said, “Do you even understand it?”
Chen Xu glanced at her and said, “Reading a novel is just a pasti. Whatever the author wants to convey, the fact that I’m willing to read on shows I’ve found enjoynt in it. What does understanding have to do with it? Can reading a novel really give soone a sense of superiority?”
“So much talk, aren’t you just afraid of exposing your ignorance?” Luo Xiyun said dismissively, “Admitting you don’t understand is nothing to be ashad of.”
Chen Xu knew she was in a bad mood, so he didn’t provoke her further and continued reading his novel.
…
After dinner, Chen Xu finally finished reading the book and stretched vigorously. Glancing at the ti, it was almost eight o’clock. He went downstairs to turn off one generator and refuel another.
He took the book to his room. Luo Xiyun was in front of the wardrobe, picking clothes. When she saw him, her expression turned serious, and she said, “Get out.”
“Why?” Chen Xu put the book back on the shelf without looking back.
“I’m going to take a bath.”
Chen Xu said curiously, “You take your bath; I’m in my room reading my book. How does that bother you?”
Luo Xiyun said angrily, “Get out.”
Chen Xu spread his hands, saying, “The heater outside is off. Do you really want to go outside and freeze?”
Luo Xiyun glared at him furiously, “Freezing you to death would be best.” Despite the words, she took her clothes and went into the bathroom.
“So pretentious.”
Chen Xu shook his head, took the third volu of ‘The Three-Body Problem’ from the shelf, and sat in his chair, opening to the first page.
Soon, the sound of water flowing was heard from the bathroom.
Originally, he hadn’t thought much of it, but after her previous words, his mind beca restless, and he couldn’t help but picture the scene in the bathroom.
The room was the master bedroom, separated from the bathroom by a huge glass wall. It wasn’t transparent, so nothing could be seen.
Whoosh…
Chen Xu felt an invisible hand stirring inside him, his throat tightening. He picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip of water, warning himself not to let his imagination run wild.
He tried to focus elsewhere, finding the lights a bit too bright. Over the past few months, he had developed a habit of conserving energy and thought about turning off the main lights, leaving only a few small ones.
The owner of the house must have had quite a flair for aesthetics, as there were all kinds of lights in the room, capable of creating various effects.
He walked over to the switches, which numbered seven or eight, not knowing which was which, and randomly pressed one. A few spotlights ca on nearby.
Still too bright. He turned it off and tried another switch.
After trying several, none were satisfactory.
When he reached the fifth switch, he turned it on, and while the light didn’t co on, he noticed sothing peculiar as his gaze brushed past the glass wall of the bathroom, and he froze entirely, as if struck by an immobilization spell.
…
It seed like a long ti passed, yet also just an instant, before Luo Xiyun in the bathroom turned off the faucet, dried herself off with a towel, stepped out of the partition, and began to get dressed.
Throughout the whole process, she didn’t turn around, leaving Chen Xu unsure whether to feel regretful or fortunate.
When she opened the bathroom door, Chen Xu reflexively switched off that magical switch.
Luo Xiyun ca out, puzzled, “Why did you turn off the main light?” Then she saw Chen Xu standing by the switch, seed to recall sothing, and her face changed dramatically, her voice trembling, “Which… which switch did you press?”
Chen Xu, ultimately a bit guilty, had a rather unnatural expression.
…
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