Chapter 7: 007 Embarrassed
After finishing the al, Chen Xu washed the dishes and found Luo Xiyun, who was walking around in the base camp. He said, “Let’s have a talk.”
“Okay.” Luo Xiyun nodded and followed him to the usual living area.
After they sat down, Chen Xu asked her, “What are your plans for the future?”
A hint of confusion flashed in Luo Xiyun’s eyes, and her voice was sowhat low, “I don’t know either…”
If all humanity in the world were to disappear, it seed there wouldn’t be much difference.
“In that case, I suggest you stay here for now,” Chen Xu said.
...
Luo Xiyun looked up at him.
He continued, “First, with the two of us together, if one of us gets sick, we can look after each other. Secondly, over the past month, I’ve made quite a few preparations, and the living conditions here are undoubtedly better than elsewhere. What do you think?”
“Let think about it.”
Luo Xiyun didn’t agree on the spot, “I’ll give you an answer this evening.”
“Alright.”
Chen Xu certainly hoped she would stay, as it would make the next few months much easier.
But, even if she didn’t want to stay, it wasn’t sothing he couldn’t accept.
This was just a dreamscape; in five months, he would return to reality. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t survive without her. Begging her to stay was out of the question.
…
In the afternoon, Chen Xu cleared out a room in a nearby store for Luo Xiyun to live in.
The room had been empty for a month, gathering quite a bit of dust, and it took a lot of ti to clean thoroughly.
Luo Xiyun helped as well.
After cleaning, they moved a bed into the room, along with so tables, chairs, and so on.
Before they knew it, the afternoon had passed.
For dinner, Chen Xu simply pan-fried two steaks. With no vegetables to pair with them, he added a bit of leftover mung bean sprouts on the side of the plate. He had sprouted the bean sprouts himself, using them as a vegetable substitute.
After Luo Xiyun sat down, Chen Xu took out a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet and said, “This is supposedly the legendary ’82 Lafite. I got it from a pretty upscale Western restaurant. I don’t know if it’s genuine or not.”
As he spoke, he opened the wine and poured a glass for each of them into goblets.
“Is this from the Cloud Top Restaurant on the top floor of the XX Building?” Luo Xiyun picked up the wine bottle and examined it, asking.
Chen Xu was a bit surprised, “How do you know?”
“I used to go there often.” Luo Xiyun put the bottle down. “It has the restaurant’s logo on it.”
Working together in the afternoon had dispelled the sense of unfamiliarity, and they began to talk more.
Chen Xu raised his wine glass and said, “I heard that this wine should be decanted with a special decanter to bring out the best taste. However, we don’t have one here, so we’ll just have to make do.”
“This is fine too.” Luo Xiyun also raised her glass, clinked it with his, and then took a sip.
After setting the glass down, she said, “I’ve decided to stay. However, there are so things I think it’s better to say upfront.”
Chen Xu was very pleased to hear she was willing to stay. With five months left in the dreamscape, having a companion was certainly better than being alone.
Moreover, having a beautiful companion was quite pleasing to the eye, he said, “Whatever it is, feel free to say it.”
“Then I’ll be straightforward.”
Luo Xiyun intertwined her fingers and looked at him, “You’re not the type I like. I hope that in the future, we can maintain so distance between us…”
The smile on Chen Xu’s face froze, and he found it hard to control the expression on his face, which beca stiff.
He never imagined that what she wanted to say was actually this.
He knew he wasn’t handso or tall and didn’t co from a wealthy family. Won had never been particularly interested in him. But he never thought he was that bad.
Here in the dreamscape world, with only Luo Xiyun and him left, forming a pair seed like the natural thing to do. If any other man were in his situation, he would probably think the sa.
If it were another woman, she would likely think the sa way.
Yet, Luo Xiyun bluntly told him she wouldn’t like him, asking him to let go of any such hope.
Who did she think she was, to reject him like this?
Chen Xu’s face burned, feeling that his self-esteem was harshly wounded.
After finishing her speech, Luo Xiyun didn’t speak again.
A difficult silence ensued.
The faint rumble of a diesel generator could be heard from outside the door.
Chen Xu clasped the wine glass in his right hand, staring at the steak on the table, its surface slightly charred. After a while, he slowly said, “That’s fine.”
His voice was a bit hoarse.
After he spoke, his mind gradually cald down.
It wasn’t the first ti he’d been rejected by a woman, besides, this was just a dreamscape. Even the woman before him wasn’t real, she was virtual.
He cleared his throat softly and continued, “It’s best to clarify so things in advance; it’s good for everyone. I find your request quite reasonable and entirely acceptable.”
The tension eased from Luo Xiyun’s face.
Chen Xu released his grip on the glass, took a clean towel from beside him, and wiped off the sweat from his hand. “Just so happens, there’s sothing I’d like to discuss with you.”
Luo Xiyun leaned back slightly, her eyebrows visibly furrowing, “What is it?”
“Since you’ve agreed to stay, we’ll be living together from now on. I’d like to discuss the division of tasks.”
Chen Xu didn’t look at her, but continued, “Currently, it seems like we might be the only two left in this city. There’s no electricity, no running water, no takeout. Everything needs to be done by ourselves.”
“In the past, I did all these things alone. Now that you’re here, it seems reasonable to share so of the work, right?”
Luo Xiyun nodded, saying, “That indeed seems reasonable.”
“In all fairness, the duties should be rotated. Perhaps today, I fetch water and you cook, and tomorrow we switch roles. But—”
“Considering the differences between genders, I think a different allocation would be best. Tasks like fetching water, moving fuel, and other heavy lifting will be mine. Tasks like cooking, dishwashing, and laundry will be yours. Does that distribution sound fair to you?”
Luo Xiyun nodded once more, “It’s quite fair.”
“We can discuss the specific allocation tomorrow.” Chen Xu finished speaking, picked up the knife and fork, and cut into the steak that had long since cooled.
Luo Xiyun remained silent, quietly picking up her fork.
Reviews
All reviews (0)