Chapter 9: Are You Pitying Me?

Chapter 9 Are You Feeling Sorry for Me?

Xie Yean looked silently at the person before him.

"My room?"

Chi Xingcun nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world: "Mm, sometimes I get sudden inspiration at night, so I need you to stay over at my place so we can work together better, right?"

Chi Xingcun smiled and pushed him into the bathroom, then took out a short V-neck sweater, a pair of long wide-leg pants, a doctor's white coat, and a pair of chunky platform leather shoes from the wardrobe nearby.

"I've put the clothes on the bed. Put these on when you're out."

He said this to the bathroom, then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Xie Yean stood in the bright bathroom for a long time before silently turning on the shower and taking off his clothes.

When he came out, Chi Xingcun stood at the door, his eyes lit up.

The slender young man was tall and lean, wearing the white coat, giving off this cold, refined vibe.

Man, clothes really do make the man.

Chi Xingcun thought, his parents would definitely clock something was off the second they saw Xie Yean like this.

"Host, you're so smart! You actually came up with using him as your model. This way, Xie Yean will soon return to the Chi family, and the engagement will quickly become between Xie Yean and Fu Chenzhan."

"Of course, did you think I was dumb?" Chi Xingcun said proudly, with a hint of sulkiness.

"I'll give you a tour of my place so you can get familiar with it," Chi Xingcun said.

Xie Yean interrupted him: "You're showing me around now? Shouldn't you first see if I even make a good model?"

Chi Xingcun looked at him, and the other guy's eyes were too clear, as if they could see right through all his little schemes.

"Oh... alright then," Chi Xingcun could only agree. "But, I'm really hungry right now, and you haven't had lunch either, so come eat with me then."

The housekeeper brought lunch to the table—the young master's favorite, salad and curry chicken—and fixed up a plate for the new kid too.

The housekeeper looked at the painfully thin young man with soft eyes.

"No need." Xie Yean didn't sit down.

He felt dirty; just walking into this huge house already made him feel ashamed and small, unable to lift his head, let alone sit at such a spotless table and eat with such a polished, put-together young master.

"Then I'm not eating!" Chi Xingcun threw a fake tantrum on purpose, his cheeks puffing out in a huff.

The housekeeper auntie hurried over to Xie Yean and whispered in his ear: "Young man, even though you may have already had lunch, would you mind having another meal with our young master? His parents are never home, and if he eats alone, he barely touches his food."

With the auntie asking so softly, Xie Yean couldn't just keep standing there.

He sat down across from Chi Xingcun.

Chi Xingcun's lips curved into a smile right away and said to the auntie, "Auntie, grab the yogurt."

The housekeeper brought the yogurt over, and Chi Xingcun handed it straight to Xie Yean: "Here, this is super delicious. After we eat, I'm going back to my room for a nap. You should rest in your room too. We'll paint tonight, okay?"

After eating, Chi Xingcun was about to head upstairs when he heard the person behind him say:

"Are you feeling sorry for me?"

The living room was empty now, just the two of them.

Xie Yean walked up slowly, step by step, stopping behind Chi Xingcun, then leaned down close to his face: "My classmates probably filled you in on my family situation. If you're not just messing with me, the only reason I can think of is that you feel sorry for me."

Chi Xingcun paused, looked up at him, held his gaze for a few seconds, blinked his big, round eyes, and said with a puzzled look: "Do you not realize you're super handsome?"

Before Xie Yean could react, Chi Xingcun continued: "Everything people say about you starts with 'I heard,' so who knows what's true. Besides, what does your family background have to do with who you are? You even walked me to class, and your grades are great. Most importantly, you're handsome. With a face like yours, tons of people would want you as their model, so of course I had to snatch you up first."

Xie Yean felt like something had cracked open in his chest, and then panic, warmth, and a mess of tangled emotions all flooded in at once.

It felt foreign, and he didn't know what to do with himself.

His hands clenched at his sides before he could stop them, and he took half a step back.

"Not a lot of people have asked."

"That's because you always keep your head down, and your bangs are too long, covering your eyes. In a couple of days, I'll take you to get a haircut."

Xie Yean quickly said, "You don't need to—"

"Of course I do," Chi Xingcun immediately cut in. "Being my model requires a different look every time."

The two each returned to their own rooms.

Xie Yean lay on the bed, which was three times bigger than his own and emanated a warm fragrance, the image of Chi Xingcun's face constantly surfacing in his mind—how could someone like this appear in his life?

Somewhat special... but it's probably only temporary.

After waking up in the afternoon, Chi Xingcun showed Xie Yean around the entire house, then took him to the small garden.

This small garden was a studio specially set up by his parents, like a fairyland surrounded by blooming flowers.

Chi Xingcun arranged for Xie Yean to stand leaning against the railing.

Then he sat in front of the easel and picked up his brush.

Time passed minute by minute, and Xie Yean remained completely still except for the occasional blink of his eyelids.

Chi Xingcun finally understood why he had said "test." He immediately stood up and said, "You can relax a bit, do whatever feels comfortable. You don't have to stay frozen—I don't like that photo-like style of painting."

Hearing this, Xie Yean finally lowered his foot and rested his arm on the railing.

He had looked up some related content online and assumed he couldn't move at all until the painter finished the piece.

Two hours later, Chi Xingcun's simple sketch was complete.

"Done!" Chi Xingcun cheered with both hands raised. "I think you're amazing!"

Xie Yean looked at the person who smiled as beautifully as a painting, walked over to him, and glanced down at the artwork—

A square canvas covered in vibrant colors, with only a simple half-figure, a tall and casual figure seemingly melting into the flowers and wind of the riotous colors, yet the simple strokes captured him completely and beautifully.

Xie Yean looked down at the person sitting before him—a young master who was not only handsome and kind-hearted but also exceptionally talented.

It ended around five o'clock, and Chi Xingcun took out his phone and directly transferred 2,000 yuan to Xie Yean.

Chi Xingcun had deliberately made this decision because the money in this family originally belonged to Xie Yean.

By giving Xie Yean some money in advance, he could help him live a less difficult life and also bring them closer.

After finishing, Xie Yean slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to leave, when Chi Xingcun called out to him, "Are you leaving already? Why not stay the night here? I've got your stay covered."

"The money you gave me isn't enough for a night here," Xie Yean said, lifting his gaze to look at him.

Chi Xingcun froze for a second, then it clicked, "Who said it's not enough? You think it's too little?"

Chi Xingcun was about to transfer more money to Xie Yean, but Xie Yean reached out and put his hand over the other guy's screen, letting out a soft sigh—he meant that with all the money he'd received, he didn't deserve to stay the night here.

"You've got no classes Sunday, so I'll come stay over then," he said lightly.