What to Do if I Am Noticed by the Straight Guy Next Door?

Allen carried a vintage dark brown leather suitcase, scanning the living room as if he were a king surveying his territory. Perhaps noticing the tidiness of the house, he relaxed his tense shoulders slightly and revealed a hint of contentment on his face.

Jin Fei held a piece of braised pork belly and leaned against the kitchen doorway, looking at him with a mischievous expression. Allen nodded slightly at Jin Fei and then shifted his gaze to Su Bin standing nearby.

“Hey,” Su Bin greeted with a silly smile, holding a kitchen knife.

Unable to resist, Allen smiled lightly, appearing to be in a good mood. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen and asked Su Bin, “Are you preparing dinner?”

Su Bin nodded, “Yes, want to eat together?”

“Sure,” Allen replied. He went upstairs to put away his luggage and changed into comfortable home clothes before coming downstairs together with Yang Chengzhe.

Braised pork belly, dry pot cabbage, stir-fried broccoli, potato chicken, and a pot of mushroom and pork bone soup… These were ordinary home-cooked dishes, but they exuded a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Although Su Bin claimed to be a foodie, he didn’t have a big appetite, especially during dinner, where he habitually ate until he was only seventy percent full.

Having previously had a meal together with Yang Chengzhe and Allen, Su Bin was well aware of their appetites. Therefore, he thought that even with Jin Fei joining them, there would be more than enough food with these dishes.

However, he underestimated Jin Fei’s eating prowess… He watched in disbelief as Jin Fei finished the bowl of braised pork belly in just a few bites and quickly moved on to the potato chicken. Su Bin cursed silently in his heart: This guy must be a dog!

Fortunately, Allen maintained his usual habits and picked out a portion for himself right from the start, while Yang Chengzhe was particularly fond of the pork bone soup and had already consumed three small bowls. As for Su Bin himself, he wasn’t sure if it was a common trait among cooks to be modest, but seeing his roommates enjoy the meal so much, he felt it didn’t matter if he ate a little less.

However, when Su Bin stir-fried the broccoli, he added some crushed garlic to make it more fragrant.

Su Bin was concerned about whether Allen would notice it…

He cautiously glanced at Allen, who was eating elegantly, and saw him spearing a piece of broccoli coated in minced garlic with his fork. Su Bin’s heart skipped a beat… Allen didn’t seem to notice the garlic at all and ate the broccoli naturally, without even furrowing his brows.

Su Bin froze… He ate it! Allen can actually eat garlic?!

Su Bin was amazed. Since Allen could eat it, why did he dislike the taste of garlic?

Just as Su Bin was absorbed in observing “Allen eating garlic,” Allen suddenly looked over and met Su Bin’s peeking eyes, revealing an incredibly mischievous smile…

Su Bin: “…”

That eerie smile from Allen made Su Bin feel like his inner world had been exposed. He quickly averted his gaze, suppressing the shock and embarrassment he felt, repeatedly wondering in his mind, “Allen can actually eat garlic”…

Although that smile was enchanting, if Allen could eat garlic, then there shouldn’t be a problem, right?

It must be fine. Stop being so suspicious and acting like a neurotic—Su Bin scolded himself inwardly.

They enjoyed the meal to their heart’s content. Jin Fei patted Su Bin’s shoulder, saying that he couldn’t repay him adequately and could only contribute more during shopping trips. Yang Chengzhe also agreed with the suggestion. However, this approach wouldn’t work with Allen because most of his food was individually purchased and he kept it separate from Yang Chengzhe and the others.

But Jin Fei and Yang Chengzhe had made their statements, and Allen wouldn’t stay silent either. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and then looked at Su Bin, saying, “When there’s a chance, I’d like to invite you to some special custom restaurants.”

“Wow, custom restaurants!” Yang Chengzhe turned to Su Bin, wearing an expression that said, “You’ve hit the jackpot.”

Su Bin asked, “What are custom restaurants?”

Yang Chengzhe explained, “Custom restaurants in Country B are like ‘private restaurants.’ They are usually opened by famous chefs who can be featured in gourmet magazines. These restaurants are generally only open to a select group of people with high social status. Sometimes, even if you have money, it’s difficult to make a reservation. However, once you manage to get in, no matter what you want to eat or what kind of experience you want, they will fulfill your requests.”

Su Bin looked at Allen in astonishment, not knowing what to say. Although he could sense an aura of luxury emanating from him, Su Bin had never thought of delving into Allen’s background or family background out of curiosity…

Yang Chengzhe’s words gave him a hint. So, Allen really was a noble!

However, when he thought about it, he was just casually making some home-cooked dishes. If Allen wanted to invite him to a custom restaurant as a way to reciprocate, it would be going too far. Su Bin didn’t cook for his roommates with the intention of receiving rewards…

Just as he was about to tactfully decline, Allen had already stood up and said, “Dinner was delicious, thank you.” He politely expressed his gratitude, making Su Bin feel a little awkward.

“Hey, wait, Allen,” Yang Chengzhe suddenly called out to him and proposed, “How about changing rooms tonight? Look, we’re all here, and it’s still early.”

Allen was taken aback and looked at Su Bin. The calm look in his eyes unintentionally carried a hint of inquiry. Su Bin, under his gaze, inexplicably felt a sense of guilt.

“I’ve been sitting in the car for a long time today and feel a bit tired. Let’s do it in a couple of days,” Allen told Yang Chengzhe.

“Since that’s the case, you rest early tonight. I’m available anytime,” Yang Chengzhe said, smiling at Su Bin as if saying, “I asked for you, you saw it too. This is Allen’s answer. Just endure a bit longer.”

Su Bin: “…”

That night, Su Bin hurried to take a shower before Allen could use the bathroom.

Su Bin wasn’t a clean freak, but he did pay attention to personal hygiene. After cooking dinner, he was covered in the smell of oil and smoke.

After finishing his shower, Su Bin opened the bathroom door to let some fresh air in. At the same time, he noticed that the door of the adjacent room was also open, and Allen walked out wearing a white low-cut pajama top and gray pajama bottoms, both made of excellent quality fabric.

Su Bin, with foam in his mouth, thought, “Is it already time? It can’t be, right? I left an hour for myself, so I didn’t take that long to shower… Oh, right!” Su Bin remembered that Allen had mentioned feeling tired from sitting in the car earlier. He probably wanted to finish his bedtime routine quickly and rest.

“I’ll be done soon…” Su Bin mumbled, picking up the pace.

But Allen seemed completely unhurried. He crossed his arms and adopted an extremely lazy and comfortable posture, as if he was saying, “Take your time.”

Su Bin couldn’t afford to take his time when Allen was already waiting at the door.

He quickly rinsed his mouth, wiped his mouth with a towel, and said, “I’m done… um, you can go ahead, and I’ll clean up later.”

“You’ve done a good job with the cleaning these days,” Allen nodded slightly, like a master inspecting the completion of a slave’s tasks. Although strict, he generously gave his approval.

“Oh…” You could have just said that, why are you still standing at the door? Will you let me leave or not?

Instead of leaving, Allen gently leaned against the door, blocking Su Bin’s only way out…

Su Bin: “…”

Allen squinted his eyes, scrutinizing Su Bin for a moment, and then said leisurely, “Do you want me to switch rooms with Joe?”

“No, not at all…” Su Bin quickly shook his head, thinking, “Didn’t you and Chengzhe already discuss changing rooms? Why are you asking me? It has nothing to do with me, right?”

Allen nodded in understanding, and Su Bin thought that was the end of it. However, Allen looked at him solemnly and said, “I understand your thoughts, and I will consider it.”

…Wait, what does that mean?

Su Bin desperately replayed the conversation in his mind, wondering what went wrong…

Did he express himself incorrectly? Did Allen misunderstand and think that he didn’t want him to switch rooms? Oh no!

Please, I didn’t mean that! If you want to switch rooms, go ahead! There’s really no need to ask me what I think! I’m totally fine with it! I’m a very casual person! Look at me, look at me! Look at my face! Can you understand what I’m thinking?

Of course, Su Bin couldn’t say everything he was thinking in front of Allen… So he could only rely on his expression to convey his thoughts!

Allen looked at Su Bin’s puzzled face and suddenly smiled. He slowly said, “I thought you were afraid of me.”

“I… indeed,” Su Bin hesitated, “…am not.”

Ah, no, no, no~~~ It’s good that you know I’m not afraid of you. Let’s just keep our distance… Can you please move aside so I can leave? Don’t you know how powerful your presence is?

“By the way,” Allen, completely oblivious to Su Bin’s inner thoughts, straightened up and walked into the bathroom.

“…”, Su Bin felt like he couldn’t breathe.

After Allen entered the bathroom, he turned to face the mirror and locked his gaze on Su Bin’s figure through the reflection. He asked, “Did you put garlic in the broccoli today?”

“…”, Oh no! He found out! What is he planning to do? Is he going to hold me accountable later? Su Bin looked at Allen with a guarded expression, but Allen just smiled lightly and said, “It tastes good.”

Su Bin: “…”

“But I dislike the strong smell of raw garlic. It’s quite pungent,” Allen said as he casually grabbed an electric toothbrush and toothpaste from the shelf, leisurely opening the toothpaste cap.

“…”, Damn it! He noticed! Is this going to be a post-analysis? Su Bin looked at Allen with a wary expression, and Allen simply smiled and said, “It’s gone today.”

“I just took a shower…” What else could Su Bin say?

“Very well,” Allen nodded, saying in a serious tone, “If you want to continue living with me, you’ll need to shower regularly. I don’t want to smell that scent on you again.”

Su Bin: “…”

“You can go back to your room now. I’ll take care of the cleaning later,” Allen put on a magnanimous and arrogant expression, letting Su Bin off the hook.

Su Bin: “…”

Su Bin finally retreated with his whole body intact, but as he returned to his room, he didn’t feel relieved at all. Instead, he felt frustrated. Allen, oh, there must be a reason why he doesn’t like foreigners. That guy really doesn’t understand the subtleties and implied meanings of Chinese people!

Su Bin lay on his bed, recalling the conversation just now. In fact, Allen was at least partially right – he was afraid of him. But Su Bin didn’t want to admit it. He felt that such a version of himself was cowardly. Upon careful consideration, Allen didn’t do anything exaggerated or say anything outrageous. Most of the fear stemmed from Su Bin’s own overly imaginative mind.

Letting out a long sigh, Su Bin felt incredibly melancholic. He didn’t know what to do next. It seemed that Allen was gradually distancing himself from his “know-it-all” attitude… He could only take it step by step and see how things unfold.

The next day, Su Bin left early because he received an email from the International Student Center stating that his work account registration was ready. He hurriedly went to collect the health registration form and a series of documents before class.

In class, he naturally sat next to Sun Yujie again. Although Su Bin had accepted his sexual orientation, it still felt a bit uncomfortable at first to interact with someone who was openly gay.

Su Bin preemptively informed Sun Yujie that it might take him some time to adjust and not to take any potential offence to heart.

Sun Yujie’s thoughtfulness greatly moved Su Bin, to the point of tears welling up in his eyes.

However, when it came time to decide where to have lunch, the options were limited to Subway, chicken rice rolls, and a fast-food joint offering burgers and fries. Su Bin was frustrated because he was already tired of these food choices.