Chapter 28 – Second House Exchange

“It’s delicious,” Cheng Yichi nodded, placing the basket on the table and picking out some to put on a plate. “I’ll wash some right away. You’ll know once you taste it.”

Li Yi stood silently behind him, lowering his head with a quiet chuckle.

Wei Buyan: “…Alright, I give up.”

Now I finally understand what a straight guy is like.

Damn, this is tragic. Really tragic. Who wouldn’t say Young Master Wei is especially unlucky?

Wei Buyan: My crush is serving me strawberries she picked with my love rival. So I’m just here to witness your love story, huh?

Though Wei must be feeling sour right now, I can’t help but laugh hahaha help. How can a gay guy be this dense?

The comments quickly scrolled past, unnoticed by anyone.

If Wei Buyan didn’t know Cheng Yichi was straight, he’d really think the man was deliberately provoking him. Even knowing the truth didn’t ease his frustration.

“Bro, let me wash them,” Li Yi took the plate from Cheng Yichi, nodded at Wei Buyan, and headed to the kitchen.

The cottage had a private room meant for confidential conversations that no one had used yet. With a serious expression, Wei Buyan pulled Cheng Yichi aside, saying, “Come with me.”

“Okay.” With Wei Buyan holding something over him, Cheng Yichi obediently followed, calling out to the kitchen before leaving, “Xiao Yi, Buyan and I have something to discuss. You go ahead and eat!”

In the kitchen, water flowed over Li Yi’s fingers as he washed the strawberries, filling the plate until it nearly overflowed. Yet Li Yi remained motionless, staring intently at the strawberry in his hand.

It seems Brother has some secret with Wei Buyan.

—

Wei Buyan led Cheng Yichi into the room and asked, “What did you promise me?”

“To reject advances, avoid excessive actions, and not be ambiguous.”

Wei Buyan pressed, “You massaged his legs…”

Cheng Yichi answered frankly, “But his legs went numb from me sleeping on them.”

“Feeding him strawberries…”

“My hands were dirty. I couldn’t eat them myself.”

Wei Buyan was speechless. Are all straight guys this blunt? He tried to make Cheng Yichi understand that such actions could already be considered flirtatious.

Cheng Yichi instead asked, “Are all you gay guys this sensitive?” His expression was utterly innocent, as if he genuinely didn’t understand these subtleties of intimacy and boundaries.

Wei Buyan ran a hand through his hair and laughed. Suddenly, he leaned in close to Cheng Yichi, his warm breath tickling the other man’s ear as he whispered suggestively, “What about this?” A slight tilt of his head, and his lips could brush against that fair neck, leaving his mark.

Cheng Yichi gave him a puzzled look. “That tickles.”

Wei Buyan was completely defeated.

After some thought, Cheng Yichi said, “At the very least, it’d have to reach the level of kissing, right?” Otherwise, he really couldn’t see how those actions were ambiguous. What had felt strange before was just because, at his age, being flirted with by someone younger and doing silly things that made others laugh was downright embarrassing.

To put it precisely—it made his old face burn with shame.

“So being seen completely naked is fine too?” Wei Buyan suddenly recalled the hot spring incident.

“We’re both men. What’s the big deal about seeing each other naked?” Cheng Yichi said. “I have abs. It’s not like I’d feel insecure.”

Wei Buyan thought: You’re certainly not insecure, but you’re going to drive us crazy.

Wei Buyan looked at Cheng Yichi, who realized his understanding might have been a bit off. He apologized softly, “Sorry, I might be a bit slow.” Wei Buyan’s reaction made Cheng Yichi feel upset too. He had once breezed through so many scenes effortlessly, yet now he felt clumsy and inadequate, even having to resort to a dating show. This was the first time he felt he wasn’t very smart—usually, he was quite confident.

Indeed, Cheng Yichi had enjoyed smooth sailing since his debut, handling interpersonal relationships with ease. Due to his family background, others always treated him with a degree of respect, yet he never acted arrogantly. He always humbly placed himself last, listening to others’ advice. So Wei Buyan was the first person to openly express disappointment and exasperation toward him.

Wei Buyan’s heart softened again. He even thought: If it weren’t for Chu Moyan, he wouldn’t have known this person was a liar. Maybe he shouldn’t push so hard—just take it step by step.

The two emerged from the small room, and Li Yi noticed Cheng Yichi’s earlier excitement had noticeably dimmed. He glanced at Wei Buyan before offering a freshly washed strawberry to Cheng Yichi’s lips. “What’s wrong, ge?” he asked.

Cheng Yichi also glanced at Wei Buyan but didn’t take the strawberry directly. Instead, he smiled and leaned back slightly. “Xiao Yi, you have it. I don’t feel like eating right now.”

“Let me have it,” Wei Buyan interjected assertively, stepping between them. Instead of taking the strawberry directly, he deliberately plucked it from Li Yi’s fingers with his mouth. Li Yi let go, picking up a napkin to slowly wipe away the bright red juice that had dripped out. “What were you two talking about inside just now?”

Their gazes locked, both eyes filled with scrutiny, aggression, and even displeasure. The atmosphere instantly cooled.

Cheng Yichi let out an awkward “Ah” and said, “I’m going upstairs to change. You two chat—have fun.”

Viewers in the livestream: …Do they look like they’re having fun?

What did wifey and Wei-gongzi talk about? Why did he suddenly refuse Li Xiao Lang’s strawberry after coming out?

Maybe Wei-gongzi told wifey to stay away from Xiao Li?

And wifey listened? Poor Xiao Li.

Damn, is this the legendary battlefield? Wifey ran away so fast, LOL.

After Cheng Yichi left, the two sat on the sofa. Wei Buyan leisurely picked up a book to flip through, occasionally eating a strawberry—Cheng Yichi had picked them, so why waste them?

Li Yi, more patient than most, didn’t press further when neither Wei Buyan nor Cheng Yichi answered him earlier. Instead, he sorted through the vegetables in the shopping bag and soon headed to the kitchen.

After he left, Gu Zichen and Bai Ruyu returned.

Bai-meiren is so gorgeous! There’s something oddly captivating about him in black—very queen-like.

Especially with Gu wearing that restrained white shirt. They give off such an S&M vibe.

Ahhh I’m too young for this!!! …Got any recs for similar content? Hehe.

“Buyan, you’re back?” Bai Ruyu smiled, addressing Wei Buyan first. “Are Yichi and Xiao Li back too?”

Wei Buyan, who used to love teasing Bai Ruyu, now seemed completely uninterested. “One’s in his room, the other’s in the kitchen.”

“Is Xiao Li in the kitchen? I’ll go help him.” Bai Ruyu hung his coat in the cloakroom, his fair skin accentuated by the black inner lining. The live-stream audience agreed he truly lived up to the title of “beauty.”

Gu Zichen remained as aloof as ever. He glanced upstairs but ultimately chose not to go up, sitting on the sofa instead, hesitating to speak.

Wei Buyan, noticing his conflicted expression, chuckled. “Just ask whatever you want to ask.”

Gu Zichen exhaled in relief. “Is Yichi doing alright?”

Gu Zichen and Bai Ruyu had visited an art gallery. The exhibition was quite extensive, and Bai Ruyu showed keen interest, asking questions as they walked through. Gu Zichen, though disinterested, didn’t let it show and answered every query. Their interactions were frequent but always subdued, lacking any real spark.

But this time, Gu Zichen had completed his mission.

Wei Buyan flipped a page of his book, the sound sharp, and snorted. “Him? Alright? He’s doing just fine.”

“Want some strawberries?”

Gu Zichen was about to refuse when Wei Buyan added, “Yichi picked these.”

Without hesitation, Gu Zichen popped a strawberry into his mouth, crushing it and letting the juice burst forth. “Pretty tasty,” he praised.

Wei Buyan reminded him, “These are the fruits of Yichi and Xiao Li’s afternoon labor. Sweet, huh?”

Gu Zichen paused. “Weren’t they supposed to be farming?”

Wei Buyan replied, “Not just that. I was watching the stream. Besides farming, they went strawberry picking, gathered celery—look, Li Yi’s cooking for him now.”

Hearing this, Gu Zichen relaxed. “That’s good then. At least they didn’t spend the whole afternoon farming. Yichi must be happy.”

“Yeah,” Wei Buyan said, closing his book. “I’m going upstairs to rest for a bit. I’ll be back later.” His thoughts were tangled, and his words had been laced with sarcasm—even he found his tone unnecessarily biting. He needed to sort through his mind and think of something else.

Gu Zichen ate another strawberry and settled on the sofa to read his research, waiting for Cheng Yichi to come down.

—

By the time Bai Ruyu entered the kitchen, Li Yi had already washed most of the vegetables.

Hearing footsteps, Li Yi turned and nodded at Bai Ruyu before resuming his task.

Bai Ruyu smiled. “Can I help with anything?”

This pair looks nice together too, but… something feels off.

What’s Beauty Bai up to? He never entered the kitchen when Xiao Li was cooking before.

(Whispering) Did he and Mr. Gu have a falling-out? Is he looking for the next target?

Li Yi nodded and made space for Bai Ruyu.

Bai Ruyu took out some chicken wings and bread slices, planning to make scallion-infused wings and honey toast. His slender, pale fingers deftly scored the thawed wings. “Did you really go farming with Yichi this afternoon, Xiao Li? Was it tiring?”

At the mention of Cheng Yichi, Li Yi’s voice softened. “Yeah, but not much. Later, we picked strawberries and celery. Brother likes them, so it wasn’t tiring.”

Bai Ruyu noted this: Does Yichi like those things?

He asked, “Did you two get any missions today?”

The thought of room reassignments after their date soured Li Yi’s mood. He lowered his gaze, washing vegetables with a quiet intensity. “No.”

“Oh.” Bai Ruyu said, “Zichen seems to have completed his mission already.”

“But Qingsi and Xiao Jing got their mission chance during their last date, so they probably didn’t get one this time.”

What does Bai Meiren mean by this? Does he still have feelings for Mr. Gu? Does he want to collaborate with Li Yi?

Currently, the four most obvious admirers of the wife: Li Xiaolang, Duan Dalao, Mr. Gu, and Qi Xiaogou. Damn, Bai Meiren’s one sentence includes all of them. Impressive.

What’s the meaning? It’s just to put Li Yi on guard against Gu Zichen, right? To prevent him from switching beds tonight (?)

“I understand,” Li Yi slowed down his vegetable washing. “Thank you.”

Bai Ruyu instinctively smiled. “What’s there to thank me for?”

When everyone returned, sure enough, the topic of switching beds came up.

Qi Jing and Duan Qingsi returned late, but separately. The two basically spent an hour together before going their separate ways, ignoring each other the whole time. When they came back, Duan Qingsi brought Cheng Yichi a box of chocolates.

Cheng Yichi took it, his eyes lighting up before he frowned in distress. “I can’t eat this. I’ll gain weight.”

“Sweets can improve your mood,” Duan Qingsi said gently. “I chose this for you because I hope you’ll be happy every day. I’ll keep it for you. If you ever feel down, come to me for a piece—just one, not too many. Okay?”

Wei Buyan thought: And then you’ll have an excuse to comfort him.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he heard Cheng Yichi laugh. “Thank you, Qingsi-ge.”

Cheng Yichi always felt it was rude to refuse gifts, but he was already thinking about how to reciprocate with something of equal value. He couldn’t just take things for free.

Duan Qingsi put his jade thumb ring back on, watching Cheng Yichi while idly rubbing it, clearly in a good mood.

Qi Jing hadn’t watched the livestream, afraid he’d get angry if he did. When he returned and saw that Cheng Yichi’s relationship with the other two—especially Li Yi—was still the same as before, he relaxed.

But neither of them had completed their tasks.

Fang Yunshi had finished his task. He glanced at Cheng Yichi and said, “Can I sleep with Yichi?”

He’d been craving the scent on Cheng Yichi for a long time.

But the way Cheng Yichi looked at him made him worry that Fang Yunshi might bite his face in the middle of the night.

Tang Yinuo pretended to be upset. “Shishi, aren’t you going to sleep with me? I’m so hurt.”

He thought: If even I haven’t slept with Yichi-ge, then no one else can! Not even Shishi.

Fang Yunshi clutched the opportunity in his hands, glancing between Cheng Yichi and Tang Yinuo. He still wanted to choose Cheng Yichi, but Nuonuo seemed genuinely upset. After a long deliberation, Fang Yunshi decided to let it go.

Gu Zichen was torn. He was considering whether to seize this chance. Soon, a third of the thirty days would pass, and it was time for him to fight for his love.

He said, “I also earned a room-switching opportunity. Now, I’m transferring it to Ruyu.”

Bai Ruyu exchanged a knowing smile with him.

“I’d like to sleep with Yichi too. Is that okay?”

Cheng Yichi relaxed. He had long forgotten the night he’d almost kissed Bai Ruyu. On the contrary, he knew he couldn’t keep enjoying a single room forever—it wouldn’t make for good variety show content. Sharing a room with Bai Ruyu was the best option.

“Sure,” he said, smiling as he agreed to the arrangement.

The others also felt relieved. After all, Bai Ruyu was an observer with no romantic interest in anyone.

Perfect.