Chapter 175
That night, Su Bin sat anxiously in the living room, keeping a close eye on the door.
He couldn’t quite remember the exact time he first met Allen, but in his memory, he had been chatting with Yang Chengzhe about his “relationship history” when Allen appeared.
This time, having just broken up with Chen Xiaotian, Su Bin didn’t have any grand stories to share with Yang Chengzhe. So, he kept talking about work while nervously counting the minutes, his unease growing with each passing second.
The sound of the door lock turning from the hallway snapped Su Bin out of his thoughts. He immediately jumped up from the sofa.
There stood Allen, with his cold, distant aura, long figure, and an elegance that seemed to keep people at arm’s length. Seeing him again, Su Bin froze—not from fear, but from nervous excitement.
His blood felt like it was on fire, and his heart was pounding wildly, as if it might burst out of his chest. It was real. He wasn’t dreaming!
Suppressing his trembling body and the tears that were starting to well up in his eyes, Su Bin gave Allen a small nod.
They shook hands, exchanged introductions, and Yang Chengzhe went to brew tea. Everything was just like it had been in his memory.
But after chatting with Su Bin for a while, Allen unexpectedly said, “Your English is quite good.”
Su Bin: “…”
Just then, Yang Chengzhe brought the tea over, smiling, “Right? I think so too! At first, I thought he must’ve lived abroad. Most international students don’t speak that well.”
Allen raised an eyebrow in approval.
Su Bin wiped his sweat and silently thought, It’s all thanks to you teaching me…
He hadn’t forgotten how Allen had spent almost a year “correcting” his pronunciation, spoken grammar, and even his conversational etiquette.
Once it was confirmed that Su Bin would be staying, Allen went upstairs to fetch the lease for him to sign. This was a detail Su Bin had completely overlooked last time. In his previous life, he hadn’t even read the contract before signing it, which later allowed Allen to use it against him, claiming that since he rented Allen’s “study,” Allen had the right to ensure his safety.
This time, Su Bin carefully read through the contract.
However, there were no clauses about Allen having control over the property. The contract just outlined which room Su Bin was renting, the lease duration, and the rent he had to pay. And that money wasn’t going to Allen but to Yang Chengzhe, as he was the first tenant of the house.
Su Bin glanced at Allen and silently mocked, This sly fox… knew how to bully people even in the past!
He moved in smoothly and, as he had hoped, became Allen’s next-door neighbor. But this was just the first step. As for how to pursue Allen, Su Bin knew it was still a massive challenge.
Su Bin was fully aware that Allen had many admirers. Besides the noble ladies in high society, there were also many ordinary people who were obsessed with him, using all kinds of methods to get close to him—some even stalked, spied, or harassed him. Among these, there were also some men, like William from his previous life.
This was also the reason why Allen had specifically asked for tenants to be “heterosexual” when Su Bin first came to rent. It was to avoid unnecessary complications.
As mentioned before, rushing in to confess or revealing that he was a “time traveler” would only result in Allen thinking he was a lunatic or mistaking him for one of those obsessive fans.
If, for example, a new roommate suddenly barged in and claimed he was from three years in the future and would be his future lover, Su Bin would be scared out of his mind.
Thus, Su Bin had no choice but to hide his true intentions, trying to “win over” Allen through his actions and make Allen “see him” once again.
The next morning, Su Bin got up early. After Allen had used the bathroom, Su Bin quickly cleaned up, then prepared breakfast for the three of them, including Yang Chengzhe’s.
Yang Chengzhe, who had stayed up late writing a paper, was moved to tears when Su Bin handed him a warm sandwich before he left for class.
Su Bin did some cycling and waited downstairs for Allen, who came down at exactly eight o’clock.
“I made breakfast. Do you want some?” Su Bin asked, trying to play the role of a diligent housemate. He restrained his special feelings for Allen. “I haven’t adjusted to the time zone yet, so I woke up early. I made breakfast. Joe didn’t have time, so I made him a sandwich to take with him.”
Allen thanked him and sat down.
It was the same sweet and sour fried eggs, the same as last time, and Allen frowned when he first tried them, calling them “a strange taste.” However, unlike the last time, he didn’t say “I like it,” nor did he express any approval of Su Bin. Instead, he added, “Thanks, but don’t go through so much trouble next time.”
At this point, Su Bin was a little lost. He had thought this would increase Allen’s affection, but now it seemed like Allen was clearly rejecting his goodwill.
Perhaps noticing Su Bin’s frustration, Allen added, “Even though we live together, we each handle our own breakfast. What you’re doing is a bit too much effort.”
Su Bin quickly waved his hands. “No, no, it’s not troublesome at all! I’m happy to do it!”
Allen: “…”
Su Bin: “Uh…” Had he been too eager? Why did Allen look so strange?
Allen observed Su Bin for a while in silence before saying nothing more.
The first attempt at trying to please Allen ended awkwardly. Even the bathroom cleaning, which Su Bin had done with great care, didn’t earn him a single compliment. In Allen’s eyes, it seemed like those actions were simply expected.
At school, Su Bin met Sun Yujie and Jin Fei, who had arrived in B country. They went out for dinner at a steakhouse. That evening, when ordering, Su Bin didn’t ask for a medium-rare fillet, nor did he give Allen a chance to order a bottle of rosé wine for him. He wouldn’t pretend to be clueless, nor would he try to fake a certain demeanor…
Everything seemed to be progressing along the same track as before, but Su Bin couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing between him and Allen.
That night, as he lay in bed, Su Bin began to reflect.
Indeed, while the general direction hadn’t changed, many things were different this time. For example, Allen correcting his English, or “accidentally” encountering a certain someone coming out of the shower, or getting criticized by Allen for not cleaning the bathroom properly… Although Su Bin knew these things didn’t have any real bearing on winning Allen’s heart, they were details from his previous life that had increased their interaction. Perhaps it was these details that, over time, had built up and sparked a change, causing the two of them to finally connect… Otherwise, how could someone like Allen, so high and mighty, ever notice someone like him?
But this time, Su Bin could only stick to the role of a good roommate and had no other way to approach Allen.
Over the next few days, all of his attempts to be friendly were effortlessly dodged by Allen. It was as if Allen was an insulating material, maintaining a proper distance from everyone, impervious to any attempts to get closer.
At this rate, Su Bin knew there was no way he could win Allen’s heart…
Troubled, he lay awake that night, tossing and turning, only to wake up the next morning with panda eyes. As he walked toward the door, he overheard Allen and Yang Chengzhe talking about switching rooms.
“If we have time this weekend, let’s switch rooms…” It was Allen’s voice.
“Uh… still not used to sharing a bathroom? I think the guy’s pretty clean about his hygiene,” Yang Chengzhe said.
“Mm, he’s clean, but…” Allen paused.
“But what?” Yang Chengzhe asked, voicing what Su Bin wanted to know.
“It’s nothing, I’m just used to being alone.”
Inside the room, Su Bin froze.
Yang Chengzhe said, “Alright, I’ll talk to him.”
Just then, Su Bin’s bedroom door slammed open. A face, slightly aggrieved, appeared before them. Yang Chengzhe’s smile faltered awkwardly, while Allen remained impassive, holding a coffee cup with one hand and his arms crossed, calmly taking a sip.
“You…” Su Bin tried to speak but felt as if the words were stuck. He couldn’t say anything, his face turning red as he stomped his foot and ran off.
Allen & Yang Chengzhe: “…”
As the days shortened and the crisp autumn air grew colder, Su Bin wandered aimlessly around the school, unsure of what to do with himself. After his classes ended in the evening, he didn’t feel like going home. Instead, he found himself at the entrance of the medical school where Allen was.
He knew full well that coming here wouldn’t help him accomplish anything, yet Su Bin couldn’t stop himself.
He wanted to be closer to Allen, to see him, to hug him, to kiss him…
But right now, he couldn’t attract Allen’s attention, and he was not the only one vying for Allen’s attention, so he couldn’t expect any special treatment.
Thinking back to the man from his past life, the one who had let him act without reserve, Su Bin felt a wave of grievance.
Even though he was already thankful to see Allen alive again after experiencing the pain of losing him, the feelings of unrequited longing and the gap between his desires and reality were more painful than he could have imagined.
It was sweet yet bitter, and the sense of helplessness made him want to cry.
As the evening drew on and the light began to fade, Su Bin foolishly hid behind some bushes, gazing up at the windows of the medical school tower.
The dark glass blocked any view inside, obscuring the man standing by the window. His gaze was distant and unreadable.
If this had happened just once, Allen might have thought it a coincidence, but by now, the strange boy had been standing there for days, thinking he was hidden well, yet he was more like a scarecrow, standing foolishly beneath the tower, sometimes grinning like an idiot, sometimes looking sad… Every time Robert’s car appeared around the corner, Su Bin would sneak away.
That day, just as Allen was about to call Robert, he suddenly put his phone in his coat pocket and walked downstairs.
The bushes proved to be a good hiding spot.
As Allen stepped outside and looked directly at Su Bin’s usual hiding spot, he saw the bushes rustling. Then, a shadow in deep blue flashed like a startled squirrel and disappeared around the corner.
Allen: “…”
Su Bin ran out of breath, hunched over at the bus stop. After catching his breath, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
…He hadn’t done anything wrong, and he wasn’t afraid of Allen like before, so why did he run?
But the moment Allen’s cold gaze locked onto him, Su Bin’s instinct kicked in, and he immediately turned and ran.
He must have been afraid that Allen would think he was a stalker, so that’s why he ran… Yeah, that’s it.
Su Bin patted his chest, straightened his back, and clenched his fists, trying to cheer himself on.