Reverse Domestication chapter 17
A dinner invitation?
When Lu Ye was initially misled by a mistaken police incident, he had closely observed Qi Yanbai’s home.
At that time, Qi Yanbai’s home was as simple as a model room, with minimal personal items other than the essential furniture for the rental apartment. Lu Ye had initially thought Qi Yanbai was a minimalist, but now it seemed he just hadn’t found the space to spread out.
In just two or three months, Qi Yanbai’s personal belongings had multiplied to the point that it amazed Lu Ye. From a coffee machine to a microwave, from pots and pans to every small item, it was as if Qi Yanbai had transformed from a “minimalist” into a trap of “consumerism.”
Perhaps Lu Ye’s gaze lingered on the packing boxes for too long, as Qi Yanbai had keenly sensed his thoughts. Qi Yanbai scratched his cheek a bit awkwardly and asked, “Did I buy a bit too much?”
“Hmm?” Lu Ye snapped back to attention and glanced at him before assessing the workload for the evening. He nodded appreciatively, “It’s alright, nothing too heavy.”
Just a bit excessive in quantity, Lu Ye thought.
While Qi Yanbai was efficient at work, he seemed a bit single-minded in his daily life. With his work pace, he’d probably end up moving these things into the middle of the night.
As Lu Ye thought this, he knelt down and tapped a few small boxes while reaching out to Qi Yanbai.
“Do you have any tape?” Lu Ye asked.
“Yes,” Qi Yanbai replied. “What for?”
“Let’s bundle them up for easier carrying,” Lu Ye said. “Otherwise, we’ll be moving things one by one for a lifetime.”
Qi Yanbai seemed to finally understand Lu Ye’s intention. He scratched his face a bit embarrassedly, then asked, “It’s a bit much, Isn’t it?”
“no, don’t worry?” Lu Ye chuckled and continued the half-kneeling posture, looking up at Qi Yanbai. He smiled, “Besides, I was planning to invite you to dinner tonight. Since you missed that, we’ll just have to make up for it with some heavy lifting.”
Lu Ye teased, noticing that Qi Yanbai still hesitated. He added, “I’ll carry with one hand, is that okay?”
Lu Ye had a feeling that sometimes Qi Yanbai was like a caring wife, fussing over this and that, caring more about his well-being than he did himself. However, Lu Ye wasn’t unappreciative. He could feel that Qi Yanbai was genuinely concerned and worried about him. He didn’t mind this slightly overstepping care and was even willing to let Qi Yanbai take charge.
With his assurance, Qi Yanbai finally relaxed. He reached into his pocket, found a roll of wide tape for moving, and handed it to Lu Ye.
Lu Ye had been on his own since he was a teenager, living in school dorms when young, moving houses as he grew up, mostly handling everything by himself. His life experience was several notches above Qi Yanbai’s, and he quickly sorted out the boxes that could be “merged.”
Qi Yanbai had keenly and obediently squatted beside him. He watched Lu Ye’s injured wrist attentively, occasionally handing over tape or scissors.
Qi Yanbai was considerate, seemingly knowing what to do whenever Lu Ye paused. Lu Ye had never done such a comfortable job before and even found himself enjoying it towards the end.
With Lu Ye’s help, Qi Yanbai’s moving process finally made significant progress. The numerous big and small boxes diminished, and eventually, everything was crammed into the elevator and taken up to the ninth floor.
Indeed, the apartment on the ninth floor had removed the “For Rent” sign. The door stood wide open, with Qi Yanbai’s newly moved-in household items inside and outside.
Lu Ye couldn’t decide whether to say Qi Yanbai was overly trusting or commend his strong sense of security. Qi Yanbai left his door wide open, even hanging his key on it, seemingly unafraid that a passing neighbor might get any ideas. Yet, he had installed a brand-new surveillance system on the first day, a dark camera hanging on his door, silently gazing forward. Due to not being connected to power yet, its color appeared dim and somber.
“You’re quite trusting,” Lu Ye couldn’t help but comment, his professional instinct coming into play. “Leaving the door open like that. What if someone else, lived across from you, and they just took a few of your things while passing by?”
“Also, the surveillance camera needs adjustment,” Lu Ye added. He tore off the protective film from the camera and tossed it into his own trash bin by the door. “You’ve got it set up, but you need to remember to adjust it.”
Lu Ye, being tall, could easily reach the black wire behind the camera with a slight lift of his hand. The dark camera obediently changed its direction, seemingly bowing down before him.
“It’s alright,” Qi Yanbai watched Lu Ye’s actions calmly. He smiled slightly and said, “Once it’s powered on, I can adjust the angle anytime using an app.”
“That’s good then,” Lu Ye said. He shook his head slightly and pushed the lingering feeling from his mind. He bent down, ready to take the takeout bag from Qi Yanbai’s hands. Unexpectedly, Qi Yanbai agilely took a step back, gently blocking the bag with his body.
Lu Ye was surprised by this evasion and gave him a puzzled look, saying with a questioning tone, “Hmm?”
“Didn’t you invite me to dinner earlier?” Qi Yanbai gently shook the takeout bag and smiled, “Perfect timing. If you don’t come in, how are you going to eat?”