After pilfering a few hundred dollars from Chen Xie, he happily made his way into the master bedroom. The furniture consisted of a desk, a closet, a king-sized bed, and a nightstand. Everything was white, black, or various shades of grey.
He clicked his tongue. "Goodness. I forgot how tasteless you were."
"This is exactly what your room looked like."
"That's why you should never copy me…" Yan Lidong trailed off as he glanced around more. He tilted his head. "You really copied everything. Why does this look identical to my room?"
"This is your room. This is your house, actually. I don't know how you missed that."
"Oh. You're right," he replied, turning around to make eye contact with the expressionless Chen Xie. He smiled brightly. "Dude, this is kind of weird."
They stood in silence for a moment.
Chen Xie's expression shifted between various states, eventually settling between guilt and exasperation. "I'm glad you realised. I was going to explain, but you asked me not to."
"...I was referring to my clothes. Well, at least I know how you got ahold of them now."
"Anyways, I just… really missed you," Chen Xie muttered, his eyes lowering. His gaze was so sickeningly soft that Yan Lidong recalled the last day he remembered, when they were at the library. "And also, it's because of your parents—"
"I see," Yan Lidong cut him off. "That makes sense, then. Don't worry; I didn't think we were close enough for you to live here just because you missed me."
Chen Xie blinked confusedly. "But that was the main reason."
"The alcohol really does a number on you." Yan Lidong patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I won't hold it against you, so just scooch over a bit when we're sleeping. You've grown a bit since you last slept over."
Yan Lidong sifted through the clothes in the closet—half of which were his, and the other half belonging to Chen Xie. All of his were in surprisingly good condition. He glanced back at Chen Xie and fell into thought.
Assuming his past knowledge was still reliable, then a drunk Chen Xie was both highly functional and very, very easily influenced. Truthfully, he wasn't too interested in revealing his identity so soon; he only wanted to stay in a grossly opulent mansion for one night. Since he had been sorely mistaken, he had even less reason to stay. He had long grown sick of this house.
"By the way, you're dreaming."
"...what?" Chen Xie's expression quickly turned grim. He smiled wryly. "I see. I'm not sure why I thought this time would be any different. You just seemed so real."
Ignoring his pitiful figure, Yan Lidong continued. "Yeah, I'm a figment of your imagination. Also, while heading back from the bar, you accidentally dropped some money on the street, and…"
"And?" Chen Xie asked. Despite his dejection, he was still cooperatively allowing himself to be led astray.
Yan Lidong smiled, appreciating his cooperation, but couldn't hide how pale his face had gotten. "And I'm feeling a bit light-headed. I think my blood sugar is low."
Chen Xie furrowed his eyebrows. "When was the last time you ate?"
He blinked drowsily. "Yesterday."
Chen Xie jumped. "You—stay here! I'll get you something."
"It's fine. Like I said, I'm not real—"
Despite his half-hearted protests, Chen Xie rushed down the stairs at an almost inhumanly fast speed. Perhaps it really was inhuman; Yan Lidong only knew so little about the evolvers' attributes. In fact, he knew very little about the current Chen Xie, including why he seemed to care so much about him, even if he was convinced that it was only a dream.
Rather than wasting time pondering, however, Yan Lidong decided to make use of what little time he had. He grabbed a few inconspicuous pieces of clothing and folded them away into his bag. The letter was still sitting at the bottom, so he took it out and tucked it into his pocket, deciding to slip it somewhere noticeable later.
Chen Xie eventually walked in with a steaming bowl in his hands, gingerly setting it down on the nightstand. "I didn't have much to work with, but you'll have to make do for now."
Staring at the bowl of clear white congee, Yan Lidong carefully analysed it for hints of unidentified matter. He slowly stirred it to see if any black or green sludge would appear.
Chen Xie, who had been watching the whole process, was speechless. "I've gotten better at cooking. You can eat it, I promise."
With a visibly doubtful expression, Yan Lidong very hesitantly brought a spoonful to his mouth, closing his eyes as he swallowed with great trepidation. He opened his eyes with pleasant surprise. "It doesn't taste like sewage. You really have gotten better."
"I assume that's a compliment," Chen Xie chuckled, sitting on the bed next to Yan Lidong. "I've been practicing. Evolvers don't get hungry often, but I wanted to make you something nice if I ever found you again."
"It is a compliment. The last time you cooked, I thought you were poisoning me."
Chen Xie shifted his gaze with embarrassment. "I did my best."
"I did get food poisoning, so I'd say it was a successful attempt."
"...to cook, I mean."
Yan Lidong nudged him. "When did you get so uptight? I really am proud of you."
Chen Xie's eyelids had already begun drooping, the alcohol and exhaustion setting in. His gaze softened, though his voice was heavy with dejection. "Don't say that. Not when I couldn't protect you the one time it mattered."
He hummed in thought, recalling the attack five years ago, "Ah, you mean at the library? It sure was a valiant attempt, though. You were holding me so tightly I could hardly breathe," he teased. "I felt like a pool float. It wasn't much different from when I was first teaching you how to swim."
"...I've gotten better at swimming, too," Chen Xie mumbled. "I've improved a lot since then. If I had been more capable, or if only my evolution was delayed even a few minutes, I could have gotten you to safety…"
"Goodness, you mean you evolved during the first zombie attack? That early? I guess you really were the first." Yan Lidong was startled. "Then I guess I can't blame you for losing me, hm? You were busy with your heroic suit-up sequence."
Chen Xie was speechless. "Nothing of the sort. It was pretty disorienting, and I couldn't see, feel, or hear anything."
Yan Lidong poked him teasingly. "Was it more akin to a magical girl transformation?"
"...yes, if that makes you happy," he acquiesced. "In any case, I needed a few minutes to find my bearings after evolving, and lost sight of you. By the time my head cleared up, you were gone."
"A flawless vanishing act. I always knew I had a knack for magic."
Chen Xie shook his head helplessly. "It'd kill you to take something seriously."
"I am being serious, though. I know you tried your best," he grinned. "Less successful than your poisoning attempt, but commendable nonetheless."
Seeing that Chen Xie was, once again, at a complete loss for words, Yan Lidong graciously stopped teasing him. Instead, he turned to rummage through his bag, holding up the letter with a mischievous smile. "Right, someone wrote this heartfelt love letter for you."
Chen Xie perked up. "You?"
"Not me."
"...oh."
Yan Lidong was about to continue, but realised he forgot to find someone to pin the blame on. He sifted through his memories, recalling the pair he had met at the bar. More accurately, the pair whose conversations he had nosily eavesdropped on.
"If you're curious, ask someone named Meng…" Yan Lidong paused.
"Meng Fei?"
"Yes, him. Just ask him for more details—maybe he wrote the letter, or maybe he knows who did." He had forgotten the man's name, but if Chen Xie knew someone with a similar name, then he didn't mind shifting the blame. Yan Lidong mentally apologised for scapegoating him; unfortunately, he was truly bored out of his mind, and creating mindless conflict was one of the few viable solutions.
Although the congee was utterly flavourless, Yan Lidong quickly finished it, grateful that his internal organs were still functioning. Chen Xie had already started settling into bed, truly exhausted after travelling and clearing out multiple zombie hoards all day.
Yan Lidong glanced at his peaceful visage thoughtfully. "Shame I missed your evolution. You'd be so cute in a magical girl costume," he chuckled, before catching sight of himself in the mirror leaning against the wall. He tapped his chin. "I'd be cuter, though."
Chen Xie, who had nearly drifted off, smiled gently. Mentally, he gave his wholehearted agreement.
His smile didn't evade Yan Lidong's notice, who had slipped the letter into the nightstand's drawer. He lowered his gaze, his expression conflicted. As Chen Xie's breathing evened out, he let out a small sigh.
"Don't worry, dear. Just keep me entertained for a while, and I'll forgive our past transgressions."
And please stop smiling so brightly for me.