Bringing My Rival Back to Life (Accidentally) - Chapter 37
Ever since Wu Jiu’s shell was filled with the core from ten years ago, Zhu Xiao took over the cooking at home. Wu Jiu offered to help, but Zhu Xiao flatly refused.
“No,” Zhu Xiao declined without hesitation. He remembered how terrifying Wu Jiu’s cooking skills were at this point in time and didn’t want to be the innocent guinea pig who suffered the consequences.
Wu Jiu indeed hadn’t unlocked the cooking skill yet and was a complete novice, only able to help with washing vegetables. He had no choice but to stand by and watch. Even though he was ordered to stay on the sidelines, Wu Jiu could still entertain himself—just watching Zhu Xiao was enough to occupy eighty percent of his time.
As Zhu Xiao chopped vegetables, he could feel the mascot behind him staring intently. His focus wavered for a moment, and the knife blade nicked his finger, leaving a shallow cut from which blood began to flow.
He let out a soft “hiss.”
“What happened?” Wu Jiu asked anxiously, “Did you cut your hand?”
Zhu Xiao nodded slightly, “Just a little.”
Wu Jiu didn’t take it lightly and immediately sprang up, saying, “I’ll get the first aid kit.”
But when Wu Jiu reached the living room and looked around, he couldn’t find the first aid kit. Unlike his future self, who knew this place like the back of his hand, he hadn’t paid attention to where the first aid kit was during these few days.
Zhu Xiao followed him out, opened a cabinet drawer with his other hand, and took out the first aid kit. He took out the iodine, glanced at Wu Jiu who seemed a bit unhappy beside him, handed him the items, and placed his injured finger in front of him.
“It’s just a minor injury,” he comforted.
Wu Jiu said nothing, seemingly not comforted at all. He silently disinfected Zhu Xiao’s wound and applied a band-aid.
For the rest of the day, Wu Jiu was mostly silent, only responding when Zhu Xiao spoke to him, otherwise, he was as tight-lipped as a mute gourd.
In the evening, while Zhu Xiao was taking a shower, Wu Jiu sat alone in the room, sulking. The room was dark, and when Zhu Xiao came in, he turned on the light and saw Wu Jiu’s head in the corner.
Wu Jiu was sitting on the floor, sulking. Upon hearing Zhu Xiao’s entrance, he forced himself to brighten up a bit and put on a cheerful expression when he looked up: “Zhu Xiao, did you need me?”
The Wu Jiu from ten years later was still not very good at hiding his emotions, let alone this one from ten years ago. Zhu Xiao had long noticed that his little boyfriend’s mood was off.
“What’s wrong?” Zhu Xiao asked.
“……” Wu Jiu’s attempt at masking his emotions failed, but he kept his mouth shut, still unwilling to talk.
Zhu Xiao issued a direct command: “Speak.”
Wu Jiu protested, “……Zhu Xiao, I’m processing my emotions alone.”
As a true man, Wu Jiu believed that he shouldn’t display his negative emotions in front of his partner. So, as he had said, he was now processing his negative emotions alone.
Zhu Xiao didn’t care about his old-fashioned notions and pressed on: “What’s wrong?”
“……”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll get angry,” Zhu Xiao’s tone had turned a bit serious.
Even the Wu Jiu from ten years ago knew that Zhu Xiao had a short fuse and would indeed get angry if he said so.
Wu Jiu’s head drooped again, and after a while, he finally said, “Am I not as good as him?”
Zhu Xiao furrowed his brows: “Him?”
Wu Jiu lowered his eyes and muttered, “The… me from ten years later.”
“He is also you.”
“But he knows you better and knows how to take care of you better than I do,” Wu Jiu said dejectedly, “If it were the me from ten years later, you wouldn’t have cut your hand.”
So that’s what he was upset about.
Zhu Xiao found it a bit amusing; the little boyfriend from ten years ago… was rather endearing.
“It’s just a minor injury,” Zhu Xiao said.
“A minor injury is still an injury,” Wu Jiu insisted.
The point wasn’t the severity of the wound, but that Zhu Xiao had gotten hurt right under his nose.
“Come on, it’s the future you,” Zhu Xiao squatted down to be at eye level with him, “Ten years can’t pass without any improvement. Even if the future you is great, it’s the present you who’s built that up bit by bit.”
“And the present you is great too,” Zhu Xiao smiled gently, “At least you’re cuter than the future you.”
Wu Jiu’s mood improved a lot, but he felt a bit awkward with this gentle Zhu Xiao. He grumbled, “Why are you speaking so softly? It’s disgusting.”
Zhu Xiao: “……”
Indeed, why treat him like a child? Even if he was ten years younger, he was still an old-fashioned ghost who didn’t understand romance.
“I’ll count to three, and you get up,” Zhu Xiao switched to a more straightforward approach. He stood up and looked down at Wu Jiu, starting the countdown, “Three.”
Before Zhu Xiao could say “two,” Wu Jiu sprang up from the ground like a fish flipping over.
Though quick, he still complained, “Zhu Xiao, your temper…”
Zhu Xiao raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
Wu Jiu reluctantly changed his words: “You have such a good temper. No wonder I’ll marry you in the future.”
For the next few days, it was Wu Jiu who chopped the vegetables. Although his knife skills were not great, at least he was using his own hands—according to him, his ghostly hands could be reattached even if they were severed.
Not only that, but Wu Jiu also learned from his mistakes and carefully familiarized himself with every detail of his and Zhu Xiao’s home in the future. He even inventoried and recorded all the medicines in the house. This way, no matter when he needed something, he could find it immediately.
The cut on Zhu Xiao’s hand was minor and healed in just a couple of days.
“It’s already healed,” Zhu Xiao knew Wu Jiu was still bothered by the small injury, so he specifically showed his hand to him before going to bed, “See?”
Wu Jiu examined it carefully and, seeing the wound had healed, finally felt relieved.
“I’ve already started learning how to cook human food. Let me take over from now on.”
He had decided to start learning after that day. Moreover, hearing from Zhu Xiao that his future self only started learning after starting work, he felt like he was saving himself a decade of detours.
“So good,” Zhu Xiao’s lips curled into a faint smile, “I feel like rewarding you.”
“I haven’t mastered it yet…” He had just started and felt embarrassed to ask for a reward. But remembering the kiss Zhu Xiao had given him last time and not wanting to miss out, he coughed a bit and said, “But you could encourage me.”
He looked at Zhu Xiao expectantly, waiting for another kiss like last time.
However, under his eager gaze, Zhu Xiao did nothing. Not only did he not kiss him, but he also created a bit of distance between them.
“For these past few days, I’ve been meaning to ask——”
“Since we’re both in bed, haven’t you thought about what we could do?”
“What?”
Zhu Xiao stared at him, “We’re already married.”
Wu Jiu understood his implication and couldn’t help but blush. He had thought about it, many times, after all, the mess when he first arrived had given him plenty of room for imagination.
But——
“I don’t know how…” He said this, then, fearing he would miss an opportunity, quickly added a phrase he had learned for interviews, “But I can learn.”
“Zhu Xiao, I learn very quickly.” At least faster than learning to cook human food.
……
Zhu Xiao had never done this before, teaching someone how to explore oneself. The Wu Jiu from ten years later had systematically studied this area with an academic attitude before their first time, and his computer still had strange notes to this day.
The Wu Jiu in front of him knew nothing and would believe whatever Zhu Xiao said.
The room’s light was turned up to its brightest, fully illuminating Zhu Xiao.
Under the light, the beauty was even more captivating, impossible to look away from.
Wu Jiu watched intently, as if gazing at the most exquisite exhibit in a gallery.
Zhu Xiao, fully exposed under Wu Jiu’s focused gaze, shyly turned his head away, his ears turning pink.
Wu Jiu’s gaze was so earnest that for the first time, Zhu Xiao felt the urge to stop.
However, just as he was about to pull back, a hand suddenly reached out and pushed his hand back into place.
“Zhu Xiao… you’re so beautiful like this.”
He didn’t want Zhu Xiao to stop.
Zhu Xiao glanced at him sideways, “Are you just going to watch?”
Wu Jiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “Then I…”
What would the future him do in this situation? Wu Jiu thought regretfully, if he had known this day would come, he would have learned more online.
Wu Jiu awkwardly inched closer, not even knowing where to place his hands, one hand resting on Zhu Xiao’s, the other awkwardly suspended in mid-air.
Seemingly impatient with his slow movements, Zhu Xiao grabbed the hand hanging in mid-air and placed it on his waist.
“Come and kiss me.”
……
Not sure where he had touched, Zhu Xiao let out a short sound, almost collapsing onto Wu Jiu.
Zhu Xiao felt embarrassed by his strong reaction and pushed Wu Jiu’s hand away, lying, “This place is off-limits.”
“Why is it off-limits?” Wu Jiu was puzzled, “You clearly seemed to like it…”
The sound just now had been pleasant too, and he wanted to hear it again.
Zhu Xiao couldn’t say “why,” feeling unusually embarrassed.
“Would the future me also not allow it?”
“……”
This was a place that the future Wu Jiu had explored, and Zhu Xiao had no idea that he would have such a strong reaction to being touched this way. He had thought that the Wu Jiu from ten years ago, being inexperienced, would be more restrained, but it turned out that he was just as eager as the future version. His learning ability was too strong; after just picking up the basics from Zhu Xiao, he quickly mastered more.
Zhu Xiao didn’t answer, but Wu Jiu already knew the answer.
“Then I can too…”
“Don’t reject me, okay?” Wu Jiu, imitating the future self, used all sorts of endearing terms, calling Zhu Xiao “baby,” “darling,” and “honey,” and said anxiously, “I’m also Wu Jiu…”
Zhu Xiao couldn’t resist and nodded, resting his head on Wu Jiu’s shoulder.
……
The next day.
At eight in the morning, Zhu Xiao was lying groggily in Wu Jiu’s arms when he was gently shaken.
“Zhu Xiao, who did all these marks on you!”
This scene felt familiar; it had just happened not long ago.
Only this time, it was the future Wu Jiu who had returned, not the one from ten years ago.
Truly, it was the same person, and the same question had to be asked again.
Zhu Xiao opened his eyes and said in the same tone as before, “You did.”
“Me?”
Wu Jiu quickly realized, “The me from ten years ago?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Wu Jiu examined Zhu Xiao from head to toe, his fingertips tracing the red marks, and grumbled, “Not gentle at all…”
What a lucky guy! He had just gotten married to Zhu Xiao, and this kid came along and reaped all the benefits.
Zhu Xiao reminded him, “He is also you.”
Wu Jiu snorted, as if evaluating some young whippersnapper, “The me from ten years ago.”
Just as he had sent off one who was hung up on “ten years later,” another one obsessed with “ten years ago” came back. Zhu Xiao was truly amazed by Wu Jiu’s thought process; whether it was ten years ago or ten years later, they were so alike.
But this one from the future… Zhu Xiao was well aware that he was probably making an issue out of nothing.
“No way,” as expected, Wu Jiu leaned down and kissed Zhu Xiao’s collarbone, leaving a new mark next to the old one, “I want mine too.”
Zhu Xiao pushed his head away, saying, “We just did this last night.”
“How can that count?” Wu Jiu complained, “No favoritism. I’m also Wu Jiu!”
Hearing the phrase “I’m also Wu Jiu,” Zhu Xiao had a conditioned response and instinctively touched his sore waist.
Yesterday, his little boyfriend had said the same thing, eagerly insisting, “I’m also Wu Jiu,” and Zhu Xiao had half-heartedly agreed to everything.
After all, if he had agreed to the future one, he couldn’t refuse the one from ten years ago.
By the same logic, since he had agreed to the one from ten years ago, he couldn’t refuse the future one now.
Zhu Xiao decided to treat them equally and agreed.
Wu Jiu happily unbuttoned Zhu Xiao’s shirt, and then he saw the other marks hidden beneath the clothes.
His movements suddenly stopped.
After a long while, he said through gritted teeth, “This kid has no sense of proportion…!”
Fifty steps laughing at a hundred, Zhu Xiao didn’t think the one in front of him was any more restrained than the one from ten years ago.
“Never mind, I’ll let it slide for now,” Wu Jiu decided to spare Zhu Xiao and make up for it later when he had rested enough.
He held Zhu Xiao and suddenly said excitedly, “Zhu Xiao, guess what I did when I went back ten years?”
A question with no real substance, and Zhu Xiao answered without hesitation, “Confessed to me.”
“……How did you know?” Unable to evoke the surprised expression he had hoped for from Zhu Xiao, Wu Jiu seemed a bit disappointed.
“No need to guess,” Zhu Xiao said.
“Alright, you win,” Wu Jiu admitted, “I did confess to the me from ten years ago as soon as I got back.”
Recalling his recent experiences, Wu Jiu suddenly sighed deeply and said to Zhu Xiao, “Zhu Xiao, do you know how hard you are to pursue?”
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