Anchor Effect - Chapter 26.3: I don't eat people

The phone rang only twice before it was answered. "Chenchen?"

Ye Yuchen knew that his busy brother was likely still awake at this hour.

"What are you up to?" Ye Yuchen asked casually.

Ye Bingkun didn't answer directly. "Do you have something on your mind?"

Since Ye Yuchen had called at this time, he didn't intend to hide anything. "Yeah."

Perhaps because they had already talked on the phone during the day about a certain someone, Ye Bingkun immediately guessed, "Yu Xiu?"

"Have you inquired about Shao Zhenbang's condition?" Ye Yuchen asked. "I asked Yu Xiu, but he said he didn't know."

"You're this concerned?" Ye Bingkun's tone implied a raised eyebrow. "I received a message from the hospital just now. They said there's a high probability he won't make it through this year. I was planning to tell you tomorrow."

"Is that so," Ye Yuchen pondered, "Does this mean that as long as Shao Zhenbang is alive, there's no way for Yu Xiu to be unblacklisted?"

"It's indeed inconvenient for the family to take action," Ye Bingkun explained. "No matter what, we still need to save face for Old Master Shao."

"But I don't want to," Ye Yuchen stated.

"Chenchen, you..." Ye Bingkun started speaking with a serious tone, but he seemed to realize something was amiss. He changed the subject, "You said you asked Yu Xiu? I thought you two were not in contact?"

Ye Yuchen fell silent for a moment before replying, "He's on the island now."

To be precise, he was upstairs.

"What?" Ye Bingkun raised his voice, clearly surprised. "You invited him?"

"Of course not," Ye Yuchen said. "He happened to come here for a vacation."

"You..." Ye Bingkun sighed and continued with a serious tone, "You need to think carefully whether it's worth it for him."

"There's nothing to consider if it's worth it or not, brother," Ye Yuchen replied. "He is Yu Xiu."

By the time he hung up the phone, the milk frother had already finished its job. The milk he had frothed had been left alone for a while, and the froth had separated slightly, but it still retained its rich milky aroma.

Ye Yuchen took a small sip, and a ring of froth clung to the upper edge of his lips. Holding the cup in one hand and his phone in the other, he began to walk back towards the elevator when he heard the sound of the elevator arriving on the first floor.

Yu Xiu stepped out of the elevator and walked straight to the kitchen. He glanced at the cup in Ye Yuchen's hand and asked, "Milk?"

His tone carried a hint of disdain, as if he had expected to catch Ye Yuchen secretly indulging in some delicious treat but found only milk.

"For better sleep," Ye Yuchen replied. While Yu Xiu's attention was focused on his pajamas, he raised the cup as if to take a sip but actually used his tongue to remove the froth clinging to his upper lip.

By the time Yu Xiu looked up again, that ring of froth had disappeared.

"Why did you come down?" Ye Yuchen asked.

"I'm hungry," Yu Xiu said, shuffling over to the refrigerator in his slippers. "Seems like there's no food delivery on this island."

Ye Yuchen wasn't surprised at all. People accustomed to city life would indeed find it hard to adapt to life on an island.

Who wouldn't know that having a barbecue at a time like this would be delightful?

But there was no such option on the island.

"There's nothing to eat," Ye Yuchen replied. "And the fridge is empty."

Yu Xiu had already opened the fridge and indeed found nothing suitable for a late-night snack. The plum wine had low alcohol content and could only be considered a beverage. As for the milk, Yu Xiu, as usual, had a strong aversion to it.

However, he suddenly had a thought. If the milk happened to be in a different context, he wouldn't mind giving it a try.

Yu Xiu closed the fridge door, leaned against the kitchen counter, and appraised Ye Yuchen with his hands folded across his chest.

Ye Yuchen took a sip of milk inexplicably and asked, "What are you looking at?"

At this moment, the froth had separated even more, despite his careful attention, and a little froth clung to his lips.

"I was just thinking," Yu Xiu tilted his head, looking quite serious, "since there's nothing else to eat, I could perhaps have you."

Ye Yuchen: "..."

The cup in his hand trembled imperceptibly.

"It's late at night, don't be so frivolous," Ye Yuchen said calmly, and with his cup in hand, he headed toward the elevator without looking back.

He heard Yu Xiu chuckle softly, and he lazily shuffled behind Ye Yuchen in his slippers.

"Don't be afraid, Teacher Ye," he said. "I don't eat people."

He didn't address him as Ye Yuchen but as "Teacher Ye," as if he were teasing.

Since reuniting with Yu Xiu, Ye Yuchen had gained a new understanding.

Just as he no longer fell for those little tricks, he realized that Yu Xiu had become even more dangerous than before.