Chapter 56
Aix-en explained, “I mean that the house is hot so you won’t be cold staying here. I will go out and buy clothes for you.”
It sounded reasonable but there was still the taste of something being covered up.
Xie Xi filled up his progress as he said, “It is already troublesome for you. Don’t spend any money. I’ll just wear it like this.”
Aix-en said, “My clothes aren’t suitable for you to wear.”
“The pants aren’t suitable but the shirt is good. Since the room isn’t cold, I will wear it like this.”
Aix-en froze.
Xie Xi let go of the belt and the pants fell down with a clatter. He came out with bare legs, carefully picked up the pants, folded it and gave it to Aix-en.
Aix-en only recovered after a while. He took the pants and turned his head quickly, “The cow... the milk is hot. Drink it carefully.” Then he left with the pants.
Xie Xi glanced at the lower right corner and was very satisfied with the rising purple progress. Sure enough, he had to use the trick of saving money to deal with the second prince and the progress would rise quickly.
Was that really the case? Wasn’t it because he only wore a shirt and his bare legs were too attractive?
In front of the curtain, Jiang Xie stood up suddenly and his high-backed chair shook.
He clocked on the address book. [Old Qin.]
Qin Ge appeared directly in the garden and asked, “What is it?”
Jiang Xie asked, “What level is your equivalent exchange?”
Qin Ge replied, “Intermediate. The experience is just over 50%.”
“I have a prefecture level task. Let’s team up.”
Tasks about the SSS grade had a hierarchy. There was prefecture level, heavenly level and holy level.
Qin Ge was slightly surprised. “You aren’t...” Jiang Xie had been staying in the garden for a while, concentrating on the only child who chose him. Why was he suddenly leaving for a task?
Jiang Xie replied, “I will help you raise the level of your equivalent exchange.”
Qin Ge still didn’t understand. “What are you going to do with it?’
This skill was very evil. It seemed to be able to do everything but in fact, nothing could be done. The so-called equivalent exchange actually wasn’t equivalent. The person often paid far more than what was exchanged.
Jiang Xie said, “I want to team up with him in the next world.”
Qin Ge, “...” This was definitely due to the child. Jiang Xie’s current strength was so high that the Zone forbid him from entering lower quasi-worlds. The highest world he designed was SS so he couldn’t enter worlds that were lower than SS-grade.
Of course, the rules were dead and people were alive. As long as they wanted to do it, they could, although there would be some losses.
Equivalent exchange could theoretically exchange anything, as long as the price was paid.
If Jiang Xie wanted to go to a lower quasi-world, he could indeed do it with equivalent exchange. However, the trap regarding this skill was that the price paid was random.
Even Qin Ge had no control over it. Thus, he rarely used this skill.
Qin Ge reminded him, “Is it worth it? The price won’t be small if you want to enter a lower quasi-world.”
“First upgrade the skill. Then I will study its mechanisms.”
Qin Ge didn’t say anything else. He had known Old Jiang a long time and understood his personality.
If the person who made the request was Yan Zhe then Qin Ge wouldn’t care. However, Jiang Xie wasn’t the same. For many years, this man had been bold, courageous and the most reliable person.
Xie Xi knew that he had taken off his pants (he didn’t know) and gave someone a sense of emergency.
He was just trying to act thrifty to fill up the purple progress. Wearing only a shirt might sound unseemly but it was actually okay.
The second prince imagined him too small. This shirt was the basic type that should be stuffed into the waistband. The hem was long so it looked like a nightgown when he wore it. It wasn’t a big problem.
Aix-en finished putting away the pants and returned to see that Xie Xi was washing his clothes.
Aix-en told him, “Put it away. An auntie will come by later and wash it.”
Xie Xi said, “It’s fine. If I wash it now, I can wear it tomorrow.”
Aix-en didn’t say anything and just praised Xie Xi in his heart. This feedback was transmitted to Xie Xi through the progress bar flashing.
Xie Xi wondered if it would’ve gone up more if he hand washed it instead of using the washing machine.
Forget it, there was a washing machine so there was no need for hand washing. Thrifty was thrifty but he couldn’t have a stupid head.
Xie Xi put the clothes in and sat quietly on the couch. He thought for a moment. He had just divorced so he should be sad. Thus, he started to stare blankly.
Aix-en said, “You are like this and it isn’t convenient for us to go out to eat...”
Xie Xi shook his head. “Don’t bother. I”m not hungry.”
Aix-en sighed and sat across from him. “What happened between the two of you?”
Xie Xi also wanted to know what happened between him and the third prince. How did they get married? Why did they get divorced? Why did he have to go to the ‘sister’ and take off his pants for the night?
Aix-en should know the answer better than anyone else!
Xie Xi’s brow furrowed as he replied, “It is probably because I am too annoying that Gars can’t stand it anymore.”
“He grew up spoiled and has a bit of a temper. You have to work hard.”
Xie Xi didn’t think that the third prince was spoiled but this was the second prince’s dream. However, this was the second prince’s dream and the third prince was always at ease!
“He and I are from two different worlds...” Xie Xi paused and spoke in a mortified manner, “I’m different from you. My family is very ordinary and I’ve always been frugal. I can’t learn this luxurious lifestyle.” This should be in line with the second prince’s thoughts!
Sure enough, Aix-en frowned. “What luxurious life? It is nothing but extravagance!”
Xie Xi spoke softly, “Gars said that his money is endless. I am too thrifty and don’t fit him.”
“Money is endless?” Aix-en didn’t have a good atmosphere. “Is there still endless money in this age? He only knows how to eat, drink and play. He doesn’t know the value of money. Doesn’t he know there are people who can’t even eat food!”
Xie Xi was dejected.
Aix-en glanced at him and felt pained. “Did you argue because of these things?”
Xie Xi said, “I talked too much because I cared too much.”
“He should have someone take charge of his bad habits.”
Xie Xi shook his head. “The bottom line is that I’m not suitable for him. Our thoughts are too different. I’m really not poor. I just think that money shouldn’t be squandered. It shouldn’t be spent completely or we will become a prisoner of money.”
Xie Xi’s heartfelt words were enough to make the purple progress bar rise by 3%.
He didn’t dare look up for fear of being caught.
Aix-en acknowledged his words and said, “You don’t fit but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve him. He is the one who doesn’t deserve you!”
Xie Xi, “...” Well, he was right about that.
Aix-en asked him again, “What are you going to do in the future?”
“Gars didn’t like me working so I quit my job after we got married. Now I have to find a job again and rent a room.”
“Don’t worry, you can stay with me first and wait for things to stabilize before finding another house.”
Xie Xi quickly said, “This isn’t good...”
Aix-en wondered, “What’s wrong? Even if you’re not Gars’ lover anymore, we are still friends.”
Xie Xi turned his head and said, “Then I can’t live here for free. I will pay you rent.”
Aix-en’s eyes were full of tenderness. “My house is already empty and it isn’t a waste to have one more person.”
“I can’t stay here for free.” Xie Xi refuted. “However, I have no money now and can only owe you first. I will cook and do housework so I don’t trouble you.”
Aix-en’s eyes lit up. “Can you cook?”
Xie Xi was slightly nervous. “Only some handmade dishes.”
“That’s great. I don’t like to eat outside and am too impatient to invite people to cook. It is too convenient if you can cook.”
“It probably doesn’t taste that good...”
“The food will be very good.” Aix-en told him, “Then don’t mention rent. I will be in a good mood as long as you cook the meals.”
Xie Xi got up and said, “Then I’ll go prepare dinner.”
“I’ll help.”
Xie Xi hurriedly shook his head. “No, I can do it myself.”
Unexpectedly, Aix-en didn’t follow. He didn’t dare look at Xie Xi since the white legs exposed under the shirt were too eye-catching.
Xie Xi could cook because he lived alone all the time. He couldn’t starve to death.
He didn’t hate cooking. The fact that he could prepare a hearty dinner for himself was the best reward he gave himself.
Xie Xi quite liked the second prince’s kitchen. It was very clean and the decorations were simple. There wasn’t anything that shouldn’t be there.
He fried a few dishes and placed them on the table.
Aix-en was an underwater fish and only tasted a handful of land dishes. He was surprised by the taste and exclaimed, “Delicious.”
Xie Xi glanced at the progress bar and laughed. “It is just decent food.”
“You’re too modest.” Aix-en added, “It’s very tasty. I’ve never eaten a dish like this before.”
The underwater people were obsessed with sashimi. They could be a rival for an empire of big eaters.
By the end of the meal, the purple progress bar had soared to 13% and Xie Xi was in a good mood.
Aix-en glanced at Xie Xi and whispered, “No wonder why Gars was desperate to marry you.”
Xie Xi didn’t hear it. He turned around and asked, “Hrmm?”
Aix-en smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Rest early and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Xie Xi nodded. He didn’t think he had a chance to sleep. He had used Dreaming many times and understood that time in the dream was determined by the dreamer. One night would flash past in an instant.
Xie Xi was still tidying up the table when the image changed and he was buying food in the supermarket.
Aix-en wondered, “Will this type of hard thing be tasty?” He was referring to a potato.
Xie Xi froze at this jump before saying, “It is delicious. There are many different ways to cook it.”
Aix-en stared at the price. “These potatoes are so cheap.”
Xie Xi suppressed a smile. “It has a large yield and is practical to eat. It is a very cost-effective crop.”
Aix-en mused, “If the crescent fruit can also be so cheap...”
Xie Xi pretended not to hear. “Hmm?”
“Nothing. Tonight we will eat potatoes.” Okay.
Xie Xi wanted to buy some ingredients for beef stew. Then he thought about how cheap this person was and gave up that idea. He intended to directly make salt and pepper potato nuggets.
Sure enough, Aix-en ate the pure potatoes and praised, “It is really delicious.”
Xie Xi silently added, ‘It is also cheap.’
He was joking and sighed emotionally. ‘The second prince isn’t stingy. His heart is just too big. He was always thinking about the common people.
It seemed that many days passed. Xie Xi cooked for the second prince every day. They were homemade dishes made out of crops with large yields.
On this day, Xie Xi baked a sweet potato and the second prince tasted the sweet honey-like taste. “Very delicious.”
Xie Xi said, “This is a sweet potato. The sugar content in red soil is high.” It was estimated that there was a filter bonus. His cooking was actually very ordinary but he became a food expert in the second prince’s dream. Every dish was amazing.
Aix-en said, “You should keep making this.”
Xie Xi wasn’t hungry and just watched Aix-en eat.
Aix-en glanced at him. “Aren’t you eating?”
Xie Xi had been eating constantly. How could he be hungry?
He stared at Aix-en and suddenly said, “You and Gars are brothers but you are completely different. You have so much wealth. Why do you live so sparingly?”
In fact, Xie Xi felt he should ask this but he really wanted to ask.
Xie Xi didn’t know what Aix-en did in the dream but in reality, Aix-en was the prince of an empire. He stood at the peak of power and wealth yet he was so frugal that even his brothers laughed at him.
Aix-en actually answered him. “It is only by living this way that you can know the value of each piece of money. Experience it in real life and do things in a practical way.”
Xie Xi was stunned.
Princes were born in the royal family, surrounded by many flowers. They were golden spoons who were unaware of human suffering.
Was such a person suitable to be the minister of finance of an empire? Was it appropriate for him to be in charge of other people’s livelihood? Would the people think of it as a blessing?
It wasn’t suitable. Thus, Aix-en walked out of the flowers, put down the golden spoon and lived a restrained life in order to be down to earth.
Xie Xi smiled.
Aix-en opened his mouth. “I’ll do the dishes.”
“It’s fine. I can do it.”
He got up and went to get the plates on the table. Aix-en was also grabbing them and their fingers touched.
The look in Aix-en’s eyes became deeper.
Xie Xi was full of the ‘people’s livelihood’ and forgot about their messy relationship. At least, until Aix-en held his hand.
Xie Xi looked up at him. Aix-en stared at him and whispered, “Colin, I...”
There was a bang as the plate landed on the ground. Xie Xi was certain that he hadn’t let go yet the plate was broken!
He bent over to pick up the plate. He was even more certain that his fingers weren’t cut by the fragments of the plate yet they were bleeding! It also didn’t hurt at all!
“Be careful.” The distressed Aix-en grabbed his finger and helped stop the bleeding.
Xie Xi, “...”
The two of them were very close. Aix-en didn’t let go of Xie Xi, instead clasping one hand around his waist, eyes blazing. “If I had earlier...”
At this time, the front door opened and Gars voice was heard. “Brother, are you home. I haven’t eaten you. You...”
He pushed open the door and saw the two people’s intimate posture.
One was his brother and the other was his ex-husband.
They were so close that his lover seemed stuck in the tall man’s eyes, their heads raised like they were kissing.