Chapter 08 – An Uncomfortable Heart
Gu Zhuoran was right; Shen Yan truly didn’t know what he was agonizing over.
He even felt that Gu Zhuoran was simply being unreasonable.
He really wanted to slice the brat’s head open to see what kind of ghost ideas were hiding inside.
The two had obviously grown up together and had over ten years of friendship.
Yet, starting from an unknown time, that brat Gu Zhuoran had been intentionally distancing himself, even evading him.
It wasn’t obvious at first; he just declined some minor things.
But gradually, no matter how dense Shen Yan was, he began to detect the unusual signs.
Many habits that had persisted for over a decade, things that were practically integrated into their lives, were forcefully and silently broken by that guy.
It started with Gu Zhuoran no longer coming over to his house to stay the night and play as often.
Later, even going to and from school together and eating together became scarce.
In the end, even though the two were in the same class and sat very close to each other, they couldn’t even manage to exchange two sentences over the course of a day.
Yet every time he took the initiative to approach Gu Zhuoran, the other boy would quietly obey.
Only then did Shen Yan think he was overthinking things.
But over time, he discovered the most crucial point.
That was, Gu Zhuoran almost never initiated contact with him anymore.
Every time, every single time… he had to be the one to actively seek Gu Zhuoran out before the other would respond.
Once he stopped actively seeking him out, Gu Zhuoran could go three entire months without speaking a single word to him first.
Therefore, Shen Yan was angry, furious, and bewildered.
Just why was this happening?!
Were they really that estranged? Or did he do something wrong?
They had obviously grown up together. Why had Gu Zhuoran suddenly stopped being close to him?
When they were younger, he used to follow behind him calling him ‘Yan-gege’, yet in the blink of an eye, it was as if they were strangers.
Since the day Shen Yan realized this, a thorn had grown in his heart, constantly stabbing at its depths, impossible to pull out.
Because Gu Zhuoran had absolutely no intention of communicating with him. Just like the incident just now, the other party substituted silence for an explanation.
Facing such a closed gourd, Shen Yan was so angry he was about to explode.
Even the freezing rain beating against his body couldn’t extinguish the fire and confusion in his heart.
By the time Shen Yan returned to his senses, he was already standing at his own front door. His mother, Meng Tian, opened the door for him.
She looked in shock at her son, who was drenched like a drowned rat. In his eyes, she saw pain and confusion, loss and unwillingness.
“What’s wrong, did you fight with Xiao Gu again?” Meng Tian guessed.
After all, over so many years, the only person capable of making her son this angry was that child, Gu Zhuoran.
“Mom… we didn’t fight.”
Right, they didn’t fight.
That brat simply wouldn’t respond. He only offered silence.
He couldn’t even pick a fight if he wanted to.
It felt completely like he was throwing a tantrum all by himself, being unreasonable. He was turning into someone he didn’t even recognize.
Mother Meng looked at her dejected and sad son and hurried him inside. “Go take a shower first, don’t catch a cold.”
Shen Yan nodded, heading into the bathroom at home in low spirits.
The temperature in the bathroom slowly rose. The hot water washed away the icy chill on his body, but it couldn’t wash away the coldness in his heart.
Only, as the water temperature gradually rose, Shen Yan slowly began to feel that the heat was scalding.
Why is the water… so hot?
Author’s Note
Hugs to everyone mwah~ Updating late at night, wishing everyone a good night~~ Sweet dreams~~ Thank you for the support, great ones~ Welcome to bookmark and recommend, Miao Miao will work hard to sharpen her claws~ Love you all~
【No One Knows a Son Better Than His Mother Mini Theater】 Mother Meng: Oh dear, my precious baby and Xiao Gu fought again. What should we do! (Holds face in worry~) Shen Yan: Mom, we didn’t fight. (Turns head away, refusing to admit it~) Xiao Gong Gu: We didn’t fight. (Silent…) Shen Yan glares at him: Would it kill you to say two more words? Ah! Xiao Gong Gu: ….. Mother Meng: Look, still saying you didn’t fight, arguing this fiercely~~ What are you two going to do in the future! Xiao Gong Gu: ….. The future? Shen Yan: Who has a future with him? Roll as far away as you can~
Translator’s Note / Glossary:
- Meng Tian / Mother Meng: Shen Yan’s mother.
- Yan-gege: Brother Yan, a very intimate and affectionate childhood address.
- Xiao Gu: Little Gu, an affectionate way for elders to address Gu Zhuoran.
Chapter 09 – The Belated Presenting Period
“Eh, you finished washing up so quickly?” Meng Mama looked at her son in surprise as he came out of the shower in the blink of an eye.
“Yeah.” Shen Yan nodded, not really in the mood.
“Xiao Yan, why is your face so red?” Meng Mama asked.
“The water was very hot just now,” Shen Yan replied.
“Very hot? Oh dear… it might have boiled over,” Meng Mama said.
Shen Yan felt it wasn’t just boiled over; it was hot enough to scald a pig’s skin right off.
The residual heat of the hot water still lingered on his skin, making him feel as if he was being steamed alive.
As Shen Yan was pondering this, he looked down and saw a white suitcase sitting by the door.
“Mom, why are you packing a suitcase? Are you running away from home again?” Shen Yan teased his mother.
“You brat, what kind of nonsense is that? Who’s running away from home? I just received a mission,” Meng Mama scolded with a laugh.
Hearing that his mother had taken another mission, the smile on Shen Yan’s face gradually faded, replaced by worry.
“Why so sudden? Didn’t you just get back?” Shen Yan asked, puzzled.
His mother’s profession was a full-time medical worker, making her a scarce talent even in Shangcheng Qu.
But in order to raise the un-presented Shen Yan, she voluntarily gave up her residency privileges in Shangcheng Qu.
After his father sacrificed his life, she brought Shen Yan to live in this Xiacheng Qu all by herself.
Due to the special nature of her work, she constantly had to commute back and forth between the upper and lower cities, which was extremely exhausting.
She had only come home two days ago. Why was she leaving again today? Usually, she would get to rest for at least a week.
“I have no choice. They said the frontline in 3 Hao Qu has been breached, and there are many casualties. I have to leave right after your birthday,” Meng Mama said, patting her son’s shoulder and pushing him to sit at the table. “Happy birthday, son! Hurry up and eat your longevity noodles. Mom made them from scratch!”
Shen Yan knew his mother’s hardships, and he knew even better what she had sacrificed for him.
He only hoped to present as an Alpha as soon as possible so he could lighten his mother’s burden.
But why hadn’t his damn presenting period arrived yet?
Under normal circumstances, people presented at fifteen or sixteen. He was already eighteen!
That guy Gu Zhuoran had even presented early at the age of thirteen or fourteen.
Just what was going on… Shen Yan was burning with anxiety inside.
“It’s such a pity that Xiao Gu didn’t come back with you. That child also came of age today!” Shen Yan’s mother suddenly mentioned.
Shen Yan, who had his head down eating his longevity noodles, paused slightly and gently gripped his chopsticks tighter without making a sound.
In past years, he and Gu Zhuoran always celebrated their birthdays together.
Because their birth times were very close; he was only one day older than Gu Zhuoran.
But this year, he probably wouldn’t come. They had just parted on bad terms, and Shen Yan didn’t want to see Gu Zhuoran right now either.
“Mom, I’m done eating. I’ll walk you to the station.” Shen Yan stiffly cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, then helped his mother with her luggage, walking her to the station at the border of Xiacheng D9 Qu.
The rail transit in the Feicheng safe zone was uniformly planned.
Every district in Xiacheng Qu had unified stations along the borderlines, all leading to the central elevator passage.
By the time they arrived at the bus station, there were already some people standing there. At a glance, they were all medical personnel.
“Mom, when you are nursing patients, be careful and prioritize your own safety,” Shen Yan urged worriedly.
His mother’s job was very dangerous. As a medical worker who directly came into contact with frontline warriors, she had to deal with soldiers infected by dark matter. Sometimes they would lose their minds, go berserk, and be unable to distinguish friend from foe. In severe cases, they might even be controlled by dark creatures and completely lose their humanity.
“I know. I brought my stun gun,” Meng Mama said, patting her small bag.
The bus arrived quickly. After seeing his mother onto the bus, Shen Yan watched it for a long time before slowly walking back.
The rain gradually lightened, but he felt inexplicably dizzy.
Rubbing his forehead, he slowly walked back. Outside his house, he saw a tall, lonely figure.
The moment he saw Gu Zhuoran, Shen Yan felt his headache worsen.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and walked briskly past that figure, completely ignoring him.
But a distinct, fiery scent of sparks instantly assaulted his nose.
Shen Yan frowned, feeling like he had smelled that scent somewhere before.
Author’s Note Bows, good evening everyone~ Wishing you all sweet dreams, mwah~ Welcome to Wu Bao’s nest, I hope everyone is happy~ Wu Bao just started serializing and has already received support from many great readers. Because of this, there will be double updates tomorrow and the day after. It’s the critical moment of Yan Baobao’s presenting, so I’m serving up double updates daily~ Please feed, support, and care for this hardworking Miao Miao~ Mwah~
Translator’s Note / Glossary:
- Meng Mama: Mother Meng.
- Xiao Yan: Little Yan, an affectionate diminutive for Shen Yan.
- Shangcheng Qu / Xiacheng Qu: Upper City District / Lower City District.
- 3 Hao Qu: District 3.
- Xiao Gu: Little Gu, an affectionate diminutive for Gu Zhuoran.
- D9 Qu: District D9.
- Feicheng: Ruined City / Waste City, the name of the safe zone.
- Yan Baobao: Baby Yan, a cute nickname used by the author for Shen Yan.
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