Chapter 23: Video—Busy Accompanying This One and That One…
Because the two schools were close, Meng Shen had run over to find Yu Xi for dinner every evening for the past two days.
The free time after military training ended in the afternoon was quite long, enough for them to slowly line up at the cafeteria, take a walk after eating, and then for Meng Shen to return to his own school for the evening session of military training with time to spare.
The weather was hot, and having been exhausted all day, Yu Xi ate more than usual, but compared to the portion on Meng Shen’s tray, it was still quite a distance away.
He marveled at Meng Shen’s appetite but also felt gratified.
As a child, Meng Shen was often ignored by the Meng family and had little pocket money. Occasionally, he would miss meal times and have no food to eat, or if he finally got something delicious, it would be deliberately snatched away by his Meng family siblings. That was why he had been so thin and small in his youth, like an malnourished little puppy.
Back then, Yu Xi would share his things with Meng Shen, saying, “You must eat a lot and grow very tall, so that no one dares to bully you.”
Current Meng Shen had indeed grown very tall and sturdy, so he needed to eat properly even more.
However, the roles had reversed; Meng Shen had become the one serving him, transferring many pieces of meat or eggs over. He didn’t speak much, just silently placing them into Yu Xi’s bowl.
If Yu Xi tried to return the food, Meng Shen would just move it back again.
But if Yu Xi shared his vegetables, Meng Shen would eat them without a word.
Today, Yu Xi tried it again on a whim, placing the green peppers and ginger he disliked into the corner of the opposing tray, waiting to see Meng Shen’s reaction.
But Meng Shen seemed not to be a picky eater at all, eating the green peppers and ginger together with his rice without changing his expression.
After finishing, he even looked up and asked, “Is there more?”
The gaze looking over reminded Yu Xi of the little “tu gou” raised by the next-door neighbor when he lived in a certain southern village with his parents as a child.
Every time people ate, it would sit obediently by the side, waiting to help the humans resolve the bones or leftovers they wouldn’t eat, seemingly able to accept anything.
Little Yu Xi would often pretend to accidentally drop eggs or ribs onto the ground. Once, he was caught by his father and received a harsh scolding.
“A-Shen, you’re spoiling me a bit too much.” Yu Xi pulled back his thoughts and smiled while biting the tip of his chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”
He lowered his head, missing the flash of disappointment in Meng Shen’s eyes across from him.
During their post-meal walk, Sheng Yunzhuan and Sheng Yunshu called, saying they had bought some things and were delivering them.
When Sheng Yunzhuan saw Yu Xi, she affectionately rubbed his small cheeks. “The sun is so strong. Xiao Xi, you must apply sunscreen properly. Definitely don’t let your little face get tanned! I’ve personally tested this one; it’s the best! And this, if you get a sunburn, just rub it on; it’s icy and very comfortable. There’s plenty of fruit and snacks too—just say the word when you finish them!”
Sheng Yunshu handed two large bags to Meng Shen. “One bag is yours. Help Yu Xi bring his back to the dormitory. We have business at the studio.”
The two sisters were busy and had only made time to visit; they couldn’t stay for long.
But with Meng Shen there, they were naturally at ease.
Meng Shen dutifully escorted Yu Xi back, even blending in with his similar military training uniform to bypass the dormitory matron’s inspection, escorting him all the way upstairs.
Yu Xi indicated that he could do it himself, but the other said, “Too heavy. Your hands will hurt.”
Yu Xi felt that in Meng Shen’s eyes, he was like some kind of glass doll. He thought he wasn’t that delicate; at most, his palms would be marked red by the weight.
Upon reaching the dormitory, Yu Xi pushed open the door and saw Xiao Yang lying in the bean bag chair playing games, only then remembering his dormitory had gained a new roommate.
Hearing the commotion, Xiao Yang turned his head and saw him and the massive guy behind him, raising an eyebrow.
Yu Xi was worried the other would mind an outsider entering the dorm, so he hurried to turn around and press down on Meng Shen, who was following closely behind him, taking the bags.
“A-Shen, wait outside for a moment. I’ll be out in a second.”
“Mhm.” Although Meng Shen didn’t understand why, he did as he was told, standing at the door and watching.
Yu Xi placed the things on the table. After thinking about it, he took out one portion of cut fruit and placed it before Xiao Yang. “This is for you to eat.”
He added an emphasis at the end, “It’s fresh, good fruit.”
Xiao Yang was stunned for a moment. “Oh, okay.”
Seeing the person accept it, Yu Xi smiled and said bye-bye before closing the dormitory door.
“That was the new roommate. He’s a good person. He shared many snacks with me today, so I shared some fruit back as a return gesture.”
When staying with the relatively silent Meng Shen, Yu Xi usually played the role of the conversation leader, taking the initiative to talk about his own matters and then asking the other after sharing.
“What about you? Are you getting along well with your roommates?”
Meng Shen nodded and said, “Good.”
Yu Xi continued to ask, “What are your roommates’ names? How are their personalities?”
Meng Shen paused, his brows knitting together. After some deep thought, he answered, “I forgot…”
Yu Xi burst out laughing. “How could you forget?”
Meng Shen buried his head very low, looking as if he had done something wrong. “Sorry, Xiao Xi.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just a bit surprised.” Yu Xi hurriedly patted his arm to coax him.
Yu Xi wasn’t particularly surprised, because Meng Shen had always had this kind of personality.
Growing up in such a family, he needed to build a solid mental defense and self-protection mechanism to grow up smoothly. Gradually, Meng Shen stopped giving his mind or emotions to anyone he didn’t care about.
Requiring him to open up was actually quite cruel.
“I’m not asking this to pressure you to make friends. I’m just worried you’ll be bullied.”
Yu Xi instinctively wanted to hold his hand like when they were kids, but remembered the other wasn’t used to it. He switched to hooking his hand through the bag in Meng Shen’s hand to help share some weight, then put on a quite serious expression.
“If there is any, you must tell me. I’ll definitely rush to your school to stand up for you.”
Coincidentally, a gust of wind blew over, brushing up the hair on Yu Xi’s forehead, completely revealing his beautiful brows and clear eyes.
Meng Shen stared deeply with his dark eyes hidden under the brim of his hat, as if wanting to clearly engrave every detail before him into his heart. Then, when Yu Xi was about to look over, he timely lowered his gaze, hiding all exposed fluctuations.
“…Okay.”
Meng Shen responded lowly, the fingers holding the bag moving quietly, seemingly unintentionally brushing against the youth’s fingertips.
Translator’s Note:
- Tu Gou (小土狗): Literally “little earth dog,” referring to native Chinese breeds. They are often seen as loyal, sturdy, and humble. Yu Xi comparing Meng Shen to one shows how he views Meng Shen’s quiet loyalty.
- Guo Qie (果切): Pre-cut fruit platters, very common in Chinese convenience stores and delivery.
- “Glass Doll”: A common trope in these novels where the “Group Pet” protagonist is seen as extremely fragile by those who love him.
- Meng Shen’s Roommates: Poor guys, imagine living with a guy who doesn’t even remember your name!
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