Chapter 11: Favoritism—Meng Shen is like a puppy who only recognizes Yu Xi as his master…
In the moment of their gaze meeting, Meng Shen quickly used his hand to cover his face, avoiding Yu Xi’s eyes.
Yu Xi was stunned for a moment, but he didn’t call him out. Pretending he had seen nothing, he retreated to the other sofa and sat down. He grabbed a handful of the chocolates Gu Chuanzhou had bought for him from the coffee table and placed them in Meng Shen’s hand.
“Eat these. They aren’t very bitter.”
Seeing this, Sheng Yunzhuan immediately said, “I want some too, I want some too.”
Even though the chocolates were right on the table and she could reach them herself, it felt different if Yu Xi personally gave them to her. Sheng Yunzhuan caught a handful, her eyes narrowing with joy until they were invisible.
Yu Xi didn’t leave out Sheng Yunshu either.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Brother Chuanzhou bought them for me.” Yu Xi turned his head to look at the other side. After thinking for a bit, he also picked one up and handed it over.
Gu Chuanzhou, whose face had been cold since the three uninvited guests entered the villa, softened his gaze upon seeing this. “Thank you, Xiao Xi.”
“Hmph hmph, mine are more than yours.” Sheng Yunzhuan said proudly.
Gu Chuanzhou ignored her childish comparison, because he knew Yu Xi did this because he knew he didn’t like eating sweet things, yet still kept his feelings in mind and didn’t neglect him.
Doesn’t this exactly show that Yu Xi cares about him more?
Thinking this, Gu Chuanzhou inconspicuously placed the small square chocolate into his pocket.
Seeing Gu Chuanzhou not speaking, Sheng Yunzhuan felt she had bored herself. She curled her lips and noticed the handful Meng Shen was holding in his hands—it was much more than hers.
In terms of vying for Yu Xi’s attention, she was the one who could least bear to be at a disadvantage, and she would always say it on the spot.
“Xiao Xi, mine are missing a few pieces. What you give me has to be the same amount as what you gave him.”
“Ah…” Yu Xi looked at what was in Meng Shen’s hand, then at what was in Sheng Yunzhuan’s hand, and grabbed another small handful for Sheng Yunzhuan.
Now Sheng Yunzhuan was satisfied, showing a smile again.
Sheng Yunshu looked at her own sister and let out a sigh, stopping Yu Xi from giving her more. “I have enough, Xiao Xi. You don’t need to mind her.”
Sheng Yunzhuan, who was counting her chocolates, looked up. “What’s wrong? I just feel like Xiao Xi has been biased toward Meng Shen since we were little, coaxing him and giving him snacks. Isn’t it normal for me to be a bit jealous? I don’t believe someone else doesn’t care.”
As she spoke, Sheng Yunzhuan pointedly glanced at Gu Chuanzhou.
Yu Xi didn’t even know what to say.
In reality, Sheng Yunzhuan was right.
He indeed was a bit different toward Meng Shen when they were little. It all started from their first meeting.
He was a newcomer that summer vacation. The children playing in the villa district garden noticed him at once and brought him along to play ball. Thus, they gradually became familiar with each other.
The few of them were together almost every day. Sometimes just after dawn, children would run to the Pei house and knock on the door to find him to play together, only ending when their families called them home.
At that time, Yu Xi was not yet six years old, and his parents’ relationship was still harmonious and stable. He grew up in a warm home, so his personality wasn’t like it was now. He was lively and cheerful, generously accepting new friends and getting along well with everyone. Both adults and children liked him.
The young him didn’t understand the gap in status. He played carefree every day, not being shy when going to others’ homes, nor being stage-frightened in grand situations. He even went with Pei Lexin to attend the birthday party of the eldest daughter of the Meng family.
And then he met Meng Shen, who was being excluded by the other Meng children, in the Meng family’s backyard.
The little Yu Xi didn’t understand the complex relationships of the Meng family; he only knew that the little brother huddled in the corner looked a bit pitiful.
So he went over, squatted down with Meng Shen, and asked him, “Why aren’t you eating the cake?”
Meng Shen didn’t speak, still keeping his head down. His black eyes were dull and lifeless, staring at the ground.
Yu Xi squatted and watched the ground with him for a long time but couldn’t understand what was there. After a short while, he ran away.
Only after he ran away did Meng Shen lift his head to glance at him, still as wooden and dull as ever, and continued to daze on his own.
Five minutes later, Yu Xi returned, puffing as he carried a plate of cake and presented it to Meng Shen. “Do you want to eat?”
Seeing Meng Shen not speaking or taking it, he squatted down again, tilting his head to look for Meng Shen’s eyes.
The moment Meng Shen’s eyes met those lustrous and bright ones, it was like a stone falling into a stagnant lake, causing ripples. He trembled and clenched his fists, turning around and giving Yu Xi his back.
Yu Xi wasn’t discouraged and followed Meng Shen to change positions.
“The cake is very fragrant. I just ate a piece. This piece was given to me by Xingxing. There’s lots and lots of cream, and it’s very sweet. Do you really not want it?” Yu Xi brought the cake closer, wanting Meng Shen to smell the aroma. “It’s very fragrant.”
It was indeed very fragrant.
But the fragrance floating into Meng Shen’s nose didn’t come from the cake, but from Yu Xi, who was leaning closer and closer.
Meng Shen shrunk more and more. Being pressed with nowhere to hide, he finally couldn’t help but speak, “D-don’t come any closer.”
“Oh…” Seeing him trembling from fear of himself, Yu Xi’s eyes drooped in disappointment.
He saw that the cream on the cake in his hand was about to melt. Not wanting to waste it, he began to eat it bite by bite. He didn’t leave, still squatting beside Meng Shen, eating very quietly. His cheeks were like the cheek pouches of a hamster, stuffed full with each bite, yet he chewed slowly, and didn’t dirty his mouth.
His friends all liked to watch him eat. They often gave him snacks. When they sat together to eat, they would stare at him without blinking, as if it would make their own food taste better.
Meng Shen couldn’t help but steal a small peek, and then he could no longer look away. When Yu Xi turned his head, he quickly buried his face in his knees like a hedgehog curled into a ball.
A dimple appeared on Yu Xi’s chubby cheek. “You still want to eat, right?”
He scooped up some cake and sent it directly in front of Meng Shen, coaxing softly, “There’s only a little bit left. If you don’t eat it, I’ll eat it all up.”
After a long time, just when Yu Xi thought he wouldn’t get a response, Meng Shen slowly lifted his head a bit and leaned over to bite the fork in his hand.
Yu Xi smiled. Bite by bite, he fed the cake on the plate to Meng Shen.
“Isn’t it delicious? I don’t lie.”
Meng Shen nodded, opening his mouth to say something.
At that moment, the voices of other children came from not far away, calling for “Xiao Xi.”
Yu Xi stood up and said, “My friends are calling me.”
“…” Meng Shen’s head lowered again, and his eyes turned back into a pool of stagnant water.
Unexpectedly, Yu Xi grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go play with the other children together!”
Play together.
In his heart, Meng Shen didn’t want to. He didn’t want to know anyone else either.
Yu Xi’s strength was very small, and he could have shaken him off immediately. But for some reason, his body wouldn’t listen to his commands, and he couldn’t bear to let go of the warmth on his hand.
…
Thus, Meng Shen was led by Yu Xi to join their small circle.
He still didn’t fit in, often staying by himself, dazing for a whole day. But as long as Yu Xi appeared, he would surely follow Yu Xi’s steps.
Whatever Yu Xi did, he would do, like a puppy who recognized its master.
Yu Xi couldn’t leave him behind. No matter what fun or delicious things he had, he wouldn’t leave him out. He wouldn’t dislike him for being quiet and unsociable, nor would he force him to change his personality, saying that he was fine as he was.
There was another reason: before meeting Meng Shen, Yu Xi was the youngest among the children. He was always being coaxed and having things yielded to him, calling this one “Brother” and that one “Sister.” Now that there was Meng Shen, who was a few months younger than him, he felt a sense of responsibility as an older brother taking care of a younger one.
Now, Meng Shen was no longer particularly thin and weak due to the Meng family’s neglect like when he was a child. He had grown a size larger than anyone Yu Xi had seen. Even a loose hoodie couldn’t hide his robust physique. Yet his personality seemed not to have changed at all: shy, introverted, and uncommunicative…
This made Yu Xi feel at ease, yet also a bit sad.
He was worried that over the years, Meng Shen still hadn’t had a good life in the Meng family, being isolated and excluded by his half-siblings, and sometimes even unable to eat, being bullied and ridiculed, yet never complaining because no one in the Meng family would stand up for him—not even his biological mother.
Yu Xi wanted to ask, but didn’t dare.
Suddenly, a wave of warmth fell on the back of his hand.
Yu Xi turned his head and saw Sheng Yunshu’s eyes—calm and clear, seemingly able to see through anyone’s thoughts.
She said in a low voice, “Xiao Xi, don’t worry. I have properly kept my promise to you and have always been good friends with A-Shen.”
Yu Xi was slightly stunned, and then his heart eased, and he beamed a smile.
Yes, he remembered that before following his mother home, he had asked Sheng Yunshu—who was one of the few who could speak a few words with Meng Shen—not to leave Meng Shen alone.
“Eh?”
The sound Sheng Yunzhuan made pulled Yu Xi’s attention back.
He saw that she had noticed the extremely discordant item on the table. She picked it up and began to laugh. “Where did this small wood carving come from? Gu Chuanzhou, since when did you like this kind of ugly thing? And so many strange tools. They don’t suit you at all, haha!”
She was used to finding opportunities to jab at Gu Chuanzhou. Even if she rarely came out on top, she still grew more courageous with each defeat.
Then she saw that Gu Chuanzhou’s reaction this time was a bit strange. It seemed as if he really took her lukewarm words of ridicule to heart, looking very solemn with knitted brows.
“Is that so? I think it’s very good-looking, not ugly at all.”
Sheng Yunzhuan wanted to follow up with another jab, but then saw Gu Chuanzhou comfort Yu Xi, “Xixi, don’t mind her. Her taste is poor.”
Sheng Yunzhuan: “??”
After two seconds, Sheng Yunzhuan realized. This wood carving wasn’t made by Gu Chuanzhou, but by Yu Xi.
The expression on her face froze, and she quickly tried to fix it. “C-carefully looking at it, it really is quite good-looking. I was wrong. My eyesight just now wasn’t very good. How could someone as stinking as certain people have such good skills?”
She was extremely anxious, but how could Yu Xi care about what she said? He smiled and said it was okay, comforting her in a few words.
Sheng Yunzhuan said again, “I remember you were skillful even when you were very small. I still keep the grass-woven grasshopper you made. Every time I see it, I think of you.”
Yu Xi was surprised. “You still keep it?”
Sheng Yunzhuan nodded. “Of course. My sister and I have both kept them well. Not damaged at all.”
Meng Shen also followed up with a soft sentence, “M-me too.”
“Don’t worry about the things you gave. Except for that bad seed of the Meng family, who wouldn’t cherish them? We all like them very much.” As she spoke, Sheng Yunzhuan’s eyes darted around, and she made a strange tone, “Wait, it seems one person doesn’t have one. At that time, who knows what they were pretending to be, not speaking up when given the chance.”
Gu Chuanzhou: “…”
Yu Xi thought back before remembering who Sheng Yunzhuan was talking about.
At that time, when his friends saw that Zhang Xingkuo had received a gift from him, they all scrambled to sign up—except for Gu Chuanzhou.
It was just that back then, he and Gu Chuanzhou weren’t familiar. Because of Gu Chuanzhou’s unique aura, he felt both respect and fear in his heart. He respected Gu Chuanzhou’s excellence, and he also feared it.
Someone who was great at everything and had seen many good things would surely not look highly upon the ugly grasshopper he wove.
Therefore, he didn’t dare to take the initiative to ask Gu Chuanzhou if he wanted one.
“I was clumsy when I was little, and my weaving wasn’t good enough. Now I’m a little bit better. Once I get the materials, I’ll make them for everyone, okay?”
Sheng Yunzhuan quickly said, “That’s great! This time you must give the first one to me!”
Yu Xi agreed.
…
The group chatted until evening, when it was time for Yu Xi to return to the Pei house.
Before leaving, the Sheng sisters didn’t forget to ask for Yu Xi’s contact information. Meng Shen, called by Sheng Yunshu, finally gathered the courage to follow suit. He pulled out his phone and spoke, “I… I want it too…”
Yu Xi’s eyes curved up. “A-Shen, you’re finally willing to lift your head and look into my eyes.”
Meng Shen’s pupils shrunk. The tips of his ears hidden under the hood turned red instantly, and his heart pounded fiercely.
He hurriedly grabbed his hood to cover his face, fearing that Yu Xi would see something in his eyes.
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