Chapter 23: Accompanying This One and That One, Truly Busy

Because the two universities were so close, Meng Shen had spent the last two days running over to find Yu Xi to eat dinner together.

The free time after the afternoon military training was quite long, enough for them to slowly queue at the cafeteria, eat, and take a stroll together. By the time Meng Shen returned to his own school to continue evening training, there was still plenty of time to spare.

It was hot, and after a long day of exhaustion, Yu Xi ate more than usual, though it was still quite a far cry from the portions on Meng Shen’s plate. He marveled at Meng Shen’s appetite but felt a sense of relief.

When they were young, Meng Shen was often ignored by the Meng family and had no pocket money. Occasionally, he would miss meal times and have nothing to eat; even when he did get his hands on something good, his Meng family siblings would deliberately snatch it away. Back then, he was thin and small, like a malnourished puppy.

Yu Xi would share his things with Meng Shen, saying, “You have to eat a lot and grow tall, so no one will dare to bully you.”

Now, Meng Shen had indeed grown very tall and sturdy, so he naturally had to eat well.

However, the situation had reversed. Meng Shen had become the one to put food in Yu Xi’s bowl, transferring many pieces of meat or eggs. He didn’t say much, just silently moved them to Yu Xi’s plate. If Yu Xi tried to give the food back, Meng Shen would just move it back again.

But if Yu Xi gave him his vegetables, Meng Shen would eat them without a word.

Today, on a whim, Yu Xi tried again, moving the green peppers and ginger he disliked into the corner of the opposite tray, waiting to see Meng Shen’s reaction. But Meng Shen didn’t seem picky at all, calmly eating the peppers and ginger along with his rice until the plate was clean.

When he finished, he looked up and asked, “Is there more?”

The way he looked over reminded Yu Xi of a small local dog a neighbor had kept when he lived in a southern village with his parents. Whenever people ate, it would sit obediently nearby, waiting to help solve the problem of unwanted bones or leftovers, seemingly accepting anything.

A young Yu Xi would often pretend to “accidentally” drop an egg or a rib on the floor, once getting a scolding from his father for it.

“A-Shen, you’re spoiling me a bit too much.” Yu Xi shook off his thoughts and smiled, 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 Yunjuan and Sheng Yunshu called, saying they had bought some things to deliver.

When Yunjuan saw Yu Xi, she lovingly rubbed his cheeks. “The sun is so strong, Xiao Xi, you must apply sunscreen properly! Don’t let your little face get tanned! I’ve tested this brand myself, it’s the best! And this, if you get a sunburn, rub this on—it’s cool and comfortable. There’s plenty of fruit and snacks too; tell us when you run out!”

Meanwhile, Sheng Yunshu handed two large bags to Meng Shen. “One bag is yours. Help Yu Xi carry his back to the dorm. We have things to do at the studio.”

The two sisters were busy and had only squeezed out time for a quick visit, so they couldn’t stay long. But with Meng Shen there, they were naturally at ease.

Meng Shen dutifully escorted Yu Xi back. He even nonchalantly leaned on his similar military uniform to slip past the dorm auntie’s inspection and went all the way upstairs.

Yu Xi said he could manage on his own, but the other replied, “Too heavy. Your hands will hurt.”

Yu Xi felt like he was a glass doll in Meng Shen’s eyes. He didn’t think he was that delicate; at most, his palms might get a bit red from the straps.

When they reached the dorm, Yu Xi pushed open the door and saw Xiao Yang lying in a beanbag chair playing games. He suddenly remembered he had a new roommate.

Xiao Yang heard the noise and turned his head. Seeing Yu Xi and the “big guy” behind him, he arched an eyebrow.

Worried the other would mind an outsider in the room, Yu Xi quickly turned and pressed a hand against Meng Shen, who was following closely, and took the bags.

“A-Shen, wait outside for a moment, I’ll be right out.”

“Mhm.” Although Meng Shen didn’t understand why, he did as he was told, standing at the door and watching.

Yu Xi put the things on the table, thought for a moment, and took out one of the fruit cups, placing it in front of Xiao Yang. “This is for you.”

Then he added for emphasis, “It’s fresh, high-quality fruit.”

Xiao Yang was stunned for a moment. “Oh. Okay.”

Seeing him accept it, Yu Xi smiled and said bye, then closed the dorm door.

“That was my new roommate. He’s very nice; he shared a lot of snacks with me today, so I gave him some fruit in return.”

When staying with the more silent Meng Shen, Yu Xi usually took the lead in the conversation, proactively talking about his own affairs before asking the other.

“What about you? Are you getting along well with your roommates?”

Meng Shen nodded and said, “Good.”

Yu Xi followed up, “What are your roommates’ names? What are their personalities like?”

Meng Shen paused, his brow furrowing as he thought hard for a while before answering, “Forgot…”

Yu Xi burst out laughing. “How could you forget?”

Meng Shen lowered his head deeply, looking like someone who had done something wrong. “Sorry, Xiao Xi.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, I was just a bit surprised,” Yu Xi quickly patted his arm to comfort him.

Yu Xi wasn’t particularly shocked because that was just Meng Shen’s nature. Growing up in that kind of family required a protective mechanism to survive; gradually, Meng Shen stopped putting his heart or attention into “unnecessary” people. To him, ignoring someone was kinder than being cruel.

“I’m not asking to pressure you into making friends. I’m just worried you’ll be bullied.”

Yu Xi instinctively went to grab his hand, then remembered Meng Shen wasn’t comfortable with it, so he hooked his fingers through the handles of the bags Meng Shen was holding to help share the weight. He put on a very serious expression.

“If it happens, you must tell me. I’ll definitely rush to your school to stand up for you.”

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, brushing the hair off Yu Xi’s forehead and fully revealing his bright, earnest eyes.

Meng Shen looked deeply into those dark eyes from beneath his cap, as if trying to carve every detail into his heart. Then, just as Yu Xi was about to look back, he lowered his gaze in time to hide all outward traces of his internal waves.

“…Okay,” Meng Shen answered in a low voice. As he held the bag, his fingers moved slightly, “accidentally” brushing against the youth’s fingertips.

The evening training was relatively relaxed and ended an hour and a half before lights out.

Yu Xi’s squad finished a bit early. Not wanting to delay his other two roommates, he returned to the dorm and quickly showered.

Halfway through, he heard the others returning. Before he could dry his hair, he stepped out of the bathroom in his slippers with a towel draped over his head.

His small face was flushed pink from the steam. The old T-shirt he used as pajamas had a collar stretched out from washing; it wasn’t pulled straight, revealing half a shoulder. His shorts ended above the knee, showcasing slender calves with perfectly shaped Achilles tendons.

“I’m done with the bathroom, you guys can go.” He was completely unconscious of his appearance as he looked for a hairdryer.

The dorm went silent for a moment. Liu Yuan coughed heavily. “I’ll go first then.”

“Sure.” Zhou Anhe snapped back to his senses, turning around to pretend he was busy tidying his desk.

Only Xiao Yang approached, leaning down to sniff the back of Yu Xi’s neck. “What body wash do you use?”

Yu Xi was startled by the sudden voice near his ear. “Uh… just the XX brand. The school supermarket has it, it’s a big bottle.”

Xiao Yang said in disbelief, “That blue bottle inside? That kind of low-grade stuff can smell this good?”

“Is it too strong?” Yu Xi felt embarrassed and sniffed his own arm. “I can’t smell it. Is it pungent?”

Xiao Yang said, “No. It smells quite good.”

“I see.” Though Yu Xi thought the scent was ordinary, hearing it wasn’t bad made him let out a shallow, relieved smile. “As long as it’s not unpleasant.”

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yang’s expression became strange after hearing this, but he said nothing and went back to his seat.

Yu Xi scratched his eyebrow in confusion. Halfway through drying his hair, his phone rang. Seeing it was a call from his mother, he answered immediately.

Lately, because his mother had become busier than before, the number of calls had decreased, but Yu Xi still shared many things with her.

“Mother’s project has been going smoothly recently, and I’ve received a sum of money. Later, Xiao Xi, please accept the transfer. Don’t try to save money for me, okay?”

“You don’t need to give me so much, Mom. I haven’t been spending much lately.” Yu Xi was telling the truth. Aunt Pei had prepared many daily necessities for him, Pei Wang had given him electronic devices for his studies, and his friends helped out a lot with food.

He told his mother everything. On the other end of the line, Qi Qingyun was relieved but still said, “Xiao Xi suffered too much following me before. If only I could have made the decision to leave that man sooner… it wouldn’t have made Xiao Xi suffer so much. Now that our life is better, Xiao Xi should buy more good food and useful things. Be good.”

Yu Xi tightened his grip on the phone. “It wasn’t Mom’s fault.”

“Mhm. Just treat it as Mom making it up to you.”

They didn’t chat for long. After hanging up, Yu Xi accepted the transfer and sat curled up in his chair, staring blankly.

“Yu Xi, are you done with the hairdryer?” Liu Yuan came over to ask.

Yu Xi snapped out of it. Just then, his phone rang again. He immediately handed the dryer over. “You use it first, I’ll take another call.”

He originally thought it would be Gu Chuanzhou, who he had agreed to video call today, but the name “Xingxing” (Star) appeared on the screen. Without hesitation, he quickly put his headphones back on and answered.

The video was shaky and blurry, accompanied by dog barking.

“Xingxing?”

“August, be quiet!” After a low reprimand, Zhang Xingkuo likely shut the dog out. He picked up the phone again, and his silver-grey head appeared on camera. “Is Xiao Xi busy?”

Yu Xi couldn’t help but smile at the hair color so similar to August’s. “No.”

Zhang Xingkuo grumbled, “I wanted to go to PKU with Sheng Yunjuan and the others to see you, but August, that stupid dog, ate something he shouldn’t have. I had to take him to the hospital.”

“Is he okay now?”

“The checkup said it’s nothing major.” Zhang Xingkuo propped the phone on the coffee table and sat cross-legged, one hand supporting his head while the other fiddled with the grasshopper Yu Xi had given him. “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

Then he started complaining, “You don’t know, that girl Sheng Yunjuan came back and bragged to me about how good you look in your military uniform. I didn’t have that luck. Are you wearing it? Let me see.”

As he spoke, Zhang Xingkuo leaned closer to the lens, his rebellious and handsome face magnified, his eyes staring intently.

“I’ve already showered, I’ll show you tomorrow.” Yu Xi raised the phone to prove it. “See, I’m not wearing it right now.”

Zhang Xingkuo caught a flash of those smooth, white legs and rubbed his nose. “Oh. Okay then.”

Zhang Xingkuo talked for a long time after that—fragments of meaningless things—but Yu Xi listened patiently, nodding occasionally. Despite the normalcy, Yu Xi noticed something slightly off in the details.

“Xingxing, did something happen today?”

Zhang Xingkuo paused and pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Sure enough, nothing gets past you.”

Yu Xi rested his chin on his knees, his tone gentle. “You can tell me.”

“…It’s nothing, I just had another fight with my dad.” Zhang Xingkuo finally showed his hidden emotions, his thick eyebrows furrowing. “He insists I go to work at the company, but you know I’m not cut out for that.”

Yu Xi hadn’t seen Zhang Xingkuo’s father for many years. His only impressions from childhood were of a serious and somewhat scary man. When he played at the Zhang house and they encountered him, Zhang Xingkuo would immediately pull him away to run, shouting, “The old monster is coming!”

If they were in a room and the father approached, Zhang Xingkuo would pull him into a closet or under the bed to hide, pressing close to him and telling him not to speak, or else the monster would catch them.

Zhang Xingkuo’s reaction had influenced him to some extent; he would subconsciously feel afraid. Since he didn’t know the man well, Yu Xi didn’t know what to say.

After careful consideration, Yu Xi spoke cautiously, “I don’t know how to comfort you, but I want to say I’ll stand by your side and support you.”

Zhang Xingkuo’s expression relaxed. Looking at the camera, he asked, “Always?”

“Mhm. Always.”

Having been comforted by a single sentence, Zhang Xingkuo’s mood improved, and he began chatting about other things.

As Yu Xi listened, he suddenly saw another video call invitation pop up. Seeing the four words “Chuanzhou Gege,” he suddenly remembered what he had promised. He hurriedly told Zhang Xingkuo, “Xingxing, let’s talk next time, okay?”

Zhang Xingkuo looked reluctant. “Are you hanging up? I wanted to talk more… fine, you must be tired today. Get some rest. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.” Yu Xi hung up hurriedly and then called Gu Chuanzhou back.

Just as the connection was made, before he could even say hello, Xiao Yang happened to walk past stretching. Seeing the screen, he remarked, “You’re quite busy all day. Accompanying one person during the day and several via video at night. Truly popular, as expected of our PKU celebrity.”

Xiao Yang clicked his tongue and went to bed.

“…”

Yu Xi bit his lip awkwardly and looked at the phone screen.

The man in the video was sitting against the headboard. His cold features and the chest beneath his open robe were bathed in a warm glow from the bedside lamp, giving off a rarely seen domestic and relaxed vibe.

He seemed to have heard Xiao Yang’s casual remark. His brow arched slightly, and a glint of a teasing, dark light flashed in his eyes as he looked over.

“Xi Xi left me aside for so long. Who were you video chatting with?”

Inexplicably, tension rose in Yu Xi’s heart. “I-I was just… talking to my mom for a bit.”

“And who else?”

“…Xingxing,” Yu Xi answered honestly in a small voice, avoiding the gaze coming through the phone.

“So you forgot your agreement with me.”

“…”

Yu Xi could hardly argue because he really had forgotten.

In his awkwardness, the dorm lights suddenly went black—it was midnight, the uniform lights-out time for PKU. Simultaneously, Yu Xi’s side of the video went dark, leaving only a blurry outline illuminated by the phone’s light.

“Chuanzhou-ge… the lights are out.” Yu Xi hinted that it was time to sleep.

The man’s soft voice came through the earpiece, sounding a bit aggrieved: “But we just started talking. Does Xi Xi have the heart to just hang up like this?”

“…”

Curled up in the dark dorm, Yu Xi bit his lip, his moist eyes full of helplessness as he looked at the camera. He looked pitiful, but the man had no intention of letting him off.

“Xi Xi, go to bed and lie down. If you’re worried about noisy roommates, you don’t have to talk, and you don’t have to wear headphones.”

Yu Xi nodded, only to hear the man continue:

“But you aren’t allowed to hang up. The call must stay on until tomorrow morning.”

Yu Xi’s eyes widened slightly. “…” Until tomorrow morning?

As if confirming his thoughts, Gu Chuanzhou nodded, the corners of his mouth turning up. “This is the compensation Xi Xi must give me.”