Chapter 32: Gaming

It was never difficult to find a place to rent near a university. Empty apartments were plentiful, and most were move-in ready.

However, considering that Meng Shen needed to stream at night, the soundproofing had to be top-tier, so the two of them looked at several places.

“The drainage in the first place had a strange odor; that would be a hassle to deal with. The second one had great natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows, but the ventilation was poor, and the air conditioning unit was quite old. The space in the one we just saw was large, but someone nearby is renovating, which would disturb your rest…” Yu Xi analyzed each one, ticking them off on his fingers as he spoke to Meng Shen in a low, earnest voice, his small face filled with seriousness.

Meng Shen’s deep eyes remained fixed on him without wavering. “Xi Xi knows a lot,” he said.

Yu Xi smiled timidly. “It’s alright. I used to live in a lot of rentals with my parents, so I know a little bit. Renting an apartment directly affects your daily life, so you have to be prudent. Otherwise, if you don’t live comfortably, your mood will suffer too.”

As he reached the end of his explanation, the smile on Yu Xi’s lips gradually faded. He let out a very soft, fleeting sigh—so brief that it felt like an illusion.

Before Meng Shen could ask further, the real estate agent leading the way ahead began introducing the next apartment.

After finding a place that met all their requirements and fit within their budget, Yu Xi received a phone call from Pei Wang.

“I’m at the back gate of PKU. I even brought that fried chicken tender loin you liked last time. You can come downstairs now; I’m here to pick you up.”

“Uh…” Yu Xi turned his head to look at Meng Shen. “I’m not on campus right now.”

He sent a location pin to Pei Wang. The distance was very close, and five minutes later, Pei Wang walked up, carrying the bag of fried chicken tenders.

“Eat it first, it won’t be crispy if you wait.” Pei Wang handed the bag to Yu Xi, scanning the apartment. “Why are you suddenly looking at apartments? Do you want to rent here?”

“It’s not for me, it’s for Ah Shen,” Yu Xi explained. Using an extra bamboo skewer, he picked up a piece, proffered it, and smiled. “This is delicious.”

Meng Shen glanced at it, leaned down, and took it directly with his mouth.

Yu Xi, who had intended to hand over the skewer, froze for a moment. Hearing Meng Shen murmur a low “It’s delicious,” he lifted the whole bag a little higher. “There’s still a lot left.”

Meng Shen shook his head, declining to eat more.

Watching this scene unfold, Pei Wang knit his brows and grabbed Yu Xi’s wrist. “My mom ordered dinner and is waiting for you to come over. It’s getting late; we should head out.”

Yu Xi hesitated. “But Ah Shen just rented this place, and there are still so many things he hasn’t set up yet.”

“He’s a grown man; he can take care of himself.” Seeing that Yu Xi was about to say something else, Pei Wang quickly cut him off. “My mom already reserved a table for three. We can’t add another person.”

“Ah…” Yu Xi fluttered his long eyelashes helplessly, looking up at Meng Shen.

Meng Shen’s expression was placid. “I can manage on my own.”

“Then if anything comes up, you must call me. And…” Before Yu Xi could finish his sentence, he was pulled toward the door by Pei Wang. In the end, he hurriedly hooked the bag of chicken tenders—of which he had only managed two bites—onto Meng Shen’s finger, waving goodbye.

Before entering the elevator, he glanced back, only to see that tall silhouette standing silently in the dim corridor, looking as though he were about to merge with the approaching night.

“Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi?”

Yu Xi snapped out of his daze, looking at Pei Lexin across the dining table, whose eyes were filled with concern. “Aunt Pei, what’s wrong?”

“Wang and I were just talking about where you two should go for the holiday. How about it? Have you and your friends reached a decision?”

Yu Xi looked at Pei Wang, who shrugged. “Anything works for me. It’s up to you.”

Yu Xi pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll talk to my friends again when I get back.”

After another round of discussion in the group chat, Yu Xi found it truly impossible to choose one over the other. He simply suggested that they should do it all: spend two days by the sea in the neighboring city, and one day camping on the local mountain… As long as they didn’t go too far, it would be enough to accommodate everyone’s preferences without any conflict.

Yu Xi also considered that everyone had their own work or studies to tend to and might not be able to clear a massive block of time all at once; this approach allowed for a much more flexible schedule.

They also didn’t want to exhaust themselves, so the first and last days of the holiday were designated as rest days.

Early in the morning, Yu Xi got out of bed first to tutor Pei Wang for an hour before putting on his backpack to head out. He didn’t trouble the Pei family driver, choosing to take the subway instead. He went to a large supermarket first to purchase some daily necessities, carrying them over to Meng Shen’s newly rented apartment.

He hadn’t slept well the previous night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Meng Shen standing alone in that cold, dark corridor. Truly unable to set his mind at ease, he had rushed over first thing in the morning.

“Have you eaten breakfast?” That was the very first thing Yu Xi asked. Seeing Meng Shen stand there stiffly without speaking, he knew the answer. “You have to eat breakfast, otherwise it’s very bad for your stomach. I bought you some bread; eat a little bit of that first, and then I’ll make you a bowl of plain noodle soup, alright?”

As he spoke, he set the bags on the table, fishing out the bread first, followed by the noodles and some basic seasonings before walking toward the open kitchen.

The kitchen equipment in the bachelor apartment was somewhat sparse, but making a few light dishes with minimal cooking fumes wouldn’t be an issue.

“When you aren’t eating at the cafeteria, you should cook some meals for yourself. Only by taking proper care of yourself can you live a better life, do you understand?” Yu Xi lectured while he worked.

He tied on a newly purchased beige apron, fashioning a neat butterfly knot at his waist. His slender, fair hands, glistening with water droplets, moved methodically.

The water was brought to a rolling boil, the white steam curling around Yu Xi’s face. With his long eyelashes lowered and his expression serene, he looked incredibly gentle.

Plain noodle soup was quick to make, taking less than twenty minutes to be ready to serve, complete with a poached egg nestled inside.

“I didn’t buy any green vegetables; you’ll have to make do for now.”

The steaming bowl of noodle soup was carried over and placed on the dining table.

“Come over quickly.”

Yu Xi untied his apron and called out to Meng Shen, who was standing there like a statue. Seeing him still in a daze, Yu Xi walked over with a helpless expression, pulled him to his seat, and shoved a pair of chopsticks into his hand. “Even if you think it’s too simple, you still have to eat it. Not a single noodle can be wasted.”

“…I don’t think it’s simple,” Meng Shen said, burying his head to eat.

Not only did he not waste a single noodle, but he didn’t leave behind a single drop of broth either.

Looking at the empty bowl, Yu Xi couldn’t help but laugh. “If it wasn’t enough, I can make more.”

“It’s enough. I’m very full, and it was delicious.” Meng Shen took the empty bowl to wash it.

Afterward, the two of them decorated the apartment together.

Once the items Yu Xi bought were arranged one by one, they realized they were still missing a few things, so they took another trip to the store together. The once spacious and chilly room finally gained a touch of warmth and life.

After sorting through everything, Yu Xi realized that Meng Shen truly owned very few personal belongings. The most substantial items were the equipment required for his streams.

He sat on Meng Shen’s newly purchased chair, curiously inspecting the camera on the computer desk and the PC case that glowed with colorful light effects upon powering up. He discovered a trophy tucked away behind the large monitor—it was an achievement award from the platform for reaching 500,000 followers.

“Are you still streaming today?” Yu Xi remembered that Meng Shen had completely severed ties with the Meng family, meaning his streaming career would be of utmost importance from now on. “If we go out to play, will it affect you?”

Meng Shen said, “I will make up the streaming hours.”

“Then it must be quite exhausting. My being here will probably disrupt you, right? Maybe I should head back first…”

“It won’t.” Meng Shen leaned down and pressed the power button. “Do you want to play for a bit? We can play together.”

The game opened, and Yu Xi was successfully enticed into staying.

To be honest, having never played before, he was genuinely curious. He had found it fascinating just watching Meng Shen’s streams in the past.

Meng Shen logged into his account, created a training lobby, and guided Yu Xi step-by-step on how to control the character and use the various key binds.

Starting out was a bit difficult, but Meng Shen patiently taught him over and over again.

“I hit it!” Upon completing his first successful operation, Yu Xi could hardly contain his excitement, turning his head to look at Meng Shen with a bright smile.

Meng Shen’s gaze softened. “Xi Xi can do anything well.”

Yu Xi tapped the tip of his nose. “Not at all, gaming is your specialty.”

Once Yu Xi grasped the basic mechanics, Meng Shen used a laptop to log into his alt account, forming a party to play together with him.

With someone carrying him, Yu Xi only needed to follow from behind without a single worry. The gaming experience was phenomenal. Having never experienced this kind of fun before, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

After lunch, according to Yu Xi’s usual routine, he should have gone back for an afternoon nap, but he was easily kept behind by a single sentence from Meng Shen.

They tried out another game mode together. Time ticked away, and when Yu Xi finally snapped out of it, he was startled to find it was already four o’clock in the afternoon.

“I can’t play anymore. If I keep playing, you won’t have time to make up your streaming hours. I should head back.”

It was then that Meng Shen suggested they could play while streaming.

Yu Xi hesitated. “Won’t that get in your way?”

“The viewers might find it refreshing; someone else has never appeared in my stream before.” Meng Shen lowered his head, his features obscured by the dark shadows cast by his overly long bangs, making him look even more brooding. His tone remained indifferent, but the look he directed toward Yu Xi held a trace of loneliness. “I’ve never queued with anyone else like this either. It has always been just me.”

With that single sentence, Yu Xi was kept behind once more.

The laptop’s performance wasn’t powerful enough to handle a live stream, so the two swapped seats. Meng Shen quickly adjusted the streaming settings, left them running in the background, and paid them no further mind. “Alright, let’s continue.”

“Oh… okay.”

Meng Shen’s demeanor was no different from how it was before the stream started. Gradually, Yu Xi forgot that they were live and quickly became fully immersed again.

Meanwhile, Meng Shen’s chat had already erupted into a frenzy.

【?? There’s someone next to God S, or am I hallucinating?】

【This is duos mode, he’s carrying someone!】

【Is it a friend? First time seeing this.】

【Isn’t this teammate’s account God S’s alt?】

【Wait… I noticed that God S’s win rate dropped by three percent today. Could it be because he’s carrying someone?】

【Has anyone not seen the clip from a passerby floating around in the supertopic? Someone matched against them at noon, and God S played like a bot, dying so miserably lmao I’m dying.】

【That definitely wasn’t his actual gameplay. There was a time God S played one-handed and still got MVP.】

【Looks like they have a great relationship. God S is clearly talking a bit more tonight, and his tone is different too.】

【The number of times he’s spoken has far shattered his record; added together, it’s more than a whole month’s worth.】

【Didn’t you guys notice? The other guy’s voice sounds so nice too, a very clean, youthful voice.】

【Just a bit clumsy though hahaha.】

“This part is so hard, I can’t jump up, and there are enemies shooting at me.” Flustered, Yu Xi broke into a light sweat, his hands frantically operating the controls until he made himself dizzy.

“Let me.”

Meng Shen leaned in close, wrapping his right arm around Yu Xi’s back, his palm sliding over the mouse to entirely envelop Yu Xi’s hand.

“Find this exact angle, just like this… tap jump twice gently, and you’re through.”

An action that had been immensely difficult for Yu Xi was effortlessly accomplished under Meng Shen’s manipulation. Yu Xi let out an exclamation of awe. “Ah Shen, you’re amazing—”

As he spoke, he turned his head, but his lips inadvertently brushed against Meng Shen’s jawline.

For a moment, both of them froze.