Chapter 14: Xingkuo

The person who had sneered at Meng Shen and then called out Yu Xi’s name in shock was also a young man in his early twenties. He wore a suit of a garish, flamboyant color, with the neckline plunging open almost to his chest.

He stared at Yu Xi with wide eyes. “You’re Yu Xi, aren’t you? I’m right.”

Yu Xi tried hard to recall his face, but he couldn’t place which childhood acquaintance this was. “Hello. May I ask who you are…”

Before he could finish, his view was completely blocked by Meng Shen’s massive frame.

“Ignore him.”

Yu Xi noticed that Meng Shen’s expression was very grim. He didn’t pry, simply nodding and intending to find Pei Wang so they could leave, but their path was immediately blocked again.

“You’re leaving before even finishing a greeting? How did the Meng family raise such an ill-mannered thing like you?” The youth looked at Meng Shen with disdain, then turned to the frowning Yu Xi with a smirk. “I heard someone new moved into the Pei house, and I guessed it was you coming back. What? Forgotten me completely? Stupid Fish.”

Yu Xi’s expression shifted instantly as the memory resurfaced. Stupid Fish. There was only one person who used to call him that.

Meng Liang, the second young master of the Meng family and Meng Shen’s half-brother.

Despite sharing half of their blood, Meng Liang had made life difficult for Meng Shen at every turn, leading the other Meng children to isolate him and leaving him walking on eggshells at home. If Meng Shen’s situation in the Meng family was terrible, Meng Liang was responsible for half of it.

Back then, when Yu Xi started appearing by Meng Shen’s side, he naturally caught Meng Liang’s attention.

Meng Liang had tried to pull Yu Xi into his own camp, wanting him to join in isolating Meng Shen. He sent many gifts to win Yu Xi over, trying to persuade him.

At that time, Yu Xi didn’t understand why this person hated Meng Shen so much. Thinking there was just a misunderstanding, he brought a grass-woven grasshopper he had made as a peace offering. He said, “A-Shen is very, very good. Can you please not hate him? I’ll take you to apologize to A-Shen, and once you make up, we can all be friends, okay?”

Meng Liang flew into a rage. He pulled the grasshopper out of his pocket, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. “You have the nerve to give me something like this! And who the hell wants to be friends with you two? Meng Shen is stupid, and so are you! You don’t understand human speech at all. I think I’ll just call you Stupid Fish from now on!”

Little Yu Xi was terrified. He stood frozen, unable to make a sound, with tears streaming down his face.

Gu Chuanzhou had witnessed the scene. When he walked over, his expression was calm, but he did something that shocked everyone—he grabbed Meng Liang by the collar and slammed his fist into Meng Liang’s face, over and over.

The fallout that day was massive.

Meng Liang lost a front tooth, and Gu Chuanzhou was grounded in solitary confinement by his parents for half a month.

Before that incident, Yu Xi and Gu Chuanzhou weren’t even really friends. Yu Xi hadn’t dared to speak to him, only watching him curiously from afar. He never imagined someone so excellent would stand up for him. Even the other kids were stunned; they had never seen Gu Chuanzhou lose control like that. It took several adults to pull him off.

After that, Yu Xi spent every day sneaking small treats through the bars of the Gu family’s back garden fence to give to Gu Chuanzhou, who was locked in the study.

On the first day, Gu Chuanzhou’s attitude remained distant: “You don’t need to feel like you owe me. Hitting him was my own business; it had nothing to do with you.”

Little Yu Xi didn’t quite understand, only asking, “Does Chuanzhou-ge like the candy I brought?”

Gu Chuanzhou was silent for a while before nodding.

Yu Xi smiled, hopping twice outside the study window. “Then I’ll bring you something even tastier tomorrow.”

In reality, no one else knew exactly how that fight started except for those three—not even Meng Shen. Afterward, Yu Xi stayed far away from Meng Liang. For some reason, Meng Liang continued to stare at him, but fortunately, he didn’t do anything else malicious, nor did he excessively bully Meng Shen.

It seemed that even as an adult, this person was still incredibly unpleasant.

Yu Xi’s first reaction upon recognizing him was to step in front of Meng Shen and take his hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you. We’re leaving now.”

Meng Liang was stunned. “Wait, how can you not know me? I’m Meng Liang!”

He tried to follow them but was blocked by Pei Wang.

“Didn’t you hear? He said he doesn’t know you. You keep blocking the way; I really wonder how the Meng family has an ill-mannered character like you.” Pei Wang threw Meng Liang’s own words back at him, ignored his reddening face, and turned to walk away.

Sheng Yunshu and the others walked over, asking quietly, “Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” Yu Xi shook his head. He was more worried about Meng Shen. Once they sat down, he whispered, “Does he bully you at the Meng house?”

Meng Shen’s back was arched in a stiff curve. His muscles strained against the tight fit of his shirt, especially his chest, where his heavy breathing made it look like the buttons might pop at any moment.

“A-Shen?” Yu Xi thought Meng Shen was emotionally unstable because of the encounter. He took both of Meng Shen’s hands in his. “Are you unwell?”

Little did he know that Meng Shen could barely hear what he was saying. His entire focus was on the hands holding his, the moving lips, and the eyes full of concern.

Yu Xi asked again, anxiously.

Meng Shen snapped out of it, immediately averting his eyes. “I… I’m fine… Not unwell, and no one bullied me.”

“Truly? Don’t lie to me.” Yu Xi had wanted to ask this for a long time, staring unblinkingly at Meng Shen’s face.

Under his gaze, Meng Shen’s face turned visibly red, the heat spreading to his neck and ears. His dark pupils darted around, and his head hung lower and lower until he finally covered his face with his hand, saying in an almost pleading tone, “Xiao Xi… please don’t look at me anymore.”

In Yu Xi’s eyes, this evasive reaction looked like guilt. He knit his brows seriously. “Why won’t you let me look? Are you afraid I’ll see you’re lying?”

“N-no.” Meng Shen swallowed hard. “I’ve lived well these years. I earn a lot of money on my own and don’t need to rely on the Meng family’s whims. You really don’t need to worry… it just makes me nervous when you stare at me.”

Yu Xi paused. He felt the sweat on Meng Shen’s palms and a slight tremor, so he quickly let go. “I’m sorry, I forgot. You don’t like people touching you.”

Meng Shen shook his head to indicate it was okay.

Yu Xi felt a mix of guilt and disappointment. In his haste, he had forgotten that Meng Shen had these issues as a child—fear of strangers, social anxiety, and a dislike for contact. Back then, it took a long time for Meng Shen to let his guard down, and Yu Xi became one of the few people he accepted.

“Gu Chuanzhou is here,” Pei Wang noted. Yu Xi immediately looked up.

Gu Chuanzhou’s entrance caused a stir. His status drew everyone’s attention, yet his cold, powerful aura kept them at a distance. He scanned the room and quickly found Yu Xi in the corner. The frost in his eyes melted instantly as he strode over.

“Xi Xi.” That gentle call made those nearby hold their breath in surprise.

Sheng Yunjuan’s voice was a bit sharp. “Gu Chuanzhou, why are you dressed like that?”

Gu Chuanzhou sat down naturally in the seat Pei Wang vacated. “Is there a problem?”

Sheng Yunjuan inspected him unceremoniously. “You saw Xiao Xi’s outfit in advance and picked this one on purpose, didn’t you?”

Yu Xi looked closer. Gu Chuanzhou wore a black and white suit, featuring a French high-pointed collar, a vintage dark green patterned tie, and an emerald brooch on his lapel. All three elements mirrored Yu Xi’s own outfit perfectly.

Gu Chuanzhou ignored Yunjuan and asked Yu Xi, “Does Xi Xi think this suit suits me today?”

Yu Xi nodded. “It looks good.”

“As long as Xi Xi is satisfied.” Gu Chuanzhou smiled slightly, his gaze trailing over to Meng Shen. Meng Shen met his gaze with a cold, deep stare of his own. Yu Xi, distracted by the Eldredge knot in Gu Chuanzhou’s tie, didn’t notice the silent clash.

At 7:00 PM, the banquet officially began, but the guest of honor had not appeared.

Mrs. Zhang stood on stage to apologize, explaining that her son’s flight was delayed.

“Zhang Xingkuo and his father haven’t been on good terms these years,” Yunjuan whispered into Yu Xi’s ear. “See? His dad didn’t even show up.”

“What happened?” Yu Xi asked.

“It’s complicated. You should ask him yourself; he’ll tell you everything.”

Yu Xi couldn’t help but ask, “Did he ever mention me?”

“Of course, though less often as time went by,” Yunjuan sighed.

Yu Xi’s heart tightened, but Sheng Yunshu added, “It’s because mentioning you made him miss you too much. It hurt, so he tried hard not to think about you.”

Yu Xi’s emotions fluctuated. He spent the evening glancing at the door. He eventually spoke with Mrs. Zhang while presenting his gift.

“I’m so happy you came,” she said, holding his hand. “Xingkuo loved playing with you most. He was depressed for so long after you left. He didn’t want to come back so soon, but when I said you were coming, he checked for flights immediately. It’s a shame about the delay.”

The banquet ended without the protagonist arriving. Yu Xi returned home with Pei Wang.

Before bed, he placed the borrowed emerald brooch in his tin box with his small stones. He replied to some “goodnight” messages and told his mother about his day. He didn’t fall asleep quickly, tossing and turning while thinking about whether Zhang Xingkuo had made it back.

He didn’t know how long he had slept.

A flash of lightning and a thunderclap, followed by frantic knocking on his door, woke him in the middle of the night.

“Auntie Pei? Is something wrong?” he asked, opening the door.

Pei Lexin didn’t say much, just told him to put on some clothes and come downstairs.

Yu Xi’s heart began to race. In the living room, a soaking-wet, vaguely familiar figure was standing there. Before Yu Xi could say a word, the person rushed over and scooped him up, lifting his feet off the floor.

The young man’s body heat was like fire, and his voice was filled with a matching intensity:

“Xiao Xi, I finally found you.”