Chapter 10: Bring Me a Knife

That ragdoll cat was held in Shen Zhoudu’s arms. One person and one cat looked at him together.

Two pairs of blue eyes.

“Hmph.” Shen Zhoudu let out a cold snort.

Meng Weiyu’s tears had not yet stopped. He raised his head and looked at Shen Zhoudu. He did not cry out loud, but another string of tears fell.

A few more large drops of water fell from the sky again, landing directly on Meng Weiyu’s face.

Who could tell the difference between tears and rain?

Shen Zhoudu held the cat with one hand, took off the short-sleeved shirt jacket he was wearing, and covered Meng Weiyu’s head with it.

Meng Weiyu’s vision went completely dark. He fumbled around in a sorry state several times before finally seeing light. He hurriedly reached out and pushed the clothes upward, revealing his face.

“Hey!” What did he mean by this? Why exactly had he married such a strange person?!

“It’s going to rain. Hurry up and run.” In the gap while Shen Zhoudu spoke to him, several drops of water had already struck his neck.

Fine droplets of water hit the windows, and the blinding light of lightning illuminated the house for an instant.

Then came an even crazier downpour.

Before Meng Weiyu and Shen Zhoudu could be drenched like drowned rats, they successfully ran into the main house.

Once they reached a place under the eaves, Meng Weiyu immediately used his uninjured left hand to lift off the short-sleeved shirt jacket that Shen Zhoudu had forcibly placed over his head. Standing inside the brightly lit house, he immediately turned around to look for him.

Logically speaking, Shen Zhoudu should have been able to run faster than him, but he had remained behind him the entire time.

Meng Weiyu wanted to thank Shen Zhoudu for lending him the clothes, but then saw that although Shen Zhoudu had entered only one step later than him, his hair had already been wetted quite a bit. His hands were holding up the hem of his shirt, and the area around his stomach was bulging. The thing inside was moving around and making a sound.

“Meow~”

Shen Zhoudu hurriedly lifted the hem of his shirt and carefully took out the thing inside.

Of his two pieces of clothing, one had protected Meng Weiyu, and the other had protected this kitten.

Meng Weiyu excitedly stood in front of Shen Zhoudu. His hands clenched into fists, and he could not help shaking them slightly. His eyes shone brightly as he stared at the cat and shouted, “It’s Truffle! Oh my god, Truffle, you look so much smaller. Weren’t you a big fat cat before?”

“This isn’t Truffle. Truffle passed away many years ago. This is Truffle’s grandson, Xueci.” Shen Zhoudu held the tiny cat in both hands and brought it in front of Meng Weiyu.

“Meow~” Xueci’s fur had become a messy clump from rubbing around inside Shen Zhoudu’s clothes. It had a pair of azure-blue eyes, and when it looked at people, its ears trembled.

“Wow.” Meng Weiyu reached out and stroked the kitten’s head, his eyes full of nostalgia. “When I first picked up Truffle, it was this small too.”

The kitten obediently rubbed its head against him.

“But you’re more obedient than Truffle.” Meng Weiyu concluded, “When Truffle first met me, it wouldn’t even let me touch it. It treated me like some terrifying person. Back then, I already thought that ragdolls really weren’t very smart.”

Shen Zhoudu lifted the cat and looked at its cute little face. Disagreeing, he held the cat in his arms and refuted him, “Cats don’t need to take college entrance exams, so what do they need such high IQs for? Besides, Xueci is very smart.”

“Meow.” Xueci raised its head and cried out, as if agreeing with Shen Zhoudu’s words. Then, after being held for too long, it wanted to move freely, so it began struggling.

Seeing it start kicking its legs, Shen Zhoudu immediately let go.

Xueci jumped down from his arms.

Seeing it jump from such a high place, Meng Weiyu subconsciously showed a nervous expression and wanted to catch it.

However, this cat was much more agile than he imagined. It jumped down from Shen Zhoudu’s arms, landed steadily on the floor, then shook its head and ran off gracefully.

“Xueci, Xueci, come let Great-Grandpa hold you.” Meng Weiyu wanted to chase after it.

Shen Zhoudu removed his damp glasses, turned to close the door, and said as he walked, “The injuries on your hand and face haven’t healed. Don’t hold the cat. Xueci happens to be shedding right now. It wouldn’t be good if cat fur infects your wounds.”

His tone was ordinary and casual, as if today were merely one of countless ordinary days, and the person beside him was also the one who was always by his side.

Shen Zhoudu closed the door. After confirming that the wind and rain could not attack them, he turned around.

The light of lightning split in from outside the window, illuminating Meng Weiyu’s horrified face.

“Why are you making such an ugly expression…” Shen Zhoudu was the one frightened by him. His body could not help pressing against the door, seeking some sense of security.

“You, you-you-you… why did you close the door!” Meng Weiyu was scared, and the bandage on his hand swept back and forth because of his movements.

“A storm is coming. If I don’t close the door, the whole house will be full of water.” Shen Zhoudu did not understand what he was so worked up about.

“That is indeed true.” Meng Weiyu felt his words were not wrong. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Then he ran behind the sofa, sat on the floor, and patted his chest.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

Meng Weiyu waited for quite a while, but heard no sound. Curious, he poked his head out from behind the sofa.

The moment he poked his head out, he discovered that at some point, Shen Zhoudu had walked over and sat on this side of the sofa. Silent and expressionless, he was staring at Meng Weiyu, who was sitting on the floor.

“Why do you make no sound when you walk?” Meng Weiyu was shocked.

“If I made sound, how would I scare you?” Shen Zhoudu leaned on the sofa armrest, looked at him, and asked a question he cared about. “Did the wounds on your body get wet?”

Meng Weiyu said, “Do you want me to tell the truth?”

“Mm.” What else?

“I did get rained on a little, but I feel like it’s fine.”

“I’ll have Uncle Wang prepare hot water for you to bathe.” Shen Zhoudu looked for his phone. “But you’ll have to wait a while. Because of the storm, the water heater in this manor has been having occasional problems recently. It was because of this issue that I originally planned to return to the city apartment, but Xueci was still here, so I came here first today.”

Seeing that his face was turned in this direction, Meng Weiyu maintained his crouching posture and sneakily circled around behind the sofa.

“Sit down. Stop messing around.” Shen Zhoudu said helplessly.

After Shen Zhoudu finished speaking, he did not receive Meng Weiyu’s reply. Depressed, he turned his head.

Meng Weiyu’s face suddenly entered his vision. At some point, he had quietly walked behind Shen Zhoudu.

“Deng deng deng deng!” Meng Weiyu excitedly raised his hand. It was his turn to scare him.

Shen Zhoudu cooperated very well and leaned backward in fright, even though he himself would never actually be scared by Meng Weiyu’s face.

Meng Weiyu sat down on the sofa without the slightest politeness.

Shen Zhoudu maintained his backward-flinching posture, his eyes fixed on him.

The storm outside grew even worse. Even though most of the windows were covered, the light of lightning still pierced through the gaps, carrying nature’s intimidation. The lightbulb above their heads flickered unstably. Under the indoor light, Meng Weiyu discovered that Shen Zhoudu’s eye color was actually very similar to that ragdoll cat’s.

Thinking of this, Meng Weiyu could already guess what kind of nonsense his grown-up self had used to fool the person in front of him.

He really admired himself.

Sometimes, understanding oneself too well was also a kind of trouble.

“I was scared,” Shen Zhoudu smiled.

Shen Zhoudu was actually not good at showing too many expressions, and he would not force himself either. It was just that right now, he wanted too much to show Meng Weiyu his gentle side, so he put in all his effort and revealed a smile that had nothing to do with his cold and ruthless appearance.

Meng Weiyu seemed to notice something. Smiling, he reached out, pressed Shen Zhoudu’s mouth corners, and manually erased his smile.

Alright. Meng Weiyu had only lost his memory. He had not lost his intelligence.

Understanding this, Shen Zhoudu immediately put away his smile.

“Hehehe.” Unlike him, Meng Weiyu laughed so hard he trembled like flowers in the wind. Piercing through Shen Zhoudu’s false appearance was one of the rare joys in his life.

“Stop moving around. What if you get hurt again?” Shen Zhoudu had no way to deal with him.

“I’ll tell you a secret then.”

When Meng Weiyu said this, a loud clap of thunder happened to strike outside the window, and the lightbulb above flickered again.

Shen Zhoudu stared straight at him.

Meng Weiyu’s left hand touched his own face, and he slipped his fingers under the edge of the bandage on his face. Shen Zhoudu actually liked his fingers very much. They were distinct at the knuckles, long and fair, like some kind of artwork.

He tried hard to stuff his fingers into the bandage, section by section, then moved them slightly left and right, loosening the bandage.

At first, Shen Zhoudu was staring dazedly at his face and hand. When he finally reacted, he could not help leaning closer and asking nervously, “What are you doing?”

Another crack of thunder resounded through the sky.

Under Shen Zhoudu’s panicked gaze, Meng Weiyu directly lifted off the bandage covering half his face.

His entire face was thus completely revealed before Shen Zhoudu’s eyes, flawless and perfect. Aside from some bluish-purple bruising near the hairline, the rest was completely fine.

“Hehe.” Meng Weiyu smiled and casually placed the bandage on the table.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

For such a small injury, did he really need to wrap up half his face?

“I heard my family was coming to see me. I thought it would be my grandparents or maternal grandparents, so I deliberately wrapped it up to act pitiful.” Meng Weiyu fiddled with his hair, his tone casual. “Afterward, the hospital staff saw me covered in bandages and treated me too gently. Without noticing, I got too into the role and forgot that nothing much was wrong with me.”

“Then take off the bandage on your hand too. Otherwise, it’ll stay wrapped even after getting wet.” Shen Zhoudu was exasperated. What exactly was this person thinking about all day?

Hearing this, Meng Weiyu handed his right hand to him.

Shen Zhoudu held his hand and prepared to help remove the bandage. But the moment he used a little force, Meng Weiyu cried out in pain.

“What are you doing?” Shen Zhoudu was startled again.

“My right hand… really is covered in wounds.” Meng Weiyu shouted in an especially exaggerated way.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

Shen Zhoudu, who had been toyed with in Meng Weiyu’s palm, sat silently in the corner. His eyes stared blankly through the cold lenses at the air, as if his soul had already left his body.

“How did you know to come out and pick me up? Did Ning Wu tell you?” Meng Weiyu checked his right hand and asked curiously.

“No…” Shen Zhoudu had only said one word when the phone in his hand vibrated. He glanced at the message and told Meng Weiyu, “Ning Wu just sent a message now. He said he was afraid your pride would leave you washed away outside by the rain, and asked if I saw you.”

“Who’s doing anything because of pride?” Meng Weiyu stubbornly denied it. With some effort, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Shen Zhoudu. “My phone has no battery, so I couldn’t contact you at all.”

“Yes.” Shen Zhoudu did not expose his excuse. He took his phone, stood up, went to another table, and plugged it in to charge.

Meng Weiyu turned his body and lay across the back of the sofa, staring at Shen Zhoudu.

He was looking everywhere for a charger.

“So how did you know I was at the door?” Meng Weiyu asked with anticipation. “A tacit connection of hearts?”

“You don’t care about having a tacit connection with me right now.” Shen Zhoudu did not take the bait. “I saw someone at the gate through the surveillance footage and waited for you to ring the doorbell. But after waiting for a long time and getting no response, I went out.”

“Hmph.” This time, the person who coldly snorted became Meng Weiyu.

“It’s charging. There’s no problem with your phone.” Shen Zhoudu finished dealing with the phone issue.

“I actually wasn’t very willing to come here,” Meng Weiyu said honestly.

“You hate me that much? Then stay here. I’ll go back to the city tomorrow.” Shen Zhoudu granted his wish, then turned his back to Meng Weiyu and, for no reason, started tidying a cabinet that had not been touched at all.

“It should be the opposite. You’re the one who hates me, right?” Meng Weiyu responded to Shen Zhoudu’s words without fear, looking at his back.

Shen Zhoudu’s body stiffened. Then he slowly turned his head.

Meng Weiyu pursed his lips and watched him warily.

“If I hated you, why would I marry you?” Shen Zhoudu did not understand what he was thinking. Did he need to split open his chest and take out a bloody heart to prove his love?

Then bring me a knife.

“The person you like is twenty-seven-year-old Meng Weiyu, not seventeen-year-old Meng Weiyu.” Meng Weiyu shrank downward, using the sofa to block half his face, leaving only a pair of eyes staring at Shen Zhoudu. “Why don’t you understand?”

It was precisely because of his appearance that the person Shen Zhoudu liked was no longer here.

Having different memories meant they were not completely the same person at all.

Shen Zhoudu stared at the awkward Meng Weiyu and lowered his face. He had always had this kind of face that made it difficult for others to distinguish his emotions.

Meng Weiyu nervously swallowed and began worrying that he would be thrown out.

But this was the truth. If Shen Zhoudu did not understand, then he needed to say it plainly. Perhaps he would recover his memories, perhaps he would not. But there was no denying that the Meng Weiyu here now was not the one who was in love with Shen Zhoudu. Asking him to suddenly change his mindset, replace his twenty-seven-year-old self, and get along with the person in front of him like lovers—he could not do it.

And the one Shen Zhoudu loved was not him either.

Even if it was himself with future memories, Meng Weiyu did not want to take his place.

Shen Zhoudu touched his own face, held it in and held it in again, then lowered his head, letting his hair and shadows cover his face.

Now Meng Weiyu was no longer worried about himself. He was more worried that Shen Zhoudu would be so sad he would die.

“Hahahahahaha!”

Shen Zhoudu suddenly let out a laugh completely unsuited to his image. He laughed until he bent over, hugging his stomach with his hands, his body trembling.

He laughed loudly for quite a while, then quickly restrained his smile. With eyes that had laughed until tears came out, he strode toward Meng Weiyu.

“Holy shit, holy shit.” Meng Weiyu thought he was about to be beaten and looked left and right in a panic, unable to find an escape route for the moment.

A pair of broad hands slapped onto the back of the sofa in front of Meng Weiyu.

Meng Weiyu tremblingly raised his head.

Normally, he was not afraid of clashing with other people, but right now, he only had one usable hand.

Shen Zhoudu stood in front of him, smiling as he lowered his head and met his eyes.

“I only told the truth…” Meng Weiyu argued confidently and righteously. “If you don’t like hearing it, you can pretend I never said it.”

“I do love twenty-seven-year-old Meng Weiyu.” Shen Zhoudu spoke frankly.

Meng Weiyu froze.

“But when Meng Weiyu was seventeen, I already liked him very much.”

A clap of thunder split outside the window.

Meng Weiyu’s brain crashed.