Chapter 11: Too Beautiful

This was a memory that existed in Meng Weiyu’s mind, but had been forgotten by the current him.

It held great research significance for studying how Shen Zhoudu had inexplicably and crazily become obsessed with Meng Weiyu at the age of seventeen.

The thunderstorm weather during the year he was seventeen was one of the most irritating periods of Meng Weiyu’s life.

Outside the house, rain fell in a steady patter. Meng Weiyu, who had just fished Shen Zhoudu home from the seaside, stayed on the living room sofa. He raised his hand and boredly fiddled with his black hair, his gaze following the other person in the house.

“There’s clearly food in the fridge.” When Shen Zhoudu opened the fridge to get mineral water, he discovered that there was a sufficient amount of raw meat and vegetables inside, completely enough for the two of them to eat two or three meals.

“Uncle Wang probably bought them this morning, but they’re useless.” Meng Weiyu scratched his hair. The reason his whole body felt uncomfortable was because being alone in a house with Shen Zhoudu was just too strange.

“Why? The ingredients still look very fresh.” Shen Zhoudu still had not given up on the plan of eating a proper meal.

“I don’t know how to cook.” As a pampered young master, Meng Weiyu arrogantly crossed his legs, feeling no shame at all over his low-level life skills. “Don’t tell me you do?”

Meng Weiyu had never expected anything from Shen Zhoudu. This guy not only looked like a young master, but also like a young master who knew nothing except studying.

Thank you.

Meng Weiyu suspected that the fact he could go out and buy food already made him slightly better than him.

Shen Zhoudu calmly answered his question, “I do.”

Meng Weiyu was so shocked that his foot slipped and dropped down.

“What were you originally planning to eat today?” Shen Zhoudu asked for the time being.

“Cold lotus root salad, carrot-corn pork rib soup, and chestnut chicken.” Meng Weiyu hurriedly ordered dishes.

Shen Zhoudu fell silent for a moment.

“Is it too hard for you?” Meng Weiyu showed a look of contempt.

“It’s not difficult.” Shen Zhoudu turned his head and looked at Meng Weiyu. Although his face was expressionless, a hint of teasing showed in his pale blue eyes. “But these are things only children like to eat.”

Meng Weiyu: “…”

“What about vegetables?” Shen Zhoudu asked while taking the ingredients out of the fridge.

“I hate eating vegetables.” Meng Weiyu answered instinctively, only to realize afterward that not liking vegetables was also very childish.

Damn it! At home, he got whatever he wanted. Why did he have to be judged over what he ate?

Shen Zhoudu did not speak after that, because he was rummaging through the fridge for the ingredients Meng Weiyu wanted. Because he no longer had his glasses, his vision was a little poor now. He had to take things out and look at them clearly before he could identify them.

“What’s wrong?” A voice suddenly appeared behind Shen Zhoudu, and a familiar pant leg touched his arm.

“Looking for lotus root.” There were too many things inside, so Shen Zhoudu searched with difficulty.

“Isn’t this it?” A hand fairer than his own reached over from behind. Then, in the narrow fridge, it brushed Shen Zhoudu’s little finger and accurately took out the packaged lotus root.

Shen Zhoudu could not help raising his head and looking back.

Meng Weiyu smiled and handed the thing in his hand to him. “Here.”

The light from the fridge fell onto Meng Weiyu’s face in the dark room. Shen Zhoudu looked at him and froze in a daze.

“Hmph, what are you looking at? Am I that good-looking?” What Meng Weiyu was best at was catching other people’s gazes when they looked at him.

Hearing this, Shen Zhoudu quickly reached out and mercilessly snatched the lotus root from his hand.

What kind of attitude was that? He had finally wanted to be a little friendlier.

Meng Weiyu looked at him gloomily.

Shen Zhoudu picked up all the ingredients and closed the fridge.

“Where’s the kitchen?” Shen Zhoudu asked him.

“Uncle Wang usually cooks in the kitchen at the back, but the rain is too heavy now. It’s dangerous to go outside. I think there should be tools here, because I’ve seen them cook things here before.”

Shen Zhoudu turned his face left and right, then discovered that there was actually an open kitchen here.

“It’s useless to count on you.” Shen Zhoudu finally understood this truth and carried the ingredients over.

“Watch your attitude. Be careful or I’ll kick you out.” Meng Weiyu angrily chased after Shen Zhoudu.

Shen Zhoudu suddenly stopped.

Meng Weiyu bumped into his back, sucked in a breath, took a step back, and touched his own nose.

Shen Zhoudu quickly turned around, bent down slightly, and silently approached him.

Meng Weiyu was still touching his nose, completely unmoved by his approach.

“My glasses are broken, and my eyesight isn’t very good right now. If Young Master Meng is willing to help turn on the lights, I would be endlessly grateful.” Shen Zhoudu teased him.

Unfortunately, his teasing was too subtle, and Meng Weiyu’s nerves were too thick. So Young Master Meng nodded and turned around to switch on the lights.

When the dim house suddenly lit up, Shen Zhoudu perfunctorily praised him, “Young Master Meng is really capable.”

Fortunately, Meng Weiyu still knew how to turn on lights. He was a little more useful than Shen Zhoudu had imagined.

“How capable? You have five minutes to explain clearly.” Meng Weiyu said with a smile. What he was best at was taking advantage once given an inch.

Shen Zhoudu looked at him helplessly and ignored him.

The rain outside fell harder and harder. Because Meng Weiyu was too bored, he followed behind Shen Zhoudu, watching him cook.

He probably did not believe that Shen Zhoudu actually knew how to cook, so he had specially come to laugh at him.

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhoudu washed vegetables, cut meat, and boiled water cleanly and efficiently. His series of movements was swift and neat.

“Why?” Meng Weiyu was shocked.

“What do you mean why?” Shen Zhoudu did not understand his question. More than that, he wanted to complain. Could this person stop wandering behind him?

“Why do you know how to cook?” Meng Weiyu was not only shocked, but even frightened. Shen Zhoudu’s cooking skill was not some casual level. It was so practiced that it left people dumbfounded.

“My parents are often not home, so I would cook for myself back then.” Shen Zhoudu answered his question.

“Isn’t there an auntie or uncle at home who cooks?” He had heard that Shen Zhoudu’s family was very rich. Could that have been fake?

“I don’t like having people wandering around at home.” Shen Zhoudu spoke meaningfully and glanced at Meng Weiyu, who was currently like a ghost haunting his back.

“So amazing.” Meng Weiyu was endlessly amazed. His hands unconsciously leaned on Shen Zhoudu’s shoulders as he poked his head out from behind him to look at Shen Zhoudu’s progress.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

His parents always taught him to speak tactfully, but they never told him there would be people who completely could not understand the meaning between the lines.

Meng Weiyu’s interest always came in bursts. When Shen Zhoudu’s work became boring, he lost interest and went to the sofa, heartlessly lying down.

The rain outside grew increasingly violent.

And inside the roofed, safe house, Meng Weiyu held his chopsticks, ate a chestnut, and sighed. “The chestnuts don’t have a chestnut fragrance.”

Shen Zhoudu replied, “That has nothing to do with me.”

The chestnuts were taken out from their house. If there was blame, blame the person who bought the food.

Meng Weiyu tasted a mouthful of soup and judged, “It’s a little bland.”

This problem was finally Shen Zhoudu’s fault.

Shen Zhoudu, holding his chopsticks: “…”

Meng Weiyu bit into a piece of lotus root. His eyes were smiling, but after he finished eating, he still annoyingly said, “Too spicy… Ah, you actually stir-fried vegetables? I already said I hate eating vegetables.”

Shen Zhoudu set down his chopsticks with force, cold as frost.

Meng Weiyu fell silent.

“Eat.” Shen Zhoudu picked up his chopsticks and placed a large portion of vegetables into Meng Weiyu’s bowl.

Meng Weiyu pitifully picked up one strip of vegetable with his chopsticks, feeling that he had been bullied.

After they finished eating, Shen Zhoudu took the initiative to clean up the bowls and chopsticks. He no longer expected Meng Weiyu to be of any help.

“Thanks for your hard work.” Meng Weiyu stood behind him again and spoke.

Shen Zhoudu opened his mouth, wanting to tell him to go sit on the sofa and stop causing trouble. Unexpectedly, Meng Weiyu suddenly pressed close to his body, both hands reaching out from either side of him.

Shen Zhoudu’s face turned red without a trace. When he realized this, he hurriedly lowered his head and used his hair to cover his face.

“Don’t dirty your clothes.” Meng Weiyu picked up the apron nearby and tied it on him.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

“You cooked well. As expected of first place.” Meng Weiyu smiled and leaned close to his ear. “The cold lotus root salad was delicious. It was my fault for nitpicking just now.”

Meng Weiyu was leaning so close in order to fix the apron. He had discovered that when he tied the apron, he had rolled the bottom fabric into the string. He did not want to look too stupid in front of Shen Zhoudu, so while talking to Shen Zhoudu, his hands kept pulling at the apron fabric.

Shen Zhoudu glanced at him, expressionlessly reached out, and pulled the piece of fabric free.

Meng Weiyu innocently blinked, smiled, and asked, “Would it be better if I went to sit on the sofa?”

Shen Zhoudu said, “Suit yourself.”

This was his house. Even if he wanted to stand on the television and dance, Shen Zhoudu would have no objection.

“Really? Then let’s chat!” Meng Weiyu clapped and laughed. He was the type who could not quiet down when someone was beside him.

Shen Zhoudu regretted saying the words “suit yourself.”

In the end, Meng Weiyu was still driven by Shen Zhoudu to lie on the sofa. He held his phone and replied to some people’s messages. Meng Weiyu casually typed a few words to brush off the people chatting with him, then his eyes turned to look at the other person in the house.

Meng Weiyu stared at him for quite a while before Shen Zhoudu slowly raised his head and looked back.

Every time Meng Weiyu hooked the corner of his mouth, Shen Zhoudu felt that something bad was about to happen.

“It’s been raining often these past two days, and there aren’t many people by the sea. What were you doing there alone?” Meng Weiyu interrogated him. If he had not brought him back, Meng Weiyu really could not guess what Shen Zhoudu would have done once it started raining.

“I wanted to find a place to take a walk, so I randomly got on a bus and got off here.” Shen Zhoudu calmly explained why he had appeared here. “But my luck wasn’t very good today. When I got off the bus, I accidentally bumped into someone crowded by the door. My glasses fell and were stepped on. When I picked them up, they were broken. Then I followed the signs to the seaside, but there was basically no one there. I thought it was strange. Turns out there was going to be a heavy storm.”

Not a single word of his described his own predicament, yet every word seemed to tell of his dejection and sadness.

“Without me, what would you have done?” Meng Weiyu did not keep questioning him. He only showed his usual cheeky smile.

“I really don’t know what I would have done. Thank you.” Shen Zhoudu dryly thanked him. “What about you? Why are you here?”

“Hmph, this is one of my many homes. I can live wherever I want.” Meng Weiyu said proudly.

“As expected of Young Master Meng.” Seeing his smug appearance, Shen Zhoudu could not help smiling.

“Fine, actually, I came here because my divorced parents had matters to deal with this year, making this the period where they’ve met most frequently in several years. As expected, the moment they meet, they start arguing. I found it annoying, so I came here.” Meng Weiyu put away his phone. Under Shen Zhoudu’s surprised gaze, he showed a smile that did not seem to care much. “Our meeting was really a coincidence.”

A coincidence.

An accidental encounter that changed an entire life.

At night, Meng Weiyu opened his wardrobe and looked for clothes Shen Zhoudu could wear overnight. Shen Zhoudu stood behind him and judged his taste one by one.

“This color is too messy. No. This one is too flashy. I won’t wear it. Can’t you buy some normal clothes?”

Meng Weiyu held the clothes, endured and endured, then finally turned around and gnashed his teeth. “Then run around naked.”

Shen Zhoudu fell silent.

In the end, Meng Weiyu gave Shen Zhoudu a set of pajamas printed with a cute bear, and Shen Zhoudu’s protest was invalid.

“I don’t stay here often, so there’s no new underwear.” Meng Weiyu almost turned the whole wardrobe upside down but still could not find brand-new underwear. Finally, he smiled and turned back to ask Shen Zhoudu, “Do you want ones I’ve worn before? Or will you not wear any?”

Shen Zhoudu helplessly reached out and patted the back of Meng Weiyu’s head.

His movement was too gentle, causing Meng Weiyu to momentarily forget how to be obnoxious.

“This set of clothes is fine. Thank you. I’m going to shower.” Shen Zhoudu took the clothes and entered the bathroom in Meng Weiyu’s bedroom.

Apparently, Meng Weiyu did not often stay here. After hearing that he suddenly wanted to come rest, Uncle Wang at home could only temporarily clean the bathroom in his room. The other rooms had not been tidied, so Shen Zhoudu could only shower here.

After filling the bathtub with hot water, Shen Zhoudu sank naked into it.

Steam spread around his body, and the warmth dispelled all fatigue.

Shen Zhoudu raised his head and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling. His thoughts, which had been empty for a long time, began to operate again. He thought of what had happened in the morning, and familiar despair wrapped around him.

Just as the thought of using the water in the bathtub to drown himself emerged in his mind, knocking suddenly sounded.

“Ah.” Shen Zhoudu woke as if from a dream.

The bathroom door was opened, and Meng Weiyu’s delicate face appeared in the gap, staring at him faintly.

Shen Zhoudu was so startled that his movements froze.

Meng Weiyu broke into a smile, dispelling all gloom. He lifted a box in his hand and happily told him, “I found new underwear.”

Shen Zhoudu’s silence was deafening.

Meng Weiyu crouched on the floor and stuffed the box inside. He wanted to make the box stand upright, but the moment he put it down, it fell over. Meng Weiyu’s hand reached in again and set it upright, making the box lean against the wall. As soon as he let go, the box fell again. Unwilling to give up, Meng Weiyu grabbed the box once more.

Watching his movements from the side, Shen Zhoudu was about to go crazy. Why couldn’t this young master even do the most basic things properly?

Meng Weiyu narrowed his eyes and boldly suggested, “Should I walk in and put it on the counter?”

“As long as you don’t look at me.” Shen Zhoudu gave up. He did not want someone else in the bathroom while he bathed, but watching Meng Weiyu’s movements made him inexplicably anxious.

Meng Weiyu opened the door.

Even though Shen Zhoudu had prepared himself fully, when he actually saw Meng Weiyu walk in, he still became inexplicably nervous.

Meng Weiyu placed the box on the counter where clothes were placed, then turned his head and met Shen Zhoudu’s gaze.

Shen Zhoudu really looked very flustered. He wanted to sit up, but did not dare move recklessly.

Meng Weiyu smiled teasingly, saluted him, then turned and left, closing the door behind him.

“Ah!” Shen Zhoudu suddenly shouted, then gave up on himself and buried his entire face in the hot water.

Why did he always have to act so embarrassingly in front of this person?

Unexpectedly, even though he was this neurotic, Meng Weiyu did not press him about it.

He only… sat on the bed and pointed at Shen Zhoudu, laughing loudly when Shen Zhoudu came out with a dark face while wearing the little bear pajamas. He laughed until tears seeped from the corners of his eyes.

So wicked, yet as innocent as play.

“Where do I throw this trash?” Shen Zhoudu picked up the empty box.

“There’s a trash can in the corner.” Meng Weiyu smiled and pointed toward the corner.

“Okay.” Shen Zhoudu threw away the empty box, then asked Meng Weiyu, “Do you have an extra blanket?”

“What for?” Meng Weiyu asked him.

Shen Zhoudu felt that there was a serious communication barrier between the two of them. When speaking to Meng Weiyu, he could not be indirect at all, so he said directly, “I’m going to sleep in the living room. I want a blanket.”

“Why not just sleep with me?” Meng Weiyu casually patted the bed beneath him.

Hearing this, Shen Zhoudu frantically wanted to push up his glasses, using the movement to ease his helplessness. Unfortunately, his glasses had already broken. When he raised his hand, he could only touch his slightly hot forehead.

He did not know whether it was because he had just showered, or because the careless words of the person before him had teased him until his face flushed and his heart pounded.

“Lie down and wait for me, okay?” Meng Weiyu jokingly said this sentence, then took his pajamas and entered the bathroom.

Shen Zhoudu knew he should not sleep with Meng Weiyu. While the sound of water splashed in the bathroom, a fierce battle between heaven and man raged inside his mind. In the end, his reason and morality overcame temptation.

Just as Shen Zhoudu applauded his own humanity, Meng Weiyu finished showering and came out of the bathroom.

He wore loose pajamas. The ends of his hair were damp with droplets of water, and his slender, fair neck looked especially fragile and beautiful. Because he had just enjoyed washing up, his eyes looked a little dazed. When he saw Shen Zhoudu standing by the bed, he climbed onto the bed without hesitation. Then he patted the place beside him and smiled. “You sleep there.”

Shen Zhoudu’s mind instantly bloomed. His reason was stunned unconscious by the surging fragrance. When he came back to himself, he was already lying properly on the soft bed.

“Hehe.” Meng Weiyu’s laugh appeared behind him, terrifyingly close.

Shen Zhoudu turned his head.

Meng Weiyu was wrapped in the blanket, leaning behind him.

Shen Zhoudu was startled.

“Don’t murder me in the middle of the night, okay?” Meng Weiyu smiled and said this to him, then reached out and turned off the light.

Shen Zhoudu did not dare move at all, because although he was sleeping on the edge of this terrifyingly large bed, Meng Weiyu was right behind him.

Meng Weiyu lay on his side, curled into a ball. Thinking he was doing it without leaving a trace, he leaned against the warm body beside him. He remained motionless, and under the cover of the thunderstorm, he let out the sobs he had suppressed all day. Tears slid down his cheeks in the darkness.

Only then did Shen Zhoudu understand that the sad person today was not only himself.

He truly could not fall asleep under these circumstances.

Meng Weiyu cried and cried until he grew tired. He sniffed, then unknowingly fell asleep.

Only after the person behind him let out steady breathing did Shen Zhoudu carefully turn over to face Meng Weiyu.

Outside, thunder rumbled, and the light of lightning occasionally shone into the room. By that bit of light, Shen Zhoudu admired Meng Weiyu’s tear-streaked face, his pale blue eyes bright and full of life.

“Too beautiful.”

As sworn enemies who had always shown each other cold faces, wasn’t saying something like this far too strange?