Chapter 34: Take Away What You Like

When Meng Weiyu only had memories up to the age of seventeen, Shen Zhoudu told him, “Soon, we’ll be best friends.”

Seventeen-year-old Meng Weiyu thought: Really?

Twenty-year-old Meng Weiyu cut in: Sorry, but that sentence is true.

Some memories returned to his mind. Meng Weiyu’s eyes were blank, and his thoughts could not stop. Thousands upon thousands of images formed pictures, emerging in his mind like a film projector turning and playing a movie.

The summer seaside. Dark clouds pressing down overhead. A teenager by the sea, riding a bicycle while being chased by the heavy rain.

A noisy classroom. Shen Zhoudu standing by the window, allowing others to size him up, waiting for a long time before meeting his gaze.

Delicious barbecue sizzling over charcoal fire, gifts received, and slips of paper with phone numbers written on them dropped into a piggy bank.

Back-and-forth text messages. Frequent meetings.

And something he remembered deeply: Shen Zhoudu had thought his parents were out and brought Meng Weiyu home to play, only for his parents to suddenly come back. Meng Weiyu had originally prepared to straighten his clothes and greet them, but Shen Zhoudu grabbed his hand and shoved him into his own room.

Exchanged notebooks. All-night graduation celebrations.

Time was like a hillside, and memories were like a snowball. As time passed, the snowball of memories rolled bigger and bigger.

Meng Weiyu had no choice but to admit that from a certain point in time onward, nearly all his important memory fragments contained Shen Zhoudu’s figure.

If seventeen-year-old Meng Weiyu, knowing that he would mess around with Shen Zhoudu years later, would sigh: I’m together with my sworn enemy, really?

Then twenty-year-old Meng Weiyu, knowing that he would mess around with Shen Zhoudu years later, would sigh: I’m together with my best friend, really?

“Xiao Yu?” Shen Zhoudu held Meng Weiyu and gradually noticed something strange. Meng Weiyu seemed unable to control his body. His legs were almost going weak. During the struggle just now, in order to avoid Shen Zhoudu, his head happened to fall backward. In an instant, his whole body was about to crash backward.

Shen Zhoudu pulled him back, pressing one hand against the back of his head while tightly wrapping the other around his waist.

“Hurry… put me on the bed…” Meng Weiyu’s voice still carried a sobbing tone, but his intonation was much calmer.

Hearing this, Shen Zhoudu protected him, bent down, and carried him to the bed.

“Cough, cough, cough.” Meng Weiyu turned sideways, placing his hand over his chest as he coughed desperately. His chest felt tight, his head hurt, and he could not relieve the nauseous feeling. He could only use his weak, soft hand to hit his own head as hard as he could.

Shen Zhoudu sat beside him. Seeing his movement, he reached out and covered Meng Weiyu’s head, letting his fist hit the back of his hand instead.

“I feel awful.” Meng Weiyu knocked his hand away and rolled around on the bed while holding his head.

“I’ll call someone and send you to the hospital.” Shen Zhoudu stood up, preparing to pick up the phone that had been thrown onto the floor during the earlier panic.

Seeing his movement, Meng Weiyu reached out, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and pulled him back.

“Hm?” Shen Zhoudu anxiously bent down and leaned closer, nervously reaching out to hold one side of his face, afraid that even the slightest thing would happen to him. “Where do you feel uncomfortable?”

“Don’t make a big fuss.” He just had a bit of a headache and felt weak all over. It was not to the point that he needed to be sent to the hospital.

When Shen Zhoudu heard his words, he was not relieved. Instead, he touched his face and leaned closer again. His thumb gently wiped away the tears on Meng Weiyu’s face, and he stared at him attentively. His cold blue eyes became as gentle as water because of the overflowing distress in them.

Meng Weiyu’s beautiful face was covered in tears and rainwater. At first glance, he looked utterly disheveled, but his appearance was truly flawless. After being drenched by the rain, his body temperature had dropped, making his face appear even paler. The tears hanging on his face made him look even more pitiful.

Shen Zhoudu’s eyes were full of tenderness. He grabbed the hem of his own shirt and wiped Meng Weiyu’s face clean.

Meng Weiyu widened his eyes and looked at Shen Zhoudu in disbelief.

Oh my. That Shen Zhoudu, who used to be full of disdain for his lifestyle, who disliked him for dressing flamboyantly, who disliked that he never said anything proper and only knew how to mix into crowds to attract attention, actually married him?

The world truly changed in the blink of an eye.

Meng Weiyu used to think that Shen Zhoudu becoming friends with him was purely because he had annoyed Shen Zhoudu into it.

“Are you cold?” Shen Zhoudu reached out and grabbed a corner of the quilt, preparing to cover him.

“My clothes are all wet.” If he was covered with a quilt like this, he would only become colder!

“Then take them off.” Shen Zhoudu grabbed the hem of Meng Weiyu’s shirt.

Meng Weiyu was dumbstruck.

Shen Zhoudu originally wanted to use both hands to grab the hem of Meng Weiyu’s shirt and take it off. But because Meng Weiyu currently had no strength, he could not even cooperate by lifting his body. So Shen Zhoudu could only slide one hand under Meng Weiyu’s waist, lift him slightly, and pull up the clothes trapped beneath him.

Meng Weiyu’s body had become cold from the rain, while Shen Zhoudu had just finished showering. The warmth of Shen Zhoudu’s palm pressed directly against his skin. When two extremely different temperatures met, Meng Weiyu directly trembled.

His body felt numb.

“Cold?” After Shen Zhoudu hurriedly helped Meng Weiyu take off his shirt, his hand moved directly to his pants, wanting to pull them off too.

“Wu.” Meng Weiyu turned sideways and pressed down his hand, feeling complicated and ashamed.

Seeing Meng Weiyu pressing his hand down with his knee, Shen Zhoudu originally wanted to tell him that his body was more important and that now was not the time to worry about his nonexistent purity. But looking at Meng Weiyu’s pitiful face, his heart instantly softened. He leaned closer and said in a gentle voice, “You won’t take off your pants? You’ll be cold. Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”

His face still looked icy, but his attitude was so soft it could wrap around one’s finger.

“I think I’ll be fine after I shower, change into clean clothes, and rest early.” Meng Weiyu simply could not stop his headache.

“I’ll go run the bath.” Shen Zhoudu let go of his body and ran into the bathroom.

As soon as Shen Zhoudu left, Meng Weiyu raised his hand, buried his face in the quilt, and desperately rubbed away the tears on his face.

What was going on?

Why, the moment he heard Shen Zhoudu say he wanted to divorce him, did his tears refuse to stop? Why did his heart feel as if it had been tightly clenched by a hand?

Because the blow was too great, he had even directly remembered several years’ worth of memories.

That was only Shen Zhoudu!

Shen Zhoudu was just…

Meng Weiyu’s voice of self-comfort came to an abrupt stop.

Then, he raised his hand and covered his eyes.

The scene just now of being held by Shen Zhoudu overlapped with a certain moment from when he was twenty.

That day, because of some things, he had no way out and called Shen Zhoudu. Shen Zhoudu had still been wearing an extremely formal suit when he ran over to see him and held him in his arms.

Meng Weiyu admitted that at that time, Shen Zhoudu, who sat beside him without saying a word and handed him tissues, had truly moved him a little.

Although that wonderful feeling instantly turned into: I want to be lifelong best friends with this person!

Congratulations, Meng Weiyu. Although it was just another one of your passing whims, that oath at least half came true. Not best friends, but a lifelong relationship.

Meng Weiyu stared at the ceiling as if his heart had turned to ashes.

“The water is ready.” Shen Zhoudu came out of the bathroom.

Meng Weiyu’s hand was still over his face, and his body did not move.

“Come here.” Shen Zhoudu slipped his hands under Meng Weiyu’s thighs and back.

Meng Weiyu thought indifferently: Carry me. Carry me. Do whatever you want.

After a bout of fussing around that made him feel like all hope was lost, Meng Weiyu successfully soaked in the warm bathtub. Steam rose from the hot water, while cold air from the air conditioner drifted in from outside. Meng Weiyu shivered for no reason.

“Is the water cold?” Shen Zhoudu crouched beside him and touched his face with a hand warmed by the hot water.

Meng Weiyu subconsciously rubbed against his palm.

Shen Zhoudu fell silent. His hand moved from Meng Weiyu’s cheek to the back of his head, and then he leaned his face closer.

Meng Weiyu thought he was about to be kissed, but Shen Zhoudu only pressed his forehead against his and closed his eyes.

Meng Weiyu looked at his pleasingly long eyelashes, and the corners of his mouth rose.

Only after Shen Zhoudu pressed his cheek against Meng Weiyu’s face did he let go, open his eyes, and stand up.

“I’ll go call someone to change the sheets. I’ll be back soon. If anything happens, call me loudly.” After observing him and finding that Meng Weiyu’s mood had stabilized, Shen Zhoudu finally went out.

Meng Weiyu placed both hands on the bathtub and watched Shen Zhoudu leave with a relaxed expression. His fingers frivolously flicked water droplets.

After a while, voices came from outside. Servants entered the room and changed all the sheets and blankets before leaving. After the door closed, footsteps approached the bathroom. Meng Weiyu’s ears twitched, and he immediately put on a weak appearance, leaning against the bathtub.

“It’s time to get up.” Shen Zhoudu bent down and touched the water temperature in the bathtub.

“I don’t have strength.” Meng Weiyu whined.

“I’ll carry you.” Shen Zhoudu was considerate.

“You’re dirty. I don’t want you to carry me.”

Shen Zhoudu had originally been someone who had showered, but because he had held the drenched Meng Weiyu earlier, his pajamas had become wet with rainwater. Instead, he had become the disheveled one. Hearing Meng Weiyu’s disdainful words, he sighed helplessly and simply took off his shirt, revealing a well-trained body with clean, distinct lines and firm muscles.

Meng Weiyu, who had reached the age of twenty and had already learned to appreciate other people’s beautiful bodies, looked at him with shining eyes.

“Is this okay?” Shen Zhoudu turned his head calmly.

Meng Weiyu immediately leaned against the bathtub and played dead again.

Shen Zhoudu had no way to deal with him. He picked up the large towel hanging in the bathroom, wrapped Meng Weiyu in it first, and then carried him out. When Shen Zhoudu placed Meng Weiyu on the bed, his chest directly pressed beside Meng Weiyu’s cheek.

This Mr. Meng, who had already entered the age of liking broad chests, happily leaned beside it.

“I’m going to shower again and change clothes. Dry your hair before sleeping. Did you hear me?” Shen Zhoudu noticed that he had started putting on an act again, which probably meant there was nothing serious wrong with him.

Meng Weiyu did not answer and only hummed.

Shen Zhoudu found a set of pajamas from the clothes the servants had brought and placed it beside Meng Weiyu’s body.

When Shen Zhoudu casually rinsed himself off and came out of the bathroom, Meng Weiyu had already changed into the pajamas, but his hair was still soaked. He had placed a towel under his hair, his eyes closed, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

Shen Zhoudu stood by the side and looked at him for a long time. Then he carefully approached, stretched out one index finger, and placed it under Meng Weiyu’s nose.

Meng Weiyu’s skin was rubbed by the slightly rough finger, and he instantly opened his eyes. His dark eyes stared at Shen Zhoudu.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking whether you’re still breathing.”

“You’ll die before I do.” As he grew older, Meng Weiyu’s attack power rose steadily.

Shen Zhoudu simply could not bear to hear any topic related to death from his mouth. He bent down in collapse and suddenly hugged him.

Meng Weiyu froze. Then, unlike his previous helplessness, he took the initiative to reach out and hug Shen Zhoudu back.

Meng Weiyu’s emotion did not last long before Shen Zhoudu pulled him up, took a hairdryer, and started drying his hair with a rumbling sound.

At first, the hot air from the hairdryer made Meng Weiyu very uncomfortable. He frowned, and his head involuntarily dodged forward. As soon as he moved slightly, Shen Zhoudu adjusted the air to be a little cooler. Only then did Meng Weiyu sit obediently and let him dry his hair, like a docile cat.

Seeing his dazed appearance, Shen Zhoudu thought that he truly was stupid. Why was he throwing a tantrum with a high schooler? In any case, they would go home tomorrow.

Once his hair became dry and soft, Meng Weiyu sat there, almost falling asleep.

“Lie here.” Shen Zhoudu patted the pillow.

Meng Weiyu was drowsy. He touched the pillow and lay down.

With an expression that said “I really can’t do anything with you,” Shen Zhoudu covered Meng Weiyu with the quilt, then prepared to leave.

“Where are you going?” Meng Weiyu asked him.

“To sleep on the floor.” Shen Zhoudu was worried that he would feel uncomfortable in the middle of the night and did not dare leave the room.

Meng Weiyu smiled and patted the spot beside him.

Shen Zhoudu froze.

He had no way to refuse Meng Weiyu.

The two of them lay on their sides on the bed, facing each other.

Meng Weiyu blinked, wanting to overlap the man in front of him with the person in his memories.

After looking for a while, he did not know what there was to compare. They were completely the same person. That proud yet inarticulate, awkward appearance of only knowing how to express himself through actions was Shen Zhoudu.

“Don’t stare at me. Close your eyes and sleep.” Meng Weiyu ordered him.

This time, Shen Zhoudu did not obediently listen. Instead, he reached out and touched the corner of Meng Weiyu’s eye.

Meng Weiyu frowned and closed the eye that his finger was approaching. It was because he had judged a gentleman by his own petty standards. He was truly afraid Shen Zhoudu would suddenly be unable to stand his rotten personality and poke his eye out.

Too bloody.

“Why did you cry?” Shen Zhoudu had something else he cared about.

“Wasn’t it because you made me angry?” Meng Weiyu had not expected that he would actually dare ask the reason.

“Heh.” Shen Zhoudu was amused by him. “Then how did I anger you?”

“You!” Meng Weiyu pulled his hand out from the quilt and angrily pointed at Shen Zhoudu’s face. The accusation was about to rush out of his mouth, but he immediately fell silent.

You wanted to divorce me.

The moment this thought appeared in Meng Weiyu’s mind, his whole body froze.

If Shen Zhoudu wanted to divorce him, what was there to be angry about? Wasn’t that going along with his own wishes? Since that was the case, why was he angry? And angry enough to cry messily until his memories returned?

That sentence had dealt Meng Weiyu that great of a blow.

Why did he care so much?

Meng Weiyu pointed at Shen Zhoudu, his finger trembling.

He had frightened himself.

Seeing his soul-fled expression, Shen Zhoudu opened his mouth and bit Meng Weiyu’s finger hard.

“Ah!” Sure enough, this guy really was annoying!

After the lights were turned off, the world was silent. Meng Weiyu was exhausted, so he quickly fell asleep.

That night, the person with no sleepiness at all was Shen Zhoudu. Ever since he had seen Meng Weiyu suddenly look like he was about to faint, his heart had been unsettled. He did not dare sleep at all for the entire night. Every once in a while, he would check to see whether Meng Weiyu was still breathing under his nose and whether his heart was still beating steadily.

Every time he discovered that the person lying beside him was still alive, Shen Zhoudu would finally breathe a sigh of relief and return to his original position.

He tossed and turned like this nonstop all night. The last time, he leaned his head against Meng Weiyu’s chest, feeling his body move slightly with his breathing. Only then did his tense nerves relax.

He closed his eyes, listened to Meng Weiyu’s heartbeat, and actually fell asleep just like that.

Before losing consciousness, Shen Zhoudu guessed that when he woke up the next day, he would probably be woken by Meng Weiyu’s ghostly yelling again.

Thinking this, Shen Zhoudu waited until he regained consciousness again. Sunlight wrapped around his ankle.

The sunlight was not gentle. It was so scorching that something felt wrong.

Shen Zhoudu suddenly opened his eyes, and the snow-white ceiling entered his vision.

His blue eyes adjusted to the temperature of the light. Then he remembered the person who had slept beside him last night and turned his head in panic.

On this bed, there was only him.

“Xiao Yu?” Shen Zhoudu called, but the room was empty. No one answered him.

He frowned, found his phone on the table, and turned on the screen.

It was already past eleven.

“Ugh.” Shen Zhoudu covered his mouth in disbelief. He had actually slept until this time.

The visiting punching bag prepared himself mentally to be judged by a group of elderly people when he went downstairs later. Gloomily, he got dressed, then quickly went downstairs and walked toward the villa in front.

Before Shen Zhoudu entered, he heard the playful noise inside. Meng Weiyu seemed to be happily chatting with his grandmother again.

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Yan Xiangxiang once again started offering suggestions. “If Shen Zhoudu is willing to divorce you, I’m willing to compensate him with anything.”

Shen Zhoudu stood at the doorway, pushed up his glasses, and his good temper reached this very moment.

“Xiangxiang.” When Nan Jin saw the figure appearing by the door, he quickly reminded Yan Xiangxiang not to continue talking about this topic.

Shen Zhoudu entered from the doorway with a relaxed posture.

Meng Weiyu had changed into a loose T-shirt, his collarbones clearly visible. His body leaned slanted against the sofa. On one side, he laughed as he listened to his grandmother’s ideas, and on the other, he stuffed snacks into his mouth. He had noticed Shen Zhoudu appearing at the door earlier than Nan Jin did, but he absolutely did not mention it. Instead, he smiled wickedly and signaled for his grandmother to keep going.

“Oh my, Xiao Zhou, you’re awake. Are you hungry?” Fang Yingyao hurriedly adjusted the atmosphere.

“Young people nowadays don’t get up in the morning.” Meng Yichuan was reading the newspaper and looked at Shen Zhoudu with disdain.

Shen Zhoudu ignored everyone else’s words. Aggressive and imposing, he quickly walked to Yan Xiangxiang and asked with a slight smile, “Really?”

Seeing his movement, everyone froze, not knowing what he wanted to do.

“What?” Yan Xiangxiang, being a strong-willed person, was least afraid of being threatened.

“Grandmother just said that if I divorce Xiao Yu, you can give me anything.” Shen Zhoudu repeated her words.

Hearing this, Yan Xiangxiang pursed her lips, glanced at the young man in front of her who clearly was not simple, and fell into thought.

Ohhh—

The others in the room all started watching the show.

This group of people’s personalities were exactly like this. If one wanted to go to battle, any move could be used: despicable ones, forceful ones, trap-filled ones. The loser could not complain, and the winner could obtain everything.

If Shen Zhoudu wanted to exchange Meng Weiyu for something, was Yan Xiangxiang sure she could bear it?

For a moment, unable to figure out exactly what Shen Zhoudu had come for, Yan Xiangxiang looked at him but did not dare respond to his words.

“Hahaha.” Meng Weiyu laughed gleefully from the side. Compared to yesterday, the expression on his face was even more mischievous. He leisurely hugged the snack bag and placed a potato chip into his mouth.

Because of his noise, everyone else’s attention involuntarily shifted toward him.

“Sure. As long as you agree to divorce, anything in this house is yours to choose. Take it away!” Meng Weiyu happily spread his hands, displaying the splendid and luxurious home.

He limited the conditions to within this manor.

Yan Xiangxiang looked at Meng Weiyu with relief, glad that she had not misjudged him.

Shen Zhoudu said, “Okay.”

“Xiao Zhou, calm down.” Fang Yingyao was so anxious she turned in circles.

Meng Yichuan frowned. He originally wanted to open his mouth and curse, but in the end, he could only sigh helplessly.

Shen Zhoudu quickly walked toward Meng Weiyu.

“Hm?” Meng Weiyu, who was about to continue eating potato chips, froze.

“I’m taking the thing away. We still have something to do later, so we’ll visit again next time.” Shen Zhoudu grabbed Meng Weiyu’s collar and dragged him away.

Yan Xiangxiang: “…”

Shen Zhoudu pulled Meng Weiyu away and, ignoring his protests, forcefully dragged him out.

“Let go, let go. My clothes are going to lose their shape.”

“My neck will hurt.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

The two of them gradually went farther away, and their voices slowly disappeared.

“Pfft.” Nan Jin was the quickest among everyone present to react. He turned his head and could not help laughing. “Didn’t you all let Xiao Zhou choose anything he liked from this house and take it away?”

So he took away the thing he liked most, wanted most, and was most unwilling to let go of.

Yan Xiangxiang froze.

“Boring.” After Nan Jin explained it, Meng Yichuan picked up the newspaper again. The corners of his mouth rose, and he shook his head helplessly.

“Then there’s no helping it. Today’s lunch will only be eaten by the four of us.” Fang Yingyao’s worry was that too much food had been made.

Having received Shen Zhoudu’s message in advance, Lin Xiao had already driven over to the entrance to pick them up. As soon as his car approached, he discovered Shen Zhoudu and Meng Weiyu tangled together. Lin Xiao was already used to it and calmly stopped the car beside them.

“Get in. We’re going home.” Shen Zhoudu opened the car door and forcefully pushed Meng Weiyu inside.

“I told you to be gentler with me.” Meng Weiyu was still holding a bag of potato chips in his hand, and his clothes had become crooked from Shen Zhoudu’s pulling and dragging just now. Dissatisfied with Shen Zhoudu’s rough behavior, he pushed him with his hand.

“Lin Xiao, drive.” Shen Zhoudu was concise and had had enough of this suffocating frustration.

“Oh my.” Meng Weiyu leaned against the seat cushion and said sarcastically, “President Shen is angry.”

Shen Zhoudu let out a heavy sigh and did not want to talk to him.

“Why are you running so fast?” Meng Weiyu was the type where the more someone did not want to pay attention to him, the more energetic he became. “I haven’t even eaten lunch!”

Shen Zhoudu sighed again.

“And you didn’t even eat breakfast. Aren’t you hungry?”

“This time, I’m truly full from anger.” Shen Zhoudu turned his face toward the window, refusing to continue communicating with Meng Weiyu.

Meng Weiyu looked at his cold appearance, grabbed a potato chip from the snack bag, stuffed it into his mouth, and deliberately chewed loudly, making noisy sounds.

Shen Zhoudu: “…”

He endured and endured. In the end, he turned his head angrily, preparing to lecture Meng Weiyu.

Meng Weiyu seized the opportunity. The moment Shen Zhoudu turned his head, he pressed the other side of Shen Zhoudu’s face and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

Shen Zhoudu froze, his eyes instantly widening.