Chapter 45: Father-in-Law Arrives

“Ah… ahhh…” After Meng Weiyu was kissed, he dazedly raised his hand and touched his own mouth. His eyes first looked downward, trying to see his own mouth. After failing, his gaze shifted to the person in front of him.

Shen Zhoudu looked at him with the gaze of someone looking at a rare treasure—something he had obtained after untold hardship, something unreal like bubbles and easy to lose, a treasure finally recovered after being lost.

When Meng Weiyu met his eyes, his face turned red.

Shen Zhoudu looked at him, leaned closer, and kissed him again.

Their breathing gradually became heavier. Shen Zhoudu stared at his face and finally knew what expression he had failed to see back then after turning around and leaving.

“Ahhh!” Meng Weiyu grabbed Shen Zhoudu’s clothes, embarrassed into anger, and shook his body hard.

“I’m very good at kissing you,” Shen Zhoudu encouraged him. “If you obediently open your mouth, I’ll make you even more comfortable.”

“Who wants to French kiss you?” Meng Weiyu gnashed his teeth.

Shen Zhoudu answered, “You.”

Meng Weiyu tilted his head as if his heart had turned to ashes and asked him, “This is my first kiss. What are you going to do?”

“This isn’t your first kiss.” Shen Zhoudu answered his words one by one. “But if you’re asking what I’ll do, I’ll marry you.”

“We’re already married now!” Otherwise, why was he standing here?

“So the problem has already been solved.”

“When I saw you drinking, I shouldn’t have talked to you.” Meng Weiyu held his forehead and felt his head hurt.

“Talk to me,” Shen Zhoudu said. “Anytime is fine.”

He leaned even closer. Taking advantage of the nice atmosphere, he simply suggested, “Why don’t we just do something more exciting… ah!”

Meng Weiyu headbutted him.

A drop of blood fell onto Meng Weiyu’s clothes. He froze.

Shen Zhoudu felt his nose smell a strange rusty scent, then warmth filled his nasal cavity. He raised his hand and touched his nose.

“Ah, I’m bleeding.”

Meng Weiyu was startled. He immediately ran away from Shen Zhoudu’s side, picked up a box of tissues on the table, and frantically pulled out one tissue after another, stuffing them beside Shen Zhoudu’s nose.

A bit of nosebleed was not enough to cause Shen Zhoudu any trouble, but the tissues Meng Weiyu pulled out almost blocked him until he could not breathe.

“You’re going to die!” Meng Weiyu said. “I’m calling my doctor right now and telling him to come over.”

Seeing that Meng Weiyu was about to run upstairs to get his phone, Shen Zhoudu immediately reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“What’s wrong? Do you have any last words?” Meng Weiyu came back.

“Stop cursing me.” Although Meng Weiyu was now a little older than seventeen, Shen Zhoudu still felt he needed to spend quite a bit of effort on him. “It’s too late now. Don’t make the doctor run back and forth.”

Shen Zhoudu knew that whenever Meng Weiyu felt even a little unwell, he would call his family doctor.

“It’s just a little nosebleed.” There was no need to make a fuss.

“How would someone suddenly get a nosebleed for no reason?” Meng Weiyu did not agree. “I’ll pay overtime fees. We should still let the doctor come take a look.”

“For no reason?” Shen Zhoudu raised his head to look at him in disbelief. He had clearly just used his head to ram into him.

Meng Weiyu guiltily looked away.

“But it probably has nothing to do with you,” Shen Zhoudu honestly said. “I occasionally get nosebleeds after drinking.”

Meng Weiyu looked at his movements, helped him to the sofa, and continued pulling out tissues to wipe his nosebleed.

“You’re pretty honest.” Even if his nosebleed was caused by drinking, Shen Zhoudu could have completely found an excuse and pushed the blame onto Meng Weiyu.

Who told the timing to be so perfect?

“I’m not like certain people who push their own mistakes onto a cat,” Shen Zhoudu teased him.

“If you weren’t still bleeding, I’d beat you up right now.” He did not want to keep falsely accusing the little cat at home, but there were too few people in this house. Who else could he push the blame onto?

As Meng Weiyu thought this, he completely did not consider that he could simply admit his mistake.

“I should go back to the room and sleep.” Shen Zhoudu gradually felt that staying in the living room and flirting with Meng Weiyu was no longer suitable.

Seeing him stand up, Meng Weiyu immediately reached out to support him.

Shen Zhoudu did not know how to explain it to him. In the end, to avoid making his injury worse during a struggle, he could only go along with Meng Weiyu’s intention and let him support him back.

The two safely reached Shen Zhoudu’s room. As soon as he lay down, Meng Weiyu pulled out more tissues for him.

“You really don’t know how to take care of people.” Shen Zhoudu helplessly accepted the tissues from him.

“I really haven’t taken care of anyone,” Meng Weiyu said helplessly. “I’m an only child, and my parents haven’t been home since I was little. Who could I take care of? Uncle Wang and Lin Xiao take care of me. Even if they get sick, they wouldn’t stay in my house and let me bring them water and medicine, right?”

Shen Zhoudu nodded. He knew.

“Everyone should already be grateful that I can look after myself.” Meng Weiyu was self-aware. He basically had no life skills, but that was because no one had ever taught him.

“I think… if you can hand me tissues, I’m already satisfied.” Shen Zhoudu felt that the nosebleed had stopped. “I’m fine now. We still have to go to the company tomorrow. Go sleep.”

“I’ll sleep on the sofa here,” Meng Weiyu suggested.

“Meng Weiyu,” Shen Zhoudu called him.

“Hm?” Meng Weiyu thought he needed tissues and immediately brought the box over.

“This is the guest room. Why should you and I leave the master bedroom unused and squeeze into the guest room all day?”

Shen Zhoudu smiled and looked at him.

Meng Weiyu’s guard against him had always been shockingly low. After hearing Shen Zhoudu’s words, Meng Weiyu pulled Shen Zhoudu up again and brought him back to the room upstairs.

Shen Zhoudu did not dare lower his head. He raised it slightly, felt his way onto the familiar bed, and lay down.

Meng Weiyu slept on the other side. The bed was so large that he needed to roll over again before he could reach Shen Zhoudu’s side.

Shen Zhoudu’s head did not move, but his eyes turned to look at him.

“I won’t die. Turn off the light,” Shen Zhoudu said to reassure him.

Meng Weiyu reached out and turned off the light.

“No night attacks,” Shen Zhoudu warned him first.

“That should be my line.” Who had just forcefully kissed whom?

“No, I mean it literally. Don’t wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly realize you haven’t hit me enough, then continue with another punch.” Shen Zhoudu touched his nose. “Normally, I wouldn’t care, but not today. I don’t want blood splattering three feet.”

“I don’t like playing with pure violence,” Meng Weiyu solemnly declared.

“Fine, fine.” Shen Zhoudu was perfunctory.

The warning had been given in advance. By the middle of the night, Meng Weiyu still had not fallen asleep. When he suddenly remembered that he had been taken advantage of, he suddenly wanted to punch the person beside him.

Fortunately, before Shen Zhoudu went to sleep, he had already negotiated with him, so he endured it and tried to fall asleep.

Meng Weiyu lay under the quilt. His hand, originally tucked inside, involuntarily lifted and touched his own lips.

He was kissed. He was kissed. He was kissed.

No, there was no need to care at all. In the past, Shen Zhoudu must have gnawed on him countless times. There was nothing to be shy about.

Meng Weiyu thought this, his heart thumping wildly like a startled deer. It kept crashing around until late at night, making his head grow dizzy, and only then did he fall asleep.

Early the next morning, Meng Weiyu was woken by soft, rustling sounds. He opened his eyes. His vision blurred for a while before he realized Shen Zhoudu was already awake and changing clothes.

“Blood…” Meng Weiyu wanted to talk to him, but unfortunately, he had just woken up and could not speak clearly.

“I’m fine now. At noon, I’ll ask the doctor to come to the company and check on me.” Shen Zhoudu told him not to worry. “Keep sleeping. I talked to An Yang. Your body hasn’t recovered yet, so you can’t get too tired. Go to the company in the afternoon. We did a lot of work yesterday. Today, you only need to sign some documents, and for the rest, just listen to An Yang. If there’s anything important, contact me.”

Meng Weiyu, who had not slept enough, now had a completely blank expression.

After Shen Zhoudu fastened his belt, he originally wanted to tease him again, but Meng Weiyu tilted his head and fell asleep just like that.

This was their old daily life.

Before Shen Zhoudu left, he brushed Meng Weiyu’s hair aside and kissed his face.

When he went out today, the sky was especially gloomy.

Shen Zhoudu thought it would rain heavily later. He took out his phone and asked An Yang whether Meng Weiyu could rest for one more day. After several minutes, An Yang replied with a sticker of an overworked office worker hanging himself.

Shen Zhoudu did not force it. In any case, whether Meng Weiyu wanted to go to work or not was something he would solve himself.

“President Shen.” Ye Hongxu was waiting for Shen Zhoudu by the staircase as usual, and the two began today’s work together.

For Shen Zhoudu, handling ordinary, uneventful daily matters was what he was best at.

Around noon, Ye Hongxu informed Shen Zhoudu, “President Shen, the doctor is here.”

“I didn’t make an appointment with a doctor.” Shen Zhoudu coldly placed the pen in his hand on the desk.

“Young Master Meng asked him to come.” Meng Weiyu’s family doctor entered Shen Zhoudu’s office.

Shen Zhoudu froze.

His current state of mind was difficult to summarize, but simply put, he liked Meng Weiyu a little more again.

He was just that easy to coax, so much so that Meng Weiyu would only laugh at him for it.

The doctor gave Shen Zhoudu a simple checkup, then told him to drink less alcohol and get angry less.

“I haven’t been angry recently.” The corner of Shen Zhoudu’s mouth tugged upward. “But some time ago, I really was angered to death.”

“Because of the young master again, right?” The doctor was already used to it.

“But he’s been more obedient recently, so I forgive him.” Shen Zhoudu’s voice unconsciously softened.

Ye Hongxu stood to the side. Hearing Shen Zhoudu’s words, he helplessly shook his head.

According to his personal view, it was precisely because Shen Zhoudu always forgave Meng Weiyu’s actions so easily that he ended up being angered to death.

“President Shen, there’s still half an hour before lunch break.” Ye Hongxu applied to him. “I want to leave work early to go to the bank and handle a private matter.”

Shen Zhoudu casually waved his hand, letting him go.

As Shen Zhoudu’s secretary, Ye Hongxu’s workload was stronger than an ordinary employee’s. Not only was he responsible for arranging Shen Zhoudu’s work schedule, but he also received guests.

He chose to leave the company close to the lunch break because he had calculated the time needed to handle his errand, and he guessed that at this hour, probably no one would look for Shen Zhoudu.

But after he had been gone for a little over ten minutes, a call went directly to Shen Zhoudu’s office.

Because Ye Hongxu was not there, Shen Zhoudu answered it himself.

“Hello.”

“President Shen, a guest has come to the café and says they have an appointment with you.” Recognizing Shen Zhoudu’s voice, the front desk employee immediately told him respectfully.

With Ye Hongxu absent, Shen Zhoudu could not confirm whether he had such an appointment. But since it was almost noon and he had already started resting, he might as well go down directly.

“All right. Have the guest wait a moment. I’ll come down now.” After Shen Zhoudu hung up, he greeted the doctor, who was packing up his tools, then left the room and took the elevator down.

He was usually expressionless, refined and polite yet keeping others at a thousand-mile distance. When the employees downstairs preparing to go to the cafeteria saw him, they automatically made way.

This was completely different from Meng Weiyu’s situation in his own company.

This was also a good thing.

Shen Zhoudu thought indifferently.

A married couple with complementary personalities could last longer.

“President Shen.” When the front desk employee saw that he was already heading toward the café door, she suddenly looked as if she were facing a great enemy and immediately chased after him from behind.

“Where is the guest sitting?” Shen Zhoudu did not think much of it and wanted to finish the meeting quickly so he could go eat.

“President Shen, I wasn’t at my station just now. A new employee handled the visitor. I’m very sorry. She shouldn’t have rashly called upstairs.” The front desk employee hurriedly apologized.

“It doesn’t matter. Hongxu temporarily left.” Shen Zhoudu knew she was apologizing because their work was supposed to connect with Ye Hongxu. According to Ye Hongxu’s meticulous personality, before leaving the company, he must have told them in advance that he was getting off work early. In this situation, they should not have dialed the president’s office phone.

“I still have to apologize. The new employee didn’t recognize him. After I came back, I realized the guest was…” The front desk anxiously wanted to explain the situation to Shen Zhoudu, but everything was already too late.

Shen Zhoudu entered the café and looked around. Instantly, he found the person who had no appointment but still dared to make him come down for a meeting.

In the center of the café sat a middle-aged man wearing a shirt and trousers. His attire was similar to what Shen Zhoudu usually wore, and even his temperament had some similarities.

“The person who came is Old Master Shen, your father,” the front desk finished saying.

Shen Buning was expressionless. He noticed Shen Zhoudu immediately and waved at him.

Shen Zhoudu remained calm, but sighed inwardly. Then he patted the front desk employee’s shoulder and said, “I understand. You can go back.”

“I’m sorry.” This long-time front desk employee clearly knew that she and her coworker had made a mistake, but there was nothing she could do, so she could only leave first.

Shen Zhoudu walked straight over. Since it was not fully lunch break yet, the café was almost empty.

“Dad,” Shen Zhoudu called him.

“I came twice before, but your assistant either said you were in a meeting and would only be free in an hour or two, or said you had just gone out.” Shen Buning’s words carried hidden meaning.

“There are just that many unfortunate coincidences in this world.” Shen Zhoudu revealed a calm smile and sat down opposite him.

“How long has it been since we last met?” As someone in charge of the education industry, Shen Buning carried a natural force and intimidation. Everyone who had once been managed would fear this sort of aura.

“During New Year’s, we ate at Grandfather’s house.” Shen Zhoudu’s memory far surpassed ordinary people’s. He answered Shen Buning’s question while ignoring the pressure he brought.

“Then that means we haven’t seen each other for almost half a year.” Shen Buning took a box of cigarettes from his pocket and pulled one out for Shen Zhoudu.

Shen Zhoudu accepted it, but he placed it aside and did not smoke it.

“Time passes very quickly,” Shen Buning sighed.

“A little,” Shen Zhoudu replied.

“In the blink of an eye, it’s been five years,” Shen Buning said.

“It’s been half a year,” Shen Zhoudu corrected him.

“You know what I’m talking about.” That five-year period referred to the time he and Meng Weiyu had been married. “People say there’s a seven-year itch. I thought you still had two years before you grew tired of this farce. It’s good that it happened earlier.”

Shen Zhoudu played dumb. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“What? Is your information so poor that you haven’t even heard that Meng Weiyu wants to divorce you?” Shen Buning had come to see him because of this matter.

“First time hearing of it,” Shen Zhoudu said with a smile.

Shen Buning lightly glanced at him and said in disapproval, “I told you before. Lying in front of me is useless.”

“Dad.” This time, Shen Zhoudu truly smiled. “Sometimes when I speak, it isn’t to make you believe me. It’s to remind you that I don’t want to talk about this topic.”

“Hahahahaha.” Shen Buning suddenly laughed, breaking his stern and dull expression. “How should I put it? Actually, I’ve never really felt that you were serious.”

“With Meng Weiyu?” Shen Zhoudu asked.

“Mm.”

“I’m very serious.” Shen Zhoudu had a stubborn personality. Regarding marrying Meng Weiyu, he was not only rigorous, but also rigidly serious.

“Is that so?” Shen Buning spoke to him in a mocking tone.

Shen Zhoudu immediately pursed his lips.

“I’ve told you several times. Be normal.” Shen Buning put away his smile. “While not too much time has been wasted yet, stop your losses quickly. Xiao Zhou, don’t let people look down on you.”

Shen Zhoudu looked at him, and his thoughts instantly returned to when he was seventeen.

“Xiao Zhou, put away those strange hobbies of yours. Don’t let people look down on you.”

The “strange hobbies” Shen Buning referred to meant Shen Zhoudu liking the same sex.

Shen Zhoudu had been trapped in a piece of heaven and earth. When he was young, he had not dared get too close to men, and at the same time, he could not get along with women, forming an isolated personality.

Perhaps because he had thought of the past, a rare, lost expression appeared on Shen Zhoudu’s face.

He did not know how to explain, nor did he know how to make them accept him.

“I have no way.” Shen Zhoudu’s tone was firm, but his speaking speed became faster, showing that he was not as calm as usual.

“I don’t want to hear it.” Shen Buning interrupted him. “You only need to follow my suggestion and…”

“Bang!”

A foot directly kicked the chair beside them, making a noisy sound and interrupting Shen Buning’s words.

Shen Zhoudu and Shen Buning subconsciously turned their heads to look at the source of the noise.

“Hey, I’ve been watching you since just now.” Meng Weiyu, who had lost his memories, appeared arrogantly with both hands in his pockets. Using his standing height, he looked down at Shen Buning. His tone was cold and gloomy, his naturally domineering arrogance soaring. “Who are you? Why have you been chirping nonstop at my man?”

The café’s long-time employee watching the show shook coffee at the side and silently answered Meng Weiyu’s question:

Your father-in-law.