Decayed Vulgarian chapter 3
Intersection
“I’m really sorry,” Meng Yuan Cen said sincerely. “My sister had a minor car accident on her way here and is currently undergoing medical checks at the hospital. The hospital procedures took some time, and my mother, worried about my sister, completely forgot to call you to cancel this blind date in the first place.”
“When she finally remembered, there were only twenty minutes left until twelve o’clock, and since my workplace is relatively nearby, she asked me to come.”
“I thought I could make it by twelve,” he leaned his umbrella against a wooden chair and continued, “but I got stuck in traffic, and I’ve never been to this Western restaurant before, so it took me some time to find it.”
Shen Xun furrowed his brow and asked, “So, what’s the situation with Miss Meng now?”
“Nothing serious,” Meng Yuan Cen explained, “Yuan Ning’s car had a minor collision on the way with another car. She shouldn’t be injured, but she was shaken, so she couldn’t make it to the blind date today. That’s why I’m here.”
The conversation circled back to the beginning. “I ended up being late, so let me treat you to this meal. I’m really sorry.”
Shen Xun hurriedly said, “It’s not necessary.”
But Meng Yuan Cen insisted, “I must pay for this meal. If you want to treat Yuan Ning to a meal, you can do it another time.”
Shen Xun was about to say something, but he noticed a nearby waiter taking the opportunity to approach and inquire, “Gentlemen, would you like to place your order now?”
Shen Xun didn’t say anything or make a move, waiting for Meng Yuan Cen to take the menu.
Meng Yuan Cen saw the situation and graciously took the menu but turned it around, handing it to Shen Xun. “Go ahead, order whatever you like, I’ll treat.”
Shen Xun shook his head and declined. He didn’t want to argue about who should pay in front of the waiter, and he also didn’t have any specific preferences, so he said, “You go ahead; I’m fine with anything.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had inadvertently accepted Meng Yuan Cen’s offer to treat. But it was too late to retract his words, so he silently gave up on the “who pays” debate.
Meng Yuan Cen had to retract his hand and looked around before turning to Shen Xun with a hint of helplessness. “To be honest, I rarely eat Western food, and it’s my first time at this restaurant. I don’t know what’s good. Do you have any recommendations?”
This left Shen Xun at a loss. He honestly said, “I’m here for the first time too.”
The two of them looked at each other and fell into a moment of silence.
The waiter, taking advantage of the situation, smiled and suggested, “Gentlemen, how about I recommend some popular dishes for you?”
In the end, the ordering process mostly followed the waiter’s recommendations, and the waiter left content.
Shen Xun diverted his gaze, giving Meng Yuan Cen a quick look. Suddenly, he didn’t know how to start a conversation.
His phone lay face down on the table, and his posture was somewhat stiff and uncomfortable. He didn’t know whether to adjust it or leave it as it was. Fortunately, he could move his gaze freely.
Shen Xun’s gaze shifted to the vase with roses and roses on the table. He noticed that the green stems of the flowers in the water were slightly bent, forming a blunt angle where they met the air.
… What kind of discovery was this? It was common knowledge from nine years of compulsory education.
As someone with social anxiety, Shen Xun had experienced such awkward silences during his previous blind dates. But with the previous blind dates, he didn’t care too much.
However, this time was different.
So, what should he say?
Ask about the other person’s job, their hobbies, or would that be too weird? Would it seem like a job interview with an HR?
On the other side, as soon as Meng Yuan Cen replied to several messages from his mother inquiring about the situation, he casually said, “This restaurant is really out of the way, quite far from the city center.”
Finally, he heard the first words from the other side, and Shen Xun awkwardly agreed, “Mm, I think so too.”
Meng Yuan Cen continued, “And that map navigation led me to take three extra turns on the way; it’s really frustrating.”
Shen Xun continued to agree, “Yes, navigation can be quite inaccurate at times.”
Meng Yuan Cen nodded, saying, “Exactly.”
In this way, the conversation came to an end within a short half-minute. Shen Xun sat there silently, with a blank expression on his face. He was actually regretting not speaking up, feeling like the conversation had just been a comedy skit, with them playing the role of the comedian and the straight man.
He knew the problem was with him.
Luckily, Meng Yuan Cen didn’t join in the silence. He took the initiative again, saying, “But even though this place is remote, there are quite a few good restaurants around. It’s probably because there are a lot of universities nearby, so there’s a decent flow of people.”
This time, Shen Xun thought for a moment and finally contributed a minor effort to extending the conversation. “Are there many universities around here?”
“Quite a few, and most of them are new campuses of old, well-established universities. I’ve noticed that many of these new campuses are quite far from the city center.”
Shen Xun nodded, then slowly said, “Yes, I remember now. My younger brother mentioned that they started living in the new campus from this academic year, right here in the university town. It’s a nice environment, but not very convenient in terms of transportation.”
“If there’s a subway station near the school, transportation shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. But taking a taxi around here isn’t very convenient, unless you use ride-sharing services,” Meng Yuan Cen said, continuing with a question, “Which university does your younger brother attend?”
Shen Xun replied, “He goes to Hua University.”
Meng Yuan Cen smiled and said, “What a coincidence, I graduated from Hua University too. Now there are two campuses, but when I was there, Hua University only had one campus, and the dorms were quite run-down for both undergraduates and postgraduates, and the library was small.”
Shen Xun could relate to this topic. He said, “When I was in college, it was the same. The dorms were run-down, but as soon as I graduated, they started renovating the dormitory buildings.”
“That’s how it is with alma maters,” Meng Yuan Cen chuckled a few times, “So, which university did you attend?”
“It’s right next to your university, separated by a lake -“
“I know, Hua Feng Medical University, right?”
“Yes.”
“When I was in college, every time your school had a holiday earlier than ours, the students in the dormitory would start complaining, asking why there’s a ‘one lake, two systems’ policy?”
Meng Yuan Cen’s words brought back memories for Shen Xun. He smiled faintly, showing a slight sense of amusement on his face.
“Most of the students who graduate from medical universities end up working at the provincial or city hospitals in the same province. So you’re probably a doctor around here, right?”
Shen Xun shook his head and said, “No.”
Meng Yuan Cen looked puzzled and asked, “Then what do you do?”
In that instant, Shen Xun suddenly remembered his mother’s countless admonitions, recalled his initial impression and the word “disgust,” and remembered that being a forensic pathologist was not considered a plus in the dating market, even though he didn’t want to admit it.
But his mother’s words had some truth to them, so what should he say?
Shen Xun searched his mind, finally remembering the wording his mother had taught him, which was slightly different from the language used in job interviews or resumes.
Yes, I work within the system.
So he said, “I work as a forensic pathologist within the system.”
The words lingered in his ears, and he couldn’t take them back.
Oh no, he messed up.
Shen Xun bit his lip.
Perhaps, after introducing his profession so openly in previous blind dates, the pronunciation of “forensic pathologist” had become ingrained in his muscle memory, bypassing conscious thought.
If Meng Yuan Cen also disliked his profession, then Shen Xun would have completely misjudged him today. He’d just go back, take a nap, and forget about the inexplicable feelings that had arisen today.
“Forensic pathologist.”
Meng Yuan Cen’s tone sounded somewhat surprised, and Shen Xun’s hands, hidden under the table, clenched into fists, and his fingertips pressed into his flesh, causing a slight pain.
“I think being a forensic pathologist is a pretty cool profession.”
Suddenly, Shen Xun’s hands relaxed.
Shen Xun looked up, feeling somewhat dazed. It was the first time he had heard such a compliment.
Not only in the dating market but in everyday life, many strangers who learned that he was a forensic pathologist would fake smiles, praising him as skilled, while simultaneously avoiding shaking hands with him due to prejudice.
Because of experiencing these prejudiced looks so many times, Shen Xun’s default response had become rejection. In comparison, Meng Yuan Cen’s response seemed different.
But what did it matter? He was still an outlier.
For the first time, Shen Xun smiled sincerely and said, “Thank you.”
It was the first time Meng Yuan Cen had seen Shen Xun smile. Shen Xun’s original expression was icy, keeping people at a distance. However, in this moment, he appeared vibrant, with a touch of ingrained arrogance and confidence.
He couldn’t help but think of the moment in a fairy tale when Sleeping Beauty was awakened by a kiss, as if he had suddenly acquired a lively soul.
Meng Yuan Cen’s eyes darkened for a moment but quickly returned to their original placid state. “So, you work at the Public Security Bureau in Huafeng City, right?”
“More precisely, I work at the Public Security Bureau’s Yuhai Subdivision in Huafeng City.”
“In a way, our professions do intersect,” Meng Yuan Cen said. “I, on the other hand, am a university professor in law. Both our professions have the word ‘law’ in them.”
Shen Xun found it somewhat amusing and asked, “Does having the word ‘law’ in both our professions count as an intersection?”
“No, no, let me continue,” Meng Yuan Cen said confidently, explaining, “When your Public Security Bureau transfers case files to the prosecutor’s office, I, as a defense attorney, have access to those case files when I’m representing clients. So, in a way, I’ve indirectly come into contact with your work, right?”
Shen Xun couldn’t refute that point, but he noticed something else. “Can university professors take on cases outside of teaching?”
“Of course, as long as it complies with the provisions in the Lawyer’s Law,” Meng Yuan Cen replied with a smile. “After all, I teach law, so I definitely can’t break the law.”