Decayed Vulgarian chapter 1
Blind Date
A rare weekend with double days off.
Perfect for sleeping in.
The morning sun at 8 o’clock was blocked by the thin curtains on the glass door, but not entirely. The fabric turned slightly reddish as it allowed some light to seep through the cracks between the curtains, casting a swaying, grayish hue on the nearby duvet.
Sensing the harsh sunlight, Shen Xun turned over half-awake and instinctively buried his head under the blanket, a skillful evasive maneuver.
Only a tuft of black hair remained exposed beneath the blanket, allowing for the exchange of oxygen with carbon dioxide. Sleeping with your head covered wasn’t the healthiest practice, but it had become a habit that Shen Xun couldn’t change in a short period of time.
Even during sleep, his eyes remained sensitive to light.
Shen Xun’s sleep quality wasn’t great. It took him a long time to fall asleep, and his sleep was shallow. He had been awakened by noisy construction sounds from the neighboring apartment, physiological needs, and the times he had forgotten to close the curtains, causing the sun to rise.
Usually, once he woke up, he couldn’t fall back asleep.
Shen Xun had often lost eight hours of sleep and had decided to eliminate anything that could interfere with his sleep.
Except for his phone.
He dared not set it on silent because he might receive work-related calls that required him to work overtime, and he had to keep it accessible 24/7.
The weather that day was exceptionally good, with the sun brighter than usual at this hour.
Shen Xun muttered curses about the flimsy curtain, thinner than paper, but he turned over and remained still—moving would mean waking up for real.
His thoughts gradually stagnated and began to fade into darkness. Falling asleep seemed to be a matter of seconds away.
“Ring-ring-ring—Ring-ring-ring—”
The phone rang.
The mound formed by his bedding remained still, and the person beneath it pretended not to hear.
“Ring-ring-ring—”
The mound was suddenly flipped over, and Shen Xun sat up abruptly, grabbing his phone from the bedside table.
The screen displayed the words “Mom.”
… Not a call from the station?
The brief moment of joy that he wouldn’t have to work overtime disappeared quickly, replaced by the annoyance of getting out of bed. Until it dissipated entirely.
However, he was now fully awake, and he remembered that he had a date around noon, which he hadn’t paid much attention to but his mother considered extremely important.
The restaurant for the blind date at noon, did you make a reservation?
Shen Xun knew that his mother was asking him this because she was anxious. He’d already heard this question multiple times and understood that his mother thought this date was very important and worried that he might miss the opportunity with the date he would meet.
He replied, “I’ve made the reservation, don’t worry.”
Shen Xun grumbled inwardly. His mother had asked this question repeatedly and had sent a voice message on WeChat yesterday to check. Today’s phone call indicated she attached great importance to this blind date and was afraid he might mess it up.
Then she added, “Get dressed nicely and don’t just throw on any clothes and shoes before going on the date. Wash your hair before you go.”
Shen Xun agreed, but he didn’t feel very comfortable. “Mom, I’m not sloppy. I know that dressing nicely for a date is polite and shows respect.”
“I’m just saying this because it seems like you’re not very keen. I wanted to remind you. Besides, my son looks great when he’s dressed up. It’s a bonus.”
“Have some confidence, behave well, and have a good conversation. Who knows, you might hit it off.”
Shen Xun responded with multiple “yes” without any intention of arguing. He only listened and responded without adding to the conversation to avoid any verbal conflict.
Fortunately, his mother stopped discussing the blind date after these reminders.
She began to ask about his work, promotions, pay raises, the local security situation, whether he faced any difficulties in life, and then advised him to visit home and frequently keep in touch with his younger brother, who was studying at a local university in Huafu City.
Shen Xun worked at the Yu Hai District Sub-bureau of the Huafu City Public Security Bureau, while his younger brother, Shen He, was attending a university in Huafu City. Their parents lived in a nearby county.
His parents hadn’t moved to Huafu City because they were accustomed to life in their hometown. Additionally, relocating would require them to buy or rent a house, increasing the financial burden on their son.
When there was nothing left to say, Shen Xun thought, shouldn’t this phone call end here?
It’s not that he didn’t enjoy chatting with his mother. In his one-room rented apartment, these occasional voice exchanges made him feel less lonely.
However, the timing of this call was before the blind date. Remembering the several conflicts he had with his mother last year, all related to blind dates and marriage proposals, made him wary. One reminder could lead to frustration or an argument.
“So… I’ll hang up now,” Shen Xun finally said.
“Okay, you can hang up,” his mother replied.
Shen Xun was about to move his phone away from his ear when his mother’s voice rang out again. “Wait, I suddenly remembered something. Don’t hang up yet.”
Shen Xun stopped moving his hand.
“When you meet that girl later, don’t tell her you’re a forensic doctor the moment you see her. You might scare her off. Also, I asked the matchmaker before. This profession is not a bonus, you know. Some girls are scared of it, some girls look down on it—”
The words “look down on” were like a needle, suddenly pricking Shen Xun’s heart.
Shen Xun chuckled, his eyes revealing a hint of sarcasm that his mother couldn’t see. He interrupted her, saying, “I am in this profession, I am a forensic doctor. Should I lie to the girl when I meet her?”
“I’m not asking you to lie,” Shen’s mother sighed. “We can smooth it over a bit. Let’s say you’re a civil servant, you work within the system. That’s not a lie, is it?”
Shen Xun remained silent for a moment, pursing his lips, and then said, “Even if the date goes well, won’t I have to tell her eventually? In this vast world, can’t I find someone who won’t mind my profession as a forensic doctor from the very beginning?”
“Well, these people are in the minority,” Shen’s mother argued, “the older generation used to say that one should rest in peace, while you guys have to dissect bodies and deal with the dead. Not to mention if the girl accepts or not, marriage is about two families, not just something the two of you decide. As people get older, their attitudes often become more conservative.”
Shen’s mother sighed again. “Think about me. I’ve slowly come to accept that you’re a forensic doctor, right? Among people of my generation, there are many who are unwilling to change their attitudes. They might be your future in-laws.”
Shen Xun lowered his gaze, thinking, “Have you really accepted it?”
Why did it sound like you were belittling this profession, both directly and indirectly?
However, he held back from speaking, afraid that it would lead to an argument.
“First impressions are important,” Shen’s mother emphasized. “I’m just asking you to delay mentioning it.”
“Remember,” Shen’s mother reiterated. “I think all those failed blind dates you had before had a lot to do with your profession.”
It’s not really about the profession, it’s about your son’s sexual orientation, because your son is gay.
He had never dared to say these words, even now.
“Alright,” Shen Xun forced his voice to sound less impatient.
He and his mother exchanged some final words about taking care of themselves and staying in touch. Finally, the call was disconnected.
But his morning frustration had been reignited.
Shen Xun angrily grabbed a handful of his hair and swiped the screen with his fingertips, finally finding his blind date’s contact in his WeChat messages.
After adding each other on WeChat, they had exchanged just a few dozen sentences in total.
Clearly, the other person wasn’t very interested in chatting, and Shen Xun wasn’t going to make an effort to carry the conversation, to avoid giving the wrong impression.
Shen Xun didn’t really want to go on this blind date.
As long as the blind date was with a girl, there was no need to go. It was destined to be fruitless, a waste of the girl’s time. However, his mother didn’t press him for blind dates every day. Just going along with this one date would buy him a long period of peace and quiet.
Shen Xun knew he had a tendency to avoid and procrastinate his problems.
He shifted his gaze to the top of his phone screen.
Meng Yuan Ning.
This was the name of the girl he was going to meet for lunch, and Shen Xun made a note of it before getting dressed and getting ready for the day.
Author’s Notes:
Background: This story is set in a non-same-sex marriage background with a touch of modern-day, slightly alternate reality. There is very little about cases in this story; it’s all about romance, and there’s a bit of background on their careers, but please treat it as an alternate reality because it’s difficult to be absolutely precise about the professions of lawyers and forensic doctors.
Place names are fictional; any resemblance to real locations is purely coincidental.
In the future, if I think of any sensitive topics, I’ll add disclaimers.