Decayed Vulgarian chapter 27
I Want To Confess
It was 8:00 PM on a Saturday, and there were still sixteen hours left before Shen Xun met Meng Yuan Cen.
Shen Xun thought about it and once again made a video call to Liang Yan using WeChat.
They had been in frequent contact recently, and they had already discussed all the topics they could think of, so now there was little left to talk about. They exchanged pleasantries and empty words, but soon the conversation dwindled.
However, Shen Xun refused to hang up and kept rambling on about various random and unimportant topics. Liang Yan suspected something was going on and suggested, “Why don’t we cut to the chase and get to the point?”
Shen Xun clenched his teeth and replied, “Actually, I want to confess.”
Liang Yan asked, “Huh?”
Shen Xun bit his lip and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you think it’s not appropriate?”
Liang Yan hurriedly responded, “No, no, no. My opinion has always been the same, and confessing now is very appropriate. I’m just a bit surprised because, last time we talked, you were so determined to take it slow, right?”
“I changed my mind.”
“Oh.” Liang Yan elongated his voice and chuckled, “You like him that much? Honestly, in all these years, it’s the first time I’ve seen the aloof and stone-hearted Shen Officer planning to confess proactively.”
Shen Xun furrowed his brows slightly, “I didn’t tell you this to make fun of me.”
Liang Yan teased, “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. So, Mr. Shen, what would you like to consult me about?”
Shen Xun asked, “What kind of confession do you think is most touching?”
Liang Yan didn’t hesitate, “Sincerity.”
He repeated, emphasizing it seriously, “I believe it’s all about sincerity.”
Shen Xun fell into deep thought and, after a while, said, “I understand.”
On the other end, Liang Yan chuckled softly. He realized that all the unrelated topics they had discussed earlier were just leading up to this one question. He intended to continue discussing the topic of confessing but then heard Shen Xun say, “I don’t have any other questions. I’ll hang up now.”
“Wait!” Liang Yan quickly exclaimed.
Liang Yan: “I want to know why you changed your mind.”
Shen Xun: “I thought about it later and realized you were right.”
Liang Yan: “Speak plainly.”
Shen Xun: “He’s very popular at the teachers’ gathering.”
Liang Yan seized on the key point, “How did he end up at the gathering?”
Shen Xun replied, “Some colleagues from the same school brought him along.”
Liang Yan nodded and asked, “Have you thought about what you’ll say to him when you see him? Will you confess right away, or take a more gradual approach? What are you going to wear? Do you need to prepare some gifts, like a handwritten letter?”
These rapid-fire questions caught Shen Xun off guard, and he was momentarily speechless.
“Don’t tell me that you haven’t thought about these questions? I have more questions, like have you considered possible unexpected situations and corresponding emergency ‘plans’? For instance, what if there’s traffic on the way?”
Shen Xun began to feel a headache coming on. He really hadn’t thought about all this, so he was trying to come up with something now, but his brain was already starting to suggest retreating. “You know, I’ve never been much for ceremony.”
“Alright,” Liang Yan, noticing Shen Xun’s sudden dejection, shifted the conversation to a more encouraging tone. “Sometimes, overthinking doesn’t help; it just adds to your worries. In any case, I wish you all the best! I hope to hear good news from you on Sunday night!”
“Okay.”
After saying this, Shen Xun hung up.
The green bubble on the screen indicated that the call had ended, with a duration of 24 minutes and 52 seconds.
The time in the upper right corner of his phone displayed 8:29 PM.
Shen Xun stood still for a few seconds, then suddenly strode to the doorway. He grabbed his keys, slid them into his pocket, changed his shoes, and opened and closed the door all in one swift motion.
Liang Yan was right; there should be some sense of ceremony.
Shen Xun had already forgotten when he last got a haircut; he only knew that his bangs had grown past his eyebrows. He should probably visit a barber shop.
Shen Xun walked alone along the sidewalk, surrounded by warm yellow streetlights, their glow tinted with a hint of brown. He couldn’t help but recall the amber-colored drinks displayed in the Yulan Bar – could alcohol give him courage?
After walking a few hundred meters, Shen Xun realized that the barber shop he had visited last time had shut down recently. The blue metal roller door had a transfer notice pasted on it.
At least he hadn’t bought a membership card.
Shen Xun reluctantly opened a map app to search for the nearest barber shop. The estimated distance wasn’t far; he could walk there. However, to his surprise, the mischievous map navigation took him on a detour, wasting another five minutes of his time.
When he finally arrived at the new barber shop, Tony, the new hairstylist, welcomed him with excessive enthusiasm. He flung a barber cape around Shen Xun’s neck and praised Shen Xun’s good looks. Tony recommended various hair treatments and coloring packages.
Shen Xun declined, thinking about Meng Yuan Cen’s preference for men with natural hair. He showed Tony the length he wanted, using his fingers to indicate, “Just shorten it this much.”
Tony had a confident look and used the same hand gesture to confirm, “Not more than this, right?”
When Shen Xun left the barber shop, he felt somewhat lost. He dared not say he knew more about hairstyles than the stylist, but he preferred his hair before the haircut, even if his bangs were a bit longer.
Tony probably thought the same, as he had taken extra time to blow-dry Shen Xun’s hair, giving him a more stylish look. Unfortunately, now, in the evening breeze, his hair was disheveled.
Shen Xun had never been too concerned about his hairstyle before. No matter how well he styled it, he’d end up on a crime scene, donning a hairnet and gloves alongside his forensic colleagues.
But now, with the prospect of seeing Meng Yuan Cen tomorrow, he appreciated Liang Yan’s words even more. Shen Xun should have known that going to a new barber shop carried some risk.
Suddenly, his phone rang and interrupted his thoughts. It was Meng Yuan Cen.
Shen Xun answered, “Hello?”
Meng Yuan Cen said, “I hope you’re not busy right now.”
Shen Xun replied, “I’m not busy.”
Surprisingly, it was quite late, yet there was traffic congestion, with several cars and electric scooters honking.
Meng Yuan Cen must have heard the commotion on Shen Xun’s side and asked, “Are you outside?”
Shen Xun said, “Yes, I just left the barber shop.”
Meng Yuan Cen chuckled and said, “Did Officer Shen get a new hair cut?”
Shen Xun sighed, “Don’t mention it, it’s a disaster. I showed the stylist two centimeters, and it’s like he cut two extra centimeters.”
Meng Yuan Cen was amused and comforted him, saying, “It’s okay. You look good, and I know you can rock any hair cut.”
Shen Xun remained silent after hearing this, and his footsteps and heartbeats began to pick up pace silently.
After a while, his chest adapted to the unusual feeling. “Meng Yuan Cen…this is the first time… the first time I’m talking on the phone while walking back home.”
“The first time doing what?”
“The first time walking along the sidewalk while talking on the phone.”
“How does it feel?”
“It feels great.”
He passed by the familiar scenery, but it felt entirely different now. The warm yellow streetlights snuggled close to each other, the tinted fragrant camphor trees intertwined with the night breeze, and the strangers coming and going exchanged laughter.
“If this were in the past, I would walk this path alone, and I’d always feel like it’s so long. I’d wonder why I hadn’t reached home yet, but I wouldn’t want to take a taxi because I’d only use it if necessary. I wanted to save money.”
“In that case, you can call me in the future, and I’ll be at your service anytime you want, providing you with a dedicated chat companion.”
“Then I’d have to carry earphones, and they should be Bluetooth earphones, fully charged,” Shen Xun said with a smile, kicking a few fallen camphor leaves with the tip of his shoe. “Because right now, I’m holding the phone and chatting with you. Holding it for too long makes my arm sore.”
Meng Yuan Cen asked, “So, should we stop chatting?”
Shen Xun jokingly replied, “No, that’s not what I meant. Even if my hand gets sore, it’s nothing compared to the soreness after an entire autopsy. Besides, it’s only been a few minutes, your service duration is too short, Mr. Meng.”
This sentence had a double meaning, but Shen Xun didn’t realize it until the words had left his mouth. His cheeks started to turn uncontrollably warm, as did his ears.
Fortunately, Meng Yuan Cen couldn’t see him.