Decayed Vulgarian chapter 40

Removing the Stitches

Shen Xun had a strong preference for black, white, and gray color schemes.

Bedsheets, pillowcases, and duvet covers – all in black, white, and gray.

Clothes, pants, shoes, socks – apart from his police uniform and work attire, he mostly wore black, white, and gray outfits.

Shen Xun believed that black, white, and gray could never go wrong. They were simple and practical. Even his WeChat profile picture featured a black background with white English letters that were not very prominent. At a glance, it looked like a monochrome blur.

However, one day, under the influence of Meng Yuan Cen’s persuasion, Shen Xun changed his WeChat profile picture to a couple photo.

Though the couple aspect wasn’t very obvious in this profile picture, as someone who had never changed his profile picture, he couldn’t escape the scrutiny of his friends’ keen eyes.

Not long after changing it, his friend Liang Yan inquired about it.

Shortly thereafter, even Shen He asked him directly, “Bro, have you gotten together with Mr. Meng?”

Shen Xun replied, “Yes.”

Shen He exclaimed, “Damn!”

He was so excited that he shoved his phone over, and his voice, rising uncontrollably, repeatedly sought more details.

Shen Xun thought there were many things Shen He didn’t need to know. Anything he didn’t want to reveal, he would just be vague about it. His friend on the other side likely sensed his intention to keep things hidden. First, there was a collective tsk of disappointment, then the tone playfully shifted into teasing, “Ah, this is your little secret with Mr. Meng, of course, you can’t tell me.”

Shen Xun just replied with a sarcastic comment.

“By the way, about you and Mr. Meng officially being a couple, should I keep it a secret?” Shen He asked.

“Yes, don’t tell anyone for now.”

Shen Xun had considered this before. Firstly, he didn’t know if this would have any substantial impact on Meng Yuan Cen’s reputation at school. Secondly, once word got out, it would spread like wildfire, and it would eventually reach the ears of his parents. Although they would find out sooner or later, at the very least, it shouldn’t be right now. He and Meng Yuan Cen hadn’t been together for very long.

So he added, “Especially when it comes to mom, please don’t accidentally let it slip.”

Mentioning their mother, Shen He’s tone suddenly turned serious, “But you’ll have to come clean with her one day. Do you plan to wait for her to find out, and then confess?”

Shen Xun had never thought about this question in detail, nor did he dare to think about it. When he thought about it, it made him anxious.

Evading and delaying had become a habit, just like wisdom teeth growing crooked inside his mouth. They lurked in his body, serving no purpose. Shen Xun could tolerate their existence for now, but once the pain became unbearable, he might finally muster the determination to have them removed.

Shen Xun pursed his lips and said, “I don’t know. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“Alright, anyway, I won’t disclose anything on my end.” Shen He suddenly remembered another matter, “By the way, this weekend, mom asked me to come home, and I’m sure you’ll have to go back too.”

Shen Xun asked, “Why?”

“Hasn’t mom called you yet?”

“No.”

“She should be calling you soon. Second uncle’s daughter is getting married, and you and the bride grew up together. Don’t you need to attend the wedding to show your blessings?”

Hearing the word “wedding,” Shen Xun’s head started to ache. “Blessings are fine, but the problem is that she’ll see me and start pestering me about getting married.”

Shen He laughed with a mixture of relief, “Bro, thanks to you, I’m shielded from all that. Otherwise, every New Year and every festival, I’d have a horde of aunts and uncles scrutinizing my love life. During regular school days, I’d have mom asking about my college relationship. Now, you’ve absorbed all that attention.”

Shen Xun couldn’t help but smile. His tone was somewhat exasperated, “Don’t laugh. You’ll face the same thing one day.”

After hanging up, his mood inexplicably became low. He remembered that when he was a child and attended weddings, he was carefree and had no psychological burden. As he grew older and attended weddings, he was always on edge, fearing the sudden appearance of distant relatives eager to ask him a barrage of questions – “How old are you? Do you have a significant other? Do you have kids?”

He put down his phone and went to the bathroom. He stood at the sink, washing his hands.

When he was in a bad mood, nothing seemed quite right, including the stitches on his hand. He dipped his right fingertips in the water, as a sort of token handwashing. When would he be able to remove those stitches and wash his hands properly?

Sigh.

He returned to the living room, and his phone was ringing. When he picked it up, it was indeed his mother. She immediately started talking about the wedding.

Shen Xun answered while thinking that he hoped she wouldn’t ask about his romantic life. Unfortunately, it was the exact thing he feared would happen.

“I didn’t ask before, and I knew that if I asked too directly, it might annoy you. It’s been over two months since you went on a blind date with that Miss Meng. So, what’s the current situation between you two?”

Inwardly, Shen Xun ridiculed that Miss Meng and he hadn’t even shared a proper meal, so how could there be a situation?

But when he spoke, he phrased it more tactfully, “After the blind date, we’ve met a few times.”

That time they bumped into each other at the movie theater counted as one more meeting.

“We’ve had some communication.”

Wasn’t the self-introduction at the cinema considered communication?

“I feel like she’s not really interested in me.”

Shen’s mother still sounded disappointed, “Oh, what went wrong again?”

Shen Xun remained silent, hoping that his mother wouldn’t dig deeper into the topic and start criticizing his career as a forensic pathologist.

Fortunately, this time, his insignificant wish came true, and his mother said, “Alright, let’s leave it at that. I’ll hang up for now.”

Shen Xun tossed his phone onto the couch after the call and sat there in a daze. He suddenly realized one more thing — on the day he went back to his hometown, if he still had the bandages on his hand, he’d have to explain what happened at the amusement park, which would inevitably lead to explaining why he went to the park in the first place.

Furthermore, it would take two or three days for the wound to heal properly after removing the stitches.

With this in mind, Shen Xun got up abruptly, took his phone and keys, and left.

So, on this Wednesday, he needed to go to the hospital and have the stitches removed, and then there was the issue of explaining why he had gone to the amusement park, not to mention the fact that he had an injury. So, for the next two to three days, he would have to come up with a story about how he injured his hand.

As he walked to the hospital, he pondered. At least he’d be relieved of one worry when the stitches were removed. Unfortunately, he quickly realized he had another problem.

Originally, he and Meng Yuan Cen had scheduled to have the stitches removed together on Friday afternoon. That was the time Meng Yuan Cen had proposed, and it was considerate of Shen Xun’s preference for not waking up early.

But now, Shen Xun had changed his mind and decided to go today. He needed to inform Meng Yuan Cen about this change, even though it felt more like notifying than discussing. Shen Xun was well aware that Meng Yuan Cen had been quite insistent about accompanying him to get the stitches removed. For example, before the appointment, Shen Xun had mentioned several times that he could easily handle it himself, but Meng Yuan Cen had firmly vetoed the idea. Despite his gentle demeanor, Meng Yuan Cen was uncompromising when it came to certain matters.

Shen Xun sighed, wondering how to convey his decision to Meng Yuan Cen. He quickly realized that the written words on a screen would be inadequate for this kind of conversation. Shen Xun disliked purely textual communication because it was easily misinterpreted and prone to misinterpretation. Without seeing facial expressions and body

He let out a sigh. He decided to wait until Meng Yuan Cen returned so they could talk face-to-face, which would be in just a little over an hour.

Originally, he had planned to tell Meng Yuan Cen once he returned from work, and he had mentally rehearsed how he would phrase it and what tone he would use. But when he saw Meng Yuan Cen’s smiling face, he found it hard to bring it up. He felt like it would be a mood spoiler, and he remained silent. He had pursed his lips but couldn’t get a single word out.

Meng Yuan Cen casually asked, “What would you like for dinner tonight?”

Shen Xun was lost in thought.

Meng Yuan Cen stretched his hand and waved it in front of Shen Xun’s eyes. “Shen Xun, did you hear me?”

Shen Xun finally replied, “Uh… anything is fine for me.”

Meng Yuan Cen put on an apron and went back to cooking, but he suddenly remembered something important that he hadn’t mentioned earlier. He called Shen Xun again a few times, but there was no response.

He walked out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula. “Shen Xun?”

“Yes?”

“I called you several times just now. Didn’t you hear me?”

“I didn’t hear you. Maybe the exhaust fan was too loud.”

“Come here; I want to tell you something.”

Shen Xun approached the kitchen door. “What is it?”

The blue flames on the gas stove flickered and smoke rose.

“You previously asked me about your younger brother transferring to the law program. This afternoon, Huada’s official website sent a notice regarding the academic department. I’ll forward it to you later. Tell your brother to prepare well. The written test carries more weight; the questions are quite basic, and the interview has minimal impact on the results. It’s also straightforward, so there’s no need to be too nervous.”

Shen Xun was momentarily stunned and then responded, “Oh… okay.”

That was an issue from a long time ago, and he had almost forgotten about it. He hadn’t expected that Meng Yuan Cen would still remember.

Meng Yuan Cen continued, “I might be involved in the interview process. If it happens, maybe I’ll get to meet your brother during the interview.”

Shen Xun hesitated before answering, “He mentioned he’s been attending your lectures on General Criminal Law recently.”

Meng Yuan Cen seemed to recall something. “Your brother’s name is Shen He, right?”

“Yes,” Shen Xun nodded.

Meng Yuan Cen smiled and said, sounding half-serious and half-joking, “Alright, I’ve noted that down. I’ll call on him to answer questions during the next lecture.”

Shen Xun lowered his head, smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

As they enjoyed the delicious meal, it quickly disappeared from their plates. Meng Yuan Cen stood up and started clearing the table. He began discussing their plans for Friday afternoon. “I plan to prepare the things we need, such as the medical cases, in advance and leave them in the car. At noon, I’ll drive from Huada to your place. When I arrive at the base of your apartment building, I’ll call you, and you can come down. There’s no need to bring anything else. Does that sound good to you?”

He didn’t hear a response, so he looked up and noticed Shen Xun deep in thought. “You seem to have something on your mind, Shen Xun?”

The last two words suddenly brought Shen Xun back from his thoughts, and he hesitated for a moment before asking, “What if… I go to get the stitches removed alone?”

Meng Yuan Cen’s attitude remained firm. “I have time, and I don’t think it’s a bother. Besides, you have a boyfriend, so why are you going to the hospital alone?”

“I know you have time, but I don’t want to trouble you.”

“I’ve said before that I don’t consider it a bother.” Meng Yuan Cen fell silent for a while and then asked, “If I were ill, would you accompany me to the hospital?”

“Of course, I would.”

“Then our thoughts are the same. Do you understand my feelings?”

Shen Xun sighed. “I should be honest with you, but please don’t get angry.”

“I’ve already had the stitches removed,” Shen Xun slowly uttered the second half of the sentence under Meng Yuan Cen’s gaze, “I went this afternoon because I’m going to my hometown this weekend, and I needed to have the stitches removed earlier so that the needle holes on my hand can heal sooner.”