Decayed Vulgarian chapter 44
Subjective Questions
As he walked back home he was still talking to Meng Yuan Cen on the phone.
Meng Yuan Cen didn’t let up and continued to inquire, “Are you still single?”
Shen Xun walked straight to his room and locked the door as he hurriedly explained, “I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t come out to my parents. Not telling Shen Jinge is because I know she can’t keep a secret. We’ve been friends since childhood, and I know her too well. Even if I emphasize the importance of keeping it a secret, she would still end up revealing it.”
“So, telling Shen Jinge is equivalent to telling my second uncle and aunt, which means my parents would also know. Given my mother’s personality, once she knows I’m in a relationship, she won’t stop asking until she gets all the details.”
After a few seconds of silence, Meng Yuan Cen responded with an “I see.”
Hearing this, Shen Xun threw himself on the bed and was about to let out a sigh of relief. But unexpectedly, Meng Yuan Cen continued, “You and her have been friends since childhood, right?”
Shen Xun had no choice but to lower his voice and soften his tone. “Meng Yuan Cen, she’s just my cousin from the extended family. Our families often visit each other, so that’s why we interact so frequently.”
Meng Yuan Cen replied candidly, “Did I say something? I was just stating the facts, right?”
Shen Xun superficially agreed, repeatedly saying, “Yes, yes, yes.”
But in his mind, he wondered, “Is it really like that? Why did I sense a hint of annoyance from him?”
Earlier, when Shen Jinge had gone after him to return the key, she inadvertently made him swallow the words he had intended to say. Not addressing this issue was bothering him, and after a short period of silence, he had finally built up the courage to talk again.
But before he could utter a word, a knock at the door interrupted him. It was his mother who pushed the door open.
The door creaked on its hinges, and Shen Xun, like an instinctive reflex, immediately locked his phone’s screen and tucked it under his pillow. It was as if he had done something he didn’t want others to see, but all he was doing was talking on the phone.
His mother peered in and began her usual nagging about sleeping early and not staying up late, emphasizing the importance of preserving one’s health. She was relentless in her admonitions.
Shen Xun nodded repeatedly, uttering a series of “okay”s, aiming to demonstrate through actions that he was going to bed immediately. Even under his mother’s watchful eyes, he obediently turned off all the lights and lay still in bed.
Only after his mother left did he dare to cautiously retrieve his phone from under the pillow in the dark, explaining the situation to Meng Yuan Cen with lowered tones.
Shen Xun’s concerns were twofold: fear of his mother unexpectedly barging in and hearing their private conversation, and Meng Yuan Cen also telling him he should avoid staying up late. Thus, their conversation ended with a mutual goodnight, abruptly concluding the call.
Before falling asleep, Shen Xun stared at the pitch-black ceiling, wondering why the matter hadn’t been settled yet, feeling frustrated with himself.
The next morning, the wedding proceeded as planned. When it came to the banquet, Shen Xun’s worst fear came true: he was targeted by a distant relative he only saw once a year.
Before he could recall the exact relationship, this elder aunt started speaking endlessly. Another aunt joined in, and they both conversed incessantly, bombarding Shen Xun.
“What? You still don’t have a girlfriend? How old are you?”
“Oh, you must have too high standards. Don’t be too picky. Nowadays, kids always talk about finding the perfect match. There’s no such thing. Didn’t your uncle and I just make do back in the day?”
“Are you too introverted, with a small social circle, hence unable to find a girlfriend? Don’t always stay cooped up at home. Go out and participate in activities to meet more girls. I believe, with your qualities, it’s impossible not to find someone!”
“…”
Shen Xun was already annoyed after the first sentence. He could guess the following content. He only received the information, choosing not to respond, letting it go in one ear and out the other. He haphazardly acknowledged a few times and seized the chance to make an excuse and slip away.
Unfortunately, not long after, his mother directed him back to the table to eat. Shen Xun reluctantly returned, only to find the situation had changed. The two aunts had redirected their attention towards a student at the table.
Shen Xun silently glanced at the student’s expression, filled with impatience from facial expressions to body language. However, out of respect for his elders, he continued to listen despite his frustration.
Thinking of this, he lowered his head, shook it with a smile, suddenly feeling a sense of camaraderie in shared suffering. He mused that if he became someone’s uncle in the future, he would absolutely not inquire about grades during festivals.
However, at the very least, the food at the wedding was delicious. Having a good meal lessened the weight of the nagging from relatives.
Once everyone finished eating, Shen Xun and Shen He helped clear up the aftermath. After tidying up, their mother came to find them, suggesting that both brothers stay home for an extra day.
Before Shen Xun could speak, Shen He straightforwardly refused, citing an engagement on Sunday afternoon and the urgency of attending classes the next morning.
Their mother then expressed concerns about how Shen He would go back so late, not feeling very reassured about him taking a taxi.
Hearing this, Shen Xun mentioned that he had a friend passing by who could take him and Shen He back. Their mother found it surprising that in such a remote town, there would be a friend passing by.
Shen Xun smiled without saying anything, quietly texting Meng Yuan Cen to confirm if he could bring Shen He along. The response was affirmative.
After weighing the pros and cons, their mother refrained from further persuasion and decided to bid them farewell. Shen Xun felt there was no need to accompany them just for a few steps from home to the parking lot, but his mother’s firm attitude compelled him to agree.
So, with their mom behind them, holding a small package, Shen He and Shen Xun walked ahead, each carrying several large bags filled with vegetables and meat, raw and cooked. Every time they visited home, their mother always forcibly insisted on taking a few things back, albeit in small quantities.
Shen He lowered his voice and whispered to Shen Xun, “Bro, the friend you mentioned, is it Teacher Meng?”
Shen Xun didn’t say a word, just nodded and gestured, implying that the other person should speak less. What if their mom starts asking.
Unexpectedly, their mother’s ears were sharp enough to overhear, “Is it the Huada University professor who teaches criminal law that you mentioned before?”
Shen Xun’s heart jumped, becoming alert, “…Yes.”
Fortunately, she didn’t delve further, only saying, “You should properly thank them this time.”
Shen Xun relaxed, “Yes, I know.”
As they reached the nearest parking lot to their home, the tall figure of Meng Yuan Cen entered Shen Xun’s view. Beneath the lenses, a familiar smile appeared. Without reason, he unexpectedly felt a sense of longing, as if a day felt like an eternity. Fortunately, with others present, Shen Xun remained composed.
After all, rushing to hug a lover after a day without seeing each other didn’t fit the persona of Officer Shen. But he had to admit that, at a certain moment just now, he truly felt that impulse.
Meng Yuan Cen greeted Shen’s mother, saying “Hello, Auntie,” receiving a smiling response from her. He took the items from her and put them in the trunk, then casually opened the doors for Shen Xun and Shen He.
Returning to the driver’s seat, the vehicle smoothly moved forward. Shen Xun, Shen He, Meng Yuan Cen, while Shen’s mother waved goodbye as they drove off.
The roadside greenery flew past, gradually blurring into a silhouette, while the scenery outside the window changed in cycles, creating an oddly eerie atmosphere inside the car.
It was Shen He who took the lead, striking up a casual conversation with Meng Yuan Cen, “Hello, Teacher Meng.”
Meng Yuan Cen: “Hello.”
Shen He continued, “That was my mom just now.”
Shen Xun had already given a heads-up about this on WeChat, so Meng Yuan Cen was well aware, “Auntie seems quite young and stylish in her attire.”
Shen He chuckled, “My mom tries to keep up with the times. She surfs the internet a lot in her free time.”
As if reminded of something, he gossiped, “By the way, Teacher Meng, how did you and my brother get together? How did things suddenly turn romantic between you? I’m really curious, but my brother won’t tell me.”
As soon as he finished, Shen Xun shot Shen He a warning glare, clearly implying to stop. However, Shen He completely ignored him and eagerly waited for Meng Yuan Cen’s response.
After some thought, Meng Yuan Cen replied, “How did we get together? It was through my relentless efforts.”
Shen He waited for a while only to receive this disappointing answer, teasing, “You and my brother conspired, right? Both keeping it under wraps. Okay, okay, I won’t ask anymore. I don’t want to know.”
Meng Yuan Cen replied with a smile, “It’s not that I don’t want to say, but Shen Xun doesn’t want you to know, so I won’t say.”
Shen He felt caught off guard by the unexpected revelation.
But even when fed such an unexpected revelation, it didn’t stop him from speaking. Not long after, Shen He initiated another round of conversation, “Teacher Meng, we’re going to be family from now on. If there’s anything I can help with, feel free to ask. Family shouldn’t be reserved.”
This brat pretending to be mature looked somewhat decent, leaving Shen Xun amused and bemused at the same time.
Meng Yuan Cen earnestly responded, “Okay, thank you.”
Their car passed by the Emerald Garden. Meng Yuan Cen suggested that Shen Xun should head back home to rest alone since he needed to drop Shen He off at the school gate.
Shen Xun proposed that he accompany Shen He for a while longer, ride together to the school, and then return home together.
Meng Yuan Cen politely refused, teasing, “We’ll have plenty of time together in the future. We don’t need these few extra minutes. Or, could it be that you find it unbearable to be apart for these few minutes?”
Shen Xun was left speechless and turned to run back home.
Meng Yuan Cen smiled, watching Shen Xun ascend the stairs until the window lights glowed faint yellow. Gradually, his smile faded. In the rearview mirror, he could see Shen He’s face—his features were similar to Shen Xun’s by seven points, yet their vibes were entirely different. The former was lively and warm, the latter, calm and reserved.
“You just mentioned that I could come to you for help,” Meng Yuan Cen’s gaze gradually turned deep, nearly bottomless. “So, there might be some things you could really help me with.”
Shen He remained silent for a few seconds, then grinned mischievously, “No wonder you hurried my brother home now. I thought young couples always wanted a little more time together, but turns out, you wanted to separate him first.”
Meng Yuan Cen steered the wheel without denying.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Shen He asked, “Teacher Meng, what do you want me to help with?”
“I want to know, in your opinion, what kind of person is Shen Xun to you?” Meng Yuan Cen added, “It’s an open-ended subjective question. You can choose to share whatever you feel comfortable disclosing, of course, or you can refuse to answer.”