Decayed Vulgarian chapter 52
Storage Room
As he walked out of the room, Shen Xun belatedly recalled that, while organizing the refrigerator earlier, he had also taken the opportunity to clean the living room.
Glancing around now, the place looked pretty neat and tidy. So, he stood in place for a while, contemplating whether there were any missed or unclean corners.
Suddenly, someone touched his waist. Meng Yuan Cen’s chest pressed against his back, and his warm breath brushed his ear, “Leaving me alone in the bedroom to work while you sneak out?”
Shen Xun was abruptly awakened, hastily pushing the person away with both hands and sternly raising his voice, “Meng Yuan Cen, There are people at home.”
Meng Yuan Cen, with a smile, inquired, “Are you suggesting that if there’s no one at home, I can do as I please?”
Shen Xun: “…”
…………………..
When Liang Yan and Meng Yuan Ning visited, even the dark, dusty storage room was not overlooked. They thoroughly inspected every nook and cranny of Shen Xun’s new home, only planning to leave as the day was growing late.
Meng Yuan Cen then said to Meng Yuan Ning, “Let me drive you back home.”
Meng Yuan Ning straightforwardly refused, “No need. You stay at home with Shen Xun. You both have been busy all day. Have a good rest tonight. I’m fine with Liang Yan.”
Meng Yuan Cen immediately understood that the earlier part wasn’t the point at all, the last sentence was the real focus. He nearly ended up making a mistake with his good intentions.
So, he said to Liang Yan, “Thank you for taking her home.”
Liang Yan smiled, “No trouble at all.”
Meng Yuan Ning seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself with Liang Yan, and it spared Meng Yuan Cen from making that trip.
Meng Yuan Cen stood at the doorway, watching both Meng Yuan Ning and Liang Yan disappear around the corner of the stairs before closing the door.
Shen Xun looked up at Meng Yuan Cen, “Is something going on between your sister and Liang Yan…?”
With no one else around, Meng Yuan Cen circled his arms around Shen Xun’s waist, his hands moving, and Shen Xun obediently didn’t push away or avoid it, “Yes, I thought you already knew. Didn’t Liang Yan tell you?”
“No,” Shen Xun shook his head, then asked, “Is Meng Yuan Ning interested in Liang Yan?”
Meng Yuan Cen’s movements halted. He keenly asked, “Why can’t it be Liang Yan pursuing Meng Yuan Ning?”
Without hesitation, Shen Xun replied, “It’s not possible.”
Meng Yuan Cen suddenly released his arms, looking seriously at Shen Xun, “Why not?”
Shen Xun fell silent for a moment before speaking, “You remember a long time ago, I didn’t reply to your messages all night because I went to the bar to pick up Liang Yan. He was completely drunk and out of his senses.”
Meng Yuan Cen slowly suppressed his smile, “I remember. You said he got heavily drunk because of his ex-girlfriend, so—do you think he hasn’t moved on?”
“I don’t know.”
Shen Xun paused for a few seconds before continuing, “All I know is that his ex-girlfriend was also his first love. He and his ex-girlfriend were together from high school to graduate school. In those four years of college, it was a long-distance relationship, and during graduate school, it was a long-distance international relationship. They broke up before Liang Yan returned to the country, and the girl initiated the breakup.”
Meng Yuan Cen also remained silent for a few seconds, “So, do you think they’re not compatible?”
Shen Xun calmly stated, “I’m just objectively stating Liang Yan’s romantic experience. I’m not expressing any opinions.”
Meng Yuan Cen thought for a moment and then asked, “If it were your sister who likes Liang Yan, would you stop her?”
“I’d tell her about Liang Yan’s past, objectively, without judgment. I wouldn’t interfere with her choice.”
Meng Yuan Cen lowered his eyes, thoughtful for a moment, then raised his head, changing the subject completely, “Where else do we need to tidy up?”
Shen Xun: “There’s the storage room.”
The storage room was dim, enclosed, and nearly lightless. The only light tube on the ceiling was broken. Meng Yuan Cen used the flashlight function on his phone for illumination. Earlier, to save time, he’d moved all the things from Liang Yan’s trunk and stuffed them into the storage room. Besides that, there were plenty of cardboard boxes and paper left by the previous tenants.
Meng Yuan Cen began to unpack the boxes, spreading and stacking the cardboard. Dust flew around him, causing him to sneeze a few times.
Shen Xun followed suit, using his phone as a light source to organize the other miscellaneous items. Suddenly, he heard Meng Yuan Cen exclaim in surprise.
Turning around, Shen Xun asked, “What’s wrong?”
Meng Yuan Cen didn’t speak but furrowed his brow and took a step back.
Shen Xun, curious, approached and discovered a dead cockroach in the corner, alongside a row of cockroach eggs and a newly hatched small cockroach. Relieved, he said, “It was just a cockroach.”
Meng Yuan Cen knitted his brows, “Do we have any insecticide?”
Shen Xun found it funny, “Insecticide? It’s already dead.”
He then told Meng Yuan Cen, “Keep an eye on the live one. Don’t let it sneak away. I’ll get some tissues and a plastic bag.”
After the instructions, Shen Xun left, leaving Meng Yuan Cen alone with the small cockroach. The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Meng Yuan Cen stared fixedly at the small cockroach, which seemed blissfully unaware. It leisurely stretched its legs. Meng Yuan Cen subconsciously took a step back.
Finally, when Shen Xun returned to the storage room, he took the plastic bag in one hand, moved toward the small cockroach, and attempted to grab it. Unfortunately, his first attempt failed, and the cockroach began scuttling about. Shen Xun chased it, deftly locked onto it, and swiftly grabbed it with both hands.
“I got it!”
He flipped the plastic bag over, tied it into a knot, and raised the bag to show off, but when he looked up, he caught Meng Yuan Cen’s pale, lit-up face in the flashlight.
Shen Xun was taken aback, “You…are you…afraid of cockroaches?”
Meng Yuan Cen, with furrowed brows, pointed at the dead cockroach and the cockroach eggs, “Can we clean this place first?”
Shen Xun was bewildered for a moment, then chuckled unexpectedly, “Okay, okay.”
He lowered his head and began tidying up. After finishing, he wiped the area with a damp tissue, placed it in the plastic bag in his left hand, tied it tightly, and threw it away. Then, he went to the sink in the bathroom to wash his hands with soap.
Meng Yuan Cen followed and stood beside Shen Xun. After Shen Xun finished washing his hands, Meng Yuan Cen began washing his, rubbing more vigorously than Shen Xun.
Shen Xun, observing, chuckled with his head lowered, “You didn’t try to catch the cockroach earlier.”
Meng Yuan Cen rinsed his fingers repeatedly, “When I was sorting through things, I accidentally touched it.”
Shen Xun suddenly burst out laughing. His eyes twinkled mischievously, “you are afraid of cockroaches, right?”
“…No.”
“You hesitated when you answered.”
“I just had an unpleasant experience with cockroaches.”
“An unpleasant experience?”
Meng Yuan Cen seemed to recall something, and he clenched his fist near his mouth, seemingly retching but reluctant to say more.
Shen Xun patted his back.
He chose not to push the matter. After all, discovering Meng Yuan Cen’s weak point was enough to make his day. Shen Xun continued, “You don’t want to see bugs, but how do you dare to date a forensic doctor? How did you even come to the morgue to pick me up?”
Meng Yuan Cen remained silent.
Until then, Shen Xun had always been at a loss in front of Meng Yuan Cen. To render Meng Yuan Cen speechless was a first, and Shen Xun felt a sense of accomplishment deep down. He couldn’t help but continue half-jokingly and half-seriously, “Will you still pick me up in the future?”
Meng Yuan Cen’s complexion was still unsettled, but he answered without hesitation, “Yes.”
Shen Xun was taken aback.
He parted his lips; in an instant, a myriad of feelings surged up from his chest to his throat. However, it choked his vocal cords, leaving him no choice but to awkwardly shift the conversation, “I suddenly remembered that we still lack many household items. Let’s make a list and gradually buy these things.”
After saying this, he lowered his head, tapping and typing into the memo app, feeling a faint pulse in his fingertips.
Though the other person spoke only one word, he felt that he was being resolutely chosen. Hence, he felt a sense of rejuvenation, his heart pounding more than ever.