Decayed Vulgarian chapter 73

Final Chapter

The next morning.

Shen Xun furrowed his brows, supporting his waist as he sat up.

“Awake?” came the voice of the culprit. Shen Xun lifted his head and saw Meng Yuan Cen leaning against the door, smiling faintly, adjusting his glasses with his index finger. “I made breakfast for you.”

Shen Xun stared at him in silence, not saying a word. He lowered his head to continue slowly getting dressed. Last night, Meng Yuan Cen vividly demonstrated the capabilities of a man starved for over twenty days, along with terrifying possessiveness and conqueror’s instincts.

Seeing Shen Xun’s reaction, Meng Yuan Cen raised an eyebrow.

Shen Xun lazily put on his slippers and made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. Returning to the living room, he found a steaming breakfast prepared on the table. He unconsciously touched his empty stomach, in an almost ‘I satisfied you last night, so this breakfast is rightfully mine’ kind of way, and started eating breakfast without a word.

Meng Yuan Cen sat opposite, silently observing. Suddenly, he asked, “How’s my cooking?”

At that moment, Shen Xun put down the empty bowl, “It’s okay.”

Meng Yuan Cen smiled, asking, “If it’s just okay, why did you finish it?”

Shen Xun replied, “Because one should be frugal and not waste food.”

Meng Yuan Cen couldn’t help but chuckle. He knew, every time he couldn’t control his desires the night before, he had to face this consequence the next morning – being teased.

But Meng Yuan Cen never found himself at a loss. He had planned his way out between his wild indulgence and how to placate Shen Xun. He took out a beautifully wrapped gift bag, cleared his throat to get Shen Xun’s attention, and placed the bag in front of him. “This is your birthday present.”

As Shen Xun glanced at him, unable to resist his curiosity, he opened the bag. Like a precious, fluffy white Persian cat, the gift diverted his attention, softening him from head to toe back to his usual gentle demeanor.

Inside the bag was a camera and a scarf.

The scarf, black and white checkered, Shen Xun instinctively put around his neck. Carefully, he took out the camera, tinkered with it, then suddenly raised it, pointing the lens at Meng Yuan Cen.

Click.

Meng Yuan Cen was slightly surprised. “You know how to use a camera?”

Shen Xun responded with a touch of pride, “You shouldn’t question the ability of a crime scene investigator to use a camera.”

Meng Yuan Cen hadn’t considered this aspect. After recalling the origin of the rainbow photo, he said, “I remember the first day we met, I went to your house and demonstrated the professional mode on the balcony with my phone. You seemed amazed.”

Shen Xun explained expressionlessly, “I was surprised that the phone had a professional mode, not surprised about adjusting parameters. I know all that. But I saw you teaching so earnestly, so I didn’t have the heart to interrupt you.”

Meng Yuan Gen chuckled, “So, I have to thank you for letting me show off unnecessarily.”

Shen Xun lifted his head to glance at Meng Yuan Cen, still unable to hide the smile on his face, and chuckled softly.

Meng Yuan Cen also laughed, thinking, ‘Isn’t this settling things?’

So he sat on the chair beside Shen Xun. “Come, let me see the photos you just took.”

Shen Xun extended his hand, along with the camera, towards Meng Yuan Cen—

Only to show two large nostrils on the screen, an undoubtedly unflattering angle.

In that moment, Meng Yuan Cen remembered that when Shen Xun took the photo, he was standing, and an upward angle was a destructive blow to anyone’s appearance. He fell silent for a few seconds. “Delete it. I don’t mind candid shots, but this angle is too crafty.”

Shen Xun had the foresight to pull back his hand behind his back. “I won’t delete it.”

He cleared his throat, pretending to be serious. “Please consider next time when having fun in bed, as I still have your unflattering photo in my possession.”

Meng Yuan Cen raised an eyebrow, then leaned down and pecked Shen Xun’s lips, admiring his expression with a smile. “Who gave you the courage to discuss criminal law with a criminal defense lawyer?”

Shen Xun was momentarily speechless.

Meng Yuan Cen kissed him again, like an ongoing tide of tenderness, layering without gaps. He kissed Shen Xun until the latter’s body trembled, involuntarily murmuring, “Meng… Yuan Cen..”.

Suddenly, the ringtone from his pocket interrupted.

Meng Yuan Cen, who intended to tease Shen Xun a bit more, got up, looking at the caller’s name. His expression suddenly changed. He returned the camera to Shen Xun and took the call privately.

Finally having the camera in his hand again, Shen Xun checked the photos. He saw that they hadn’t been deleted. In the game of seizing the camera, Meng Yuan Cen had cleverly gained the upper hand. He should’ve known by now; this was Meng Yuan Cen’s style.

Taking advantage of the distraction from the call, Shen Xun took a few more shots.

After the call ended, Shen Xun asked, “Whose call was it?”

“The victim’s parents. They want to meet me. Remember the ride-sharing driver murder case from early autumn last year? The first trial is in two days.”

Shen Xun was momentarily stunned and then whispered softly, “Time has passed so quickly.”

“Yes,” Meng Yuan Cen said, “But this is a public prosecution case. The core of the courtroom debate lies between the prosecution and the defense lawyer of the accused. But as a litigation representative, I also need to be prepared in advance.”

These days, Meng Yuan Cen got busy, but there was an upside to it. For example, Shen Xun’s back was spared from his advances. Shen Xun had recently requested vacation time due to the previous dismemberment case. Shen Xun’s supervisor probably approved it due to the extra hours he had put in, even though the leave was supposed to start in two days. However, Shen Xun was delighted, and with high expectations, the quality of his recent life and his mental state had improved significantly.

So Shen Xun and Meng Yuan Cen made plans to travel in the coming days during Shen Xun’s vacation time, fulfilling Shen Xun’s earlier unfulfilled desire to visit Qichuan Province.

Hua Feng Intermediate People’s Court scheduled the first trial for Friday morning at 9:00 AM, just when Meng Yuan Cen was starting his vacation. Shen Xun had it all planned: sleep in on Friday morning, then once he woke up, he and Meng Yuan Cen would finalize their travel plans in the afternoon, and officially begin their trip on Saturday.

However, as the trial date approached, Shen Xun received a notification from the court that he was required to testify as an expert witness. His supervisor also approved this, and Shen Xun was designated to appear in court.

So on that early morning, Shen Xun was pulled out of bed by Meng Yuan Cen, and they both yawned their way to the courthouse.

Witnesses were not allowed to be present during the proceedings as it could affect the objectivity of their testimony. Shen Xun was brought into the courtroom only for the testimony, and once he gave his expert opinion, he was immediately escorted out. Before leaving the courtroom, he glanced at Meng Yuan Cen, and Meng Yuan Cen also looked at him, as if to say, “Your part is done; leave the rest to me.”

At that moment, Shen Xun inexplicably thought of a saying: “Justice will never be absent.”

Two hours later, with the clear sound of the gavel striking the base, the first trial came to an end.

Meng Yuan Cen walked out of the courthouse and joined Shen Xun, who was waiting for him on the nearby sidewalk. They walked side by side, chatting and discussing various things, from family matters to the next day’s trip. They discussed whether to buy tickets or go on a road trip, whether to use backpacks or suitcases, must-visit places, and essential items to bring. They discussed the future awaiting them with smiles on their faces.

In the background, under a blue sky, the fluttering five-star red flag, the unyielding People’s Court, and the red-yellow national emblem suspended in the center.

—End of the story—