Chapter 38 Part 2
“Mm,” Meng Huaizhi sat down at the other end of the sofa, his demeanor natural, as if he were the master of the house. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to pay a New Year’s call to Wu-ge.”
“He’s not up yet. You can come back next time.”
Nan Dengwei was at a loss for words. “Then Senior Meng… are you also here to pay a New Year’s call?”
“Mm,” Meng Huaizhi said. “Our two families are old friends.”
“I see,” Nan Dengwei suddenly realized. So the two of them were not just friends who had known each other for a long time, but also childhood sweethearts from families of equal status.
He sighed and asked again, “Are you also here to pay a New Year’s call?”
Meng Huaizhi seemed not to have heard and picked up the water cup on the table.
Before he had come out of Shen Wu’s room, he had put a ring on his empty left ring finger.
There was a hollow in the center of the plain band, with a diamond embedded in it. The two rings were identical, and even the size was the same.
At first glance, it did not look like a traditional wedding ring with a large diamond on the outside.
Shen Wu felt that this style was more suitable for men and was also more convenient to wear.
But in reality, they did not have many opportunities to wear the rings.
Especially him.
He held up the water cup, and Nan Dengwei naturally saw the diamond ring on his ring finger.
This kind of ring with an embedded diamond would not make people immediately think of a wedding ring, and a ring on Meng Huaizhi’s finger even less so.
But that was the ring finger with a special meaning…
Nan Dengwei couldn’t help but look at it a few more times.
Nan Dengwei had a stomach full of questions to ask, but Meng Huaizhi actually spoke first, a rare question to him, “Did you contact Shen Wu before you came?”
“Ahem, well…” Nan Dengwei turned his face away with some guilt. “I had arranged it with him a few days ago. I greeted him this morning before I left, but he hasn’t replied yet.”
Meng Huaizhi lowered his eyes, thinking that Shen Wu should be really sleeping.
He used this as an excuse to subtly see the guest out, “He’s still sleeping. I don’t know when he’ll wake up.”
“It’s fine,” Nan Dengwei smiled. “I have nothing else to do today. It wasn’t easy to come here, so I’ll just wait here.”
He changed the subject and probed without a trace, “Did you just arrive too, Senior Meng?”
Meng Huaizhi shook his head. “No, I’m here to receive you.”
There was a hint of declaring sovereignty, of showing the identity of host and guest.
“Oh,” Nan Dengwei was taken aback for a moment, but he didn’t say anything, as if he was pretending to be confused while understanding.
Meng Huaizhi also had no reason to force him to leave. This was the Shen family, and his relationship with Shen Wu was not convenient to be made public.
It was all because of his identity.
He lowered his eyes in a daze, and his phone suddenly vibrated.
SW: Are you back?
M: Not yet.
SW: It’s the first day of the New Year today. Shouldn’t you go back and pay a New Year’s call to Grandpa early?
These words seemed to be rushing him to leave.
His expression did not change, but Nan Dengwei on the other side said to himself, “Ah… Wu-ge is awake, but he said he has a cold and it’s not convenient to receive me.”
Meng Huaizhi looked up in surprise. As if he had expected him to look over, Nan Dengwei met his gaze steadily.
“Then I’ll come back next time. I have a lunch appointment with a friend,” Nan Dengwei smiled and stood up. “I’ll be going now… Senior Meng, what about you?”
“I’m having lunch here,” Meng Huaizhi did not move.
As for the message Shen Wu had sent to rush him to leave, it was directly put back into his pocket with his phone.
If he didn’t see it, it didn’t exist.
Back in the room, Shen Wu was holding a tissue with both hands, covering half of his face.
The peach blossom eyes above the white tissue were slightly red and widened in surprise. “…Why didn’t you leave?”
His voice was thick with a nasal tone.
Meng Huaizhi was also a little surprised. “You have a cold?”
“Mm…”
Nan Dengwei was not just talking nonsense.
Meng Huaizhi was glad that he had suppressed that moment of negative emotion and had chosen not to be a responsive neighborhood gege, and had made the decision to return to the room.
“You should go back. I might have the flu. Don’t let me infect you,” Shen Wu said again to rush him to leave, but his voice was thick with a nasal tone, more like acting cute than anything else.
Meng Huaizhi was even more reluctant to leave. “If I were to be infected, I would have been infected last night.”
Shen Wu: “…” Those words made it sound like they had done something last night.
Meng Huaizhi thought for a moment and then asked, “How long were you in the courtyard yesterday before I came?”
“Maybe an hour or two.”
“Then you caught a cold.”
“Oh…”
“Drink some hot water and then sleep for a while.”
Meng Huaizhi also put the pillow he had slept on on Shen Wu’s side to raise his head a little, so that his nose would not be so stuffy.
Half an hour later.
Meng Huaizhi hurried downstairs and called out to Xu Qiongya, “Auntie, Shen Wu seems to have a fever.”
Xu Qiongya was about to go out with Shen Tianheng and Shen Ping. She paused at his words and said anxiously, “…What’s wrong?”
Before she could finish, she had already taken two steps back.
Shen Ping and Shen Tianheng followed behind. Shen Tianheng’s brow was tightly furrowed, and he muttered, “Sleeping in is one thing, but he’s also making a fuss and wasting our time.”
On the noon of the first day of the New Year, according to the Shen family’s custom, Shen Tianheng would take his family to visit his former mother-in-law, which was Shen Ping’s own maternal grandmother. To reassure the old lady, Xu Qiongya, as the stepmother, would also go with them and come back after a meal.
Xu Qiongya rarely looked stern, but she glared at Shen Tianheng, “Don’t say any more!”
The four of them crowded into Shen Wu’s room, making a lot of noise, but Shen Wu on the bed still did not move. His handsome brow was slightly furrowed, showing his unbearable discomfort.
Xu Qiongya saw that his face was a bit too red and quickly went over to touch his forehead, bringing back a handful of hot sweat.
Shen Wu coughed again, his eyelids opened a crack, and he said weakly, “Mom…”
Xu Qiongya’s heart ached. When Shen Wu saw her anxious face, his naturally raised eyebrows drooped, and he said again, “I’m fine… cough, it’s just a little cold.”
“You clearly have a fever,” Xu Qiongya was so anxious that she asked Shen Tianheng, “Where’s Dr. Zhou?”
“He’s on vacation for the New Year,” Shen Tianheng’s brow was tightly furrowed. “I’ll call him over now.”
“No need,” Meng Huaizhi stopped him. “I’ve already contacted a familiar family doctor. He’ll be here in twenty minutes.”
Shen Ping silently picked up his phone and then silently lowered his hand.
Xu Qiongya was relieved and said gratefully, “You’re so thoughtful.”
Shen Wu was weak all over, but his mind was still clear. He heard the discussion of the few of them and felt that they were making a mountain out of a molehill. He was about to speak up to stop them.
Suddenly, a cool hand covered his forehead, resting lightly on it, like a bottle of iced mineral water in the hot summer, instantly dispelling the annoying heat.
“Auntie, is there a thermometer at home? Let’s take his temperature first,” Meng Huaizhi’s hand was on Shen Wu’s forehead, carefully distinguishing, and then said, “It’s okay, it shouldn’t be over 39 degrees.”
“Yes, I’ll go and get it,” Shen Ping volunteered.
More than ten minutes later, the family doctor Meng Huaizhi had invited arrived as promised.
He saw that Shen Tianheng was looking at his phone from time to time and said, “Uncle, Auntie, you can go first if you have something to do. I’ll take care of him.”
Shen Ping quickly said, “I’ll stay too.”
Shen Tianheng asked, “Aren’t you going to see your grandmother?”
“I can go anytime. Xiao Wu is sick, so a family member has to stay with him,” Shen Ping said. “Dad, Auntie, you go together. Don’t worry, just say hello to Grandma for me.”
Shen Tianheng was quite pleased. “Alright, then call me if anything happens.”
Shen Ping smiled and nodded, “Mm, don’t worry, Dad.”
The family doctor set up the IV drip and left the room, leaving the patient in a quiet environment to rest well.
But Shen Ping and Meng Huaizhi, neither of them was willing to leave, the reason being that the sick person needed to be accompanied.
“Xiao Wu,” Shen Ping sat down on the chair by the bed and asked gently, as if to himself, “…have you been too tired lately?”
Shen Wu’s eyes rolled around, and he would rather stare at the ceiling than pay attention to him.
Meng Huaizhi said from the side, “Because he was in a bad mood yesterday and stayed in the courtyard in the wind for a few hours.”
He added at the end, “Before I came.”
His words were filled with barbs, implying that Shen Wu’s bad mood was all because of his family.
Shen Ping turned a deaf ear and only looked at Shen Wu on the bed, “Xiao Wu, you should sleep first. You’ll be fine after a sleep. I’ll sit here with you.”
Just like when he was a child.
“Then you should go out first,” Meng Huaizhi said again. “Let him rest well.”
His plain tone was full of sharpness.
Shen Ping finally looked up, his face slightly dark, “I’m Xiao Wu’s older brother.”
“Me too,” Meng Huaizhi said and sat down directly by the bed.
Not only was he closer to Shen Wu than Shen Ping, but as if he had expected Shen Ping to bring up their blood relationship, he added, “I’m also his spouse.”
Shen Wu: “…” He didn’t know what to say and simply closed his eyes.
Meng Huaizhi was so cold and distant, unapproachable, but he would not be confrontational or sarcastic with anyone.
He would not hate anyone, just as he would not like anyone.
It was the first time Shen Ping had felt Meng Huaizhi’s aggression, because of his younger brother, to force him to leave his younger brother.
After a long while, he finally calmed his turbulent negative emotions. “…I’ll stay here with Xiao Wu.”
Meng Huaizhi said aggressively in a gentle tone, “If you want him to recover sooner, go out.”
Shen Wu quietly opened his eyes and happened to see the eyes hidden behind Shen Ping’s glasses, which were filled with incomprehension.
It was as if he was silently saying: There’s no love between you two. You’re just friends bound by a marriage certificate. On what grounds are you kicking me, his own older brother, out?
Shen Wu’s gaze flickered slightly and was caught by Meng Huaizhi’s peripheral vision.
Meng Huaizhi found that he was pretending to be asleep. And he had been listening to the two of them argue for a long time without saying a word.
Shen Wu was inexplicably guilty.
In an instant, Meng Huaizhi withdrew his gaze and looked indifferently at Shen Ping, whose gentle mask was already on the verge of crumbling.
Shen Wu’s hand was touched.
He looked at the hand that was pretending to be unintentional, its fingers half-resting on his palm.
He did not dodge for a long time, so Meng Huaizhi pressed his advantage, invaded his territory, and held his weak and limp hand firmly.
It was as if he had missed that opportunity to dodge and could no longer break free.
Then, he heard Meng Huaizhi’s voice sink extremely low, giving Shen Ping an ultimatum, “Get out.”
Even Shen Wu, who was listening, felt an inexplicable shock. That tone and his hot and strong hand seemed to be two different people.
Shen Ping finally left.
And Shen Wu’s tense nerves also relaxed. He had been pretending to be asleep before, but after relaxing, he became half-asleep.
His mind was muddled, and he only remembered that Meng Huaizhi seemed to have been with him all along.
Shen Wu’s nose was a bit stuffy, and he did not sleep very comfortably.
In a half-dream, there was always something cool and soft that repeatedly stroked his forehead, and only after it had absorbed enough heat from his forehead would it withdraw.
He really missed that coolness and finally couldn’t help but grab that thing and rub his cheek against it.
But his heart was full of dissatisfaction: Can’t you just touch my face? My face is also very hot.
After a long while, the thing he was holding was almost the same temperature as his cheek.
He opened his eyes with regret and then saw a slender hand.
Beside him, Meng Huaizhi’s eyes were slightly dark, and his voice was hoarse, “If you’re awake, stop rubbing.”
Shen Wu: “…”
Reason told him that he seemed to have done something very out of line.
But emotionally, the sick him was inexplicably wronged. The corners of his lips drooped, and he looked at Meng Huaizhi with confusion.
Meng Huaizhi’s features were not as cold as before, and his eyes were also deeper than before. He seemed to have spent a lot of effort to squeeze out a few words, “Stop rubbing… mm?”
He said not to rub, but he did not try to break free, letting the soft cheek rub against him affectionately, the feather-like hair tickling his palm.
It was just that his last “mm?” was very hoarse.
Shen Wu suddenly regained a bit of clarity.
A strange emotion spread from his heart, as if a hot current was flowing through his limbs. It was not a freezing but a freezing.
In an instant, he did not dare to move.
Meng Huaizhi withdrew his hand, used his warm palm to test the temperature of his forehead again, and most likely did not feel anything. He then took the water cup by the bed and brought it to Shen Wu’s lips, “The fever hasn’t gone down yet. Drink some water and then sleep for a while. I’ll call you for dinner later.”
Shen Wu grunted in agreement and took the water cup.
His throat was burning, and the warm and gentle water flowed down his throat, as if it had a small knife, making his throat hurt even more.
He couldn’t help but frown, but he still obediently drank half a cup of water.
Meng Huaizhi took the water cup, couldn’t help but reach out, pressed down on the short hair that had just rubbed against his palm, and rubbed it twice, “Good boy.”
Shen Wu: “…”
In a moment of heat, he pulled the quilt over his head again.
Meng Huaizhi helplessly and skillfully pulled the quilt back to its original position and tucked it in at his shoulder.
Shen Wu closed his eyes so tightly that his eyelashes trembled as if to cover up something.
He could always feel Meng Huaizhi’s gaze on his face.
He turned over and lay on his side, at least hiding half of his face in the pillow.
Meng Huaizhi tucked the quilt in behind him again.
Shen Wu: “…”
Isn’t the male lead’s persona in the novel a high-and-mighty flower? Why does he look more and more like a dad-type?
Because the male lead was an unattainable high-and-mighty flower, the progression of his relationship with the main character shou was mainly through the main character shou throwing himself at him first, and then he would respond.
As for more intimate contact… the novel did not describe it clearly and was vague, as if the author could not even imagine how the male lead would date, how he would care for his lover.
And could not imagine his desire.
The novel also could not concretize the hoarse voice that was filled with desire.
For example, that “mm?”
Thinking of this, Shen Wu quietly pulled the quilt up a little.
To cover his red ears.
