Chapter 36
Animals have a natural instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. Humans are no exception.
Cheng Xian thought, this was why he instinctively disliked Song Shuci.
Unlike Jian Wu’s straightforwardness, he always felt that Song Shuci, although quiet, was actually very scheming and deep.
There was a saying in the countryside, “A dog that bites doesn’t bark.” In Cheng Xian’s eyes, Song Shuci was that kind of dog, silent but deadly.
Before high school, this impression was mostly based on his gut feeling, his animal instinct. It wasn’t until high school that his premonition came true.
Cheng Xian was an average student. After the high school entrance exam, his contact with Jian Wu became less and less frequent due to distance and academic pressure. They only met occasionally.
After a gathering, he posted a photo with Jian Wu on social media. Unexpectedly, many of his classmates asked him for Jian Wu’s contact information. Cheng Xian, who always had a knack for making money, immediately saw a business opportunity.
At first, he only sold contact information, then he started selling photos. To take more photos, he would always invite Jian Wu to gatherings.
Jian Wu wasn’t stupid and quickly realized what was happening.
Teenage boys often had simple ways of solving problems. Jian Wu beat him up and gave him a warning, and that was the end of it.
Unexpectedly, his mother, feeling embarrassed about this, went to Jian Wu’s parents to apologize. Song Shuci’s mother was also there, and so the matter reached Song Shuci’s ears.
Actually, Cheng Xian didn’t think it was a big deal at first, until one night, while he was skipping class and playing games at an internet cafe, his headphones were suddenly pulled off.
He turned around irritably, and Song Shuci was standing behind him, looking down at him with a cold, expressionless face.
The word “aura” wasn’t commonly used back then, Cheng Xian just instinctively felt intimidated.
He hesitated for half a second between running and not running. Song Shuci threw an envelope of photos at his face. He covered his face and looked at the photos, his hands trembling more and more as he flipped through them.
The envelope was filled with photos of him skipping class, climbing over the school wall, secretly playing games at internet cafes, and even topping up his game account. The most terrifying thing was that he hadn’t realized he had been photographed for so long.
“You like taking photos, don’t you?” Song Shuci’s voice came from above him. Although he wasn’t yelling, it still made him feel uneasy.
Song Shuci asked him calmly: “Do you want me to send these to your school, or to your mother?”
Cheng Xian immediately surrendered, repeatedly saying “I was wrong, Xiao Song Gege,” practically kowtowing to him.
His logic was simple: At worst, the school would expel him, and his mother would beat him up. Their ways of expressing anger were straightforward. But Song Shuci, just because he sold a few photos of Jian Wu, had endured the pressure of high school studies, hidden it from everyone, and gone to such lengths to find opportunities and time to photograph him for so long. This person must be a little crazy.
One could confront a person, but one couldn’t confront a lunatic.
So from then on, he was truly terrified of Song Shuci, avoiding him whenever possible. He didn’t even dare to mention this incident to Jian Wu all these years, even after they rekindled their friendship.
Although Song Shuci hadn’t said anything, he always felt that telling Jian Wu wouldn’t end well for him.
He never expected to fall into Song Shuci’s hands again.
He now just wanted to go back in time and chop off the hand that sent that gift to Jian Wu.
Why did he have to save that little bit of money?
He skipped the usual pre-apology and just blurted out: “I was wrong, Xiao Song Ge, I was really wrong.”
Actually, after the incident in high school, Song Shuci had told Jian Wu not to contact him again. He knew Song Shuci disliked him, and after the photo incident came to light, he was too ashamed to contact Jian Wu.
Jian Wu still messaged him secretly at first, but because he was afraid of Song Shuci, and also felt guilty, he pretended not to see them. Gradually, Jian Wu stopped contacting him, until Jian Wu returned to City B to retake the postgraduate entrance exam.
He had already opened his KTV by then. Jian Wu liked singing, so when he was stressed, he would come and patronize his business. They resumed their occasional gaming and chatting.
Later, when Jian Wu failed the exam for the second time, they stayed up all night talking in the KTV, bundled in thick winter coats, as if they were back in their carefree elementary and middle school days, talking about past conflicts, present anxieties, and future uncertainties, finally mending their friendship.
Honestly, Cheng Xian really enjoyed being friends with Jian Wu. Jian Wu was a good person, but he admitted he was a coward. If Song Shuci caused him trouble again, he would definitely choose to compromise.
So when Song Shuci said to him earnestly, “He considers you a friend,” Cheng Xian instinctively replied: “I’m not worthy, it’s my fault, I’ll stay away from him immediately.”
Song Shuci was silent for a long time, so long that Cheng Xian was about to kowtow to him, before finally saying: “Who told you to stay away from him?”
Cheng Xian was stunned: “Wasn’t that what you meant?”
“Are you that afraid of me?” Song Shuci frowned slightly.
Cheng Xian glanced at him and said insincerely: “No, no.”
“Whatever,” Song Shuci looked away indifferently and said calmly, “Besides, he’s his own person, he doesn’t need my permission to make friends.”
“Are you serious?” Cheng Xian subconsciously questioned. Seeing Song Shuci rinsing the cleaver under the tap, he quickly covered his mouth: “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s not important.”
Song Shuci looked at him, holding the cleaver, and Cheng Xian immediately took a step back, “No, bro, I, I…”
Song Shuci put the cleaver back in the knife block in front of him, wiped his hands with a tissue, and took out his phone: “What’s your WeChat ID? I’ll add you.”
Cheng Xian almost choked.
He clutched his chest in relief, took out his phone, opened his WeChat QR code, and handed it to Song Shuci, saying hesitantly: “You’d better… you’d better hide my Moments posts.”
Song Shuci, who was about to exit, switched back and opened his Moments.
Boss Cheng’s Moments were very professionally curated, with no less than five sex toy advertisements per day, more dedicated than an internet celebrity.
Cheng Xian originally thought Song Shuci would just glance at it and exit, but he unexpectedly started reading them one by one with a furrowed brow, making it difficult for Cheng Xian to tell whether he was simply curious or planning to scold him after reading them all.
Outside the kitchen, Jian Wu, who had been playing on his phone alone on the sofa, suddenly sneezed.
Just as he wondered if the temperature fluctuations were too drastic recently and was about to get a blanket from his bedroom, he caught sight of Song Shuci and Cheng Xian, each holding their phones, seemingly exchanging information.
His kitchen had a transparent sliding door. Although soundproof, it wasn’t opaque. He could clearly see Cheng Xian’s secretive expression. Jian Wu looked at the two suspiciously, slipped his feet out of his slippers, quietly walked over barefoot, and suddenly slid open the kitchen door: “What are you two doing!?”
Cheng Xian’s phone dropped to the floor.
Song Shuci, however, was much calmer. He put away his phone without changing his expression and said to him: “Cheng Xian wants to buy you a dishwasher, I’m helping him choose.”
Cheng Xian, picking up his phone: “Ah?”
Song Shuci glanced at him.
Cheng Xian, who was about to question him, silently shrank back, tears welling up for his wallet, and said with a forced smile: “Yes, I want to buy you a dishwasher.”
“Really?” Jian Wu didn’t quite believe him, “You’re being so generous?”
“Really,” Song Shuci looked at Jian Wu, “It’ll be delivered tomorrow. The range hood also needs to be replaced, I’ll have them delivered together. Oh, and Cheng Xian also said he wants to buy you a massage chair, so you can lie down while watching TV, more comfortable than the sofa.”
With a “thump,” Cheng Xian’s phone dropped again.
“Haha,” he chuckled dryly, picking up his phone, “My hands are so shaky, like I have Parkinson’s. Should I go get checked? The checkup fee is quite expensive, how about the massage chair…”
“The massage chair is definitely happening,” Song Shuci interrupted, “I happen to know someone who sells massage chairs, I can recommend them to Cheng Xian.”
“That… forget it,” Jian Wu said considerately, “The massage chair isn’t necessary, and neither is the range hood, you haven’t earned that much money.”
“You’re truly my brother!” Cheng Xian was almost in tears. Just as he was about to grab Jian Wu’s hand in excitement, he suddenly felt a chill behind him.
He immediately grabbed his own right hand with his left and politely shook it.
“What are you doing?” Jian Wu was puzzled by his strange behavior.
“My hands are shaking too much,” Cheng Xian rubbed the space between his thumb and index finger, “I’m just pressing on them.”
Jian Wu looked at Song Shuci, then at Cheng Xian, but didn’t see anything unusual, so he just said, “Alright, you two wash the dishes properly, don’t get distracted.”
“Why are you still acting like a teacher even at home?” Song Shuci smiled at him.
Cheng Xian muttered under his breath: “He’s been a teacher for so many years, how can he not act like one?”
The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart. Song Shuci caught the detail in his words and repeated: “So many years?”
He had learned from Dean Ling today that Jian Wu had joined last year, so it should be less than a year.
Cheng Xian, realizing his slip-up, quickly corrected himself under Jian Wu’s warning gaze: “One year, one year–”
Song Shuci felt there was something he didn’t know hidden in these words. Normally, he would definitely press further, whether through threats or inducements, but this time, after thinking about it, he still didn’t ask, just took out his phone and sent Cheng Xian links for the dishwasher, range hood, and massage chair.
Cheng Xian glanced at Jian Wu, who was walking towards his bedroom, through the glass door and whispered: “Xiao Song Ge… I really don’t have that much money. I’m in a tight spot right now, all my money is tied up in investments, I haven’t even broken even yet!”
“I know.”
“Then–”
Song Shuci transferred him some money: “Use mine.”
“?” Cheng Xian asked, “Why don’t you just give them to him yourself?”
“He won’t accept them if I give them to him,” Song Shuci explained, “At least not now.”
Cheng Xian, relieved, hesitated for a moment, then said with a subtle tone: “Don’t tell me you’re trying to win him back?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Song Shuci retorted.
“Xiao Song Ge, I’m not trying to discourage you,” Cheng Xian quickly accepted the transfer and immediately switched to a relationship advisor mode.
“…It’s going to be difficult.”
He stroked his non-existent beard: “And honestly, you two aren’t suitable.”
Song Shuci clearly didn’t want to hear this, “Give me back my money.”
Cheng Xian first protectively clutched his phone, then, after a moment, transferred the money back to Song Shuci: “Even if I return your money, I still have to say, you two really aren’t suitable.”
“Xiao Song Ge, you don’t understand him.”
Even before the term “double standard” was invented, Cheng Xian had a deep understanding of Song Shuci’s two-faced nature. Song Shuci used to be very quiet, especially during adolescence, but his quietness wasn’t like introversion, more like he couldn’t be bothered to talk to people. Jian Wu, who had grown up with him, was the only exception.
In this situation, it was natural for Song Shuci to develop possessiveness towards Jian Wu. But if expressed incorrectly, this intense possessiveness would become a weapon against his loved one.
However, Cheng Xian didn’t dare to say these things in front of Song Shuci.
He glanced at Song Shuci’s expressionless face, preparing to be kicked out.
But Song Shuci just remained silent, lost in thought.
After a while, Song Shuci seemed to have calmed down. He wiped his hands with a towel and declined the transfer, “Just buy him those things first.”
“Also,” he looked at Cheng Xian, “The extra 5,000 yuan is for you, treat him well, and don’t take advantage of him like that again.”
