RTCBM 13

The phone vibrated again. A new message came in. It was from Xiao Xing. When Wen Shang tapped it open, he saw the other had sent him a laughing cartoon cat emoji.

It was already past midnight.
Wen Shang replied: Why aren’t you asleep yet?

Xiao Xing responded quickly: I just finished working overtime at the company. Just got off and heading home now.

Wen Shang: That’s pretty late. Be careful on your way back.

Xiao Xing: Don’t worry. I’m a grown man, not some girl. Nothing to be afraid of.

Wen Shang: Still, stay safe.

Xiao Xing: Got it. But I’m a bit hungry right now. Gonna stop by a convenience store for something to eat first.

Wen Shang thought for a moment and then asked: Wanna grab late-night food together?

Xia Xing: Sure. There’s a food stall near my place that’s pretty good.

Wen Shang: Send me your location. I’ll head over now.

Xiaoxing chose a night market food stall near his apartment. When Wen Shang arrived, he spotted Xiao Xing already sitting at the table, rinsing the utensils with hot water.

“Have you been here long?” Wen Shang asked as he walked over and pulled out a chair.

“Not really. Just around ten minutes.”
In Xiaoxing mode, Mu Yuan always greeted Wen Shang with a cheerful expression.

Mu Yuan pushed the menu over to him.
“I ordered a few of their signature stir-fried dishes earlier. Take a look and see if there’s anything else you want. I’ll add to the order. This one’s on me.”

“You decide. I’ll eat whatever you order,” Wen Shang said, bringing the teacup to his lips for a sip.

Mu Yuan pointed at Wen Shang’s three-piece suit and grinned. “You’re dressed pretty formally. Did you attend something important tonight?”

“It was my uncle’s birthday. I went to his banquet this evening.”

Mu Yuan perked up with interest. He rested his chin in both hands and widened his eyes curiously. “What did you get him for a gift?”

“He’s into antique collecting, so I picked out a porcelain piece from the Jingtai era of the Ming Dynasty.”

“That must’ve cost a lot, right?”

Wen Shang didn’t mention the price.
He just replied casually, “It was manageable. I can afford it.”

Rich second-gen bastard.

“Then I’m sure your uncle was really happy.”

“Not necessarily,” Wen Shang said, swirling the tea in his cup.

He seemed a little downcast. “I thought he’d really like the gift I got him, but later I realized that no matter how expensive it was, it couldn’t compare to someone else cooking him a meal or singing him a song.”

“Honestly, gifts don’t have to be expensive,” Mu Yuan said, slipping into his comforting big-brother mode. “What really matters is the thought behind it. What elders want is usually pretty simple. They don’t need material things as much as they want emotional connection. Spending time with them, chatting, having tea, eating together… that’s enough to make them feel content.”

While Mu Yuan was talking, Wen Shang kept his eyes on him the whole time, staring at that clean, sunny face.

That gaze was too intense. Too direct.
It made Mu Yuan feel extremely uncomfortable. He shivered slightly and held it in for a while, but eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Do I look weird today or something?”

Wen Shang didn’t even try to hide it.
“Looking at you just puts me in a really good mood.”

Freaking pervert…

The dishes arrived quickly. Not long after, the four or five stir-fried dishes Mu Yuan had ordered were all brought to the table.

As usual, the two of them chatted casually while eating. Wen Shang would now and then take the initiative to pick up food and place it in Mu Yuan’s bowl.

Mu Yuan accepted it all with a polite smile but secretly pushed every piece to the side without touching them. Inwardly, he was cursing nonstop.

Damn disgusting pervert.
Who asked you to put food in my bowl?
What, you want me to eat your saliva or something? How do I know you don’t have some kind of disease?

“I can help myself. The dishes are close enough, I can reach.”

But Wen Shang either didn’t get the hint or just refused to acknowledge it. Not only did he not stop, he doubled down and started giving Mu Yuan even more food.

“You said you were really hungry. So eat more.”

Mu Yuan stared at the little mountain forming in his bowl. He couldn’t eat it, but he couldn’t not eat it either.
Fuck….

In the end, Mu Yuan gave up on the stir-fries entirely. He called the waiter over and ordered a bunch of grilled skewers instead. Let’s see how that clueless pervert plans to pick food off those.

And what’s grilled food without beer?
Mu Yuan asked the waiter for two dozen Budweisers.

“Come on, let’s drink.”

He popped open a can for himself, then cracked another and placed it in front of Wen Shang.

Wen Shang looked down at the beer but didn’t touch it. “I drove tonight. I’ll pass on the alcohol.”

“Oh, alright then.” Mu Yuan didn’t insist.
“I’ll drink by myself.”

Just as he was reaching out to take the beer back, Wen Shang suddenly changed his mind. He picked up the can on the table and took a few gulps, then took off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, ready to dig into the skewers.

“I thought you said you were driving later. Why are you drinking?”

“It’s boring if only one of us drinks. Worst case, I’ll just get a ride home later.” Wen Shang curled his lips slightly. If you ignored the fact that he was an absolute scumbag of a pervert, that sharply defined face of his really was ridiculously handsome.

After finishing their late-night meal and settling the bill, it was time to part ways.
They had barely stepped out of the shop when the weather suddenly turned.
Rain poured down in sheets, forcing them to rush back into the store for shelter.

The rain didn’t stop. Wen Shang figured he might as well call a ride and give Xiaoxing a lift along the way.
He opened the app and searched for a while, but not a single car was available.

Standing there waiting wasn’t going to help either. Mu Yuan ran off to the convenience store next door. When he returned, he was holding one umbrella over his head and carrying another in his hand. He handed the spare umbrella to Wen Shang and said,
“Why don’t you come over to my place for a bit? I live nearby.”

Wen Shang’s first thought wasn’t about being alone with Xiaoxing, but rather about his hot-tempered, nouveau riche older brother. He hesitated for a moment and asked, “Would that be inconvenient? I don’t want to disturb your family.”

“It’s fine. I live alone.”

The walk from the night stall to Mu Yuan’s apartment was only about two hundred meters, but the rain was coming down so hard that even with umbrellas, both of them ended up completely soaked.

Once they got inside, Mu Yuan opened his closet and handed Wen Shang a set of clean clothes along with a dry towel.
“Go take a shower and change. I’ve got a washer-dryer here.”

Wen Shang was a little taller than Mu Yuan, but their builds weren’t too different.
Mu Yuan’s clothes fit him surprisingly well.
Once he was done cleaning up and changed, Mu Yuan also came out of the bathroom.

He was wearing just a tank top and shorts as he stood in the kitchen making coffee.
Wen Shang’s eyes wandered up those long, lean legs and stopped at that firm, round ass. The monkey in his chest started getting restless, and the horse in his mind was galloping wild.

Trying to distract himself, Wen Shang asked a casual question.

“Xiao Xing, why don’t you live with your brother?”

“My brother lives with his gang of buddies.
But I like peace and quiet. Living with a bunch of loud guys isn’t my thing. Plus, this place is close to my company. Makes commuting easier.”

“You and your brother have such different personalities. Do you two fight often?”

“Actually, not really. My brother has a bad temper, but he treats me pretty well.
He always considers me first in everything.”

Wen Shang nodded.

Mu Yuan returned to the living room with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Wen Shang, then held his own and sat cross-legged beside him on the couch.
He turned on the TV and picked a sci-fi movie from the home theater system.

Outside, the wind and rain raged on.
Inside, the two of them sat quietly, sipping coffee and watching a movie.

Mu Yuan focused on the screen. Wen Shang focused on him.

The longer he stared, the more puzzled he felt. “Xiao Xing” was clearly sitting right beside him, not moving a muscle, yet it always felt like he was shifting subtly.
How was it that every passing second, he somehow looked even better than the one before? That damp hair sticking to his cheek made Wen Shang want to reach over, gently tuck it behind his ear, and trail a series of soft kisses across his face.

If he kept staring any longer, he might actually do it. Wen Shang quickly looked away and downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already morning.

Mu Yuan yawned, still feeling groggy.
He rolled over to the other side of the bed, planning to sleep a little longer.

It took him a while in his half-asleep state to realize he was lying in his bedroom bed.
He vaguely remembered watching a movie with Wen Shang on the couch last night.
They must’ve fallen asleep there because he’d been too tired to keep his eyes open.

What the hell did that pervert do to him?

Mu Yuan snapped fully awake, his body going stiff. He sat up abruptly and flung off the blanket, looking down at himself.

His clothes were all still on properly.
Still not reassured, he reached a hand into his pants and checked himself.

No pain in the back. Only then did he feel safe enough to confirm that damn pervert hadn’t done anything to him.

Wen Shang had already left before Mu Yuan woke up. Before leaving, he had washed the clothes Mu Yuan lent him and hung them out to dry on the balcony.

On the dining table was a bag of breakfast.
When Mu Yuan reached out and touched it, it was still warm. Tucked underneath was a small note. He pulled it out and quickly read it over. It was something Wen Shang had left before heading out.

The message was brief and to the point:
Thanks for letting me crash last night. I bought you some breakfast and restocked your fridge with some fresh groceries.

Mu Yuan walked over and opened the fridge.

Yesterday, it had been completely empty.
Today, it was stuffed full with vegetables, fruit, meat, and milk.

He immediately picked up his phone and messaged Wen Shang: I saw what you did to my fridge. Why’d you buy so much stuff…?

Wen Shang replied almost instantly:
I accidentally saw your cupboard yesterday. You’ve got a mountain of instant noodles in there. Those things are junk. Don’t eat them so often. Try eating something healthier, alright?

Looking back, Mu Yuan realized it had been a long time since anyone had cared for him like that.

His brothers were loyal, but they were all rough guys who could barely take care of themselves, let alone him. As for He Dongying, he might have been the type to take a knife for a brother, but when it came to daily life, he and Mu Yuan were just as hopeless as each other. Expecting care and concern from that guy was a joke.

Still, no one does something for nothing.
That kind of sudden attentiveness usually came with a price. Mu Yuan snorted and quickly downed the rest of the breakfast in a few bites, then tried to shove that damn pervert out of his head.