RTCBM Extra 3

-Things About Their Life Together-

1.
The guest room door lock at home broke, but Mu Yuan and Wen Shang never noticed. One night, when they were about to bathe Quqi, the dog ran into the guest room to escape. Mu Yuan dragged Wen Shang along to catch him, and as soon as the door closed, it wouldn’t open again. The two of them, plus the dog, ended up trapped inside. Eventually, Quqi couldn’t hold it in and pooped right on the floor. Not long after, they noticed another foul smell. It turned out Nai Gai had snuck into the room too and pooped under the bed.

Mu Yuan and Wen Shang were stuck inhaling their sons’ poop fumes all night. By the time the housekeeper arrived with a locksmith the next morning, the two of them were already in a state of utter despair.

2.
Mu Yuan had a habit of asking Wen Shang to buy him anything he liked. Over time, their home became filled with packages of all shapes and sizes, even the hallway was blocked. Back when Wen Shang lived alone, his apartment had always maintained a clean, minimalist look. Ever since Mu Yuan moved in, nearly two-thirds of the place was taken up by Mu Yuan’s personal belongings, and the once tidy home had become a chaotic mess. Wen Shang told himself this was what a home should feel like, but deep down, he knew he was just trying to convince himself. Still, he had chosen his partner, and no matter what, he was the best.

3.
Wen Shang once thought that after Mu Yuan left the gang, he would finally ditch that tacky nouveau riche style for good. But he was completely wrong. Mu Yuan was simply born to flaunt that flashy taste. Wen Shang couldn’t take it anymore and sat him down for a long talk, urging him to change. In the end, they reached a compromise and came up with a temporary agreement. Mu Yuan could dress like a gangster on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but had to appear as Xiao Xing on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays would be decided by drawing lots.

4.
Mu Yuan liked to sleep naked at home. One morning, after waking up, he walked into the living room completely unclothed to get a drink. At that moment, Gao Zhiyu happened to stop by. Not wanting anyone else to see his partner in the nude, Wen Shang quickly grabbed a cushion and slammed it over Gao Zhiyu’s face, shoving him down onto the couch, nearly suffocating him. Poor Lao Gao was always the one who had to suffer.

5.
From a family dynamic standpoint, Mu Yuan was clearly the doting mom who spoiled their son. He turned a blind eye to Quqi’s mischief and coddled him endlessly. Wen Shang, on the other hand, was the strict dad. If their son misbehaved, there had to be punishment. Chewing up everything in sight? Punishment. Peeing or pooping wherever he pleased? Still punishment.

Mu Yuan shouted, “Wen Daxiong, why are you hitting my son?”

Wen Shang replied, “He did something wrong. He needs to learn a lesson.”

Heart aching for his dog, Mu Yuan rushed to stop him. “Just talk to him nicely. Why do you have to get physical?”

Wen Shang glanced at him with contempt and gave a cold snort. “Overly soft parents raise useless children.” Then he grabbed a rolled-up newspaper and gave Quqi’s chubby butt another firm whack.

Mu Yuan was speechless.

6.
Wen Shang always assumed Mu Yuan had picked up his wild, energetic personality from growing up under his second uncle’s care. But Bai Wei set the record straight. Mu Huafeng was actually a calm, steady man. In that sense, Mu Yuan and his uncle couldn’t be more different.

“Maybe it’s because of the music his mom played during pregnancy,” Bai Wei said.

“How do you mean?”

Bai Wei recalled that Mu Yuan’s parents were die-hard fans of George Lam. Back when his mom was pregnant, she would play his songs on repeat every day. Maybe that left an impression before he was even born.

That evening, Wen Shang deliberately played George Lam’s 10 Minutes Extended Mix in front of Mu Yuan. Sure enough, Mu Yuan immediately started vibing to it like a club DJ. The prenatal music theory actually seemed to hold water.

7.
Mu Yuan had a huge appetite for snacks and street food. He could eat more junk in a day than he did proper meals. On top of that, he absolutely hated vegetables. Wen Shang had to act like a nagging parent every day, insisting that he finish at least one plate of greens.

One evening, Wen Shang stabbed a piece of carrot with a fork and pushed it in front of him. Mu Yuan clamped his mouth shut and shook his head like a stubborn child.

“How old are you? Still picky with food?”

“I’m still your baby,” Mu Yuan said shamelessly.

Wen Shang rolled his eyes so hard it could’ve been audible. “Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Mu Yuan stood his ground. “You’re the one who said I’m your baby.”

Taking advantage of the moment when Mu Yuan opened his mouth to speak, Wen Shang quickly shoved the carrot in. “Stop talking nonsense and eat. If you dare spit it out, I swear I’ll deal with you myself.”

8.
Mu Yuan’s favorite hobby was getting Wen Shang to send him red packets. He often flirted with him while Wen Shang was at work or on business trips, sending all sorts of provocative selfies in exchange for money. Wen Shang saw right through his little tricks, but he still transferred money every time. Partly because he enjoyed seeing those shameless photos, and partly because he simply liked spoiling him.

9.
Lately, Mu Yuan had gotten addicted to luosifen.¹A Chinese noodle dish known for its strong smell, made with rice noodles in a spicy, sour broth flavored with snail stock and topped with pickled bamboo, peanuts, and tofu skin. He ordered it so often that the strong smell started bothering Wen Shang. With no other option, Mu Yuan took to eating it on the rooftop. It was winter, and he sat up there alone, wind in his face, happily slurping noodles. He didn’t mind at all, but Wen Shang couldn’t stand to see it. In the end, he brought Mu Yuan back inside. So what if it smelled? At worst, they could just open the windows.

10.
Mu Yuan was direct, not just when it came to love. One night, Wen Shang had dinner with some friends, drank a little, and ate a stir-fried dish loaded with garlic. When he got home, Mu Yuan was lying in bed on his phone. Wen Shang leaned over to kiss him, but Mu Yuan immediately covered his nose and pushed him away. “You should brush your teeth first,” he said. “Or at least chew some gum.”

Wen Shang was left speechless.

11.
Wen Shang had a new frustration lately. Every time Mu Yuan went out barefaced and casually dressed, strangers would approach him nonstop, asking for his contact info. Wen Shang hated it. He couldn’t understand why no one ever hit on him instead. He was obviously handsome too. Over time, his expression grew colder and more unapproachable, scaring off anyone who thought about coming near.

He wondered what could be done to keep those pests away. Letting Mu Yuan dress like a tacky nouveau riche worked, but it was too much of an eyesore, and Wen Shang didn’t enjoy it either. One day, Xiang Yang said, “If someone tries to hit on him, just hold his hand.”

So Wen Shang did exactly that. It drove away every last bee and fly, and made his claim crystal clear. Young Master Wen was very satisfied.

12.
One night, Mu Yuan and Wen Shang were out for a late-night snack. On their way home, Mu Yuan spotted a street stall and dragged Wen Shang over to take a look. He had his eye on two ceramic bowls and decided they’d make perfect food bowls for Quqi.

The vendor originally asked for 15 yuan each, but Mu Yuan bargained it down to 15 yuan for both.

The vendor sighed, “You again? Fine, fine.. I’ll sell them to you.”

As Wen Shang paid, he curiously asked, “Does he come here often?”

It was just a casual question, but from it, Wen Shang found out that Mu Yuan had once bought a ten-yuan ring from this very stall.

That night, Wen Shang’s face turned darker than coal.

Mu Yuan had to coax him for a long time. In bed, of course.

Naturally, after all that coaxing, they still had to replace the ring with a proper matching set.

-THE END-

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  A Chinese noodle dish known for its strong smell, made with rice noodles in a spicy, sour broth flavored with snail stock and topped with pickled bamboo, peanuts, and tofu skin.