BDBE 52
Chapter 52 Picking Mushrooms
The sky was gradually darkening, and walking under the dense canopy of trees was almost like being in the dark.
Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui walked through the woods, the howling wind and the chirping of insects made the atmosphere feel eerie. They did not mean to go too far, so they slowed down.
The couple felt a little bolder now that they were out of sight.
Zhou Hui offered his arm, and Shen Wanchao naturally took it.
As they walked, Zhou Hui casually mentioned, “That Huo family kid likes you, have you noticed?”
“What?” Shen Wanchao was surprised. “You’re talking nonsense.”
Zhou Hui snorted, “Why would I talk nonsense about something like that? The whole way, that kid’s eyes were on you, and he kept trying to fawn over you. What else could it be but liking you?”
Shen Wanchao sighed helplessly, “He didn’t fawn over me.”
He hadn’t said more than a few words to Huo Tingsong the whole way.
“That’s because I blocked all of his attempts,” Zhou Hui chuckled. “Never underestimate an Alpha’s keen sense of competition.”
Since he said that, Shen Wanchao could only believe him. Then he chuckled softly upon remembering something.
“What are you laughing at?” Zhou Hui was a little annoyed.
Shen Wanchao cleared his throat: “I was thinking about what Huo’s expression would be if he knew about this.”
Zhou Hui imagined it along with him and couldn’t help but laugh: “Shen Xiaotu, Shen Xiaotu, you’ve always been so popular, never lacking suitors. Look how long you’ve been in school, and you’ve already made that Huo family kid so infatuated.”
Shen Wanchao rolled his eyes: “Why are you being so jealous? Even if some people liked me, they all backed down after finding out I’m not single, okay?”
“Not everyone,” Zhou Hui corrected.
Shen Wanchao paused, a certain person appeared in his mind, and his mood suddenly became less relaxed.
During his university years, Zhou Hui spent two years abroad on exchange. During that time, a guy kept pestering Shen Wanchao.
Initially, Shen Wanchao only considered him a friend, but one day he unexpectedly heard him confess his feelings.
Shen Wanchao rejected him and told him he was already engaged, but the guy persisted. Later, he even forced Shen Wanchao to mention the marking, but the guy still didn’t know his place. He said that marking meant nothing and spewed nonsense about how the interaction between AOs was just a physiological impulse driven by pheromones, and that his love for Shen Wanchao was genuine and unadulterated…
Shen Wanchao eventually had to slap him to calm him down.
After learning about this, Zhou Hui immediately flew back to find him and gave him a stern warning.
However, even so, the guy hadn’t given up. He still appeared around Shen Wanchao from time to time, though not as harassing as before and not affecting Shen Wanchao’s normal life, so Shen Wanchao simply ignored him.
Until graduation, the other person didn’t do anything further and even apologized to Shen Wanchao at the graduation banquet. Since they were both adults, Shen Wanchao maintained appearances and reached a superficial reconciliation.
However, after graduation, they went their separate ways and never contacted each other again.
Just this year, Shen Wanchao went to Country A on business and happened to visit the other person’s city. The other person contacted him, and they met and had a meal together.
More than a decade had passed; the other person was now married and had a child, and those memories had faded away like smoke.
Shen Wanchao sighed, “That happened so many years ago, are you planning to hold a grudge until your grave? And didn’t you have few suitors? As far as I know, even last year, young celebrities were still flirting with you, and they didn’t give up even knowing you were married. And Secretary Han, although it was just a misunderstanding, you spread it so easily that people believed it, which shows that your image is generally unreliable.”
Zhou Hui didn’t expect the boomerang to hit him so hard. He quickly apologized, “That’s because they have no sense of boundaries! Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this anymore, it’s all my fault, I spoke too quickly, don’t be angry, smile?”
As he spoke, Zhou Hui reached out and pinched Shen Wanchao’s cheek.
Zhou Hui laughed, “Hey, you do seem to have gained a little weight.”
Shen Wanchao, whose mood had just improved, pushed him away upon hearing this, and turned to leave.
Zhou Hui quickly caught up: “I think it’s better to be a little chubby. Your weight has always been below normal, which isn’t good for your health. You don’t need to appear on camera anymore, don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Zhou Hui grabbed Shen Wanchao’s wrist and pulled him back. He smiled as he said, “Besides, you look better when you’re chubby, you feel softer to the touch.”
Shen Wanchao wasn’t actually particularly anxious about gaining weight. He used to care about it more than anything when he was younger, but now he didn’t care anymore because he no longer needed to care about what others thought of him.
But that didn’t stop him from picking a fight with Zhou Hui: “Are you saying I didn’t look good when I was thin?”
Zhou Hui: “…” He was doomed by his own loose tongue.
Shen Wanchao laughed out loud.
Zhou Hui explained earnestly, “In my eyes, you’re beautiful no matter what, but you also have to follow basic medical principles and universal human aesthetic preferences. If I lost another 30 pounds, can you guarantee you’d still like my appearance as much as you do now?”
Shen Wanchao answered without hesitation, “Of course I can guarantee it, I’m not a superficial person.”
Zhou Hui took his hand and placed it on his chest, letting him feel his own body, then said, “Are you serious? Then I’ll start dieting right now.”
Summer clothes were thin, and the heat from his palm burned into Shen Wanchao’s heart, then onto his cheeks.
After picturing what Zhou Hui would look like if he lost another 30 pounds, Shen Wanchao couldn’t be as confident as before, and whispered, “Hmm… you’re pretty good as you are now, you can’t lose weight.”
Zhou Hui grinned after winning back some ground.
Just then, a cool drop of water landed on Shen Wanchao’s nose. He touched his nose, and a drop of rainwater spread across his fingertip.
“It’s raining, let’s go back to camp first.”
The two turned back together.
…
On the other side, after entering the woods, Zhou Mingchen was still pestering Lin Anyi for an answer.
Ever since he helped Lin Anyi carry his bag halfway up the mountain, Lin Anyi had become sullen.
First, he had asked him to return the bag, but when Zhou Mingchen refused, Lin Anyi sulked and silently charged up the mountain while ignoring all calls.
After reaching the campsite, Zhou Mingchen returned the bag to Lin Anyi and asked why he was angry, but Lin Anyi didn’t even acknowledge him. Zhou Mingchen felt more wronged than Dou E.
“I’m asking you, are you mute?” Zhou Mingchen followed two steps behind Lin Anyi. He repeated like a mantra, “Say something, why are you ignoring me? What did I do to you? Speak, Lin Xiao Xue, Lin Anyi…”
Lin Anyi clenched his fist at his sides. He suddenly turned around, and warned, “Don’t call me Lin Xiao Xue, that’s not my name!”
“Okay, okay, I won’t call you that.”
Zhou Mingchen sighed inwardly, at least this guy was finally willing to speak.
Zhou Mingchen asked, “Then you have to tell me why you’re ignoring me. Is it just because I gave you a nickname?”
Lin Anyi opened his mouth, but then turned his head away and kept quiet again.
He didn’t want to tell Zhou Mingchen his true feelings because he knew his reason for being angry was ridiculous.
If Zhou Mingchen ignored him and let him sulk for a while, he would be fine soon. But this annoying guy insisted on asking. If he continued to remain silent, Zhou Mingchen would definitely keep asking, and Lin Anyi was already fed up.
And as expected, the next moment, Zhou Mingchen spoke again: “Is it really because of that? Aren’t you being a little petty, Lin Anyi? I kindly carried your bag for you, and you’re throwing a tantrum because of such a cute nickname?”
“Because I don’t need you to carry my bag, but you insisted on doing so. I asked you to give it back, and you acted like you didn’t hear me!” Lin Anyi blurted out.
Zhou Mingchen was stunned, completely bewildered: “I helped you carry your backpack because I saw you were tired and wanted to help you share the burden.”
Wasn’t he doing a good deed?!
Lin Anyi gritted his teeth, and forced himself to be even clearer: “I’m not so weak that I can’t even carry a backpack up a mountain.”
Zhou Mingchen still didn’t understand: “But you were just too tired to carry the backpack to the campsite!”
Lin Anyi’s gaze suddenly turned cold as he glanced at Zhou Mingchen.
Zhou Mingchen was confused; he didn’t think he had said anything wrong.
At that moment, Lin Anyi’s lips were as white as paper, and sweat soaked his forehead into clumps, as if he would faint with a gentle push. Who would believe that he could continue carrying a backpack weighing over ten pounds to complete the rest of the hiking?
Lin Anyi raised his voice: “That’s all because you insisted on taking my bag, making it impossible for me to prove I could do it. Now you’re so certain I can’t, and I don’t even have the confidence to refute you!”
Zhou Mingchen really didn’t understand; he rubbed his forehead and said, “Fine, fine, let’s just say that, but it’s just a small matter. Let it go, are you planning to hold a grudge for the rest of your life?”
Lin Anyi’s chest heaved as he said, word by word, “It’s not a small matter for me.”
“I don’t understand you, I really don’t understand you.” Zhou Mingchen shook his head. “I saw you were tired, so I kindly helped you carry the bag. You were relieved of your burden, and I wasn’t too tired either. In the end, we successfully reached the summit, that’s all. No one will think you’re weak just because I helped you carry the bag.”
“How do you know what others think?” Lin Anyi lowered his head, his voice filled with grievance. “People will only judge you in their hearts, they won’t say it out loud.”
“Then there’s even less reason to care?” Zhou Mingchen blinked blankly. “Since others won’t say it to your face to annoy you, let them think what they want. You’re not gold; does everyone in the world have to like you?”
Lin Anyi took a few deep breaths, then exhaled, struggling to suppress his anger. “I can’t reason with you. I’m going back.”
With that, Lin Anyi walked away.
Zhou Mingchen stepped forward, grabbed his wrist, and wouldn’t let him go.
“Look at you again, keeping everything bottled up inside.” Zhou Mingchen squeezed his hand. “If you don’t say anything, how am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?”
Lin Anyi tried to break free from Zhou Mingchen, but failed twice. His eyes reddened with anger as he glared at him: “Did what I just said help?”
Zhou Mingchen immediately replied: “It helped! If you didn’t say anything, I wouldn’t know anything. Even though I still don’t understand, at least we can try to understand each other.”
Lin Anyi retorted: “Since you can’t understand, then it’s useless. Since saying it is useless, then there’s no need to say it!”
With that, Lin Anyi finally broke free from Zhou Mingchen’s grasp and turned to leave.
Zhou Mingchen was also getting angry. He shouted at Lin Anyi, “Lin Anyi, do you know how weird your temper is? I’m only talking to you like this because I consider you a friend, otherwise I wouldn’t even bother with you. And you don’t even appreciate it! I don’t think you consider me a friend at all!”
“And you keep calling me ‘brother,’ but you don’t treat me like family at all!”
Lin Anyi heard his words, but ultimately didn’t stop or turn around. He quickly disappeared into the woods and night.
After Lin Anyi was completely out of sight, Zhou Mingchen angrily kicked a goose egg-sized stone at his feet.
He muttered to himself, “We were supposed to be picking mushrooms, but we didn’t find a single one.
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