What's So Troublesome About It?

The farce did not end until nine o'clock.

Although Feng Yanshan had not done anything to his eldest brother's family, the thorn had already lodged in his heart. Sooner or later, he would pull it out. It was only a matter of time.

Bai Yunsheng stood at the gates of the main residence. The moon shone bright amid sparse stars, and those scattered points of light made the heavy black sky seem a little less lonely and bleak.

Bai Yunsheng did not particularly care about what had happened at the main residence. He was just tired. He did not want to return to that so-called home; compared with that place, he would rather go back to the dormitory.

At least the people there were not as detestable as the Feng Household.

That was what he thought, but when he spoke, he sounded as though he were obediently following Feng Yanshan's arrangements. "Father, can I go back to school to sleep tonight?"

Feng Yanshan drew back his gaze from the distance. "What is it?"

Bai Yunsheng said, "It's closer to school. I can use the time on the road to study."

Feng Yanshan said, "Do as you please."

Feng Yanshan had never cared much about such things.

Perhaps feeling that his tone had been too casual, Feng Yanshan added, "Have the daily necessities in the dorm been prepared?"

Bai Yunsheng nodded. "The driver has taken care of everything."

Feng Yanshan gave a hum. "Put up with it for now. After some time, I'll switch you to another dorm. If you want to move in, someone else has to move out, so there are procedures to handle."

Bai Yunsheng understood what Feng Yanshan meant. At the school he attended, every Gold Badge holder had a private two-hundred-square-meter apartment. But there were only so many apartments. If someone moved in, someone else would certainly have to leave.

Bai Yunsheng said, "Sorry to trouble you, Father."

Feng Yanshan said, "Then I'll have the driver take you first."

Bai Yunsheng shook his head. "No need. I want to take a walk around here. I'll get a cab back later."

Feng Yanshan had been scrolling through his phone the whole time, though no one knew what he was busy with. Still, he put on a show of concern and said, "Be careful."

Bai Yunsheng looked straight ahead. "Don't worry."

After leaving the main residence, Bai Yunsheng felt that even the air outside was much fresher. The slightly cool breeze carried a faint floral scent, making his heavy body feel much lighter. He wandered aimlessly for a while, then lowered his head to check the time.

Nine thirty at night.

The old man liked quiet surroundings, and the residence was located in a remote area. Bai Yunsheng tried to hail a car for ages but could not get one.

When someone was unlucky, even drinking water could make them choke.

At some point, the previously pleasant night sky had darkened. Sparse raindrops slanted down with the wind, and Bai Yunsheng stepped back beneath a tree for shelter.

Bai Yunsheng took out his phone and stared at its dim screen for a while. He truly did not want to call Feng Yanshan. His finger swiped a few times before hovering over a name.

Bai Yunsheng stared at it for a long time, but his finger never pressed down. The birds sheltering from the rain startled the branches, and rainwater trembled loose, falling onto Bai Yunsheng's fair neck. The icy water made him shiver. When he looked back at his phone, the number he had not meant to press had already been dialed.

Bai Yunsheng looked at the phone screen blurred by rain, panic flashing through his eyes. He nervously tried to hang up, but Meng Shangzhi's voice came through from the other end.

The call was answered after only one ring.

Like the brief shower shaken loose by the birds just now, they had been such random drops of rain, yet they had so coincidentally made the call connect.

It was fate.

"Shengsheng?"

Bai Yunsheng tightened his grip around the phone, then lifted it to his ear.

"Mr. Meng."

There was several seconds of silence on the other end.

"Why are you calling me Mr. Meng again?"

Bai Yunsheng blinked and looked at the empty road. "Brother, are you free right now?"

"Yes."

"It's raining. I didn't bring an umbrella, and I can't get a cab. Could you come pick me up?"

"Okay. Send me your location. I'll be right there."

Bai Yunsheng sent over his location. "Sorry to trouble you. Then, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up first."

"Wait."

His hand paused as he moved the phone away.

"Keep the call on like this. Hang up when I get there."

Bai Yunsheng looked at the shallow puddle on the ground. It was a little dirty, yet a tender green leaf had fallen into it. His lips moved. "Okay."

Neither of them spoke during Meng Shangzhi's drive over. Only their faint breathing sounded by each other's ears.

After an unknown length of time, dazzling headlights shone down the silent road. Bai Yunsheng instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes. The lights were too harsh, and rain danced before them, fine and dense. Then the car stopped in front of Bai Yunsheng. The window rolled down, and Meng Shangzhi's face entered his view.

His hair was somewhat messy, and so was his shirt.

"Get in."

Bai Yunsheng opened the rear door and got in.

"There's a towel in the bag. Dry yourself off. There are clothes too. They're mine, but they're clean."

Rainwater clung to Bai Yunsheng's body and brows, lending his features a seductive charm. He glanced at the bag, his hand resting on the leather seat as his fingers moved unconsciously. "Here?"

Meng Shangzhi glanced at the rearview mirror, his Adam's apple bobbing. Then the partition inside the car rose.

A few minutes later, tapping sounded from behind him.

The partition lowered.

"Thank you."

Bai Yunsheng was very close, close enough for Meng Shangzhi to smell him. Perhaps because he had stood in the rain for so long, he seemed to carry the damp, wet scent of rainfall.

Meng Shangzhi asked, "You're not going home?"

Bai Yunsheng leaned back. "To school."

The car fell silent for a moment.

Bai Yunsheng lifted his eyes to look at the hands gripping the steering wheel. The fingers were long and slender, several veins standing out on the backs of his hands. They were very sexy.

"It's late, and the school gates are closed too." Meng Shangzhi's voice interrupted Bai Yunsheng's gaze. "Come to my place. You stood in the rain for so long; you'll catch a cold."

Bai Yunsheng said, "It's too much trouble."

Meng Shangzhi said, "You've already called me brother. What's so troublesome about it?"

In the end, they arrived at the Meng Household.

But it was not the place where they had eaten before.

Bai Yunsheng walked into the apartment in a slight daze. Everything within sight was in warm tones, which did not seem much like Meng Shangzhi or suit him at all.

"This is?"

Meng Shangzhi brought Bai Yunsheng a pair of slippers. "The place I stay at most often."

Bai Yunsheng gave an oh.

Meng Shangzhi said, "Sit down first."

Bai Yunsheng said okay again and watched Meng Shangzhi walk away. He sat on the sofa somewhat stiffly.

The place he stayed at most often.

Wasn't that his private territory?

No wonder it felt so lived-in. Unlike that other place, which looked grand and luxurious but felt cold in every corner.

At that thought, a trace of warmth-laced ambiguity spread through the air.

Bai Yunsheng lifted a hand and rubbed his face.

Then, politely, he began looking over the things within his field of vision.

A few seconds later, his gaze drifted farther away against his will and landed on the display cabinet beside the television. Under the warm yellow light sat a picture frame containing a dried flower.