Little Meteor Chapter 17
byChapter 17 “Boyfriend, is that you?”
Shen Mu suffered from insomnia for almost the entire night, only falling asleep near dawn. He didn’t sleep long before being woken up by the percussive hammering coming from next door.
Shen Mu sat up and rubbed his hair irritably, his mind a mess. Everything that happened last night played uncontrollably on repeat in his head, every detail frighteningly clear.
Jiang Chengxuan had actually kissed him, and he himself hadn’t seemed to resist.
He instinctively raised a hand to touch his lips; the sensation still felt present.
He stared blankly out the window when the phone on his bedside table suddenly rang.
It was Jiang Chengxuan.
His heart started racing again. Should he answer or not? If he answered, what would he say? Ask why he kissed him yesterday? Or pretend nothing happened? But that seemed even stranger.
Not answering, however, would make it seem like he cared too much, like he was particularly guilty.
Shen Mu stared at the constantly flashing name and the buzzing phone, hesitating. The ringtone persisted until it finally hung up automatically.
Silence returned to the room. He let out a sigh of relief, but the quiet lasted less than a minute before the phone rang again, stubbornly.
Still Jiang Chengxuan.
Shen Mu watched the screen for a few seconds, took a deep breath, swiped the answer button, and held the phone to his ear.
He didn’t speak immediately. There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then Jiang Chengxuan’s voice came through, sounding cautious: “Are you awake? Or did I wake you up?”
Shen Mu gave a vague “Mhm.” Jiang Chengxuan paused, then asked, “Shen Mu, yesterday… did I scare you?”
Shen Mu didn’t know how to answer that question. To avoid awkwardness for both of them, he simply sighed and admitted candidly, “You scared me.”
Jiang Chengxuan’s breathing hitched on the other end. Before he could say anything, Shen Mu continued, his voice carrying the slight nasal tone of someone who had just woken up: “Calling you a hooligan wasn’t wrong at all.”
Jiang Chengxuan chuckled softly on the other end: “Shen Mu, I’m thirty-two this year. It’s normal to have feelings when I meet someone I like. But yesterday, my emotions got the better of me, I didn’t control myself, and I scared you. I apologize.”
He paused, his voice softening slightly: “Are you really angry with me? Not going to talk to me anymore?”
“…I’m not angry.”
He had never truly been angry with Jiang Chengxuan; it was more a feeling of helplessness.
Jiang Chengxuan smiled, not pursuing the topic further: “Then come over for breakfast.”
Compared to Shen Mu’s place, Jiang Chengxuan’s apartment was blissfully quiet. Jiang Chengxuan handed him a pair of chopsticks, noting the faint dark circles under his eyes: “Didn’t sleep well?”
“Barely slept at all.” Shen Mu picked up a shrimp dumpling and took a bite. “I was just starting to feel sleepy when the full-scale martial arts show started next door—hammering walls, drilling, they didn’t miss a thing.”
Jiang Chengxuan wanted to suggest he could sleep here, but that felt inappropriate right now. His phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID—it was the Dean’s office number. Surprised, he answered: “Dean? …Yes, he’s here with me… having breakfast. Now? Alright, we’ll be right over.”
Hanging up, Jiang Chengxuan looked at Shen Mu, his expression slightly amused: “The Dean heard about what happened yesterday from somewhere and wants you to come over with me. It sounds like… there might be a misunderstanding.”
Shen Mu was taken aback: “Misunderstanding?”
When they arrived at the Dean’s office, they realized the misunderstanding was quite significant.
The Dean immediately greeted Shen Mu with concern, his gaze falling directly on Shen Mu’s right hand hanging at his side: “Oh, you really went through a lot! You were wronged! How is your hand? Is it still hurting badly? I heard it was fractured? I’m truly sorry that something like this happened in our hospital, and that you got hurt acting bravely…”
Shen Mu was a little stunned by the barrage of questions. He flexed his wrist: “Dean, are you mistaken? My hand is fine.”
The Director of Medical Affairs, who had followed them, quickly explained: “Dean, the nurses at the station last night said Screenwriter Shen got into a minor conflict with the patient’s family while protecting Doctor Jiang, and his hand seemed injured. The rumor spread and turned into a fracture.”
Jiang Chengxuan couldn’t help but turn his head aside, covering his mouth with a fist to cough lightly.
Shen Mu was somewhat exasperated: “It’s really fine, Dean. I just blocked them once; it didn’t even turn red. Look,” he rotated his wrist a few times, opening and closing his fist, “It’s perfectly fine, not hurt at all.”
The Dean adjusted his glasses, leaned in, and carefully examined Shen Mu’s clearly intact hand. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief: “Oh, a false alarm! It’s good that you’re fine! I was so worried!”
He then became serious: “But we still need to thank you properly, Screenwriter Shen. In that situation, Chengxuan and the others are medical staff, and there are strict regulations that prohibit them from engaging in physical conflict with patients or family members, no matter how wronged they are. They must try to avoid it and handle things calmly. Fortunately, you were there and intervened promptly and appropriately. Otherwise, Chengxuan might have truly suffered a disadvantage, and the subsequent handling would have been much more troublesome.”
The Dean’s tone was sincere: “On behalf of the hospital, thank you!”
Shen Mu was slightly embarrassed by the Dean’s solemn gratitude and quickly waved his hands: “Dean, you’re too kind. I just reacted instinctively, I didn’t think that much about it. It was the right thing to do.”
Shen Mu hadn’t realized before how powerful the telephone effect was. Moments after leaving the Dean’s office, the Director also found out.
The Director’s loud voice was audible even through the receiver: “Shen Mu! I heard you were heroically injured? How is your hand? Is it serious? Are you okay?”
Shen Mu helplessly held the phone slightly away from his ear: “Director, I’m fine, my hand is perfectly good, really.”
“Don’t lie to me! The whole hospital is talking about it, saying you gloriously fractured your hand protecting Doctor Jiang!” The Director’s voice carried a hint of barely concealed excitement—perfect material for dramatic conflict. “Here’s the deal: don’t come to the set today. Rest well! Make sure you don’t delay your recovery! The script can wait; healing is the priority!”
“Director, I really…”
Before Shen Mu could finish, the busy signal sounded on the other end.
Shen Mu stared at the disconnected phone, sighing helplessly, his temples throbbing slightly: “The Director even gave me a day off. I can’t explain this clearly now.”
“A day off is good. Go back and get some proper sleep,” Jiang Chengxuan rubbed his hair. “Sleep at my place. I have two surgeries this afternoon and won’t be back until tonight. It’s quiet, and no one will bother you.”
Shen Mu instinctively wanted to refuse, but the noise from the renovation next door was truly disruptive, and he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he went back.
The guest room at Jiang Chengxuan’s place only had a bed frame. Shen Mu took out a quilt and pillows from the closet and made the bed. The quilt and pillows carried Jiang Chengxuan’s scent. Shen Mu couldn’t help but bury his face in the pillow and take a deep breath, wondering if the man had been marinated in mint.
Shen Mu had expected to struggle to sleep in someone else’s home, but he fell asleep quickly. He slept exceptionally deeply until he woke up thirsty.
Shen Mu fumbled for his phone and saw that it was already past eight in the evening. He hadn’t realized he had slept for an entire day. Rubbing his eyes, he went to the kitchen for water.
Suddenly, he heard the electronic lock chime at the entrance.
The door opened, and an elegant middle-aged woman stood in the doorway, carrying large bags of groceries and looking down to change her shoes.
They both looked up simultaneously, their eyes meeting.
Shen Mu instantly froze, all traces of sleepiness gone.
The woman at the door was clearly startled, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled warmly at him: “Hello, I’m Xiao Xuan’s mother.”
Shen Mu’s mind went blank. He could only nod mechanically: “H-hello, Auntie. I’m Shen Mu.”
“Oh, Xiao Mu,” Jiang Chengxuan’s mother looked at him for a moment, then smiled: “Are you Xiao Xuan’s boyfriend?”