MNL Chapter 56

Shen Yan’s face was very unsightly on the way back, he was absent-minded all the way, and he didn’t even notice that he passed Yu Qianfang’s fruit store. The person inside called him several times.

Yu Qianfang walked out of the store and raised her voice, “Little Yan!”

Only then did Shen Yan come back to his senses and stop, turning around.

“Did something happen? How come I couldn’t hear you calling me several times?”

Shen Yan shook his head gently.

“Where’s Little Jing? Why didn’t you two come back together?”

Shen Yan didn’t know what to say, so he casually replied, “He had something to do and left first.”

Yu Qianfang sized up Shen Yan’s expression. She didn’t expose him on the surface, but she had already guessed most of the truth in her heart. She said gently, “Wait for me here for a while.”

While Yu Qianfang went into the store, Shen Yan couldn’t help but take out his phone to check. He was always worried that he would accidentally mute it and not be able to return Xu Jing’s calls or messages in time. However, after looking all the way, all that awaited him was a blank screen.

Before long, Yu Qianfang came out with a large bag, smiling and saying, “The blueberries and pineapples inside are all freshly arrived, very fresh. Take them back to eat. And this watermelon, Little Jing likes to eat it. Just say you specially bought it for him on the way.”

Shen Yan originally wanted to refuse, but he was stunned when he heard the last sentence, and looked at Yu Qianfang with some doubt.

“I watched Little Jing grow up. He’s a very good child, but his personality is a bit stubborn. He doesn’t like to express himself and likes to hide things in his heart, especially to those close to him. He doesn’t say it, but he cares more than anyone else.” Yu Qianfang paused, gently patted Shen Yan on the shoulder, and continued, “Boys of your age are relatively shy. It’s normal to not want to back down when conflicts happen, but often who apologizes first doesn’t mean who is wrong. Perhaps this is also a kind of sincerity you show towards the relationship?”

Sincerity.

Yu Qianfang’s words moved Shen Yan somewhat. He looked at the watermelon in the bag and nodded softly.

As soon as the elevator opened, Shen Yan arrived at the door of 601. After hesitating for a moment, he still raised his hand and knocked on the door.

He could hear movement inside, rustling sounds, but after knocking for a while, no one came to open the door. Shen Yan’s remaining patience was worn away within these few minutes.

Shen Yan felt more and more ridiculous and was about to turn around and leave when he heard a “bang” behind him.

“I said, what exactly are you—” A muffled voice with a hint of anger suddenly stopped. Seeing Qin Xin in an apron in front of him, Shen Yan was stunned.

“Eh? Little Yan, it’s you. Sorry, I was cleaning up just now and didn’t hear the knock. Are you here to find Little Jing?”

Shen Yan almost suffocated from the emotions he had released halfway. After calming down for a while, he replied, “He took a leave of absence today. I have something to ask him about.”

“He said he wasn’t in a good mood and wanted to go home to be quiet. I was just about to ask you what happened at school?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Okay.”

Shen Yan glanced into the house and noticed a broom, bucket, and towel on the floor. Qin Xin noticed and explained, “Little Jing said he’s staying at home these days. I’m afraid it will easily gather dust here if no one’s around, so I came to clean up a bit.”

The fruits in his hand and the words he had thought of all the way seemed particularly redundant at this moment.

Shen Yan gave the bag to Qin Xin, said nothing, and turned to go back to his room.

Leaving Qin Xin standing there with a bewildered expression.

“Eh… Little Yan, Little Yan?”

The next day.

Xu Jing still didn’t come to school.

The breakfast that Shen Yan had specially bought was placed on that empty desk, looking somewhat superfluous.

However, the aroma of the egg pancake almost made Cha Fei’ang, who hadn’t had breakfast, drool. If it were Zheng Tong, he would have already taken it and eaten it, but now he was facing Shen Yan. Although Cha Fei’ang was extremely greedy, he still asked euphemistically, “Yan Shen, are you not going to eat this breakfast?”

Shen Yan was sleeping on the desk. Cha Fei’ang deliberately lowered his voice, but no one paid attention to him even after asking twice.

Just when Cha Fei’ang was losing hope and was about to get up and go to the school supermarket, he found that Shen Yan had pushed the breakfast forward without even raising his head.

Cha Fei’ang instantly beamed with joy, “Thank you, Yan Shen!”

However, what Cha Fei’ang didn’t expect was that he actually ate this kind of breakfast for four consecutive days.

For these four days, Shen Yan would bring different breakfasts every day, but he would just leave them on Xu Jing’s desk without touching them. Cha Fei’ang had a big appetite. Although he later went to the cafeteria for breakfast, he still couldn’t resist the temptation of the aroma during class breaks, and shamelessly asked Shen Yan for it.

Until Friday morning.

Cha Fei’ang called out to Yan Shen with a flattering tone as usual. Shen Yan ignored him, but after these few days, this kind of attitude had already been tacitly approved.

Cha Fei’ang ate with satisfaction. Shen Yan’s state had not been good these past few days, and the playful banter in the classroom made him particularly annoyed. Just as he was about to fall asleep on the desk, he heard the sound of a chair being pulled.

This undoubtedly most easily angered a person who was chronically sleep-deprived.

Shen Yan wanted to beat someone.

But he didn’t expect this person to be Xu Jing.

After hearing the sound, Cha Fei’ang immediately turned around, pleasantly surprised, “Damn, Brother Jing, you’re finally back. Where have you been these past few days?”

Xu Jing first met Shen Yan’s gaze, who had raised his head. Seeing the obvious annoyance and fatigue between the other person’s brows, he was somewhat surprised.

“I was sick.”

“What kind of illness? Are you okay?”

The gaze beside him stared straight over, but Xu Jing selectively ignored it and replied, “Appendicitis.”

“That’s good then, it’s not a serious problem.” After Cha Fei’ang swallowed the siu mai in his mouth, he said, “Did you eat breakfast?”

Xu Jing shook his head.

“I still have half a pancake here, do you want to eat it? Let me tell you, Yan—” Cha Fei’ang was about to praise how delicious the breakfast Shen Yan bought was, when a warning look was sent over. Cha Fei’ang shrunk his head and shut his mouth.

Xu Jing looked at the “Small Town Breakfast” printed on the packaging bag and refused, “No thanks.”

“Okay.” Cha Fei’ang was busy catching up on his homework, and immediately turned his head back.

At this time, Shen Yan also got up and left the classroom, leaving him with a hurried back view, as if anxious to get away from him.

Xu Jing: “…”

Damn it, what kind of attitude is that?

Xu Jing’s breathing was a little heavy. Cha Fei’ang felt a chill down his spine for no reason, and cautiously turned his head, saying, “What’s wrong, Brother Jing?”

“Where did your breakfast come from?”

“This pancake? Yan Shen gave it to me. Let me tell you, Yan Shen has been especially strange lately. He buys breakfast but doesn’t eat it, and just puts it on your desk.” Cha Fei’ang scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly, saying, “I have a big appetite, so I asked for it.”

Small Town Breakfast was the breakfast shop they often went to. After hearing this, Xu Jing didn’t speak, but narrowed his eyes, his expression making Cha Fei’ang unable to figure it out.

Just as the class bell rang, the sound of a chair being dragged came from his ear. Immediately afterwards, Xu Jing saw a steaming portion of fried dumplings and soy milk on his desk.

Xu Jing turned his head and saw sweat sliding down Shen Yan’s delicate cheeks. The light and shadow made his skin even colder and whiter.

Xu Jing was stunned and said, “Did you just go buy it?”

However, Shen Yan didn’t reply. After sitting down, he turned his back to him, his body constantly trembling. Xu Jing was startled and immediately placed the steamed dumplings aside, asking, “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

Shen Yan’s face was frighteningly pale. He waved his hand while coughing, indicating that he was fine. His voice was extremely hoarse, “Just need some water.”

Because it was class, the two of them couldn’t make too much noise. Xu Jing unscrewed his water bottle and handed it to Shen Yan. It was the warm water he had just filled when he came.

Shen Yan looked noticeably better after drinking the water. He half-closed his eyes, tightly holding Xu Jing’s hand underneath the desk.

The temperature that was transmitted over was even more frightening.

Too cold!

In this weather, how could a person’s palms be so cold after strenuous exercise?

“Shen Yan?”

Just as Xu Jing was about to call the teacher, Shen Yan struggled to interrupt, “I’m fine.” His voice was extremely hoarse, “Just need to drink some water.”

The closest breakfast shop to the school was nearly twenty minutes away, roundtrip. Shen Yan only used the time between classes. The sun outside was still so strong. Seeing the person in front of him in this state, Xu Jing didn’t remember that he was angry anymore. He secretly reached under the table and held Shen Yan’s hand.

However, the temperature that was transmitted over was even more frightening.

Too cold!

In this weather, how could a person’s palms be so cold after strenuous exercise?

“Shen Yan?”

Just as Xu Jing was about to call the teacher, Shen Yan struggled to interrupt, “I’m fine.” His voice was extremely hoarse, “Just need to drink some water.”

Because it was class, the two of them couldn’t make too much noise. Xu Jing unscrewed his water bottle and handed it to Shen Yan. It was the warm water he had just filled when he came.

Shen Yan looked noticeably better after drinking the water. He half-closed his eyes, tightly holding Xu Jing’s hand underneath the desk.

His hand gradually warmed up.

After struggling to get through class, Xu Jing looked at Shen Yan and cursed in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “You’re so weak!”

A few strands of wet hair hung down on Shen Yan’s forehead, his eyelashes were slightly damp, and he looked like he had just been pulled out of the water. His beautiful eyes were extraordinarily dark and deep. At this time, he surprisingly didn’t refute, but instead tugged at the corner of his mouth and said softly, “It seems so indeed.”

“What exactly is going on?”

“I just ran too fast and couldn’t recover.”

This explanation was reasonable, and Xu Jing naturally believed it, without thinking elsewhere.

After a moment of silence, Xu Jing lowered his head, picked up a steamed dumpling, and stuffed it into his mouth haphazardly. Not sure if he was referring to the matter of their argument or Shen Yan running to buy breakfast, his voice sounded somewhat muffled, “Don’t do this next time.”

Shen Yan nodded softly. Although his face was pale at this time, he looked much more energetic than in the past few days.

“I have a question.”

“Ask.”

“Did you really decide to go home that day because you were angry with me?”

Xu Jing shook his head and said, “Not entirely. I wasn’t feeling well that day anyway.”

“So you took this opportunity to go home and then cut off contact with me.” Shen Yan lowered his voice, sounding somewhat scary.

“Was it just me unilaterally cutting off contact?” Xu Jing also refused to be outdone, replying in the same tone, “Didn’t you also not contact me much?”

“Didn’t I?”

“Did you—” Halfway through the sentence, Xu Jing suddenly paused, his expression gradually becoming indescribable, “Are you referring to those question marks?”

It couldn’t be said that Shen Yan hadn’t contacted him these past few days. This person was very punctual in sending him a question mark at 5:20 every morning.

5:20

520?

Xu Jing’s mouth twitched. He really hadn’t noticed this at the time. His attention was all on those insincere question marks.

Shen Yan snorted coldly, as if to say, ‘Now you finally understand my good intentions, right?’

Xu Jing belatedly realized this and was speechless and amused at the moment.

“So besides those question marks, you have nothing else to express?”

“I do.” Shen Yan said, “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.” Shen Yan repeated it again without hesitation.

The two apologies completely dissipated Xu Jing’s anger. He stuffed another dumpling into his mouth, his expression calm, but his heart was jumping for joy.

“Okay, I forgive you.”

Shen Yan’s mouth curved upwards. He wanted to reach out and touch Xu Jing’s hair, but at this moment, his heart throbbed again. His empty hand trembled slightly and he withdrew it again.

·

On the day of the parent-teacher conference, the people in the class were very curious about what kind of parents could raise such a heaven-defying person like Shen Yan, so they frequently looked back. Unfortunately, not to mention the parents, even Shen Yan himself didn’t come.

Xu Jing was a little worried and asked Shen Yan what he was doing.

Five minutes later, a photo was sent over, showing a League of Legends screen and a slender hand resting on the keyboard.

Xu Jing sent back an OK gesture.

After the parent-teacher conference, Liang Yin specially found Xu Jing to talk about the comprehensive competition, and Xu Jing belatedly realized what Shen Yan meant.

Although he was still very unwilling, facing this precious intention, Xu Jing felt that he had no way to refuse. So for the next period of time, he began his long journey of learning English.