| BYSG | Bed | 15
After finishing their game and dinner, the two drove back to school.
At the dinner table, Cheng Mofei brought up the topic of traveling during the National Day holiday, and Shen Yu listened quietly without missing a word.
By the time National Day came around, Cheng Mofei and he would have only known each other for about a month. Shen Yu had no ability to stop Cheng Mofei from traveling abroad, so he could only plan to intervene on the day of the musical where the accident happened.
The musical would end at 9 p.m. on the 3rd.
In his memory, only Cheng Mofei had an accident. Cheng Mofei’s father and mother were terrified when they received the call, which meant Cheng Mofei must have left alone after watching the musical.
When the 3rd arrived, Shen Yu decided he would call Cheng Mofei at just the right time to delay him and hopefully prevent the car accident.
Before they left, Cheng Mofei’s father and mother warmly invited Shen Yu to visit their home again.
On the way back, Shen Yu dozed off in the passenger seat.
Seeing this, Cheng Mofei drove more carefully, trying not to wake him.
A drive that would have normally taken just an hour ended up taking an hour and a half.
The sky was already completely dark, and the campus streetlights were all lit, illuminating the paths brightly.
Cheng Mofei drove skillfully into the underground parking lot.
Shen Yu, who had woken up in the passenger seat, yawned, unbuckled his seatbelt, and got out of the car once it came to a stop.
After locking the car, Cheng Mofei smiled and smoothed down a tuft of Shen Yu's hair that had stuck up from his nap.
When they returned to their dorm room and opened the door, they were greeted with ‘Baby.’
Cheng Mofei immediately swung a punch, playfully demanding that they call him ‘Dad’
Shen Yu laughed and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
While Shen Yu was showering, Cheng Mofei went to the balcony to retrieve the laundry, planning to take his own shower once Shen Yu was done.
During the wait, Cheng Mofei casually glanced at his phone and saw a message from Cheng Zhiyu.
Cheng Zhiyu: [Hey, brother, just curious—what’s your relationship with Mr. Shen?]
Cheng Mofei’s brows furrowed instantly. Thinking about the BL comics his cousin often read, he had a vague and uneasy suspicion about what she might be imagining.
Previously, when a male member of the student council had been persistently hanging around him, some female members secretly shipped him and that guy as a couple.
They even joked about their relationship. While Cheng Mofei knew they meant no harm, the teasing still made him uncomfortable.
That said, he didn’t entirely blame them. Friends joking around like that wasn’t unusual.
Once they found out he was straight and homophobic, they stopped making such remarks, showing they knew their boundaries.
His cousin, Cheng Zhiyu, was probably similar to those girls in the student council.
Cheng Mofei thought about his relationship with Shen Yu—they were good friends and close brothers. Despite knowing each other for only about two weeks, they had hit it off instantly, like long-lost friends.
How could such a pure friendship be "tainted" by frivolous shipping?
Without hesitation, Cheng Mofei typed out a reply:
[We’re good brothers. He’s straight and homophobic, so make sure he doesn’t see your comics.]
Rather than admitting to his cousin that he was the straight and homophobic one, it was better to pin that identity on Shen Yu. This would not only prevent Shen Yu from stumbling across her BL comics but also put an end to her shipping fantasies.
A perfect two-birds-with-one-stone solution.
Cheng Zhiyu: “……”
Cheng Zhiyu stared at her phone for a long time, her heart nearly breaking.
Oh no.
Her cousin had fallen for a straight homophobic guy?
How could anyone endure the pain of such a hopeless crush?
No wonder her cousin had taken all those BL comics away and refused to let Mr. Shen see them—it turned out he was worried that Shen Yu would feel uncomfortable.
Cheng Zhiyu immediately sent a hug emoji in reply.
Cheng Zhiyu: [I’ll be careful.]
At last, Cheng Mofei’s furrowed brow smoothed out.
Thinking of the comics, he opened a shopping app right away, browsed for some action-packed and energetic manga, placed an order, and completed the payment—all in one go.
Now this was the kind of manga a straight guy should be reading.
A few days later, the comics arrived. They were quite heavy, so Cheng Mofei borrowed a small cart from the campus mailroom to haul them back.
He carefully arranged the manga on the shelves near Shen Yu’s side of the dorm and said generously, “I just bought these—feel free to read them.”
It just so happened that National Day was around the corner, and Shen Yu would be the only one staying on campus during the holiday. Spending the break alone in the dorm could get really dull, so these comics would help keep him entertained.
Shen Yu instinctively felt that Cheng Mofei buying so many manga had something to do with the BL comics he had seen at Cheng Zhiyu’s house that day, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless.
It was likely because Cheng Mofei had seen something he didn’t like and wanted to counteract it with something entirely different to shift his focus.
It’s really hard for him.
The road is long and rough.
The matter of Cheng Mofei’s homophobia would have to be addressed gradually.
Shen Yu had considered sending Cheng Mofei an analysis of the movie they’d watched that afternoon, which included the true relationship between the second and third male leads.
But after some thought, he decided against it, fearing that pushing too hard might backfire.
Things were progressing well at the current pace, and he could feel their relationship deepening day by day.
There was no need to rush—when the time was right, he would act.
For now, though, with the National Day holiday approaching, the priority was ensuring Cheng Mofei avoided that car accident.
Typically, first-year college students would have their first break about a month after starting school, with the National Day holiday just around the corner.
First-year college students, not yet fully adjusted to university life, almost always chose to go home for the holidays.
On the day before National Day, the mood was restless. During the final classes, the teachers looked out at the visibly empty rows of students, shook their heads slightly, but said nothing.
Shen Yu attentively finished his last class of the day. On his way back to the dorm, he glanced at his phone. His other three roommates had already left campus.
Xiao Xiong was headed to his hometown, a city further north, and was currently on his way to the train station. Sun Xinghe, on the other hand, had already boarded a train home with his girlfriend.
As for Cheng Mofei... Cheng Mofei had no classes that afternoon and had already boarded a plane abroad earlier. There had been no updates from him since, likely because he was still mid-flight.
Around the National Day holiday, the temperatures had started to drop sporadically, signaling the arrival of autumn. The heat was fading, and the air was growing cooler with each passing day.
Shen Yu walked over a few fallen leaves scattered on the ground and returned to the now-empty dorm.
After locking the door, he took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and lay down on Cheng Mofei’s bed.
The bed was soft and warm, carrying the lingering scent of someone else—the scent of the person he liked.
Shen Yu rolled back and forth on the relatively small dorm bed, like a little hamster happily burrowing in its favorite nest.
He had already decided that he would sleep on Cheng Mofei’s bed for the entire National Day holiday.
After all… Cheng Mofei himself had said it—these two beds were his to use as he pleased.
It was still early, far from bedtime, but with the break just beginning, Shen Yu didn’t feel like doing anything. So, he stayed sprawled on the bed, scrolling through his phone.
As if by some unspoken connection, just as he unlocked his phone, he saw Cheng Mofei post a message in their dorm group chat.
Cheng Mofei: [I’ve arrived.]
Cheng Mofei: [It’s really cold here.]
Shen Yu turned on his side and started typing:
Shen Yu: [Keep warm, don’t catch a cold.]
Xiao Xiong: [Our Iron Man Brother Fei isn’t afraid of the cold. Every winter, he’s full of energy and constantly having snowball fights every other day.]
Sun Xinghe: [True, in winter Brother Fei is like a walking heater. Once he gets going, it’s impossible to feel cold.]
Xiao Xiong: [Gets going? How exactly does he “get going”?]
Sun Xinghe: [Hehe.]
Cheng Mofei: [Hehe.]
Cheng Mofei: [Only Xiao Yu actually cares about me.]
Shen Yu: “...”
Cheng Mofei: [What are you up to, Xiao Yu? Are you in the dorm?]
Shen Yu: [Yeah, lying on the bed, scrolling on my phone.]
Cheng Mofei: [If you’re bored, you can read the manga I bought. There are also plenty of snacks in my drawer—help yourself to them.]
Shen Yu smiled as he replied:
Shen Yu: [Alright.]
Ever since that visit to Cheng Mofei's house, Cheng Mofei had started calling him "Xiao Yu." Before that, like the other two roommates, he’d simply called him "Xiao Shen."
Not that Shen Yu minded—he actually preferred being called Xiao Yu.
Just like in his previous life.
Back then, he’d always felt like an outsider, an unnecessary presence. But Cheng Mofei had told him he was a corner of his heart, an irreplaceable part.
After a few casual exchanges, Cheng Mofei stopped replying. He was likely leaving the airport and heading to his hotel.
Shen Yu put his phone down as well. He climbed off the top bunk, picked out a bag of chips from Cheng Mofei’s drawer, and grabbed a manga before curling back up on Cheng Mofei’s bed.
He thought the night would pass quietly and leisurely until lights-out, but his peace was abruptly shattered by an unfamiliar phone call.
The call was from Yancheng.
Shen Yu froze, chips still in his mouth. The manga, which had just reached an exciting part, was forgotten.
He hastily swallowed the last bit of chips, sat up on the bed, and nervously pressed the answer button.
This wasn’t the first time in the past two weeks that he’d received a call from an unknown number in Yancheng.
Once, it had been a courier. Another time, it had been a professional course instructor.
Not once had it been his mother.
He was afraid that this time his expectations would be in vain again.
But even so, Shen Yu couldn’t stop himself from feeling nervous.
...What if?
He pressed the answer button, and the call connected. The other end didn’t speak right away, and silence hung between them.
A voice in his heart told him—it’s her.
“Is… this Shen Yu?”
The moment he heard his mother’s voice, tears instantly welled up and spilled over. He bit his lip hard, trying his best not to make a sound.
It was the same voice as before. In his previous life, she had asked the same question.
Shen Yu didn’t respond, but also didn’t hang up, the voice on the other end hesitated before continuing, “It’s Mom. I heard you got into Yanda University, is that true?”
Shen Yu quickly tried to compose himself. He couldn’t stop the tears, so he simply let them fall freely, focusing instead on keeping his voice steady enough to maintain a conversation.
But when he tried to say something, even just one word, he gave up.
The sob in his voice was too obvious, impossible to hide. He was afraid he wouldn’t even be able to string together a full sentence.
He didn’t want his mother to worry.
A fleeting thought crossed Shen Yu’s mind, and without hesitation, he abruptly ended the call. He quickly sent a text to the same number.
[Let’s talk in person.]
A few seconds later, a reply came.
[Okay, are you going home for National Day? What day will you be back in Yancheng? Mom will always be free whenever.]
Shen Yu: [I didn’t go home, and I’m free whenever too.]
The other end: [How about tomorrow? I’ll come to Yanda to see you.]
Shen Yu: [Okay.]
The other end: [Then get some rest. Good night.]
Shen Yu: [Good night.]
Shen Yu stared blankly at the text conversation for a long, long time. Tears gathered on his thin cheeks, sliding down to his chin and falling endlessly, like pearls scattered from a broken string.
Luckily, he was the only one in the dorm at this moment.
Finally, Shen Yu raised his hand and wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, curling himself into the blanket.
He imagined that it was Cheng Mofei holding him, and that thought made him feel a little better.
...
The next day, Shen Yu opened the chat with Cheng Mofei, his eyes still red and swollen. He hesitated for a long time before composing a message, finally sending it.
[Brother Fei, I accidentally made your bed dirty. I’ll wash it and hang it out to dry. Sorry.]
Cheng Mofei responded quickly:
[What do you mean by ‘dirty’?]
Shen Yu glanced at the dried tear stains, bit his lip, and replied:
[It got wet.]
Cheng Mofei: [Did you sleep on my bed last night?]
Was he sleepwalking again?
Shen Yu didn’t intend to lie to him. After all, he planned to talk to Cheng Mofei about his mother’s situation at some point.
But he found a more natural excuse related to the bed:
[Yeah, your bed is really comfortable.]
Cheng Mofei: [Oh, did you wet the bed?]
Shen Yu: “…???”
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