| BYSG | Only for Xiao Shen | 9
Cheng Mofei burst into laughter the moment he saw the text message.
What a classic ploy to sow discord.
Even without much thought, it was clear that this text was intentionally sent by that scumbag Meng Feng to annoy him.
Meng Feng had really gone to great lengths, even digging up his phone number.
Without a second thought, Cheng Mofei deleted the message right away, not giving it any weight at all.
If he took it seriously, then Meng Feng’s ploy would succeed, and it might create a rift in his bond with Shen Yu—something he would never let happen.
Although he hadn’t known Shen Yu for very long, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity between them.
He had a hunch, a gut feeling, that he and Shen Yu could become very good friends.
Being around Shen Yu was especially comfortable, a feeling difficult to put into words.
Perhaps… this is what it’s like to have a true brother.
Thinking about how Shen Yu had mentioned Meng Feng during dinner tonight, saying their families were working together on something, Cheng Mofei sent a WeChat message to his family, asking them to keep an eye on the situation and handle it carefully.
Such lack of integrity likely stemmed from a corrupt upbringing. It would be best to sever all ties with such people in the future.
Perhaps due to his anger, Cheng Mofei had another sleepless night.
Fortunately, Shen Yu, in the bed across from him, didn’t sleepwalk again that night.
...
After more than half a month, military training finally came to an end.
During this time, Shen Yu had been sleeping well every night, and there had been no further incidents of sleepwalking.
While some people lost weight during military training, Shen Yu, on the contrary, put on a little weight.
Every time they ate together, Cheng Mofei would generously share the meat from his bowl with Shen Yu, and in return, he would casually take some extra vegetables from Shen Yu’s bowl—because good brothers always share with each other.
Shen Yu didn’t mind and was happy to see their bond gradually grow closer. This kind of relationship felt just right.
On the evening that military training ended, the four dormmates went out together to celebrate at an off-campus mala tang restaurant, marking the successful conclusion of Shen Yu's "military" life.
Thanks to the sunscreen Cheng Mofei had given him, Shen Yu had only gotten slightly tanned during the half-month of training—a tan that would likely fade in no time.
Xiao Xiong glanced at his own arm in comparison to Shen Yu’s and remarked, “Even after getting tanned, Xiao Shen is still fairer than me.”
Hearing this, Cheng Mofei subtly furrowed his brow.
Although it had been nearly half a month without any sign of that guy named Meng Feng, Cheng Mofei hadn’t forgotten what he overheard—that Shen Yu’s looks were particularly popular in the gay community.
To be fair, Xiao Xiong himself was a chubby, cheerful guy with fair skin, but Shen Yu was even fairer, with a rosy undertone to his complexion.
Especially after drinking a bit of beer, Shen Yu’s cheeks would flush pink, and the redness of his ears was even more pronounced.
Sun Xinghe noticed this too and teased, “Xiao Shen, are you getting drunk on beer?”
Shen Yu smiled sheepishly. “I’ve barely ever had alcohol.”
At eighteen, Shen Yu indeed hadn’t drunk much before.
Even later on, his tolerance for alcohol remained just average.
But when eating mala tang, naturally, you have to drink something. When the group decided to have beer, Shen Yu didn’t refuse. While he didn’t particularly enjoy drinking, he didn’t dislike it either—it was just like drinking water to him.
It just so happened that his face turned red when he drank, but it wasn’t enough to make him drunk.
Xiao Xiong tried to reassure him, saying, “Don’t worry about it. Practice more in college, and your tolerance will improve.”
As he spoke, he reached for the beer bottle next to him, intending to refile Shen Yu’s glass.
A hand suddenly stopped him.
It was Cheng Mofei.
“If you can’t drink, then don’t. Why would you need a good alcohol tolerance?” he said.
After finishing his sentence, Cheng Mofei stood up, called over a server, and ordered a cup of red bean rice wine for Shen Yu instead.
Most people who drown are the ones who know how to swim.
Shen Yu already had looks that made him attractive to that crowd. If he also learned how to drink, what would happen if he went out drinking next time, got drunk, and encountered someone like Meng Feng again?
Cheng Mofei couldn’t always be there in time to help.
Some problems needed to be solved at the root—so the solution was simple: don’t learn how to drink.
Xiao Xiong let out a dramatic wail of protest. “When we had our freshman banquet, you weren’t saying that when you were pouring me drinks!”
Cheng Mofei, unfazed and completely at ease, replied, “You looked like you could drink a lot, and you kept provoking me. Who else was I supposed to target?”
Xiao Xiong immediately filled Cheng Mofei’s glass with beer. “Drink up! Let’s see if it doesn’t kill you. Just wait for your birthday this year—I’ll make sure you get something strong.”
Cheng Mofei shot him a challenging look in response.
Shen Yu watched their playful banter with a smile and took a bite of the crab stick in his bowl.
Not long after, the server brought over the red bean rice wine.
Shen Yu unwrapped the straw and took a sip.
It was sweet and delicious.
…
The day after military training ended happened to be a Saturday.
While everyone else was still sound asleep, Shen Yu left the dorm early in the morning.
By the time he returned, it was already noon.
Cheng Mofei was browsing through a food delivery app, caught in the dilemma of deciding what to eat for lunch.
Xiao Xiong, who had only woken up around 10:30, was munching on snacks to fight off hunger while playing a game and completing his daily quests.
Meanwhile, Sun Xinghe had gone out to meet his girlfriend.
When Shen Yu returned, Cheng Mofei put down his phone and asked, “Where did you go? I sent you messages, but you didn’t reply.”
Switching into his slippers, Shen Yu explained, “I went to a part-time job. My phone ran out of battery and shut off.”
Cheng Mofei frowned slightly. “What kind of part-time job?”
Military training had just ended, and Shen Yu was already working the next day?
“Tutoring high school students in chemistry,” Shen Yu said as he walked over to plug in his aging phone.
Once it was powered on, he noticed that Cheng Mofei had sent him several messages around 11:00, asking where he had gone, when he’d be back, and what he wanted for lunch.
Recently, his battered phone had been draining battery faster and acting up. Even with a full charge, it would suddenly overheat, and the battery would drain almost instantly. If things went well, he was thinking of replacing it with a new one next month.
He didn’t want to miss any of Cheng Mofei’s messages.
Staring at the messages Cheng Mofei had left, Shen Yu continued explaining, “That student’s house is a bit far. I had to take the subway, transfer to a bus, and then ride a shared bike for the last stretch. I already had lunch at their house. I’ve got another tutoring session in the afternoon, so I’ll take a nap before heading out again.”
Cheng Mofei’s frown deepened.
Another session in the afternoon?
“What’s the job in the afternoon?” he asked.
Shen Yu replied, “Also tutoring. Chemistry for another high school student.”
Cheng Mofei asked, “When will you be back?”
Shen Yu said, “I won’t be coming back. I’ll grab dinner and head straight to my evening part-time job.”
Then he added, “The evening one is also tutoring.”
Cheng Mofei: “…”
Young Master Cheng, who had grown up in comfort, never needing to worry about food, clothing, or running out of allowance, was encountering this situation for the first time.
Three tutoring jobs in a single day—his junior was working harder than a machine, and even machines needed time to recharge and rest.
Cheng Mofei had a bad feeling and quickly asked, “What about Sunday?”
Surely he wasn’t planning to work three jobs on Sunday too?
Shen Yu hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t have any part-time jobs on Sunday.”
That’s a relief.
Cheng Mofei had just started to relax when Shen Yu added, “But I’m actively looking for one.”
Cheng Mofei: “…”
He really wanted to tell Shen Yu not to push himself so hard, but when he thought about Shen Yu’s family situation, he swallowed the words back down.
If Shen Yu didn’t work part-time, how would he cover his living expenses?
Cheng Mofei wouldn’t mind helping Shen Yu out financially. If Shen Yu ever asked to borrow money, he wouldn’t hesitate to lend it. He had always been generous with his friends and helped whenever he could.
But everyone had their pride.
It was obvious that Shen Yu was an especially independent person, someone with a strong sense of self-respect, his own ideas, and firm decisions. What he needed was respect, not pity.
Cheng Mofei sighed inwardly and asked, “What kind of part-time job are you looking for on Sunday?”
Shen Yu replied, “I’m hoping to find more tutoring work.”
Shen Yu didn’t mind sharing this with Cheng Mofei—
For him right now, one-on-one tutoring was the highest-paying and least physically demanding type of part-time job. It didn’t take a toll on his health, either.
He charged 250 yuan per hour, and if he managed to fill both Saturday and Sunday with sessions, he could earn three to four thousand yuan over the weekend. That added up to over ten thousand yuan a month, which was quite a considerable income.
However, tutoring opportunities weren’t easy to come by without introductions or connections.
Even if his skills matched the pay, it wasn’t easy to find work on his own. He didn’t want to rely on agencies either—too many of them were full of traps.
Xiao Xiong, who was munching on snacks while gaming, was stunned. “What the heck? You can make that much?!”
Shen Yu nodded. “Yeah, but it means working almost ten hours a day, plus preparing lessons in advance. It’s still pretty tiring.”
Xiao Xiong: “…” Never mind, then.
Tiring was putting it lightly. Some people earned money in ways that didn’t even make others jealous.
Shen Yu turned to Cheng Mofei with a smile and said, “Brother Fei, if you know anyone looking for a tutor, please send them my way. I’m pretty good at what I do. Over the summer, one of the high school students I tutored improved her chemistry score by more than 30 points in her start-of-term exams. I was just at her house this morning for a session.”
It was precisely because of that 30-point improvement that Shen Yu earned the privilege of “permanent free lunches.”
The student’s parents were thrilled and very kind. They insisted that Shen Yu stay for lunch every Saturday after tutoring as a gesture of gratitude.
The meals were always delicious, and it helped him save on one more expense.
Cheng Mofei stared at Shen Yu for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”
Shen Yu had mentioned it casually, but Cheng Mofei took it to heart.
That evening, when Shen Yu returned, he overheard Cheng Mofei on a phone call with someone.
Feeling a bit tired, Shen Yu plugged in his phone to charge and prepared to head to the bathroom for a shower. Before he could leave, Cheng Mofei suddenly called out to him.
The phone call had already ended, and Cheng Mofei spoke slowly. “I have a cousin who’s a sophomore in high school. She needs help with chemistry, so I recommended you to her mom.”
Shen Yu paused in surprise but quickly nodded. “Alright.”
Originally, Shen Yu had planned to head to the bathroom, but he paused, turned back to his seat, and picked up his phone, which was charging. He accepted the friend request on WeChat.
He had already discussed his tutoring fees with Cheng Mofei, with payment on a per-session basis. Cheng Mofei must have passed the information along, though Shen Yu wasn't sure exactly what was said.
The family on the other end was very straightforward and had already scheduled a meeting for tomorrow. They wanted to try a lesson first, and if all went well, they’d make an agreement for the semester.
Shen Yu was naturally pleased with the news.
Seeing that Shen Yu was wrapping things up with the family, Cheng Mofei added, “They live near my place. I’ll be heading home tomorrow, so it’s on the way. I’ll drive you there.”
Cheng Mofei had gotten a car after passing his driver’s test post-high school graduation, a gift from his parents. He used it occasionally but mostly kept it parked at school, collecting dust.
Xiao Xiong immediately chimed in with a playful tone, “I also want to sit in Brother Fei’s passenger seat. It’s been ages since I’ve been in it.”
Sun Xinghe purposely joined in with a laugh, “Brother Fei’s passenger seat is mine. Don’t even think about stealing it.”
Cheng Mofei couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted by the sappiness. He rolled his eyes at the two of them, his gaze landing on Shen Yu as he scoffed, “From now on, my passenger seat is reserved for Xiao Shen.”
Xiao Xiong immediately teased, “New love means forgetting the old.”
Sun Xinghe added, “Tsk, scumbag.”
Shen Yu: “…”
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