| BYSG | Lubricant | 81
Cheng Mofei drove straight to meet Shen Yu without a second thought.
Shen Yu wasn’t at home; instead, he was standing by the roadside waiting for him. He was wearing a light brown coat, and his exposed ears were slightly red from the cold.
He wasn’t looking at his phone but kept his eyes fixed on the direction Cheng Mofei was coming from. The moment the car stopped, he eagerly opened the passenger door and got in.
"Where do you want to go?" Cheng Mofei handed Shen Yu a small travel case containing a hamster.
Although Shen Yu hadn't said much over the phone, Cheng Mofei could sense that he wasn’t in a good mood. If he suddenly wanted to see him, it was probably because he needed some comfort.
So, he brought their little cub along to cheer up its other dad.
Shen Yu took the travel case, his expression softening a little. He reached out to tease the hamster with his fingers and said, "Anywhere is fine."
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Mofei drove to the nearest shopping mall, booked a private room at an internet café, and ordered a small cake for delivery.
In their past life, the two had met after graduation. Cheng Mofei had lived alone in a spacious apartment equipped with everything, including a gaming room. After moving in together, they had never actually gone to an internet café.
While waiting for the small cake to arrive, Shen Yu took the initiative to speak. “Shen Lide suddenly called me today.”
Shen Yu had told Cheng Mofei about Shen Lide before, always referring to him by his full name. So, Cheng Mofei knew exactly who he was.
And because he knew, he was even more worried. He took Shen Yu’s hand and asked, “What did he say?”
Shen Yu briefly recounted what had happened, only pausing slightly when he mentioned that his mother had taken his phone away.
Cheng Mofei grew even more concerned.
Back then, Auntie Shen had been hurt by that bastard Shen Lide.
"I couldn't rest easy, so I followed and listened in on their call."
"And then? Did that bastard say anything nasty to Auntie Shen?"
Shen Yu let out a soft laugh and continued.
At first, he had been just as tense and worried as Cheng Mofei. But his mother’s calm and sharp approach, pressing forward step by step, made Shen Lide seem like nothing more than a pathetic clown in a fit of impotent rage.
She told him that she had gathered evidence of nearly all the remittances over the years. He knew exactly how much of that money had actually been spent on her son.
And after Grandma Shen passed away, Shen Yu’s living conditions were no secret—his classmates and teachers all knew.
Legally, there was no way to punish that bastard since the money had been willingly given. But she knew Shen Lide’s biggest weakness—his obsession with saving face. And she also knew just how powerful public opinion could be.
He worked in his hometown, where most of his relatives lived, and all his personal and professional connections were confined to that small city. Now in his forties, his entire life was rooted there.
She gave Shen Lide two choices—
The first was for her to take all the evidence she had gathered over the years and expose the truth to everyone around him. Let them see all the disgraceful things he had done, ensuring that he would never be able to lift his head again. It could even affect his stable job.
Shen Lide had two children with his second wife, and his reputation didn’t just affect his own standing—it would also impact his wife and children.
After all, Shen Yu was this year’s top scholar, and anything related to him would spread quickly.
Shen Yu had already told his mother he would never go back and didn’t care about anything over there anymore.
The second option was to double the amount she had sent over the years as child support and give it all to Shen Yu as his living expenses for university.
One portion was from her, and the other was an equal amount that Shen Lide should have provided—altogether, more than 300,000 yuan.
From what she knew, a few years ago, Shen Lide’s family had moved into a new house. She had undoubtedly contributed her share to that purchase. Yet, ironically, the new house didn’t even have a proper room for her son.
Now, with both of Shen Lide’s children from his second marriage reaching school age, their household expenses were substantial. This amount of money would be a significant financial blow, drastically lowering their family's quality of life.
No matter whether Shen Lide chose option one or option two, he wouldn’t have an easy time.
She wasn’t threatening him, nor was she negotiating—she was simply informing him.
"Auntie is so calm and badass," Cheng Mofei gave a thumbs-up. "So, what did that bastard choose?"
Shen Yu shook his head. "He didn’t answer right away. Probably needs to discuss it with his wife first."
For an ordinary family, suddenly coming up with over 300,000 yuan was no small matter.
In the end, Shen Xunyan left her contact information and told Shen Lide to stop harassing her son from now on.
After the call ended, she gently patted Shen Yu’s head and face, looking completely at ease—with a hint of satisfaction, as if she had finally vented some long-held frustration.
Shen Yu stayed and chatted with her for quite a while, only leaving after making sure she was truly unaffected by the conversation. He lied, saying Cheng Mofei had invited him out for dinner, then escaped, wanting to recharge with Cheng Mofei.
It was undeniably satisfying, but just speaking with Shen Lide made Shen Yu feel disgusted, so much so that the feeling still lingered.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the private room door.
The cake had arrived.
Sweet things could make people feel better.
—
Shen Lide’s wife had just stepped through the door when she was met with a chaotic scene, her home had been completely trashed.
Shen Lide sat there smoking, the air thick with the acrid smell of cigarettes.
Their young son was bawling in fear, while their daughter, whom she had just picked up, hid nervously behind her.
“What happened? What’s going on?” Her heart clenched with anxiety as she hurried to comfort the crying child.
Shen Lide dragged her into the bedroom and told her everything about the phone call.
It had been the woman who encouraged him to call Shen Yu in the first place, to test the waters. After all, they had “raised” Shen Yu for so many years; she didn’t want their efforts to end up benefiting someone else in the future.
If they hadn’t made that call… none of this would be happening now.
"Thirty freaking thousand?!" The woman gasped. "This is blackmail! A threat!"
But deep down, they both knew the truth. The money wasn’t going into Shen Xunyan’s pocket and half of it rightfully belonged to Shen Yu.
“How much do you have available right now? Transfer it to my account,” Shen Lide said, his face grim. He had already vented his frustration earlier and was now relatively calmer than she was.
“You’re really going to pay them?!” The woman’s voice rose in disbelief.
Shen Lide’s voice boomed over hers, completely drowning her out. “Or what? Wait for everything to be exposed and have people gossip about us nonstop? Should I just throw away my reputation and career? It’s not just me—you and our two kids won’t have it easy either!”
People had already noticed how poorly they treated Shen Yu.
Back then, most believed that Shen Yu’s biological mother had abandoned him and never cared for him, so the fact that Shen Lide had continued raising him despite having a new family seemed generous enough in their eyes.
But if word got out that he had pocketed tens of thousands in child support, it wouldn’t just be the neighbors talking, his workplace might start whispering too. The city wasn’t that big, and after living here for so many years, their social circles inevitably overlapped.
The woman gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to do it, but she knew the consequences of exposure would be far worse. “I’ll check the bank account.”
—
Not long after, Shen Lide transferred the money to the bank account Shen Xunyan had provided for Shen Yu.
As soon as the transfer was completed, Shen Xunyan immediately blocked all of Shen Lide’s contacts.
Shen Lide wasn’t worried that she would take the money and still expose him. After all, 300,000 wasn’t a small amount. Burning bridges completely wouldn’t be good for either side.
Shen Xunyan had no intention of dealing with a scumbag any further. She refused to let him ruin her good mood.
Now that Shen Yu had received the money, he wouldn’t have to constantly worry about doing part-time jobs anymore. He could focus on his studies, enjoy his university life, and spend time with Xiao Cheng.
—
For days, because of this payment, the Shen Lide household had to cut back on expenses significantly. Their meals were so frugal that there wasn’t even a proper dish with meat on the table.
Shen Lide’s young son, frustrated, lost his appetite and slammed his bowl down. “I’m not eating this!”
Furious, Shen Lide gave him a harsh beating. The woman quickly stepped in to protect the child.
Pointing at his son, Shen Lide yelled, “Don’t think I don’t know you ranked at the bottom of your class this time! Shen Yu didn’t need anyone to help him, and he still became the top scholar! Your mother spent all that money on tutoring classes for you, and this is what you’ve got to show for it? What a disgrace! Forget about your extracurricular classes. This family can’t afford to waste money on you anymore!”
For three years in high school, Shen Lide had never paid attention to Shen Yu or his grades. He was completely shocked when Shen Yu’s top scholar results came out.
But soon after, Shen Yu blocked all their contacts and went to Yancheng. They didn’t even get a chance to exchange a few words.
When they found out he had applied to Yancheng University, Shen Lide assumed it was because Shen Yu was going to look for his biological mother. Yancheng was too far away, and Shen Lide didn’t have the energy to interfere, so he never reached out to him.
Shen Yu had always been an odd child. Though he never openly defied or rebelled against him, he kept a very low profile and never made his presence felt.
Yet, there was always something about him that made him hard to control. Shen Lide had never felt the respect or awe from Shen Yu that a father should have, even though he had frequently disciplined him.
This was one of the reasons he didn’t like Shen Yu.
Upon hearing this, the woman became furious. No one liked seeing their own child being compared to someone else’s, especially not to a child like Shen Yu, who had been raised without a mother.
The woman snapped, "If you think so highly of Shen Yu, why don’t you go find him? Let’s see if he’ll even call you ‘Dad’ after that."
The younger son, not understanding the situation, foolishly chimed in with his sister, both of them echoing their dislike for Shen Yu.
These words struck a nerve with Shen Lide, and in a fit of anger, he slapped the woman.
But she wasn’t one to take it lying down. With a fierce kick, she aimed directly at Shen Lide’s most vulnerable spot.
Unlike Shen Xunyan, who had no family to rely on, she was a local. She had brothers and a family nearby, and she wasn’t afraid of Shen Lide’s temper.
Did he really think he could intimidate her?
The two of them ended up in a violent struggle.
The children hid at a distance, frozen in place, too scared to move.
Eventually, the neighbors heard the commotion, and with the help of some quick-thinking bystanders, the police were called and an ambulance arrived, putting an end to the chaos.
—
After spending a few days in the hospital, Shen Lide’s most vital part was saved, though it had been a close call.
Following the doctor’s advice, Shen Lide had a physical exam, and the results were concerning. His health had deteriorated significantly due to years of heavy drinking and smoking.
His stomach and lungs were in bad shape, and if he wasn’t careful, there was a high risk of cancer.
When he returned home, the woman had already taken the two children and gone back to her parents' house.
However, they didn’t stay long. Her parents’ house was crowded with her brother and sister-in-law, making it inconvenient for her to live there with the kids. The children kept complaining and asking to go back, so in the end, they returned to Shen Lide's home.
Life continued in this makeshift way, and with the 300,000 yuan gone and Shen Lide’s poor health, things had become much tighter financially.
The children’s extracurricular classes were stopped, and they no longer had any pocket money.
Before, life had been quite comfortable with the child support money Shen Xunyan sent each month, but now, even meat rarely appeared on the table.
There was no choice, Shen Lide’s health required expensive medication, and his diet had become very restrictive.
The woman still hesitated, wanting to grit her teeth and enroll the children in extracurricular classes, but Shen Lide refused.
His reasoning was that Shen Yu had never taken any extracurricular classes and still managed to achieve top grades. He believed that if the children were truly outstanding, they would shine on their own, regardless of classes.
Years later, his daughter failed to get into college, and his son dropped out of vocational high school and didn’t want to continue his education.
As Shen Lide grew older, his health continued to worsen.
After the children graduated, neither of them found a suitable job and ended up staying at home, relying on their parents.
The woman was anxious and frustrated, unable to figure out what to do.
Shen Lide spent his days smoking, drinking, and taking medication. He lost a lot of weight and eventually developed cancer.
He wanted to sell the family house to pay for treatment, but the woman refused. They continued to drag on, living in miserable circumstances.
But that was all a story for later.
—
Meanwhile, Shen Yu was in a private booth at an internet café, happily sharing a sweet little cake with Cheng Mofei.
While eating, the two of them started playing games together.
When Cheng Mofei found out that it was himself from the past who had played so many games with Shen Yu, he became even more determined. He insisted on playing through all of them again.
After completing each game, he demanded a kiss from Shen Yu as a reward.
Shen Yu, always indulging him, found Cheng Mofei’s competitive and slightly jealous behavior incredibly cute. He was more than willing to relive everything from their past life, enjoying every moment with him.
Before they knew it, the night had grown late.
For dinner, they had ordered takeout. Shen Yu was craving fish again, so they ordered a big, steaming serving of tomato fish.
Both Shen Xunyan and Cheng Mofei’s mom had sent messages asking if they would be back home tonight.
Shen Yu quickly blinked, then suddenly spoke up, "How about we stay at a hotel tonight? Your house is a bit far from here, and it’s getting late. It might disturb them if you go back now."
"Alright," Cheng Mofei agreed without a second thought, happy to stay wherever Shen Yu wanted.
The two of them then replied to their moms’ messages, letting them know they wouldn’t be coming back tonight. Both mothers were understanding and didn’t ask too many questions.
After they finished playing the game and headed to the hotel, Shen Yu secretly ordered something through the delivery app, making sure Cheng Mofei didn’t notice.
As the delivery driver got closer, Shen Yu nudged the clingy Cheng Mofei off him and suggested, “Go downstairs to get it.”
Once Cheng Mofei left, Shen Yu quickly placed the small hamster’s travel box in a spot that was completely out of sight.
This time, the travel box had water, food, and a small nest for the hamster to curl up in. Although it wasn’t as spacious as the big cage, it would be enough for just one night.
Cheng Mofei naively thought Shen Yu had just ordered some snacks or late-night food.
But as soon as he picked up the bag, he noticed the weight felt a little off. Glancing down at the receipt, his steps abruptly stopped, and his ears instantly turned bright red.
Condoms… and some kind of lubricant…
Fuck.
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