Chapter 84: Unsolicited Kindness

Hearing the door open, Meng Ran glanced back and saw Zhang Shen but ignored him completely. Zhang Shen realized that the chubby guy was still upset about what had happened earlier today. Considering they lived together in the same dormitory—and he had indeed left in a hurry without explaining the situation—he couldn’t really blame Meng Ran for being angry.

Zhang Shen walked over to Meng Ran and said, “There were reasons for what happened today—I’m really sorry.”

“Hmph! Don’t talk to me.”

Zhang Shen was surprised that Meng Ran, a grown man, could be so petulant, humming and sulking like Jiang Muyun, that girl who always liked to pout.

Instead of giving up, Zhang Shen looked at the snacks in his hands, set them down in front of Meng Ran, and said, “I didn’t know what you like, so I just bought some things at random.”

To a foodie like Meng Ran, snacks were life itself; with something to eat, all grievances and grudges could be swept aside. Before Zhang Shen could finish speaking, Meng Ran impatiently tore open the bags and began devouring the snacks with gusto.

Watching Meng Ran eat so happily, Zhang Shen knew the matter was settled—he had successfully passed this hurdle. Just as he was about to go and take a shower, Meng Ran, who had just been munching away, suddenly darted over to him with a whoosh.

Zhang Shen was a little stunned by Meng Ran’s abrupt “attack.”

“What’s wrong?”

With a mischievous grin, Meng Ran gave Zhang Shen the distinct impression that nothing good was about to come from this.

“Brother Zhang, could you do me a favor?”

“A favor?” Zhang Shen knew a bit of medicine—if Meng Ran was feeling unwell, he might be able to help, but if it was something outside his expertise, he couldn’t make any promises.

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Tell me what it is first.”

To be prudent, Zhang Shen didn’t agree immediately.

“I want you to be my wingman. I want to get to know Wang Ying…”

Hearing this, Zhang Shen nearly spat blood. He had just played matchmaker once, and now this chubby guy was coming to him too—was he destined to become the “Old Man Under the Moon,” a professional matchmaker?

“Hey! Brother Zhang, I’m asking you for help here, and it’s my first request!”

At this point, Zhang Shen’s mind was a tangled mess. He looked at Meng Ran’s hefty figure and the mess of snack bags on the table, and he couldn’t help but want to back out.

“Well, Meng Ran, I don’t think I’m necessarily the right person for you. First of all—”

Before Zhang Shen could finish, Meng Ran exploded with indignation.

“We live in the same dorm, and you won’t even do me this tiny favor? What’s the point of sharing a roof, then?”

After hearing that, Zhang Shen didn’t know how to respond and could only reply slowly, “Meng Ran, you’ve been classmates with Wang Ying for four years. Why are you only now thinking of pursuing her?”

At the mention of Wang Ying’s name, Meng Ran’s mind seemed to jump to life.

“I’ve always been too shy! But Brother Zhang, I’ve seen you laughing and chatting with her in class.”

Zhang Shen felt an urge to smack Meng Ran. What kind of logic was that? His close relationship with Wang Ying hadn’t happened overnight—couldn’t Meng Ran be proactive for once?

This made Zhang Shen think of Lu Ming. As the heir to the Lu family’s considerable assets, Lu Ming also seemed to lack initiative in such matters. If not for Wang Xiaoli’s illness, who knows how long things between Lu Ming and Hao Lei would have dragged on.

“If that’s the case, I can help you.”

Hearing Zhang Shen agree, Meng Ran hugged his leg with glee and said, “Brother Zhang, you’re the best! From now on, I’ll use all the money I save on snacks to honor you!”

To deprive Meng Ran of his snack money was akin to cutting into his very soul—Zhang Shen was well aware of this.

“Forget it, just use your savings for Wang Ying! I wouldn’t know what to do with them.”

“So, Brother Zhang, what should I do next?”

Zhang Shen leaned his head back, thought for a moment, and said, “Let me take a shower first. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”

“All right! I’ll get everything ready.”

Before Zhang Shen could react, Meng Ran had already fetched his underwear and towel, placing them in the bathroom. Zhang Shen saw all of this, and though he found it amusing, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse Meng Ran’s “kindness.”

Once everything was ready, Meng Ran grinned and said, “Brother Zhang, you can bathe now.”

The first thing Zhang Shen did upon entering the bathroom was to lock the door. He wasn’t sure if the overexcited Meng Ran would burst in to help him scrub his back.

As Zhang Shen was still mulling over this, a flurry of knocks sounded at the door.

“Brother Zhang, why did you lock the door? This is my new skincare lotion—do you want to try it?”

Even through the door, Zhang Shen could sense Meng Ran’s obsequiousness. He was grateful he’d locked the door just in time.

When Zhang Shen finally emerged from his shower, Meng Ran immediately grabbed him.

“Want a massage? I’m pretty good at it!”

Zhang Shen had had enough; Meng Ran was acting as if he’d been starved for ages, and Zhang Shen felt like he was becoming a sacrificial lamb.

“No, thank you.”

After Zhang Shen’s repeated refusals, Meng Ran finally gave up his attempts at currying favor. Still, after all that fuss, Zhang Shen worried that Meng Ran might pull something else during the night, so he said, “Meng Ran, I’ll keep your request in mind, but I need to give it some thought. So please don’t disturb me tonight.”

“Okay, Brother Zhang.”

Even with Meng Ran’s promise, Zhang Shen remained uneasy and kept one eye open throughout the night, never fully giving in to sleep. It was only in the early hours, when he finally heard the sound of snoring, that he dared to rest easy, knowing Meng Ran had drifted off to dreamland.

The next morning, Zhang Shen woke to his alarm, discovered his clothes still intact, and, glancing at the still-sleeping Meng Ran sprawled like a dead pig, knew he’d made it through the night unscathed.

After getting up, Zhang Shen said to Meng Ran, “Get up or we’ll be late.”

“I want to find Wang Ying!”

Zhang Shen felt a wave of exasperation—he’d woken him for class, yet Meng Ran still had Wang Ying on his mind. No doubt he’d spent all night pining for her.

“Stop looking for Wang Ying in your dreams and get up.”

With that, Zhang Shen patted Meng Ran’s round face twice. Startled awake, Meng Ran blinked and saw a pair of dark circles under Zhang Shen’s eyes.

“Whoa, Brother Zhang, what happened to your eyes?”