Chapter Text
Shen Yuan lightly hummed a cheerful tune as he placed his items on the counter.
The majority of his bounty consisted of chips and sweets, with two pork buns and a jasmine tea to somewhat balance out the utter lack of healthiness. As he reached for his phone to pay and check out, a young woman wearing an employee uniform came up to him.
“Yuan-di, didn’t you just buy chips yesterday?”
Shen Yuan frequented this convenience store almost everyday, and was friendly with all of the workers, especially Yan-jie. He liked her attitude so much that he set her up as his sister’s tutor. Originally, he had been her tutor, but his sister managed to always distract him within ten minutes into their study session. Needless to say, Yan-jie had been a great replacement.
But Yan-jie loved to judge Shen Yuan’s eating habits as if it were her true job. She would divulge her information to his sister during tutoring, and his meimei would snitch to the rest of their family. Whenever that happened, Shen Yuan kissed peace and privacy goodbye for the next month or so.
“You’re clearly mistaken. I haven’t gone on a snack run in weeks,” Shen Yuan blatantly lied as he placed his items in grocery bags.
“Hmmm. I don’t know, maybe I won’t remember if you give me a bag of chips.” Yan-jie held out an expectant hand with a cheeky smile in place.
Shen Yuan passed her his least favorite in vengeance.
“It’s always good talking to you, Yuan-di!”
Shen Yuan turned to leave before he realized that the sun had already set. Darkness enveloped the outside; only the occasional street lamp for travelers provided some light, and the amount of people walking about had trickled down to a small handful.
Walking in the dark made a person’s imagination go wild: you either conjure up paranormal dangers, or even worse, you end up facing the reality of bumping into another human with bad intentions. While the former worry can be brushed off, the latter could not. Even a grown man like Shen Yuan felt apprehension walking alone in the dark.
“Is anyone coming to walk you home?” Shen Yuan asked.
Although Shen Yuan wished to be inside his very safe apartment as soon as possible, Yan-jie was a pretty girl. All sorts of dangers could befall her at night!
“Yeah, my dad’s gonna pick me up,” Yan-jie said. “Awww, were you worried?” she teased.
“Of course I’m worried!” he raised both of his arms up, emphasizing his seriousness. “Do you know how many creeps roam the streets late at night?! It’s good that your dad’s coming!” Shen Yuan nodded firmly.
“You should be careful, too, Yuan-di,” she replied and leaned in closer. “People have said some wild animal might be living in the alleyways around here. The crazy thing is that it only comes out at night, so no one’s been able to catch it during the day.”
Shen Yuan waved off her concern. “What kind of animal could it possibly be? It’s probably some granny’s lost dog.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she shrugged.
Shen Yuan said goodbye and started walking back to his apartment, thinking about ripping into Airplane’s latest chapter before going to bed when he passed an abnormally dark alleyway.
He froze in place after hearing odd sounds emanating from the end of the alleyway. While he berated himself for even stopping like a fool, scratching echoed alongside pained little whines, as if trying to stifle any voiced pain. He didn’t like to think that beyond the dark alley there laid an injured person who possibly needed medical attention, yet as Yan-jie’s words vibrated around in his head, he refused to believe otherwise.
The darkness didn’t dissipate, even with the street lamp right next to the entrance, which should have provided enough light to see the alley clearly. If anything, the alleyway’s darkness seemed to be deeper than Shen Yuan’s own shadow. The shadows within shifted and merged together, making it seem as if it were breathing.
“Hello?” Shen Yuan called out. “Is anyone there?”
What am I doing?! Saying something a character in a horror movie says before brutally dying! I shouldn’t be surprised if someone ends up finding my dead body tomorrow!
A loud grumble distracts Shen Yuan from further judging himself. It sounded exactly like his stomach when he took too long to eat something. Sympathy for whatever dwelled in this creepy alley swept over him. He didn’t think it wise to step further into the alley, a gut feeling that warned him to not do so, yet he still wanted to help in some way.
“I have some food. I’ll put it here in case you want it,” he said softly.
He shakily placed down his two pork buns before scurrying away as if he had been told that there was a sale on one of his holy grail figures, completely missing the clawed hand that reached out from the darkness to swipe the bag off of the ground.
Glowing red eyes followed Shen Yuan’s retreating form before they disappeared from thin air.
☾
The fifth alarm clock pierced through the bedroom when Shen Yuan finally decided to turn it off. He slid off his bed full of fluffy pillows and three plushies half hidden by blankets: an orca, a penguin, and a blobfish. Laying in a heap on the floor, he slowly crawled up, propping himself against his bed as he stretched his arms high into the air. His oversized shirt fell back into its proper place, covering up his right shoulder and revealing a pair of boxers covered with cucumbers. As he bent down, his shaking arms valiantly trying to reach his toes, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, as if he were being watched. Shen Yuan snorted shakily.
And right this way, you will find a fascinating type of human being: a nerd! A whole geek! Watch how this specimen struggles to stretch, and watch out for what happens as he straightens back up! Additionally, some tend to have various bones and joints pop from a lack of healthy movement!
Once he straightened back up, he squinted to see what the thermometer had to say, ignoring the way his spine cracked. With a delicate finger, he raised the temperature until it hit a good number before wading his way across his bedroom, every inch of the floor covered by an array of graphic t-shirts and blouses. He admired his expensive figures and posters for a bit before continuing his journey to the closet.
Shen Yuan selected a pair of slacks and a button-up for the day. He went to the bathroom and took a hot shower after dumping his pajamas in his overflowing laundry bin, using the steam to iron his clothes for him. While he let the water rinse the shampoo out of his hair, he washed his face and brushed his teeth.
Leaving the bathroom quickly, he let his body air dry as he blow dried his hair. All the while, goosebumps trailed down his spine, arms and legs not spared in the slightest, like his body was reacting to a pair of eyes trailing all over his body. He checked the thermostat again, humming a random tune.
His apartment was the perfect temperature.
As he collected everything he needed to get ready for the day, his movements became smoother and more refined. By the time he finished carefully styling his hair, manipulating his bangs to lay right above his rimless glasses, Shen Yuan looked like an elegant man who had his whole life put together, a complete contrast to his early morning appearance.
He made sure he had properly locked his door before he noticed his neighbor was also leaving her apartment.
“Good morning!”
“Ah, good morning, Shen Yuan. Are you going to your teaching job?”
“Yes, I am. It’s about to be exam season as well, so I’ll be very busy, too.”
She was busy looking down at her door before turning around, a smile on her face before she properly looked at Shen Yuan. Her expression froze, and her eyes trailed oddly, as if seeing through him.
“Madam Meiyin, is everything alright?” he asked as he slightly tugged on the coat he put on. He couldn’t help but look behind himself as Madam Meiyin continued to stare oddly at him.
She frowned slightly before asking bluntly, “Has anything odd happened to you recently?”
He shook his head and adjusted his glasses. “No, I’ve been well. Why?”
She hummed deep in thought. “Wait here for a moment.” With that, she unlocked her door and went back to her apartment. A waft of her signature perfume hit him as she closed the door.
Shen Yuan waited patiently in befuddlement before she came back holding something in her hand.
“Ta-da! For you.” She held out a necklace with a wooden pendant for him to see before she made him turn around while she put it on him.
“Oh, thank you, but I don’t think accessories suit me.” He held the pendant in his palm. It looked like it was made out of peach wood.
“It’s fine if you want to hide it as long as you wear it, even at night.” She wagged a finger at him as they walked towards the exit together.
“Alright, alright.” He promptly tucked it underneath his shirt.
They waved goodbye as they went their separate ways.
☀
“... and that’s all for today. If you have any further questions in the future, please don’t hesitate to come to any of our office hours.”
Students stood up from their seats, some leaving immediately and many staying behind to ask Shen Yuan further questions.
All the students in the class liked Shen Yuan; he was actually helpful, and wasn’t intimidating to approach unlike some other teaching assistants they had in other classes. It was unfortunate he was only a teaching assistant for summer courses, since they were shorter than full semester courses.
Students received their answers individually or in small groups until only two students remained.
“And what are you two doing? Don’t you have other things to do than stand around?” Shen Yuan chided.
Ming Fan shook his head while Ning Yingying laughed. These two students, while studious, also liked to goof off with Shen Yuan. Even if they have the intention of going to his office hours for genuine help, it inevitably devolves into talking about the latest episode of the drama they’re all watching.
“But Shen-laoshi, we haven’t talked about the latest episode yet!”
“There will be plenty of time for that once you’ve turned in your essay,” Shen Yuan bonked her on the head lightly with a pile of papers he had in his hands.
“But they’re still not due yet!” Ming Fan pointed out.
“It’s never too late to start early,” Shen Yuan said as he shooed them away from the room.
“You’re the last person that should be saying that,” retorted Qi Qingshi as she walked towards the desk with her student’s papers in her hand.
“You procrastinate to the last possible hour.”
“That’s exactly why I’m giving that advice. Otherwise they’ll end up like this old man,” he said as he tidied up the desk as best as he could.
“Yes, you’re practically ancient in your mid-20’s,” she replied drily.
Qi Qingshi had a strong personality, and didn’t have any qualms against being brutally honest. Shen Yuan liked being able to quip back and forth with her, which made working alongside her as the only two TA’s for this course quite nice.
Shen Yuan adjusted his glasses before gathering his things to leave.
“And why do you insist on wearing those fake glasses?!”
“I’ll see you on Friday!”
☀
Before going back to his apartment, he decided to visit the café his sister worked at. Although she didn’t need the money in the slightest, she wanted to spend more time with her friend, so she decided to work alongside her.
It was a serene place with nice trees outside that provided nice shade from the summer sun; the interior consisted of a light color palette centered around a light peach, with dark wooden furniture to provide a nice contrast. The drinks and food were delicious as well, so Shen Yuan didn’t find it difficult in the slightest to visit his sister and make sure she was fine.
He had already been attended to by a waitress by the time his sister approached him with a pout gracing her face.
“San-ge, how many times have I told you to tell me when you’re coming by!”
“Sorry, I forgot,” Shen Yuan said unapologetically. He closed his book on deep ocean creatures and gave his sister his full attention.
Shen Meiling, as the baby and only daughter of the family, was pampered and spoiled since the day she was born. Shen Yuan, the previous baby, still liked being pampered and spoiled, yet took the responsibility of being an elder sibling like a baby duck took to water. He didn’t experience the jealousy that many children feel once they realize they won’t be the youngest anymore. If anything, he is the brother that not only spoils his sister the most, but is the brother she’s closest to.
She sighed. “Did you at least get something good?”
“The peach oolong tea sounded nice.”
She squinted at his face. She didn’t know if she was being teased or not.
“Meiling, come help me with this!” a cheerful voice rang out.
“Coming!” She left Shen Yuan back to his book.
He opened his book to where he left off, and continued his reading. Even with the sounds of cooking, brewing, and light conversation, his eyes never strayed from the contents of his book, nor did he ever shift from his perfect posture as he shifted his eyeglasses higher. He made for a refined and elegant figure.
Shen Meiling’s friend, Lin Ya, sighed as she looked at Shen Yuan.
“I wish my brother was more like yours. He just likes to annoy me.”
“You think he doesn’t?” Shen Meiling replied. “Don’t be fooled by how he presents himself, he likes to annoy me all the time!”
“Sure, he likes teasing you, but he actually helps you out a lot, too.”
Since the café wasn’t full, both of them decided to bring out Shen Yuan’s order together.
“Hi, Shen Yuan, your food is ready! And you made some excellent choices.” Lin Ya placed a plate full of cold noodles with a good serving of shredded chicken while Shen Meiling set down a glass of iced peach oolong tea.
“Did you also help make the summer menu?” Shen Yuan asked.
“Both of us did!” Shen Meiling said happily.
“It’s nice to know meimei isn’t just distracting you, Lin Ya,” he said drily.
“You’re one to talk! After you’re done, go back home immediately!” Shen Meiling huffed.
“Yes, yes, as soon as I’m done,” Shen Yuan said lightly.
After finishing his lunch, Shen Yuan packed up his book, ready to go back to his apartment, but a shrill, loud crying stopped him in his tracks. Standing in front of the entrance stood a toddler, without a parent or guardian in sight. Shen Yuan immediately crouched down.
“What’s wrong?”
Teary eyes looked at Shen Yuan. “I’m lost!”
He hummed soothingly. “Why don’t we wait? Were you with your mother? Or father?”
“Mama,” he sniffed. He raised his arms, asking to be lifted up.
Shen Yuan gathered him into his arms, using his hip to balance the child.
“Let’s get you a cookie while we wait.”
He steered them towards the front counter to order a cookie, as well as ask around if anyone recognized the child. It turned out they knew Xiao Bao, and luckily had his mother’s phone number.
His mother came in a flurry, and thanked Shen Yuan profusely as Xiao Bao was reunited with his mother. He bid them well before making his way towards his apartment.
☁
Although Shen Yuan’s apartment had giant, south facing windows that allowed for plenty of sunlight to completely light up the room, it seemed unusually gloomy inside. Immediately chilly, he took off his shoes before looking at the thermostat once more and raising the temperature even higher, ignoring the fact that it was currently summer.
He ordered some take-out online and proceeded to take a steaming hot shower, dumping his outside clothes in his strangely half-empty hamper. Shen Yuan could’ve sworn it had been overflowing. He belted out a song while he washed himself thoroughly, pleased with knowing no one could possibly hear his not-so-great singing.
I could cry from happiness! I love living alone!
The necklace Madam Meiyin had given him swayed as he dried himself off in the bathroom before putting on an oversized silk long-sleeve pajama top and a matching pair of pants.
The doorbell rang, alerting him to the arrival of his food. Shen Yuan thanked the delivery man and chit-chatted a bit before he closed the door and moved towards the dining table. As he ate, he read the latest chapter Airplane posted before abandoning his food and typing furiously for five minutes straight, an angry scowl on his face.
This is the worst chapter yet! There is just so much potential that this hack author keeps thrashing for atrocious papapa of all things! Fuck you, Airplane!
Shen Yuan moved towards his expensive computer set-up in the corner of his bedroom, and didn’t move until it was past midnight. He stretched before making his way to his unmade bed. Before getting cozy, he turned on the lamp near his bed before turning off the main lights. Once he finally laid down, he faced the wall and covered his body completely, falling asleep after a while.
Light, deep breathing could be heard as a dark shadow grew from the corner of the bedroom. As the shadow grew a human shape, red glowing eyes and a matching red huadian appeared on its face before it moved towards the bed, looming over Shen Yuan’s sleeping form.
The shadow maneuvered Shen Yuan until he laid on his back, limbs sprawled out. Those red eyes stared at Shen Yuan’s face until they drifted downwards. A clawed finger pulled on the necklace given to him until the pendant popped out. A crimson glow enveloped the shadow, and traveled down the claw placed right on top of the pendant. Cracks spread outwards from where the claw touched the pendant until it split into two pieces.
Deep red eyes stared at a sleeping Shen Yuan for a moment more until they disappeared, along with the shadowy body they belonged to.