A CERTAIN SOMEONE ( THE ON1Y ONE )

Chapter 025 - Capsize

Sheng Wang’s Online, And Bluffing His Way Through.

Yeah, what’s there to panic about?
Sheng Wang didn’t speak.
He was a little shaken, he appeared to be unable to produce an explanation either.

Sheng Mingyang already closed the door downstairs, the keys lightly jingling as he settled it on the cabinet in the entrance hall cabinet. He changed into a pair of soft domestic slippers, and his footsteps were muffled as it travelled from the living room to the kitchen.
A short while later there was the sound of another door opening, and there was another pair of footsteps in the kitchen.
Maybe it was due to the quietude of the night, or maybe because Sheng Wang’s back was against the door, he could vaguely hear Jiang Ou’s voice despite her low volume.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you’re back, everything’s settled?” Jiang Ou asked.
“Not yet, I still have to go back,” Sheng Mingyang said, “it’s a little troublesome.”
“Have you eaten your dinner yet then?”
“Made do with some airplane food, now I’m a little hungry, I wanted to find something to tide me through.”
“There’s chicken soup, let me heat up for you?”
“No, that’s too much noise.”
Sheng Mingyang lowered his voice and said something, probably along the lines of not wanting to disturb Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian who were upstairs. Following that, Jiang Ou’s voice also lowered, and their voices were no longer intelligible, the buzzing of human speech sounding both so near and yet so far.
Sheng Mingyang took something out from the fridge and dealt with his hunger, a short while later they returned to the bedroom, and tranquility was restored to this house once more, everything’s back to normal.

A water droplet dripped down from the hair in front of Jiang Tian’s forehead, he grabbed an end of his towel and rubbed it.
Sheng Wang’s shoulders slowly relaxed, that moment of panic was like flickering lights and shadows, disappearing in a jiffy. He could not figure out a reason, and casually came up with an excuse instead, “My dad’s naggy, if he knew that I’m not asleep yet, I’m definitely getting nagged at — why aren’t you asleep at this timing? Did you delay your sleep because of your homework or getting too caught up with playing?”

Sheng Wang lowered his pitch and copied his dad, that tone of his was remarkably true to him. He walked to the table, and settled the paper down with familiar ease. “If you say that you haven’t finished your homework, he would instantly ask if it’s too difficult or too much, is it that way to everyone or just you? If you say that you’re just revising for the monthly test, he’s gonna ask how’s the revision coming along, are you confident or not. After he asked he would say it’s okay to feel pressure, but not too much, and then start to pour chicken soup down your throat.”

This routine was overly familiar, making its appearance in too many parents. When Jiang Tian got to the later half he couldn’t help but let out a laugh, causing Sheng Wang to start laughing too, “Your head will start buzzing too, right? If it’s you you would panic too.”
Jiang Tian settled that glass of plain water on the desk, and took the towel from his neck to dry his hair. “He’s this talkative?”

“Not really. It’s just that he’s usually too busy to ask, when he gets the rare chance to, he gives it his all, it's sort of a—” Sheng Wang pursed his lips and deliberated, “compensation, you know?”

The hand drying his hair briefly paused. He shot a glance towards Sheng Wang’s face, only to see the other person busy flipping through to find the pages marked out in the topical exercises, there weren’t any signs that he was emotionally affected when he said that.

“But, Sheng Mingyang is a little different from many parents when it comes to one thing. He actually never did ask much from me in terms of grades, neither would he reprimand me. After forcing chicken soup on me, he would praise me too.” Sheng Wang looked up, mimed at Jiang Tian while holding a page, “Our Sheng Wang is capable, papa trusts you.”
Jiang Tian walked to the corner of the room amidst his grumbles, tossed the towel into the laundry net and straightened up, saying, “Shouldn’t he be saying Wang-zai.”
“......”
Sheng Wang was instantly silenced, a myriad of expressions on his face.
A few seconds later, he pointed at Jiang Tian and squeezed out a single line, “You shut up.”