SC Chapter26

Shen Yunjie was still angry, although he didn’t say it and took meticulous care of Xiao Ning and Xiao Yuan’s daily life as usual. But Xiao Ning knew that Shen Yunjie hadn’t put his favorite dry-cured ham and winter mushroom on his plate during meals for three days.

Xiao Ning finished his meal glumly and sent Xiao Yuan to the academy, his mind full of Shen Yunjie’s downcast expression. Thinking of the tears Shen Yunjie shed onto his palm that night, he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart. But he didn’t know how to explain to Shen Yunjie that he didn’t do it on purpose.

Xiao Ning was somewhat distracted in whatever he did all day until the evening, when Shen Yunjie brought hot water upstairs, which gave Xiao Ning a chance to make a conversation under the pretence of the moment.

“Don’t do these chores anymore.” Xiao Ning watched Shen Yunjie struggle to carry the hot water up, the water temperature in the wooden basin perfectly adjusted. Just as Shen Yunjie was about to take off his young master’s shoes and socks, he was pulled up by Xiao Ning and hugged tightly into his arms.

Xiao Ning slowly stroked Shen Yunjie’s back, from his shoulder down to his waist, and said, “Don’t you see how far along your pregnancy is now?”

Shen Yunjie’s forehead was still sweating, and his breathing was slightly rapid: “These chores are not heavy, I can manage them.”

Xiao Ning’s hand on Shen Yunjie’s waist and back paused, and he frowned, “The child in your belly should be the priority.”

Shen Yunjie lowered his eyes, touched his abdomen, and nodded faintly: “The Young Master’s lesson is right.”

Xiao Ning suppressed the annoyance in his heart, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “What happened the night before last was my negligence.”

Shen Yunjie looked up at Xiao Ning, finding some of his former shadow in his eyes, like when the young heir in his teenage years secretly hid his homework and was discovered by him, with a bit of guilt and a bit of a guilty conscience.

With that thought, Shen Yunjie couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile, much like the Saxifraga stolonifera blooming on a branch in June, the wind blowing over it raising a faint, refreshing cold fragrance, gently sweeping over Xiao Ning’s heart.

Xiao Ning was stunned, all the cold, hurtful words were swallowed back into his belly. He tightened his arms, somewhat lingeringly rubbing his chin gently on the top of Shen Yunjie’s head. He simply closed his eyes, throwing everything to the back of his mind, and leaned down slightly to kiss the soft earlobe of the person in his arms.

Shen Yunjie was pressed onto the bed while his clothes were untied, layer after layer, until his pale chest and round abdomen were exposed. Xiao Ning embraced the thin body on the bed, mumbling, “Let me cherish you one more time.” In the small drawer by the bed was a box of ointment, clear and translucent, with the scent of jasmine, bought from Nanjiu Alley, it was new and unopened. The small round porcelain jar was painted with a red carp playing with lotus pattern, and under the jar were two volumes of erotic picture books whose corners were slightly curled from being flipped through.

…

The teeth marks on Shen Yunjie’s wrist were bitten out by himself, circle after circle, until Xiao Ning kissed his fingertips and coaxed him close to his ear: “Make a sound.”

Shen Yunjie’s eyes were blurred by sweat, he shook his head while panting, “Xiao Yuan…”

Xiao Ning frowned, rolled up some clothing, and wrapped it carelessly around Shen Yunjie, then jumped directly from the window onto the roof while holding the person.

“Call out now,” Xiao Ning said with satisfaction while encircling Shen Yunjie’s waist.

Shen Yunjie reached out and rubbed his sore eyes. That’s right, this time it shouldn’t wake Xiao Yuan, but the neighbors might all hear it.

Xiao Ning lowered his head and kissed Shen Yunjie’s chest, asking in a low voice, “Why didn’t you personally breastfeed Xiao Yuan back then?”

Shen Yunjie suppressed his panting, his voice drowsy: “Xiao Yuan… wasn’t raised by my side… I couldn’t let Shizun know… I took medicine, so I had no milk, hmm…”

“This time, you’ll feed it yourself.” Xiao Ning rested his palm on Shen Yunjie’s abdomen. The little thing that had been gestating in his belly for almost five months could already move.

Shen Yunjie lay on Xiao Ning’s shoulder and thought, After the child is born, how long will he be able to stay with this child? Three months? Or four months? The momentary trance was pulled back by the sore and strained feeling below his waist. This difficult pleasure was not yet over.

By the end, all Shen Yunjie could see through the haze of sweat was the faint, flickering, star-filled sky and a swaying bright moon.

Shen Yunjie slept until mid-morning again before waking up, his head heavy and dizzy, his whole body weak and sore. A pair of small hands reached into the quilt, and Xiao Yuan poked his small head out from the bedside, cuddling close and whispering, “Father is sleeping in again.” Shen Yunjie smiled, reached out to stroke Xiao Yuan’s soft fringe, and propped himself up to sit.

Xiao Yuan looked at his father’s bulging belly under the quilt and couldn’t help but ask, “Father, when will little brother or little sister come out?”

“Very soon, Xiao Yuan is about to become a big brother.” Shen Yunjie guided Xiao Yuan’s hand to his belly, and the little one inside cooperated with a movement, making Xiao Yuan’s eyes sparkle.

Shen Yunjie held Xiao Yuan in his arms while watching Xiao Yuan rub his ear against his belly. “Xiao Yuan is the big brother, you must take good care of your younger siblings in the future.”

Xiao Yuan nodded obediently: “I will take good care of my younger siblings, share my candied hawthorns with them, and teach them to read.”

Shen Yunjie’s heart melted into a puddle as he gently poked Xiao Yuan’s glabella with his fingertip and said seriously, “But Xiao Yuan needs to take even better care of yourself.”

Xiao Yuan tilted his small face and said, “Father will take care of me.”

Shen Yunjie brushed over Xiao Yuan’s brows and eyes with his fingertips. If a few more years passed, this child might resemble Xie Yunyi from back then even more, but he wouldn’t be able to see it anymore. A sudden sharp pain gripped his chest, and Shen Yunjie abruptly raised his hand to press against his chest. In that instant, he could hear nothing, see nothing, and even his breathing stopped. After about two or three breaths, Shen Yunjie gave a muffled groan, bent down, and gasped several times, with a buzzing sound in his ears.

“Father!” Xiao Yuan tugged at his sleeve and called out several times.

Shen Yunjie slowly recovered for a long while, released the hand pressing on his heart, patted Xiao Yuan’s head, and said, “I’m fine, Xiao Yuan should go downstairs first, Father will change clothes and come down.”

Xiao Yuan stared at his father for a long time, made sure his father was fine first before nodding and hopped off the bed, pushed the door open, then went downstairs.

Shen Yunjie reached out and touched his chest, his eyes darkening little by little.

He met Old Zhou alone while Xiao Ning was taking Xiao Yuan to the academy. Shen Yunjie placed the two jars of Qiulu Bai on the table, consciously found a chair to sit down, and extended his wrist.

Old Zhou craned his neck to look outside, immediately feeling a headache, and said, “Why did you come alone?”

Shen Yunjie pointed to his chest: “Has the poison entered the heart meridian?”

Old Zhou’s expression became serious. He carefully took Shen Yunjie’s pulse, and after a long time, he said, “It shouldn’t be this fast. I’ll add another formula for you. Pay more attention to yourself daily, avoid great joy, great sorrow, great fear, and great shock. Maintain a stable and peaceful state of mind.”

Shen Yunjie withdrew his hand, gently lowered his sleeve, and nodded.

Old Zhou quickly wrote a prescription and handed it to Shen Yunjie: “Go to the medical hall on East Street to buy it, get some better medicinal herbs. You’re running an exchange house and yet still selling cake, there’s only you two left doing that.”

Shen Yunjie nodded: “Thank you.”

Old Zhou waved his hand: “No need. Go back and tell your man to have less s*xual intercourse. Why are you guys still messing around at a time like this?”

Shen Yunjie’s voice was clear and calm: “I understand.” When he turned around, his ears were slightly flushed.