AMBTICBPIB Chapter 61

Chu Yi quickly forgot about the cola incident.

Shen Jin arrived on time to pick up Chu Yi. As he took Chu Yi’s backpack, he noticed it felt heavier than when he’d grabbed it that morning.

Chu Yi grinned sheepishly. “It’s full of yogurt. Jiang Xu bought it for me.”

Shen Jin hummed in acknowledgment. He was genuinely happy that Chu Yi had a friend like Jiang Xu. Even though Chu Yi had encountered a scumbag like Li Wenxing, he had also found a friend like Jiang Xu.

Speaking of yogurt, Shen Jin glanced at Chu Yi with a hint of melancholy. Just an hour earlier, Chu Yi had been on the phone saying how much he missed him. Now that they were together, Chu Yi was engrossed in his phone, his demeanor toward Shen Jin rather indifferent.

Before Shen Jin’s sour mood could fully surface, Chu Yi threw his arms around Shen Jin’s neck. “I missed you,” he said, “so, so much.”

Chu Yi radiated a faint, milky fragrance—a sweet, comforting scent that, like Chu Yi himself, was utterly irresistible.

When Shen Jin had heard Chu Yi say he missed him on the phone, he had desperately wanted to do something to contain the surging emotions within him.

Now, Chu Yi was right in front of him, his arms wrapped around Shen Jin’s neck.

Shen Jin lowered his head and kissed him involuntarily. Chu Yi’s eyes widened—they were in the car, with Chen Ye in the front seat!

Before Chu Yi could protest, his voice was swallowed by Shen Jin’s kiss.

The kiss was tender and lingering.

When they finally broke apart, Chu Yi’s cheeks were flushed crimson.

As Shen Jin wiped his mouth, Chu Yi blurted out his biggest question: “Shen Jin, can you feel anything?”

“What do you mean?” Shen Jin looked at Chu Yi’s reddening ears before realizing what he was asking.

Shen Jin chuckled. “I just don’t feel pain. It’s not like I’m numb to everything else. My other senses are just as sharp as yours.”

“When I kiss you, when I touch you—I feel it all.” He leaned close to Chu Yi’s ear, his warm breath brushing against his cheek. “I remember that night vividly. Want me to describe it for you?”

Chu Yi’s face burned even hotter. He had only been curious! Who asked about *that* night?

Seeing Chu Yi’s flustered and embarrassed expression, Shen Jin coaxed him for a long while, thinking how utterly endearing Chu Yi was.

No one had ever asked him this question before.

After getting home, Shen Jin took the yogurt from his backpack and put it in the refrigerator. Once all the yogurt was removed, a half-empty bottle of cola was revealed inside.

“Chu Yi,” Shen Jin asked, holding up the bottle. “What’s this?”

Chu Yi, who was eating fruit and hadn’t noticed Shen Jin’s slightly stern tone, replied, “What’s wrong?”

When he saw Shen Jin approaching with the half-empty bottle of cola, Chu Yi blinked, realizing he’d forgotten to dispose of the evidence. He’d been caught red-handed.

“What is this?” Shen Jin asked gently.

Shen Jin’s expression was serious. If this had happened before, Chu Yi would have been terrified, unable to meet his eyes. But now, Chu Yi wasn’t afraid, though he felt guilty about the cola in Shen Jin’s hand. He had promised Shen Jin he wouldn’t drink carbonated beverages.

“Did you drink cola this afternoon?” Shen Jin asked.

“I did,” Chu Yi replied, deciding to go on the offensive. “Shen Jin, you said yourself I could do whatever I want and eat whatever I want.”

“But you won’t let me eat crabs or spicy snacks, and now you won’t even let me drink cola. And you’re even scolding me! Shen Jin, you’re bullying me!”

This preemptive strike worked perfectly. Shen Jin froze for a moment, then chuckled helplessly.

He was happy that Chu Yi was no longer afraid of him.

Seeing that his tactic was working, Chu Yi pouted and continued, “Now look at me! I can’t do this, I can’t eat that—I can’t do anything!”

Uncle Wen, who was cooking in the kitchen, poked his head out and smirked at Shen Jin, clearly enjoying his predicament.

As Chu Yi spoke, his eyes sparkled with happiness, despite his pout.

Shen Jin sat beside him. “I’m not saying you can’t drink at all. You’re pregnant now, which means it’s a special time. You just need to drink less. Didn’t Dr. Meng advise you to avoid carbonated drinks altogether?”

“I wasn’t drinking that much,” Chu Yi protested.

Shen Jin shook the half-empty bottle of cola. Chu Yi’s voice softened. “I still had half a bottle left.”

Shen Jin patiently explained, “Cola contains caffeine and a lot of carbon dioxide, which isn’t good for you or the baby. You understand, right?”

Mentioning the baby made Chu Yi realize his mistake. His voice grew even softer. “Okay, I won’t drink it anymore.”

At first, Chu Yi hadn’t felt much. But as time passed, he became increasingly aware of the tiny life growing inside him. It was a miraculous sensation—he knew he had to take responsibility for this little being and take good care of it.

Shen Jin finished the remaining half-bottle of cola. “I’ll drink with you from now on, but can you hold off for a while?”

Chu Yi nodded. “Okay, I won’t sneak any more.”

Seeing how obedient he was, Shen Jin’s heart softened. “It’s not that you can’t have any at all. You can have a sip or two occasionally, but not half a bottle like today.” Completely forbidding Chu Yi from drinking cola was impossible.

Chu Yi’s face lit up instantly. “Shen Jin, you’re the best!”

Just moments ago, Chu Yi had accused Shen Jin of bullying him. Now, he was clinging to Shen Jin’s shoulder and planting a kiss on his cheek, as delighted as a child.

Uncle Wen poked his head in again. “Dinner’s ready.”

For a while, Chu Yi’s pregnancy symptoms had been severe, making it nearly impossible for him to eat anything. Everything he tried to eat came right back up. During that time, he could only stomach bland vegetarian dishes. When he weighed himself a few days ago, he had actually lost five pounds.

In truth, there was no need for a scale; Chu Yi’s noticeably thinner jawline spoke volumes.

Over the past few days, things had improved significantly. Chu Yi rarely vomited anymore, and his appetite had returned somewhat. While it still wasn’t what it used to be, he could now eat much more.

Uncle Wen went to great lengths to vary the meals, ensuring no dish was repeated for an entire month.

Today’s dishes were all Chu Yi’s favorites, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables. Chu Yi ate a full bowl of rice with gusto.

Chu Yi felt he had eaten quite a lot, but by midnight, he was still hungry.

He woke up suddenly, craving something to eat—specifically, egg fried rice.

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was past 1 a.m., far too late. He tried to dismiss the thought of eating.

But lying in bed, he couldn’t fall back asleep. The craving for egg fried rice grew stronger, so intense that it kept him awake.

He glanced at Shen Jin, not wanting to wake him. Chu Yi quietly slipped out of his embrace.

As he put on his slippers and was about to leave the room, Shen Jin’s voice came from behind, “Where are you going?”

Shen Jin had deliberately lowered his voice, careful not to startle Chu Yi.

Chu Yi couldn’t understand how Shen Jin had woken up despite his careful movements.

“I’m hungry,” Chu Yi replied. “I want something to eat.”

Shen Jin immediately sat up. “What do you want? I’ll get it for you. Wait here.”

In the end, Chu Yi and Shen Jin went downstairs together to the kitchen. Chu Yi didn’t want any of the food Shen Jin had brought. “I want egg-fried rice,” he said pitifully.

Shen Jin opened the refrigerator, which was stocked with fresh ingredients. The freezer compartment held dumplings and steamed buns prepared by Uncle Wen.

The refrigerator had everything except leftovers, especially leftover rice. Without leftover rice, how could he make egg-fried rice?

Chu Yi said listlessly, “Let’s just have it tomorrow. Let’s go back to bed.”

Shen Jin rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll make it for you.”

His little one wanted egg-fried rice, and there was no way he wouldn’t get it. Even if it were a rare delicacy, Shen Jin would make sure he had it immediately.

Chu Yi sat nearby, watching Shen Jin rinse the rice and start cooking it.

At first, Chu Yi was curious. “Do you really know how to make egg-fried rice? Maybe we should just forget it. I can eat something else; I’m not that hungry.”

“Of course I do,” Shen Jin replied. Having lived abroad for so long, he had grown tired of foreign cuisine and had always cooked for himself. Egg-fried rice was no problem at all for him.

Worried that Chu Yi was hungry, Shen Jin first gave him some biscuits to tide him over. “Eat these for now. The fried rice will take a little while to make.”

To keep him from getting bored while waiting, Shen Jin also brought over a tablet for him to watch videos or play games.

Chu Yi couldn’t help but feel like he was being treated like a child.

He ate a biscuit while watching the tablet, his gaze occasionally drifting to Shen Jin across the room.

After pressing the rice cooker button, Shen Jin didn’t waste any time and began preparing the ingredients for the fried rice.

Once the ingredients were ready and the rice was cooked, Shen Jin scooped out the steaming rice and heated the wok.

In the middle of the night, the spacious kitchen filled with the aroma of cooking. Shen Jin’s busy figure, seen from behind, gave Chu Yi an unprecedented sense of comfort.

Soon, the fried rice was ready.

Chu Yi took a sniff. It was exactly the aroma he had been craving all night. Just the smell alone lifted his spirits.

Shen Jin sat beside him, and Chu Yi eagerly picked up his spoon.

“Careful, it’s hot,” Shen Jin warned.

Chu Yi, who had been longing for this fried rice, now buried his face in the bowl, devouring it with gusto.

Generally speaking, fried rice made with day-old rice tastes best. Although Shen Jin used freshly cooked rice, it was still incredibly delicious, its flavor no less satisfying.

This was evident in Chu Yi’s silence as he devoured spoonful after spoonful of the fried rice.

Soon, his bowl was empty. Chu Yi set down his spoon with a contented sigh. “This is so good!”

Shen Jin wiped his mouth. “Are you full? There’s still some rice left. I can make another bowl.”

“I’m stuffed,” Chu Yi replied. “Completely full.”

Having enjoyed such delicious fried rice, Chu Yi slept soundly that night.

The next day, Uncle Wen learned about Chu Yi’s midnight snack.

“If you ever want something to eat, just wake me up,” Uncle Wen told him. “No matter how late it is, don’t hesitate. Don’t ever deprive yourself.”

“No need,” Chu Yi said. “Shen Jin’s fried rice was amazing.”

*I probably won’t suddenly crave something in the middle of the night like I did yesterday,* Chu Yi thought.