Chapter 46 Let Him Play for a Couple Days

Chapter 46: Let Him Play for a Couple of Days First

Wanting to eat ice cream outside on a winter night in the twelfth month.

He’d barely slept last night and hadn’t rested at noon, yet still wanted to drive late at night.

In the time it took him to wash the bowls, the little pup had already flashed his belly on the sofa several times.

Shi Zai, with his back to the kitchen, lifted his shirt again and took Pink Dumpling’s hand:

“Yun Bao, feel right here, can you feel it moving?”

“...”

“Hurry up, Big Brother hasn’t even felt it yet… Ah!”

Pink Dumpling’s hand jerked back sharply. Shi Zai was suddenly hoisted by his armpits, his legs kicking briefly before he was pulled into a front-facing embrace. Seeing the man’s expression, Shi Zai grinned cheekily and tugged his sleepshirt back down.

Sitting back down on the sofa holding Shi Zai, Shu Yangkuo patted Yang Yun’s shoulder and said to the one he was holding:

“How many times did I say it on the road?”

“...Yan Wei’s just being too careful, you don’t need to follow the doctor’s advice so strictly.”

“Repeat what I said.”

As soon as he spoke, without waiting for a response, Shu Yangkuo softened his tone and carefully reiterated Yan Wei’s words. It wasn’t that he was afraid Shi Zai might carelessly harm the baby; it was just that, given the special circumstances, if he got too cold or was pressed too hard, his stomach would hurt again.

But after saying this, Shu Yangkuo immediately felt a pang of guilt. He considered slightly increasing the medication dosage and moving things up earlier… The person in his arms blinked his large eyes after hearing him, looking so still and cautious it felt like drilling into Shu Yangkuo’s heart. This was someone usually so lively and playful.

Just as he hesitated whether to say more, the person in his arms slipped down, first slowing his steps before unable to resist hurrying into the bedroom, chattering away on the phone, telling Ji Qianxi something like “come see me tomorrow, I’ll share some good news”… Shu Yangkuo smiled wryly. Better to let his excitement fade first before bringing it up, otherwise there’d definitely be tears and tantrums. Telling him now—to Shi Zai, it would probably feel like having his toy snatched away.

He also decided not to restrict him too much, as long as he didn’t bump or knock into anything.

The little pup seemed… really not that delicate after all.

Turning his head, Shu Yangkuo’s eyelid twitched again. Noticing his gaze, Yang Yun, who was reading the pregnancy handbook Big Brother had brought home, asked:

“Big Brother, what’s wrong?”

“...Not feeling unwell?”

“It’s not me who’s pregnant, why would I feel unwell? Little Brother isn’t unwell either, Big Brother, don’t be so oversensitive.”

After saying this, Yang Yun peeked over the top of the book hiding his face. Sure enough, someone was still staring at him.

Understanding Big Brother’s real meaning, Yang Yun grinned:

“Hehe, of course nothing’s wrong now. We’ll have to wait until it’s born to see how you both treat me. I’m not worried about Little Brother’s side, plus he didn’t raise me from childhood. But Big Brother—hmph, I’ll be making comparisons!”

“...Be fair to Big Brother.”

“No!”

After deliberately saying this, Yang Yun hid his eyes behind the pregnancy handbook again.

He really should be fair to Big Brother—after all, Big Brother was only in his teens when he started raising him. But he just wanted to hear what Big Brother would say.

Shu Yangkuo was silent for a moment, then reached out to cup the back of Yang Yun’s head, pressing a kiss to his hair:

“Xiao Yun, there are no ‘what ifs.’ But Big Brother did think today—if it were possible, I’d rather you were my own biological child.”

“...Big Brother?”

“Mm, just like my own, okay? No matter how old you get, that won’t change.”

Suddenly burying his face against Big Brother’s shoulder, Yang Yun nuzzled in and mumbled:

“But I won’t act like a child anymore.”

“Weren’t you always good at being mischievous?”

“...Hahaha! Then Big Brother, don’t scold me.”

“Little Brother can scold you, but Big Brother can’t?”

After a pause, Yang Yun laughed even more heartily, feeling suddenly much more at ease. So even Big Brother felt jealous sometimes, thinking he favored Little Brother too much. Hehe, even with a new family member on the way, he wasn’t being neglected at all. Happiness.

Yang Yun pushed his luck, asking Big Brother to promise in advance:

“When the baby is born, if it misbehaves, you have to scold it too.”

“...”

“Did you hear me?”

“Mm, at most I’ll just get an earful from your Little Brother.”

“Hahahahahaha...”

Unable to stay seated in the living room any longer, Shu Yangkuo felt incredibly conflicted. Even giving Yang Yun a slightly stern look would earn him a scolding from his wife—let alone dealing with a crying infant in the future. What could he do? He’d just have to get used to it.

The family dynamics might seem a bit messy, but there was no helping it—now the little pup insisted on treating Yang Yun as the first treasure.

Entering the bedroom, the little pup—still on the phone with one leg crossed over the other—glanced up. Shu Yangkuo paused silently, then pulled him onto his lap, whispering into his ear, “I didn’t scold him, he’s in good spirits.”

After hanging up, Shi Zai snorted:

“Would you dare scold him? That’s not what I meant—I was wondering why Yun Bao isn’t asleep yet.”

“...Reading the pregnancy handbook.”

“Wow—hahaha, didn’t you already memorize it backwards at dinner, Big Brother?”

“...”

“Oh right, Big Brother, does it mention—anything about having sex during pregnancy?”

“...It doesn’t, and we can’t.”

After saying this, Shu Yangkuo picked him up, gave him a quick wash in the master bathroom, then tucked him directly into bed, pretending not to see those wide, blinking eyes.

Within seconds, Shu Yangkuo opened his eyes again, meeting an intense gaze mere inches away.

Shi Zai grinned, leaning on the man’s chest and puffing out his belly slightly:

“Big Brother, can you tell my belly’s bigger?”

“...If you crush it by mistake, darling, you won’t have anything to play with.”

At this, Shi Zai let out an "ah" and quickly slid down, nuzzling sideways into the man's arms again, completely unwilling to sleep:

"Ge, is it like planting tomatoes? If you touch it, it won't grow anymore?"

"...Maybe."

"If you want it to grow faster, tomatoes need to be fertilized and watered, so Ge... mmm!"

Covering the mouth of the person in his arms with one hand, Shu Yangkuo suddenly felt overwhelmingly weary—the kind where he didn’t know what to say, as if he were back in the days when he was constantly teased into arousal by the one in his arms yet powerless to stop it. Weirdly... he once again felt: this is sinful.

But perhaps it was just overexcitement.

Shi Zai closed his eyes for a while but still couldn’t fall asleep, his mind filled with the thought that a little one was growing inside him.

He suddenly sat up, straddled the man’s chest, pushed up his pajamas, and leaned down, wanting Shu Yangkuo to listen for any extra little heartbeat. When his lips pressed against the warm, smooth skin, Shu Yangkuo held still for several breaths before focused carefully to listen. Thump-thump—it was actually the heartbeat of the one in his arms. Zheng Yuan had said earlier that at one month, you can’t hear a fetal heartbeat, but somehow, he thought he could hear it.

He planted a soft kiss with his lips, and Shu Yangkuo responded with a smile:

"I heard it. It says it loves you."

"Ge—"

"Mm, it also says—there are many trees in the sky, but it only wants to come to the one named 'Shi Zai.' It only wants to become Shi Zai’s precious fruit. This tree named Shi Zai has the brightest laugh and most beautifully, has the greatest strength and the brightest eyes. It holds its head proudly, spreads its abundant branches and leaves far and wide, giving shade in summer and sheltering from wind and snow in winter, giving those it loves the best possible sky..."

As if listening to a fairy tale, Shi Zai first blinked his eyes, then gradually grew sleepy. In Shu Yangkuo’s low, gentle storytelling, he seemed to see such a scene. He curled into his usual spot against the man’s chest and slowly drifted off.

It was hard to tell whether it was a dream or reality. Outside the window, a cold wind lightly rattled the glass, and the branches of the pagoda tree occasionally whispered. Whether it was snowing or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that in the vast world—in their tightly embrace, there was brilliant sunshine and a clear bright moon.

It feels so good to be loved.

It feels amazingly good to be firmly chosen.

Because of love, the baby is coming. Because of the baby’s arrival, they love each other even more.

The next day, they could rest for another day. Actually, only Shi Zai had rest days now. Both the big and small businesses were on solid ground, especially Shu Yangkuo’s. Before the New Year, there was an auction, and many people were coming to see him. He was very busy, but he basically gave himself weekends off. He hired two people to manage the shop and only went over if something came up. Shi Zai was happy about Shu Yangkuo’s career now—not too busy. Although it sounded like just an antique shop, the income was much higher than that of some big companies and even Yan Wei’s hospital.

Since they earned enough money, the family of three valued spending time together.

Shi Zai planned to go baby shopping with Ji Qianxi today. Last night, he couldn’t resist sharing the good news early. Ji Qianxi accepted the news of a man being pregnant with utter calm—unsurprising for someone who had been reborn once.

Yan Wei was busy today, so Shi Zai bought two sets of clothes for Xiang Xiang, sized for a four-year-old. He’d bought clothes before, but today felt completely different. He couldn’t help wondering what the baby in his belly would be like at four. And what about Yang Yun? What was Pink Dumpling like at four? Shi Zai held up a little outfit against Yang Yun, and when he looked up, Pink Dumpling’s face was practically black. Hahaha.

After visiting just a couple of shops, Shi Zai pulled Ji Qianxi to sit in the mall’s rest area:

"Xi Bao, do you want to see my belly?"

"...Shouldn’t it show around three months?"

"I can puff it out for you. Quick, look—"

Reluctantly, Ji Qianxi took a quick glance and immediately looked away—and it was through clothes. The tall man beside them was already glaring coldly. Shi Zai was still puffing out his belly like a frog. He looked up and smiled at the man gazing gently at him.

But judging by Ji Qianxi’s expression... he was quiet-natured and had been through something huge, so Shi Zai leaned in and said:

"My Ge isn’t fierce. He’s very gentle. Don’t be afraid of him."

"...I’m not. But—"

"What?"

"Only you think he’s as well-behaved as a big cat."

"He really is, though."

Ji Qianxi smiled slightly. Seeing Shu Yangkuo still watching them, he also leaned close to Shi Zai’s ear:

"Does it feel very fulfilling?"

"...What fulfillment?"

Ji Qianxi only smiled without answering.

Shi Zai suddenly understood and burst out laughing. This was the first time he’d heard Ji Qianxi joke with him. He wrapped an arm around Ji Qianxi’s shoulder, blinked, and whispered:

"I feel very fulfilled with you too, Xi Bao. Even Xun Ge isn’t as amazing as me, right?"

"..."

"Hehe, why so shy? We’re good friends. Talk to me more and smile more—I like it when you smile."

Hearing a low cough beside them, Shi Zai secretly pursed his lips. He hadn’t even touched Ji Qianxi’s hand.

With a look, he instructed Yang Yun to keep an eye on him. Shu Yangkuo got up alone to shop. His treasure was inherently compassionate and loving, but occasionally the little emperor emerged. What could he do... now wasn’t the time to act out, nor was it the right moment.

Actually, shopping wasn’t the main goal. It was about using the "good news" to cheer up Ji Qianxi, who always seemed a bit melancholic. With the three of them laughing and chatting, they decided to let Shu Yangkuo go buy the baby clothes alone.

An hour later, Shi Zai saw the man walking back with two large bags. Even though he was carrying baby supplies, people around him kept their distance. Hahaha, it was true—when he wasn’t with his loved ones, his face showed no expression. Tall and imposing, with eyes that seemed devoid of life, he looked intensely intimidating.

Rarely stared at so intently by his treasure, Shu Yangkuo felt a warmth in his heart. As he approached, he handed over the two bags... The moment Shi Zai saw the man’s thumb, his heart ached:

"Ge, why is your hand bleeding?"

"It’s nothing. Got scratched by a sharp edge on the box."