Pregnant With The Pup Of A Wealthy Old Man - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Fu Xingzhou vs. Qin Yanjun

 

At the farmhouse, there was a doctor. A group of people hurriedly carried Xia Jietian onto a stretcher, but before they could lift her, Xia Jietian suddenly sat up straight, startling everyone.

 

“Damn, like a resurrection! Scared me to death!”

 

“Teacher, Xia Jietian woke up again!”

 

“Sorry, sorry, I get overly excited sometimes and faint, but it’s nothing serious. I just need a minute or two to recover!” Xia Jietian bowed apologetically to everyone.

 

“You scared me to death. Next time, can you give a heads-up before fainting?” someone joked.

 

Xia Jietian nodded earnestly. “Okay, I’ll be more careful.”

 

“Let’s go.” Qin Yanjun, seeing the girl was fine, turned to Fu Xingzhou. “Let’s go light the fire.”

 

“Alright, can I give it a try?” Fu Xingzhou asked excitedly.

 

“Sure.”

 

His eyes lit up, and he tugged on Qin Yanjun’s sleeve, quickly heading back to their tent.

 

Fu Xingzhou had no idea how to light a fire. Qin Yanjun watched him fiddle with it for ages, only to end up covered in soot without so much as a spark.

 

Qin Yanjun smirked and walked over, starting the fire in just a few quick moves.

 

Fu Xingzhou clapped and enthusiastically praised him, “Junjun, you’re amazing!”

 

As Xi Ming walked by, he overheard this and couldn’t help but glance at their expressions.

 

Qin Yanjun’s face remained unreadable, while Fu Xingzhou’s eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky, dazzling and captivating.

 

“Xi Ming?” Fu Xingzhou greeted him cheerfully upon noticing him.

 

“Yeah.” Xi Ming glanced at Qin Yanjun and then at Fu Xingzhou. “Do you have a moment? I’d like to talk to you.”

 

“Huh? Sure.” Fu Xingzhou seemed a bit confused. “Wait a second, let me wash my hands first.”

 

As Fu Xingzhou ran towards the river, Qin Yanjun’s cold voice carried a faint trace of vigilance: “What do you want to talk to Xingzhou about?”

 

Xi Ming looked at him. “What does it have to do with you? I’m here to talk to Xingzhou, not you.”

 

Qin Yanjun turned fully to face him, his gaze so icy it sent shivers down Xi Ming’s spine.

 

For a moment, Xi Ming thought he might get punched and clenched his fists, but Qin Yanjun simply turned away without a word.

 

Soon, Fu Xingzhou returned from the river, hands washed.

 

“All set! What do you want to talk about?” he asked Xi Ming.

 

Xi Ming pointed to a small hill where no one had set up tents. “Can we go over there to talk?”

 

“Sure!” Fu Xingzhou smiled, tilting his head in curiosity. “What is it? You’re being so mysterious.”

 

“You’ll find out in a moment.”

 

“Junjun, wait for me here, okay?” Fu Xingzhou turned to Qin Yanjun before heading off with Xi Ming.

 

Qin Yanjun stood still with his hands in his pockets, then, after the two walked away, silently followed.

 

“Xi Ming, what do you want to talk about?” Fu Xingzhou tilted his head.

 

Sweat dripped from Xi Ming’s palms as if he had some sort of strange ability. He gathered his courage and said, “Xingzhou, I like you. Would you go out with me?”

 

Fu Xingzhou blinked, then quickly waved his hands in refusal. “No, I can’t. I have a wife, and we’re getting married after we start college!”

 

“A wife?” Xi Ming was incredulous.

 

“Yes, I’ve had one since I was little,” Fu Xingzhou said with a smile.

 

“It’s Qin Yanjun, isn’t it?” Xi Ming asked dejectedly.

 

Knowing full well there was something going on between the two, he still confessed. He deserved rejection!

 

Fu Xingzhou nodded. For the first time, he shyly shared his relationship with Junjun. Scratching his nose, he whispered, “Yeah, it’s Junjun.”

 

“That day, I heard you and Qin Yanjun both calling the same man ‘Dad.’ I thought you were brothers,” Xi Ming admitted awkwardly.

 

Fu Xingzhou paused. “You misheard. Junjun was calling him godfather. We’re not brothers.”

 

“And are you sure you really like me?” Fu Xingzhou tilted his head. “Because I didn’t feel it at all. I thought you paid more attention to the cultural officer from Class Six than to me.”

 

“Han Shuxue?” Xi Ming shook his head. “No way, we’re archenemies.”

 

“There’s a term called ‘loving enemies.’ Haven’t you heard of it?” Fu Xingzhou teased. “Did you confess to me because you heard rumors about Junjun holding hands with Han Shuxue on the field?”

 

He winked. “Let me tell you a secret: Junjun and Han Shuxue are cousins. They’re not going to be a thing.”

 

Xi Ming gave him a complex look. “I already knew that.”

 

Fu Xingzhou widened his eyes. “Then why did you still confess to me? You should go confess to Han Shuxue!”

 

“But I don’t like her.”

 

“How do you know? I’ve seen you staring at her back while she painted the class blackboard so many times. Your eyes were practically glued to her. You’re sure you don’t like her?”

 

Xi Ming was stunned. “Do I… really like Han Shuxue?”

 

Fu Xingzhou nodded confidently. “You do!”

 

After a brief stare-off, Xi Ming said, “I’m heading back.”

 

“Great! Don’t forget to confess to Han Shuxue!” Fu Xingzhou waved him off.

 

“Got it,” Xi Ming replied, only realizing something was off once he reached his tent.

 

Fu Xingzhou was such a smooth talker. How could he not know who he liked? Yet here he was, being talked into confessing to Han Shuxue. How had he never noticed Fu Xingzhou’s ability to confuse people before?

 

Back at the tent, Fu Xingzhou hummed as he returned, spotting Qin Yanjun preparing dinner. He quickly ran over to help.

 

“Junjun, let me help you pick vegetables!”

 

Qin Yanjun smiled faintly. “Alright.”

 

As Fu Xingzhou worked, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Junjun’s handsome face.

 

“Junjun, you seem really happy. Did something happen while I was gone?” he asked.

 

“Mm, godfather called just now. He said he’d bring fruit and snacks for everyone later.”

 

Fu Xingzhou’s eyes lit up. “Dad’s coming?”

 

Qin Yanjun nodded.

 

Dinner was simple due to limited ingredients and cookware. Later, Shen Yunxing and his husband arrived with a small truck full of fruit and snacks, exciting the group.

 

“Uncle Shen, my mom’s a huge fan of yours! She’s followed you since you debuted!”

 

“Uncle Shen, my mom’s a CP fan of you and Uncle Fu. Our house is full of your merch!”

 

“Uncle Fu is so handsome!”

 

“By the way, Fu Xingzhou, didn’t you and your dads appear on a parenting reality show?”

 

Fu Xingzhou laughed. “Yes, we did.”

 

“Thought so! No wonder you looked familiar. My mom always hugs this chibi doll of you and says she wishes she had a son just like you!”

 

Confused, Fu Xingzhou asked, “What doll?”

 

“The merch from that show! My mom snatched up a whole box. Whenever I’m in the study, I see your family of three staring at me from the shelf!”

 

Everyone laughed heartily.

 

Even Shen Yunxing and Fu Tingzhou couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Enjoy your trip. Call this number if you need anything. We have to head back now,” Shen Yunxing said. He handed snacks prepared for their grandson to their son and godson before leaving hand-in-hand with Fu Tingzhou.

 

“Fu Xingzhou, your dads have such a good relationship. My parents can’t even look at each other without annoyance.”

 

“Yeah, my mom hates going out with my dad.”

 

“Swap either of them for Shen Yunxing or Fu Tingzhou, and it’d be a different story.”

 

“I’d take that swap too!”

 

“Me too! Age doesn’t matter—Uncle Shen and Uncle Fu would still be charming even as old men!”

 

Fu Xingzhou: “…”

 

Suddenly faced with so many potential stepdads, Fu Xingzhou grabbed Junjun and ran.

 

The two stopped at a clearing dotted with wildflowers.

 

Sitting on a flat stone, Fu Xingzhou looked up at the starry sky. “It’s beautiful. You can’t see stars like this in the city,” he said wistfully.

 

Qin Yanjun nodded. “If you like it, we can come back next time.”

 

Fu Xingzhou turned to him, eyes twinkling. “Just the two of us?”

 

Qin Yanjun shifted his gaze to Fu Xingzhou’s glowing eyes. “Yes, just the two of us.”

 

“Thump, thump—thump, thump.”

 

Among the chirping insects, Fu Xingzhou could hear his heartbeat slowing, like a shy deer crashing around in his chest.

 

Junjun’s hand was right next to his. All he had to do was reach out. He swallowed hard, wanting to hold Junjun’s hand, but what usually came naturally now felt impossibly awkward.

 

He spread his palm, wiped the sweat off on his pants, hesitated for a long time, and finally pulled his hand back timidly.

 

“Junjun, haven’t you always wanted to know what I’m saving money for?” he asked.

 

Qin Yanjun’s gaze focused intently on him. “Are you ready to tell me now?”

 

“Not yet,” Fu Xingzhou shook his head. “I’ll tell you on the day we graduate.”

 

“Alright.” Qin Yanjun’s lips curved slightly, his gaze lingering briefly on the soft pink of the other’s lips.

 

The two stayed for a while longer until the temperature began to drop. Qin Yanjun stood up and extended his left hand toward the boy sitting on the rock. “It’s getting colder. Let’s head back.”

 

“Okay.” Fu Xingzhou nodded. This time, he didn’t hesitate and smiled as he placed his hand in Qin Yanjun’s.

 

Xi Ming and Meng Qiang’s tent was on the outermost side. When Xi Ming saw the two return holding hands, he couldn’t help but ask, “Were you two… out on a date?”

 

Fu Xingzhou nodded. “Yeah.”

 

With that, he and Qin Yanjun held hands and walked toward their tent.

 

Qin Yanjun turned back and glanced at Xi Ming. Despite his expressionless face, Xi Ming could clearly sense a hint of provocation and warning in his gaze.

 

Xi Ming: “…”

 

One is a poker-faced stoic, the other a PUA master—I can’t afford to mess with either of them.

 

…

 

The two-day, one-night camping trip ended quickly. The day before leaving, a girl from Class Six called Qin Yanjun out.

 

Fu Xingzhou recognized her. Her name was Tao Ran, and she used to approach him often to ask about Junjun.

 

Watching the two leave, Fu Xingzhou furrowed his brows tightly.

 

Shen Yuexin was right. Tao Ran definitely has her sights set on Junjun!

 

With that thought, he dropped the things he was packing, tossed his backpack to the ground, and sneakily followed them.

 

There were only a few scattered trees by the river. Hiding behind one of them, he strained his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

 

“Hello, my name is Tao Ran.” Tao Ran introduced herself, taking out a letter from behind her and handing it to him with a flushed face. “Could you do me a favor and accept this?”

 

Qin Yanjun didn’t take it. He looked at the girl and straightforwardly declined, “No.”

 

“Oh, you might have misunderstood,” Tao Ran’s cheeks turned even redder. “This letter isn’t for you. I want to ask if you could pass it on to Fu Xingzhou for me. I’m too afraid…”

 

“I can’t hear them—what are they talking about?” Hidden behind the tree, Fu Xingzhou craned his neck but couldn’t make out the conversation. All he saw was his Junjun taking the pink envelope from Tao Ran!

 

How could Junjun accept a love letter from someone else? He already has me!

 

Fu Xingzhou bit his lip, his expression filled with grievance.

 

Annoying Junjun. I’ll never talk to you again!

 

As he walked back, he thought to himself: If Junjun comes to apologize, I’ll stay mad for a week. If he tries to bribe me with ice cream, I’ll only be mad for three days—no less!

 

Every household has its rules, and as the head of this one, I need to maintain my authority!

 

On the way back to school by bus, Fu Xingzhou tilted his head, waiting for Qin Yanjun to report back about the love letter. But even after they returned to school and attended several classes, there was no word from him.

 

Now, he was truly angry. After dinner, he didn’t wait for Qin Yanjun and slipped out the back door with Xi Ming and Meng Qiang.

 

“Zhouzhou, wait for me after evening self-study so we can go back to the dorm together,” Qin Yanjun blocked his way at the back door after the first session of evening self-study.

 

Fu Xingzhou puffed out his cheeks. “No, I’m going back with Xi Ming.” He pulled Xi Ming over before the latter could leave.

 

Xi Ming, seeing the dark look on Qin Yanjun’s face, felt utterly helpless.

 

Why me? I just wanted to go to the bathroom—why can’t I even do that?!

 

“You can go. We’re going to walk around the track field. Studying all the time is suffocating,” Fu Xingzhou pushed him away and pulled Xi Ming by the arm as they headed downstairs.

 

Watching Zhouzhou’s angry back, Qin Yanjun sighed helplessly.

 

Silly Zhouzhou, it’s so hard to get you to say the word “like.”

 

From childhood, he had always known that Zhouzhou liked him. While those feelings might not have been serious in their younger years, Zhouzhou hadn’t even realized when his gaze toward him started to change.

 

He blushed and became shy around him. When he saw Qin Yanjun being too close to a girl, he became insecure. When Qin Yanjun ignored him, he felt sad and disappointed.

 

If this wasn’t liking someone, then what was?

 

But ever since elementary school, Zhouzhou had stopped saying “I like you.” This made Qin Yanjun uneasy, and he was desperate to hear those words from Zhouzhou again.

 

“Like,” but not just “like.”

 

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Qin Yanjun took one last look at Zhouzhou dragging Xi Ming back to the teaching building and turned to head back to Class Six.

 

“Hey, what’s going on between you and Qin Yanjun?” Shen Yuexin poked Fu Xingzhou with her pen and leaned over to ask in a whisper.

 

Fu Xingzhou grumbled, “Nothing. We’re fine.”

 

“Fine? You’ve been avoiding Qin Yanjun ever since we got back from camping. Did you two fight?” Shen Yuexin asked. “Tell me about it. Keeping it bottled up will just make things worse. Maybe talking to me will help you find a solution.”

 

Fu Xingzhou turned to her, squinting suspiciously. “You just want to hear gossip, don’t you?”

 

“How can you say that? I’m your number one shipper!”

 

“Really?” Fu Xingzhou said coolly. “If I remember correctly, you had a crush on me in elementary school.”

 

Shen Yuexin waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, that’s ancient history. No need to bring it up. The important thing now is that you don’t look happy at all. Let me guess—is it because of Tao Ran?”

 

Fu Xingzhou’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

 

“My deskmate told me. She saw Tao Ran handing Qin Yanjun a love letter.”

 

With Jiang Lili out sick, Fu Xingzhou glanced at the empty seat next to Shen Yuexin, hesitated for a moment, then moved over with his papers and water bottle.

 

Shen Yuexin waited patiently until he finally mumbled pitifully, “Qin Yanjun doesn’t like me anymore. He wants to like someone else.”

 

“Huh? Did he tell you that himself?”

 

Fu Xingzhou shook his head, scribbling on his scratch paper. “No, but he used to never accept love letters or food from others. But this time, he actually took Tao Ran’s love letter.”

 

He wiped his eyes, feeling deeply upset. “He doesn’t like me anymore. He wants to like Tao Ran. He’ll date Tao Ran, marry her when he grows up, and have a bunch of kids—both boys and girls.”

 

Uncle Huai once said that two men couldn’t have daughters, but Junjun seemed to like girls more. Is that why he accepted Tao Ran—because I can’t give him a daughter?

 

His eyes turned red as he let his imagination run wild.

 

Shen Yuexin handed him a tissue, exasperated. How could Uncle Shen and Uncle Fu, such smart men, have such a silly kid like Zhouzhou?

 

No, Zhouzhou’s IQ was high—he was always first in class. His EQ, however, left much to be desired.

 

“I just can’t have a daughter,” Fu Xingzhou muttered miserably.

 

Shen Yuexin: “…”

 

Saying his EQ was low was an understatement—it was downright subterranean!

 

“Uh, maybe you should talk to him. Avoiding him won’t solve anything. What if Qin Yanjun hasn’t fallen for someone else and you’re just misunderstanding?”

 

“Why should I go to him? I waited all afternoon, and he didn’t explain anything. He’s the one at fault—why should I be the first to back down?” Fu Xingzhou sniffled.

 

“Dude, you’ve been avoiding him. He hasn’t even had a chance to explain!”

 

Fu Xingzhou blinked, then hesitated, his face turning red. “Oh.”

 

Shen Yuexin facepalmed. “You’d better clear things up with Qin Yanjun quickly. The longer you drag this out, the more likely he is to actually move on. Then you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

 

At this, Fu Xingzhou slammed the table. “He wouldn’t dare!”

 

Teacher Wang Weide, who had been dozing off, woke up with a start. Seeing it was Fu Xingzhou, his expression softened.

 

“Fu Xingzhou, do you need something?”

 

“Sorry, teacher! I need to use the restroom,” he said sheepishly.

 

Wang Weide nodded kindly. “Go ahead. Just don’t yell so loudly next time—I’m not deaf yet.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Fu Xingzhou nodded, then dashed out the back door, face bright red.

 

“Zhouzhou?” Qin Yanjun called as he came up the stairs.

 

“Mm.” Fu Xingzhou licked his lips and clutched his pants nervously.

 

“Calmed down enough to talk?” Qin Yanjun asked with a smile.

 

Fu Xingzhou studied Junjun carefully. Seeing that he wasn’t angry and even seemed in a good mood, his lips pressed tighter.

 

He stole another glance at Junjun, then nodded. “Okay.”

 

Qin Yanjun held out his hand. “Let’s go to our secret base.”

 

Hearing this, Fu Xingzhou couldn’t help

 

He snuck another glance at Junjun, then nodded, “Okay.”

 

Qin Yanjun reached out his hand. “Let’s go to our secret base.”

 

Hearing this, Fu Xingzhou couldn’t help but break into a happy smile.

 

The so-called secret base was actually a small pavilion surrounded by flowers and grass. Overgrown vegetation and years of neglect had completely hidden it, even concealing the steps.

 

Back in middle school, the two of them had discovered this pavilion while visiting the high school. Four years later, it still remained undiscovered.

 

The two walked through the small garden, pushed aside the ivy covering the pavilion, and slipped inside.

 

Streetlights couldn’t reach inside, and the pavilion’s interior was dimly lit. Fu Xingzhou stared at Qin Yanjun’s defined profile and couldn’t help but reach out to tug at the hem of his shirt.

 

“Junjun, didn’t you have something to say to me?” he asked expectantly.

 

Alright, this is your last chance to explain. If you don’t clear up the matter about the love letter now, I really won’t talk to you anymore. He pursed his lips and added internally: Fine, I’ll give you two chances to make it fair.

 

Qin Yanjun chuckled and pulled the love letter from his pocket, holding it out to him.

 

“Do you want to read it?”

 

Seeing that he was actually carrying the letter with him, Fu Xingzhou turned his face away, sulking. “No. It’s your love letter. Why would I want to read it?”

 

“It’s not for me.”

 

“If it’s not for you, then who else could it be for? Me?” He turned back, huffing.

 

Qin Yanjun nodded. “It’s a letter that Tao Ran asked me to give to you. I was going to throw it in the trash, but reason told me I didn’t have the right to make that decision for you.”

 

He reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair, the corner of his lips curving into a smile. “You’ll handle it, right, husband?”

 

H-husband? Did Junjun just call him husband?

 

Fu Xingzhou’s heart pounded as if a deer were running amok inside. His eyes widened in surprise and joy as he looked up at his Junjun.

 

“Mm, I’ll definitely take care of it!” He nodded firmly.

 

Then, with his cheeks burning red, he stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed Qin Yanjun on the lips.

 

It was a fleeting touch, brimming with the innocence and sweetness of youth, enough to make anyone’s heart race and chest tighten.

 

“Fu Xingzhou, after the college entrance exam, shall we start dating?” Qin Yanjun asked softly, looking at the boy in front of him who was too shy to meet his gaze.

 

Fu Xingzhou lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then, with his ears completely flushed, gave a barely perceptible nod.

 

“Yes,” he said softly.

 

—

 

Author’s Note:

 

Confession time! The story of these two adorable dorks will end in another chapter or two~