Pregnant With The Pup Of A Wealthy Old Man - Chapter 105

Chapter 105: Shen Xinting vs. Cen Jing

 

The person surnamed Qin said Cen Jing was a boy disguised as a girl, but Shen Xinting didn’t believe it.

 

To apologize to Cen Jing, he spent all his allowance for the month on a gift.

 

On Monday, he walked to Cen Jing’s desk, holding the gift, full of anticipation.

 

Because it was still early, only a few classmates were in the classroom, busy copying homework, their heads down as they scribbled away.

 

Cen Jing had also arrived early, as was her habit.

 

She enjoyed watching the sunrise in the morning, with clouds turning fiery red under the sunlight. She loved the crisp chirping of birds at dawn and observing how the streets transitioned from quiet to lively, with children laughing, playing, and heading to school in groups.

 

Everything was so vibrant and full of life. Just watching it filled her heart with joy and gave her hope for this beautiful world.

 

Today, she arrived slightly later than usual because she had rescued a kitten that had fallen into the river. She took the kitten to the pet hospital and stayed with it for a while before coming to school.

 

She was at her desk, just placing her bag on the table, when she saw Shen Xinting walking over with a box in his hands.

 

She paused, holding her homework, and looked at him warily.

 

“I’m sorry about the other day. This is my apology gift; please accept it,” Shen Xinting said, placing the gift box on her desk.

 

The box was so big it occupied the entire desk. Cen Jing didn’t know what he had bought and didn’t want to know. She leaned back in her chair with a detached attitude and said, “Take it back. I don’t want it.”

 

Shen Xinting grew a little anxious. “I spent an entire day carefully choosing this. I researched a lot, and they said this one is perfect for girls. I used my entire month’s allowance to buy it.”

 

“Perfect for girls?” Cen Jing’s expression froze. Her delicate face, previously indifferent, suddenly turned red, not out of shyness but seemingly from anger.

 

“Take it away! I don’t want it!” she said coldly, frowning.

 

“Why don’t you want it? It’s really beautiful, and you’ll definitely like it.” Shen Xinting couldn’t understand. He thought she was refusing because she hadn’t seen the gift, so he opened the box himself. “I wasn’t sure what color you liked, but since you often wear white, I chose a white one.”

 

Inside the box lay a white princess dress, with a red bow at the waist, making the dress come alive.

 

It was an incredibly beautiful dress, but to Cen Jing, it wasn’t.

 

“I said take it away!” she exclaimed, sweeping the box to the floor in agitation.

 

The sharp noise drew the attention of the classmates copying homework. They looked over and saw the princess dress on the ground, gasping in shock.

 

“Shen Xinting likes Cen Jing?”

 

“Are you sure he likes her? Maybe he dislikes her. Doesn’t he know Cen Jing doesn’t like dresses?”

 

“Why doesn’t Cen Jing like dresses? She looks so good in them. If her temper wasn’t so bad, I would’ve pursued her already.”

 

The classmates exchanged glances silently.

 

At this moment, Shen Xinting didn’t care who was in the classroom. He looked at the dress he had carefully picked, now lying on the ground, and anger surged in him.

 

“Are you crazy? If you don’t like it, just say so. Do you think I can force you to wear it?!”

 

“You’re the crazy one!” Cen Jing, her chest heaving with anger, retorted, “Get lost! Get away from my desk!”

 

“Fine, I’ll leave! If I ever talk to you again, I’ll be a dog!” Shen Xinting was furious. He didn’t even want the dress anymore. He picked it up and threw it into the trash can with a loud clunk. “It’s just 3,000 yuan. I’ll consider it wasted!”

 

“Damn, a 3,000-yuan dress, and he just threw it away?” Shen Xinting’s deskmate, Li Jue, said in shock as Shen Xinting returned to his seat.

 

Li Jue’s family wasn’t well-off, and he had entered Lin’an High School on a scholarship. His monthly allowance was only 100 yuan. To him, 3,000 yuan could last for two years!

 

“Forget it.” Shen Xinting said loudly on purpose. “She doesn’t want it, so why would I keep it? No one in my family wears dresses anyway.”

 

He had no ill intentions when he said this, but to Cen Jing, it was unbearably harsh. She clenched her fists tightly, stopping herself from crying out of frustration.

 

“I came so early that I didn’t even have breakfast. Have you guys eaten? If not, I’ll treat you to some dumplings,” Shen Xinting said, clutching his grumbling stomach.

 

“Thank you, Young Master Shen!” The others chuckled.

 

After the four of them left, only Cen Jing remained in the classroom.

 

She sat stiffly in her chair for a while before getting up and walking to the trash can at the back door. She stared at the dress covered in dust for a long time before finally bending down to pick it up.

 

“I hate you, Shen Xinting,” she whispered, holding the dress as tears streamed down her face.

 

When Shen Xinting returned after breakfast, he deliberately entered through the back door. Pretending not to care, he glanced at the trash can, only to find it empty. His expression froze.

 

Cen Jing picked up the dress? That’s impossible. She was so angry earlier; why would she secretly retrieve it?

 

“Zhang Rui, is it your turn to clean today?” he asked a classmate in the back row.

 

“Yes, why?” Zhang Rui, noticing Shen Xinting’s gaze lingering on the trash can, quickly explained, “I threw out the trash and swept the floor. Don’t try to find fault with me, class rep!”

 

Shen Xinting frowned. “When you took out the trash, did you see a particularly exquisite box inside?”

 

“I saw it. There seemed to be something inside, but I was rushing back to finish my homework, so I just threw it away.” Zhang Rui slapped his thigh and asked nervously, “Do you still want it, class rep?!”

 

Shen Xinting felt an inexplicable pang of disappointment but waved it off. “No, I threw it on purpose.”

 

Zhang Rui breathed a sigh of relief and grinned. “Good. Otherwise, I’d feel guilty. After all, anything you use must be worth a fortune.”

 

Shen Xinting chuckled along. “That’s true. Even that eraser you lost was imported from France, worth hundreds of yuan. When will you pay it back?”

 

Zhang Rui’s eyes widened. “Extortion! Shameless extortion! I saw you buy that eraser from the school store!”

 

“Hahaha—” The back row erupted in laughter at their banter.

 

Cen Jing, sitting in the second row, was small and delicate. Her desk mate, Chen Yu, a shy girl who loved joining in the fun, turned around to catch a glimpse of Shen Xinting’s handsome face. Her cheeks flushed red.

 

“Cen Jing, what kind of girl do you think the class rep likes? He’s so handsome and rich. I can’t imagine what kind of girl would match him,” Chen Yu mused dreamily.

 

“I don’t know,” Cen Jing replied, pursing her lips.

 

Noticing her off mood, Chen Yu grew concerned. “Are you okay? Is your chest hurting again? Did you bring your medicine? I’ll get you some water for your pills!”

 

“Thank you. I’m fine. I just felt a bit unwell earlier, but I’m much better now,” Cen Jing said with a forced smile.

 

This scene was coincidentally noticed by Shen Xinting. He stared at Cen Jing’s smiling side profile, his heartbeat growing erratic.

 

“Class rep, time to collect homework,” Li Jue called, snapping him out of his daze.

 

Shen Xinting returned to the present, took the homework, and muttered, “I’ll help you.”

 

“Thanks, Young Master. I’ll go memorize my English vocabulary.” Li Jue teased before diving back into his work.

 

Shen Xinting began collecting the homework row by row, stopping momentarily when he reached Cen Jing’s row. Then, he walked up to her with a sour expression.

 

“Turn in your English homework,” he said grumpily.

 

Cen Jing looked up at him, her tone flat. “If you talk to me again, you’re a dog.”

 

Shen Xinting froze.

 

“Fine, I’ll be a dog! Dogs are humanity’s most loyal friends. I’m proud to be one!”

 

Cen Jing blinked in surprise, then pressed her lips together and smiled.

 

It was the first time Shen Xinting had seen her smile, and he was momentarily stunned.

 

Cen Jing had delicate features: long lashes, a straight nose, and a small mouth. Her ponytail gave her a youthful and vibrant look.

 

He also noticed a small brown mole at the corner of her right eye. When she smiled, it seemed to glow, dazzling him to the point he couldn’t look away.

 

Unfortunately, that smile lasted less than three seconds before disappearing.

 

“Here,” Cen Jing said, her smile gone, her face once again cold and distant.

 

Shen Xinting felt deflated. She had just been laughing with Chen Yu, but the moment she turned to

 

“Here.” Cen Jing withdrew her smile, reverting to her previous cold and distant demeanor.

 

Shen Xingting felt a bit deflated. She had just been laughing so happily with Chen Yu—why was her attitude so different when it came to him?

 

Telling me to get lost—I got lost. Not liking the dress—I threw it away.

 

What exactly do you want from me?

 

“Class rep, why are you collecting homework today? Where’s Li Jue?” Chen Yu leaned on the desk with her hands, her face full of admiration.

 

Shen Xingting wasn’t in the mood to notice anyone else. Cen Jing’s constant cold shoulder had left him deeply frustrated. He casually brushed off the question and took the pile of homework back to his seat.

 

“Did you collect everything?” Li Jue patted the stack of homework, feeling something wasn’t right. “Are you sure there’s nothing missing?”

 

Shen Xingting glanced at him, speaking listlessly, “I stopped at Cen Jing’s row. The ones in the back? Go collect them yourself.”

 

Li Jue patted the homework pile. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

 

After finishing the collection and delivering the stack to the office, Li Jue returned to find Shen Xingting slumped over his desk, still looking glum. He leaned in and joked, “What’s wrong, boss? Feeling down—don’t tell me it’s a heartbreak?”

 

Shen Xingting shot him a look but didn’t argue back.

 

Li Jue was shocked.

 

“Whoa, you really are heartbroken?!”

 

“You know I’ve never even been in love,” Shen Xingting replied with a yawn. “Don’t overthink it.”

 

“Then what’s the deal? Morning self-study is almost over, and you haven’t even touched your books,” Li Jue asked curiously.

 

“Let me ask you something.” Shen Xingting gestured for him to come closer. Once he did, Shen Xingting asked, “Don’t you think Cen Jing treats me differently than she treats others?”

 

Cen Jing?

 

Li Jue glanced in her direction and then turned back to see Shen Xingting staring at Cen Jing’s back. He immediately understood.

 

“You like Cen Jing, don’t you?”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Shen Xingting was startled, reacting as if those words had burned him. He bristled, “How could I possibly like her? She told me to get lost and called me a dog. I’m not a masochist—why would I like her? I like gentle girls, preferably someone as sweet and obedient as my brother.”

 

Li Jue’s expression grew complicated. Once again, the boss was bragging about his unbelievably kind and gentle older brother.

 

“Seriously, if you don’t like her, then why did you give her a dress this morning?” he asked, puzzled.

 

“It was an apology gift—none of your business,” Shen Xingting retorted. But as soon as he mentioned the dress, his anger flared up again. He turned and glared at Cen Jing.

 

“Wait, you didn’t know she doesn’t like dresses?” Li Jue said, exasperated. “If you want to apologize, at least be sincere. You didn’t even bother to find out what she likes or dislikes, and instead, you hit a nerve. If it were me, throwing the dress away would’ve been the least of your worries.”

 

Cen Jing doesn’t like dresses?

 

Shen Xingting pulled back his glare, feeling a bit guilty. Turning to Li Jue, he asked, “But she wears dresses to school almost every day.”

 

If she hates them, why wear them? That’s just absurd.

 

“Who knows?” Li Jue shrugged. “I only found out by accident when I saw her deliberately cutting up a dress.”

 

Shen Xingting nodded, guilt bubbling up inside him. Without realizing it, he began to pay more attention to Cen Jing.

 

During class, he secretly watched Cen Jing. Between classes, he continued to observe her.

 

Cen Jing drank two cups of water in the morning, frowned three times, and had a habit of biting her pen cap.

 

Because her bangs were slightly long, she would subconsciously tuck them behind her ear while working on problems.

 

Even though they were seated far apart, Shen Xingting could clearly see her small, delicate earlobe. Under the sunlight, it gleamed like a fairy’s—stunningly beautiful.

 

“Ring—”

 

The last class ended, and Li Jue, who had been sitting all morning, felt like his bones were about to go stiff. Stretching lazily, he said to Shen Xingting, “Young master, let’s go eat.”

 

Shen Xingting didn’t hear him; he was staring blankly at Cen Jing’s slow-moving figure as she packed up her things.

 

“Young master?” Seeing no response, Li Jue followed his gaze and immediately spotted Cen Jing.

 

Got it. He says he doesn’t like her, but his eyes are practically glued to her.

 

“Class rep!” Li Jue suddenly slapped Shen Xingting on the shoulder.

 

Startled, Shen Xingting shot up from his seat. “What’s with the yelling? I’m not deaf!”

 

Li Jue gestured with his chin toward Cen Jing and teased, “Young master, are you surviving on looks alone? Your stomach’s growling, and you haven’t even said you’re hungry.”

 

Shen Xingting frowned. “Stop talking nonsense. I really don’t like her.”

 

“Sure, sure. Are you coming to eat with me or not?” Li Jue was in a hurry. If they delayed any longer, his favorite pork chop rice might be sold out.

 

“You go ahead. I’ll finish this worksheet first,” Shen Xingting said, pointing to a physics exercise on his desk.

 

Li Jue shrugged. “Alright then.”

 

I don’t believe you. Obviously, you just want to find a chance to be alone with Cen Jing. As your good bro, I won’t expose you. Good luck, young master!

 

After Li Jue left, the classroom was down to just Shen Xingting and Cen Jing. He watched as she finished tidying her desk, but instead of leaving for lunch, she rested her head on the desk and zoned out for a while. About half an hour later, when most of their classmates had already eaten, she finally stood up.

 

Shen Xingting immediately got up and followed her.

 

He thought she might have a secret, but after trailing her all the way to the cafeteria, he realized she really was just going to eat.

 

Why wait half an hour, though? By this time, most of the food would be gone.

 

Sure enough, he saw Cen Jing circle the cafeteria with a tray and come back with only some nutrient-lacking vegetables and a plate of leftover fried silverfish.

 

“Classmate, that’s all we have left. Make sure to come earlier next time,” the cafeteria lady said, smiling at him as she added a chicken leg to his plate.

 

“Thank you, Auntie,” Shen Xingting replied sweetly.

 

“Oh my, what a handsome and polite young man. Some lucky girl will surely be blessed in the future,” she remarked, watching him walk away.

 

“Probably that little girl in the skirt over there. They’ve been together all the way here. He must like her,” another round-faced cafeteria lady commented.

 

“Ah, to be young,” the first lady said with a smile.

 

Meanwhile, Shen Xingting pretended to bump into Cen Jing.

 

“Hey, you’re eating now too? Me too,” he said, sitting across from her without waiting for an invitation. He leaned over to look at her tray and frowned. “Is that all you’re eating? It’s not nutritious at all.”

 

With that, he added his chicken leg to her tray.

 

“The cafeteria lady gave it to me,” he explained, quickly adding, “Don’t worry, I haven’t touched it!”

 

Cen Jing frowned. “I don’t want it.”

 

“Why not? Fine, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know you didn’t like skirts. I’ll never give you one again, alright?” Shen Xingting said hurriedly. “What do you like? I’ll get you a proper apology gift instead.”

 

“That’s not necessary,” Cen Jing said flatly. “It was just an accidental kiss. You don’t have to act like you defiled me and tread so cautiously around me.”

 

Shen Xingting hadn’t expected a girl to say something like that so casually. It made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

 

“I didn’t mean it that way.” I just don’t want you to talk to me so coldly.

 

“This is the end of it. Stop following me,” Cen Jing said, then dumped her untouched meal, chicken leg included, into the trash can.

 

Shen Xingting was devastated and couldn’t shake the feeling all the way back to his dorm room.

 

“Rejected by Cen Jing again?” Li Jue asked quietly, seeing him sulk under his blanket.

 

Shen Xingting couldn’t be bothered to explain. He pulled the blanket over his head, deciding to ignore him.

 

“Don’t lose hope. They say persistence wears down the hardest hearts. With your looks and money, I can’t believe she won’t be moved,” Li Jue said, offering bad advice. “Just stick to her. Remember how our third roommate got his girlfriend? Persistence!”

 

Shen Xingting pulled the blanket down and glared at him. “Are you telling me to become a clingy bootlicker?”

 

“What’s wrong with being a bootlicker? Didn’t you say this morning, ‘Dogs are humans’ most loyal friends’? What, now you’re looking down on dogs?”

 

Shen Xingting: “…”

 

Which idiot spread that around?! Furious.jpg.

 

By afternoon classes, Shen Xingting was still fuming. The first thing he did when he entered the classroom was glare at Cen Jing.

 

“Hey, Cen Jing, the class rep is throwing flirtatious looks at you,” Chen Yu teased.

 

Cen Jing was speechless. Flirty? More like dagger-like. It looked like he wanted to kill her.

 

The afternoon’s subjects were chemistry, biology, English, and politics. Shen Xingting loved chemistry and English and usually listened attentively, taking neat notes.

 

But today, Li Jue peeked at his notebook and saw a poorly drawn chibi figure surrounded by countless repetitions of “Cen Jing” filling two whole pages.

 

Li Jue folded his arms and gave him a knowing look.

 

Shen Xingting: “… If I said I really don’t like Cen Jing, would you believe me?”

 

Come on. Even he didn’t believe himself. Why else would he be doodling her and writing her name all over his notes?

 

But he really didn’t like her. He was just… unwilling to give up, that’s all.

 

“Say no more,” Li Jue said, patting his shoulder. “You’ve got the potential to be the ultimate bootlicker. Go for it. Don’t hold back. I’ve got your back, bro.”

 

Shen Xingting said nothing. He tried to focus in class but couldn’t stop glancing at Cen Jing.

 

She’s drinking water again.

 

She’s biting her pen cap again.

 

Her hands are so pretty. Her neck is pretty too. And that tear mole at the corner of her eye is stunning…

 

Shen Xingting snapped out of it and rubbed his face hard, clutching his chest as if to calm the wild beating of his heart.

 

Shen Xingting, you’re acting strange!

 

But Cen Jing is just so good-looking.

 

No, stay calm. It’s all an illusion. You don’t like Cen Jing. You like gentle, sweet girls. Cen Jing can’t possibly be one of them.

 

The bell rang.

 

All day, Shen Xingting was out of it. The teachers noticed but didn’t push him since he could still answer questions correctly when called upon.

 

“Time for dinner. Coming?” Li Jue asked.

 

Shen Xingting waved him off. “You go first.”

 

Li Jue glanced at Cen Jing, who also hadn’t moved. “Hmm, okay then.”

 

When the classroom emptied, Shen Xingting turned his head to stare at Cen Jing’s back.

 

“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

 

When he got to one, Cen Jing stood up.

 

He perked up instantly, grabbing his meal card and rushing after her.

 

Cen Jing walked ahead and suddenly stopped upon entering the second cafeteria.

 

“Shen Xingting, can you stop following me?” she said, turning around.

 

“Who’s following you? This isn’t your family’s cafeteria. If you can come, why can’t I?” Shen Xingting retorted stubbornly.

 

Cen Jing pursed her lips, glared at him, and turned to grab a clean tray.

 

The food selection was still lacking. She circled the area and ended up with two vegetable dishes and half a portion of inedible-looking braised pork.

 

“You don’t like braised pork?” Shen Xingting asked when he saw her leave it untouched.

 

Cen Jing froze slightly, then turned to find him peeking at her tray. Her eyebrows furrowed again.

 

“It’s none of your business.”

 

“How can it not be? You’re wasting food, you know that?!” Shen Xingting scolded, then reached out with his chopsticks to transfer her untouched braised pork onto his plate.

 

“Thanks. I wasn’t full anyway,” he said with a grin.

 

Cen Jing clasped her hands on her lap, expressionless as she watched him finish the pork. Only then did she say, “Shen Xingting, are you chasing me?”

 

“Ahem!” Shen Xingting nearly choked on the meat upon hearing that, and after swallowing it down with some soup, he nervously said, “I’m not! I didn’t!”

 

“If you don’t like me, then why have you been staring at me all day?” Cen Jing looked at him directly, her voice sounding less cold than in the morning, which secretly pleased Shen Xingting.

 

“As the class monitor, shouldn’t I care about every student in the class?” Shen Xingting said confidently. “And I wasn’t staring, I was just looking openly.”

 

He had been caught by the teacher daydreaming, and even in front of so many people—since he had been caught, it couldn’t be considered sneaky anymore!

 

“Okay, so how long are you going to follow me?” Cen Jing didn’t want to verify the truth of his words; she just wanted to know when Shen Xingting would stop this childish pursuit.

 

“Tomorrow,” Shen Xingting said, but immediately felt it wasn’t quite right and quickly corrected himself, “Next week, there’s going to be a sports meet, so I won’t have time to focus on you then.”

 

Cen Jing nodded. “Got it.”

 

With that, she stood up and began clearing her tray.

 

“I’ll do it!” Shen Xingting was quicker than her and took the tray to the washing area, then went to the water bar to buy a cup of warm milk.

 

“This is for you.” He handed the milk to Cen Jing. “I noticed you don’t seem to like drinking plain water, so I bought you some milk.”

 

Cen Jing didn’t take it. Shen Xingting was half a head taller than her, and she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his eyes. She stood there for quite a while, until her eyes started to hurt, before she finally reached out and took the milk.

 

“Thanks,” she said softly, tilting her head.

 

Hearing that, Shen Xingting’s face lit up. He smiled and said, “It’s nothing, we’re classmates, it’s only right to care for each other.”

 

Cen Jing seemed a bit different toward him now. He smiled foolishly, watching Cen Jing walk ahead of him.

 

Evening study sessions lasted until 9 PM. After the first period of study, Shen Xingting went to the snack shop and bought a piece of bread.

 

“Cen Jing, you must be hungry, here, eat this.” He placed the bread on Cen Jing’s desk.

 

The other students immediately looked over in surprise, but Shen Xingting didn’t care at all. His warm, beautiful eyes were only focused on Cen Jing.

 

Cen Jing couldn’t bear to refuse under his puppy-like gaze, so she nodded and accepted.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“No problem,” Shen Xingting said happily.

 

“Wait!” After he left, Chen Yu pulled on Cen Jing’s arm, looking incredulous. “You two were at odds this morning, how come you’re getting along so well tonight? Didn’t you say you hated the class monitor?”

 

Cen Jing nodded. “I do hate him, it’s just an exchange.”

 

Let him follow me for a week, and once he realizes I don’t feel that way about him, he should give up.

 

But Cen Jing, the way you’re acting now won’t make him give up.

 

She lowered her gaze to the bread on the table, determined not to be swayed by Shen Xingting again and accept anything he offers her in the future.

 

—

 

Author’s note:

 

The brother’s CP has arrived! I really love this pair of brothers!!

 

PS: Little Cen Jing is a boy!

 

TL – But author is using she/her pronouns