Pregnant With The Pup Of A Wealthy Old Man - Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Shen Xingting vs. Cen Jing

 

Every weekend, Shen Xingting would either play video games with friends until late at night or go out partying.

 

But this weekend, it was like he had turned into a different person. He stayed home, didn’t play games, and busied himself helping his two dads with housework, massaging shoulders, and rubbing legs.

 

Shen Yunxing, fully aware of his youngest son’s personality, had already noticed something was off. However, he didn’t say anything, waiting to see how long his son could keep it bottled up.

 

“Dad, is the pressure okay? Should I go harder?” Shen Xingting asked obediently as he massaged his father’s shoulders. “Dad, hold on a sec. I’ll rub your legs later!”

 

The couple exchanged a glance but remained silent.

 

Shen Xingting was getting anxious. Why weren’t his dads asking him what was going on? This wasn’t how things were supposed to go!

 

“Dad, I’ve been good these past couple of days, right?” He hooked his arm around Shen Yunxing’s neck, grinning. “If you and Dad ever feel unwell, just call me. I’ll be there right away and take extra good care of you!”

 

Shen Yunxing couldn’t stand his son’s clinginess and gave him a sidelong glance. “Spit it out. What do you want?”

 

“Dad, look at what you’re saying! Do you think I’m that kind of person? I’m just being filial!” Shen Xingting shifted gears. “But if you could give me a little more allowance, I wouldn’t turn it down.”

 

Shen Yunxing pried his son’s arm off and turned to scrutinize him. “It’s only the beginning of the month, and you’ve already run out of allowance?”

 

“Unfair accusation! I haven’t spent a penny! I used it all to buy apology gifts for Cen Jing!” Shen Xingting muttered under his breath, “She even threw them away. If I’d known, I would’ve taken them back and sold them at the seafood market for a thousand or two.”

 

Though his son had been muttering a lot, Shen Yunxing hadn’t caught a single word. But he did recognize the name Cen Jing.

 

“Cen Jing? The girl you took advantage of?”

 

T-Took advantage of?

 

Shen Xingting’s ears turned slightly red.

 

Oh, right. He had kissed Cen Jing already. It wasn’t intentional, but it was his first kiss.

 

Ahhh! His first-ever kiss, just like that. It should’ve been somewhere romantic. This was way too careless!

 

Would he ever get the chance to kiss Cen Jing again?

 

Wait, why would he want to kiss her again? He didn’t even like her.

 

Watching his son alternate between shaking his head and nodding, sometimes happy and sometimes frowning, Shen Yunxing exchanged another glance with his husband.

 

See? He’s definitely in love.

 

Fu Tingzhou smirked, his gaze soft as he looked at their son.

 

“How much do you want?” Shen Yunxing asked, unable to watch his son’s silly expression any longer.

 

Shen Xingting snapped back to reality, first holding up three fingers. When his father’s expression darkened, he quickly dropped it to two.

 

Shen Yunxing crossed his arms and stayed silent.

 

Shen Xingting faltered, raising one finger. “One thousand, not a penny less!”

 

“It’s getting late. Go to bed first. I’ll transfer the money to you later,” Fu Tingzhou said.

 

“Thanks, Dad! Goodnight, and you two should rest early too!”

 

Shen Xingting left happily, already planning to use the money to improve Cen Jing’s meals.

 

Oh, right. There were still some snacks at home. Tomorrow, he’d pick out some low-sugar ones for her. Cen Jing loved sweets—she’d definitely be happy to see some little cakes!

 

After finishing a movie, the couple prepared to head upstairs.

 

“Just a thousand. Don’t you dare secretly give him more,” Shen Yunxing warned his husband.

 

Fu Tingzhou chuckled, pulling him in for a kiss. “You underestimate Chuanchuan. His own little stash is probably bigger than mine.”

 

Shen Yunxing looked at him in confusion.

 

“Chuanchuan’s smart. He’s been making his own money for a long time. This time, he probably emptied his stash and had no choice but to come to us for help.”

 

“Investing money?” Shen Yunxing asked, surprised. “When did he learn to trade stocks? Did you teach him?”

 

Fu Tingzhou shook his head. “He learned from his two godfathers.”

 

Shen Yunxing nodded, then broke into a proud smile.

 

The kids in the family were all incredible—there was nothing more satisfying.

 

Upstairs, Shen Xingting couldn’t sleep. Holding his phone, he hesitated for a long time before finally sending a photo of his chibi plushie to Cen Jing.

 

[Cen Jing]: Is this you? So cute.

 

Shen Xingting perked up, sitting cross-legged and typing furiously.

 

[What’re you looking at]: Yeah. When my brother was little, he’d get anxious if he couldn’t see family, so Dad made him a bunch of plushies. Our house is full of them now, some almost half as tall as a person. Wanna see?

 

[Cen Jing]: Sure.

 

Shen Xingting, thrilled, didn’t even bother putting on slippers. He ran barefoot to the toy room, snapping pictures left and right. He even strategically placed his own plushie in the front.

 

Five minutes later, Cen Jing received the photos and smiled, her eyes curving.

 

She reached out to touch the frowning plushie in the picture, as if seeing Shen Xingting himself pouting in front of her.

 

Thump, thump—thump, thump—

 

She could hear her heart suddenly beating faster, and her cheeks grew hot.

 

“Cen Jing, maybe he really likes you, but he likes you as a girl,” Cen Jing thought, holding her phone as she lowered her gaze, hiding all her emotions.

 

“If he knew you weren’t a girl, just a cross-dressing freak…”

 

He pressed his aching chest, not daring to think further.

 

“Ding—”

 

“Ding—”

 

Shen Xingting kept sending her photos, the notifications lasting a good five or six seconds before stopping.

 

She scrolled through them one by one. When she reached the last message, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

 

[What’re you looking at]: If you like one, pick it, and I’ll bring it to school for you tomorrow.

 

Cen Jing bit her lip, staring at the small frowning plushie for a long time before giving in.

 

[Sunshine’s so warm]: Sure, could you give me this one? [Image]

 

Shen Xingting saw the photo she sent—his chibi plushie—and grinned from ear to ear.

 

[Let’s bask in the sun together]: Great taste! [Thumbs up emoji]

 

The two chatted for a while longer. When Shen Xingting noticed it was almost eleven, he quickly told Cen Jing to go to bed.

 

[Sunshine’s so warm]: Okay, goodnight. [Cat waving emoji]

 

[Let’s bask in the sun together]: Goodnight. See you tomorrow.

 

Silly girl. You even changed your nickname to match mine and still claim you don’t like me? Who are you trying to fool?

 

Cen Jing looked at their perfectly matched WeChat nicknames and smiled.

 

…

 

The next day, Shen Xingting got up early and packed half a bag of snacks. He also snuck in two small plushies before heading to school.

 

He arrived early, and no one was in the classroom yet. He went straight to Cen Jing’s desk, stuffing the snacks and plushies into her desk cubby.

 

Looking at the now-full cubby, he nodded in satisfaction.

 

“Yawn, so sleepy.” He covered his mouth, yawned, and went back to his seat for a nap.

 

Half an hour later—

 

“Wake up, Young Master. The teacher’s here.” Li Jue nudged him with his elbow.

 

Shen Xingting frowned, rubbed his eyes, and woke up just as the homeroom teacher, Zheng Limin, walked in.

 

“The sports day is the day after tomorrow. Class Monitor, organize the sign-ups,” Zheng said, his beer belly protruding. “Everyone has to participate. Winning is secondary; participation is key.”

 

“Oh, come on, teacher, do I have to sign up? I hate sports!”

 

“Teacher, my period starts then. I’ll be lucky to stay on my feet, let alone compete! I’ll die if I have to!”

 

The class buzzed with complaints.

 

Shen Xingting frowned at Cen Jing’s back.

 

“Teacher, can we sign up on behalf of classmates who aren’t able to compete?” he raised his hand to ask.

 

Zheng adjusted his glasses. “You can, but I’ll need a written note.”

 

“Class Monitor is the best! Teacher is the best!” the class cheered in unison.

 

After morning reading, everyone hurriedly ate breakfast and rushed to sign up with Shen Xingting, afraid the simpler events like discus or shot put would be taken.

 

Amid the chaos, Shen Xingting didn’t have a chance to talk to Cen Jing and was dragged off by the vice class monitor to record names.

 

When morning classes ended, Shen Xingting first bought two lunches from the cafeteria. He and Cen Jing sat on a stone bench in a quiet spot, eating and chatting.

 

“You don’t need to worry about the sports day. I signed you up for the long-distance run,” Shen Xingting said.

 

Cen Jing glanced at him and smiled. “Alright, just like last year, I’ll read a cheer script. I’ll write one for you too.”

 

“Really?” Shen Xingting asked, his face full of surprise.

 

Cen Jing nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

 

“And also, the toy is very cute, and the snacks are delicious. Thank you.”

 

“Why so formal?” Shen Xingting rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. “We have plenty of those snacks at home. If you want more, I’ll bring you some next week.”

 

Cen Jing smiled but neither accepted nor refused.

 

Shen Xingting didn’t care; he just assumed Cen Jing agreed. Later, he would ask his godfathers to send over some more delicious snacks.

 

Although Cen Jing didn’t stay at the school dorm, he had a bed there. However, instead of sharing a room with others, his bed was in a small single room next to the dormitory supervisor’s. The room had two beds, but Cen Jing had hardly ever seen the other one occupied.

 

“I’m here. You should go back and rest too,” Cen Jing said, standing at the door of dormitory 102.

 

Shen Xingting glanced inside and saw two single beds covered with light blue sheets. His expression froze slightly.

 

So Cen Jing liked blue, not pink.

 

“Alright, good afternoon,” he said, waving at Cen Jing while secretly thinking, When her birthday comes, I’ll prepare a special gift for her.

 

The last class of the afternoon was originally a study period, but since the sports day would be the last for the ninth grade, Mr. Zheng Liming gave everyone time to think of slogans, write cheer scripts, and relax a bit. After the sports day, they would dive into intense exam preparations with little time for leisure.

 

“How about, ‘Class One, Class One, always number one’?”

 

“That doesn’t rhyme! I think ‘Ninth Grade Class One, courageously forging ahead’ is better.”

 

“Too short, and it lacks momentum. I overheard the slogan from the class next door when I went to the bathroom. Theirs is long and impressive, and ours feels like it’s over before it even starts.”

 

“Think of something better then. Aren’t you the literary assistant? Your essays are always great, so come up with a few lines!”

 

Standing on the podium, Shen Xingting listened to the chaotic chatter.

 

He turned to look at Cen Jing and noticed his pale expression. Without hesitation, he grabbed the chalkboard eraser and slammed it on the lectern.

 

“Quiet! Why are you all shouting? Speak one at a time!” He frowned. “Fan Xin, Wei Chuang, go back to your seats.”

 

The two named students shrank back and returned to their seats.

 

“Alright, you’ve had time to discuss. Now, starting with Zhao Jing in the first row, each person will share their proposed slogan. If you don’t have one, sit down and let the next person go. No noise. If you think a slogan is good, raise your hand to vote, and I’ll count.”

 

“Got it?” He scanned the room.

 

No one dared disagree, so they all nodded in unison.

 

Surprisingly, this method worked well. Within ten minutes, they shortlisted three decent slogans.

 

Shen Xingting then organized a final vote. Two minutes later, Class One’s sports day slogan was finalized.

 

“I smell favoritism,” Chen Yu remarked, stroking his chin as he watched Shen Xingting proudly recite the slogan. “Though I agree the slogan you came up with is powerful, your smug and proud expression is a little suspicious.”

 

Cen Jing: “…”

 

Shen Xingting, tone it down. At this rate, it won’t be long before we’re summoned to a parent-teacher meeting.

 

During dinner, Cen Jing discussed the matter seriously with him.

 

Shen Xingting looked at him and asked, “If I can’t look at you openly, can I at least sneak a glance? It’s your fault for being so good-looking. What’s wrong with me stealing a few extra looks?”

 

Cen Jing: “…”

 

Shen Xingting continued, “If Mr. Zheng wants to call our parents, let him. My dad’s philosophy on raising me and my brother is that as long as it’s not illegal, we can do whatever we want. It’s just early romance. They might even be happy to hear about it. After all, when I was younger, the only person I clung to was my brother. I had no other desires.”

 

Cen Jing: “…Your parents are quite open-minded.”

 

“They’re not parents; I have two dads,” Shen Xingting corrected.

 

Cen Jing’s hand, which was reaching for food, paused slightly.

 

“Your two dads raised you well. You’re very accomplished,” he said, a hint of envy rising within him.

 

Hearing this, Shen Xingting felt both happy and shy.

 

“Do you really think I’m accomplished?” he asked.

 

When Cen Jing nodded, he added, “Actually, I’ve been making money through stock trading.”

 

“Stock trading? That’s impressive. My dad used to trade stocks, but I could never make sense of those charts,” Cen Jing said sincerely, his clear black-and-white eyes blinking.

 

Shen Xingting: “I started trading stocks with my godfather when I was ten.”

 

Cen Jing’s expression was one of astonishment. “At ten? Did you make any money?”

 

Shen Xingting raised his chin slightly. “Of course. But I didn’t make much—just thirty or forty thousand.”

 

Cen Jing’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Thirty or forty thousand? That’s incredible for a ten-year-old!”

 

Shen Xingting smirked. “That’s nothing. In seventh grade, I made hundreds of thousands. Earlier this semester, I found a good opportunity, so I invested everything I had. If all goes well, I should be able to cash out in a few months.”

 

Cen Jing asked curiously, “Aren’t you afraid of losing everything?”

 

Shen Xingting: “Not really. Even if I fail, it’s no big deal. Life isn’t smooth sailing all the time—you have to expect setbacks. But I haven’t hit any bumps yet.”

 

Cen Jing smiled. “That’s amazing.”

 

Shen Xingting: “Besides stock trading, I’m pretty good at playing the piano.”

 

Cen Jing: “The piano?”

 

Shen Xingting nodded.

 

Cen Jing: “You play the piano? What level are you at?”

 

Shen Xingting: “I’ve never taken an exam. Grades are for amateur pianists. Professional musicians don’t use grades to prove themselves.”

 

Cen Jing: “I see.”

 

Afraid Cen Jing wouldn’t believe him, Shen Xingting immediately did a pretend performance.

 

Seeing him sit upright, his fingers moving as if playing, and a look of ecstasy on his face, Cen Jing couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

 

Shen Xingting: “…”

 

“That was Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, third movement. I know it might look like I’m having a seizure without an actual piano…”

 

Seeing Cen Jing’s eyes still curved in laughter, Shen Xingting anxiously explained, “I really can play. If you don’t believe me, I’ll take you to a piano store this weekend!”

 

“Sure,” Cen Jing replied with a smile.

 

“You—you agreed?”

 

Cen Jing nodded, smiling. “I didn’t doubt you. It’s just that the way you ‘played’ just now looked really silly.”

 

Shen Xingting scratched his head. “Really? Haha.”

 

Ahhh, so embarrassing! I wanted to show off with Rachmaninoff, but I should’ve picked something more familiar, like Mariage d’Amour!*

 

“Besides playing the piano, I’m good at other things too. I passed the IELTS with a perfect score at twelve. I also speak Japanese, French, and Russian. Right now, I’m learning Spanish and planning to pick up Arabic in the future. It might not be very practical, but I find lesser-known languages fascinating because of their unique pronunciations.”

 

“Hmm.” Cen Jing listened quietly.

 

“I also play golf, and I’m good at basketball and soccer. I sing pretty well too, and I can dance—both modern and classical styles. I also—”

 

Shen Xingting eagerly listed his skills, only to realize midway that Cen Jing hadn’t spoken for a long time.

 

“Sorry, am I talking too much?” he asked, a bit downcast.

 

Seeing his head droop and imagining a tail wagging low behind him, Cen Jing thought to himself, He really is like a big puppy.

 

“No, I heard everything you said,” Cen Jing replied sincerely.

 

Hearing this, Shen Xingting’s ears reddened slightly. He rubbed his nose and began tidying up the trash. “It’s almost class time. Let’s head back.”

 

“Alright.”

 

…

 

The next day, the sports day began.

 

 

Cen Jing and a girl from the first grade were announcers, sitting under a large umbrella near the entrance to the sports field.

 

The sports meet hadn’t started yet, but the two of them had already received a thick stack of scripts.

 

The third-grade Class One’s seating area was a bit far from the announcers’ station. Shen Xingting had to stand up to see Cen Jing under the umbrella, reading the script.

 

He noticed that Cen Jing and the other girl were taking turns reading for nearly half an hour, and no one had brought them water. Instantly, he felt annoyed.

 

“Hey, the sports meet is about to start. Where are you going?” Li Jue grabbed his arm as he stood up and started heading out.

 

“I’m thirsty. Going to the store to get something. I’ll be right back.”

 

“Alright, go quickly. You’re not up until the second round; you should make it in time.”

 

Shen Xingting nodded and turned, quickly running toward the campus store.

 

“Class Three, Class Three, mighty and invincible. Strive hard, challenge yourself!” Cen Jing finished reading a script and set it aside. Then he turned to ask the girl next to him, “Still no one brought water?”

 

The girl shook her head, her voice hoarse. “No, if I’d known the student council would be this unreliable, I would have brought my own.”

 

Cen Jing licked his lips. Before coming down, Shen Xingting had reminded him to bring water, but he’d forgotten.

 

“Cen Jing!”

 

While he was thinking, he suddenly seemed to hear that person’s voice. He froze for a moment, thinking it was just a coincidence.

 

The next second, however, Shen Xingting appeared in front of him with a frown.

 

“You forgot to bring water.” Shen Xingting placed four bottles on the table, frowning as he lectured, “Idiot, didn’t I already remind you?”

 

“I forgot. Don’t be mad, okay?” Cen Jing looked up at him with his bright, clear eyes, which sparkled in the sunlight like tiny stars.

 

Shen Xingting’s heart pounded. His lips moved, but he couldn’t manage to say a word.

 

“Here, have some water first.” He twisted the cap off a bottle and handed it to Cen Jing.

 

“Thanks.” Cen Jing took it, their fingers unintentionally brushing against each other. Cen Jing didn’t react, but Shen Xingting recoiled like he’d been shocked, quickly pulling his hand back.

 

“I have a race later, so I’ll head back now!” Clenching his fists, he hurried back toward Class One’s seating area.

 

Cen Jing’s hands are so soft.

 

Stop! Shen Xingting, are you some kind of pervert? It was just a quick touch, and you’re this excited?!

 

Meanwhile, the girl, who had finally gotten some water, watched Shen Xingting’s retreating figure and asked, “Senior, is that your boyfriend? He’s really handsome!”

 

Cen Jing froze, then lowered his gaze. Only after Shen Xingting disappeared from view did he lightly press his fingers together and softly say, “No, we’re just friends.”

 

“Aw, what a pity. I thought you two were a couple because you seem so close.”

 

Hearing this, Cen Jing lowered his eyes, carefully hiding his emotions.

 

No, Shen Xingting likes girls.

 

But he wasn’t one. He was a boy who had been raised as a girl by his parents.

 

Cen Jing tugged at the hem of his skirt, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes.

 

He hated being like this and hated pretending to be a girl every day in front of Shen Xingting.

 

If only he could go back to being a boy.

 

That’s what he thought.

 

—

 

Author’s Note:

 

Cen Jing: Thank you for liking me, but I hate skirts. I’ll never wear one again!

 

In college—

 

Cen Jing: Shen Xingting, which skirt looks better on me, this one or that one?

 

Shen Xingting: Both look good, but I think you look best wearing nothing at all—

 

Cen Jing (throws a hanger): Shut up!