Ye Mingxuan leaned over the sink washing his face. Only as clear water splashed repeatedly over his face did the heat in his ears finally subside.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror as droplets slid down his pale cheeks and onto his neck.
Just now, the gentleman had pressed the back of his head, forcing him to plant strawberries. Ye Mingxuan had no idea how to do it and immediately protested. Tan Sizhe instructed him, saying it was like sucking on jelly. Ye Mingxuan tried his best to plant a few kisses.
After finishing, he tried to leave, but Tan Sizhe wouldn’t let him. He coaxed Ye Mingxuan to help with his hands. Just as Ye Mingxuan undid his pants, he got scared and ran away.
Thinking of this, Ye Mingxuan’s ears flushed red again. He quickly cupped his hands and splashed several mouthfuls of water on his face, nearly drinking the tap water.
By the time Ye Mingxuan calmly returned to the private room, they had already finished two rounds of UNO. Lin Jiale spotted him: “Mingxuan, even going to the bathroom takes you forever! Come on, come on! After this hand, we’re playing Monopoly!”
Ye Mingxuan sat down beside him, noticing Ye Yufan across the table staring at him with a mix of smugness and contempt.
“…”
Ye Mingxuan was baffled, unsure what Ye Yufan was up to this time. But he’d lost all interest in playing games anyway. He told them he was leaving the private room.
Yu Sen’s gaze followed Ye Mingxuan the whole time. Seeing him head back to rest, he put down his cards to see him off, only to be pulled back by Ye Yufan: “Yu Sen, where are you going? It’s your turn to play!”
Ye Mingxuan had already opened the door and walked out, while Ye Yufan was still whining. Yu Sen sat back down helplessly to play his card.
“Yufan, is Mingxuan dating anyone?”
Ye Yufan froze, his gaze drifting. “No idea. He never tells me his business. How would I know? Heh.”
Yu Sen’s fingers tightened around the cards, trembling slightly. An answer was already forming in his mind—Ye Mingxuan was in a relationship. But he dared not ask, nor did he want to believe it.
He didn’t even know when Mingxuan had started dating. But if he really was in a relationship, why did Mingxuan always hang out with Lin Jiale? Why had he never seen Mingxuan’s boyfriend?
Yu Sen still clung to a faint hope deep down—that it was all just his overactive imagination.
…
Tan Jing and Yangyang emerged from the tea restaurant and spotted a middle-aged man chatting with friends down the corridor. Tan Jing started to walk away but halted when she recognized his face. Surprised, she exclaimed, “Qi Lin?”
Qi Lin turned, equally astonished. “Tan Jing!”
The two old friends, unseen for years, walked toward each other and shook hands. Tan Jing prompted Yangyang to greet him: “Yangyang, say hello to Uncle Qi. Uncle Qi is Mommy’s good friend.”
Yangyang obediently replied, “Hello, Uncle Qi.”
Qi Lin smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepening. “Hello, Yangyang. I never imagined you’d grown so big. I remember holding you when you were little, haha.”
Yangyang retorted, “Every adult I meet says they held me.”
Tan Jing and Qi Lin burst into laughter. Tan Jing patted her son’s head and asked Qi Lin, “When did you return to the country? Why didn’t you reach out to meet up?”
Qi Lin replied, “I just got back recently. I’m about to start teaching at University A, so I’ve been busy with paperwork.”
Tan Jing: “I heard about it. The oil painting department, right? Your classes are going to be packed with students.”
Qi Lin was a renowned artist who rose to fame in his twenties. After striking it rich, he dabbled in various art forms. Now in his forties, he wanted to teach and nurture students—truly remarkable.
Qi Lin: “I’ll be grateful if anyone even signs up for my class.”
Tan Jing: “Come on, let’s grab a drink.”
She draped her arm around Yangyang’s back and invited Qi Lin to join them downstairs.
As they neared the staircase, they spotted Ye Mingxuan’s retreating figure climbing the stairs. Tan Jing raised her hand: “Hey…”
Before she could call him back, Tan Jing lowered her hand. Qi Lin asked, “Who’s that kid?”
Tan Jing: “My nephew’s wife. A really handsome guy named Ye Mingxuan. Oh, and he also goes to A University.”
Qi Lin nodded: “Not bad. He’s got half the charm I had in my youth.”
Tan Jing scoffed: “Give me a break. Mingxuan’s perfectly normal. Nothing like your wild ways.”
Qi Lin retorted: “Can’t you say something nice? It’s an artist’s aura!”
At that, Tan Jing stroked her chin, gazing at the spot where Ye Mingxuan had vanished: “Is that so…”
–
Winter break flew by, and before they knew it, classes resumed. News of Qi Lin joining the faculty at University A quickly spread across campus.
“Holy crap! I don’t know Qi Lin personally, but I looked up his academic papers online—he’s seriously impressive!” Lin Jiale scrolled through the webpage. “I saw tons of people on forums saying they want to sign up for his class.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded firmly. “Yeah, I’m signing up too.”
Lin Jiale: “Mm-hmm.”
“What?! You’re signing up too?!”
Classmates turned toward Lin Jiale’s outburst. She gave an awkward laugh, sat down, and asked Ye Mingxuan in shock, “You’re signing up too? Seriously? Not just jumping on the bandwagon?”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “No.”
Lin Jiale: “Wouldn’t have guessed you had that kind of interest.”
He remembered Ye Mingxuan occasionally sketching decent doodles on scrap paper, but he hadn’t expected Ye Mingxuan to be interested in oil painting too.
Ye Mingxuan said: “It’s just an elective class anyway. It’d be nice to sit in on a few sessions.”
Lin Jiale: “But Professor Qi’s elective is definitely super competitive to get into.”
Ye Mingxuan: “True.”
That was precisely his worry.
Lin Jiale placed a hand on his shoulder: “Don’t stress. I’ll rally Zhang Shushu, Liu Baichao, and the rest. We’ll help you secure it. I refuse to believe my lightning-fast ticket-grabbing skills—the kind that snag front-row concert seats—can’t handle a measly elective!”
Ye Mingxuan was so touched he could barely speak. “Jiale, thank you…”
Lin Jiale: “No problem. Just treat us to KFC when it’s done.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Whether it works or not, I’ll treat you guys.”
Lin Jiale: “Really?! Then let’s go right now!”
Ye Mingxuan: “Sure!”
They both stood up with their backpacks. As Ye Mingxuan straightened his chest, he suddenly flinched and touched his own chest.
Lately, he’d been feeling a persistent tightness and warmth in his chest. What on earth was going on? Plus, his stomach sometimes gurgled like a little fish was bubbling away inside.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan lag behind, Lin Jiale turned and asked, “Mingxuan, what’s wrong?”
Ye Mingxuan looked up. “Nothing. I’m coming.”
It was already past May. His belly felt heavier and slightly larger than before. Thankfully, the cold weather allowed him to layer up thickly. Under his down jacket, it wasn’t noticeable.
As dusk fell, the warm sun dipped below the horizon, signaling the approaching night. Aunt Fu brought out her latest nutritional meal. Ye Mingxuan leaned on the table, his chin resting on his hand in a gloomy expression, his hair tousled by the breeze from the balcony.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Mingxuan?” Aunt Fu asked. “Don’t you like these dishes? Shall I change them?”
“No, Aunt Fu, I really like it.” Ye Mingxuan shook his head.
Aunt Fu sat beside him: “Then is something bothering you?”
Ye Mingxuan pressed his lips together: “I…”
He glanced at Aunt Fu, opened his mouth, but found it too difficult to voice his concern. He simply said, “I’m not feeling well.”
“Not feeling well?!” “ Aunt Fu grew anxious. ”That won’t do! You need to go to the hospital!”
“It’s fine! I have my prenatal checkup tomorrow. I plan to ask Dr. Cai then. There’s no rush.”
Hearing it wasn’t an emergency, Aunt Fu relaxed. “As long as it’s not urgent, then waiting until the checkup is fine.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and picked up his chopsticks to eat.
Though he still didn’t know if he could snag a spot in Teacher Qi’s class, Ye Mingxuan wanted to prepare his oil painting supplies.
In the past, he would never have splurged on such things. But now, with his part-time income, Ye Mingxuan suddenly realized that what had once been unattainable fantasies now lay within easy reach.
All he had to do was take that step forward, and he could grasp them in his hands.
After returning from Le Le’s place, he lay on the bedroom sofa browsing oil painting tools and paints. The soft, warm light from the bedroom lamp fell on his brow and eyes, bathing Ye Mingxuan in a golden glow.
He spent over an hour carefully selecting and comparing items when Tan Sizhe returned.
Ye Mingxuan quickly set down his phone and sat up. “Sir—” He gasped.
Tan Sizhe had just begun unbuttoning his vest when he heard Ye Mingxuan’s muffled groan. Turning, he saw Ye Mingxuan clutching his chest, his brow furrowed. His heart skipped a beat as he approached. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Mingxuan lifted his damp eyelids: “Um… I don’t know what’s wrong. My chest feels tight and swollen…”
Tan Sizhe sat beside him, the waistcoat buttons half-undone—though he had no mind to finish undoing them now. He gently moved Ye Mingxuan’s hand away: “Does it hurt?”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt, just feels tight and warm.”
Seeing him uncomfortable, Tan Sizhe grew worried too. He lifted Ye Mingxuan’s sweater. “Let me take a look.”
They’d seen each other naked countless times before, so Ye Mingxuan didn’t hesitate. What mattered more than health? He raised his arms, and Tan Sizhe slipped off his sweater.
A wave of pale skin washed over his vision. Ye Mingxuan’s rounded belly looked adorably cute. Tan Sizhe swallowed hard, continuing to peel off the sweater.
The floor heating kept the room warm, so shedding clothes brought no chill. Ye Mingxuan looked down at his own body and gasped in shock, his voice cracking: “How… how did this happen!”
His once-flat chest was now… now…
Tan Sizhe froze, then realized what he was seeing. His breathing grew heavy.
Ye Mingxuan immediately grabbed the sweater to cover himself, flustered and embarrassed: “Sir, no, don’t look…”
Tan Sizhe’s eyes darkened as he suppressed his desire. “Looks like pregnancy-related physical changes. We’ll ask Dr. Cai during tomorrow’s prenatal checkup.”
Ye Mingxuan’s face flushed crimson like a garnet, translucent and dazzling. He bit his lip, stealing a glance at Tan Sizhe. The predatory glint in the other man’s eyes only deepened his shame!
He snatched his clothes and darted into the bathroom like a frightened rabbit, his skin so pale it hurt the eyes.
Tan Sizhe stifled a chuckle, lowering his gaze to find Ye Mingxuan’s phone screen still lit.
He intended to glance over it casually, but his eyes halted on the product details page. He picked up the phone.
“24-color watercolor set, perfect for beginners… unbeatable value…”
Why was Ye Mingxuan looking at paints? Was he planning to paint?
Tan Sizhe checked the price—only two hundred yuan. Could these paints be any good?
He glanced at the tightly shut bathroom door and dialed Bai Yu’s number on his phone: “Prepare some things for me. Yes, I’ll need them tomorrow.”
