TIPS – Chapter 120

Although her words were blunt, the logic behind them was sound; the more he mulled it over, the more Shen Junxi had to admit it was true—Song Jingwei himself would probably be hard-pressed to refute it.

“……” After listening, Shen Junxi agreed in principle, yet the idea of coaxing Song Jingwei into doing that sort of thing… he had honestly never considered it.

“What now? Don’t tell me you’ve never… you know… made advances toward your wife?” Yang Shi meant “asked for intimacy,” but as a woman, she felt awkward spelling it out in front of her son.

“……” Shen Junxi’s skin wasn’t much thicker than hers; his cheeks immediately flushed red.

One look at him and Yang Shi knew she’d guessed right—her son genuinely had no awareness in that area. She sighed. “No wonder your wife still isn’t fully taken with you. If I were him, I wouldn’t be either. You’re a man, aren’t you? This sort of thing obviously has to start with you. Do you really expect your wife to make the first move? With his personality, do you think that’s possible?”

Shen Junxi had no answer. Yet he recalled the scene of Song Jingwei kissing him earlier and signed, “My wife is a man too; he has the right to choose whether to take the initiative. If he’s willing, he will… If he’s not, I can’t force him.”

Faced with that, Yang Shi fell silent for a moment.

“In the end, who’s supposed to bear the baby—your wife, or you?” was all she said.

“……” Shen Junxi was mortified.

“Go on, get out of here—you’re annoying me,” Yang Shi called, waving him away. “A son who can’t give me another grand-child isn’t a good son. And if you’re not a good son, why should I be nice to you?”

“……” Face burning, Shen Junxi slipped out of the kitchen, his mother’s words about “taking the initiative” echoing in his mind.

He was an ordinary man—there were times he felt desire. On the odd night he had even had to sneak up and change his underwear in embarrassment. But actually doing something… he’d never dared think about it. Partly because of Song Jingwei’s attitude; partly because he was inexperienced. Apart from the night that led to Benben, he remembered very little.

After sitting in the main room for a while, Song Jingwei said good night to Shen Dongming and carried Benben back to their room. Not long after, he saw Shen Junxi come in from outside, his expression strangely flushed in the lamplight.

“Come here,” he said.

“……” Shen Junxi looked puzzled but walked over.

“What were you up to?” Song Jingwei scrutinized him.

“……” Flustered, Shen Junxi turned his face away, keeping a bit of distance, and signed, “Nothing—I washed my face and hands.” Then he ducked into the washroom.

As if. Song Jingwei knew better.

He paced the room, rocking the drowsy Benben to sleep. When the young man emerged, he raised a finger to his lips for silence.

Understanding the baby was drifting off, Shen Junxi moved about as quietly as he could. Once Benben lay fast asleep on the big bed, they no longer had to worry.

“Maybe he played too hard today,” Song Jingwei murmured. “He didn’t nap much at noon, and he ran around outside with us all afternoon.”

“Probably,” Shen Junxi signed with a smile. He sat at the table, picked up the book from earlier, but couldn’t focus. His conversation with his mother kept replaying in his mind; his fingers slid distractedly across the page.

Song Jingwei sat on the day-bed by the window, fanning himself and enjoying the night breeze. The sky was strewn with stars against a deep-blue backdrop, like a magnificent painting. Life here truly felt like an untouched paradise—he had grown used to everything: the food, the pace, the comfort.

Most of all, the person he lived with made life comfortable.

That very person now came over and sat beside him, stealing glances at him from the corner of his eye.

“You’re welcome to make a proposal,” Song Jingwei said, still fanning leisurely, “but I may not approve it.” In this family, no one could hide anything on their face.

“Mm…” Given permission, Shen Junxi relaxed a little. After thinking, he signed: “I want Benben to have a little brother. What do you think?”

Song Jingwei turned to him. “You want to give Benben a little brother?” He ran his gaze brazenly up and down the young man.

“……” At first Shen Junxi didn’t get it; when realization hit, he turned as red as the pepper-salt shrimp from dinner. He signed hastily, “I’m not giving birth—you are.” Then, realizing that sounded wrong too, he quickly added, “We’ll give birth together.”

Song Jingwei immediately interrupted, “So, in the end, who’s having the baby—me or you?”

“You are.” This time, the young man signed with absolute certainty.

Afterward, he lifted his eyes to observe Song Jingwei’s reaction, his gaze flickering with anticipation and nervousness—it was clear he was both eager and anxious.

Song Jingwei had understood his intention from the very first sign. As soon as Shen Junxi began to sign, he knew what the youth meant. He stared at him, his gaze icy and silent, and the longer the silence stretched, the more unease crept into Shen Junxi’s heart. His hope slowly sank like a stone in water.

“…” Shen Junxi thought to himself that his wife had gotten the wrong idea. He broke eye contact, lowering his gaze. Maybe it really was too forced—suddenly suggesting such a thing was absurd.

“You said… you want to give Benben a little brother…” Song Jingwei finally opened his mouth, coldly. “You just want a child, is that it?” What angered him wasn’t the idea of giving Benben a sibling—it was the feeling that the young man had come to him solely for that purpose.

Even if the end result might be the same, the intent behind it was entirely different.

“Hmm?” Shen Junxi looked up at him and signed, “Why would you ask that?” He still didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind Song Jingwei’s words.

“I’m not your baby-making tool,” Song Jingwei said.

“…” Shen Junxi gaped in astonishment, then clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head vigorously. His eyes were urgent as he signed, “That’s not what I meant! I never thought of you that way…”

How could he? To think of Song Jingwei as just a means to bear children? Where had that idea even come from? He loved him—treasured him—how could he think like that?

“Then what did you mean? Think carefully about what you just said. If I had said those words to you, how would you feel?” Song Jingwei asked. Though his tone was cool, he still had the patience to explain things slowly to Shen Junxi.

Upon hearing this, Shen Junxi sincerely reflected on his own words. The first time he repeated them, they seemed fine. But then, on saying them again, he began to feel something was off. There was ambiguity—something really didn’t sit right.

His expression changed. He peeked furtively at Song Jingwei and saw that although his demeanor was cold, he was still patiently waiting for him to realize the problem. That made Shen Junxi feel both ashamed and grateful. He nodded and signed, “I said it wrong.”

“What exactly did you say wrong?” Song Jingwei asked.

“All of it,” Shen Junxi signed honestly.

Song Jingwei looked at him quietly for a moment. He figured there was no need to be truly upset over something like this. He knew exactly what kind of person Shen Junxi was. Even if the boy had a hundred times the courage, he still wouldn’t dare treat him like some breeding machine.

“Benben’s still so little—why are you in such a rush to give him a brother?” he asked at last, his tone returning to normal.

Of course Shen Junxi couldn’t say it was because his mother Yang Shi had brought it up. He signed, “We’ll have one eventually. Sooner is better than later. It’s also better for your health.” 

They might not have had advanced medical knowledge, but they did understand that bearing children at a younger, healthier age made recovery easier.

“You’ve already decided Benben will definitely have a little brother, huh?” Song Jingwei raised an eyebrow at him, as if Shen Junxi had already determined the outcome.

“…” Shen Junxi looked at him, unsure what to say. He felt their relationship was improving, and having another child for Benben seemed like a natural next step. But when faced with a question like this from Song Jingwei, he found he didn’t have the confidence.

“You’re rushing too much,” Song Jingwei sighed softly.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi acknowledged that fact. Being called out so directly actually made him feel a little better. He smiled and signed, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

“It’s not that serious. No need to apologize,” Song Jingwei said. He had never been in a romantic relationship either and wasn’t entirely sure what counted as appropriate progress. But in terms of emotional intelligence, he could easily outmatch Shen Junxi.

And when the other person was just a naive and inexperienced young man, there wasn’t much satisfaction to be had in scolding him.

“Let’s not talk about giving Benben a little brother anymore,” Shen Junxi said with some frustration and regret. He shouldn’t have listened to his mother—he’d blurted things out recklessly. He signed, “I want to talk about us.”

“Us?”

“Do you… dislike me?” the young man asked seriously.

“No,” Song Jingwei answered quickly, with a tone that could lift one’s heart. He thought Shen Junxi already knew—after all, he’d said it more than once.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi responded softly. Then he signed again, “Then… do you dislike being close with me?”

So this was the real issue behind all those earlier questions—Song Jingwei finally understood. The young man was actually asking about intimacy. In ancient times, people’s language tended to be more subtle, so Song Jingwei interpreted “being close” as physical closeness or intimacy.

“No,” he said.

He could hear Shen Junxi let out a breath of relief. Then the young man gathered his courage, leaned forward, and gently kissed the corner of Song Jingwei’s lips. Seeing that he didn’t flinch or show any signs of rejection, Shen Junxi grew bolder. Not stopping at the kiss, he also wrapped his arms around Song Jingwei’s waist.

“……” Song Jingwei sat on the bed, unmoving, allowing the young man to kiss and hold him.

It was their third kiss, yet the youth still felt clumsy and inexperienced. Without guidance, Shen Junxi wouldn’t know how to move forward, only lingering gently at Song Jingwei’s lips.

Song Jingwei placed his palm on the back of Shen Junxi’s head and ended the overly soft kiss. He transformed the tenderness into passion, turning the warmth into something much more intense—like a chase filled with fervent desire, both of them putting their full energy into it, lost in the moment.

“……” Shen Junxi’s breathing grew ragged, and his arms around Song Jingwei’s waist tightened unconsciously. The possessive grip felt suffocating to Song Jingwei—there was no room for breath or freedom.

Even while continuing their deep kiss, Song Jingwei tried to pry the youth’s arms off his waist. Yet Shen Junxi only held on tighter, as if this embrace was the only way to express his emotions.

After a long while, their lips finally parted. A faint string of moisture hung briefly in the air before breaking.

Shen Junxi tried hard to steady his breath, his dazed eyes fixated on Song Jingwei. Only when Song Jingwei gave him a subtle look did he realize he was still clutching him tightly. He quickly let go, his face showing guilt and concern.

“It’s fine. Just be mindful next time,” Song Jingwei said in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Mm…” Shen Junxi responded quickly, then discreetly shifted to the side, covering his waist with the thin blanket.

“……” Song Jingwei gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled knowingly, finding the young man quite endearing. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sure enough, Shen Junxi shook his head rapidly.

“Ahem. Go freshen up,” Song Jingwei said, assuming the youth had had a physical reaction.

Shen Junxi’s expression flickered with embarrassment. He shook his head and signed, “It’s not what you think.”

He knew Song Jingwei misunderstood—how humiliating! He hadn’t gone that far—just… had a reaction.

“Oh, not yet then,” Song Jingwei replied, thinking about it and letting it go. After all, it wasn’t Shen Junxi’s first time. A kiss alone shouldn’t have that kind of effect.

“……” Shen Junxi’s face flushed deeply as he turned away, not wanting to be seen.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. That’s normal for men,” Song Jingwei said calmly. A moment ago the heat had risen, but now with a cool breeze blowing, his face and neck finally felt more comfortable.

“Mm,” Shen Junxi mumbled from the side.

“Better now?” After a while, Song Jingwei asked.

“……” Shen Junxi had almost calmed down, but being asked again only made things worse. Still, he couldn’t tell his “wife” to stop talking. All he could do was shut his eyes tightly and try to think of something else.

“……” Song Jingwei looked at him, then moved over, gently pressing against his back.

This startled Shen Junxi. He opened his eyes wide and turned to look at Song Jingwei, eyes filled with alarm and confusion.

“Relax,” Song Jingwei said, reaching to undo his waistband.

“……” Shen Junxi caught his hand, still watching him, looking panicked.

“Let go,” Song Jingwei said, voice tinged with command.

“……” Shen Junxi’s grip tightened and loosened, showing his inner struggle. He had a vague idea of what Song Jingwei intended, and while he didn’t exactly want to reject him, the act itself was too overwhelming—too shameful. In his understanding, intimacy should follow the formal way as written in books.

But what Song Jingwei was trying to do… wasn’t something he had ever imagined.

In Song Jingwei’s world, though, there was no such hesitation. Seeing the youth so hesitant made him impatient. He brushed aside Shen Junxi’s hand, undid his waistband with practiced fingers, and boldly took the lead.

“……” Shen Junxi’s lashes fluttered as he momentarily opened his eyes, only to shut them tightly again, as if that could spare him from the awkwardness.

Song Jingwei quickly grew frustrated with the awkward posture. He pushed the youth down onto the couch and reached to remove his underclothes.

“……” Shen Junxi clutched his waistband, his expression full of grievance.

“Loosen up. It’s fine.” Song Jingwei coaxed, gently prying his hands away and sliding down the garment.

In the end, Song Jingwei knelt between Shen Junxi’s legs, the youth’s limbs resting on his thighs in a rather suggestive pose. It was so embarrassing that Shen Junxi didn’t dare look down—he turned his face away, eyes avoiding everything.

But he couldn’t deny it—under Song Jingwei’s hands, he felt intensely emotional and deeply affected.

“……” As time passed, the color in Shen Junxi’s face deepened, his eyes misting over, with a faint red tinge at the corners.

Even at the height of arousal, Shen Junxi remained quiet. He wasn’t the type to make suggestive noises during such moments. He simply opened his mouth slightly, swallowing all his unspoken sounds in silence.

“Better now?” Song Jingwei, growing impatient, switched hands a couple of times. Eventually, he simply used both.