TIPS – Chapter 76

“Hurry up, come with me to pick up your wife—he’s seasick,” the man said, breathing a sigh of relief upon realizing he had found the right person. Now that he had located his man, things would be much easier.

Hearing this, Shen Junxi immediately panicked. He quickly jogged after the man, boarding the ship with him. He hated that he couldn’t speak and couldn’t grab the man to ask for more details. Instead, his mind was in chaos, running wild with thoughts. The more he thought, the more restless he became. He already regretted it—if he had known earlier, he would have rejected Song Jingwei’s request from the start and not brought him to the dock. Even if it meant being blamed or making someone upset, he would rather go through that than suffer this kind of fear and anxiety.

Once on board, the man led him to the main cabin and pointed at the person lying on the floor. “Kid, hurry up and help him off the ship! Quick, quick!” Having a pregnant husband onboard made the crew extremely uneasy.

Song Jingwei’s face was pale. He lifted his head and saw the overwhelming worry in the young man’s eyes. The moment Shen Junxi saw him, he rushed over as if nothing else mattered.

He was so anxious that he knelt down in front of him, cupping Song Jingwei’s shoulders while signing, “Wife, where do you feel unwell?”

“Dizzy.”

Shen Junxi immediately let him lean against his shoulder, expertly massaging his head, pressing his fingers along his face and neck. In truth, he had no idea how to ease his wife’s discomfort, but doing something was better than doing nothing at all.

After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Song Jingwei pulled his hands down and said, “I’m fine now. Help me up so we can leave.”

“Hm.” Shen Junxi responded, carefully examining his face. Seeing that he did indeed look better, he cautiously helped him up. It was frustrating—his wife’s belly was too large now, making it impossible to carry him on his back like before. He could only support him as they walked.

“Second Boss, we’ll discuss business another time,” Song Jingwei said to Yuan Guanlin before leaving.

“…” Yuan Guanlin stared at him, speechless. Song Jingwei took his silence as agreement.

“Let’s go,” he whispered to Shen Junxi.

“Hm.” Shen Junxi treated him with utmost care, ensuring each step was steady and precise, not daring to make the slightest mistake.

Once off the ship and feeling solid ground beneath his feet again, Song Jingwei let out a deep breath of relief. He hadn’t known he would get seasick—after all, he had taken cruises before without any issues.

“Let’s sit for a bit before walking again,” he suggested upon spotting a smooth stone bench ahead.

Shen Junxi nodded and helped him over. He first let him sit down slowly before taking a seat beside him. Signing, he said, “Wife, lean on me and close your eyes to rest.” Then, he wrapped his arm around Song Jingwei’s shoulders, pulling him gently toward himself.

Song Jingwei hesitated for a moment but eventually relaxed, leaning against him. He let the young man rest his chin affectionately against his forehead.

“I’m sorry… I must have worried you a lot.” He remembered how pale Shen Junxi had looked earlier. Thinking about how cautious and considerate the young man always was toward him, guilt welled up inside. This incident had not only left Shen Junxi anxious but had also made Song Jingwei blame himself.

“Hm…” The chin resting against his forehead shook lightly. “No need to say sorry,” Shen Junxi signed. “As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

“…”

Those two short sentences left Song Jingwei speechless once again. Shen Junxi never asked for anything in return. He never demanded anything from him.

Song Jingwei knew the young man was good to him—so good that it was unconditional. Even when hurt or saddened, he would always greet him with a bright smile the next moment. He was like an unbreakable little qiáng.

“Is your head still dizzy?” Shen Junxi signed, continuing to gently massage his scalp.

“No,” Song Jingwei shook his head and closed his eyes to rest for a moment.

Seeing this, Shen Junxi immediately quieted down, even controlling his breathing so as not to disturb the person in his arms. At this moment, he was a bit tired and a little hungry, but he felt genuinely happy today.

Setting aside the fear and anxiety from earlier, and ignoring some of the worrisome thoughts that hadn’t come to pass—everything else was good.

Being able to hold him like this, being accepted so calmly by Song Jingwei… These were things Shen Junxi had never dared to hope for before.

In fact, he had always assumed Song Jingwei would keep his distance, treating him with cool indifference forever. He had already steeled himself to persist no matter what.

Yet reality had turned out differently. His wife was giving him surprises every day. Sometimes, it felt so unreal that he thought he was dreaming.

Like now—he could hold him tightly just by opening his arms, could press a kiss to his forehead just by tilting his head. These were distances he had never dared to imagine before.

But now, he could.

And maybe, before long, they would become a true couple in every sense of the word.

“Gurgle…”

A sound from his stomach made Shen Junxi’s ears flush red. He quickly lowered his head to check if he had woken the person in his arms.

“Hungry?”

In truth, Song Jingwei had never actually fallen asleep. He had only been resting with his eyes closed. Hearing Shen Junxi’s embarrassment, he stretched and stood up, decisively saying, “Let’s head back. We’ll eat as soon as we get home.”

Shen Junxi waved his hands, signing, “No need to rush, we can walk slowly.”

Song Jingwei said, “I’m fine now, walking is no problem.” After resting for a while, the dizziness had completely disappeared. Now, he was just hungry. He touched his stomach and honestly admitted, “I’m really hungry too.” He usually ate more than Shen Junxi, needing at least five meals a day.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi suddenly realized this and felt a pang of guilt. He had let his wife go hungry. If he had known earlier, he would have brought some food from home.

“Let’s go.”

The two of them set off on their way home. One walked with large, confident strides, while the other kept tugging at him, trying to slow him down. With such a mismatched pace, it was a miracle they didn’t trip and fall. Fortunately, they arrived home safely by the afternoon.

Yang Shi had specially kept their meals warm. As soon as she saw them return, she said, “Finally, you’re back! Come in and sit down, I’ll bring your food.”

Shen Junxi wanted to help, but he was also worried about his wife, so he hesitated.

Song Jingwei lightly kicked him and said, “Go help.” It wasn’t right for two grown men to just sit and wait to be served.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi smiled and quickly followed his mother to the kitchen.

After walking so much, both of them were exhausted. Song Jingwei let out a long breath as he sat on a cushioned chair, then slowly poured himself some tea. As expected, the tea was very light—it had become a habit in the Shen family’s household to drink tea this way. If they wanted stronger tea, they would brew it separately. However, ever since Song Jingwei started drinking mild tea, Shen Junxi had also changed his habit to match. He wasn’t picky about such things, so adjusting to his wife’s preferences was perfectly fine.

In the kitchen, Yang Shi seized the opportunity to ask her son, “Be honest with me, what exactly did you two go to the docks for?”

Shen Junxi signed, “My wife went to discuss business.”

“What kind of business?” Yang Shi thought for a moment, then asked, “Did it go well? Was the deal made?” She knew her daughter-in-law was ambitious, so she wasn’t too worried.

“No.” Shen Junxi shook his head and gestured, “Don’t ask about this for now. My wife has plans.” He had arrived late and didn’t know exactly what was discussed on the ship, but from the last thing Song Jingwei had said, the deal hadn’t gone through.

“Oh, who was he negotiating with?” Yang Shi was still curious. If she couldn’t ask Song Jingwei directly, at least she could ask her son.

“That person was Master Yuan’s cousin, but I don’t know much about him.” Shen Junxi signed, recalling Yuan Guanlin, who had the air of a bandit. He frowned slightly, disliking how the man had treated his wife.

“If he’s Master Yuan’s cousin, then it should be fine.” Yang Shi nodded. Master Yuan was a good friend of Song Jingwei, so with a trusted connection, the deal should have been reliable.

“Maybe.” Shen Junxi remained expressionless, keeping his thoughts to himself. Seeing that his mother had no more questions, he quickly carried the food out so his wife wouldn’t have to wait too long.

Once the food was served, the two of them sat together and ate heartily, their mouths glistening with oil. Shen Junxi, noticing his wife was in a good mood, attentively picked out dishes for him.

Song Jingwei returned the favor, saying, “Just eat your own food, why are you fussing so much?”

Although it sounded like a refusal, his tone wasn’t annoyed—just awkward. He still wasn’t used to such gestures.

After their late lunch, Shen Junxi cleared the dishes and went to wash them. Song Jingwei rested in his chair for a while before deciding to head back to the room to sleep. However, having walked a long way, he had worked up a light sweat and wanted to take a bath first.

Just as he was thinking about it, Shen Junxi walked into the room. Song Jingwei hesitated for a moment before saying, “I want to take a bath.”

It was cold outside, but the stove always had hot water ready. Without hesitation, Shen Junxi nodded, “Mm,” and went to fetch the water.

In Chashan Village, water was not scarce, but taking a bath in winter was still a luxury. Firewood cost money, and collecting it took effort. Most families gathered extra firewood in winter to sell in town for charcoal, earning money for a better New Year’s celebration.

The Shen family had done the same in the past—when farm work slowed down in winter, they would go into the mountains to chop wood. They sold as much as possible and used only the cheapest scraps for their own heating.

Now, however, life was better, and with a pregnant wife at home who needed extra care, their stove always had food and hot water available.

To make sure his wife had a comfortable bath, Shen Junxi generously used all the hot water, leaving just a small amount for himself.

Since it was inconvenient for him to soak in a tub due to his pregnancy, Song Jingwei’s bathing process had become more difficult. He had to sit while washing and keep one hand free to stabilize himself. On normal days, it was tiring but manageable.

However, today, after all that walking, his legs were sore and weak. When he tried to stand up, an accident happened—

Shen Junxi had been waiting just outside the door. Hearing a sudden noise, he panicked and burst in without thinking.

“What are you doing in here?” Song Jingwei exclaimed in shock—he was completely naked!

“…”

Seeing that his wife was standing there unharmed, Shen Junxi blinked innocently. But just moments ago, he had clearly heard…

“The ladle fell to the ground.” Song Jingwei knew he had misunderstood and quickly explained. Seeing that he still wasn’t leaving, he coughed twice and gestured toward the door. “Can you go out first? I need to get dressed.”

“…” Shen Junxi hadn’t noticed before, but now his eyes were filled with the sight of his wife’s fair and curvy body. His face instantly turned bright red, and he hurriedly averted his gaze, covering his eyes with his hand.

“…” Song Jingwei was speechless at this action. He was the one being looked at, yet he wasn’t blushing, while the other party acted like a shy maiden. Who was really at a disadvantage here?

As the warmth on his body faded, Song Jingwei didn’t dare delay any longer. He quickly started putting on his clothes, piece by piece.

Shen Junxi finally seemed to snap out of it. He tried to suppress his embarrassment and stepped forward to help his wife get dressed—handing him clothes, tying sashes, and straightening his lapels. Throughout the entire process, his face remained red, though his expression was serious.

“Thanks,” Song Jingwei said. Having someone help had indeed sped things up. If he had dawdled any longer, he would’ve started feeling cold.

“Mm…” Shen Junxi shook his head lightly. He then noticed that there was still a lot of water in the bath barrel and stared at it in a daze.

“The water is clean. If you want to take a bath, hurry up so it doesn’t go to waste,” Song Jingwei said. Thinking about how Shen Junxi had also traveled a long way, he figured a hot bath would do him good.

“Mm…” Shen Junxi remained lost in thought, making it unclear whether he had even heard.

Song Jingwei waved a hand in front of his face. “What are you thinking about? You’re so out of it.”

“Hm?” Shen Junxi snapped back to reality, blinked, then quickly nodded and gestured, “Oh, I’ll take a bath. I’ll go get my clothes.” He turned around and took a few steps away. As soon as his back was facing Song Jingwei, he secretly pursed his lips into a smile, looking like a cat that had just stolen a fish.

Song Jingwei found his behavior odd but didn’t dwell on it. He finished getting dressed and left the room.

Lying on the bed, he soon heard the door to the bathroom open and close, presumably with Shen Junxi inside. Relaxing, he closed his eyes and listened to the faint splashes of water from the other side, gradually drifting off to sleep.

Meanwhile, the young man sat in the bath barrel, arms resting on the edge, head slumped over, and eyes squeezed shut. Scenes kept flashing through his mind—every one of them featuring a fair-skinned body, long and lean yet slightly plump at the waist, with round and smooth curves…

“…” The thought made him tense up. No! He scolded himself. He must not let his imagination run wild.

But the more he tried to suppress it, the more vivid the images became, lingering stubbornly in his mind, causing him no small amount of distress.

Sitting in the same bathwater his wife had just used, Shen Junxi felt his whole body heating up. But in truth, the water was no longer that hot—not to the point where it should be making him sweat. Yet beads of sweat continued forming on his forehead, and a certain area below his waist refused to calm down.

“…” No. He told himself firmly. I can’t do this. It would be disrespectful to my wife.

Gripping the edge of the barrel, Shen Junxi stared straight ahead with a serious expression, repeating a single phrase in his mind: “No. No. No. No…”

After a while, he gave up and slumped forward, one hand slowly disappearing beneath the water.

Half an hour later, Shen Junxi quietly stepped out of the bathroom, carrying a bundle of their dirty clothes. He sneaked a guilty glance toward Song Jingwei’s bedside but immediately looked away, avoiding eye contact as he hurried outside to wash the laundry.

Song Jingwei slept until dusk. When he woke up, the room was empty—Shen Junxi was nowhere to be seen. He found it odd. There was no work in the fields at this time, and the bookstore didn’t need Shen Junxi. With Yang Shi at home, there wasn’t much to do, so his absence was unusual.

“…” His throat was dry. He got up slowly, putting on his outer robe and shoes—though for some reason, the shoes felt a bit difficult to put on.

Outside the door, Shen Junxi peeked in and immediately felt distressed. Unable to pretend he wasn’t there any longer, he rushed inside to help Song Jingwei put on his shoes.

“You’re right on time,” Song Jingwei commented as the young man swept in like the wind, swiftly putting his shoes on for him. Once done, Shen Junxi pretended to look at the floor nonchalantly.

“What did you do wrong?” Song Jingwei asked in an affirmative tone.

Shen Junxi shook his head and gestured, “Nothing.” His face gave nothing away, but who knew what he was actually thinking?

Song Jingwei scrutinized him but couldn’t find anything suspicious, so he said, “Alright. Go help with dinner. I’ll come over later. No need to call me.”

“Mm.” This time, Shen Junxi nodded quickly and left without hesitation.

With the way he was acting, there was no way he wasn’t hiding something. But Song Jingwei didn’t feel like investigating. His intuition told him it was nothing good.

In the kitchen, Yang Shi handed a basket of vegetables to her son and said, “Why are you here? Aren’t you keeping your wife company?” Occasionally, he would come to help, but most of the time, he was glued to his wife’s side. Now that Song Jingwei was pregnant, Yang Shi didn’t think it was a bad thing at all. On the contrary, she felt reassured knowing someone was watching over her daughter-in-law.

“He told me to help you,” Shen Junxi gestured, smiling slightly as he took the basket and began washing the vegetables in the basin.