Chapter 15 Kiss You

Jiang Ran had indeed worked very hard during the day.

Digging ditches, turning over soil, moving things around—those hands that should be typing on keyboards in office buildings or holding wine glasses have developed blisters and their palms are slightly scraped.

Su Mu put a band-aid on him and said, "Don't do any work, you've never done it before."

Jiang Ran didn't care at all: "I have to make a good impression on my uncles and aunts."

To reward Jiang Ran, Su's mother specially prepared two extra dishes for dinner: glistening braised pork and fragrant chicken stew with mushrooms, both in generous portions.

Jiang Ran was probably exhausted, or perhaps he was deliberately trying to impress, because he buried his head in his food and ate without saying a word. Su's mother then gave him two more large bowls of white rice.

Su Mu sat opposite him, watching with trepidation.

He thought to himself, if Jiang Ran really stayed at his home for another ten days or half a month at this rate, he would probably be carefully fed like a pig by his parents, with three meals a day plus a midnight snack. His small, enviable body, which was raised in the city and had smooth, not overly exaggerated lines, and which would make Su Mu's heart skip a beat when he occasionally glimpsed it, would probably be affected and develop in a more solid direction.

This thought made Su Mu restless. He couldn't help but gently touch Jiang Ran's hand with the end of his chopsticks and whisper, "It's okay if you can't eat. Don't force yourself. Eating too much at night is bad for your stomach."

Jiang Ran had no idea about his complicated and intricate thoughts.

He was in a state of trying hard to fit in, as if he wanted to wear "I am very capable, I can eat a lot, and I am suitable for living a good life" on his face.

Hearing Su Mu's words, and facing the gaze of Su's parents, she said sincerely, "I can eat, really. I worked hard this afternoon and I'm hungry now. Auntie's cooking is especially delicious."

Su's mother smiled and said, "Eat more if you like it."

After the meal, Jiang Ran was about to clear the dishes and wash them. Su's mother quickly stopped her, smiling, "How can you let a guest wash the dishes? Go, go sit in the living room and rest for a while, watch TV."

Although Jiang Ran had long considered herself a member of the Su family, she didn't want to offend her elders, so she reluctantly let go and was pulled by Su's father to chat in the yard.

Su's mother quickly stacked the dishes and winked at Su Mu. Su Mu understood and followed her into the kitchen.

The tap was running, and as Su's mother deftly rinsed the grease off the dishes, she got straight to the point: "Did you tell me?"

Su Mu looked down at his shoes: "I'm still considering... whether or not to accept his confession."

Su's mother: "...Who asked you that? I said, have you told him about your pregnancy?"

Su Mu mumbled two words: "Not yet."

Su's mother had a "I knew it" look on her face. She shook the water droplets off her hands and wiped them on her apron.

"Mom has already looked into it for you. He's an only child. It seems like his maternal grandparents' family is better off than his paternal grandparents'. I heard they used to run a big business and have a solid foundation. Now he works at his own company. I watched him during the day, and he took several phone calls, all about projects and contracts. It all seemed legitimate. His family must be quite wealthy."

“If his parents find out about you two later and disagree, and things get heated, having a child will be a bargaining chip, and you'll have more leverage. Things should be much better.” She patted Su Mu’s arm, as if imparting some important advice, “These days, everything is superficial, but children are the most real.”

Su Mu was truly impressed by his mother's all-encompassing information gathering ability and her lightning-fast action.

In less than a day, she pieced together so many details about Jiang Ran's family background from Jiang Ran's fragmented conversations and snippets of conversation on the phone that even she herself might not have known.

It was more extensive and detailed than everything he had intermittently learned about Jiang Ran over the past six years combined.

Su's mother wiped her hands on her apron again: "Why are you staring at me like that? Your eyes are so unfocused. Tell me honestly, how long have you liked him?"

Su Mu: "No...no way? Mom, don't talk nonsense. He confessed to me first."

Even he himself didn't feel confident saying that.

"Who are you trying to fool?" She raised her chin slightly. "What's stored in your precious camera? Do you think I don't know? There are probably hundreds of photos, otherwise, how do you think I was so sure it was him the first time I saw him? Do you think your mother is a goddess who can predict the future?"

Su Mu's face flushed red instantly, from his ears to his neck.

The photos in the camera... were secretly saved little by little over the years.

Looking at his flushed face and helpless expression, Su's mother found it amusing: "I used to think that you were just not very bright when it came to this kind of thing."

She said with a hint of reminiscence, "He was like a block of wood, never mentioning it or saying anything when asked. So your father and I never talked to you about this in depth, afraid of putting pressure on you or bothering you."

She paused, her gaze falling on Su Mu's pregnant belly, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions and helplessness: "And what happened? You, on the other hand, you were clueless, but once you did... you gave me, and both of us, such a big surprise."

"Alright, stop standing there. I know what I should and shouldn't know. The most important thing for you right now is not to be ashamed or argue with me."

"Go quickly and think it over carefully. How exactly should you tell them this? How should you start the conversation, and to what extent should you go over it? You need to have a plan."

Su Mu came out of the kitchen. In the living room, Su's father and Jiang Ran were sitting on the old sofa watching TV, which was playing opera at a low volume.

Jiang Ran sat upright, holding the teacup handed to her by Su's father. Although her eyes were on the TV screen, she kept an eye on the direction of the kitchen out of the corner of her eye.

Su Mu walked over and said, "Dad, I'll take him... out for a walk to digest his food."

Jiang Ran almost immediately put down his teacup. He stood up, his eyes suddenly lit up, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He tried hard to suppress it, looking like a primary school student who had finally waited for the school bell to ring, his obvious joy evident.

Su's father said, "Go, go."

The evenings in the village have a completely different rhythm from those in the city.

At this time, the smoke from the chimneys has long since dissipated, and most of the people working on the ridges of the fields have returned home. Everything is quiet, with only the occasional barking of dogs near and far and the chirping of birds returning to their nests.

As dusk approached, a large patch of vibrant orange-red and crimson remained in the western sky, like spilled paint slowly seeping into the bluish-gray backdrop.

The air was cool and moist, carrying the scents of earth, grass, and the faint aroma of food wafting from each house's yard.

Su Mu had actually thought about it on and off throughout the day. He considered how to bring it up, where to start, and to what extent.

But in the end, all my thoughts got stuck on the same thing: the child.

The unexpected arrival of this little guy initially brought panic, helplessness, and fear, but as the months passed, those intense emotions gradually subsided, replaced by an increasingly clear bond and affection that even he himself had not anticipated.

He began to get used to the slight nausea he felt when he woke up early, started to pay attention to his diet, and began to unconsciously imagine a blurry little figure.

But what about Jiang Ran? How much affection could he possibly have for this life that is still in its infancy and has no concept of existence?

Jiang Ran is still so young. His life plan probably never included a child that came out of nowhere. Su Mu wasn't sure if he would want it, or even if he would accept it.

The two walked side by side on the village's not-so-wide cement road. On both sides of the road were the villagers' own courtyards, covered with loofah vines or grape trellises, and occasionally light shone from the windows, casting a warm yellow glow.

Every now and then, villagers who had finished their dinner and were out for a stroll would pass by and greet Su Mu warmly: "Little Mu, bringing your friends out for a walk?"

His gaze fell on Jiang Ran, who was tall and handsome beside Su Mu and dressed in a way that was clearly out of place among the villagers, with an undisguised curiosity and scrutiny.

Su Mu responded and introduced, "Yes, this is my college classmate. He's here to visit for a couple of days."

The other person responded with two "ohs" and exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving.

After everyone had walked away, Jiang Ran suddenly turned her head and asked, "Do they all call you Xiao Mu too?"

Su Mu paused for a moment, not understanding what he meant, and nodded: "Yes, that's what we've called him since he was little, all the elders in the village call him that."

Jiang Ran frowned upon hearing this: "That won't do."

Su Mu: "??"

He looked at Jiang Ran with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong with this way of addressing me?"

"Everyone calls you that, but I can't call you that anymore. I want to call you...the one and only kind."

Unique...

Su Mu suddenly remembered that in college, in the dormitory, Skinny Monkey and Fatty Knife both called him "Wooden Head," but Jiang Ran never followed suit and always called him Little Wood.

So this is what Jiang Ran wanted—something unique.

This belated, subtle realization, like a tiny spark, splashed into the already turbulent lake in his heart with a "whoosh."

It was already getting a little dark, and Su Mu didn't know if he could see clearly that his face was red, but Su Mu felt that his own cheeks must be burning hot, and even the evening breeze couldn't take away the scorching temperature.

Su Mu glanced at the person beside him out of the corner of his eye, feeling a mix of itch and confusion, as if he had been gently scratched by a cat's paw.

Jiang Ran is truly a man of great hidden talent.

Back in college, he thought Jiang Ran was the kind of person who came from a good family, was well-mannered, and had a certain aloofness about her. So she didn't talk much and kept her emotions hidden.

Only now did he belatedly realize something different. It wasn't some calm and taciturn persona at all; it was clearly a pure, secretly passionate person hiding behind a calm exterior. He kept all his thoughts tightly sealed in his heart, never revealing them, only to suddenly strike at the most unexpected moment, hitting you right where it hurts.

"...So what do you want to be called?" After asking, she felt that the question had come too quickly, as if she cared too much, and her ears burned even hotter.

Jiang Ran: "I'll tell you once you agree. For now... let's just call him Xiao Mu."

This statement is ambiguous and contains hidden meaning.

Su Mu's heart couldn't help but jump up and down with these words, yet it swayed back and forth, unable to settle down. Various vague, sweet reveries grew and spread uncontrollably in his mind.

Jiang Ran leaned even closer, her warm breath almost brushing against Su Mu's earlobe. Her voice was even lower, with a hint of mischievous knowingness: "Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know now?"

Su Mu felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end from his sudden closeness and breath. He subconsciously took half a step to the side: "Didn't you say... you'd tell me later?"

Jiang Ran stretched out her hand, palm up, gesturing for Su Mu to give her his hand.

Su Mu hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed his hand on hers. Jiang Ran's palm was large and warm, yet very strong.

Then, he lowered his eyes and, with the pad of his right index finger, slowly and carefully wrote two words on Su Mu's soft, slightly cool palm.

His movements were slow, and the warmth of his fingertips was clearly transmitted through his skin. Every stroke, from beginning to end, seemed to carry a tiny electric current, rushing from his palm to Su Mu's fingertips, wrist, and then soaring to the top of his head.

Those two words are.

Baby.

Su Mu abruptly pulled his hand back, as if he had been burned, and hid it behind his back.

Pregnant men... should not be subjected to this kind of stimulation.

That's too much. Jiang Ran is just too much. He simply can't handle her.

Su Mu coughed several times, trying to use the noise to cover up the panic that was about to jump out of his chest, and also to take the opportunity to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

"Ahem, well, well..." He cleared his throat, steer the conversation back to his pre-set, safer and more important path, "Jiang Ran, what are your thoughts on the child?"

Jiang Ran's heart skipped a beat. He thought, "This is the crux of the matter." Based on Su Mu's behavior over this period, Jiang Ran was almost certain that he wanted the child.

But since they're both men, how could they possibly have a child?

Su Mu previously said he would consider them being together, but it was probably that one night they slept together that was the real, decisive factor. Moreover, Su Mu was only willing to consider it because he had feelings for Jiang Ran as a person.

He wanted Su Mu to feel that she could choose him purely, without any worldly conditions ruining their relationship.

He could not allow such a misunderstanding to exist.

Jiang Ran: "Children? I don't think it's necessary. I personally don't really care about children. I can't say I like them, nor can I say I hate them. I'm just... indifferent."

He observed Su Mu's lips tighten instantly and her eyes lower, then pressed on, his tone becoming more candid: "And you don't need to worry about my parents at all. They're not obsessed with having children. My aunts' families are always in chaos over childcare, and they're exhausted. My parents see this and think it's just asking for trouble. So they're very open-minded about this. They never pressure me, and they certainly don't demand that I have any offspring or anything like that."

“It’s true, they’re used to enjoying their time as a couple and see having another child as a complete burden.”

After saying this, Jiang Ran silently gave herself a thumbs up in her heart.

He felt that his explanation was flawless, demonstrating his indifference towards the child while also highlighting the open-mindedness of parents to alleviate Su Mu's concerns about family pressure, thus perfectly blocking every possible path Su Mu might take to reject him based on worldly considerations.

The logic is clear, the reasons are sufficient, and it's simply a model of wit.

He looked at Su Mu with a hint of anticipation.

However, Su Mu's reaction was completely unexpected.

Su Mu looked at Jiang Ran with a very strange expression.

Did he... say something wrong?

Jiang Ran was originally like that person with the ID 6653365985; they were also people who were afraid of having children.

This realization left Su Mu feeling somewhat uneasy.

He's completely childish now, unable to tolerate any negativity or disdain towards his child from anyone. Jiang Ran's indifferent, apathetic, and burdensome tone made him uncomfortable.

But then he thought about it again and realized he could understand.

Jiang Ran is young and comes from a good family, so it's normal that he's not interested in having children at the moment. After all, wasn't he initially panicked and it took him a long time to accept and look forward to it?

Perhaps... I could try to influence Jiang Ran first? Let him gradually understand and accept me.

More importantly, we need to give him a heads-up beforehand. We don't want him to be terrified when the truth comes out. After all, he himself genuinely fainted back then.

With this in mind, Su Mu had an idea.

They added each other back on WeChat yesterday. Su Mu took out his phone, his fingertips swiping rapidly across the screen. He carefully selected several comics with refreshing art style and heartwarming plots about male-male pregnancy, and also found links to several novels with reasonable settings and delicate emotions about pregnancy. He shared them all with Jiang Ran.

In particular, there is a book called "Running Away with a Baby Because Condoms Are Getting More Expensive," which is humorous and relevant to current events, and will surely enlighten Jiang Ran's compassion.

The note was simple: "Take a look when you have time."

After Su Mu finished doing all this, he felt a little more at ease, as if he had completed an important preliminary work.

Before going to sleep, Jiang Ran leaned against the headboard, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Su Mu, who had just finished showering and was still covered in fresh moisture. Her tone was expectant: "Mu Mu, will you take me to the city tomorrow? I want to buy some decent gifts for my aunt and uncle. We can't keep eating and staying here for free."

Su Mu was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the bed, folding the washed clothes. He was wearing a simple white cotton T-shirt and loose home shorts, the collar of which was slightly loosened due to his movements, revealing a section of his fair collarbone and neck.

His hair wasn't completely dry, and a few strands clung softly to his forehead. Hearing Jiang Ran's words, he didn't even look up, only humming in agreement, and then softly reminded her, "Okay, first look at the things I shared with you."

Jiang Ran responded and picked up her phone, clicking on the link Su Mu had shared.

He didn't even notice the title and description. As soon as the page loaded, there was a picture. Scrolling down from the front, he saw the overlapping figures of two male characters. The lines outlined bodies full of strength and flexibility, creating a beautiful atmosphere. The brushstrokes flowed with unspoken passion.

Jiang Ran's eyes widened suddenly, and her mind went blank as if something had exploded.

"My spring...is it finally coming?" Jiang Ran thought incredulously. Su Mu suddenly showed him this; wasn't this a blatant hint?

Overwhelmed by immense surprise and burning anticipation, Jiang Ran was instantly engulfed. He almost frantically exited the page, took a few deep breaths, and barely managed to suppress the surge of emotion rushing to his head.

Then, he raised his head, his gaze involuntarily falling on Su Mu beside him.

Su Mu was still focused on folding clothes, facing away from him. The warm yellow light from the bedside lamp shone on him, making even his simple white T-shirt look incredibly good. His legs, crossed, were long and straight, with delicately defined ankle bones. Because of his bent-over posture, the neckline of his T-shirt was open even wider, and from Jiang Ran's angle, a glimpse of something deeper could be seen. His hair was damp, exuding the same faint scent of shower gel as his clothes. He looked refreshing, soft, and defenseless, yet... inexplicably alluring.

Jiang Ran's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

The floodgates of memory opened uncontrollably, and fragments of that chaotic yet intense night surged forth.

He remembered Su Mu's tearful, fragmented pleas for mercy, how those long, straight legs hung limply over his shoulders, how his touch had stained Su Mu's fair skin with large patches of crimson, and how Su Mu had responded obediently yet awkwardly...

Just thinking about it made Jiang Ran feel a rush of heat to his nose, almost causing a nosebleed. He quickly raised his hand to cover his nose, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.

No, I can't scare Su Mu.

He turned off his phone screen. Then, he shifted slightly, leaning towards Su Mu. The movement was subtle, yet carried a sense of poised aggression.

As Su Mu was picking up the last piece of clothing, he suddenly felt the mattress beside him sink slightly, and a familiar, warm scent approached. Before he could react, a warm, soft touch gently, yet unmistakably, landed on his cheek.

Su Mu's body stiffened instantly, and the clothes in his hand fell onto the bed with a "thud." He turned his head sharply, his eyes wide, and instinctively raised his hand to cover the spot where he had just been kissed.

"What...what are you doing?!"

Looking at his frightened, animal-like appearance, Jiang Ran's initial nervousness strangely dissipated, leaving only a surge of tenderness and a deeper longing. He blinked, answering with a matter-of-fact confidence, even a hint of innocence: "I'll kiss you."

The room fell silent, the only sound the two of them breathing slightly erratically. Warm yellow light enveloped them, the air filled with the scent of shower gel and a subtle yet tense atmosphere that had suddenly risen.

Su Mu stared intently at Jiang Ran, who was standing right in front of him. Jiang Ran looked back at him, her eyes shining brightly, filled with undisguised affection and something deeper, something restless within them.

The two sat on the bed, less than an arm's length apart, staring at each other, their only sound the beating of their hearts, which resounded like drums in the sudden silence.

Jiang Ran: "Is it not allowed?"

Su Mu covered her stomach with her clothes, realizing that Jiang Ran had misunderstood: "...No, I showed you those things so you could learn something."

Jiang Ran was clearly disappointed: "Oh."

When Su Mu went to sleep, he deliberately kept his distance from Jiang Ran. It was too dangerous for his son to sleep in the same bed with another father.

The next day, Su Mu looked at the study notes Jiang Ran sent him and thought Jiang Ran was crazy.

-

A note from the author:

Young Master Jiang's comic-reading habits are the same as mine, let's jump straight to the high-speed part [doge][doge][doge]

Young Master Jiang thought his wife disliked his poor skills.

It is indeed not good.