Chapter 19 Uncle, I have an allergic reaction.
Jiang Ran felt that at that moment, his past knowledge and the cognitive system he had built up about biology, genetics, and even the basic laws governing the world were being attacked silently but extremely fiercely.
The land collapsed.
Su Mu... was actually pregnant with his child.
That was the one time they slept together.
It was chaotic, rushed, fueled by alcohol and primal urges, and even he later reflected that it was the only time he was technically very bad.
And then, it came about.
This incident is like a meteorite, smashing away all his logic and common sense, creating a huge, smoking crater.
On the other end of the phone, Jiang's mother reacted more directly than him. After a long, almost deathly silence, she asked with deep suspicion, "Jiang Ran, how much did you drink?"
Through the receiver, Qing pulled Jiang Ran back to reality from the dazed, almost trance-like state she had been in.
"Mom, let me sort this out again. I'll call you back once I've figured it out. Just whatever you do, don't go to any so-called 'master'! Absolutely not!"
He repeated his final instructions almost incoherently, then hung up the phone and tossed it onto the chair next to him with a dull thud.
He turned around and faced Su Mu, who was still sitting on the floor by the bed, looking up at him.
"Are you... alright?" Su Mu asked softly, after all, Jiang Ran's complexion at the moment was not good.
The man's eyes were fixed, his lips were tightly pressed together, and he looked as if he had just experienced a spiritual storm. Although he was still standing, he gave people the feeling that he might fall apart at any moment.
Fortunately, she didn't faint.
Su Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that his previous study materials and gradual preparation had at least served as a preventative measure, preventing Young Master Jiang from fainting on the spot.
Jiang Ran slowly regained control of his body. He took a few stiff steps and walked towards Su Mu.
Then, he bent down, knelt on one knee, and aligned his gaze with Su Mu's, who was sitting. He took Su Mu's hand and helped him sit on the bed. His gaze fell on Su Mu's lower abdomen, which was loosely covered by his clothes.
He reached out, his fingertips gently hooking the edge of Su Mu's loose-fitting pajamas waistband, his voice dry: "Could it be that there was something I didn't notice about his body that night, some special physical structure?"
Su Mu: "…………"
Su Mu took a deep breath, trying to look serious, and slapped away Jiang Ran's fingers that were still hooked around his waistband: "...No, it's just a normal male body structure."
That's why Su Mu didn't want to talk about it.
Because this statement is too suggestive.
"Then..." Jiang Ran's confusion deepened, her brows furrowing as if she were pondering a cosmic puzzle, "What principle?"
Su Mu knew that if he didn't give a reasonable explanation, this young master would probably keep getting stuck on this issue.
"This is a very special constitution passed down from our ancestors. It is passed down to sons but not daughters. My grandfather had it, and so did my father."
Following Su Mu's words, he instinctively blurted out, "Then you're... Uncle..."
Su Mu looked at the slightly more normal expression on his face, which had finally shifted from a cosmic puzzle to an understandable history of human families, and nodded vigorously: "Yeah, but don't look at me strangely in front of my dad."
Jiang Ran's gaze returned to Su Mu's lower abdomen, revealing curiosity and excitement.
There... there really was a little life, belonging to him and Su Mu, quietly growing.
I feel a surge of chaotic and turbulent emotions.
He's going to be a father.
child.
His child with Su Mu.
A living, breathing little life that can cry and laugh, can take its first steps, and will one day call out "Daddy" in a soft, sweet voice, with its own independent thoughts and emotions.
The person who is connected to him by blood.
Following the joy came anxiety and panic.
"But I don't know anything about this, and I don't know how to do anything. I can't even hold a baby, change diapers, or make formula. Do I need to learn? Where can I find beginner courses for new dads? Are those online video tutorials reliable? Or should I sign up for a class? I really know nothing about this?"
He bombarded the room with a series of questions.
Su Mu said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually... I don't really know either."
"This is my first time too. But my dad said not to be too nervous, he'll know how after the baby is born. He said he went through the same thing, and he'll learn as he goes along."
He spoke casually and calmly.
However, seeing Su Mu's relaxed demeanor, as if things would work themselves out, Jiang Ran's anxiety, which had just been soothed, was instantly replaced by another, more intense emotion: lingering fear, resentment, and anger at being excluded.
He recalled Su Mu's previous evasiveness, and the days when he bore the pressure and confusion alone. His face darkened, and he began to bring up old grievances.
"So, you hid from me and didn't tell me because you wanted to secretly give birth to the child and never tell me, right?"
He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, his voice filled with anguish: "Su Mu, I've realized you're really selfish. You want to separate us from our child, to make me never know I have a child, and to make him never have another father. How could you think like that?"
Su Mu was speechless at his sudden accusation and apologized, "I'm sorry, I was really confused at the time. I was scared and didn't know what to do. Besides, aren't you afraid of having children? You don't even like the concept of children, and you're even afraid of them. If you knew, wouldn't you hate me even more, or think I'm a monster?"
This was his deepest concern, and the most important reason why he chose to escape and conceal it in the first place.
“I’m not afraid of having children? How could I possibly think you’re a monster?” Jiang Ran retorted immediately. “I’m just annoyed by pregnancy dreams. I’m tormented by those dreams. Think about it, I’m a confirmed gay woman, and I dream about babies every night. How could I not be annoyed? How could I not feel like I’m possessed by a ghost?”
Jiang Ran wanted to pour out all the frustration and confusion she had accumulated during this period.
"That dream felt like someone was constantly whispering in my ear, foretelling that I had a child somewhere and that I needed to be careful because I was in trouble."
"The problem is, back then, I racked my brains but couldn't figure it out. I'm a man, I like another man, where would my child come from? Would it fall from the sky? Or would it spring out from a crack in a rock?"
Do you understand?
So that's how it is.
Su Mu really misunderstood him.
He reached out and touched Jiang Ran's face, his voice softening: "Alright, now you know, it's not an evil spirit, nor is it your fault. It's our little one who's greeting you in a rather special way."
Jiang Ran thought to herself, "I'm so scared, and he's still greeting me."
Su Mu looked at him and said, "Jiang Ran, you want this child, don't you? Don't force yourself, just listen to your heart."
After revealing the whole truth, Su Mu awaited Jiang Ran's reply.
Jiang Ran almost immediately raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes filled with no hesitation, only utter tension and concern.
He asked anxiously, "Of course I'll listen to you, is that even a question? But will it be dangerous inside you? What did the doctor say? Are there any risks? Will it be very uncomfortable? Will it be very painful?"
Jiang Ran cared, cared a lot, so much so that it temporarily overshadowed her joy at becoming a father for the first time, and she was first overwhelmed by fear of the risks that Su Mu might face.
Su Mu tried to keep her tone relaxed: "It's alright. The doctor checked me and said I'm in good health and the baby is developing normally. I haven't had any particularly strong reactions, just occasional drowsiness and a slight change in appetite. Compared to many expectant mothers, I'm already quite relaxed."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran lowered her head, her gaze returning to Su Mu's slightly protruding belly. This time, her eyes held not only curiosity but also a kind of almost reverent, cautious tenderness.
He reached out and tentatively, very lightly, touched that spot with his fingertips. Through the soft fabric, the touch was warm and firm. He suddenly realized why Su's parents had accepted him so readily.
Jiang Ran suddenly remembered something extremely important, but he had completely forgotten it in his excitement and confusion just now.
"I just got anxious and told my mom. Do you mind? Did I tell her too quickly?"
Su Mu said with relief, "They'll find out sooner or later. Let's find an opportunity to talk to your aunt and uncle properly. After all, he's just a child. We're not raising a kitten or puppy. He has to grow up, go to school, and integrate into society. Your parents will find out sooner or later."
Jiang Ran felt relieved: "I'll explain things to them properly. If you feel embarrassed, or aren't ready yet, we can take it slowly..."
Su Mu interrupted him, even curving her lips slightly: "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, this is a good thing."
Jiang Ran asked, "What about you? What were your thoughts when you found out you were pregnant?"
Su Mu's first reaction was, of course, shock. His mind went blank, and he felt like the world wasn't real anymore.
Shocked, I felt it was amazing, so amazing, like receiving a completely unexpected yet incredibly precious gift.
“This is our child, yours and mine.”
The most important thought that came to mind was Jiang Ran and his child.
Su Mu found it difficult to describe that feeling with flowery language; talking about the wonder of life was too grand and too abstract. His reason for keeping the child was actually very simple and pure.
He simply thought: this is the fruit of his and Jiang Ran's love. It's a little life that he and the person he loves created together.
In his twenty-odd years of life, he may meet many more people and experience many more things in the future.
But he knew that the feeling of love and excitement that had descended upon him like destiny, that had made his heart race, that had kept him tossing and turning at night, that he still couldn't forget even after many years apart, would never return.
Jiang Ran is the only one.
This child is the deepest and most indelible connection between them.
Some might say, "He's still young, who can predict the future? Why tie him down for life with a child?"
But Su Mu himself knew very well what was going on.
He wasn't trying to bind the child to anything; he simply didn't want to miss this miracle born of love, and he didn't want to give up this life that carried his sincerest emotions. The moment he decided to keep the child, he was willing to take responsibility for everything that might happen in the future, and he gave the most honest response to his own heart.
But Jiang Ran came looking for him and said she liked him.
And now they will be together to welcome the arrival of this unexpected yet seemingly destined new life.
Su Mu was touched by Jiang Ran's undisguised concern and gentleness, and felt a warm glow in his heart, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
But this feeling of being touched lasted only a few seconds before he suddenly caught sight of Jiang Ran's face.
The light was dim just now, and his emotions were too intense, so he hadn't noticed. Now that the two were very close, Su Mu could clearly see that the skin around Jiang Ran's usually bright and spirited eyes, including her eyelids and the area below them, was red and swollen, looking rather alarming.
Su Mu was startled and quickly moved closer, cupping Jiang Ran's face in his hands, asking anxiously, "Jiang Ran, what happened to you? Your eyes are swollen? And so red?"
When Jiang Ran was touched by him, she subconsciously wanted to raise her hand to rub it, but she stopped halfway and put her hand down, showing a hint of annoyance and helplessness on her face.
"It wasn't from a collision." His voice was muffled, with a slight nasal tone. "I was so emotional just now that I forgot for a moment. I'm allergic to tears."
"Allergic to tears?" Su Mu thought he had misheard. "What kind of illness is that?"
He looked at Jiang Ran's swollen eyes, which were almost too red to open. Because Jiang Ran's skin was already fair, the redness and swelling around her eyes were particularly glaring, making her look almost like she was disfigured.
Jiang Ran: "It's not a serious illness, just a matter of my constitution. When I cry, if I shed a lot of tears, my skin reacts, becoming red, swollen, and itchy. Sometimes I even get small rashes. I cried so badly just now, it's all your fault for lying to me that you were sick."
As he spoke, he turned and walked to his suitcase in the corner of the room, squatted down, and skillfully pulled out a small silver medicine box from a hidden compartment.
Upon opening it, several ointments and a small bottle of oral antihistamine tablets were neatly arranged inside.
After applying the ointment, he swallowed a pill with the half-cup of warm water that Su Mu had left on the table.
After doing all that, he turned around and said to Su Mu, who still looked worried and incredulous, "It's alright now. I applied the medicine and took the medicine. Calm down, and you'll be fine in a little while. It just looked a bit scary."
Su Mu was still a little worried: "Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? That sounds really strange."
Jiang Ran shook his head, walked over and sat down next to Su Mu. The ointment had cooled his eyes, and he squinted comfortably before saying, "It's been like this since I was little. I've seen so many doctors, and they all said there's no cure. It's just a type of allergy, so..."
He seemed to have remembered something interesting.
"So I've never liked to cry since I was a child. No matter how much it hurts, how wronged I feel, or how angry I am, I try my best to hold it in. If I really can't hold it in, I'll find a place where no one is around and secretly wipe it a couple of times, and then I have to wipe it clean as soon as possible."
"Back then, I was known in our area as the most emotionally stable and least prone to crying child, because when I cried, it was very obvious. I didn't want others to look down on me, and my relatives thought I was very easy to take care of and very manly."
Listening to him expose his shortcomings, and seeing his puffy eyes that looked somewhat comical yet strangely stubborn and adorable due to his allergy, Su Mu couldn't help but reach out and lightly touch Jiang Ran's forehead, which wasn't covered in ointment, and whispered, "...Idiot."
What child doesn't cry or feel wronged?
No wonder Jiang Ran's emotions were so stable, she was practically a ninja turtle. It turns out she wasn't naturally mild-mannered and reserved, it was purely because... she was really concerned about saving face.
So, his ease and confidence might be an act. Despite his somewhat spoiled nature, Young Master Jiang is actually quite awkward at heart.
Jiang Ran seemed to notice the subtle look in Su Mu's eyes and accused, "However, you really made me cry several times. At those times, I could only go home or to the apartment to recover, otherwise I looked terrible."
Su Mu was taken aback, and subconsciously asked, "Huh? I made you cry?"
Are you kidding me?
Su Mu considered himself to have a decent personality, and was even considerate and gentle. He got along well with Jiang Ran in college, except for occasionally feeling that Jiang Ran was a bit too controlling and inexplicable. He really couldn't think of anything he could do to make her cry.
Seeing his blank expression, Jiang Ran cleared her throat and began to recount Su Mu's sins, still holding a grudge about bringing up the past.
"The first time I cried because of you was during my sophomore year. Do you remember? There was a time when we were listening to a lecture with the juniors in the biggest lecture hall."
Su Mu tried hard to recall, and vaguely remembered something.
During that lecture, Su Mu was assigned to show the PowerPoint presentation to the teacher near the door. He was wearing a white shirt, sitting behind the computer, his face turned to the side. He was quiet and quite eye-catching. He was also good-looking, so many students coming and going looked at him.
After the lecture slides were finished, Su Mu sat back in the seat that Jiang Ran had reserved for him in advance. There was one person between Jiang Ran and a senior female student from the third year of university sitting on the other side.
"I had only been sitting down for a short while when that senior student, completely ignoring me, leaned over and asked, 'Excuse me, can I add you on WeChat? I can ask you questions in the future.'"
Su Mu's memory was suddenly awakened by these words.
Yes, that's what happened. The senior student was quite pretty and spoke gently. He was a little confused at the time, feeling that it wouldn't be polite to refuse directly, and besides, she said she was asking for advice, which sounded quite legitimate.
Just as he hesitated, the senior student unlocked her phone, pulled up her WeChat QR code, and handed it to Su Mu, bypassing Jiang Ran in the middle.
In front of so many people, and with the senior student being so proactive, Su Mu was caught in a dilemma. He had no choice but to bite the bullet, take out his phone, scan the QR code, add her as a friend, and hand it back.
His immediate thought was to go see Jiang Ran.
But Jiang Ran was standing with her arms crossed, eyes closed, looking indifferent, as if to say, "I'm tired, don't bother me." Seeing this, Su Mu thought that Jiang Ran probably found this kind of flirting boring, or simply didn't care.
turn out to be……
It turns out that Jiang Ran closed her eyes not because she was too lazy to look, not because she didn't care, and certainly not because she was bored.
He was so angry from this back and forth that he almost fainted.
Su Mu pursed her lips, suppressing the inappropriate smile on her face, and tugged at Jiang Ran's sleeve: "I didn't know at the time."
Who knew Jiang Ran had so many thoughts running through her mind?
Even though her heart was churning with jealousy, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, she still had to put on a nonchalant, indifferent, and even deadpan act, as if she didn't care.
Looking back now, Jiang Ran's reactions after adding the senior's WeChat were always strange. During that time, whenever Su Mu lowered his head slightly, tapping on his phone screen with a smile on his face, Jiang Ran would immediately lean over alertly, shoulder to shoulder, her head almost touching Su Mu's phone screen, her tone seemingly casual.
"Who are you messaging? You seem to be having a great time chatting."
Su Mu was often completely confused and would honestly reply, "Nobody, it's just a group message." Or, "I'm chatting with my mom."
Jiang Ran then said "Oh" and slowly moved away, but her eyes kept glancing at Su Mu's phone screen.
Even more outrageous was what happened in class. Jiang Ran, such a meticulous person, actually forgot to bring his phone. He would casually nudge Su Mu with his elbow, offering a perfectly reasonable excuse: "I forgot my phone, can I borrow it for a moment to look up some information? It'll be quick."
Su Mu, without suspicion, handed over the phone.
Jiang Ran took the phone, her fingers swiping across the screen, seemingly searching intently, but her gaze actually swept quickly across Su Mu's WeChat chat list, SMS inbox, and even call logs. Her posture was like that of a lion cautiously surveying its territory, checking for any trace of intruders.
After completing his patrol and confirming the safety of the territory, he casually returned the phone to Su Mu, adding a casual remark: "Thanks."
The skinny guy sitting in the back row teased, "Young Master Jiang, your phone is your life these days! How could you forget it? I have two, can you borrow one for the next few classes?"
Jiang Ran: "No need, I'll use sappanwood."
As Su Mu listened to Jiang Ran's accusations, recalling those details that seemed somewhat inexplicable at the time but now made perfect sense, he felt a mix of emotions. He couldn't help but ask, "And what about the second time?"
Jiang Ran paused when he asked her, as if recalling an even more painful experience, her voice filled with resentment: "The second time... was when you were playing basketball, and you took someone else's water."
Su Mu was taken aback and tried hard to recall.
It was a friendly basketball game between departments, and Su Mu played for a while as a substitute. During halftime, he came off the court and before he could even find his towel and water, a classmate he wasn't very familiar with enthusiastically handed him an unopened bottle of mineral water, smiling and saying, "You've worked hard, have some water."
Su Mu was extremely thirsty at the time, so without thinking much, he thanked her, took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down most of it.
He didn't notice at all that Jiang Ran's face in the stands suddenly darkened the moment he took the bottle of water and drank it down, as if a clear summer sky had suddenly been filled with dark clouds.
Every time Jiang Ran came to watch Su Mu play ball, she would prepare those expensive sports drinks in advance, which were said to quickly replenish electrolytes and energy. However, she watched as Su Mu drank a bottle of ordinary mineral water that someone else handed to him.
“I was very angry that time,” Jiang Ran said. “After I got back, I got angrier and angrier, and I drank half a case of the electrolyte water I bought for you by myself.”
Su Mu: "…………"
He was utterly speechless. Drinking half a case of electrolyte water—what level of jealousy and childish vengefulness could that be? Wouldn't it cause health problems?
“Then I started the cold war.” Jiang Ran continued recounting his miserable experience, “It lasted for a whole week, but you didn’t even notice.”
Su Mu thought back carefully and realized that he hadn't really noticed Jiang Ran's cold war. That was because he had taken on a part-time evening tutoring job during that period, and every day after class he would rush to his employer's house and return to his dormitory very late, so tired that he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Jiang Ran also seemed to be away from the dormitory quite often during that period.
One night, Skinny Monkey casually remarked, "Hey, Su Mu, it seems like Young Master Jiang hasn't been back to the dorm for a while? Is something wrong at home?"
Su Mu then belatedly realized that he hadn't seen Jiang Ran in the dorm for a few days. He picked up his phone and sent Jiang Ran a message, his tone quite concerned: "Young Master Jiang, have you been busy with family matters lately? Why haven't you been back to the dorm?"
After sending the message, Jiang Ran replied with two words after a long while: ...It's okay.
Then a few minutes later, probably feeling that those two words were too cold and not enough to express his complicated feelings, he added: Do you want me to come back?
Su Mu was lying on the bed reading when she saw the reply. She felt a little confused, but still replied honestly: Come back. There's no one across from me, it's empty, and it feels strange.
Not long after the message was sent, the dormitory door was pushed open.
Jiang Ran walked in, looking travel-worn but trying to appear calm. He even brought them snacks. Skinny Monkey and Fatty Knife, always opportunistic, thanked Young Master Jiang for remembering them and bringing them food.
Jiang Ran's face was expressionless, but when she looked at Su Mu, she exuded an arrogant air of "Since you sincerely invited me, I will mercifully come back."
Su Mu now understood why, for a long time afterward, Jiang Ran would seize every opportunity to educate him on the importance of proper hydration after exercise, especially emphasizing the necessity of electrolyte replenishment. She even listed comparative data on various ordinary mineral waters and professional sports drinks, speaking eloquently as if it were some life-or-death matter.
So that's where the root of the problem lies.
"Jiang Ran, you should tell me what you're thinking in the future. I'm afraid you'll get upset and hurt yourself."
What if you accidentally get so angry that you pass out?
Just then, voices and footsteps came from outside the main room. It was Su Mu's uncle bringing over shrimp.
My uncle, with his booming voice, spotted the conspicuous SUV as soon as he entered the yard and asked curiously, "Sis, do we have guests? This car is nice."
While Su's mother was busy in the kitchen, she poked her head out with a smile on her face and raised her voice a little: "Yes, it's Xiao Mu's college classmate. He's coming over to visit for a while. Why don't you stay for dinner tonight? The shrimp is just right!"
The uncle readily agreed, but his gaze couldn't help but wander curiously into the main room.
Mother Su wiped her hands, walked to the door of Su Mu's room, and gently knocked: "Xiao Mu, Xiao Jiang, your uncle is here. Come out and say hello."
Su Mu responded, and Jiang Ran said nervously, "How can I go out like this? I look so ugly."
Su Mu said, "It's okay. Nobody in our family cares about appearances. Besides, you look quite human like this."
His uncle looked somewhat like Su's mother and had a cheerful personality. When he saw Su Mu, he smiled and said, "Little Mu, not bad! You even know how to bring classmates home to play. Are they male or female classmates? You've never brought any before."
Su Mu called out "Uncle" with a smile on his face, and was about to introduce Jiang Ran when he noticed that there was no one behind him.
Where are they?
After a while, Jiang Ran came out.
However, at this moment, Jiang Ran was wearing a pair of stylish sunglasses with dark lenses. The sunglasses belonged to Su Mu and completely covered his swollen eyes.
He stood tall and straight, and even in simple casual clothes, with those sunglasses, his elite air and sense of mystery immediately shone through, creating a stark contrast with the simple farmhouse courtyard.
He walked up to Su Mu, nodded slightly to Su Mu's uncle, and greeted him politely: "Hello, Uncle, I am Jiang Ran, Su Mu's classmate. It's nice to meet you."
Uncle Su Mu was taken aback by his sunglasses-covered demeanor. His gaze swept over Jiang Ran, then he looked at Su Mu, a mixture of surprise and astonishment on his face. He exclaimed in a loud voice, "Oh! Xiao Mu, is your classmate a celebrity?"
Su Mu: "…………"
Jiang Ran honestly replied, "No, Uncle, I'm having an allergic reaction."
-
A note from the author:
Young Master Jiang: Unrequited love is a chaotic battle for one person, especially when the object of affection is a natural airhead. Pretending to be well-mannered is so frustrating.
Little Wood: ...I just thought my husband was always sick, and it turns out he really was sick.
Young Master Jiang is extremely possessive. He's manageable until it's out in the open, then he's like a wild horse. It's not showing yet, since the pregnancy came before the relationship, and they still need time to adjust. She should rest and recuperate in the village, but she'll have to return to the city to give birth, as the education and medical resources are better there. [doge emoji]
At this moment, Jiang's mother and father were wondering how much their son had drunk.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com