This question was completely beyond Shen Jiayu’s comprehension. The little kitten merely tilted his head in confusion, eyes wide, and shook his head honestly. He looked utterly well-behaved: “I don’t know…”
Wen Xiuheng let out a low, head-aching laugh. He regretted it now, regretted following the child’s lead and continuing the line of questioning.
Shen Jiayu was drunk. He wasn’t sober right now. Wen Xiuheng knew this perfectly well, yet he had lost control just a moment ago.
Furthermore, his little one was still too young, the matter of pregnancy was far too early for him.
The Alpha released his hand from Shen Jiayu’s lower abdomen and sighed heavily in his heart.
His little one had a small frame, a small face, and even a small belly. He couldn’t imagine such a slender abdomen slowly swelling up with a baby.
He’s still a baby himself, the Alpha thought, feeling both helpless and pained.
A knock came from the door, it was the supervisor. “Mr. Wen, excuse the interruption. I’ve brought the sobering medicine you requested.”
Wen Xiuheng pursed his lips and stood up. He gently moved Shen Jiayu to the center of the bed to ensure he wouldn’t fall off during the brief moment he stepped away.
Opening the door, Wen Xiuheng took the medicine. The supervisor also informed him that the chocolates on their table contained a liquor filling and expressed repeated apologies.
After the supervisor left, Wen Xiuheng returned to the bedside, pulled Shen Jiayu into his arms, and fed him the medicine. Soon, Shen Jiayu fell into a dazy sleep.
The Alpha stayed quietly by his side. Once he was sure the boy was alright, he took off his suit jacket, draped it over him, and carried him toward where the car was parked.
As the most important guest at the banquet was leaving, the host naturally had to see him off personally.
Meng Qianyi followed behind Wen Xiuheng, his voice lowered to a cautious level. He was inwardly clicking his tongue in amazement, just what was the background of this young master of the Shen family that he could make his notoriously cold and stoic junior dote on him to this extent? It was truly the level of “holding him in the palm of his hand for fear he might melt.”
Shen Jiayu slept somewhat restlessly in the Alpha’s arms, occasionally mumbling softly and nuzzling his head against Wen’s chest.
Wen Xiuheng’s lips curved into a slight smile.
When the man had covered more than half the distance, Shen Jiayu’s eyes fluttered open again. The boy’s eyes were rimmed with red, the mist hadn’t yet cleared, and his pale fingers clutched weakly at the Alpha’s shirt. He looked up with longing and called out softly, “Sir…”
Wen Xiuheng stopped and looked down at him, his heart softening into a puddle at the adorable sight. “What is it, Jiayu?”
Shen Jiayu’s voice sounded as if it were coated in thick honey as he wheedled softly, “I want a rose…”
Wen Xiuheng confirmed the request with slight surprise. “A rose? Is that right?”
The boy, eyes still red, nodded expectantly in his arms. His eyes sparkled, and his voice held a hint of grievance. “I want to raise one…”
Wen Xiuheng immediately understood. The boy must have seen the roses in the garden while practicing his dancing earlier and had been thinking about them.
Wen Xiuheng gave a low laugh, his eyes full of indulgence. “Alright, we’ll raise one.”
He wouldn’t just carefully raise the “rose” in his arms; he would also properly tend to the “rose’s rose.” Whatever the boy wanted to do, he would make it happen.
The man turned to Meng Qianyi and asked a question that left the other man dumbfounded.
“Uncle Meng, may I have a rose from your garden?”
After the banquet, Wen Xiuheng brought Shen Jiayu home.
Shen Jiayu had fallen into a deep sleep, so Wen Xiuheng had to help him change.
The complex, gorgeous formal wear was removed piece by piece until only his underwear remained, revealing the boy’s snow white, delicate skin. Due to the alcohol, his elbows and knees were flushed a faint pink, as were his ankles.
Wen Xiuheng’s jaw tightened. He lowered his gaze, avoiding the private areas, the veins on his arms bulging.
The man changed Shen Jiayu into loungewear as quickly as possible, then tucked him in and stayed quietly by his side.
By the next morning, Shen Jiayu had developed a fever. His small face was pale, carrying the look of illness.
When Lu Jun was summoned, he thought Shen Jiayu had suffered another sudden heart complication, which was why he had been called over so urgently at dawn.
After an examination, it turned out to be a low grade fever that hadn’t overloaded his heart.
However, for someone with congenital heart disease, contact with alcohol was inherently dangerous. Lu Jun couldn’t help but lecture Wen Xiuheng for quite a while.
Wen Xiuheng looked at the sleeping Shen Jiayu with self-reproach and heartache, saying deeply, “It’s my fault. I didn’t look after him well.”
Lu Jun couldn’t help but scoff, thinking to himself: You should worry more about yourself.
“Speaking of which, your rut is coming up in a few days, right? What do you plan to do? I’m warning you, the effectiveness of the suppressants is gradually fading. There’s no telling when they might fail.”
Wen Xiuheng’s gaze never left Shen Jiayu. “I plan to send him to another villa for a night when the time comes.”
Lu Jun rolled his eyes so hard they almost stayed there. What, did my old classmate suddenly become a ‘love-brain’ after 28 years? Every sentence is about his wife. And can you stop glueing your eyes to him? Young Master Shen isn’t going to suddenly jump up and run away in the next second. All his previous advice had clearly gone in one ear and out the other.
After Lu Jun left, the items from the Meng family arrived. After Wen Xiuheng’s request for a rose the previous night, Meng Qianyi had agreed immediately. Such a thing didn’t even count as a favor. The Meng family sent over several treated roses early that morning. They weren’t just cut flowers, according to Wen Xiuheng’s request, they were cuttings that had been carefully planted in pots.
The Meng family sent many, and Wen Xiuheng chose one that was already blooming to keep, leaving the rest to Auntie Cui.
By the time Wen Xiuheng returned to the room with the flower, Shen Jiayu had unconsciously curled into a little ball like a shrimp.
Wen Xiuheng placed the flower on the nightstand, sat by the bed, brushed away the stray hairs on the boy’s forehead, and gently stroked his cheek.
The boy wasn’t sleeping soundly. Because of the illness, his brows were slightly furrowed in his sleep.
“Cold…” Shen Jiayu murmured softly. Sensing the warm touch of the Alpha’s hand, he unconsciously nuzzled his fingers.
With eyes full of indulgence and pity, Wen Xiuheng hesitated for a moment before lying down beside him.
He lay on his side, pulling the slender, petite boy, blanket and all, into his arms. The boy’s head was tucked against his chest as the man’s large hand gently patted his back.
“Sleep, sweetheart,” the man coaxed in a gentle, magnetic voice. “You’ll be better when you wake up.”
Having said that, Wen Xiuheng kissed Shen Jiayu’s hair and held him tighter.
In Wen Xiuheng’s arms, the boy sensed the heat source and the familiar scent. He huddled closer into the man’s embrace. Gradually, his expression relaxed, and he fell into a peaceful sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Jiayu slowly opened his eyes within the Alpha’s arms. The first thing that came into view was a familiar embrace.
I fell asleep being held by Sir, Shen Jiayu thought blankly.
He looked around, they were home, and this was his own room. He couldn’t quite remember what happened after the host’s uncle left last night. He only remembered feeling very dizzy and lightheaded later on.
His long eyelashes swept across the man’s chest like feathers. A husky, magnetic voice came from above. “Are you awake, Jiayu?”
Wen Xiuheng looked a bit tired. Seeing that the boy was awake, the first thing he did was check his physical condition.
A large hand moved to his forehead to check his temperature for the umpteenth time. After the medicine, the low fever had subsided.
“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Shen Jiayu shook his head gently. “Not anymore.”
It seemed he had fallen ill again, and Sir had been taking care of him.
After confirming the boy was okay, Wen Xiuheng got out of bed, softly telling him to wait while he went to get some water.
Shen Jiayu responded softly, looking perfectly obedient.
Soon, he noticed an extra pot of flowers on the nightstand, a blooming rose.
Shen Jiayu looked at it in confusion, and memories of last night instantly flooded back. His eyes went wide.
This… this… it seemed he had asked Sir to take it when they left!
And before they left… before that…
In an instant, other fragmented scenes flashed through his mind.
Having babies, touching the Adam’s apple, tying the necktie…
Shen Jiayu: !!!