Ni Jiu (Intoxicated) - Chap 74

Yi City began to cool down suddenly after an autumn rain.
The seasonal change is a high-incidence period of influenza. Even Lin Chen, who was following Lian Jue, was caught. Lian Jue issued a rule for employees who have a cold in the company to wear masks to work. Lin Chen knew that Lian Jue was worried that he would catch a cold and infect Mr. Shen so he tried to avoid too close contact with Lian Jue.
Shen Tingwei gradually found that Lian Jue had some substantial changes compared to before.
In the past, Lian Jue was always silent on all the tender details but now he can say some words that make Shen Tingwei feel a little warm from time to time.
For example, one morning Lian Jue asked him to wait downstairs to change into thicker clothes before leaving or Lian Jue began to accompany him every obstetric examination and reminded him of the precautions given by the doctor at the appropriate time.
Although he still used that cold tone, Shen Tingwei felt that Lian Jue was trying to treat himself in a way that he was obviously not good at.

This surprising discovery made Shen Tingwei feel like he was immersed in a honey pot every day, brimming with sweetness from the apex of his heart.
So Shen Tingwei is also paying more and more attention to Lian Jue’s living habits, intentionally or unintentionally.
Although Lian Jue doesn’t really talk about his preferences, Shen Tingwei has still figured out Lian Jue’s taste after eating together many times.
He has some favorite dishes that he will eat a little more that day and some that he is not so fond of. He also hardly touches a single chopstick.
So slowly, even Lian Jue noticed that the dishes that appeared on the table became more and more palatable.
And every time he mentioned it intentionally or unintentionally, Shen Tingwei just pursed his lips and smiled lightly. Sometimes he also pretended not to know, as if he was surprised and said, “Ah, do you like it? Then please eat more.” As if he had done nothing, everything just went on naturally, subtly matching the rhythm of each other’s lives.
It was also during this time that Shen Tinwei had renewed expectations for life.
Since entering October, he has been counting the days in his heart and every morning closer to the 16th, he wakes up with more anticipation.
Shen Tingwei’s sleep was very light. When the sound of water in the bathroom sounded, he opened his eyes. He didn’t know if it was still dark or cloudy again. A dim light shone through the undrawn curtains.
Shen Tingwei squinted and glanced at the electronic watch on the bedside table. It was not yet six o’clock but he was happy from the moment he woke up.
Shen Tingwei stretched his arms out of the quilt and stretched slowly. He left a slit in the window last night and now the morning breeze blowing in is a little cold, but Shen Tingwei still wanted to lie down for a while, so he didn’t go to close the window. He put his arm back under the quilt instead.
Holding his stomach, he slowly turned over and the quilt beside him still had the temperature of the person on the other side of the bed when he just woke up.

The heating lamp in the bathroom shone warm yellow and bright light from the frosted glass which was a little dazzling. He pulled the quilt up and covered most of his face under the quilt. The whole person fell into the familiar atmosphere and warmth.
The sound of the water in the bathroom stopped, the door opened very softly and even the sound of walking around was soft.
Shen Tingwei pulled the quilt down a little, just stuck out a pair of eyes, covered his nose and mouth under the quilt. His voice was a little dull: “Are you leaving so early today?”

Lian Jue went to the window and closed the gap. When he heard he woke up, he pulled half of the curtains open and said, “I have to .”
Maybe he was afraid that the sound of the hairdryer would disturb him but Lian Jue’s hair was still wet. He went to the bed and took the mobile phone that he was charging on the bedside table.
Shen Tingwei’s eyelids trembled, Lian Jue stretched out his hand and wiped the water droplets from his eyelids with his hot fingers.

Shen Tingwei opened his eyes to look at him and said, “Blow your hair, it’s cold, you’re going to catch a cold.”

Lian Jue let out an “um”, stood beside the bed and checked the unread messages before putting down the phone and returning to the bathroom.
Shen Tingwei got up while Lian Jue was blowing his hair. Shen Tingwei stood in front of the sink to brush his teeth.
He looked at himself in the mirror and the shoulders of Lian Jue, who only took up a small half of the mirror because he made room for him. Lian Jue was tall and had broad shoulders. Standing side by side, Shen Tingwei was neither too thin nor too short.
But Shen Tingwei didn’t know whether he was very thin. It was nearly the seventh month of his pregnancy. He looked at his belly like a ball and felt it through his pajamas. The baby in his belly seemed to feel something. He touched his hand lightly.

The fetal movement is obviously too much now than two months ago. He can often feel the baby’s little hands or feet hitting his stomach. Sometimes it hurts a little but most of the time, he is a little more happy.
At first, Kang Tong thought it was funny that his stomach kept on bulging. Sometimes he would touch it carefully but after seeing him in pain, he didn’t dare to look at it again. Lian Jue didn’t seem to be very interested. Sometimes he could see Shen Tingwei’s stomach moving through his clothes but he just looked at it from a distance and never planned to communicate with the baby.

Shen Tingwei was a little disappointed at first but after thinking about it, he felt okay. Lian Jue was not someone who could do such a thing and he couldn’t imagine Lian Jue listening to his belly like other fathers. And the way he talks…occasionally, he feels a little stupid when he thinks about it but if Lian Jue is really like that, he will feel awkward.
When Lian Jue was blowing his hair, water droplets would be thrown on his face from time to time. The first few times he wiped the water droplets off his face, he took the trouble. After finding out that Lian Jue did it on purpose, it became too much trouble.

Before Shen Tingwei spit out the foam in his mouth and raised his head to tell Lian Jue to say goodbye, Lian Jue turned off the hair dryer in his hand, as if seeing that he was a little dissatisfied. Lian Jue stopped teasing him but still with a very shallow smile, he said with interest: “Okay.”
Before Shen Tingwei rinsed his mouth, he suddenly remembered the exam Kang Tong mentioned yesterday. He turned his head to Lian Jue and said, “Tong Tong takes the monthly exam today. I’ll cook him two eggs and bake a baguette?”
Lian Jue probably thought he was a little funny, so he glanced down at him: “Superstition.”
“Let’s get a good head start.” Shen Tingwei lowered his head and washed his face turning on the faucet.
“As you like.” Lian Jue put away the hair dryer and put it back in the cabinet.
The eggs for breakfast ended up being replaced by quail eggs.
Kang Tong always ate very little breakfast. Shen Tingwei urged him to finish the bacon and two peeled quail eggs on the plate today. He also asked him to drink a full glass of milk before allowing him to leave his seat.
When Shen Tingwei was in charge of Kang Tong, Lian Jue seldom interjected. He sat at the dining table and watched the Caijing Zaobao broadcast on his iPad without squinting. He was very generous and consciously transferred the responsibility of guardian to Shen Tingwei.
The temperature dropped a few degrees this morning, Shen Tingwei took out the white scarf that he had specially woven for Kang Tong before to help him put it on.
Kang Tong’s face is small but his eyes are big. He was wrapped in a thick scarf twice and only a pair of bright eyes were exposed. He looked very happy.

Shen Tingwei pressed the scarf on his face down to the tip of his nose and said with some distress, “It seems a little big.”
Kang Tong shook his head and said, “Not big, just right!” The scarf followed his movements and covered most of his face again.

Lian Jue sat at the dining table to eat breakfast, looked up and said, “Well, just right.”
The tips of the pair of ears exposed under Kang Tong’s white scarf turned red.

Shen Tingwei wrapped the baked baguette in a tissue and handed it to him. Asking him to eat slowly after getting in the car.
Kang Tong didn’t really want to pick it up, so he hesitated: “I’m full…”
Shen Tingwei threatened him with a straight face: “If you don’t eat it, you can only take two quail eggs in the monthly test this time.”
He doesn’t know if his intimidation worked or if he didn’t want to let down his good intentions, Kang Tong was reluctant but still took the bread and said he knew.
After sending Kang Tong away, Shen Tingwei returned to the dining table to sit down. Then, he decided to say something to Lian Jue, “You should praise him more.”

Lian Jue raised his eyes to look at him. Shen Ting didn’t say anything else and ate breakfast intently.
Lian Jue finished breakfast before the driver arrived. He sat at the dining table and answered a phone call. The other party seemed to have something important to look for. The two talked for a long time.
Shen Tingwei’s stomach grew bigger and some movements were very difficult. For example, when he wanted to go over Lian Jue to get the cup in his hand, he misestimated the length of the table and his arms. It took a long time to touch the rim of the cup.
It was too late to wait for Lian Jue to separate from the phone when he wanted to help.
Shen Tingwei did not expect that there was still unfinished coffee in his cup so he also made some mistakes in judging the weight. The coffee was spilled on the table. The liquid flowed meanderingly in the direction of Lian Jue.

Lian Jue was doused with coffee for no reason early in the morning and looked up at Shen Tingwei.
Lian Jue looked at him silently for a while. Shen Tingwei read speechless in his eyes because Lian Jue was still on the phone, Shen Tingwei could only reluctantly use his mouth to say sorry to him.
Lian Jue took the phone upstairs to change clothes. Shen Tingwei acted as the culprit for causing trouble to Lian Jue, so he followed.
Lian Jue’s phone was on the speakerphone. Shen Tingwei helped him find clean clothes.
Shen Tingwei uncharacteristically didn’t avoid Lian Jue when he was changing clothes, which made Lian Jue felt a little strange.

He interrupted the chattering work report on the other end of the line and said, “I’ll call you later.”
The other side finally hung up the phone.
Lian Jue buttoned up his shirt, glanced at the tie that Shen Tingwei had brought over, picked it up and said to him, “Help me.”
Shen Tingwei agreed. He let Lian Jue lower a little. Lian Jue complied.
Shen Tingwei stood in front of him and raised his hand to help him tie his neck tie seriously.
Lian Jue looked down at the bangs on his forehead that covered his eyes slightly, thinking that his hair was a little long. Should someone come over to cut it for him or just come back at night and trim it for him.

Lian Jue has never cut anyone’s hair but Shen Tingwei should be willing to let him do it.

While helping him tie his neck tie, Shen Tingwei asked him softly, “Are you busy today?”
He used a chatty tone to make Lian Jue suspect that Shen Tingwei was still nervous because he was close to him. He recalled his work arrangements for today. There was nothing special and replied, “I’m not busy.”
When Shen Tingwei was finished tying it he straightened his collar, raised his head and smiled at him: “Okay, then I’ll wait for you to come back for dinner.”
At the same time that Lian Jue said it was okay, he received a message from the driver that he already arrived at the door.
Shen Tingwei said goodbye to him.
On the first day of the 24-year-old, Shen Tingwei did not end his expectations for the 16th and began to look forward for the evening.