Chapter 102
In the blink of an eye, the New Year had arrived once again.
This time, Shen Yujing chose to have the New Year's Eve dinner at Song Yi's home.
Before Shen Yujing left, Shen's Mother sighed and looked at her husband, saying, "They haven't been together for long, and he's already not spending New Year's at home. What will happen if they get married later? Does he even still think about this family? Or us?"
Shen's Father quickly comforted her, "It's fine. It's just the two of us now, and we can have our own little world. Maybe we can go on a trip next year."
Shen Yujing rolled his eyes at them and muttered, "It's precisely because of you two that I don't want to spend New Year's at home," before hurriedly leaving.
The trunk of his car was filled with gifts for Song's Father and Song Yi. Although it wasn't his first time having dinner at the Song Family, this was a formal visit on such an important occasion, and it felt different.
Song's Father had a good impression of Shen Yujing and greeted him with a warm smile in the courtyard.
Shen Yujing tried his best to resist the urge to peek inside the house and asked, "Uncle, where is Song Yi?"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"She's still lazing around in her room. You know how she is—she hates going out in the winter," Song's Father replied, then urged, "Come in quickly, it's freezing."
As soon as he entered, Shen Yujing placed the gifts on the cabinet by the door and glanced at Song Yi's closed bedroom door.
Song's Father headed to the kitchen and said, "Yujing, why don't you go keep her company? I'll heat up the fish. The dishes are mostly ready, so we can eat soon."
"Alright," Shen Yujing replied, then knocked on Song Yi's door.
"Come in," a soft, slightly tired voice responded, different from her usual tone.
Shen Yujing pushed the door open and saw Song Yi still lying in bed. He asked, puzzled, "Why are you still sleeping? What time is it?"
Song Yi shook her head, her face filled with exhaustion as she looked up at the ceiling. "Huanhuan and Quan Le had a fight last night. She came to me in the middle of the night, and I spent hours comforting her. I barely got any sleep."
"Quan Le mentioned it to me too. What a mess... Forget it, I'll scold him later," Shen Yujing said as he walked over to Song Yi's bedside. He picked up her robe, which was lying nearby, and asked, "Are you getting up? Or do you want to sleep a bit more?"
Song Yi raised a hand in the air, her answer obvious.
Shen Yujing helped her sit up and put the robe on her. He glanced at the lone slipper on the floor and asked, "Where's your other shoe?"
Song Yi peeked over and replied, "I think I kicked it under the bed."
Shen Yujing: "..."
With no other choice, he knelt down and reached under the bed, but he couldn't quite reach it. Eventually, he had to stretch halfway under the bed to retrieve the slipper.
Song Yi looked down at Shen Yujing in this position and found it amusing. She playfully placed her foot on his... backside.
"Song Yi!"
Shen Yujing's low growl echoed through the room, clearly exasperated by her antics, while Song Yi burst into laughter.
When he finally pulled the slipper out from under the bed and was about to lecture her on how inappropriate her behavior was, he saw her pouting at him, her lips slightly pursed, looking both adorable and pitiful.
But something still felt off to Shen Yujing, and he quickly realized why.
Shen Yujing: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Song Yi scoffed, "You haven't even apologized for scolding me earlier!"
Shen Yujing: "?"
Did she really not realize what she had just done? And now she was blaming him for scolding her?
Shen Yujing thought so, and acted accordingly.
Almost immediately, Song Yi kicked him in the leg again, clearly in a bad mood.
Shen Yujing quickly reached out and grabbed her ankle, saying, "Don't stick your feet out, you'll catch a chill."
After that, he pulled the nearby blanket over her feet, his eyes reflecting a natural concern.
Shen Yujing's gesture caught Song Yi off guard, and her earlier fiery demeanor softened. She lifted her arms as if in surrender and said, "Hug me."
Shen Yujing moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and tightening her robe.
Song Yi nestled comfortably against his chest, her arms tightly encircling him in return.
Shen Yujing sighed and opened his coat, enveloping her entirely within it.
As winter deepened, Song Yi's sensitivity to the cold became more apparent, her hands and feet often icy.
Shen Yujing, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—he was like a little sun, exceptionally resistant to the cold.
Without realizing it, Song Yi had grown fond of physical contact with him, often initiating hugs.
This pleased Shen Yujing immensely; if he had a tail, it would surely be wagging up to the sky by now.
Wouldn’t it be great if it were winter all year round? Wait, no—that might not be ideal for her, given how much she hated the cold. Perhaps it would be better if it were always summer...
Shen Yujing shivered at the thought, just as a cold hand slipped under his shirt and rested on his abdomen, seeking warmth from his body heat.
Shen Yujing: "!!!"
Feeling Song Yi's hand on his abs, Shen Yujing immediately straightened his back and subtly sucked in his stomach to make his muscles more pronounced.
He pretended to be nonchalant and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Have you been slacking off at the gym lately?" Song Yi withdrew her hand, her tone genuinely curious.
Shen Yujing: "..."
He hadn’t been to the gym since returning home, but was it that noticeable? Was his physique not perfect enough? Even without going...
"Maybe it’s not as good as Hang Feng’s back in high school..."
Song Yi muttered under her breath, then released Shen Yujing and got up to put on her shoes.
Shen Yujing: "???"
He stared at her in disbelief, his expression that of a wronged man, and said slowly, "You’ve touched Hang Feng’s abs?"
Only then did Song Yi realize what she had just revealed. She covered her mouth and whispered, "Can you pretend you didn’t hear that?"
Shen Yujing looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching. "What do you think?"
The tables had turned.
Now it was Song Yi’s turn. She reached out and pinched Shen Yujing’s shoulder, asking, "Does that feel good?"
Shen Yujing stared at her, expressionless.
Song Yi took his hand and gently shook it.
Shen Yujing closed his eyes, completely unresponsive.
Song Yi leaned in and planted a quick kiss on the corner of his lips, then pointed at him accusingly, "Shen Yujing, stop pretending! I saw you smile!"
The young man licked his lips, then flipped her over, pinning her down, one hand cushioning her head.
Song Yi lay on the bed, pushing at him, "Get up already, I know you’re not mad anymore."
"I was never mad," he said, leaning down to look at her, his voice low. "I was just a little jealous."
Just as Shen Yujing lowered his head, the door swung open, and Song's Father’s voice rang out, "Why aren’t you coming out for dinner?"
The door slammed shut a second later.
Shen Yujing: "..."
Song Yi: "..."
The atmosphere was extremely awkward for a moment.
Song Yi quickly pushed Shen Yujing away and stood up, saying, "Let's eat."
"Okay... okay," Shen Yujing momentarily forgot what he was about to do, and now he couldn't think of anything else.
They sat at the table to eat, both of them lowering their heads as if trying to hide.
Honestly, who wouldn't feel awkward after being caught in such a situation by their father or future father-in-law?
Including Song's Father, who reached into his pocket and pulled out a red envelope, smiling at them, "Happy New Year."
Shen Yujing instinctively reached out to refuse, "No, no need..."
Song Yi directly stuffed it into his pocket, saying, "No need to decline."
"That's right, it's not much money. I just hope you both have a smooth and successful year ahead," Song's Father said with a smile. "When the time comes for the 'change of address' gift..."
Song Yi widened her eyes and interrupted, "Dad!"
Song's Father caught himself and immediately shook his head, laughing, "I spoke too soon. I got ahead of myself."
Shen Yujing shook his head, "It's not too soon. My mom is already thinking about what to prepare after Song Yi marries me."
"Shen Yujing!" Song Yi pinched his leg, "What are you thinking? I wouldn't get married so early."
What are you even talking about? Who would marry him so soon? Dream on!
"I know, I know. It's just preparation in advance. If there's anything you don't like, we can always change it," Shen Yujing said.
Song Yi retorted, "Who prepares this far in advance?"
Shen Yujing immediately responded, "Because no one values you as much as I do."
As soon as he said that, everyone fell silent for a moment.
Song Yi averted her gaze, lowered her head, and took a bite of her food without saying anything.
Shen Yujing, on the other hand, quickly took a sip of the Sprite by his side.
Yes, it was Sprite, because Song's Father thought they were still kids, and since he didn't have the habit of drinking alcohol, he naturally didn't prepare any.
So when Shen Yujing shamelessly lay down on her bed after taking a shower that night, Song Yi sat on the inner side of the bed, both annoyed and amused, looking at him, "Shen Yujing, you're really putting on quite the act."
"Actually, I never told you this, but my constitution is such that I get drunk from drinking Sprite," Shen Yujing said with a straight face, even covering his eyes with one hand.
Song Yi retorted, "Who would admit they're drunk if they were? Who would admit they're a thief if they were one?"
Shen Yujing immediately changed his tune, "Then I'm not drunk."
"If you're not drunk, then get down," Song Yi said, kicking him lightly.
Shen Yujing got up reluctantly, knowing he had been caught anyway.
He grabbed a pillow and moved to the folding single bed nearby, pulling the blanket up a bit before turning his back to Song Yi.
Song Yi glanced at him, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
The folding bed was old and hard, and even with a layer of padding, it wasn't comfortable.
Plus, it was only 1.8 meters long, so Shen Yujing's feet dangled off the edge when he lay down, forcing him to curl up to sleep.
Finally, Song Yi relented, calling out, "Shen Yujing?"
Shen Yujing didn't respond.
Song Yi sighed, "Come up."
In an instant, Shen Yujing sprang up like a carp, grabbed his pillow, and walked over.
Song Yi scooted over to make room, took the pillow from Shen Yujing, and placed it next to hers, looking up to warn him, "Just sleep under the blanket. No funny business."
But as soon as he sat down, Shen Yujing pushed his luck, "I want to hold your hand."
Song Yi reluctantly reached out her hand.
"I want to hug you."
"I want to kiss you."
"I want to..."
"Are you done yet?" Song Yi finally interrupted Shen Yujing's endless demands, saying, "I'm tired, let's sleep."
Yet, in the end, she still ended up snuggling into Shen Yujing's arms because it was cold.
Despite Song Yi being so slender, she always felt soft and warm when held. The sweet fragrance emanating from her made Shen Yujing's thoughts wander, and he even missed a few words of what she was saying.
Song Yi suddenly spoke up, "Honestly, it's too quiet when we're together during class or at home. Sometimes when you come back late from rehearsals, I get bored."
Shen Yujing lowered his head and kissed her forehead, asking, "What do you suggest then? Should we have Murong Huan come over to hang out with you every weekend?"
"Not that," Song Yi replied, placing a hand on his shoulder to prop herself up halfway, looking down at him seriously. "I want to discuss something with you."
Shen Yujing pulled the blanket up a bit more to cover her shoulders and said, "Go on."
Song Yi looked at him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Shen Yujing, let's bring a little life into our home."
"Cough, cough, cough!" Shen Yujing choked on his own breath, his face turning red. He pressed Song Yi's face against his chest and pulled the blanket over her head, exasperated. "What are you even saying?!"
"I'm being serious," Song Yi protested, struggling to free her head from the blanket. "I've been thinking about this for a while."
Shen Yujing flatly refused, "No, it's too sudden."
"It's not that sudden, though. We could do it before the semester starts," Song Yi continued, coaxing him. "And then it could call you 'Dad' and me 'Mom,' okay?"
For a moment, Shen Yujing had to admit that his heart wavered shamefully.
If they did that... would it mean he and Song Yi were truly a family?
But in the next second, rationality took over again.
He looked at Song Yi with an unusually serious expression. "No."
Song Yi pouted, clearly unhappy. "Why not?"
Shen Yujing suddenly felt a headache coming on. Did he really need to explain why this wasn't a good idea? She was usually so smart—what was she thinking right now?
Shen Yujing said firmly, "You're still too young. Absolutely not. It's too impulsive."
Song Yi laughed in frustration and then punched him lightly on the chest. "Why not, Shen Yujing? You can have a dog, so why can't I have a cat?"
"Whether you agree or not, I'm giving you a heads-up out of courtesy! I'm going to get one! I'll go pick one out at the pet store tomorrow!"
Shen Yujing: "...?"
Huh? A cat? Just a cat?
Oh, never mind then.
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