The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 53
byChapter 53 I Want to Get Married, I Want to Get Married, You Treat Me…
Lu Shangyan had been looking at many housing listings recently. A three-bedroom apartment closer to the city center started at two million yuan. He could only afford the down payment right now, but he hadn’t graduated yet, and his job was unstable. If he took on a mortgage, he would likely return to his previous life of hardship.
More importantly, he was about to welcome a new life. He couldn’t let his child grow up drinking cold water.
So, the best option was to rent first.
Pei Yumin watched him return and sit on the sofa, his legs propped up on the coffee table, allowing the curve of his entire legs to be visible.
He remembered yesterday, he was nestled between those two legs, listening to Lu Shangyan tell him to hurry up and let go, his voice sounding so frantic it was almost tearful.
Pei Yumin took several deep breaths, trying hard to calm himself before replying.
[m: The current apartment is quite good to live in.]
[s: Didn’t you want a study and a walk-in closet? Two rooms aren’t enough.]
Pei Yumin looked at the message and couldn’t resist showing it to Qi Min next to him: “My wife is moving houses for me.”
Before, Lu Shangyan had said it was for the child’s growth environment. Qi Min had even joked that Lu Shangyan’s moving plan didn’t include him. But now, this single sentence from Lu Shangyan proved otherwise.
How could it not include him? This was entirely for him!
Yet, the considerate Pei Yumin said:
[m: No need for now. Moving back and forth is too much trouble.]
[m: I thought about it carefully with my mom the other day. After the baby is born, both the child and you will need care. If we hire a confinement nanny to live here, I’m afraid she might notice something when she sees you lying in bed and spread rumors.]
[m: My mom is also worried that I can’t take care of both of you alone, and you still have school and exams, and I have work. It’s hard to manage everything. So she suggested that for the last few months of pregnancy and the first few months after birth, we move back home first. She can help us take care of things; she has experience.]
[m: Once the child is a little older and can be left with others, we can move out again. Then, during the day, we can drop the baby off at her place, and I’ll pick them up on my way home from work in the evening. Let’s not move now. Moving is exhausting. You need to conserve your energy. Didn’t the doctor say the late stages of pregnancy are tough?]
After sending that, he pondered for a moment and added:
[m: Not moving now saves almost a year’s worth of rent. You can buy a few more square meters when you buy a house later.]
Lu Shangyan was completely swayed. He had some understanding of current rental prices; three thousand yuan a month would likely mean living in the suburbs.
And the matter of hiring a confinement nanny was indeed not 100% secure.
He carefully considered Pei Yumin’s words. This option might be better for both of them.
[s: Won’t that be too much trouble for Uncle and Auntie?]
Pei Yumin knew he had agreed, only needing a final push.
[m: Don’t worry. They’ve been dreaming of becoming grandparents for years. After they found out I liked you and decided not to get married, they started dreaming about me quickly winning you over.]
[m: Now both of their wishes are about to come true. Forget about inconveniencing them—they’d be willing to let you ride on their backs to school and back if you find walking difficult in the late stages of pregnancy.]
Lu Shangyan was amused.
[s: Talking nonsense again.]
Pei Yumin had completely tuned out whatever the person on stage was reporting, his head nearly drooping onto the desk.
[m: Then let’s settle this for now. When we go home together in a couple of days, I’ll talk to her so she can prepare early.]
Pei Yumin initially wanted Lu Shangyan to have 100% control over decisions regarding the child, but now it seemed Lu Shangyan barely considered himself, so Pei Yumin had to think more for him.
Crucially, Lu Shangyan had also changed a lot recently, no longer shutting everything out completely as he did before.
[s: Will you get off work a little earlier today? I want to buy gifts for Uncle and Auntie.]
Pei Yumin asked without thinking.
[m: What about mine?]
[s: I need to bring a gift when visiting your parents.]
[m: What about it?]
After sending that, he worried that his image as a mature, planning individual might crumble, so he quickly added:
[m: You don’t have class the day after tomorrow. I’ll take you, and we can go straight to their house for dinner.]
Lu Shangyan’s heart skipped a beat, but things had progressed this far. It was too late to back out. He could only brace himself and continue forward.
—
Lu Shangyan helped Xia Li set up her stall and was then invited to be a salesperson.
The weather was hot, and his chest felt uncomfortable, so he initially wanted to refuse, but after Xia Li asked twice, he couldn’t say no.
Xia Li had introduced him to his previous part-time job at Shiyu, which was also his highest-paying hourly job. Now that Xia Li needed his help, if he kept refusing, his own conscience would bother him.
When Pei Yumin heard that Lu Shangyan would be late after school and then go straight to his hotel job, his face immediately darkened. He packed up food and took a box of bandages to the school.
Jian Guo, Xia Li, and Zhao Jian were all there. The three of them immediately pounced on the food in his hands.
Lu Shangyan wanted to follow but was blocked by Pei Yumin, who gestured toward his pocket: “Did you put it on?”
Lu Shangyan’s eyes darted away, his expression extremely unnatural: “I did.”
Pei Yumin took in everything: “Let me check.”
Lu Shangyan hunched his shoulders and backed away, not letting him look or touch: “I really did.”
Pei Yumin withdrew his hand and said meaningfully, “It was so swollen yesterday. You would tremble for a long time if I just blew on it.”
“If you don’t apply medicine properly and put on a bandage today, it might get worse.”
Lu Shangyan couldn’t stand it anymore. He reached out to cover Pei Yumin’s mouth: “Can you stop saying these things in public?”
Pei Yumin was skilled at verbal sparring: “Then where do you want me to say it? Should I say it to you again tonight while I’m helping you, just like yesterday?”
The scene from last night genuinely flashed through Lu Shangyan’s mind. He immediately mumbled, “Be moderate. Not tonight.”
Pei Yumin asked sincerely, “Then tomorrow?”
Lu Shangyan shot him a warning look. Pei Yumin had no choice but to change the subject: “Didn’t we agree that I would help you put it on from now on? You broke your promise and put it on yourself.”
Lu Shangyan actually followed his lead and explained: “It’s because you were at work, and I left in the afternoon.”
Pei Yumin simply refused to listen: “I’m a little unhappy. You need to coax me.”
Lu Shangyan turned to leave, but Pei Yumin coughed loudly. Jian Guo heard it and turned back, glaring at him while chewing half a shrimp.
Lu Shangyan had no choice but to turn back: “How do you want me to coax you?”
Pei Yumin’s gaze slid from his face to his chest: “Unless you let me put a new one on you right now, I will announce your breach of promise to the world.”
Lu Shangyan knew he wouldn’t actually do that, but Jian Guo was particularly sensitive and prone to overthinking in this area. He had already listened to Jian Guo nag all afternoon, and he didn’t want to hear it again.
—
Half an hour later, Pei Yumin emerged from the restroom, followed by Lu Shangyan, who had his head bowed, his face flushed, and his lips inexplicably moist and swollen.
Especially since he started walking unnaturally again, slightly bent at the waist.
Jian Guo slapped his forehead hard and muttered, “It’s all my fault for not being able to control my mouth!”
Xia Li, however, didn’t notice anything strange between the two, only seeing two crossed bandages on Pei Yumin’s wrist: “Did you get hurt?”
Pei Yumin raised his hand, stared at the bandages for a long time, and then said, “Yes, Shangyan already took care of it for me.”
He wasn’t hurt. He had personally confiscated these two bandages from Lu Shangyan.
He couldn’t bear to throw them away, so he stuck them on his own hand to gain more of the ambiguity known only to the two of them.
—
On the day they prepared the gifts, Lu Shangyan was already used to lifting his shirt and letting Pei Yumin put on the bandage before changing out of his soft pajamas.
Pei Yumin always observed it for half a minute, and after sticking it on, he would kiss it, as if sealing some exclusive gift.
“It still has to be me taking care of you. The two little guys are doing much better now. They might be completely fine in two more days.”
He always liked to say strange things like that. Lu Shangyan, having changed his clothes, grabbed his slightly sticking-up hair and looked at him, refuting, “If you hadn’t bitten last night, they might already be fine.”
Pei Yumin chuckled softly: “Didn’t you enjoy it too?”
Lu Shangyan shook his head, denying against his will: “No.”
Lu Shangyan knew Pei Yumin’s family background. Even if he emptied his savings, he probably couldn’t afford anything decent.
After much deliberation, he bought a silk scarf for Yuan Qingyu and a scarf for Pei Yicheng, spending over twenty thousand yuan.
If it were for himself, he probably wouldn’t have stepped into this store. The most expensive scarf he owned cost less than thirty yuan.
He sighed. Fortunately, he had his salary to cover it, or he wouldn’t be a millionaire small-time rich man for long.
Pei Yumin saw him pay and start to leave, immediately slowing down his pace, like a child who had spotted a toy and wouldn’t stop until their parent bought it for them.
Lu Shangyan turned his head, looking at him confusedly. The moment their eyes met, Pei Yumin rushed over with a wronged expression, like a wild boar: “Wife, you forgot about me! You haven’t picked a gift for me yet.”
“I am your most important family member. You can’t just buy for them and not for me. That’s not fair to me.”
Lu Shangyan felt the pinch: “Not here. We’ll go somewhere else to buy it later.”
Pei Yumin sniffled: “Fine. I like nine-ninety scarves too.”
Lu Shangyan looked at him again, resigned. He took out his phone and checked his balance, deducting his recent food and daily expenses: “You can choose a gift that costs less than two thousand yuan.”
Pei Yumin dragged him through almost the entire mall, seemingly afraid that people wouldn’t know that his boyfriend was paying for his purchases today.
In the end, Pei Yumin chose a tie. He could wear it to the company, for events, and more importantly, he could wear it for their wedding photos and the wedding ceremony.
It cost over eighteen hundred yuan. Lu Shangyan didn’t even blink when he paid this time.
Pei Yumin immediately put it on, but Lu Shangyan stopped him from leaving.
Pei Yumin was confused: “I’ve paid for it. Can’t I wear it out?”
“You can wear it.” Lu Shangyan quickly pulled the tie off when Pei Yumin wasn’t looking: “But you can’t wear a tie with a short-sleeved shirt. It looks strange.”
He handed the tie to the saleswoman next to them and asked her to repackage it.
Pei Yumin couldn’t show off immediately at home. He sighed and said, “That’s called mixing and matching.”
Lu Shangyan gritted his teeth and warned him in a low voice: “That’s called being crazy.”
Pei Yumin pressed his hand on Lu Shangyan’s head and ruffled his hair, thinking that he would change into a suit when they got back. Tonight, he absolutely had to let everyone feel how much his boyfriend loved him.
At the door, Lu Shangyan was so nervous his hands were shaking. He tried several times but couldn’t unbuckle his seatbelt. Eventually, Pei Yumin leaned over and helped him, then pecked him several times on the corner of his mouth: “Don’t be nervous. You’ve seen them before.”
The previous meeting was a casual encounter, but the mindset for this visit was completely different.
He felt like he was coming to propose marriage and seek the approval of his future in-laws.
Lu Shangyan took several deep breaths, watching Pei Yumin get out of the car, open his door, and extend his hand to him. At this point, there was no turning back.
Even if they didn’t agree, it didn’t matter. Even if he had nothing, Pei Yumin would still leave with him!
Yuan Qingyu was waiting at the living room door. Pei Yicheng was also nervous, sitting on the sofa pretending to read the newspaper, but secretly peeking at the entrance.
Pei Yumin had also prepared many health supplements and carried them in. Yuan Qingyu praised him for being thoughtful.
Lu Shangyan handed her the silk scarf and placed the gift box in front of Pei Yicheng.
Pei Yicheng was startled, not expecting a gift for himself. It wasn’t until Yuan Qingyu nudged him with her elbow that he reacted. In the next moment, he and Lu Shangyan bowed together, both with trembling hands.
Lu Shangyan sat awkwardly on the sofa. Yuan Qingyu, however, was very talkative, chatting with him about all sorts of things. Pei Yicheng kept sneaking glances at his gift, eager to open it and see what it was.
Pei Yumin was much more relaxed. He took the tie upstairs, changed into a suit to match it, and deliberately said when he came downstairs, “Shangyan, do you think the tie you gave me looks good with this suit?”
Yuan Qingyu’s eyes lit up: “That doesn’t look cheap, does it?”
Pei Yumin raised his chin: “Shangyan said he will work hard to support me and the child in the future. He’s very responsible. This tie cost over a thousand yuan, and he wouldn’t even buy clothes that expensive for himself.”
Yuan Qingyu blinked, instantly understanding. She quickly said, “Then you must treat Shangyan well. You absolutely cannot let him down.”
Lu Shangyan watched them talk back and forth for a long time. Yuan Qingyu suddenly got up and sat next to him, and two jade bracelets mysteriously appeared on his wrist.
Yuan Qingyu said, “This is Auntie’s gift for you.”
Lu Shangyan could tell by the quality of the bracelets that they weren’t cheap. He tried to decline, saying he couldn’t accept them, but Yuan Qingyu acted as if she hadn’t heard and brought out other jewelry she had just retrieved from the safe.
“Take these too. Whether you sell them at an auction house or keep them as assets, just take them.”
Lu Shangyan was even more unable to accept these. But Pei Yumin gathered all the brocade boxes and stuffed them into the box that contained the tie earlier, looking like he was stuffing small snacks into a plastic bag after a rush sale.
Pei Yumin whispered in his ear, “These are what my mom prepared for her daughter-in-law. She has plenty more. If you don’t take them, the other relatives in the family will be eyeing them. If you don’t want to wear them, we’ll put them in the safe. Just consider them assets you secured in this family for my sake.”
For Pei Yumin’s sake… Lu Shangyan forced a smile: “Thank you, Auntie.”
Pei Yicheng shifted in his seat, finally moving his gaze away from the gift box. He bent down and pulled a file bag from the drawer under the coffee table: “Take these few properties.”
Pei Yumin quickly said, “No need for that. Shangyan said he will work hard to give me a home.”
Pei Yicheng bent down again and pulled out another file bag: “Then these shares…”
Before he could finish, Yuan Qingyu complained, “Can’t you give something useful?”
Lu Shangyan breathed a sigh of relief. His face had gone pale when he heard about the shares. He didn’t want to complicate things that much; shares were different from gifts in his mind.
Pei Yicheng had to bend down again: “Then these few stocks?”
Before Lu Shangyan could refuse, Pei Yumin collected them all into the bag.
Yuan Qingyu laughed awkwardly a few times and said, “He’s a straight man. He can’t give good gifts.”
“Just take this money. When the baby arrives, there will be many places to spend money. Besides, if you don’t take it, he’ll be anxious enough to smoke.”
Lu Shangyan secretly glanced at Pei Yicheng several times, seeing his expression calm, without any sign of distress.
But since Yuan Qingyu said so, he couldn’t refuse anymore. At worst, he would spend all the money on Pei Yumin.
They had been sitting for less than half an hour when other relatives started arriving. Lu Shangyan was uncomfortable with so many people surrounding him, and even more uncomfortable with so many people surrounding and praising him. He just wanted to hide behind Pei Yumin, quietly being a small, expressionless pufferfish who didn’t have to think about anything.
It wasn’t until Pei Yumin called out “Cousin” that he lifted his lowered head again, looking at the man dressed like a peacock in front of him.
This person was the culprit who caused Pei Yumin to become a homeless person!
Lu Shangyan’s eyes changed. He stood beside Pei Yumin, ready to protect him at any moment.
Pei Yumin was about to hug him but retracted his hand when he saw Lu Shangyan’s expression was wrong. He clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully to his cousin.
This look of a bullied victim startled Wen Yu. When had Pei Yumin ever been so obedient in front of him? It was as if he wasn’t the one who set fire to his studio when they were kids.
He was about to tease him but felt the scorching, angry gaze next to him. He closed his open mouth and then stared at Pei Yumin up and down with a serious expression.
To keep up the act, he let out a disdainful snort at Pei Yumin as he left.
This resulted in Lu Shangyan being gentle and polite to everyone else for the rest of the time, looking well-behaved, but he wouldn’t say a single word to Wen Yu.
Wen Yu was truly at his wit’s end. He had been hoping Lu Shangyan would be his model. So he leaned over and said, “Those were mistakes I made when I was young and ignorant. I’ve grown up now, and I’ve changed long ago.”
Lu Shangyan silently looked at him without speaking.
When the gathering ended, Pei Yumin walked Wen Yu out. Wen Yu finally seized the opportunity and warned him through gritted teeth, “I can’t stand this slander! You must explain things clearly as soon as possible, or restore my reputation as a good person, or I will never forgive you!”
Lu Shangyan arrived late and only heard the last sentence. His eyes immediately narrowed, and his hostility deepened.
Seeing this, Pei Yumin immediately nodded obediently: “I understand.”
After Wen Yu left, Pei Yumin put on a wronged face, sighing with a look of low spirits.
Lu Shangyan asked, “Did he bully you?”
“No, he can’t bully me like he used to anymore.” Pei Yumin “pretended to be strong,” looked up at the sky, and finally buried his face in Lu Shangyan’s neck. In front of the relatives who hadn’t left yet, Lu Shangyan didn’t push him away. Pei Yumin trembled, holding back his laughter. Lu Shangyan thought he was so sad he was about to cry, but in reality, his face was splitting with a smile!
It was too late, so Yuan Qingyu suggested they stay the night.
Pei Yumin was about to carry the large pile of gifts to the car but put them down when he heard this.
Lu Shangyan also felt it was inappropriate to empty the house after just a quick dinner. When Yuan Qingyu asked again, he agreed.
Afterward, Yuan Qingyu placed sliced fruit in front of him and asked, “When are you and Yumin planning to get married? We’ve already prepared the betrothal gifts.”
Pei Yumin immediately said, “We’re not rushing the marriage certificate. He hasn’t graduated yet. Everything should prioritize his career.”
After speaking, he carried the fruit plate and hugged Lu Shangyan upstairs. But as soon as the door closed, his expression completely changed.
“It’s okay to get the certificate without a wedding first. You’ve slept with me several times, but you keep avoiding the topic of marriage. Are you trying to avoid responsibility again?”
Lu Shangyan found him inexplicable: “No.”
Seeing Pei Yumin already wailing loudly and rolling wildly on the bed, he whispered helplessly, “We haven’t gone all the way.”
Pei Yumin sat up straight in bed: “You admit you don’t want to take responsibility! That’s why you keep stopping before the end! I’m heartbroken! My body and soul were taken, and I’ve been played in the palm of your hand!”
Lu Shangyan looked distressed: “No, that’s not what I meant.”
“If that’s not what you meant, why won’t you get the certificate with me? I’ve already agreed not to have a wedding first.” Pei Yumin genuinely looked wronged: “You can’t even give me a guarantee of marriage, can you? You scumbag.”
Lu Shangyan was getting a terrible headache from the noise: “Where do we go to get it?”
Pei Yumin immediately stopped wailing: “Anywhere is fine! Just name a time, and I’ll arrange everything.”
Lu Shangyan looked into his eyes, unable to hold out against him: “Next month, on my birthday.”
There was almost a month left; everything could be arranged in time.
Pei Yumin immediately changed his expression, hugging and kissing him repeatedly: “Wife, I love you so much.”
Lu Shangyan took a breath. He didn’t know if being pushed into this choice was right.
He only knew that on his birthday, he had seen his parents.
Now, he was about to gain new family members on his birthday.
Pei Yumin finished kissing him and then touched his belly: “Time is tight, and the mission is heavy. If this little brat bothers you and makes you uncomfortable, you must tell me immediately.”
Lu Shangyan nodded, thinking that it would be great if the unborn little brat just behaved. He didn’t dare hope for peace.
As the date for getting the marriage certificate approached, Pei Yumin grew more and more nervous.
He hadn’t formally proposed to Lu Shangyan yet. Although Lu Shangyan had already agreed to marry him, the necessary steps couldn’t be skipped.
Moreover, the day they got the certificate was also Lu Shangyan’s birthday. Everything had to be squeezed together, and he was busy gathering ideas from everyone around him while trying his best to keep it a secret from Lu Shangyan. He was frantic every day.
In contrast, Lu Shangyan’s life remained calm—school, meals, part-time job—just like before. It was impossible to tell he was about to get married.
Pei Yumin thought he wasn’t nervous and felt it was best for him to maintain this state.
Until one night, he woke up thirsty and realized Lu Shangyan wasn’t beside him.
He waited for a while and realized Lu Shangyan hadn’t returned. It didn’t seem like he had just gone to the restroom.
He realized something was wrong and quickly went after him.
He saw Lu Shangyan squatting on the balcony, whispering to a wild flower dug up from the old house in Suixian County: “Mom, this is the twenty-first time I’m telling you.”
“The day after tomorrow, I’m going to marry Pei Yumin.”
He tilted his head and touched a leaf: “Mom, I’m going to be very happy, right?”