The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 54
byChapter 54: Taking Leave to Get Married
When Lu Shangyan returned to the bedroom, Pei Yumin was still asleep, so Lu Shangyan moved lightly to avoid waking him.
As soon as he lay down, Pei Yumin turned over as if disturbed. Lu Shangyan watched him for a long time before turning onto his side to lie down. The moment he closed his eyes, Pei Yumin flipped over again and draped his arm across Lu Shangyan’s waist.
He mumbled incoherently, “Must make Lu Shangyan happy, for a lifetime.”
Lu Shangyan slowly opened his eyes. Pei Yumin’s eyelashes trembled slightly; he must be dreaming.
The sleeping man’s palm slid down to rest on Lu Shangyan’s lower abdomen, covering it the entire time.
It wasn’t until his breathing became steady, his cold hands and feet warmed up, and he had fallen asleep again, that Pei Yumin quietly opened his eyes. He pinched Lu Shangyan’s ring finger and slowly brought it close to his own heart.
—
Lu Shangyan took three days off, and Xia Li immediately asked in the group chat if he was sick.
They all knew Lu Shangyan’s situation, so it couldn’t be due to family matters.
Jian Guo also chimed in, asking if he needed someone to accompany him to see a doctor.
Lu Shangyan glanced at the half-packed luggage in front of him. Since they hadn’t received the marriage certificate yet, some things couldn’t be stated too definitively.
So he just replied:
[s: I’m fine, just have something I need to take care of.]
Xia Li was relieved: [If you can’t solve it, remember to let us know.]
[As repayment for you setting up my stall last time, I will definitely try my best to help you solve any difficulty.]
Lu Shangyan moved his fingers and replied:
[s: Little Pufferfish nodding.jpg]
Pei Yumin had sent him this set of emojis last night, helping him save them and telling him to use them often.
Lu Shangyan immediately sent all the emojis to Pei Yumin and asked, “Have I sent enough now?”
Pei Yumin shook his head and said, “Send them to me every day from now on.”
Lu Shangyan immediately refused, saying no, but now that he was using them, he found them incredibly handy.
Pei Yumin also temporarily stopped going to the company, but Lu Shangyan didn’t know what he was busy with. He left early and returned late every day, sometimes arriving home even later than when Lu Shangyan worked overtime.
Lu Shangyan’s belly was starting to become noticeable, and he was hesitant to go out now. Pei Yumin had taken this into account, which was why he chose a colder country for them to register their marriage. This way, even if Lu Shangyan bundled himself up like a ball, no one would find it strange, and no one would notice his stomach.
Thinking of this, Lu Shangyan added another down jacket to his suitcase. His wardrobe had accumulated many new clothes, which Yuan Qingyu had been sending over gradually these past few days. The previously empty closet was now completely full, which finally made Yuan Qingyu stop.
But she still couldn’t resist buying things for Lu Shangyan, so she temporarily stored them at home: “Yumin has a walk-in closet, and I’ve made one for you too, right next to his. I’ll find a contractor in the next couple of days to knock down the wall between the two rooms.”
Pei Yicheng told her, “If you keep knocking down walls, their walk-in closets will end up taking up an entire floor.”
Yuan Qingyu called him an old straight man who didn’t understand anything.
Lu Shangyan also thought it was exaggerated, but seeing Yuan Qingyu’s genuine happiness when buying him things, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse anymore.
Especially since Yuan Qingyu kept telling him, “We’re going to be family soon. I’m his mother, isn’t it normal for a mother to buy things for her son?”
Lu Shangyan felt complicated hearing this. After Pei Yumin returned, he couldn’t help but ask him, “If our child is born without a mother, will they be bullied by others?”
Pei Yumin showed no worry: “Who would dare bully them? They’ll have two fathers. It’ll be a good thing if they don’t bully others.”
Lu Shangyan had always been concerned about this and had mentioned the issue many times, both directly and indirectly. Pei Yumin understood that this stemmed from Lu Shangyan’s upbringing; he was afraid his child would be unhappy following him.
Pei Yumin said, “After they are born, many people will be begging just to meet them once.”
He was very certain because when he used to stand next to Pei Yicheng, if he was occasionally amused by someone teasing him, that person would go out and brag about it several times.
The same logic would apply to his child.
He just didn’t know if Lu Shangyan would be willing to let the child acknowledge him as a father in front of outsiders.
Even if he wasn’t willing, it didn’t matter. He would just try his best to be good to the child’s father in front of outsiders, and also show off how happy he was after getting Lu Shangyan.
Lu Shangyan received this firm reassurance, and the anxiety in his heart finally settled again.
“Did you think of a nickname like I asked you to?”
Pei Yumin nodded: “I did. Let’s call them Tun Tun, the Tun Tun from ‘slowly’ (man tun tun).”
Lu Shangyan frowned: “Why? What if they really are slower than other children?”
Pei Yumin was already skilled at lifting his shirt, kissing his bulging belly a few times, before saying, “What a cute name. As long as you gave birth to them, I’ll love them no matter what.”
Lu Shangyan had nothing more to say. Since he was the one who suggested it, now that Pei Yumin had decided on a name, he couldn’t go back on his word.
Pei Yumin squatted down and placed his hand on his stomach: “Tun Tun, Lu Tun Tun.”
After saying this, he felt a light, quick nudge against his palm. Pei Yumin was overjoyed, looking up at Lu Shangyan with bright eyes: “Did you feel that? They moved.”
Lu Shangyan pursed his lips, his earlobes red, and nodded.
Pei Yumin continued to call down: “Tun Tun, little Lu Tun Tun, move again.”
The child was probably a slow and lazy fellow, moving only once and then refusing to move again. Seeing Lu Shangyan’s body tense up, Pei Yumin stopped touching him.
Lu Shangyan, however, was uncharacteristically proactive, telling him, “The next time they move, I’ll tell you.”
Didn’t that mean he was invited to continue touching? If he could touch the belly, what was the difference between that and touching the whole body!
Pei Yumin pressed his tongue against his cheek, looking at Lu Shangyan with a mischievous expression. After a long look, he couldn’t help but say, “Forget it, I don’t want to touch.”
Lu Shangyan thought he had genuinely changed, missing such a good opportunity to take advantage.
But the next second, he heard him ask, “I want to lick. Can I?”
Lu Shangyan’s expression instantly turned speechless: “No.”
“Okay, yes,” Pei Yumin said to himself. “I’ll have a good lick tonight.”
Lu Shangyan raised his voice: “I said no!”
Pei Yumin pulled out a cashmere coat: “Wife, do you think I’ll be cold wearing this?”
Forget it. Even if he refused, Pei Yumin would always find a hundred shameless ways to make him compromise. It was better to save his breath.
—
Lu Shangyan finally finished packing everything the day before they left, but Pei Yumin was nowhere to be seen early in the morning.
Lu Shangyan was tired but couldn’t sleep at all. The bed quickly cooled down after Pei Yumin left, and he woke up soon after.
He lay in bed for a while, picked up the phone on the bedside table, and fiddled with it several times before realizing it wasn’t his old, nearly broken phone.
Lu Shangyan examined it repeatedly. Aside from being the latest model on the market, the phone case, wallpaper, and contents were all identical. No wonder Pei Yumin had been in the bathroom for so long last night.
He smiled, stretched, and rolled over to lie on Pei Yumin’s pillow.
[s: Why did you send me a new phone?]
Pei Yumin sent a photo of himself wearing a tie.
[m: A return gift.]
[m: I noticed you had money but still wouldn’t replace your old phone, so I figured you were giving me a chance to show off.]
[m: Do you feel my deep love for you? So, do you love me a little more than before?]
Lu Shangyan looked at his new phone several more times.
[s: Little Pufferfish blushing.jpg]
Pei Yumin screenshotted it and saved it.
He felt that Lu Shangyan had become much “bolder” since getting the emojis.
[m: I hope my wife gives me more opportunities like this in the future, so I can make you love me more.]
[s: Who talks about giving gifts from such a strange angle?]
[m: I don’t care about the angle, as long as you love me.]
[s: I don’t.]
[m: I don’t believe you.]
[m: You’re lying.]
[m: Are you secretly smiling?]
Upon seeing this message, Lu Shangyan instantly stopped smiling and cautiously looked around. Soon, another message from Pei Yumin arrived.
[m: I didn’t install a camera in the bedroom.]
But he didn’t say there weren’t any elsewhere.
Lu Shangyan let out a soft snort.
[s: You’re always so narcissistic.]
[m: Little Shark narcissistic.jpg]
[s: Little Pufferfish beating up.jpg]
[m: Little Shark crying.jpg]
[m: I’ll be done soon. My mom said she wants us to have a meal at home before we leave. She insists on cooking herself. Do you want to go back? If you agree, I’ll tell her to prepare lunch now.]
In the past, Lu Shangyan would have overthought it, afraid of bothering others.
But not anymore. He had almost completely integrated into the Pei family and answered very straightforwardly.
[s: Then I’ll get up now. We can pack two dishes on the way back. Don’t let Auntie prepare too much.]
[m: Please, Lord Lu, take pity and feed me well!]
[s: I’m just afraid Auntie will get too tired.]
[m: Unhappy. You pay for the groceries.]
Lu Shangyan would have paid for them anyway, but Pei Yumin stating the request always made him feel much more comfortable.
—
Pei Yumin was dressed very formally when he came to pick him up, even more formally than he usually dressed for work.
When Lu Shangyan got into the car, he saw the clothes before he saw Pei Yumin’s face. He almost thought he had mistaken the car and wanted to close the door and leave. When he bent down to apologize, the word “sorry” caught in his throat: “Why are you dressed like this?”
He looked at his own loose-fitting outfit and hesitated: “Are we really just going home for a meal?”
Pei Yumin nodded. Lu Shangyan added, “You look more like you’re going to an important banquet.”
The temperature had dropped sharply in late October, with a high of only nine degrees today. Pei Yumin instantly felt hot all over: “What’s wrong? What’s so strange about this? I usually dress like this. I am just a simple, unpretentious, very gentlemanly rich man.”
Although Lu Shangyan was reluctant to admit it, the man in front of him was indeed the partner he had chosen.
Lu Shangyan thought Pei Yumin hadn’t shown off his tie enough and wanted to flaunt it while buying groceries.
But when they returned home after buying groceries, he realized something was very wrong, twelve parts wrong out of ten.
A single rose was bizarrely tucked into the large iron gate.
The flower wasn’t very noticeable, like an ant crawling on a palm. Lu Shangyan initially thought something was wrong when Pei Yumin suddenly stopped the car.
But then Pei Yumin said dramatically, “That flower is too pitiful. Opening the gate from the inside will surely break it. Could you go down and retrieve it?”
Something flashed quickly through Lu Shangyan’s mind, but he couldn’t grasp it: “What are you trying to pull now?”
Pei Yumin clutched his chest, still trying to maintain the facade: “It’s really nothing. I’m just a good person with a kind heart.”
Lu Shangyan stared at him for a long time, but couldn’t hold out against his shameless, exaggerated acting.
It was a bit inconvenient for him to walk now. His posture had changed, and he was starting to feel back pain, slowing his pace considerably.
As Lu Shangyan walked over, Pei Yumin sat in the car, sweating nervously. He sweated even more when Lu Shangyan hadn’t reached the gate yet.
He watched him finally retrieve the rose.
The next second, fireworks instantly erupted across the sky.
Lu Shangyan’s heart jumped in fright, and he instinctively reached out to protect his stomach. The colored fireworks didn’t last long. Pei Yumin had already gotten out of the car. Smelling the gunpowder in the air, he wrapped his arms around Lu Shangyan, letting him smell the scent on his own body.
Then he took his hand and slowly walked inside. Petals and colored ribbons rained down from the sky. Lu Shangyan saw many people hiding behind the curtains on the second floor.
The thought that had eluded him earlier was finally caught at this moment.
He couldn’t help but say, “I’ve told you many times to stop reading those CEO Mary Sue novels.”
He said this, but his lips were trembling afterward, and it took a lot of effort not to let out a sob.
Pei Yumin didn’t take him to the living room but followed the trail of petals to the backyard. He pointed to the grape trellis in front of them: “I secretly brought the seeds from Cuixian. It will take a long time for it to grow like the one from your childhood.”
“But it doesn’t matter how long it takes. This time, I won’t let it wither again. Lu Shangyan, do you believe me?”
Lu Shangyan thought of the dirt on his cuffs and forced a smile, asking him, “What if it never grows well? Or if the grapes are sour, astringent, and inedible?”
Pei Yumin said, “You haven’t tasted them yet, how do you know what they’ll taste like?”
“Besides, did you forget? I am the omnipotent Young Master Pei. I have ways to make them sweet.”
Lu Shangyan was silent for a moment, then reached out his hand to him.
Pei Yumin was stunned, then burst out laughing: “I haven’t even knelt down to ask you yet, and you’ve already agreed.”
Lu Shangyan said, “Because I’ve already received a promise more precious than kneeling and saying vows.”
He wiggled his fingers: “I am willing to marry you.”
Pei Yumin still knelt down. After putting the ring on him, more petals began to drift down.
He suddenly hugged Lu Shangyan. Lu Shangyan heard the commotion upstairs and buried his head in Pei Yumin’s shoulder: “You are not allowed to kiss me.”
He paused, then quickly added, “And you can’t push me away either.”
Pei Yumin knew he was shy, so he shouted up to the people upstairs: “Turn around! My wife gets shy with so many of you watching, I can’t kiss him!”
Lu Shangyan opened his mouth and bit him, but quickly let go and kissed the mark he had made.
Pei Yumin cupped his face, giving him nowhere to hide.
The kiss didn’t last long, as Lu Shangyan was flushed and quickly felt dizzy from lack of oxygen.
When they first decided to propose, Pei Yumin, Yuan Qingyu, and Pei Yicheng had brainstormed hundreds of ideas.
They even suggested staging a life-and-death proposal in a mine shaft.
But in the end, Pei Yumin chose the simplest yet most meaningful way.
He knew Lu Shangyan was always uncomfortable being watched. Otherwise, he would have bought up all the large screens in the city to publicly and continuously declare his love after successfully pursuing Lu Shangyan.
He also knew that Lu Shangyan had once experienced “violence” in school because of his homosexuality.
Pei Yumin didn’t care; even if others knew his orientation, they wouldn’t dare say anything and would even come to congratulate him.
But Lu Shangyan was different. He didn’t want Lu Shangyan to feel the slightest bit awkward, so he discarded many grand gestures.
In any case, he knew that no matter what he did, Lu Shangyan would definitely agree to marry him.
—
Lu Shangyan didn’t take too much leave. After quickly registering their marriage, they had to rush back overnight.
They didn’t have time to visit many of the surrounding attractions, and even Lu Shangyan felt the schedule was too rushed.
But Pei Yumin didn’t think so: “After the child is born, we’ll leave them at home and come back here for our honeymoon. Returning to a familiar place will definitely be more meaningful.”
Pei Yumin understood why Lu Shangyan had arranged the time so tightly. It was because he had decided to apply for graduate school, and time was crucial for him now. Before, he didn’t have the opportunity or conditions to focus on his studies. Now that he didn’t have to worry about making a living, he wanted to try his best to achieve the most he could. Even though the application period was still some time away, he was already planning ahead.
He had bought many professional books recently. In the rental house, Pei Yumin had moved in with him into one bedroom, and the empty room had temporarily been converted into a study.
—
Before Lu Shangyan went to school, he initially didn’t want to wear the wedding ring, but Pei Yumin insisted. He checked several times along the way, afraid Lu Shangyan would take it off when he wasn’t looking.
“I already didn’t broadcast the news of our marriage on every large screen nationwide, so you have to wear the wedding ring properly, right? At least let your friends know you’re married, and also make those who covet you give up completely!”
“Of course, this also serves as a constant reminder that you have a husband and shouldn’t be so alluring everywhere you go!”
The heating in the car was on full blast. Lu Shangyan hadn’t zipped up his jacket. His belly was covered by a thin hoodie, moving with his breathing, looking very soft and inviting to touch.
Lu Shangyan said, “The baby will be born in four months. Can you stop saying things like that? They’ll hear you.”
Hearing this, Pei Yumin immediately reached out and tapped his stomach: “If you can hear me, little Tun Tun, remember to help your dad keep an eye on your papa!”
Lu Shangyan immediately covered his stomach, looking unwilling to let the child hear.
Pei Yumin added, “You can’t take it off at school either. I’ll check on you constantly.”
Lu Shangyan felt a headache coming on. He nodded distractedly while telling him to focus on driving.
Lu Shangyan’s birthday hadn’t been properly celebrated in the end. Pei Yumin only managed to give him a gift on the night they registered their marriage, on the flight back.
He felt Lu Shangyan’s birthday was too rushed and planned to make it up to him.
So he called Tang Suichen: “Good brother, I miss you. When are we getting together?”
Tang Suichen, who had been frequently blocked recently, replied: “???”
He checked the contact name and rolled his eyes several times: “Who are you?! Who’s your brother?! Don’t call again, or I’ll block you.”
Pei Yumin chuckled: “Then Song Yuxin’s studio ribbon-cutting ceremony…”
Tang Suichen gritted his teeth: “I’m done with you!”
Song Yuxin and Tang Suichen were married. Since they were family, it felt strange to maintain a superior-subordinate relationship.
Initially, Song Yuxin didn’t think much of it. He always thought Tang Suichen was just playing around with the marriage and would soon leave him, so he hadn’t planned on quitting. He thought that after they divorced, he might still be able to stay by Tang Suichen’s side as an “employee.”
But now Song Yuxin had a change of heart about their relationship, so he felt he couldn’t remain Tang Suichen’s assistant. He resigned last month and was aggressively setting up his own studio.
It wouldn’t be difficult for him to quickly establish himself. If Tang Suichen said a few words and Pei Yumin showed up at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Song Yuxin wouldn’t lack supporters.
Tang Suichen struggled to climb out of bed, but the thought that it was for Song Yuxin made him feel better: “Send me the address and time.”
—
As soon as Lu Shangyan sat down in the classroom, Jian Guo slipped over. A little later, Xia Li, who didn’t have class, also came to sit next to him to audit.
Lu Shangyan smiled, opened his backpack, and distributed the gifts he had bought for them: “I’ll keep Zhao Jian’s share here for now and give it to him at the store when I go to my part-time job.”
Xia Li opened it and saw a ladies’ coin purse that looked very expensive: “You struck it rich!”
Lu Shangyan smiled: “He sent them to you, saying thank you for taking such good care of me.”
Xia Li held the coin purse: “President Pei is generous.”
Jian Guo put the gift into his bag: “Are you sure you didn’t go abroad for medical treatment? Why do I feel like you’re thinner than before? And you’re always wearing such thick clothes, as if you’re very afraid of the cold. Last winter, you were wearing a hoodie under a denim jacket, and you didn’t seem cold then.”
Lu Shangyan smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t unafraid of the cold back then; he simply didn’t have enough clothes to wear.
But he didn’t want to bring up those sad memories: “Maybe I’m just more sensitive to the cold this year.”
Xia Li said, “Exactly! I think his complexion is much better than before, rosy. It’s clear President Pei is taking very good care of him.”
Jian Guo muttered quietly, “You’ve been bought off by a purse.”
Xia Li lifted his chin: “If you don’t want it, you can give it to me. I’ll sell it for cash and buy Lu Shangyan a new down jacket.”
Jian Guo shook his head: “I won’t give it to you! At most, I won’t complain about him the next time we meet, but I will the time after that.”
Xia Li turned his attention back to Lu Shangyan: “Speaking of which, you never took leave even when you were sick before. Taking leave for a trip this time—is there some secret behind it?”
A look of embarrassment appeared on Lu Shangyan’s face. He slowly extended his hand and said casually, “Yes, there is one thing. I took leave to get married.”