Am I Angry??! Am I?!
After Su Jingyang got up and ate a little, he planned to go see Ling Li and Ah Xuan. They had barely met over the past few months, and he missed them quite a lot. Yet just as he was about to set out, Ling Li and Rong Hua arrived with Ah Xuan.
Su Jingyang’s face lit up with joy. Supporting his large belly, he stepped forward excitedly to greet them. “I was just about to come look for you!”
Ling Li hurried to steady him. “Slow down. We knew you would want to come, so we came instead. Saves you the trouble.”
Su Jingyang really did start to feel strained after walking even a short while now, his chest tight and his breath short. With Ling Li’s help, he sat down, eyes curving into a smile. “That works out perfectly. Rong Ci isn’t around, and I’ve been bored to death.”
They sat together chatting. Through Su Jingyang’s thin clothing, Ah Xuan pressed his face curiously against his belly. All of a sudden, he jolted upright with a startled cry, covering his face as he exclaimed to Su Jingyang, “Uncle! Something kicked me!”
Kicked was putting it lightly. It felt more like a martial arts hall had opened inside his stomach. Su Jingyang’s expression instantly turned anxious. He leaned back slightly against the chair, lifting a hand to rub his belly.
The reason he had been having nightmares these past few days was because one time, when the fetal movement was especially intense, he had taken off his clothes and looked down, only to find the faint outline of a tiny footprint pressing against his belly. Even though it vanished in an instant, and he suspected he might have imagined it, the lingering fear refused to fade. He was terrified that one day the children inside would kick his belly open and crawl out on their own.
Ling Li had been through this before. Hearing Su Jingyang fret so seriously over it, he found the worry adorably foolish. He turned his head aside and covered his mouth, letting out a soft laugh.
Compared to earlier, Rong Hua seemed to have recovered a bit emotionally. Seeing Su Jingyang cradling his belly, eyes wide and utterly stunned, he clicked his tongue and mocked him with a grin. “With how much you jump around every day, have you ever managed to poke a hole in the sky? What are you scared of? If your belly can really be kicked open, I’ll cut off my head and give it to you.”
Su Jingyang felt deeply scorned by him and shot back, “You’ve got no experience. I want to hear what Ah Li says.”
Rong Hua rolled his eyes. “No experience… I’ve got common sense, alright?”
It wasn’t really Su Jingyang’s fault for being so jumpy. Others who could conceive and give birth were following the natural order of things, born with a kind of instinctive acceptance. He, on the other hand, had been forcibly dragged over and modified by that damn system halfway through life, with zero pregnancy knowledge. All he could do was stumble from one shock to another. Even though Li Yin explained some things to him, the slightest abnormal reaction still made him panic, convinced something was about to go wrong.
Ling Li placed a hand over Su Jingyang’s belly and gently comforted him. “It’s not as frightening as you think. Maybe the children are just like you, lively and cheerful, so they move around more. If they didn’t move at all, that’s when you should worry.”
After being reassured by them, Su Jingyang finally relaxed a little and dropped the subject.
He picked up a pastry and stuffed it into Ah Xuan’s hands, letting him eat while he asked Ling Li how Ah Xuan had been these past months. Ling Li smiled faintly. “About the same. There hasn’t been much progress, but I’m already very satisfied with how things are now.”
Watching Ah Xuan sit obediently beside him eating, Su Jingyang comforted Ling Li. “This isn’t something that happens overnight. As long as you keep treating him with the shaman, he’ll slowly get better.”
Ling Li’s gaze lingered on Ah Xuan as he gave a soft hum in response.
Su Jingyang studied Ling Li’s complexion for a long moment, frowning. “Ah Li… doesn’t your face look a bit off? You seem thinner too. Are you feeling unwell or not sleeping well at night?”
Ling Li paused, lifting a hand to touch his own face in mild surprise. “Really? Maybe I haven’t been sleeping well.” He curved his lips into a smile. “It shouldn’t be anything serious. Don’t worry.”
Su Jingyang insisted, “When Li Yin comes to check my pulse later, have him take a look at you too.”
Ling Li didn’t refuse and gently agreed. Rong Hua cast a subtle glance at Ling Li, then lifted his teacup and drank, lowering his eyes to hide the heaviness within them, and remaining silent.
In the end, Su Jingyang’s pulse was steady and uneventful, while Ling Li was found to be somewhat qi deficient. Li Yin prescribed him some medicine.
Su Jingyang was in the middle of reminding Ling Li to take his medicine properly and nourish his body when Song Hui suddenly rushed in, delivering a letter from Jincheng.
Ling Li accepted it without much change in expression and read through it page by page. Su Jingyang was bursting with curiosity but didn’t lean over, merely blinking as he waited for Ling Li to finish.
“…Young Master.” After Ling Li slipped the letter back into the envelope with no further reaction, Song Hui hesitated before asking uneasily, “Will you be writing a reply this time?”
Ling Li set the envelope down on the table and glanced at him. His tone was calm. “Yes, I’ll write. I’ll write it after I return.”
Only then did Song Hui visibly relax. He bowed and withdrew.
They chatted idly for a while longer. It was only after hearing Rong Hua mention it that Su Jingyang learned Rong Ci hadn’t gone to handle official matters after all.
“It’s an old City Lord’s friend, basically an uncle of Rong Ci’s, who brought his son to Rongcheng. Rong Ci went to greet them personally.” Rong Hua squeezed his eyes at Su Jingyang. “That son’s a shuangrenzi. He and Rong Ci had a bond when they were young, and he’s quite good-looking too.”
Su Jingyang said flatly, “…Oh.”
Just greeting guests, right? What did childhood bonds and good looks have to do with anything? Su Jingyang propped his puffed-up cheek on his hand, gaze drifting as he thought this.
Ling Li hesitated as if wanting to speak, but Rong Hua slyly raised a finger to his lips. Ling Li pressed his lips together and swallowed his words.
At noon, Su Jingyang waited for Rong Ci to return and eat together. The dishes grew cold, yet there was still no sign of him.
Su Jingyang stared at the table full of food. His stomach was already aching with hunger, yet it felt like a lump was stuck in his throat, killing his appetite.
Soon after, a servant came to pass along Rong Ci’s message, saying he still had matters to attend to and would be back later, telling Su Jingyang not to wait.
Later?! An uncontrollable surge of anger rose in Su Jingyang’s chest. He slammed the table, fire blazing in his eyes. “Why didn’t he say so earlier?! Making me wait this long!”
His chest heaved as he turned sharply toward the servant, demanding coldly, “What exactly is he doing??”
The servant hesitated, unable to give a clear answer. Su Jingyang calmed himself, fell silent for a moment, then dismissed him.
…Strange. Why was he so angry?
Su Jingyang touched his chest blankly, then suddenly snapped back to awareness. This was ridiculous. When he first came to Rongcheng, Rong Ci hadn’t been able to eat every meal with him either, and he hadn’t cared at all back then. Why did it bother him so much now?
After thinking it over, he could only conclude that these days had been far too intimate. They were practically joined at the hip. He saw Rong Ci the moment he opened his eyes in the morning, and the last thing he saw before sleeping was him too. He had grown used to Rong Ci revolving around him, and now that there was a gap, he couldn’t adapt.
Su Jingyang slapped his own face hard. Wake up, wake up! He married Rong Ci so he could help raise the children, didn’t he? Who cared who Rong Ci went to see or what bonds he had? Who cared whether he came back to eat? Even normal loving couples weren’t glued together all the time. This was just a transaction between them. Why was he feeling so unsettled?!
Supporting his waist, Su Jingyang stood up and paced around the room. Yet… yet after what Rong Hua said today, he couldn’t help overthinking it. Could it be that once he left, Rong Ci would immediately marry someone else? After all, he wasn’t responsible for Rong Ci, and he couldn’t expect him to remain alone forever. The children weren’t his by blood either. If Rong Ci remarried and there was a stepfather or stepmother… what then?
A maid came in to clear the table, offering to bring him fresh hot food. Su Jingyang had completely lost his appetite and waved her off irritably, telling her to wait.
It was nearly an hour later when Rong Ci finally returned.
The moment he strode into the room, he saw Su Jingyang eating at the table. His cheeks were stuffed full, chewing with such force it looked like he had a personal vendetta against the food, as if he were grinding an enemy’s corpse to dust, radiating a fierce resentment.
Su Jingyang flicked a glance his way out of the corner of his eye, then quickly withdrew it, wearing a cold expression and continuing to eat as if Rong Ci didn’t exist.
Given that Su Jingyang ate seven or eight times a day now, Rong Ci didn’t find it strange at first. Yet upon hearing from the maid that this was actually lunch, Rong Ci sensed something was wrong. He stepped forward and sat beside him, asking gently, “Why are you eating so late? Aren’t you hungry?”
Su Jingyang kept shoveling food into his mouth, retorting indistinctly, “None of your business!”
Rong Ci paused mid-pour of tea, dark eyes studying his expression. With some uncertainty, he asked, “Are you angry because I didn’t come back to eat with you?”
Su Jingyang swallowed the food in his mouth and immediately put on a stiff face. “No. Why would I be angry? I have hands. It’s not like I need you to feed me.”
Rong Ci smiled and explained on his own initiative. “I went to spend some time with my uncle. We haven’t seen each other in many years. He didn’t want to stay long in Rongcheng, so I just saw him off.”
Su Jingyang set down his bowl and chopsticks. His bright black eyes fixed on Rong Ci with a piercing stare. “You’re very reluctant to part with him, aren’t you?”
Rong Ci had already noticed his odd attitude but still nodded. “Yes, very reluctant. There’s history between us.”
History? History? History?!
Su Jingyang’s breathing hitched sharply as he snorted. “Oh? Since you didn’t want to part, why didn’t you just go with him?”
Rong Ci ruffled his slightly bristling hair and laughed. “You say you’re not angry, yet your hair’s standing on end.”
“Don’t touch me!” Su Jingyang slapped his hand away, suddenly baring his teeth. “Let me tell you, Rong Ci, we had a deal back then. Even if I leave in the future, you still have to wait until my children turn fifteen before you remarry!”
The smile at Rong Ci’s lips slowly faded at those abrupt words. After a moment of silence, he leaned in slightly, gaze deep and unreadable. “Rest assured. I can do that.”
“…” He should have felt relieved after hearing that, yet something clawed painfully at Su Jingyang’s chest, making his whole body ache. Gritting his teeth, he said, “As long as you remember!”
Rong Ci straightened, folded his arms leisurely, and looked at him. His voice dropped. “I’ll agree to anything, but why did you suddenly bring this up?”
Su Jingyang didn’t bother to dance around it. He shot him a look and said, “You said you couldn’t bear to part, and you talked about history. I’m afraid your heart’s already flown off with someone else. So I figured I’d remind you.”
Rong Ci’s eyes flickered. He stared at him for a long moment. Su Jingyang grew increasingly irritated under that gaze. “What are you staring at? Did I hit the mark?”
Rong Ci suddenly reached out with both hands, cupping Su Jingyang’s face and forcing him to look back. His voice softened. “Su Jingyang, the person I met was my father’s younger brother, my actual uncle. So who exactly are you afraid my heart is flying off with?”
Su Jingyang had been about to swat his hands away. Instead, his body froze. He stared at Rong Ci in disbelief. “Y-your uncle?”
Rong Ci nodded. “My real one. We don’t meet often for various reasons. He comes to see me occasionally, but usually leaves after half a day.”
Su Jingyang went completely blank. Replaying his earlier outburst in his mind, embarrassment crept in inch by inch, his ears burning. “Th-then the other one… was that your cousin?”
“Cousin?” Rong Ci burst out laughing. “My uncle never married. Where would a cousin come from? Who told you that nonsense? Rong Hua?”
…Damn it, he’d been fooled!!!
Su Jingyang felt his head buzzing. From Rong Ci’s perspective, he must have looked like he was having a complete breakdown. Stupid to the point of comedy.
Seeing it clearly now, Rong Ci bent his fingers and knocked him on the forehead, exasperated. “You really have a pig’s brain. He lies all the time. Why do you believe him?”
Why did he believe it so easily? Su Jingyang thought he’d lost his mind.
“Well you never told me beforehand!” Su Jingyang argued stubbornly, glaring at him. “How was I supposed to know? And if he’s your uncle, why didn’t you bring me along to meet him?”
“You’d finally gotten some decent sleep, so I didn’t wake you. Besides, every time he comes, we only visit my father and my dad’s graves for a bit before he leaves. He doesn’t like staying long. Still, he knows about you and asked me to send his regards.”
Su Jingyang had nothing left to say. There was clearly a reason Rong Ci looked down on his intelligence.
Rong Ci dragged his chair closer, eyes shining as he looked straight at Su Jingyang. He lifted his voice slightly. “So now, can we talk about why you got angry over someone who doesn’t even exist?”
Su Jingyang felt like he’d been poked in the rear and nearly jumped up. He rattled off quickly, “What anger? I was just worried you’d remarry later and mistreat my children! That’s called prevention! How was I angry?? Am I?! Where? Which eye of yours saw that?!”
“Both,” Rong Ci replied.
Su Jingyang yanked his hands down hard, plastering on a strained smile as he offered sincere advice. “Then you should have Li Yin check your eyes, City Lord.”
Rong Ci suddenly laughed softly, his gaze rippling darkly, carrying a faint heat as he watched Su Jingyang in silence.
…What are you laughing at?! Su Jingyang felt his ears burn under that look. He shot him a glare and stubbornly insisted, “I really wasn’t angry. Not at all. Don’t go imagining strange things on your own.”
“Mm, I know you weren’t angry,” Rong Ci went along with him. One arm slipped around his waist while the other picked up the chopsticks he’d just set down. “Are you full? Eat a bit more. I’ll feed you.”
“Get lost. I don’t need you feeding me.”
A quarter of an hour later, Su Jingyang was nestled against Rong Ci, having been fed until he was nearly full. Just as he was about to order him to ladle some soup to fill the remaining gap, Rong Hua suddenly came charging in. He pounded hard on the door, ignoring how close the two inside were, and called out urgently, “Rong Ci!”
Hearing Rong Hua’s voice, Su Jingyang’s temper flared and he was about to get up and settle accounts with him. Instead, he heard Rong Hua speak rapidly to Rong Ci, who had turned around. “There’s some unusual activity at Wu Qun Mountain. Come out quickly.”
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