The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 74

The thin sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains, shining on the floor. Chen Xian was staring blankly at the ceiling, the events of last night vivid in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

At first, he had been holding Shen Jixue, demonstrating things to him bit by bit. Shen Jixue was being extremely obedient in his arms, answering in a muffled voice that was incredibly alluring. Everything was going smoothly until Shen Jixue suddenly spoke up, “Chen Xian, let me try.”

In that moment, Chen Xian’s mind went blank. Shen Jixue continued in a soft voice, “You’ve taught me, but I need to try it myself to see if I can do it. Let me try.”

It sounded reasonable enough. From the moment Shen Jixue turned around in his arms, it seemed like everything spiraled out of control. Shen Jixue was quick-witted and could infer and apply what he learned, even if it was improper. Chen Xian tried to stop him several times but couldn’t find the right moment.

In the end, Shen Jixue took the lead, and Chen Xian found himself unable to regain control. Shen Jixue kept asking if he was doing it right, if it should be like this, and if Chen Xian disagreed, he would insist on trying again until he got it right. Chen Xian had no choice but to nod in agreement. He thought this would make Shen Jixue stop, but then Shen Jixue made a surprising declaration.

“If I can do it better than you, let me do it from now on.”

Chen Xian was already dizzy and couldn’t find a good reason to refute him. Shen Jixue kept acting coy, asking, “Is that okay, Chen Xian?”

Shen Jixue’s breath was right by his lips, their lips brushing against each other intermittently. As if under a spell, Chen Xian nodded.

How did it come to this?

Chen Xian regretted turning over and felt like he was a traditional man. Deep down, he had a bit of a macho streak. Being subdued in bed by a boy ten years his junior was a hurdle he couldn’t get over; it just didn’t feel right.

As he was thinking about it, his back suddenly felt hot. A warm chest approached, and an arm wrapped around his waist.

“Chen Xian, are you awake?”

Shen Jixue stuck tightly, almost inseparable from him. Even through his back, he could feel Shen Jixue’s powerful heartbeat.

“Why aren’t you talking?” Shen Jixue was a little confused. He rubbed his face against Chen Xian’s back, and when he was a little more awake, he propped himself up to look at Chen Xian’s face.

The memories of last night rushed in. Chen Xian felt the heat in his thighs, and when he met Shen Jixue’s eyes, he sat up in embarrassment.

“Hey?” Shen Jixue also sat up.

“I’ll wash my face.” Chen Xian didn’t even turn on the lights before fleeing from the bedroom. When he entered the bathroom, he quickly turned on the faucet, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it on his face. The burning sensation persisted. His movements gradually stopped, and he looked up at himself in the mirror.

He looked a bit embarrassed in the mirror, breathing slightly heavily. His forehead was wet with water droplets dripping into his eyes and flowing down his nose.

To think he had actually been… by Shen Jixue… How pathetic…

Chen Xian lamented inwardly. He should have been more resolute and not let Shen Jixue have his way in everything. He was just too agreeable, so…

Footsteps approached from the direction of the bedroom. Before Chen Xian could turn around, Shen Jixue had already slipped into the bathroom and hugged him from behind.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Shen Jixue stubbornly cornered Chen Xian between himself and the sink.

With nowhere to escape, Chen Xian dared not look at Shen Jixue in the mirror, so he hung his head and defended himself weakly.

“I’m not.”

“Not? You don’t even dare to look at me. Are you regretting it? Are you one of those people who start something but don’t finish it?”

Chen Xian hurriedly raised his head, meeting Shen Jixue’s aggrieved eyes. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean? Last night was fine, but now you’re avoiding me this morning.”

It sounded as if Chen Xian had done something to Shen Jixue. Regardless of the circumstances, they had done something they shouldn’t have. No matter the process, he couldn’t just act like he didn’t know Shen Jixue after getting out of bed.

“I’m not.” Chen Xian was shy and reluctant to open up to Shen Jixue, only able to offer a feeble defense. “I just got up early to wash my face.”

But Shen Jixue was thick-skinned. Young people aren’t subtle; they say what they think. Pressing his cheek against Chen Xian’s, he bluntly exposed him. “Are you embarrassed?”

“I…” Chen Xian felt that, as a grown man, he should be more experienced than Shen Jixue in such matters. He wasn’t embarrassed; he…

“You’re really embarrassed?” Shen Jixue seemed to discover something incredible, his tone rising several notches. “You are embarrassed.”

Chen Xian was mortified by Shen Jixue’s teasing. To save face, he darkened his expression. “Who’s embarrassed? I told you I’m not.”

“Then why?” Shen Jixue pressed on, “Tell me, or else you’re embarrassed and won’t admit it.”

Chen Xian felt utterly humiliated in front of Shen Jixue. He was ten years older and couldn’t let Shen Jixue walk all over him.

Being pushed this far, he decided there was nothing he couldn’t say. “Next time, let me do it.”

“What?” Shen Jixue feigned ignorance. “Let you do what?”

Chen Xian sighed and made a move to pry Shen Jixue’s arms off his waist, but Shen Jixue wouldn’t let go. “Hey!”

Through the glass, Chen Xian made eye contact with Shen Jixue, who winked at him and softened his tone. “Why? Did I hurt you? Were you uncomfortable? Did you not like it?”

Well… not exactly. Chen Xian didn’t expect Shen Jixue to be so direct.

Shen Jixue started again. “If it didn’t hurt, then it felt good and you liked it?”

Chen Xian’s face, already slightly red from embarrassment, quickly darkened. He knew Shen Jixue was setting him up again.

“Shen Jixue.”

Calling him by his full name, something Chen Xian had never done, indicated he was truly angry. Shen Jixue pouted. “I was just kidding. You seem to care a lot about this. I think if we both like each other, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

With such a heavy statement, Chen Xian’s mind went blank. Maybe he was being a bit petty. Shen Jixue was younger, and it was reasonable to let him have his way. Shen Jixue wasn’t a woman, so he shouldn’t be treated like one. With this in mind, it really didn’t matter who took the lead.

“Does it matter that much to you?” Shen Jixue murmured, fiddling nervously with Chen Xian’s clothes.

Chen Xian felt Shen Jixue was deliberately playing the victim, but he couldn’t help falling for it. He sighed, pried Shen Jixue’s arms off, and pulled him closer.

“Brush your teeth. I’ll take you back to the hospital afterward.”

Shen Jixue looked hurt. “Are you sending me away just because of this?”

Chen Xian didn’t want to argue anymore. Shen Jixue kept pushing. “You haven’t been discharged yet. When we asked the doctor for leave yesterday, we said we’d go back to the hospital first thing in the morning.”

Shen Jixue couldn’t help but smile. Chen Xian was like that, soft-hearted and easily swayed. If he didn’t resist, it meant he agreed. Shen Jixue decided not to push further. “Chen Xian, you’re too good to me.”

Chen Xian couldn’t stay mad at Shen Jixue. With Shen Jixue being so compliant and saying a few nice words, he couldn’t bear to hold a grudge.

“Brush your teeth. We don’t know if you’ll need a check-up this morning, so we won’t have breakfast yet. We’ll decide after we get to the hospital.”

Shen Jixue had been under observation for a while, and his eyes had healed well. He was ready to be discharged. Meanwhile, Lin Qiao had also undergone surgery, and with extra beds available in the cardiology department, she could move over.

Lin Qiao was still in recovery and couldn’t do any heavy lifting, so Shen Jixue and Chen Xian helped with the move.

“Let’s plan a meal together sometime,” Chen Xian suggested, pointing to Shen Jixue. “I need to take Xiao Shen to his school soon to see if he can re-enroll.”

Lin Qiao’s eyes lit up at the mention of school. “Is his student status still active?”

“Yes,” Chen Xian replied. He hadn’t attended college and didn’t know much about it. When Shen Jixue’s eyesight failed, his father handled everything. He wasn’t sure of the details.

Lin Qiao, in a similar situation, waved her hand. “As long as his status is active, he can go back. I’m so jealous, Shen Jixue. You can get out of the hospital and return to school so soon.”

Lin Qiao’s heart surgery was much riskier than Shen Jixue’s eye surgery. She was still under postoperative observation and had lost a lot of weight.

Shen Jixue comforted her. “You’ll be next. Don’t worry. Health is the most important thing.”

Sending off a fellow patient who had been through so much with her, Lin Qiao felt a bit reluctant. But she couldn’t get emotional. “Alright, go on. Let’s not make this too emotional. I don’t want my heart to act up.”

Lin Qiao’s joke lightened the mood, making the farewell scene less sorrowful. After completing the discharge procedures, Chen Xian and Shen Jixue packed their things and left the hospital.

The hospital wasn’t far from home; walking back wouldn’t take much time. Besides, Chen Xian had promised Shen Jixue that he would accompany him to enjoy the scenery along the way, and now was the perfect time to fulfill that promise.

“I was initially worried that studying might be a bit troublesome for you, but after hearing Lin Qiao, I feel a bit more at ease,” Chen Xian said, feeling relieved. “In the next few days, since Zhang ge doesn’t need me, I’ll ask Wu Bie to look after things. We’ll buy tickets and visit your school.”

Shen Jixue nodded. He was worried too, but more than the trouble, he feared spending Chen Xian’s money. He felt like a bottomless pit, needing a lifetime to repay Chen Xian.