Can I still be saved? [Transmigration] - Chapter 18
After their bath, Fu Hanzhou changed into one of Su Yunjing’s pajamas.
It carried a faint scent of soap exactly like the smell of Su Yunjing himself. Fu Hanzhou really liked it.
It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet when they finished. Su Yunjing asked, “Wanna watch some TV? The kids’ channel should still be showing cartoons right now.”
But Fu Hanzhou wasn’t interested and asked “Can you teach me how to type on the phone instead?”
Su Yunjing was a little puzzled. “Why do you suddenly want to learn how to type?”
“You said before, if we get another phone, you’d want to text with me.”
Looking into Fu Hanzhou’s clear, black-and-white eyes, Su Yunjing was momentarily speechless.
To be honest, if Fu Hanzhou hadn’t brought it up, he’d have completely forgotten he ever said that.
“Alright then, let’s go to my room. I’ll teach you.”
Before starting the typing lesson, Su Yunjing first applied some chilblain cream to Fu Hanzhou’s hands.
The little cool cub had delicate skin, and his index and pinky fingers were red and swollen from the cold.
After carefully applying the cream, Su Yunjing handed him the tube and reminded him, “You need to put this on every day, alright?”
Fu Hanzhou responded with a quiet, “Mm.”
Fu Hanzhou had already learned pinyin, but he didn’t know that many Chinese characters yet.
Su Yunjing first taught him how to type his own name.
Fu Hanzhou was extremely smart. once he figured out how to spell his name, he quickly grasped how to type other words too.
His only obstacle was that he wasn’t used to the layout of the keys, so he typed a little slowly.
Su Yunjing then showed him how to send a text message.
Even though a little cool cub had opened up a lot, he was not as rowdy or energetic as other kids.
Su Yunjing, who wasn’t actually an eight-year-old, had no interest in children’s toys either.
These two oddly mature little kids climbed into bed and turned off the lights right at 8 PM.
Seeing how unusually quiet the two of them were, Song Wenqian took advantage of a commercial break during her drama to go check on them.
She opened the door only to find that the room was already dark.
On the bed, two little heads turned toward her in perfect unison.
Song Wenqian: “…”
Asleep this early?
How ridiculously wholesome and healthy could they be?
She had thought that since the kids rarely got to sleep over together, they’d probably be up playing and reluctant to go to bed.
“Mom, is something wrong?” Su Yunjing asked.
“No, nothing. You two go on and sleep,” Song Wenqian waved her hand and backed out of the room.
“Turn the TV down, the kids are already asleep,” Song Wenqian lowered her voice and scolded Lu Tao.
“…This is your primetime drama. I’m just the guy who keeps you company and makes small talk. Why am I getting yelled at now? Isn’t that your remote?” Lu Tao looked aggrieved, like a 200-pound man-child.
“Don’t talk nonsense to me. Move over,” Song Wenqian kicked him lightly, then picked up the remote and turned the volume down.
Actually, Su Yunjing and Fu Hanzhou weren’t asleep yet. They had just climbed into bed and were lying quietly under the covers.
Not long after they settled in, Fu Hanzhou shifted uncomfortably.
Su Yunjing asked, “What’s wrong?”
“My hand really itches.”
The warm blanket was making the frostbitten areas on Fu Hanzhou’s hands tingle with an unbearable itch.
Su Yunjing had gotten chilblain as a kid too, he knew exactly how that felt.
He pulled Fu Hanzhou’s hand over and gently rubbed the chilbletten areas, helping to improve bl00d circulation.
Fu Hanzhou leaned in, resting his soft, pale cheek against Su Yunjing’s shoulder and closed his eyes.
It was an affectionate and trusting gesture.
Breathing in Su Yunjing’s clean scent, Fu Hanzhou’s breathing gradually calmed.
Su Yunjing let go of his hand, tugged the blanket up a little higher over him, and yawned as he adjusted to a more comfortable position.
After Su Yunjing fell asleep, Fu Hanzhou opened his eyes.
In the darkness, those pitch-black eyes quietly gazed at Su Yunjing for a moment. Then, Fu Hanzhou reached out and hugged him, gently burying his face in the crook of Su Yunjing’s neck.
Once he stays over, it becomes easier to stay a second time.
Fu Hanzhou was a very quiet sleeper; he didn’t snore, didn’t grind his teeth, and didn’t toss and turn much.
But he did have one small habit. He liked to sleep while clinging to someone. Sometimes he would end up pinning down Su Yunjing’s arm, leaving it so numb by morning that he couldn’t lift it.
After realizing this sleeping posture was a bit of a hassle for Su Yunjing, Fu Hanzhou tried to restrain himself a little but he still liked to sleep close.
Su Yunjing understood. It was a sign of insecurity.
After all, Fu Hanzhou had lived through a terrible childhood and witnessed his own mother jump from a building. Now that he’d finally met someone he could rely on, of course he would definitely hold on tightly.
So Su Yunjing never tried to correct him.
If he wanted to snuggle, so be it. It wasn’t a big deal. Everyone had their little quirks when they slept, didn’t they?
Because Fu Hanzhou frequently visited Su Yunjing’s home, he also had more chances to interact with Song Wenqian and Lu Tao.
And after the aloof little cool cub shed his cold exterior, his outstanding looks made him practically unstoppable in this appearance-obsessed world.
The couple had both taken a real liking to Fu Hanzhou.
But Fu Hanzhou himself didn’t pay much attention to anyone besides Su Yunjing.
Even so, he had noticed Song Wenqian’s belly becoming more and more pronounced.
“Did I not tell you?” Su Yunjing explained with a smile. “My mom’s stomach looks like that because she’s pregnant.”
Fu Hanzhou’s pitch-black pupils trembled slightly.
“You’re going to have a little sister or brother?” His voice was tight, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.
Hearing the tension in Fu Hanzhou’s voice, Su Yunjing quickly reassured him. “Even if I do have a younger sibling, I’ll still care about you.”
A while back, Fu Hanzhou didn’t let him give candy to other children.
At the time, Su Yunjing didn’t understand why. But later, he figured it out.
The little guy had been jealous.
In the novel, Fu Hanzhou had always been someone with a powerful possessiveness, borderline obsessive almost to the point of being pathological.
It was the kind of thing that made you think, ‘this is messed up’, while simultaneously finding it thrilling.
Though Su Yunjing wasn’t the female lead, and Fu Hanzhou was only seven years old, far too young to feel any sort of romantic love for him.
But feelings like familial love and friendship can stir up jealousy too.
Like when an older brother resents his younger sibling for getting more affection from their parents, or when friend A feels hurt because friend B gets along better with friend C.
Fu Hanzhou wanted to have Su Yunjing all to himself. He wanted Su Yunjing to only be good to him.
Given his character setup, having thoughts like these wasn’t the least bit surprising.
Su Yunjing, like a parent expecting a second child, felt the need to reassure his ‘firstborn’ Fu Hanzhou.
“Don’t worry, I won’t ignore you because of anyone else.”
Out of nowhere, a famous meme line popped into Su Yunjing’s head, and he thought it fit the moment perfectly.
“He’s not here to break up our brotherly bond. He’s here to join it.” Su Yunjing even said it in a Taiwanese accent.
“Wouldn’t you like one more person to play with you? Once he grows up, he’ll run after you calling you “gege” in that soft and cute baby voice.”
But Fu Hanzhou didn’t want that.
Not even a little bit.
To him, the baby in Song Wenqian’s belly was nothing but a threat, a wedge coming to split him and Su Yunjing apart.
And at that moment, Fu Hanzhou clearly, unmistakably realized one thing.
Su Yunjing had parents, classmates, and friends.
But he. He only had Su Yunjing.
And now someone else was about to show up and fight him for Su Yunjing’s attention.
Su Yunjing had no idea what was going through Fu Hanzhou’s head. He only saw this as a perfect opportunity to instill the right values.
Fu Hanzhou had so many good qualities, but his biggest flaw was his extreme nature and possessiveness. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have obsessed over the female lead so stubbornly in the original story.
He was the kind of person who, once he gave his heart, would be so devoted that even if he hit a wall, he wouldn’t turn back.
Su Yunjing wanted him to be open and optimistic.
He hoped Fu Hanzhou could learn to let go of the past and embrace more people in his life, so he could feel more love.
Su Yunjing poured out a whole lot of chicken soup, but Fu Hanzhou didn’t take in a single word.
Fu Hanzhou’s mind was full of just one thing. Song Wenqian was pregnant. Su Yunjing was going to have a little brother or sister.
Seeing Fu Hanzhou sitting there with his head lowered, eyes dark and heavy, Su Yunjing finally gave up on the lecture.
He gently ruffled the boy’s soft black hair and solemnly assured him, “I won’t abandon you.”
Fu Hanzhou’s eyelashes trembled slightly, as a wave of fear rose in his heart.
But under Su Yunjing’s warm palm, all of Fu Hanzhou’s defiant, restless, and turbulent emotions were momentarily soothed and suppressed.
Fu Hanzhou slowly closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Su Yunjing’s shoulder.
He thought.
If only it could be just the two of us in this world.
Ever since learning that Song Wenqian was pregnant, Fu Hanzhou would often unconsciously stare at her growing belly.
One day, while she was picking vegetables in the kitchen, Song Wenqian noticed him gazing at her bump and waved him over with a smile.
There was an old saying in Song Wenqian’s hometown.
They believed children had a sharp intuition and could accurately guess the gender of a baby in the womb.
“Hanzhou, What do you think Auntie’s baby is? A boy or a girl? If you guess right, I’ll cook you something delicious when the baby is born.”
Fu Hanzhou didn’t say anything as he looked at her belly.
His eyes were pure black, like bottomless abysses that could devour everything.
“Hanzhou?” Song Wenqian frowned slightly, puzzled by his silence.
Fu Hanzhou finally looked away. His expression was flat, and his voice soft.
“A girl.”
“Really?” Song Wenqian didn’t pay much attention to his strange reaction and lovingly touched her belly. “Girls are good. Auntie likes girls.”
“How about this, when she’s born, I’ll arrange a little engagement for you two.”
She teased, “Do you want a little wife?”
Fu Hanzhou suddenly asked, “Can I touch it?”
“Of course.” Song Wenqian took his small hand and placed it gently on her belly.
“If it really is a girl, I’ll marry her off to you in the future,” she joked again. “Do you like that?”
Fu Hanzhou did not like it.
The baby in her belly would only take away Su Yunjing’s attention from him.
How could he possibly like that?
When Su Yunjing came out of the bathroom, he saw Fu Hanzhou with a stiff little face and unreadable expression, resting his hand on Song Wenqian’s belly.
Su Yunjing’s forehead twitched twice, a chill inexplicably crawling down his spine.
He quickly called Fu Hanzhou back into the room.
“What were you and my mom talking about?” Su Yunjing asked.
Fu Hanzhou replied blandly, “She asked if I liked the baby in her belly and said she wanted to betroth her to me.”
Su Yunjing: “…”
Parents always liked making those kinds of jokes.
Because children didn’t really understand what “wife” meant, their innocent reactions always made adults laugh.
Su Yunjing pursed his lips, cautiously asking, “So… do you like the idea?”
To his surprise, Fu Hanzhou tilted his delicately carved face and smiled.
“I like it.”
When he smiled, his eyes curved like crescents, and his gaze was bright and clear.
Su Yunjing was stunned for a moment, then asked instinctively, “Really?”
He couldn’t help being doubtful, because everything about Fu Hanzhou’s earlier behavior screamed the opposite of ‘like’.