Liuxian chuckled. No wonder dinner looked so good.

It was pregnancy bait. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Thank you, Uncle Li," Guiying said, "but I’m not sure we’re ready for a baby just yet."

Old Li waved his chopsticks, then pushed the plate of yellow croaker closer.

"It seems like only yesterday the young master was born. It’s been so long—I haven’t made baby food in years. You both should give this old man three more mouths to feed."

—_—

Liuxian chuckled as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Mm, how do two girls and one boy sound? I want all my kids to look like their mother. That way their cuteness is guaranteed."

Guiying’s lips twitched. Why was Liuxian siding with Uncle Li?

He got that it was normal for Liuxian to want a child at his age, but he was still young. He didn’t want to have children without a notable achievement or a source of income of his own.

He didn’t just want to be a rich man’s spouse.

"But not right now," Guiying said. "Don’t you want us to enjoy our marriage before the kids come? I think we can wait two or three more years before we start having mini Guiyings."

Old Li smiled and nodded. He was only sixty-three and wasn’t dying anytime soon, so he could wait a few more years.

"Please enjoy your meals," he said. "Also, you’ll have to clean up after yourselves. This old man’s back is acting up. It’s good to get your hands dirty once in a while."

He nodded once, satisfied, then stepped back and let them eat.

"Shall we eat and put Old Li’s cooking to the test?" Liuxian winked, the teasing smile on his face making Guiying blush.

"Can you stop? It’s embarrassing enough,having to eat pregnancy-inducing food."

"Don’t worry about it. Just eat like you normally would."

Guiying’s lips twitched. "How can I eat when I know the food’s intentions?"

Liuxian laughed, low and pleased, and didn’t press it further.

They ate in companionable silence after that, though Guiying kept giving the yellow croaker suspicious looks, like it might start moving on its own.

When the last grain of rice was gone, Old Li’s voice echoed from the doorway. "Back pain or not, I’m not cleaning up after two grown men."

So they did.

Guiying scrubbed the bowls while Liuxian dried them, the sound of running water filling the quiet kitchen. Old Li’s words kept circling in Guiying’s head, and every time he glanced at Liuxian, he caught that infuriatingly smug little smile.

"Stop looking at me like that," Guiying said finally, wiping his hands on the towel. "You look like you’re plotting something."

"I’m not plotting," Liuxian said innocently. "I’m just... appreciating the results of Uncle Li’s cooking."

Guiying groaned.

Once the kitchen was clean and the dishes were put away, they headed upstairs. The house was quiet—the kind of quiet that only came after an old man had gotten his fill of meddling and gone to bed satisfied.

At the top of the stairs, Liuxian stopped and turned to him, leaning casually against the doorframe.

His voice dropped, casual but deliberate.

"We should sleep together tonight."

Guiying stopped dead. He stared at him for a long second, then narrowed his eyes.

"We just ate pregnancy-coded food," he said slowly, enunciating every word. "Old Li gave us soup for ’sound sleep..’ yellow croaker for ’strength,’ and ginseng chicken for your...manhood. And now you want us to sleep together?"

Liuxian blinked. "...Yes?"

Guiying threw his hands up. "Do you hear yourself? He practically set the table for it, and you’re going along with it!"

Liuxian stepped closer, that teasing smile back on his face. "And if I am? Is it so bad to want to sleep with my wife?"

Guiying’s face went red again, but this time it wasn’t just embarrassment.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then settled for giving Liuxian the most withering stare he could manage.

"You’re impossible."

Liuxian just chuckled, reached out, and tugged him forward by the sleeve. "Impossible or not, you’re coming to bed."

Behind them, from downstairs, Old Li’s muffled voice carried up: "Sleep well, you two!"

Guiying buried his face in his hands.

Liuxian just looked victorious.

Guiying let himself be tugged into the room, muttering under his breath the whole way.

"Pregnancy-bait dinner, back-pain excuse, and now this... Uncle Li planned this whole thing."

Liuxian shut the door softly behind them, the click making Guiying jump. He leaned against it with his arms crossed, watching Guiying like he had all night.

"Even if he did plan it," Liuxian said, "doesn’t mean he’s wrong."

Guiying whipped around, hands on his hips. "Of course you’d say that. You’ve been eating out of his palm since you were ten."

Liuxian grinned and took a step forward. "And you’ve been glaring at me since you walked in."

"I’m not glaring," Guiying said quickly, then immediately looked away because he was definitely glaring.

The room was quiet except for the faint sound of Old Li’s snores from down the hall.

Liuxian took that as permission to close the distance between them. He reached out, brushing a thumb over Guiying’s wrist where his sleeve had ridden up.

"You’re tense," he murmured.

"Uncle Li’s food was good, but it won’t work if you don’t relax."

Guiying yanked his hand back, though he didn’t move far. "Relax? Liuxian, he literally told you to be strong for bedroom activities. I can’t just relax after that!"

Liuxian’s grin softened a little. "Then don’t think about Uncle Li. Think about me."

Guiying opened his mouth, probably to throw another retort, but Liuxian beat him to it by reaching up and tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

The gesture was annoyingly gentle, and it made Guiying’s face burn all over again.

"You don’t have to decide anything tonight," Liuxian said quietly. "I just want you here. With me."

Guiying stared at him for a long moment, caught between annoyance and the traitorous warmth creeping up his chest. Finally he huffed, pulling the blanket back on the bed and climbing in with his back pointedly turned to Liuxian.

"Fine," he muttered. "But if I end up pregnant, I’m blaming you and Uncle Li."

Liuxian laughed under his breath as he slipped in beside him, careful not to crowd him too much.

"Noted. I’ll accept full responsibility."

The lamp clicked off, and the room fell into darkness. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then Guiying shifted, just slightly, until his back wasn’t quite as stiff.

Liuxian noticed, but didn’t say anything. He just reached out in the dark and laced their fingers together.

Downstairs, Old Li rolled over in his sleep and smiled.

He was having a pleasant dream—cooking for young ones once again.