Chapter 66: Take the Pill or Get Married? Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
Shou Jiaxun pulled the blanket up to the base of his neck, huddling as far away from Liang Bo as possible. Several times he opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, and eventually, he simply squeezed his eyes shut.
Right now, his mind was a battlefield. On one side was Bai Fan’s voice: “He’s actually quite pitiful.” On the other side was his past-life self: “What a disaster! It was bad enough being taken down by a brat at your age, but now you’re going to have his baby?”
Liang Bo watched him from the side for a moment before asking, “Did I say something wrong?”
Shou Jiaxun pretended not to hear. To make his sleep act more convincing, he even let out a series of shallow snores from the back of his throat.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned unrelated people,” Liang Bo said.
This time, Shou Jiaxun’s eyelids cracked open a sliver as he glanced sideways. He thought to himself, Now that’s a sensible thing to say.
Guo Duoyu was an honest kid, and Liang Bo wasn’t bad either. If he were picking a son, he’d have packed him up and taken him home long ago. If he were picking a brother, they could have sworn an oath of brotherhood in a peach garden… Hah!
President Shou, his heart full of grievances, remained passively silent for over a dozen hours. By the time they landed, he felt like he was about to evolve into a mute.
Uncle Guo personally drove to pick them up. Seeing Shou Jiaxun, he immediately stepped forward and gave him a hug. “It’s okay, it’s okay. There’s still time. I’ll take you to buy the medicine right now.”
Liang Bo’s heart tightened, his swollen eyes widening slightly.
Upon seeing his “closest kin,” Shou Jiaxun’s mood finally relaxed. He gave a bitter laugh and began an endless tirade against the strange foreign laws, and that pharmacy where the power went out so they sold expired medicine, only to offer a simple return afterward.
Shou Jiaxun was filled with righteous indignation. “I should have stayed behind to sue them. The hotel should have compensated me for mental distress.”
Guo Ran slung an arm around his young partner’s shoulder as they walked toward the parking lot, glancing back to give Assistant Liang a look that said “keep calm.”
After getting into the car, he spoke to Shou Jiaxun in a casual tone. “After your accident that day, Xiao Liang called me immediately. He told me a lot; he was terrified too.”
Shou Jiaxun sighed, interrupting with a serious expression. “Uncle, let me tell you, that accounting firm over there is also quite unreliable…”
Uncle Guo made eye contact with Liang Bo through the rearview mirror. Different faces, but the same sense of helplessness.
As the car entered the city, its speed slowed. This was partly due to the narrow roads and heavy traffic of the old district, and partly because it was nearing the end of the workday, with the evening rush hour beginning its overture right on time.
Perhaps because the car was moving so slowly, President Shou’s desire to talk waned. He fell silent, allowing quiet to return to the car.
Seeing his chance, Uncle Guo cleared his throat and asked, “Didn’t you two go to Yangcheng recently? Did your father say when he plans to come back?”
“He’s not coming back,” Shou Jiaxun said with a self-deprecating smile. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem to care anymore. “He said that place is suitable for retirement.”
Uncle Guo nodded. “Alright then… It’s the same if you go visit him often. Since he’s not coming, should I cancel the lease on the apartment I rented for you?”
Shou Jiaxun lowered his head in thought for two full minutes before letting out a short, light laugh as if waking from a dream. “No need. If he’s not coming, I’ll live there.”
“You’re moving out?” Uncle Guo asked in surprise. “You and Xiao Liang? Or just yourself? Why the sudden urge to move out?”
“It’s just… since it’s already rented anyway,” Shou Jiaxun replied with a cheerful, vague excuse.
Uncle Guo’s brow furrowed. “Are you still angry about the nonsense Guo Duoyu was spouting that day?”
“No, why would I be mad at him? Haha.” Shou Jiaxun acted as if he were amused, making up an excuse about “growing up.” “Maybe because it’s almost my zodiac year, I suddenly want to settle down and have a home of my own.”
“Wanting to settle down is a good thing.” Uncle Guo nodded with a smile, then pulled the car over to the curb.
Shou Jiaxun turned to look out the window. This place was only a stone’s throw from Guo Ran’s home, but they hadn’t arrived yet. He looked confused. “Uncle?”
Uncle Guo nodded toward a pharmacy on the street corner.
“Oh, right!” Shou Jiaxun finally reacted and immediately pushed the door open to get out.
Liang Bo followed him instantly, grabbing his arm and pleading, “Can’t you consider it again? The child is innocent. Give them a chance, and give me a chance too.”
Uncle Guo got out from the other side and came around to mediate. “We’re on the street, stay calm. You don’t have to take the medicine immediately. Just buy it first, take a look, and we’ll talk about it, okay?”
Only then did Liang Bo let go.
Shou Jiaxun pressed a hand to his heart, looking quite affected and startled.
Uncle Guo pulled him to his other side and led him into the pharmacy.
The small pharmacy was located on the ground floor of an old residential building. The interior wasn’t large, with only seven or eight counters in total. There weren’t any other customers when they walked in.
This made it convenient to inquire about this somewhat embarrassing specialty medication.
The clerk’s attitude was very casual. Hearing they wanted emergency contraception, she turned to take a few boxes from the shelf. “There’s the three-day one and the seven-day one. Which do you want?”
Uncle Guo raised his eyebrows in surprise. “There’s a seven-day one? I’ve never heard of that before.”
“The three-day one has a ninety percent success rate, while the seven-day one is seventy percent.” The clerk smiled at them. “Generally, the three-day one is the first choice.”
Uncle Guo pressed, “So neither of them is a hundred percent?”
The clerk laughed awkwardly. “You don’t understand, do you, Big Brother? Even pre-emptive contraception isn’t a hundred percent. If you don’t believe me, go read the manual for condoms.”
Uncle Guo waved his hand sheepishly. “I really don’t understand; I’ve never researched it. But by seven days, the fetus has already implanted. Can you still call that contraception?”
The clerk shrugged. “It’s certainly less harmful than a surgical abortion. At seven days, it’s not even as big as a tadpole.”
Hearing the word “tadpole,” an image of the 4D scan Liang Bo had shown him suddenly flashed through Shou Jiaxun’s mind—the head, the tail… it was actually kind of cute.
Uncle Guo’s brow was tightly knit. “The seven-day one isn’t advisable. Let’s go with the three-day one.” He then asked the clerk again, “Are there any allergic reactions to the three-day one?”
The clerk began to lose patience. “I’ve been selling this for years, and I’ve never heard of anyone having an allergy.”
She then turned her scrutinizing gaze to the only one of the three who could possibly be pregnant. “It’s for you, right? Haven’t you made up your mind yet? Why don’t you buy it first, go home, think it over carefully, and then take it? If three days aren’t enough, buy both types to give yourself more time to decide.”
“After all, this is a major event in your life, and his too.” She tilted her chin toward Shou Jiaxun’s stomach.
Shou Jiaxun felt incredibly awkward, but his face didn’t turn red; instead, it went pale.
He began to understand why Uncle Guo, knowing that keeping Guo Duoyu would be a devastating blow to his life, had insisted on giving birth back then.
Never mind a five-month-old fetus—right now, it was just a cell nucleus in his stomach, and it was already enough to make him waver.
Seeing that Shou Jiaxun wasn’t responding, the clerk looked at Liang Bo and asked, “Is it yours?”
Liang Bo was stunned by the question. It took a few seconds for him to react and nod.
The clerk curled her lip slightly. “You don’t want it?”
Liang Bo reacted quickly this time, shaking his head immediately with a look of firm bitterness.
The clerk grabbed both types of medicine and shoved them toward him. “The Alpha needs to take responsibility. You go pay.”
Shou Jiaxun suddenly reached out and accurately grabbed the three-day emergency pill. Before Liang Bo or Uncle Guo could react, he had already walked quickly to the checkout counter.
The clerk gave Liang Bo an awkward shrug while reminding Shou Jiaxun, “If you have a sensitive stomach, try to take it with a meal.”
Shou Jiaxun paid quickly and pushed the door open to leave, with Uncle Guo and Liang Bo following close behind.
Once all three were outside, Uncle Guo didn’t reach for his keys to open the car. Instead, he suggested, “I think Xiao Liang’s school district house is just behind here. Why don’t we go take a look?”
By now, Liang Bo’s heart had settled a bit, as he saw that Uncle Guo had kept his word and was still willing to help him.
Shou Jiaxun was clearly unhappy, questioning with a frown, “Why?”
“No reason, just to see.” Uncle Guo’s voice was low as he sheepishly took Shou Jiaxun’s arm. “I’ve lived half my life and never seen what a school district house looks like. Let’s take a tour.”
Liang Bo took the opportunity to invite them. “It’s the third building ahead. It’s very close, just a short walk.”
Shou Jiaxun was dragged forward by his uncle with a face full of reluctance. His impulse to take the pill and his reluctance to let go of the “cell nucleus” were currently alternating, and the internal tug-of-war was making him very irritable.
Liang Bo’s neighborhood was at least thirty years old, but because it was located in a busy downtown area, the environment was kept very tidy and up-to-date.
The buildings were old, but the student families changed every few years, so there weren’t many elderly residents, and it lacked the gloomy atmosphere of old suburban housing.
The biggest problem was the severe lack of parking. Every small square that could be designated as a spot under the building was packed tight. A driver with even slightly poor skills probably wouldn’t dare drive in here.
Secondly, there was no elevator. The layout was similar to the “old, small, and broken” apartment Uncle Guo used to rent, except this place was well-maintained and didn’t look “broken.”
Fortunately, Liang Bo lived on a low floor, so they only had to climb to the third floor, which wasn’t too tiring.
The old building was compact, with three units per floor. Liang Bo’s home was the one on the left. The windows faced west, so theoretically, there should have been a wave of heat when they opened the door at this hour.
However, after Liang Bo opened the door with the code lock, a cool breeze greeted them.
The air conditioning was running, but no one was home. Liang Bo explained, “My dad probably forgot to turn it off.”
Before Shou Jiaxun could think further, he was pushed into the room by Uncle Guo. He looked around casually. The decor was dated but cozy. The bookshelves were crammed with the textbooks Liang Bo had used in school. A few trophies were squeezed into the gaps. A closer look showed they were all for team sports—the highest being at the city-wide school team level—but the rankings were all mediocre: fourth, fifth, or sixth place.
The entire unit was about sixty square meters, with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was just enough for a family of three.
Indeed, there were traces of a family of three living here everywhere.
Liang Bo introduced them, “From the time I started primary school, I spent most of my time living here with my father. So, growing up, this was my home in the strict sense of the word.”
As he spoke, he pushed open the master bedroom door to show Shou Jiaxun. “This was their old room.”
Liang Bo’s Alpha father had passed away many years ago, but the bed in this room still had two pillows neatly arranged on it. There were also two computers on the long desk against the wall—one was a new laptop, while the other was very old. Its heavy tower was tucked under the desk, and the LCD screen even had a glass cover, clearly a product from over a decade ago.
On the desk was an old photo of Liang Bo and both his fathers, a small family of three. It was a small print, and the colors had yellowed slightly. A bicycle was squeezed into the gap between the foot of the bed and the wall.
Compared to the small villa Liang Bo had taken him to, this place certainly felt more like a home.
Liang Bo’s second bedroom had a bunk bed shaped like a pirate ship, but the top bunk was filled with a row of storage boxes and three basketballs. It had essentially become a storage rack.
Liang Bo slowly knelt before the bed and pulled out a drawer from the bed frame.
Looking down, Shou Jiaxun saw a child’s drawing inside. The theme was likely “My Home” or “Me and My Family.”
The drawing wasn’t exactly abstract, but it wasn’t realistic either. One could just barely make out two men holding a little boy’s hands, with the child stepping on a ball… it should have been a basketball. But it wasn’t drawn well; at first glance, it looked like the boy had legs of different lengths.
Liang Bo held up the drawing for Shou Jiaxun to see. “Grade 1, Class 2, Liang Bo’s work… it’s been so many years.”
Shou Jiaxun nodded, remaining silent.
Liang Bo placed the drawing on the edge of the bed, and Shou Jiaxun immediately saw what had been hidden beneath it—it was actually a “Real Estate Gift Agreement.”
Along with a gold velvet ring box.
Liang Bo turned in place, still keeping one knee on the ground in a half-kneeling position, and held both items up toward Shou Jiaxun.
“I asked my dad to help me prepare this. It was a bit rushed and not very romantic, but… Shou Jiaxun, let’s get married. Let’s give each other a complete home…”
Translator’s Note: “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe” (点兵点将): This is a Chinese nursery rhyme used for choosing someone, similar to the English version. In this context, it reflects Shou Jiaxun’s indecision and the whimsical yet stressful nature of the choice he has to make. Hope you guys are enjoying the chaos! – Your friendly neighborhood translator.
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
