Chapter 99 – My gift for turning 18 years old is gege

Jiang Que and Shen Tazhi reconciled, but it seemed like they hadn’t fully reconciled. This was Shen Qingxue’s most direct feeling in these days.

Jiang Que no longer gave Shen Tazhi dark looks at every turn. Instead, he started sticking close to Shen Tazhi again, appearing no different from before.

But it was only on the surface.

Shen Qingxue watched them sitting together on the sofa watching TV, but as she observed the two who suddenly separated while watching, she fell into contemplation:

— How come they are sometimes affectionate and sometimes standoffish towards each other?

Intermittent reconciliation?

At the same time, on the sofa, Jiang Que, who had suddenly darted a distance away, glared fiercely at Shen Tazhi.

“How can you kiss me so casually! You pervert!!” he exclaimed with frustration.

Shen Tazhi looked very innocent.

It was Jiang Que who had mischievously used his tentacles first while the living room lights were dim. Shen Tazhi had no choice but to remember that Jiang Que got shy after a kiss, so he wanted to try it out.

But Jiang Que didn’t care whether he had a reason or not. Clutching a cushion, he rolled to the side, only to meet Shen Qingxue’s puzzled gaze, once again blushing.

Shen Tazhi was the bad guy, clearly aware that his aunt was nearby, yet he still kissed him.

Jiang Que didn’t see any difference between his previous antics with his tentacles and Shen Tazhi’s actions. He glared at Shen Tazhi again, his face flushed.

“I’m going upstairs to take a shower. I have classes tomorrow, and I’m not going to keep hanging out with you.”

Angrily, Jiang Que went upstairs, leaving Shen Tazhi on the sofa, chuckling at his irritated departure.

After coming back to his senses from the recent anxiety, Shen Tazhi finally realised that Jiang Que was just saying one thing but meant another. Even though he seemed grumpy and claimed he didn’t like him anymore, in reality, he was either teasing him on purpose or just feeling shy.

…How adorable.

Shen Tazhi’s smile reached his eyes, and Shen Qingxue, seeing him happily amused despite Jiang Que’s sulky departure, became even more puzzled.

“Zhizhi.”

Shen Qingxue finally couldn’t help but ask aloud, “Have you and Xiaoque really reconciled?”

Shen Tazhi turned around, clearly in a pleasant mood, “We have.”

Shen Qingxue: …This is called reconciliation?

She asked with concern, “Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?”

The smile in Shen Tazhi’s eyes was about to overflow, “Really, I’m not lying to you. Que Que isn’t angry, he’s just… being coquettish.”

Shen Qingxue:

For some reason, she felt a bit sour in her heart.

But she didn’t need to meddle too much in these kids’ affairs. Shen Tazhi didn’t seem like he was lying, so after some thought, Shen Qingxue decided to leave it be and went back to her room to apply a face mask.

There’s nothing a fruit platter can’t solve, and if there is, then two. Look, aren’t these two children reconciled now?

Shen Tazhi also got up from the sofa and left. As he was going upstairs, he paused.

Right, they hadn’t told their parents about their situation yet.

…Maybe he should ask Jiang Que’s opinion tonight, and he could confess to their parents tomorrow. After all, as the older one, he should be the first to step up in the face of pressure from elders.

…

Upstairs.

Jiang Que had just finished showering when there was a knock on his door.

He opened it to find Shen Tazhi, taking a cautious step back, “No kissing.”

Shen Tazhi always liked to suddenly kiss him by surprise, and once he did, it would go on and on. While he enjoyed kissing Shen Tazhi, it didn’t mean he liked being pinned down for it all the time.

Shen Tazhi, feeling helpless, asked, “Am I really… the kind of person in your eyes?”

Jiang Que nodded.

Shen Tazhi raised his hands in surrender, “I really didn’t come to tease you. I came to discuss something with you.”

Jiang Que was skeptical, “What is it?”

Shen Tazhi took advantage of Jiang Que’s moment of hesitation, darted into the room, closed the door, and faced Jiang Que, who had become alert, saying:

“I’m here to ask, do you want to come out to our parents?”

Jiang Que was taken aback. Shen Tazhi misunderstood his hesitation and explained:

“It’s not necessary to do it right now. I can handle it. I’m just asking for your opinion. If you don’t want to talk about it, then we can…”

“Yes!” Jiang Que quickly interrupted Shen Tazhi.

He pounced, along with his eighteen tentacles, almost lifting Shen Tazhi and spinning him around with his tentacles. “We must do it now! I want to come out with you, gege!”

He had never mentioned to Shen Tazhi about the divination he had done regarding the elder’s prophecy. He thought if Shen Tazhi hesitated about coming out, he would truly be angry. Now that Shen Tazhi brought it up, Jiang Que was naturally happy. He quickly kissed Shen Tazhi on the cheek and exclaimed, “Let’s go, let’s find them!”

Shen Tazhi was unaware that his parents already knew about this. He hesitated, “Now?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it so soon, but it was already evening, and he was worried that his parents might lecture them all night. Perhaps it would be better to save such a sure-to-be-lectured event for the daytime when they weren’t tired.

“Now.”

Jiang Que didn’t hesitate at all. He wrapped his tentacles around Shen Tazhi and dragged him outside. “Trust me, Uncle and Auntie won’t blame you.”

How could they not blame him? They surely wouldn’t blame Jiang Que, right? Shen Tazhi thought helplessly.

He didn’t actually believe Jiang Que’s words but couldn’t break free, so he could only be dragged along. Seeing that it was set in stone, Shen Tazhi started thinking about what to do if their parents really took action later.

Lost in his own thoughts, Jiang Que began knocking on Shen’s parents’ door, saying, “Uncle, Auntie, we need to talk to you.”

The door was quickly opened by Zhao Ruxin, with Shen Qingxue standing behind, touching up her face in the mirror.

Seeing Jiang Que dragging Shen Tazhi over, Zhao Ruxin was taken aback. “What’s going on?”

Shen Qingxue turned around at the sound of the commotion and saw Shen Tazhi helplessly tied up by Jiang Que. She couldn’t help but chuckle, then, realising that Jiang Que had something to discuss, she asked, “What’s going on?”

“I and…”

“Que Que, put me down, let me handle this,” Shen Tazhi interrupted before Jiang Que could speak.

“Okay,” Jiang Que obediently lowered Shen Tazhi.

After Shen Tazhi was released by Jiang Que, he took a few steps forward, ensuring he stood in front of Jiang Que to shield him. Then, he took a deep breath and said, “Dad, Mom, Que Que and I are together. I know I’ve done wrong, and it might bring shame to you, but I can’t imagine a future without Que Que.”

“I was the one who pursued him first. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I’m sorry, but I won’t give up being with him.”

Silence filled the room.

Zhao Ruxin and Shen Qingxue exchanged looks, and even Jiang Que was stunned by Shen Tazhi’s words, feeling a twinge of guilt. He had intentionally kept things from Shen Tazhi, never expecting it would burden him with so much pressure. He resolved to apologise sincerely to his gege afterwards.

After a while, Shen Qingxue, bewildered, said, “You two are finally together?”

Shen Tazhi: ?

What kind of question was that? Were they supposed to have been together a long time ago?

Zhao Ruxin and Shen Tazhi seemed to share a thought this time. Zhao Ruxin remarked, “How old are they? Especially Que Que, being together at this age is already considered young love.”

“Oh…” Shen Qingxue was still perplexed. “So why should we blame you? Was it because my attitude wasn’t clear enough?”

Shen Tazhi was puzzled, “What attitude?”

Hadn’t his parents always had the same attitude towards him and Jiang Que?

Zhao Ruxin sighed and explained the divination they received from the Taoists when they met Qi Qing. He then said, “Initially, I found it a bit hard to accept, but your mom was always supportive. As I watched you both grow up together, I thought maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. I haven’t minded it for a long time. So, don’t be so nervous—Que Que probably knows about this by now, right?”

Shen Tazhi turned his questioning gaze toward Jiang Que. Jiang Que, feeling guilty, smiled at him pleadingly and whispered softly, “Yes, I found out a few days ago, right before Qi Qing and them left.”

Shen Qingxue chuckled, “You, why are you so mischievous?”

Zhao Ruxin understood well, “Que Que is worried about Zhi Zhi, concerned that his commitment to himself might not be firm if they are together. It’s normal not to say anything.”

Shen Tazhi hesitated, “So…?”

“So, this isn’t a big deal, so don’t be so nervous,” Shen Qingxue sat back in front of the mirror, waved them off, “It’s fine now, go back to sleep. Tomorrow, wake up and have a nice meal to celebrate the two of you getting together.”

Zhao Ruxin nodded, adding, “Que Que is still young, so don’t do anything too outrageous.”

Shen Tazhi replied, “…Okay.”

He was still a bit dazed, even as he walked out the door. It wasn’t until Jiang Que quietly apologized to him that he hadn’t reacted yet.

“Sorry, gege, I didn’t mean to keep it from you.” Jiang Que clung to him.

“Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad,” Shen Tazhi shook his head, “I just feel a bit… surreal.”

Everything felt too surreal, he thought there would be at least some obstacles.

“Our getting together was so smooth, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“Ah…” Jiang Que mused.

“But, gege, we aren’t together.”

Shen Tazhi: ?

He turned to look at Jiang Que.

Jiang Que smiled mischievously, “Didn’t we agree back at school that you would climb into my bed when I turn eighteen before I consider dating you?”

“How could gege skip that step?”

Shen Tazhi had been almost inseparable from Jiang Que these past few days. He had thought Jiang Que was joking back then, but it turned out to be real.

He asked urgently, “So, when you said we were going to find our parents…”

“I wanted to see if you really wanted to confess openly. I was planning to trick you. I was thinking of saying we had reconciled, but you just spilled everything,”

Jiang Que leaned in and kissed Shen Tazhi’s cheek again.

“Gege… you’re so obedient, I really like that.”

What obedient…

Shen Tazhi blushed at his words.

He turned his head slightly, feeling uneasy, and asked, “So, what are we now?”

Jiang Que made a sound of acknowledgement.

“Brotherly relationship?”

Shen Tazhi couldn’t help but chuckle at this heartless little guy. Seeing Jiang Que pitifully holding his hand again, he couldn’t stay mad and could only sigh, “Fine, it’s up to you.”

…

Jiang Que always had principles. He said once he turned eighteen, he turned eighteen. During that time, besides kissing and hugging, he refused to go any further. Most of the time, he would tease Shen Tazhi, then run off, leaving Shen Tazhi alone, looking at him with pitiful eyes.

At most, Jiang Que would just give another kiss. “Gege, can’t you endure this?”

Shen Tazhi was at the age of raging hormones, and almost turned into a permanent cold shower enthusiast by Jiang Que’s antics.

He still had to work, while Jiang Que had to take sick leave due to his increasingly uncontrollable tentacles, staying at home, attending online classes, while constantly planning how to tease Shen Tazhi.

After a year of this, even the most ascetic person would probably be boiling with frustration.

Jiang Que’s eighteenth birthday arrived quickly.

His birthday gift was a beautifully decorated small villa, bought by Shen Tazhi, with Shen’s parents continuing to deposit money into his account as usual.

The birthday banquet was held in the new house, with Jiang Que cooking a table full of dishes—something he had learned from Shen Qingxue. Even He Yun, who had been absent for a long time, attended.

Seeing Jiang Que and Shen Tazhi holding hands, He Yun smiled knowingly and went to chat with Shen Qingxue.

Left behind by the women, Zhao Ruxin had to come and have tea with Shen Tazhi and Jiang Que, advising them to get along well in the future.

“When the two of you have conflicts, it really worries Xiao Xue. In the future, don’t act like that again. It’s hard enough to be together, so just talk things out nicely and don’t argue,” Zhao Ruxin said.

Jiang Que recalled their past cold war and whispered, “It’s because I was too stubborn. I’ll definitely be less stubborn in the future.”

Shen Tazhi also nodded, “Okay, I’ll be more accommodating towards Que Que.”

Shen Tazhi’s sincerity made Jiang Que feel even more guilty. He could try to be less stubborn, but when it came to teasing Shen Tazhi… he just couldn’t help himself. He would have to bully him a little less in the future.

Zhao Ruxin smiled at Jiang Que, “You’re still young. Honestly, being with Zhi Zhi puts you at a disadvantage in terms of age. We’ve watched you grow up, we know you’re not bad, just a bit headstrong. As long as it’s not deliberately looking for trouble, it’s all good.”

Shen Qingxue was even more headstrong than Jiang Que when she was young, and Zhao Ruxin understood that. Such a personality might be seen as cute by the one you like, and he didn’t need to make an issue out of Jiang Que’s character.

In the end, it was the affair of these two young lovers. As long as they were fine with it, there was no need for him to meddle.

Uncomfortably, Jiang Que responded, “Okay…”

The parents didn’t stay for too long, as they had things to discuss. After finishing their meal, they left together, giving the space to Jiang Que and Shen Tazhi.

Jiang Que looked at the full table of dishes and sighed, “I’ll clean up, gege, why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a while?”

Shen Tazhi had been unexpectedly working overtime all week, even coming after work today. Jiang Que didn’t want Shen Tazhi to be so tired.

For once, Shen Tazhi didn’t compete with Jiang Que for chores. He glanced at Jiang Que, a bit embarrassed, and said, “…Okay.”

For a moment, Jiang Que was puzzled, only realising it when he had loaded all the dishes into the dishwasher and turned on the robot vacuum cleaner.

Today wasn’t just the day he moved into the new house; it was his eighteenth birthday as well!! They had agreed on this with Shen Tazhi!

The tentacles, which had been a bit tired from cooking, suddenly perked up.

Ignoring whether the robot vacuum cleaner was set up properly, Jiang Que immediately dropped what he was doing and headed upstairs. The closer he got to the top, the faster his steps became.

What would his eighteenth birthday gift be like…?

As he reached the door, Jiang Que oddly slowed his pace.

“Knock, knock.”

He rapped on the door.

“Gege, can I come in?”

There was a faint sound from behind the door, but Jiang Que couldn’t make out the words clearly.

He chuckled, “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

The door swung open.

The room was tidy, arranged in advance by Shen Tazhi, similar to their bedroom layout at Shen’s house. There was still lingering steam on the bathroom door, clearly indicating that Shen Tazhi had taken a shower after going upstairs.

Jiang Que looked at the bed, where his brother was now half-kneeling, bound with thick black ropes, with a bow tied around his neck.

Like a neatly wrapped gift, waiting for his arrival.

Jiang Que walked in, reached out to tug at the rope, eliciting a muffled whimper from Shen Tazhi. It was only then that Jiang Que noticed something in his mouth.

“Oh, you sly fox, gege.”

Jiang Que’s tentacles reached in and removed whatever was obstructing Shen Tazhi from speaking.

“Clearly, it was supposed to be you taking the initiative, but now you’ve tied yourself up and even gagged yourself, so it looks like I’m the one taking charge now.”

Shen Tazhi couldn’t speak, even though the gag had been removed, his throat was still blocked by the tentacles, causing him to gag involuntarily.

Jiang Que felt pleased as his tentacles followed the path of the black hemp rope, binding Shen Tazhi, as if an elder teaching a lesson on how to tie someone up. He noticed a few naughty knots and couldn’t help but laugh, “Gege, quite kinky, aren’t you?”

Shen Tazhi, his eyes clouded from the tentacles, mumbled something incoherent.

“I haven’t taken a bath yet.” Jiang Que pretended to be distressed.

He looked at the now dazed Shen Tazhi, leaned in close to his ear, and cooed, “Gege, will you bathe with me? Please?”

Shen Tazhi nodded drowsily.

“Mmm… I want to bathe in the bathtub, okay, gege?”

Shen Tazhi had no idea what the other was saying, just nodding along.

“Gege is very capable. Even if he’s tied up, he can still take the lead in the bathtub, right?”

Shen Tazhi nodded.

This time, he finally realized what was happening, halfway through nodding, he looked at Jiang Que in astonishment.

Jiang Que smiled sweetly, “Gege should do it by himself, from start to finish.”

What followed was a complete mess.

Shen Tazhi took the initiative in the bathroom, which unexpectedly triggered Jiang Que’s mating season. Just as it was about to end, he was directly…handled by the other’s reproductive tentacles in the bathtub, ending up with a belly full of eggs.

Jiang Que seemed to enjoy seeing him pushed to the brink of collapse, withholding the release of the eggs, and only brought him back to bed at his pleading. The price was that he had to take the initiative again while carrying the eggs.

In truth, Shen Tazhi had anticipated that Jiang Que’s coming-of-age ceremony wouldn’t be easy on him, so he had worked overtime a week in advance to free up time. However, he never expected Jiang Que’s mating season to last so long, nor did he anticipate Jiang Que’s harshness.

When he finally came to his senses from the chaos, it was already seven days later.

Shen Tazhi only remembered being filled with eggs by Jiang Que, both inside and out. His first reaction upon waking up was to check his abdomen.

It was still flat, as if nothing had happened before.

Looking to his side, he saw Jiang Que still cuddled up to him.

The teenager had grown taller, reaching a height comparable to his own, but his face still carried a hint of innocence. All his tentacles were draped over Shen Tazhi’s body, resembling an octopus clinging to its prey.

Seeing the tentacles, Shen Tazhi pursed his lips, memories flooding back.

In the past few days, Jiang Que’s tentacles suddenly became transparent and could change in size. He had deliberately led Shen Tazhi to a mirror and didn’t allow him to close his eyes…

Who had taught him all this?

Shen Tazhi flexed his sore muscles, reaching for his phone on the bedside table. The messages from his parents asked if he and Jiang Que had gone on a trip, wondering why they hadn’t heard from them for so long.

No trip, but more exhausting than a trip.

Shen Tazhi tugged at the corner of his mouth, about to reply to the messages, when he felt Jiang Que, who had been holding him, release his hand.

He lowered his head and, as expected, Jiang Que had woken up, looking at the marks on his body with bright eyes.

Jiang Que kissed him softly, saying, “I like gege.”

“It’s too late to act cute now,” Shen Tazhi teased, poking his head.

After being toyed with by Jiang Que for a full seven days, it was a bit too much for Shen Tazhi to believe Jiang Que’s cuteness at this moment…

Jiang Que looked at him innocently, “Can’t I like gege?”

“…You can.”

At this moment, he still believed in Jiang Que’s cuteness.

After all, this was the child he had spoiled, with a face so naturally suited for acting cute.

Jiang Que happily hugged him and said, “Gege, you’ve worked hard. Can we do this again in the future? I really like it when gege takes the initiative to…”

Shen Tazhi blushed and covered Jiang Que’s mouth.

Jiang Que looked innocent, still trying to speak even with his mouth covered, “If you’re carrying my eggs, you don’t have to take the initiative.”

Shen Tazhi couldn’t take it anymore and kissed Jiang Que.

After the kiss, both of them were a bit breathless, especially when Jiang Que’s tentacles dangerously wrapped around Shen Tazhi’s waist.

Shen Tazhi tensed, but Jiang Que didn’t go further, just held him and said, “Let’s not talk about it… you suddenly kissed me, you’re a pervert.”

“…”

Who between him and Jiang Que was the real pervert?

Blushing from the kiss, Jiang Que whispered, “I can control my tentacles now. I can continue going to school and not worry about hiding. We can get married… Uh, I can try to find ways to earn money to buy you a ring…”

“Que Que,” Shen Tazhi interrupted his rambling.

“What kind of relationship are we in now?”

Jiang Que raised his eyes to meet Shen Tazhi’s gaze.

He smiled, “Aren’t we in a relationship as lovers?”

“But…”

Shen Tazhi was about to speak when Jiang Que playfully touched his earlobe, “Why, I was just kidding. Gege lacks a sense of humor.”

He lowered his head to peck Shen Tazhi’s lips, “We’re in a relationship as a couple planning to get married.”

Jiang Que looked up, meeting Shen Tazhi’s eyes, and said, “We are meant to be together, right?”

Shen Tazhi’s earlobes turned red under Jiang Que’s touch, “…Yes.”

A smooth life, years of companionship.

They were meant to be together from the start.