Ling Feng was becoming quite irritated by the way Shen Yuzhi was staring at him. If it were not for the people around them, the two of them might have ended up in a physical altercation. Finally, under Ling Feng’s growing impatience, Shen Yuzhi took the lead and entered the elevator, heading toward Qin Huai’s office. Looking through the transparent glass at Qin Huai, who was quietly working inside, Shen Yuzhi felt that the Ling Feng he had just encountered outside was nothing in comparison.
Before he could even knock to enter, he heard footsteps behind him. Shen Yuzhi knew who it was without turning around.
“Why, Young Master Shen? Are you not going in? Were you kicked out by your little lover?” Ling Feng mocked, his face filled with thick disdain, and even the smile at the corners of his lips was dripping with sarcasm.
“Young Master Ling, you are quite interesting. Whose little lover? Yours?”
Shen Yuzhi’s retort left Ling Feng speechless; he could not even utter a single word in response. They glared at each other. If not for the fact that they were in the middle of the company with so many people watching, their interaction would likely have been much more vicious.
Qin Huai, who was working, looked up and saw the two of them standing menacingly before his door. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt a sudden sense of unease. He truly did not want to see them in the company again.
Qin Huai let out a long breath to soothe his nervous, racing heart. After thinking for a long time, he picked up a folder, pretending not to notice the two men, and walked past them.
“Qin Huai!” To his surprise, Ling Feng shouted out first. His voice was so loud that the colleagues still working immediately looked up in their direction.
Seeing that he was about to become the center of attention once again, Qin Huai began to walk faster. He did not want any conflict or trouble with Ling Feng right now. After all, he did not yet have the power and financial strength that Shen Yuzhi possessed, and he had not yet fully secured his position at the Shen Group. What he needed to do right now was to keep his head down.
“Why are you running?” Ling Feng followed him anyway. Smelling the unfamiliar pheromones on Ling Feng’s body, Qin Huai subconsciously covered his nose and retreated, feeling extremely flustered.
Even so, he did not shrink back. He glared at Ling Feng with furrowed brows. The atmosphere between them was tense, but the situation only encouraged Ling Feng to unleash his pheromones even more recklessly. Qin Huai felt his legs turn to jelly, and just as he was about to collapse to the ground, a pair of large hands firmly gripped his arms.
“Do not recklessly release your pheromones in the company. You should be able to distinguish where this is.” Shen Yuzhi’s brow was tightly furrowed as he spoke. Seeing Shen Yuzhi’s anger, Qin Huai felt his face flush involuntarily. He slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and moved behind Shen Yuzhi, staring straight at Ling Feng.
Qin Huai’s face was filled with infinite rage. He had not expected this man to be so shameless as to release his pheromones in a public space.
“So what? I told you long ago, he was my former fiancée, after all. What is wrong with me releasing my pheromones?” Even though both people in front of him were clearly repulsed by his behavior, Ling Feng waved his hand dismissively, his eyes filled with indifference toward the matter.
Shen Yuzhi shifted from his angry expression back to his usual cold demeanor. He glanced at the Qin Huai behind him and said to Ling Feng with a smirk: “It turns out that even after getting married, the young master is still thinking about others. It seems that your spouse, Young Master Cheng, is truly suffering after marrying you.”
Shen Yuzhi spoke in a clear, measured voice, loud enough for the surrounding colleagues to hear perfectly. The once quiet office erupted into chaos. Everyone began gossiping about the state of Ling Feng and Cheng An’s relationship.
This suddenly caused Ling Feng to panic. He looked left and right as he realized everyone was discussing him. Even though Ling Feng tried to act as if he did not care, his heart began to pound. Although he did not have many genuine feelings for Cheng An on a daily basis, he was, after all, his legally wedded spouse. Furthermore, Ling Feng still needed the Shen Group to help him with his business.
With that, Ling Feng glared fiercely at Shen Yuzhi, threw down a comment saying, “Consider yourself lucky,” and hurriedly left the company.
Qin Huai finally let out a sigh of relief, touching his chest as he exhaled a long, heavy breath. Shen Yuzhi, who was standing beside him, did not say anything more, but after handing a flash drive to Qin Huai, he also departed.
Shen Yuzhi’s secret surveillance of Ling Feng continued, but now, he had also arranged for more people to monitor Qin Huai, fearing that he might encounter danger.
Qin Huai had been staying at the company for days. Whether it was due to the heavy workload or immense stress, he had become extraordinarily haggard. No matter how many hours he slept, he remained exhausted.
That day, just after bringing a cup of coffee back to his desk, he felt so drowsy he could barely keep his eyes open. He yawned repeatedly, but even with sip after sip of coffee, he could not find the energy.
Just as he was about to rest his head on the desk, his phone rang.
“Little Huai, let’s go out for a couple of drinks after work today. It has been a long time since we have been out.”
Looking at the message from Song Zhe, Qin Huai replied with a smiling “Okay.”
Before he could even take another sip of his coffee, he felt a strange discomfort in his stomach. His appetite had been poor for days, and even iced coffee could no longer save him from his exhaustion. As he thought about this, his mind drifted to the chaotic night he had shared with Shen Yuzhi more than a month ago.
As he thought, Qin Huai touched the gland at the back of his neck. Even though he did not have a clear memory of that night, the sensation of the pheromone mark had been very evident in the days that followed. Because of this, Qin Huai could not help but wonder: was he pregnant?
When this conjecture popped into his head, Qin Huai felt it was somewhat ridiculous. If he were truly pregnant, Shen Yuzhi would likely not let him off the hook. Thinking of the cold and indifferent Shen Yuzhi, Qin Huai’s previously calm mind turned into a complete mess.
He finished the remaining coffee in his cup and laid his head on the desk, trying to sort through his thoughts. For the past few days, he had been looking for evidence against Lin Xingxue and Cheng An. Listening to the news Shen Yuzhi brought, he knew that the entire Cheng family was in turmoil. Regardless of the cost, Qin Huai would not let them have an easy time.
However, the more he thought, the drowsier he felt. Qin Huai closed his eyes involuntarily and drifted into a deep sleep.
When Qin Huai opened his eyes again, he saw Shen Yuzhi standing in front of him. The man’s exceptionally handsome face fascinated Qin Huai. Thinking he was still dreaming, he reached out to touch him. Shen Yuzhi looked at his hand with a hint of surprise but did not refuse as it touched his face.
The two remained in that ambiguous posture in the office; one sitting, one standing. It was not until Qin Huai lightly touched his cheek and confirmed the sensation on his hand that he woke up as if from a dream and scooted back.
“Young Master Shen…” Qin Huai called out in surprise, not understanding why Shen Yuzhi was being so accommodating.
“It seems that Young Master Qin has a heavy workload. It is not even noon yet, and you are already this sleepy.”
It was rare for Shen Yuzhi to speak with such concern, which moved Qin Huai slightly. He quietly straightened his desk and cleared his throat.
“I have been feeling weak all over lately. Perhaps it is just because of the heavy workload.” Qin Huai had no way of telling Shen Yuzhi his chaotic suspicions, afraid that Shen Yuzhi would be shocked.
“Drowsiness?” Shen Yuzhi narrowed his eyes and asked after hearing Qin Huai’s explanation. It seemed as if he had already seen through Qin Huai’s thoughts, leaving him with nowhere to hide.
Qin Huai closed his eyes and nodded.
“Are you pregnant?”
When those words left Shen Yuzhi’s mouth, Qin Huai’s jaw dropped in shock. He stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him, unable to process the short sentence for a moment.
“I will take you to the hospital for a check-up after work.”
After dropping that line, Shen Yuzhi sat down in Qin Huai’s office to wait for him to finish his day. This made Qin Huai feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He sat with his back straight, staring intently at the computer, but his brain was in a state of utter chaos.
He could not focus on his work at all; his mind was filled with Shen Yuzhi’s question: “Are you pregnant?” Qin Huai pulled at his hair frantically, threw the trash on his desk into the bin, and reorganized his files several times, yet he still could not calm his heart.
Finally, the workday ended. Before Qin Huai could come up with an excuse to decline, Shen Yuzhi had already taken his car keys in one hand and guided him out of the office with the other.
It was not until he sat in the passenger seat of Shen Yuzhi’s car that Qin Huai asked in a daze: “Are we really going to the hospital?”
Seeing Qin Huai’s dazed expression, Shen Yuzhi could not help but curve the corners of his lips into a smile. He tapped the steering wheel and asked nonchalantly: “Well, what else would we be doing?”
Qin Huai was even more bewildered by Shen Yuzhi’s question. He nodded confusedly, agreeing with Shen Yuzhi’s logic.
Throughout the drive to the hospital, Qin Huai did not speak. The two remained in silence until they arrived at the Cheng family’s hospital.
Upon entering, Qin Huai did not need to handle anything. Shen Yuzhi introduced him to the best doctor and led him to the examination room. After being put through all sorts of machine tests until Qin Huai was exhausted, Shen Yuzhi finally allowed him to sit and rest.
“We still have to wait a while for the results. If you are tired, we can go grab a bite to eat first.”
Facing such a gentle Shen Yuzhi, Qin Huai found it hard to believe. He spent a long time processing this, unable to find the words to reply to him.