Lu Quning rushed up the stairs to the second floor, his heartbeat thundering in his chest. From one of the rooms ahead came a low and muffled groan, so faint that it might have gone unnoticed by anyone else.
His face changed instantly, and before he even realized it, he lunged forward and gripped the doorknob with trembling hands.
“Yun ge! Yun ge, are you alright?”
Behind him came the hurried footsteps of the Bai family’s older sister and several others, and among them was Lu Mingyang.
The moment Lu Mingyang caught sight of the scene before him, his knees nearly gave out. He stumbled forward, his voice breaking out in alarm. “What are you doing? Let go of that door!”
“Dad?! They are fighting in there! Why are you stopping me? How can my brother be hitting Yun ge again?”
Lu Quning’s face was filled with righteous indignation, his expression tragic as he stood ready to defend what he believed was justice.
Lu Mingyang fell completely silent.
How was he supposed to deal with a son whose mind seemed so catastrophically out of tune with reality?
Inside the room, Bai Yun let out another muffled groan.
Lu Jiu’s strike had been far from gentle. Watching the man’s face twist with pain, the suffocating frustration that had been gnawing at him for days finally began to lift a little.
He thought bitterly, I really must be sick in the head. If I am angry, why should I keep it bottled up?
After all, it was his body that now inexplicably carried a uterus, but whose fault was that?
Was it his fault that one single night had been enough? Whose fault was it that those little tadpoles had been so vigorous, so impossibly strong? And who was the one who broke the condom that night?
Ha.
This anger, he was going to let it out completely.
Lu Jiu’s voice dripped with restrained fury. “You let all those people come to harass me. Did you ever stop to think about the consequences?”
On WeChat, one after another, people had suddenly become deeply concerned about Bai Yun’s “private affairs,” as though it were some grand occasion that absolutely required Lu Jiu’s presence.
He struck again. Bai Yun’s body went rigid, his abdominal muscles contracting tightly, veins standing out against his skin.
His eyes, which had been closed, opened slightly. His gaze locked on Lu Jiu, calm and unreadable, like light gliding over deep, quiet water.
“And you still claim your chastity is in danger?” His tone carried a faint edge of amusement. “Do you even have any chastity left, Yun ge?”
The final three words dropped like a pebble into still water. Bai Yun’s eyes darkened immediately.
Lu Jiu froze.
Still strong enough to talk back?
His jaw clenched. He pressed down harder, feeling the man beneath him grow as tense as a drawn bowstring.
Yet Bai Yun only curved his lips slightly, his voice low and hoarse. “Finished venting?”
Lu Jiu gave a sharp, cold laugh. “What if I say I am not?”
“Then keep going,” Bai Yun murmured softly, lifting a hand to gently cup Lu Jiu’s face. “But when you are done, I hope you will tell me what has really been going on with you these past few days.”
Lu Jiu froze again.
That warm and tender touch against his cheek sent an unexpected jolt through him. He flinched back, swatting the man’s hand aside and pulling his own away as though burned.
The anger that had just begun to fade surged back, hotter than before.
“Jiu Jiu,” Bai Yun said quietly, lying there and watching him with steady, calm eyes. “Running away from talking will not solve anything.”
The room fell into silence. Time seemed to stretch thin, every second dripping by in unbearable stillness.
At last, Lu Jiu lifted his gaze. From above, he stared down at the man lying beneath him.
“Hey, Bai Yun,” he said coldly. “That night with me, it was not your first time, was it?”
The question hung heavy in the air, direct and sharp.
Bai Yun raised a brow slightly. “Why do you think that?”
“Because it did not seem like it.”
“‘Seeming’ does not make it true,” Bai Yun replied mildly, a faint curve tugging at his lips.
Lu Jiu frowned, suspicion flashing across his face. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I was your first?”
Bai Yun’s smile deepened, his gaze unwavering.
The expression on Lu Jiu’s face shifted rapidly from irritation to pure shock. He yanked at his own hair, eyes wide in disbelief. So he really had been Bai Yun’s first? He had taken this man’s virginity and even gotten pregnant from it?
What in the world?!
Impossible. How could someone like Bai Yun, always so composed, so self-controlled, be that inexperienced?
“Why?” Lu Jiu blurted out, his voice rising. “You have never had a partner before?”
Bai Yun regarded him with quiet amusement. “If there was never anyone who interested me, then naturally there was no reason to.” He tilted his head slightly. “Were you not a first timer as well?”
“How do you know that? Maybe I was just a little inexperienced, but how do you know for sure that I was a first timer?”
Bai Yun narrowed his eyes slightly. “So you were not?”
“I am asking how you are so sure!”
“So you were,” Bai Yun concluded with infuriating calm.
Lu Jiu could have screamed. His thoughts scattered in every direction, his words tumbling out in frustration.
“We have only known each other for two months! We barely even talk! You think you already understand me that well? Or did you investigate me? Are you stalking me now?”
He slammed his palm against the bed in agitation, but before he could pull back, that hand was suddenly caught in Bai Yun’s firm grasp.
“Jiu Jiu, calm down.”
Lu Jiu’s chest rose and fell in uneven, heavy breaths.
Bai Yun studied him quietly for a long moment. “What exactly happened the day you went to the hospital with your classmate?”
That day, everything about Lu Jiu had changed.
His breathing hitched, his chest tightening painfully.
For a fleeting moment, he wanted to shout the truth: I am pregnant, you bastard!
But what would be the point?
He could not get rid of it. And if he told Bai Yun, then what? Would the man feel compelled to take responsibility for something so absurd?
Would Bai Yun be shocked, even horrified, to learn that a man could conceive, that Lu Jiu carried within him a womb?
Would he suddenly pull him close and say, Let us get married. I will take care of you.
The very thought made Lu Jiu feel like tearing his hair out.
“111,” he muttered softly.
A faint electronic chime sounded as the little system booted up. Its voice came out small and trembling, as though it were peeking through its fingers, too nervous to look directly at what was happening.
“Host? What is wrong?” it whispered.
“111,” Lu Jiu said again, his voice low and distant. “You asked me before why I do not plan to be with him. So let me ask you instead. Forget my feelings for a second. If a man I have only known for two months, even if we got along well, suddenly came to me and said, ‘We only slept together once, but I am pregnant with your child,’ what do you think that man would say?”
The little system fell silent.
On the bed, Bai Yun was still watching him with that same calm, patient gaze, gentle enough to slow anyone’s heartbeat.
But in Lu Jiu’s mind, the questions refused to stop.
“Do you think he would be happy? Do you think he would feel sorry for me?”
Silence.
“Do you think Bai Yun is that kind of man? Do you think we live in one of those sentimental stories where mother and child are precious and love solves everything?”
He drew a deep breath, steadying himself.
“111, people like us… we do not live by that kind of logic.”
From the moment he had conceived, everything between them had become complicated, messy, and tangled beyond repair, destined to grow awkward no matter how hard they tried.
He shut his eyes for a long time.
When he opened them again, his heartbeat had slowed, his gaze turning calm and cold as still water.
Bai Yun sensed the change at once. The boiling anger that had filled Lu Jiu seemed to vanish, replaced by an unsettling and unreadable quiet.
Lu Jiu straightened slowly, his black eyes steady and expressionless.
“I am not doing this with you again,” he said in a low voice.
Bai Yun paused, frowning slightly as he pushed himself upright. “What do you mean?”
Lu Jiu did not answer. He smoothed his wrinkled clothes, climbed off the bed, and walked toward the door.
Outside, the hallway was silent.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Expressionless, Lu Jiu walked out under the stunned gaze of everyone waiting outside.
Lu Quning gawked after him, then turned and started to open the door again.
“Do not come in.”
The voice from inside was cool and detached.
Moments later, the door opened again. Bai Yun stood there, neat and composed, though his hair was slightly disheveled.
Lu Quning stepped forward at once, guilt written across his face. “I am so sorry, Yun ge. My brother… he went too far. He should not have…”
“What are you apologizing for?”
Lu Quning blinked, stunned by the chill in the man’s tone.
Bai Yun smiled faintly, as refined as ever, but his words were ice cold.
“Does it have anything to do with you?”
Lu Quning’s face flushed red. He opened his mouth but could not find a single word to say. Mortified, Lu Mingyang grabbed his son by the arm and pulled him back.
Downstairs, the commotion started again, voices rising in agitation, and among them came Shen Ke’s anxious cry, “Jiu ge!”
Bai Yun turned his head, his gaze following the sound toward the stairs. The young man’s retreating figure disappeared from sight.
He stood there in silence for a long moment, then took out his phone and made a call.
“Director Bai?” came a lazy, feminine voice from the other end.
“What exactly happened to Lu Jiu at your clinic that day?” he asked bluntly.
There was a brief pause.
“I am sorry, Director Bai,” the doctor replied. “I cannot disclose a patient’s private medical information.”
Bai Yun leaned against the railing, his eyes still fixed on the direction Lu Jiu had gone, his long fingers tapping rhythmically against the wood.
“Need I remind you,” he said evenly, “that Lu Jiu is not a patient?”
“Of course. But what happened to him concerns me as a patient, so I still cannot tell you.”
“…” His tone remained calm. “You do realize I could have you dismissed for this?”
“Then go ahead,” she replied, unruffled.
For the first time in his life, Bai Yun found himself completely at a loss for words.
Then the voice on the other end softened. “Director Bai… is Lu Jiu angry with you?”
“…Yes,” he admitted quietly after a pause. “Dr. Gao, I should have called you days ago. I have tried every other way to talk to him, but nothing has worked.”
“I am sorry too,” she said gently. “No matter what, I cannot tell you his medical details. But if you truly care about him, I can give you one suggestion.”
“What is it?”
“Come in for a full checkup when you have the time.”
He frowned slightly. What kind of strange suggestion was that?
His gaze dropped almost unconsciously, lingering briefly on the part of himself that had just endured quite a bit of rough treatment. A wry smile tugged at his lips.
Why was everyone suddenly so concerned about his body?
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm has many treasures. Coffee is currently its favourite.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
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ChaptersChapter 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (1)Chapter 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (2)Chapter 3 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (3)Chapter 4 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (4)Chapter 5 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (5)Chapter 6 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (6)Chapter 7 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (7)Chapter 8 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (8)Chapter 9 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (9)Chapter 10 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (10)Chapter 11 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (11)Chapter 12 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (12)Chapter 13 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (13)Chapter 14 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s room (14)Chapter 15 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (15)Chapter 16 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (16)Chapter 17 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (17)Chapter 18 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (18)Chapter 19 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (19)Chapter 20 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (20)Chapter 21 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (21)Chapter 22 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 22 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (22)Chapter 23 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (23)Chapter 24 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (24)Chapter 25 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (25)Chapter 26 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (26)Chapter 27 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (27)Chapter 28 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (28)Chapter 29 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (29)Chapter 30 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (30)Chapter 31 Part 1 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 31 Part 2 · After Breaking into the Big Boss’s Room (31)Chapter 32 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (1)Chapter 33 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (2)Chapter 34 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (3)Chapter 35 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (4)Chapter 36 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (5)Chapter 37 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (6)Chapter 38 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (7)Chapter 39 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (8)Chapter 40 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (9)Chapter 41 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (10)Chapter 42 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (11)Chapter 43 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (12)Chapter 44 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (13)Chapter 45 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (14)Chapter 46 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (15)Chapter 47 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (16)Chapter 48 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (17)Chapter 49 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (18)Chapter 50 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (19)Chapter 51 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (20)Chapter 52 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (21)Chapter 53 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (22)Chapter 54 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (23)Chapter 55 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (24)Chapter 56 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (25)Chapter 57 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (26)Chapter 58 · The Empire’s Number One Beta Crown Prince (27)Chapter 59 · Hatching Baby Zombies (1)Chapter 60 · Hatching Baby Zombies (2)Chapter 61 · Hatching Baby Zombies (3)Chapter 62 · Hatching Baby Zombies (4)Chapter 63 · Hatching Baby Zombies (5)Chapter 64 · Hatching Baby Zombies (6)Chapter 65 · Hatching Baby Zombies (7)Chapter 66 · Hatching Baby Zombies (8)Chapter 67 · Hatching Baby Zombies (9)Chapter 68 · Hatching Baby Zombies (10)Chapter 69 · Hatching Baby Zombies (11)Chapter 70 · Hatching Baby Zombies (12)Chapter 71 · Hatching Baby Zombies (13)Chapter 72 · Hatching Baby Zombies (14)Chapter 73 · Hatching Baby Zombies (15)Chapter 74 · Hatching Baby Zombies (16)Chapter 75 · Hatching Baby Zombies (17)Chapter 76 · Hatching Baby Zombies (18)Chapter 77 · Hatching Baby Zombies (19)Chapter 78 · Hatching Baby Zombies (20)Chapter 79 · The Mermaid on the Shore (1)Chapter 80 · The Mermaid on the Shore (2)Chapter 81 · The Mermaid on the Shore (3)Chapter 82 · The Mermaid on the Shore (4)Chapter 83 · The Mermaid on the Shore (5)Chapter 84 · The Mermaid on the Shore (6)Chapter 85 · The Mermaid on the Shore (7)Chapter 86 · The Mermaid on the Shore (8)Chapter 87 · The Mermaid on the Shore (9)Chapter 88 · The Mermaid on the Shore (10)Chapter 89 · The Mermaid on the Shore (11)Chapter 90 · The Mermaid on the Shore (12)Chapter 91 · The Mermaid on the Shore (13)Chapter 92 · The Mermaid on the Shore (14)Chapter 93 · The Mermaid on the Shore (15)Chapter 94 · The Mermaid on the Shore (16)Chapter 95 · The Mermaid on the Shore (17)Chapter 96 Part 1 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 96 Part 2 · The Mermaid on the Shore (18)Chapter 97 · The Mermaid on the Shore (19)Chapter 98 · Give me a drop of blood (1)Chapter 99 · Give me a drop of blood (2)Chapter 100 · Give me a drop of blood (3)Chapter 101 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (4)Chapter 102 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (5)Chapter 103 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (6)Chapter 104 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (7)Chapter 105 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (8)Chapter 106 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (9)Chapter 107 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (10)Chapter 108 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (11)Chapter 109 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (12)Chapter 110 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (13)Chapter 111 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (14)Chapter 112 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (15)Chapter 113 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (16)Chapter 114 · Give Me a Drop of Blood (17)Chapter 115 · Extra 1: A Little Conversation After Drinking (1)Chapter 116 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (2)Chapter 117 · Extra: A Little Conversation After Drinking (3)