His expression shifted ever so slightly, a faint flicker of surprise breaking through that composed calm.
He studied Lu Jiu’s face for a long moment, as if searching for a hint of what lay beneath those words. “Is this… ” he asked at last, “Some kind of philosophical debate inspired by that movie?”
“You could think of it that way,” Lu Jiu replied, his voice cool but his heart racing beneath the calm surface. “Or maybe just a continuation of that conversation we had on the yacht. You remember what you said, you suspected I might be pregnant. So tell me, if I really was, what would you do? Would you still ‘not care’?”
For one instant, Bai Yun’s eyes darkened, deep as the ocean. It was as if he had seen right through him, past the teasing tone, past the casual challenge, straight into something raw and fragile underneath.
But then he blinked, and the feeling vanished.
“I wouldn’t care…… ” he said lightly.
Lu Jiu’s breath caught, confusion flickering in his eyes.
Bai Yun’s next words came just as smoothly. “But I don’t like it when something takes your attention away from me.”
Lu Jiu froze, his steps faltering.
For a second, he thought he’d misheard. “What?”
A gust of wind swept through the street, cold and sharp. Bai Yun reached out again, pulling him closer by the waist as they walked toward a quieter part of the street where trees blocked most of the wind.
Lu Jiu’s thoughts were a tangled mess. It took a few steps before he managed to find his voice again. “Even if that ‘something’ was your own child?”
Bai Yun’s expression was unreadable, his tone calm as water. “Even then. I don’t like seeing your body damaged.”
Lu Jiu stopped again, his eyes wide, disbelief spreading across his face. “Even if that child was yours?”
“Jiu Jiu,” Bai Yun said slowly, his voice deep and steady, “If we’re together, then we belong only to each other. Even if a child exists, that child would exist because of us. It would never stand above you.”
Lu Jiu couldn’t speak. His mind was blank, and his chest felt too tight.
Bai Yun continued walking, his words deliberate and unhurried. “If you want to define it, then I’d say children are nothing more than a side effect of love.”
Lu Jiu looked up at him, utterly stunned. “A… side effect?”
Bai Yun met his gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Because when I love you, I want you,” he said softly. “I want to possess you completely. I want to be close to you, with nothing between us, no walls, no distance, no restraint. I want to be inside you, entirely, without any barrier at all.”
The wind seemed to pause.
Lu Jiu stood there, speechless, every word sinking deep into him like ripples spreading through still water. His heart beat so fast it hurt.
Bai Yun’s tone had been calm, but the quiet intensity beneath it made the air feel heavy, charged, intimate.
And as they walked on, the world around them blurred, leaving only that voice echoing softly in his mind, steady, low, and far too honest.
The man spoke those words with the same calmness he always carried, his tone so steady that it almost erased the weight of what he was saying.
“But at the same time,” Bai Yun added after a pause, “if you really could get pregnant, I would still take every precaution, because I love you.”
He thought for a moment, then said with faint amusement, “After all, lines like ‘I’ll get you pregnant’ are only meant to spice things up in bed.”
Lu Jiu almost doubled over, half laughing, half choking, wanting to cover his stomach and yell, “Baby, don’t listen to him!”
“…So if I really did get pregnant,” he asked after a beat, “would you make me get rid of it?”
Bai Yun’s expression didn’t change. His tone was still as calm as ever. “If it would hurt your body, and you didn’t want the child, then yes. But if you loved the child.. ”
The glow from the streetlights shifted across his face, throwing soft gold and shadow over his features. When he spoke again, his voice was deep and gentle, like a quiet tide.
“Then I’d try to love them too.”
Something in Lu Jiu’s heart went still, perfectly still.
He looked up, gaze fixed on Bai Yun’s face, not blinking, not speaking. There was something grounding in that calm certainty, something that settled deep inside him.
Noticing the weight of his stare, Bai Yun lowered his head slightly, his mouth curving with playful teasing. “So,” he asked, “was this all some kind of test?”
Lu Jiu’s lips curved slowly. “Not really. Just a random conversation… though I think I might’ve just felt a little bit more of your charm.”
Bai Yun raised a brow. “A little bit?”
“Come on,” Lu Jiu said, rolling his eyes. “Your charm level is already way too high. What else could I possibly do to catch up?” He lifted his chin in mock earnestness. “Teach me, oh master, what can I do to become more charming?”
Bai Yun’s smile deepened. “For now? Nothing. You’ll have to discover that on your own.”
Lu Jiu laughed out loud, his voice bright and breathless against the cold wind. He walked crookedly, shoulders shaking, and in his laughter, Bai Yun was pulled slightly off balance as well.
In his mind, Lu Jiu said quietly, “111, I’ve decided. I’m going to tell him.”
The voice that only he could hear responded with unrestrained excitement, as if it were bouncing in joy inside his head. “You’ve finally come around!”
Lu Jiu smiled to himself. Bai Yun was strange, unpredictable, and hard to read, someone it was impossible to imagine as a father.
And yet, deep down, Lu Jiu suddenly wanted to see it. He wanted to see what kind of father this strange man would become.
More than that, he had a quiet certainty that even if Bai Yun was an odd one, he would still be a good father.
Being with him, Lu Jiu felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time, the courage to face the future, even if it was uncertain, even if it scared him.
“Then, Jiu Jiu,” 111 asked softly, “when are you going to tell him?”
“Hm…” Lu Jiu hummed, pretending to think hard. “I’ll find the right moment.”
He wanted to pick a good time, something fun, unexpected, just to see the look on Bai Yun’s face when he found out.
But before that, something else came up.
Lu Jiu’s birthday.
The date was exactly the same as in his previous world. He’d never been good at remembering birthdays, his own included, and probably would’ve forgotten it again if Lu Mingyang hadn’t suddenly texted him, saying there’d be a birthday banquet for him that Saturday.
Lu Jiu stared at the message, then laughed. How ironic.
After all, ever since his mother had passed away, Lu Mingyang had never once celebrated his birthday again.
So his reply was short and sharp: “Not going.”
He sent it, then promptly blocked the number, turned around, and messaged someone else: “Did Lu Mingyang invite you to that birthday thing? Don’t go!”
The other person sent back a smiling emoji and one simple word: “Okay.”
The next day, Shen Ke messaged in their group chat, shouting, “Jiu ge! Jiu ge! To celebrate you getting your mind back and finding love again, I booked a private room at the Zhihua Grand Hotel! Birthday party time!”
Lu Jiu: “?”
Why did it feel like the entire world suddenly wanted to throw him a birthday party?
He typed back, completely serious, “Do you have too much money lying around?”
Shen Ke puffed out his virtual chest with pride. “Please, I can afford a little thing like this!” [puffed chest.jpg] [I’m rich.jpg]
Then he added, “You’ll come, right, Jiu ge?” [puppy eyes.jpg]
Seeing that, Lu Jiu sighed. He couldn’t really say no to the little puppy’s wagging tail of sincerity. After thinking a bit, he agreed.
Shen Ke hadn’t invited too many people, just the small group that had gone on that last yacht trip together. They were, in fact, the few people in the industry who hadn’t mocked or turned against Lu Jiu during the last three years of chaos.
When Saturday came and Lu Jiu arrived at the venue, he quickly discovered that “private room” was a very misleading term.
The so-called private room turned out to be an entire banquet hall.
There were only two halls on that floor, and by a cruel stroke of fate, the one right across from theirs had been booked, by none other than Lu Mingyang.
Father and son ran into each other in the elevator. Lu Jiu raised a brow. Lu Mingyang froze, his face turning pale in shock.
He had, of course, received Lu Jiu’s rejection text. But in truth, whether Lu Jiu attended his banquet or not hadn’t mattered to him.
The guests were all coming for Bai Yun anyway. The banquet was just a façade, an excuse to network and climb higher.
But that plan only worked if Lu Jiu didn’t show up.
And now here he was, right across the hall.
How was Lu Mingyang supposed to explain that?
His expression darkened as he stormed toward the entrance of Shen Ke’s hall. One look inside, and his face contorted even further.
Balloons and ribbons filled the walls, and in the center, Shen Ke was perched on someone’s shoulders, hanging a banner that read in bright letters: Happy 21st Birthday to Our Big Brother Lu Jiu!
The decorations were cheerful, colorful, and unmistakably childish, simple, almost absurdly so.
Lu Mingyang gave a sharp, disdainful laugh. “I had everything set up properly for you across the hall, and this is what you choose instead? Playing make-believe like a schoolboy? If your mind’s clear again, stop embarrassing yourself and come over now!”
Lu Jiu gave him one lazy glance, then turned away without a word and walked straight into Shen Ke’s banquet hall.
Several guests nearby exchanged looks. Then, without hesitation, they followed Lu Jiu inside, laughing as they passed Lu Mingyang.
“Oh, come on, birthdays are meant to be fun! Let the young people have their party! We old folks should learn from them!”
Lu Mingyang’s face went rigid. “Wait, but I’ve already, ”
No one listened.
More and more guests arrived, and at least half of them drifted to the left hall, drawn either by curiosity or calculation.
Some simply found it entertaining to watch father and son host dueling birthday parties right across from each other. But others knew better, these days, if you wanted to please Bai Yun, the first step was to please Lu Jiu.
As for Lu Mingyang? He could be dealt with later, once Lu Jiu was out of sight.
Shen Ke, meanwhile, was both thrilled and panicked. Thrilled that so many big names had shown up, and panicked because he hadn’t ordered enough food.
He rushed to find the hotel manager to add more dishes before the party descended into chaos.
By six o’clock that evening, Lu Mingyang was a wreck of nerves. His hall was half-empty, his carefully planned event falling apart.
He stood at the front, microphone in hand, forcing a smile while he could clearly hear the noise and laughter spilling from the hall next door.
Halfway through his speech, he saw people whispering and turning toward the door.
“Is that… Bai Yun?” someone murmured.
Another voice, more certain: “Bai Yun’s here?”
Lu Mingyang’s heart gave a violent lurch.
He had sent Bai Yun an invitation, but Bai Yun had never replied. Even his assistant had refused to confirm anything, leaving him to cling to hope that perhaps, by some miracle, the man would show up.
Now, hearing the rising buzz of excitement from the other side, a cold sweat broke across his back.
“Wait, Bai Yun went there?” someone exclaimed.
And with that, all his hopes shattered.
At that exact moment, in Shen Ke’s brightly decorated hall, a cork popped with a cheerful pop, and champagne fizzed into the air.
“Yoooo! Yun ge’s here!” someone shouted.
“Yun ge! Yun ge came!” another voice joined in.
The room erupted into cheers, laughter, and the kind of chaos that could shake walls.
Bai Yun stepped in through the doorway, tall and elegant, dressed to perfection, cutting through the noise like moonlight over a stormy sea.
He walked straight toward Lu Jiu, who was standing stunned in the middle of it all, and without hesitation, leaned down to press a light kiss to his lips.
“Happy birthday,” he said softly.
The room exploded.
Screams, whistles, applause, the noise hit the ceiling. Even the older guests who had wandered over from the other hall were caught off guard, staring wide-eyed. Bai Yun’s audacity exceeded every expectation they had.
Lu Jiu blinked, still processing what just happened. He took the small silver box Bai Yun handed him, dazed. “Wait, did Shen Ke invite you too?”
“Of course I did!” Shen Ke yelled from across the room, grinning like a maniac, half-hanging off someone’s shoulder. “Jiu ge, how could your birthday not include Yun ge?”
“That’s right!” another voice chimed in. “You never even call him ‘Yun ge’ yourself! If you don’t, he’ll be heartbroken!”
The crowd roared with laughter again, and amid the glow of lights, the clinking of glasses, and the whirlwind of voices, Lu Jiu couldn’t help but laugh too, his chest warm, his heart lighter than it had been in a long, long time.
The crowd around them burst into teasing laughter.
Bai Yun glanced lazily at the group of noisy youngsters, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement before turning back to Lu Jiu. The corner of his lips curved slightly as he said, almost playfully, “As they said…..”
Lu Jiu raised an eyebrow at him, his expression unreadable.
“It’s a little heartbreaking, I suppose,” Bai Yun added, his voice calm but his tone deliberately exaggerated.
“You’re unbelievable. Who are you trying to fool?” Lu Jiu couldn’t help but laugh. He lowered his gaze to the small gift box in his hands. It was tiny, surprisingly light. Curiosity stirred in him. “What’s inside?”
“Open it and you’ll know,” Bai Yun said simply.
Lu Jiu hesitated. Somehow, he wanted to wait until they were alone before opening it. The thought of seeing what Bai Yun had chosen for him in front of all these people felt strangely intimate. He wanted to savor that moment privately.
He lifted his head again, his eyes bright, locking on Bai Yun.
The man noticed and smiled, his expression deepening into something both teasing and warm. “What’s with that look?”
“I suddenly realized birthdays can actually be pretty fun,” Lu Jiu said softly. “If there weren’t so many people around right now… I might have done something to you.”
He didn’t elaborate on what that “something” might be, but the meaning was unmistakable in the way his gaze brushed against Bai Yun’s face, light as a touch, daring and intimate.
Bai Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, his smile deepening without a word.
For a brief moment, the noise around them seemed to fade. They looked at each other in silence, and though neither spoke, something electric stretched between them, taut, quiet, and impossible to ignore.
It wasn’t until someone else came over to start a conversation that the moment was broken, their line of sight cut apart.
Lu Jiu turned away casually, responding to the person who had approached, his tone smooth and unbothered. Yet his peripheral vision remained stubbornly fixed in the air, as though still tethered to Bai Yun’s presence.
He endured the rest of the banquet in that quiet tension, every small movement charged with meaning.
When it finally ended, he licked his lips unconsciously, a faint restlessness stirring under his calm exterior.
Outside the hall, drawn by the commotion, Ye Lin and Lu Quning arrived just in time to witness Bai Yun’s appearance, and the unmistakable scene of him kissing Lu Jiu.
Lu Quning’s breath hitched. He forced a smile, his expression stiff. “A’Lin, let’s go, ”
“I’ll head out first. Tell your father I’m sorry I left early.” Ye Lin’s voice was tight, brittle. Without another word, he turned and pushed open the heavy stairwell door, disappearing inside.
Lu Quning froze for a moment, then clenched his fists hard, his nails digging into his palms.
At that moment, the mechanical voice of the system sounded in his mind. “Host, it’s almost certain, the corrupted code in Lu Jiu’s body has completely disappeared. You really don’t need to keep worrying about him. It’s time you both moved on and lived your own lives.”
“Lived our own lives?” Lu Quning’s voice in his head sharpened to a near hiss. “But he’s the one affecting my life!”
He paced in his thoughts, his tone growing more frantic. “329, doesn’t it strike you as strange? Even if Lu Jiu’s soul has returned, he’s still supposed to be an NPC. NPCs don’t steal from players, yet he’s taking everything from me!”
He could feel it, Ye Lin drifting away from him, his friends slowly leaving his side.
Even Lu Mingyang, his father, was becoming distant and distracted, no longer the affectionate man who used to protect him.
And when did it all start?
He didn’t need to think long. It had all begun the day Lu Jiu started acting… wrong.
Everything since then had slipped through his fingers like sand, grain by grain, no matter how tightly he tried to hold on.
“Unless,” Lu Quning whispered to himself, his voice trembling, “Lu Jiu was never an NPC at all. He’s part of the mission, an antagonist created to oppose the players!”
329 went silent for a few seconds.
“Host,” it finally said, “you’re forgetting, this is an undeveloped world. The Quick-Transmigration Bureau hasn’t installed any official ‘characters’ here. Technically speaking, you broke into this world on your own and disrupted the original paths of its people.”
Lu Quning froze, his tone turning cold and rigid. “Don’t give me that nonsense. I just wanted a place to belong!”
“Not if it means stealing from someone else,” 329 replied softly. “The life you’ve been living these past three years wasn’t yours to begin with. It all belonged to Lu Jiu. Now that his soul has returned, everything is simply correcting itself.”
It wanted to say more, but then realized Lu Quning had muted it again, just like every other time things didn’t go his way.
329 sighed in silence, a sound that carried more sorrow than reproach.
“You must learn the difference between ambition and greed,” it murmured.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm’s ancient scrolls mention something called… “buy them a coffee.”
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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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)