Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Yao Xianqing was busy with work, but after he and You Nan got together, he would seize every spare moment to visit You Nan at Zhao Jin’s company.

He hadn’t been there many times before Qi Yuwen caught wind of it.

Since divorcing You Nan, Qi Yuwen’s life had suddenly felt unfamiliar.

The spacious apartment they’d once shared now felt eerily quiet. Sitting in the living room, even his phone notifications seemed to echo.

Staring at his phone, he muttered without thinking, “Xiao Nan, your cat is causing trouble again.”

But this time, no one answered him, and there was no misbehaving cat nearby angrily meowing in protest.

Qi Yuwen rubbed his temples, paused for a moment, and then realized—he was already divorced from You Nan.

He thought he must have been overworked, hearing things and imagining stuff, so he took annual leave to rest properly.

Yet when he was home alone, these illusions seemed to intensify. Whether in the kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom, he could still sense traces of You Nan’s presence.

Eventually, Qi Yuwen had to cut his leave short and return to work at the hotel.

“Hey! Remember when we heard You Nan likes men? There are new updates on that!”

The breakroom was as lively as ever.

Hearing this as he reached the doorway, Qi Yuwen’s steps faltered for a second before he calmly walked in.

The group huddled inside broke apart when they saw him, instinctively falling into line like scared mice.

An employee greeted him softly, “Manager Qi.”

Qi Yuwen gave a brief nod. He picked up a disposable paper cup, placed it under the coffee machine, and casually asked while waiting, “What’s everyone discussing here?”

The group, who had been chatting animatedly moments before, fell silent under their supervisor’s direct question.

They certainly couldn’t admit they were gossiping about a former colleague.

Everyone still vividly remembered how the situation with You Nan unfolded and was resolved back then. He didn’t stay long afterward and left shortly after. The rumors died down within a couple of days.

“Oh, nothing much,” they stammered, forcing nervous smiles while inwardly praying Qi Yuwen would leave quickly. The pressure was overwhelming; they didn’t dare move recklessly under his watch.

Qi Yuwen pretended not to notice their discomfort, leisurely waiting for his coffee and tidying the breakroom table.

Unable to withstand his occasional puzzled glances, they made excuses one by one about having urgent tasks and scurried away, abandoning their colleagues.

Once they were gone, Qi Yuwen’s face darkened.

It had been nearly a month since the You Nan incident—why were people in the office still bringing it up?

By that afternoon, Qi Yuwen had figured out the breakroom topic and their unfinished conversation.

You Nan’s boyfriend was Yao Xianqing.

The news, partly true, partly rumor, started in the accounting department. Everyone claimed Wang Yuanyuan was the source.

Qi Yuwen knew Wang Yuanyuan had met Yao Xianqing.

It happened months ago when he was on a business trip. Yao Xianqing’s company event had been moved to their hotel at the last minute.

He rushed back upon hearing the news and later checked the security camera footage.

He saw You Nan speaking with Yao Xianqing, and in the corner of the video, Wang Yuanyuan also saw what happened.

But why would Wang Yuanyuan say something now rather than before? You Nan had been her work friend.

Wang Yuanyuan was a longtime employee. Qi Yuwen had worked with her before and knew she wasn’t the type to spread rumors. Even if she saw You Nan being close with another guy, she wouldn’t have said a word.

Qi Yuwen’s gut told him someone had deliberately used her as a mouthpiece to relay the message to him.

Aside from the widespread mention of Wang Yuanyuan, someone also posted a photo in a group chat showing You Nan getting into Yao Xianqing’s car—a candid shot.

Yao Xianqing’s face was pixelated beyond recognition, while You Nan’s was clearly visible.

The style—this method of stirring up drama felt all too familiar.

Qi Yuwen didn’t confront You Nan about it with the photo.

First, he and You Nan were no longer together. Second, he wanted to find who was behind this.

Perhaps this same individual had something to do with You Nan’s departure from the hotel.

Qi Yuwen had people try to trace the source, but they couldn’t find who was responsible.

The hacker’s skills were advanced—either they were an expert hacker themselves or could afford to hire one.

You Nan saw Qi Yuwen again about a month after their divorce.

Qi Yuwen waited downstairs at his company after work hours.

The man looked a bit thinner than before, his mature demeanor more pronounced, exuding a magnetic presence.

But none of this appealed to You Nan.

You Nan stopped in his tracks, eyeing the man warily. “Why are you here?”

He didn’t think Qi Yuwen being there was a good sign.

Qi Yuwen took two steps forward; You Nan retreated two steps. Seeing You Nan so defensive—a stark contrast to their past intimacy—Qi Yuwen felt a sharp sense of dissonance and rising irritation.

He didn’t want You Nan to back away, so he halted as well.

Standing still, Qi Yuwen gazed over with soulful eyes. Anyone unfamiliar with his true nature might have been deceived by his appearance. “I came to check on you.”

You Nan wasn't buying it. If Qi Yuwen was so caring, why hadn’t he treated him better before?

You Nan emphasized, “We’re over. You don’t need to come looking for me. Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you either.”

Ignoring this, Qi Yuwen asked, “It’s already dark. It’s too late for you to head home alone. Let me give you a ride.”

"No," You Nan said, his tone hard.

Yao Xianqing drove into the parking lot and honked the horn. You Nan noticed him immediately.

In an instant, You Nan suddenly understood—no wonder his 'ex-husband' had come. He'd used seeing *him* as a pretext, but his real target was Yao Xianqing.

It was perfectly normal for Qi Yuwen to know that Yao Xianqing was coming to pick him up. Qi Yuwen could have found out with a little asking around.

So, Qi Yuwen had come today to ambush Yao Xianqing.

As You Nan thought this, his resentment toward Qi Yuwen spiked.

Yao Xianqing had already laid his feelings on the line over the past month. The two were now officially together.

There was no room for anyone else between them.

Yao Xianqing drove toward the entrance and immediately spotted a man who was both jarringly familiar and utterly unwelcome standing opposite his boyfriend.

Yao Xianqing stopped the car at once, got out, and strode quickly over to them.

As he passed Qi Yuwen, he didn't so much as glance his way, completely ignoring him. Yao Xianqing walked to You Nan’s side, first shielding him behind himself, standing protectively in front of his boyfriend to prevent Qi Yuwen from harming him.

Yao Xianqing's voice was sharp, his face like thunder toward Qi Yuwen, "What are you doing here?"

The moment he and You Nan got together, any chance of friendship with Qi Yuwen was gone.

Qi Yuwen watched their easy intimacy, and a suspicion dawned on him. It made him see red.

"Are you two together?"

Qi Yuwen's voice was thick with disbelief. He pointed at You Nan and questioned Yao Xianqing, "You Nan was *my* wife. How could you talk me into divorcing him, only to get with him yourself!"

Qi Yuwen looked utterly shell-shocked.

The one he wanted didn't want him—instead, they'd chosen someone who wanted *him*, someone he'd cast aside.

This left Qi Yuwen feeling utterly defeated.

Yao Xianqing immediately shot a worried glance at You Nan, afraid that You Nan might be angered by Qi Yuwen’s words.

You Nan only knew that he had helped him with the divorce, but not how he had done it.

You Nan wasn’t rattled by Qi Yuwen’s words. He grabbed the hem of Yao Xianqing’s clothes, his gaze still fixed on Qi Yuwen, showing complete trust in Yao Xianqing.

Yao Xianqing's heart swelled. The sight of You Nan's complete faith in him made his heart soften.

Yao Xianqing had been worried that You Nan might still carry a torch for Qi Yuwen, afraid that he might still care for him privately.

He knew how much You Nan had loved Qi Yuwen.

That’s why he now disliked Qi Yuwen even more.

You Nan's reaction wiped away his anxiety and bolstered him.

Thinking this, Yao Xianqing subtly straightened up, standing taller before You Nan.

With You Nan’s love, Yao Xianqing felt confident and wasn't about to back down. "What's the point of all this now? You didn't know how to appreciate You Nan when you had him. Isn't it too late to start regretting only after you’ve been broken up and divorced for so long?"

Yao Xianqing’s words were sharp, showing him no courtesy toward Qi Yuwen.

Now, he and Qi Yuwen were bitter rivals! Who would be foolish enough to treat a love rival kindly?

Qi Yuwen shot back, "Were you two together before You Nan and I divorced?"

This time, You Nan spoke up, denying Qi Yuwen’s speculation, "No."

Half of You Nan’s body was shielded by Yao Xianqing, his stomach included.

The baby he was carrying was still tiny—just a month and a half old, no bigger than a sesame seed. You Nan was fiercely protective of it and was extremely cautious in daily life.

"Yao Xianqing and I got together recently," You Nan said, his mind flashed back to before the divorce from Qi Yuwen. Qi Yuwen’s suspicions and the psychological pressure still made it hard to breathe, even now.

You Nan stared straight into Qi Yuwen’s eyes. He defended himself against the suspicions he'd endured: "After we got married, my heart was only ever yours. I never once betrayed you. Yet, you kept doubting my loyalty over baseless suspicions."

You Nan took a deep breath, feeling that all the love he'd poured into Qi Yuwen had been a waste. "The only reason you married me was because I loved you so much, I wouldn't get in your way, and I would respect you. That’s why, aside from me, you didn’t consider anyone else, right?"

"What you wanted was a pushover like me. And someone like me, who only listened to you and whose mind was full of you—how could I possibly betray you for no reason?"

The words died in Qi Yuwen's throat under You Nan’s heartbroken stare. A strange, heavy feeling settled in his chest, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to face You Nan.

He wanted to keep talking to You Nan, but You Nan didn’t want to see him anymore.

You Nan reached out and tugged at the sleeve of the man in front of him, "Let's get out of here."

Yao Xianqing didn't need telling twice: "Okay, let’s go."

The two walked away from Qi Yuwen, who watched them leave without moving. But just as You Nan reached for the car door, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, trying to pull him away.

Yao Xianqing was on him in an instant, grabbing his arm. His face darkened. His usually gentle gaze turned sharp as he looked at the expressionless Qi Yuwen and gritted his teeth, "What are you trying to do?"

Yao Xianqing’s grip was strong. As he held the other’s wrist, You Nan could almost hear the creaking of bones.

Qi Yuwen’s expression remained unchanged, as if he couldn’t feel the pain Yao Xianqing was inflicting. "Stay away from him."

Qi Yuwen could accept You Nan leaving him and being with another man, but he couldn’t accept him being with Yao Xianqing.

Yao Xianqing snorted coldly, shook off Qi Yuwen’s wrist, and grabbed his collar with his other hand. Qi Yuwen, thinking he was about to be hit, turned red-eyed and threw a punch.

The two men immediately started throwing punches.

You Nan hadn’t expected things to escalate so suddenly. You Nan cried out in panic, "Why are you fighting? Qi Yuwen, stop! Don’t hit Yao Xianqing!"

It was the first time Qi Yuwen had heard You Nan take a side—and it wasn't his.

Distracted for a moment, Qi Yuwen was struck in the face by Yao Xianqing, whom he had once loved. The pain seemed to dissolve whatever affection he had left for Yao Xianqing.

The punch jolted him awake.

Qi Yuwen’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected Yao Xianqing to be so ruthless toward him, disregarding their past friendship entirely.

Gritting his teeth, Qi Yuwen no longer held back against Yao Xianqing. The more You Nan tried to stop him from hitting Yao Xianqing, the more fiercely he fought.

You Nan was frantic. He looked around and hurriedly ran to seek help from others.

But he had stayed late at work today, voluntarily working overtime to wait for Yao Xianqing to pick him up and go home together.

It had been over an hour since the company’s official closing time, and the office was empty. He ran around but couldn’t find anyone to help.

You Nan looked left and right at the company’s main entrance. The security booth’s light was on, but there was no guard inside.

You Nan was frantic and ran back over, wanting to pull the two men apart, but he was already carrying a small life inside him. He didn’t know if this life might be extremely fragile.

You Nan had no choice but to pull out his phone and hurriedly dialed a number.

“Please pick up quickly, Zhao Jin must still be at the office!”

You Nan muttered anxiously to himself.

Zhao Jin liked Yao Xianqing—he would definitely come. At this point, You Nan could only turn to him.

As if heaven heard his murmurs, the phone rang twice before the other end picked up.

“Hello?” Zhao Jin’s warm, magnetic voice came through in You Nan’s ear.

You Nan quickly got straight to the point: “Mr. Zhao, are you still at the office? Qi Yuwen came today and ran into Yao Xianqing there. They’re fighting in the company parking lot. I can’t find anyone to help.”

Zhao Jin sounded surprised on the other end. “They’re fighting each other?”

He sighed, his voice apologetic. “I’m not at the office right now. Can you hold them off for a bit? Try to hold them back.”

The man sat in his office, watching the parking lot surveillance feed on his computer screen. “It’ll probably take me about ten minutes to get there.”

He said neutrally as he reasoned with You Nan. “Can you hold them off for about ten minutes or so? There’s no one left in the office. If you call the police, who knows how busy they are? You could call them, but then both of them would end up at the police station.”

Hearing this, You Nan immediately abandoned the thought of calling the police. After hesitating for a few seconds, he agreed, “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

The call ended.

The worried look on Zhao Jin’s face faded. He watched on the monitor as You Nan carefully shielded his body, dodging punches thrown between the two men, trying to pull Yao Xianqing out.

But Qi Yuwen and Yao Xianqing were already in the heat of fighting, seeing red. You Nan’s intervention only made things worse—the moment Qi Yuwen saw him step forward, it made him even angrier.

Still, he never meant to hit You Nan.

You Nan moved quickly, focused solely on protecting Yao Xianqing. As he ran past Qi Yuwen, Qi Yuwen’s thrown punch was impossible to pull back.

Yao Xianqing reacted swiftly, grabbing You Nan’s arm and yanking him backward. But it was no use—Qi Yuwen’s unstoppable punch connected squarely with You Nan’s stomach.

You Nan immediately broke into a cold sweat from the pain, his legs buckling as he knelt on the ground. His knees hit the hard surface sharply, his body doubling over as he clutched his stomach, cold sweat pouring down his face.

007 had said the life growing in his belly needed a system-generated uterus to implant and develop. You Nan now had an extra organ in his abdomen—one that wasn't naturally his but was still connected to his body.

Because of this, he could experience the symptoms and pains of pregnancy that women experienced.

Qi Yuwen’s punch had struck his stomach, and You Nan feared it had landed right on the uterus. The pain was intense.

Yao Xianqing shoved Qi Yuwen aside when he reached for You Nan, yelling coldly, “Get away! Get the hell away from us!”

Yao Xianqing’s face didn’t look good—his cheekbone was swollen and red, his lip bruised, like a smashed palette.

He didn’t waste time pushing Qi Yuwen back further, instead hurriedly and panickedly scooped You Nan up into his arms, rushing to his car, starting the engine, and flooring the accelerator as he sped toward the hospital.

Qi Yuwen immediately followed in his car, the two vehicles tearing down the road.

Watching this scene unfold on the monitor, Zhao Jin set his coffee cup down.

He had thought You Nan would just be standing off to the side yelling “Cut it out!” and wait for him to arrive. He hadn’t expected You Nan to actually try to break up the fight.

His courage was greater than Zhao Jin had imagined.

Zhao Jin recalled many of You Nan’s subtle actions before and the way he had clutched his stomach and curled up on the ground just now. An outlandish thought crossed his mind.

But he quickly dismissed it.

That was impossible. You Nan was a man, not a woman—how could he be pregnant?

Even if he were pregnant, whose child would it be? You Nan had been married to Qi Yuwen before—it couldn’t be Yao Xianqing’s... could it?

Zhao Jin picked up his car keys from the desk and also headed to the hospital.

The hospital was nearly empty at this hour, with few patients or family members around. Yao Xianqing hurriedly carried You Nan into the emergency room, urging the doctor to examine him quickly.

When the doctor heard that You Nan’s stomach pain was due to being punched, he immediately ordered imaging, worried that internal organs might have been ruptured.

When the scan results came out, the doctor and both men were stunned.

“What is this?” Yao Xianqing asked, staring worriedly at the small speck of light in You Nan’s abdomen.

Qi Yuwen looked even more anxious, his gaze repeatedly shifting to You Nan, who was lying on a small bed in the doctor’s office, pale and sweating profusely. Regret washed over his face.

The doctor, meanwhile, was completely stunned.

Even with his extensive knowledge, this was the first time he had encountered such a case.

The doctor looked curiously at You Nan’s abdomen and quickly scheduled an ultrasound on the computer. “I have a suspicion. Just wait a moment.”

Soon, the new results came out, confirming the doctor’s guess.

“He has a uterus and can become pregnant. This is the child currently in his belly.”

The doctor pointed to a fuzzy spot on the screen for the two men in the room besides You Nan.

Zhao Jin had just rushed in, stepping through the doorway just as he heard these words.

His face contorted briefly in disbelief.

Had his absurd guess actually come true?

Hearing the doctor’s words, the other two men in the room also changed expressions.

“What do you mean, a child in his belly?” Qi Yuwen’s voice was strained. His vision swam.

He and You Nan had never been intimate, so there was no question whose child this was. Aside from Yao Xianqing, there was no other possibility.

Qi Yuwen only regretted not having punched Yao Xianqing harder earlier.

Compared to Qi Yuwen’s disbelief and world-shattering shock, Yao Xianqing accepted the news much faster. He looked surprised and delighted, even asked the doctor eagerly, “How far along is the child?”

The doctor glanced at their expressions and could tell who the father was. He estimated, “It should be about a month along.”

Hearing this familiar timeframe, Yao Xianqing immediately thought of the night You Nan and Qi Yuwen divorced.

He and You Nan had only been together that one time—and yet, he had gotten pregnant?!

But then he remembered: when he had cleaned You Nan up afterward, he noticed that You Nan’s body had absorbed everything.

It must have entered the uterus at that time.

However, after his initial joy, Yao Xianqing quickly grew concerned again. “How is his body? He’s still in a lot of pain.”

The doctor told him not to worry, "We'll just start an IV later, and he'll be fine. There's nothing else to worry about. The main issue is that the punch happened to land right on his uterus. If it weren't for the fact that your embryo was so strong, an ordinary one would've miscarried already."

Yao Xianqing immediately stood up, thanking him, "Thank you, Doctor, thank you!"

You Nan was in pain, but he was listening carefully, listening for Yao Xianqing's reaction. He was very nervous.

He had originally planned to wait until the pregnancy was further along and he couldn't hide it anymore before revealing the news, never expecting it to come out so much earlier.

He thought Yao Xianqing would think he was a freak upon learning he was pregnant.

But Yao Xianqing was happy.

Happy about their child.

You Nan finally felt at ease, and even the stomach pain seemed to lessen significantly.

As his tense nerves relaxed, his consciousness faded, and he soon drifted off.

The doctor left the room, and You Nan fell asleep. Qi Yuwen, couldn't hold back anymore, came storming over looking furious, intending to punch Yao Xianqing in the face again, but was stopped by a hand reaching out from the side.

"Enough, this is a hospital. You Nan is still in pain. Can you cool it for a minute?"

This was the first time Zhao Jin and Qi Yuwen had met.

Zhao Jin was quite strong, and held tight to Qi Yuwen's arm, not letting go. Only when he saw that Qi Yuwen had no intention of fighting Yao Xianqing did he release his grip.

"Who are you?" Qi Yuwen turned his face away, refusing to look at Yao Xianqing, who was crouched by the bed, tightly holding You Nan's hand.

His attention was focused on the man in front of him. Zhao Jin seemed familiar to him—his intuition told him they were the same kind of person.

Zhao Jin smiled and extended his hand, "Hello, I'm Zhao Jin."

Qi Yuwen managed a weak smile, though his usual smile was gone, "Hello, Qi Yuwen."

Their hands briefly shook then pulled apart, a perfunctory formality.

Yao Xianqing ignored them. His eyes were fixed solely on You Nan, to the point that he even ignored the doctor and nurse who had come back with medicine.

It was only when Zhao Jin pulled Yao Xianqing aside that he moved away from the bedside, making room for the nurse to administer You Nan's IV drip.

You Nan got even sleepier after receiving the IV.

None of the three men in the room left first. They either sat by the bed, on chairs in the room, or leaned against the wall, all keeping him company.

Yao Xianqing gazed at You Nan's face and mumbled to himself, "Am I dreaming?"

He still couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He reached out and pinched his own swollen lip, hissing in pain. Finally, he was sure he wasn't dreaming.

He and You Nan were really going to have a child of their own.

For the first time, Yao Xianqing's usually handsome and intelligent face had a dazed, silly look.

The other two men couldn't stand to look at that silly grin any longer—it hurt their eyes and their hearts.

Zhao Jin stepped forward and asked, "What's going on here? I heard from You Nan's call that you guys were fighting and came right over. I didn’t expect to find you not in the company parking lot but here at the hospital."

With that one sentence, Zhao Jin explained why he was there.

Yao Xianqing and Qi Yuwen didn't doubt him.

Yao Xianqing rubbed his face, trying to calm down.

He still didn’t know whether You Nan was aware of the pregnancy, nor whether You Nan even wanted the child.

If You Nan didn’t want it, what would they do?

Lost in thought, he accidentally rubbed the spot where Qi Yuwen had hit him, wincing in pain.

Yao Xianqing asked a nearby nurse to take care of his injury. Qi Yuwen had already stepped out of the room, and Yao Xianqing didn’t care what he was doing.

Still, it was better not to share the reason for their fight with his friend.

Yao Xianqing didn’t want his love life to attract too much attention.

He could admit to acting impulsively for love, but he wouldn’t let others look at You Nan with weird looks.

"Nothing much. By the way, you heading out? I want to ask for leave for You Nan tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jin looked exasperated, "You... I just got here a few minutes ago, and you're already trying to get rid of me. Besides, you’re getting faster and faster at asking for leave on You Nan’s behalf—no written request, just telling me directly."

Yao Xianqing chuckled, like a good buddy, "So, yes or no, President Zhao?"

Since Yao Xianqing put it that way, Zhao Jin couldn't say no.

He faked a sigh, "Fine, fine!"

Yao Xianqing and the other two men stayed with You Nan in the small hospital room all night.

None of them slept.

As daylight broke outside, Zhao Jin shook his aching arms, lowering his voice not to wake him and anger Yao Xianqing, "I feel like I want to call in sick today. After staying up all night, getting some sleep during the day sounds best."

Qi Yuwen ignored him. His phone vibrated, and he checked it then put it away.

He had already messaged his supervisor to request leave the night before, and his supervisor had just approved it.

Yao Xianqing had also arranged for his own leave, so he could stay with You Nan the entire day.

Of the three present, only Zhao Jin had to leave.

Zhao Jin felt like a bystander caught in the drama, a tool rushed from one scene to another. After arriving, he hadn’t brought up the topic of You Nan’s pregnancy, pretending he didn’t know.

He had entered the room two minutes after the doctor finished speaking, so it was natural that he didn't know about this "secret."

Qi Yuwen didn’t know him well and wouldn’t tell him.

Yao Xianqing, protective over You Nan, certainly wouldn’t say anything.

Zhao Jin smiled slightly as he said goodbye, "I’ll be off then. Really envy you all getting to rest."

"Alright, just go already. Once You Nan’s leave is approved, just send it to me!"

Yao Xianqing stood up to walk him to the door but didn’t go any farther.

There was another guy in the room watching You Nan closely—he wouldn’t give Qi Yuwen a chance to be alone with You Nan.

"It's yours, right?"

The moment Zhao Jin left, Qi Yuwen asked a confusing question.

Yao Xianqing caught the meaning and admitted bluntly, "It's mine."

Qi Yuwen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He knew about Yao Xianqing breaking up with Huang Jingling. At first, he had wondered how it had happened without him even lifting a finger—seemingly by accident.

But now it appeared there was a deeper reason behind it.

You Nan.

The Yao family had an open-minded and liberal attitude. While they might allow their son to date a man, they wouldn’t necessarily permit him to marry one.

The Yao family was wealthy, and such substantial wealth wouldn’t go without an heir—they wouldn’t let it all end up with someone outside the family.

Qi Yuwen believed that even if You Nan and Yao Xianqing ended up together, they would inevitably break up.

But he had no idea that You Nan had a uterus, could get pregnant, and could give Yao Xianqing a child.

The more Qi Yuwen thought about it, the more distraught he became; the more he pondered, the redder his eyes grew.

If he had known earlier that You Nan had a unique condition and could get pregnant, he would have had a child with You Nan himself.

With a child like a kite string, You Nan would never have been able to escape his side.

But now, with things working out for Yao Xianqing and You Nan, Qi Yuwen found himself momentarily powerless to separate them.

After all, a boy who could carry a child for the Yao family—and whom Yao Xianqing loved—would surely be accepted by the Yaos.

Yao Xianqing held You Nan’s hand, which had just finished an IV drip and had a scabbed needle mark, against his own cheek. He told Qi Yuwen to leave, "You’ve been standing here all night. You should go back and rest properly."

Qi Yuwen didn’t argue. His gaze lingered on You Nan before he finally turned away.

Just before leaving, he suddenly said, "Someone is targeting You Nan."

Yao Xianqing’s expression instantly turned serious. He tucked You Nan’s hand back under the blanket, stood up, and walked over to Qi Yuwen, staring at him sharply. "What do you mean?"

Qi Yuwen didn’t hide anything. He told Yao Xianqing about two incidents: the rumors targeting You Nan over a month ago, and finding out indirectly yesterday about "Yao Xianqing giving rides to You Nan from work."

"That person knows I like you, and I think he probably likes you too," Qi Yuwen analyzed. "Your special attention toward You Nan might have already caught his attention…"

As he said this, Qi Yuwen suddenly realized something and laughed with self-mockery.

Before, he had been truly blind—how could he have missed something so obvious?

Yao Xianqing’s affection for You Nan had never been hidden; it had always been out in the open.

It was just that he himself had refused to see it, refused to guess, and so he had overlooked it.

"Your attention toward You Nan has been too much, and that provoked the other party’s dissatisfaction. He used my hand and others to get rid of You Nan."

Qi Yuwen’s gaze fixed on Yao Xianqing’s face.

He had seen this face many times and even dreamed of it.

He was all too familiar with this face; he could remember the meaning behind every one of Yao Xianqing’s expressions.

But now, as he looked at this all-too-familiar face, he felt sickened.

He knew his feelings had changed; he was no longer the same infatuated fool he had been for Yao Xianqing.

In the future, he and Yao Xianqing would likely become strangers.

Qi Yuwen’s sideways glance drifted past Yao Xianqing’s tall figure to the person lying on the bed behind him.

But You Nan no longer loved him, and he couldn’t take You Nan away from Yao Xianqing’s side. That didn’t mean, however, that he had given up on the chance to snatch You Nan back from Yao Xianqing.

"You’d better keep him safe at all times. If you can’t protect him, he’ll have to be taken away by me."

After saying this, Qi Yuwen didn’t want to speak anymore with Yao Xianqing.

The other’s smug, joyful expression felt alien, irritating, and disgusting to him.

That was why he had shared his speculation—which he originally hadn’t wanted to reveal—to dampen Yao Xianqing’s glaring happiness.

Just as he expected, Yao Xianqing’s expression turned serious the moment he heard someone was targeting You Nan. His attitude became earnest.

Yao Xianqing frowned as he watched Qi Yuwen leave, mentally compiling a list of all suspicious individuals, checking each one, leaving no suspect unexamined.

The mastermind Qi Yuwen mentioned was too cunning—You Nan was in the open, the opponent in the shadows, making it difficult to defend against. He absolutely could not let this person harm You Nan.

He would protect the person he loved, and their child.