Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The doctor sent another update on Lin Ying's condition: the mass had descended and was nearing the estimated position, now only awaiting the optimal timing.

While waiting for further news, Ji Qingyu continued with his work. He was curled up on the sofa reviewing the final draft of the stage play when the door clicked open, and he saw Fu Yunbai again.

Ji Qingyu was still in his comfy fleece pajamas. He hurriedly set down his laptop, not even closing the open pages, and said anxiously, "Uncle Fu, what are you doing here?"

This time, Fu Yunbai seemed even more hostile. Ji Qingyu had no idea what had happened, but Fu Yunbai made no attempt to hide his disgust the moment he stepped inside.

He glanced at Ji Qingyu as if he were some stray animal, expressionless, standing there with an air of aloof indifference.

Ji Qingyu felt a tightness in his chest. He ushered Fu Yunbai to a seat, this time offering only a glass of water instead of tea, gently pushing it toward him.

Fu Yunbai didn’t touch it. After a moment, he said coldly, "Was it you who lured Fu Han into bed back then?"

Ji Qingyu froze, as if struck by a heavy blow to the back. A cold sweat broke out on his back, and his fingers unconsciously dug into the sofa, finding nothing.

How did Fu Yunbai suddenly find out about this?

Before Ji Qingyu could figure it out, Fu Yunbai’s gaze swept over his face, full of scrutiny. "Don’t bother wondering. Ji Ran told me."

Ji Ran again—he always resorted to such underhanded methods.

Fu Yunbai sat on the sofa, his brows furrowed, issuing commands out of habit. "Where is Fu Han?"

"I don’t know. He went out."

Fu Yunbai said nothing more. Noticing Ji Qingyu’s illuminated laptop screen, he frowned again. "You’re still wasting your time on meaningless pursuits—stage plays and performances. What’s the use? Do they bring any real benefits? How many times have you embarrassed yourself? How often have family matters been dragged through the media? You always do things without considering the consequences."

"Back then, do you have any idea how much damage you caused? Fu Yunsheng capitalized on the situation. The media headlines were filled with Fu Han’s absence from the funeral for a month."

Ji Qingyu blinked and lowered his head, silent.

"Do you know that half of Fu Han’s team was purged by Fu Yunsheng back then? Your move was crucial. For months, the lights in Fu Han’s office never turned off." Fu Yunbai’s eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at Ji Qingyu.

"Is that so?" Perhaps due to exhaustion—recent events had kept him overwhelmingly busy—and his lack of fondness for the man before him, Ji Qingyu retorted, "Then you should’ve told Fu Han to be more careful. Otherwise, how could he have fallen for my tricks a second time?"

Fu Yunbai seemed shocked that the usually mild-mannered Ji Qingyu would speak to him like this. He raised his hand and slapped Ji Qingyu. Ji Qingyu covered his cheek, and Aunt Wang screamed, quickly fetching ice from the fridge, wrapping it in a damp towel, and handing it to Ji Qingyu.

"Even a housekeeper like you is protecting him?"

Ji Qingyu had never imagined Fu Yunbai could lose his temper like this, let alone that he would do such things to Luo Sheng. Now he was witnessing it firsthand.

"I won’t waste words with you. I came today to persuade you to leave Fu Han. You should know you no longer have any value." Fu Yunbai smiled. "The Fu family doesn’t need a troublemaking, emotionless lower-tier omega. I assume Fu Han feels the same."

The plain water in the glass trembled slightly. Ji Qingyu felt acid burning his stomach painfully. He averted his gaze; outside the window, a row of weeds beneath the eaves lay limp and powerless, just like he had back then.

Ji Qingyu had once gone looking for Fu Han. It was already after he’d discovered he was pregnant. Before leaving, he’d recklessly sprayed half a bottle of perfume on himself, applied a suppressant patch to his neck, and wrapped a scarf tightly around it.

He searched everywhere he could think of but couldn’t find Fu Han. In the end, he had no choice but to wait outside Fu Han’s company building, hoping to get lucky enough to encounter him.

But luck never seemed to be on Ji Qingyu’s side.

The weather had turned chilly by then. He leaned against the glass wall, holding the cheapest hot coffee he could find. He took a few sips—bitter and astringent, doing nothing to warm him. The cold seeped into his bones.

He was wearing a corduroy fleece jacket that day, but the cold wind cut straight through it, turning his knuckles red. He waited for a long time, countless people passing by, while he hid in the corner like a shadow.

"Did you hear? Fu Han recently won back that client. Honestly, people still prefer to follow Fu Yunbai and Fu Han. You’d better figure out which side to take, or you might not even know how you end up dead." Employees with company badges walked downstairs. Someone glanced curiously at Ji Qingyu, so he tucked his face deeper into his scarf and moved farther away.

The crowd was bustling with people leaving work. Afraid of missing Fu Han, Ji Qingyu waited in the shadows of the corner, glancing toward the entrance every few seconds. But as he turned, he nearly collided face-to-face with someone.

The sudden appearance of a beautiful woman around the corner made Ji Qingyu stumble. The woman, waving a platinum bag, let out a sharp cry and was steadied by a hand from behind.

The alpha raised an eyebrow, and when he recognized Ji Qingyu, his frown deepened. His tone was merciless, filled with contempt and malice. "Who said you could come here?"

He looked as arrogant as ever, dressed in a well-tailored suit, an exquisitely crafted, expensive brooch pinned to his chest. His hair was meticulously styled with gel, a mouth guard covered his mouth, and faint dark circles shadowed his eyes.

"Sorry." Ji Qingyu didn’t think he’d done anything wrong, but he still took a few steps back and apologized softly.

The omega beside Fu Han had smooth, light chestnut-colored hair, impeccably styled makeup, and wore a satin evening dress with bedazzled peep-toe heels.

The woman frowned, glanced at Ji Qingyu, ignored his apology, and instead covered her nose, saying indifferently to Fu Han, "Do you know him? His perfume is too strong—it’s making me dizzy."

Without waiting for a response, she brushed past Ji Qingyu and left.

Only Fu Han and Ji Qingyu remained. Fu Han gave him a cold look and turned to leave.

Ji Qingyu reached out and grabbed him, gripping his clothes tightly. He’d never done anything so brazen before; humiliation gripped his throat. "Fu Han, wait. Just listen to me for a moment."

The woman was already waiting by a sports car nearby. Fu Han had no patience and no desire to engage with Ji Qingyu.

Ji Qingyu held onto Fu Han’s clothes desperately, wrapping both hands around his arm like clinging to a lifeline in a vast sea—his only hope.

Fu Han looked down at him, his clothes wrinkled from Ji Qingyu’s grip. "Let go. I have nothing to say to you."

"Fu Han, you have to give me a chance to explain," Ji Qingyu pleaded. "Just a few minutes. That’s all I need."

Fu Han looked at him, hesitating. Ji Qingyu felt there was something else in his gaze, but in the end, Fu Han averted his eyes. "We have nothing to talk about."

"Please, just five minutes. I promise I won’t bother you after this. I swear." Ji Qingyu’s eyes reddened. He was at a loss—the pregnancy was something he could only discuss with the other person involved.

Fu Han glanced at his watch reluctantly. "Three minutes."

"Okay, okay," Ji Qingyu’s eyes were red. "It wasn’t my idea to do it."

"You sent the message. You were alone in the room. I checked the surveillance—you went in on your own, no one forced you. And you’re Ji family’s illegitimate son, right? Ji Ran helped you too." Fu Han frowned. "What else is there to say?"

"I... I..." Ji Qingyu opened his mouth. "That day, you said you had something to tell me back at school. Actually, I had something to tell you too."

"Fu Han, I... I like you!" Ji Qingyu summoned all his courage to say it, struggling painfully. After speaking, he felt like he’d gone mad.

The alpha’s features were sharp, chiseled like granite. He stared at Ji Qingyu in disbelief, then suddenly gripped his chin, his voice filled with startling hatred. "You dare say that? Do you think it’s fun to mess with me? Ji Qingyu, the fact that you’re still standing here in one piece is thanks to my mercy."

Fu Han’s grip left marks on Ji Qingyu’s chin. Tears streamed down Ji Qingyu’s face. "Fu Han, let me go. I..."

I’m pregnant.

I can’t afford to raise a child right now. Can you give me some money? I’ll pay you back, I promise. I have no other choice. I’m working several jobs, I can’t perform any longer, my songs were taken, I’m desperate. Please help me.

Fu Han’s phone rang. He glanced at it and frowned. His back remained straight, his posture arrogant and impenetrable. "People need to take responsibility for their actions. If you did it, admit it. If you’re punished, it’s what you deserve."

"I don’t have time to waste on you. Just live the rest of your life like this." The words landed heavily, making Ji Qingyu feel even colder.

A chill seeped into his bones. He didn’t know how he managed to push forward, probing cautiously. "Fu Han... if, if I said I was pregnant, what would you do?"

"Then terminate it." Fu Han smiled, staring at Ji Qingyu without a trace of warmth. "You don’t even have a mark. How could you be pregnant? And even if you are, it’s not mine, right? Who knows how many other lovers you have? You’ll hook up with anyone."

"Let go. Your perfume smells like alcohol." Fu Han’s smile was scornful. He tossed the expensive brooch from his chest into Ji Qingyu’s hand. "Go buy yourself a proper coffee. Drink it, and then leave. Stay away from me and the Fu family. Understood?"

Ji Qingyu felt his heart tingling numbly—he had probably already been torn apart by Fu Han's emotional torment. Before he could even process it, Fu Han had already walked away.

He still seemed distant, unattainable, like that cold, proud moon hanging in the sky, utterly unwilling to lower its head and grant him even a glance. He was still that patch of wild grass by the roadside, trampled without anyone noticing, and now perhaps even stained with a layer of mud.

Ji Qingyu recalled the alpha he encountered on Back-to-School Day, who had gone out of his way to make things difficult and humiliate him, yet he felt nothing. Why was it that when it came to Fu Han, his heart felt gripped and torn in two?

Fu Yunbai's voice pulled his thoughts back to reality: "Why are you back?"

Ji Qingyu looked up toward Fu Han. The man's chest was still heaving, catching his breath. He stopped in his tracks, frowned as he looked over, his expression extremely grim.

His gaze swept over Ji Qingyu, then turned cold and sharp as it fixed on Fu Yunbai.

Suddenly, Ji Qingyu felt utterly exhausted. Whatever they were arguing about, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He stood up, stepping away from these two unfeeling men—father and son, these lofty, top-tier alphas.

Fu Han frowned and reached out to grab him. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Ji Qingyu stopped walking. The scar across his neck was still visible, his face pale and devoid of color, his expression calm and detached. His light brown hair fell loosely over his shoulders, casually gathered into strands. He closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke slowly and with quiet resignation, "I’m just too tired."