Chapter 44 Pre-Pre-Pre-Pre What

Chapter 44 What in the World

“Big Brother, Big Brother—Zheng Yuan’s calling!”

“Pick it up!”

On the other end, only one question: “How is everything?”

Yang Yun, distractedly rambling, said, “I’m the Little Brother—Big Brother and Little Brother are in the bathroom—ah, ah, it’s my Little Brother vomiting again,” pushed open the bathroom door—shut tight after violent shaking—and switched the phone to speaker mode.

By the time he aimed the phone toward Shu Yangkuo, the voice on the other end had already changed. Yan Wei sounded worried:

“Did something come up?”

“Still just dry heaving.”

“Anything else? Any other symptoms?”

Shu Yangkuo cradled the person—his left hand supporting beneath the knees, his right hand beneath the arms—gently rubbing his stomach. The man in his arms was no longer pale; sweat no longer beaded on his forehead. The dry heaving gradually ceased, but he looked utterly drained—shaking his head weakly to signal he no longer needed to vomit.

He’d nearly collapsed onto the bathroom floor holding him. Shu Yangkuo held him tightly, grabbed the phone, and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment:

“Earlier, his stomach hurt.”

“Just now?”

The instant Shu Yangkuo grunted, the phone was snatched by Shi Zai. By now, he’d recovered—it was just dry heaving; he thought it was nothing. Yet the man holding him looked terrified, his hand trembling faintly as it rubbed Shi Zai’s stomach.

Hearing another question from the other end, Shi Zai quickly answered:

“Wei Bao, it’s me—it’s me! I’m fine—just dry heaving and some stomach pain.”

“Describe the pain specifically.”

After Shi Zai finished his description, not only did the other end fall silent—but the two listening on this side fell silent too. Yang Yun flushed and whispered into Shi Zai’s ear, “Little Brother, that was *way* too much detail”—but the voice on the phone suddenly rose slightly:

“Who asked for that?”

“Ah?”

While speaking into the phone—“Why are you shouting? Where’s your bedside manner?”—Shu Yangkuo scooped up the person and stood, telling Yang Yun to inform the others they were heading to the hospital.

Pushing aside the freshly wrapped blanket, Shu Yangkuo placed his hand back on Shi Zai’s stomach, glancing up to check his expression. Shi Zai looked dazed—especially under the man’s inscrutable gaze. Before he could ask anything, he was pulled into another tight embrace.

On the other end, Yan Wei cursed twice—“Nutjob”—then turned to the person beside him: “Did I yell?”

Zheng Yuan immediately shook his head. “No.” His wife’s volume just now could almost be described as gentle as a spring shower. Seeing her still stunned, Zheng Yuan added, “Some patients are overly sensitive. When he comes in, I’ll scold him for you.” Hearing this, Yan Wei snapped out of it—and scoffed contemptuously at Zheng Yuan’s idea of “scolding.”

Shi Zai felt annoyed, a little scared, and utterly at a loss. Since that bout of dry heaving, it was as if he’d forgotten how to walk—he hadn’t left Shu Yangkuo’s arms. The man held him tightly; he couldn’t move, and could only obediently bury his face against that solid, comforting chest.

Ultrasound Room

Shi Zai lay with his head pillowed on a large hand, gazing up at the group: his brother and younger brother, Zheng Yuan and Yan Wei. He felt perfectly fine now—no longer frightened—and deeply, overwhelmingly loved. Such a minor issue drawing concern from so many people made his heart swell. He knew routine check-ups were usually handled by junior doctors and nurses—but here, a vice president operated the machine while the hospital president personally examined him… Shi Zai lifted his face and beamed up at them.

Hearing the sound, Yan Wei’s irritation vanished instantly. One had red-rimmed eyes; the other grinned like a fool—what was the point of scolding?

If it could truly be confirmed tomorrow… he’d let Zheng Yuan scold Shu Yangkuo.

Those smiling eyes were kissed. Shi Zai raised his hand to cup the man’s face and kissed his eyes:

“Brother, don’t be afraid. I’ll be fine.”

“…Mm.”

“Don’t overthink it—you promised we’d be happy together for life.”

Beside them, Yan Wei—pulling on medical gloves—was speechless, then snapped irritably:

“This is a hospital bed.”

“…”

“What? Want to trigger a medical dispute? Anyway—I have zero medical ethics. Go ahead and cause trouble.”

Having said that, Yan Wei refused to glance again at Shu Yangkuo’s icy expression and began the examination. Even without seeing the results, he was ninety percent certain it wasn’t a gastric issue—especially after hearing Shi Zai’s utterly insane “description.”

Five minutes later, all organs in Shi Zai’s abdomen appeared perfectly normal. Yet—as suspected—there was an extra organ where none should exist in a male. Or rather, that organ had originally degenerated to walnut size—but was now activated and fully functional.

The male reproductive cavity.

Whether anything resided within it remained undetermined—for two reasons: first, evening ultrasounds lacked precision; second, it was likely less than a month along. Putting away the equipment, Yan Wei recited a list of organ names to them and declared, “Everything’s fine.”

Shi Zai exhaled a huge sigh of relief, tugged Shu Yangkuo’s ear—and his smile brightened even more. Yang Yun sat down beside him, resting his head on Shi Zai’s shoulder. He’d stayed silent until now—but finally relaxed, nudging his Little Brother to talk. Just as the two prepared to stand, Shu Yangkuo held Shi Zai back, telling them to wait a moment: “Brother will go pay.” Shi Zai said, “Ah,” then, “Oh.”

He was surprised they even had to pay. Not that he wanted to take advantage of his friends—but in his view, Yan Wei and Zheng Yuan wouldn’t charge them. He’d first met Shu Yangkuo in mid-September, when the two men sought to auction off two antiques gifted by a friend to settle a debt—hoping to fund construction of another building. Their private hospital had existed for only three years; all machines and equipment were top-tier, fees were low, and they hadn’t yet earned enough to expand—hence the plan to sell antiques. That day, after getting an appraisal at the antique market, they’d stumbled upon a newly renovated shop. Yan Wei casually asked about it—only to be told the items were cultural relics requiring official auction licenses, and must be surrendered immediately; otherwise, they’d be halted mid-auction—and if unable to explain, might face jail time. Thus, narrowly avoiding disaster, the two went to thank them with gifts—and on their way out, bought an unassuming piece of jade from Shu Yangkuo to support the new shop. They were advised to try auctioning it jointly—and astonishingly, it sold for five hundred thousand. When they brought the money back, Shu Yangkuo refused to accept it. Later, as Yan Wei began to grow angry, he heard the man say, “My wife told me to make friends—I have to offer sincerity first.”

Yan Wei was stunned—thinking the man utterly insane. That night, meeting Shi Zai, he concluded, “Psycho.” In any case, Yan Wei saw no “sincerity” in Shu Yangkuo’s friendship-making—only his “happiness” in completing his wife’s assigned task. When the two families gathered, Yan Wei felt like they were actors Shu Yangkuo had dragged off the street to play “friends”—he barely spoke to them. Fortunately, Xiao Zai was adorable and enthusiastic; otherwise, Yan Wei would’ve thrown the five hundred thousand in his face. Later, Yan Wei bought Shi Zai a car worth over two hundred thousand—and wanted to buy one for the younger brother too—but he wasn’t eighteen yet, so it had to wait. Back and forth, they grew genuinely close—money no longer mattered. Though Yan Wei still flinched recalling Shu Yangkuo’s friendship “rules,” well—for Xiao Zai’s sake, he *was* a good person.

As for Zheng Yuan and Shu Yangkuo—Yan Wei had no idea what these two “strangers” sometimes got up to. If he weren’t absolutely certain both were devoted to their wives, the way they exchanged wordless glances—tsk—he’d suspect secret flirtation.

Vice President’s Office

When Yan Wei entered, though he’d expected it, he was still startled:

“What are you two doing—acting mysterious?!”

“President Yan—I’ve confessed everything.”

“…”

Glancing at Zheng Yuan, Yan Wei twitched his mouth and continued, “Fast tomorrow—” But before he could finish, Shu Yangkuo waved the form in his hand. Yan Wei clicked his tongue—he’d forgotten—but added, “Don’t get too excited.”

Who knew Shu Yangkuo would glance at him and calmly reply:

“I won’t say anything prematurely.”

“…I meant *you*.”

“Until the results are confirmed—and *he* knows—I won’t display any emotion.”

“…”

On the way back to the examination room, Shu Yangkuo truly thought of nothing else. His sole focus was self-reproach—for causing his treasure’s stomach pain, for making his *bǎobèi* suffer, for failing to care for him properly. As for anything else—whether he believed it or not—his mind was blank, filled only with silent prayers to heaven.

By the next morning, as they prepared to leave, Shi Zai remained puzzled why another check-up was needed. But he understood—after so long without even catching a cold, now suffering stomach pain and consecutive bouts of dry heaving—it was frightening.

Fortunately, it was Saturday; otherwise, he’d have gone to class first before handling the check-up.

Around noon, after a series of examinations, no one mentioned the results—but Yan Wei frowned slightly and asked Zheng Yuan to personally write an afternoon examination order. Only then did Shi Zai begin to panic—though he tried to stay calm, because his brother looked even more panicked, accidentally knocking over two chairs in the hospital. When Shu Yangkuo stepped out to retrieve the form from Zheng Yuan, Shi Zai grabbed Yan Wei’s arm.

"Yan Wei, what's wrong with me?"

"...Wait for the results this afternoon."

"But I'm a little scared."

As he spoke, Shi Zai couldn't help but tear up—he couldn't afford to have anything happen to him. If something happened to him, what would his brother and younger brother do?

After all, he was only twenty. Yan Wei wrapped an arm around Shi Zai's shoulder and sighed gently. He wasn't one to show much emotion himself, but the young man—or rather, big boy—he was holding was passionate and straightforward, speaking his mind freely. Yan Wei found himself affected by Shi Zai's emotions:

"Don't be scared, really, it's nothing. Little Zai, can you answer two questions for me first?"

"Okay, go ahead."

"When was the first time your stomach hurt?"

"Sometime in late November, I can't remember the exact day."

"...Was it after you had sex?"

Shi Zai murmured "Mm-hmm" twice, feeling that Yan Wei, in his white coat, holding him and speaking softly, was especially gentle. He couldn't resist wrapping both arms around Yan Wei's waist, just like a child in a hospital who really likes the kind doctor treating them gently.

Yan Wei tried to pull away slightly but didn't move:

"You didn't have sex in the days between?"

"Of course we did! Otherwise, I'd be going crazy from wanting it!"

"..."

"Hehe, are you trying to ask why it didn't hurt other times? After it hurt the first time, I thought it was because he went deeper than before, so the next few times I told my brother not to go into that place where I can draw him in, so it didn't feel like much. Well, it did, but it wasn't as comfortable as going deep inside, hahahaha. Last night was the engagement party, I was happy, he was happy too, so I told him to go in again, and then it hurt again."

Yan Wei almost wanted to cover his ears at this. What did he mean by "that place where I can draw him in"... probably the cavity opening.

From the sound of it, even with low HCG, it could be confirmed. The male reproductive cavity is different from the female uterus. Once implantation occurs, the cavity opening closes completely in the first two months. If someone pushes too far, it will naturally hurt.

One of them continued chattering on about how it felt the two times it hurt, while the other was lost in thought, not noticing a small head peeking in through the examination room door, then quickly covering his mouth in surprise before quietly running off.

Xiang Xiang halfway dragged along his Dough-Boy brother who had come looking for him, and together they went to the assistant dean’s office. As soon as they entered, he shouted:

"Daddy, Uncle, your partners are in bed together!"

Upon hearing this, three faces were struck with shock.

The first to rush out was Shu Yangkuo, followed by Zheng Yuan, and finally Yang Yun, who scooped up Xiang Xiang.

Xiang Xiang was a bit puzzled, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck:

"Dough-Boy brother, is your partner in there too?"

"..."

Yang Yun gently patted Xiang Xiang's bottom, suddenly coming to his senses. The little rascal must be talking nonsense. He pinched the child's cheek:

"Who taught you that word?"

"In bed? What's wrong? They were both on the bed."

"...Then why did you say it like that?"

Hearing the question, Xiang Xiang lifted his little head and smiled, then suddenly rubbed his eyes:

"Dough-Boy brother, don't be unhappy, okay?"

Yang Yun paused, then hugged the child tightly, kissing his forehead. He hadn't expected a four-year-old to be so sensitive, which suddenly reminded him of his own childhood. He had said similar things to his big brother too. After sensing someone else's unhappiness, not knowing what to do, he would blurt out things he didn't understand but had heard somewhere, just to make the adults happy.

When they reached the examination room door, laughter indeed erupted from inside. The child in his arms relaxed, and so did Yang Yun.

His eyes tickled from the kisses, but Shi Zai didn't pull away. Instead, he pursed his lips, letting Shu Yangkuo peck them a few times before breaking into a smile:

"Brother, can you do the afternoon check-up for me?"

"...Okay, I'll learn how."

"Hehe, I can teach you right now..."

As he spoke, Shi Zai leaned close to Shu Yangkuo's ear and whispered, passing along everything Yan Wei had just told him. The two of them had lain on the bed because Yan Wei had talked them through it remotely, and Shi Zai found Yan Wei so gentle and kind that they ended up lying together.

After finishing, Shi Zai blinked:

"Brother, will you get jealous of the ultrasound probe?"

"..."

"Hahahaha..."

The person in his arms laughed so hard he nearly fell backward. Shu Yangkuo quickly pressed a hand against his waist, having no words to respond.

For the afternoon examination, only Shi Zai, Shu Yangkuo, and Yan Wei were present. Yan Wei sat behind the curtain, watching the screen, and directed them:

"You can start now."

"Okay."

The moment he felt the cold instrument, Shi Zai gasped. Shu Yangkuo immediately stopped:

"Does it hurt?"

"No, no, it's just so cold, brother. Why isn't it warm at all?"

Before Shu Yangkuo could pull it out, Yan Wei's cool voice came from behind the curtain: "Continue." Shu Yangkuo was a bit nervous, but he whispered, "Just hang in there," and continued. Within seconds, the person lying down suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Both the one holding the probe and the one holding the mouse were stunned, then heard Shi Zai say with a laugh:

"Brother, it feels like we're being watched, hahaha!"

"...Behave."

"Hehe, then hurry up, brother, or else I..."

Before he could finish, a loud shout came from behind the curtain: "Shi Zai!" Shi Zai quickly covered his mouth, then smiled and whispered to Shu Yangkuo, "Brother, don't be scared, it's really nothing," trying to relax the man. Shu Yangkuo lowered his eyes and hummed in acknowledgment.

Less than a minute later, a voice from behind the curtain said, "That's enough." The moment Yan Wei's voice fell, Shu Yangkuo pulled out the probe, helped his treasure tidy his clothes, and instantly pulled him into a tight embrace, burying his face in Shi Zai's shoulder.

From Yan Wei's tone, Shu Yangkuo already knew the result.

Shi Zai was confused, his heart lifting again, not understanding what was happening now. He glanced at Yan Wei, but Yan Wei only smiled and walked out of the examination room, closing the door behind them. The moment the door shut, Shi Zai heard a slightly choked "I'm sorry" whispered in his ear.

Shi Zai struggled hard, cupped the man's face desperately, which was indeed red-eyed:

"Ge, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"

"...*Baby*, you're pregnant."

"Pr-pr-pregnant?!"

Seeing this, Shu Yangkuo kissed his big eyes firmly, comforting him:

"...Don't be afraid, Xiao Zai, don't be afraid. Ge is here, we don't have to keep it."

Ten minutes later, Shi Zai sobbed:

"I don’t want to end up with a bunch of kids like a yew tree, wuwu..."

"..."

"Ge, am I a monster? First I picked up two monsters like you, and now I’ve become one myself, wuwu... No, you two aren’t monsters, I am. How can a man get pregnant..."

Shi Zai was truly bewildered and unable to accept it. He still couldn’t grasp the meaning of "pregnant," only feeling terrified—afraid he might really be a monster, afraid he might have some serious illness... Then his thoughts circled back: if he were gone, what would happen to Ge and his little brother?

The person in his arms cried so hard that Shu Yangkuo’s heart ached. He buried his head, pressing against his eyes, comforting him over and over, but nothing helped. Even he didn’t believe or understand it, let alone his twenty-year-old baby. Yet the test results were clear. He had no personal feelings about Shi Zai’s pregnancy; all his emotions were tied to the fear and distress conveyed through the crying of the one in his arms.

If he had known it would come to this, Shu Yangkuo would have never been intimate with him in his entire life. Overwhelming guilt surged once again. When Zheng Yu'an asked, "No protection?" Shu Yangkuo didn’t respond.

Putting aside the fact that he didn’t know men could get pregnant, from the first time they did it, even the largest size was too small. They tried two larger sizes later, barely fit, but Shi Zai didn’t want it, so they never used it again. He couldn’t blame others for his lack of common sense; there was nothing he could say. In the end, it was his fault.

But now, a simple "I’m sorry" wouldn’t resolve things.

Shu Yangkuo thought for a moment, then carried him to Zheng Yu'an’s office. With just one glance, Zheng Yu'an anticipated this outcome. He pressed his forehead and waited for the person in Shu Yangkuo’s arms to quiet down a bit before clearing his throat:

"Xiao Zai, I was just about to find you. It was a misdiagnosis."

"...What does that mean?"

"You’re not pregnant."

With just that one sentence, Shi Zai struggled to process it, rubbing his eyes and looking down:

"I don’t have a baby in me?"

"..."

Compared to the word "pregnant," "carrying a baby" inexplicably made hearts tremble—including Shi Zai’s own.

And Yan Wei, who had just entered and overheard this sentence.

With those words alone, he understood. In the time he had gone to check on Yang Yun and Xiang Xiang, these two idiots had messed up. Pointing at them, he scolded:

"Have your brains been kicked by a donkey?! What are you trying to do? Secretly make him get rid of the child without anyone knowing?! Then why tell him he was pregnant earlier? Why not just treat him like he's not human?! Is he a toy?! For you to decide arbitrarily about his body?!"

"Zheng Yu'an! Do you never learn?! Wait till we get home, I’ll deal with you then!"

"Shu Yangkuo, did you rape him to get him pregnant?! Doesn’t he have the right to pursue happiness?! Doesn’t he have the responsibility to care for his own body?! You could choose not to do it with him to avoid pregnancy, but Xiao Zai could find others who could get him pregnant!"

After this outburst, Yan Wei took a deep breath, glared at them both, and said to Shi Zai:

"Xiao Zai, come with me. Let’s talk."

"...Oh, okay."

Not to mention the two who were scolded into confusion, even Shi Zai was a bit disoriented. Still, before leaving, he waved at Shu Yangkuo and whispered, "Ge, even if we don’t do it, I’d only ever do it with you." Then, under Yan Wei’s cold gaze, he stuck out his tongue and was led away.

All along, he had felt that Yan Wei was sharp and stern around Zheng Yu'an but gentle with him. Sometimes, he even needed to coax Yan Wei into talking. After witnessing this scene, Shi Zai suddenly felt a warmth in his heart, as if Yan Wei were like a parental figure. Hehe.

Arriving at Yan Wei’s office, the two sat on the sofa. Shi Zai still wrapped his arms around his waist:

"Wei Bao, what did you want to tell me?"

"Aren’t you curious about Xiang Xiang?"

"Of course! I asked my Ge a long time ago. He said you adopted him."

Yan Wei rolled his eyes:

"You believe that?"

"...Did you give birth to him?!"

After a pause, Yan Wei nodded. For now, he could only say that. Whatever decision was to be made, it had to be Shi Zai’s own.

For the next half hour, Yan Wei explained everything about Xiang Xiang’s pregnancy, birth, and the activation of the male reproductive cavity.

To put it bluntly, every man has a reproductive cavity, but it’s dormant and atrophied from birth. Some men can gradually activate it through sexual activity, leading to pregnancy and childbirth.

There were some things he didn’t say yet—he needed to see first whether Shi Zai wanted children.

Shi Zai blinked, reached out to touch Yan Wei’s belly, and suddenly looked up:

"I knew it!"

"...What?"

"I feel like there’s a little garden inside my belly, and it’ll slowly grow bigger, especially when it’s being 'watered'..."

"Stop!"

Yan Wei sighed helplessly and pushed away the hand on his belly. How on earth did Shu Yangkuo manage to win over this innocent?

How could he blurt out whatever he's thinking?

Shi Zai touched his nose, finally feeling a bit embarrassed:

"I don’t say these things to others. Only to you. I feel really close to you, Wei Bao, and we’re the same. I like you a lot, so I want to tell you everything. You can tell me everything too. I’ll make you happy every day, okay?"

"..."

Yan Wei fell silent for a moment. He had heard Shi Zai say the same thing to Ji Qianxi just yesterday. But regardless, his heart felt warm. No one dislikes being treated with sincere warmth. He nodded and said, "Okay."

But—weren’t they talking about children?

Seeing that Yan Wei didn’t stop him, Shi Zai lifted Yan Wei’s shirt to look. There were some toned stomach, no visible signs of pregnancy. He then lifted his own shirt to compare. Pregnant? With a baby? It’s very flat. Shi Zai touched his own belly:

"It’s not as obvious as when my Ge's inside me."

"..."

"He can get here, right here—"

After measuring his own belly, he then moved to Yan Wei's belly to gesture there as well. Yan Wei abruptly stood up, completely dumbfounded—totally at a loss.

But he suddenly felt a bit of understanding. No matter how considerate and caring Shi Zai usually was toward everyone, he was still only twenty years old and probably still in a daze, unable to fully accept it. So he was saying some nonsense to ease his own emotions and prevent others from worrying too much.

Yan Wei sighed softly and ruffled his hair, his eyes still red:

"Xiao Zai, don’t spiral. You can choose to keep the child or not—it’s entirely up to you. Medicine has come a long way nowadays; there’s nothing to fear. Most importantly, the first thing you should think about is yourself..."

"Do you like me?"

"...?"

If it were anyone else asking out of the blue, Yan Wei would have immediately pulled away the arms thrown around his neck, but:

"Yan Wei?"

"What about Zheng Yuan?"

"...I like him too."

"I love that you all care about me. Besides the love from my brother and little brother, I have so many people who like me. I love having everyone around me. If there’s a baby, the baby would definitely like me too... but I, I’m afraid I won’t be able to give enough love to everyone."

As he spoke, Shi Zai rubbed his eyes. He had promised not to get stuck in his head, but:

"What if the baby, or Yun Bao, feels I’ve neglected someone? I don’t want them to become another me."

"Would you neglect anyone?"

"No!"

"Then why would they become another you?"

Hearing this, Shi Zai’s eyes lit up, and he pushed the door open to go find the older and younger one.

At the same time, in another examination room, after Shu Yangkuo came out, he met Zheng Yuan’s gaze and nodded, "I’ve decided."