Chapter 2 The Cold and Beautiful Professor (2)

Chapter 2 The Cold and Alluring Professor (2)

Triple Zero was so engrossed in figuring out the antagonist’s strange sounds that it missed Qi Yan’s words; otherwise, it would have been squealing and spinning in circles with joy.

Plump water droplets traced paths down the white tiles, as steam diffused through the air. The coolly elegant and aloof married beauty, dressed in light attire, bore a vivid red trace at the corner of his eye.

Unlike the cool indifference he’d shown when picking up Qi Yan at the bar, Shen Juan now exuded a different kind of passion, his mature charm flowing naturally, a seductive allure emerging from his detached, ascetic demeanor.

The man wore a sheer gauze robe, its buttons meticulously fastened from top to bottom, yet the fabric was both transparent and thin.

The partially concealing garment draped over his graceful figure, the material swaying before his abdomen. As the pregnancy was not far along, his belly remained flat, without a noticeable curve.

As Triple Zero phased through the wall, it witnessed the antagonist lifting the chin of that body, his eyes and brows flushed crimson as he playfully chided, "It’s all your fault. It’s only been three months, and my belly is already so obvious."

If Qi Yan were to enter, he would be utterly astonished—this body was an exact replica of himself, down to the minutest detail.

The yellow fur on Triple Zero’s head bristled with fright. This was… the body the host had used during his previous mission!

How had it become a mindless corpse?!

The System Bureau’s regulations stipulated that once the affection value reached its peak, the host would be forcibly returned to the real world. Simultaneously, to stabilize the antagonist’s mind and body, the host’s used body would remain, imbued with memories replicated through code.

Essentially a "robot," but—

Now, the code within the body had vanished.

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Otherwise, if the host discovered this, chaos would ensue.

The next second, Triple Zero had no further opportunity to think. Its stubby chicken neck was seized by a large, well-defined hand. Shen Juan pinched its neck, his thin lips whispering, "Don’t disturb my husband."

"Mr. System, who claims to want to conquer the antagonist."

Triple Zero was utterly terrified, its programs glitching into chaos.

Too scared to speak or move, it stammered in terror.

[Y-you, h-how, I…]

It watched the antagonist’s eyes curve into a faint smile. "Aren’t you curious how my husband can be so well-behaved and adorable?"

Triple Zero then heard him say, "That’s because I snuffed out that little thing. What do you think, Mr. System?"

It widened its eyes, too terrified to speak.

Shen Juan cast a cold glance at it. "Mr. System… as thanks for bringing my husband back to me."

He lightly pursed his red lips. "From now on, you’ll listen to me. First…"

Triple Zero was so scared it could only agree.

QAQ

The pregnant antagonist was terrifying.

Watching the system depart, Shen Juan’s long, pale fingertips crackled with blue arcs of electricity. Upon closer inspection, they were clearly composed of strings of code—this was—

The stolen system core.

It could sustain bodily functions and also control others’ bodies, such as the one Qi Yan used during his initial conquest.

Shen Juan gently stroked his pregnant belly, gazing at his pale, exquisite face in the mirror, slowly curving his lips into a smile brimming with hatred. "Qi Yan’s" arms wrapped around his waist from behind, gently drawing him into an embrace.

Their necks nestled together intimately. Shen Juan leaned back, resting his head on "Qi Yan’s" shoulder, his red lips parting slightly. "Tell me, how should I punish you?"

Shen Juan glanced sideways. Outside the window, a bright, cool moon cast its light upon the windowsill, clearly delineating the interior from the exterior.

Beyond the window, countless homes glowed with tender affection, while within, a wretched ghost was poisoned by love.

His husband had been gone for thirty full days, seven hundred and twenty hours, vanishing on the very day he had been thrilled, pregnancy test in hand, eager to surprise his husband.

That day… he heard a strange entity calling itself a system, bouncing around excitedly. The memory clutched Shen Juan’s heart with pain. What had it said?

It said that Shen Juan, this wicked, cruel antagonist, had finally fallen truly in love, the so-called love meter had maxed out, and the host could go home.

Shen Juan rested his head on "Qi Yan’s" shoulder and slowly closed his eyes. During the day, he had seen with his own eyes his husband, with that familiar face, appearing in the classroom.

He was certain that the husband who left and Qi Yan were the same person.

The husband who had been gone for a month had reappeared, bringing the system to conquer him again, attempting to max out his affection once more. The curve of Shen Juan’s lips held a sharp, mocking edge.

The moment their eyes met, Shen Juan himself didn’t know whether his racing heart was from longing finally satisfied or from burning hatred.

His husband was young, heartless, dangerous, coming and going as he pleased, leaving behind only endless sorrow and simmering resentment.

The fogged bathroom window reflected the waning moon in Shen Juan’s eyes, as tears streamed down his expressionless face. "Qi Yan’s" shoulders and neck also cradled a shattered lake.

Glimmering and dazzling, shattered beyond repair.

*

Qi Yan narrowed his long, slender eyes. Leaning against the wall, he didn’t light the long cigarette, merely gazing absently at it in his hand.

The hazy light shimmered, blurring his handsome features.

Qi Yan had grown up in a harsh environment. He was the wealthy family’s illegitimate son, born from his wealthy father and wealthy mother who both cheated on their respective spouses.

He had lived amidst betrayal, desire, infidelity, and clandestine affairs since childhood.

Qi Yan’s moral boundaries were actually quite flexible. Earlier, he didn’t want to conquer Teacher Shen not because he was already married, but purely because he wasn’t interested.

That was all.

Now…

Any gay man, upon hearing such seductive moans, would inevitably feel a spark of curiosity toward Teacher Shen.

As it happened, Qi Yan was gay.

Qi Yan tossed the tissue.

Conquering the antagonist’s married man sounded a bit intriguing.

But only a bit.

The desire born of male baser instincts wasn’t enough to ignite any real passion in Qi Yan; such a faint whim couldn’t compel him to take action.

Qi Yan walked back to his room. Triple Zero came flapping toward him with its stubby, flabby wings, its chicken face full of panic.

[Host! Host!]

Qi Yan was doing one-handed push-ups, sweat trickling down his broad back and biceps, exuding raw masculinity.

Hearing the system's frantic voice, Qi Yan didn't even turn his head: "What is it?"

Triple Zero covered its face with both wings, shrinking into a small yellow ball by the bed, then sneaked under the bed as if that could offer it some sense of security.

It stammered for a long time without managing to say anything useful. It had intended to tell its host that his wife was acting strange—able to see it and aware of their intentions—and to warn him to be careful.

After holding back for a while, recalling the pain of being choked, Triple Zero shivered and still didn't speak up.

Qi Yan would be fine if he found out; the villain loved him to madness. But it was different for Triple Zero—if it dared leak even a hint of information, it felt it would be doomed.

Qi Yan scoffed and ignored it, thinking the system was acting up again, thus missing the chance to notice its unusual behavior.

He had a habit of exercising. Normally, he worked out at the gym, but even though Teacher Shen's home had a home gym, as an outsider, it wasn't appropriate for him to use it.

So he could only do push-ups, planks, and the like in his room to maintain his physique.

His face and body were his assets for singing at bars and potentially becoming the other man in the future. Qi Yan certainly wouldn’t neglect his workouts.

After finishing two more sets of push-ups, a drop of sweat trickled past the point of his hairline, over his handsome brows, and dripped down. Just then, Qi Yan heard familiar footsteps.

"Tap—"

The footsteps headed straight for his room. It was late; Teacher Shen wouldn’t be coming to tutor him at this hour.

Qi Yan's black shirt was soaked, accentuating his well-defined muscles. Every move exuded a man's charismatic allure.

The door knocked.

Qi Yan stretched lazily and opened the door. Unsurprisingly, it was Shen Juan outside.

Shen Juan wore a tightly buttoned silk pajama set, his fair neck still bearing fresh red kiss marks. His strikingly beautiful but aloof face was tinged with a blush.

His neat appearance couldn’t conceal the traces of after lovemaking on the lovely spouse, nor the faint minty scent mingled with a sweet, lingering fragrance.

Qi Yan's dark pupils darkened. Honestly, this version of Teacher Shen was truly tempting enough to lead one to crime.

Especially since Qi Yan was fully aware of his own lack of scruples. He could easily seduce Teacher Shen out of mere novelty or lust for the married man’s body.

If Teacher Shen stayed around him for too long, it might just push him into becoming the other man who disrupts a happy marriage.

Qi Yan leaned casually against the doorframe, his collar unintentionally falling open slightly as he moved, sweat lingering.

Shen Juan slowly looked away, his brow furrowing briefly—the asymmetry of Qi Yan’s clothes bothered him.

Qi Yan: "Sorry, teacher. I just have a habit of working out. I’ve been at it for half an hour and worked up a sweat. I hope Teacher Shen’s husband won’t mind you seeing your student like this."

His hoarse tone carried a teasing, flirtatious tone.

Shen Juan held out a bottle of stomach medicine with a finger, his tone flat: "My husband is kind-hearted. Knowing I brought a good student home from the bar, he asked me to give him this medicine."

Qi Yan’s stomach had indeed been bothering him.

He held out his palm, and soon a pill was placed in it. Qi Yan tossed it back and swallowed, feeling some relief.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Shen Juan’s neck: "Thank your husband. But... doesn’t Teacher Shen have anything to give me himself?"

"Surely Teacher Shen isn’t forgetting his good student, is he?"

Shen Juan seemed to have anticipated the question. He took out a pen with a sleek black body, well-made.

Qi Yan examined the pen, wondering inwardly if Teacher Shen was hinting that he should truly behave like a good student and study hard.

He took it, rubbing and toying with it in his palm, smiling as he said thanks: "Thank you, Teacher Shen. I won’t disappoint your kindness."

Shen Juan nodded lightly, holding his stomach as he slowly returned to the master bedroom.

Qi Yan lay on the bed, lifting the pen with a laugh: "System, Teacher Shen is quite responsible and treats his students well."

Only after Shen Juan left did Triple Zero dare to crawl out trembling from under the bed. The little yellow ball scanned the pen.

(Pen-shaped remote control.)

Confusion and shock appeared on its bird-like face. Triple Zero looked up at its host, who was smiling as he toyed with the pen, then wrapped itself back into a ball, deciding to say nothing.

Master bedroom—

"Qi Yan" lay on the left side. On the right, Shen Juan rested his head on his husband’s arm, nestling close, his hand sliding over his belly.

He lay in his husband’s embrace, eyes closed.

Shen Juan’s dark lashes lowered, veiling the faint blush at the corners of his eyes.

In ten days, Shen Juan would turn twenty-nine. He sighed softly—his husband had returned in a body that was only nineteen.

He was older, no longer vibrant and passionate. Compared to his nineteen-year-old lover, he seemed rigid and dull.

Before meeting Qi Yan, aside from a dull and strict childhood, Shen Juan’s life had been uneventful. He had no interest in love or people.

Shen Juan lost in thought, then laughed mockingly. To his young husband, the concept of "love" probably didn’t exist.

Even when he was three months pregnant, his husband had returned under a new identity and name, forgetting him entirely, believing he had truly married someone else.

An unhealthy flush of bitter hatred spread across Shen Juan’s face, vengeful thoughts growing wildly. He quickly made a plan.

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Shen Juan glanced sideways at the lifeless body beside him, planted a soft kiss, and chuckled mischievously: "Darling, lose your mind for me."

*

Qi Yan played with the pen for ten minutes before putting it away.

He glanced at the bottle of stomach medicine. Undeniably, Teacher Shen’s husband was a good man.

Not only did he agree to let his wife take in a student, but he also gave him medicine.

Qi Yan’s heart beat with a flicker of conscience. Unfortunately... he knew himself well.

He wasn’t a righteous person.

The fire that had ignited in him because of Teacher Shen, now tempered by the stomach medicine, made his faint conscience feel like crocodile tears.

Triple Zero worked up the nerve and cautiously spoke.

[Host, are you willing to do the mission now?]

Qi Yan ran his fingers over the pen, pressed a fist to the corner of his mouth, and smiled indifferently: "We’ll see tomorrow."

He always did as he pleased. If he truly developed an interest in Shen Juan, he wouldn’t need the system’s urging to take the initiative.

Triple Zero wanted to try to persuade him again, but couldn't voice its troubles. If the host refused to complete tasks, it wouldn't meet its quota, and worse… the antagonist kept threatening it, making it urge the host to seduce him.

Unaware of its inner turmoil, Qi Yan closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When he woke up, Qi Yan didn’t see Teacher Shen or his husband.

He felt a little disappointed; he was genuinely curious about who Teacher Shen’s husband was, his name, and what he looked like.

But Qi Yan didn’t dwell on it too much. Thinking about the system’s task, he bit down on his cigarette holder. Perhaps… he and Teacher Shen’s husband would have some deep connection in the future.

He walked out of the room and noticed a vase on the wooden entryway table in the entryway holding a bunch of faded paper roses.

Qi Yan glanced at it briefly before leaving Shen Juan’s home. He lit a cigarette and stepped onto the street. Triple Zero was noticeably chattier now.

[Host, host, let’s take a taxi to the hospital next.]

Qi Yan: ?

Why go to the hospital for no reason?

But Triple Zero kept pestering him, so Qi Yan stubbed out his cigarette, hailed a cab, and headed to the hospital.

The wheel tracks were deep, and the cold wind howled. Qi Yan sat in the car, toying with his pen while gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

With his day's pay from the bar, Qi Yan still had some money left. He used it to pay the fare and bought a jianbing with all the fixings before walking toward the hospital.

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar elegant figure appeared in his sight. Qi Yan raised his eyebrows in puzzlement—What was Teacher Shen doing at the hospital?

He looked up to read the words on the wall, which clearly stated: [Obstetrics Department]

Qi Yan: ??

Who was pregnant???