Chapter 70

Chapter 70

◎The Second Insider.◎

"Oh, come on, Meng Qi—why are you only taking pictures of him and not me? Just because he's better-looking than me? Get your phone out and take one of me too, or I swear I'll be pissed!" Kuang Hui said, hoisting Ren Baizhi onto his shoulder, grabbing Meng Lingzhi out of Qi Yun's hands, then jutting his chin out in a haughty pose and grumbling indignantly at Meng Qi, "Go ahead, take it. Make me look hot."

Meng Qi had planned to take pictures of Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming too, but they'd been holed up in the game room all along, and he hadn't called them out in advance, so that's why the misunderstanding happened. At the end of the day, it was his fault, so as he snapped away, he tried to butter up Kuang Hui, "You're way better-looking than Qi Yun. You look hot no matter how I shoot."

That wasn't totally off. Kuang Hui was the type of sunny, good-looking guy who grows on you. Once you got past his flashy red hair and really looked at his face, you'd realize his face was way more captivating than his hair: his delicate, baby-soft skin was as smooth and bouncy as a peeled egg, and when he cracked a slight smile, two faint dimples peeked out with his little fangs, making him genuinely adorable—the kind of cute that could effortlessly win over a crowd, even more lethal than a kitten. That's why he usually didn't smile, keeping a straight face when talking to people.

Meng Qi figured he'd dyed his hair red just to tone down his cuteness.

After taking a few shots of Kuang Hui, Meng Qi waved at Dong Jiaming, who was leaning against the wall near the game room door, and called out with a grin, "Jiaming, come over. I'll take a group shot of you guys."

"Two years as classmates, and I never knew you were into photography like this," Dong Jiaming said as he strolled over slowly, true to his usual style.

Since he wasn't leaving the next day, Meng Qi wasn't in a hurry, so he didn't rush him. Instead, he wandered around snapping candid shots on his phone until Dong Jiaming came over and stood next to Kuang Hui. Then Meng Qi aimed the phone at them, counting "three, two, one" as he clicked away. With a *click*, the first duo shot was done.

Kuang Hui leaned in for a look and seemed pretty satisfied.

After the duo shot with Dong Jiaming, Kuang Hui turned to leave, but Meng Qi called him back, wanting him to take a picture with Qi Yun too.

This was the perfect time to build a stronger bond between Qi Yun, Kuang Hui, and Dong Jiaming. Once he was gone, with Kuang Hui and Dong Jiaming around, Qi Yun wouldn't be too lonely... or so he hoped, Meng Qi thought, with a hidden agenda.

Kuang Hui instinctively wanted to say no, but then, as if something occurred to him, he slung an arm over Qi Yun's shoulder, looked at Meng Qi, and grumbled, "Go ahead, take it. Only side by side can we tell who's really handsome."

Meng Qi said again that he was the most handsome, and Kuang Hui smugly jutted his chin out.

After taking the photo of Kuang Hui and Qi Yun, Meng Qi invited Dong Jiaming back into the frame and quickly snapped a group shot of the three of them.

"We've all had ours taken. You not getting one?" Dong Jiaming asked Meng Qi.

Meng Qi shook his head. "I'm not photogenic. I'll skip it."

"Get over here, you!"

Kuang Hui casually yanked Meng Qi into the trio, then snatched the phone from his hand and held it up high. Once he had all four of their upper bodies in the frame, he shouted, "Three, two, one, shoot!" and in a flash, a group shot of four people and two turtles was taken.

"Keep this safe, okay? If you ever get lost, you can use this photo to beg for a meal at my place." Kuang Hui patted Meng Qi on the shoulder and said, all sincere, "Don't be shy. I won't mind having a beggar as a brother."

The speaker might not have meant anything by it, but the listener definitely took it to heart. Meng Qi's chest tightened, and his lips went stiff, but he didn't dare meet Kuang Hui's eyes. Instead, he feigned anger, pursed his lips toward Kuang Hui, and muttered resentfully, "I'm not that dumb. How would I get lost?"

"Just kidding, and you took it seriously. Come on, with the Meng family's strength, even if you got kidnapped to outer space, they'd find you. So don't worry—you won't end up a beggar."

Meng Qi: ...

That made him even more uneasy...

He silently prayed that his stepmother would step in and prevent the Meng family from launching a massive search for him.

At that thought, a spark of inspiration hit Meng Qi. He could definitely exploit this angle. If he could successfully stir up conflict between himself and Li Jintong, then after he left, Li Jintong might become the key obstacle to the Meng family finding him.

Then again, if he could figure out Li Jintong's true thoughts now, maybe he wouldn't even need to scheme. Perhaps Li Jintong was already hoping he'd disappear.

In the end, it was his fault for not finishing that book. If he'd at least read until the moment "the book's Meng Qi" died, he'd know the real cause and could target the root to change his fate, instead of living in constant fear every day.

So, Meng Qi silently resolved: if he was lucky enough to return to the real world, he'd never drop a novel halfway without reason! Of course, he also wouldn't casually pick up a novel to read anymore.

Just as his mind was wandering, his phone buzzed with a new message notification. He immediately tapped to check it—speak of the devil, it was Li Jintong messaging him!

Li Jintong said that the day after tomorrow was when Meng Kaize would set off for Dunhuang, so she hoped he could come home tomorrow for a family gathering before Meng Kaize left. After all, many hands make light work—if everyone shared one travel tip, Meng Kaize might suffer less on the road.

This seemed like an opportunity. Not only could he gather some travel experience, but he could also try to stir up a little friction between himself and Li Jintong... Meng Qi's excitement grew, but with Kuang Hui and the others around, he held back his emotions, simply telling them that his family had messaged him, asking him to come home for a meal tomorrow.

Qi Yun hung around for a bit longer before leaving. Before he went, Meng Qi handed him the keys to his electric scooter, telling him to use it for commuting—it'd be more convenient.

Kuang Hui, tired from the commotion, ducked into the game room to rest. His way of recharging was interesting: he claimed that no matter how drained he was, ten minutes of gaming would bring him back to full strength.

Dong Jiaming stayed seated on the living room couch, unmoving, as if waiting for everyone to leave so he could have a proper talk with Meng Qi.

As of now, Dong Jiaming was the most likely person to know his true situation—though it might still be just speculation. After all, a man being pregnant was an unheard-of oddity throughout history; ordinary people wouldn't even think of it.

Meng Qi wondered if Dong Jiaming was ordinary or extraordinary.

He hoped Dong Jiaming was the latter. Right now, his mind was a tangled mess, barely functioning, and he desperately needed someone to offer guidance. Dong Jiaming, with his medical knowledge and steady demeanor, was the perfect candidate.

Meng Qi and Dong Jiaming locked eyes for a few seconds. Dong Jiaming nodded at him and said, "Come sit."

Dragging his heavy steps to the couch, the short distance had already drained all his strength. He flopped down sideways, raised his right hand to cover his eyes, and stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking to Dong Jiaming, "Ask whatever you want."

What reached Meng Qi's ears next wasn't Dong Jiaming's voice, but the sound of his fingers tapping on the couch armrest—*tap, tap, tap*, like drumbeats.

Meng Qi guessed Dong Jiaming was thinking about how to start.

Ren Suiyi also liked to tap on things when thinking, but the rhythm Ren Suiyi produced was irritating, while Dong Jiaming's tapping felt as soothing as a spring breeze, nearly lulling Meng Qi to sleep.

After a full half-minute, Dong Jiaming finally spoke. He asked Meng Qi, "You guessed what I wanted to ask, right? How did you know you...? This is too shocking. Even though I've already felt your pulse, I still can't believe it."

Meng Qi didn't dare tell Dong Jiaming the truth about transmigrating into a book, not even to someone as reassuring as Dong Jiaming. He could only fabricate a seemingly plausible lie, hoping to bluff his way through. "A long, long time ago, something like this happened to someone in the Meng family. And since I experienced this abnormal reaction after, well, after being intimate with someone, I had a hunch. When you took my pulse at noon and asked me that question, it confirmed my guess."

Dong Jiaming hummed in acknowledgment, indicating he was listening. After a pause, he continued, "What's your plan? Judging by your reaction, you don't want many people to know. What about your family? Don't you want them to know either?"

Meng Qi said, "I think if my dad found out, he'd skin me alive."

*Sorry, Meng Zhenchao, Boss Meng. I'm pinning a feudal patriarch label on you for now. I'll apologize in person if I get the chance,* Meng Qi silently thought.

"He's always groomed me as his successor. If I pulled something this shameful, he'd be utterly disappointed. How could he trust me with the Meng family? And I remember that earlier Meng family member was drowned in a pond. Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm not mistaken."

*Sorry again, Meng family ancestors. I'm also pinning an unflattering label on you. I'll burn plenty of incense and apologize properly if I get the chance,* Meng Qi silently added.

"So you want to go into hiding for a while?" Dong Jiaming hit the nail on the head.

Meng Qi couldn't help but give Dong Jiaming a thumbs-up. "Impressive. You caught me."

Dong Jiaming's face showed concern. "Only someone as dense as Kuang Hui wouldn't notice. If it weren't for Qi Yun's situation with Brother Wu, given how troubled you look, even Qi Yun might have picked up on it."

"Keep it a secret for me. Don't tell them. If they ask, act like you know nothing. I'll explain everything to them once I've gotten through this period," Meng Qi pleaded.

"Get through this period? One month or ten months?" Dong Jiaming pressed.

One month for an abortion, ten months for a pregnancy—Dong Jiaming, being a medical student, knew exactly what to ask.

Meng Qi was an abandoned child. He'd never known parental love from birth. He had no idea what it felt like to be cherished by parents—would it be more fulfilling than the love from his grandparents? He couldn't figure out the answer himself, nor could he ask anyone.

He also didn't know if, when he was in his mother's womb, his parents had looked forward to his birth. Had they felt happy because of his existence?

But he understood his own feelings. Beyond the initial panic of learning the truth, every moment since had been filled with happiness because of a tiny life connected to him.

Having been abandoned himself, he knew how terrible it felt to be given up by those closest to you. He wouldn't let this little life, which had chosen him as family, experience that despair of being forsaken. So he'd already made his choice.

"Ten months," he answered Dong Jiaming, dead serious. "Since he chose me, I have to be responsible for him. I want him to be the happiest child in the world. He'll come into this world full of my expectations and grow up in my love. I'm gonna have him. I'm not giving up on him."

"This is a big deal, Meng Qi. Are you sure you've thought this through? Not just some spur-of-the-moment thing?" Dong Jiaming pressed Meng Qi repeatedly. He'd seen more of the world with his grandpa, so he got it better, maybe worried Meng Qi would end up regretting it down the line.

Meng Qi shot back, totally sure of himself, "I'm sure, Jiaming. You don't need to persuade me anymore. If you really want to help me, just give me the rundown on what to watch out for. Once I leave here, it'll be hard to meet a Chinese medicine practitioner as skilled as you again."

The place he was headed was out in the sticks; having any doctor at all would be a stroke of luck, and he didn't expect to encounter someone as talented as Dong Jiaming.

Dong Jiaming thought for a moment, then took out a bell-shaped carving from his coat pocket and handed it to Meng Qi, explaining, "This is a token designed by my grandfather. He gives one to every disciple he takes on, both as a reminder and so they can help each other out when they're in a jam. Now I'm giving it to you, hoping it can help you in critical moments." He paused, sighed, and went on, "Of course, I hope you'll never need to use it."

Meng Qi held the token from Dong Jiaming's grandfather in his palm, examining it repeatedly, then smiled and expressed his gratitude, "I'll take your word for it, Jiaming. Thanks. And hey, I'm lucky—maybe I really won't need it."

Dong Jiaming also smiled and said, "Let's hope so."

After that, Dong Jiaming spent nearly an hour giving Meng Qi a detailed rundown of pregnancy precautions. Afraid he might forget, Meng Qi opened the voice recorder on his phone and recorded the entire session.

Dong Jiaming didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that and reminded him, "You can just ask me anytime you can't remember. Why record it? It's just wasting storage space."

Meng Qi couldn't tell Dong Jiaming about the place he was about to go to, so he could only explain calmly, "What if you're busy and don't check your phone, and I'm in a hurry? Recording it can't hurt."

After finishing the recording, Meng Qi let out a long sigh, feeling that his chances of survival had suddenly increased by seventy percent.

Dong Jiaming then asked him where he was going afterward.

Meng Qi rubbed his neck, shot a look at Dong Jiaming, and hemmed and hawed, "Haven't figured it out yet. We'll see."

Dong Jiaming tactfully didn't press further.