After Transmigrating into a Scum Gong, the Rich Young Master Got Pregnant with My Child - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Li Xiao didn’t know how to react for a moment. Lu Zhaoyi embraced him, then kissed the top of his head.

Li Xiao spoke: “President Lu, you still have a meeting to attend.”

“It’s fine,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “They’ve waited this long, a little while longer won’t hurt. I’ll take my little fox to wash his face before meeting them.”

Li Xiao nodded obediently and followed him into the lounge.

Lu Zhaoyi smiled: “Xiaoxiao, although you look beautiful no matter what, I still prefer to see you happy.”

Lu Zhaoyi took the initiative to pack up his digital tablet and laptop. As soon as he handed them to Li Xiao, he grabbed a blanket.

Li Xiao asked, “What are you taking the blanket for?”

Lu Zhaoyi said, “I’m afraid my little fox will get cold.”

Li Xiao was startled, then quickly said, “Thank you.”

“So polite,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “When one makes a mistake, one must be conscious of it and let you cool off.”

Li Xiao said, “I’m not mad. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Not mad?” Lu Zhaoyi asked him. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I originally wanted to say that after this contract is finalized, I’d take you out to play as compensation, but it looks like I don’t need to now,” Lu Zhaoyi said to him with a smile.

“President Lu is teasing me again,” Li Xiao said. “Let’s go up now. The Shengjin people must be getting impatient.”

“Are you talking about Xie Yuanzhu?” Lu Zhaoyi didn’t wait for his answer and said, “There’s really no need to rush to meet him.”

Though he said there was no rush, Lu Zhaoyi still held Li Xiao’s hand and went upstairs. Even if he disliked Xie Yuanzhu, he represented Shengjin right now, not just himself.

As Lu Zhaoyi and Li Xiao went upstairs, the Shengjin people were naturally notified. After all, they had been waiting for Lu Zhaoyi for a while. It was Xie Yuanzhu’s business when he chose to arrive, but the meeting had to start, and they were just salaried employees.

Lu Zhaoyi and Li Xiao ran into Xie Yuanzhu as soon as they went up. Lu Zhaoyi was momentarily stunned; he had to admit that Xie Yuanzhu was indeed good-looking.

He looked at Li Xiao, then thought about the original plot, and felt a sudden burst of resentment: Since ancient times, profound affection is unloved, and only the scum gong wins hearts?

No matter how many thoughts he had, he still politely shook hands with Xie Yuanzhu.

“President Lu, I’ve heard much about you,” Xie Yuanzhu said with a smile.

“Likewise,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Chu Siyu said, “President Lu, everyone else is here, only you and President Xie are missing.”

“Okay,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “President Xie, shall we go in?”

“Is President Lu in such a rush to start the meeting?”

Lu Zhaoyi glanced at Li Xiao, then said to him, “Yes.”

Xie Yuanzhu smiled: “Then I’ll go in first. It looks like President Lu still has something to say to the person next to him.”

“Alright,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I’ll be in shortly.”

Lu Zhaoyi watched Li Xiao sit down on the sofa, then helped cover him with the blanket.

“I’ll be out as soon as possible.”

“Just focus on your meeting,” Li Xiao said. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Okay,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Then I’ll go in.”

Li Xiao nodded.

When Lu Zhaoyi entered the conference room, everyone immediately tensed up. As the CEO of Yuehe, the meeting could only start with his presence.

Yuehe’s business scope was very broad, but Lu Zhaoyi was known as someone “born for business,” so he was naturally not an amateur when it came to negotiations.

To outsiders, Lu Zhaoyi had an image of being very decisive and quick to act. It was the same when negotiating with Shengjin. Lu Zhaoyi usually remained silent, only listening to others speak, but whenever he did speak, his questions were always crucial.

He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he kept feeling Xie Yuanzhu looking at him. Lu Zhaoyi didn’t dwell on it. After all, Xie Yuanzhu’s attraction might be a good thing for the original host, but for him, it had to be nipped in the bud.

Xie Yuanzhu wouldn’t know any of this. He continued to look at Lu Zhaoyi with a smile. This time, Lu Zhaoyi was certain he was looking at him, because Xie Yuanzhu didn’t even flinch when his gaze returned.

His look was essentially no different from Li Xiao’s.

Lu Zhaoyi felt annoyed. Xie Yuanzhu had a considerable role in the original novel, as his status and the circle they were in allowed for a lot of entanglement. Not only did Lu Zhaoyi know this, but Li Xiao must also be aware of it.

Lu Zhaoyi hadn’t planned for the long term, but a voice in his heart told him that at least he couldn’t let Li Xiao be unhappy.

After the meeting, Lu Zhaoyi was definitely tired, but Xie Yuanzhu still stopped him: “President Lu, please wait.”

Lu Zhaoyi had no choice but to stop his attempt to leave.

“The cooperation has been discussed,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I’ve signed the document. There shouldn’t be anything else for us to talk about.”

“Don’t be in such a hurry to leave, President Lu,” Xie Yuanzhu said. “I truly wanted to chat with you.”

“But I don’t,” Lu Zhaoyi said as he walked toward the door. Xie Yuanzhu had to follow him.

Although Lu Zhaoyi was indeed impolite, he didn’t feel he was wrong. If he gave Xie Yuanzhu any room for misunderstanding, he didn’t know what kind of trouble he would have to deal with later.

Xie Yuanzhu caught up and told him, “I shouldn’t have been the one to discuss this contract with you.”

“I can tell,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Your business skills definitely need more practice.”

“I’ve never offended you before, President Lu. Why is there such aversion toward me in your words?” Xie Yuanzhu asked with a smile. “Is it because I’m not as good-looking as the canary you keep?”

Lu Zhaoyi didn’t answer him. Xie Yuanzhu continued to ask, “President Lu, you couldn’t have fallen for your little canary, could you?”

“No,” Lu Zhaoyi said definitively.

“You certainly don’t look like it,” Xie Yuanzhu said meaningfully.

“He likes me to kiss him, and he likes me to hug him,” Lu Zhaoyi’s tone was somewhat regretful. “But I’m not his type.”

Xie Yuanzhu chuckled aloud: “The canary ran away.”

At this statement, Lu Zhaoyi’s expression instantly changed. Did Li Xiao hear that?

Lu Zhaoyi ignored Xie Yuanzhu and ran to the corner, where he indeed saw Li Xiao’s retreating figure.

What did he hear? Was it my “no?”

If it was that line, Li Xiao would definitely cry, Lu Zhaoyi thought.

“Don’t chase him, President Lu,” Xie Yuanzhu said. “Even if you catch up now, the canary you keep won’t listen to anything you say.”

“That’s none of your concern, Young Master,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “That’s my own business.”

Xie Yuanzhu said, “If President Lu just wants someone for company, how about considering me?”

“I don’t want to,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Young Master Xie deserves a better person. You overestimate me.”

“Whether I overestimate you is up to me, not President Lu.”

Lu Zhaoyi only said two words: “Is that so?”

He didn’t say anything more but walked to where Li Xiao had been sitting. He packed up the laptop and tablet. Li Xiao had already folded the blanket.

From the looks of it, Li Xiao had folded the blanket and packed his things before going out to meet him. It was a shame Xie Yuanzhu saw him, but he didn’t. Lu Zhaoyi instantly felt that he really owed Li Xiao.

When he had said he would compensate Li Xiao, he had meant it as a joke, but now he truly felt sorry for Li Xiao.

He hadn’t received much familial affection growing up, and most people who showed him affection were after his wealth. Only Li Xiao, whom he hadn’t given anything to—at most a few kisses and sleeping together—was willing to give so much to him.

Furthermore, the contract Li Xiao initially wanted to sign was with the original host. Lu Zhaoyi was suddenly filled with a great deal of guilt.

But he couldn’t blame Xie Yuanzhu. If he hadn’t said “no” so definitively, Li Xiao wouldn’t have run off so quickly. He wouldn’t push all the blame onto someone else.

Lu Zhaoyi finished packing, then pressed the down elevator button. Xie Yuanzhu was still standing beside him, saying, “President Lu, until next time.”

“Mhm mhm,” Lu Zhaoyi answered perfunctorily. He thought: Li Xiao’s eyes are probably red from crying by now.

He went into the CEO’s office, and indeed found Li Xiao in the conference room. Just as he expected, his eyes were bloodshot.

“I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “It’s my fault.”

Li Xiao was sobbing uncontrollably, his eyes blurry with tears. He opened his phone and sent a message to Lu Zhaoyi.

— It was my fault for eavesdropping on you and Young Master Xie.

“What eavesdropping?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I know you went to meet me.”

Lu Zhaoyi walked to his side, put down the bag containing the laptop and digital tablet, and the blanket, before slowly sitting down on the sofa himself.

He embraced Li Xiao. For the first time, Li Xiao showed an inclination to pull away. This had never happened before, and Lu Zhaoyi suddenly felt it was a tricky situation.

He wanted to hold Li Xiao but was afraid of upsetting him. After a moment of hesitation, he still pulled Li Xiao into his arms. This time, Li Xiao didn’t pull away but also didn’t offer any response.

He was like a toy that could be casually handled, having lost its original will.

Lu Zhaoyi naturally didn’t want to see him like this. He held Li Xiao, gently patting his back.

“Xiaoxiao, what happened today was my fault. I shouldn’t have talked to Xie Yuanzhu privately, and I definitely shouldn’t have said those things,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “You should be the one who doesn’t mind my behavior.”

He let go of Li Xiao, took a silk scarf from his desk drawer, and used it to wipe away Li Xiao’s tears.

Lu Zhaoyi held up the small scarf and joked, “There’s not a dry spot left on this handkerchief.”

“President Lu,” Li Xiao spoke again after a few seconds of silence. “Lu Zhaoyi.”

“Go on.”

Li Xiao calling him by his full name was a very dangerous signal. Lu Zhaoyi felt his heart pounding. He was distressed by Li Xiao, which was not a good sign, but Lu Zhaoyi couldn’t spare a thought for it.

“We have the most despised relationship,” Li Xiao said. “I accept that you quickly denied it, but are you unwilling to give me any face at all in front of others?”

“Xiaoxiao, I’m not…” Lu Zhaoyi stopped talking there.

Not what? Did I not say those words? Did Li Xiao mishear? Clearly, neither was the case.

And deep down, the reason he delayed coming out to see Li Xiao was because he hadn’t figured out how to explain himself to him.

This was not something honorable, it couldn’t be brought up openly, and Lu Zhaoyi disdained explaining it.

“President Lu,” Li Xiao asked again. “In a relationship like ours, is it abnormal to have love?”

“What’s normal or abnormal about it?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Don’t they all say that feelings are the hardest things to fathom?”

Li Xiao nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Since they can’t be figured out by people, then their existence is reasonable,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “It has nothing to do with how they started; the result is what matters.”

“That doesn’t apply to us,” Li Xiao’s voice had lost its cry, and he spoke with an unusual calmness that made Lu Zhaoyi feel very uneasy.

What does he mean by that?

Li Xiao can’t possibly be a transmigrator too!

If he were a transmigrator, shouldn’t he be staying ten thousand miles away from me, or going the revenge route after running away with the baby? He definitely wouldn’t be acting like this.

Lu Zhaoyi really couldn’t figure it out, and Li Xiao saw his confusion.

Li Xiao spoke: “President Lu, you don’t treat me like the contract ‘kept person’ relationship I’ve heard about.”

“Of course, I’m different from others,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “There are so many people in the world; you have to allow for the existence of different people, right?”

“Then why did President Lu agree to sign the contract with me?” Li Xiao said. “Our terms were clearly stated.”

Lu Zhaoyi truly didn’t know how to answer this. He couldn’t possibly say that he was impotent—that was a matter of dignity. But he couldn’t find any other excuse.

He definitely couldn’t tell Li Xiao directly that the person who agreed to sign the contract with you wasn’t me, could he?

“Hasn’t President Lu figured out an excuse yet?” Li Xiao said. “Do you need me to help you think of one?”

“What am I making up?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Xiaoxiao, I truly don’t know what to tell you, but having you by my side makes me immensely happy.”

“I also know you went to meet me today full of anticipation,” Lu Zhaoyi’s eyes were filled with guilt. “But I let you hear those words. These are all my faults. You have every right to be unhappy, but I still hope you’ll give me a chance to apologize.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Li Xiao said. “We were never in an equal relationship to begin with.”

Lu Zhaoyi never expected Li Xiao to be so fixated on the “inequality.” He was very anxious: “We are absolutely equal!”

“No,” Li Xiao said. “You’ve transferred money to my account again and again, but I’ve never done what I should have done to earn that money. If you had truly done something, I could have accepted the money with a clear conscience, but you haven’t.”

Lu Zhaoyi couldn’t stand being talked to this way, but at the same time, he didn’t know what to say to comfort Li Xiao. Li Xiao was stating facts: he had indeed transferred money to Li Xiao, and he truly hadn’t done anything.

If the scum gong were here, he definitely wouldn’t have gone down this route. Could I have lost to innocence? Lu Zhaoyi didn’t want to fail this way.