After Transmigrating into a Scum Gong, the Rich Young Master Got Pregnant with My Child - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

But clearly, Lu Zhaoyi had not misunderstood. Li Xiao’s eyes were filled with deep affection for him.

All of Lu Zhaoyi’s previous tension and unease melted into this deep kiss. Even with ten miles of fireworks, the only thing that could capture their gaze was each other.

After they separated, both their breaths were ragged. Li Xiao gently called out, “President Lu.”

“Mhm,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Let’s go set off the fireworks.”

“Okay.”

Li Xiao walked further into the park with him and soon encountered the people who had been arranged to assist them. In front of others, Li Xiao always maintained his “kept person” appearance, standing obediently by his side, not voicing any opinions, and only offering polite nods.

Lu Zhaoyi was randomly struck by a phrase—irresistibly pitiable.

This was his feeling when he first met Li Xiao, and it remained the same even now. That face was enough to make him forget many things.

He had said he would talk to Li Xiao when they got back, but he was actually quite unsure how to approach the subject. How should he bring it up with Li Xiao? Should he continue to insist that he wasn’t sick, or change the topic to something like, Do you like me?

Since he didn’t have a clear idea, he decided to stop thinking about it altogether.

Lu Zhaoyi didn’t smoke and didn’t have a lighter. He took the one offered to him, tested the igniter, and then smiled and asked Li Xiao, “Xiaoxiao, are you afraid of this?”

Li Xiao shook his head. Lu Zhaoyi said, “No, change your answer. Say you’re afraid.”

Although Li Xiao didn’t know his intention, he still said, “President Lu, I’m so scared.”

Lu Zhaoyi turned off the lighter and then said, “Come here.”

“Okay.” He pulled Li Xiao into his arms. At that moment, the fireworks in the sky began to bloom. This was the result of Lu Zhaoyi communicating with the park management beforehand.

“Xiaoxiao, are the fireworks here better, or the ones last time?”

Li Xiao smiled and said, “If the ones here aren’t as good as last time, wouldn’t President Lu have wasted a lot of money?”

Lu Zhaoyi nodded: “I think the ones here are better too.”

“How did President Lu answer for me?” Li Xiao said. “Is that allowed?”

“It is. I said so.”

Lu Zhaoyi had said he would take him out to play, so he naturally wouldn’t just let him watch the park staff set off fireworks.

He looked at the variety of fireworks spread out before them and asked Li Xiao which ones he wanted to play with. Without thinking, Li Xiao immediately picked up a sparkler.

Lu Zhaoyi smiled and helped him light it. After twirling it around a couple of times, Li Xiao asked Lu Zhaoyi with a smile, “President Lu, would you like to borrow a light from me?”

“Sure,” Lu Zhaoyi took a new one, touched it to the one in Li Xiao’s hand, and the new one quickly ignited.

Lu Zhaoyi didn’t feel childish. There was no rule against a person his age playing with these things. No rule means it’s reasonable, he told himself.

Since Lu Zhaoyi had requested fireworks, the park staff wouldn’t be negligent. Besides sparklers, they had prepared many other types of fireworks.

Lu Zhaoyi’s eyes were clearly fixed on one of them, but he asked Li Xiao, “Xiaoxiao, which one do you want to play with?”

Li Xiao understood the implicit suggestion in his eyes, but he didn’t take that one. He chose the one right next to the one Lu Zhaoyi was looking at. Just as he expected, the smile on Lu Zhaoyi’s face noticeably lessened.

Li Xiao immediately burst into laughter. Lu Zhaoyi looked slightly embarrassed.

Li Xiao laughed and said, “I know President Lu wanted to play with the one next to it.”

“If you knew, then why…”

“I wanted to tease you,” Li Xiao said. “Otherwise, you always look so serious and unapproachable.”

“When have I ever been like that?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I’m so gentle.”

Li Xiao blinked at him: “Really, President Lu?”

“Alright, you win, it’s fake,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “If I were gentle and approachable at Yuehe all the time, no one would listen to me.”

Li Xiao thought for a moment and nodded: “You’re right.”

“Right about what?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Xiaoxiao, you knew I’m not normally like I am at Yuehe, so you deliberately made that joke, didn’t you?”

Li Xiao nodded with a smile. Just as Lu Zhaoyi was about to speak, he heard Li Xiao ask, “You weren’t planning to say you’d ignore me again, were you?”

Lu Zhaoyi instantly widened his eyes: “I didn’t, I wouldn’t, don’t talk nonsense.”

“Pfft.” Li Xiao didn’t spare his feelings and burst out laughing. “President Lu, you taught me a word today.”

“What is it?” Lu Zhaoyi asked him. “Handsome and dashing? You should have known that already. Why else would you be with me?”

“No,” Li Xiao said. “Guess again?”

“I won’t guess. Little fox, tell me quickly,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Or I won’t be polite.”

Li Xiao coughed, then said: “Embarrassed and angry.” (Nǎo xiū chéng nù – being shamed into anger)

“I am not, I didn’t!” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Who taught you that? Don’t say it again.”

“I won’t say it then,” Li Xiao said. “I can use another word.”

“Probably not a nice one either.”

Li Xiao nodded: “You’re right, but President Lu, I still have a question for you.”

“Ask away. What are we, strangers?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Just speak your mind.”

“You just said, ‘why else would I be with you,’ what did you mean by that?” Li Xiao met his gaze, seemingly wanting Lu Zhaoyi to confront the question directly.

Lu Zhaoyi said, “Am I not handsome?”

Li Xiao nodded: “You are handsome.”

“Then it’s normal for you to like my face, isn’t it?”

Li Xiao nodded: “It’s normal, but…”

“But what?”

Lu Zhaoyi asked him. Li Xiao said, “But… wasn’t I here for your money?”

“My apologies, I forgot,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “But it can also be for me.”

“Huh?”

Lu Zhaoyi said: “The unspeakable secret.”

With that reminder, Li Xiao realized what Lu Zhaoyi was referring to.

Li Xiao thought to himself: He says he doesn’t mind, but he actually cares, doesn’t he?

“Xiaoxiao, what are you spacing out for?” Lu Zhaoyi asked him.

Li Xiao replied: “Nothing.”

“That’s a lie.”

Li Xiao looked at him and said seriously, “President Lu, when we go home… let’s try, okay?”

“Try what?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “Xiaoxiao, this really isn’t enough to make me sad. And, pushing it aside, even if I could, with your physical condition, can you handle it?”

Hearing this, Li Xiao looked on the verge of tears. Lu Zhaoyi naturally noticed: “Mhm? Beibei, are you about to drop little pearls again?”

Li Xiao nodded slightly, but was clearly not happy.

“It’s okay,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I won’t blame you for being frail. We’ll just take it slow and nurse you back to health.”

“Okay,” Li Xiao said. “I promise I won’t secretly pour out the medicinal meals anymore.”

“What?” Lu Zhaoyi said sternly. “Li Xiao, what have you been doing behind my back?”

“I’m sorry, President Lu,” Li Xiao said. “You always make me eat the medicinal meals after dinner, and I really can’t manage to eat any more.”

Lu Zhaoyi was stunned: “I apologize. That was thoughtless of me.”

“You did it for my sake, I know,” Li Xiao said. “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“Why?” Lu Zhaoyi didn’t give him a chance to look away.

Li Xiao couldn’t evade, so he didn’t. He looked at Lu Zhaoyi and said earnestly, “Because I will never blame you.”

“Mhm?” Lu Zhaoyi said. “How far is ‘never’? That’s hard to define, Xiaoxiao, you’re just humoring me.”

“Until death,” Li Xiao said. “The moment I cease to be myself.”

Lu Zhaoyi felt his heart pounding fiercely. These words were somewhat intimate, and Lu Zhaoyi was truly a little overwhelmed.

“Beibei,” Lu Zhaoyi asked him. “What is our relationship?”

As the question left his lips, Lu Zhaoyi felt a little awkward. But Li Xiao was extremely honest. He said, “A kept relationship, the kind where I beg you to look at me a little more and not abandon me.”

“What if I told you that you don’t have to beg me?”

When Lu Zhaoyi said this, he also questioned himself about what he meant. I only thought he was handsome at first, so why am I saying these things now?

He himself wasn’t entirely clear, and Li Xiao naturally couldn’t know either. He asked Lu Zhaoyi, “President Lu, what do you mean?”

“Never mind,” Lu Zhaoyi said. “I didn’t mean anything.”

Li Xiao nodded. He seemed to have anticipated this answer and didn’t dwell on it, though he looked a little downcast.

Lu Zhaoyi put himself in his shoes. He probably likes me a little, right?

It was normal for him to be unhappy when Lu Zhaoyi spoke words close to affection but wouldn’t give him a definitive answer.

But Lu Zhaoyi also thought that he never fixated on intimate relationships. Having lacked much familial affection growing up, his reliance on people wasn’t heavy. Now that Li Xiao was like this…

He couldn’t directly ask what Li Xiao truly felt about him. Just like the things he had said to Li Xiao, although they weren’t entirely innocent, he didn’t want to over-explain them.

After all, he couldn’t know Li Xiao’s thoughts. Li Xiao must have loved the scum gong deeply to be willing to return. He was completely different from the scum gong.

Having been in business for a long time, Lu Zhaoyi even felt that emotional matters could be measured like a transaction. If he invested, there should be a return. If he invested and got nothing, then it was better not to invest.

After much deliberation, Lu Zhaoyi decided not to be the first one to fall in love. Until he could confirm Li Xiao liked him, he would not say a single word of affection.

Lu Zhaoyi noticed Li Xiao picked up a “wind-fire wheel” firework and became curious himself.

“President Lu, haven’t you played with this either?”

Lu Zhaoyi shook his head: “What boss plays with this?”

“True,” Li Xiao said. “Should I light one and try it?”

“I’ll light it,” Lu Zhaoyi said, backing up several steps after igniting it.

Watching the firework spin and spark in Li Xiao’s hand, he commented, “This one is actually quite pretty.”

“Do you want to try it, President Lu?” Li Xiao asked him.

Lu Zhaoyi looked at the firework, then at him: “How should I try it?”

Li Xiao suggested: “Hold my hand?”

Lu Zhaoyi truly didn’t know who taught him to be so direct. He was a little hesitant, unsure if he should walk over to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao noticed his reaction and asked almost provocatively, “President Lu, are you scared?”