I'm Pregnant With My Arch-Nemesis's Child - Chapter 10

The dream collapsed along with the details he had never noticed, leaving only the amber-colored wine in his gaze, radiating a bright halo.

Chi Yuan blinked, his consciousness gradually clearing, only to realize that the illusion was caused by the orange chandelier hanging high above his head.

He felt despondent. It seemed that while others had dreams that foretold the future, he only dreamt of Lu Huai and those trivial matters of the past. Even as he tried to deny it, Cheng Ye’s careless speculation left him unsettled. Chi Yuan endured his hangover headache, yet he could not stop pondering the meaning behind Cheng Ye’s words: did Lu Huai really like him? Or was it a secret crush?

This thought made Chi Yuan scoff out loud. His gaze dimmed, and he thought sarcastically that no one in this world would harbor a secret crush while simultaneously holding onto the desire to make the other person miserable. Besides, was it not common knowledge that Lu Huai loved Fang Qiming? The fact that he was actually considering the possibility of such a thing made him feel truly stupid.

However…

Memory, after all, spanned a long river of time, and no matter how he looked back, there were always blurred edges.

Things that Chi Yuan once found offensive now, when viewed from the perspective of a bystander, felt less intense, and even somewhat subtle.

They were used to not yielding to one another. As young children, they had to determine who had the stronger martial arts skills, and the contest only ended when one pushed the other’s porcelain-like face into the dirt. As they grew older, they childishly compared how many characters they knew, and even competed over who bought more books to read, which was why Chi Yuan always felt Lu Huai studied more diligently. Otherwise, why would he lose every time they engaged in a war of words? They continued this secret rivalry through middle school, competing for rankings and the number of love letters they received. Perhaps because the sample size was large enough, they had compared wins and losses but never the ultimate outcome over the years.

If others had not seen them fighting at the slightest disagreement, they might have thought it was lovely to have someone accompany you from birth, even if it was through bickering.

Chi Yuan could not quite remember their first conflict, but based on existing memories, it was likely he who had provoked the other. Yet, thinking about it now, although Lu Huai was always passive, he responded every time, or to put it plainly, he always retaliated.

Realizing he was starting to think according to Cheng Ye’s perspective, Chi Yuan pressed his lips together but did not pull his thoughts back.

In the dream just now, Lu Huai’s congratulations was perhaps the most straightforward expression among all his responses. Every time Chi Yuan won or gloated after a victory, Lu Huai seemed to react this way, watching him from not far away with a hint of a smile. He would get angry at the other man for not showing any signs of defeat, never once considering that there might be a second explanation.

And then, why had Lu Huai stopped him that day, asking with reddened eyes, “Do you really love him that much?” If it truly referred to Fang Qiming, wouldn’t he just use his name? At the time, Chi Yuan felt Lu Huai was demanding a commitment on Fang Qiming’s behalf. Thus, he had answered with a firm “love,” hoping to tell the other man there was no chance to take advantage of the situation and to kill any lingering hope. But now, in hindsight, it sounded more like Lu Huai was cautiously confirming something.

This sudden series of thoughts nearly overturned a decade of his understanding. Chi Yuan cursed inwardly, wondering if he had truly gone insane.

Afterward, Lu Huai left the country without a word, leaving behind only the so-called celebratory gift, a pair of watches. Even with the cover of their dozen-year-long childhood friendship, he still felt surprised. At the time, due to certain selfish reasons, he had accepted the gift but kept it hidden away.

Although everyone felt Lu Huai had gone abroad to study due to heartbreak, he alone felt it had not reached that point, especially seeing that one and only moment Lu Huai lost his composure. In those youthful years when hormones ran rampant, he had also wondered what kind of person Lu Huai would end up liking.

But no matter how he thought about it later, he could not find anyone worthy of him. Even though he always stood on the opposing side, he could understand the glory that Lu Huai focused upon. Whether he could possess it or not, watching from afar always felt like something too enviable.

If Lu Huai truly liked him…

Aside from the initial disbelief, now that Chi Yuan had sobered up from the alcohol, even imagining it made him feel an uncontrollable excitement. A man like Lu Huai, perhaps only love could make him bow his head.

However, Chi Yuan’s joy flickered and vanished. Forget it. Thinking of Lu Huai’s indifference, which was never swayed by emotions, he felt that whether it was true or false, it was something he could not afford to experience.

Outside the window, there was a faint sound. A bird suddenly took flight, snapping a branch and causing a crown of leaves to fall, matching the white streaks in the sky, falling silently at last.

“Yes, I understand.”

When Lu Huai received Cheng Ye’s call early in the morning, his eyes flashed with surprise. Hearing that Chi Yuan was heavily intoxicated and had been settled in a hotel, he wanted to say something, but Cheng Ye’s speaking speed, likely honed by Chi Yuan’s lack of patience, gave him no chance to speak.

“Cheng Ye.” After the other man finished rambling, Lu Huai spoke in a low voice, calling his name with deeper meaning. “You?”

Cheng Ye was startled. “What about me?” He felt like a prisoner being interrogated at the gallows, almost blurted out that he knew nothing.

Lu Huai’s lashes fluttered, and a smile touched his eyes, though his words carried a hint of authority. “I hope there is nothing.”

This was a command to shut up. Cheng Ye blinked. Compelled by Lu Huai’s pressure, he chose silence.

Lu Huai listened to the slightly rapid breathing on the other side and said in a deep voice, “No matter what you have sensed, it is best to do as you are doing now, stay silent. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Cheng Ye gritted his teeth, inwardly cursing both Lu Huai and Chi Yuan. Although they were currently at odds, from his perspective, it was only a matter of time. These two were disasters individually; they should just be put together to destroy each other. With this thought, he suddenly felt the joy of fooling Lu Huai. Although he did not quite understand what Lu Huai was worried about, surely his probing Chi Yuan yesterday had nothing to do with this promise to stay silent.

Cheng Ye put his arm around the woman beside him, pretending to be profound, thinking he was truly Cupid himself.

After hanging up, Lu Huai’s gaze pressed heavily onto the screen, feeling a touch of panic. Although he had anticipated being suspected when he sent that message yesterday, Cheng Ye’s realization was far too clear. He was both surprised that the other man could see through him, yet felt a sense of relief that this secret, buried for so long, finally had someone to share it with.

He lowered his lashes and curled his lips into a faint smile, pressing his knuckles against his lips.

From the impossibility of speaking during Chi Yuan and Fang Qiming’s romance to the realization that Chi Yuan might actually care for him a little, Lu Huai thought he must be truly despicable. Otherwise, why would he have felt a trace of secret joy when he heard Chi Yuan had broken up?

From start to finish, perhaps he was just a thief coveting treasure.

“What are you doing here?”

Chi Yuan had just come from a shower when he heard the doorbell. He opened the door to see Lu Huai.

The wild thoughts from just a moment ago were all related to this person, so his first reaction upon seeing him was to avoid him. He wanted to close the door, but it was held back by Lu Huai. Whether it was the transformation brought about by his own inner turmoil or not, he felt flustered seeing Lu Huai’s pale lips, so he uncharacteristically relaxed his guard and let him in.

“Cheng Ye said you had a hangover. I called your secretary and found out you did not go to the office.”

Was this an explanation? Chi Yuan wiped his hair with his back to Lu Huai, missing the sparkling, amused look in the other man’s eyes. Flustered, he missed the point: “Why do you have my secretary’s phone number?”

Lu Huai leaned against the window and laughed. “You are allowed to snatch my secretary’s phone, but I am not even allowed to make a phone call? Chi Yuan, how can that be?”

Chi Yuan attributed all the abnormalities to the soul-stealing power of those peach-blossom eyes. He coughed a few times, feigning impatience: “Fine, what do you want?”

Lu Huai did not know why Chi Yuan always had such hedgehog-like temper toward him, unable to be provoked in the slightest. He sighed and took out the file he had prepared, handing it to him.

“The partnership between the Lu and Chi Corporations this year. Do you want to take a look?”

“It is the same every year; what is the point of looking?” Chi Yuan raised an eyebrow. While saying this, he still took it. “Are you that free?”

“Not really.”

“Did you come to see my joke?” Chi Yuan asked, knowing perfectly well that was not the case. He scrutinized Lu Huai from head to toe, as if trying to detect details he had never noticed before.

Lu Huai composed himself, looking once again like the indifferent man he was familiar with. He said, “Chi Yuan, your health is your own.”

The fire was about to flare up again. Chi Yuan did not know what Lu Huai was going on about, or why he had suddenly changed, adopting such a condescending, lecturing tone.

“What is your position to say such things?” The original response of “You are being too nosy” was swallowed back the moment it reached his lips. He lifted his phoenix eyes and suddenly changed his tone.

Lu Huai’s gaze flickered, and he was momentarily speechless, finding no rebuttal aside from deliberate avoidance. He glanced away, not meeting Chi Yuan’s eyes. “You and Fang Qiming…”

The atmosphere plunged to freezing point.

The mischievous look in Chi Yuan’s eyes vanished. He even wanted to laugh, mocking himself for his wild thoughts from a few hours ago—why on earth did he think Lu Huai liked him?

The moment those words were uttered, any spark he might have had was extinguished.

He stopped all movement and interrupted through gritted teeth: “Lu Huai, you are truly something.”

Watching the man angrily throw down his towel and slam the door on his way out, Lu Huai stood frozen in place.

Was the impact of the name Fang Qiming still that significant? He curled his lips, a sense of mockery flashing in his eyes, answering the other man in his heart—he truly had no standing at all.

For example, reminding Chi Yuan to let go of Fang Qiming, or standing here and intervening too much.

From start to finish, all he could do was remind himself.