I'm Pregnant With My Arch-Nemesis's Child - Chapter 3

The night grew deeper. The weather had been poor lately, and the heavy evening smog made even the stars seem dim.

Lu Huai coughed softly, pressing his hand tightly against his convulsing stomach, unable to keep from curling up in pain.

Beside him, the IV drip shone brightly under the white fluorescent lights. His friend, Ling Zhi, noticed Lu Huai’s condition and could not help but scold him.

“You two have been at each other’s throats for over twenty years. Are you still at it?”

Lu Huai tightened his jaw to endure the pain, forcing himself to look up at the remaining liquid in the bottle.

“It is not.”

His voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.

Ling Zhi naturally did not hear him and continued, “And you, what are you even aiming for? Is it just to spite that brat, Chi Yuan? Why torment yourself like this?” He grew even angrier as he spoke. “Do you have any idea how bad your stomach is? Is that something you can put alcohol into?”

“Ling Zhi.” Seeing that his friend had no intention of stopping, Lu Huai called his name in a helpless, slightly submissive tone. “I have a headache.”

“And why would you not have a headache?” Ling Zhi nearly threw the medical report onto Lu Huai’s bed and cursed, “You have a high fever, Lu Huai. You truly are the death of me.”

Seeing that he had failed to stop the fire and instead seemed to have added fuel to it, Lu Huai did not say anything more and obediently shut his mouth.

It was indeed tormenting, and he was, perhaps, completely out of his mind.

Lu Huai lowered his lashes to hide a hint of despondency.

Seeing Lu Huai like this, Ling Zhi found it difficult to continue scolding him. He sighed, “I really do not understand what you cannot let go of. With your background, how could you be unrequited in love?”

At these words, Lu Huai’s expression froze for a moment, and his lashes trembled.

“Of course, there is nothing to be done about Fang Qiming.”

Hearing Ling Zhi add that remark, Lu Huai suddenly let out a dry, mirthless laugh. His eyes shifted, but he did not refute the statement.

Chi Yuan is indeed more likable than me.

But to Ling Zhi’s eyes, it seemed his brother was trapped in a romantic predicament yet still trying to maintain a calm facade. He could hardly scold the person Lu Huai loved for being blind.

So, feeling a sudden surge of brotherhood, Ling Zhi blurted out, “Chi Yuan is a real piece of garbage.”

He said it with deep emotion and dramatic flair.

Lu Huai was silent.

Exhausted by the pain, Lu Huai rubbed his temples, still forcing himself to stay awake despite his fatigue.

He had just returned to the country and was not yet familiar with many of his responsibilities. Getting sick had wasted a lot of time, but collaborations would not wait, and there was also Chi Yuan, who had been eyeing his position for years.

He did not want to lose.

Or, perhaps more accurately, he looked forward to the confrontation with Chi Yuan.

He clicked his mouse to flip to the next page of the proposal. He wanted to add some notes, but the IV needle in his hand was in the way. Lu Huai’s brow furrowed tightly.

Ling Zhi had left on his own after failing to persuade him to stop working several times, so Lu Huai felt no guilt when he pulled the needle out himself.

His fingertips tapped away at the keyboard, ensuring there were no oversights.

However, the medicine he had just received seemed to only now be taking full effect. A chilling sensation washed through his stomach, causing it to tremble violently. The momentarily abated pain did not give him a chance to breathe, threatening to return with a vengeance.

Lu Huai turned his head to the side and coughed softly, a wave of nausea rising within him.

Even though he wanted to keep staring at the screen, his vision began to blur. Lu Huai could not help but think of Ling Zhi’s earlier question and managed a bitter laugh. What am I even doing here? Tormenting myself for no reason.

His thin fingers balled into a tight fist against his abdomen, though he dared not press down hard. Beads of cold sweat covered Lu Huai’s forehead. He continued to flip through the proposal, determined not to back down, as if he were competing with someone.

The night was deep and desolate, and even the begonia remained sleepless.

Chi Yuan finished off half a pack of cigarettes by inhaling and then exhaling the smoke.

Finally, he was no longer choked by the long-unfamiliar scent of smoke and could light one properly.

Estimating that dawn was approaching, he flagged down a taxi on the street and gave the driver the address of Fang Qiming’s place.

In truth, he had a vague feeling that he and Fang Qiming were not a perfect match, but accepting that fact did not make the tightness in his chest disappear.

After all, he had loved him with genuine sincerity at the time.

It was affection, but it had not yet reached the depth of true love.

The scenery outside the car windows blurred past, leaving behind trails of shadows that matched Chi Yuan’s own unclear memories.

When they first got together, Fang Qiming had argued with him, claiming he could not feel Chi Yuan’s love.

At the time, Chi Yuan could only scoff. He had given all his exceptions to this one person; if that were not an expression of love, then what was?

Fang Qiming could not stand the smell of smoke, so Chi Yuan had consciously quit, though he had broken that vow tonight.

Later, Fang Qiming did not like the smell of alcohol on him after business meetings, so he had to go to his office to change clothes before coming home. There should still be a spare suit in his office cupboard right now.

Then there was the accusation that he was flashy and flirtatious. Chi Yuan was almost driven to laughter. If one were to ask around his social circle, who did not know that Chi Yuan kept his nose clean?

In the end, every argument eventually returned to the word “love.” Chi Yuan’s gaze turned cold, and his lips curled in a mocking sneer. Rather than talking about love, it was more accurate to say that Fang Qiming had never trusted him.

Two months ago, the two had a massive argument and parted ways in anger.

The swaying car made Chi Yuan, who had not slept all night, feel even more chaotic. His memories were completely out of his control, drifting into the deepest recesses of his mind.

How did I even fall for Fang Qiming in the first place?

At University A, not surprisingly, Chi Yuan had run into a cold face at the entrance of the dormitory.

During the college entrance exams, the other man had surpassed him by a single point, keeping him miserable for the entire summer break. Determined to avenge himself, he had crammed Advanced Calculus and Linear Algebra, hoping to win back his pride in front of Lu Huai.

Lu Huai had also been stunned when he saw him.

It was just that the joy in his eyes had not been well-hidden, which appeared almost provocative in Chi Yuan’s eyes. It was a good thing they were in different majors, and that neither young master lived in the dorms often; otherwise, staying silent for three years as roommates would have been difficult.

In fact, Chi Yuan had been surprised when he found out Lu Huai had not chosen Finance, but he did not want to lower his head and ask. He had inquired through friends, and Lu Huai only replied, “Economics requires learning Mathematical Analysis.”

Others might not have understood the meaning, but how could Chi Yuan not? He had spent three months studying Advanced Mathematics over the summer, and Lu Huai was studying Mathematical Analysis.

Chi Yuan spent three days suppressing his rage before he gave up the idea of switching majors.

However, even though they were in different majors, there was no shortage of competition. Modeling competitions, math contests, innovation and entrepreneurship—they had missed none of them, vividly explaining the meaning of the words “clashing head-on.”

That was when he met Fang Qiming.

As the team representative, Chi Yuan had finished introducing his group’s achievements, but he did not see Lu Huai on stage. Instead, a fair-skinned, delicate-looking boy had taken his place.

Fair-skinned and bright-eyed—that was his first impression.

Quick-witted—his second impression.

But he was doomed to lose—his third impression.

Chi Yuan raised an eyebrow. He did not feel particularly happy when he won first prize; perhaps it was because his opponent was not Lu Huai. Even though he had defeated the other’s team, the sense of accomplishment was greatly diminished by the obvious outcome.

Before he could go up to confront him, he heard the members of Lu Huai’s group chatting.

“Why did Brother Lu not go up this time? Although Fang Qiming did a pretty good job.”

“Because Fang Qiming wanted the opportunity. It seems Brother Lu is quite willing to put in the effort to win a smile from the beauty.”

Chi Yuan’s first reaction was that he had misheard. Could that cold-blooded Lu Huai actually like someone? A man, at that? But after careful thought regarding the years he and Lu Huai had spent refusing to yield to each other, Chi Yuan could not find a better explanation.

Having half-accepted the theory that “Lu Huai was about to fall in love,” Chi Yuan’s attention slowly shifted toward Fang Qiming.

At first, it was curiosity about what kind of person Lu Huai would like. Later, he felt that Fang Qiming was exactly the kind of person he had imagined for himself.

Gentle and meticulous, yet tough and sharp.

He was not a dodder flower needing to cling to others, but a refined and elegant daisy.

Chi Yuan had been born more likable than Lu Huai. Knowing that Fang Qiming was not dating Lu Huai, he took the initiative. The young man offered his sincere devotion, and naturally, they fell in love.

Fang Qiming accepted him, and they became a couple.

As for the later rumors of Lu Huai leaving out of heartbreak and the “three-way showdowns,” Chi Yuan, as the person involved, had not felt much of it. However, Lu Huai’s attitude toward him had indeed undergone a drastic change after he began pursuing Fang Qiming.

Fang Qiming, his first love. He had originally thought that this introduction would be more than just that.

Chi Yuan’s brows were furrowed, his entire being appearing uncharacteristically dejected.

He thanked the driver who brought him back with a soft voice. At the break of dawn, he stood before the door, covered in the night air and a mix of cigarette smoke and alcohol that the wind could not blow away, and gently pressed the doorbell.

Fang Qiming was dressed in loungewear, having waited all night with his phone in his hand.

He had not received a single explanatory call, nor even a text message to clarify the situation.

He had almost convinced himself that Chi Yuan would not be coming back.

It was not until he heard the familiar doorbell that he woke as if from a dream. He almost tripped on the rug when he stood up, and without even stopping to put on his shoes, he opened the door.

“Chi Yuan.”

“You.”

The two stood at the door, speaking simultaneously, then falling silent.

Fang Qiming naturally smelled the strong scent of alcohol and cigarettes on Chi Yuan. He could not handle it and lowered his head. From Chi Yuan’s angle, he could see the man’s reddened eye corners.

Chi Yuan sighed and, glancing down to see the other man standing barefoot on the floor, helplessly reminded him, “Put on your shoes, do not catch a cold.”

Fang Qiming did not move.

He stared stubbornly at Chi Yuan’s face, his hand gripping the doorknob tightly, refusing to budge an inch.

“Chi Yuan, why did you smoke?”

In truth, Chi Yuan had not expected his own heart to be so cruel. He should have lowered his head and pulled the man into his arms, rather than genuinely picking a fight with him.

“Because I wanted to.”

The four simple words were just like his past indifference toward anyone else.

Fang Qiming curled his lips in a mocking way and nodded with a sense of frustration.

“So, is this the result of these past two months? Chi Yuan, you should clearly know what it is that I actually care about.”