I'm Pregnant With My Arch-Nemesis's Child - Chapter 7

The two did not see each other again until half a month later.

When Lu Huai arrived, Chi Yuan was already seated next to his father, his displeasure written all over his face. Lu Huai glanced down at his watch. It had been exactly one hour since he signed the contract with Chen Yi. It was likely that news had already reached Chi Yuan’s ears; given Chi Yuan’s information channels, this speed was not surprising.

Thinking of this, Lu Huai’s eyes darkened, and his lips curled with a faint sense of helplessness. It was truly a coincidence.

He had just signed the contract when their parents notified them of a joint dinner. It made it seem as if he had been meticulously plotting to hide the truth, only to humiliate Chi Yuan at the final moment. If the two events had not collided, Lu Huai felt he might have found an accidental opportunity to give Chi Yuan the explanation he wanted. But now, Chi Yuan was likely cursing him inwardly.

The process of Lu Huai signing the contract with Chen Yi had not been smooth. First, he could not disclose the Lu Corporation’s future strategic plans based on this partnership. Second, Chen Yi feared that the already complex situation at Star River Entertainment would become even harder to control. Because of this, it was difficult for them to find common ground.

Lu Huai thought, fortunately, he had trusted his intuition. There had been rumors recently that Star River’s internal management was in chaos, and some even claimed an executive had exploited a contract loophole to embezzle funds and run away. However, it was suppressed quickly. Because the content sounded too absurd, few believed it. He had specifically ordered his assistant to look into it, only to find a trace of that possibility buried in the fragmented replies of a forum post.

Chen Yi was facing a broken capital chain. Even though a project would soon turn a profit, he desperately needed money to keep things moving. Obtaining this money was not difficult; Star River had many partners over the years, and with the company’s credit standing, loans were easily approved. The premise was that this fact had to be kept hidden from him. Lu Huai had always understood the principle of striking a snake at its seventh inch.

In the end, Chen Yi had no choice but to turn to him. Fortunately, Chen Yi did not care about the ownership of the project and even found it baffling that Lu Huai was interested in it. Therefore, when he saw that the implicit meaning of Lu Huai’s contract was that the Lu Corporation would take full responsibility, he had no objections. Thus, as long as the Lu Corporation provided Chen Yi with the funds to solve his immediate crisis, the partnership could be reached immediately.

But back and forth, even with such a clear exchange of interests, time had been lost.

Yet, none of these words could be spoken to Chi Yuan.

Lu Huai’s eyes dimmed. Seeing that eyes had already fallen upon him, he forced a smile, walked over, and greeted all the elders at the table.

Lu Huai’s father had been chatting happily with Chi Yuan’s father, but when Lu Huai arrived, he withdrew his pleasant expression. He looked at Lu Huai, his tone turning strict: “It is so late. Is it appropriate to make your elders wait for you alone?”

“Oh, Lu Huai has only just returned to the country. Things must be piling up, so stop being so harsh on him!” Lu Huai’s mother gave his father a reproachful look and pulled her son to sit beside her. “Huai, pay no attention to your father. He is just not used to it if he is not scolding someone.”

Lu Huai, who had not had a chance to speak the entire time, was silent.

Sitting directly across from Lu Huai was Chi Yuan. The moment their eyes met, Chi Yuan quickly looked away. Others might just think Chi Yuan was being overly quiet, but Lu Huai could see that Chi Yuan was genuinely uncomfortable.

He did not want to speak more and anger him further, so he nodded and sat down obediently. Throughout the meal, neither of them exchanged a single word.

Perhaps Lu Huai’s mother’s protective words reminded Chi Yuan’s father of something, as he chuckled and patted Lu Huai’s father’s shoulder: “Indeed, stop playing the villain! I seem to have just seen a piece of news that Lu Huai and Star River have finalized a project. Although I do not know what direction the boy is aiming for, it takes a certain eye to see the potential! Lu Huai is truly impressive.”

Lu Huai’s father, who had been frustrated by being silenced by his wife, felt his expression soften, though he still said in a deep voice: “That is a quality he should possess. Fine, stop talking about these irrelevant things. Shall we continue our previous topic?”

The discussion about Lu Huai ended quickly. Lu Huai noticed Chi Yuan instinctively sigh in relief, his eyes tinged with a faint smile.

But this expression looked different to Chi Yuan. Although they had been mortal enemies fighting each other for years, at the level of the Lu and Chi Corporations, their so-called competition for business was just child’s play. That was why the relationship between the two families had remained so good. Putting aside these external factors, the two families had cooperative projects that could not be severed.

He should not have cared so much. Chi Yuan could not even explain why he felt so low. With no answers, he became even more irritable. He lowered his head and took a sip of wine, his expression listless.

He scoffed to himself, Had he only just realized that Lu Huai was not a good person?

His fingertips tapped lightly against the glass, as if genuinely curious about the amber liquid.

Lu Huai was not the only one who noticed this state. Chi Yuan’s mother suddenly stopped talking, her eyes full of worry as she looked at her son, wanting to say something but remaining silent.

The conversation at the table weakened, inevitably drawing gazes.

Chi Yuan’s father frowned fiercely. He exchanged a look with Chi Yuan’s mother, realizing they had both heard some rumors recently. They had not been unaware that Chi Yuan had a boyfriend, but they had always felt the other party was well-behaved and had never brought it to the surface, and they had never approved of it in their hearts. Not long ago, they heard the two had broken up and felt slightly relieved. But they did not know where the news came from, only that rumors reached their ears claiming Chi Yuan’s ex-boyfriend was desperate to get back together, or that they broke up because he had cheated on Chi Yuan. In any case, it was a mess, and none of it was good.

Now, seeing Chi Yuan’s unhappy expression, they naturally assumed it was related to this.

Usually, they would keep it to themselves, but they had been annoyed by these rumors for some time. Seeing Lu Huai today suddenly provided a point of comparison, and they could no longer keep quiet.

Sure enough, Chi Yuan’s father began to allude to the matter: “Young people should focus on their careers and spend less energy on unserious things.”

Chi Yuan’s lashes trembled slightly, but he only pressed his lips together and said nothing.

“There are some relationships that should not be put in the public eye. I cannot say anything, but if I were to remind you now, I fear it might already be too late.”

Chi Yuan’s father stared pointedly at Chi Yuan and said, “Chi Yuan, I hope you have some sense of propriety.”

“Where do I lack propriety?” Chi Yuan asked, raising his eyes, his voice clearly suppressing anger. “You are going on and on. I do not know if you want me to understand or not to understand.”

Seeing the two were about to argue, Lu Huai whispered a command: “Chi Yuan!”

“What business is it of yours?” Chi Yuan was nearly driven to laughter, his eyes filled with needles. “Lu Huai, you had better worry about yourself.”

The latter part of the sentence was understood by everyone present, but only Lu Huai knew what he meant: Chi Yuan believed they were romantic rivals, and if Fang Qiming had finished playing with him, there was no guarantee he would not come after Lu Huai.

Lu Huai suddenly lost his voice. His gaze locked steadily onto Chi Yuan, and in the end, he only clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

“Uncle Chi, since it is a gathering, why talk about unpleasant things?” Lu Huai turned his head and picked up his wine glass. “I have been abroad for two years and have not seen you for a long time. Today, upon our reunion, I would like to offer this drink to you. Please, let your anger go.”

Because of those naturally smiling eyes, Lu Huai was almost always successful whenever he wanted to appease someone. A few simple words made Chi Yuan’s father feel better. He shot Chi Yuan a harsh look, took the drink, and accepted Lu Huai’s way of keeping the peace.

Chi Yuan had expected Lu Huai to needle him, yet he saw the man resolving the situation for him. He looked at Lu Huai’s back, an inexplicable feeling surging in his heart. Although he still disliked Lu Huai’s grandstanding demeanor, he understood the steps that had been offered to him, so he blinked and stopped escalating the fire.

Ever since they were children, Lu Huai had always been this dignified, elite figure who appeared gentle to everyone but, in reality, cared for no one and looked down on everyone. Their arrogance was comparable, but Lu Huai was just more reserved and polished, whereas he was more outspoken and flamboyant, which made his distance seem greater than Lu Huai’s.

In reality, they were the same deep down, equally vicious.

Lu Huai saw Chi Yuan’s thoughtful expression and felt slightly relieved. He knew about Chi Yuan’s breakup; they shared so many mutual friends that keeping it a secret was impossible.

He did not know the inside story, only the outcome. He had weighed a few words of comfort in his mind repeatedly, fearing Chi Yuan would think he was provoking him, so he ended up saying nothing.

He looked at Chi Yuan with complex emotions and could only smile helplessly before shifting his gaze away, not letting a single trace of the deep emotions hidden behind the mist be seen.

In the second half of the gathering, Chi Yuan restrained his temper. He listened to the rebukes from the elders and said nothing.

He sat facing Lu Huai, wanting to finish the meal in peace and then take away this shame, anger, and frustration that were impossible to narrate, chewing them up and digesting them alone. In any case, these could not be seen by Lu Huai.

The strange atmosphere between the two was finally broken by Chi Yuan’s mother. The gentle lady looked at her son with a smile, shook her head slightly, and said: “The younger ones are uncomfortable sitting here. Why not let them find a place to chat privately?”

Chi Yuan’s mother agreed: “Indeed. The two boys have grown up together and never seemed to have been separated for two years. Boys are not good at expressing themselves, but they must have many things to say. Why not let them go out and chat?”

Chi Yuan, easily arranged by his mother, scoffed to himself. Two years? Even if he and Lu Huai had not seen each other for ten years, there should be nothing to talk about. After all, over these many years, he had never had a proper conversation with the man in the form of chatting.

Lu Huai, however, stood up and smiled at him as if there were no hard feelings at all: “Shall we go?”

Chi Yuan looked at him coldly, but forced to yield by his mother’s intense gaze, he had to nod.

“Fine.”

Lu Huai was naturally free of hard feelings; he was the one who had lost, not Lu Huai. A look of irony flashed in Chi Yuan’s eyes, but he curled his lips and said: “We should indeed have a good chat.”

Only after seeing his son’s back disappear did Chi Yuan’s mother withdraw her meaningful gaze. Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she smiled at Chi Yuan’s mother: “Xiao Yuan has broken up, has he not?”

Chi Yuan’s mother was annoyed the moment she heard those words, but could only respond with utter helplessness: “I do not know what kind of messy relationships the child is playing with. I turned a blind eye before, and look what happened…” She shook her head. “But yes, I suppose so.”

“That is also fine.”

Chi Yuan’s mother glanced briefly in the direction where the two had disappeared and said calmly.