Pregnant With the Villain Boss’ Baby - Chapter 21

“…Hmm?” As Youying put the cake in her mouth, she had braced herself for a wave of staggering bitterness.

To her surprise, the taste wasn’t at all what she expected. The bitterness was there, but it was subtle—a mere accent that lacked the pungent sting of the raw fruit’s aroma. Almost instantly, the flavor transformed into a refreshing sweetness. The expected astringency had been completely stripped away, leaving behind a smooth, velvety texture.

Youying arched an eyebrow in genuine surprise. Compared to those cloyingly sweet pastries from before, this “Tartberry Bomb Cake” was far more to her liking. Had Yun Mu not intended to prank her after all?

With that thought, Youying couldn’t help but fix her gaze on Yun Mu.

“Ahem…” For some reason, Yun Mu felt that the way Youying looked at her was always a bit too bright, and this time, the “sparkle” was even more intense than usual. She instinctively looked away, ignoring the faint flutter in her chest. She gave a dry cough to cover her tracks.

“Food isn’t a toy. This is a new item Xiangta just launched. Of course, because the word ‘Tartberry’ is in the name, almost no one dares to order it. But how can you know the taste if you don’t try it? It turns out that those who actually give it a chance have nothing but high praise.”

“Then why wasn’t it labeled as a recommendation?” Youying asked, tapping the table lightly. If she had known about this, she would have brought one for Yun Mu last time instead of just picking the most popular items the staff suggested.

“Because so few people try it, what does a bit of good feedback matter? But as long as we know it’s good, that’s enough. No need to go around advertising it.” Yun Mu picked up a different cake and began eating it leisurely.

No need to advertise… but she ordered one specifically for me. Does that mean she wants to share something special with me? A warm current flowed through Youying’s heart. She lowered her head and continued to savor the “bomb cake” slowly.

The only sound in the suite was the light clinking of spoons against plates. Neither spoke another word, but the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious. Combined with the cozy lighting of the room, it was a moment of pure, unadulterated comfort.

*****

Back in Reality

Whew… Yun Mu sat up in her pod, rubbing her stomach. She felt a nagging sense of hunger. As expected, the Cloud World really can’t fill a stomach. No matter how much you “ate” there, you never felt full. It was a sensation she’d never get used to.

“Mommy! Dinner! It’s dinner time!” Yun Lan’s voice drifted in from outside.

Yun Mu straightened her clothes and opened the door, glancing at the time. “Hmm? Why so early today?”

“Sister Yang bought a ton of meat and veggies! She said she’s making skewers for us!” Yun Lan grabbed Yun Mu’s hand, her eyes shimmering with excitement. Since making skewers was time-consuming and required a lot of prep, Yang Chen rarely made them. What’s the occasion?

However, Yang Chen’s grilling skills were legendary. Yun Mu sometimes suspected her friend had been a barbecue pitmaster in a past life; her talent was that incredible. Thinking of that smoky, savory flavor, even a foodie like Yun Mu couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.

“Mommy, hurry! I can’t wait!” Yun Lan skipped along, her greed for food completely undisguised.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the mouth-watering scent of grilled meat hit them like a wave. They walked to the dining table, where a large grill sat in the center. The meat was sizzling, dripping juices onto the heating element below with a series of delicious pops and hisses.

“You’re down! Perfect, the first batch is ready.” Hearing footsteps, Yang Chen looked up. She used tongs to place the grilled skewers onto two plates.

“Whoo-hoo! Finally!” Yun Lan cheered. She wrapped the end of a skewer in a napkin and took a huge bite, huffing and puffing because it was so hot, but her squinted eyes radiated pure happiness.

“Yang Chen, your skills are getting even better,” Yun Mu praised. Unlike Yun Lan, she started with the grilled vegetables first.

“It’s alright. I haven’t done it in a while, so I’m a bit rusty,” Yang Chen said with a modest wave. She leaned over, put on a thick quilted glove, and opened the oven. Inside was a whole chicken, roasting to a golden brown and sizzling loudly.

Yang Chen flipped the chicken and sprinkled on some herbs before closing the door, but the aroma lingered in the room. Yun Lan actually took her plate of skewers and sat right in front of the oven, watching the chicken like a hawk.

Yang Chen shook her head with a smile. Then, remembering something, she hesitated before speaking. “By the way, Yun Mu.”

“Mmhmm?” Yun Mu looked up.

“I ran into that new neighbor yesterday.” Yang Chen glanced at Yun Lan, who was still occupied with the oven. “She and Yun Lan…”

Before she could finish, Yun Mu interrupted her. “They have nothing to do with each other.”

Nothing to do with each other? Yang Chen thought back to the person she’d seen. The woman looked so familiar, and the moment Yang Chen had walked inside and seen Yun Lan, she realized they were practically carbon copies! That surely meant…

Seeing Yang Chen’s furrowed brow, Yun Mu knew her words weren’t very convincing. Anyone who saw the two together would assume they were related. Her only consolation was that Yang Chen didn’t seem to recognize the woman’s identity—though she knew it was only a matter of time.

“Yang Chen, I need a favor,” Yun Mu sighed.

“What is it?”

“Don’t let the person next door get near Yun Lan, okay? They don’t belong in the same world.”

It didn’t matter how high the Big Boss’s status was; Yun Mu only wanted Yun Lan to grow up safely. Even if the girl eventually climbed to a high position on her own merit, Yun Mu didn’t want her entangled in the novel’s original plot. She didn’t want Yun Lan to become a pawn or a tool to manipulate the Boss.

“I understand.” Looking at Yun Mu’s face, Yang Chen finally nodded. She probably hasn’t seen that woman in years. Most likely some scumbag who abandoned her family, Yang Chen thought.

“Thank you. But please, don’t pick a fight with her. Just avoid her. Could you handle picking up and dropping off Yun Lan at school?” Knowing how powerful the Big Boss was, Yun Mu didn’t want Yang Chen to face her head-on. She just wanted them to stay under the radar. With her own celebrity schedule, Yun Mu couldn’t always be there, and Yang Chen was the only person she trusted with her daughter.

“Leave it to me! I won’t let that scumbag anywhere near Yun Lan.” If her hands hadn’t been covered in oil, Yang Chen would have thumped her chest in righteous indignation. Her own love life was a mess, but she felt Yun Mu’s situation was even worse. She viewed Yun Mu as a sister; there was no way she’d let some “trash” bully her.

Yun Mu looked at Yang Chen, who was now treating the Big Boss like a heinous criminal. …Scumbag? I think she’s gotten the wrong idea about the situation.

In the villa next door, Lu Fengxu rose from her pod. She felt a sudden tickle in her nose and couldn’t stop herself from sneezing.

“Whoa, Sis! You got a cold?”

Almost instantly, Lu Huan’an poked his head into the room. He scurried over to her side with a flattering grin. If Yun Mu had been there, she would have described him as a “mutated golden retriever/husky mix”—he looked that silly.

Lu Fengxu looked at him with visible disdain. “What are you doing here now?”

“Aww, Sis, I’m your dear brother! How could you—” His voice trailed off under her cold gaze. He gave a dry cough and shifted his feet. “Mom and Dad wanted me to ask… when are you coming home?”

“They want to set me up on another blind date?” Lu Fengxu guessed immediately, her brow furrowing.

She was only in her twenties, yet they were so desperate to marry her off. She didn’t understand the rush. But as she thought of the person living next door, the frustration of the constant matchmaking began to fade.

“Maybe they just miss you! You haven’t been back in months,” Huan’an said cautiously, wondering how he’d explain it to their parents if she refused.

“I’ll see in a few days,” Lu Fengxu said, walking toward the door.

“Sigh… You’re refusing again. How am I supposed to— Wait! You’re going back into your room already?!”

“I could also not go back home at all,” she said flatly.

“No, no! Sis, spare me! I don’t want to keep making up excuses for you!” Huan’an shook his head vigorously.

“In exchange, go order a cake for me.” Lu Fengxu smoothed her hair.

“Huh? You want cake?”

“A Tartberry Bomb Cake.”

“A what? What kind of freakish thing is that?”

“Order at least one every week. If you can’t get it, don’t bother coming back here.”

“Wait… are you saying a cake is more important than me?!” Huan’an stared at her in disbelief.

Lu Fengxu gave him a look that said ‘You already know the answer’ before slamming the door.

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