The Cold Side Character from a Male-Lead Novel is Pregnant - Chapter 23.1

Yan Yu’s cold eyelashes trembled. He lowered his eyes, peering at him with an icy gaze that was guarded, arrogant, and aloof.

The dim yellow glow of the nightlight was like lukewarm honey, flowing over Yan Yu’s porcelain-white body. The ripples of the silk pajamas traced his lean silhouette. However, there was no expression on Yan Yu’s cool, beautiful face, only a weary sense of abandonment, as if he were merely a silent landscape available for detailed study.

Yet, no one would have imagined that a man so profoundly cold and beautiful would possess such a charm after giving birth to a mysterious kitten.

Chen Kan rationally suspected that there was a 99.999% probability that the two small wet patches on Yan Yu’s pajamas were saliva left by the “Green Tea Cat” while it was burrowing under the covers. There was also a 0.001% chance that Yan Yu might, perhaps, actually be experiencing physiological lactation after giving birth, just as it was written in The Survival Records of the Seven-Cub Consort.

Thus, Chen Kan lifted the offending cat and tapped its wet nose with his fingertip. “Was this your drool?”

The long-haired Green Tea Cat was simply sitting at home when blame fell from the sky. This was the first time Chen Kan had ever seen “shock” and “disdain” on a cat’s face.

In the next second, this long-haired brat, who was comparable to a god of war, suddenly suffered a violent fit. Even while being held, it extended its claws to scratch and lunged its head to bite his ear! The son wanted to hit the father! This was a rebellion!

As an incredibly agile man, Chen Kan instinctively dodged and flicked his wrist. The kitten managed to break free and jumped off the bed, but Chen Kan’s own hand inadvertently hooked into Yan Yu’s loose collar. With the sound of tearing fabric, the buttons of Yan Yu’s pajamas snapped off.

The silk fabric, already damp, was torn open, allowing more cold air to press against his skin. Between the gaps of the collar, a faint, unfamiliar swelling was visible. The edges were tinged with an abnormal flush that looked startling against Yan Yu’s thin chest.

The air suddenly froze.

The kitten’s footsteps and Chen Kan’s gaze both stopped there. The dim light also fell there, illuminating the swelling clearly and creating a piercing, fragile contrast with the surrounding cold, white skin. He stared for about four or five seconds before he realized what he was actually looking at.

Chen Kan’s breath hitched. Those absurd fantasies and the associations with the novel’s plot that he had forcibly suppressed now crashed into reality. Yan Yu was such a proud person; if he were conscious, he would surely find this situation beyond humiliating.

Yan Yu kept his eyes lowered as if he were already accustomed to this, with only the rhythm of his breathing faltering for a nearly imperceptible moment. He did not answer, nor did he pull his collar together. He simply let the gap stay open, like a silent, self-abandoning confirmation.

“Have you seen enough?”

“…Yes.”

Chen Kan let go. Out of a sense of propriety, he quickly redirected his gaze to Yan Yu’s face. “Sorry. I didn’t know before.”

“Hmph.”

Yan Yu gave a cold laugh, his face filled with an expression of loathing and understanding. He was perhaps projecting the memories of the story’s protagonist, and thus felt that what Chen Kan said was some kind of hypocritical nonsense.

Sure enough, Yan Yu curled his lips into a cold smile and suddenly asked a line from the original work that was almost scandalous yet logical in context:

“Wasn’t it all played with by you anyway?”

Chen Kan: “…”

Before Chen Kan could think of how to ask “Does it feel engorged?”, he heard Yan Yu ask another question: “Are you going to suck today or not?”

Chen Kan: ..?

Chen Kan could swear that when Yan Yu said those words, his face did not show any intentional seductive expression. It was as ordinary as an old couple who had lived together for years, finishing their nighttime routine and playing on their phones by the bed, when one suddenly asks, “Are we doing it today?”

However, in that instant, Chen Kan felt his heart ache terribly. His Yan Yu—the most self-respecting and proud Yan Yu—even if he were to ask such a thing, whether to him or to Fu Guanqi or to anyone else, it should only be in a conscious, voluntary state, not like this, an invitation made while losing his autonomous will under the manipulation of an inner demon.

Thus, Chen Kan closed his eyes, suppressing the surging heat and bitterness together. When he spoke again, his voice returned to its usual low, steady tone, even carrying a deliberate coldness:

“Not today.”

He withdrew his hand and walked toward the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, the stimulation making his temples tighten. The man in the mirror still had lingering redness in his eyes. Chen Kan leaned against the sink and took a few deep breaths, waiting for himself to naturally calm down.

Zhang Xingzhi’s business trip was originally supposed to end in two days, but he was called back early by Chen Kan’s persistent calls and a massive bank transfer. Chen Kan had suddenly become as frantic as a King Julian, and the originally scheduled date was no longer acceptable; he insisted that Zhang come right now, immediately, to solve the problem at their home.

That afternoon, when Zhang Xingzhi entered Chen Kan’s home with his suitcase, Yan Yu was reportedly still at work. Chen Kan, however, had specifically taken time off just to lead Zhang Xingzhi on an “infiltration” into the house. At Chen Kan’s request, Zhang was dressed very inconspicuously today in dusty grey linen clothes, with his compass wrapped in cloth. He peered around suspiciously as he entered, as if he were conducting a shady business deal.

“Uh, do you want to disconnect your home cameras first?” Zhang Xingzhi asked.

“No need. He usually has academic meetings at this time.” Chen Kan checked the time. “Cutting them off specifically would actually arouse his suspicion. Just finish quickly.”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry. Is it really that urgent? I just got off the plane and haven’t even had a drop of water!” Zhang Xingzhi entered grumpily, took the cup Chen Kan handed him, and gulped down a large mouthful. He looked him over. “What exactly is going on, Captain Chen? Why the sudden fire under your collar? What new situation has cropped up?”

Chen Kan leaned against the entryway cabinet and rubbed his brow. “Stop talking nonsense and get to work.”

“Fine, fine,” Zhang Xingzhi changed into slippers and pulled his compass out of the bag. “But speaking of which, that thing your Director Yan did in the Soul Realm is spreading like crazy in our circles. I never heard he had that kind of ability before? Exorcising a hundred-year-old fierce ghost with a single-handed seal, then complaining the soul didn’t disperse evenly enough and performing on-site body suturing? Do you know what they’re calling him now? Tsk tsk tsk. They say he’s the ‘Jesus of the Soul Realm.’ My god, the rumors are so wild I’m almost starting to have faith.”

Chen Kan frowned. “Don’t you believe in the Three Pure Ones?”

“It’s a metaphor! Just a metaphor!” Zhang Xingzhi lowered his voice. “So, what is the real story? You were so vague on the phone, I didn’t understand a thing.”

Chen Kan was silent for a moment.

“Blood Pregnancy,” Chen Kan uttered. “He gave birth to a cat.”

Zhang Xingzhi froze. “A cat?”

“Yes.” Chen Kan’s voice was dry. “And his body has undergone some changes. He seems to be lactating. On the fifth day after the birth, he entered a second phase of the inner demon.” He paused. “Now he thinks he’s the protagonist of a certain book who just gave birth, and he’s… asking me for fiefdoms.”

“A second-phase inner demon? That’s troublesome; it’s one layer on top of another.” Zhang Xingzhi sucked in a breath, then his eyes widened. “Wait! Did I hear that right? You said he’s what-ing?!”

Chen Kan looked away, somewhat avoidant. “I just know his body is uncomfortable right now. He didn’t tell me the specific details, and I didn’t get a very clear look.”

Tony Zhang was shocked. “No, how can you be unclear about this?”

Chen Kan: “…”

“Did you not taste it?”

“Of course not.” Chen Kan’s brow furrowed even tighter.

“Whoa!” Zhang Xingzhi gave a thumb’s up with a hint of a tease. “A true gentleman. Such restraint. I’m impressed.”

Chen Kan gave him a cold look. “Can you do this job or not? If not, refund the money and I’ll find someone else.”

“I can do it, I can do it!” Zhang Xingzhi quickly steadied his compass. “Let’s look at the environment first. Sometimes external factors exacerbate an inner demon. Let me see the Feng Shui of this house. We’ll talk about the lactation after the inspection.”

Chen Kan said nothing more and let Zhang Xingzhi begin the survey with his compass. Initially, the inspection went smoothly. Zhang Xingzhi held the compass and walked half a circle around the living room, looking at the layout and logic of the apartment. “The Feng Shui of your home is actually quite good; the energy is well-gathered. I can tell some thought went into the initial arrangement.”

But a moment later, when Zhang Xingzhi reached the kitchen counter, his footsteps suddenly stopped. The needle on his compass began to spin without warning, faster and faster.

“Sss…” Zhang Xingzhi sucked in a breath and looked at Chen Kan with a complex expression. “Old Chen, this kitchen counter of yours… it has a lot of stories.”

Chen Kan’s heart tightened, but his face remained calm. “What do you mean?”

“The energy field here is overly active,” Zhang Xingzhi leaned closer to the polished marble surface, his fingers hovering over it. “Fire and water are in harmony, yin and yang are blended, but they blended… quite intensely. Have there been any ‘deep communication’ activities held here?”

Chen Kan’s ears burned as memories of a certain rainy night uncontrollably surfaced.

“No,” he flatly denied, his voice hardening. “Just normal cooking.”

“Normal cooking?” Zhang Xingzhi raised an eyebrow and pointed to a cabinet handle below the counter. “Then how do you explain the grip marks here? The fingerprints are clear, the pressure was deep, and it wasn’t just once.”

Chen Kan: “…”

“Also,” Zhang Xingzhi walked to the built-in oven and tapped the glass door, “the edge of the cabinet above the oven, are those impact marks? Looking at the height, it looks like someone’s head accidentally hit it while they were being lifted up.”

Chen Kan’s composure was starting to crack. That time Yan Yu was carried up to sit there, he indeed leaned back…

Zhang Xingzhi, seemingly oblivious, paced to the refrigerator and pointed to a spot on the side. “In addition, was something spilled here? Like yogurt, or… something else?”

Chen Kan closed his eyes, feeling his temples throb. “Zhang Xingzhi,” he growled, “are you here to check the Feng Shui or to investigate a crime? If I put you at a crime scene, would we even need forensics?”

“Hey, you don’t understand. After checking the innate Feng Shui, the acquired Feng Shui is just like a case; I’m investigating the energy field’s history.” Zhang Xingzhi spoke righteously and pushed open the frosted glass door of the bathroom—the needle on his mysterious compass spun so violently it almost flew off its axis!

“Good lord!” Tony Zhang’s eyes widened again as he pointed at the shower area and the massage tub. “Captain Chen, this bathroom of yours is practically a ‘vessel on the sea of desire’! The steam is too heavy and won’t dissipate! Do you often well, move from under the showerhead to the bathtub? And do you prefer certain positions that are quite hard on the waist?”

Chen Kan took a deep breath. “…Not at all.”

Zhang Xingzhi’s expression became serious. “Stop lying. Your spiritual energy is too strong. When spiritual pressure accumulates to a certain point, it forms a stagnant, negative energy field. It’s silent and invisible to you, but it’s bad for the health of those with weaker spiritual pressure.”

Hearing that it would affect Yan Yu, Chen Kan’s expression sharpened. “…But those things were a long time ago. What kind of negative energy field could stay for so long?”

“Nonsense! You last for at least two hours every time, and your spiritual pressure is so strong you could even get a man pregnant. Of course it stays a long time, brother!”

Chen Kan: “…”

Zhang Xingzhi shook his head as he took notes, his look toward Chen Kan shifting from teasing to a complex kind of respect. Subsequently, the living room sofa, the balcony lounge chair, even that large solid wood desk in the study… wherever there were marks of intimacy, the compass spun like a top.

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