The Cold Side Character from a Male-Lead Novel is Pregnant - Chapter 28

By the time Long Zhanye arrived at the doorstep of Chen Kan and Yan Yu’s home, he had already received a transfer of 500,000 yuan. He never imagined that while manna does not fall from heaven, money certainly grows in a brother’s pocket.

Chen Kan had heard that Long’s girlfriend was complaining about him being poor due to their recent trending search and was demanding he show his sincerity. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Kan offered him a handsome sum to help with a favor. Before even hitting middle age, Long had struck gold. As the saying goes: A man who mistreats his wife blocks his own wealth; a man who loves his wife prospers in all things.

With this in mind, Long immediately transferred 500,000 to his girlfriend, planning to keep the remaining 500,000 for himself once Chen Kan paid the final balance. Dressed to the nines for the occasion, Long Zhanye knocked on the door. Chen Kan opened it, but his expression looked rather grim.

Long Zhanye squeezed through the crack of the door and lowered his voice. “Listen, man, what exactly are you two playing at? Last time you had me play a third wheel called Effervescent Tablet, and now you want me to play your wife’s first love? Is your roleplay not a bit too advanced?”

Chen Kan pulled the door shut behind him, speaking in low tones in the hallway. The lighting in the corridor was dim. He stared at Long Zhanye for several seconds before speaking. “If you want the final payment, I am only stating the rules once.”

“Lay them on me,” Long Zhanye replied.

“When you go in, do not speak at first. Wait for me to introduce you to Yan Yu as a private tutor. I want to see his first reaction when he sees you.”

“Private tutor?” Long Zhanye’s imagination ran wild, his face lighting up. “What kind of private teaching? Am I teaching your wife one on one?”

Chen Kan’s face darkened. He grabbed Long by the shoulder as if he were ready to toss him into the elevator.

Long Zhanye immediately straightened up. “Cough, cough! I was just guessing! You did not say what the subject was!”

“Be serious,” Chen Kan said, his sharp brows furrowed with gravity. “It is to teach the kittens good behavioral habits.”

“Huh?” Long Zhanye said in disbelief. “I am a once in a century genius of the cultivation world, and you want me to teach kitten behavior? Talk about using a cannon to hunt a mosquito!”

Chen Kan raised an eyebrow. “If you do not want a million yuan job, there are plenty of others.”

Long Zhanye scratched his head and hurriedly interrupted. “Wait, wait, wait! I feel I am perfectly suited for this job. I am actually a Kitten Consultant. Hehe, what is next?”

Chen Kan remained expressionless. “Then you introduce yourself. Say your surname is Fu and your name is Fu Guanqi. I want to see his second reaction.” Chen Kan paused. “Do not be too dramatic. Just play it by ear.”

“That is it? Just observe his reaction? And then I pretend to be your first love?”

Chen Kan corrected him. “My first love has always been Yan Yu. Do not talk nonsense.”

Long Zhanye said impatiently, “Fine, fine. So I am just using the name of the person you liked in elementary school to parade around in front of him? Is that the gist? Then how is this different from making me play Effervescent Tablet last time?”

“It is different,” Chen Kan interrupted, his voice deep. “Last time was a test. This time,” he paused for a long time, so long that Long Zhanye thought he would not finish, “this time, I want to know what he actually wants.”

Long Zhanye did not quite understand, but he saw something in Chen Kan’s eyes he had never seen before. “Fine then,” he shrugged. “But let us be clear: I will act according to your script. If I get caught, do not blame me.”

Chen Kan nodded, turned back to the door, and said flatly, “It is impossible for me not to blame you. If the results are not satisfactory, you lose the final payment.”

Long Zhanye was shocked. He should have only sent 250,000 to his girlfriend first. He felt his hands had been too fast.

At that moment, several kittens swarmed out from the living room. Following behind them was the beautiful man Long had met briefly once before, cradling a long-haired kitten in his arms. He was wearing light gray loungewear and stood very straight. The neckline was not particularly low, but as the kitten nuzzled him, the thin, clean muscular contours of his chest were faintly visible.

His cool, pale skin had an almost translucent quality. That lean muscularity unique to a man’s chest, combined with the aloofness in his eyes, maintained an air of solemn, cold tranquility. Yet, the soft texture of the loungewear and the knowledge that this person had recently given birth to kittens, and currently looked as if he had just finished nursing them, created a perfect, pure, yet tantalizing contradiction. And yet, it was unexpectedly harmonious.

Long Zhanye thought about how beautiful the wife was. Chen Kan’s spouse was just too much. Long Zhanye’s meager vocabulary could not find the right adjective. He only felt that every time he saw this face, it was like his heart was being gently struck by something. Even though they had met before, every glimpse prompted the same thought: Can a man truly be this beautiful?

No wonder Chen Kan was willing to spend so much effort on this person. Long Zhanye was speculating about Chen Kan with his narrow logic. However, in the blink of an eye, Yan Yu’s gaze lingered on his face for two seconds before calmly shifting to Chen Kan. His eyes held a faint hint of a question, as if asking who this was.

Chen Kan took half a step forward, partially shielding Long Zhanye, and spoke steadily. “Yan Yu, this is someone I hired to give the kittens lessons.”

Long Zhanye hurriedly stepped forward and extended his right hand. Thinking of the million yuan, he flashed a bright smile. “Hello, hello! I am the Kitten Consultant!”

Yan Yu’s gaze snapped back to Long Zhanye’s face. Perhaps because it concerned the education of his kittens, Yan Yu’s gaze was no longer one of indifferent observation, but one of serious scrutiny. Long Zhanye felt uneasy under that stare and almost wanted to retreat. He forced himself to stay still, even attempting to squeeze out a warm smile befitting a professional teacher.

Then Yan Yu shook his head, his brows knitting slightly as he asked Chen Kan, “A Consultant? Is he reliable?”

Chen Kan said, “Do not worry, these consultants are very professional.”

Yan Yu’s frown deepened. “Nonsense,” Yan Yu said. “Since when is a consultant ever reliable? Are they not all just using buzzwords to show off?”

Chen Kan seemed to have anticipated this prejudice and nodded knowingly. “But he is a small internet celebrity. He specializes in cats. Do you find his face familiar?”

“He looks slightly familiar, but I have never heard of him.”

Clearly, he did not view Long Zhanye’s face as his crush. Standing to the side, Chen Kan took in every detail of Yan Yu’s reaction. It felt like a stone that had been suspended for a long time finally dropped silently, yet landing firmly in a specific spot in his heart.

A second later, Yan Yu shifted the kitten to his left hand and extended his right to shake hands. “Hello, my surname is Yan.”

Listening from the side, Long Zhanye thought to himself that this beautiful man was quite picky. Then, following the agreed plan, Long Zhanye finally introduced himself. “Hello, my surname is Fu. Fu Guanqi.”

“Fu what?” Yan Yu narrowed his eyes.

“Guanqi.”

“Which Guanqi?”

“The Guanqi from the proverb: Observing a chess game in silence is the mark of a true gentleman.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Long Zhanye felt Yan Yu’s gaze change instantly. Even the long-haired kitten in Yan Yu’s arms seemed to sense something, letting out a soft mew. It then nuzzled against his chest. Long Zhanye sensed the fluctuation of spiritual pressure from this spiritual cat, but he could not quite decipher the subtle shifts beneath Yan Yu’s frost-like expression. Even with the kitten nuzzling his chest, Yan Yu did not look down at the cat.

His gaze was locked onto Long Zhanye’s face, tracing from brow bone to jawline. Then, in an instant, he turned a look of extreme reproach toward Chen Kan. The hand he had extended to shake Long’s hand paused almost imperceptibly in mid-air before continuing. His fingertips barely brushed Long’s palm before pulling away. The touch was light, carrying a polite chill.

Yan Yu’s subsequent reaction was even more polite. “Teacher Fu, please have a seat. Chen Kan, come inside for a moment. I have something to say to you in private.”

The two of them went into the bedroom, leaving Long Zhanye alone on the sofa to stare at the six kittens. By the time Long Zhanye had picked up each kitten by the scruff to check their sex, eventually determining there were three boys and three girls, about ten minutes had passed. It was long enough that Long Zhanye almost wondered if they had forgotten he was there. Was it possible they were having a quick session in the bedroom?

Just as Long Zhanye set the kittens down to go eavesdrop, he heard a loud bang from the master bedroom. The door was thrown open, slamming against the wall with a muffled thud. Yan Yu walked out first. His lips were redder than before. His lower lip even had a tiny, almost unnoticeable swelling. His eyes were rimmed with a faint red, and his eyelashes were clumped together in wet strands. He did not look like he had been crying, but more like they had been rubbed repeatedly. With Long Zhanye’s keen observation, he noticed the man’s breathing was slightly faster than before they went in, and the soft fabric of his loungewear rose and fell with his chest.

Even the small gap in the neckline that the cat had nuzzled open earlier seemed looser now. A small patch of reddened skin on his collarbone was faintly visible. Long Zhanye was shocked and glared fiercely at Chen Kan, who followed behind Yan Yu. Standing over 1.9 meters tall, Chen Kan walked at an unhurried pace. His face was expressionless, but the usual cold, hard lines at the corners of his mouth had softened significantly. His eyes held a lazy calm. His entire state was much more relaxed and satisfied than when he had entered.

Then, Yan Yu spoke. “Consultant, I am sorry to have troubled you to come here for nothing today.” He paused, his gaze landing on Long Zhanye. The scrutiny was gone, replaced by a weary detachment. “We will not be considering lessons for the kittens for the time being. Thank you for your hard work.”

He was directly showing him the door. Long Zhanye’s head was filled with questions. He froze, his previous speculations instantly crushed by a more realistic anxiety: his final payment.

“Wait, Mr. Yan!” Long Zhanye stood up quickly, his smile faltering. “This, why the sudden change of heart? Look, I am already here, and the kittens are quite cute.” He pointed to the kittens staring up blankly from his feet, trying to find an angle. “Since I am already here, how about I give them a trial lesson first? For free! Let us just call it making a friend!”

As he spoke, he desperately signaled Chen Kan with his eyes, his gaze screaming for his friend to say something. Chen Kan stood slightly behind Yan Yu, slowly and methodically straightening his slightly wrinkled cuffs. Receiving Long Zhanye’s distress signal, he looked up and gave him a blank stare. His gaze was calm and indifferent, carrying a hint of telling him he was on his own.

“That will not be necessary,” Yan Yu’s voice was even cooler now. “Something came up at home, and it is not convenient to host guests. Teacher Fu, please see yourself out.”

The words were polite, but the dismissal was absolute. Long Zhanye was frustrated. He felt they were playing him for a fool. Anger rose in Long Zhanye’s chest, and he blurted out impulsively, “Mr. Yan, I have to tell you, this guy Chen Kan wrote the name Fu Guanqi on every single one of his elementary school textbooks. He is married to you now, but just a few days ago he came to ask me about this person! Mmph! Mmph!”

Unfortunately, not another word came out. Long Zhanye was silenced by Chen Kan, who covered his mouth with near violent force and tossed him out the door. There was a loud noise as he was thrown out. With the world finally quiet, only two people remained in the room. Their breathing was still hot. They locked eyes for a second. Then Yan Yu coldly lowered his gaze, refusing to look at Chen Kan. But he could still feel the soft fabric brushing against his skin and the humid intimacy lingering in the air, steamed by their body heat.

Ten Minutes Earlier

The bedroom door had just closed and clicked shut. Yan Yu did not even walk further in. He stood by the door, back against the panel, and looked up at Chen Kan. The soft light from the living room was sliced into a thin line by the door crack, cutting across his face and making his eyes look exceptionally clear and exceptionally cold.

Yan Yu was uncharacteristically furious. “Go ahead,” Yan Yu said, his voice low but sharp as ice. “What are you trying to test this time?”

Chen Kan stood half a step away, his tall frame almost enveloping him. He did not answer immediately, just watched Yan Yu. The lights were off in the bedroom, and in the dimness, they could only see each other’s blurred outlines and the faint reflections in their eyes.

“What do you mean test?” Chen Kan asked back, his voice slightly husky.

“You have been repeatedly using Fu Guanqi to test me lately. He has been dead for so many years, and now you find some random guy off the street, someone who cannot even act the part, and have him use the name Fu Guanqi just to test me.” He paused, enunciating every word clearly. “Chen Kan, how stupid do you think I am?”

Chen Kan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. In the dim light, Chen Kan’s jawline was tight. He offered an apology. “I am sorry,” he said. “But I do not think you are stupid.”

So, Yan Yu really did not mistake the Long Zhanye he saw on the internet as Fu Guanqi. The corners of Yan Yu’s mouth quirked, but the expression held no warmth. “Then what is it? What exactly do you want?”

Yan Yu pressed on, leaning slightly forward, closing the distance. At this range, they could feel the heat of each other’s breath. “Is it fun? Or do you think this is interesting? Do you have any idea how annoying it is for me to even hear that name now?”

His voice remained flat, but Chen Kan heard the suppressed, tiny tremors within. It was not just anger; it was more like a numb exhaustion after having a sore spot touched repeatedly.

“I am sorry,” Chen Kan finally spoke, his deep voice offering a sincere apology this time. “I just wanted to know what Fu Guanqi means to you.”

The air stagnated for a moment. Yan Yu looked at him, silent for a long time. In the gloom, his eyes were bright, but something was slowly churning beneath the surface.

“So you found a fake?” Yan Yu’s voice softened. “Do you think a name and a stranger’s face could test anything?”

“No,” Chen Kan admitted quickly. “So I was wrong.”

It was the third apology. He admitted his mistake so readily that Yan Yu was taken aback. That cold, sharp edge suddenly lost its footing.

“But I still want to know.” Chen Kan took half a step forward, the distance between them closing until they were almost pressed together. He could see the slight quiver of Yan Yu’s eyelashes and smell the faint scent on him, a mix of kittens and clean laundry. “What do you feel when you hear that name?”

In criminal investigations, there is a method called repetitive pressure interrogation. It involves high frequency questioning focused on a core issue within a short period. Yan Yu was not a criminal, and Chen Kan could not bear to treat him like one. But Yan Yu’s internal struggle had yet to find an exit, and he remained in a state of high psychological defense and resistance. Thus, Chen Kan felt forced to use this tactic to use the pressure of repeated mentions to make Yan Yu reveal his true information or emotional response. Only then could he pry some truth from Yan Yu’s mouth.

And now, it seemed the time had come. Chen Kan felt Yan Yu’s breath hitch almost imperceptibly. He lowered his eyes, avoiding his gaze, but Chen Kan saw his fingers tighten instantly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

“Nothing,” Yan Yu said, his voice tight.

“Liar.” Chen Kan raised his hand, his fingertips gently touching Yan Yu’s jaw, forcing him to turn his face back slightly. “Your current state does not look like you feel nothing.”

Yan Yu snapped his eyes up, the sharp, churning emotions finally surfacing. “Then what feeling do you see? Disappointment? Nostalgia? Or do you want me to hug him on the spot and say Guanqi, you are finally back?”

Chen Kan said nothing. Yan Yu tried to keep his voice low, but it was incredibly hoarse. On the verge of fury, his voice suddenly dropped. Then, with a hint of self-abandoning mockery, he said something that completely caught Chen Kan off guard. “Humph. Does the Prince know that, compared to the person you found, you actually look more like Fu Guanqi?”

“What?” Chen Kan’s breath stopped for a moment.

Yan Yu was pinned firmly against the wall, his feet barely touching the ground, supported only by Chen Kan’s arms. In the dim light, their faces were extremely close, their breaths intermingled until they were indistinguishable. Chen Kan’s heart felt as if it had been squeezed tight by those few words.

“I look like Fu Guanqi? How do I look like him?”

Yan Yu felt as if he were being held aloft. His vision blurred slightly, and he answered honestly by instinct. “Everywhere.”

“Everywhere?” Chen Kan pressed forward another step, completely trapping Yan Yu between himself and the wall, blocking what little light remained from the window. He spoke every word clearly. “Then make it clear. Where exactly?”

Though nothing had happened yet, Yan Yu felt a strong, undeniable sense of intrusion. Yan Yu’s beautiful eyes lifted coldly, staring directly at Chen Kan with a soul-stirring beauty.

“Your face, your neck, your body,” Yan Yu’s pale face was full of coldness, his long sideburns making his skin look like white jade. Yet, his gaze was incredibly sharp. “As for the rest, are you sure you want me to say it?”

“Say it.” Chen Kan’s gaze darkened, like a hawk locking onto its prey. “What else?”

Due to the restriction of the pose, Yan Yu was pressed against Chen Kan’s thick arm through the soft fabric of his pajamas. His thin lips were almost pressed against Chen Kan’s ear as he let out a soft, mocking sneer, tinged with a hint of revenge. “Even the curve of your bend is the same. You tell me: where else?”

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