The Cold Side Character from a Male-Lead Novel is Pregnant - Chapter 3

Yan Yu listened to Chen Kan’s words expressionlessly, his emotions as stable as a placid lake, save for a microscopic tremor of his eyelashes; it was a telltale sign of the subtle displeasure stirring in his heart.

However, he knew Chen Kan wasn’t lying and believed the other party likely “didn’t know.” The “Bloodline of the Bound Covenant” was a setting the original author added solely to drive the romantic development between the male and female leads. Back when Yan Yu was following the updates himself, he never imagined such a setting would ever have anything to do with him.

That was until a blood-red line quietly surfaced on his left wrist.

In his shock, Yan Yu contacted the System Administrator of the Transmigration Bureau.

Over the years, the relationship between Yan Yu and the Administrator had been akin to that of a “niche starlet” and a “gold-medal agent.” The Administrator was busy serving the protagonists of popular books and generally ignored a background character like him who had no screen time. This time, when Yan Yu took the initiative to reach out, the Administrator was also profoundly shocked.

She explained that the Transmigration Bureau’s criteria for the “Bloodline of the Bound Covenant” were extremely rigorous:

1. The spiritual energy compatibility between the mating pair must be the highest in the entire book;
2. The frequency of mating must be the highest in the entire book;
3. The duration of mating must be the longest in the entire book.

These conditions were originally “custom-made traps” set by the author to foster intimacy between the leads; the Administrator had simply input these three conditions directly into the system. Who could have guessed that Yan Yu, a background character who usually kept to himself and followed the rules, could cause such a stir?

Just who was Yan Yu’s partner? And when exactly did this happen?

The frequency was higher than the leads’ kissing. Did they rub their backsides until sparks flew?

Like an old doctor conducting a consultation, the Administrator roared in Yan Yu’s mind with heartbroken indignation:

“Yan Yu, when exactly did this happen?!”

“Who exactly is the other person?!”

“I’m saying if you did it, you did it, but why weren’t you careful?!”

“No protection?! Aren’t you afraid of getting pregnant?!”

Yan Yu had originally contacted the Administrator via email. When the interrogation echoed in his skull, he was in the middle of a meeting with his subordinates.

Consequently, his subordinates witnessed their habitually cold leader’s face suddenly turn various shades of red and green, his slender fingers crushing a paper cup with brute force.

He wondered how he could possibly have known. He was a man; he wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant in the first place. Besides, Chen Kan didn’t have any STDs; he had checked.

Yan Yu had no desire to argue with the Administrator over whose fault it was; he only wanted to clarify the situation and solve the problem as quickly as possible. After a series of detailed inquiries, he obtained several key pieces of information:

1. When the bloodline grows to reach his heart, he will give birth to an indefinite number of spiritual offspring (not necessarily human) in an unconventional manner;
2. During the “pregnancy” period while the bloodline grows, he will desperately need his partner’s comfort;
3. The price of the covenant and childbirth is being haunted by “Inner Demons.” Currently, the book’s “Inner Demon” system is still under construction with an undefined form; it might borrow expressions from other works. For instance, the bound individual losing their sanity;
4. The “Inner Demon” is the primary cost; if the influence can be overcome, there is no substantive damage to the bodies of either party in the covenant.

Yan Yu rarely read novels and didn’t know much about cultivation tropes like “covenants” or “inner demons.” But the Administrator’s explanation was clear: he simply needed to overcome the “Inner Demon,” and there was no life-threatening danger.

However, the phrase “the form is undefined and might borrow expressions from other works” made things difficult. A quick search revealed that Inner Demons in cultivation novels were each more vicious than the last: some made characters go insane and kill people, some caused painful self-mutilation, and some even involved castrating oneself to practice dark arts. There was nothing an Inner Demon couldn’t do, only things a reader couldn’t imagine.

“Take a look at this file.”

During a gap at a red light, Yan Yu sent a file to Chen Kan. It contained all the settings regarding the “Bloodline of the Bound Covenant” and the “Inner Demon,” all copy-pasted from the original novel or the Administrator’s messages. This was to prevent Chen Kan, who lacked a “God’s Perspective,” from failing to fully understand or care for him while he was troubled by the Inner Demon.

The document was a staggering seventy to eighty thousand words long.

Chen Kan naturally didn’t know Yan Yu had copied it. He froze when he opened the file. By the time he finished the first line, he could already understand Yan Yu’s mental stress. Yan Yu was someone prone to anxiety who habitually made exhaustive preparations for the future.

To be faced with this kind of situation, Yan Yu must have endured immense pressure to write such a long science-communication document amidst his busy schedule.

Was he afraid he wouldn’t take it seriously? Perhaps. Was even such a basic concept worth writing out in full?

“How long did it take you to write this?” Chen Kan’s voice was hoarse.

Yan Yu estimated the word count he had copied and said vaguely, “Four or five days?”

If Yan Yu said four or five days, then the actual time was certainly longer. Yan Yu was usually busy with work, and lately, he had been working non-stop to deal with these changes. He must have been pondering how to communicate with him even while eating, showering, and sleeping to have typed out so many words.

Why write so much? Just how much did he distrust that he would handle this as a serious matter?

Seeming to fear he was inconveniencing him, Yan Yu added:

“Don’t worry, I don’t need you to do much. It won’t be too much trouble for you, and I won’t let you lose out.” As he spoke, Yan Yu handed over a pre-prepared envelope.

“There are three cards in here. The one ending in 667 is for the expenses during my Inner Demon period; the one ending in 886 is the ‘confinement fee’; and the one ending in 991 is money for you to hand over to my parents in case something happens to me. Funeral arrangements should come from this too. The passwords are all Yuyuan’s birthday.”

Chen Kan didn’t reach out to take it.

His gaze fell on the envelope as if looking at something that had nothing to do with him. The air in the car stagnated, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

A few seconds later, he looked up at Yan Yu, his tone calm:

“You think I need this?”

Yan Yu met his gaze. “Clear rights and responsibilities are better for both of us.”

The corner of Chen Kan’s mouth twitched slightly, though it was hard to tell if he was smiling. He eventually took the envelope, didn’t open it, and set it aside.

“Understood,” he said.

There was no further conversation along the way.

It wasn’t until Yan Yu parked the car in Chen Kan’s garage that Chen Kan spoke, his voice deep:

“If you lose the ability to function normally, I will take care of your parents and take over your work.” He paused. “Yan Yu, even if we can’t understand each other, you should trust my ability and character. Is paying me because you’re afraid I’ll use this to blackmail you, or do you feel my promise isn’t reliable?”

Yan Yu didn’t pause in unbuckling his seatbelt.

“I trust your ability, and I trust your character,” he said in a steady tone. “But I don’t like owing favors, especially yours. Money is the clearest boundary.”

Chen Kan was silent for a moment.

“As you wish.” He pushed the door open and got out of the car.

Yan Yu said behind him, “I have a package in the locker of Building 3.”

Chen Kan didn’t stop. “I’ll get it. You go shower.”

Yan Yu complied. Returning to Chen Kan’s house, he found the bath water had been heated in advance. He prepared food for the dog and then went to shower.

Chen Kan was actually very meticulous, even thoughtful. He wondered if it was because he was coming, but even the bathroom that originally had no bathtub had been newly fitted with a stool and handrails. The toiletries were all new, the guest bedroom was arranged according to Yan Yu’s preferences, and the common areas were cleaned spotless. Yan Yu thought that perhaps this person really was a good friend; as long as they weren’t lovers, their personalities could complement each other and maintain a perfect distance.

As long as it didn’t involve love. However, such thoughts usually only flashed by.

Yan Yu didn’t think there was much to dwell on; love was nothing more than sharing a portion of each other’s burden.

Those thoughts about Chen Kan were quickly replaced by other more trivial and pressing worries: for example, how long would the “Inner Demon period” last? Was the cycle long? How much sanity could he retain?

Would he lose his memory? If the spiritual offspring wasn’t human, what form would it take? Would it be affected by the Inner Demon?

What should he eat for nutrition? Should he ask the Administrator again?

Yan Yu knew he was indeed a bit anxious. That was just his personality, carry everything yourself and try not to trouble others. So, after showering, he called his parents in this life, told them to take care of their health, and confessed that he had bought them a fifty-year commercial pension insurance policy.

The old couple frowned as they listened, repeatedly asking him, “Xiao Yu, what’s wrong? Have you been scammed by an insurance salesman? Do you have enough money? Do you want us to send you some?”

Yan Yu felt a bit helpless but wasn’t in the mood to explain much. After hanging up hurriedly, he went to instruct his subordinates about work matters.

The subordinates, rarely having a break, were at a KTV party. Hearing Yan Yu’s mother-like nagging, they all asked concernedly what was wrong asking if he thought they were stupid and planned to get rid of them. If that were the case, they said they’d stop singing and immediately look for a more sensible and filial leader to take his place tomorrow.

Yan Yu’s lips curled up slightly at their nonsense.

Xiao Zhang, on the other end of the video call, caught it immediately and slapped his companion:

“Look! Brother Yan’s poker face finally broke!”

“Huh? How could you tell?”

“Is it not obvious? Our Brother Yan only ever laughs when his sanity has completely crumbled!”

Yan Yu let out a cold snort and threatened into the phone, “You’d better hope I don’t see the sun tomorrow, otherwise, just you wait.”

“Boss, there’s a grammatical error in that sentence…”

Before the subordinate could finish, Yan Yu had already hung up.

Weariness surged over him like a tide.

But his dog hadn’t had its nails trimmed in a month.

Yuyuan had been incredibly excited since seeing Chen Kan again, clinging to Chen Kan’s room all day and refusing to leave, terrified that Yan Yu might take him away again. Every time Yan Yu tried to pick up the big fellow to trim his nails, he couldn’t keep him still at all.

“Yuyuan, if you don’t get your nails trimmed, I won’t walk you tomorrow,” Yan Yu threatened the grinning Alaskan Malamute with a frosty face. “Since you love Chen Kan so much, stay with him from now on and let him trim them for you.”

Yuyuan seemed to understand, yet also didn’t. His tail paused for a few seconds before wagging cheerfully again, letting out a low bark as if inviting Yan Yu to join them in Chen Kan’s room to play.

Yan Yu began to regret it; he really should have raised a smarter breed back then.

Other people’s Border Collies and Golden Retrievers were smart enough to get into Peking University or Tsinghua, yet his own stupid dog only understood “eat” and “sleep.”

Forget it.

Since the dog liked Chen Kan so much, he’d let Chen Kan do the trimming. He couldn’t even remember which little dog despite the agreement to leave him with Chen Kan when they split had shamelessly insisted on following him instead.

Yan Yu was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. He didn’t dwell on why Chen Kan was taking so long to fetch a package; he returned to the guest room, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

On his way to get the package, Chen Kan had taken a detour to the massage parlor at the entrance of the residential complex. Ever since Yan Yu moved in, he had intended to get him a membership card Yan Yu’s waist always hurt.

By the time he returned, Yan Yu was already asleep.

Chen Kan stood by the door, silently watching Yan Yu’s peaceful sleeping face.

When they got together three years ago, no one had actively pursued the other, and there was no grand confession. They had simply held hands naturally, kissed when the mood was right, and gone to bed when passion stirred. When they broke up, Yan Yu was the one who took the initiative to leave. Chen Kan didn’t try to make him stay, nor did he ask for a reason; the split was clean and decisive. Yet no one knew how much he had missed Yan Yu during these hundreds of days and nights apart.

He never proactively followed Yan Yu’s updates, nor did he look at Yan Yu’s social media not that Yan Yu posted much anyway. But he alone understood that not looking wasn’t because he didn’t want to, but because he was forcibly restraining himself. Every time he felt the urge to do something pathetic, he would go outside and smoke a cigarette to calm down.

He was the person Yan Yu had discarded; naturally, he couldn’t lower himself to crawl back.

But now Yan Yu was back. Although it was due to objective circumstances, he seemed to have no lingering attachment to him. It appeared that even after the spiritual offspring was born, Yan Yu had no intention of reconciling. Finding him was merely because he was useful, a person like Yan Yu would always make the most beneficial and rational choice. The day he was no longer needed, he would be discarded without hesitation, just like a dog.

Wait. That wasn’t right.

Yan Yu didn’t even discard his dog.

Thinking back, Yuyuan had managed to move into Yan Yu’s home after the breakup simply by relying on an innocent face. And what about him?

He was lower than a dog.

He withdrew his gaze and gently closed the guest room door.

He thought they probably really weren’t a good match. Both their hearts were too cold; one drowned in rationality, the other trapped by pride. Mending a broken mirror was, after all, a pipe dream. Perhaps Yan Yu safely giving birth to the spiritual offspring would be the best conclusion to this entanglement.

Chen Kan handled some more work and miscellaneous chores, but he remained distracted. His frustration triggered a slight migraine, so he packed up and went to bed.

An unknown amount of time passed. In the hazy darkness, Chen Kan suddenly felt a warm, moist touch against the side of his neck.

Something warm was cautiously approaching.

Then, soft fingertips, like feathers, brushed against his Adam’s apple with extreme lightness and slowness.

Chen Kan’s eyes snapped open! The combat instincts honed over years of experience instantly jolted awake.

He reflexively grabbed that slender, pale wrist and ruthlessly slammed the person into the mattress. In the struggle, the silk bathrobe of the person beneath him came loose, revealing a lean collarbone. Chen Kan looked at the person’s face in shock, only to see that Yan Yu’s usually cold face was now covered in wet tear tracks and intense hatred.

Chen Kan’s breath hitched.

Yan Yu, pinned beneath him, was staring at him fixedly.

That face was no longer just calm and pale; his sharp gaze, glistening with tears, seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, and even his vision was trembling slightly.

Chen Kan had never seen Yan Yu make such an expression.

He subconsciously loosened his grip, his fingers curling slightly.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yan Yu suddenly exerted force to push him away. He grabbed the front of Chen Kan’s pajamas and yanked him upward!

Immediately following that, a crisp slap landed on Chen Kan’s face!

Yan Yu pulled him extremely close, their noses almost touching.

In Yan Yu’s eyes, Chen Kan saw a type of blazing hatred he had never seen before, one that could burn everything to ashes.

“Taking my money to go hook up with someone else, does that make you feel good?” Yan Yu demanded.

Chen Kan was speechless.

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