Chapter 82
The autumn sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony, casting a slanted glow across the room. On the soft, fluffy carpet, a white cat lay on its back, paws in the air, sound asleep. Its small mouth was slightly open, with its pink tongue poking out halfway, looking utterly content.
The beautiful Omega sat to the side, reading a book, his head slightly lowered. His black hair was soft and shiny, and perched on his high nose bridge was a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that obscured his brows and eyes. Below, his lips were thin and rosy, tinted with a soft, pink hue.
The house was peaceful, with only the sound of his fingers gently turning the pages of the book.
Ding-dong~
The doorbell rang, breaking the silence.
Lin Xiaoran finally tore his gaze away from the book and looked toward the door. The clock on the wall showed it was 2 p.m.
Right on time.
He got up and walked over to open the door. The sleepy white cat, Bai Tang, heard the movement and groggily opened its round eyes. When it saw Lin Xiaoran moving, it fluttered its short legs and waddled after him.
Standing outside the door was a handsome, slender young man.
Upon seeing him, the young man immediately broke into a shy smile. “Brother, I didn’t interrupt your rest, did I?”
The young man was Lin Xiaoran’s half-brother, Chu Yan, who had successfully entered the prestigious National Taiwan University School of Medicine that summer.
Over the years, he had kept in touch with Lin Xiaoran, and after coming to study here, Lin Xiaoran had often hosted him at home. This time, upon hearing that Lin Xiaoran was pregnant, Chu Yan was particularly excited and came to visit during his break.
“No, come in.” Lin Xiaoran motioned for him to enter. Bai Tang, trailing behind him, stared up with its big, round eyes, sizing up the newcomer. After a moment, the cat trotted over to him, rubbing its head against his legs and meowing, “Meow~”
Bai Tang had been brought along when Lin Xiaoran moved here. Because Lin Xiaoran was a male Omega, the national maternity policy was very generous for male Omegas, offering paid leave starting from the pregnancy.
Lin Xiaoran didn’t think it was necessary, but his family insisted he take time off from work, so he reluctantly entered his leave mode.
Gu Yang, initially planning to stay home with him, was vetoed by Lin Xiaoran! It had only been a month since the pregnancy, and had they not discovered it, Lin Xiaoran might still be in the operating room. Was it really necessary to make such a fuss?
So, Gu Yang still went to work but, concerned about Lin Xiaoran being alone at home, brought Bai Tang over to keep him company.
However, it was Chu Yan’s first time meeting Bai Tang, and the fluffy little cat immediately charmed him. He bent down and scooped the kitten into his arms, feeling its tiny head nuzzle against his hand.
Chu Yan also liked cats, and he couldn’t put Bai Tang down, holding the little creature with affection. When Lin Xiaoran came out after changing into his clothes, he remembered the gift he had brought and quickly set Bai Tang down. “Brother, you must be bored staying home all day, so I brought you a few books.”
Lin Xiaoran, thinking he had brought medical books, stared at the brightly colored children’s picture books with confusion.
Chu Yan scratched his head, feeling a little awkward under Lin Xiaoran’s gaze. “It’s for prenatal education.”
Lin Xiaoran burst into laughter, accepting the books and giving Bai Tang some cat food before closing the door and heading out with Chu Yan.
They took the elevator down to the underground parking garage, where Lin Xiaoran tossed the car keys to Chu Yan and sat in the passenger seat.
Chu Yan drove them straight to the sports arena.
Today marked the fourth anniversary of the game developed by Gu Yang’s company, a highly popular online game that had taken both the national and global gaming markets by storm.
Aside from the game’s fourth anniversary celebration, the professional eSports league had also been running for three years, with several top players and teams gaining immense popularity in the country.
The event today would feature high-profile professional teams and players, so the area around the sports arena was filled with fans carrying banners and light sticks for their favorite teams.
As they drove, Lin Xiaoran casually glanced out the window and immediately noticed at least a dozen fans holding merchandise for Yan Shen, one of the game’s most popular players.
A slight smile curved at the corners of Lin Xiaoran’s lips as he glanced at the real-life Yan Shen, sitting next to him. “You’re quite popular.”
Back when the game first launched its professional league, Chu Yan, being the number one player in China, received many invitations from various teams—much like when the Seventh World formed its league and sought out Gu Yang and Lin Xiaoran. However, Chu Yan’s decision was different. At the time, he was only a high school freshman and chose to balance both school and professional gaming.
When making this decision, he had even called Lin Xiaoran for advice. Lin Xiaoran had told him to make his own choice—if he enjoyed it and felt he could handle it, he should go for it.
So, Chu Yan joined.
His natural talent as the top player in China and his handsome, delicate appearance made it clear he would become a star player. He went on to help his team win the first and second season championships.
Then, to focus on the college entrance exams, Chu Yan took a year off from playing. Without him as the core player, the team only made it to the playoffs, failing to win the championship.
Now, with college behind him, his name was back on the roster, and he would be playing alongside his teammates at the anniversary event. His fans, who had been eagerly awaiting his return, were already on their toes.
However, despite his immense popularity, Chu Yan was always quite shy in front of his older brother. Hearing Lin Xiaoran’s comment, his face flushed. “Actually, after this season, I’m planning to retire.”
“Hmm?” Lin Xiaoran was surprised.
Chu Yan was only eighteen—still very young, even in the eSports world. There was no need for him to retire yet.
“I still need to prioritize my studies,” Chu Yan explained. “I thought university life would be easier, but studying medicine is even more exhausting than high school. I just don’t have enough time to train. If I’m not training, I’m occupying a spot on the roster, which isn’t fair to the team.”
Lin Xiaoran nodded, silent for a moment. His gaze drifted outside the window. Two young girls stood by the roadside, holding banners with Yan Shen’s name, wearing headbands with his logo. They were laughing, clearly chatting about something.
They were obvious fans.
As the most popular professional player in the country, Chu Yan had countless loyal fans like these. Not only that, but his commercial value was extremely high. Few people in their prime would choose to retire, but it was clear that Chu Yan had thought this decision through carefully.
Lin Xiaoran had long realized that although his younger brother was still young, his mind was unexpectedly mature.
The two of them bypassed the crowded plaza and entered through the back player’s entrance. They found their seats in the VIP area.
Chu Yan, needing to prepare backstage, kept checking with Lin Xiaoran before leaving. “Brother, are you sure you’ll be okay alone? Do you want to come with me to the backstage?”
Lin Xiaoran nearly rolled his eyes. He had avoided asking Gu Yang to accompany him precisely to avoid making a fuss. He had asked Chu Yan to save him a seat instead.
It was just like Chu Yan, to be as concerned as Gu Yang.
“Alright, go ahead. If you need anything, I’ll call you.” Lin Xiaoran gently nudged him.
Chu Yan looked around one last time, making sure everything was safe, before walking away, glancing back every few steps.
Lin Xiaoran shook his head in amusement.
Ever since his pregnancy, it seemed like everyone around him treated him like he might break, as if he were made of paper.
Today was supposed to be a special day for Gu Yang, and Lin Xiaoran had originally planned to attend with him. However, knowing that Gu Yang would likely spend the entire time focused on him, Lin Xiaoran had declined when Gu Yang asked if he should come.
It worked out perfectly when Chu Yan offered to visit, so he joined him instead. Gu Yang had no idea.
Once the event was over, he would tell Gu Yang everything.
As Lin Xiaoran pondered this, his phone buzzed with a message from Gu Yang. He opened it to find a selfie of Gu Yang—dressed in a sharp suit, his hair styled meticulously.
After all, today’s four-year anniversary celebration was a big deal, and as the creator of the game, Gu Yang would be taking the stage in front of tens of thousands of live viewers and countless more online. It was important to maintain a polished image.
Gu Yang: “Do I look handsome?”
Lin Xiaoran stared at the photo for a few moments. His slender fingers quickly typed a reply: “Handsome!”
Gu Yang wasn’t someone who usually liked wearing formal clothes. He preferred a more casual style, but at nearly 1.9 meters tall, he had the natural build to wear almost anything, even cheap clothes, and still look like he was wearing high fashion.
Moreover, Gu Yang was no longer the same person he was back in high school. He exuded a calm, composed aura now, paired with the innate confidence he carried, making him even more attractive.
No wonder people said this game’s continued success wasn’t just about the game being well-made—having such a handsome creator certainly played a part.
Lin Xiaoran couldn’t help but smile slightly as he looked at the sharply defined face in the photo. He set it as his phone’s wallpaper.
At that moment, another message from Gu Yang came through: “What are you doing? I’ll be a bit late coming home tonight. I’ve asked Xiao Zhou to make dinner.”
Xiao Zhou was Gu Yang’s secretary. He was usually busy with work, and since Lin Xiaoran was pregnant and they hadn’t found a suitable housekeeper yet, whenever Gu Yang couldn’t make it home in time to cook, he’d ask Xiao Zhou to step in.
Lin Xiaoran quickly replied: “No need, I’ve made plans for dinner.”
Gu Yang: “With whom?”
Lin Xiaoran: “Guess.”
After sending that message, Lin Xiaoran saw Chu Yan arriving, looking sharp.
Chu Yan, already a handsome young man, didn’t need much to look good. Today, he had simply changed into his team uniform, tidied his hair, and put on a little light makeup since he’d be on camera.
Once seated next to Lin Xiaoran, he pulled out a carton of milk and a single fruit. “I got this from backstage,” he said. “The fruit’s been washed. The other snacks are junk food—can’t have that now, Brother.”
Though the lights in the audience section were dim, Lin Xiaoran could still clearly see the bashful glint in Chu Yan’s eyes as he spoke.
The kid was so cute!
Lin Xiaoran accepted the milk and fruit with a smile. “Thanks.”
He was a little hungry, and after the initial few days of pregnancy when he had some nausea, his appetite had settled, and now he found himself even hungrier than before. But since he hadn’t thought to bring anything with him, he was grateful for Chu Yan’s thoughtful gesture.
As he ate, he listened to Chu Yan explain the schedule for the event. The program was similar to the anniversary celebration of the Seventh World that he had attended with Gu Yang, but this time, because it was Gu Yang’s game, Lin Xiaoran felt like every part of the event was even more exciting.
Soon, Chu Yan excused himself to go backstage to prepare for his segment. The next part of the event involved various teams making their appearances, and popular players were scheduled for a fun match with randomly selected players from the audience.
This was also Chu Yan’s first game back after a long break, making him the star of the segment.
As expected, before he even appeared on stage, fans in the crowd began chanting his name, the excitement akin to that of idol fans.
The host was skilled in giving the fans what they wanted, and even while ensuring other players weren’t left out, they made sure to hand the microphone to Chu Yan as often as possible.
On stage, Chu Yan appeared elegant and composed, with none of the bashfulness he showed in front of Lin Xiaoran.
Lin Xiaoran, watching the screen, noted the confusion in Chu Yan’s clear eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder—did he really seem so hard to approach? Why was his younger brother so shy, so obedient, and even blushing in front of him, but completely calm in front of tens of thousands of spectators?
He hadn’t realized until today that Chu Yan wasn’t nervous in front of a huge crowd, but only acted this way when he was with Lin Xiaoran.
Why was that?
He’d ask him later.
As he thought this, Gu Yang, sitting in the front row with other distinguished guests, was also puzzled. What was his Omega doing tonight? Who was he meeting? Why didn’t he say?
Curious, he pulled out his phone again, only to see that the last message Lin Xiaoran had sent was still unanswered: “Guess you won’t figure it out, I’ll tell you later.”
Gu Yang tapped his fingers impatiently against the armrest. Just as his fingers were starting to numb, his phone vibrated, and he eagerly picked it up. It was a new message from Lin Xiaoran: “You’ll find out later.”
Later?
What did that mean?
Before Gu Yang could figure it out, his assistant came over to remind him that it was time for his speech on stage.
Gu Yang had always been a natural multitasker. As he walked to the center of the stage under the guidance of the host, facing the enthusiastic crowd that rivaled the popularity of the top players, he handled the situation with grace. However, his mind was still occupied with the meaning of the message Lin Xiaoran had just sent.
His speech had already been prepared for him, but Gu Yang didn’t like memorizing scripts. He only glanced at it, remembered a few key points, and left the rest to improvisation.
This was his personal style.
As one of the youngest and most successful entrepreneurs in China, Gu Yang had access to his family’s wealth, connections, and resources, yet he managed to build his own empire from scratch in just a few years, essentially creating a new gaming kingdom. This success made him a sought-after speaker for youth events.
At every speech, he only ever focused on the key points, but his improvisation always turned out impressive.
Today was no different. Even though his thoughts were divided, he still effortlessly captured the audience’s attention. The noisy venue fell silent, and all eyes were on him.
At that moment, the live broadcast camera shifted from the center of the stage and began to circle the entire venue. The intention was to showcase Gu Yang’s charm, but when the camera moved to the VIP section, the once calm atmosphere in the venue suddenly erupted.
Gu Yang, standing on stage, was caught off guard. However, he kept his composure, continuing his speech. But the noise from the crowd only grew louder, and he could clearly see the audience’s gaze fixed on the big screen behind him, as if something surprising had appeared.
He turned around, his eyes widening in surprise. The amber gleam in his eyes reflected an uncontrollable excitement.
What appeared on the screen was nothing short of a delightful surprise—it was none other than his beautiful Omega, Lin Xiaoran!
