Qiao Hailou froze for a moment. His mind turned, and he more or less understood why Shen Yuan was saying this. The kid had a sharp tongue but a soft heart—too soft, really.
“You’re the one who cares most about your body, aren’t you? You didn’t want anyone to know. Aren’t you scared anymore?”
Shen Yuan nodded, troubled. He squeezed Qiao Hailou’s hand in return and gathered his courage.
“I’m still very afraid. But just like you told me before—hating myself only makes things more painful. I want to try accepting it. Only then can I truly free my past self. Sometimes I think… if my dad had been Uncle Li from the very beginning, maybe I wouldn’t have grown up with such a dark personality.”
“There were times when I genuinely hated myself. I envied classmates who had both parents alive, who grew up spoiled in happy families. Their personalities had no darkness at all—bright, sunny, sincere, kind, easy to like. And me? No one wanted me when I was little. My personality got twisted. I was jealous of them. I wanted to be like them, but all I could do was put on an act. I couldn’t be sincerely kind or genuine, and then I hated myself even more for being narrow-minded and two-faced.”
“But I was still lucky. I met my grandpa. I met Uncle. And I met you. You didn’t嫌弃 me. You treated me so well.”
“I once looked it up—there are so many people in this world like me. Not everyone is as lucky as I am. Even if they can’t force themselves to climb upward like I did, even if they choose to hide instead, that doesn’t mean they’re weak. I know how painful it is. Not everyone can survive it.”
“So I want to do something within my ability. Just a small thing, really.”
Qiao Hailou smiled. He half-knelt in front of him like a knight, lifted Shen Yuan’s hand, and kissed the back of it.
“I knew it. Our little dummy is the kindest boy.”
Shen Yuan said in disgust, “Stop saying such gross stuff. I’m not. Mostly, I just want to give my past self an answer. I feel like if I do this, it’s like saving the child I used to be. And accepting Professor Haywood’s help will save a huge amount of money. You won’t have to spend so much effort putting together an expert team either. I also want to start taking care of my health properly as soon as possible. What, you got money to burn? Isn’t this killing multiple birds with one stone?”
Qiao Hailou burst out laughing.
“That’s right—Student Shen Yuan is smart and good with numbers. Since you’ve thought it through, Uncle will definitely support you.”
Shen Yuan felt embarrassed by the praise.
“Don’t mock me. I just… I’ve done too many bad things. My personality’s bad, and I’m scheming and hold grudges. My grandpa believes in Buddhism. I don’t, but still—every drink and every bite may be predestined. There really are all kinds of karma in this world. I want to do some good deeds, build up some merit, so my child can come into this world safely.”
The next day, Shen Yuan called Professor Haywood. He said that after discussing it with his husband, he’d changed his mind and was willing to participate in the research. The professor could write his experience into a paper.
Shen Yuan said, “Maybe I can help someone else who’s like me. When can the expert team be assembled? I’ll go with my husband and cooperate with you until after my child is born.”
Professor Haywood was overjoyed, practically ecstatic.
“Good, good! You’re truly a kind and generous person! Thank you—thank you so much! I’ll contact my partners right away. Give me two weeks—no, one week. As soon as I gather everyone, I’ll notify you immediately!”
Shen Yuan said, “That’s fine. I don’t feel particularly uncomfortable right now.”
In truth, he was a little uncomfortable—nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, loss of appetite—but Shen Yuan was very good at enduring things. When he was still living at home before, he’d endured as much as he could. To keep Uncle from noticing anything wrong, he’d even force himself to eat.
But after moving in with Qiao Hailou, Shen Yuan felt he didn’t need to endure it anymore. He’d just say he didn’t want to eat, take a couple of bites, then put his chopsticks down.
Qiao Hailou grew anxious.
“How can you not eat? You’ll be malnourished.”
Shen Yuan said, “I’m just going to throw it up anyway. I might as well only eat as much as I won’t puke out.”
“Nonsense! What kind of crooked logic is that?” Qiao Hailou said. “You have to eat properly. Don’t you care about the baby?”
Shen Yuan argued confidently, “I checked. I’m getting all the essential nutrients. Nothing’s being delayed.”
Qiao Hailou gave a dry laugh.
“Oh? You’ve become a nutrition expert now? That impressive? A half-full bottle sloshing around.”
Shen Yuan said, “I’m going to sleep.”
Words aside, Qiao Hailou realized he’d been negligent.
Eating was a serious issue.
The next day, Shen Yuan slept until nearly noon. He felt miserable and drowsy and wanted to keep lying in bed. Qiao Hailou hauled him up anyway, carried him out of bed, wiped his face, brushed his teeth, and helped him get dressed.
Still half asleep, Shen Yuan complained, “Can’t you let me sleep a little longer?”
Qiao Hailou said, “Baby, you went to bed at eight last night. It’s eleven now. You’ve slept more than ten hours already. Isn’t that enough? Sleeping too much isn’t good for your health either, right?”
Shen Yuan said, “Not enough. I’m one person sleeping for two.”
That said, Qiao Hailou had already woken him up, and Shen Yuan was starting to feel hungry anyway. He figured he’d get up, eat something, then go back to sleep.
Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Shen Yuan let Qiao Hailou pull him by the hand into the dining room.
Then he jumped in shock.
The entire table was covered in dishes.
He immediately said, “What are you doing? Even if you hired someone to cook all this, I still won’t want to eat! Isn’t this just wasting food?”
Qiao Hailou seated him at the table and said,
“Well, isn’t this because the young master of my household has gotten so picky and refuses to eat? I found five nutritionists. Their nutritional balance should be no problem, but taste is another matter. Try everything and see whose cooking suits you best. I’ll keep that one.”
Shen Yuan was stunned.
“You—you’re making way too big a deal out of this, aren’t you?”
Qiao Hailou smiled.
“Anything involving you is a big deal to me. There’s no such thing as making too much of it. You wouldn’t eat properly—what choice did I have? I can’t bully you, so I can only coax you. And I was afraid you’d mess around researching nutrition on your own and end up with problems. Of course I had to hurry and find a proper nutritionist.”
Shen Yuan glared at him.
“You make it sound like I’m really high-maintenance.”
Qiao Hailou said, “Aren’t you?”
Shen Yuan: “…”
He wasn’t shameless enough to outright lie, so he argued stubbornly instead.
“Even if I really am high-maintenance, you still can’t just say it out loud!”
Qiao Hailou laughed, brought the plates that were too far away closer to him, and said,
“Alright, alright, my fault, okay? I don’t even dare argue with you. Eat, my little ancestor.”
Shen Yuan tasted all the dishes and chose one nutritionist to stay.
She was a thirty-five-year-old single mother surnamed Chen. Shen Yuan called her Auntie Chen. She had both a nutritionist license and a chef’s license. For the generous pay, she enthusiastically cooked different meals for Shen Yuan every day, finally improving his appetite quite a bit. The job wasn’t tiring—just cooking meals for two people on a regular schedule. The rest of the time was hers. The only requirements were that she accompany her employers abroad for eight months and sign a confidentiality agreement, forbidding her from disclosing anything about the job.
Shen Yuan didn’t have to worry about anything. Qiao Hailou handled everything thoroughly. On the company side, he promoted several people. The position of CEO went to his trusted aide, Bai Lu, with a raise and an additional five percent in shares—full trust, no suspicion.
At school, Shen Yuan applied for leave using activities and studying abroad as reasons. His GPA was high enough. When the time came, he could return for graduation exams, and as long as he passed, he’d get his diploma smoothly.
With both sides settled, all that remained was waiting for Professor Haywood’s notice. Then they’d take a private jet straight over and focus seriously on prenatal care.
There were still a few days before departure.
Shen Yuan wasn’t the type who could sit idle. He still drew designs every day. He had a small set of tools for making jewelry himself. Sometimes, after finishing a design, he even wanted to make it with his own hands. When Qiao Hailou saw him swinging a hammer with loud clangs or holding a blowtorch, his heart nearly jumped out of his throat. What kind of pregnant husband was this?! He hurriedly confiscated everything. Making small, safe items was fine, but anything even slightly dangerous was forbidden. Why not just draw the designs and let craftsmen make them?
Before going abroad, Qiao Hailou planned to take Shen Yuan to visit his eldest brother, to let him formally meet his wife.
Shen Yuan felt embarrassed.
“You know Qiao Jun is my senior. How awkward would it be for me to go?”
Qiao Hailou said, “Then if I wait until after you’ve given birth and bring you and the baby together, it won’t be awkward anymore?”
Shen Yuan: “…”
Sooner or later, he had to face people.
Left with no choice, Shen Yuan nodded and went along with him.
That day.
Qiao Hailou’s eldest brother, Qiao Haixuan, heard that his younger brother was bringing his sister-in-law over and specifically called his wife, children, and daughter-in-law to come as well, to formally receive the couple.
As the eldest brother, he’d been shocked just last month when he suddenly learned that Qiao Hailou was married.
There hadn’t been the slightest hint beforehand. He’d asked Qiao Hailou about it, but Qiao Hailou refused to say anything, only claiming his wife was shy and that once his wife agreed, he’d bring him home to meet his brother.
That made it even more shocking. Qiao Haixuan couldn’t believe it—your wife is shy and you really just let him be like that?
He was extremely curious about what kind of person had managed to tame his unruly youngest brother.
Qiao Jun was curious too.
He’d always admired his youngest uncle. He knew his uncle was a playboy, but he hadn’t expected that just half a year ago, he’d been bragging to a close junior about how his uncle had wandered through a sea of flowers without a leaf touching him—and then, in the blink of an eye, his uncle got married!
What kind of person would his little aunt be? Surely a gentle, understanding confidante, right? That was always the type his uncle liked.
Qiao Jun saw his uncle’s car arrive at the gate.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he quietly went over to the garage, wanting to be the first to see who his uncle’s wife was. He saw his uncle get out of the car first, walk around to the passenger side, open the door, and carefully help someone out.
The other person held his hand while stepping down.
“I’m not disabled. You don’t need to help me.”
Qiao Hailou said, “You say that, but aren’t you still holding my hand?”
The other person said, “I want to hold your hand.”
Qiao Jun froze.
That didn’t sound like someone with a gentle personality at all. And… why did the voice sound kind of familiar?
Then he saw the person himself.
It was a man. A young man. Extremely beautiful—refined features, long limbs, perfectly proportioned. A rare, stunning beauty.
Qiao Jun rubbed his eyes.
Huh???
Why did he feel like his little aunt… looked exactly like one of his juniors???