Chapter 20

About an hour later, a soft groan escaped He Changning’s lips, and his long lashes trembled faintly.

Shang Yushang immediately leaned in, clutching his hand tightly, his voice strained with worry. “Changning? Changning, can you hear me? Look at me—I’m here, I’m right here.”

He Changning slowly opened his eyes, dazed and disoriented. He blinked at the anxious, worried face before him. His voice was so soft it was barely a whisper. “Yushang…”

Shang Yushang held his breath, his heart thudding. The second he heard his precious one call his name, he was so overwhelmed it was almost boyish. “I’m here, I’m here, Changning. Tell me—do you feel unwell?”

“So tired… I just want to sleep,” He Changning murmured weakly.

“Okay. Go ahead, baby. Sleep—I’ll stay right here with you.”

“…Yushang… don’t make any moves against the Yin family yet. Not until after the wedding…”

“Okay. Whatever you say, I’ll do. Don’t think about anything right now. Just rest.” Hearing that, He Changning obediently closed his eyes and drifted back into sleep.

Shang Yushang turned and called out, “Bai Mo—what’s going on? Why is he this weak?”

Bai Mo explained calmly, “It’s a side effect from the drugs. Don’t worry—once the sedatives and hallucinogens are flushed out of his system, he’ll be back to normal.”

“How long will that take?”

“Three, maybe four hours. He’ll be okay.”

Shang Yushang finally let out a breath of relief. “Good. Take a break.”

Bai Mo didn’t move. Instead, he sat down, observing the intense concern in Shang Yushang’s expression with growing curiosity, glancing back and forth between the man and the sleeping youth.

But Shang Yushang had eyes only for the man on the bed, so Bai Mo had to speak up. “So… you’re serious about this?”

Shang Yushang didn’t even glance at him. “What, are your eyes just for decoration?”

That shut Bai Mo up, but not for long—he was determined to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. “Do you really like him that much? You’re not exactly the sentimental type.”

“When you meet the right person, falling in love is like catching a cold—you can’t stop it even if you try.”

Bai Mo gave a dry cough. “Huh. You’re actually funny.”

Finally turning his head, Shang Yushang met Bai Mo’s gaze. “You just want to hear me say it, right?”

Bai Mo shrugged. Guilty as charged.

Shang Yushang turned his gaze back to He Changning. His voice dropped, soft but firm. “I like him. No—more than that. I love him.”

Bai Mo’s laid-back expression turned serious. “Yushang, do you really understand what you’re saying?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you should know exactly what’s at stake.”

“I do.”

“Then why the hell are you being so reckless?”

Shang Yushang’s face remained unreadable. “You’re trying to say I can’t risk the Shang family’s future, right? But what does that have to do with me being with Changning?”

“He’s a guy. What, are you planning to use a surrogate to have children?”

“Who said anything about using a surrogate?”

“Then what—he’s going to give birth for you? Or maybe you’re the one who can get pregnant?”

Shang Yushang’s expression didn’t change. “In this world, nothing is truly impossible.”

Bai Mo looked at him like he’d grown another head. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Have you ever heard the stories… about men getting pregnant?”

“You’re insane. That’s not even possible! …Wait. There were rumors—some cases, but none of them confirmed. They’re just urban legends!”

“Maybe. But one day, you might believe them.”

A wild suspicion formed in Bai Mo’s mind, but he couldn’t make himself say it aloud. “You… you wouldn’t bring this up out of nowhere. You know something, don’t you?”

Shang Yushang turned toward him, calm and composed. “I could tell you. But your loose lips could get someone killed. Are you sure you want to know?”

Bai Mo swallowed hard. “I swear on my life—I won’t say a word.”

With a gentle expression, Shang Yushang looked down at the man sleeping beside him. He tenderly brushed a hand across that flawless, jade-like face. “Changning is actually the direct heir of the pureblood Mu Yi Clan.”

Bai Mo’s eyes widened. “Mu Yi Clan?!”

“Yes,” Shang Yushang said calmly. “The Mu Yi Clan. The men in their tribe all have the ability to conceive and give birth. But because of differences in bloodlines, the chances vary. The purer the blood, the stronger the fertility.”

He paused for a second before continuing, “Changning is the purest-blooded descendant of the entire clan. So I don’t need to find a surrogate. He can carry our child.”

It took Bai Mo nearly fifteen minutes to fully process this bombshell. “Does your precious Changning know that he’s… you know, one of them?”

“Not yet. I don’t plan to tell him right now.”

Bai Mo immediately regretted asking. Could he claim temporary amnesia? Maybe pretend he heard nothing at all?

Shang Yushang’s gaze was knowing. “Too late. You already know something you were never meant to.”

Bai Mo’s eyes widened in realization. “Damn it—you did that on purpose!”

“From now on, Changning’s health is in your hands. Especially when he’s pregnant.”

“Shang Yushang! Who the hell gave you the right to make me your indentured servant?! I’m not doing it!”

“You could say no. But since you now know my baby’s secret, for his safety… I won’t hesitate to ship you off to some remote corner of Africa for the rest of your life.”

“…Son of a—” Bai Mo exploded, but the fire in his voice was gone the moment Shang Yushang shot him a cold glare. He instantly deflated like a popped balloon.

“No noise. Don’t wake Changning.”

Bai Mo muttered, “Okay, okay. Look, I’ll watch over your little sweetheart for you—but you’ve got to help me win over Su Yang.”

Shang Yushang shot him a look of pure disdain. “Pathetic.” Then he added, “Fine. Deal.”

After all, sacrificing a buddy in exchange for peace of mind about his beloved was more than fair. Plus, Su Yang wouldn’t exactly be losing out—he’d be getting a warm bed and a free caregiver in return. Yes, a very reasonable trade.

Far away across the ocean, Young Master Su sneezed out of nowhere. He rubbed his nose and muttered, “Weird. I don’t feel sick, so why does my heart feel like something’s about to go really wrong?”

Back in the room, Bai Mo gave up resisting and changed the subject. “How did you even find out about your little gem’s… situation?”

“When Grandma said she wanted to find me a husband, I did a background check on Changning. That’s when I accidentally discovered his rare condition. I already liked him, so that just sealed the deal.”

“He doesn’t know about his own physiology?”

“To be honest, most Mu Yi men don’t. Even if they did, many aren’t gay, or don’t have a strong enough bloodline to ever actually get pregnant. That’s why their clan is on the verge of extinction. Pureblood Mu Yi men like Changning only show up once every few hundred years.”

Shang Yushang paused and added, “There’s even a legend that says if a pureblood heir of the Mu Yi Clan gives birth to twins, their tribe will flourish again. And the family that raises those twins will prosper for generations.”

“Okay, now that just sounds like superstition.”

“Maybe it is. But now that you know, I trust I won’t have to sew your lips shut to keep this quiet?”

“I get it.” Bai Mo zipped his lips dramatically. “Not even Su Yang will hear a word of it. You tell him yourself.”

As the darkness of the night faded and the sky began to lighten, He Changning slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was that familiar pair of bloodshot eyes filled with worry and urgency.

“Yushang…” His voice was dry and raspy.

Shang Yushang took the glass of warm water from Xiao Wu and held it to his lips. “Easy. Drink a little water first.”

He Changning sipped half the glass and already felt his throat easing up. “You haven’t slept all night, have you? Go rest for a bit.”

Shang Yushang smiled gently. “Don’t worry. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” He brushed his fingers lovingly across Changning’s cheek. “Let’s move to the Jingyuan apartment for a while, okay?”

Clearly still shaken by what had happened, Changning obediently nodded. “Okay. I’ll listen to you.”

Shang Yushang pulled him into a careful hug, holding him just tightly enough. “The wedding will happen soon. I’ll protect you, Changning. Nothing like this will ever happen again.”

Hearing the guilt in his voice, Changning’s heart ached. The incident had been due to his own carelessness, yet Yushang was the one blaming himself.

“Yushang… this wasn’t your fault. It was mine. Don’t be like this—I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Knowing how much this little guy cared about him—that he worried about his safety enough to constantly stay on guard—eased his heart a little. It wasn’t easy forcing Changning into this level of wariness, but with what was to come, there was no other way. Thankfully, his precious one was smart, calm, and capable. Shang Yushang was confident that when the time came, Changning would be more than able to handle whatever came their way.