“Each person walks their own path in cultivation and fate—everything has settled at last.
He Changning’s book was published overseas and sold exceptionally well, earning him a small fortune with a satisfied smile.
The manuscript for My World 2 was nearly complete, but lately, He Changning felt incredibly lazy. Every day, he forced himself to finish his drafts, then indulged in a pig-like lifestyle of eating and lounging around. His body had become much rounder, and there was now a layer of soft flesh on his belly. As someone who cared a lot about his figure, He Changning constantly complained to Shang Yushang about gaining weight, unwilling to tolerate fat on his body.
Shang Yushang remained tight-lipped, never commenting on his figure, but regularly took him to Bai Mo for checkups. Whenever He Changning asked what they were for, Shang Yushang would brush it off with various excuses.
That day, Shang Yushang went to pick up He Changning’s medical report from Bai Mo. Bai Mo, unable to watch He Changning get fooled again, finally spoke up. “Yushang, when are you planning to tell Changning about this? You won’t be able to hide it much longer. Soon his belly will blow up like a balloon. And carrying twins means it’ll grow even faster than a regular pregnancy.”
Shang Yushang rubbed his temples. “Lately, Changning’s been complaining about getting fat. He’s so concerned about his appearance. If he finds out he’s pregnant—let alone with twins—I don’t know how he’ll handle it. He’s a man, after all. It’ll be hard for him to accept and he might be scared or resistant. I’m worried he won’t be able to take it.”
Bai Mo also frowned. “But hiding it isn’t a solution either. Sooner or later, he’ll sense something’s wrong. If you wait until then, it’ll hit him even harder. And the fact that you deliberately hid it from him won’t go over well either. It’s better to tell him sooner and spend more time with him. If he can accept it, everything will be fine.”
Shang Yushang had thought about it seriously. Bai Mo was right—some things are bound to come to light. Even well-meaning deception can hurt just as much as a lie. For Changning and their children’s sake, he decided to tell him, though he would do it gently.
He explained to Grandma that they were moving to the Fanjin villa, and the old lady readily agreed. She even let them take a few long-trusted servants with them.
They had lived in the villa for several days and had gotten used to the new place.
Recently, Aunt Qin had been following the dietary plan given by the young master to prepare every meal for He Changning without fail. She was full of joy seeing how close and loving the young couple was.
After finishing up at the office, Shang Yushang returned home early again. He Changning grinned and wrapped his arms around his neck. “What’s going on with you lately? Why are you coming home so early every day?”
Shang Yushang raised an eyebrow. “What? My baby doesn’t want to see me?”
He Changning gave him a playful push. “I’m being serious—don’t change the subject. Tell me, what’s going on? The workaholic CEO suddenly acting all domesticated—hard not to be suspicious. Spill it.”
This little guy was too sharp. Shang Yushang honestly admired himself for managing to keep the pregnancy hidden this long. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it? Just say it.”
“You need to be mentally prepared.”
He Changning frowned. “What does it have to do with me?”
Shang Yushang grew serious. “It has to do with you, with me, and with our life going forward.”
He Changning looked even more confused. “What are you talking about? Just tell me already.”
“Don’t get anxious, baby.” He paused. “What do you think about pregnancy and having children?”
He Changning was startled. This guy really could change topics in a flash. “Why are you asking that?”
“Just answer me first.”
If something can’t be figured out for now, then just set it aside. He Changning gave it serious thought. “A child is the crystallization of love between parents, a bond between a couple, and plays a crucial role in maintaining a family. Some people say a child is the continuation of the parents’ lives in this world, so children are important.”
Then, as if something occurred to him, his heart suddenly tightened. Could it be that Shang Yushang wanted a child of his own? Wanting children was perfectly reasonable. Even just for the Shang family’s legacy, he should have a child of his own, one who shared his bloodline. That wasn’t such a bad thing. Although He Changning felt a little uneasy, he couldn’t selfishly take away his right to be a father. As for himself, he had honestly never considered it. “Jianzhi, you want a child of your own, don’t you?”
Shang Yushang caught every expression on the little guy’s face. After being together so long, how could he not know how understanding and kind He Changning was? In his heart, having a child that shared his own bloodline was a perfectly reasonable desire—not just for himself, but even for the Shang family. And He Changning would allow it. But how could he bear to let him be wronged?
“Does Changning want me to have my own child?”
“I’m not a generous person, you know that. But there are some things I can’t be selfish about,” he said with a hint of grievance, eyes slightly wet as he looked at Shang Yushang. “I just hope… if you have a child, you won’t leave me.”
That one sentence hit Shang Yushang like a knife to the heart. His lover must be so attached to him—for someone so proud to say such pleading, fearful words… Shang Yushang willingly fell completely for him.
“How could I ever leave you? You’re the treasure I tricked into marrying me, and I’m never letting you go. Changning, baby, I love you. So don’t doubt yourself. I’m yours—always have been, always will be.”
Hearing his promise, the suffocating pressure in He Changning’s chest completely lifted. His expression brightened. “That’s right. Who am I? I’m Shang Yushang’s man. No one else can even dream of touching you. You’re mine.”
Shang Yushang was cheered by his good mood and felt much more at ease. He cautiously asked, “So… Changning doesn’t mind if I want to have a child?”
He Changning nodded. “Of course not. Just imagine—a child who shares your blood, delicate and beautiful, calling us ‘Dad’ all day long. That scene sounds pretty great.”
Shang Yushang tentatively asked again, “What if… two kids?”
He Changning raised an eyebrow. “A bit greedy, aren’t you? But two would be nice too. Whether brothers or a brother and sister, it’s good for them to have company. But as parents, we must treat them equally. No favoritism—none of those toxic schemes you see in other families.” He thought for a moment. “If you use the same surrogate, that kind of issue can be avoided.”
Shang Yushang suddenly felt like scum. He Changning had already planned everything out for him, yet he had completely hidden the pregnancy from him. And he trusted him so much. He wanted to slap himself. Fighting back the guilt, he continued cautiously, “Then… what if I wanted a child who’s just like you?”
He Changning blinked. “You want me to be a surrogate too?”
“Is that not okay?”
“I never thought about it,” He Changning answered honestly.
“What if I wanted a child that shares both our blood?”
He Changning was shocked. “How’s that possible? We’re both men. Are you going to give birth or am I?”
Shang Yushang seized the moment. “If you could get pregnant… would you be willing to have a child for me?”
“That’s not a realistic scenario.”
“But if it were possible—would you be willing to have a child with our bloodline?”
He Changning frowned. “How is that even remotely possible? Why are you so fixated on such an unrealistic idea?”
Shang Yushang cupped his face with both hands, making sure he could only look into his eyes. “Changning, answer me. If you could get pregnant… would you be willing to have a child that shares both our blood?”
Seeing the determination and sincerity in Shang Yushang’s eyes, He Changning hesitated for a moment… but then gave a small nod and softly said, “Mm.”
Just one word—but Shang Yushang had struggled so hard to hear it. That single syllable was heavy as a mountain. He finally let out a long breath, and the heart that had been so tense at last relaxed a little.
Today, Shang Yushang was acting strangely. He kept circling around the topic of children, even going so far as to absurdly ask—if I could get pregnant, would I be willing to have a child for him? He Changning felt deeply suspicious. If Shang Yushang simply wanted to find a surrogate to have his own child, or hoped to raise a biological child with him, that would be understandable—and he had already agreed and accepted that. But what Shang Yushang was fixated on was whether he personally would be willing to bear a child for him. That was just unreasonable.
They were both men. How could a man possibly get pregnant and give birth? That kind of world-shattering idea was impossible for him to accept. He was already twenty—if men could really get pregnant, something so wildly fantastical, wouldn’t that be insane to believe? But then again, when he gave him an affirmative answer, that look of relief on Shang Yushang’s face—what was that supposed to mean? Could it really be true, like he said, that he could get pregnant? That was just unscientific! He had lived as a full-blooded man for twenty years—how was he supposed to believe something like that?!
His expression shifted unpredictably as he started to question his own motives for today. But things had already come this far—he couldn’t allow himself to back down. The sooner he told He Changning, the less harm it would cause. “Changning, do you have anything you want to ask me?”
He Changning asked bluntly, “What exactly are you trying to say today?”
Shang Yushang took a deep breath, suppressing his worry. “Changning, there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused, then looked into his eyes. “There’s a mysterious and ancient race in this world. In this race, men have the ability to get pregnant and give birth. No one knows why they’re different, but they can have children. For various reasons, there are very few of them left today. But they haven’t gone extinct. Men like that still exist.”
He Changning had a bad feeling, forcing out a weak smile. “Jianzhi… You’re not about to tell me that I’m one of those men from that race, are you?”
He Changning’s eyes were filled with hope for a denial. He hoped Shang Yushang would say he was just playing a harmless prank, and then they could go back to living their sweet and comfortable lives. But Shang Yushang’s serious gaze slowly crushed that hope. He Changning shook his head and took a few steps back. “No. Jianzhi, this joke isn’t funny. Stop messing with me—I might actually believe it.”
Shang Yushang said nothing, just looked at He Changning with complete sincerity.
All of a sudden, He Changning exploded with anger, his voice rising several octaves. “What the fuck—know when to stop with your jokes! I’m not someone you can just mess around with!”
Shang Yushang quickly stepped forward and pulled He Changning tightly into his arms, hoping his warmth would soothe his trembling body. “Changning, calm down. Please, calm down.”
He Changning shoved him hard. “How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?! I’m a man. I’m a fucking man, do you understand? Shang Yushang, this joke isn’t funny at all. You fucking lied to me! You lied!” He yelled until he was out of breath, then struggled to control his emotions, gasping. “Jianzhi, Jianzhi, tell me this is a joke. Just a joke. Please, say it.”
Shang Yushang remained silent, his eyes full of pain and tenderness, silently trying to soothe the panic in the young man’s heart.
Suddenly, He Changning seemed to lose all strength and collapsed into Shang Yushang’s arms. He closed his eyes, not wanting to say another word.
After finally coaxing him to sleep, Shang Yushang rubbed his aching temples, feeling even more miserable than He Changning. This young man—so proud, so full of life—had willingly submitted to him out of love, sacrificing his pride. But the blow of pregnancy was too devastating. It shattered everything he knew about being a man for the past twenty years. If someone ever told him that he could have children, he would’ve killed that person. How much harder must it be for someone still so young?
