Following their leader’s arrangement, several members of the Shadow Unit were assigned to guard the villa on a rotating schedule. Even though the He family no longer posed a threat, Shang Yushang remained on high alert because of He Changning’s unique condition—and the babies in his belly. With the due date drawing near, he grew even more cautious, even inviting Bai Mo to temporarily move into the villa. Naturally, Bai Mo’s spouse came along too.
Every day, Bai Mo would examine He Changning, listen to the fetal heartbeats, and monitor the babies’ positions.
Nine months along, He Changning’s belly had grown to a shocking size. It looked like it might burst at any moment and seemed completely out of proportion to his slim frame—like a wobbling tumbler toy that could topple over at any second. The babies had started kicking as early as the fifth month, and they’d been extremely active. Now, even through the thin layer of skin, you could see the little guys flipping and tumbling inside. Shang Yushang found it both fascinating and terrifying. What if the boys got too rowdy and ruptured their dad’s belly?
Faced with Shang Yushang’s mix of excitement, anxiety, and nerves, He Changning simply chose to ignore him. He focused on Bai Mo’s instructions instead, calmly rubbing his swollen belly and trying to soothe the increasingly energetic little ones.
Diagnosed with pre-delivery anxiety, the mighty CEO Shang had turned into a bundle of nerves—his eyes glued to He Changning 24/7, especially that belly. He Changning found it hilarious. He wasn’t even half as nervous as his husband. He’d reassured him countless times: “Don’t worry, everything’s fine. The babies are fine. I’m fine. My belly is fine. Everything is just fine.” But nothing he said could ease Shang Yushang’s tension.
When Bai Mo found out, he simply shrugged and said, “Let him be. Once the babies are born, he’ll go back to normal.” Still, He Changning remained concerned. There was still time before delivery—what if Shang Yushang stressed himself sick? He’d feel awful. So Bai Mo sat the overanxious, wife-obsessed husband down for a serious talk. His message was simple: “If you push yourself too hard and collapse, you’ll just be a burden during the birth. I might even take your babies away… or maybe even your wife.”
Shang Yushang knew he was being overly anxious, but he just couldn’t relax. Still, Bai Mo’s words got through to him. After all, letting a pregnant spouse worry about him was just plain wrong. Slowly, he started to ease up a bit, and He Changning finally let out a breath of relief. The last thing he wanted was for Shang Yushang to make himself sick.
To keep Shang Yushang from watching his every move—making the whole household too afraid to even breathe loudly—He Changning had the foresight to call Da Zhou. He told him to bring over any business documents that required Shang Yushang’s personal attention and work with him at the villa. That way, Changning could keep him company while he worked.
Having his wife nearby made it possible for Shang Yushang to finally focus on clearing out the work backlog. Da Zhou was practically moved to tears—after all that time being worked to the bone, he could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. But just when he was celebrating too soon, the boss poured a whole bucket of cold water over his head.
The boss said, “With Young Master Ning keeping watch, our young master can handle some work for now. But—once the little ones are born, he’ll be glued to his wife and kids 24/7. So, Da Zhou, buddy… that’s when your real nightmare begins.”
With that, the boss went off to his post, laughing like a jerk. Da Zhou was left wailing and beating his chest in despair. Nobody paid him any mind.
While Shang Yushang worked, He Changning stood by the window, bored and cradling his belly, looking out at the view. Suddenly, he gave a soft “Huh?”
Shang Yushang immediately lifted his head from the mountain of documents. “What is it? Are you uncomfortable?” He shot up and rushed over, supporting He Changning by the waist, one hand protectively resting on the swell of his belly, eyes full of worry.
He Changning patted the back of his hand to reassure him. “I’m fine. I just saw something interesting. Look.” He pointed to a relatively hidden corner outside the window where two people seemed to be arguing.
Shang Yushang followed his gaze. “That’s Xiao Wu and A’Yin.” He opened the window slightly. From that distance, they could vaguely hear their voices.
He Changning grinned. “Wanna guess what they’re fighting about?”
Even from afar, they could see that Xiao Wu looked ready to explode, like he might throw a punch any second. Shang Yushang narrowed his eyes. What could possibly make the stone-faced Xiao Wu lose his cool? Must be something worth hearing. “Let’s listen in.”
…Seriously, was it appropriate for these two masters to shamelessly eavesdrop on their subordinates’ drama?
Ever since A’Yinhad joined the villa’s security team and ended up in the same squad as Xiao Wu, the vibe between them had been… weird.
While on duty, Xiao Wu did his best to avoid meeting A’Yin’s gaze. His eyes stared straight ahead, his posture rigid and upright like a soldier on high alert. On the surface, it looked like he was dutifully guarding his post, but the overly stiff back gave him away—he was tense. Too tense. And really, who wouldn’t be, being stared at every day like prey by someone with eyes like a hungry wolf? If he slipped up even a little and got devoured whole, who could he blame?
But today, Xiao Wu had reached his limit. A’Yin’s daily visual assault had gone too far, and he’d had enough. He decided it was time to sit this damn foreigner down and have a proper talk.
He picked the secluded greenbelt in the backyard for the confrontation. The place was quiet, rarely visited, and far enough from the guards stationed outside. What Xiao Wu failed to notice—despite knowing the villa’s layout like the back of his hand—was that the young master’s study window wasn’t far away. If he had, he would’ve never chosen this spot. But his mind was too full to think straight, and that oversight would haunt him for a long time, especially whenever he caught the teasing looks from the young master and his spouse in the days to come.
Face to face now, A’Yin’s fiery gaze made Xiao Wu extremely uncomfortable, like he was being stripped bare. Xiao Wu tried to keep his cold expression intact, voice laced with suppressed fury.
“A’Yin, don’t push it.”
A’Yinshrugged. “What did I do?”
His words sounded casual, but his eyes never left Xiao Wu—not for a second.
Xiao Wu’s anger flared. “Stop looking at me like that.”
A’Yin’s sky-blue eyes blinked innocently, full of emotion.
“What look? You tell me what kind of look I’m giving you.”
Grinding his teeth, Xiao Wu snapped, “I don’t care. Just stop staring at me.”
A’Yinfigured there was no point dancing around the issue anymore.
“I look at you that way because I like you. Let’s date.”
Xiao Wu was so stunned he nearly bit his own tongue.
What the hell? This damn foreigner was way too blunt!
“What nonsense are you spouting? I’m not dating you!”
Seeing Xiao Wu’s mix of outrage and embarrassment made A’Yin’s heart flutter. A man this pure-hearted was rare in today’s world. He’d struck gold—and he wasn’t letting go.
“Don’t be shy, Xiao Wu. I’m being sincere. The moment I saw you, I fell for you. Let’s be together. I’ll treat you right.”
Now thoroughly flustered and pissed, Xiao Wu was anything but pleased by the confession. Sure, he admired the sweet relationship between the young master and Young Master Ning—it was hard not to with how inseparable and lovey-dovey they were. He even envied it a little. But he didn’t like men. Getting confessed to by one gave him the chills.
“I don’t want to be with you! I don’t even like men. Stop flattering yourself!”
A’Yintilted his head, eyes still on Xiao Wu.
“It’s fine if you don’t like men. Just like me. I don’t care about the rest.”
“Well I don’t like you either!”
“That’s fine. I’ll chase you. One day you’ll like me.”
Xiao Wu’s chest heaved with frustration.
“Do you not understand human language? I don’t like you. Got that?”
A’Yinsmiled warmly.
“No need to get mad. I heard you loud and clear. But I have the right to pursue you. You can’t stop me from that.”
Xiao Wu growled under his breath, “I refuse!”
Trying to reason with the seething Xiao Wu, A’Yinspoke sincerely,
“We haven’t even dated yet. Don’t reject me so quickly. If we get together, I promise you’ll be head over heels for me.”
Xiao Wu’s mouth twitched.
What the hell? That’s not even how you use that idiom!
Then he mentally kicked himself—this wasn’t the time to critique someone’s grammar!
“I don’t like you. I forbid you from liking me. And stop staring at me like that!”
“No can do. It was love at first sight. I can’t just stop like that. I’m going to keep chasing you until we’re together.”
“I’m not accepting your pursuit! Stay away from me!”
“I can’t stay away. I want to sleep with you. I don’t even mind being the bottom. We could just try it once—you’ll be hooked.”
The mental image of sleeping with this guy struck Xiao Wu like a lightning bolt. His whole body jolted, and in the next second, his suppressed temper exploded.
“Damn foreigner, I’ll beat you so hard you won’t even remember your name! Let’s see if you dare talk crap again!”
With that, he swung a fist straight at A’Yin’s face.
A’Yindodged instinctively, raising his arms in defense but clearly not fighting back. Even as he moved, he kept talking:
“Xiao Wu Wu, I’m serious. I really want to date you. If you’re not ready for sex, I can wait. I mean it. Hey—Xiao Wu Wu, don’t be mad. I’m a decent guy, I don’t just sleep around, okay? Hey, listen to me! Ah—you’re actually serious? Then I’m gonna fight back! Babe, I really like you, okay? Don’t hit me so hard! Xiao Wu Wu—”
A’Yinwas being chased and beaten, but that didn’t stop his mouth from running nonstop, relentlessly teasing Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu was so furious that the veins at his temples bulged, his lips pressed into a tight line, and his fists whipped through the air like they could split wind. But the angrier he got, the sloppier his attacks became. What was meant to be a lesson turned into a chaotic scuffle—like two kids fighting over a toy. Before long, the two grown men had turned into a tangled ball, rolling around the lawn, clawing and grabbing at each other.
A’Yintook advantage of a moment when Xiao Wu got distracted—he tickled him mid-fight—and planted a big kiss right on his lips.
Xiao Wu froze in place, stunned. A’Yinseized the chance and went in for another hard kiss, smirking proudly.
“Xiao Wu Wu, you obviously like me. Look, I kissed you and you didn’t even fight back. C’mon, let me pamper you.”
He puckered up again, ready for another go.
But Xiao Wu snapped out of it and socked A’Yinin the face. His rage erupted like a volcano.
“A’Yin, you son of a—! I’m gonna kill you!”
It was rare for stoic, expressionless Xiao Wu to lose his temper like this. His stone face now radiated fury, as if he’d tear A’Yinin two if he could.
But A’Yin, rubbing his aching cheek, just grinned. “You’re mine now. I’ve marked those lips—no escape, my little sweetheart.”
“You bastard! You damn foreigner! I’m gonna destroy you!”
“Whoa there—if you break me, there goes your happy sex life. Calm down, babe. Let’s talk this out.”
Xiao Wu was too angry for words. But even as his fury boiled, his skills were thrown completely off by emotion. Instead of pinning A’Yindown, he was the one getting pinned. The two of them rolled across the grass, not so much fighting anymore as roughhousing—and clearly enjoying it way too much.
By the window, Shang Yushang’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t hold back a smirk. He Changning was already doubled over laughing, clinging to his husband as he laughed so hard his whole body shook, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
Afraid the laughter might be too much for him, Shang Yushang immediately rubbed his back and soothed him.
“Baby, don’t laugh so hard, it might make you feel sick.”
He Changning tried to suppress his laughter while Shang Yushang gently wiped the corners of his eyes.
“Seriously, they’re too much. This A’Yinreally is the embodiment of the Western personality—just says whatever he wants.”
Shang Yushang chuckled along.
“Xiao Wu’s been with me almost ten years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen him lose it like this. A’Yin’s got skills—not just in combat, but in getting under his skin. Not many people can push Xiao Wu this far.”
He Changning nodded, amused.
“Xiao Wu’s always been kind of dull—probably never even had physical contact this close with anyone before. I bet he just lost his first kiss. Honestly, his reaction’s understandable. But Jian Zhi, aren’t you a little negligent as a boss? Your subordinate’s being harassed and you’re not doing a thing.”
“I can’t be bothered,” Shang Yushang said lazily. “A’Yin’s competent. If Xiao Wu can charm him into staying and working for me, I’m happy to sacrifice him a little.”
He Changning gave Shang Yushang a light flick on the forehead.
“With a heartless boss like you, Xiao Wu’s going to cry himself into pieces.”
Shang Yushang just raised a brow.
“As long as my baby isn’t mad at me.”
He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and turned back to watch the live-action brawl playing out on their lawn.
Eventually, the two exhausted men lay sprawled on the grass, panting like dogs after a marathon.
Xiao Wu shot A’Yina death glare, eyes sharp as ice picks.
“You damn foreigner, just wait. I’m not done with you.”
A’Yin, still catching his breath, grinned.
“Bring it on, sweetheart. Your man can take whatever you dish out. Let’s fight it out in bed—three hundred rounds. We’ll see who ends up begging for mercy.”
Xiao Wu tried to move, but his body was so sore he could barely lift an arm. Even his punch landed weakly.
“You shameless pervert… I should beat that filthy mouth of yours into silence.”
A’Yindidn’t even flinch. He let the punch land without dodging, and still smiled.
“You’re talking tough, but your fists are soft. If you really didn’t like me, you wouldn’t hold back. Just admit it—you can’t bring yourself to hurt me.”
Xiao Wu groaned and stared up at the sky.
Dear God, if You’re listening, please strike this shameless bastard with lightning. Right now.
Just then, Shang Yushang looked at the time and tightened his hold around He Changning.
“You two planning to spend the night out there?”
Xiao Wu immediately jerked upright. One glance at the window—and he froze. Standing there were his young master and Young Master Ning, clearly having watched the whole show. His face flushed scarlet. In his heart, he was wailing.
It’s over. They saw everything. Heard everything. Is there a hole I can crawl into, please?
Xiao Wu quickly stood up, face tense. “Young Master. Young Master Ning.”
Ayin also got to his feet, patting the grass off himself—and even helped dust off Xiao Wu, taking the chance to sneak a feel. “Hey there, Young Master, President Shang. Good afternoon.”
Xiao Wu glared at Ayin and slapped away the hand that was wandering all over him. “Get lost.”
Instead of backing off, Ayin leaned in even closer. “Don’t be so cold, baby. I’m your future man, you should treat me better.”
Being flirted with by this foreigner right in front of his Young Master pushed Xiao Wu over the edge. Without warning, he swung a punch at Ayin. “Damn foreigner, I’ll beat you into a pulp!”
Ayin dodged, grinning. “Baby, you can’t treat your man like this. I love you so much—how can you break my heart?”
“I’m not just breaking your heart, I’m about to break your neck too!”
“Even if I die, I’ll come back and haunt you!”
And just like that, the two started fighting again. Watching the chaos unfold, He Changning commented, “Xiao Wu really has a temper. But too much of anything is no good. You’re the boss here, shouldn’t you say something? If they really end up hurting each other, that’d be bad.”
Shang Yushang pinched He Changning’s cheek lovingly. “You’re just worried that if they actually fall out, you won’t get your daily entertainment.”
He Changning laughed. “Don’t say that. I’m not that twisted.”
Shang Yushang kissed him gently on the forehead. “You little rascal.”
Then he waved his hand. “That’s enough, you two. Go have dinner.”
Since the young master had spoken, Xiao Wu didn’t dare disobey. He shot Ayin a deadly glare before storming off in a huff.
But Ayin stuck to him like glue, trailing behind and throwing out all sorts of flirty, shameless lines while tugging at Xiao Wu. The two bickered and struggled all the way down the hall.
From that day on, Xiao Wu started avoiding Ayin like he was the plague. Ayin, on the other hand, wandered all over the villa looking for him. And once they did find each other, it always ended with squabbles, wrestling matches, and eventually them rolling around like a ball of limbs—followed by Xiao Wu’s furious howls after getting surprise-kissed.
Days passed in this weird but hilarious atmosphere. As the due date drew near, the babies had already dropped, readying for birth.
Shang Yushang’s anxiety had hit its peak. He could manage during the day when there were more people around and all eyes were on He Changning, but once night fell, he practically couldn’t sleep. The slightest movement from He Changning would wake him instantly. His first instinct was always to check He Changning’s belly, which only made He Changning more nervous in turn.
Bai Mo, on the other hand, was a lot calmer. He had done all the prep work he could. He checked the surgical equipment in the delivery room daily. All the necessary medications were stocked and organized. He’d already coordinated with the hospital, ensuring a steady supply of fresh blood for transfusions. The surgical assistants were all on standby, stationed in the villa and ready to go at a moment’s notice.
That night, like always, He Changning had a bit of food and then lay down to rest under Shang Yushang’s attentive care. After taking a quick shower, Shang Yushang crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around his beloved, ready to sleep.
He Changning lay flat on his back. He’d been sleeping this way for over a month now because turning over was too difficult. He figured staying still like this would also save Shang Yushang from having to get up and help him so often.
Since he got pregnant, Shang Yushang had lost a lot of weight. The constant anxiety and worry had taken a toll. His dark circles never faded, no matter how much He Changning tried to reassure or distract him. The man just wouldn’t relax.
So all He Changning could do now was hope the babies would arrive smoothly and soon. That way, their father could finally breathe—and maybe even get a good night’s sleep.
Heaving his heavy body slightly, He Changning nestled his fuzzy head into Shang Yushang’s shoulder nook. “Jianzhi, you’ve worked so hard.”
Shang Yushang stroked his back, a gentle smile curving on his lips. “This isn’t hard at all. You’re the one who’s been through the wringer, baby. Changning, you’re the pride of the Shang family—and the love of my life. Thank you for everything, and… I’m sorry you’ve had to endure so much.”
He Changning nuzzled in a little deeper. “What nonsense are you talking about? This is what I wanted. This baby is ours—I couldn’t be happier.”
Shang Yushang kissed the crown of his head. “I love you, baby.”
Changning replied softly, “Mm. I love you too.”
He Changning was jolted awake by waves of pain. He felt a heaviness dragging down from his belly, and something uncontrollably leaking between his legs. Realizing he was likely going into labor, he quickly tried to shift his body.
Shang Yushang snapped awake immediately. “Baby, what’s wrong?” He touched Changning’s forehead—it was soaked with sweat.
Fighting through the pain, Changning panted, “Jianzhi, I think the baby’s coming.”
Shang Yushang leapt out of bed in an instant and hurried to calm him down. “Don’t be scared, baby—I’m right here.”
Seeing Changning nod and his color improve a little, Shang Yushang rushed out of the bedroom and shouted toward the guards on night duty, Lao Ba and Lao Jiu. “Lao Ba, go wake Bai Mo now—Changning’s in labor! Lao Jiu, alert everyone. We need all hands on deck!” Then he ran back into the room to stay by Changning’s side.
Lao Ba and Lao Jiu sprang into action, and within two minutes, everyone was in place. Bai Mo had already changed into his medical scrubs and was briskly making his way to the master bedroom. After a quick examination, he gave a definitive answer. “He’s going into labor.”
That one sentence sent the entire villa into a frenzy. The operating room had been disinfected daily and was ready for immediate use. All surgical instruments were prepped and in standby mode, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. The surgical assistants had already entered the sterile environment ahead of time—everything was set for the operation to begin.
