Chapter 196
Qing Qing didn’t explain this matter over the phone. Even though she had previously mentioned “the baby’s father,” Huo Youqiao, due to his concern for Ye Zhi, had overlooked it. So when Huo Youqiao saw Ye Zhi’s bulging belly, his eyes widened slowly.
The Hei Tu Mountains had no concept of winter; it never snowed here. Even during the coldest weather in history, the temperature never dropped below 10 degrees Celsius. While it was deep winter in the central city, the climate here remained warm. Therefore, Ye Zhi was dressed lightly, wearing only a thin T-shirt. When he rolled up his shirt, his protruding belly was prominently exposed.
He was already over six months pregnant, but due to his physique and nutrition in the early stages, his belly wasn’t too big. However, it was still obvious what it represented.
Huo Youqiao had searched for Ye Zhi for so long, using all his available resources. However, the planet’s land was vast, and there were great rifts between each city. Finding someone deliberately hiding among the vast population was like finding a needle in a haystack. So there was some anger deep inside him.
But this anger was suppressed by the joy of finding Ye Zhi again. However, it still needed to be released.
And then, seeing Ye Zhi’s pregnant belly, all the suppressed anger burst out again.
He stared at the bulging belly in disbelief for too long, and Ye Zhi began to feel ashamed and even a bit uneasy. Just as he was about to put his clothes back down, Huo Youqiao’s palm touched it. His voice was even hoarser when he spoke, “How many months?”
“Over six months…”
Huo Youqiao looked at him with a heavy gaze. “What were you planning to do if I hadn’t found you? Give birth to him and raise him alone? Never tell me about our child and let me regret it for the rest of my life?”
Ye Zhi felt a bit guilty, but he couldn’t deny it.
As his palm heated up and touched the protruding belly, Ye Zhi intended to say something, intending to be a bit harsher, but before he could speak, he felt a gentle kick under his palm. Realizing what it was, Huo Youqiao’s expression stiffened. Ye Zhi knew he had softened. He said softly, “The baby is saying hello to you…”
Seeing him cautiously observing his own expression, Huo Youqiao couldn’t help but laugh. Now, all the anger had dissipated, leaving only a smile on his face. He stared at Ye Zhi and said, “Come back with me.”
Ye Zhi’s mind was in chaos.
“I won’t let you leave again, and I won’t let you suffer any more harm.”
“But…”
“I understand all the consequences you’re worried about, and I’m not afraid.” Huo Youqiao pulled him closer and kissed his lips again. “I did make mistakes, and I did have moral failings. Accepting public judgment is only right. I’ve already explained everything to Acheng and my parents.”
Ye Zhi was surprised and flustered. “But… he promised me not to say anything…”
“I told him myself.”
Ye Zhi couldn’t imagine what kind of storm this caused at the time. His heart ached. “Did… Did he hurt you?”
“He’s not someone who enjoys domestic violence. He didn’t hit me; he just wanted us brothers to resolve it privately.”
“How… did you resolve it?”
“Apologies and compensation.” Huo Youqiao turned his head and kissed the palm of Ye Zhi’s hand as it reached his face. “It may not be enough, but it’s all I can do. When we go back, if he still holds a grudge or wants to expose it or anything else, I’ll accept and endure it all.”
He said it so simply, but Ye Zhi couldn’t help but think it wasn’t that simple. However, Huo Youqiao didn’t allow him to think too much. He leaned in to kiss him again. The familiar lips and tongues ground against each other in his mouth, slowly dispelling Ye Zhi’s anxiety and causing him to grip the man’s sleeve tightly in response.
As the pregnant belly pressed between them, it grew hotter under Huo Youqiao’s friction. As their lips separated, Ye Zhi’s cheeks seemed to blush, adding a charming touch to his face. He breathed heavily, and Huo Youqiao hugged him closer, whispering softly, “Zhi Zhi, I miss you so much.” He buried his face in Ye Zhi’s neck, releasing warm breath as he spoke. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
He feared Ye Zhi leaving, feared him being bullied again, worried about his livelihood, and most of all, feared him doing something foolish, sacrificing his life for the sake of so-called fulfillment.
