Chapter 24

What the heck?

Shi Yu was completely stunned.

This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.

He reached out to check and, sure enough, his belly had really puffed up—and it was even moving slightly.

Once it noticed he had found out, the bulge in his stomach seemed satisfied and stopped changing.

Shi Yu lightly touched his belly in confusion. Suddenly, he remembered what the medical robot said a few hours ago—it had diagnosed him as pregnant.

Seriously? He was really pregnant?

Even though Shi Yu usually had a good temper, he couldn’t help but curse at that moment.

And the robot hadn’t even made a mistake?!

So… he looked down. Was that scary thing that had just made all the noise actually the thing inside his stomach? As he was thinking this, his belly responded “lively,” shaking just enough to make his fingers tremble.

It didn’t look like much—just a small bump, like a woman in her second month of pregnancy—but the weird way it moved made it really creepy. Looking down at it felt like something out of a horror story.

Shi Yu weakly held his stomach and scolded it:

“Stop moving!”

Any more of that and he really would die of fright.

Did this thing even realize how scary it was? No normal human could accept having something like this in their belly—especially a guy. Shi Yu thought it was a miracle he hadn’t passed out.

He was nervous after speaking, unsure if the thing inside would actually listen.

But thankfully, the moment he said that, it went completely still—just like a naughty child freezing because Mom told them off, scared of being disliked.

Shi Yu was startled by this thought. He quickly reminded himself: I’m not its mom.

And that thing wasn’t a baby—it was a weird little creature that suddenly showed up in his body.

As soon as he had that strict thought, the creature inside him curled up like it was sad.

Shi Yu oddly felt like… it was heartbroken?

The creepy “waa waa” noise came again, but it was much quieter now. It almost sounded like it was trying to imitate a small animal.

Clearly, it was smart.

Shi Yu wasn’t sure if the creature was pretending to be weak, but he ignored that and asked directly: “How did you end up in my belly?”

No response—of course, a belly bulge can’t talk.

He tried again: “When did you get in my belly?”

He started thinking—was it last night when he ran into those “men’s high heels”?

No… the stomach discomfort had started way earlier. Now that he thought about it, all the nausea and fatigue were similar to pregnancy symptoms.

As if in response, the creature inside stayed quiet for a bit, then softly bounced… six times.

Six?

That’s exactly how many months ago he had traveled to this world. So he had already been pregnant when he first arrived?

Maybe it was just the early stage back then, so there were no symptoms?

Shi Yu nearly lost it. After doubting his entire life for a few moments, the creature inside made a small “woo woo” sound in the direction of the trash can, like it wanted to be praised.

Great. No need to guess anymore. That missing piece of leather shoe from the trash this morning? It ate it!

Shi Yu sighed and rubbed his forehead. At this point, fear had worn off. He just felt tired and said:

“Alright, I get it.”

“Just don’t move anymore.”

His mind was a mess. He still wasn’t sure if the creature was dangerous, but since it was inside him and seemed to listen, he could only stay calm for now and slowly withdrew his hand.

Meanwhile, in another city, Sang Huaiyu had just come out of the sea when he sensed a strange energy wave.

Hmm?

Wearing white silk over his eyes, the mysterious young man turned his head toward City B. His brows lifted slightly. It seemed like something interesting had happened there while he was in the middle of shedding his skin.

He smiled faintly, and under the shadows, a red mole near his nose stood out. As he turned his head, a glimpse of non-human scales showed beneath his platinum blonde hair.

Snake-like scales, a shade lighter than his hair, ran from his ear down his neck. As Sang Huaiyu looked into the distance, a massive, terrifying shadow beneath the sea seemed to move with him—like the entire dark ocean below was made of his body.

He slowly walked out of the water, and as he turned back into his human form, the violent sea calmed again. He touched the scaly part behind his ear, watching it fade back under his skin, then listened carefully.

The energy wave just now didn’t feel like a typical SSS-level anomaly—it was stronger. But since he had been too far away and in a drowsy, sealed state while shedding, he hadn’t sensed it right away.

Still, the shedding took less time than before.

The more energy he absorbed, the shorter the shedding process became. If this continued, even the ocean might not be enough to contain him.

He tilted his head and thought casually. Then, in just one step, he crossed half a city. His shadow faded into the urban night. When he left, the deep sea finally calmed, its tides slowly pulling back.

Shi Yu didn’t know that the creature’s movement had been powerful enough to alert a god-like being from that far away.

He was just relieved the creature wasn’t currently in City B, so he could stay hidden.

And how did he know Sang Huaiyu wasn’t around?

—He had gotten a message from Han Chuyi early that morning.

That guy first complained that he was bored without “Brother Sang” around. Then, weirdly enough, he asked if Shi Yu wanted to play basketball with him since he had a day off.

Shi Yu: …???

What gave Han Chuyi the illusion that they were close enough to play basketball together?

And besides, Shi Yu thought blankly: I’m pregnant! How am I supposed to play basketball?

Since the creature inside him let out those two weird cries last night, it hadn’t moved again—maybe it had run out of energy.

But Shi Yu knew it was still there.

The small bump in his belly this morning reminded him that the weird little thing hadn’t left. He sighed in relief that he wasn’t very social and his job didn’t require him to go out much. Otherwise, hiding this thing would be a big problem.

After replying “Not going” to Han Chuyi’s message, Shi Yu put down his phone and got ready to go grocery shopping.

He had been living off frozen food for days, and now his fridge was empty. If he didn’t buy something soon, he wouldn’t even have lunch.

He didn’t know exactly what the creature needed to grow, but he figured eating more nutrients couldn’t hurt. He didn’t want to get drained dry by it.

Thinking of how the medical robot called him “malnourished,” Shi Yu twitched his lips. It wasn’t that he was lacking nutrition—it was just that this picky little thing was hard to feed!

He put on a mask and got into the elevator to go to the nearest supermarket.

But just as he stepped out of the elevator, he unexpectedly ran into Han Chuyi, who was clearly waiting for him.

The handsome young man in casual clothes looked up from beside his car when he saw Shi Yu.

“Morning,” he said.

“I was just about to message you again.”

Shi Yu paused. “Didn’t you already message me?”

Han Chuyi didn’t respond right away. His eyes landed on the reusable shopping bag in Shi Yu’s hand and he asked, “Heading out for groceries?”

Shi Yu: …

Isn’t that obvious?

He didn’t know why this guy was suddenly sticking to him. Since yesterday, he’d been hovering around and messaging him non-stop.

Shi Yu walked past Han Chuyi toward the door.

“I’m going to the store.”

“If you want to play basketball, go find someone else.”

“Sang Huaiyu isn’t around, but Han Chuyi should still have other friends, right?”

Han Chuyi did have other friends. Even though he wasn’t the friendliest person—he was rich and good-looking, so plenty of people still wanted to hang around him. But usually, if he was in a good mood, he might talk to them a bit. If not, he just ignored them.

Lately, he had been paying attention to Shi Yu.

Yesterday, after being annoyed by Shen Yan all day, he had no choice but to cover for him. But thinking about how Shen Yan said Shi Yu had a terrible impression of him, Han Chuyi was unconvinced and came back again, determined to change Shi Yu’s opinion in a few days and make that guy look at him differently.

He coughed and said, “If you’re not playing basketball, that’s fine.”

“I’ll take you to the supermarket.”

Shi Yu paused and looked at him strangely.

Han Chuyi frowned. “You were going to take the bus?”

“What’s wrong with taking the bus?”

Shi Yu usually took the bus anyway.

Han Chuyi pointed to his phone and smiled. “Didn’t you see the notice?”

“The road in front of your neighborhood is being repaired because of a water leak. It’s all blocked off.”

“The bus is taking a detour today.”

Shi Yu hadn’t noticed. After discovering something strange in his stomach last night, he’d been distracted all day and didn’t pay attention to the news online.

He checked his phone after hearing Han Chuyi’s words.

It was true.

Now what?

He could call a cab, but that might lead to weird encounters or risks. Since he had already come into contact with Han Chuyi, maybe he should just let him take him. Shi Yu thought for a second, then turned to him:

“Thanks.”

“Just take me to Huahui Supermarket.”

“Go straight two kilometers, then turn left.”

He got in the car and buckled his seatbelt, but then paused.

“Actually, I think I’ll sit in the back.”

Han Chuyi: …Tsk.

“Why suddenly sit in the back?”

He frowned, confused.

Shi Yu looked at him speechlessly. “Don’t you have someone you like?”

Not just anyone, but that big boss. Shi Yu didn’t want any misunderstandings. Last time he sat in the front seat because it was a sports car with only one passenger seat, he had no choice.

But this time it was a normal luxury car, with plenty of space. Better to sit in the back.

He unbuckled and moved.

Han Chuyi didn’t say anything and just watched him move. He frowned—who said the front seat was only for someone you like?

Where did that come from?

Now sitting apart, the distance between them felt wider. Han Chuyi suddenly felt like a driver.

He looked away, annoyed. That front seat was usually empty, and today he kindly offered it to Shi Yu, and this guy rejected it?

He didn’t know what he was feeling exactly. Han Chuyi clenched his teeth. When they stopped at a red light, he couldn’t help but glance at Shi Yu through the rearview mirror.

The guy in the back was wrapped up tightly. Even though it was spring and the weather had warmed up, he was still wearing thick clothes. A dark blue hoodie covered his neck, and a face mask hid most of his face—only his cat-like eyes were visible.

Maybe he didn’t sleep well last night, because there were faint dark circles under his eyes. After getting in the car, he had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

Han Chuyi paused and turned off the music. After starting the car again, he felt annoyed with himself, but still turned on the heat.

Shi Yu was really tired.

He hadn’t slept at all last night, planning to catch a nap on the bus. But now, unexpectedly, he was in Han Chuyi’s car instead.

The seat was soft and warm, and with the heater on, he couldn’t help but feel sleepy.

What was supposed to be a 20-minute ride became longer due to traffic. Han Chuyi didn’t say a word the whole way. When they arrived at the supermarket, he was about to wake Shi Yu but saw how peacefully he was sleeping. For the first time in his life, Young Master Han stayed quiet and just waited in the front seat.

A rich kid from his social circle messaged him, inviting him to go bungee jumping in the mountains. Han Chuyi glanced at it and replied:

“Not going.”

“Busy.”

“What are you busy with, Han bro?” the other guy asked, confused. Mr. Sang wasn’t around, so he should have time.

Han Chuyi looked at his phone with a weird expression.

Busy with what?

Busy being someone’s driver.

And not just that—he was waiting for them to wake up. Not even Sang got this treatment.

He clenched his teeth and gave a cold laugh.

“Forget it. You go have fun yourself.”

Ten minutes later, Shi Yu finally opened his eyes groggily. Still dazed, he slowly turned to Han Chuyi.

“We’re here?”

Han Chuyi was about to complain, “We got here ages ago. You’ve been sleeping for half an hour.”

But then he met those sleepy cat eyes, still hazy and soft, and held back the sarcasm.

“Yeah, not long ago.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

Why did he sleep so long?

It was just a casual question, but Shi Yu stiffened slightly.

For a second, he thought Han Chuyi had figured something out. But seeing his neutral expression, he realized he was just asking casually and relaxed.

“I’m fine. Just had some coffee last night and couldn’t sleep.”

He adjusted his mask, feeling a little better. That nap really helped.

“Are you going in the supermarket too?” he asked, seeing Han Chuyi still sitting there.

Han Chuyi nodded as if it was obvious.

“Might as well grab a few things.”

He’d already acted as a driver—might as well make the trip worthwhile.

He opened the door and got out.

Truth be told, Han Chuyi didn’t usually go to the supermarket.

He was always between school and the Awakened Association. The housekeeper bought everything at home. This was his first time going in himself.

Shi Yu didn’t care and got a basket, seriously picking things out.

He bought some fruits, vegetables, and meat. But when he got to the snack aisle, he suddenly stopped. He felt a strange warmth in his belly?

It wasn’t the intense movement like yesterday—just a gentle heat. Easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention. But Shi Yu noticed it right away.

The little monster was awake?

Why now? Isn’t it afraid of the Awakened Association?

Shi Yu glanced over at Han Chuyi, who was casually picking out gum. Then he touched his stomach.

“What do you want?”

Silence.

He frowned and looked at the shelf—there was instant ramen. He remembered last time, when he couldn’t eat anything from nausea but managed to eat two bowls of ramen on a livestream.

He tried picking one up. “You want ramen?”

No response—but the warmth came back faintly.

Shi Yu was speechless. Even the monster liked junk food?

He grabbed two boxes and headed out.

Han Chuyi saw the ramen in the basket and thought Shi Yu wanted to eat it.

“You’re just eating this?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

Shi Yu: “It tastes good.”

Han Chuyi looked at him strangely and clicked his tongue, like he was looking at a sad little thing.

Shi Yu didn’t understand what was going on before he was dragged off to eat something better.

After a random treat and a ride back home, Shi Yu was left confused. After watching Han Chuyi leave, he saw a message on his phone.

“Sorry, Han Chuyi had a fight with me yesterday. He might try to bother you on purpose today.”
“If he says anything rude or acts strange, I apologize in advance – Shen Yan.”

Shi Yu: Huh? A message from Dr. Shen?

No wonder Han Chuyi was acting weird today—not only giving him a ride, but treating him to a meal. It was all to get back at Shen Yan?

Shi Yu blinked, confused.

Why did their fight involve him?

He typed a few messages but didn’t send them. He wasn’t close to Dr. Shen anyway.

Whatever, now he understood. Han Chuyi was doing it on purpose today. Once Sang Huaiyu came back in a few days, things would go back to normal. No need to ask.

Shi Yu put away his phone and didn’t think much about what happened today.

On the other side, after sending the message, Shen Yan looked down at the screen, as if waiting for something.

When he saw that Shi Yu only replied with a short “Got it,” he frowned slightly. Later, when he saw Han Chuyi return to the Ability User Association in the evening and give him a provocative look, Shen Yan’s expression became colder.

Recently, people at the Ability User Association had started to notice that something strange was going on between Dr. Shen and Young Master Han.

Before, even though they didn’t really get along, things were usually calm—Dr. Shen was quiet and polite, and Han Chuyi only cared about Mr. Sang, so they didn’t talk much.

But now…

The atmosphere between them just felt weird.

Zhao Wen poked Wang Shan beside him and whispered, “What’s going on with them?”

“They were fine just a few days ago.”

Wang Shan shook his head. “You’re asking me like I know.”

“Why don’t you go ask Dr. Shen?”

No one dared to ask Han Chuyi. If someone did, he’d probably smile and say “Sure” before dragging them to the training field. As for Dr. Shen… he was nicer than Han Chuyi, but Zhao Wen still didn’t dare. The two looked at each other and decided to stay quiet.

Fu Nanyao, who overheard the two men talking, didn’t show any reaction. But when he looked at Han Chuyi, he gave him an extra glance.

Earlier, when they passed by each other, Fu Nanyao noticed that Han Chuyi smelled a bit different today—something that covered up his usual minty cologne.

Fu Nanyao held his documents tightly, not sure where that scent came from. But for some reason… the smell felt familiar, like he had smelled it before.

He closed his eyes and felt a slight pain in his temples. That strange feeling of having forgotten something became stronger.

His lips turned pale, and after a while—once the pain in his head eased and the faint smell disappeared—he finally relaxed his grip.

Shi Yu didn’t know that just because Han Chuyi had spent a bit more time with him yesterday and picked up a bit of his scent, it almost triggered Fu Nanyao’s mutation reaction.

After taking extra nutrition for two days, Shi Yu checked his data. But he was shocked to find—his weight didn’t go up, it went down!

That didn’t make any sense.

Shi Yu opened his phone and compared his situation with online pregnancy guides. Normally, in early pregnancy, most people’s weight slowly increases. But his had dropped…

Even though he was eating the same or even more than usual, this was strange. Shi Yu could only think of one reason—this little monster was absorbing his energy.

Maybe normal food didn’t work on it at all.

Regular babies only take some nutrients from their mother, but this monster needed more. If it went over the limit of what Shi Yu could provide, it would start harming his body. That seemed to be what was happening now—he couldn’t keep up.

Shi Yu didn’t know if the “sword hanging over his head” had finally fallen, but he actually felt a strange sense of, “So it’s true after all.”

As expected, weird creatures aren’t like humans. This little monster couldn’t possibly grow in a normal human way. After all, what normal embryo cries “waa waa” inside the womb before it’s even fully formed?

Ever since he found out about the monster, Shi Yu had been thinking about this. Now his guess seemed right.

Surprisingly, he stayed calm. In just a month, he had become much more composed. He even picked up a pen and wrote down his current weight changes.

—At this rate, he could only supply energy for another month. If it went on longer, something bad would definitely happen. Maybe he would break down first.

Shi Yu took a deep breath and put his hand on his belly.

He used to think this monster only found him to feed on his flesh and be born—just like all the other monsters. This one just happened to be in a baby form.

But then—after realizing Shi Yu couldn’t provide enough energy, Shi Yu noticed something strange when he looked down again. The little monster growing freely in his belly seemed to have realized it too.

When it sensed that “mom” wasn’t feeling well, it actually tried to curl up, little by little.

Shi Yu froze, surprised: What is this monster doing?

Wasn’t this what it wanted? Why would it shrink itself and stop growing to save energy?

Shi Yu pressed his lips together. He didn’t understand. As the host, he could feel that this creature was nothing like the mimosa plant he once dealt with. The mimosa was peaceful, lived off water, and didn’t take energy from humans.

But this little monster lived by eating flesh. What it was doing now went completely against its instincts.

Shi Yu realized he didn’t understand it at all.

After curling itself up like a small dumpling, the little monster even sucked in its belly. Shi Yu felt the movement under his skin and almost thought it was trying to lose weight inside his womb.

“You don’t want me to feel bad?” he suddenly asked, as if a thought popped into his head.

The little monster moved shyly, then made a soft “wa-woo” sound to answer.

So noisy.

The weird crying sound started again, completely ruining the serious mood. Shi Yu’s mouth twitched, and he thought to himself with a strange feeling:

This creepy thing… could it really think I’m its mom?