His belly was getting bigger day by day, like carrying a small watermelon, but it was concealed by a loose coat, so people around him didn’t notice anything unusual.

Every day, Chi Yao was eating nutritious meals, and his face gradually gained a bit more flesh—not in a way that made him look fat, but in a way that made him appear softer and more gentle.

However, those close to him still knew that Chi Yao’s temperament hadn’t really improved. If someone provoked him, he would retaliate immediately. No one could bully or upset him without getting it back.

Chi Yao flew to another city for a prenatal check-up, and everything about his physical condition was fine. The baby’s development was also very good.

Now, the baby was slowly growing in Chi Yao’s belly, and you could already see its little hands and feet.

After returning to Nancheng City,^[1]North City Chi Yao moved into the newly renovated villa. The servants didn’t live there with him; instead, Chi Yao rented a separate apartment in a nearby high-rise for the servants and caregivers. He liked having a bit of peace and quiet. When he wasn’t home, the servants would come over to clean.

As his belly grew bigger, Chi Yao also seemed to get sleepier, as if he was preparing to hibernate.

He still often went out, walking around with Xue Zhongming and the others. Many times, after a bit of walking, Chi Yao would find a place to nap. Xue Zhongming would fetch a blanket to cover him. Even though Chi Yao’s body seemed fine aside from his sleepiness, it raised no other concerns.

Xue Zhongming had probed a bit, and Chi Yao explained that the thing that had grown in his belly before had returned, and he would go for surgery soon to remove it.

Xue Zhongming knew a little about that, and since Chi Yao seemed unbothered, he assumed the trips Chi Yao took, occasionally flying out, were for treatment.

As the weather got colder, Chi Yao started wearing a down jacket, always wrapping himself in a scarf when going out to avoid catching a chill.

On Chang Feng’s birthday, Chi Yao was definitely going to attend. Even though he had already given Chang Feng a lot, he still needed to prepare a separate birthday gift. Coincidentally, Chi Yao wanted to buy something else too, like a longevity lock for the baby, so he went to the biggest jewelry store in town.

While Chi Yao was carefully selecting items, someone entered the store from the door behind him.

Fu Rong had brought his little niece to the store to buy her a small gift. Little girls always liked shiny things, so Fu Rong let the child pick whatever she liked, and he would pay. Fu Rong then moved to the lounge area to rest and have some tea. He didn’t notice Chi Yao at first—it was Chi Yao who approached him.

Chi Yao sat down nearby. Although he noticed someone else sitting there, the plants between them blocked his view, so he didn’t pay attention.

Hearing a familiar yet oddly gentle voice, Fu Rong turned his head and saw a smooth, pale face. That face seemed to glow, with rosy lips and cheeks that were white with a touch of red. Fu Rong was immediately captivated.

The sales associate brought out several longevity locks for Chi Yao to choose from.

As Fu Rong followed Chi Yao’s hand down, he noticed the longevity locks. He was surprised—he had investigated the baby situation before and found no trace of it, but now, was there really a child?

Fu Rong was taken aback.

Chi Yao picked out two, both quite beautiful, and decided to buy them both.

Once he was done, and Chang Feng’s gift was also wrapped, Chi Yao stood up to pay. As he passed by Fu Rong, he didn’t notice him, but accidentally stepped on Fu Rong’s foot. His body swayed, and Chi Yao instantly panicked. His face turned pale in fear—if he had really fallen, the baby would surely be in danger. Chi Yao was genuinely scared. A hand reached out just in time to steady him, wrapping securely around his waist.

Chi Yao breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his head to thank the person. Just as the words left his mouth, he looked up into a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Startled, Chi Yao instinctively stepped back, but that hand grabbed him again.

Fu Rong glanced down at Chi Yao’s stomach. He felt like something was off—it seemed like Chi Yao’s belly was protruding, as if he was carrying something.

Chi Yao’s heart skipped a beat at that moment. The timing was too coincidental, running into Fu Rong here, and he seemed to be alone. Looking around, Chi Yao didn’t see anyone with Fu Rong.

Chi Yao quickly covered his stomach with his right hand, a thought crossing his mind: he felt like Fu Rong already knew everything, even about the pregnancy, and that this whole situation had been orchestrated just so Fu Rong could take the baby from him.

Chi Yao genuinely believed that. His gaze became cautious and wary.

Fu Rong narrowed his eyes, staring at Chi Yao’s face. The body in his arms pulled away suddenly, leaving an emptiness that matched the hollow feeling he had been experiencing lately.

If Fu Rong didn’t know how he felt about Chi Yao by now, he thought he must be a fool.

Fu Rong stood up, but before he could do anything, Chi Yao stepped back again. His eyes screamed as if Fu Rong was about to snatch his precious treasure away. Fu Rong wondered, What could I possibly take from him?

Noticing Chi Yao’s hand on his belly, Fu Rong recalled the strange feeling he had when he had caught Chi Yao earlier—his stomach didn’t feel normal.

“Chi Yao, you…” Fu Rong started, but Chi Yao cut him off.

“Don’t tell me this is a coincidence,” Chi Yao said coldly. Nancheng City was big, and they hadn’t seen each other in a while. Things with Shen Ling had more or less ended, and there were no further ties with Fu Rong.

As for Chi Yao’s plan to use Fu Rong as a sperm donor, his manager had reached out to Chi Yao and assured him that nothing had been revealed—Fu Rong hadn’t been told anything.

Now, running into Fu Rong like this, Chi Yao wasn’t buying it.

His gaze grew colder—there was no way he would let Fu Rong take the baby. The baby was his, and his alone.