---

Suddenly having a little one around made Chi Yao’s life feel busy all at once. Although there were nannies and helpers, Chi Yao still spent a lot of time with the baby.

When he heard from the vice president of his company that Shen Ling had contacted him and discussed a few matters, Chi Yao realized that Shen Ling was taking another approach in pursuing him.

Shen Ling had offered quite a bit of profit to Chi Yao’s company during their cooperation, which was equivalent to giving Chi Yao money in disguise.

The amount was not small, and anyone with a discerning eye could see Shen Ling’s attitude. He had never treated anyone this way before, and if there were no feelings involved, giving such a large sum of money would still move someone, even if only a little.

Would Chi Yao be moved?

Not at all. He was very clear about Shen Ling’s true nature. If it weren’t for the baby, if there had been no baby in his past life and Chi Yao had just died, he might have been easily swayed by Shen Ling.

But now, that was completely impossible.

After Shen Ling learned that Chi Yao was pregnant in his previous life, he asked Chi Yao who the father of the child was.

Chi Yao genuinely didn’t know, but Shen Ling thought Chi Yao was intentionally withholding the information. He stared coldly at Chi Yao, placing his hand on Chi Yao’s belly.

“If I had known you could give birth like a woman, I should have slept with you first and made you carry my child.”

Chi Yao remembered Shen Ling’s expression at that moment.

Even after his rebirth, he always remembered that Shen Ling did not love him, nor did he like the child in Chi Yao’s belly.

This person was warm on the outside but cold-hearted, extremely selfish, and took pleasure in playing with others.

No matter what Shen Ling was doing now, Chi Yao could only look on with indifference.

What did it matter that he had give some benefits?

Chi Yao had long ceased to be someone who could be moved by money.

However, given that Shen Ling had provided so much, Chi Yao would use it for the baby. It could be seen as a gift for the baby, so he accepted it without any burden and took the initiative to invite Shen Ling out for a meal.

He didn’t bring the baby; instead, he left him at home. The baby was still small, and it was better for him to stay in a quieter environment rather than be out in a noisy crowd.

It was just Chi Yao and Shen Ling having dinner, with no one else in a small private room.

Shen Ling’s gaze was full of gentle smiles, a bit more genuine than before, and Chi Yao narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Can we drink now?” Shen Ling asked, glancing at Chi Yao’s abdomen, which no longer looked slightly protruding as it had before.

“Of course.” Chi Yao pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Shen Ling.

He still hadn’t completely shaken this person off, but the nature of their relationship had changed significantly; it was no longer Chi Yao always looking up to Shen Ling, waiting for him to bestow a glance.

Shen Ling ordered a bottle of wine, one he had brought himself, not from the restaurant.

“Shall we drink a few more glasses together?” Shen Ling raised his glass to Chi Yao.

Chi Yao picked up his glass and lightly clinked it with Shen Ling’s.

“You’re in a good mood,” Shen Ling said, a smile in his eyes.

“I’m happy you took the initiative to invite me.”

Shen Ling was quite charming with his words, especially with those warm, affectionate eyes that seemed sincere to anyone. In the past, Chi Yao had been completely entranced by Shen Ling’s sincerity.

“Is that so?” Chi Yao replied flatly, not moved in the slightest.

“I thought you would bring the baby with you.”

It seemed like Chi Yao’s life revolved entirely around that little one.

Shen Ling was generally indifferent to children; he didn’t understand why a child would be so special. Shouldn’t people be a little selfish?

“He’s at home. He has a slight cold these past few days, so I didn’t let him come out.” The little one had a weak constitution and would occasionally catch a cold or have a fever, but it wasn’t a big deal; a quick visit to the hospital would suffice.

One night, the baby suddenly had a fever, which genuinely frightened Chi Yao. The baby felt very hot all over.

He didn’t contact Fu Rong, but Fu Rong arrived almost immediately, comforting Chi Yao and telling him to sleep while he took the baby to the hospital.

Of course, Chi Yao couldn’t sleep and followed along. At Fu Rong’s hospital, the baby received a shot, and it seemed his temperature dropped a bit.

That night, Fu Rong stayed at Chi Yao’s home, keeping the baby company until the next morning when the baby’s temperature returned to normal before he left.

Chi Yao woke up early and saw Fu Rong staying with the baby, so he had him go sleep in the guest room upstairs while he watched over the baby.

Fu Rong, however, first expressed concern for Chi Yao, asking if he had slept well the night before. Chi Yao pushed him away, while going to the baby’s room. The nanny told Chi Yao that Fu Rong hadn’t slept all night. Chi Yao picked up the baby and gently pressed his forehead against the baby’s, feeling his temperature drop. Tears welled up in Chi Yao’s eyes, relieved that the weight on his heart had lifted.

Later, he went upstairs to check on Fu Rong, who was sleeping soundly. Chi Yao stood at the door for a moment before turning and gently closing the door.

These were things Shen Ling wouldn’t know. He believed he had a chance, while Chi Yao genuinely wanted to tell Shen Ling the truth, to make him fully aware that he had no opportunity at all.

Chi Yao still hesitated and decided to let Fu Rong handle it. If Fu Rong couldn’t even deal with a rival in love, then Chi Yao would have to reconsider things more carefully.

“The child has a weak constitution and occasionally gets colds; timely treatment is enough. You should pay more attention to your health and not let anything happen to you.” Chi Yao had been physically weak before, looking like he could collapse at any moment.

Later, after undergoing surgery in another city, he had recovered well since then. However, Shen Ling always had a premonition that something else would happen.

Recently, Shen Ling had been experiencing strange dreams. In those dreams, something odd seemed to happen to Chi Yao.

At a critical moment, the dreams would cut off, and Shen Ling would see himself standing beside a hospital bed where Chi Yao lay, gravely ill, his face terrifyingly sunken, as if he were already in the final stages of life.

---

Shen Ling wanted to understand the events behind that dream, and this was one of the reasons he started pursuing Chi Yao. He felt that their relationship shouldn’t end like this; they should be more deeply entangled.

The two of them drank quite a lot, and Chi Yao had a little more than he usually would. Shen Ling had a good tolerance for alcohol, but Chi Yao did not.

At first, Chi Yao felt fine while drinking, but later on, the effects suddenly hit him, making him unsteady on his feet.

Although Chi Yao’s mind was still clear, when Shen Ling came to support him, he refused. Shen Ling followed behind Chi Yao, who used to be quite a drinker, but now seemed to be unable to handle his liquor.

Originally, Shen Ling didn’t intend to do anything, but when he saw Chi Yao’s flushed cheeks—especially his lips, which looked stunningly beautiful like rose petals—Shen Ling felt a sudden spark ignite in his heart.

Chi Yao had never been drunk in front of Shen Ling before; this was a first. Shen Ling knew that Chi Yao was good-looking, as anyone who had met him wouldn’t deny his good looks.

However, compared to his appearance, it was Chi Yao’s personality that was difficult for most people to tolerate. He was like a stick of dynamite; if one wasn’t careful, he could explode at any moment.

But now, Chi Yao was different. Perhaps it started changing not long ago. Shen Ling couldn’t pinpoint when it began, but Chi Yao had an unusual allure that was incredibly attractive.

This time, when they went out, Shen Ling truly just wanted to enjoy a meal and let things flow naturally afterward.

However, Chi Yao ended up getting drunk and revealing such a defenseless side, as if he were silently telling Shen Ling, “Come and take advantage of me.”

It felt as if Shen Ling suddenly understood why some people enjoyed dominating others in this manner.

Seeing Chi Yao’s flushed face and the tears welling in his eyes challenged Shen Ling’s self-control.

Seeing that Chi Yao was drunk, Shen Ling helped him into his car. As for Chi Yao’s own vehicle, he hadn’t told the driver, who was waiting elsewhere.

Shen Ling deceived Chi Yao into thinking he would drive him home. Chi Yao seemed genuinely intoxicated and didn’t perceive the dark, predatory gaze Shen Ling was directing at him.

The car drove out of the city, heading to a remote area—a dead-end road surrounded by dense woods.

Shen Ling got out of the car while Chi Yao sat in the back. Shen Ling walked outside without calling for Chi Yao. He pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke.

After a while, Chi Yao woke up, realizing the car had stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but desolation around him—it was clearly not the home Shen Ling had promised to take him to.

Having drunk too much, Chi Yao felt heavy all over as he grasped the door handle and pushed the car door open.

As soon as his foot touched the ground, it felt as if he were stepping on cotton.

Looking up, he saw Shen Ling, who was standing with his back to Chi Yao, smoking. The gray smoke floated silently around him. Chi Yao turned to look behind him; it was clear there would be no one else around.

Chi Yao had no idea what Shen Ling was planning to do, so he prepared to take out his phone to call the driver and have him come to pick him up.

However, after searching his pockets, he discovered his phone was missing.

Suddenly, a phone was offered in front of him. Chi Yao thought it was his that Shen Ling had picked up. He reached out to grab it, but Shen Ling pulled it back at the last moment.

Chi Yao furrowed his brows and stared at Shen Ling.

In front of Chi Yao, Shen Ling turned off his phone.

“This way, no one will disturb us,” Shen Ling said with a smile, a grin that was entirely unfamiliar to Chi Yao, like a greedy hunter fixated on its prey.

Chi Yao took a step back, feeling a slight sense of danger—Shen Ling wanted to do something.

“Shen Ling, are you a bit off your rocker?”^[1]insane Chi Yao raised a hand and pointed to his head.

That was a gesture indicating Shen Ling had a screw loose.

Shen Ling didn’t take offense; instead, he smiled and nodded, “Perhaps.”

“Give me my phone back. I can pretend that nothing happened today.” Chi Yao extended his hand, asking Shen Ling to return the phone to him.

However, Shen Ling didn’t hand it over. Instead, he raised his hand, and Chi Yao’s phone was thrown far away.

It landed in a nearby patch of grass, and Chi Yao’s expression suddenly changed. That phone contained many precious photos of the baby, which he cherished deeply.

Chi Yao’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of doing something illegal now?”

Chi Yao didn’t say it outright, but it was clear he had an inkling of Shen Ling’s intentions.

“Is it not allowed? You used to like me so much, and now you suddenly don’t love me? Chi Yao, do you really think I’ll believe that?”

“Or is this your new way of seducing me? I just want to say, this time you’ve succeeded, Chi Yao.”

Such overly confident words genuinely made Chi Yao laugh.

“Watch less TV.” How else could someone come up with such laughable lines?

Shen Ling moved closer to Chi Yao, with no one else around—just the two of them. Chi Yao was drunk, and Shen Ling believed he could have what he wanted; Chi Yao couldn’t escape his grasp.

Shen Ling stopped hiding his intentions, and an air of wicked aggression enveloped him.

Chi Yao was pushed back repeatedly, his body swaying slightly. It was evident he was unsteady from the excessive drinking, and as he retreated to the car, he suddenly shook his head vigorously and bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood.

Seeing this, Shen Ling felt a pang of pain in his heart.

“Wasn’t this what you always wanted? Now that I’m fulfilling your desire, why are you rejecting me? Chi Yao, overacting loses its charm.” Shen Ling suddenly moved in front of Chi Yao, pinning his hands against the car door.

Chi Yao looked up, his gaze filled with anger and a sinister fury.