"Maybe... maybe it's just delayed this month," Hu Yuying murmured softly, though she herself wasn’t sure. The problem was, it was still too early to confirm anything like this.
Li Qingxue gazed at Hu Yuying with worry.
Her cycle had always been punctual, but this sudden irregularity had left Hu Yuying anxious—everything seemed to add up.
"You're going to have a baby."
Hu Yuying bit her lower lip lightly. Already overwhelmed, hearing Li Qingxue say she might be pregnant only deepened her panic.
She had no idea what to do now.
Her studies weren’t even finished yet.
Would Long Aotian be happy about it?
How could she explain this to her grandparents?
All these questions swirled chaotically in her mind—how could she not feel anxious?
But one thing was certain: Hu Yuying didn’t dislike the idea of having a baby...
"You haven’t told Long Aotian yet, have you?"
"No... I was just thinking, maybe it really is just a late period. I looked it up online—a week ago should’ve been a safe time."
Hu Yuying had calculated based on her last cycle. When she and Long Aotian were together, she should’ve been past ovulation...
"Safe period? That guy is so... energetic. He could turn any 'safe period' into an unsafe one."
"Honestly, what if you really did get pregnant?" Li Qingxue sighed, her voice laced with concern.
Hearing this, Hu Yuying’s emotions grew even more tangled. "Qingxue, stop... Maybe it’s just delayed. Before my period, my... chest usually feels sore and swollen, but right now..."
As she spoke, she pressed lightly against her chest—no tenderness, no pain. "Maybe it really is just late."
But despite her words, her heart was anything but calm.
Her cycle had always been regular, without fail.
Yet now, right after giving herself to Long Aotian, it had suddenly become irregular.
This was her first time experiencing something like this, and her mind was a mess—utterly overwhelmed.
"I think you should tell Long Aotian. This involves him too," Li Qingxue said, though she herself wasn’t sure what the right move was. Instinctively, her thoughts turned to Long Aotian.
Relying on him had almost become second nature.
Besides, he was the one responsible for this...
"Let’s wait a little longer. Nothing’s certain yet. If another week passes and it still hasn’t come, then I’ll tell him."
Hu Yuying was afraid that telling Long Aotian would burden him unnecessarily.
Her heart belonged entirely to him—she’d rather bear the anxiety herself than let him shoulder any extra pressure.
She turned to Li Qingxue. "Qingxue, you have to keep this a secret for me. At least until we know for sure."
Li Qingxue simply looked at Hu Yuying’s conflicted expression without responding.
She was both exasperated and fond of her.
It frustrated her how Hu Yuying always put Long Aotian first, refusing to let him feel even a hint of stress, even when she was drowning in it herself.
But at the same time, Hu Yuying’s kindness and gentleness made it impossible not to adore her.
This was all Long Aotian’s fault...
Yes!
It had to be his fault. He’d held back for so long—why did he lose control that night?
If Hu Yuying knew what Li Qingxue was thinking, she’d blush and lower her head. Because the truth was... she had wanted him just as badly.
A naked version of herself—who could possibly resist that?
"Qingxue, I’m going back to rest. I can’t stay up late anymore," Hu Yuying said before heading toward her dorm.
Watching her retreating figure, Li Qingxue sighed softly—then suddenly found herself stifling a laugh.
She said she can’t stay up late anymore... How adorable.
After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out her phone and dialed Long Aotian.
"Hey, Long Aotian. You might be a dad soon."
Clang—
Li Qingxue smirked and held the phone away from her ear.
Even from a distance, she could faintly hear the commotion on the other end.
"Damn, Lao Ao, what’s going on? You doing a live performance of falling off the bed?"
"Pfft—look at his dazed face! He’s totally stunned!"
"What’s happening? Why’s he just sitting on the floor like that...?"
The voices crackled through the phone, making Li Qingxue bite back a laugh.
Soon, the sound of a door closing came through the line.
"Q-Qingxue... what did you just say?"
"I said there’s a chance you’re going to be a father," Li Qingxue repeated, enunciating each word.
Silence.
She didn’t rush him, patiently waiting for Long Aotian to process the news.
"...Really?" His voice was a mix of tension, shock, and a flicker of joy—emotions tangled together.
"Ugh, lower your voice! You’re going to deafen me."
"Tell me—is it true? Where’s my little girl now?" Long Aotian’s excitement was unmistakable.
Li Qingxue could practically picture him jumping up and down.
"I don’t know for sure. But Yuying’s period was supposed to come between the 20th and 22nd... and it still hasn’t arrived."
"Why didn’t she tell me?"
"Because she was afraid you weren’t ready, afraid it’d stress you out. And she wasn’t even sure if it was just a delay. That’s why she didn’t dare say anything."
"She made me promise to keep it a secret, but I thought you deserved to know..."
"I should know. I’ll go see her right now. No matter what, this is my responsibility. I can’t let her carry this weight alone."
Li Qingxue paused. "How did you know she was anxious?"
But then she realized—of course she would be. What girl wouldn’t feel anxious in this situation?
"At least you’re being responsible. But don’t rush over now. Yuying already went back to sleep." She couldn’t help giggling. "She said she can’t stay up late anymore."
After hanging up, Li Qingxue slipped her phone away with a satisfied smirk.
"Hmph. Let’s see if you can sleep tonight."
She glanced once more toward Hu Yuying’s dorm, her expression softening with a hint of envy... and concern.
Meanwhile—
Long Aotian stood on the balcony, lost in thought, his mind filled with images of Hu Yuying.
A smile had crept onto his face—one that refused to fade.
Li Qingxue’s words echoed in his ears: You might be a dad soon.
He’d never considered this possibility before. It was sudden... but not unwelcome.
Yet he had no idea how Hu Yuying felt about it.
She was still so young.
These thoughts swirled relentlessly in his head.
Tonight... sleep would be impossible.
[Seeking support for power generation......]
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
