With such a big incident happening, it was obvious who the culprit was even without thinking.
Tong Yao didn’t even bother picking up her phone. She immediately wanted to jump off her chair, grab a kitchen knife, and have a "heart-to-heart" talk with the person still lazing in her bed upstairs—it was already early September, and the weather wasn’t as scorching as it had been in June or July. The mornings were starting to feel damp and cool. The moment her bare feet touched the cold floor, she suddenly remembered something, her expression changing as she quickly retracted her feet. Subconsciously, she no longer dared to run around barefoot like before.
Then she froze for a moment, startled by her own "subconscious" reaction.
She stayed frozen in that half-standing, half-sitting position for a while, her face shifting from pale to green to red. A few seconds later, she obediently slipped her feet into her house slippers, put them on properly, and stood up—
By then, her expression had returned to calm. She bent down to pick up her phone and saw that Jin Yang had already sent her a missed call. Clearing her throat, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and started typing rapidly—
【ZGDX、Smiling: Isn’t it normal for periods to be delayed by a day or two? Do you think this is some TV drama where a single day’s delay means you’re pregnant? How ridiculous can you get?】
【A Mao’s Mom: Right now, I think you’re the ridiculous one.】
【A Mao’s Mom: Your period has always been punctual, down to the day. Don’t lie to me.】
Tong Yao: “...”
【ZGDX、Smiling: Damn, the way you know me better than I know myself is kinda creepy!】
Her tone was deliberately lighthearted, but Jin Yang was Jin Yang—Tong Yao’s act didn’t work on her at all. Ignoring the teasing, Jin Yang cut straight to the chase: 【A Mao’s Mom: Stop dodging the question. You reckless youngsters, ugh, you’re killing me. Did you use protection when you were getting busy?】
Jin Yang’s tone clearly implied, "If you dare say no, I’ll beat you up." Tong Yao could no longer keep up her composed act under Jin Yang’s relentless questioning. She frantically typed back a string of "Yes yes yes yes, raincoats, umbrellas, little rain boots, the whole set, wrapped up tight!" After sending it, she threw her phone aside in embarrassment, too flustered to look at it again, and stomped upstairs—
She wasn’t lying to Jin Yang.
Although Lu Sicheng had been insatiable ever since they first crossed that line, showing no restraint whatsoever, he was the type who wouldn’t even let her take too much medicine—how could he possibly charge in without protection? The "little umbrellas" they used weren’t the cheap kind from vending machines either, so the odds of an accident were supposedly less than 0.1%—
But the problem was their first time. It had been sudden and urgent (Captain Lu’s exact words), so of course, there had been no protection. Although Lu Sicheng hadn’t finished inside, the odds of an accident from "not finishing inside"… compared to a "little umbrella" breaking or leaking during a "storm," were actually not that small.
Tong Yao: “...”
By the time this thought crossed her mind, she was already standing at the top of the stairs, her expression shifting repeatedly—truth be told, Lu Sicheng had bought her emergency contraception afterward, but she had forgotten to take it.
Goddammit.
Tong Yao clutched her hair in frustration, feeling like an absolute idiot—Back then, things were hectic, one thing after another. Every day was a mix of "sweetness" and "torment," constantly switching between heaven and hell—one moment she'd think she had it all figured out, and the next, she'd be lost again... So even though Lu Sicheng had bought her medicine and reminded her to take it, she had agreed in a daze at the time, only to completely forget about it the moment she returned to her room. By the time she remembered again, who knew how many days had already passed.
………………Now, karma had come knocking.
As the saying goes, you reap what you sow.
Tong Yao stumbled unevenly to her bedroom door. In those few short steps, her mind had already played out a 120-episode TVB drama titled The Storm of E-sports , from Lu Sicheng abandoning her after taking advantage, to her mother beating her up before hugging her and crying, all the way to her raising a son who looked like the heartless scoundrel alone, only to reunite with said scoundrel on the streets years later—she had imagined every possible scenario...
As she gripped her doorknob, agonizing over whether she should let her son reunite with Lu Sicheng for a happy ending, the male lead of The Storm of E-sports was peacefully asleep in her bed, rolling over in his slumber.
Tong Yao pushed the door open and walked in, step by step, until she reached the bed and sat down beside the man.
Half-asleep, Lu Sicheng felt the bed dip slightly beside him. Without fully waking, he reached out and grabbed her hand—the warmth and broadness of his palm instantly melted Tong Yao’s heart. Damn it, she thought, maybe a happy ending was the way to go. Who could stand a tragic ending these days anyway?
Sliding off the edge of the bed, Tong Yao sat on the carpet beside it, still holding Lu Sicheng’s hand. She rested her chin on the mattress, staring at his handsome face for a while before calling his name.
Lu Sicheng was a light sleeper. Hearing his name, he responded with a muffled sound.
After a moment’s thought, Tong Yao said, "Captain, I think I’m pregnant."
Lu Sicheng’s eyes, which had been closed, flew open instantly.
His deep brown pupils locked onto the pair of black eyes peering at him from the edge of the bed. His expression shifted from shock to confusion, then to speechlessness—it was a whirlwind of emotions. Finally, under Tong Yao’s nervous gaze, he nodded and spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "Not bad. This is a fresh approach—way more creative than the 'I broke the Summer Season Champion trophy' nonsense from the other day."
Tong Yao: "..."
Remembering all the ridiculous lies she’d spun over the past few days just to coax Lu Sicheng out of bed and play with her, Tong Yao once again felt the full weight of "you reap what you sow" in the span of ten minutes.
Before she could react, Lu Sicheng yawned and pinched the tip of her nose. "I’ll get up in half an hour," he said, starting to roll over again—but before he could, the hand he’d been holding suddenly jerked away. A pair of slender arms wrapped around him like an octopus, flipping him back forcefully. "Stop sleeping! I’m serious! My period’s two days late! For five years, it’s been clockwork—30 days, like clockwork—and now it’s two days late! Lu Sicheng, get your ass up—!"Before Tong Yao could finish speaking, the man had already sat up—she had been half lying on Lu Sicheng, and now, caught off guard, she nearly fell to the floor. Luckily, the man swiftly reached out and pulled her back onto the bed. Just as she managed to steady herself, still wrapped in the blanket and now in his arms, she heard Lu Sicheng ask quietly by her ear, "Say it again."
His voice was calm.
Tong Yao had no idea what he was thinking and began to panic again.
"I know we’ve always been careful, but the first time we didn’t—oh damn, this might actually be my fault because I forgot to take the pill that time. Yes, yes, you bought it for me, but I just forgot! You should’ve reminded me more—by the time I remembered, days had passed. If it’s a boy, his genes are probably already set to AA or AA. I was afraid you’d nag me if you found out, so I just… secretly threw the pill away…"
Tong Yao inexplicably felt guilty, her rambling cut short as the man tucked her into the still-warm bed. Before she could even process what was happening, Lu Sicheng rolled off the bed, stood up, and paused—then bent down to pull the blanket over her properly before turning away again.
Tong Yao thought he was leaving, her heart sinking.
But the man only walked into the bathroom.
Left alone on the warm bed, Tong Yao listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom, zoning out openly… and feeling somewhat lost. Her mind wandered: They say pregnancy makes you dumb for three years—what if she becomes so clumsy she can’t even land last hits properly? How is she supposed to carry the banner of saving Chinese esports then? This is like the warrior falling before the battle even begins, like Mulan getting pregnant before defeating the Huns. Wouldn’t people laugh their heads off if this got out?
No, no, this can’t be happening—
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Then, a sudden idea struck her: What if she went to the hospital and got rid of it?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Tong Yao instinctively covered her stomach, her face paling as her heart twisted in turmoil. She immediately wanted to reject the idea—she didn’t even have time to figure out where this "instinct" came from.
So she switched to thinking about how to break the news to her family. Even before saying a word, she could already imagine her parents rolling up in a tank two hours later to smash down the China Telecom Team headquarters’ gates…
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the water stopping in the bathroom. The door clicked open, and the man stepped out, wrapped in a towel, steam and water droplets rolling off his broad shoulders. Hearing the door, Tong Yao looked up and saw him. Normally, she might’ve found the sight enticing, but now, for some reason, her nose stung, her eyes reddened, and tears began to fall just like the water droplets on Lu Sicheng’s shoulders—
Lu Sicheng barely took a step out of the bathroom before he looked up and saw the person on the bed clutching the blanket, crying pitifully. He froze.
Standing at a distance, not daring to approach, he asked, "What’s wrong?"
Then, realizing how stupid that question probably sounded, he quickly added, "Don’t cry. What’s there to cry about?"Lu Sicheng, though still bewildered, couldn't just stand there dumbfounded. He walked to the bedside, wiped himself haphazardly with the towel in his hand, and without bothering to put on his pants, climbed onto the bed in just his underwear. He pulled the person—who rarely cried but was now sobbing like a dam had burst—into his arms, patting her back until she calmed down slightly before cautiously asking, "What did you just say?"
Tong Yao lifted her head, glaring at him with eyes red as a rabbit's, and after a long pause, replied with a thick, nasal voice, "I'm pregnant. Your fault."
Six words, firm and resounding.
Lu Sicheng: "..."
After his shower, his mind was much clearer—even if he had been sleepy, it had all vanished the moment he sat up in bed. Now, he was certain of only one thing: he hadn't been dreaming earlier.
Lu Sicheng fell silent for over ten seconds, his thoughts racing, but as his deep brown eyes grew more solemn, he glanced down at the girl in his arms—his heart already settled on an answer.
The entire process was so fast it even surprised him.
Even now, as he held the soft, trembling girl in his arms, it still felt unreal, like a dream.
Just as he was about to speak, his peripheral vision caught her reddened eyes and the unease in her dark gaze. He paused, raising a large hand to smooth her disheveled hair, and asked gently, "So, what do you plan to do?"
At this moment, Tong Yao was too distraught to notice the tenderness and patience in Lu Sicheng's tone. Her mind was still filled with the dramatic scenarios she had imagined earlier—so when he asked, she immediately assumed he was trying to shift blame. Her heart turned icy, and she nearly wanted to throw open the window and wail to the heavens, lamenting that the man she had fallen for was far from the legendary white knight she had hoped for!
"What do you mean, what do I plan to do? It's your son, and you're asking me?" Tong Yao shoved Lu Sicheng away, scrambling out of his arms to stand on the bed, glaring down at him. "Closed training starts in two days, and then in a month, we're off to the World Championship in the U.S.! Are you telling me to go to the hospital and get rid of him now? Don’t you know it’ll hurt? Haven’t you heard that even a miscarriage requires recovery? If it’s not done properly, it could leave me with lifelong health issues. How am I supposed to sit on the competition stage and play like that? Should I ask the organizers to replace the players’ water with bird’s nest soup? And that’s not even the point—the point is it really hurts! Also, do you know about the 'North American Complaints' supernatural edition? I don’t want a little ghost permanently perched on my shoulder in photos later, like some creepy accessory! The poor little ghost would suffer, and so would I! What do you mean, 'what do I plan to do'? Are you saying if I make the decision, you won’t be responsible if anything happens later—"
Before she could finish, Lu Sicheng reached out, pulling her back into his arms while his other hand covered her mouth. As she tumbled back onto the soft bedding in his embrace, her nose bumped against his firm shoulder, her breathing still uneven from her outburst...
She let out a muffled "Mmph," and Lu Sicheng removed his hand.
Tong Yao, defeated like a rooster after a fight, muttered, "I'm scared it'll hurt."
Lu Sicheng stared at her lowered head. Even without seeing her face, he could tell how dejected she was. Frustrated, he almost wanted to shake her and scold her, but instead, he pressed his lips together and retorted irritably, "No one’s telling you to go to the hospital and get rid of him. What are you so scared of?"
Tong Yao’s eyes widened as she jerked her head up. "Huh?"Her gaze met those deep brown eyes.
Then she immediately lowered her head again with a "thud."
Lu Sicheng: "I haven't even said a word yet. Why are you throwing a tantrum?"
Tong Yao's lips twitched as she replied dryly, "Pregnant women are all very irritable."
Lu Sicheng: "..."
Lu Sicheng wanted to say he'd only heard about pregnant women suddenly radiating maternal brilliance—never this nonsense about biting everyone in sight after getting pregnant... But after his lips moved slightly, he closed his mouth again.
At that moment, Tong Yao raised her hand and gave his shoulder a soft pat... Seeing that Lu Sicheng, with his arms around her waist, remained unmoving, she patted him again with more force—Lu Sicheng was holding her, afraid she might slip if not seated properly, yet also afraid of squeezing her too tightly. Distracted, he was jolted slightly sideways by her slap.
Tong Yao froze, then retracted her hand.
Lu Sicheng sighed, ruffled her hair, and pressed her firmly into his embrace—at first, Tong Yao resisted and struggled a bit, but after a few futile attempts, she gave up and slumped limply against him.
In the silence, Tong Yao felt Lu Sicheng's hand slide from the back of her head to soothingly stroke her back before finally settling on her hand. His fingers interlaced with hers, his slightly rough thumb thoughtfully squeezing her middle finger—
"We'll have it eventually, so why panic? And crying—what did I even say to make you cry? Did I say I didn’t want it? I was just asking for your opinion, worried you might still be thinking about studying or competing or whatever. If I just told you to have it—'quick, have it'—and you weren’t happy, you’d blame me again. Now that you don’t have any objections, of course I wouldn’t... Tch. Anyway, first let’s confirm whether it’s true. If it is, we’ll get your U.S. visa sorted? Before the Group Stage, I’ll take you to Las Vegas first. Waiting two more years in China just means you’ll be younger when we register on your legal birthday—then we can celebrate our anniversary and your birthday together and save on a cake. Hmm... though we’ll still need to buy a ring. It’s a bit rushed—not sure if ordering now will be in time. Which brand do you like? Not that it matters—I can afford any—but given how shallow your tastes are, I figure you’ll need time to Google which one’s the most expensive—"
Lu Sicheng rambled intermittently, speaking as thoughts came to him, but the more Tong Yao listened, the more something felt off.
She lifted her head from his chest: "Who said I’m marrying you?"
Lu Sicheng paused, raising an eyebrow: "You’re not?"
Tong Yao: "..."
Lu Sicheng: "?"
Tong Yao: "No roses, no kneeling, not even the promised eight-carat diamond ring—hell, it’s all pay-after-service! You just wrap me in a blanket, hug me, and I’m supposed to marry you? What kind of bandit are you, from which mountain?"
Lu Sicheng: "..."
Tong Yao frowned: "Not marrying! Go away!"
Lu Sicheng raised his hand and flicked her forehead: "Getting spoiled."
Tong Yao flinched, glared at him for a moment, then mumbled something and burrowed back into his arms—his embrace was warm and solid, as if she were enclosed in a world of his making. His calm and composure seemed to rub off on her, easing her earlier unease and speculation. Closing her eyes, she hesitated briefly before wrapping her arms around his waist.
"...So which brand’s diamond ring is the most expensive again?""First time getting married, so I don't know. Maybe I'll tell you when I have more experience?"
"...Mean."
"Shallow."
"...I'm telling you, this doesn't count as a proposal."
"Fine, it doesn't count."
"Formality is important. I'm a traditional woman."
"You're just fixated on that eight-carat diamond ring."
"Roses are a must too."
"Any other demands? Spit them all out at once."
Tong Yao thought for a moment.
"How about you hire a helicopter to scatter roses all the way from the sky? No banners though—too tacky. Just use roses, scattering them from the neighborhood gate all the way to the Team headquarters rooftop—"
"Tong Yao."
"What?"
"That's too much."
"...Oh."
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