CH 10

Did he hear it wrong?

Was it really a man who just spoke?

Xie Fei suspected that he was just hallucinating. After all, Yu Li’s expression didn’t change one bit. He was still as calm and collected as before.

The whole room went silent--even Xu Lingyi didn’t dare to speak. Xie Fei listened closely, waiting for the man to confess “I’m just joking,” but it never happened. At this point, he felt something warm wrap itself around his wrist. He looked down and saw Yu Li’s slender fingers cover his wrists. He effortlessly and gently released Xie Fei’s hold on the corner of his clothes. However, Yu Li didn’t let go. Instead he walked ahead, pulling Xie Fei forward.

“Mr. Yu, wait!” He cried in a low voice but Yu Li was unmoved.

From a young age, Xie Fei knew that he was quite strong but at this time, he couldn’t shake off Yu Li’s grasp. Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the unlocked door by the stairwell, he anxiously scrambled to hold on to the handrails of the stairs, trying to stabilize himself.

He saw that Yu Li wanted to go over and see what they’re talking about so Xie Fei hurriedly said: “They’re talking about personal matters. Why don’t we just leave ba?”

Yu Li impatiently clicked his tongue. The next second, he raised his long legs and kicked the door with a loud “bang!”

---Six eyes stared at each other.

The reason why only six eyes were looking at each other was because Xu Lingyi was still in a state of shock induced by the stress of hearing the man’s words. She completely ignored the other two people who just entered. Xie Fei even breathed as lightly as possible, wanting to disappear and die right away on the spot. He forced out a smile when he heard Yu Li greet the man on the hospital bed.

“It turns out it’s President An. Long time no see.”

The man called “President An” still looked handsome. Even though his face was haggard, gaunt, and pallid, paired with a beard, he still carried the countenance of a dignified and majestic superior. Obviously, he didn’t expect to see outsiders in the hospital, not to mention a person who actually knew him. His eyes swept over the two uninvited guests like a sharp blade before they finally locked in on Yu Li.

“Excuse me, you are…?”

Without facing Yu Li, Xie Fei knew that the other person undoubtedly had an unhappy expression on his face. As expected, he heard Yu Li’s cold voice.

“President An is really a nobleman1 who forgets many things. My name is Yu Li.”

An Mingyi looked at Yu Li again, sizing him up and down. The young man’s features were indeed superior. Even though he didn’t pay attention to inconsequential people, he still had a faint impression of this face before him.

“Oh, you’re that celebrity….who drank too much at the charity dinner and sang Allegro on stage?”

Yu Li: “......”

Xie Fei: “......”

Yu Li flushed from anger and embarrassment. Unconsciously, he clenched his hands when he felt movement. He lowered his eyes and saw that he was still holding on to Xie Fei’s arm. Upon closer look, he saw an indistinct shade of purple and blue on the other man's wrist. He immediately dropped the man’s wrist, wanting to say something but ultimately held back. He turned to An Mingyi, directing his anger at him.

“Has it been two and a half months?”

An Mingyi had a bewildered look on his face. “What?”

Yu Li smiled lightly but the smile never reached his eyes. “The baby….in your belly.”

“......”

There was dead silence.

The light in An Mingyi’s eyes darkened, as if he wanted to kill Yu Li. Xie Fei instinctively stepped forward, blocking An Mingyi’s view.

As the two confronted each other like swords and crossbows ready to take aim, Xu Lingyi who was previously oblivious to the whole world regained her senses. She turned to An Mingyi and feebly asked: “Is it true?”

An Mingyi faltered, his imposing manner fluctuating then dissipating until only a dejected expression was left. “Absolutely true.”

Xu Lingyi’s body trembled and frantically asked, “Whose child is it? You, you’re cheating on me?”

“I didn’t--” An Mingyi stopped short in a daze then he became speechless. Xu Lingyi’s focus...wasn’t it on the wrong thing? Maybe it’s because of his fiancee’s question on his own character that he was finally stimulated and exploded. “The point is I’m pregnant! Me, a man, am pregnant!”

“So you’re cheating on me with a man? Are you gay?” Xu Lingyi asked with tearful eyes as she fell into the fear of lying in the shadows as “Another Wife.”

An Mingyi: “......”

Although it was so out of place, for some reason Xie Fei still wanted to laugh at the words. Then he really did laugh out loud.

Across the hallway, he sensed the two people’s gazes land on him. Xie Fei’s smile faltered then he felt Yu Li place one hand on his shoulder, pushing him back. His frost-like voice resounded in his ears, saying, “You, do you think they’re in some sort of gag?”

“Yu, Yu Li?”

It wasn’t until this moment when Xu Lingyi found out that the little boss wasn’t alone. In addition to him, there was also the male god her cousin kept thinking of. Her hindsight left Yu Li discontent. As a popular young actor in the entertainment circle with a torrent of nominations and awards under his belt, this was the first time someone paid no heed to him. It was a bit shameful.

He was in a bad mood and naturally, wouldn’t let others be happy. As a result Yu Li stared at An Mingyi’s stomach, false care in his voice and said, “You don’t look so well. Aren’t you afraid of miscarriage if you keep this up for long?”

As soon as his voice fell, An Mingyi and Xu Lingyi’s faces both turned green.

Given that the whole thing was too bizarre and complicated, the corridor was indeed not the preferred place to have a gag play….erm, place to have a conversation in. After a few minutes, the four of them were transferred to An Migyi’s ward.

The private hospital’s VIP ward was as luxurious as a five-star hotel. Besides the ward, there was even a guest room attached to it. An Mingyi and Xu Lingyi each sat on the single-person sofa with a tea table separating them in the middle. Xie Fei sat down next to Yu Li, holding a tangerine given by the President.

The faint scent of fruit filled the room and An Mingyi gradually calmed down, recovering and returning into a peaceful state of mind. In a weary voice he explained.

“About a month ago, I felt that something was wrong with my body. During that time, I was often dizzy and I had no energy to do things. I was always sleepy and had a poor appetite. Also, I often felt nauseous and felt like vomiting……”

Since An Mingyi was the prime shareholder and president of one of China’s top 100 enterprises, his daily workload was filled to the brim. When he first discovered the problem, he thought it was caused by too much stress and work. After all during that time, in addition to handling the affairs of the company, he also had to prepare for his own wedding. Such an event--he couldn’t just leave this life matter to his secretary. He then went to a private doctor and had a general examination. Under the advice of the doctor, he went to Mulan street for a second examination. However, after a few days he obtained a preposterous examination report.

“The results say that I’m pregnant.”

He recalled how he felt that day. An Mingyi still had this feeling of being stuck in a nightmare full of fear. It couldn’t be real. Of course, he refused to believe it but after seeing solid pieces of evidence in front of him, it forced him to accept this wild and fantastical fact.

For a time he ended up hating himself but his strong psychological qualities made him quickly calm down. He then stepped down for a bit and arranged the follow-up matters accordingly.

An Mingyi’s parents died early and so in order to protect the inheritance given by his parents, he had to fight countless greedy relatives for many years. In these years, he kept up appearances by remaining friendly but in truth, they were estranged.

“My condition shouldn’t be revealed. I can’t even pretend to be sick otherwise it would lead to malicious and prying eyes.”

An Mingyi looked up and gazed at Xu Lingyi. “Throughout this whole ordeal, only my personal doctor knew the truth. He made arrangements for an operation but it was also very risky. I didn’t want to drag you down and it was even harder to tell you the truth...I’m sorry. I should have thought about it more. In the end, I didn’t take care of the wedding ceremony and made things difficult for you, uncle, and aunt.”

Xu Lingyi still couldn’t accept it. In a shaky voice she asked, “How could this happen?”

An Mingyi laughed, the sound filled with mockery and a sense of self-deprecation. “Maybe, I’m a monster.”

“Not a monster, but a half-demon.”

Yu Li suddenly cut in and attracted everyone’s gazes to fall on him. He cocked his legs and cooly waved his foot. He raised his chin and said, “You should be glad that your bloodline is half-demon.”

An Mingyi: “......what bloodline?”

Xie Fei , who was intently listening to the story froze,stunned as well. His tongue curled around the fruit in his mouth and swallowed it down his throat. “He’s….the same as you?”

Yu Li sneered. “Don’t you know the difference between purebreds and hybrids?”

Xie Fei: “......”

So Yu Li, Ah Fu, and Xiang Fei were purebreds while An Mingyi is a hybrid....cough.

Xie Fei had a strange look on his face and An Mingyi was no exception. His mind really couldn’t figure out what riddles the two were playing. But there was one thing An Mingyi was certain of--Yu Li wasn’t an ordinary person, to the point that he might not even be human.

Even though his latter speculation was ridiculous, An Mingyi, who had experienced strong winds and big waves was still emotionally stable. “I’d have to trouble Mr. Yu. Can you please explain?”

“Do you usually watch the news?” Yu Li drawled.

Because of his identity, An Mingyi certainly paid close attention to the news. “Which field of the news do you2 mean?”

Yu Li heard how An Mingyi changed his way of addressing his name. Yu Li straightened himself a little in his seat, “Some abnormal phenomena. For example, the continuous low global air index, the large-scale increase of green plants improving in the desert, and the discovery of new biological species by experts from various countries.”

An Mingyi nodded. Similar news frequently made the headlines before. The major media even cheered and encouraged that human beings finally achieved initial results in environmental governance. However, in recent years, these kinds of news suddenly disappeared and were replaced by exaggerated and bizarre rumors.

What 200 jin fat man flying over roofs and running on walls; a person with 800 degrees of myopia waking up with 20/20 vision; a tomboy lifting heavyweight with one hand; an old man’s skin changing color and so on…...All these messy rumours were officially stamped as groundless allegations. Even if someone uploaded a video, it was deleted within seconds with the publisher having a blocked IP or being invited to drink tea3. Over time, the rumours calmed down and it became tranquil.

An Mingyi furrowed his brows. “Surely it doesn’t mean that those rumours are true?”

Yu Li leaned against the back of the sofa and said in a laid-back manner, "Partly true and partly false. There are always people who like to follow the wind and gain heat to get attention."

An Mingyi’s heart jumped. His intuition told him that he was about to touch the truth behind it all. “Why?”

“Spiritual energy4.”

“Spiritual energy?” If Xie Fei understood it correctly, didn’t the protagonist of the book awaken the koi blood within him? Was it because of this?

“That’s right.” Yu Li was uncharacteristically patient and explained it very carefully.

“In ancient times, there was a lot of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and all things could be cultivated by it. With the exception of the human race, all other souls developed spiritual wisdom. They were called the demon clan.”

"But after the middle ages, the aura was depleted and dried up. The spiritual wisdom of the demon clan was gradually lost. It degenerated into its original form and could only die naturally. In order to preserve their bloodline, some great demons had no other alternative but to combine with the human races to have children. Once they recover their aura, their descendants will have a certain chance to awaken their bloodline and grasp their heritage. ”

Yu Li took out his phone from his pocket and showed several screenshots saved in an album to An Mingyi. “For example, the netizen in this post uploaded a video to prove that he could jump 20 meters in a long jump. It can be deduced that he has some kind of spider blood in his body.”

He swiped his finger on the page. “Another example, in the news, people who couldn’t swim were swept by the waves in the sea but found that they could actually breathe. They can easily dive down for six or seven meters. This is most likely because they awakened some kind of fish bloodline and you…...”

Yu Li seemed to have a shadow of a smile on his face. “You belong to the seahorse clan.”

An Mingyi’s face warped into a twisted expression, like a comical clown. His lips shook and he couldn’t say a word.

On the other hand, Xu Lingyi quietly sighed. "I didn’t think that animals would become spirits after founding the People’s Republic of China….5”

“Please pay attention to the accuracy of your words. It's a demon, not a goblin.” Yu Li’s thumb quickly tapped the phone’s screen and opened a popular scientific article. “The male seahorse has a brood pouch in which a fertilized egg can develop. They can be pregnant for 10 to 20 times a year----”

“How, how many?” After suffering continuous blows, the corner of An Minyi’s eyes turned red. As the saying goes, “men only weep when deeply grieved6.” Not only was he grieved, he was also in despair!

“Don’t panic over such a little thing. There’s an innate difference between a demon and an animal. What’s more, you’re merely a half demon with half a human’s bloodline. At most, it’ll be once a year ba.” Yu Li didn’t think he was cruel enough and added. “If you want to be a true seahorse, there’s a possibility of giving birth to 1,800 cubs per pregnancy.”

Seeing An Mingyi’s gray face, as if he was a prisoner about to be executed, Yu Li finally showed some mercy and said: “If you feel that being pregnant is too much, I will introduce you to a doctor who can give you contraceptives. He can also provide a painless abortion service.”

Yu Li tossed An Mingyi a business card with six words printed on it: “Putian Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.” It looked pretty unreliable.

“By the way, you can also find him if you want to have a baby. He’s a half-demon with dolphin blood. After awakening it three months ago, he gained an ultrasonic healing ability.”

An Mingyi tightly gripped the edge of the business card until his fingers turned slightly white. Although Yu Li behaved like he’s part of some pyramid scheme, if linked it with what just happened to him, he couldn't believe it.

After a long time, An Mingyi replied weakly, like an old man. “Thank you very much.”

Yu Li uncrossed the arms on his chest. “You’re welcome. You and I are of the same kind, it’s not a problem.”

With this unforeseen event, An Mingyi didn’t need to be hospitalized any more. He was preoccupied with so many troubles and was deeply perplexed that he decided to follow them back to the inn first.

Before leaving, An Mingyi first called a private doctor to deal with Xu Lingyi’s wound. The two went downstairs first.

Xie Fei wrapped the orange peel on the table with a paper towel and threw it into the trash can. He turned and asked Yu Li. "Is your original form really a seahorse?"

Yu Li stared blankly at him. Suddenly a heavy look crossed his face, his eyes bursting with anger. “Dare you to say it again.”

“Isn’t that what you said?” Xie Fei wasn’t afraid. He blinked at him with innocent eyes, as if even his eyelashes were wronged. “You said that you were the same kind as President Zong ah.”

“The same kind meaning he has half of the demon blood in him,” Yu Li gritted out the sentence from his teeth. “Don’t, reuse, lower animals, to insult me!”

“So it’s like that ah……”

Xie Fei gave a hollow laugh twice then stiffly changed the topic. “Right, you said that the demon clan lost their spiritual wisdom and died out. But how come you and Brother Ah Fu are in good condition?”

Yu Li quietly looked at him for a moment then turned and walked away.

“Because there is something I must remember.”

He had been confused but he couldn’t forget it.

He had to live.

T/N:

1. 安总真是贵人多忘事，我叫郁离 - this sentence is related to "贵人多忘事" --> "Noble people tend to forget. It originally meant that high-ranking officials were arrogant and didn't read old friends, but later used to satirize people's forgetfulness." so basically Yu Li is being sarcastic.

2. "You" with respect

3. Figuratively means to be interrogated by the police/be arrested

4. 灵气 = fairy temperament / spirit of a fairy. I'm guessing the spirit of a supernatural being in broad terms

5. Context: 建国后不许成精 which means animals are cute/smart but when they act like humans, they are said to have transformed into a spirit. Also the reason it's phrased this way is rooted in Maoism where they wanted to make a distinction from pre Mao China. So things like spirits, supernatural stuff are banned and not allowed to be included in shows if they are not set in pre Mao China.

6. Raws: “男儿有泪不轻弹，只是未到伤心处"

Thanks for everyone reading! Also to those who pointed out my typos thank you!! I'm having a hard time replying so I guess my replies will be in my next updates :(( Break is getting near so hopefully I'll be able to release more chapters huhu