After I Got Pregnant With The Hero’S Baby, I Ran Away With The Ball. Chapter 10

The flying boat continued its dutiful journey toward their destination, Whale Fall Island in the West Sea.

Whale Fall Island earned its name because its shape resembled a whale falling to its demise. The waters around Whale Fall Island were home to countless whales, and rumor had it that deep beneath the island’s waters, an ancient ferocious beast, the Kunpeng, was sealed.

Looking at Whale Fall Island from the pavilion, the island was crisscrossed with desolate Gobi terrain and sparse vegetation, with only the occasional bird flying overhead. A mountain peak on the island soared into the sky, shrouded in misty clouds, resembling a whale plunging into the deep sea.

There was no description of Whale Fall Island in the original text. Wei Lin turned his gaze to Duan Xi: “Where is this place?”

The corners of Duan Xi’s mouth curled slightly, a flicker of light passing through his eyes.

“Whale Fall Island.”

Wei Lin nodded, half-understanding. He looked at the peculiar island, feeling a strange sensation for some unknown reason.

Vaguely, it seemed as if something was calling to him. But when he tried to sense it more carefully, there was nothing, and he dismissed it as his own illusion.

The flying boat stopped above Whale Fall Island. Looking down, they could see waves crashing against the sandy shores, pushing up layers of sand.

Wei Lin had struggled to climb up from the bottom of the pavilion, so going down should have been easier. However, Duan Xi did not want to waste any more time. He stood up and extended his right hand to Wei Lin, a faint, mischievous smile playing on his lips. He said, “I’ll take you down.”

Wei Lin instinctively felt this was not a good idea and immediately refused: “I can go down by myself.”

Duan Xi was clearly not asking for his opinion but informing him of the result. Ignoring his refusal, Duan Xi stepped forward, grabbed his arms, and, like lifting a little chick, vaulted over the railing with him.

The flying boat was still hundreds of meters above the ground. Looking down from above, the height felt immense, especially since he was currently suspended on the railing without any protective measures.

If Wei Lin had acrophobia, he would probably have been paralyzed with fear by now.

Fortunately, he did not have acrophobia, but his heart still trembled slightly at Duan Xi’s action.

He knew Duan Xi wasn’t trying to push him to his death; there was absolutely no need for that.

He asked Duan Xi calmly and collectedly: “What are you trying to do?”

Duan Xi grinned at him: “Helping you save energy.”

Wei Lin widened his eyes: “You don’t mean to…”

Before he could finish speaking, Duan Xi wrapped an arm around him and leaped down. As they fell, Duan Xi did not forget to shrink the flying boat to the size of a palm and store it in his storage ring.

The feeling of weightless descent overwhelmed all his senses. All he could hear was the whistling gale, and his robes flapped loudly.

Wei Lin wanted to curse, but the moment he opened his mouth, it was filled with cold wind. It was the first time in his life he had been choked by the wind.

The time it took to fall from a height of hundreds of meters was not long. As gravity intensified, the speed of the descent increased rapidly. When the ground was right before his eyes, even though he knew nothing bad would happen, the subconscious fear still made him nervously clutch Duan Xi’s lapel.

When his feet finally touched the ground, Wei Lin’s legs felt weak. The cold wind that had choked him earlier, combined with the sudden relaxation, caused him to cough uncontrollably. For some reason, his lower abdomen also began to ache in sharp spasms.

“How can you be so careless? You got choked by the wind.” The person holding him gently patted his back, his tone laced with a hint of concern.

His face was flushed red from coughing, and physiological tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. If he hadn’t been leaning on Duan Xi, he would surely have collapsed.

The sharp pain in his lower abdomen only flared up for a moment before subsiding under Duan Xi’s soothing touch.

As Wei Lin caught his breath, he inwardly grumbled that this body was indeed strange. No matter how much pain he was in, as long as Duan Xi was nearby, the pain would immediately cease, as if Duan Xi were a pain-relief stick.

He dismissed the confusion in his heart and told Duan Xi: “Don’t do things like this again without my permission.”

Even if his heart was strong and his mindset peaceful, he couldn’t handle being startled by Duan Xi like this multiple times.

“Heh…” Duan Xi chuckled mockingly when he heard this. “Was it that scary?”

“No, it wasn’t because I was scared.” Wei Lin’s face was cold, though he had already mentally cursed Duan Xi up and down.

“Is that so?” Duan Xi was noncommittal, glancing at the hand clutching his lapel, raising an eyebrow meaningfully.

Having his pretense exposed, Wei Lin felt awkward inside, but he nonchalantly withdrew his hand and pushed away Duan Xi’s arms wrapped around him, then forced himself to stand steady with composure.

He didn’t want to continue arguing with Duan Xi on this topic and turned to survey the surroundings of Whale Fall Island.

Whale Fall Island was too desolate; it was almost barren, and even the passing birds were unwilling to linger for a moment.

Duan Xi had said he was taking him out to relax, yet they had come to this barren place. Aside from the endless sea, he didn’t know what Duan Xi wanted him to see.

“What exactly do you want to do by bringing me here?”

Duan Xi said matter-of-factly: “To help you relax, of course.”

It was noon, and the autumn sun was not fierce. It shone on Duan Xi’s dazzling red hair like a blazing flame capable of incinerating everything.

Wei Lin hesitated to speak, then hesitated again.

The waves relentlessly washed over the fine sand on the shore. Occasionally, one or two crabs scuttled past, waving their claws aggressively. The damp sea breeze swept through, kicking up sand and emphasizing the loneliness and desolation.

“What is there to see for relaxation in this place?”

To look at the barren rocks and Gobi? Or count the grains of sand? Going through such trouble just to see this barren island seemed hardly worth it.

Duan Xi vaguely guessed the unsaid meaning in his words and explained with a laugh: “The scenery of Whale Fall Island during the day is indeed unremarkable, but when night falls, the endless starry sky is the most spectacular sight here.”

Wei Lin, unfamiliar with this world, was skeptical.

It was only midday, and there was still a long time until night. He hadn’t yet drunk his midday dose of medicinal soup.

Duan Xi was well-prepared and had brought an extra portable artifact when they left.

The artifact was only palm-sized, a small, exquisite courtyard house. When the artifact landed, it expanded into a large compound.

Duan Xi produced a stove from somewhere. Over the open flame, brown medicinal liquid boiled in an earthenware pot, and the unique bitter smell of Chinese medicine permeated the surroundings.

Duan Xi, as if performing a magic trick, pulled out a porcelain bowl, filled it, and presented it to him.

Wei Lin should have been used to the smell by now, but today it felt particularly pungent and unpleasant, causing a feeling of nausea.

He covered his nose and subtly took a step back.

Duan Xi pushed the medicinal bowl forward slightly. The strong medicinal smell spread faster, intensifying the feeling of nausea.

Seeing that Wei Lin hadn’t moved for a while, Duan Xi looked puzzled, “Why aren’t you drinking?”

Unable to suppress the nausea, Wei Lin waved his hand: “I’ll drink it after it cools down a bit.”

Duan Xi said nothing. Spiritual energy flowed through his palm, and the steaming medicinal soup instantly cooled. He pushed it forward again, saying, “You can drink it now.”

Wei Lin pursed his lips, staring at the medicinal soup, which felt like a death warrant, with a look of deep suffering. A sudden, inexplicable irritation surged in his heart. For a moment, he impulsively wanted to knock the bowl over, but reason prevailed.

He stalled for a moment before taking the bowl. Suppressing the nausea, he drank half of it in one gulp. However, as soon as the soup entered his throat, his stomach churned, and he immediately threw it all back up.

The medicinal bowl fell onto the sand. He leaned on Duan Xi’s shoulder, dry-heaving, feeling like he couldn’t catch his breath. The sharp pain in his lower abdomen began to flare up again, and this time, even Duan Xi’s presence was useless.

Duan Xi was startled by his sudden action at first. The moment he reacted, he immediately helped him regulate his breathing and asked, “What’s wrong? Where do you feel unwell?”

Wei Lin was retching and gasping for air, unable to respond to him.

Seeing the person who had been fine moments ago suddenly become so distressed, Duan Xi said remorsefully, “I should have known not to bring you out.”

He knew Wei Lin’s body was weak now, but he hadn’t expected him to be as fragile as a porcelain doll, liable to break with a light touch.

Although he was very satisfied with this obedient Wei Lin, comparing the two, he still preferred to see Wei Lin appear before him with his head held high.

“Let’s go back to Heaven Gate first and have Yin Changlan check your pulse. We can come back for Whale Fall Island’s night view once your health improves.”

Duan Xi announced his decision abruptly. Wei Lin, who had finally caught his breath, gripped the fabric on Duan Xi’s shoulder tightly.

“There’s no need to go back. I just felt nauseous from the smell of the medicine.”

This wasn’t a major illness. It was likely just an acute stress reaction caused by his weak body and the shock of jumping directly from a great height.

“But you drank it fine this morning.”

Duan Xi clearly didn’t believe his excuse and stubbornly insisted on taking him back.

Wei Lin couldn’t help but feel angry. He looked coldly at Duan Xi: “With my current broken body, Gate Master Duan can try jumping down from high altitudes with me a few more times. You don’t need to do anything else; you’ll surely be able to torment me to death.”

Duan Xi fell silent, awkwardly rubbing the tip of his nose. “Isn’t this height quite normal?”

He recalled that back then, he and Wei Lin had fought from the East Sea to the Central Province, from the depths of the ocean to ten thousand feet in the sky. Wei Lin had never complained of discomfort, and in fact, became more excited the longer they fought.

Wei Lin clearly remembered those events too. His golden eyes flickered with panic for a moment. He masked it with a cold laugh: “You must know that the present is different from the past. How can the current me compare to before?”

Duan Xi felt he had touched Wei Lin’s self-esteem and sighed: “I was wrong. I won’t do it again next time.”

Wei Lin was noncommittal, but he breathed a sigh of relief inside for successfully fooling him.

Wei Lin rested for a while, and the feeling of nausea finally subsided.

Afterward, the two tacitly avoided discussing the matter. The medicine was definitely undrinkable, but the decision to return to Heaven Gate and have Yin Changlan examine his body again remained unchanged.

Time passed steadily. The last ray of sunset faded from the horizon, leaving the sea surface in endless darkness.

The night sea breeze was cold, unlike the mild warmth of the day.

Wei Lin was once again pressured by Duan Xi to put on a fox fur cloak. The heavy coat draped over his shoulders, the hem reaching his ankles, wrapping him up completely.

He felt like a penguin, walking with a clumsy waddle.

He tried to protest to Duan Xi: “I’m not that fragile. It’s only early autumn; what does it look like wearing something so thick?”

He sometimes wondered if he might suffer from heatstroke.

Duan Xi was unyielding and flatly refused: “If you can guarantee that you won’t catch a cold from the night wind, then you can take off the cloak.”

Wei Lin: “…”

He couldn’t guarantee it, so he could only compromise in the end.

Duan Xi took his hand and led him out of the courtyard house. Night had fully fallen, and the dazzling galaxy hung in the sky, a truly breathtaking sight at first glance.

In his previous world, Wei Lin, busy struggling to survive, never had time to look up at the sky. This single glance now captivated him deeply.

The golden eyes reflected the brilliant galaxy, and his entire being seemed to brighten and come alive. The aura of death lingering around him seemed to be washed away.

Wei Lin gazed up at the sky, but Duan Xi’s eyes only reflected his figure.

Their clasped hands shared warmth. Duan Xi felt as if something was breaking out of its cocoon in his heart. He gently rubbed the back of Wei Lin’s hand and murmured softly, “This isn’t the most beautiful time yet. It’s at midnight, when the whale pods surface, that the view is truly spectacular.”

Wei Lin turned to look at him, meeting those dark, deep eyes, and felt a strange, inexplicable sensation.

Duan Xi pointed toward the mountain peak that resembled a whale plunging into the deep sea. “From there, you can see many unseen sights.”

Wei Lin’s eyes flickered: “Then let’s go.”

Duan Xi picked Wei Lin up by the waist. This time, Wei Lin didn’t resist, though he still felt a little uncomfortable.

It wouldn’t take long for Duan Xi to reach the peak from the base of the mountain, but fearing Wei Lin might catch a chill, he flew much slower.

By the time they stood on the peak, about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea had passed.

The peak was also barren, but due to the high altitude, it was covered in white snow. The mountain wind was bitterly cold.

Wei Lin subconsciously shrank his neck and tightened the fox fur cloak. At this moment, he was somewhat grateful for Duan Xi’s insistence, otherwise, he might have been bedridden by tomorrow.

Duan Xi watched his small movement and smiled: “You don’t mind the heat now?”

Wei Lin pursed his lips, unable to refute.

Duan Xi shook his head, pulled up the hood of the cloak, and covered his head, leaving only his delicate, beautiful face exposed.

The sky was completely dark now, and the stars were even more dazzling. A silver stream of light, like a flowing river, seemed to divide the sky in two.

The mountain peak was thousands of meters high. Standing here and looking at the sky, it felt as if one could reach out and pluck those brilliant stars.

Wei Lin actually did so. When his open hand grasped nothing, he couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. It was as if he had grasped something, yet also grasped nothing at all.

Since coming to this world, he had never felt a sense of reality, nor had he truly integrated into this world.

It wasn’t until he stood beneath this river of stars that a profound, mysterious feeling suddenly surged within him. It was as if he should have existed here all along, yet also as if he had been nothing more than an indifferent outsider from beginning to end.

Wei Lin tilted his head, staring blankly at his slender, pale fingers. After a long time, he let out a soft sigh.

What did it matter if he was a character in a painting or an outsider? In the end, fate was manipulating him, and he had never had the right to choose.