The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Baby Must Be Born Safe and Sound…

On the way back, Zhao Jian asked knowingly, “Why do you look like a wilted old cucumber now?”

Pei Yumin’s expression soured. “Who are you calling an old cucumber?!”

Zhao Jian shrugged. “Whoever has a long face right now is who I’m talking about.”

“But I really don’t get it. If you didn’t want Lu Shangyan to go with that Zhou Keling guy, why didn’t you just stop him?”

Tang Suichen, sitting in the front, immediately turned his head. “That’s because he doesn’t even have the right to be jealous yet.”

Zhao Jian exchanged a look with him, high-fived, and then both burst into uncontrollable laughter.

With the two of them playing off each other, Pei Yumin suspected they were doing it on purpose.

No, judging by how hard they were laughing at him, they definitely were doing it on purpose!

Pei Yumin clenched his fists. “Say one more word, and I guarantee your lives will be very unpleasant from now on.”

Tang Suichen and Zhao Jian lowered their heads, communicating wildly with their eyes and stifling their laughter behind their hands.

After they had their fill of laughing, they looked up again and said, “If you asked me for advice right now, maybe I’d be willing to help. After all, I only had to make a small move to marry Song Yuxin.”

Pei Yumin scoffed. “Should I follow your example and offer up my ass?”

The smile completely vanished from Tang Suichen’s face, and he refused to say another word.

That dark and stormy night, taking care of Song Yuxin, that innocent little thing, had been quite a struggle for him.

Zhao Jian, however, looked indifferent. “Don’t even think about it. That trick won’t work on Lu Shangyan; he’s a pure bottom.”

“But I can genuinely give you a suggestion. If you’re really worried, call him every half hour. That should be enough to disrupt them and prevent them from doing anything.”

Pei Yumin gave him a deep look, then pulled out his phone without hesitation.

–

The calls escalated from one every half hour to one every ten minutes.

At first, Lu Shangyan could calmly ask him what was wrong, but after the third call, he completely turned his phone off.

Pei Yumin sat dejectedly on the flower bed outside. Zhao Jian had already taken off his makeup and was about to draw the curtains for his skincare routine when he saw Pei Yumin’s miserable state.

He grabbed some mosquito repellent and went downstairs. “Good thing this hotel isn’t too high up, or you’d be feeding mosquitoes all night.”

As he approached, he saw the automatically disconnected call. Zhao Jian sighed, helpless. “If you missed him so much, you should have just stopped him directly! What’s the point of moping outside now?”

“He knows I like him.” This was Pei Yumin’s first time liking someone, and he had no idea what to do. “But this was an agreement between him and that person, and he wanted to go himself. I’m not his boyfriend, how could I stop him?”

“He doesn’t like me, and I can’t stop him from liking other men, can I?”

Zhao Jian looked disgusted, his expression quite ugly. “You’re almost thirty, not thirteen. Stop reciting sad literature you read in middle school.”

“Besides, I don’t think Lu Shangyan likes Zhou Keling. Hmm… he probably has zero interest. At most, it’s just friends reuniting after a long time, nothing more.”

Pei Yumin stiffened, not responding, but his eyes signaled him to continue.

Zhao Jian didn’t dampen his spirits. “I think he likes you quite a bit. Anyway, if you pursue him, the possibility of succeeding is much higher than with Zhou Keling.”

Pei Yumin’s eyes lit up. “But Zhou Keling has known him for many years, and Lu Shangyan hasn’t forgotten him all this time.”

Zhao Jian, like a relationship guru, said earnestly, “If they were meant to be, they would have gotten together during those six years. People who are fated will meet again no matter what happens, not just show up after Lu Shangyan has already fallen for someone else.”

Pei Yumin straightened his back. “You really think he likes me?”

Zhao Jian nodded in affirmation.

Pei Yumin stood up, looking a little smug. “I do have quite a connection with him. I met him a long time ago, and I liked him even then. Just when I thought we would never meet again in this lifetime, he appeared before me once more.” He stared ahead, as if seeing the image of Lu Shangyan in the translucent white shirt again. “Right in front of me, swaying his hips, tempting me.”

Zhao Jian hadn’t expected Lu Shangyan, who usually seemed dull and cold, to be so wild in private. It seemed he really could pass on all his winning techniques to Lu Shangyan, and incidentally benefit this lovesick—no, this foolishly devoted—man.

“Exactly! So what are you afraid of? Crouching here like you’ve been dumped, stand up and go after him!”

Pei Yumin actually stood up, full of fighting spirit, ready to continue asserting his dominance, but he looked around and didn’t take a step. “But I don’t know where the two of them are right now.”

Zhao Jian slapped his forehead. “I heard you talking so much in his ear, I thought you were a relationship expert. Turns out you’re just all talk.”

Pei Yumin’s expression became unnatural. “All talk about what? Don’t talk nonsense.”

He was about to call Lu Shangyan again to ask where he was. This time, the call still didn’t go through, but Lu Shangyan arrived.

Pei Yumin immediately rushed over, a hint of shyness on his face. “When will you be willing to marry me?”

Zhao Jian slapped his forehead again and turned to go upstairs.

Lu Shangyan remained rooted to the spot, the strap of his backpack slipping into his palm. It took him a long time to react. “Huh?”

–

The next day, the group returned to the old house.

There was a lot of rotten wood piled under the grape arbor, and with more people, cleaning it up was easier.

Zhao Jian finally found a chance to ask Pei Yumin, “Did you succeed last night?”

If he could succeed with such a crude marriage proposal, Zhao Jian would swallow a piece of wood right then and there and choke himself to death.

Hearing this, the dark-eyed, tired-looking Pei Yumin suddenly changed. “He said he needs time to consider.”

Zhao Jian efficiently loaded stones into the wheelbarrow.

Then, he heard Pei Yumin’s voice, filled with uncontrollable happiness. “He didn’t reject me, which means he’ll agree.”

Zhao Jian: “……”

Zhao Jian: “You’re so rich, go buy a new brain and get a love-struck one transplanted.”

It only took half an hour to completely clear the yard. Afterward, the group planned to do a simple cleanup inside and then find decorators to redo the plumbing and electricity and give the house a basic renovation.

After all, no one had lived there for so many years. The wiring was old, the paint was peeling, and the roof was leaking, making the danger level quite high.

Lu Lin appeared at this moment. He reeked of alcohol and was a bit fatter than the last time Lu Shangyan had seen him, but his exposed arms were covered in scars—some scabbed over, some bruised. Lu Shangyan began to suspect he wasn’t fat, but swollen from being beaten.

He scanned the area, and upon seeing Lu Shangyan, he straightened his back. Bullying Lu Shangyan had become a habit for him. Even now, having fallen from grace and looking so pathetic, he still believed in his heart that Lu Shangyan would always listen to him, let him manipulate him, and remain the insignificant person who would always be inferior to him and obey him.

“Who told you to touch our family’s things! Get out, all of you!”

Seeing that no one was listening, he yelled at Lu Shangyan. “Did you tell them to come here!”

“My mom told me that a while ago you brought them to my house, smashed everything, and even hired people to threaten them into returning all the money you gave them over the years.”

“You’re something else, Lu Shangyan, bullying people like this while I’m away! Have you forgotten how I used to beat you up when you were little!”

In the past, upon hearing his baseless lecturing, Lu Shangyan would have immediately lowered his head. But this time, he had many people standing in front of him. Looking at Lu Lin through the gaps they left, he only saw Lu Lin as a fat donkey braying wildly in the yard, a stupid donkey that had long been tied up and was waiting to be slaughtered.

During the time Lu Lin was out “doing business,” he had been flattered and had long forgotten the fear of being pinned against a tree by Lu Shangyan and threatened. He only saw that as his humiliation—being intimidated by trash—and he had to find a chance to reclaim his dignity!

Today was the perfect opportunity. Everyone was present, and he could settle both old and new scores.

“Lu Shangyan, you think you can be emperor just because you brought back a few effeminate pretty boys? Do you know who I’ve been doing business with recently?! They are big bosses you’ll never even touch in your lifetime! I’m their favorite right now. If I ask them for help, killing you is the simplest thing! By then, not only you, but all these so-called friends of yours will have to go to hell with you!”

After speaking, he stood in the yard and laughed loudly. For a moment, Lu Shangyan wanted to pretend he didn’t know him, because Lu Lin looked utterly disgraceful!

Zhao Jian licked his lips. “I say, you idiot, why don’t you go outside and ask what year and month it is? This is a society governed by law! Also, what kind of important person could a stupid pig like you know? Going to hell? I think you should wash yourself first and prepare to be rendered into lard!”

Lu Lin hadn’t met Zhao Jian. Hearing his rough voice, he just shouted, “Shut up, you man-woman!”

He finally noticed Zhao Jian, sizing him up several times, and fueled by alcohol, he said, “But you do have some looks. Why don’t you follow me? I’ll make sure you live a life of luxury, much better than following these poor wretches.”

Zhao Jian’s contemptuous gaze fell on Lu Lin’s crotch. “No thanks. You look short, and like you only last less than three seconds.”

Lu Lin’s face flushed red. He looked around for something handy and finally picked up a small brick and threw it at him.

But the brick slipped out of his grasp right in front of the group.

Zhao Jian laughed even harder and genuinely sighed with emotion. “He really is weak. No wonder he’s so angry, I must have hit a nerve.”

While the two were arguing heatedly, Tang Suichen acted as if he had just realized something and explained to Pei Yumin, “When people are pushed to the brink, they often say things they’ve kept bottled up. He’s been pushed to the brink now, so I thought I’d let him come back and see if we could pry something useful out of him. It’s another investigative lead.”

Pei Yumin stretched his wrist and slowly walked out, followed by several bodyguards. He looked more like the one throwing his weight around.

Lu Lin had been living a life worse than death for the past half month. He had almost died outside and couldn’t come back. Now, he was most afraid of being beaten, but he was also very concerned about saving face. Moreover, he owed a huge sum of money and was waiting to sell the house to get some money to save his life. If Lu Shangyan snatched it back, or even demanded repayment, he would be doomed!

At this point, he could only brace himself. “Try touching me, and I’ll show you what it means to disturb the sleeping tiger!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yumin kicked him.

Lu Lin: “…You’re looking for death!”

Pei Yumin said, “What kind of business were you doing outside? Looks like you lost money.” He grabbed Lu Lin’s collar. “Look, all these injuries on your neck and body. Could it be you were doing some shady flesh trade?”

Lu Lin owed over three million yuan! He was furious. “Get lost! You clowns who can’t stand to see others succeed! I advise you to quickly get out of my house and pay for my medical expenses, or I won’t let you off!”

Tang Suichen smiled innocently. “Then tell us, how exactly won’t you let us off?”

Lu Lin looked at Tang Suichen, feeling that his face was somewhat familiar, especially his mouth when he spoke!

He couldn’t help but stare at Tang Suichen for a few more seconds, watching him slowly approach and ask again, “Tell us? Who are you going to call to stand up for you?”

Lu Lin took a step back, trying to maintain a safe distance. “Believe it or not, I’ll call right now…”

“Then call,” Tang Suichen interrupted him, having no patience to listen to him boast any further.

Lu Lin patted his pocket. “I forgot my phone. I’ll go back and notify him. I advise you to be smart and get out before I completely lose my temper.”

Pei Yumin stared at his face for a moment, noticing a faint scar on his left cheek. Something suddenly flashed through his mind. “You must have witnessed the truth about Lu Shangyan’s parents drowning that day, right?”

Lu Lin’s pupils dilated, and fear flashed in his eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly. He didn’t dare look at Pei Yumin’s face, finally settling his gaze on Lu Shangyan. Only then did he regain some composure, forcing himself to appear calm. “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

Pei Yumin circled him once. “Are you really unaware?”

“Unaware of what?” Lu Lin raised his voice. “How old was I back then? How could their deaths have anything to do with me! You want to occupy my house, but you don’t have to slander me like this!”

Zhao Jian pinched his chin. “The guiltier you are, the louder you shout. You definitely know something!”

Pei Yumin curled his lips. “More than just a little. He was there at the scene.”

Lu Lin’s eyeballs trembled. “You’re lying! I don’t know anything!”

Tang Suichen rubbed his earlobe, extremely annoyed. “If you don’t know anything, why are you so agitated?”

Lu Lin moved his mouth. “Forget it, I can’t explain it to you. I’ll come back to settle the score with you when I find the right time!”

Pei Yumin wouldn’t let him leave easily now. A prey delivered right to the door—even if he didn’t eat it, he had to take a bite. That was the least respect due to the prey.

Pei Yumin ordered his men to close the iron gate. Lu Lin was now completely sobered up by fear, and the foolish man finally realized how absurd and ignorant it was for him to run here alone to demand an explanation!

Most importantly, when he was at the village entrance, he had seen the old man who used to take care of Lu Shangyan. He asked, and was told only Lu Shangyan and Pei Yumin had returned, so he assumed it was just the two of them today!

Who knew the old man was lying to him!

But he had already shouted and boasted before seeing clearly who was there. Coupled with the liquid courage, he wanted to take the opportunity to vent the pent-up frustration he had been holding inside for so long.

He hadn’t intended to get into a direct conflict with these people. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thrown a brick at Zhao Jian just now; he would have charged in with his fists!

He gritted his teeth. “You just said this is a society governed by law, do you dare hit people?”

Pei Yumin cracked his neck. “I won’t hit people.” He reached out and pinched Lu Lin’s face, forcing him to expose the scar on his left cheek.

The scar was very faint. If he hadn’t gotten close just now, looking carefully for a while to find a spot on his body that was hard to detect, he really wouldn’t have noticed it.

“How did you get this scar?”

Lu Lin pretended to be casual. “How else? I fell when I was little and hit broken glass. It was a deep wound, needed several stitches.”

Pei Yumin smiled and shook his head. “No, you’re lying.”

Lu Lin’s gaze unconsciously fell on Lu Shangyan again. “Why would I lie to you? What’s so strange about a scar? I have plenty of scars, and Lu Shangyan has plenty too! Can you say you don’t have any scars? You can’t just determine that I know about this incident based on a small scar! I could say everyone in the world with a scar witnessed it!”

Pei Yumin lifted his chin, staring down at him, exuding immense pressure. “Stop changing the subject. This scar of yours wasn’t from a bump.”

Lu Lin rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. “You’re not a doctor.”

Pei Yumin said, “This used to be a mole, right? Probably quite large, hard to remove, so you had to have surgery to cut it out, which is why it left such a deep scar. Even after nearly twenty years, there are still traces.”

Lu Lin vehemently denied it, insisting it was an accidental bump.

Pei Yumin was unconcerned. “Whether it’s true or not, I’ll find out once I send you to the police station for investigation.”

He wasn’t hitting him or using torture, so Lu Lin temporarily relaxed. The incident had happened so long ago. Two ordinary people from a small county town had been dead for over a decade. Who would remember? Even if they investigated, what could they find?

Pei Yumin guessed what he was thinking. He turned to the numb, grief-stricken, yet unsure-what-to-do Lu Shangyan, and said casually, “Oh, right, you came back too late yesterday, I forgot to tell you. The man who drunkenly crashed into your parents and knocked them into the river has been found.”

“He moved out of town a few years ago, and won’t be home until tonight. I originally planned to tell you when he arrived.” He then looked at Lu Lin, showing a malicious smile. “But now we have an unexpected situation.”

His tone was full of regret. “Looks like we have to leave early again today.”

Before he finished speaking, he saw Lu Shangyan grab a shovel and charge quickly toward Lu Lin. Just as he raised it, Pei Yumin quickly wrapped his arms around Lu Shangyan’s waist.

Seeing this, Lu Lin calculated that it might be better to be hit by the shovel. At worst, he’d bleed a little, get stitches at the hospital, and lie down for a few days. At least that way, Lu Shangyan, however unwilling, would have to be led by the nose.

Pei Yumin didn’t dare hug too tightly, only trying his best to comfort him. He whispered close to Lu Shangyan’s ear, “The baby must be born safe and sound.”

Lu Shangyan’s hand covered Pei Yumin’s hand on his back. Seeing this, Pei Yumin immediately let go and grabbed Lu Shangyan’s hand, placing his palm against his lower abdomen.

Lu Shangyan’s chest heaved violently. He could barely speak coherently, yet he tried his best to look at Pei Yumin and ask, “What did you find out?”

Pei Yumin looked at his tearful eyes. It turned out he still knew nothing about the events of that year and hadn’t figured anything out from Pei Yumin’s words, yet he still trusted him unconditionally without any evidence.

Pei Yumin covered his eyes with his palm, quietly wiping away his tears. “Trust me, and I definitely won’t disappoint you.”

Lu Shangyan nodded almost imperceptibly.

Pei Yumin said, “That person said that there was another child who fell into the water with your parents that year. And he wasn’t completely passed out drunk; he remembers many things quite clearly. The reason he didn’t save them in time was that after his motorcycle flipped, he slid for over ten meters and hit his head on a rock and a tree by the roadside, falling unconscious.”

“When he woke up, your uncles and aunts came demanding compensation, saying the people were dead. But he said he had dodged, and hadn’t hit your parents. As he passed by, he only saw a child suddenly dart out.”

“Your parents chased after the child to save him, pulling him back, but were instead knocked into the roadside railing, falling into the water along with the child. You said the railing was loose, so they must have been knocked in by that child.”

“However, he remembers that although it was raining constantly, it was daytime, and there were people nearby. If they had heard the commotion, they would surely have come to help or call the police.

“He also suspected that in that situation, the possibility of death was extremely low. But the situation was indeed unfavorable for him, there were no cameras, and he couldn’t find the child. To avoid going to jail, he could only pay compensation—three hundred thousand yuan—which emptied his savings, forced him to sell his house, and borrow a lot of money to gather the amount.”

He had resigned himself to fate all these years, but when Pei Yumin’s call came, he felt he had another chance to clear his name, which was why he rushed back.

Lu Shangyan’s mind was sluggish. The words were simple, but he felt as if he couldn’t understand them.

He anxiously raised his hand and grabbed his hair, his expression utterly tormented. Only by leaning on Pei Yumin’s strength did he manage not to collapse onto the ground.

Lu Lin’s forehead was covered in sweat. He just wanted to leave quickly. “What does this have to do with me? You’ve said so much, what does it matter to me? Let me go!”

The more panicked he was, the easier it was for him to reveal himself.

Pei Yumin turned back to look at him, his face extremely grim. “Because the child that year was you, and the murderer was also you.”