The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 44
byChapter 44 The Overbearing CEO Falls for Me
That evening, Pei Yumin took three full showers, lathering up with body wash more than ten times until he felt thoroughly pickled. Before stepping out, he still felt it wasn’t enough and rinsed his hands several more times.
Lu Shangyan listened to the continuous sound of running water, repeatedly glancing up to peek. Only when the water sounds completely ceased did he abruptly lower his head, not daring to look up again.
Pei Yumin stood before him, staring at the crown of his head for a moment before clearing his throat and announcing, “I’m ready!”
Startled by his robust voice, Lu Shangyan slowly stood up. “You sit.”
The two of them acted as if they were performing some solemn and sacred handover ceremony. Pei Yumin sat down, and Lu Shangyan stiffly stood up, switching places with him.
Their toes were touching. Pei Yumin had initially thought he would need to urge Lu Shangyan or chat a little to help him relax before he would willingly allow the touch.
But this time, before he could even open his mouth, Lu Shangyan lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing a section of pale waist.
Pei Yumin’s breathing hitched. His hands rested at his sides; for a moment, he almost forgot he had two hands and didn’t dare lift them to touch.
Lu Shangyan thought he couldn’t reach, so he stepped forward slightly. Pei Yumin licked his dry lips. Lu Shangyan was being so proactive; if he didn’t touch him now, he wouldn’t be much of a man!
The moment his warm palm made contact with Lu Shangyan’s soft belly, Lu Shangyan’s waist went weak, and a tingling sensation spread through his body. He exerted great effort to hold still and not pull away.
Pei Yumin grew bolder, gently tracing circles on his slightly protruding lower abdomen. His fingers pressed down, occasionally kneading softly. “So amazing.”
Lu Shangyan couldn’t bear this kind of “touching” and let out a soft moan. Fortunately, Pei Yumin was focused entirely on his belly at the moment and didn’t realize how suggestive the sound was, only thinking Lu Shangyan was responding to him.
He continued, “You can actually carry a baby. That’s so amazing.”
Lu Shangyan was completely flushed. Luckily, fearing awkwardness, he had dimmed the lights in the room earlier, but the downside was that the atmosphere was now incredibly intimate. And Pei Yumin seemed unable to get enough, constantly pressing against his lower abdomen, his large palm and fingers often inadvertently exploring lower down.
He took a deep breath, unable to endure it any longer. “How much longer are you going to touch?”
Pei Yumin pretended not to hear, touching even more enthusiastically. “He just kicked me, I think.”
Lu Shangyan denied it. “That was me breathing.”
Pei Yumin wouldn’t listen, insisting, “The baby must have felt me touching him, so he’s responding to me! Looks like I need to touch more often from now on.”
Lu Shangyan: “……I think I understand what you mean.”
He was trying to take advantage of the situation again. Lu Shangyan took a step back and pulled down his shirt. “We’ll discuss this later.”
After that, Pei Yumin diligently took three showers every day, just waiting for Lu Shangyan to relent and let him touch his belly. Unfortunately, Lu Shangyan never voluntarily lifted his shirt again. Pei Yumin could only use every possible method to have a brief interaction with the baby whenever he got close to Lu Shangyan or when Lu Shangyan wasn’t paying attention.
After each touch, he felt a sense of loss: “Baby, Daddy is useless!”
It wasn’t until half a month later that all matters concerning those scumbags were settled.
Zhao Gui had indeed been wrongly accused for over ten years; he hadn’t hit anyone.
What actually happened was that when Lu Lin saw Lu Shangyan’s parents leaving, he insisted on going into the city with them, hoping to buy some treats. Halfway there, Lu Yue said it had been raining and they couldn’t go to the big supermarket, only the nearby convenience store. Lu Lin threw a tantrum, refusing and struggling to run forward.
Just then, Zhao Gui appeared on his bicycle. Lu Yue and Sun Liu, fearing for Lu Lin’s safety, shielded him behind them. Unexpectedly, Lu Lin, in a fit of pique, kept pushing the two of them.
He was chubby and strong as a child. While Lu Yue and Sun Liu were watching the passing traffic and worrying about Zhao Gui, Lu Lin pushed them into the water.
By the time Lu Lin’s mother arrived, Lu Yue’s body was already cold, but Sun Liu, protected by her husband, still had a breath left. However, Lu Lin’s mother feared that if Sun Liu woke up, she wouldn’t be able to protect Lu Lin.
She was afraid that Lu Lin would be branded a murderer for life at such a young age. So, she found a way to shift all the blame onto the drunken Zhao Gui. Coupled with her assertive personality and connections in the city from her youth, she fueled the situation, causing Zhao Gui to take the fall.
Afterward, the eldest uncle and third uncle’s families saw that Lu Shangyan was orphaned and had a large family fortune waiting to be divided. They were tempted, sold their houses, and became inextricably linked with Lu Lin’s family.
Now that the truth was revealed, all the money they had stolen and swindled from Lu Shangyan over the years had to be returned, including the money from selling Lu Yue and Sun Liu’s house, and compensation for the emotional distress caused by the beatings and abuse Lu Shangyan suffered over the years… In total, Lu Shangyan’s bank account gained 748,000 yuan.
After so many years, he finally experienced the feeling of those people having to sell everything they owned to pay him back.
Adding the 200,000 yuan Lu He gave him, plus his own savings, he now had nearly a million yuan. He could buy a decent house in Z City, although he might still need a loan.
With the money in hand, Lu Shangyan felt a heavy weight in his heart, feeling that he had uncovered the truth too late.
The moment the verdict was announced, Pei Yumin wrapped his arms around Lu Shangyan’s shoulders, whispering repeatedly in his ear, “It’s okay, it’s all over now, it’s okay, it’s okay…”
Lu Shangyan stared intently at Lu Lin as he was led away. This was likely the last time they would ever see each other, as he certainly wouldn’t be kind enough to visit him in prison.
His uncles and aunts, who used to boss him around, now acted like cowering turtles, not daring to meet his gaze. Watching their retreating figures, Lu Shangyan felt his blood rush and his body tremble. He had to hold onto Pei Yumin’s arm to keep from fainting.
After returning home that day, Lu Shangyan slept soundly for a day and a night. When he woke up the next morning, there was no trace of vulnerability on his face.
He went to his parents’ graves. This time, he was no longer frowning and exhausted. He had a lot he wanted to say, so he stood silently by the tombstone and quietly spoke everything in his heart.
Before leaving, he said, “Mom and Dad, don’t worry. I’m doing better and better now. And soon, I’ll have family.”
He glanced at Pei Yumin beside him and added silently: Two family members.
–
The old family house was completely renovated. With only one month left of summer vacation, Lu Shangyan decided to go back to work.
Pei Yumin commented, “Do you have to be so hardworking, CEO Lu? You’re already so rich, and you’re still taking part-time jobs.”
Lu Shangyan sighed. “You don’t understand, but I’ve looked into it. Raising a child is very expensive.”
Pei Yumin gestured to himself. “The child is half mine, too.” Seeing Lu Shangyan remain silent, he started to panic. He had told Lu Shangyan he would have absolute decision-making power over everything concerning the child, but he didn’t mean he wouldn’t do anything!
“Lu Shangyan, you wouldn’t be so heartless, would you? Are you really going to keep the child and discard the father?”
Lu Shangyan looked at him helplessly. “If you keep acting like this, I really will make sure he only has one father.”
Hearing that, Pei Yumin relaxed. “My mom asked me a couple of days ago if we should set up a nursery room for the baby. What do you think?”
“Our current place is a bit small, and it won’t be convenient after the baby is born. I happen to have a few properties under my name. Do you want to pick one, or would you prefer to stay at my mom’s place? It would be convenient for her to help you look after the baby.”
By his calculation, the baby was already over three months old, and some things couldn’t be delayed. “I want to save money to buy a house.” He quickly added, “You don’t need to worry about the house.”
Pei Yumin tentatively asked, “How about I give you some money so you can buy a bigger one?” He roughly knew how much money Lu Shangyan had. That amount wouldn’t buy a very good house in Z City’s downtown area. A secondary one would cost at least 1.5 million yuan, and the rooms would be small and few. He would also have to carry a mortgage for several years.
Lu Shangyan had just gotten rid of those parasitic relatives; if he took on a mortgage… Pei Yumin shook his head repeatedly. “Wouldn’t that be too tiring?”
Lu Shangyan said, “What I mean is, until I can buy a house outright, I’ll rent. When we go back, we can just rent a bigger place.”
Pei Yumin was unable to argue and could only temporarily agree. “Then what can I do?”
“I have classes and part-time work, so I’ll probably be very tired.” Lu Shangyan’s situation was different now; he couldn’t endlessly overdraw his body. “So, finding a new place will be your job.”
“Try to choose a place with good sunlight, a nice environment, and quiet surroundings. Three bedrooms and one living room. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bit far from the school. Keep the rent under 3,000 yuan per month, understood?”
These requirements… Pei Yumin smiled and agreed. It was fine; he could always buy it later.
–
The rental apartment hadn’t been occupied for a month and was covered in dust. Pei Yumin immediately started cleaning frantically after they entered. Lu Shangyan was pushed onto the balcony to water the plants.
Halfway through the cleaning, Yuan Qingyu arrived. For the past month, she had repeatedly expressed her desire to go to Sui County, but Pei Yumin had stopped her every time. Now that the two of them were back, she couldn’t be stopped and showed up right on time.
As soon as she entered, she pulled Lu Shangyan close, examining him front, back, up, and down several times. Finally, she secretly touched his belly and said with double meaning, “It’s good that everyone is safe, everyone is safe.”
Then, she threw everything on the sofa onto the floor and pulled Lu Shangyan down to sit. “You must be tired after such a long drive. Rest well.” She glared at Pei Yumin. “Do you even know how to handle things? Making him work as soon as you get back!”
Lu Shangyan was a bit different now, but he wasn’t that fragile. Seeing Yuan Qingyu so anxious about him, he felt uncomfortable all over and looked at Pei Yumin for help.
Pei Yumin received his signal. “Mom, stop messing around. These are the clean clothes I was about to put away. Now you’ve thrown them all on the floor, and I have to wash them again.”
He shoved the clothes into her hands. “Since you’re here, help me out.”
“Also, the doctor said he needs moderate exercise. Protecting him this much might not be good for him.”
Yuan Qingyu was skeptical. “Really?”
Lu Shangyan quickly nodded, standing up with the watering can, eager to escape the scene. It was then that he noticed another person standing by the entrance.
Yuan Qingyu finally realized it too. “Yinyin, it’s so dirty in here, you don’t need to change your shoes. Come in quickly.”
She introduced her to Lu Shangyan. “Shangyan, this is the daughter of my best friend. She’s the same age as Yumin and just returned from abroad a couple of days ago. She doesn’t have many friends here and is bored at home, so I brought her to see you two. It’s a chance for her to relax. She hasn’t seen Yumin in a while, so it’s a good opportunity for them to catch up. You’re all around the same age, so you should have things to talk about.”
After speaking, she gave Pei Yumin a meaningful look.
The next second, Yinyin quickly stepped forward and intimately linked her arm through Pei Yumin’s. “Why do you look so unhappy to see me? We’ve only been apart for a few months. What, have you forgotten your ‘ex-girlfriend’?”
Yinyin smiled brightly, then looked at Lu Shangyan. “You are… his roommate?”
Lu Shangyan nodded. “Would you like some water?”
“She doesn’t need any.” Pei Yumin’s expression was far from pleased. “Shangshang, don’t listen to her nonsense. I don’t have an ex-girlfriend like her. No, I don’t have any girlfriend.”
Lu Shangyan glanced at him, said nothing, and turned back to tend to the flowers that were almost withered from long-term dehydration.
Pei Yumin frowned at Miao Yinyin, too angry to speak. He could only turn back to Lu Shangyan to explain.
Miao Yinyin hugged Yuan Qingyu’s arm and whispered playfully, “That kind of provocation didn’t work? Their progress is too slow, isn’t it?”
Yuan Qingyu sighed. “Who knew I would give birth to such a useless son? When I chased his father, I caught him in three days.”
Madam Yuan Qingyu conveniently omitted the fact that Old Pei had fallen in love with her at first sight in college and secretly admired her for years. Her “three days” merely involved the clumsy act of finally acknowledging the obvious.
At the time, Old Pei had seen her kick her opponent flying in a Taekwondo match, and that kick seemed to have landed right in his heart.
Miao Yinyin said, “Then I’ll think of another way to provoke him.”
Pei Yumin had no idea they were plotting against him. Seeing Lu Shangyan ignore him, he started sweating, momentarily fearing that all his efforts during this time would be wasted, and he would instantly revert to the “extreme restraint disguised as friendship” period where they couldn’t kiss.
Lu Shangyan saw him nervously looking around and asked, confused, “What’s wrong?”
Relieved that Lu Shangyan was still willing to talk to him, he temporarily relaxed. “I’m not close to that Yinyin, no, Miao Yinyin, I’m not close to her!”
“You know I wasn’t particularly good at studying. After finishing university here, I went abroad for graduate studies. We happened to be in the same place, and since her mother and my mother are friends, my mom asked me to look after her.”
“As you can see, she has a lively personality and likes to make friends. Many people pursued her, but she didn’t want to date. When she was pursued too often, she found it troublesome, so she claimed I was her boyfriend to ward off suitors!”
He leaned closer to Lu Shangyan. “I swear, I wasn’t even present when she spread that rumor, or I wouldn’t have let her say that! I had already fallen for you at first sight and only had eyes for you. I would never be unfaithful!”
He kept getting closer, forcing Lu Shangyan to bend over. “You knew me that early? How come I don’t know anything about it?”
Pei Yumin realized he had said too much and quickly straightened up. “Now is not the time to talk about this. I will find a suitable time to tell you everything later.”
Then, he looked at Lu Shangyan pleadingly. “So, you absolutely must not believe anything Miao Yinyin says! She’s the biggest troublemaker! Please don’t get angry and ignore me over such a small matter.”
Lu Shangyan sighed. “I’m not ignoring you.” At most, his emotions were a little off just now, and besides, he attributed it to pregnancy hormones, not to him being jealous everywhere.
Seeing Pei Yumin still anxiously pressing him, he put on a serious expression. “I need to get some water. The can is empty.”
Pei Yumin quickly said, “I’ll help you.”
There was a sink right on the balcony, so getting water was easy, but he just wanted to show off in front of Lu Shangyan.
Only after confirming that Lu Shangyan was truly not angry did he return to clean up the scattered items on the floor.
Miao Yinyin seized the opportunity again. “No way, you’ve been chasing him for so long and haven’t succeeded? And with so many people helping you, it still hasn’t worked out. Things are like this now, and you’re still not dating. Are you incompetent, Pei Yumin?”
Pei Yumin glanced at her, and the thought that Lu Shangyan had reacted that way because he cared made his heart swell with joy. He wanted to explode on the spot and blast Miao Yinyin away!
Pei Yumin adopted the air of an experienced man, looking down on her childish methods. “We’re not in a hurry. He has his own pace, and my job is to adapt to his rhythm. That’s what a mature man should do, not use clumsy, unsophisticated tactics like yours.”
Miao Yinyin was about to say something else when he suddenly turned and looked at Lu Shangyan. “Besides, I think we’re practically dating already.”
Miao Yinyin waved her hand, then pointed at him and said to Yuan Qingyu, “It’s over, Auntie, he’s gone crazy.”
To emphasize his importance, he deliberately said to Lu Shangyan, “CEO Lu, if we move, could you rent a slightly bigger place? I want a study and a walk-in closet.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have anywhere to put his clothes. He would have to wear one batch, take it home, and bring a new batch back, like a boarding student who drags a pile of clothes home every week.
Lu Shangyan pointed at his bedroom door, giving him no face. “Budget is limited. Your room can only be that big at most.”
Pei Yumin quickly smiled and nodded, afraid that Lu Shangyan would kick him out if he delayed.
Once Lu Shangyan turned his back, he whispered to Yuan Qingyu, “Sorry, I inherited being henpecked from my dad.”
Miao Yinyin was truly shocked. “Are you doing that badly now? You can’t even afford to buy a house and have to rent!”
“Of course not.” Pei Yumin lifted his chin proudly. “I don’t need to pay rent.”
Miao Yinyin rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. “He’s truly crazy. He’s relying on a college student to support him!”
Pei Yumin shook his head. “Not so, not so. I think he wants to give me a home. He’s very responsible.”
Miao Yinyin was almost in tears, grabbing Yuan Qingyu’s hand tremblingly. “Auntie, please take him to see a doctor.”
Yuan Qingyu looked exasperated, pretending not to know her son for the moment.
Pei Yumin continued to praise Lu Shangyan. “Shangshang is wonderful. He knows I have money and property, yet he still wants to rely on his own efforts to buy a house and settle down in Z City. He’s so motivated, working so hard for me. If I didn’t accept, wouldn’t I be ungrateful?”
Miao Yinyin looked skeptical. Pei Yumin then called out to Lu Shangyan, “Shangshang, I’m an overbearing CEO! I have a property that meets all the conditions you mentioned. Do you want to go take a look?”
…Overbearing CEO? Lu Shangyan blushed from embarrassment for him. “Stop reading ‘The Overbearing CEO Falls for Me.'” There were so many people watching. Pei Yumin might be shameless, but he wasn’t!
Pei Yumin shrugged at Miao Yinyin. “See? CEO Lu insists on supporting me.”
Miao Yinyin felt something was fishy. She suspected Lu Shangyan wasn’t aware of Pei Yumin’s true identity, but seeing Pei Yumin’s infatuated expression, completely immersed in his fantasy, she couldn’t be bothered to say anything more. Otherwise, Pei Yumin would just use his stupid methods to argue with her again, and she was tired of it!
–
Pei Yumin spent his days commuting between work and home. By the time he finally had time to go out and relax, school was about to start.
Xia Li and Jian Guo had returned to school and, having nothing else to do, invited Lu Shangyan out for a gathering at a restaurant near their university.
Lu Shangyan was now over four months along, and it was somewhat noticeable in a short-sleeved shirt.
As soon as Xia Li saw him, she couldn’t help but say, “You had a good summer vacation. You’ve gained quite a bit of weight; you almost have a little belly.”
Lu Shangyan looked down. Jian Guo also stared for a long time. “No way, maybe it’s because the clothes are too loose.”
Halfway through the meal, the three of them started chatting. Jian Guo asked him, “The school sports meet is the week after school starts. What events are you signing up for?”
Participation in the university sports meet wasn’t mandatory, and Lu Shangyan hadn’t planned on going. However, their class had few students, so everyone had to sign up for at least two events, and even then, many events still had no participants.
In this situation, it would be hard for him not to participate.
His personality was a bit more outgoing now than before, and he no longer wanted to be the person everyone avoided. He wanted to be a little more integrated.
So he said, “Shot put.” He had already seen the notice in the class group chat. Since he couldn’t do strenuous exercise now, this was the only suitable event. “Maybe a two-hundred-meter dash at most.”
Jian Guo didn’t care what events he signed up for, only asking, “The campus is open during the sports meet. Will Pei Yumin come to watch you compete?”
Lu Shangyan nodded. Actually, he didn’t want Pei Yumin to come, but Pei Yumin insisted, saying that the extreme pain he felt when Lu Shangyan fainted while running last time still lingered, and he had to keep a constant eye on him to prevent Lu Shangyan from overexerting himself again.
Seeing him nod, Jian Guo immediately asked, “Then can you ask him to bring Tang Suichen too?”
To win Tang Suichen back, he had grit his teeth and signed up for the five-thousand-meter race. With his small physique, he definitely wouldn’t finish, but he wanted to look as miserable as possible. He wanted Tang Suichen to feel sorry for him, and then he could use the opportunity to interact further with Tang Suichen.
During the time Lu Shangyan had been back, he had learned a lot about Tang Suichen’s past, and naturally, he knew about his relationship with Jian Guo.
Although he didn’t want to spoil the mood, he couldn’t let Jian Guo hold onto false hope. “Tang Suichen… he’s already married.”
“You probably know who he married, Song Yuxin.”
Jian Guo froze, turning around stiffly. His breathing was ragged, his expression blank, and he looked completely dazed. He couldn’t answer anything Lu Shangyan or Xia Li asked him.
Lu Shangyan couldn’t think of anything to comfort him, so he could only seek help from Pei Yumin, who always replied instantly.
[S: What exactly is love?]
Pei Yumin replied immediately:
[M: What date do you want to get married? I’m fine with any.]