The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 45

Chapter 45 I Finally Get to Date

The moment Lu Shangyan saw those words, he reacted as if he had been attacked, quickly shutting his eyes.

He originally didn’t want to bother with Pei Yumin anymore, but after turning his head, he saw Jian Guo looking utterly dejected. He was worried Jian Guo might do something rash, and besides, he did bear some responsibility for the current situation.

So, he patiently explained:

[s: I told Jian Guo about Tang Suichen getting married. He’s very upset right now, and I don’t know how to comfort him.]

Pei Yumin leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply, his excitement having been for nothing.

Lately, Tang Suichen had been showing off to him almost every day, claiming that he and Song Yuxin were a match made in heaven. He constantly posted on that annoying social media, talking about how Song Yuxin bought him ties, tie clips, this and that… He’d wake up in the morning to see clothes Song Yuxin had picked out for him. All this infuriated Pei Yumin so much that he had to block Tang Suichen’s posts every day, only to unblock them at night and deliberately look at them in front of Lu Shangyan, hoping Lu Shangyan would also taste his bitterness.

When Lu Shangyan messaged him just now, he thought Lu Shangyan was about to start an earth-shattering, tear-jerking, unbelievably sweet, and crazy romance with him.

Who knew it was still about Tang Suichen’s trivial family matters!

He gritted his teeth and complained to Dai Qin, “Why is this Tang Suichen haunting us!”

Dai Qin turned around and looked several times before realizing, “Is CEO Tang here? I’ll go downstairs to meet him now.”

Pei Yumin’s face darkened. “No need! From now on, Tang Suichen is banned from entering my company!”

“Make a sign immediately and hang it on the company door!”

Dai Qin backed out. Of course, he couldn’t actually do that. He just didn’t know what fit of madness Pei Yumin was having now, so he had to run out first and wait until Pei Yumin calmed down before going back in, just to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Seeing that he was alone, Pei Yumin angrily flopped onto his desk, twisting his body and pounding the surface. With his long limbs, this tantrum was both cute and, well, many shades of bizarre.

After venting enough, he heavily typed on the keyboard:

[m: You should be trying to comfort me instead. I’m more upset right now. At least Jian Guo had a relationship, but I haven’t even started dating yet!]

[m: Little Shark is wronged.jpg]

[m: Little Shark is collapsing.jpg]

[m: Little Shark is furious.jpg]

-The other party retracted a message-

[m: Little Shark is crying hard.jpg]

Lu Shangyan couldn’t bear to look, but he knew that if he didn’t reply, Pei Yumin would send hundreds of messages, making him even harder to deal with when they met.

So, he picked an irrelevant question:

[s: What did you retract?]

[m: I love you.]

Lu Shangyan: …

Actually, he saw it. It was [Little Shark is assassinating you.jpg]. He had intended to change the subject, but now he genuinely didn’t know how to respond.

He gripped his phone, staring at the screen for a moment:

[s: I understand.]

[m: What good is understanding? Reply to me.]

[m: Last time you said you’d give me an answer after the case was over. A month has passed, and you haven’t given any indication.]

[m: My little heart is going *puchi puchi* with pain.]

[s: Why *puchi puchi*?]

[m: Because a knife went in, and it’s stabbing.]

[m: Don’t try to change the subject. Answer my question immediately!]

[s: I am trying very hard to think. Give me a little more time.]

[m: How long is a little time? Isn’t a month long enough?]

[m: But since I like you, I’ll accept it even if you mess with me.]

Lu Shangyan looked at the message and was speechless for a long time. He could imagine how wronged and disappointed Pei Yumin must have sounded saying that.

But he truly hadn’t reached the final answer he was supposed to, and he always wanted to escape, so things hadn’t resolved as smoothly as he hoped.

In reality, on the other side, Pei Yumin’s lips were practically touching the sky as he sent the messages. He now completely understood what to say to manipulate Lu Shangyan’s little heart.

He stared at the screen for a while. When no message came back, he knew his act of being wronged had worked again.

So, he said very magnanimously:

[m: Forget it. I knew you couldn’t think of an answer.]

[m: I’ll accept it even without a title. It’s because I love you so much.]

Lu Shangyan vaguely sensed something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint it.

He was deep in thought until Jian Guo nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, I’m very sad right now, okay? And you have the nerve to flirt right in front of me!”

Lu Shangyan quickly flipped his phone face down on the table. He had a headache the size of two heads. Romance was hard, heartbreak was hard, Pei Yumin needed comforting, and Jian Guo needed comforting… but he, he didn’t know how to do any of it!

He glanced at Xia Li across the table, but she completely avoided his gaze, just sipping her juice and looking around.

Jian Guo sniffled, his eyes very red, but he pretended to be casual. “He hasn’t given me my breakup fee yet! He said if we broke up, he’d give me a substantial breakup fee!”

He grabbed Lu Shangyan’s hand, desperately holding back tears. “Were you just flirting with Pei Yumin? Message him now and ask him to help me demand the breakup fee from Tang Suichen!”

Lu Shangyan knew Jian Guo didn’t really want the money; it was just an excuse for him to vent appropriately.

But he still did as asked.

Jian Guo leaned closer. “I’m watching you send it. Hurry up, I want it now!”

Lu Shangyan reluctantly unlocked his phone. He regretted chatting so much with Pei Yumin just now!

Fortunately, Jian Guo was still immersed in his grief and didn’t pay attention to the content on the screen.

After sending the message, Lu Shangyan worried that Pei Yumin might say something inappropriate in front of Jian Guo.

So, he quickly added:

[s: Hurry up, he’s right next to me watching!]

But Pei Yumin completely missed the hidden meaning in his words.

[m: You rarely order me around like this. You really prioritize other people.]

Lu Shangyan quickly closed his phone. “Wait for it.”

In less than three minutes, fifty thousand yuan appeared in Lu Shangyan’s bank account.

He opened his phone and saw a message from Tang Suichen.

[A Little Sweet Orange: This is all my savings. Give it to him. After all, I’m married now, unlike you single guys who aren’t even dating. I have many, many things to consider.]

[A Little Sweet Orange: I promised my husband I wouldn’t spend money carelessly, so I can only give him this much. If he thinks it’s not enough.]

[A Little Sweet Orange: Even if he thinks it’s not enough, this is all he gets!]

Lu Shangyan looked awkward, not daring to make a sound.

Jian Guo, however, held back his tears, his nostrils trembling, yet he still pretended to be carefree. “Why are you standing there? Transfer it to me quickly. I deserve this.”

At this point, Xia Li reacted, saying with determination, “Exactly! That scumbag played with your feelings! Even with the money, don’t let him off easily!”

Hearing that made Jian Guo completely lose it. He bit his spoon and burst into tears, causing customers outside to pretend to walk by and peek into the private room.

At this moment, Lu Shangyan sincerely felt that comforting people was truly an art.

Fortunately, Jian Guo didn’t stay distraught for too long and started eating ravenously. Lu Shangyan pulled out a stack of tissues for him, preventing him from choking and spitting up his food.

Xia Li chewed on her straw, focusing her attention on Lu Shangyan. “I feel like you’ve changed a bit this summer.”

Lu Shangyan looked down at himself. “Have I? I don’t think so.”

Xia Li shook her head. “Definitely. I feel like you’ve softened up a lot. It’s like… like maternal radiance!”

Lu Shangyan almost choked but managed only a few coughs. “No.”

Jian Guo, his mouth full of food, raised his swollen eyes and mumbled, “How could he have maternal radiance!”

He squinted, then started humming. “At most, it’s the stench of being immersed in love!”

Xia Li quickly laughed and agreed. “Right, right, I misspoke. He’s in love.”

Lu Shangyan’s face flushed. “Not yet.”

Xia Li raised an eyebrow. “Not yet means you will be!”

Lu Shangyan couldn’t deny that, and with their back-and-forth, he couldn’t deny it even more. He could only eat quickly, trying to find a way to end the gathering soon.

–

Pei Yumin had been working harder than before recently to support his family. His favorite phrase was, “After all, raising a child is expensive.”

He couldn’t reveal that Lu Shangyan was pregnant, but a few people around him were in the know, including Qi Min, who had run many errands for Pei Yumin.

“But you don’t have a wife or child, so you wouldn’t understand. Dai Qin should understand how I feel, since he has a very cute daughter.”

Hearing this, Qi Min just chuckled.

Qi Min and Dai Qin were under his nose every day; how could he not see what was going on?

Pei Yumin said, “I heard you used the bonus I gave you the other day to buy him a bracelet?”

Qi Min nodded. “He bought it for his daughter. He was too stingy to buy one for himself. Such a straight man, and the style he picked was especially ugly.”

Pei Yu sighed, meaningfully. “The road ahead is long and arduous.”

But soon, he returned to his smug expression. “Unlike me, I have a wife and child so quickly.”

He usually suffered from Tang Suichen’s public displays of affection, so when he felt miserable, he could only show off a little to Qi Min.

By the time he returned home, he felt lighthearted after his bragging session.

Lu Shangyan was tidying up in the bedroom. Pei Yumin changed his shoes and was about to go see if he could help when he turned and saw something shiny on the coffee table.

It had a pale yellow ceramic base, surrounded by small stars, with a moon standing above it, and next to the moon was a cute little fairy that looked like it was floating.

Pei Yumin’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately ran over and picked it up. Lu Shangyan usually didn’t like cute things, let alone buy them for the house.

So, this could only be a gift from Lu Shangyan to him.

And he had just told Lu Shangyan today that he was cruelly playing with his feelings and not taking responsibility.

Sending something like this now must mean Lu Shangyan was about to…!

He widened his eyes, noticing the base seemed hollow, perfect for hiding a ring. He turned it over and over, and just as he was about to pry the base open, Lu Shangyan came out carrying the sheets and duvet covers that needed washing.

Seeing the object in his hand, Lu Shangyan’s eyes softened. “Do you like it?”

Pei Yumin was so touched he was almost in tears. “I love it.”

Lu Shangyan thought he was just emotional because he was about to become a father, but this was overly dramatic. Anyone would think he was acting in an exaggerated TV drama.

However, the next second, he understood the reason.

Pei Yumin tried for a long time but couldn’t open the base. He was too excited. He was afraid if he waited any longer, he would smash the thing open.

But this was a gift from Lu Shangyan; he couldn’t do that.

Finally, he handed the little fairy to Lu Shangyan. “Where did you hide the ring? I can’t open it.”

“What ring?” Lu Shangyan looked confused. Hearing this, Pei Yumin was even more confused.

Lu Shangyan was the first to react. He freed a hand and pointed to his stomach. “This is a nightlight I bought for him.”

“After lunch this afternoon, Jian Guo was in a bad mood, and he wanted us to go shopping with him. I happened to see this nightlight and thought it was pretty, so I bought it.”

He tried hard to explain, but it was useless. Pei Yumin’s expression stiffened, and he finally forced a smile. “Oh, I see. I misunderstood.”

He put the nightlight back in its place. “It is very pretty. He’ll definitely like it.” Then, he quietly added, “I like it too.”

Seeing his expression, Lu Shangyan didn’t dare approach him casually. “If you like it, you can use it first. I’ll buy him another one.”

Pei Yumin shrugged, took the sheets, and stuffed them into the washing machine. “No need. I don’t steal things from children.”

Lu Shangyan felt his expression was wrong. “Are you angry?”

Pei Yumin quickly denied it. “How could I get angry over such a small thing?”

Lu Shangyan looked at him suspiciously. “Then I’m going to work?”

Pei Yumin nodded. “Go quickly. I’ll wash and hang up your clothes later.”

After Lu Shangyan left, Pei Yumin collapsed onto the carpet like a boneless chicken foot. His eyes were hollow and despairing. He lay on the floor for a long time, unable to get up.

He was on the verge of tears, whispering, “Such a shameful Pei Yumin, such a disappointed Pei Yumin, such a broken Pei Yumin, such an unappreciated Pei Yumin.”

Then he glared at the door. “Lu Shangyan is a cheapskate, not even sending me a little nightlight.”

No matter how upset he was, he still had to pick up Lu Shangyan from work that evening.

When he arrived, he found only Li Xiaorui there.

Pei Yumin immediately forgot his sadness. “Where is Lu Shangyan? Where is he?”

Li Xiaorui looked bewildered. “He left an hour early. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No.” Pei Yumin felt his fingers go cold, terrified that something bad had happened to Lu Shangyan.

He took a step back, turned, and ran out, afraid that a moment’s delay would prevent him from saving Lu Shangyan.

When he reached the door, he remembered to call Lu Shangyan. The call connected, which relieved him slightly, but no one answered. He kept calling, one after another.

Just as he thought about calling Tang Suichen to ask for help in the search, Lu Shangyan sent him a message.

[s: Are you coming to pick me up now?]

Pei Yumin’s legs felt weak. Only after seeing this message did he dare to breathe deeply.

He stubbornly called again, but still no answer.

[m: Call me back! You scared me to death!]

He wasn’t joking. Since he met Lu Shangyan, Chen Shuo, Lu Lin… none of those people were good news.

And Lu Shangyan was definitely not the type to easily take time off and forfeit a few hundred yuan in perfect attendance bonus!

Most importantly, Lu Shangyan knew he was coming to pick him up. Leaving early without telling him definitely meant something suspicious was going on!

Lu Shangyan sent a voice message. “My phone fell just now, so I can’t take calls.”

The sound coming through the receiver was a bit noisy, which Pei Yumin assumed was due to the phone being broken.

He gritted his teeth and replied, “I told you long ago you should get a new phone. Where are you now? Are you getting it fixed?”

“Don’t bother fixing it. I’ll take you to buy a new one later.”

Lu Shangyan sat on a chair, watching the employee at the counter nearby wrapping something for him.

[s: No need. I’ll be back soon. Just wait for me in the hotel lobby.]

[m: How long?]

[s: About twenty minutes.]

[m: You scared me this time. If you don’t come back, I won’t forgive you.]

Lu Shangyan didn’t understand why leaving for a short while was so frightening. He was an adult, not a child. But then he thought, only Pei Yumin would worry about him to this extent over the slightest disturbance.

[m: Little Shark is frantic.jpg]

Lu Shangyan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He stood up and urged the counter staff, “Please hurry.”

–

As time passed, Pei Yumin gradually relaxed.

He had been too panicked just now. He sighed and asked Li Xiaorui, “Does he often secretly take time off like this?”

Li Xiaorui felt strangely like she was in the middle of a cheating investigation, and Pei Yumin was grilling her for information. She didn’t know what expression was appropriate, so she just waved her hands awkwardly. “No! I guarantee this is the first time he’s taken time off this month! He didn’t take time off often before, and even when he did, it was when you came to pick him up!”

Pei Yumin confirmed: There was definitely something suspicious. Given Lu Shangyan’s personality, how could he casually leave his money-making post!

Just as he was thinking, he heard someone call his name outside.

Lu Shangyan had been eating and sleeping well lately, and his complexion was much healthier. He was smiling, his hair was a bit messier than when he left home, and his breathing was slightly uneven, indicating he had run a distance.

Pei Yumin walked over. “Where did you go? It was so mysterious you couldn’t tell me beforehand.”

Lu Shangyan said, “How was I supposed to know you’d come to pick me up so early today?”

Although Pei Yumin sometimes came early, it was usually only half an hour at most, not an hour earlier like today.

Pei Yumin was momentarily speechless in rebuttal. “It’s almost time to clock out. Are you going back to work?”

Lu Shangyan shook his head. “Let’s go home. I have something to give you.”

Pei Yumin realized, “You gave up your perfect attendance bonus just to buy me a gift?!”

This was a major discovery! He was now more important to Lu Shangyan than work and the perfect attendance bonus!

Pei Yumin was so happy he almost forgot how to walk, skipping ahead. “What did you buy me?”

Once in the car, Lu Shangyan took out a blue, cartoon-style little shark. It was slightly bigger than his palm, round, and looked rather silly.

Pei Yumin held it in his palm, staring at it from all angles for a long time. Suddenly, he turned back and said, “Can you hold it? I want to take a picture.”

There was no reason not to. Lu Shangyan took it back and thoughtfully turned on the light. Pei Yumin didn’t photograph his face, only his upper body, taking pictures from various angles before stopping.

“Thank you. I really like it.” He said, then quickly snatched it back, afraid Lu Shangyan would take it or say he was saving it for the baby when it was born.

Lu Shangyan sat up straight, watching him fiddle with his phone. Finally, Pei Yumin pasted all the photos he had just taken and posted them on social media.

[The favorite gift from the person I love most.]

Lu Shangyan: ……..

Lu Shangyan looked at the glowing little shark and silently liked the post.

Pei Yumin asked, “Does it charge, or does it need batteries?”

If it needed batteries, he would buy a hundred right now, just in case it ran out of power and he couldn’t replace them in time.

Lu Shangyan pointed to the bottom. “It charges. There’s a charging port here.”

Pei Yumin picked it up and looked. “Where’s the charging cable? Aren’t you going to give it to me?”

Lu Shangyan pulled the cable out of his pocket. Seeing Pei Yumin just holding the shark and looking at it, he felt a little troubled.

He found it strange. It was so bright; hadn’t Pei Yumin noticed what was inside?

At home earlier, Pei Yumin had almost torn apart the little fairy nightlight. Why wasn’t he taking this one apart?

Lu Shangyan regretted it a little. He should have bought another nightlight of the same type. But it was late, and he had left in a hurry, so he didn’t have time to pick a better one. He had bought this one at a nearby stationery store.

When Pei Yumin was about to start the car, he saw Lu Shangyan looking down, seeming a bit downcast. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to give it to me?”

Lu Shangyan bit his lower lip. It had come to this. The gift was already given; there was no turning back.

So, he forced himself to prompt, “This nightlight is easy to take apart.”

Pei Yumin said, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect it well.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Lu Shangyan continued to prompt. “There’s something else inside. Don’t you want to open it and see?”

Pei Yumin froze, his pupils instantly dilating. He flipped the little shark over, looked at its round white belly, and slowly pulled the shark apart.

Inside, tangled in cheap yellow fairy lights, was something not cheap—the long-awaited answer that belonged only to him.

It was a ring.

Pei Yumin’s nose stung, and tears were about to fall instantly. “You… you did this…!”

“Don’t say it!” Lu Shangyan turned his head. He had been calm when giving the gift, but now he was burning up and flustered.

He always wanted to follow his own plan, but every time the plan was disrupted. Last time, he thought he would give him an answer after the case was over. Later, he thought it would be best to wait until they bought a house. But what about after they bought the house? New problems would likely arise. He took a step back, and Pei Yumin took a step forward. That wasn’t fair to Pei Yumin.

No matter what, he had to take the first step.

Pei Yumin nodded heavily. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”

But the next second, he rolled down the car window and leaned half his body out. “I finally get to date!”

———————–

Author’s Note: Pei Yumin: I waited so long, finally today has come. I waited so long, finally my dream has come true~ [Crying hard] [Fighting]