The Flower Of The High Mountain Is Pregnant With The Son Of The Sand Sculpture Ceo Chapter 57
byChapter 57: Aching Back and Legs
Lu Shangyan didn’t know where to put his hands. Originally, his hands were resting on the side of Pei Yumin’s waist, but with Pei Yumin’s movements, he couldn’t grip the waist and kept sliding down. Especially when Pei Yumin’s hips moved, if his hands pressed against his lower back, it felt as if he was guiding him to go harder.
Just thinking about it made Lu Shangyan’s face flush. After his hands slipped down yet again, he didn’t want to lift them up anymore. He fumbled for a long time before finally grabbing a corner of the pillow and clutching it tightly.
He kept his eyes gently closed, but occasionally they would uncontrollably half-open. When he saw Pei Yumin’s eyes, filled with aggression and amusement, he felt a shy urge to close his eyes again.
Pei Yumin seemed to know exactly where to touch to make him open his eyes and gasp, so to prevent himself from showing such an expression, Lu Shangyan simply pulled the pillow up and covered half his face.
Pei Yumin chuckled softly, placed his fingers on either side of Lu Shangyan’s face, slowly leaned down, opened his mouth, and lightly bit his finger.
Lu Shangyan’s entire body instantly felt like it had been electrocuted. His hand twitched, and the pillow fell away. Pei Yumin then took his finger into his mouth, while his other hand slowly moved to his neck, gently rubbing his Adam’s apple with his thumb.
Lu Shangyan was both afraid and expectant. After a moment, Pei Yumin released his finger, took his hand, and placed it on his own neck. “If it gets too much, you can choke me here.”
Lu Shangyan quickly pulled his hand back, saying indistinctly, “That will hurt you.”
“It won’t,” Pei Yumin shook his head. He lowered his head and kissed Lu Shangyan’s earlobe. “If you do that to me, I would really like it.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Shangyan’s fingers curled a few times, then fully extended, gripping Pei Yumin’s neck tightly. He spoke in a strained, breathless voice, “Then don’t regret it.”
…
When Lu Shangyan woke up, his hand was still holding a leather loop. The loop was connected to a chain, and the other end of the chain was attached to a collar around Pei Yumin’s neck.
A black leather collar.
There was a red mark underneath where it had been tightened.
Lu Shangyan lightly bit his tongue, forcing himself to focus and stop thinking about the events of last night.
He didn’t know where Pei Yumin had gotten such a thing, or why he had willingly worn it. Last night, as he held the chain, Pei Yumin’s frenzied appearance truly resembled a mad dog he couldn’t tame.
The thought made Lu Shangyan feel an ache in his back and legs. He let out a long sigh, then tapped the leather loop in his hand against Pei Yumin’s face. “Time to get up.”
Pei Yumin stopped pretending to sleep, opened his eyes, exchanged a kiss with him, and asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Lu Shangyan didn’t dare stretch his body. He only thought to himself that he couldn’t let Pei Yumin hold back for so long again.
Pei Yumin wrapped his arm around his waist, intermittently massaging him to relieve the soreness. “Master, why aren’t you praising me?”
Lu Shangyan’s ears were red. He replied softly, “It was alright.”
Pei Yumin added, “Actually, next time you can be a little gentler. I’d like that even more.”
Lu Shangyan opened his mouth, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out, “Your preferences are very strange.”
Pei Yumin recalled the fleeting excitement on Lu Shangyan’s face when his palm landed on his chest last night. He asserted confidently, “You definitely like it too.”
She had to be a perceptive and good mother.
As Lu Shangyan walked downstairs, he felt a dull ache in his back and legs, and his belly also felt distended. He had to drag himself along, occasionally pressing his abdomen to feel a little better.
Halfway down the stairs, he turned his head and said, “I think I need to go to the bathroom again.”
Pei Yumin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Darling, you’ve been three times since you sat up in bed. That’s your imagination.”
Lu Shangyan frowned and remained silent.
Pei Yumin added, “It must be because my size is too big, which is causing you some kind of illusion.”
Lu Shangyan: …….
He was about to ignore Pei Yumin, but then he turned and saw Yuan Qingyu peeking and smiling at them from the banister downstairs. He immediately lowered his voice and warned Pei Yumin, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Pei Yumin poked his belly, then his butt. “You fed me so well. Now I only want to savor the memory, not talk much.”
Lu Shangyan gave him another warning look, because he felt that Pei Yumin was definitely not someone who would keep his promises at a time like this.
Yuan Qingyu had stewed a pot of highly nourishing soup. As soon as Lu Shangyan sat on the sofa, Yuan Qingyu brought it over on a tray.
Lu Shangyan wanted to go to the dining table, but Yuan Qingyu, seeing that he was having trouble walking today, immediately said, “No need, it’s the same wherever you eat.”
Lu Shangyan didn’t refuse further. As he lowered his head to drink the soup, he didn’t dare look at Yuan Qingyu’s expression.
From that day onward, Yuan Qingyu cooked and stewed nourishing soups for Lu Shangyan every day, varying the recipes.
As a result, when the first snow fell in December, he had gained a noticeable amount of weight. He had to walk extra carefully, afraid of accidentally slipping and falling.
Pei Yumin wanted him to take a leave of absence from school and stay home until the baby was born in February before returning.
Lu Shangyan refused. After Pei Yumin mentioned it a few times, he gave up the idea, but he became even more meticulous in caring for him. Every day when Lu Shangyan went downstairs to take the car, Pei Yumin practically wanted to carry him. It was only because Lu Shangyan felt too embarrassed to be carried like that in front of so many nannies that they switched to a semi-embrace, semi-supportive walk. After dropping him off at school, Pei Yumin insisted on escorting him to the classroom.
He arranged for a bodyguard for Lu Shangyan at school, who sat beside him under the guise of an exchange student, ready to handle anything.
This was the greatest concession Pei Yumin could make, so Lu Shangyan didn’t refuse.
When Xia Li tried to approach Lu Shangyan to talk, she had to endure the man’s naked, “attacking” gaze.
Xia Li asked him, “What does President Pei mean by this? Is he that possessive? Is he so afraid you’ll be snatched away at school?”
Jian Guo snorted coldly. He was sitting in the row ahead, and now leaned back in his chair, turning around to declare confidently, “He must have a guilty conscience, feeling he’s not good enough for Lu Shangyan, which is why he’s so scared. Otherwise, what decent person monitors their spouse like this?”
“I even suspect he has paranoid delusions! Speaking of which, Lu Shangyan, do you want to take him to get his head checked?”
Lu Shangyan knew the real reason, but he couldn’t say it outright. He finally pulled a random lie to explain, “No, I’ve had a minor health issue recently. He’s worried that I won’t be looked after at school and something might go wrong, so he sent someone to protect me.”
Xia Li immediately became anxious. “What happened? Why didn’t you tell us? Did you go to the hospital? What did the doctor say?”
With several questions fired at him, Lu Shangyan didn’t know how to answer, but once a lie was told, he had to maintain it.
His mind raced, and he finally said, “It’s nothing, just a small problem. I’ve been checked. I just need a minor surgery after the exams in February.”
Jian Guo grew worried. “What kind of illness? It sounds serious if you need surgery!”
Lu Shangyan froze. He licked his dry lips and pressed on, “I grew a little thing in my stomach, but it’s not a major illness. The little thing is benign, and it can be removed quickly.”
Only then did Jian Guo and Xia Li both breathe a sigh of relief.
Xia Li said, “You should have told us sooner. You kept this illness secret for so long. If you need any help in the future, just say the word. Don’t ever feel like you’re bothering us.”
“You are a priority protection target for us now! If you feel even slightly uncomfortable, you must tell us, and we’ll rush you to the hospital.”
Jian Guo also said, “I noticed you’ve gained weight recently, and your stomach looked a bit bigger. I thought it was just because it’s winter and you were wearing thick clothes. Turns out you had something growing inside.”
He was sensitive; Xia Li hadn’t cried yet, but he was already tearing up. “Don’t worry. Since Xia Li can’t provide close care, I won’t go home for the winter break. I’ll stay at the hospital with you.”
He absolutely couldn’t have that company.
Lu Shangyan quickly said, “No need. He will hire a nurse for me. By the time you come back from your winter break, my ‘illness’ will be cured.”
That day, Jian Guo and Xia Li were still worried. They followed Lu Shangyan to the car, asked Pei Yumin about the specific situation, and only felt relieved after confirming that everything was truly fine.
Pei Yumin had already received Lu Shangyan’s message. On the way, he had rehearsed several times how to respond to Xia Li and Jian Guo. He finally settled on a performance of profound grief mixed with hope, ensuring that Lu Shangyan’s illness was minor, curable with a small surgery, and not a big deal—there was great hope. However, as Lu Shangyan’s lover, he would still be tragically worried, even over a small procedure.
After they had driven away, Pei Yumin was still in character. Lu Shangyan couldn’t stand it anymore and patted his shoulder hard. “Stop acting. That’s enough.”
Pei Yumin laughed, leaned down, unzipped Lu Shangyan’s jacket, and pressed his face against his belly. “Tun Tun, did you hear what your Lu Daddy said? He said you’re a benign little thing. You have to be conscientious, alright? Be good in the future, and when it’s time to come out, be obedient and don’t make your Lu Daddy suffer too much.”
Lu Shangyan pursed his lips. “He can’t understand.”
Pei Yumin insisted, “He can understand. Uncle Wu suggested I talk to him more a few days ago. Besides, if he really couldn’t understand, why would people do prenatal education?”
Lu Shangyan said, “But the fairy tales you tell are too unoriginal. Tun Tun doesn’t really want to listen. Buy a few new storybooks.”
Pei Yumin, having received new instructions, drove away immediately after dropping Lu Shangyan off at home.
As soon as Lu Shangyan entered the house and was changing his shoes in the entryway, he heard noise coming from the living room.
Yuan Qingyu’s voice was calm, but she sounded unhappy.
The woman opposite her was constantly smiling, her mouth running non-stop: “I’ve been busy performing abroad all year. My concert schedule was too packed, so I couldn’t spare the time to come back for Xiao Pei’s wedding.”
Yuan Qingyu’s tone was flat. “Yumin hasn’t had a wedding yet.”
The woman’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly found a new angle. “I understand not having a wedding. After all, he’s a male daughter-in-law. It wouldn’t sound good to show him off.”
“But then again, why would Xiao Pei choose a man as a wife? What will happen to this huge family business in the future? You can’t just adopt a child. But let me warn you, Sis, even an adopted child raised from a young age might not be fully integrated. I don’t think it’s appropriate for an outsider to inherit the company.”
Yuan Qingyu knew she had an ulterior motive. She took a sip of tea and refused to ask any follow-up questions.
The woman waited a moment, and seeing that Yuan Qingyu remained silent, she continued on her own. “In my opinion, you should find a reliable child from the extended family and nurture them.”
Yuan Qingyu narrowed her eyes, about to say no, but the woman quickly spoke up, cutting her off. “I gave birth to a son and a daughter in my life, and both of them are successful. My eldest daughter married early and now has a happy family. Her husband treats her well and they have two sons, both smart and clever. Because of these two sons, her husband listens to her, and he always thinks of our family for any good opportunities. My eldest daughter has done quite a bit for our family.”
“My younger son is also getting married soon. His fiancée is the second daughter of President Qi, the one your company has always cooperated with. Don’t look down on our family compared to the Qi family, but that girl just loves my younger son and is determined to marry him.”
“You wouldn’t believe it, but to force her father to agree, she even got pregnant before marriage. Now she’s heavily pregnant and has registered their marriage with my son. It’s a good thing it’s winter, so wearing a warm wedding dress hides the belly.”
Yuan Qingyu couldn’t listen anymore. The way she slandered a girl’s genuine feelings made Yuan Qingyu deeply uncomfortable. Moreover, that was her daughter, yet she didn’t want to support her career or back her up in her in-laws’ house. She only saw her daughter’s greatest contribution to the family as giving birth to two sons to exchange for resources.
Although arranged marriages were common in this circle, openly objectifying her own daughter and speaking so dismissively of her daughter-in-law was clearly not something a normal person would say.
Yuan Qingyu abruptly put down her teacup, her voice laced with anger. “That is your family matter. I can’t control it, and I don’t want to hear it.”
The woman’s expression was clearly awkward, but she quickly lifted her chin and said haughtily, “Sis, I’m saying all this for your own good. Look at me, with a successful son and daughter, making me a grandmother and maternal grandmother. Don’t you really want to hold a grandson?”
“If I were you, I’d kick that male vixen out and force Xiao Pei to marry a girl. Once that girl is pregnant and has a child, if Xiao Pei still can’t shake his habit of liking men, he can go find others later. After all, your family is so rich, plenty of people would be willing to be with him.”
Yuan Qingyu’s palm itched. She wanted to slap the woman’s face to relieve the irritation. “I don’t think your life is that happy, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a male daughter-in-law. At the very least, Shangyan has a proper moral compass, unlike you.”
The woman ground her teeth. “I’m doing this for your benefit! What about your family’s reputation if this gets out? How can a man carry on your family line!”
After saying that, she sighed in relief, then remembered the important purpose of her visit. “Forget it, it all boils down to the issue of carrying on the family line, for the sake of the Pei family company and this vast estate needing an heir.”
“My daughter has two sons. One will inherit the Qi family, and the other can help you out. And my son—I will definitely make my daughter-in-law have several children. Whichever one is smart and clever can come and help Xiao Pei.”
Lu Shangyan, standing by the door, felt his feet going numb. He had nothing but bad impressions of this so-called aunt. Moreover, he heard every word Yuan Qingyu said clearly. Yuan Qingyu truly approved of him, was willing for him and Pei Yumin to be together, and sincerely hoped they would live happily.
Thinking this, he quickly changed into his slippers, pretending he hadn’t heard anything. He walked in and feigned surprise upon seeing Yuan Qingyu. “Mom, why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to the taekwondo studio today?”
Yuan Qingyu pointed to the woman beside her. The anger in her heart hadn’t subsided, and she didn’t introduce her immediately.
Lu Shangyan didn’t need an introduction. Seeing the woman smiling and approaching, he immediately said, “Mom, didn’t I tell you the other day that I temporarily don’t need an extra nanny to look after me? Why did you hire another one?”
“Winter break is starting soon. She won’t be able to look after me for many days even if she comes. It’s not worth spending the extra money.”
Yuan Qingyu was stunned. She glanced at Lu Shangyan’s expression. Lu Shangyan winked at her, and she immediately understood, standing there obediently without explaining or saying a word, looking completely uninvolved.
The woman’s face instantly turned dark with anger. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Shangyan deliberately imitated the woman’s earlier haughty tone. “Also, if you really need to hire a nanny, you shouldn’t hire someone this old.”
“I’m usually at school, not home. When she’s not looking after me, she’ll definitely have to help you with chores or errands. You found someone who looks ten years older than you, who can barely walk, let alone do chores.”
Yuan Qingyu couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. “Shangyan, she’s not a nanny. She’s your aunt. She’s been performing piano concerts abroad all year, so you haven’t met her yet.”
Lu Shangyan put on a shocked expression. “Oh, it’s Auntie! I’m so sorry. You look so much older than my mother that I didn’t dare think of you that way.”
Yuan Qingwan glared. She could tell from Lu Shangyan’s awkward acting that he was pretending, but in this situation, she couldn’t directly expose him. She could only swallow the insult silently.
But she had always harbored resentment since childhood. When Yuan Qingyu learned taekwondo and won various awards, she went to learn piano. She told everyone that Yuan Qingyu wasn’t ladylike and wouldn’t be liked by anyone in the future, while learning an elegant skill like piano would help her marry well.
Later, when Yuan Qingyu was proposed to by Pei Yicheng, she looked down on Pei Yicheng. To marry better than Yuan Qingyu, she immediately accepted the pursuit of a rich second generation. Fearing that the man would change his mind if she waited, she rushed to register their marriage after less than a month of dating, without thoroughly investigating her husband’s family.
To her surprise, she discovered after marriage that her husband, despite his outward glamour, was already on the verge of bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, Yuan Qingyu had, by chance, married a good man like Pei Yicheng, whose family was wealthy and whose career was booming.
After marriage, Yuan Qingyu continued to live a carefree life, while Yuan Qingwan had to take on commercial performances everywhere to help her husband fill the company’s financial holes. Her life only improved somewhat in the last two years after her son grew up.
She had never found an opportunity to mock Yuan Qingyu. This time, hearing that she had a male daughter-in-law, she thought she finally had a chance to ridicule her, and then bestow her grandson upon Yuan Qingyu. This way, Yuan Qingyu would have to be grateful to her because the Pei family would finally have an heir.
But unexpectedly, Yuan Qingyu didn’t take her words to heart. Not only did she fail to mock Yuan Qingyu after saying so much, but she was also mocked in return by her male daughter-in-law!
Yuan Qingwan’s hands were trembling with anger, but she maintained a polite smile. “Sis, your male daughter-in-law is indeed not as presentable as my daughter-in-law.”
Yuan Qingyu said, “This is my family matter, so you don’t need to concern yourself with it.”
“As for your suggestion just now, I think I wouldn’t be impressed by your daughter, your son, or their children. Not just me, but my son and Shangyan wouldn’t be impressed either.”
Yuan Qingwan’s face was full of fury. “That’s going too far! I’m doing this for your own good! Do you want the Pei family line to end!”
Lu Shangyan walked up to Yuan Qingyu. “Mom, maybe you should call Auntie’s driver to pick her up. I feel like Auntie needs treatment right now.”
Yuan Qingyu immediately nodded. “I think so too. Shangyan studies medicine, so he should be able to tell. Wanwan, you really need to get your brain checked. Why are you always trying to manage other people’s family affairs?”
“Besides, our family doesn’t lack heirs. Not to mention my side, Yicheng has several siblings. Their sons and daughters are all individually capable, unlike your son, who had to pay his way into university.”
“They have all received elite education since childhood. Children like that would do well in our family without needing any instruction.”
Lu Shangyan also said, “Exactly. With such clear examples right in front of Auntie, why does she still think her own children are superior? Is she experiencing hallucinations or hysteria?”
Yuan Qingwan couldn’t hold back anymore. She grabbed the teacup from the table and smashed it on the floor. “Why are you two ganging up to slander me!”
Lu Shangyan narrowed his eyes. Standing there, he was much taller than her, exuding immediate pressure. “Auntie, you were the one who slandered me first.”
Yuan Qingwan gritted her teeth and said bitterly, “You two will regret treating me like this! The Qi family is considering changing partners recently. Who do you think they will choose—our family, who are now in-laws, or you!”
Yuan Qingyu looked indifferent. “Don’t overestimate yourself.”
Yuan Qingwan picked up her bag from the sofa. “Then don’t come begging me later!”
Lu Shangyan stepped aside. She stormed out. Halfway through the entrance, Pei Yumin walked in, holding over thirty storybooks. Seeing Yuan Qingwan, he immediately said, “Auntie is leaving so soon? Did you realize your family is about to go bankrupt and you rushed over to ask me for help?”