Chapter 145: Yearning for a Child — Bonus Chapter Dedicated to Mo Xiyan

Hearing my footsteps, he turned to face me. I saw longing, anger, and inner conflict written across his face. My heart ached so terribly, yet I dared not broach the real issue. Instead, I only whispered, "I missed you so much..."

He averted his gaze with difficulty, staring out the window. After a long, heavy silence, he finally spoke, "Wuyou, let it go..."

When Brad forced his way in with the guards, Luo Ange had already collapsed on the floor. He had spent every last ounce of his strength hurling those harsh words at me just moments before. Given that he was far from fully recovered, his condition took a sharp turn for the worse.

I was in the adjacent ward when Geng Nie pushed the door open and asked me, "What on earth happened? How did you manage to tick him off?"

I tried to recall that day. I had run into Shu Aiqing in the small garden, but nothing of consequence had happened.

When I entered the room, Luo Ange was still asleep—or perhaps unconscious. Yet it was only in moments like these that I dared to get close to him.

His hand remained in that same frail state. I slipped my hand into his and clasped it tightly with my other hand.

In the end, I lost track of what I had said, remembering only that he woke up at dusk. Upon hearing my voice, he showed no further agitation; he merely sniffed and looked toward the coffee table.

Currying favor, I brought the mung bean and lotus seed porridge over to him. It was as if he had forgotten the unpleasantness from earlier, or perhaps he had heard my endless babbling. In any case, he gave a nod.

After he finished the bowl of porridge, I pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth. Sensing he was about to withdraw his hand, I seized the opportunity to catch it, pleading, "I beg you, don't cast me aside."

I never expected him to weep. In my mind, he was the sort of man who could face thunderous storms without changing his expression, the most favored scion of his family, accustomed to luxury since childhood. How could he possibly cry?

Panicked and not knowing what to do, assuming he was angry with me all over again, I stood up to summon the doctor.

Before I had taken two steps, he pulled me into a fierce embrace, and my back was instantly soaked with his tears.

"Wuyou, Wuyou..."

When Geng Nie and the others heard about the sequence of events, they found it utterly absurd. They all accused me of being dense, pointing out that my boyfriend was hospitalized, yet I had gone to chat with his enemy in the courtyard—wasn't I practically asking for trouble?

Who could have foreseen that Luo Ange would have Amu help him out, that he would happen to overhear my conversation with Shu Aiqing, and that he would jump to the conclusion that all my recent tenderness toward him was a sham? That conviction was what had fueled his rage against me.

I turned to look at Luo Ange and said with a smile, "Shu Congxuan said he wanted to come visit you, but I refused him because I was afraid you'd give him the cold shoulder."

He was thoroughly displeased, pushing me away as he lay back down. "Let him come or not, who cares?"

Shu Congxuan pushed the door open carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers, asking with a bright smile, "Is that so? In that case, I might just take Lanshan away with me."

Luo Ange sat up with a start. "You dare lay a finger on her?"

Shu Congxuan placed the flowers on the coffee table, his tone remaining light and breezy. "If you ever dare treat her badly, I really will take her away."

I hurriedly blinked and gestured at Shu Congxuan, signaling him to stop there. Luo Ange shouted my name, glaring defiantly at Shu Congxuan. "Wuyou is mine. All of you, back off."

Shu Congxuan shushed me, walked over to the bed, and stared intently at Luo Ange for a few moments before saying, "Everything I said is true. You'd better treat her well and never make her sad, or else I'll risk my life to steal her away."

Luo Ange looked ready to pull his hair out, but Shu Congxuan refused to let me speak. It dawned on me then that he was trying to force Luo Ange's deepest feelings out into the open. Knowing that the two of us could only ever be good friends from now on, he wanted to give both me and himself peace of mind.

Luo Ange pulled me into a tight embrace and declared firmly, "We're going to register our marriage this afternoon."

When I walked Shu Congxuan out, I thanked him. He was smoking a cigarette, and mumbled something indistinctly about having to rush back to attend a meeting.

"Life is so long, and I've long since let go. The happiness right in front of you is what matters most. All that talk of 'loving you for ten thousand years' is too long; even mythical spirits only live for a thousand years, and ten thousand years is enough for oceans to turn into mulberry fields."

It was rare for him to speak in such a literary tone, yet I was deeply grateful to him for taking the time to cheer me on and bolster my spirits at a moment like this.

"My sister is the impulsive type who acts on every whim. Don't lower yourself to her level."

I nodded. "For your sake, I won't."

Upon returning to the ward after seeing Shu Congxuan off, Luo Ange asked me with a sarcastic edge, "Didn't Shu Congxuan chase after you relentlessly before? Why is he suddenly so willing to let you be with me?"

Knowing he was still dwelling on what had just happened—men can be terrifyingly petty—I chose not to explain, picking up my bathrobe to take a shower.

Luo Ange called out, "Hey, are you taking advantage of the fact that I can't see?"

I laughed. "That's right, I'm going to take a bath. Care to join?"

He drew a sharp breath. "Yi Lanshan, do not test me."

Deliberately walking over to him, I sat on the edge of the bed, looped my arms around his neck, and breathed softly against his ear, "Luo Ange, if I told you I want a child, would you give me one?"

He gave a slight start. "Wuyou, aren't you..."

I pressed a hand over his mouth. "Just tell me yes or no."

He lowered his voice. "I'll go ask Brad whether my current condition will affect sperm quality."

I burst into laughter. What a fool—an utterly adorable fool.

Later on, I deeply regretted initiating that flirtation with Luo Ange, and even more so for bringing up the subject of having a child. I had foolishly assumed that since he was a patient with impaired sight, he wouldn't be able to do much to me.

Little did I know that despite his blindness, his strength had not waned in the least. He tormented me mercilessly right there in the bathroom, cycling through every conceivable pose and position.

Once outside, he continued his playful badgering. Fearing that the sound insulation of the ward was poor and that Amu and the others outside might hear, I began tickling Luo Ange, begging him to spare me.

Pinning me down, he thrust into me a few more times. "No way, what if you don't get pregnant?"

My legs had long since turned to jelly, and my whispered pleas for mercy were met with thrusts that grew heavier by the second. "See if you ever dare flirt with me again."

Burying my face in the pillow, I muffled my voice. "I won't, I won't, please spare me."

Perhaps my voice excited him, or perhaps he desired a child just as fiercely; abruptly, he flipped me over so that I was kneeling on the bed, positioned right behind me, and drove straight into me with unrelenting force.

Not particularly fond of this position, I turned my head to ask if we could switch to another one.

There was no ambiguity in those words, yet the scoundrel took it upon himself to turn me over once more, settling me squarely onto his lap with a wicked grin. "I'm the invalid here. You take the lead."

I was completely dumbfounded. What kind of nonsense was this? I had no idea how to do that!

Luo Ange turned a deaf ear to my protests. "If you don't know, you can learn on the spot."

I nearly coughed up blood. How on earth was I supposed to learn?

Just because of that single question, Master Luo decided to give me a hands-on demonstration. He would teach by example once, and then I would have to perform it; if he found my performance lacking, we would simply repeat the process.

By the time I finally regained my freedom, it was already the middle of the night. The only consolation was that Luo Ange had rented out the entire floor, and the nurses' station and offices were set far enough down the hall that surely no one could have known what transpired last night.

I made a trip home before heading to the United States. Knowing how busy my father was, I called him in advance, and he boastfully promised to cook my favorite dishes himself.

In truth, I simply wanted to let them know that this trip might take an indefinite amount of time, and I might not be able to spend the Lunar New Year with them.

My grandfather sighed heavily. "Your sister isn't coming home for the New Year either, and now you won't be back. That leaves just the three of us."

Noticing that Yi Huayang was nowhere to be seen, I asked my mother what was going on.

To my surprise, my mother seemed quite pleased, telling me that Rong Luozheng had agreed to take Yi Huayang to Hong Kong for the holiday, and the two of them had left a few days prior.

I simply could not fathom what was going on in Yi Huayang's head. Rong Luozheng was still legally married, yet she had gone ahead and gotten pregnant—did she intend for her child to be born a bastard?

I urged my mother to talk some sense into her precious daughter. With an expression of helpless resignation and tear-rimmed eyes, my mother retreated into the kitchen to assist my father.

My grandfather scolded me instead. "You have zero tact. You always have to press on the sore spot."

I looked at him with an innocent expression. Was this my fault? I was merely stating facts. I clearly remembered Luo Ange promising Mu Ying that he would deal with Rong Luozheng. This was an extraordinary period; once Luo Ange recovered his health, Rong Luozheng would undoubtedly face severe retribution, and I prayed they wouldn't make things difficult for me when that time came.

My grandfather rolled his eyes at me twice. "How can you call it making things difficult? One is your sister, and the other is your brother-in-law—they're all family. Whose side are you supposed to be on?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. "Does that mean making things difficult for Luo Ange instead? Do you have any idea what kind of relationship exists between Luo Ange and Mu Ying?"

My grandfather fell silent. Realizing that continuing the conversation would only breed further vexation, I simply urged him to find an opportunity to talk some sense into Yi Huayang. Since there was already a child involved, they had to figure out a way to force Rong Luozheng into a divorce, even if it meant taking a financial hit.

A Yun came to pick me up. Remembering how steadfastly he and Amu had guarded the hospital throughout this ordeal, I expressed my gratitude to him.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and slowly began, "Ten Moscow years ago, I crossed paths with people I shouldn't have, and the mob wanted me silenced. At the most critical juncture, the Young Master saved me and sent me to a rehabilitation center..."

My jaw dropped. He smiled faintly. "Back then, I was a thoroughly wretched delinquent—doing drugs, street fighting, stealing. I practically had 'bad guy' tattooed across my forehead."

Amused by his candor, I chuckled. "And then?"

"And then, after I successfully kicked the habit, the Young Master brought me home and asked if I was willing to stay and protect Miss. Actually, it's not just me; the Young Master is also the savior of Amu and Xiao Wu. If not for him, the lot of us would have been dead long ago."

No wonder they were so fiercely loyal to Luo Ange—it was a debt of gratitude.

Uncertain of how long my stay in the United States would be, and hearing that Yuan Shengxiao had finally regained consciousness, I decided I wanted to visit her.

Daring not to go behind Luo Ange's back, I sought his permission first. He pondered for a few seconds before asking, "Aren't you afraid the Yuan family will tear you to pieces?"

I smiled. "I'm your person. They wouldn't dare."

He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Wuyou, I know you're doing this for my sake. Don't worry, they won't dare make things difficult for you."

When he offered to accompany me, I naturally refused; had he come along, it truly would have turned into a battlefield.

In the end, Luo Ange compromised and suggested that Guan Erchen accompany me instead.