Yan Ruojun leisurely set his phone down and turned his head toward Lin Zhu, his speaking tone remaining utterly calm and unruffled.

“It’s just about lunchtime, but it’ll take us a little while to drive over. Do you want me to tell my dad to have the chef prepare a few more dishes that you like?”

Lin Zhu fell silent for a brief moment, unable to resist asking, “Ge, I won’t end up as one of the dishes on that table, will I?”

Hearing this, Yan Ruojun couldn’t hold back and burst into a sudden fit of laughter.

“Puppy Lin, you clearly get along exceptionally well with my mom and my grandfather. Why is it that the moment you face my dad, you act exactly like a mouse encountering a cat?”

He added, “Are you perhaps a little bit terrified of him?”

Lin Zhu rubbed his nose in embarrassment, yet remaining true to his inner thoughts, he honestly nodded his head and let out a soft murmur of agreement.

“…I suppose it can be counted as a tiny, microscopic bit,” he admitted.

The two of them were already leaning incredibly close, but the man seemingly deemed it insufficient. With a sudden twist of his waist and a swift stride of his leg, he flipped himself directly over onto Lin Zhu’s lap, nestling face-to-face right inside his embrace while concurrently speaking,

“What is there to be terrified of? We implemented a completely legal process to conceive a child, alright? Furthermore, I’m practically thirty full years of age; giving birth to a child at this point is entirely standard and normal.”

Lin Zhu’s mental state was currently exceptionally sensitive. Bearing witness to his rapid movements, he hurriedly lifted his hands to securely steady the man’s waist, permitting the other to sit astride his frame. “Ge, slow down.”

Lin Zhu was also clad in a hoodie, only his was black, pairing perfectly with Yan Ruojun’s outfit as an undeniable couple’s attire.

At this moment, the man’s hand had already slipped past the hem of the fabric, feeling the sets of abdominal muscles where he had personally written those characters. His mood was spectacularly excellent as he voiced,

“Besides, the physician explicitly stated that my medical condition constitutes an isolated genetic mutation—a distinct anomaly that absolutely won’t be passed down through inheritance… At this age, my physical functions are operating at their absolute peak, meaning we can boldly and confidently proceed with giving birth.”

As he spoke, Yan Ruojun’s bedroom eyes half-curved, his gaze brilliantly bright, bearing no trace of the strictly cool, distant aura he possessed when they first encountered each other. He resembled a sheet of ice and snow melting away, revealing a season of spring that had long been hidden from view.

Coupled with the fact that the man was wearing Lin Zhu’s apparel today, the shifting changes in both his wardrobe and facial expression substantially watered down the natural authoritative air of a high-ranking executive on his frame, causing the man to look barely in his early twenties.

However, this was merely a matter of how he “looked.”

The ten-year age gap remained a stark, unalterable reality between them.

It wasn’t that Lin Zhu looked down on Yan Ruojun for being so many years older than himself, but rather, he felt that his own age was far too young… so young that it required the man to constantly accommodate him, patiently waiting for him to grow up.

This was also a highly significant underlying reason why Lin Zhu felt somewhat intimidated by Yan Zihong.

—He genuinely felt incapable of holding his head high.

Stripping away their established character designs and identities, he understood explicitly well that he and Yan Ruojun did not belong to the same socioeconomic class.

The man had been meticulously and expensively nurtured since childhood; any random item of clothing on his frame carried an astronomical price tag. Meanwhile, Lin Zhu was currently just a student, and this specific identity was bound to persist for several more years.

Musing up to this point, Lin Zhu silently drew in a deep breath.

He felt that the dynamic between himself and Yan Ruojun mirrored the classic plotlines found within certain standard literary texts—a penniless youth abducting a pampered, wealthy heiress. Not only had he successfully abducted the person, but he had even caused the individual to conceive a child.

Of course.

In the eyes of outsiders, backed by the prestige of the Lin family, he was ostensibly a wealthy playboy who wanted for nothing in terms of food and apparel, save for the reality that his family background was somewhat scandalous.

In truth, Lin Zhu didn’t particularly care about how external entities appraised him, nor did he possess the spare energy to analyze and guess the psychological workings of others, but…

Where it involved Yan Ruojun, he seemingly became intensely sensitive all of a sudden.

Precisely because of this, when confronting the various members of the Yan family—especially the exceptionally stern and serious Yan Zihong—Lin Zhu unbiddenly developed a measure of awkward bashfulness and apprehension.

…This is likely the anxiety of worrying whether I will receive formal recognition, right?

Yes, it must be so, Lin Zhu thought with absolute certainty.

He gave his head a gentle shake, lowering his tone to layout the entire sequence of his inner emotional journey with absolute transparency.

Hearing the standard “wealthy heiress and penniless youth” theory, Yan Ruojun uncharacteristically erupted into a massive, booming roar of laughter. He buried his face straight into Lin Zhu’s shoulder nook, his entire frame trembling uncontrollably from his laughter.

“Puppy Lin, how can you possibly be this entertaining? You display a completely expressionless countenance all day long, looking so incredibly cool, yet what on earth is filling up that brain of yours?!”

Lin Zhu’s face grew intensely hot from the mockery.

The man laughed for a full minute before finally stating, “No matter how one evaluates the situation, I am clearly the one who abducted you, right? Furthermore, regarding the matter of financial affairs, haven’t the two of us already discussed it extensively before?”

He extracted a hand from beneath the hem of Lin Zhu’s hoodie, pinching his thumb, index, and middle fingers together to execute a rubbing motion. He formed a universal gesture for money that clashed intensely with his personal aura, lazily stating,

“Your future salary card must be surrendered to my custody for safekeeping, you know~”

Having spoken, Yan Ruojun stared fixedly at Lin Zhu, once again unable to suppress a sudden chuckle as he voiced in a fragmented tone,

“This is truly killing me. To think that while you are sitting completely alone with my dad, your brain is actually occupied by these exact thoughts…”

“I comprehend it completely now. It turns out you were harboring anxieties that you wouldn’t be capable of supporting your wife—oh, and now there’s an additional child wrapped up in it—which is exactly why you felt too embarrassed to initiate a conversation with my dad.”

Lin Zhu’s flush extended all the way down to the base of his neck as he whispered in a tiny volume, “Yes, in reality, I am very poor. Currently, I possess no capabilities to offer you anything of substance… Ge, could you please wait for me a little longer, alright?”

Yan Ruojun paused. Suddenly, he hooked the youth’s chin, using his nose to gently rub against Lin Zhu’s skin in a deeply attached, reliant manner, murmuring softly, “You haven’t made me wait at all, Puppy Lin. You’ve already done perfectly.”

“So…”

He pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

Roughly forty minutes later.

Lin Zhu stepped into the grand ancestral estate. Catching sight from a distance of Yan Zihong walking down from the upper floor and casting a passing glance in his direction, he unaccountably experienced a sudden wave of sheer awkwardness.

Nevertheless, he took the initiative to offer a formal greeting,

“…Father.”

Despite the fact that he had updated his form of address immediately after securing the marriage certificate with Yan Ruojun, a significant duration of time had elapsed, yet every single instance he uttered that syllable, he still experienced an indescribable, stiff discomfort.

“Mm.”

Yan Zihong responded concurrently with his descent down the staircase, “Have the two of you consumed lunch yet? If not, head over to the dining hall to eat first. I’ve already instructed the domestic helper to prepare the meal.”

Yan Ruojun arched an eyebrow, dragging Lin Zhu toward the dining table without a shred of politeness.

Upon observing the specific assortment of dishes laid across the table, he let out a thoroughly satisfied laugh, leaning close to Lin Zhu’s ear to whisper quietly,

“See? How is my dad displaying any dissatisfaction toward you? I certainly didn’t instruct him to prepare any of these items.”

Lin Zhu stared fixedly for a long duration, temporarily finding himself entirely at a loss for words. He unbiddenly lifted his gaze toward the middle-aged man who was closing the distance, only to crash directly into a pair of deep, tranquil eyes that appeared completely unruffled by any waves…

Yan Zihong possessed a strictly stern facial structure, carrying a natural aura of authority that commanded respect without the need for anger.

Lin Zhu opened his mouth, stammering for several seconds as his brain struggled to formulate a proper response, ultimately spitting out a single syllable in a bit of a daze.

“Father.”

Yan Zihong nodded. Pulling out a chair to settle into his seat, he casually responded, “Next time, there’s no need to make a distinct effort to call out.”

He had already consumed his meal, having rushed back specifically from an external location. Consequently, as the two younger individuals began to utilize their chopsticks against the fully packed table of dishes, Yan Zihong remained completely motionless, lowering his head slightly to stare unceasingly at the fresh printed copies of the pregnancy reports.

Yan Ruojun had barely consumed a few mouthfuls before inquiring, “Dad, have you informed Mom regarding the matter of my pregnancy?”

Yan Zihong replied, “Not yet. Your mother and your grandfather departed for a vacation and won’t fly back until tomorrow. We can inform them once their travels conclude; regardless, they are incapable of returning at a moment’s notice anyway.”

Yan Ruojun let out an understanding sound, adding, “Then why did you summon the two of us back with such extreme urgency?”

The exact second the words left his mouth.

Yan Zihong set the reports down onto the table surface, shifting his gaze onto the two individuals seated closely together as he countered with a question, “You’re still not experiencing urgency? Could it be that you truly intend to host a wedding ceremony while sporting a heavily distended belly? Currently, Lin Zhu happens to be navigating his academic vacation; the two of you need to contemplate this early on…”

“What wedding ceremony?” Yan Ruojun intercepted his words within a single second. “I haven’t reached a decision to host a wedding ceremony with Lin Zhu yet.”

He continued further:

“It’s still far too early right now. Neither Lin Zhu nor I desire to execute things in such a rushed manner. We can potentially wait until he graduates from university before considering the matter of hosting a wedding. Regardless, we have already formally secured our marriage certificate.”

“The individuals who ought to be aware are already fully conscious of the reality.”

This was indeed the absolute truth.

Over the course of the preceding year, Lin Zhu had frequently accompanied Yan Ruojun back to the mountain-ringed estate to join the elders for family dinners, games of mahjong, and overnight stays; he had even spent the Spring Festival period there.

His marital relationship with Yan Ruojun had long been disclosed within their circle of close relatives and friends. It was merely due to Lin Zhu’s status as an examination candidate that the man prioritized ensuring his academic life remained entirely undisturbed by external entities, thereby refraining from making a public announcement to the broader world.

Currently, it had only been a single month since the conclusion of the college entrance examination.

In reality, the consensus shared between Lin Zhu and Yan Ruojun was to wait until the assignment was comprehensively finalized before hosting a wedding ceremony. However, the underlying rationale was known solely to the two of them, with no viable method to communicate it to a third party.

This line of reasoning, as expected, caused the middle-aged man to instantly knit his brows together, voicing his disapproval, “That is far too late.”

Yan Ruojun let out a soft laugh, stating, “I, on the other hand, find it to be exceptionally perfect. We can let the child serve as our flower child.”

Yan Zihong: “…”

Finding himself thoroughly choked by his own son’s words, his gaze abruptly shifted to the youth seated beside him, pressing for an answer:

“Lin Zhu, do you share this exact line of thinking? The two of you were in such an immense hurry to secure a marriage certificate previously, yet now that a child is involved, you still don’t wish to host a wedding?”

Are you executing some form of performance art?

Although the middle-aged man didn’t voice those exact words, Lin Zhu could plainly read the sentiment across his face. His scalp tingling with a numb sensation, he gently nodded his head.

In reality, the individual who had been in an immense hurry to secure the marriage certificate back then was him.

If that household registration booklet constituted the fundamental essence of a kidnapping, Lin Zhu was absolutely the clumsy mastermind, while Yan Ruojun could only be counted as his accomplice and inside informant. The man had even publicly broadcasted statements declaring his desperate eagerness to marry.

Musing up to this point, Lin Zhu set his chopsticks down, placing one hand primly over his knee. Only after smoothing out his train of thought did he speak: “Yes… Father, Dad, I currently do not possess the financial capability to provide Ruojun-ge with a completely satisfactory wedding ceremony. Consequently, I can only request him to wait until I graduate. This is entirely an issue on my end; it carries no relation to him.”

Forcing himself to restrain the urge to rub his nose, he continued,

“It’s just that… currently, Ruojun-ge is pregnant. The physician stated that he requires an Alpha’s pheromone soothing and accompaniment far more intensely than other Omegas, charging me to accompany him as much as possible. However, I have to depart for university come September, so…”

Lin Zhu paused for a mere 0.1 seconds when the man accurately caught the window of opportunity, dropping a sudden sentence into the conversation: “Dad, I intend to take maternity leave. When that time comes, I’ll relocate over there along with Lin Zhu.”

Yan Zihong: “…”

He understood completely now.

They were simply lacking an individual to handle the corporate shift.

He was merely a tool father.

Yan Zihong couldn’t resist lifting a hand to press against the bridge of his nose, his head practically throbbing with an immense headache. Only after a long silence did he voice, “Even if you refrain from hosting a wedding ceremony, you must at least disclose your marital relationship to the public, right?”

“Lin Zhu.”

He called out his name explicitly.

The exact second Yan Zihong’s words landed, Lin Zhu instantly straightened his spine, making a conscious effort to widen his eyes to ensure he appeared completely sharp and alert.

The middle-aged man stole a glance at him, inquiring in a seemingly casual manner,

“Would you like the family to host a university acceptance banquet for you?”