The heartless beauty is addicted to being licked by a seemingly obedient and loyal dog.

Beijing.

In the VIP ward on the top floor of the private hospital, the air is filled with the delicate fragrance of disinfectant and lilies.

When Song Yunqi woke up, all she saw was a plain white ceiling.

The weakness that followed the high fever enveloped my entire body. Before I could even see my surroundings clearly, a fierce fear from my subconscious mind instantly overwhelmed me.

He abruptly broke free from the nightmarish memory, and almost instinctively reached out his hands to hurriedly and hastily cover his lower abdomen.

"Baby!"

A trembling scream escaped her lips.

Shen Chonglu had been keeping watch by the bedside for three whole days without sleep.

Because Song Yunxi was pregnant, many antipyretics and antibiotics could not be easily administered, so she could only tough it out.

A few days ago, the young man had a recurring high fever. Shen Chonglu dared not close his eyes at all. He relied entirely on water to wet a towel and wipe the young man's palms, neck, and forehead repeatedly to bring down his body temperature through physical cooling.

At this moment, he was drowsy from exhaustion and fatigue, his slender fingers still tightly hooking Song Yunqi's cold fingertips below.

The young man's sudden tug-of-war and scream instantly woke the man from his light sleep.

"Yunqi!"

Shen Chonglu suddenly raised his head, and his previously confused dark eyes burst forth with immense joy the moment he saw the person in front of him awake.

Seeing Song Yunqi pressing his stomach with a pale face and eyes full of fear and disorientation, Shen Chonglu's heart tightened. He quickly propped himself up and carefully leaned forward, gently pulling the slender young man into his arms.

"It's alright... Yunxi, it's alright."

He pressed his face against Song Yunqi's burning neck, his large hand stroking her back, gently patting down her spine, his tone light yet tender:

"The baby is still here... staying safely in my belly with you, not going anywhere."

"The doctor checked you out, and everything is fine, so don't be afraid."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunqi's tense body relaxed slightly.

Shen Chonglu then released his arms, lowered his head to examine the face of the person in his arms, and gently stroked his pale cheek, speaking with tender concern:

"Is there anything else that's bothering you? Are you dizzy? You haven't been able to get injections or take medicine these past few days; you've been relying entirely on physical cooling methods to bring your fever down. Are you hungry? Thirsty? What would you like to eat?"

Song Yunxi sat there blankly, letting the man's large hand wander over her cheeks and hair.

Perhaps it was because he had just escaped death, or perhaps it was because the familiar aura emanating from Shen Chonglu was too reassuring, but he didn't push the other away with a sound, instead leaning weakly against the broad, thick chest, breathing softly.

A rare tranquility descended upon the ward, as sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a slanted glow upon the two embracing figures.

Shen Chonglu was flattered and overwhelmed. He greedily inhaled the fragrance of Song Yunqi's hair and felt the soft touch in his arms. His tenderness was almost overflowing.

However, after only a short while of tenderness, he seemed to suddenly recall some old memory that had been stuck in his heart for a long time. His arms tightened slightly, and his eyebrows unexpectedly furrowed.

He stepped back slightly, his dark eyes filled with complex emotions, and asked in a muffled voice:

"Since...since the baby wasn't actually aborted, why didn't you tell me a single word? Why did you have to bear all this alone?"

Although the voice sounded accusatory, his moist eyes and slightly red nose clearly conveyed a deep sense of grievance and resentment.

Song Yunqi's hand, which was originally resting on his arm, paused slightly.

Upon hearing the other party bring up this sensitive topic, the warmth that had been welling up in his eyes vanished instantly, and his expression gradually turned cold.

He slowly raised his eyelids, calmly meeting Shen Chonglu's gaze, his voice hoarse and cold:

"What good would it do to tell you?"

Song Yunqi turned her head away, avoiding the other person's hand that was stroking her cheek, her tone completely flat:

"This child will only belong to me. I will never give him to you, much less send him to the Shen family."

"If you're thinking of doing something wicked, you'd better give up on that idea as soon as possible."

Shen Chonglu froze on the spot. Hearing these cold words, his eyes reddened even more, his throat bobbed violently, and he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"You...is this why you suddenly distanced yourself from me and started ignoring me?!"

The man shouted, both angry and distressed, "In your eyes, am I, Shen Chonglu, that kind of person? A bastard who came here specifically to snatch your child?"

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. He gripped the edge of the bed sheet with his fingertips, and tears streamed down his face.

"When have I ever pressured you about the baby? You know how heartbroken I was when you said you wanted to abort it, but I never interfered with your decision, not even by suggesting it..."

"Because you are the one who is pregnant, you are the one who suffers, you and it are the ones who are truly connected by blood, while I am at most just providing a seed, and it was a seed that was mistakenly sown when we were not prepared."

Shen Chonglu suddenly stepped forward, placing his hands on either side of Song Yunqi, and stared intently into the young man's eyes, each word almost squeezed out from his very heart:

"Do you think that if you choose to give birth to it, I'll steal it from you? Why would you think that?!"

"Don't even mention the baby... If you're willing, I'd even gladly take your surname, Song."

The ward fell silent instantly.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the tear tracks on Shen Chonglu's face and the stubble on his chin.

He braced himself on either side of the bed, his tall body looming over him, his chest heaving violently, his breathing rough and heavy, tinged with suppressed sobs.

Song Yunxi froze, her cool eyes falling on the face filled with grievance and anxiety.

He anticipated that Shen Chonglu would be angry, would forcefully declare that the Shen family bloodline would never flow out, and might even bring up his own parents to put pressure on him.

The only thing I didn't expect was that the other party would say something so self-deprecating.

"You..." The young man's throat was dry, and he was so shocked by the person in front of him's almost tantrum and humble appearance that he couldn't say anything.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Chonglu thought that he was still doubting his sincerity, and tears welled up in his eyes and fell down, landing on Song Yunqi's knees covered with a thin blanket, leaving a small dark stain.

"Yunqi, say something."

"Don't ignore me, say something."

He moved closer, making the already very close distance between them even narrower.

Warm breath sprayed onto Song Yunqi's nose and between her lips and teeth, mixed with the frenzy and stubbornness of regaining what she had lost.

He grabbed Song Yunqi's hand and forced it against his left chest, where his heartbeat was like a drum, each beat clearly audible.

"Touch here."

Shen Chonglu's tone carried a hint of arrogance: "No matter when, as long as you're around, there's never any peace here."

"When we were in Laos, I almost thought I was going to lose you, along with that unborn little one..."

The heavy, rapid heartbeat emanating from beneath her palm sent a shiver through Song Yunqi's fingertips.

Why are you always so wary of me?

The tears in Shen Chonglu's eyes hadn't yet dissipated, but a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He lowered his head, his forehead touching Song Yunqi's forehead, their noses gently brushing together, creating a slight ticklish sensation.

"Is it because of my family background? Is a family background that others aspire to be a burden to me?"

He gently rubbed his lips against Song Yunqi's pale upper lip, without overstepping any boundaries, yet with a tenderness that was both aggressive and invasive.

His hand slowly moved down Song Yunqi's back, finally carefully resting on the young man's flat stomach.

Through the soft hospital gown, his fingertips were surprisingly hot, and he gently stroked them.

"This child grew inside your womb; it was nourished by your flesh and blood."

Shen Chonglu closed his eyes, his voice hoarse: "Of course it belongs to you alone."

"If you want it to have the surname Song, it can have the surname Song. Just don't exclude me like you did this time, and don't treat me like an enemy trying to take away custody."