In the master bedroom at Azure Woods, Zhong Feng put aside his phone and pulled Hu Lei back into his arms. One of the hidden motion sensor alarms had detected an intruder. However, after checking the video feed, he calmed down. He did not need to do anything.
"Is it Kaito?" Hu Lei asked as she snuggled into Zhong Feng's arms.
"Yeah. It seems he is back and in one piece. He even has the guts to sneak into our home." Zhong Feng responded with a strange smile.
"Don't give him a hard time. He has probably been through a lot." Hu Lei mumbled.
"Alright. Go back to sleep."
Zhong Feng smiled again. He did not plan on giving Kaito a hard time. The man would have enough on his plate for a few months. He wished he could see the man's face once he realised he was going to have a baby. He would probably fall into an embarrassing faint.
In the guest bedroom, Kaito was struggling not to faint. However, it was difficult to remain conscious due to his shortness of breath and light-headedness. He did not even have the presence of mind to help Akira sit up on the bed. So, she could only prop herself up with her elbows.
"Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe," Akira said flatly with a hint of derision.
Kaito heard the mocking tone and felt like he had lost his face and dignity. He slowed down his breathing through sheer will, and his heart rate slowly went down. When he recovered, he found that Akira was already sitting up.
However, her face did not show happiness. She even looked pissed off.
"It is fine if you do not want the baby. I am perfectly capable of raising my child alone." She said with a closed-off expression.
Kaito realised that his panic was not well received. She obviously thought he was not interested in their child. But how could that be? To him, a child made up of his and Akira's genes was the most perfect thing he could think of.
However, he did not know if he could be a father.
He had not thought so far ahead when he got into a relationship with Akira. But faced with the situation, he felt inadequate. He never had a father. The person who raised him taught him how to fight and kill. How could he hope to be a good father?
However, those were his insecurities.
Regardless of his fears, he would never fail his Akira. With that in mind, he pulled Akira into his arms and hugged her. She resisted for a moment, but she could not free herself from his strong arms. And after a few moments, she felt the comfort and familiarity of his arms.
A deep relaxation flowed through her body as she took in his scent of cherry blossom and mint. It was a little lighter than usual, but she could sense it. And it gave her the feeling of home. Of course, she was not willing to let things go just like that.
"I am serious, Kaito. Tell me if you do not want my child." She said, even as she leaned on him.
"Our child." He corrected. "And I want our child. I was just a little surprised."
Akira snorted. "Do you suspect it is someone else's?"
Kaito released her from his arms and looked at her with a smug smile. "Is there anyone else better than me?"
Akira knew, at that moment, that her shameless fox was still the same. Despite the months of absence, he was still her Kaito. She pulled him back and gave him a tight hug. Well, as tight as she could manage with her belly sticking out…
"Did you miss me?" She asked while letting go and looking deep into his eyes.
"Every day." He replied. "Did you miss me?"
"Occasionally." She responded with a laugh.
"You have been learning bad behaviours since I left. Is it Hu Lei teaching you bad things?" He asked with dissatisfaction. "Don't listen to her. She is a black-hearted woman."
Akira giggled. "She is a little tough, but she is nice. She told me that you were just jealous that you could not beat her in a real fight."
Kaito growled. He knew that the woman would not be a good influence on his cute and kind Akira. Unfortunately, it seemed like he might owe her big time for this specific period. In addition to taking care of Akira, she and Zhong Feng had probably paid a high price to get him off Martial Island.
"Don't pay attention to the mutterings of a crazy lady." He still said. "How have you been?"
Akira adjusted the pillows behind her while hiding her expression. She was afraid that she would cry again if she looked at Kaito's concerned eyes. She did not want to ruin their reunion with her stupid tears.
"I am ok. Life in this place is pretty good." She said after composing herself.
Kaito looked at her with sharp eyes. He could see that she was suppressing something. He took her hands in hers with a frown.
"Tell me everything," Kaito said. "I know you would not have used the evacuation service if things were not dire. So, what happened in Mountain Ridge? And what drove you to look for help?"
Akira took a deep, stabilising breath. "I handled almost everything. You don't have to worry."
"But I want to worry. I should have been there by your side through this period. I want to know what I missed. Do not hold back." Kaito said without relenting.
"Alright." Akira capitulated. "Let's see. I destroyed my entire family. It turns out that my mother was sleeping with your uncle, among other things."
Kaito's lips twitched. He wanted to gasp and laugh, but it did not seem like the right reaction. He never expected something so juicy.
"I also found out some weird things about my adoptive mother. Also, a lot of people tried to kill me. And we are having a daughter." Akira finished in a single breath.
Kaito froze in place.