Chapter 100 - The Fox Doesn't Believe This Is Happening

Chu Yun still felt tired. He could tell from the darkness outside the windows that he had been asleep for a long time, but he didn't feel rested.

Oddly, running his fingers through Xiao Zai's hair was actually relaxing him, providing a distraction from the ambiguous discomfort he had been feeling lately.

After a few minutes of gentle petting Xiao Zai finally stirred, making soft sleepy noises and bumping his head against the palm of Chu Yun's hand.

He opened his eyes with a start, the graceful lines of his face tightening in awareness before softening with a relieved smile.

"You're awake."

Chu Yun felt awkward to still be petting Xiao Zai now that he was awake too, and retreated his hand.

"Where is Chu Hean?" he asked, looking around the room. His memory was foggy, he had no idea how he ended up on the bed.

Xiao Zai's expression darkened. "He's somewhere on the house, don't think about him now," he made a bid for Chu Yun's hand and clasped it in his.

"There's something I need to tell you."

The serious look on his face gave Chu Yun pause. What could have happened to make him look like that?

His mind couldn't help reminding him of Chu Hean's words to him, his advice to divorce Xiao Zai and just go back to being their father's heir. 

It made his chest hurt just to think about it, which was bizarre because a few short months ago he would have wanted nothing more.

The whole reason why he became so determined to make Xiao Zai king in the first place was to have a consolation prize for himself, something to show for the humiliation of having been married off into another family, and losing out on his right to inherit his father's title.

Now, Chu Hean was gifting him the chance to erase all of that, and go back to his old life, but the thought alone made Chu Yun feel bereft.

He couldn't examine it too closely for fear of discovering something he wasn't ready to confront.

But now the look on Xiao Zai's face made him worry that Chu Hean had talked with him too. He regretted what he told Xiao Zai back at the palace, especially because Xiao Zai might have thought about it and agreed with Chu Yun.

What would Chu Yun do then?

"The physician has come to see you," Xiao Zai said, keeping his hold on Chu Yun's hand. "He thinks he knows why you've been ill."

So, this wasn't related to Chu Hean? Chu Yun's relief was short-lived because the look on Xiao Zai's face made him wonder if the physician had found something really wrong with him.

"Is it serious?"

Xiao Zai sighed deeply, a dusting of red climbing up his cheeks.

Oh, so apparently not only was Chu Yun dying but he was dying of something embarrassing as well. Just his luck.

He pulled his hand away from Xiao Zai's grip with an exasperated groan. "Just say it."

"You're pregnant."

Chu Yun looked at him in abject confusion. He was sure he'd heard wrong, because for a while there he could have sworn Xiao Zai said he was pregnant.

"Do you mean I have pneumonia?" he asked, forcing himself to smile through the awkwardness he was feeling.

"No, I-- you're pregnant."

Chu Yun chuckled, this wasn't what he thought would happen when he woke up. Xiao Zai didn't strike him as the type to play a prank on him over something so stupid.

"You see, no I'm not, because I'm an alpha...and that can't happen," he patted Xiao Zai's cheek condescendingly. "If you're trying to relieve the tension with jokes, you're doing a very poor job of it. I'm not in the mood, just tell me what the physician said."

Xiao Zai gazed up at him from his position at the head of the bed, looking flustered, "That's what the physician said! He conducted more than one examination and concluded you're pregnant."

Chu Yun narrowed his eyes at Xiao Zai. He was willing to believe Xiao Zai wasn't trying to play a prank on him, but either he was exceedingly gullible, or the physician was a very convincing charlatan.

"Who was this physician? Was he deaf as an old dog and blind as a bat?" 

Xiao Zai sighed. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but--"

"No, it doesn't sound unbelievable, it sounds insane."

Chu Yun was marginally aware of his increased heartrate. As much as he knew that what Xiao Zai was saying was impossible, some part of his brain kept trying to tell him; "what if? what if it's real?"

Xiao Zai took hold of his hand again, clutching it between his warm palm, he looked at Chu Yun pleadingly. "Please, listen to me, we can consult other physicians, we can call someone from Xin and wait their diagnosis, if that's what you want. But right now, you need to at least entertain the possibility."

It was the genuine terror in Xiao Zai's eyes that finally broke Chu Yun. He was really scared about this, whatever the physician said convinced him. Which meant that it probably wasn't anything good.

"How...how can I be pregnant?" he asked, his voice hollow.

"I don't know, the physician doesn't either," Xiao Zai said, his grip on Chu Yun's hand tightening. "We'll get through this. I know you're scared, but you'll be okay, I promise."

Chu Yun wasn't scared, he was fucking livid. How could this have happened to him?

He wrenched his hand out of Xiao Zai's grip. "This doesn't leave the room."

Xiao Zai nodded. "I told the physician to keep silent about the diagnosis."

Chu Yun scoffed, as if he could trust some random physician who showed up out of the blue, and made the miraculous discovery of the first pregnant male alpha. A pregnant female alpha would have been noteworthy enough, and in theory they had the equipment in place. A male alpha was absolutely unforeseen.

"How is this possible," Chu Yun kept muttering to himself, struggling between vicious denial and the panic clawing up at his guts.

He was pregnant, he was going to have a child.

No, that wasn't possible, he was still dreaming and this was an hallucination.

He felt faint, but even that just reminded him of the fucking pregnancy. 

Not only was he pregnant, he even had to be a fucking wallflower about it!

Taking advantage of his distraction Xiao Zai took hold of his hand again and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

That was right. He was to blame for all this. Using his free hand Chu Yun punched him on the bicep.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't come inside of me!"

Xiao Zai looked up at him with an aggrieved look. "How was I supposed to know you'd get pregnant? That wasn't supposed to happen!"

Now that Chu Yun was thinking about it, he remembered Xiao Zai joking that he had come so much that there was enough for triplets! Triplets!

Chu Yun punched him again, making him wince.

"Fuck, that fraud doctor better be wrong, because I swear to the heavens that if I'm pregnant I'm going to make your life a living hell," he hissed, grabbing hold of the collar of Xiao Zai's robes and bringing their faces closer. 

Xiao Zai's eyes widened but his pupils contracted. His tongue came out to wet his lips. "Yeah? How?"

How could he be horny at a time like this?

Chu Yun let go of him with a disgusted groan. "Don't even think about taking my brother in as a concubine. I know what I said at the palace but I'm taking it back."

Xiao Zai grinned, looking foolish. "I never considered it. I told your brother to go back to Xin."

Chu Yun frowned, reading his thoughts Xiao Zai hastened to add, "and that was before I even knew you were pregnant."

Despite his profound anger, something settled in Chu Yun's chest. He still pushed Xiao Zai away when he tried to get close, however.

"We're still not sure that I'm pregnant," he reminded Xiao Zai, his eyes narrowed. "We can't trust just any random old physician you grab right off the street."

Xiao Zai sighed. "Tan Ruo was the one who called him. He's their personal physician apparently. Both her and Minister Song seem to be in fine health to me."

That still didn't reassure Chu Yun that the diagnosis was correct. It was impossible for him to be pregnant. Even when thinking back about his rut, and the unwise consequences of it, there was nothing out of the ordinary beyond his poor judgement. He even branded Xiao Zai! If he pulled down on the collar of his robes the jagged scar would be visible on his skin, still angry and red from how fresh it was.

Nothing about that led Chu Yun to believe he would end up pregnant. It just didn't make any sense.

Xiao Zai kept staring at him in awe. It was obvious, despite his clumsy apologies, and his fear, that the news of Chu Yun's unlikely pregnancy made him happy.

Chu Yun looked away from his clear eyes. He didn't like being on the receiving end of that look. 

Not for this.