Chapter 115 - End

 After the Cannon Fodder Top Turns to Farming, He Gets a Happy Ending with the Aloof Protagonist (Transmigration)

"Wait." Jiang Baiye held down the hand that was sliding inside his clothes; suppressing his rising desire, he slid his fingers down to grasp Lu Lizhi’s slender, delicate wrist.

Lu Lizhi tried to turn his hand over to hold Jiang’s, but was met with a stern, "Don't move!"

"Be good..."

The turbulent emotions in Lu Lizhi’s heart gradually calmed, yet a lingering ache remained. "You don't love me anymore."

"Mm." Jiang Baiye, lost in thought, answered without fully registering the words.

Lu Lizhi—usually sharp and agile in the imperial court—was now merely a sensitive expectant father. He looked up in disbelief, but before he could get an answer, he was pinned down as Jiang Baiye rolled over to cover him.

"It's okay now!" The words were spoken with deep, impassioned intensity.

Lu Lizhi turned his head to dodge the kiss, the corners of his eyes flushed red. One hand hovered protectively over his belly; his mind went blank, and his body—clad only in a thin undergarment—began to tremble slightly.

A passionate kiss trailed downwards.

Though he exercised extreme restraint and tried to hold back, Jiang Baiye nearly bit him too hard several times; he gently moved Lu Lizhi’s hand aside and planted soft kisses on his beautiful, rounded belly.

Clenching his teeth, Lu Lizhi wrapped his legs around Jiang and rolled back on top of him; Jiang Baiye dared not struggle, carefully protecting him all the while. "You bastard!" The provoked pregnant man, furious as a fierce beast, sank his teeth right into Jiang Baiye's shoulder.

Jiang Baiye hissed—*damn*, that was going to draw blood—yet he felt only a surge of heightened excitement.

"Li-zhi..." he pleaded and coaxed, his voice low and tender. Lu Li-zhi felt a tingling numbness spread through his body; he was utterly disoriented.

He was dizzy with the seduction.

Immersed in Jiang Baiye’s scent, he felt a lingering sweetness.

"Bite me again."

After the passionate "battle"—leaving Jiang Baiye looking rather "battle-worn"—he finally took the flushed man's hand. With clumsy, nervous pulse-taking skills, he anxiously checked his condition.

After a long moment, he let out a soft sigh of relief and reached out to sense the presence of the little one in the belly...

"What a well-behaved little fellow."

The thought of a little Li-zhi made Jiang Baiye smile; he looked forward to it with quiet anticipation. Unable to sleep, he spent the night whispering stories to Lu Li-zhi’s round, fair belly.

"...And so, it stretched out its body and shyly sprouted a lovely, delicate little shoot toward the sun."

In his hazy slumber, Lu Li-zhi heard those beautiful, fragmented words, and even his dreams were tinged with sweetness. Jiang Baiye had partnered with Wei Feng on a canal transport business in the Jiangnan region; spanning several major rivers and waterways, the venture handled nearly eighty percent of the Great Ning Dynasty's entire transport sector.

At the time, people relied almost exclusively on waterways for business travel, and the rapid growth of commerce depended on this network—though the lion's share of the industry was controlled by the imperial court.

Even the scraps that trickled down to private enterprise were immensely profitable.

Young Master Wei possessed a keen eye for opportunity, while Jiang Baiye had remarkable daring; the two hit it off immediately.

The venture was built upon a solid foundation: Jiang Baiye’s earlier work constructing flood-diversion channels paved the way, the Wei family’s century-old shipbuilding expertise provided the infrastructure, and Jiang Baiye introduced modern logistics concepts and operational methods.

Both men invested a significant portion of their personal fortunes into the business, and under Young Master Wei’s capable leadership, the enterprise took off rapidly.

Although they had not yet recouped their initial investment, the future prospects were immeasurable.

Naturally, the work kept them exceptionally busy.

When Lu Lizhi was over five months pregnant—with the delivery date approaching and the bump becoming increasingly difficult to conceal—he cited illness to request a leave of absence from the Emperor.

Madam He and Granny Li had also arrived in the capital early; even if they couldn't directly assist with the business, simply being by his side and ensuring he was well-fed and cared for gave them peace of mind.

Jiang Baiye, however, faced a complication: a problem had arisen in Jiangnan that Wei Feng could not step away to handle, requiring Jiang Baiye to go there personally to mediate the situation. "You should go take a look; you can't keep leaving a joint business venture entirely to others, and you’ve already spent quite a lot of time here keeping me company," Lu Lizhi said soothingly, wanting to smooth away the furrow in Jiang Baiye’s handsome brow.

Jiang Baiye gave an unsettled hum of agreement and hastily gathered a few belongings. "I’ll be back as soon as I can. You and the little one just wait for me. Be careful when you walk, don't go wandering off, and let my mother or the servants handle any chores. As for food..."

Lu Lizhi covered his mouth with a hand.

With the large belly between them, kissing was a bit of a struggle, yet they were utterly lost in the moment—until someone outside called out, urging them to leave.

Jiang Baiye tried to deepen the kiss, unsatisfied, but Lu Lizhi pushed him away firmly. Blushing to the tips of his ears, Lu Lizhi wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "Hurry back!"

"While you're at home..." Jiang Baiye kept looking back as he walked away, offering one last instruction just before boarding the carriage.

Watching the carriage recede into the distance, Lu Lizhi felt a brief pang of melancholy, but soon returned to his usual routine.

The first day, then the second—he slowly adapted to life on his own, and it didn't seem so bad.

But soon, by the third and fourth days, he found himself frequently sinking into low spirits and absent-mindedness. "Daddy!" The little tot, wearing adorable rabbit-themed shoes, scampered over and threw her arms around his legs.

The brush in Lu Lizhi’s hand, already dripping with ink, instantly left a blotch on the expensive white paper.

Madam He let out a cry of alarm: "Oh, my precious Jiaojiao, be careful now—don't go bumping into your daddy!"

"It's alright." Lu Lizhi set his things aside and, with an amused smile, picked up the little one who was always running about.

Meeting her big, round, dark eyes, his mood instantly lifted. "Where is Jiaojiao's master?"

"Mas... Master..." The little girl’s speech was still halting, though "Dad" and "Daddy" were always on the tip of her tongue.

"Dad, Dad..." Clinging to his shoulder, Jiaojiao called out, "Dad, Dad?"

She was looking for her father; Lu Lizhi felt a sudden, poignant lump in his throat.

The little girl understood the word "candy," but what she wanted was her dad. Just as she was about to pout, she noticed her father looked a bit unhappy, so she immediately reached up to touch his face. "Daddy, hug!"

Lu Lizhi couldn't help but smile again. After being kept busy for a long while by the mischievous little one, he no longer had the time to think about that certain bastard. Just looking at her face—which bore such a striking resemblance to Jiang Baiye’s, down to the very gestures and expressions she had inherited—brought a smile to one's face.

At midday, Grandma Li and the others prepared a "baby meal" following Jiang Baiye’s recipe; watching the little girl eat with such hearty relish delighted the whole family.

Song Haocheng and Tu Huanwen came to visit, hoping to see the ailing Lu Lizhi, but Grandma Li politely turned them away.

By this time, Song Haocheng had secured a position in the Hanlin Academy; though his rank was not high, he had achieved his long-held ambition and become a trusted, well-aligned partner to Lu Lizhi.

Tu Huanwen, too, had effectively joined forces with Lu Lizhi, becoming a powerful ally.

Yi Shuyun, however, had not made it into the Academy; changing his strategy, he took up a local official post as a *jinshi* (successful imperial examination candidate), yet the bond of friendship among them all only grew stronger over time.

Of course, whenever the men gathered, Jiang Baiye was always a presence in their midst.

The group of scholars didn't mind that they didn't always share the same wavelength as Jiang Baiye; in fact, they would occasionally glean brilliant, sudden insights from him.

Later, Lu Qingchuan—whom the outside world believed to be Lu Lizhi’s bitter rival—hesitantly came to visit as well. "How is my cousin doing?" he asked.

Lu Lizhi allowed him inside; Lu Qingchuan was so flustered he nearly dropped the cup of hot tea he had just been handed.

Had outsiders witnessed the closeness of their relationship—realizing they had long since reconciled—one wonders if they would still be so smugly waiting to see a spectacle of their feud. "C-Cousin, what’s wrong with your belly? Have you caught some strange disease?"

Lu Lizhi gave a light cough. "Don't go spreading this around, but... I gave birth to a child."

Even the unflappable Lu Qingchuan couldn't keep his cool at that; the teacup Lu Lizhi had carefully selected slipped right out of his hand and shattered.

"You have to pay for that."

Lu Qingchuan was left between laughter and tears. To think he had once badmouthed Jiang Baiye, claiming he wasn't good enough for his cousin—turns out, the little girl he had assumed was Jiang Baiye's illegitimate daughter was actually his cousin's own child.

"Jiaojiao?"

"Bad!" The little girl remembered the unfriendly look he had given her earlier; she held a grudge.

Lu Qingchuan was instantly flustered. It wasn't until he took some advice, went out to buy toys and candy, offered sweet words, let the little girl ride on his back like a horse, and even crawled around on the floor with her, that he finally won her over.

Madam He’s eye twitched as she watched. Was this really the peerless, jade-like young gentleman whom all the noble ladies of the capital adored and longed to marry?

If they saw this scene, their hearts would surely shatter.

There was no one little Lu Huaixi couldn't win over; even Shen Feng had been avoiding her lately.

When the little girl threw a tantrum, she wasn't easily soothed—though she knew exactly who to target, saving her tears only for Madam He and Granny Li. "No... Tangtang... Daddy... *sob*..."

Lu Lizhi, who had just been writing a bit more of *Wen Fengliu*, heard the child's aggrieved voice from outside; his expression darkened once more.

It had been ten days straight; not only did the child miss his father, but he missed him too—missed him desperately.

"Why hasn't he come back yet..."

Jiang Baiye had rushed toward Jiangnan at breakneck speed—as if racing to his own reincarnation—hurrying without pause to the waterway where the incident occurred to confront the rival who had provoked them; a physical altercation had nearly broken out.

He was incredibly impatient and took a bold, aggressive approach, having absolutely no desire to waste breath on idle talk.

"Ram right into them!"

"Boss!?"

"There's no need for further negotiation. If we don't show some ruthlessness, they'll really think we're naive pushovers." Jiang Baiye’s eyes flashed with a fierce glint before he smiled. "Trust in the Wei family's ships—just ram straight into them!"

Yet, before they could even charge, the opposing side panicked and scrambled to retreat. The crew on the cargo ship scattered in a frenzy, shouting in alarm; despite their efforts to dodge, they failed to avoid a glancing blow—one that nearly punched a gaping hole right through their hull! Cargo tumbled into the water with loud splashes, and the men who had been hiding inside—living it up with fine food and drink—stumbled out, their faces pale with shock. "Damn it, the guy's a lunatic! Make way—move, for crying out loud, move!"

They nearly capsized in the process; amidst the violent rocking, they realized with horror that although the two cargo ships appeared similar in size, they were in completely different leagues.

Then there was that fellow standing at the bow, one hand behind his back, gazing calmly at them from afar.

"If you ever see him again, steer clear!"

Seeing their adversaries flee in a panic, the crew of the Wei family ship—who hadn't dared to retaliate—instantly erupted in cheers.

"We set off immediately; we arrive in the capital in three days," Jiang Baiye ordered. This was, after all, a cargo ship bound for the capital.

"Three days? At a normal pace, that would take seven or eight," the boatmen said hesitantly.

"Just sail the ship; leave the rest to me."

Seeing his calm, composed demeanor, the crew—who didn't know him well—couldn't help but feel a sense of trust in him.

This "Second Young Master" seemed much more to their liking than the Eldest Young Master—the sort of man who could lead them out to sea to fight pirates!

One a smiling tiger, the other a charging wolf—working in perfect tandem, their future looked promising indeed. Jiang Baiye, however, could not relax at all; he kept turning over in his mind whether his preparations were truly complete.

Li Zhi’s belly was so large—a sign that the delivery process would not be easy.

For this reason, he had spent months learning everything he could from Physician Pang and a midwife who specialized in childbirth.

The maids and attendants assigned to the delivery were experienced hands who had assisted before; the supplies were ready, the physician was on call, and the midwife had even made extra preparations on the sly.

Everything was perfect...

Suddenly, his eyelid began to twitch.

Jiang Baiye rubbed it, but the twitching only grew more violent.

Panic set in.

"How much longer? When will we reach the capital?"

The crew members were startled by his demeanor; they thought to themselves that he had already asked this question dozens of times.

"Half a day more. Please don't worry, Second Master—why not have something to eat?"

He hadn't really eaten anything for days, which was truly worrying.

Jiang Baiye felt like jumping off the boat and swimming the rest of the way. "Faster, please!"

Hearing the hoarse, pleading note in his voice, the crew felt a strange pang of sadness and didn't dare slow down, even through the night. "Pick up the pace!"

Jiang Baiye had sat motionless at the bow of the boat all night. Before dawn the next day, they finally arrived at the capital's dock; his legs felt weak as he stood up.

After issuing a few hasty instructions, he snatched a horse from a passerby and galloped away!

"Hey! Robber!"

The person left behind hurriedly paid the fare, wondering if the second young master had encountered a family emergency.

Driven by a powerful intuition and premonition, Jiang Baiye bypassed the lodgings near the Imperial Examination Hall and headed straight for the secluded, private house by the lake.

When he actually saw his mother and Granny Li there, his heart sank.

"How is he? How is Lizhi doing?"

Madam He, who had been sitting in a daze, immediately rushed toward him. "You brat! Why did you take so long to come back? *Sob*..."

Jiang Baiye nearly stumbled. Seeing the look of lingering shock on everyone's faces, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a sound.

Lizhi... Lizhi...

He rushed inside frantically. He saw Physician Pang sitting by the bedside with a furrowed brow and Granny Li cradling a bundle of swaddling clothes. Without pausing to ask questions, he rushed over and tremblingly embraced the unconscious man lying on the bed. "Lizhi, Lizhi, are you alright? I’m back... I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry—I came back too late; I wasn't there to be by your side!"

"The baby was huge. He was in labor for a day and a night, and he lost a lot of blood..."

Hearing this, a sense of foreboding washed over Jiang Baiye, and he dropped to his knees before Dr. Pang.

"Please, save him—you have to save him!"

"Wait—I haven't finished speaking yet."

But Jiang Baiye couldn't hear a word. He was already terrified; for days, his mind had been besieged by nightmares and harrowing visions. He was in a daze, completely unable to think straight.

Then, a hand gently touched his shoulder. "Don't cry."

"Jiang Baiye, I'm still alive..." Watching Jiang Baiye’s shoulders shake uncontrollably, Lu Lizhi couldn't hold back his own tears either.

He hadn't cried through a day and a night of agony, nor when he had one foot in the grave, but seeing this man weep made his heart ache so much that the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

*Jiang Baiye... with you here, how could I bear to die?*

Granny Li couldn't stand watching anymore; she gave the baby in her arms a firm smack on the bottom. The infant let out a loud, indignant wail, snapping the two dazed fathers—still lost in their sorrow—back to reality.

"He’s a big, chubby boy—weighing a full eight *jin*. He’s twice the size Jiao-jiao was; no wonder the delivery was so hard!"

Granny Li glared at Jiang Baiye. "You're already the father of two children, yet you're still so flighty!"

Doctor Pang also shook his head. "Silly boy."

Jiang Baiye stood there in a daze, then embraced Lu Lizhi—who had cried himself weary. Feeling Lu Lizhi’s warmth and vitality, he felt as though he had returned to the world of the living.

The overwhelming sense of emptiness vanished; everything became real and beautiful.

It was happiness, right within reach.

"Thank goodness."

"Don't cry; I couldn't bear to leave you." Lu Lizhi gently stroked his face, sharing in that profound sense of happiness.

"For a lifetime?" Jiang Baiye asked with a silly grin as he smoothed back Lu Lizhi’s damp, disheveled hair.

"A lifetime isn't enough—forever, forever!"

"Mm, forever."

...

(The End)