Chapter 97

 Two months pregnant; the provincial exam concludes.

Lu Lizhi hardly knew how he had made his way out of the examination compound; as dusk fell, his vision began to blur and double.

Song Haocheng and Yi Shuyun, seeing him sway as if about to collapse, cried out in alarm and instinctively reached out to steady him.

But they were beaten to it by a large hand that suddenly appeared from the side, firmly grasping Lu Lizhi’s shoulder and catching his falling body.

"Lizhi!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Lu Lizhi felt at ease and promptly lost consciousness.

There were other candidates in the crowd suffering from adverse reactions, though none as severely as Lu Lizhi—after all, this was merely the end of the first three-day session, and there was still a long, grueling ordeal ahead.

As the onlookers murmured in astonishment, Jiang Baiye swept Lu Lizhi up into his arms—a move that stirred up a fresh wave of shock and uproar.

This time, there were far fewer voices of understanding; most were filled with judgmental, condescending criticism.

Jiang Baiye’s expression turned grim and cold; he tightened his hold on the person in his arms—clutching him so fiercely he wished he could meld him into his very flesh and bone to shield him—while fighting the urge to snap, "Shut your mouths!"

He could not bring trouble upon him.

Suppressing the anger burning within, Jiang Baiye quickened his pace, carrying Lu Lizhi toward his lodgings amidst a sea of ​​strange, prying gazes.

Concerned, Song Haocheng and Yi Shuyun exchanged worried glances and hurriedly followed after them. Tu Huanwen was in the middle of a conversation when he overheard the harsh, unpleasant gossip circulating nearby; his brows furrowed sternly. "For men of letters, speech should be upright and grounded in truth."

Those who had been gossiping recklessly flushed with shame.

Had anyone else spoken those words, they might have scoffed; however, Tu Huanwen’s influence and reputation commanded their deep, instinctive respect, causing them to shrink back and behave themselves immediately.

Fang Kaiyuan, who had been speaking with Tu Huanwen moments before, looked utterly stunned. "That Lu Lizhi from Xuanhe—he certainly has remarkable courage!"

His tone was peculiar, yet it couldn't hide a trace of admiration. "No wonder you told those officials back then that Lu Lizhi was indeed inclined toward men... *Ahem*, I had almost thought you disliked him; looking at it now, you were actually trying to help him!"

Indeed, back when the rumors about Lu Lizhi’s attraction to men had first erupted, Tu Huanwen’s testimony—combined with the trust other examinees placed in him—had convinced people of the claim's validity.

"He doesn't look to be in a good state; I’m going over to check on him." Having said this hurriedly, Tu Huanwen hastened toward the scene.

Fang Kaiyuan hesitated but ultimately decided not to follow. At a time like this, it was best to avoid any appearance of impropriety—even if the person in question seemed to have a legitimate partner. Tu Huanwen did not fully understand Lu Lizhi’s sexual orientation—and had even previously gone out of his way to avoid the subject—yet during the three days leading up to the exam, Lu Lizhi had carried himself with the refined, open grace of a true gentleman, showing absolutely no signs of his attraction to men.

Tu had originally intended to urge Lu to prepare more thoroughly, but Lu had instead pointed out several issues Tu had encountered while studying.

Lu had offered his guidance generously; despite being a rival, he explained the concepts without holding anything back—and as it turned out, a similar question appeared on the exam paper that very day.

Had Tu not heard Lu Lizhi’s analysis, he might well have strayed far off track by relying on his own understanding.

Naturally, Tu Huanwen felt both gratitude and genuine admiration for him. Before long, they arrived at their rented lodging, only to find Song Haocheng and Yi Shuyun also barred from entering.

"They won't let us in." Both Song and Yi knew the reason why.

Tu Huanwen grew anxious. "What about the physician? We must find a physician immediately; we can't let this affect his condition for tomorrow's exam!"

The other two were surprised by Tu Huanwen’s magnanimity. Most people—let alone hoping a rival would fall ill—might secretly rejoice at such a situation; yet Tu Huanwen was more worried than anyone else.

In truth, it was Lu Lizhi’s own selflessness that had earned him such sincere regard from Tu Huanwen—a sentiment shared equally by Song Haocheng and Yi Shuyun. He admired the man's talent and virtue, and was captivated by his imposing yet elegant bearing and his soaring, ambitious spirit.

Inside the room, upon seeing Lu Lizhi laid out on the bed, Doctor Pang was so startled that the chicken leg he was holding dropped right out of his hand.

"Good grief! When that lad insisted on dragging me all the way from Chongzhou, I wondered what he wanted—turns out I really was needed after all!"

Doctor Pang hurriedly wiped the grease from his hands, washed them thoroughly, and brought over the medical kit he always carried with him.

Jiang Baiye spoke in a low, urgent voice, "I thought he might be a bit under the weather after the provincial exams—I was planning to give him a check-up then—but I never expected him to collapse the moment he stepped out..."

As he spoke, Doctor Pang suddenly gasped sharply, looking as though he’d been scared out of his wits.

"What is it? What’s wrong with him?"

"Don't rush me; let me take a closer look..." Doctor Pang’s brows furrowed deeply; he quickly adjusted his posture and began to carefully take the patient's pulse.

As he checked the pulse, his expression turned peculiar, and he kept stealing glances at Jiang Baiye every now and then. "Doctor Pang!" Jiang Baiye said in a low, urgent voice. "Just tell me straight—don't scare me like this."

"Well..." Doctor Pang suddenly looked a bit sheepish. "You should prepare some light, bland food for him. His spleen and stomach are weak, and he hasn't eaten properly while inside; his fainting spell might be related to that."

Jiang Baiye didn't hesitate and hurriedly turned to leave, but before he could even step over the threshold, Lu Lizhi—who had been unconscious—suddenly convulsed, scrambled up, and leaned over the bedside to retch again.

...

Now that he knew the cause, Doctor Pang calmly opened his acupuncture kit and swiftly inserted a needle into a specific acupoint. The effect was remarkable; Lu Lizhi’s symptoms subsided, and he drifted back into a deep sleep.

However, the hand that had instinctively grabbed onto Jiang Baiye refused to let go.

"Oh well..."

In a hazy, dreamlike state, Lu Lizhi heard voices nearby; he realized they were discussing his diagnosis.

His imperial examination journey had only just begun, and he and Jiang Baiye had finally started living a stable, prosperous life. They could... perhaps even adopt a child and raise him to adulthood—someone to carry on their legacy and inherit everything they had built...

Lu Lizhi struggled to wake up, desperate to hear exactly what was wrong with him.

Meanwhile, Jiang Baiye was completely dumbfounded. "W-what?"

"Ahem... I’m fairly certain there’s no mistake. Lizhi is two months pregnant." Dr. Pang found it hard to meet his shifting, unsettled gaze.

Jiang Baiye was dazed and incredulous; his eyes darted between Lu Lizhi’s face and the lower abdomen where Lu’s hand rested lightly. Then, as he turned to look at Dr. Pang, his expression suddenly turned fierce.

"Good heavens!" Dr. Pang’s reflexes were lightning-fast; he scrambled up, ready to bolt, only for Jiang Baiye to yank him back by the collar.

"Dr. Pang... what did you tell me back then? 'It’s likely impossible'—so *this* is what you meant by 'impossible'?"

"I—I *did* say 'likely,' didn't I? Besides, I also said the world is full of wonders. I even tried to tell you to take precautions, but *you* were the one who cut me off!"

Jiang Baiye abruptly let go, causing Dr. Pang to stumble forward with a yelp as momentum carried him off balance.

"Right... it’s my fault. I had my suspicions, too—I had this strange premonition—and yet... it was just so... absurd." And they certainly hadn't held back.

Jiang Baiye reproached himself for a moment, then couldn't help but grin foolishly. He sat by the bedside, gazing at Lu Lizhi and occasionally blurting out something silly.

"How did this happen?"

"Two months... that would have been on my birthday..."

"Is it... is it our little one?" ”

A moment later, he asked again, "Why is it so quiet?"

Suddenly, he pressed his ear against Lu Lizhi’s belly to listen, then looked anxiously at Physician Pang, who was standing there looking dazed.

"There’s not a sound—is the baby... is something wrong?"

Physician Pang: "..."

Jiang Baiye suddenly slapped his forehead. "I’ll go make something to eat right now; Lizhi must be hungry. Physician Pang, please think of a solution—that was morning sickness earlier, right? What else can be done? Acupuncture? Medicine? Whatever it takes, we have to ensure he successfully finishes the provincial exam!"

His wits had finally returned.

"Acupuncture should do the trick." However, having never encountered a case quite like Lu Lizhi’s before, Physician Pang wasn't entirely certain of the outcome.

Jiang Baiye walked off in a daze, only to return shortly after, still in a daze, carrying a plate of food. "I accidentally burnt this bowl; Physician Pang, you can have it." ”

Dr. Pang: "Thank you!"

However, seeing as the man was still drunk—caught in a whirlwind of emotions as a new father: distressed yet overjoyed, flustered yet manic, fearful yet expectant—Dr. Pang decided not to hold it against him.

Not long after Dr. Pang’s acupuncture treatment, Lu Lizhi woke up with a hearty appetite. Jiang Baiye fed him some easily digestible food, and after a short while, he drank a bowl of medicinal soup.

Tu Huanwen watched from Lu Lizhi’s room as Jiang Baiye bustled back and forth—preparing food one moment, heating water the next. The young, shrewd philanthropist and wealthy merchant known to everyone else was, at this moment, simply Lu Lizhi’s devoted partner—attentive and considerate in every way.

"No wonder..."

He might not understand the nature of their love, but he could not question its sincerity.

Late that night, Lu Lizhi woke up again, feeling fresh and clean after having been carefully sponged down. He blinked, looking at the man who was gazing intently at him while cradling him in his arms, resting his head on one hand.

"What is it? Did I fall ill?"

Jiang Baiye, still somewhat dazed, hurriedly pulled the thin quilt back up over him and planted a kiss on his cheek, which was tinged with a faint pink flush.

"How could my Lizhi get sick? Lizhi is the strongest of all."

Lu Lizhi: "?" ”

Jiang Baiye couldn't resist wanting to kiss him again, but Lu Lizhi solemnly pressed a finger against his lips. "Just tell me—what exactly is this illness you have?"

"Don't let your imagination run wild; I'm not sick." Jiang Baiye smiled, his dark eyes gleaming, yet he stopped abruptly before the words could fully leave his lips. "Can I tell you about it after you finish the provincial exams?"

Lu Lizhi pursed his lips slightly and nodded; he resolved not to dwell on the matter, lest it distract him from the crucial examination.

Before dawn the next day, Jiang Baiye—who hadn't slept all night—got up to prepare breakfast and brew medicinal herbs for him.

Lu Lizhi ate quietly. When he met up with Song Haocheng, Yi Shuyun, and the others—who had come early out of concern—he simply shook his head.

"I'm fine." The second session of the examination began in the blink of an eye. The three main gates of the examination compound were thrown open simultaneously; at the sound of the cannon, the candidates filed in to locate their assigned cells.

Lu Lizhi set out his writing implements with single-minded focus. This time, he felt no physical discomfort—perhaps due to the medicine he had taken, or perhaps because Dr. Pang’s acupuncture treatment had taken effect.

He only felt a wave of nausea when catching a whiff of the indescribable stench, but it no longer reached the point of retching up bitter bile, nor did it cause a scene that might disturb the others.

However, his appetite had suffered.

Even though he had the time and opportunity to prepare a meal—and knew he ought to eat something—he would shrink back whenever he actually set out to do so, feeling listless and unwilling to move.

On the third day, just after he had packed away his examination papers, a wave of drowsiness... ...slumped over.

He had been slower to finish this exam session; he was easily overcome by fatigue every day. Even though his routine remained unchanged and he hadn't exerted himself physically, a sense of listlessness and exhaustion would quickly set in.

It was likely due to that illness—though Lu Lizhi couldn't even be bothered to wonder what exactly it was.

Whatever. Let it be.

Amidst the sea of ​​people, Jiang Baiye saw him slowly emerge and let out a sigh of relief. He quickly led him over and served up the appetizing dishes he had prepared in advance.

Lu Lizhi’s appetite finally stirred, but halfway through the meal, he began to feel incredibly tired and drowsy.

Tu Huanwen, a fellow student who had also been lucky enough to taste Jiang Baiye’s cooking, watched as Lu Lizhi slumped into Jiang Baiye’s arms; he was so startled that he nearly dropped the chopsticks in his hand... ...almost dropping it on the ground.

Lu Lizhi observed their reactions but couldn't be bothered to make an issue of it; he simply opened his mouth and let himself be waited on.

The two of them flushed crimson; as they listened to the young couple’s occasional whispered exchanges, they felt as though they were sitting on pins and needles, yet they also found the scene strangely novel.

They were seeing a side of Lu Lizhi they had never witnessed before.

He seemed to have acquired a touch of humanity—as if he had descended from the lofty clouds to the mortal realm, taking on the very real emotions and desires that belong to ordinary people.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at the man beside him was filled with a rich depth of feeling.

Yet, because he was completely enveloped in love, he had the freedom to be willful and uninhibited; this made him appear so authentic and endearing.

During the third exam, Lu Lizhi began to feel unwell again, though he tried to endure it... He forced himself to persevere despite the urge to retch; at one point, he nearly vomited onto his exam paper—a close call that made a cold sweat instantly break out across his back.

If he had soiled the paper, all his efforts would have gone to waste!

Exam graders considered even a black ink smudge—let alone anything worse—to be an ill omen; such a paper would be screened out immediately, never even reaching the official examiner's desk.

After that scare, Lu Lizhi summoned every ounce of his focus and willpower, managing to overcome his physical discomfort.

It was only after he handed in his paper that his tense body finally relaxed, allowing a tidal wave of exhaustion to crash over him.

Outside the examination compound, Jiang Baiye carried Lu Lizhi on his back. As they walked slowly amidst the throngs of candidates—some cheering, others lamenting—he spoke in a calm, reassuring voice:

"Lizhi, we’re going to have a baby."