Chapter 45

A week later, the slight disbelief on Song Mian’s face had vanished, but Lin Zhi wasn’t too happy about it. When Lin Zhi deliberately pointed at his belly again, Song Mian just gently went over to touch it and told him, “Wait two more weeks for a scan to check on the baby.”

Lin Zhi gave him a strange look. “Do you believe it?”

Song Mian replied, “Whether I believe it or not isn’t important. What matters is whether you’re really pregnant.”

Song Mian didn’t seem like he’d found evidence that “men could give birth.” He seemed more like he’d come to terms with it.

Lin Zhi pointed at his belly again, but he no longer saw that existential doubt flicker across Song Mian’s face! Finally giving up on targeting Song Mian, Lin Zhi turned his attention fully to himself. He might be a rabbit.

Lin Zhi had no real sense of being a rabbit. He’d been human just fine—how could he be a rabbit? Song Mian had opened his mouth and declared him one. Couldn’t he be a wolf instead?

Lin Zhi got the photo of that chubby rabbit and, that very evening, searched online for a bunch of rabbits with similar eyes.

Leaning against the kitchen door, Lin Zhi asked, “Are you saying I’m your chubby rabbit?”

Song Mian was very certain. “Mm-hmm.”

Lin Zhi tapped open the cluster of rabbit photos on Song Mian’s phone. Every single one looked just like Song Mian’s rabbit.

Song Mian, who was slicing carrots, glanced over once and then looked away. “They’re not the same.”

Lin Zhi pressed, “How are they different?”

Song Mian said, “You are. I’m the rabbit.”

Lin Zhi huffed. “Hmph.”

It was obviously baseless! Just because he was a rabbit didn’t mean he had to be Song Mian’s specific one.

Lin Zhi said in an old-man tone, “Song Mian, you’re too childish. You can’t be the head of this household.”

Song Mian turned back to look at him.

Lin Zhi puffed out his chest.

Song Mian said wistfully, “If you’re taking yourself as the head of the household, does that mean you’re treating this place as our home?”

Song Mian’s counterattack made Lin Zhi’s face flush bright red.

Lin Zhi stormed off!

A little while later, once the heat had dissipated, Lin Zhi came back. After Song Mian finished stir-frying one dish, Lin Zhi poked him. Song Mian shooed him away. “Too much oil smoke. Go out.”

Lin Zhi didn’t leave. Instead, he lifted his shirt, inviting Song Mian to touch.

Song Mian: “…”

“Is this the time for touching?”

Lin Zhi insisted, “Yes, it is!”

Song Mian glanced at… Lin Zhi’s belly. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but Song Mian felt like there was a bit more flesh there. He washed his hands and dried them. When his palm finally covered Lin Zhi’s belly, both of them were extremely tense.

“Do you feel it? I might be pregnant,” Lin Zhi teased slyly.

Song Mian didn’t dare press hard, just lightly stroking the surface. Aside from the warm touch, he felt nothing.

Song Mian: “Mm-hmm.”

Lin Zhi dropped his shirt and leaned against the counter, tilting his head toward Song Mian. “Any thoughts?”

Song Mian: “If there is one, we’ll raise it.”

Lin Zhi scrutinized Song Mian’s expression closely—it was still calm. Disappointed, Lin Zhi retreated. No more letting Song Mian touch from now on!

Two weeks later, Lin Zhi and Song Mian returned to the hospital.

After the scan, Lin Zhi sat nervously in front of the doctor. The doctor examined Lin Zhi’s scan and report for a good while. “Who’s Lin Zhi?”

Lin Zhi answered honestly, “Me.”

The doctor looked at Lin Zhi. “You’re pregnant. Over a month along.”

He really was pregnant!

Though Lin Zhi had suspected it, hearing the doctor confirm it with the scan in hand still terrified him!

Lin Zhi blurted out nervously, “I’ve had gender reassignment.”

The doctor: “I figured.”

Lin Zhi was dumbfounded.

Song Mian, who hadn’t spoken the whole time, finally spoke up with difficulty. He asked the doctor about all sorts of prenatal precautions, then led the still-dazed Lin Zhi away.

Back in the car, Lin Zhi climbed straight into the back seat. No longer dazed, he sprawled out and threw a tantrum.

“Why do I still have a baby? Wasn’t it gone?”

Song Mian joined him in the back. He lifted Lin Zhi’s head onto his lap and reminded him, gaze lowered, “You’ve been through this process once already.”

Lin Zhi whined, “That’s different!”

He yanked up his shirt and pointed at his belly. “There’s really a baby in here. But I’m a guy.”

Song Mian quickly pulled the shirt back down. “You’ll catch a chill.”

With one sentence, Song Mian accepted the reality matter-of-factly.

Lin Zhi preferred the midnight version of Song Mian who researched human anatomy. Sitting up from Song Mian’s lap, Lin Zhi picked a fight even if there wasn’t one. “You were really out of line a while back. You must’ve poked the baby!”

Song Mian’s face darkened abruptly.

Satisfied, Lin Zhi stopped tantruming. He earnestly advised Song Mian, “You really need to start being a good dad. Lucky for you, I’m easygoing and didn’t hold it against you. But you have to keep your promises—go to that parenting class. You’ll raise the baby, and afterward, it calls me Dad.”

Song Mian agreed readily. “Mm-hmm. This weekend, I’ll have someone come teach me.”

Lin Zhi nodded. “Good!”

Lin Zhi added, “And about registering abroad—my dad’s back in a few days. You go talk to him. If he agrees, we get married.”

Song Mian’s eyes flickered. He pulled Lin Zhi into his arms.

“What’re you doing? Don’t manhandle a pregnant hubby.”

Song Mian kneaded the soft dough-ball in his embrace. “I’m happy. This is the first time you’ve proactively nagged me to get married.”

Lin Zhi’s face didn’t know if it was red from Song Mian’s kneading or his own embarrassment.

Lin Zhi pointed at his belly again. Anyway, it had nothing to do with him—it was the baby’s fault! Song Mian chuckled softly, unable to resist kissing Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi pushed him away, only to get another kiss.

“sigh. Now you really look like a clingy little wife.”

Song Mian: “Mm-hmm, I am.”

Lin Zhi couldn’t even get mad. That line—”A true top doesn’t care about this stuff”—had hurt him deeply!

Hmph.

Lin Zhi glanced at Song Mian, who was pressed against his belly listening. Having a baby didn’t seem so terrible after all.

“Song Mian, you absolutely can’t ditch me during my pregnancy!”

Song Mian: “…”

Lin Zhi’s words shattered the warm scene.

But Lin Zhi was still nervous, especially since he was a rabbit! That night, he dreamed he gave birth to a litter of baby rabbits. A bunch of little rabbits hopped around him, and the delivering doctor fainted from the surreal sight.

One rabbit jumped onto Lin Zhi’s face and opened its mouth: “Daddy!”

Holy crap!!

Lin Zhi jolted awake. The room was pitch black. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned on the light. Song Mian’s eyelids twitched. Lin Zhi gently pried one open. Song Mian, who slept lightly anyway, opened his bloodshot eyes and got startled by Lin Zhi sitting beside him with big round eyes.

“Not sleeping and playing ghost to scare me?” Song Mian sat up in bed, fully awake.

“Nope.” Lin Zhi propped himself on the bed and smashed his head against Song Mian’s chest, voice miserable. “Will I give birth to a bunch of baby rabbits?”

Song Mian stiffened. He looked down at Lin Zhi, chin resting on his chest, looking vulnerable. Worry creased his brows too. He patted Lin Zhi’s back gently, forced to admit his own ignorance. “Zhizhi, I don’t know either.”

Lin Zhi: “But you’ve awakened so much knowledge. Is there anything like this in your books?”

Song Mian was blunt. “No.”

Talk about summoning spirits!

Lin Zhi nuzzled deeper into Song Mian’s chest. He was scared to death.

“What do we do? If I really give birth to baby rabbits, I’ll get locked up, right?”

Song Mian soothed his emotions. “Regular checkups will tell if it’s rabbit babies or human ones in there. Even if it’s rabbits, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”

Lin Zhi pulled away from Song Mian and burrowed into the covers, rolling around in bed.

“Why am I so unlucky?”

Song Mian quickly pinned the flailing Lin Zhi.

“Take care of your body.”

Lin Zhi lay flat on his back, gazing sadly at Song Mian. “Am I really your rabbit?”

Song Mian: “Mm-hmm.”

“Then tell me about my life as a rabbit? Did we live in the countryside? Were those carrot fields full of my carrots?”

Lin Zhi was distracting himself.

As far back as Lin Zhi could remember, he’d been five. The welfare aunties had told him he’d bumped his head and forgotten his past, and he’d always believed it.

Now it made sense—he was a rabbit!

But Song Mian turned off the light, pulled Lin Zhi into his arms, and murmured as he listened to Lin Zhi’s breathing, “Actually, you might not be my rabbit. You have no memories of the past, and I have no concrete way to prove you’re that one.”

Lin Zhi was confused.

“Then why’d you swear up and down that I am?”

Song Mian blinked, a paranoia Lin Zhi had never seen flashing in his eyes. “On purpose. I wanted you to be mine. But now, even if you’re not that rabbit, you have to be mine.”

Lin Zhi scrunched his face.

“I’m human.”

“I know. I can’t help it.” Song Mian was utterly straightforward. “Scared of me?”

Lin Zhi really wasn’t. He hugged Song Mian casually.

“You’re doing this on purpose, right? Spilling your heart because you know I won’t leave you?” Lin Zhi pointed at his belly again.

“I’m not sure.”

But it didn’t matter—he could always track him down if he left. He just feared his Zhizhi dying. Song Mian kissed Lin Zhi’s nose tip, savoring his breathing.

His Zhizhi was alive and well.

“Fine, you’re always like this. As your husband, I have to be tolerant.” Lin Zhi said generously.

Amusement lit Song Mian’s eyes.

“This good?”

Lin Zhi: “Mm-hmm!”

“Besides, you’ve never gone against my wishes anyway.” Lin Zhi knew it well. He reached out to hug Song Mian. “Stop always checking my breathing. Sometimes it’s light, but if you’re alive and well, I definitely won’t die!”

Lin Zhi got it all. Now he was the one comforting Song Mian—even though Song Mian was the one acting like the little wife!

“Okay, hubby.”

Lin Zhi swelled with pride. He’d even forgotten his rabbit nightmare.

Three days later, on the weekend, Lin Zhi took Song Mian home to see his dad. Song Mian chatted with his dad for quite a while, and his dad told them to keep their relationship under wraps.

Lin Zhi agreed enthusiastically. “I’ll keep it secret!”

Song Mian stayed quiet.

As they were about to leave, Father Lin pulled Lin Zhi aside privately.

“Do you really like him?”

Lin Zhi’s face turned red. “Yeah, really.”

Father Lin: “Last time you told your mom it was just a little bit.”

Lin Zhi shyly scratched his cheek.

“Don’t say it out loud!”

“Fine, fine. I’m no old fogey.” Father Lin sighed deeply.

Lin Zhi was best at poking holes in his dad’s composure. “Mom said you wrapped up work early and wanted to call us back to beat us up when you found out. She stopped you.”

“You asking for a beating?”

Lin Zhi grinned and hugged his dad’s arm. “How could I? I love my handsome dad the most.”

Father Lin’s brows relaxed.

“Dad, can you accept a guy giving birth?”

Father Lin’s brows furrowed again. “You might as well cremate me now.”

Lin Zhi got the message!

Back home, Lin Zhi rubbed his belly and told Song Mian, “I have to hide it from them. They can’t accept it yet.”

Song Mian wasn’t even listening. He was booking international flights.

Lin Zhi peeked over and snatched Song Mian’s phone, glaring fiercely. “All you think about is getting married!”

“What else should I be thinking about if not marriage?” Song Mian naturally took his phone back and answered Lin Zhi’s earlier question. “I couldn’t accept you actually being able to get pregnant at first. You expect your parents to now? Zhizhi, no rush. Get certified first.”

He told him not to rush, but rushed to get certified himself.

Lin Zhi narrowed his eyes. The head of the household couldn’t be this spineless.

“I don’t think I’ve ever properly said I like you.”

Song Mian froze, fingers mashing the phone screen randomly. Lin Zhi leaned in with a wicked grin. “Song Mian, I like you.”

Song Mian lost his grip, and the phone slipped from his hand.

Hmph!