Shi Yin awkwardly braced himself and asked the question again.
Sure enough, the butler reacted: "Guan Jing."
"Brother, who is Guan Jing?" Shi Yin had never heard of this name before, and among the prominent families in the Imperial City, none bore the surname Guan.
"No idea." Shi Wei searched his memory quickly for any clue about the Guan Family, but came up empty.
He turned to the butler with a doubtful gaze, and after a moment, his pale lips moved slightly: "Guan Jing is Shi Shulan’s ex-husband?"
The butler once again fell silent.
That truly plunged everyone into a strange atmosphere, rendering further questioning impossible.
"Shi Wei, let’s go back and investigate." Yu Zhi realized there was no way to obtain any meaningful information today.
She hopped off the man’s knees, grabbed the back of the old butler’s collar, and prepared to escort him out.
"Zhizhi, let me do it." Shi Wei took over with a disdainful look, saving the young girl from dirtying her hands.
Not long after, the four exited through the back door.
The night was still deep, and piercing cold winds swept at the hems of their clothing, slipping in through their collars.
The bent trees swayed under the streetlight’s shadow, stirring faint ripples of light and shadow—tiny fragments of beauty no one paused to admire.
"Brother, are we going to the hospital now?" As they reached the end of the narrow alley, Shi Yin hurriedly called out, stopping the man ahead.
"Zhizhi needs to sleep." Shi Wei wrapped his coat more securely around the young girl, shielding her from the biting winds.
He approached the vehicle: "I’ll call you in the morning."
"Alright." Shi Yin’s lips opened slightly, hesitating for a moment before refraining from stopping the roaring Maybach as it sped away.
He turned with Ruan Yuan and fastened her seatbelt attentively: "Ruan Ruan, are you tired?"
"Not really." Just as Ruan Yuan saw him about to straighten up, she rested her hands on his neck and pecked his lips briefly.
Her gaze was entirely focused on him: "Let’s go home and get some proper rest first. When you wake up, I’ll go with you to the hospital."
"Okay." Shi Yin smiled warmly.
He held the steering wheel with one hand while intertwining fingers with hers using the other, reluctant to let go.
**
"Master Shi, I’ve already expedited the process, but it’ll still take at least three hours." The doctor in a white coat stood respectfully before the man.
With his head lowered, he dared not even glance up. His forehead inexplicably sweated thinly.
No wonder—this man was terribly intimidating. Even a fleeting gaze was enough to leave him utterly defenseless.
Shi Wei replied indifferently, "Understood."
He toyed leisurely with the young girl’s slender fingers, lounging back against the sofa with his legs crossed, showing not the slightest urgency.
The top-floor hospital lounge had been customized just for him. From the decor to the furniture arrangement, every detail aligned with his preferences.
The exclusivity of the space was also exceptionally high—apart from a handful of high-ranking staff and his subordinates, no outsiders dared to disturb him.
This pleased Shi Wei immensely. The source of this content ɪs NoveI~Fire.net
He had even considered having the adjacent room emptied and connected to the lounge, making it easier to use as a birthing suite in the future.
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll..."
"Wait."
Shi Wei’s calm yet commanding words stopped the visibly nervous doctor: "See to it quickly. And change the wall color to something warmer while you’re at it."
"Alright, I’ll handle it right away."
The doctor hurriedly left the room, and as soon as he was gone, Ruan Yuan’s gaze zeroed in on the young girl’s stomach: "Little Zhi, are you pregnant?"
Yu Zhi’s cheeks flushed: "No."
The man hadn’t even proposed yet, let alone gotten a marriage certificate. How could she suddenly be expecting a baby?
"I thought you two might be getting close to that point." Ruan Yuan teased with an arched brow, her playful gaze sweeping between them.
"Zhizhi is still young; becoming a mother will have to wait a few years." Shi Wei gently stroked the young girl’s head, his fingertips tinged with indulgence.
Though he longed to share the miracle of life with her, he also worried that an early pregnancy might affect her health.
Ruan Yuan nodded in agreement. She leaned against Shi Yin’s shoulder and mused aloud: "If you’re actually brothers, then my child and Little Zhi’s could never marry."
Her original idea had been to arrange a childhood betrothal.
Growing up together as sweethearts—it would be adorable.
Catching the trace of regret in her eyes, Shi Yin chuckled softly: "Being siblings isn’t so bad, is it?"
"It’s fine, but there’s no romance involved."
"..."
Watching their lively exchange, Yu Zhi couldn’t help asking: "Why insist on siblings?"
Why not brothers? Or sisters?
Ruan Yuan: "Shi Yin and I want a boy."
Yu Zhi: "Are you biased toward sons?"
"Not at all." Ruan Yuan opened a long-saved dance video on her phone and showed it to the young girl: "I just thought it’d be cool to have my son learn street dance."
"Then I could dress him up like the boy in this video. Imagine him walking out and charming countless girls."
The thought of her soft little son complaining about girls hugging or kissing him made Ruan Yuan gleeful.
Yu Zhi shot her a perplexed look, her lips twitching slightly: "Your tastes... are unique."
"Not really. Boys are easier to raise. Later, we can hand over the company to him while Shi Yin and I travel the world."
"..." So that was the actual reason.
Yu Zhi ended up chatting casually with Ruan Yuan about children for quite a while, forgetting even the men sitting beside her.
Time slipped by as their laughter and conversation created an atmosphere warmer than the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Three hours later, the physician returned with a report in hand, knocking on the lounge door.
He handed the document to Shi Wei, silently bowing his head while the sound of rustling papers filled the room.
Shi Wei’s gaze landed on the final line of black text. Despite being mentally prepared, the truth laid bare still managed to surprise him.
Feigning nonchalance, he tossed the report to the impatient young man: "See for yourself."
Shi Yin’s fingers trembled slightly.
It took him a full five minutes to process what he saw, his joy unrestrained: "Brother, you really are my brother!"
Shi Yin was so delighted he nearly jumped up, his grin uncontainable like that of a youthful teenager.
Shi Wei shot him a disdainful look: "Idiot."
Holding the young girl close, his lips curved into a faint smile of contentment and relief, unseen by others.
Finally, his anxious heart settled.