TSBDRA If Line: If I had Run Away While Pregnant Extra 3

IF LINE EXTRA 3 – You’ve got a little bit of cream on your face.

The atmosphere froze for three seconds. Xu Xishuang was the first to look away, abruptly turning his head and burying himself back down in a crouch.

Xu Xishuang’s heart was pounding. He didn’t know if Yan Yushan had recognized him. Right now, all he wanted was for Yan Yushan to hurry up and leave, to stop standing there silently reminding him of his social death just now.

But Yan Yushan didn’t move at all—he was still standing in the same spot. Xu Xishuang could even feel his burning gaze bearing straight down from above.

Xu Xishuang couldn’t exactly tell him to go away either. After all, people were free to stand wherever they wanted. The awkwardness was so overwhelming that Xu Xishuang had to give himself some mental coaching, convincing himself that a superstar like Yan Yushan had met countless people. Besides, that night had been such a blur, and he had left so early—maybe Yan Yushan didn’t even remember what he looked like, let alone who he was. It had been over three years since they last saw each other. There was no way Yan Yushan would still recognize him.

Repeating this to himself over and over made Xu Xishuang feel a little better. He thought, fine, let’s see who leaves first.

What Xu Xishuang didn’t know was that there was a small dab of cream stuck to the side of his nose, nor that the tips of his ears were completely red now, with a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. The way he crouched with his back to everyone looked just like someone sulking, waiting for someone who doted on him to coax him out and only then would he turn around with restrained grace.

Yan Yushan stood behind Xu Xishuang, his gaze lingering on his ears and face. He couldn’t stop staring at the cream on Xu Xishuang’s cheek. His heart was racing from how adorable he looked—he simply couldn’t look away.

Just as Yan Yushan was debating how to start a conversation with Xu Xishuang, Yan Jingmo happened to pause in the middle of his speech in the center of the hall. Holding a glass of wine, he scanned the crowd and spotted Yan Yushan by the table. Smiling, he called him over.

As a member of the Yan family hosting the party, Yan Yushan knew he couldn’t avoid it. It would be rude not to go, so he nodded at Yan Jingmo, casually picked up a glass of wine, and gave Xu Xishuang—still crouched on the floor—one last glance before turning to walk away.

Because Xu Xishuang was crouched beneath the table, the long tablecloth had hidden him completely from view, so no one else noticed him. He had narrowly escaped disaster.

Yan Yushan finally left, and Xu Xishuang quietly let out a huge sigh of relief. Slowly and unsteadily, he pushed himself up from the floor, using the table for support. He waited for the dizziness to subside before bending down to stretch out his legs, which had gone slightly numb from squatting for so long.

Once he was fully upright again, Xu Xishuang listened to Yan Yushan’s cold, perfunctory welcome speech and decided he would stay just a few more minutes before leaving.

Yan Yushan showing up at this kind of event was completely unexpected. Just thinking about the fact that he had secretly given birth to Yan Yushan’s child made Xu Xishuang feel irrationally guilty and more than a little awkward. Add to that the humiliating scene Yan Yushan had just witnessed—it only made Xu Xishuang more desperate to avoid him and get out of here as fast as possible.

Having made up his mind, Xu Xishuang began to slowly edge backward, moving toward the outer edge of the hall, ready to make a quick escape.

But he had barely taken a few steps when Yan Yushan, still speaking, spotted him instantly. His pace quickened, and he rushed through the rest of his half-hearted pleasantries before leaving the rest of the guests behind and walking straight toward Xu Xishuang.

As Yan Yushan moved, everyone’s attention followed him. Xu Xishuang, mentally chanting “don’t come over here” over and over again, was forced to stop and pretend to stay calm. He knew that running now would only make things worse and attract even more attention.

Stay calm, stay calm, Xu Xishuang told himself while taking a deep breath. Yan Yushan might not be coming over to confront him. There was no way Yan Yushan knew about the child. He wouldn’t possibly connect the dots and realize the kid was his…

Yan Jingmo glanced in that direction and instantly understood what was happening. He covered the smile tugging at his lips and continued speaking, drawing the crowd’s attention back toward himself to give his younger brother an opening.

Meanwhile, with his long legs and tall frame, Yan Yushan crossed the room in no time and came to a stop in front of Xu Xishuang, standing two steps away.

Now face to face in silence, Yan Yushan suddenly realized he’d acted on impulse. He hadn’t wanted to let Xu Xishuang walk away just like that—but now that he was here, he still had no idea how to start a conversation with him, or how to ask to add him back on WeChat.

“You…” Yan Yushan had originally meant to ask if Xu Xishuang still remembered him, but the moment his gaze landed on Xu Xishuang’s face, he changed the subject. “You’ve got a bit of cream on your face.”

Xu Xishuang, who had been nervously bracing himself: …

His face flushed red once again, overwhelmed with embarrassment to the point he wanted to slam into a wall. He quickly raised a hand and wiped at his cheek haphazardly, but completely missed the small dab of cream stuck between his nose and face.

Yan Yushan looked at Xu Xishuang, blushing in embarrassment, and couldn’t help but smile slightly. “You didn’t get it.”

As he spoke, Yan Yushan stepped closer and raised a hand, intending to help wipe the cream off Xu Xishuang’s face.

Seeing Yan Yushan suddenly move toward him, Xu Xishuang flinched in surprise and instinctively leaned back. In that moment, an utterly inappropriate memory flashed through his mind.

That night, in bed, Yan Yushan had raised his hand just like this, holding his face gently but firmly, wiping away his tears—tender and rough all at once—telling him not to cry, while thrusting into him even harder.

Realizing what he had just thought about, Xu Xishuang’s expression froze, and he pressed his lips together, looking anything but natural.

Because of Xu Xishuang’s sudden retreat, Yan Yushan’s hand froze awkwardly in midair. He flexed his fingers slightly before withdrawing his hand, noticing the stiffness in Xu Xishuang’s expression and assuming he was rejecting physical contact.

I was being too forward, Yan Yushan thought, and said, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Xu Xishuang shook his head. “Thanks for letting me know.”

He raised his hand again to wipe at the cream, and this time his fingers landed in the right spot—only to smear the cream into an even longer streak across his face.

Xu Xishuang: …

Yan Yushan silently took a white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Xu Xishuang.

Xu Xishuang pressed his lips together and reached out to take it. “Thanks.”

As he took the handkerchief from Yan Yushan, his fingertips accidentally brushed against Yan Yushan’s index finger, which was tucked beneath the cloth. Xu Xishuang recoiled again like he’d been shocked, quickly pulling the handkerchief out of Yan Yushan’s hand.

Yan Yushan lowered his gaze, withdrew his hand, and lightly ran his middle finger across the knuckle Xu Xishuang had just touched.

He thought back on Xu Xishuang’s reaction—avoiding not just casual contact, but seeming downright repulsed. Then he remembered how Xu Xishuang had deleted him from WeChat before disappearing, and also what Jiang Yangze had said at the time, “He probably really doesn’t like your friend.” The weight in his chest tightened.

Xu Xishuang had no idea what Yan Yushan was thinking. He looked down at the white handkerchief in his hand. It was plain, no extra embroidery, and soft to the touch. As he wiped the cream from his face, he caught a faint woody scent from the cloth, the same scent that lingered on Yan Yushan.

After cleaning off the cream, Xu Xishuang naturally couldn’t return a dirty handkerchief. He paused, then tucked the white handkerchief into the breast pocket of his shirt, next to the rose pinned there.

The two of them fell into silence once again.

Normally, standing face to face without speaking would be unbearably awkward, but maybe because they’d already exhausted all the awkwardness earlier, Xu Xishuang oddly felt relaxed. He didn’t mind not talking at all.

Though standing was starting to get tiring. If only there were a chair to sit on, that would be perfect.

Xu Xishuang’s body wasn’t what it used to be—standing for too long made him tired. He shifted his legs slightly, and even that small movement was picked up by Yan Yushan, who immediately asked, “Are you leaving?”

“Uh,” Xu Xishuang looked up. “I… I’m not. I just wanted to walk around a bit.”

He really did want to leave early, but since Yan Yushan asked him directly like that, he couldn’t just say he wanted to go—that would’ve been too rude.

“Okay,” Yan Yushan said, looking at him. “Then I won’t bother you.”

After speaking, Yan Yushan gave Xu Xishuang one last glance before turning around and walking back into the crowd.

Xu Xishuang watched his back for a moment. He felt that Yan Yushan had probably recognized him, but something about his behavior was… strange. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, just that it felt off.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Xu Xishuang turned his attention away, casually picked up a glass of wine, and blended into the outer edge of the crowd, planning to make one round through the hall before leaving. It was like checking in to complete a task—he could go home afterward and report to his mother that he didn’t find anyone he liked.

On the other hand, when Yan Jingmo saw Yan Yushan return with a blank expression, he immediately knew the attempt at small talk had failed. He sighed, exasperated. “Can you rein in that temper of yours a bit? You’re always walking around with that deadpan face—how are you ever going to find someone?”

“I already did rein it in,” Yan Yushan said with a frown.

“Xiao Shan was actually really gentle just now,” Yu Bai, who had watched the whole thing, jumped in to defend him. “He even took the initiative to give Xu Xishuang his own handkerchief to wipe his face.”

Yan Jingmo gave Yan Yushan a surprised look—he hadn’t expected his hot-tempered little brother to show such tenderness and thoughtfulness. He asked, “So, is there hope?”

Yan Yushan paused. “I don’t know.”

Yan Jingmo put down his wine glass. “What do you mean, ‘you don’t know’?”

Yan Yushan didn’t know how to explain it. If Xu Xishuang simply disliked him, Yan Yushan felt he could take his time and wear him down slowly. As long as there was even the slightest spark, he wouldn’t give up. He’d keep pursuing Xu Xishuang until the day he returned his feelings.

What he was really afraid of was—

Xu Xishuang might be straight.

Because he’d been keeping tabs on Xu Xishuang over the years, Yan Yushan knew that he had a three-year-old child. Supposedly, this child was born overseas to Xu Xishuang and a foreign woman, who had already passed away, leaving only the child behind.

Xu Xishuang had gotten married and had a child abroad, and that made Yan Yushan unsure of his orientation. He had never seen the alleged wife, but the child undeniably existed. And it made no sense for Xu Xishuang to bring back a child that wasn’t his.

If Xu Xishuang really was straight, Yan Yushan couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going through his head the night they slept together—what he must have been feeling to go through with it, then add him on WeChat and say “it’s okay,” only to delete him afterward.

The more he thought about it, the more horrified and miserable he felt. They had both been drugged that night. Xu Xishuang had been the one taking it, and he’d resisted at first. Whatever pleasure came later might’ve just been the drug at work—it might have had nothing to do with him at all. For all he knew, Xu Xishuang could have hated him ever since, feeling utterly humiliated, unwilling to even look at him. The only reason he hadn’t shown it might be because he was too well-mannered to be outright cold.

And here he was, still thinking about seeing him again, even imagining the possibility of taking things further.

Seeing Yan Yushan’s expression grow darker by the second, Yan Jingmo patted him on the shoulder and asked, somewhat worried, “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure about Xu Xishuang’s orientation,” Yan Yushan said quietly.

Both Yan Jingmo and Yu Bai froze.

They also remembered the rumors about Xu Xishuang having a child. Yu Bai thought for a moment, then offered a bit of comfort. “Maybe he’s bi? You still have a chance.”

As for the child, neither Yan Jingmo nor Yu Bai were particularly concerned. They were both open-minded and gentle by nature—not the type to care about things like being a “stepfather.” In their eyes, as long as Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang liked each other and could form a family, that was enough. The Yan family certainly had no issue supporting a child.

Yan Yushan thought the same. When he first found out Xu Xishuang had a child, he had already mentally prepared himself—having a kid didn’t affect how he felt about Xu Xishuang. If anything, it made him feel even closer, since the child carried half of Xu Xishuang’s blood.

In short, they were already prepared on their end. All that was left was for Xu Xishuang to say yes and be with Yan Yushan.

But now the problem was… Xu Xishuang didn’t seem to like men.

“How about I go ask him?” Yu Bai offered. “Just a casual conversation.”

Yan Jingmo nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Yu Bai was also good-looking, with some feminine features, but compared to Xu Xishuang, he was even more gentle. Especially when he smiled—his dimples made him look incredibly warm and approachable, someone others could easily open up to.

Yan Yushan stayed quiet for a few seconds. “Thanks, Yu Bai-ge.”

It would be better to find out sooner. If the answer was painful, at least he could start to accept it early.

“No problem,” Yu Bai smiled, took a glass of champagne, and walked toward where Xu Xishuang was standing.

On the other side of the hall, Xu Xishuang was wandering around aimlessly. Since the Yan family was hosting today, the banquet had drawn a lot of high-profile guests, including many peers he wouldn’t normally cross paths with. Everyone was busy networking, and not many people were paying attention to him anymore.

Not far off, Jiang Yangze stood with a few of his rowdy friends, sipping wine out of boredom. Not many people had noticed the earlier interaction between Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang, but Jiang Yangze had been one of the few who did. He hadn’t figured out why Yan Yushan went to speak to Xu Xishuang when he heard someone beside him say, “Is that Xu Xishuang? Damn, he’s hot.”

Jiang Yangze turned his head. He had to admit, Xu Xishuang was extremely good-looking—uniquely so. If it weren’t for the influence of the Xu family, plenty of people here might’ve already made a move on him.

Another person turned to the one who spoke. “What? Are you thinking of trying?”

The speaker, named Situ Yuan, chuckled. “Of course I am. With a face like that, who knows? Maybe he’ll agree to spend the night with me.”

Laughter broke out among the group, and they gave him a few playful shoves, egging him on to go strike up a conversation. Jiang Yangze had just opened his mouth to stop him when he saw Yu Bai step in front of Xu Xishuang and begin to talk to him.

Situ Yuan immediately halted. “Hold on, I’ll wait till Yu Bai leaves.”

They all knew Yu Bai was the partner of Yan Jingmo, the current head of the Yan family. Yan Jingmo cherished Yu Bai more than anything. There had even been someone in the past who looked down on Yu Bai because of his background, tried to flirt with him and mocked his “delicate” appearance. When Yan Jingmo found out, he flew into a rage, publicly punched the guy and had him removed from their business circle on the spot.

After Yan Jingmo targeted that man, it wasn’t long before he went bankrupt and ended up in jail for some shady dealings he’d done in the past.

That had been one of the few times Yan Jingmo lost his temper. Ever since then, all the rich kids in their circle instinctively kept their distance from Yu Bai, terrified of even accidentally brushing against him and getting on Yan Jingmo’s bad side.

Everyone at the banquet recognized Yu Bai, but Xu Xishuang, having spent over three years abroad, wasn’t too familiar with the domestic scene. He looked at Yu Bai standing in front of him, quickly searched his memory for the social connections he had crammed after returning to China, and soon matched the name. He felt more at ease. “Hello.”

“Hi, I’m Yu Bai,” Yu Bai smiled warmly at him. “You’re Xu Xishuang, right? You just got back to the country. I saw you standing alone and wondered if you’re not used to this kind of event? Is it a little boring?”

“It’s fine,” Xu Xishuang replied politely. “It’s not too boring.”

He knew this banquet was hosted by Yan Jingmo and Yu Bai. As one of the hosts, it made sense that Yu Bai would check in to see how the guests were enjoying themselves.

Yu Bai’s dimples deepened as he smiled. “Do you know Yan Yushan?”

Hearing Yan Yushan’s name, Xu Xishuang blinked. Denying it would be too obvious—after all, who hadn’t heard of top-tier film emperor Yan Yushan? So he nodded. “I know of him.”

“Xiao Shan is my partner’s younger brother. He’s never dated before and has no intention of getting married, which has made the family pretty anxious. They’re hoping to find someone for him.”

Yu Bai studied Xu Xishuang’s expression as he spoke. “This banquet was actually organized by my partner for Xiao Shan—to see if there are any suitable people around his age, and maybe develop something if the interest is mutual.”

Xu Xishuang didn’t respond.

Yu Bai’s smile remained gentle. “Most people here already know—it’s basically a big matchmaking event. What about you? If you see someone outstanding and you’re interested, I can get you their contact info.”

“I don’t mean anything by it,” Yu Bai added. “I just felt a connection the moment I saw you and wanted to be friends. If there’s someone you like, I’ll do everything I can to help.”

He was being sincere. Yu Bai had been stunned the moment he first saw Xu Xishuang and had wanted to get to know him ever since. Having gone through some painful experiences in his youth, Yu Bai had developed a sensitivity to people’s emotions and personalities. He could tell right away that Xu Xishuang wasn’t as aloof or unapproachable as he appeared—deep down, he was someone softhearted, maybe even a little adorable.

Xu Xishuang blinked again. “Not at the moment, but thank you anyway.”

“We can add each other.” Xu Xishuang said, pulling out his phone and opening WeChat. He actually had a good impression of Yu Bai and becoming friends sounded nice.

When he noticed that Xu Xishuang hadn’t objected to the phrase “outstanding gentlemen,” Yu Bai was already halfway convinced—maybe Xu Xishuang wasn’t straight after all.

After adding each other on WeChat, Yu Bai put away his phone and said with a teasing tone, “You’re single right now, right? So what do you think of Yan Yushan?”

“He…” Xu Xishuang chose his words carefully. “He’s very impressive and good-looking. I don’t think he’d have any trouble finding someone.”

That was an extremely tactful rejection, and Yu Bai couldn’t help but laugh a little. “He doesn’t have trouble finding someone, but he doesn’t want to. Actually, Xiao Shan’s temper isn’t nearly as bad as the rumors say. He’s quite gentle, very patient, and doesn’t have any bad habits…”

Yu Bai tried to highlight Yan Yushan’s strengths, hoping to improve Xu Xishuang’s impression of him.

But when he noticed Xu Xishuang looking a little uncomfortable, Yu Bai quickly stopped and didn’t push further. He smiled. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter how much his brother and I worry. In the end, it’s up to Yan Yushan to make the first move.”

“Well, I won’t bother you anymore,” Yu Bai said, lifting his glass. “I hope you enjoy the party.”

Xu Xishuang nodded. “Mm.”

Watching Yu Bai leave, Xu Xishuang relaxed his shoulders and let out a quiet breath. When he had first recognized Yu Bai, his initial thought was that Yu Bai might know what happened between him and Yan Yushan. But then he reasoned—something like that, Yan Yushan probably wouldn’t tell anyone.

Judging from what Yu Bai had said, if he hadn’t misunderstood, it seemed like Yu Bai was trying to set him up with Yan Yushan?

Xu Xishuang swirled the wine in his glass and sighed slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder how long he could keep the truth about Xu Qingci hidden. Tudou was smart—even though he didn’t want to go to kindergarten, he would eventually have to attend a special primary school. As he grew up, his existence would become more obvious. By then…

The more Xu Xishuang thought about it, the more his head started to ache. His chest felt tight, like something was stuck there, heavy and uncomfortable.

“What’s a beauty doing here sighing all alone?”

Hearing such a sleazy line, Xu Xishuang’s brows twitched slightly. He lifted his eyes to look at the man standing in front of him.

Situ Yuan had his hands in his pockets, flashing a smile he clearly thought was irresistible. “Want to grab a drink together? You can tell me all about what’s bothering you…”

What greeted Situ Yuan wasn’t Xu Xishuang’s smile, nor indifference, nor a slap—it was a mouthful of blood.

Just as Situ Yuan finished speaking, Xu Xishuang suddenly felt a surge of metallic sweetness rise in his throat. His expression changed, and just as he raised his hand to cover his mouth, he couldn’t hold it back anymore—a small spurt of blood burst out.

The bright red blood splattered on the ground between him and Situ Yuan, while the rest trickled down the corner of his mouth. His face had gone deathly pale, looking absolutely ghastly, like someone on the verge of death.

Situ Yuan: !!!

His pupils contracted sharply, and the hand holding his wine glass began to tremble uncontrollably, spilling wine all over. He opened his mouth, barely managing a stunned breath—he hadn’t even said “Are you okay?” before seeing Xu Xishuang calmly pull a white handkerchief from his breast pocket, wipe the blood from his lips, and say to him, “I’m fine.”

Situ Yuan: …But you really don’t look fine at all!!!