TSBDRA If Line: If I had Run Away While Pregnant Extra 4

IF LINE EXTRA 4 – Hello, Uncle Yan.

There weren’t many people paying attention to Xu Xishuang’s situation—Jiang Yangze and his gang of rowdy friends were a few of them.

Jiang Yangze squinted, eyeing the faint red mark at the corner of Xu Xishuang’s mouth, and said uncertainly, “Did Xu Xishuang just…”

Another person glanced at the bloodstain on the ground nearby and hesitantly followed up, “Did he just…”

The last one’s eyes went wide in shock. “He coughed up blood?!”

The three of them looked at each other, then cried out in unison, “What the hell?!”

Is someone seriously about to die?! Just a few words and he’s coughing up blood—how was that even possible? They’d never heard Xu Xishuang had such a fragile constitution!

The three of them were frozen in fear, not daring to move. Meanwhile, the other person who had been watching all along, Yan Yushan, turned pale the moment Xu Xishuang coughed up blood and strode quickly in their direction.

Yu Bai was walking back while typing out a message on his phone. He was just about to tell Yan Yushan his conclusion—that he suspected Xu Xishuang might not actually be straight—but before he could hit send, he noticed Yan Yushan walking quickly toward them, looking urgent. Surprised, he turned his head and called out softly to Yan Yushan.

But Yan Yushan had eyes only for Xu Xishuang. He walked right past Yu Bai without even noticing him, completely oblivious to his voice.

On the other side, Situ Yuan was still standing there dumbly in front of Xu Xishuang. He glanced down at the blood on the ground, then up at Xu Xishuang’s pale face. His limbs stiffened, and he stood frozen, not knowing what to do. He stammered, “Do you… do you need to go to the hospital?”

Xu Xishuang shook his head slightly. Situ Yuan was about to say something more when he suddenly felt himself being yanked back by a strong force. He stumbled back a few steps, instantly pulled away from Xu Xishuang.

Yan Yushan let go of Situ Yuan’s arm, stepped in front of Xu Xishuang, and shot Situ Yuan a warning glare before turning back to Xu Xishuang. His voice softened. “Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

Situ Yuan had nearly fallen from the pull. Dazed for a second, he was about to snap, but the moment he looked up and met Yan Yushan’s wolf-like eyes, he immediately fell silent, shivered, and took two steps back.

The moment Yan Yushan locked eyes with him, a flood of memories and rumors about Yan Yushan beating people up flashed through Situ Yuan’s mind. He was pretty sure he’d be leaving this party in an ambulance. He really wanted to bolt, but some inexplicable survival instinct rooted him to the spot.

Xu Xishuang looked at Yan Yushan standing in front of him protectively, tense and on high alert, and felt a little amused. He explained, “I’m fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital. This has nothing to do with this gentleman.”

“The coughing blood is… a lingering effect from an old illness. It’ll go away with a few years of proper care.” Xu Xishuang still felt some discomfort in his throat and gave a light cough, which instantly drew two more anxious stares.

“Seriously, it’s nothing. Coughing up blood is just a way for the body to expel internal congestion,” Xu Xishuang added. “I really don’t need to go to the hospital.”

Yan Yushan studied Xu Xishuang’s face closely. Though pale, he didn’t look like he was in pain, and his voice was steady. Realizing he truly didn’t need medical attention, Yan Yushan finally relaxed a little. He turned and gave Situ Yuan a look, signaling that he could leave.

Situ Yuan took that like a royal pardon and bolted, darting back to Jiang Yangze’s side and hiding behind his group of bros, not daring to poke his head out again.

With Situ Yuan gone, silence fell again between Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan.

Xu Xishuang wasn’t the talkative type. He didn’t usually initiate conversation, so he naturally stayed quiet. Yan Yushan, on the other hand, had a reputation for being intimidating. Hardly anyone dared talk to him voluntarily. Aside from his close friends, he rarely spoke to others—when he did, it was usually to scold or criticize someone. So now, he had no idea how to even start a conversation with Xu Xishuang.

Xu Xishuang glanced at the silent Yan Yushan.

Even though coughing up blood wasn’t a huge deal, Xu Xishuang still felt a bit lightheaded afterward. After thinking for a moment, he said to Yan Yushan, “I think I’ll head back and rest for a bit. I’ll—”

He hadn’t even finished saying “see you,” when Yan Yushan immediately cut in, “I’ll take you.”

Xu Xishuang instinctively wanted to refuse, but Yan Yushan had already started walking, clearly determined to accompany him.

Xu Xishuang figured he probably looked pretty alarming right now. Yan Yushan was likely just worried something else might happen to him at the party, nothing more. Plus, since Yan Yushan was the host, and had offered to see him out, Xu Xishuang didn’t want to embarrass him by refusing. So he nodded and agreed, following Yan Yushan slowly out.

It was just a ride home—nothing worth overthinking.

With that in mind, Xu Xishuang got into Yan Yushan’s car and sat with him in the back seat, leaving a space between them.

He gave his home address, thanked Yan Yushan, fastened his seatbelt, leaned back against the soft seat, relaxed his body, and slowly closed his eyes, planning to take a short nap.

The sound of breathing beside him gradually steadied. Yan Yushan turned his head slightly and saw Xu Xishuang’s peaceful sleeping face.

Under the warm glow inside the car, Xu Xishuang didn’t look as pale as before. His brows had smoothed out, and his whole presence seemed softer—like a normally aloof and dignified cat that, once asleep, became docile and pliant.

The image popped into Yan Yushan’s head unexpectedly, but somehow it felt fitting. He stared intently at Xu Xishuang, unable to look away, until Xu Xishuang’s slightly parted pink lips murmured something in his sleep. Only then did Yan Yushan snap out of it and quietly look away.

Xu Xishuang woke up a few minutes before they arrived. He blinked, dazed, not quite sure where he was. When he caught sight of Yan Yushan, he startled, instantly fully awake, and quickly turned his head to stare out the window.

He just had a very brief dream. Most of the details had already faded, but he remembered one thing clearly. In the dream, Yan Yushan found out about Xu Qingci’s existence and that Xu Qingci was also his child. Yan Yushan had insisted on taking Xu Qingci back to the Yan family.

In the dream, Xu Xishuang had held onto Xu Qingci and ran with everything he had, but the men in black sent by the Yan family soon caught up and took Xu Qingci away.

That’s when Xu Xishuang woke up.

Feeling a little unsettled, he pinched his fingertips. He had no idea how Yan Yushan would react when he eventually learned the truth. But if the Yan family ever tried to take Xu Qingci away—he would fight them with everything he had.

Yan Yushan didn’t know why, but Xu Xishuang seemed even more guarded after waking up, as if he had done something unforgivable. He mentally went over everything that had happened that evening but couldn’t find anything wrong. Still, he couldn’t exactly ask Xu Xishuang directly, so he kept the confusion to himself and silently watched as Xu Xishuang got out of the car and walked into the yard.

According to customary etiquette, Xu Xishuang was supposed to invite Yan Yushan inside for a bit. But it was already late, and the idea of having Yan Yushan step into his home felt… off. So Xu Xishuang stopped at the door, turned around, and said, “Thank you for bringing me back. Sorry to trouble you. Good night.”

Yan Yushan was silently turned down at the door. He felt a bit disappointed, but didn’t show it. “Mm. Good night.”

Just as Xu Xishuang was about to open the door and go in, it opened from the inside.

Three-year-old Xu Qingci let go of the doorknob and stepped out. He was wearing pajamas with a corgi print, and the little stubby tail on the back wiggled adorably. Maybe he’d just been woken up. He let out a tiny yawn, rubbed his eyes, and when he saw Xu Xishuang, his eyes lit up. He reached out his arms. “Daddy! You’re back!”

Usually, Xu Qingci read stock charts and reviewed documents with a serious, grown-up expression, like a little adult. Only at times like this did he show a bit of childlike innocence. A faint smile softened Xu Xishuang’s expression. Looking at the adorable Xu Qingci, his heart warmed. He bent down and reached out to pick him up.

But as he leaned forward, a rose that had been tucked in his jacket pocket slipped loose and fell toward the ground.

Just before it could hit the floor, a hand reached out—quick and steady—and caught the rose by its stem, saving it from being crushed.

Holding Xu Qingci in his arms, Xu Xishuang said, “Thanks,” and turned around to look at the person who’d caught the flower—his smile faltered.

Crap.

He’d forgotten Yan Yushan hadn’t left yet.

Yan Yushan was still standing there, rose in hand, staring at the boy in Xu Xishuang’s arms. His grip on the rose tightened just slightly.

So this was Xu Xishuang’s child?

Xu Qingci looked up at the tall man standing at the doorway, curiosity and confusion in his eyes. He instinctively tightened his arms around Xu Xishuang’s neck and whispered, “Daddy, who is he?”

“He’s…” Xu Xishuang hesitated for a second. “Uncle Yan.”

“Oh,” Xu Qingci said, then turned slightly in Xu Xishuang’s arms and called out, “Hello, Uncle Yan.”

“Hello,” Yan Yushan replied, doing his best to curve his lips into a smile, trying to leave a good first impression.

While Yan Yushan and Xu Qingci interacted, Xu Xishuang stayed tense the entire time, watching Yan Yushan’s expression closely. If he detected even a hint of anything off, he’d take Xu Qingci and go inside immediately.

Xu Xishuang couldn’t let Yan Yushan recognize Xu Qingci—not yet.

Thankfully, Yan Yushan didn’t show any signs of suspicion. He smiled and said “Good night,” to Xu Qingci, waved the rose in his hand at them, then turned and got back into the car, leaving the Xu family villa behind.

Xu Xishuang let out a breath of relief. Maybe he had been too nervous. Sure, Tudou’s nose, eyebrows, and face shape did resemble Yan Yushan’s, but he still had baby fat. If you didn’t look closely, it wasn’t obvious. Besides, by any normal logic, there was no reason Yan Yushan would think he could have a child—much less guess that Tudou was theirs.

Xu Qingci watched the car Yan Yushan was driving off, then was carried inside by Xu Xishuang. He patted Xu Xishuang’s shoulder with his soft little hand and asked seriously, “Daddy, is Uncle Yan going to be your boyfriend?”

“Boyf—” Xu Xishuang choked for several seconds and stared at Xu Qingci in shock. “Tudou, don’t say things like that in public.”

Yan Yushan had never said anything about his orientation, had no gossip surrounding him, and that one crazy night between them had been a total accident. Xu Xishuang genuinely had no idea where Yan Yushan stood and from the looks of it… he seemed very straight.

Xu Qingci nodded obediently. “Okay. Then can I ask you quietly—will Uncle Yan become your boyfriend?”

Xu Xishuang: …

He looked up at the ceiling. “How could we possibly know something like that right now?”

“That’s true,” Xu Qingci said after seriously thinking it over. “Daddy, I think Uncle Yan seems really nice. He’s tall, strong, and fast. He should be able to protect us. If you start dating him later, I’d be okay with him becoming my second dad.”

“We’ll see,” Xu Xishuang pinched Xu Qingci’s nose and couldn’t help drifting off in thought. Was blood connection really that incredible? Tudou had only just met Yan Yushan, and he already liked him.

Holding Xu Qingci in his arms, he walked inside, thinking that he really should find the right time to tell Tudou who his other dad was. He looked down and asked, “At this hour, shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Grandma told me to get up,” Xu Qingci said, cheerfully throwing his grandma under the bus without a second thought.

Xu Xishuang had just stepped into the living room when he saw his own mother sitting on the sofa, pretending like nothing had happened as she focused intently on the TV. He set Xu Qingci down and looked at her helplessly. “Mom, why’d you have Tudou come out?”

“Ahem,” Mother Xu cleared her throat awkwardly, realizing she couldn’t cover it up anymore. “I saw that you didn’t come home in the family car and figured maybe that gentleman you liked brought you back. I just wanted Tudou to come out and take a look, get familiar with his potential other dad in advance.”

And, of course, to test the man a little. If he couldn’t accept the fact that Xu Xishuang had a child, or treated Tudou poorly, then there was no need to consider him.

Father Xu, sitting off to the side, kept a straight face and pretended not to care as he asked, “That was Yan Yushan, right? Second son of the Yan family? The one who’s a famous actor? How far along are you two?”

Xu Xishuang: …

“Mom, Dad, you’re overthinking it,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Yan Yushan brought me back because I coughed up blood at his party. He did it out of responsibility, that’s all.”

The moment they heard he’d coughed up blood, Mother Xu and Father Xu completely shifted focus. Mother Xu jumped up in concern, asking repeatedly if he was okay and even told the housekeeper to go make some tonic soup. Xu Xishuang quickly refused.

“I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to sleep,” Xu Xishuang said, taking Xu Qingci by the hand. “Good night, Mom, Dad.”

Xu Qingci followed with his soft little voice, “Good night, Grandpa and Grandma.”

Meanwhile, in the back seat of the car, Yan Yushan turned the rose in his hand, fingertips gently brushing over its soft petals, and couldn’t help but recall Xu Xishuang’s sleeping face under the warm light.

He had seen Xu Xishuang close his eyes before too—back then, his lashes had trembled from overstimulation, like butterflies about to take flight. He also knew just how soft and smooth Xu Xishuang’s skin was. It was more delicate than rose petals, easily bruised at the lightest touch, like red plum blossoms blooming on snow.

Yan Yushan froze for a second, then loosened his grip on the petals and forced himself to clear his mind.

He carefully tucked the rose back into his jacket pocket and thought of Xu Qingci’s curious gaze from earlier. The boy was just as adorable as he’d imagined—he probably hadn’t left a bad impression on them, right?

His phone chimed. Yan Yushan unlocked the screen and saw new messages from Yu Bai and Jiang Yangze.

He opened Yu Bai’s message first and read: “Xiaoshan, I don’t think Xu Xishuang is straight. You’ve still got a chance.”

Yan Yushan’s breath caught for a second. He held back the surge of excitement, forced himself to stay calm, and continued reading the next message.

Yu Bai: “I just asked Xu Xishuang if I could give you his WeChat. He said yes. I’ll send it to you now—make good use of this chance.”

This time, Yan Yushan couldn’t hold it in. He punched the air a few times in excitement, then quickly replied: “Thanks, Yu Bai-ge. I will.”

He opened Xu Xishuang’s WeChat profile. The avatar was a photo of someone climbing a snowy mountain, with the rising sun just beside the peak. Yan Yushan typed out a friend request, stating his name clearly in the message, and waited nervously for Xu Xishuang to accept or reject.

Minutes passed with no response. Growing restless, Yan Yushan clenched his fist in frustration and switched over to Jiang Yangze’s messages.

Jiang Yangze: “Yan-ge, did you drop Xu Xishuang off?”

Jiang Yangze: “So… Yan-ge, I already gave Situ Yuan a piece of my mind. He knows he messed up—he shouldn’t have randomly approached people at the party. He really didn’t know Xu Xishuang would cough up blood. I’ve already sent him abroad for business. He’s not coming back until he’s practically skinned alive, so how about you let him off this time?”

Situ Yuan was Jiang Yangze’s cousin, so he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. Knowing how ruthless Yan Yushan could be, Jiang Yangze had taken the initiative to pack off Situ Yuan early to let him suffer a bit, so Yan Yushan wouldn’t have to personally deal with him.

Jiang Yangze might look like a spoiled rich kid with a crowd of useless friends, always partying and wasting time, but he was far from incompetent. He was sharp, and when it came to certain things, his instincts were spot-on. Like now—he’d clearly sensed that Yan Yushan treated Xu Xishuang differently.

Jiang Yangze held his phone tightly, just as nervous while waiting for Yan Yushan’s reply. He thought, Yan-ge had never been in a relationship, had never treated anyone differently—and now, suddenly, there was someone who actually got Yan-ge to personally send him home.  And that someone was a sickly beauty. Not only that, but Xu Xishuang was also cold and aloof.

Yan-ge wasn’t just falling in love. He was going straight for the final boss level.

His phone pinged. Jiang Yangze snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Yan Yushan’s reply—

Yan Yushan: “Mm.”

Jiang Yangze: ?

Mm?? Yan-ge was actually this easygoing about it? Jiang Yangze stared wide-eyed at the screen, double-checking that it was really Yan Yushan. The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. He wanted to ask if Yan Yushan was in a great mood, but after thinking it over, he decided not to message him. Instead, he shut off his phone and personally dragged Situ Yuan by the ear onto a plane out of the country.

And right now, Yan Yushan was indeed in a very good mood.

Because just a moment ago, Xu Xishuang had accepted his friend request. Yan Yushan tapped his screen, staring at the auto-message—“You can now start chatting”—and after carefully considering his words, finally sent Xu Xishuang a message: “Rest early.”

Meanwhile, Xu Xishuang, soaking in the bathtub, picked up his phone, glanced at the message from Yan Yushan, and tapped out a polite reply: “You too.”