"Oh—"
Liu Erlong suddenly retched, bolting away with a hand over her mouth.
"Hm?" Lucien raised a brow, startled. His eyes gleamed with realization.
Could it be…?
"My child! The child will bear my surname!" he declared proudly, chest puffed out.
There was no doubt in his mind. That kid could only be his.
"…You…"
Liu Erlong stood there, helpless. How could anyone be this shameless?
"Little Pepper, wait for me—" Lucien said cheerfully. Then in a flash, he vanished out the door.
An hour later.
"Little Pepper, I'm back!" Lucien returned, grinning ear to ear. In his hands he held a shining stalk of an immortal herb.
"This fairy grass is for you—it's good for the fetus!"
Though he didn't know its name, he could tell by instinct that its energy was gentle and nourishing. To be sure, he had even rushed to ask Old Poison, Dugu Bo, to confirm it. Thankfully, the poison master verified that the herb was perfectly safe.
Liu Erlong hesitated, then at last accepted it with both hands, tucking it carefully away as though it were precious gold. "…This is what I owe you."
But Lucien wasn't done. Before long, he returned again with dishes piled high. "Pregnant women need to eat more good food. Come on, Little Pepper, open up!"
"Eat some—for the baby!"
He lifted a spoon toward her lips, his grin shameless as he mimicked a doting husband.
She slapped his hand down, her cheeks scarlet. "I can feed myself!"
But he only laughed again, unbothered.
An hour passed.
"You should rest. I'll come back tomorrow," Lucien finally said, looking oddly pleased with himself. He had hardly drunk that night at all, instead fussing over her endlessly like an overgrown child excited about his first responsibility.
"Lucien!"
Her sharp call stopped him at the door. Liu Erlong bit her lip before speaking the words she had been struggling with all night.
"I… I plan to leave Tiandou City."
Lucien stiffened. "What? Why?"
She had made that plan long ago. To quietly find somewhere remote, secluded, to give birth in peace.
"…I don't know where yet," she whispered.
"Then I'll go with you," Lucien said without hesitation.
"No!" Her eyes hardened like steel. "When I settle down, I'll contact you. But if you dare follow me, I swear you will never see your child."
Lucien froze. The weight in her voice was no bluff—it was a threat laced with real determination.
"…Alright." He tilted his head back and drained another gulp of wine, the taste bitter on his tongue.
But leaving wasn't easy.
He stepped outside… and rushed back.
"I'll take these wine jars with me. You can't drink now." He whisked them away before she could argue. Then he left again.
Moments later, he returned once more.
"The sooner you take that fairy grass, the better," he advised earnestly. Off again.
Only to come back yet again.
"Your roof is leaking. Why don't you stay at my place for now?"
"I'm not as fragile as you think," she said softly. "Don't worry. I'll contact you soon enough."
Her eyes softened tenderly for the first time in days. "…Baby's father."
Lucien's heart skipped. His chest thudded wildly at those two words. Arms already open wide, he rushed forward to embrace her—
But she stepped aside.
"I admit the child is yours. But I never said I was yours."
Her eyes turned firm once again. Just like that, the fleeting tenderness was gone.
Lucien's arms hung in the air, his grin frozen awkwardly on his face.
The next morning.
"Xiaogang! Xiaogang!" Flender's knock echoed impatiently against Yu Xiaogang's door.
The door creaked open to reveal Yu Xiaogang, dragging himself out miserably. His entire body still ached from Liu Erlong's strike yesterday, leaving him sore to the bone.
"Look yourself," Flender grunted, shoving a note into his hands.
Yu Xiaogang unfolded it stiffly. The message was short and simple:
Boss Flender, I will be away for a while. No need to look for me.
"E-Erlong… left?!" Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, his body stiff.
Yesterday he had finally worked up the courage, finally thought he'd found hope again… and now she was gone?
His mind buzzed empty.
After pacing, he turned the office upside down searching.
"Xiaogang, what are you even looking for?" Flender asked warily.
"She should have left me a letter," Yu Xiaogang muttered desperately, voice breaking.
"What letter?"
"A letter confessing the truth… that's what she should have left me!"
Wounded pride twisted into desperation.
"Flender, I'm going to bring Erlong back!" Yu Xiaogang bolted out, pain forgotten, consumed by stubbornness.
Flender sighed heavily. "Fool. Did I not warn you? Dozens of times I told you—cherish what's in front of you. But you ran, you hid, every time. And now, only after she's gone, you want to chase her?"
His fists clenched. He knew it was already too late.
A woman who had waited over twenty years, only to finally give up her patience… could she ever be won back again?
No. Never.
At Lucien's home…
He lay sprawled across the table, face flushed from joy as much as drink. Before him was a chaotic sheet of paper, names scribbled all across it in handwriting no better than chicken scratch.
"Chen Xin, Ning Fengzhi, Dugu Bo, Gu Rong, Dragon and Snake… Meng Shenji, Qin Ming, Feng Xiaotian…"
On and on the names stretched, great figures from across the continent.
Lucien chuckled proudly to himself. "I'm going to be a father. When the banquet comes, I've gotta invite all of them!"
Then he froze.
"Oh, right! Can't forget them. Little Pepper's from Shrek Academy too."
He scrawled down: Yu Xiaogang. Flender.
Yes. No one could be left out.
For days, his mood had been blooming like spring flowers. He drank twice as much wine as usual in his delight.
The only regret was that his Little Pepper had already slipped away without letting him even walk her out. The next day, when he went to her place, only a short letter remained on the table.
He slumped back, scratching his head. "Hmm. Feels like I forgot something still…"
Then his eyes pierced wide.
"Right! The baby's name!"
One entire night later, his head still ached from the thought.
Naming a child… wasn't something a man like him was suited for.
--
Unlock 50 exclusive advanced chapters for just $10 – don't miss out! Check the synopsis/description for the link! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: Ten Thousand Years Early System!" & "Douluo Dalu: My Harem System is Bugged!" — don't miss out!