Chapter 1

“Lu Guang Is Pregnant and No One Is Handling It Correctly”(Pt.1)

It’s almost midnight. The room lies in deep darkness, lit only by the faint silver glow of the moon spilling through the curtains. The only sound is Cheng Xiaoshi’s soft, steady breathing as he sleeps peacefully on the left side of the bed, while Lu Guang lies awake beside him, struggling to drift off.

“Ah…” Lu Guang lets out a quiet groan as he carefully shifts his body, trying to find a more comfortable position. But ever since his bump started growing, even the smallest movement has become a challenge, and sleep has turned into a nightly battle he never signed up for.

Usually, he manages fine he always does but tonight, nothing seems to help. Every angle feels wrong, every attempt at comfort falling short.

He glances toward Cheng Xiaoshi, hesitant. He doesn’t want to wake him, Cheng Xiaoshi has barely been taking care of himself ever since the accident, they never planned on having a baby, and Cheng Xiaoshi even tried to mess with the timeline out of sheer panic the moment he found out. Lu Guang absolutely lost it on him—cold, sharp words, the kind that made Cheng Xiaoshi go quiet immediately. But what Cheng Xiaoshi never realized was that Lu Guang wasn’t just angry… he was scared too. Because deep down, despite everything, he had already decided he wanted this baby. He just never said it out loud.

Now Cheng Xiaoshi walks around like it’s all his fault, guilt practically hanging over his head every time he looks at Lu Guang. And Lu Guang, of course, just lets him believe it—because clearly, that’s the healthiest way to handle time-travel chaos and accidental parenthood: bottled-up emotions and zero communication. Really working wonders for them.

There’s a strange kind of balance to it, Lu Guang thinks. Unspoken things piling up between them like static in the air—things neither of them knows how to properly address, or maybe neither of them dares to. So they just continue like this, circling around the truth, pretending it’s easier that way.

And Lu Guang insists on letting him rest as much as possible. Of course, “rest” in Cheng Xiaoshi terms currently means sleeping like a rock while Lu Guang suffers in elegant silence, because apparently that’s just how things are now.

“Should I wake him up… nah, look at this chud sleeping like a puppy,” Lu Guang said under his breath, his expression softening as he watched him. “Cute,” he added quietly, his cheeks faintly red.

For a moment, he let himself linger in it—Cheng Xiaoshi completely knocked out beside him, unaware of anything at all. Lu Guang quickly shifted his expression back to his usual nonchalant look. He wasn’t the type to show affection out loud, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there; it just showed in quieter ways, in the way his eyes softened for a second too long before he looked away. Cheng Xiaoshi, of course, could probably sense it anyway.

Lu Guang carefully pushed himself up from the bed. He was wearing soft, loose pajamas—pale fabric covered in small cat prints that Cheng Xiaoshi had insisted were “perfect for him” and had bought without giving him a chance to refuse. His hair was slightly messy from sleep, a few strands falling out of place and sticking to his forehead.

The moment he shifted his weight forward, a dull ache pulled through his lower back, sharp enough to make him pause. He let out a small, controlled breath, one hand instinctively moving to support himself as he adjusted.

Last trimester, he reminded himself.

“Ah… my feet hurt so bad,” he thought, glancing down as another wave of discomfort spread through them. “I should probably wake him up for a foot massage… that would actually help. But for now, I should just go before I leak. That would be embarrassing.”

The thought made him flush slightly, more from frustration than anything else.

A week ago, it had already happened once—an accident he still refused to fully acknowledge in detail. Cheng Xiaoshi hadn’t cared at all, had treated it like it was nothing, like it was just another normal part of everything. But for Lu Guang, it had been mortifying.

He hated being seen like this—messy, vulnerable, out of control.

Especially in front of the person he loved.

Lu Guang then walked toward the bathroom. He didn’t bother closing the door fully, too tired to care about privacy at this point.

The quiet was broken by the soft flush of the toilet.

After a moment, the sound of water running filled the small space as he washed his hands. He took his time, carefully rubbing his fingers under the warm water, letting it ease some of the stiffness in them. Once he was done, he reached for the towel hanging beside the sink and slowly dried his hands.

He lifted his gaze to the mirror.

His reflection looked a little different these days. His face was slightly chubbier than before, softer around the cheeks, and there was a tiredness in his eyes that no amount of sleep seemed to fix anymore. His hair was still messy from bed, strands sticking in different directions, making him look even more disheveled than usual.

He stared at himself for a moment, quiet.

Then, without saying anything, he just kept looking—like he was still getting used to this version of himself.

“I look so ugly,” he let out softly, but still audible enough in the quiet bathroom.

Just as the words left his mouth, a loud voice suddenly cut through the silence from behind him.

“ABSOLUTELY NOTTT!”

Cheng Xiaoshi’s shout was immediate, almost instinctive, as if some built-in alarm had gone off the moment Lu Guang insulted himself. He rushed in without hesitation, barefoot steps padding quickly across the floor.

He came up right behind Lu Guang, close enough that Lu Guang could see the top of his head and messy hair in the mirror. The bathroom felt even smaller with him there, their reflections overlapping—Lu Guang standing at the sink, and Cheng Xiaoshi hovering behind him like he belonged there.

“How can you say that, Lu Guang? You look absolutely gorgeous, baby. Don’t even think like that,” Cheng Xiaoshi said, his voice softer now but still firm, his eyes droopy and earnest like a worried puppy.

“…I was joking,” Lu Guang replied quickly, a little defensive, eyes flicking away from the mirror.

“Then don’t joke like that,” Cheng Xiaoshi said immediately, even faster this time, like he couldn’t let it slide for even a second.

Before Lu Guang could respond, Cheng Xiaoshi stepped in fully behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist from the back. His hands settled gently over Lu Guang’s bump, warm and familiar, and he began to rub slow, soothing circles over it, as if trying to reassure both Lu Guang and the baby at the same time.

Lu Guang’s shoulders loosened just slightly at the contact, though his expression stayed stubbornly composed as Cheng Xiaoshi held him there, refusing to let go.

Then, without saying anything, Cheng Xiaoshi slowly slid one hand under the hem of Lu Guang’s shirt. His touch was warm and careful as his fingers brushed over the soft curve of his bump first, lingering there protectively.

“…Hey,” Lu Guang murmured, but he didn’t move away immediately.

Cheng Xiaoshi, clearly undeterred, continued a little further—his hand moving upward, palm flattening gently against Lu Guang’s chest as if grounding him there. He leaned in slightly, still hugging him from behind, his expression soft and oddly focused, like this was the most important thing in the world.

For a brief second, his hand drifted higher, as if he was about to reach Lu Guang’s neck—

That was when Lu Guang quickly caught his wrist.

“Enough,” he said calmly, though there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he gently pulled Cheng Xiaoshi’s hand away.

Cheng Xiaoshi blinked, then let out a small, sheepish laugh, not even trying to hide it.

“…You really don’t know how to keep your hands to yourself,” Lu Guang said under his breath.

“What? I’m comforting you,” Cheng Xiaoshi replied instantly, entirely unbothered.

Lu Guang exhaled softly, shaking his head a little. He knew exactly what this was—Cheng Xiaoshi turning softness into mischief the moment things got too quiet, like he couldn’t stand the weight of the moment staying serious for too long.

And… it worked.

The heaviness from earlier eased just slightly, replaced with something warmer, quieter between them as Cheng Xiaoshi stayed close behind him, like he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.

Cheng Xiaoshi held Lu Guang’s hand first, his fingers slipping naturally between Lu Guang’s as if they had always belonged there. Their fingers intertwined slowly, settling into place with an easy familiarity—Cheng Xiaoshi’s grip warm and slightly restless, Lu Guang’s steadier, more restrained, but never pulling away. The warmth of it lingered in Lu Guang’s palm, grounding him more than he cared to admit.

Just as Lu Guang shifted to leave first, Cheng Xiaoshi’s voice came softly from behind him.

“Lu Guang.”

Lu Guang paused, then turned slightly.

Cheng Xiaoshi stepped in immediately and pulled him into a hug.

It wasn’t perfectly smooth this time—there was a slight awkwardness as Lu Guang adjusted around his own bump, the space between them not quite the same as it used to be. Cheng Xiaoshi hesitated for a split second, then carefully adjusted his arms, holding him a little differently, a little more mindful, as if quietly learning the new shape of him without a single complaint.

Lu Guang stiffened briefly, more from habit than discomfort, then slowly softened into the embrace. His hands came to rest against Cheng Xiaoshi’s back, steady and familiar, grounding himself there.

Cheng Xiaoshi’s fingers lifted gently, one hand settling at the back of Lu Guang’s neck. His touch was careful—fingertips brushing the nape softly, like he was trying to memorize the feeling of holding him like this, even with the small changes time had brought.

For a moment, everything quieted.

The bathroom light felt softer, the silence heavier in a comforting way, as if the world had decided to pause just for them.

Then Lu Guang leaned in and pressed a soft, brief kiss against him—light, almost shy in its tenderness, like it slipped through before he could overthink it.

Cheng Xiaoshi went still, caught in the warmth of it.

Lu Guang pulled away first, composure settling back over him as he stepped out of the room, returning to his usual quiet self like nothing had happened.

Cheng Xiaoshi followed right after, a bright, slightly dazed smile spreading across his face as he trailed behind him like he always did.

Moments like this were rare—fragile, soft things that didn’t happen often, but stayed with him long after they passed.

And Cheng Xiaoshi, watching Lu Guang walk ahead, thought he wouldn’t mind staying in this one forever.