Beta Chapter 32: Irresponsible

Chapter 32: Irresponsible

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Gurgle, gurgle— A grumbling sound emanated from Luo Songran’s belly. Duan Yizhou’s gaze fell on Luo Songran’s stomach, momentarily lost in thought before asking, “Are you hungry?”

Luo Songran murmured in agreement. His mood wasn’t as anxious as before, and naturally, his appetite returned. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten much today.”

As he finished speaking, he leaned back heavily on the sofa. Before he could lie down completely, Duan Yizhou pulled him into his arms.

“You already have a little baby now. You can’t lie down like that,” Duan Yizhou said, noticing Luo Songran’s attempt to recline. Without realizing the peculiar look in Luo Songran’s eyes, he pulled him up and helped him sit down, even placing a cushion beside his belly. “I’ll go get you something to eat. Wait for me.”

With that, he stood up and walked out.

Luo Songran on the sofa stared blankly at Duan Yizhou’s departing figure, then glanced down at his belly, chuckling. “Looks like you, little rascal, still have some usefulness. At least your dad didn’t scold me for fooling him emotionally.”

Suddenly feeling a bit proud, he dropped the cushion and stood up to follow.

Duan Yizhou’s villa was styled in a classic lazy Mediterranean style, located in the mountainous and waterfront Langqing Bay villa area. The villa’s overall tone was warm white and brown, with Western-style brown furniture that felt both grand and gentle, much like Duan Yizhou himself.

The villa was very spacious, with one basement and three above-ground floors, totaling four floors. He hadn’t visited much in the past half month, but he had explored every floor. If it weren’t for the elevators, just climbing the stairs would be exhausting. But he knew why Duan Yizhou needed such a large house—it had many functional rooms that even the most academically challenged would shake their heads at when passing by.

The elevator ‘dinged’ open, and Luo Songran stepped out, greeted by the sight of the spiral staircase. The kitchen was located about a dozen steps to the left of the spiral staircase, so he walked over.

In his memory, this kitchen had never been used.

At least in their “lovey-dovey” half-month, aside from fetching water, Luo Songran had never heard the sound of pots and pans clattering, as all their food was delivered from outside. He seriously doubted if this kitchen even had utensils.

The kitchen was not small, and everything seemed to be in place, but it was incredibly pristine.

Luo Songran leaned against the kitchen’s glass door frame, peering in to see Duan Yizhou dismantling something in front of the cabinet with his back turned. He caught sight of transparent packaging and joked, “Have you not even unwrapped the film on the cutting board, Chef Duan?”

Duan Yizhou turned around, tossed the packaging into the trash can, and calmly placed the cutting board down. “No big deal. What do you want to eat?”

Luo Songran raised an eyebrow, amused. “Pretty confident, huh? You think you can make anything I want?”

“I can try,” Duan Yizhou said, turning on the LCD screen on the wall and pulling up the menu. “Come on, order something.”

Luo Songran walked over to Duan Yizhou’s side, looking at the overwhelming variety of dishes on the screen, all with delicious-looking pictures. As he looked through, he noticed that none of the dishes contained eggs or egg-based proteins, which he couldn’t touch. He withdrew his gaze, concealing the oddity in his eyes, and went to the refrigerator. “I want some clay pot congee. Can you make that?”

“I’ll try,” Duan Yizhou said without hesitation, typing ‘clay pot congee’ into the search bar and carefully preparing the ingredients following the steps displayed.

While the preparation of ingredients was orderly, the process was chaotic.

In the kitchen, the tall man wore an apron. Due to the marble countertop not being designed for his height, he had to bend over to work. He murmured to himself as he washed the rice, carefully measuring the water with a measuring cup, as if conducting an experiment. He adjusted the temperature of the induction cooker bit by bit for cooking the congee, and then set the time. Despite his cautiousness, he couldn’t leave the stove, leaning over the edge of the countertop with both hands, focusing intently on the clay pot as if to prevent it from boiling over.

While cautious, the man in the kitchen looked clumsy from behind.

Luo Songran got bored during the process and went to play games with his roommates. After finishing a game, he passed by the kitchen to use the restroom. No matter how he glanced, Duan Yizhou remained focused, diligently cooking the clay pot congee.

As he kept losing in the game, he became increasingly frustrated.

“I’m done playing,” he said, lying on the sofa and addressing his roommates who were still on voice chat. “No feel for it, and I’m dragging you down. Find someone else to take my place.”

Fortunately, his roommates were all easygoing and didn’t say anything. They said they wouldn’t play tonight and would arrange another time. Just as he hung up the voice call, he caught sight of Duan Yizhou walking out of the kitchen, wearing oven mitts and carefully carrying the clay pot as if it were a treasure.

“RanRan, come and eat,” Duan Yizhou said.

The term “RanRan” made Luo Songran’s mind blank for a moment. He couldn’t understand why Duan Yizhou could be like this. Throughout the events of the day—finding out he was pregnant, deciding to break up with Duan Yizhou, and Duan Yizhou calmly discussing and resolving the matter—only he seemed a bit flustered from start to finish.

This man was calm to the point of being unshakeable, and now he was even cooking porridge for him, as if they had genuinely loved each other for the past month.

Luo Songran hesitated before standing up. Seeing Duan Yizhou walking back to the kitchen, presumably to fetch bowls, his mood became complex. Could this man be trying to numb him this way? Just to avoid getting hurt? After all, at his age, being deceived in a relationship by someone twelve years younger was quite embarrassing.

If that was the case, he shouldn’t let Duan Yizhou continue with such illusions. Wouldn’t that be self-deception? He walked to the dining table and looked at the… suspicious gooey substance in the clay pot.

“Perhaps it doesn’t look very appetizing, but I’ve tasted it, and it’s not bad,” Duan Yizhou said as he placed a bowl down and scooped some porridge for Luo Songran, placing it in front of him. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

Luo Songran stared at the suspicious substance in front of him, hesitating to speak. “You’re never picky about food, always saying everything is delicious. But this… can it really be eaten?” He couldn’t even summon the courage to pick up the spoon.

Maybe it would have been better to just order takeout. He was even afraid that this man might blow up the kitchen.

“Try it,” Duan Yizhou said, sitting down in front of Luo Songran and watching him intently, his eyes full of gentleness and anticipation, even the thin sweat on his nose seemed especially tender.

Luo Songran caught sight of that drop of sweat on his nose, lowered his gaze to conceal his emotions, and picked up the spoon to stir the porridge in the bowl. Gathering his courage, he furrowed his brows and took a small sip.

Just one sip, and he fell silent.

“How is it?” Duan Yizhou asked, his hands clasped on the table, staring intently at Luo Songran, trying to gauge the taste from his reaction.

Luo Songran put the spoon back into the bowl without expression, the ceramic spoon making a crisp sound against the edge of the bowl, mirroring his mood. He met Duan Yizhou’s expectant gaze. “It’s terrible.”

His hand holding the spoon clenched involuntarily.

But Duan Yizhou didn’t show any sign of disappointment. He continued to smile gently, as if nothing could shake him. Compared to being deceived, saying that the food he cooked was bad seemed insignificant.

“Then I’ll improve a little tomorrow, a little more the day after tomorrow, and even more the day after that. I’ll definitely make something you love to eat,” Duan Yizhou said.

Caught in the warmth of the man’s gentle and indulgent gaze, Luo Songran felt like he was melting under the warmth, like being swept into the depths of the ocean by the waves, unable to break free and drowning. He quickly shifted his gaze, his heartbeat inexplicably panicked.

“Is it okay?”

This affectionate inquiry, filled with coaxing, was so gentle, yet so overwhelming. What’s good? Luo Songran suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a slightly harsh sound. He took a deep breath. “With your cooking skills, how can it be good? I’m not hungry, I’m going to bed.”

With that, he left the dining room. His steps were slightly panicked.

Duan Yizhou watched Luo Songran’s retreating figure, almost as if he was fleeing. He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the pot of failed porridge in front of him, his lips slightly curved into a gentle smile. He reached out to pick up the bowl of porridge that Luo Songran refused to eat and began to eat it with his head lowered.

He didn’t have many virtues, but his greatest one was patience. Especially in coaxing. Even more so in pursuing.

After finishing the porridge, he silently evaluated himself:

—Really terrible.

Keep trying.

At night, Duan Yizhou left the master bedroom for Luo Songran to sleep in and went to sleep in the study nearby. Mainly because there was only his master bedroom and study on the fourth floor, and he didn’t want to be too far away in case Luo Songran needed him.

“Goodnight, RanRan,” Duan Yizhou said after making sure everything was arranged properly, touching the light switch before leaving the master bedroom.

Luo Songran lay on his side, hugging the blanket and playing with his phone. He didn’t bother to look at Duan Yizhou, and casually said, “Goodnight, silly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Duan Yizhou laugh. This low, gentle laughter almost made his phone hit his face, making him feel a little annoyed. He glared fiercely at Duan Yizhou at the door.

“What are you laughing at? I’m going to sleep!”

Why did he feel like he had fallen into a pit?

“I really like this nickname, it’s so cute.” Duan Yizhou smiled, turning off the light. In his field of vision, only the small glass night light on the bedside and the slightly awkward figure on the bed remained. “Goodnight, sweet dreams.”

With that, he gently closed the door.

Luo Songran was left dumbfounded in the bedroom, stared at the door in silence, wondering what this man was thinking. Was he being too naive, or could he really go to such lengths for the child? He reached out and touched his stomach. It was still flat, and he couldn’t feel anything real yet. But he still didn’t have a sense of reality.

He, Luo Songran, was actually going to be a father?

After two minutes, he received a message from his dad,【RanRan, come home for lunch tomorrow. I have something to tell you.】

The next day —

The sound of vomiting from the master bedroom bathroom made Duan Yizhou, who had just walked out of the study, suddenly darken. He quickly walked back to his room and found Luo Songran bent over the toilet, clearly feeling very uncomfortable. He hurried over to pat his back.

After Luo Songran finished vomiting, he took a deep breath and stood up. Then he saw Duan Yizhou beside him and instantly his expression soured. It was this man who couldn’t keep himself together, making him feel like this. But since they had already reached a tacit agreement, saying anything more was pointless.

“Feeling terrible, baby?” Duan Yizhou quickly handed him a cup of warm water from the tap to rinse his mouth, feeling a little distressed when he saw his pale complexion.

“What do you think?” Luo Songran took the water and walked to the sink to rinse his mouth. “I have violin lessons this morning. Drop me off at school first, and I’ll come home for lunch, but I might not come back tonight.”

He rinsed his mouth and glanced up to see Duan Yizhou in the mirror, who had been staring at him with affectionate and indulgent eyes. Perhaps because he had just woken up, his hair was slightly messy, he wasn’t wearing his glasses, and he hadn’t shaved his stubble. Yet, he still looked at him with such tender affection, as if he were looking at a precious treasure.

Standing there, he seemed like a big fool.

He spat out the water and said irritably, “Don’t look at me.” 

“RanRan, you’re so obedient. I really like you.” Duan Yizhou’s smile was gentle.

Luo Songran looked back at Duan Yizhou behind him, “… You’re doing this on purpose.” It sounded so familiar, as if this man was repeating everything he had said before.

Duan Yizhou smiled tenderly, “You’re my love’s mentor. You’re worth learning from.”

Luo Songran was speechless. What a case of “tit for tat”.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was noon. Luo Songran carried his violin and walked downstairs from the music room. As he descended, he saw a familiar black car not far away. Perhaps the 333-license plate attracted the attention of many students, who were whispering curiously about whose car it was.

After all, people with 333-license plates were usually big shots.

Luo Songran naturally knew whose car it was. He silently turned around, thinking of driving home himself. He didn’t really want to attract attention.

“RanRan, I’ll give you a ride.” 

Luo Songran paused. As expected, there were some discussions around him.

“Does Professor Duan know Mr. Luo?”

“They must know each other. Last time in class, Professor Duan even covered Mr. Luo with his suit jacket! It was so funny!”

Luo Songran glanced at the gossiping classmates. The two girls quickly changed the subject when they noticed they had been overheard.

“There’s sweet and sour ribs in the cafeteria today!”

“Let’s go~~”

Soon, their figures disappeared.

Luo Songran walked expressionlessly to the car and saw Duan Yizhou lowering the car window. “Why are you here? Didn’t I say I’d go home for lunch?”

“I’m on the way,” Duan Yizhou reached out and opened the passenger door. “Get in.”

Luo Songran thought to himself, when was this on the way? Jiang Tianyi Su was in the south and Langqing Bay was in the north. It seemed like Duan Yizhou’s love-struck brain was quite idle. He got into the passenger seat. “Duan Yizhou, if you keep neglecting your work and only focus on me all the time, the company will go bankrupt.”

“Liking you is my job, and liking you is my business.” Duan Yizhou smiled, starting the car and driving out of the school.

Luo Songran was speechless. He thought this man had thin skin, but now it seemed his skin was as thick as his own. Luo Songran got out of the passenger seat and closed the door. He looked at Duan Yizhou, who had also gotten out of the car. “Why did you get out of the car?”

At that moment, the door of the house opened, and it was Gu Yuxi, Luo Songran’s father, “What a coincidence.”

Luo Songran turned his head to look at his dad, “What?”

His dad smiled, “Your dad and I invited Yizhou over for lunch today, so we called you back. Did you two happen to meet at the door? RanRan, do you remember Yizhou? He’s the one who gave you a bucket of lollipops when you were in kindergarten. You kept asking when he would come back.”

Luo Songran looked at Duan Yizhou with a blank expression. Was this guy doing it on purpose?

Duan Yizhou took out a gift box from the trunk and handed it to Gu Yuxi. When Gu Yuxi saw what was inside, he showed surprise. “Yizhou, you’re really thoughtful. By the way, let me introduce you. This is my son, RanRan. You’ve met him before when he was in kindergarten. He probably doesn’t remember. RanRan, come and say hello to your brother Yizhou.”

Luo Songran was speechless. Right now, he just wanted the little baby in his belly to come out and say something: —Hey, this is your dad. Say hello.

 

 

 

 

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