Lan Yuxi knitted her brows and asked, "Why did you see her?"
A flicker of guilt crossed Joyce's eyes. "Wanqi is pregnant..."
Lan Yuxi's eyes immediately widened. "Who told you she's pregnant!"
"I had someone investigate. She went to the hospital for a check-up, and she's five weeks pregnant," Joyce raised his hand and slapped himself. "Master, I was wrong. That child is mine."
Lan Yuxi looked at the handprint on his face and frowned slightly. "You shouldn't be telling me this."
"I know, but I have to admit my mistake to Master first. I had too much to drink that day..."
"Drinking too much is no excuse!" Lan Yuxi interrupted him sharply. "What are your plans for coming here this time? First of all, let me state clearly that Wanqi didn't intend to use this child to tie you down."
Joyce looked up at her abruptly. "Wanqi wants to keep this child?"
"Yes, I'll raise this child with her. Now you can tell me what you want to do here, right?"
"Although we are all adults, our Eastern and Western concepts are different. Wanqi gave me her first time. I've been thinking about this matter since I went back. Before I could come to a conclusion, I didn't dare to answer your calls or come to see Wanqi. But when I heard she was sick, I realized that although I always jokingly say I like you, Wanqi is the most important person in my heart."
Lan Yuxi looked steadily into his deep blue eyes. "Do you really like Wanqi?"
"Yes!"
Lan Yuxi narrowed her eyes slightly. "Wanqi likes you, do you know that?"
"I know."
"She's at my place. What do you want to say to her? Whether to accept you or not, it's up to her."
"But she listens to you more. I'll wait until you finish work and go back together."
Lan Yuxi, annoyed, kicked him. "Don't you know what Wanqi dislikes the most?"
"Huh?" Joyce paused for a moment, then nodded in understanding. "I know."
"Knowing that, you still want me to accompany you? Go by yourself, and don't say you saw me." Lan Yuxi said, opening the door and pushing him out.
Joyce looked at the closed door, his eyes darkening. At a glance, he saw a tall, thin young man looking at him. He frowned and asked, "What is it?"
Ling Chen pointed to the office door. "I'm here to see Dean Lan."
Joyce glanced at him and walked down the steps with long strides.
Seeing him leave, Ling Chen didn't knock on Lan Yuxi's door but turned and went to the restroom.
Forty minutes later, Joyce's car arrived at the villa on the mountainside. He hesitated outside for a long time before gathering the courage to get out of the car.
Luo Wanqi was chatting with Tang Wan. Seeing Joyce enter, she got up to go upstairs.
"Wanqi!" Joyce called out to stop her.
Tang Wan got up and took Luo Wanqi's hand. "I'll go check on your Uncle Lan. You keep Joyce company for a while."
Tang Wan said, gave the housekeeper a look, and the two left the living room one after another.
Luo Wanqi glanced at Joyce. "Sit down."
Joyce stared at her belly for a moment before sitting on the sofa opposite her.
"Wanqi, come back to M country with me. Let me take care of you and the baby."
Luo Wanqi frowned. "Did you see Yuxi?"
Joyce paused. "Yes, I just came from her place, but she didn't tell me you were pregnant. I found out myself. I didn't see her for any other reason; I wanted to ask her to put in a good word for me, but she refused. She told me to handle it myself."
Luo Wanqi clenched her fists and said with all her might, "I won't go back to M country with you, because this child is not yours."
Joyce glanced at her clasped hands. "How is that possible! When you were with me, you were still a virgin, and judging by the dates, this child was conceived that night."
Luo Wanqi's hands trembled slightly. "Are you here for this child?"
"No."
Luo Wanqi let out a soft scoff. "Are you trying to say you're here for me? I advise you not to, because not even ghosts would believe you!"
"But, I really came back for you."
"After you returned to the country, you sent me a large sum of money. Your intentions were so obvious. Do you think I'll believe you now when you say you came back for me?"
Joyce scratched his head. "You misunderstood me. I know what Eastern women value most. That was me paying for the recklessness of that night, it doesn't mean I don't have you in my heart."
Luo Wanqi looked at him with amusement. "You have me in your heart? What about Yuxi?"
Joyce clasped his hands. "I've always admired Eastern women, so I dreamed of marrying an Eastern woman from a young age. Master is not only beautiful but also very capable. I was completely captivated by her unique charm, but although I always said I would pursue her, I never took action because I knew there was someone in her heart, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't squeeze in."
Joyce looked at Luo Wanqi's gradually darkening eyes, walked to her side, and slowly squatted down.
"You must be thinking that I'm settling for the next best thing. If I hadn't heard that you were sick, I wouldn't have been clear whether you or Master was more important to me. But when Master told me you were sick, I finally understood my heart."
Joyce took her hand and held it tightly.
"If you don't want to go to M country with me, then I'll stay in China with you... Your parents don't know about your pregnancy yet, right? I'll go and beg for forgiveness from them later."
Luo Wanqi glanced at him. "You're always so unreliable. Who knows if what you're saying is true or false."
"Then, we can take our time to find out in the future, okay?"
Lan Ling Academy, Dean's Office.
Lan Yuxi smiled slightly as she looked at the two people on the computer screen.
Lan Musi stood behind her and said with a smile, "Your disciple seems a bit unreliable normally, but when he's serious, he's quite the man. However, is he speaking human words or ghost words? I always feel like he's hiding something in his eyes."
Lan Yuxi let out a soft breath. "Eighty percent human words, twenty percent ghost words. It depends on how Wanqi disciplines him in the future."
"You mean, Wanqi will agree to him?"
"Wanqi has liked him for many years. Otherwise, how could she have kept this child? She witnessed firsthand how I went through those years."
Lan Musi affectionately stroked her head. "With your brothers around, you will never suffer any grievances again."
Lan Yuxi smiled at him. "Don't worry, no one can bully me."
Lan Musi smiled. "Help your second brother find a girlfriend in China. I plan to stay here and not go back."
"You're not going back? What about the academy there?"
"The students I've trained can all stand on their own. It doesn't matter if I go back or not."
Lan Yuxi looked at him deeply. "Heartbreak? Want to come here to take refuge?"