The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 164: What Child?

Chapter 164: What Child?

In the twilight glow of the pavilion, an unreadable expression masked Xu Feng’s features.

Despite the confusion bubbling within, he maintained an appearance of composure, concealing the whirlwind of questions that danced behind the cool exterior he’d put up.

’Child?’ The word echoed like a riddle, bouncing off the walls of his mind.

With a calculated tact, Xu Feng masked his emotions while maintaining a calm shield, ignoring the iceberg twined around him like a snake. He calmly looked at the other snake staring straight at him.

Across the pavilion, Xuan Yang stood graceful, his expression serious. His gaze bore into Xu Feng in turn.

"Erlang is a child..." Xu Feng’s voice, deliberate and measured, broke the lingering silence, each word weighted with a quiet intensity. "But he is sturdy and big." The words hung in the air, wrapped in layers of hidden meaning.

Though his face resembled the stillness of a tranquil pond, Xu Feng’s thoughts churned like a tempestuous sea. ’Child,’ continued to play on repeat at the back of his mind.

The flickering shadows cast by the evening light danced on the walls, painting the scene in muted shades of uncertainty.

"No," Xuan Yang’s face wrinkled visibly in disgust, even the muted lighting couldn’t hide the look as he continued on, "The one in your belly."

Xu Feng squinted his eyes at the Xuan young master, before looking down at his relatively flat tummy. He had gained weight over the last four or so months since he’d entered this new world...but still...

"What belly?"

"You’ve gained weight," This voice came from behind. Xuan Jian was also fat shaming him!

"I’ve eaten," The short answer was all Xu Feng wanted to give the two annoying men, but his brain continued to churn as the pavilion was shrouded in silence.

...

"You’ve both gained weight too." It was true, so what if he’d become much rounder since the marriage? Were they trying to say he was too chubby to go up a mountain?

They had eaten his cooking willingly all winter. There was some..ahem...exercise, but they had both gained weight too!

In fact, everyone in their estate had gotten rounder. Most people struggled during the winter months, but Xu Feng’s people got plump and moisturized by good food and his wood abilities in the produce they ate.

The mountain was the reason for this conversation, right? They shouldn’t be talking about Xu Feng fattening up his people or himself.

If Erlang wasn’t what they were concerned about, and neither man was referring to him as a baby, or their baby—he wouldn’t judge their preference for pet names, baby was an acceptable pet name—Xu Feng was willfully confused.

...

In the middle of the mess with Xuan Jian, Xu Feng’s once calm attitude now betrayed an inner blaze. His body, previously motionless, now quivered in frustration, a silent show of the commotion brewing within.

A surge of emotions welled up within Xu Feng, a desire to unleash his frustration on the two men bubbling just beneath the surface. Yet, a sensible part of him warned against such a useless outburst.

He knew better than to erupt physically, even against Xuan Yang, whose slender scholar’s build hid a surprising strength, not to mention Xuan Jian’s healthy and trained physique that entangled him in a comforting grip.

"Why must you go up the mountain stubbornly?" Xuan Yang’s voice cut through the mounting tension, breaking the silence.

"I won’t tell you," Xu Feng retorted, even in the heated moment, he could admit that he was being petty, but that didn’t stop him.

Frustration laced Xuan Yang’s sigh. "If you consult a doctor, then we’ll consider it," he finally attempted to come to a compromise.

Xu Feng’s gaze bore into the other man, pushing away Xuan Jian’s annoying head, feeling a need for personal space. The head in question was too close for comfort. The restraint was now cuddling, and the iceberg had his head perched on Xu Feng’s shoulder.

Normally this would be okay, but Xu Feng needed his personal space as he rampaged internally. The shove was the least violent reaction he had in him.

Their proposal hung in the air; a tempting offer disguised as a deal. ’Deal?’ Xu Feng mused. They want to make a deal with him?

He’d already made up his mind to go up the mountain, their conditional agreement meant nothing. They had months of him bringing up the topic, and being ignored or redirected, and now they wanted to make a deal?

"Fine," he conceded, still wound tight. ’I’m going regardless.’ Forget them, if they wanted him to see a doctor, that didn’t make a difference, they’d already shown him their true colors.

They really only cared about children.

With a resigned exhale, Xu Feng deflated slightly, only to remember he remained entangled in Xuan Jian’s grasp. "Let go of me."

...

Xu Feng seemed to lose all the strength in his body, but he still wanted his space. He didn’t hate Xuan Yang or Xuan Jian. He wasn’t sure he had it in him to hate them, but he’d failed at keeping a safe distance for his heart.

"Let go of me," he repeated, a little more weariness seeping into his voice.

"Don’t be upset." Xuan Jian whispered as he released his hold around the ger’s soft body.

’Why? It isn’t good for the child’ Xu Feng was too scared to ask this question, even as it plagued his mind...

"Because it isn’t good for the child?" He still asked against his own common sense. A slight hope still burning within him.

"It isn’t?" Jian was visibly confused as Xu Feng rose and looked into his face, something in Xu Feng going a bit colder.

Instead of facing his feelings, Xu Feng looked over at the roasted animal on the ground. "What is that?"

"Dharma Goat?" Xuan Jian answered with a question. There was a softness and hesitation in his voice as if he were speaking with a small animal. It made Xu Feng want to throw a fit and act spoiled.

But he didn’t. He continued to look at the iceberg until the other man volunteered information.