Huo Rulan nodded tearfully, accepting the bouquet Ye Xi handed him and choking out, “I do.” Ye Xi, eyes reddened and smiling faintly, lowered his gaze as he held Huo Rulan’s left hand and gently slid the larger ring onto his ring finger.
Huo Rulan wiped away his tears and took out the remaining ring from the small box, kneeling down on one knee. Ye Xi couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. His vision blurred, he couldn’t see Huo Rulan’s face clearly, but he could hear Huo Rulan’s hoarse and choked-up voice: “Ye Xi, marry me,” he sobbed, “We haven’t had a wedding yet. After we have the baby, let’s get married, okay?”
Ye Xi closed his eyes, letting the tears flow freely. His hands on his knees clenched tightly into fists, veins faintly visible. How could he dare to accept a promise that would never come true…?
He opened his eyes, reached out his right hand, and looked into Huo Rulan’s eyes, there were tears, light, and a trace of hidden sorrow. “…Alright, we’ll get married after the baby is born.”
Huo Rulan gently cradled Ye Xi’s hand and slid the ring onto his ring finger. Lowering his gaze tenderly, he bowed his head and kissed Ye Xi’s finger reverently. The tear that fell on the back of Ye Xi’s hand was scorching hot, and the warmth seemed to burn straight into his heart.
Their fingers intertwined, the rings touching.
They embraced and kissed, overflowing with love.
Under the bright and gentle moonlight, someone couldn’t sleep that night.
***
The next morning, Ye Xi slept until 9 a.m.
When he woke up, he saw Huo Rulan had brought over a small soft chair and was sitting beside the bed, intently rubbing the ring on his finger, a smile occasionally appearing on his lips.
Ye Xi lay on his side, silently watching him. Huo Rulan looked up just in time to meet his gaze.
“You’re awake? Still want to sleep?” Huo Rulan stood from the chair and crouched beside the bed, asking softly.
Ye Xi shook his head. “No, I’m hungry. I want to eat.”
“Alright, let’s eat now. Breakfast is in the warming cabinet,” Huo Rulan said as he helped Ye Xi up, put on his shoes, and guided him to wash up.
For breakfast, Ye Xi ate a bowl of rice noodles in soup, a bowl of nourishing broth, and a glass of milk. Huo Rulan was afraid he’d eat too much and feel unwell, so he gently supported Ye Xi as they strolled around the house to help with digestion.
Ye Xi led him slowly through the entire villa, touching every corner, even running his fingers over a vase sitting to the side.
Huo Rulan didn’t say much, only asked, “Do you like this kind of vase? I’ll have some delivered tomorrow. When we get back, we’ll see them right away.”
Ye Xi, holding his belly, shook his head. Huo Rulan then said, “If you don’t want to wait that long, I’ll have them sent to the hospital. We can place them in the room and look at them every day, with a few fresh flowers, it’ll feel fancy.”
Ye Xi laughed and patted the hand supporting his belly. “Forget it, no need.”
Just as Huo Rulan was about to say something else, Ye Xi pulled his hand and said he wanted to sit on the sofa. his belly was feeling heavy.
Huo Rulan bent down and carefully picked him up, walking steadily to the sofa and gently setting him down. He sat beside him and massaged his aching lower back.
Ye Xi leaned against him a bit, rubbing his belly. “When are we going to the hospital?”
Huo Rulan replied, “In half an hour, how does that sound? Rest a bit more.”
Ye Xi nodded. “Okay.”
They leaned on each other, whispering about the small things in life. Light filtered in, and the two matching rings on their fingers glinted faintly.
As the half-hour mark neared, Huo Rulan carried Ye Xi back to the room to change. They wore matching loose white T-shirts and loose black shorts. Huo Rulan supported Ye Xi while pulling a suitcase downstairs.
Before getting in the car, Huo Rulan asked, “Is there anything else you want to bring?”
Ye Xi stopped in front of the car and looked back at the villa deeply. After a long moment, he shook his head. “No.”
He got into the back seat, and Huo Rulan leaned in to fasten his seatbelt, careful not to press against his belly.
“We’ll be there soon. Rest if you’re tired.” Huo Rulan kissed Ye Xi’s forehead, then walked around to the driver’s seat and began driving steadily toward the hospital.
Traffic bustled along the way. At an intersection, the red light came on, and Huo Rulan stopped the car.
He glanced at the rearview mirror, Ye Xi was dozing off.
Huo Rulan’s gaze softened. Quietly, he adjusted the AC vent so it wouldn’t blow directly on Ye Xi.
The red light was counting down. Surrounding cars were ready to move. Huo Rulan turned his gaze back to the road and gripped the wheel.
As the light turned green, he drove into the intersection.
***
Cheng Yun lay dying on the wooden bed in his rented room. Through the system, he already knew that Huo Rulan and Ye Xi were headed to the hospital today, and he also knew the exact route they would take.
He opened his eyes and spoke in a weak voice to the system, making one final exchange:
“…I offer my remaining life points to exchange for a fulfilled prophecy.”
System: 【Ding—Prophecy fulfilled.】
【Special notice: System exchanges can only affect the target of affection or those closely connected to them; skipping romance progression to fully conquer Huo Rulan directly is not permitted.】
Cheng Yun could no longer hear what the system said. He closed his eyes and issued the command:
“The prophecy fulfillment task is… a chain car accident. Huo Rulan severely injured. Ye Xi dies from premature labor.”
System: 【Executing task——】
***
When the steering wheel lost control, the brakes failed, and more than a dozen vehicles accelerated unnaturally and crashed toward them, Huo Rulan didn’t have time to think.
In the last moment, he turned the car to shield Ye Xi’s side, taking the full brunt of the impact himself.
【Ding—Task completed】
Cheng Yun opened his eyes one last time, a look of satisfaction and relief flashing through them before he closed them forever.
The system’s mechanical voice echoed silently in the dim rental room:
【Host deceased. Romance route failed.】
Another unfamiliar mechanical voice followed:
【Ding—System No. 10997 task failed. Returning to HQ to reassign host and proceed to next mission.】
【Command received. Returning to headquarters—】
The system’s traces gradually vanished from the world, leaving only Cheng Yun’s lifeless body lying on the wooden bed.
***
The tires screeched, and the violent impact struck head-on. The front left of the car was badly crushed. Huo Rulan felt like his organs were tearing apart; the blood from his forehead streamed into his eyes, making his entire vision turn red. In that instant of dizziness, he thought he was already dead.
“…Ugh… Huo Rulan…”
Amid the chaos and panicked shouting, Ye Xi’s pained voice rang clear in his ears.
Huo Rulan leaned back and gasped desperately for breath. He slowly turned to look at Ye Xi, wanting to speak, but instead coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Huo Rulan…”
Ye Xi, pale and covered in cold sweat, was clutching his belly in the back seat. He cried while trying to sit up and reach for Huo Rulan’s hand, but the pain in his abdomen left him unable to move. The seat beneath him was soaked with blood streaming down his thighs.
“Don’t be scared… don’t be scared…”
Huo Rulan’s hands trembled as he tried to unbuckle his seatbelt. The door wouldn’t open. He forced himself upright, but his left leg was pinned tightly under the crumpled front of the car.
He pulled at it desperately, but it didn’t budge. Huo Rulan’s eyes turned red, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. His vision was spinning.
Still, he kept trying to comfort Ye Xi through broken breaths: “…Don’t be scared… Ye Xi…”
Outside the car, passersby were already gathering, smashing windows, prying at doors, their shouts faintly reaching Huo Rulan’s ears.
The window beside him had been shattered, but the door still wouldn’t open. Huo Rulan couldn’t see clearly. He raised his hand and grabbed someone by the window, mumbling something.
The man leaned in to listen and heard him whisper, “…My wife… is about to give birth… Save him first… Huaxiang Private Hospital… Blood type A…”
The man shouted to the crowd, “Quick! Get the pregnant to the hospital! Hurry, he’s going into labor!”
Just before Huo Rulan lost consciousness, he heard Ye Xi’s crying grow faint in the distance. Ye Xi was calling out to him—
“Huo Rulan…”
***
At the old Huo family home, Rong Lan came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit. Her right eyelid had been twitching for a while, and she felt an ominous pressure in her chest.
She rubbed her chest and slowly walked to the living room, asking her husband Huo Chengsong, who was reading the newspaper on the sofa:
“My right eye’s been twitching nonstop, and my chest feels so heavy. Do you think something happened to the kids?”
Huo Chengsong put down the paper and looked at her as she approached slowly.
“My right eye was twitching earlier too. Didn’t the elders used to say, left eye for fortune, right eye for disaster…”
“Pah! Don’t say that word! That’s bad luck!”
Rong Lan hurried to the sofa and sat down, pulling out her phone.
“Didn’t they say they were going to the hospital today? I’ll call Huo Rulan and check.”
Beep—
The call rang for a long time with no answer. Rong Lan started to panic.
“He wouldn’t even let me go with him. Said it was too hot and I should rest at home…” she muttered anxiously, redialing over and over, calling both Huo Rulan and Ye Xi, but no one picked up.
“This won’t do. I’m going to the hospital.”
Rong Lan stood up, not even bothering to change clothes, and started putting on her shoes. Huo Chengsong followed closely behind her.
Just then, the television—which had been left on—began broadcasting the local news:
“…On August 3rd, 2302 at 10:57 a.m., a multi-car pileup occurred on Chaoxin Road. Multiple vehicles lost control. The cause is currently under investigation…”
“No fatalities reported. 23 injured. 21 minor injuries, one in critical condition, and one case of premature labor involving a pregnant omega. All victims have been transported to the hospital…”
Rong Lan instinctively turned toward the television. Amid the wreckage of twisted vehicles, she spotted a familiar, badly destroyed car.
Her son’s car—how could she not recognize it?
“Rulan… Xiao Xi…”
Overwhelmed by grief, Rong Lan’s vision went black, and she fainted.
Huo Chengsong rushed forward and caught her falling body with trembling hands. Holding her close, he stared at the ruined car on the TV screen, heart aching so badly it was hard to breathe.
Oh no not them. Damn CY, you really need to do that on your death bed.
please support me here
HOLY SHIT WTF NOOOOO