Chapter Twenty-Four: He Loves Only Himself

Wen Yan stared at the back of Li Jingyan as he fled in a panic, her shoulders trembling as she stifled her laughter. It wasn't until the door slammed shut that she could no longer hold it in and began to laugh uncontrollably.

She asked the empty air, "System, can you check? Is it possible he really is impotent?"

The system’s voice still carried lingering shock as it stumbled to respond: "Y-yes, Host! I just performed an emergency database retrieval and discovered that my upgrade unlocked a basic biological scanning function. I can detect physiological abnormalities!"

"Then scan Li Jingyan immediately!" Wen Yan sat up straight, her eyes full of curiosity. "What exactly is his problem? Is it really, as he claimed, a sexual dysfunction?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a pale blue virtual screen popped up in front of her, with lines of data scrolling across it. The system's voice followed: "Scan results are in! Li Jingyan has moderate erectile dysfunction, accompanied by a psychogenic avoidance response. Based on physiological indicators, the symptoms have indeed persisted for at least four and a half years, which aligns almost perfectly with the five years he mentioned."

"Scan him again," she whispered.

The system sounded as if it were yawning: "This is the third time—Li Jingyan, functional erectile dysfunction, diagnosed five years ago. I could recite his medical records by heart now."

Wen Yan: "So he’s been broken for five years?"

System: "Correct. And there are no signs of recovery in the near future."

"Then how did Liu Yanyan 'help' him? Artificial insemination?" Wen Yan found it completely absurd. This wasn't in the original plot at all; had she missed something?

System: "The database shows no record of insemination."

"Then how did Liu Yanyan 'help' him? He even said he was blacked out when it happened—could it be that he functions normally when he's blacked out? And that child—if he doesn't have normal function, how is he certain the child is his?"

"I can't figure it out either!" the system’s voice was full of confusion. "It was never mentioned in the original plot. Ever since you arrived, the plot branches have been acting like they've gone off the rails! But wait..." It paused, then suddenly raised its volume: "Host, I found a hidden video in the system cache! It’s of Li Jingyan and Liu Yanyan!"

The screen in front of Wen Yan switched instantly, revealing the interior of a cafe. Liu Yanyan, wearing a white dress, smiled sweetly as she pushed a document toward Li Jingyan, her voice syrupy and cloying: "Brother Jingyan, look, this is the paternity test report. We have a baby!"

Li Jingyan picked up the report; his eyes lit up at first, then he furrowed his brows, his tone hesitant: "You had an amniocentesis? Did it hurt?"

"Not at all," Liu Yanyan said, burying her face in his chest, her voice softening. "I just didn't want Brother Jingyan to go your whole life without children. Sister Wen Yan has never been able to conceive, and I... I just wanted to help you fulfill your dream. I won't interfere with your life with her."

In the video, Li Jingyan traced the report with his fingers, his eyes actually turning red. He gently stroked Liu Yanyan’s hair, his voice trembling: "Alright, we'll keep the baby. We finally have a child of our own."

The screen vanished. Wen Yan sneered, "Are they brain-dead? He believed it just because of a paternity test? Forging one would be child's play for Liu Yanyan."

Does this plot take the audience for fools? Wen Yan was speechless.

"Host, perhaps it isn't the writer's fault!" the system interjected, its tone serious. "I just checked the world-line records. Before you arrived, this world had already 'rebooted' several times! Every time it resets, the plot details deviate, and now everyone is veering away from their original settings."

"They have their own thoughts now—like Wang Xiulian. In the original plot, she only became a vegetable after six months. Now it's happened early, and it was Liu Yanyan's doing. The main storyline hasn't shifted, but the details are a complete mess."

Wen Yan raised an eyebrow and leaned back on the sofa: "So, does this mean I'm facing a group of out-of-control characters?"

"Not entirely out of control!" the system quickly added. "The main plot hasn't changed much, but every act of revenge you take might alter the narrative trajectory, potentially spawning new subplots."

"Fine, let the variables be variables." Wen Yan stood up, went to the refrigerator to fetch a bottle of champagne, and poured herself half a glass. "By the way, where is Li Jingyan now? Given how humiliated he looked, he’s nine times out of ten gone to find Liu Yanyan! Can you see?"

"Let me check!" The system was silent for two seconds. "You really nailed it! He’s already at the door of Liu Yanyan’s building, and he's taking out his keys!"

A flash of cunning crossed Wen Yan's eyes as she swirled her glass. "Perfect. The surprise I prepared for Liu Yanyan should be delivered right on cue."

She opened the screen to watch the show. In the footage, Li Jingyan opened the door. Liu Yanyan was sitting on the sofa playing on her phone, while a nanny paced nearby, holding the baby. Upon seeing Li Jingyan, Liu Yanyan’s eyes lit up. She immediately put down her phone and rushed over: "Brother Jingyan! Why are you here? Were you worried about me because of my phone call this afternoon?"

Li Jingyan patted her head, his tone gentle: "I was afraid you and the baby would be scared tonight, so I came to keep you company."

Liu Yanyan smiled even more sweetly, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling him—but the next second, her smile froze. She sniffed the air, and her expression darkened instantly. Li Jingyan smelled of a fragrance that wasn't his own. She looked up sharply, staring at his neck. She scrubbed at it hard with her finger, catching a trace of faint red makeup.

"Brother Jingyan, what is this?" Liu Yanyan’s voice trembled, her eyes filling with tears. "Did she kiss you?"

Li Jingyan glanced down at his neck, his eyes flickering. His tone grew impatient: "We’ve been married for years; a little accidental contact is normal."

"Normal?" Liu Yanyan raised her voice, tears spilling over. She wanted to explode, but having kept up her act for so long, she couldn't risk blowing her cover; she forced herself to look aggrieved. "I haven't even recovered from the surgery, yet I'm thinking of you every day. You, on the other hand, have eyes only for your wife. I might as well just live alone with the baby..."

Li Jingyan frowned, reached out to hug her, and softened his voice: "Alright, alright, don't be angry. It won't happen again. She and I are only married in name; you are the one I truly love. Isn't that why my body chose you?"

Wen Yan heard Li Jingyan's nonsense and felt disgusted. Isn't he just using Liu Yanyan as a tool for his urges? "Sleep with me, go to her; have a child, go to her; but if you want status, you're just being unreasonable..." She chuckled.

Liu Yanyan glanced at the sleeping baby in the nanny's arms, bit her lip to suppress her rage, and took Li Jingyan's hand, her voice filled with feigned hurt: "Brother Jingyan, promise me you won't see Sister Wen Yan again until my confinement is over, okay? I can't stand it... I'll get jealous."

Li Jingyan nodded helplessly: "Alright, I promise."

Watching Li Jingyan turn to leave, a flash of resentment crossed Liu Yanyan's eyes. She lunged forward to grab his wrist and signaled to the nanny nearby. The nanny understood, quickly took the swaddled baby, and retreated into the nursery, closing the door behind her with thoughtful care.

Only the two of them remained in the living room. Liu Yanyan gripped Li Jingyan's hand, refusing to let go, her tone a mix of coquetry and urgency: "Brother Jingyan, you can't just let it go like this. It's not fair!" As she spoke, she stood on her tiptoes, looped her arms around his neck, and kissed him proactively.

Liu Yanyan panted against his chin: "I want you to compensate me... I want everything touched by Wen Yan disinfected." She frantically kissed the lipstick mark on his neck: "Here! And here! They are all mine!"

At first, Li Jingyan didn't push her away; he even complied with her movements, pulling her waist and carrying her toward the bedroom. The two fell onto the bed, kissing with increasing intensity. Liu Yanyan’s hands began to undo his shirt buttons, and her breathing grew rapid.

But just then, Li Jingyan suddenly stiffened. He could feel Liu Yanyan’s passion, yet his body felt as if it had been frozen—it was the exact same situation he had faced with Wen Yan earlier. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He suddenly pressed down on Liu Yanyan’s hands, backed away half a foot, and spoke in a stiff tone: "Stop, you’re still in confinement; it’s not good for your health. Let’s take it slow."

The smile on Liu Yanyan’s face froze instantly, as if she had been slapped hard. She stared blankly at Li Jingyan, her eyes reddening: "Take it slow? Brother Jingyan, you weren't like this before..."

She wanted to say more, but Li Jingyan had already stood up, grabbed his jacket from the sofa, and walked toward the door without looking back: "I'll sleep in the study tonight." As he spoke, the door shut behind him, leaving Liu Yanyan alone in the empty bedroom.

"Why..." Liu Yanyan muttered to herself, her fingers beginning to tremble uncontrollably. She remembered the past—every time she went to a hotel with Li Jingyan, he was like a starved wolf. Even on the day she had blacked out and couldn't see his face, she could vividly remember his intensity and desire.

But ever since she got pregnant, he had become a different person, unwilling to even touch her. "Is it because of Wen Yan? Is he still unable to forget that woman?" As this thought emerged, Liu Yanyan’s emotions spiraled out of control. She grabbed a silk scarf from the bed and began tearing at it frantically, pulling at the threads with such force that her fingertips turned bright red and began to bleed. Only the piercing pain allowed her to regain a modicum of composure.

She stared at the droplets of blood on her hands, her eyes filled with venom.

Outside the screen, Wen Yan took in everything, her fingers tapping lightly against the desk as a cold smirk tugged at the corner of her lips: "It seems that even Liu Yanyan herself isn't sure if that child is Li Jingyan's."