Chapter 91 - Cancelled

Ren Muchen drove back home with a grin so bright, even the apocalypse couldn't have wiped it off. He flopped onto the couch, grabbing the plushies he'd left there last night, and hugged them close. A soft giggle escaped him. "Yunfeng is so cute…" His heart felt warm just thinking about him.

The sudden chime of the doorbell broke through his happy thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

Frowning, he looked toward the door. "Who's here so early?" With a sigh, he dragged himself over and peeked through the peephole. Shao stood there, holding a massive grocery bag, his face serious.

"Why are you here so early?" Muchen muttered as he cracked the door open, his voice low. He hadn't even cleaned up yet. The living room was still a mess—blankets and sheets were thrown all over from last night. He didn't want Shao to see that.

Without waiting, Shao pushed his way in, his expression grim. "You need to lock your house and come stay with me for a while. Things aren't good."

"What're you talking about?" Muchen took the grocery bag from him, still trying to figure out why Shao was acting like this.

"I've been calling you all night! Didn't you see the news?"

Muchen blinked at him, confused. "I just woke up." He grabbed his phone from the dining table, only to realize it had powered off. "Forgot to charge it last night."

With a heavy sigh, Shao pulled out his phone and shoved it in Muchen's face. "Here, look."

Muchen blinked at the bright screen, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the words. "Muchen and His Secret Lover!" Below it, a picture of him and Yunfeng from yesterday filled the screen. Yunfeng's side profile was clear as day.

The color drained from his face. His hands trembled as he stared at the headline. "Who… who did this? I told the agencies to kill any personal stories about me!"

Shao plopped down on the couch, rubbing his temples. "You should've been more careful. Thankfully, your fans don't have your address yet. But Yunfeng…"

Muchen froze, his blood turning cold. "What about Yunfeng?"

Shao looked at him with a serious expression. "Someone leaked everything—his address, phone number, all of it. I had the news taken down, but it's already spread through your fan groups."

Muchen's heart dropped. He stood there, unable to process it for a second. "No… no, no, no…" His voice shook as panic began to set in.

Yunfeng sat on the edge of his bed, his head low, staring at the floor. His mom's words were still running circles in his head. "He loves me… so…" They were supposed to be reassuring, but somehow, they left this weird knot in his chest instead.

His eyes flicked to the drawer next to him. Sitting there, hidden away, was that little box of morning-after pills. He'd shoved them in there not wanting to think about them, but now… now he couldn't ignore them anymore.

With a shaky breath, he yanked the drawer open and pulled them out. He held the box in his hands, staring at it like it was some kind of test. A part of him still hesitated, that tiny voice whispering doubts in his head. But no. Enough was enough.

Before he could second-guess himself, he stood, walked over to the trash can, and tossed them in. Just like that. Gone.

That was it. Decision made. He was having this baby.

Who cared what anyone else thought? If someone had a problem with it, that was on them. He wasn't going to let anyone, not even his mom, tell him how to live his life. He'd made up his mind.

He let out a deep breath, his chest feeling a little lighter, a little freer. A small smile tugged at his lips, and this time it actually felt real. Not forced, not fake—just real. He sat back down on the bed, one hand resting on his stomach without even thinking about it.

"I wonder how Muchen's gonna react…" he mumbled, the smile turning into a soft laugh.

Knowing him, he'd probably freak out for like two seconds before turning into the world's most excited dad. Yunfeng could already picture his face, the way his eyes would go wide and his jaw would drop. Then he'd stumble over his words, trying to figure out what to say, before eventually pulling Yunfeng into one of those tight, warm hugs that made everything feel okay.

But… what if he didn't?

The thought hit like a cold splash of water. What if Muchen wasn't ready? What if this was too much for him? Yunfeng's smile faltered, and his fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.

"No," he said out loud, shaking his head hard. "He loves me. He's gonna love this baby too." Saying it out loud made it feel more real, more solid.

He stood up, brushing off the lingering doubts. If there was one thing he knew, it was that they loved each other. They'd made it through so much already—this wouldn't be any different.

Walking over to the window, he pulled the curtains open, letting the sunlight pour in.

The second Yunfeng yanked the curtains open, he froze like a deer in headlights. His brain struggled to process the sea of people—no, young girls—outside his house. They were everywhere, filling the street, holding signs, and yelling something he couldn't quite hear.

"What… is this?" he mumbled, squinting at them. His first thought was oddly innocent. Is there a rally? Charity event? Did I miss a flyer?

But his confusion turned to alarm when the crowd stopped. Not just anywhere—they stopped right in front of his house.

His stomach dropped. "No way…"

Before he could step back, one girl pointed directly at his window. Her face lit up like she'd spotted Bigfoot. "That's him! Muchen's gay lover!!"

Yunfeng's jaw dropped. "Excuse me??"

"How dare you steal our Muchen!" she yelled, her voice loud enough to echo through the walls. "He's not gay!!"

The rest of the girls immediately joined in, their chants hitting him like an unexpected wave at the beach.

"Get lost!"

"Stay away from Muchen!"

"You're ruining everything!"

Yunfeng stumbled back from the window, one hand clutching the curtain. He felt like he'd just wandered into some bizarre drama. What is happening right now?!

He peeked out again, cautiously, only to regret it immediately. The crowd had somehow gotten angrier. One girl was holding a sign that said, "Muchen belongs to us!" Another held one that read, "You're canceled!"