Chapter 197: You Win

*Runze’s POV*

Using every ounce of strength I have, I plant both hands against Bael’s chest and give him a sharp, desperate shove.

He barely shifts an inch, but the suddenness of the move catches him off guard just long enough for me to scramble backward off the desk. I nearly lose my balance climbing down, one hand instinctively covering my stomach while the other snatches my vibrating phone off the smooth surface in one fluid motion.

Retreating a few quick steps across the room until a safe distance separates us, I press a hand to my chest, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart before sliding my thumb across the screen.

"Ling Yue!" I call out, unable to keep the sheer relief out of my voice. "Ling Yue, where are you?"

Silence stretches over the line for a long moment. Only faint, ragged breathing answers me.

"I’m... here," his voice comes through hoarse, rough, and completely stripped of its usual bright energy. "...I didn’t think you’d go that far to get me to call."

"I had to," I tell him gently, my heart aching at the weary sound of his tone. "You weren’t giving me a choice. Where are you?"

"...The aquarium at the old seaside park," Ling Yue hesitates. "Near the central pier. I wanted somewhere quiet."

It makes sense. The seaside park sits right on the outer edge of the city, and a sprawling, public spot like an aquarium is easy to melt into without being noticed.

"Stay right there," I say firmly. "Don’t leave. I’m coming to pick you up right now."

Before he can protest, I hang up, slipping the phone into my pocket.

The silence of the office settles around us once more. Only then do I remember Bael is still standing by the executive desk.

When I turn around, he is watching me with quiet intensity, but his expression has completely lost the teasing warmth from a moment ago. His grey eyes lock onto mine with absolute, unwavering resolve.

"You’re not going," Bael states smoothly.

I blink, taken aback by his immediate shut-down. "...What?"

"You’re not going," he repeats, leaving no room for argument. "I am not letting you wander through a crowded, noisy public park on the edge of the city."

"Bael, he finally answered!" I counter, stepping forward. "I told him I was coming."

"I’ll have someone pick him up."

I shake my head immediately. "No."

"Runze."

"He won’t get in the car!" I explain, my voice rising slightly. "He barely agreed to answer my call. If people he doesn’t know suddenly show up saying the Wuchen family sent them, he’ll run. He’ll disappear again."

Bael walks over slowly until he is standing directly in front of me. "I’ll send Shen Rui."

"No."

"Pei Xuan."

"No."

"Mu Huang."

Despite the tension, I can’t help letting out the smallest frustrated laugh.

"No. He doesn’t know them, Bael. It has to be me."

Bael’s jaw tightens. He says nothing, but I know that look, his CEO brain is already rapidly assessing every single risk.

"You’ll be in public," Bael lists off quietly, stepping closer. "It’s daytime. You’re pregnant. There will be crowds. There could be cameras. There could be reporters—"

"Bael."

His voice stops.

I take one slow step closer to him. Then another. Until the only thing separating us is the gentle, rounded curve of my bump.

Reaching up, I rest both of my hands lightly against his forearms. I feel him tense immediately beneath my touch as his gaze drops to my face.

Looking up into his dark eyes, I soften my expression completely, letting a quiet, pleading warmth flood my gaze.

"Please..." I murmur, my tone hushed and sweet. "I really want to go."

Bael exhales a long, slow breath through his nose. "...You’re doing this on purpose."

I blink innocently. "Doing what?"

His eyes narrow, and a small, victorious spark dances in my chest.

Then, without warning, Bael’s hand rises. His fingertips brush against the shell of my ear, his thumb slowly tracing behind the sensitive lobe. I immediately shiver, my breath catching in my throat.

He notices, of course. A faint spark of amusement lights his dark eyes.

"You’re not the only one who knows weak spots."

"...Bael," I gasp softly.

His expression softens just a fraction more. His hand slides up into my hair, settling securely against the back of my neck.

"...Fine," Bael says, the word slipping past his lips in a low exhale before he even seems to realize he’s said it. "I’ll take you."

A grin breaks across my face before I can stop myself.

Bael catches it instantly. He lets out a defeated sigh, though his jaw clenches as he turns his head slightly to the side, but not before I catch the faint, betraying flush creeping up the tips of his ears.

"...I just got manipulated," he mutters, his voice dry and faintly sarcastic.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I smile, sliding my hands further up his arms. "I asked nicely."

"You weaponized ’nicely,’" Bael counters, shaking his head slowly as the corner of his mouth twitches. "...Good job. You’ve officially figured out how to act spoiled in front of your husband."

"Did it work?" I ask, trying very hard to keep my face straight.

Bael actually lets out a short, helpless laugh. Then, pulling me close, he wraps his arms securely around my waist, his grip protective and careful around my back as he presses me flush against his chest.

"You win," he murmurs into the crown of my head. "Alright?"

I hide my small, satisfied smile against his shoulder. "I know."

"I heard that."

"No, you didn’t."

"I absolutely did," Bael replies, letting out another quiet sigh before pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. "We’re picking him up, and after that, we’re coming straight home. No wandering."

"I know."

"No shopping."

"...We’ll see."

"No sneaking snacks."

"I wasn’t planning to."

"I don’t believe you."

Before I can banter back, my phone vibrates once more in my palm.

Both of us look down at the screen together. A new notification sits right at the top.

**New Message — Ling Yue:**

*I’m sitting near the main dolphin tank exhibit. Please hurry.*