[BL] Oops! I Seduced My Sister's Fiance (And Now I'm Pregnant)

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Interrupted Timing

Xue Lian is standing in the doorway.

For a second, no one moves.

Bael’s hand is still at the back of my neck, his knee still pressed into the couch between my legs, the distance between us close enough that I can still feel the warmth of his breath. Then he leans in just slightly, just enough that his lips brush the shell of my ear, his voice low and quiet, meant only for me.

”Don’t think this ends here.”

The words settle somewhere under my skin, warm and deliberate, and my shoulders tense before I can stop it. My face heats up immediately, which is extremely unhelpful considering the audience we currently have.

Bael pulls back like nothing happened, his hand dropping from my neck as he straightens, adjusting his shirt with an ease that suggests he wasn’t just halfway through something a second ago.

Meanwhile, Xue Lian still hasn’t moved.

He’s standing there like he walked into the wrong room and hasn’t figured out how to leave yet, his eyes fixed on us, or more specifically, on where Bael had been leaning over me. There’s a split second where something sharp flashes across his face, too quick to pin down properly, before it smooths out into something more presentable.

Bael glances at him, already moving back toward his desk.

”What are you doing here?” he asks, his tone even, more like curiosity than anything else, like this wasn’t part of his schedule.

I sit back properly, adjusting my clothes like I wasn’t just pinned into the couch, then look at Xue Lian directly.

And smile.

It’s not a big smile, just enough to acknowledge him.

Up close, the reaction is clearer.

That brief blank shock fractures, something tight flickering underneath before he pulls himself together, stepping fully into the office like he belongs here. When he looks at me again, the softness is back, controlled, measured.

”Runze,” he says, greeting me with just enough emphasis to make it sound deliberate.

Then he turns to Bael, expression shifting seamlessly, the corners of his lips lifting into something warmer.

”My father mentioned he would be discussing the joint development contract with you,” he says, holding up the file in his hand slightly before walking over. ”The Riverside commercial project, the mixed-use development near the east district. Since I’ve just returned, he asked me to handle it on his behalf.”

He sits down across from Bael’s desk without waiting to be told, placing the file neatly in front of him like this was always the plan.

Bael leans back slightly in his chair, gaze dropping briefly to the file before returning to Xue Lian.

”Director Yan did mention he wanted to revise a few terms,” he says, voice steady, fingers tapping once against the desk before stilling. ”Something about restructuring the profit distribution and timeline.”

Xue Lian nods, already opening the file, flipping it toward Bael with practiced ease.

”There were a few adjustments that made more sense given the current market conditions,” he replies, tone smooth and professional, like he’s been doing this for years instead of just stepping in. ”Nothing that should delay the project, just refinements.”

I watch them from the couch, another spoonful of mousse halfway to my mouth before I pause.

On the surface, it looks like a normal discussion.

The way Xue Lian leans forward slightly when he speaks, the way his hand lingers just a fraction too long when he slides a document across the desk, the way his fingers brush Bael’s when they shouldn’t... that’s not.

It happens once.

Then again.

Light. Accidental, if you’re not paying attention.

I am.

Bael doesn’t react to it, at least not visibly. He continues flipping through the file, occasionally asking a question, his tone unchanged, but I notice he doesn’t pull his hand away immediately either.

He doesn’t encourage it, doesn’t shut it down either, he just lets it happen like it’s not worth addressing.

I take another bite of mousse, slower this time, watching.

Xue Lian’s smile stays in place, soft and easy, like he’s not doing anything at all. If someone walked in right now, they’d see a polite discussion, a professional meeting between two people who know what they’re doing.

They wouldn’t see the way his attention keeps drifting back, the way his voice lowers slightly when he addresses Bael directly, the subtle shift in his posture every time Bael looks up.

Scheming Omega.

Right.

Time passes without me noticing exactly how much, the conversation flowing back and forth, papers shifting, quiet exchanges that don’t need to be loud to carry weight. At some point, I finish the mousse and switch to something else without thinking, the small plate of fruit disappearing piece by piece.

Then Xue Lian closes the file.

”That should cover most of it,” he says, sitting back slightly, his tone lightening just a bit. ”We can finalize the details after your review.”

Bael nods once, setting the file aside.

There’s a pause.

Then Xue Lian smiles again, softer this time, less business, more personal.

”It’s almost lunchtime,” he says, glancing at Bael. ”Why don’t we go eat together? It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance.”

I stop moving.

The fork in my hand hovers just slightly above the plate as I turn my head toward Bael, not fully, just enough to watch him from the corner of my eye.

There’s a small window here.

Not big, but enough.

This is our first appearance together, everyone in the company has already seen us walk in hand in hand, watched every small detail like it mattered. If he stands up now and leaves with Xue Lian, what does that make me look like?

More importantly, what does that say?

Bael doesn’t hesitate.

”Alright,” he says.

Just like that.

I blink.

Once.

Then I look at him properly this time.

That’s it? No pause, no consideration, he just... agrees?

For a second, I almost think I misheard him.

Across the desk, Xue Lian’s expression shifts, subtle but unmistakable. The corners of his lips tilt just slightly, not enough to be obvious, but enough that I catch it.

That small, satisfied look.

Like he expected this.

Like he—

Something in my chest tightens, not sharp, just... irritating.

I don’t like that expression.

Not on his face.

And I definitely don’t like the way he’s looking at Bael like this is already decided.

Then I look back at Bael.

He’s watching me.

Not openly, not in a way that would draw attention, but his gaze is there, steady, with that faint hint of amusement sitting just beneath it.

Like he’s waiting.

Like he already knows what I’m thinking.

Like he wants to see what I’ll do.

...Oh.

I set the fork down.

Slowly.

Then I stand, brushing a hand over my pants out of habit more than necessity, the fabric already smooth under my fingers.

The distance between us isn’t much, but I close it anyway, stepping closer to the desk until I’m standing just slightly to the side of Bael, angled toward Xue Lian.

He looks up at me, that same composed expression still in place.

I smile.

”I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

My voice comes out steady, calm, carrying enough weight that I don’t need to raise it.

Xue Lian’s brows draw together slightly, just enough to show confusion without breaking his expression.

”I didn’t realize you had plans,” he says, tone still polite.

”We do,” I reply, tilting my head just slightly. ”Bael and I were in the middle of spending time together before you came in, you know?”

I let the words sit for a second.

Then I add, just a little softer, just a little clearer.

”As husbands.”

The word lands exactly where it should.

Xue Lian’s fingers tighten almost imperceptibly against the file in front of him.

I continue before he can respond.

”So if you’re done discussing business...” I glance briefly at the file, then back at him, my smile not changing, ”I’m sure you wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

A small pause.

Just enough.

Then I look at him properly, meeting his eyes.

”You’re not the type to stop a pregnant wife from spending quality time with their husband, right?”