Pregnant with the Love Rival’s Son and Ran Away

Jiang Chu Ting is a reclusive swordsman living on the back mountain of the prestigious Nine Heavens sect. Once a celebrated martial artist, his reputation was ruined sixteen years ago when he was accused of seducing Yun Zi Que, the fiancé of Lin Xi, the daughter of the powerful and matriarchal Lin family. The scandal forced him into self-imposed exile, where he now lives with his young, food-loving disciple Wei Jia, the only person who treats him with genuine affection. Jiang Chu Ting maintains a low profile, wearing a mask in public and avoiding the sect's politics, while secretly grappling with the lingering effects of a mysterious pill forced upon him by the late Lin Xuan, the former head of the Lin family. His only close friend is Jiang Xian, a mischievous nobleman who shares his preference for men and worries about the dormant poison in Jiang Chu Ting's body.

The story's central conflict ignites when Jiang Chu Ting is ambushed on his way back to the mountain by Lin Zhi, Yun Zi Que's son. Lin Zhi, raised on the distorted rumors that Jiang Chu Ting destroyed his father's life and caused his mother's misery, attacks with lethal intent. Jiang Chu Ting, recognizing the youth as his former lover's son, refuses to fight back and accepts the injury, hoping to explain the truth. However, Lin Zhi, fueled by years of hatred instilled by his grandmother, rejects any explanation and flees after being subdued. This encounter forces Jiang Chu Ting to confront the painful past he has tried to bury, revealing that Yun Zi Que was actually forced into an engagement and suffered greatly within the Lin family before taking his own life.

A second major conflict arises with the unexpected return of Mo Lin, Jiang Chu Ting's former disciple who deserted the sect seven years prior. Mo Lin had harbored a deep, twisted resentment toward Jiang Chu Ting, believing the master had inappropriate desires for him. After stabbing Jiang Chu Ting and injuring several disciples, Mo Lin vanished. He returns now poisoned and in desperate need of the sect's medicinal spring for his young master, Pei Jing, who is revealed to be the Ninth Prince, a key contender in the imperial succession struggle. Mo Lin kneels before Jiang Chu Ting, seeking forgiveness and a place to detoxify, but the sect leader, Zhong Hua, insists on punishment for Mo Lin's past crimes. Jiang Chu Ting intervenes, offering to administer the punishment personally to spare Mo Lin from severe disciplinary action.

Pei Jing, the frail and ruthless Ninth Prince, formally becomes Jiang Chu Ting's disciple to gain access to the medicinal spring. Unlike Mo Lin, Pei Jing is charming and manipulative, quickly endearing himself to Jiang Chu Ting and Wei Jia. He feigns vulnerability and affection, hugging Jiang Chu Ting and insisting on sharing his room, effectively trapping the swordsman in a role he never wanted. Jiang Chu Ting, though wary, finds himself unable to reject the prince's persistent advances. Meanwhile, Jiang Chu Ting experiences vivid, recurring dreams of Yun Zi Que's final days, which deepen his guilt and curiosity about the truth behind his former lover's death. He discovers that the child he once saved and cared for, who called himself Que'er, was actually Lin Zhi in disguise, a fact that complicates his already strained relationship with the boy.

The narrative weaves together themes of misunderstanding, legacy, and political intrigue. Jiang Chu Ting is caught between his desire for a quiet life, his protective feelings for his disciples, and the encroaching demands of the imperial court. Lin Zhi's hatred and Pei Jing's obsession both threaten his peace. As the political tension in the capital escalates due to the aging emperor's failing health, the martial world is drawn into the power struggle. Jiang Chu Ting must navigate the dangerous dynamics between the Lin family's lingering influence, the Nine Heavens sect's internal politics, and the Ninth Prince's ambitious plans, all while uncovering the full truth of Yun Zi Que's tragic fate.

The story moves toward a convergence of these disparate threads. Jiang Chu Ting's past with Yun Zi Que is re-examined through his dreams and interactions with Lin Zhi, challenging the black-and-white narrative he has lived with for years. His relationship with Mo Lin evolves from hostility to a complex, uneasy truce, while his bond with Pei Jing deepens into something more possessive and intimate. The presence of the Ninth Prince at Nine Heavens signals that the martial world and the imperial court will soon collide, forcing Jiang Chu Ting out of his isolation. He must decide whether to remain a passive observer or actively intervene in the fates of those he cares for, including the son of the man he once loved and the prince who now claims him as a master.