Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Another two months passed, and his belly grew bigger day by day.

It seemed as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button; it was twice as round as what textbooks depicted.

In just three months, Lu Wei found it difficult to move around.

With a belly the size of a basketball, he drew attention and respect wherever he went.

His brother was extremely uncomfortable, very, very uncomfortable.

As His Majesty the Dog massaged Lu Wei's slightly swollen calves, Lu Wei kicked his arm. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with our child?"

His Majesty glanced at the pregnant belly. "The little fatty has gained another round. Your mother hasn't been eating more than usual."

Not only did Lu Wei not eat more, but he even cut down on snacks for the sake of his belly and maintained his exercise routine.

However, his belly showed no mercy, swelling even more.

Lu Wei compared his belly to the chart for a normal pregnancy at three months.

After stepping on the scale, he could only exclaim, "Is this the weight a normally handsome baby should have?"

None of the textbook illustrations matched his situation.

Due to his health condition, he couldn't undergo prenatal checks, so he had to make do with comparing himself to the book.

"You have a split personality, and you're already fat at birth. Your offspring is quite something."

He might as well start over.

Now he understood why some parents preferred having a second child as if starting a new game.

The Dog Emperor emphasized, "The Huo family doesn't have a genetic disorder for split personalities."

Lu Wei kicked him with his foot. "So you're implying that I passed it on to him?"

"I looked it up. They call it a prenatal dream. Apparently, many pregnant mothers' dreams turn out to be accurate. I've had two dreams already, and each time, your child was different."

Not a split personality, could it be Dissociative Identity Disorder?

A hint of amusement gleamed in the Canine Majesty's eyes. "My dear, you've indeed read many parenting books."

"..." Lu Wei: "I-I did read them, just while using the restroom!"

"Oh."

"What do you mean 'oh'? Don't tell me you don't believe me?"

"Letter."

Lu Wei gently turned his face back, saying earnestly, "I'm being serious, this really is the second time I've dreamed about him."

Huo Jin's face was cradled in his hands, fresh from a shower, with wisps of hair falling naturally across his forehead. Surprisingly, he lacked any hint of a disheveled appearance, instead exuding an innocuously fragile charm.

Ahem.

Lu Wei averted his gaze, resembling a thief in the act.

He had read about this in a book before.

It was called excessive hormone secretion during pregnancy.

One would find their partner incredibly adorable.

All illusions.

His Majesty the Dog rested his head on Lu Wei's hand and yawned lazily. "Then tell me about it."

Lu Wei began to recall the child from his dreams. "Every time I dream of him, he seems to be around three or four years old. His eyes are identical to Brother's—big and bright. He's quite a good inheritor."

But the rest of him resembled His Majesty the Dog.

Damn.

"Hmm." Huo Jin lay with his head on Lu Wei's hand, listening intermittently. He was more interested in the speaker than the content of the conversation.

Unbeknownst to Lu Wei, his eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke, just like when he secretly read parenting books.

The corners of His Majesty the Dog's mouth curled up, and he reached out to gently pinch the back of Lu Wei's neck.

There was soft flesh there, and it felt pleasant to the touch.

Lu Wei continued describing his dream scenario, "When I first met him, he seemed outgoing and cheerful, with a great personality. I felt like we could get along well, and as he grew older, he would have been like a brother to me."

His Majesty the Dog replied, "Not acceptable."

Interrupted, Lu Wei finally diverted some attention to the dog, his gaze inquiring, "What's up?"

The dog king presented the "house rules" he had hastily drafted overnight.

"1. The plump boy must engage in morning training, studies, martial arts practice, and evening training daily.

2. The plump boy is not allowed to occupy the queen's leisure time.

3. The plump boy can only spend leisure time with the queen on Sunday afternoons, once a week."

He added a clause at the end:

"4. The plump youngster is forbidden from developing a close friendship with the queen to justify occupying her time legitimately."

Each move of His Canine Majesty was beyond his comprehension.

Lu Wei: ???

Hello, what are you doing?

Also, how is being friends considered ambiguous?

Only after adding this condition did the dog king raise his chin in satisfaction, "Carry on."

Lu Wei gave him a kick and continued, "This child seems to have a fondness for invention. I've seen him turn trash into treasures, even becoming an officially recognized young inventor in his dreams. He seems quite accomplished, having won numerous awards."

Even in his dreams, this kid was picking up trash with him. How could his life possibly be so miserable?

Seems like these dreams aren't very reliable predictors.

His Canine Majesty: "Oh."

Observing Lu Wei's indifferent reaction, he gave him a sidelong glance and asked, "Did you even hear what I said?"

His Majesty the Dog closed his eyes, gently resting his head on his swollen belly, and let out a low, muffled "Mm" as an acknowledgment.

He had heard.

Using hand gestures, Lu Wei explained, "I can't really describe the feeling from my dream, but I sensed that this kid was a genius. He seemed incredibly smart and creative."

Upon waking up, all he could recall were fragmented scenes like "living off scavenging with the child" and "a genius child inventing gadgets from trash defeating the robotic team."

These were vague and abstract snippets, yet they felt surprisingly real to Lu Wei, making him quite convinced.

The child in his dream loved to create with his hands – it was a premonition, he believed.

Pushing at the dog's head, Lu Wei asked, "Did you hear me?"

His Majesty the Dog summarized, "Mm, sounds like a plump boy who enjoys fiddling with trash."

Lu Wei: Grass.

Lu Wei explained to him, "The point is that he invented something incredible using junk materials."

His Majesty the Dog opened his eyes, and the light from the ceiling lamp reflected in his dark pupils, "Oh—"

This "oh" was drawn out.

His Majesty the Dog sat up slightly, gazing at Lu Wei, "That's it? I could do that too."

Lu Wei: "Huh?"

His Majesty the Dog yawned nonchalantly, "I just haven't bothered."

Lu Wei: "Tch."

If that was the case, then Lu Wei himself also merely found being a billionaire beneath his dignity.

He could have done it if he wanted to, but he simply didn't.

Lu Wei couldn't be bothered to respond to this jerk, and continued with his part: "Then this kid flipped around and switched personalities in the blink of an eye."

"This time he seemed much more composed. This personality must be the 'young elite' type, or something like that. Anyway, he appeared colder and more aloof, and seemed quite intelligent."

However... the way he clung to Lu Wei's pants was like a miniature, dark octopus.

There was less dog-like behavior, but more cuteness and vulnerability.

Lu Wei could almost still feel the touch and warmth of the boy's hand holding onto him.

It was as if he was one of those needy and melancholic puppies who wag their tails at the slightest show of affection.

The comparison was a bit odd, but it was how Lu Wei truly perceived him.

His Majesty the Dog seemed to be listening, yet not really paying attention.

As if the child wasn't his own.

His Majesty the Dog rubbed against Lu Wei's pregnant belly, sniffing the faint scent of milk on it, and casually said, "Children change greatly as they grow up."

Lu Wei tugged on a lock of his hair. "This isn't about children growing up and changing; it's that – the dream felt too real. I'm a bit worried it might be true."

And he had dreamed about him twice now.

Each time was like this.

Lu Wei also desperately wanted to convince himself that this child didn't have a split personality, but every time in his dreams, there was a stark contrast in the other's behavior.

Such a mystical matter made it hard not to believe.

Only then did His Canine Majesty open his eyes to look at him. "Is he male or female?"

Lu Wei: "…"

He'd rambled on and on, yet His Canine Majesty didn't even know the gender.

"I told you last time, he was male in the dream. Did you even listen?"

Lu Wei watched as His Canine Majesty closed his eyes again after hearing those two words, his face devoid of any compassion.

"The chubby boy is resilient and won't be harmed easily."

Lu Wei: "This father figure isn't suitable anymore. Let's switch."

Lu Wei turned his head back and spoke seriously, "Huo Jin, listen to me—"

The dog emperor opened his eyes, and Lu Wei met his gaze, filled with a subtle glow.

"Darling, you might not fully understand how strong the offspring of a union between a Blue Star and an Emperor Star royal bloodline are. The splitting, which can be cured, is just a minor issue."

Lu Wei indeed didn't know.

He only vaguely knew that there hadn't been any newborns on Blue Star for a long time, which was the emperor's maternal home planet.

Due to this, old man Delphi had almost treated him like a beloved grandson when he found out about the pregnancy.

The dog emperor reassured his pregnant partner, "With an SSS-grade gene, apart from hereditary diseases carried by the original bloodline, one would rarely suffer from other illnesses in their lifetime."

Brother Earth was number one when it came to lacking common knowledge.

Indeed, this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

Lu Wei was skeptical. "Are you serious? Is it really that remarkable?"

Perhaps Lu Wei's astonished expression amused His Majesty the Dog, who burst into laughter.

Earthling blushed with anger. "What are you laughing at? How could everyone know such obscure trivia?"

No wonder His Majesty the Dog acted so indifferent most of the time.

His Majesty the Dog reached out to pinch Lu Wei's chin gently, as if petting a cat. "Relax and go to sleep, dear."

Lu Wei lay down but sat up again, grabbing onto Huadian to continue his inquiry. "So you're saying even chubby babies could have genetic disorders?"

His Majesty the Dog kissed his pregnant partner affectionately. "It depends on his luck."

Lu Wei finally understood. "There's a chance of inheritance, but if he doesn't inherit the genetic disorder, he'll be a healthy child."

His Majesty the Dog yawned. "Not necessarily."

Canine Majesty: "Everyone in the Huo family has a genetic disorder."

Lu Wei: ???

So what?

How does luck come into play here?

Canine Majesty gently kissed his pregnant belly, "It's just that if one is fortunate enough to find a compatible partner, their aura won't become disrupted easily, and the condition can be soothed. However, the chances of that happening are quite slim."

As he moved upward along Lu Wei's waist and abdomen, his breath was warm.

It tickled Lu Wei.

Canine Majesty boastfully spoke to the belly, "You have to work hard yourself. Your mother is my wife, and it's not easy to find such a wonderful wife."

Lu Wei fiercely pounded back, "Dad! Try calling me 'Mom' again, and next time, I'll hit you right on the head!"

However, Canine Majesty always took his actions as affectionate gestures from his partner, interpreting them as playful antics.

His Majesty the Dog held his head high, displaying his dominance. "No matter how fierce, she's still my wife. See that? You don't have one."

Lu Wei: Damn it!

Is he freaking crazy!