Chapter 35

Chapter 35

His alpha was gone.

Bai Qi finally accepted the truth. A whole night of searching had utterly drained him. The omega pushed open the door and stepped inside. On the table lay unwashed dishes—two sets. Only then did he realize this wasn't a dream.

The omega couldn't even force a smile. He stood frozen, the snowflakes clinging to his hair making him look as if he’d aged decades overnight. Bai Qi seemed to have grown old.

"Qi Heyan…"

Bai Qi’s voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible even to himself. He exhaled slowly, as if to confirm his own heartbeat. The omega walked over, washed the dishes with water from the kettle, and tidied the house. Only after everything was clean did he lie down on the bed.

It was so cold. The heavy snow outside felt as though it were falling directly on him, chilling the entire house.

The omega curled up, a belated ache in his lower abdomen making him break out in a cold sweat. Bai Qi closed his eyes, gripping the clothes in front of him tightly. The pain wracked his body, making him tremble. For several moments, he couldn't even tell where the pain was coming from.

Bai Qi opened his eyes, his vision blurry. His spasming abdomen twitched uncontrollably, his fingertips numb. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a pained sob escaped. With a jolt, he realized he was crying.

"I hate you so much."

Bai Qi covered his face, unable to suppress his sobs any longer. The next moment, he broke down completely. The omega didn’t understand—why was this happening?

How could someone just leave without a word? And before leaving, he had even told Bai Qi to wait for him. But how long was he supposed to wait? A day, a month, or a year?

Bai Qi cried until his body shook, gasping for breath. He didn’t even know his parents’ names—the name "Bai Qi" was one he had given himself, hoping those who abandoned him would regret it.

Bai Qi—didn't it mean "abandoned for nothing"? So the omega rarely cried. He wanted to live well, to show those people that he could thrive alone, that his life would be beautiful.

But he had just gotten married. He and Qi Heyan had just gotten married. And on the second day of their marriage, his alpha was gone.

It was New Year's Eve, of all nights. Yet again, there was no one to spend it with him.

Bai Qi cried himself to sleep. He didn’t remember when he woke up, only that it was already dark. He lived in a remote area, unable to hear the sounds of other people. The omega felt a persistent ache in his lower abdomen and sat on the bed for a long time, waiting until he felt a little better before getting up to turn on the light.

That night, he ate a piece of compressed biscuit. Bai Qi fetched a bucket of water but didn’t have the energy to heat it, so he hastily wiped himself down with cold water. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep almost immediately after curling up in bed.

Another year had passed in a daze. Bai Qi couldn't even manage the New Year's vigil. His eyes hurt, swollen from crying. The omega curled up, trying to warm himself.

"No—don’t come near me!"

Bai Qi jolted upright in bed, breathing heavily, his gaze unfocused. A buzzing sound filled his ears, and it took him a long time to realize—he had had a nightmare.

But he couldn’t remember any of it, only that it had been terrifying.

Bai Qi looked out the window. Those fragile snowflakes, accumulated together, had become something heavy.

The omega pressed his lips together, then chuckled softly, as if speaking to himself—or perhaps to someone else: "It’s the same, being alone."

"After all these years…"

Bai Qi managed a weak smile and lay back down, but sleep wouldn’t come. He stared blankly into the darkness—

A sleepless night.

.

Bai Qi had already accepted the fact that Qi Heyan was gone. The casino manager sought him out, offering him money. Even though the alpha was gone, his wages still needed to be paid.

During this time, Bai Qi had lost a lot of weight. All the weight he'd worked so hard to put on had melted away.

The omega didn’t refuse. He saved every cent—future furniture purchases wouldn't pay for themselves.

Soon, his new house would be ready. He had already ordered a lot of furniture, which could be moved in directly once the house was finished.

Bai Qi told himself he wasn't heartbroken. He ate and drank as usual, and everything gradually returned to normal. His body was exhausted; the omega couldn't do heavy labor now. He blamed it on the emotional turmoil and planned to wait until the house was fully settled before looking for work again.

Every day, he supervised the workers, afraid they might make mistakes in building the house. Day after day, Bai Qi's solitary refuge took shape ahead of schedule.

The omega could finally smile again. He supervised the furniture delivery and politely gave each worker a handful of candy. He had plenty of money now, and life was no longer so difficult. Bai Qi’s eyes curved as he watched everyone come and go, a genuine warmth in his expression.

"Auntie."

Bai Qi put on his mask and went to see the beta woman. She was paying out the crew and didn’t respond immediately, finishing her task before turning to him. "What is it?"

His voice was barely audible. "I heard that when a new house is finished, you’re supposed to invite people over for a meal. I don’t know many people... Would you be willing to come?"

The woman was silent for a few seconds. Her assessing gaze swept over him before she sighed quietly. "Let’s go."

"Thank you." Bai Qi smiled at her. His pallor could've been from the cold—omegas naturally ran cooler.

His small house wasn’t tiny. It had a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen, with the bathroom inside the main bedroom. The layout was perfect for living alone.

Bai Qi had already prepared the meal, keeping it warm in the pot. As soon as they entered, he brought out the dishes. Removing his mask, he took a deep breath. "Don't expect gourmet cuisine."

The omega gave the woman a shy smile. "The furniture—I picked it all myself."

Her critical eye scanned the space before approving. "Not bad. You've put down roots at last."

A noncommittal hum was his reply. He rubbed his face before handing her a pair of chopsticks. "In a few days, I’ll come to you for work."

"You’ve lost a lot of weight. Are you feeling unwell?" The woman tasted the food—it was decent. "If you’re sick, go see a doctor. Don’t delay."

Bai Qi nodded, smiling faintly. "I haven't been myself recently, a little nauseous. Maybe I caught a cold."

At his words, the woman suddenly fell silent. Her face did something complicated, and she asked quietly, "Did you and Qi Heyan... have sex?"

Bai Qi went statue-still. "Ah... yes."

"Did you use protection?"

"I took contraceptives." Bai Qi didn’t understand why she was asking. His expression gave nothing away. "Why?"

"I suspect…" The woman hesitated, looking at Bai Qi’s expression, then forced herself to continue. "You might be pregnant."

The chopsticks clattered from his suddenly numb fingers, onto the table. Bai Qi refused to believe it. In denial, Bai Qi fumbled with the fallen utensils. "I took the pills... I..."

Then, suddenly, he remembered something. He rocketed upright, knees buckling. His lips trembled. "That medicine was..."

He rushed into the bedroom, digging out the box of contraceptives. How could he have forgotten? The realization struck like lightning. That medicine had been given to him by the Old Doctor’s son—the very bastard who'd swapped his suppressants. It was entirely possible he had switched the pills too.

Bai Qi found the box and glanced at it. As if the universe was mocking him, his eyes immediately landed on the production date—the crucial detail they’d missed, now glaringly obvious.

It was expired.

The medicine was expired—

Something in Bai Qi shattered. He tried to walk out but his legs gave out beneath him. The woman hurried in at the noise, taking in his shell-shocked expression. Her heart softened. "Are you okay?"

"The medicine... it was bad." Bai Qi looked up at her blankly. A hysterical laugh died in his throat, replaced by tears. The omega lowered his head, the bitter irony wasn't lost on him. "Qi Heyan and I—one in full heat, the other deep in rut. The pills were expired. Contraception was a lost cause."

The pieces clicked into place. Now he finally understood the reason behind his body's betrayal.

Bai Qi found it increasingly absurd the more he thought about it, and his tears became harder to hold back. The omega's breath hitched, and he clutched the pill box tightly, nearly collapsing: "I'm only twenty! I'm only twenty..."

"He doesn't want me anymore. He left." Bai Qi was held in Ama's arms. The omega said despairingly as he looked ahead, "Qi Heyan ran away, Ama. I couldn't find him the day after we got married."

"If I'm really pregnant, what should I do? What should I do?"

Bai Qi closed his eyes. No one could answer that question, not even the beta holding him.

The only way to confirm whether Bai Qi was truly pregnant was to get tested. The omega declined Ama's offer to accompany him, grateful for the comfort she had provided.

"Thank you, but I'll go alone." Bai Qi had composed himself. He managed a small smile at Ama and waved. "The roads are slippery in the snow. Be careful. I'm leaving."

Without looking back, the omega walked away, his destination clear—the clinic for a checkup. Bai Qi had no energy to argue with anyone, nor the strength to confront the old doctor about his situation. He had heard the old doctor's son had become simple-minded, and upon entering, he noticed the old doctor had aged even more.

"What seems to be the problem?"

The old doctor stooped, weary as he walked in. "A cold, or..."

"I think I'm pregnant."

Bai Qi's voice was muffled and flat, his expression hidden behind his mask and hair. "Can you check?"

The old doctor turned and gave him a long look before silently gesturing for Bai Qi to sit. "Give me your hand."

The omega extended his arm, his tone steady. "Am I pregnant?"

The old doctor took his pulse and quickly reached a conclusion. "Three months along. But your health isn't great—you'll need some medication. Should I prescribe something?"

Bai Qi lifted his gaze, his face devoid of emotion, and asked, "Can I terminate it?"

"What?"

Seeing the confusion, the omega repeated slowly, enunciating each word:

"I said—can I terminate it?"