Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Bai Qi was painfully thin, and Qi Heyan's clothes hung loosely on his gaunt frame. The omega, having endured years of exposure in the slums, lacked the delicate skin of those who lived pampered lives—his body told the story of his past hardships.

The omega's eyes held no longing, only cold assessment. Qi Heyan didn't look up until he heard the voice.

When their gazes met, inexplicably, Qi Heyan suddenly felt that Bai Qi should always look at people this way—pure, untainted. At the very least… not like this.

"Where did you find that outfit you're wearing?"

"Your closet." Bai Qi tugged at the hem of the shirt and took two steps back. "Am I not allowed to touch your things, Your Highness?"

The alpha frowned slightly. "You should have told me beforehand."

Bai Qi quirked a humorless smile, though his eyes remained frosty. "I don’t really feel like talking to you. I’m tired. I want to sleep."

With that, he turned and left, leaving no room for reply.

When Bai Qi was angry, it was obvious. He wasn’t good at arguing, so he often found himself at a disadvantage. As he lay in bed, he even considered whether he should learn a few insults.

But the bed of the wealthy was sinfully comfortable. Bai Qi had never slept on anything so soft. The moment he lay down, before his thoughts could wander, he fell asleep almost instantly. He didn’t even change into sleepwear, just tugging the covers up and drifting off, none the wiser when Qi Heyan entered the room.

The alpha’s clothes were stained with grease. He hadn’t stayed downstairs for long before coming up to bathe. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Bai Qi lying with his back to him, legs curled slightly, the blanket kicked aside except for the part covering his stomach.

Qi Heyan felt a pang of concern—Bai Qi’s sleeping habits seemed atrocious.

"Bai Qi?"

The alpha stood by the bed, looking down at him. "Wake up."

After losing his memories, Qi Heyan had no time for coddling. When calling out twice didn’t rouse the omega, he decided to leave it be, meaning to call for an extra blanket. But halfway out, he remembered Bai Qi’s condition—the omega carried his child in his belly.

Bai Qi was pregnant. With their child.

Once that thought took root, Qi Heyan was struck by the strangeness. He stopped, turned back, and studied Bai Qi. The omega was far too thin—had life always been this hard for him? His eyes also seemed slightly swollen. Had he been crying again?

"You can’t even keep a blanket on properly. How did you survive before?" Qi Heyan reached out and automatically straightened the covers around Bai Qi, as if he had done it countless times before. He was not just the empire’s prince but also its general—how could he not have noticed?

The alpha braced his hands on the bed, his lowered lashes veiling whatever he felt. "Maybe we really did love each other once."

Perhaps…

Qi Heyan straightened and turned his attention away from Bai Qi. He took a quick shower, and by the time he stepped out, the housebot had already prepared the extra blanket. The alpha carried it to the bed, made up the extra bed carefully, and made sure he wouldn’t end up too close to Bai Qi before lying down.

It was strange. He had slept alone in this bed countless times since waking up, so why did tonight feel different?

"Qi Heyan…"

The alpha’s breath caught. He immediately turned his head, but Bai Qi wasn’t awake—it had been nothing more than a murmur in his sleep. Qi Heyan’s lips parted slightly. Moonlight pooled around them both, yet there was no warmth in it.

He turned away and refused to look at Bai Qi again, closing his eyes and willfully shutting down.

But tonight was destined to be sleepless—

Bai Qi woke up a little past two in the morning. The omega lay in bed, blinking sleep from his eyes. Instinctively, he reached for the space beside him and, unsurprisingly, touched a warm body. "You—"

The moment he spoke, Bai Qi came fully alert. He withdrew his hand, playing it off. Thirsty, he thought about getting up for water, but as soon as he tried to push himself up, his wrist was caught.

The omega didn’t look over. His eyelids fluttered. "Did I wake you?"

Qi Heyan’s eyes were clear. He didn’t deny it. "You touched me just now."

"Aren’t we legally married? Will I be arrested for touching you?" Bai Qi wrenched his hand back. "Go back to sleep. I’m going downstairs for water."

"Bai Qi." Qi Heyan suddenly called out to him, sighing. "Do you remember how we got married?"

The omega stiffened. He had already spotted the slippers placed neatly by the bed. Bai Qi deliberately avoided thinking about who had prepared them. Softly, he said, "You were off the grid in the slums. I had someone forge an identity for you."

Bai Qi had actually thought about this before. People from the slums were considered undocumented when they entered the wealthy districts—their identities weren’t fully recognized, yet they were still counted among the empire’s population. According to Qi Heyan’s logic, their marriage was valid, recognized in the wealthy districts.

"No wonder." Qi Heyan watched Bai Qi’s back, his tone no longer as arrogant as it had been during the day, some of the edge gone. "Marriage requires facial scans. We must have found a glitch in the system to make it work."

"Talking like that makes it sound like you regret it." Bai Qi’s figure was silvered by moonlight. The omega glanced out the window, wondering why Qi Heyan hadn’t drawn the curtains. A darker room would have felt safer.

"Hard to say." Qi Heyan averted his gaze. Though they were so close, they might as well have been strangers.

Bai Qi let out a hollow laugh and turned to look at him. "True. You want a divorce."

"Do you regret being with me?" The alpha threw out. "You seem to hate me."

Bai Qi’s gaze was gentle, but Qi Heyan wasn’t looking at him anymore. The omega seemed to be walking a one-way path, never receiving a response.

"I do regret it." Bai Qi smiled without mirth, pressing his lips together. "But I loved you. I’ve never loved anyone so fiercely. Being with you was probably the biggest gamble I’ve ever made. But I… really messed up."

"If I had known we’d end up like this, I would never have saved you." As soon as the words left his mouth, Bai Qi looked away—unaware of the way Qi Heyan turned to stare at him. The omega fixed his gaze on the window. This place was opulent yet empty, yet it always made him feel lost.

Untethered—that was Bai Qi’s worst nightmare. All he had ever wanted was a home.

Qi Heyan didn’t understand why his chest ached. Perhaps it was because of the history between them, but he didn’t know how to express it. He couldn’t bet everything on an omega.

"As for whether I hate you…" Bai Qi considered the question seriously before sighing. "It’s more like resentment. Just resentment, for now."

"Your Highness." Bai Qi bent to put on the slippers but didn’t move. Tears welled in his eyes, darkening the carpet in silent drops. "You forgot—on the night of our wedding, you left. I searched for you all night."

"That night should have been sweet, but the snowstorm was too heavy. I never found you." Bai Qi’s voice was calm, but the recollection stung. "You were too cruel. Too cruel."

The omega stood and went downstairs for water. Qi Heyan didn’t move, nor did he speak when Bai Qi returned. But the omega didn’t seem to expect a reply either. After drinking, he lay back down and fell asleep quickly, his breathing soon steadying.

Only then did Qi Heyan turn to look at him. The alpha lowered his gaze, and after a long moment, he turned away again, as if unwilling to face it any longer.

.

Bai Qi slept soundly. When he woke, Qi Heyan was already gone. The omega thought little of it. As soon as he put on his slippers and opened the door, he saw a robot waiting outside. He raised a brow. "Here to deliver clothes?"

"Yes. These were prepared for you by the master. Breakfast is ready, and a doctor will arrive shortly to examine you. Please be prepared."

"Thank you."

Bai Qi took the clothes and draped them carelessly over the bed. After washing up, he finally examined the outfit.

Had it been hastily tailored? It was definitely his size. Bai Qi shook out the white top, its sleeves embroidered with flowers he didn’t recognize.

The front had two diagonal buttons—simple in design. The pants were the same, though well-tailored and understated. Even with his limited knowledge of fashion, Bai Qi thought they looked nice.

The omega quickly dressed and stood before the mirror, admiring himself. Handsome, wasn’t he? He thought so too—

Bai Qi ran a hand through his hair, exhaled, and headed downstairs. Breakfast was a carefully balanced meal, the porridge alone clearly elaborate. But to the omega, it was just a decent bowl of congee—nothing more.

His appetite wasn’t great, so he set down the spoon after only a few bites. Wiping his mouth, Bai Qi moved to the couch and studied the large screen in front of him. "Hello? I’d like to watch something, but I don’t know how to turn this on."

Without work to do, Bai Qi grew bored. He didn’t want to go outside, afraid of running into people he disliked. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the omega felt that the people here were too calculating. He didn’t want to decipher their motives—he’d rather stay shut away by himself.

The robot quickly turned on the TV for him and even thoughtfully selected a popular drama. Bai Qi hadn’t watched many TV shows and couldn’t distinguish good from bad, so he simply watched whatever was given to him, and found it quite entertaining.

However, he hadn’t been watching for long when the doctor arrived. Bai Qi immediately turned his head to look, eyeing the newcomer warily. "Who are you?"

The doctor wore a mask and set down his medical kit without even glancing at Bai Qi. "Give me your hand. Don’t waste my time."

Bai Qi frowned but didn’t move, instead scooting deeper into the couch.

This doctor gave him a terrible vibe—disdainful, dismissive, as if all of it were directed at him.

That holier-than-thou attitude was infuriating. Disgusting.

"Ugh..."

Bai Qi murmured softly, "So disgusting…"