Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Bai Qi’s heat lasted three days. By the end, Qi Heyan had to carry him into the bathroom, both of them drenched in each other’s pheromones.

The omega nestled in Qi Heyan’s arms. He had to admit, the alpha’s broad shoulders made for a surprisingly comfortable pillow.

Bai Qi cupped some water in his hands, casually tossing it forward with a smirk. "It’s been ages since I’ve had a proper bath. This feels amazing."

Qi Heyan leaned back in the tub, his gaze fixed on his omega, but he said nothing. These past few days had been equally satisfying and fulfilling for him.

"We have a prenatal checkup in a couple of days. It’s been—"

Bai Qi’s voice abruptly cut off. He blinked, his belly now noticeably rounded, the curve drawing his gaze in fascination. And… just then, he had felt the baby move.

What an incredible sensation.

"Qi Heyan."

Bai Qi seized Qi Heyan’s hand, his face alight with unconcealed excitement as he pressed the alpha’s palm against his stomach. "The baby just moved. It moved!"

"Moved?" Qi Heyan’s interest piqued. He rested his head on Bai Qi’s shoulder. "I don’t feel anything."

"Just wait a bit longer." Naked, the two curled together in the bathtub, waiting for the little life to stir again. But after a long pause, Bai Qi felt nothing more. He looked disappointed. "Maybe it doesn’t want to move anymore."

"Is that so…" Just as Qi Heyan was about to pull his hand away, he suddenly felt a slight push against his palm. The alpha froze, murmuring, "Ah… Was that it?"

"Yeah." Bai Qi nodded eagerly, a smile playing on his lips. "Isn’t it incredible?"

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

Bai Qi sighed, though he was still weary. As the pregnancy progressed, he wondered what further challenges lay ahead.

For the first time, Qi Heyan fully grasped the reality of the life growing inside Bai Qi’s belly. He took a deep breath, his face beaming with wonder. "I’ll go with you for the checkup tomorrow. Have you been tired these past few days?"

"Of course." Bai Qi had been thoroughly worn out by Qi Heyan. Though the alpha had shown considerable restraint due to the pregnancy, the omega was utterly spent. He pouted. "I’m exhausted right now."

"Then I’ll carry you out." Qi Heyan stepped out first, drying himself before wrapping Bai Qi in a towel. He gently towel-dried the omega's hair as if tending to a child. "Sleep. I’ll arrange the checkup."

"Will it be the same as last time?"

"Probably not." Bai Qi yawned, his initial excitement giving way to calm. He lay flat on the bed. "I’m going to sleep. You should rest early too."

"Alright."

Qi Heyan felt that their last conversation hadn’t gone well. But with time on their side, he believed they could work things out eventually.

During this period, the Empress had contacted Qi Heyan. She began with an apology, though he doubted her sincerity. After brushing it off, she inquired about the frontline situation.

Previously, Qi Heyan had always led the military campaigns. Now that he had returned, he maintained tight control of military power—a fact that clearly unsettled the Empress.

Lately, however, the Alliance had been growing restless, and both sides sought to eliminate the other.

Infighting was one matter, but no one could be allowed to threaten the royal family’s rule.

"The frontlines will be resolved soon," Qi Heyan said, taking a sip of tea as he leaned back in his chair. "As long as you don’t cause complications, dealing with the Alliance won’t be difficult."

"Speaking to me like that… You wound your mother."

The Empress feigned sorrow: "We are mother and son, after all."

"You really want to kill me, don't you?" Qi Heyan sneered. "You tampered with my memories too. But Mother, you know exactly why I lost my memory, don't you?"

Sometimes he didn’t know whether to call the Empress clever or foolish. In Qi Heyan’s childhood, she had been shrewd and decisive, nothing like the small-time manipulator she was now.

Qi Heyan narrowed his eyes. "Mother, goodnight."

He ended the call abruptly. He couldn’t recall when his relationship with His Majesty and the Empress had deteriorated. The royal family had never advocated polygamy, but perhaps it was when His Majesty’s infidelity was exposed by Qi Heyan himself.

Or maybe it was when an illegitimate child showed up at their doorstep, only to be later eliminated by his mother. Gradually, the two began to quarrel incessantly, until the Empress completely turned the emperor into her puppet—though her mental state had also deteriorated by then.

Qi Heyan had always believed they both needed professional help.

The alpha sat in the study for a while before returning to the bedroom. He couldn’t let love consume him...

Qi Heyan embraced Bai Qi, but the omega didn’t bury himself in his arms as he usually did. He just gave a quiet huff before his breathing evened out as he slept.

"I can’t let myself sink any deeper." Qi Heyan tightened his hold on Bai Qi, burying his face in the omega’s neck. Closing his eyes, he murmured softly until his consciousness faded, and he fell asleep holding Bai Qi.

They slept through the night until dawn.

Bai Qi ate nothing that morning. He was still in a funk when they got into the car, responding to Qi Heyan’s attempts at conversation with nothing but cold, curt 'hmphs'.

"Is your morning mood always this bad?" Qi Heyan couldn’t help but ask. Normally, Bai Qi would snap out of it quickly—nothing like today.

"Am I not even allowed to be in a bad mood now?"

Bai Qi cut him a look before turning to gaze out the window. "Is Rong Si coming today?"

"Yes. He’s feeling much better, and now that your heat cycle is over, he’ll be here to keep you company."

"Good."

Only then did Bai Qi perk up a little. He followed Qi Heyan into the VIP medical center, where everything proceeded quickly without the need to queue.

The omega lay on the examination bed, lifting his shirt as he waited for the doctor to begin the checkup.

"Can you see the baby’s hands and feet?" The doctor’s voice was gentle, almost soothing. "Let’s listen to the baby’s heartbeat. You can count it yourself every day too."

The doctor played the fetal heartbeat, and Bai Qi listened intently—*thump-thump, thump-thump*.

The omega’s heart instantly softened. Without realizing it, his eyes grew moist. "That's amazing."

"Such tiny hands and feet. Is the baby healthy?"

"Yes."

The doctor recorded the heartbeat and had Bai Qi save it to his smart device. "The fetus is developing well, and your health has also improved significantly. Keep it up."

With Qi Heyan’s help, Bai Qi sat up. He gave a dutiful nod before following Qi Heyan out.

In the car, Bai Qi played the heartbeat recording again, listening completely absorbed, his gaze fixed on the device. Qi Heyan watched him silently before suddenly saying, "Forward that to me."

"Huh?"

Bai Qi blinked, slow to react. "What?"

"I said, forward that to me." The alpha cleared his throat. "I'm the other parent here."

"Oh." Bai Qi understood Qi Heyan's meaning and quickly sent a copy over. The omega had been living here for two months and had already learned many things, including recognizing many words, even the robot butler in the house, though he usually kept the robot powered off.

Otherwise, it'd keep pestering him.

"I want to go pick out clothes for the baby. Would that be alright?"

Since his last craft outing, he hadn’t left the house. Bai Qi had scrolled past tons of adorable baby outfits online, but the palace didn’t accept deliveries, so he’d had to abandon online shopping.

"I have to go to the military camp this morning and can’t go with you. How about—"

Qi Heyan wanted Rong Si to accompany Bai Qi, but he also felt bad about being absent. He still wanted to be there for the omega.

"Rong Si can come with me."

Bai Qi cut in, unsure why the alpha was hesitating. The omega let out a quiet sigh. "Let’s just go with this."

Actually, last night when Qi Heyan held him, Bai Qi had stayed awake.

"Can’t let myself fall any deeper..."

What did that mean? That he shouldn’t lose himself in this relationship?

Bai Qi blinked, averting his gaze and choosing not to dwell on the meaning. Whatever Qi Heyan wanted to do had nothing to do with him.

Jerk.

Bai Qi closed his eyes, pretending to rest, but as soon as he got out of the car and saw Rong Si, his mood instantly lifted. The omega hurried over. "Are you feeling better now?"

Rong Si’s breath caught when he saw Bai Qi running toward him. The omega had lost a lot of weight, looking frail enough to be blown over by a breeze.

"I’m fine. You’re pregnant now—take it easy. What if you fall?"

"Okay, I understand." Bai Qi was good about correcting his mistakes. He held Rong Si’s hand as they walked inside. "Are you really feeling better?"

"What do you want to do?" Rong Si seemed to see right through Bai Qi’s thoughts. He glanced back, noticing the alpha hadn’t followed, and silently sighed in relief before smiling at Bai Qi. "I can go with you."

"I want to pick out clothes for the baby." Bai Qi pulled out his phone to show the ultrasound and fetal heartbeat for Rong Si to see and hear. The omega watched Rong Si’s expression, thrilled to see matching excitement on the other’s face.

"You want to see him born too, right?" Bai Qi placed Rong Si’s hand on his belly, his eyes bright with unconcealable excitement.

Rong Si’s face was pale, nothing like how a healthy adult should look.

"I will."

Rong Si promised Bai Qi, agreeing to accompany him to pick out clothes.

"Thank you."

Bai Qi saw a servant approaching with sliced fruit. Just as he took the plate, his fingers suddenly went slack, and the plate shattered on the ground.

The omega didn’t flinch, but Rong Si was startled. "Don’t move—be careful of the shards."

"I’m fine." Bai Qi lifted his leg as Rong Si checked for broken pieces. The servants immediately came to clean up, but Rong Si remained tense. "What if you got hurt?"

"Be more careful next time. Don’t hurt yourself."

Rong Si frowned, meeting Bai Qi’s scrutinizing gaze. He felt an inexplicable twinge of guilt. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Rong Si."

Bai Qi leaned closer, murmuring:

"Do you like me?"