Chapter 106: My Marshal Father

Chapter 106: My Marshal Father

Pei Huai froze as if paused, then shoved his teammate away. "Get lost. I don’t need you to beat up the other man."

Teammate: "?"

Wasn’t Pei Huai usually hot-tempered?

Didn’t he always dominate others during training?

How could he be so tolerant of the other man?

The teammate pitied Pei Huai, whose head seemed to radiate green with jealousy, yet he still tolerated the other man. Pei Huai must truly love his wife.

Still eager for gossip, the teammate asked, "Want me to come with you to check it out?"

Anxious and held back by this fool, Pei Huai raised his voice again, "Get lost! Do I need your company?"

He still didn't know what kind of alpha males these were. If they caught even a glimpse of Song Yuqing, they’d immediately react with, "Bro, your wife smells amazing."

As for not letting the other man off the hook…

Well, unfortunately,

*he* was the other man.

Under the cover of night, Pei Huai pulled the circuit breaker and slipped out of the military base.

By 5 o’clock, Song Yuqing was off work, right on time.

Assistant: "?"

Was it really not early morning?

In the first half of the year, Song Yuqing had never once left on time. Researchers working overtime often ran into him working late too.

The Assistant checked the time again—it was 5 p.m.

No mistake. But Song Yuqing leaving this early? Was that normal? It didn’t seem normal.

Song Yuqing went home to feed his cat. After that, with nothing else to do, he felt bored and returned to his room to continue analyzing unfinished lab samples.

Three hours later, he fed Coal Ball again.

It wasn’t until 11 p.m. that he finally washed up and prepared for bed.

System 88 was puzzled. Song Yuqing simply didn’t know how to rest properly or live a balanced life—he only knew how to work in different locations.

The next day followed almost the same routine. Song Yuqing handed the data to his Assistant to organize and got ready to leave on time.

The Assistant couldn’t help but wonder how Song Yuqing managed to leave on time without falling behind on work. So, what had he been doing all those late nights in the lab before?

Was it just to supervise them as they worked hard for him?

Sensing the Assistant’s strange gaze, Song Yuqing looked up. "What’s wrong? Do you think there’s an issue with the data?"

The Assistant stammered, "N-no, not at all."

Song Yuqing’s data were never wrong.

What was even more impressive was that Song Yuqing could simulate some experiments in his head and come up with approximate results. Conducting the actual experiments was just to verify their accuracy.

Of course, if unexpected data emerged, that was even more exciting.

In their line of work, "surprises" often meant opportunities. Turning those surprises into beneficial certainties for humanity was their primary achievement.

Song Yuqing nodded. "Good, go verify them."

Then he added, "By the way, I need these results within three months. Everyone will have to work harder lately."

Assistant: "..."

He wanted to ask what kind of request that was.

What took others years to accomplish, Song Yuqing expected in three months.

But now wasn’t the time to argue.

Assistant: "Teacher Song, Zong He came looking for you the other day. Aren’t you going to do something? What if he slanders you again?"

If he were Song Yuqing, he’d deal with the parliament first.

Even if Song Yuqing were dismissed by the parliament, the lab wouldn’t be greatly affected.

But the parliament was the seat of power. Without that influence, Song Yuqing would just be an ordinary researcher.

Song Yuqing lowered his gaze. "No need."

In reality, no scheme could compare to hard power.

In power struggles, tangible assets like money, technology, and military force were what truly mattered.

Zong He and those old fools might cause him some minor trouble, but that’s all it would be—a minor inconvenience.

What he needed now were achievements like "Project Six" and stronger support to make those old-timers in parliament dare not speak loudly to him.

That night, Coal Ball nestled in Song Yuqing’s arms as he slept deeply.

Coal Ball rested its head lightly against Song Yuqing’s lower abdomen.

Pei Huai entered Song Yuqing’s apartment in the middle of the night.

The alpha didn’t turn on the lights, standing instead by Song Yuqing’s bed. The moonlight cast his tall shadow, nearly enveloping Song Yuqing completely.

His sharp gaze fell on the young man in bed, bearing no visible signs of the exhaustion from traveling for a day and a night across thousands of miles.

The air grew still, the only sound the alpha’s heavy breaths.

Song Yuqing lay sunken in the soft bedding, his face pale like fragile porcelain.

Long eyelashes cast small, cool shadows under his eyes.

He wore only thin silk pajamas, the collar slightly open, revealing fine collarbones and a slender neck that looked especially vulnerable in the moonlight.

That fragility caught on the softest part of Pei Huai’s heart like a tiny hook.

It had been so long since he’d seen Song Yuqing—this scene felt like a dream.

His frail, pitiful wife lay alone in bed, sleepless night after night, missing him.

Song Yuqing really couldn't do without him after all.

Pei Huai's Adam's apple bobbed violently, his throat parched with thirst. All the pent-up frustration and weariness accumulated during the long journey now transformed into a surge of protective affection.

Pei Huai bent down, wanting to hold Song Yuqing, but the next moment he noticed Song Yuqing's hand resting on his lower abdomen.

With an almost instinctive protective gesture, it lightly covered that area, where a subtle, unusual soft curve was faintly visible.

That slight movement from Song Yuqing snapped Pei Huai back to reality.

Pei Huai remembered why he had rushed back.

Because Song Yuqing was pregnant.

But the child wasn't his.

Words were nothing compared to the impact of truly seeing the slight swell of Song Yuqing's lower abdomen.

Pei Huai wrapped his arms around Song Yuqing.

His strong, powerful arms held an undeniable force, pulling the slender young man on the bed entirely into his embrace. The hug was scorching and intense.

Damn, this was the bastard child Song Yuqing was carrying.

He was going to get a feel of Song Yuqing's pregnant belly.

Even if it was an illegitimate child, why hadn't Song Yuqing given him a chance?

He wasn't younger than Qi Zhengqing, and he wasn't inferior in quality. With a high-quality father, the mother would suffer less during pregnancy. Qi Zhengqing's seed clearly wasn't good.

Song Yuqing's complexion was somewhat pale from carrying this wretched child—it was obvious the little bastard had been giving Song Yuqing a hard time.

Before Pei Huai could think further, a searing pain shot across his face.

"Smack!"

A sharp, clear slap landed squarely on Pei Huai's face.

Song Yuqing opened his eyes, amber irises still hazy with sleep but mostly filled with icy impatience at being disturbed.

When Song Yuqing recognized the alpha's face up close before him, Song Yuqing's tone turned cold. "Pei Huai?"

"What are you doing here?"

Pei Huai: "..."

Pei Huai swallowed hard, instantly feeling a bit timid. His hand on Song Yuqing's lower abdomen didn't dare press down too hard, afraid of hurting the child and earning himself a beating from Song Yuqing.

"If I hadn't come back now, you would've already given birth." But the frustration simmering inside him still made Pei Huai speak loudly.

Song Yuqing slapped him again, frowning slightly. "What's with your attitude?"

Pei Huai's voice immediately softened, his fierce expression shifting into one of suppressed anger mixed with grievance.

Like a large dog scolded by its owner, ears drooping.

"I was wrong, don't be angry." Pei Huai held Song Yuqing tighter, his tone almost pleading with a hint of stubborn coaxing, his arms squeezing firmly, nearly pressing the man in his embrace completely against his broad chest.

Song Yuqing: "..."

"You bastard, half a year in the military wasn't for nothing—your strength has grown again."

"I just found out you were pregnant and got too worried, so I rushed back."

Song Yuqing: "?"

"Is it very uncomfortable? Is he making you miserable every day? Some children are just selfish and love making their mothers suffer." Pei Huai continued indignantly.

Song Yuqing looked at the bloodshot eyes and slightly dirty face of Pei Huai and slowly asked, "Did you sneak away again this time?"

It seemed like he’d made an even more desperate escape than last time.

Pei Huai: "..."

Pei Huai's spine went rigid, feeling guilty under Song Yuqing’s piercing cold stare. He touched Song Yuqing’s waist and repeated, "I came to see you and the child."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Just to see Coalball, Pei Huai would run back? Has Pei Huai gone crazy?

"To see that little bastard of yours," Pei Huai said through gritted teeth.

Song Yuqing frowned slightly, "Why are you looking at Coalball? What does Coalball have to do with you running away?"

Pei Huai felt another wave of jealousy and frustration.

The child hasn’t even been born yet, and it already has a name.

Just because the child isn’t his and has nothing to do with him, does that mean he can’t come back?

Did he stop being Song Yuqing’s lover anymore?

How could it have nothing to do with him?

Pei Huai insisted stubbornly, "It does have to do with me. I’m at least the child’s other father. Your pregnancy is my business. I’ll look after you while you're pregnant, and I'll take care of you after you give birth. Even if the child isn’t mine, I won’t let you face pregnancy and childbirth alone."

Only then did Song Yuqing catch the main point in Pei Huai’s words—he was pregnant?

How could I not know?

Even Coalball had been woken up by Pei Huai. Song Yuqing’s slender fingers gently stroked Coalball’s tousled fur to soothe it.

"What’s going on?" Song Yuqing’s voice was calm but carried an undeniable tone of command. "Start from the beginning."

After hearing Pei Huai’s explanation, Song Yuqing let out a disbelieving laugh. "I’m not pregnant."

Pei Huai: "How is that possible? I saw it with my own eyes."

"You’re already showing..." As he spoke, Pei Huai lifted the blanket, only to find a black ball curled up on Song Yuqing’s narrow, slender waist.

That waist was starkly white.

The lines of his tight, flat abdomen were clear, without an ounce of extra fat, and even the two delicate dimples at his lower back were as pronounced as ever.

Pei Huai froze, too embarrassed to meet Song Yuqing’s eyes.

"Showing, am I?" The beauty’s voice was crisp and mocking, spoken with deliberate slowness.

Song Yuqing turned slightly to the side, propping his head up with one hand. His dark hair spilled across the pillow, and the moonlight outlined his delicate profile and the graceful curve of his neck.

"Here," Song Yuqing's tone was completely flat, his lips parted slightly, "the bastard you came all this way to see is right here. Go ahead, say one more word."

Pei Huai: "..."

He had been set up by Xiao Jinshi.

Well, neither Xiao Jinshi nor Ye Siling took responsibility. They both assured him that Song Yuqing was pregnant but claimed they couldn’t persuade him to take care of the pregnancy.

So they made him rush back alone to face this.

Pei Huai: "My mistake. Qingqing, is this your cat? It’s cute."

Pei Huai reached out to pet Coal Ball, hoping to show he meant well in front of Song Yuqing, but the next second, Song Yuqing smacked the back of his hand.

"Don’t touch. You’re dirty."

Pei Huai: "..."

Seemed right.

Pei Huai looked at Song Yuqing again, who was wearing white silk pajamas and had sat up slightly. He looked smelling fresh and clean at a glance.

Pei Huai stared for a while, his gaze changed subtly. Sensing a hint of danger, Song Yuqing was about to kick Pei Huai off the bed but was beaten to it.

Pei Huai pulled him tightly into his arms, brazenly rubbing his dusty face against Song Yuqing’s, pressing his nose into Song Yuqing’s snow-white cheek, inhaling deeply the clean, crisp scent on him.

"Qingqing..." Pei Huai’s voice was unrecognizably hoarse, each syllable dripping with an indescribable obsession, sounding both infatuated and shameless, "You smell so good..."

The alpha’s burning lips nearly touched Song Yuqing’s ear, the hot breath making Song Yuqing shudder.

Pei Huai’s other hand forcefully parted Song Yuqing’s legs and slipped in.

His tall frame almost enveloped Song Yuqing, while the young man’s pale legs were parted on either side of the alpha’s strong waist, slender and fair, as if wrapped around him.

Completely encircled by the alpha’s domineering embrace, Song Yuqing seemed even more fragile, making one want to hold him carefully and cherish him.

Song Yuqing: "..."

You bastard.

Two minutes later, Pei Huai had two slap marks on his face.

Pei Huai was pretty pleased. Even though Xiao Jinshi and Ye Siling had tricked him, he got to see Song Yuqing, got hit by him, and even hugged him.

"Not only do I know you’re pregnant—everyone knows now."

Song Yuqing had already opened his phone and read the message Shen Shu sent him.

Now he understood why Zong He had said those things to him the other day.

So, it was because they thought he was pregnant.

Shen Shu: "President, rest assured, I’ll handle the PR."

Shen Shu also sent Song Yuqing a link to an article, the gist of which was that giving birth is noble, and betas and Omegas shouldn’t lose their opportunities because of it.

T-T: "Well said, but I’m not pregnant."

Shen Shu: "..."

Shen Shu: "Then what kind of rumors is that bastard Zong He spreading?"

T-T: "I’ll handle it on my end."

Song Yuqing looked downstairs. It was quiet, with no signs of disturbance, but this very silence felt strange to him.

Logically, with such news spreading, Zong He should have sent people to capture "evidence" of his pregnancy.

"What are you looking for? I might know where to find it. Come with me." Pei Huai raised an eyebrow, looking like an eager dog trying to show off a treasure.

Song Yuqing lowered his gaze slightly, changed clothes, and followed Pei Huai out.

They went together to the underground parking lot, where, in a very hidden corner, Song Yuqing saw a group of alphas and a pile of cameras.

Song Yuqing lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at Pei Huai. "Did you knock them out?"

Pei Huai explained what happened: "When I arrived at two, I saw a bunch of people sneaking around down here with cameras, occasionally taking pictures of your floor. So I knocked them all out and dragged them here."

But Song Yuqing thought of another question: "How did you get back from the military base?"

Pei Huai didn’t quite understand why Song Yuqing was asking this suddenly. Feeling a bit guilty, he replied honestly, "I cut through the electric fence, climbed over the wall, ran over a hundred kilometers, and took the light rail back."

Over a hundred kilometers—he hadn’t dared to stop for a moment, afraid that Song Yuqing might need him.

Even if the child wasn’t his, Song Yuqing being pregnant might mean he wouldn’t have the energy to deal with those people.

With Song Yuqing facing so many threats in the Central District, Pei Huai felt he at least needed to come back and check if Song Yuqing was truly safe.

But since Song Yuqing wasn’t pregnant, he felt foolish and didn’t dare elaborate on his thoughts.

Hearing that Pei Huai had cut the electric fence and run over a hundred kilometers, Song Yuqing felt his blood pressure spike.

To be precise, the military training grounds were about 150 kilometers from the nearest residential area.

He didn’t know whether to praise Pei Huai for his amazing stamina and energy or scold him for his recklessness.

In a way, Pei Huai was terrifyingly strong—running that distance, taking the light rail to his doorstep, and even taking down a group of alphas along the way.

On the other hand, Pei Huai had zero discipline: damaging military property, leaving his post without permission, and making a long-distance dash without orders—any of these could land him in a court-martial.

Song Yuqing: "Did they see your face?"

"No," Pei Huai said proudly, raising an eyebrow. "I’m not an idiot. I took them out one by one, knocked them out instantly. They didn’t even know what happened—just dropped with a thud."

Song Yuqing: "Who else knows you ran away?"

Pei Huai: "My teammates."

Song Yuqing: "..."

His heart sank.

Song Yuqing didn’t have time to deal with the paparazzi. He called Pei Wei.

Before Song Yuqing could speak, Pei Wei spoke first, his tone weary and resigned: "Pei Huai’s with you, right?"

Song Yuqing: "..."

Pei Wei: "I sent him on a special mission. The mission is to protect Mr. Song. Mr. Song’s safety is crucial to Xinzhou. The Third District absolutely cannot allow any threat to Mr. Song’s security."

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing hung up the phone. "You should write an essay for your father."

Pei Huai, sheepishly, asked for advice, "What kind of essay?"

Song Yuqing’s annoyance faded, and he said flatly, "—*My Marshal Father*—"

Old Pei’s move was seamless; it was clear he had bailed Pei Huai out many times before—likely resolving the last incident the same way.

Pei Huai raised an eyebrow. "I’d rather write, 'My Councilor Wife.'"

Song Yuqing: "..."

Pei Huai could definitely sense that Song Yuqing had been worried about him.

Song Yuqing: "There won’t be a next time."

"Next time, even if I..." *die, you’re not to come back.*

Before Song Yuqing could finish, Pei Huai covered his mouth.

The alpha’s gaze was sharp and unyielding—all traces of his earlier playfulness gone, replaced by a stern seriousness. "Don’t talk like that. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll kiss you."

"If something happens to you, there’s no way I wouldn’t come back," Pei Huai stared at Song Yuqing. "So, don’t let anything happen to you."

Even if it meant facing a court-martial, he would return.

This time, he’d been an idiot, but it wouldn’t happen again.

Song Yuqing raised his hand and swatted away Pei Huai’s hand, which was still covering his mouth.

He gestured for Pei Huai to come closer. Though Pei Huai had been assertive moments before, he eagerly leaned in as soon as Song Yuqing beckoned.

Song Yuqing kissed Pei Huai—a long, lingering kiss that bridged time and distance, their heated breaths mingling, their closeness filled with each other’s scent.

Pei Huai was impulsive and reckless, but it was precisely this impulsiveness and recklessness that conveyed a love without reservations.

Pei Huai wanted to lean in again to kiss Song Yuqing, who was lightly panting, but Song Yuqing pressed his shoulders and pushed him away. "Go take all the 'spies' you caught to the supervisory agency. They might not know anything, but follow the trail—you know the drill."

"Find out who’s behind them. I’ll wait for you to come back."

These words were the biggest incentive for Pei Huai, making him eager to resolve the situation for Song Yuqing.

Song Yuqing was waiting for him to return.

Could it be interpreted as Song Yuqing waiting for him to come home?

Pei Huai handled things maturely enough. At the supervisory agency, the alphas initially claimed they were just snapping pics.

But Pei Huai doubled down on them being spies—after all, Song Yuqing’s technology was coveted across the three other continents.

It wasn’t wrong to say these people appeared around Song Yuqing to steal his secrets. Even if there were no confidential records, you could argue they were casing the place.

Either confess to treason, or explain who sent them to target Song Yuqing.

The alphas had no choice but to implicate their superiors, who were then layer by layer branded as spies by Pei Huai.

In the end, Zong He was implicated.

Just as rumors about Song Yuqing’s pregnancy were swirling, the news of Zong He’s treason exploded like a bomb, instantly igniting public discourse.

Song Yuqing received a call from Zong He while in the lab. "Song Yuqing, you know exactly why I sent people to watch you? Call off Pei Huai, that mad dog, and we can both stand down."

"I’ll bury the news about your pregnancy, and you stop setting me up."

Song Yuqing lowered his head, tucking a small seed into the soil. With downcast eyes, he continued tending to the little life and replied offhandedly to Zong He, "Go ahead and spread it."