Chapter 32 Longing

Chapter 32 Longing

The omega slowly calmed his turbulent emotions and wriggled back under the warm blankets.

His eyes, still tinged with pink, blinked weakly as he pressed a hand to his chest.

The discomfort hadn't subsided. Qiao Zhimian glanced irritably at the empty space beside him, pondered for a few seconds, then reached out and clutched the alpha’s abandoned pillow to his chest.

He hugged it with his arms, clamped it between his legs, buried his face in it, and took several deep breaths of the fresh bamboo scent.

He felt much better.

Whether it was due to pregnancy-induced drowsiness or the alpha’s scent, he soon drifted into a sweet, deep sleep, soothed by that reassuring fragrance.

Next door, Lian Yi tossed and turned restlessly.

His dark eyes seemed almost capable of boring holes through the ceiling. He sighed more that night than he had in his entire life.

So this was what it felt like to love someone.

They had only been apart for such a short while—just sleeping separately, not even touching—and yet he felt like something was missing in his arms, his heart feeling hollow, as if filled with a draft.

It was both sweet and agonizing.

What made him even more uneasy were the escalating conflicts between them.

The alpha turned his head toward the door, his mind filled with the urge to go next door and check on him.

Had he eaten enough at dinner? Would he feel hungry in the middle of the night?

Was he, like him, unable to sleep because it felt so unfamiliar?

As for the divorce, Qiao Zhimian still hadn’t softened his stance.

Lian Yi, too, remained stubborn, refusing to divorce no matter what, shamelessly begging for his wife’s forgiveness.

.

Qiao Zhimian was a terrible liar.

To avoid giving himself away from being around the alpha day and night, and because his early-pregnancy mood swings made everything irritate him, he decided to avoid the source of his frustration altogether and moved back to the Qiao family home.

The Qiao residence was where he had grown up. His father was there, understood his situation, and knew how to care for a pregnant omega.

As for rehabilitation and walking exercises, the Qiao family had plenty of space and physiotherapists.

But this separation made things hard for Lian Yi.

When his wife was at home, he at least had hope. Now, he couldn’t even see him.

Not being able to see him was bad enough, but the little ancestor also persistently mailed him divorce contracts every day, complete with the expiration date from their original marriage agreement and his own signature attached.

It pierced his heart like a sieve, leaving him cold through and through.

Lawyer Lian began inventing all sorts of far-fetched excuses to delay.

No time for that.

He was on a business trip.

Forgot how to spell his own name.

And conveniently hid the marriage certificate where nobody would ever find it.

With his wife gone, he was left alone in an empty room, pining away, which was even more unbearable and pointless.

He figured he might as well go back to work and resume his duties at the law firm.

Day after day, he frowned, making the intern lawyers under him tremble with fear, giving him a wide berth.

Afraid of making any mistake that might catch their mentor on a bad day.

"It's complicated, and you wouldn't understand anyway."

Lian Yi stood in the law firm's break room, absentmindedly throwing darts to pass the time, answering offhandedly to Yan Zhi.

His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing powerful forearms, his movements casual.

Even though every dart hit the bullseye, it didn't improve his grumpy expression.

"Then keep it short," Yan Zhi sat by the small round table, legs crossed, sipping his coffee, perfectly at ease.

A dull thud.

The last dart squeezed precisely into the bullseye.

Lian Yi let out a quiet sigh, turned around, loosened his slightly tight tie, and sank into the chair opposite his friend.

"I've been keeping something from him," he began after a moment's thought. "It wasn't intentional; it's just something he cares deeply about."

"Well, that's definitely your fault," Yan Zhi, playing the impartial judge, stated matter-of-factly. "The biggest taboos between married couples are secrecy and suspicion!"

The break room had only the two of them.

To an outsider, it seemed as if a storm cloud was hanging over them, so gloomy that anyone passing by would quicken their steps, afraid of being struck by lightning.

A man in a suit, however, hovered uncertainly at the doorway, looking conflicted.

After a long while, he gave a tentative knock on the open door.

"Lawyer Lian..." he said with a polite smile.

"Lawyer Chen," Yan Zhi spoke up first for Lian Yi, welcoming him warmly. "Come, come, join us."

"No, no, I won't sit," Lawyer Chen quickly waved his hands, walking up to the two, and laughed awkwardly.

After speaking, he glanced at Lian Yi, who nodded politely at him.

"Uh, Lawyer Lian, recently at home," he asked hesitantly, "everything's okay, right?"

"?" Lian Yi frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, here's the thing." Lawyer Chen, who handled messy divorces, swallowed hard and smiled with a pained expression. "Your husband, Mr. Qiao, said he wants to hire me as his lawyer. He said he wants a divorce, and you refuse."

Lian Yi's relatively normal expression instantly froze on his face.

His face grew darker, the veins at his temples throbbing with restraint, he was grinding his molars so hard they nearly cracked.

"Hahaha, of course, I know it must be a joke!" Chen Lu chuckled nervously, already making for the door as he spoke. "I just figured I should give you a heads-up. I have another meeting to attend, so I won’t disturb you two any further. Hahaha."

Chen Lu disappeared in a flash, and the recreation room fell silent once more.

Yan Zhi's shoulders shook with laughter, biting the back of his hand to muffle the sound.

Lian Yi took a deep breath, trying to compose himself despite his irritation.

He had introduced Chen Lu to the omega during the celebration banquet back then. He never expected the kid to actually make use of the connection—he's really picked up some skills.

*Dingdong*—a message came through.

Lian Yi frowned as he opened it, but his gloomy demeanor brightened a bit upon reading it.

Qiao Baichen: "Location."

"Mian Mian accompanied my dad to this place for meditation last week. He’s returning tomorrow—go pick him up."

.

The sky was pale gray, with wisps of cloud hung low.

The copper bell hanging from the eaves occasionally chimed softly in the wind, carrying the fresh scent of mountain scenery, plants, and dew.

Qiao Zhimian was reclining in a bamboo chair, a thin blanket draped over his knees.

A charcoal stove glowed warmly beside him, and the tea steamed gently in a small purple clay pot.

His lashes lowered slightly as he was staring absently at a message in the chatbox on his phone screen.

The date showed it was already from yesterday.

Yan Zhi: "I asked the kid back then—if it weren’t for your brother, would he come back if he knew you needed him? He said yes."

"To untie the bell, the one who tied it must be present. If a couple has issues, they should sit down, talk it out, and resolve it together. Right, Xiao Zhimian?"

Qiao Zhimian snapped out of his reverie and looked down at his stomach.

Having dressed lightly for the warmth of the stove, his jacket hung on the back of the chair.

Despite his slender frame, his baby bump was already showing at just over three months—a slight, rounded curve.

The omega, lost in thought, rubbed his belly and pursed his lips.

Little one, your father is a big fool.

He kept something from me, so I’ll keep something from him too—we'll see how long it takes for him to realize he’s going to be a father.

Let him taste what it’s like to be kept in the dark. See how he likes it.

Beside him, Papa Qiao rubbed the warm rim of his teacup, keeping a close eye on his son.

Knowing that his eldest son had tipped off Lian Yi, he glanced from time to time toward the arched entrance of the meditation courtyard.

Finally, a familiar figure appeared, stopped just outside the archway.

"Mian Mian," he called to his son, gesturing toward the entrance. "Lian Yi is here to pick you up."

Qiao Zhimian looked over in surprise. His eyes, previously calm, instantly lit up, revealing a subconscious reliance he hadn’t even noticed himself.

Coming back to his senses, he huffed softly, turned away, and mumbled, "So he finally showed up…"

"Alright now," Papa Qiao chuckled affectionately, patting his son’s slender shoulder. "A little back-and-forth between spouses is part of the fun. It's okay to make your alpha sweat a little, but don’t overdo it—or you might really hurt the relationship. Why don't you go back with him, honey?"

The omega glanced secretly at the alpha again before reluctantly agreeing, "Mm…"

"Apologies, benefactor. You are not a patron of our temple," the young monk guarding the entrance bowed to Lian Yi, blocking his way. "This area is off-limits to you."

"My husband is inside. I’m here to pick him up," Lian Yi said, his gaze fixed intensely on the slender figure in the distance—the one he had missed day and night. He didn’t want to wait a second longer. "Please make an exception, little master."

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Author's note: There might be a second update later... maybe.