Chapter 63: Two Weeks Pregnant

Chapter 63: Two Weeks Pregnant

A beat later.

You Fuzhu showed up breathless, clutching his bag, and stood at the door looking a total mess, taking a deep breath.

He had received two messages almost back-to-back just moments ago.

One was from Yan Wanqiu, telling him to keep his mouth shut and not spill anything;

The other was from Xie Chi, asking him to hurry over and treat his wife.

Although he had long known that Yan Wanqiu was secretly playing the role of Xie Chi's wife, having to watch it live and play along with Yan Wanqiu's act was really putting his acting skills to the test.

Just as You Fuzhu was about to take another deep breath and psych himself up before knocking, the door slammed open.

Xie Chi poked his head out, and seeing him standing at the door, skipped the small talk—grabbed him and yanked him inside, talking a mile a minute: "Doctor, please take a look at my wife—his stomach's been bothering him for days."

You Fuzhu was caught completely off guard: "How did you know I was outside the door?!"

Xie Chi said, like it was obvious: "Your breathing. Forget that—just look at my wife first."

Hearing this, You Fuzhu stiffly looked over at Xie Chi's "wife."

Sitting there was a white-haired man in a half-face mask, dressed in loose pajamas, hugging a hot water bottle and holding a cup of hot tea in his hands. His dark eyes crinkled as he smiled at You Fuzhu.

"Hello."

You Fuzhu jumped. Even without seeing Yan Wanqiu's face, he couldn't help picturing the man's stern face and automatically snapped to attention.

Can this get any more horrifying?!

Finally pulling himself together, You Fuzhu gave Yan Wanqiu a stiff nod by way of greeting, then set down his suitcase.

Inside the suitcase was a collapsible portable medical device. Given Yan Wanqiu's special circumstances, You Fuzhu worried it might be complications from Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome, so he'd brought his full setup—which, once unfolded, took over two-thirds of the living room.

That was obviously overkill for a stomach issue, but Xie Chi took it in stride and said, sounding worried: "Make sure you give my wife a full workup."

You Fuzhu: "...Don't worry."

Even with ten times the nerve, he wouldn't dare give Yan Wanqiu anything less than a thorough check.

His lips twitching as he watched Xie Chi carefully help Yan Wanqiu onto the machine, You Fuzhu started the standard physical exam.

Since both Xie Chi and Yan Wanqiu had said it was stomach pain, besides the usual pheromone and gland checks, You Fuzhu also did a detailed scan of Yan Wanqiu's abdomen.

He checked Yan Wanqiu's pheromone distribution chart, then the blood work, and his expression slowly turned weird.

Why did Yan Wanqiu's results look exactly like the pregnant omega he'd tested yesterday?

Xie Chi had been hovering nervously nearby, and seeing You Fuzhu's expression, he couldn't help but ask: "Doctor, is there a problem?"

"No, no." You Fuzhu shook his head repeatedly. "I'm probably overthinking this. All the necessary tests are done—you can help him rest over there for now. We'll talk when the abdominal scan results come back."

Xie Chi nodded, not thinking twice about it, helped Yan Wanqiu sit down on the sofa, and held his hand, all concerned: "Babe, you still feeling sick?"

With You Fuzhu right there, Yan Wanqiu felt awkward and embarrassed. He didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.

Actually, after Xie Chi gave him the repair fluid, he felt a lot better. Now there was just a faint, bearable ache.

On a normal day, he wouldn't have given this little ache a second thought. But since this happened to fall during his dysregulation flare-up, he'd been uneasy enough to call You Fuzhu in.

As they were talking, the scan results printed out. You Fuzhu picked up the report and examined it carefully.

His face grew more and more bewildered, more and more alarmed. He looked up at Yan Wanqiu, who was chatting with Xie Chi, then back down at the report.

— Pregnant, two weeks.

Who? Who the hell is two weeks pregnant?!

You Fuzhu's hands were shaking hard, and he spun around to recalibrate the machine.

He must've messed up! Yeah—maybe he'd mixed up Yan Wanqiu's sample with yesterday's omega.

Xie Chi had his back to You Fuzhu and hadn't noticed a thing, but Yan Wanqiu looked up, confused, and met You Fuzhu's eyes for a split second.

What the hell was this guy doing?

You Fuzhu finished fiddling with the machine and walked over with an awkward smile: "The machine glitched for a second. Your Maj—...could you please do one more abdominal scan?"

Yan Wanqiu nodded, not overthinking it, and stepped up to the machine.

This time, You Fuzhu ran the exam using standard pregnancy protocols, and even drew another vial of blood to test the pregnancy markers himself.

After cooperating, Yan Wanqiu went back to sit. He thought for a moment, still thinking You Fuzhu was acting weird.

Could it be some complication that would blow his cover if it came out?

Yan Wanqiu looked down at Xie Chi, who looked worried, and suddenly said: "Honey, I want hotpot right now. Can you go make it for me?"

Ji Chou rarely called Xie Chi "honey," especially not in front of other people.

Xie Chi's face turned red, his head spinning. He jumped up and headed for the kitchen: "Okay! I'll get it ready! Honey, wait for me! Anything specific you want? I'll cook it up and bring it to you!"

Yan Wanqiu's thin lips curled slightly as he listed: "I want enoki mushrooms, potato slices, yam, sweet potato, and tofu. Don't feel like meat right now."

Everything he listed took time to prep, and with the broth and dipping sauce on top, it'd keep Xie Chi busy for at least twenty minutes.

Xie Chi didn't mind at all. He answered cheerfully and got busy in the kitchen.

By then, You Fuzhu finally looked up from the equipment. He didn't even have the bandwidth to be shocked that Yan Wanqiu had called Xie Chi "honey"—he just stared blankly at Yan Wanqiu's stomach.

Yan Wanqiu raised an eyebrow, his voice dropping low, all the gentleness from earlier gone: "What's the deal?"

You Fuzhu walked over to Yan Wanqiu on shaky legs, report in hand.

He handed the report to Yan Wanqiu and said, like he was in a dream: "Pregnant, two weeks..."

Yan Wanqiu: "...What?"

What kind of nonsense was this?

He just looked down at the report himself.

When he saw "Two weeks pregnant, twin pregnancy, subjected to violent external impact, risk of threatened miscarriage" and "Examinee: Yan Wanqiu," his mind went blank, ears ringing.

This was too absurd.

So absurd that Yan Wanqiu couldn't help wondering if he was dreaming.

You Fuzhu finally came out of his dazed state. He shook his head to clear it and lowered his voice to Yan Wanqiu: "This has to be your medical report. Have you noticed anything unusual lately?"

Yan Wanqiu thought back carefully: "I've had no appetite. Yesterday I suddenly gagged after eating something greasy. I figured it was just an upset stomach. Today, I was in the mech with Xie Chi and got shaken around for a bit, and suddenly felt terrible. It only went away after Xie Chi gave me some repair fluid."

You Fuzhu looked horrified and barely managed to lower his voice: "You were in a mech?!"

His voice was a little too loud, and Xie Chi, busy in the kitchen, poked his head out and asked in confusion: "What 'mech'?"

Yan Wanqiu smiled at him: "Nothing. I just said I suddenly had a craving for clams. Doctor You was surprised and said you can't get them this time of year."

Xie Chi immediately protested: "How could you not be able to get them? Honey, wait here—I'll go out and get them for you!"

With that, he untied his apron and started to head out. Yan Wanqiu quickly grabbed the coat off the sofa and caught up to him: "Put on your coat. Don't freeze out there."

Xie Chi obediently turned back and let Yan Wanqiu help him put on the coat, then said: "Honey, wait for me—I'll be right back!"

Then he opened the door and left.

You Fuzhu watched Xie Chi's retreating back and muttered: "You just played him like that?"

"What do you mean 'played'? That's a harsh way to put it. His hearing's sharp—if I hadn't sent him off, how could we talk?" Yan Wanqiu sat back down on the sofa, annoyed. "Besides, just the thought of clams makes me nauseous now. Isn't it fine if I buy them and peel them for him?"

You Fuzhu: "..."

So Yan Wanqiu really was playing the devoted wife at home?!

"Alright." Yan Wanqiu turned serious and asked calmly, "What's really going on?"

You Fuzhu also composed himself and said gravely: "You're pregnant. Twins. Because of Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome, your gland secretes a small amount of omega pheromones, so there is indeed a small chance of getting pregnant. It's extremely rare, and I never expected you to get pregnant."

"The pregnancy isn't stable yet. You got into a mech and took a severe hit. The severe pain you felt was likely a sign of a threatened miscarriage. Luckily, Xie Chi gave you some repair fluid. I'm still researching that fluid—I never expected it could also stabilize a pregnancy as an emergency measure. That's the only reason you're still okay now."

With the black-and-white report in hand, You Fuzhu's earnest assurances, and the earlier symptoms, Yan Wanqiu had no choice but to believe he was pregnant, no matter how absurd it sounded.

He realized belatedly how dangerous the situation had been and felt a wave of lingering fear.

"These two children..." Yan Wanqiu hesitated before asking, "Can they be delivered safely?"

You Fuzhu gave him a strange look: "You're not thinking about terminating the pregnancy?"

Yan Wanqiu paused, only then realizing that termination was even an option.

In fact, termination really was the most rational choice.

He was on the Northern Domain Star, with scarce resources and constant warfare ahead for a long time. Getting pregnant now—with twins, no less—would be a huge burden on him.

The fetuses weren't fully formed yet, so termination wouldn't take much of a toll on his body. If he waited until they were further along, it would genuinely cost him half his life.

But...

Yan Wanqiu pressed his lips together: "Would I still be able to get pregnant afterwards?"

"No." You Fuzhu said firmly. "You got pregnant because of Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome, and that condition is already on the mend. It'll be completely cured within six months, tops. By then, you'll be back to being a normal alpha."

Yan Wanqiu lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

He wanted to keep these two children.

Because of the way Xie Chi's eyes lit up when he mentioned "home." Even though the other man complained about how expensive raising kids was, Yan Wanqiu could tell that if given the chance, Xie Chi genuinely wanted to have children with him.

And because of his own selfish reasons—he had always wanted a reason to keep Xie Chi completely by his side. Now that one had fallen into his lap, he wasn't about to let it go easily.

Besides, if possible, he wanted to build a complete family with Xie Chi.

Those were the emotional reasons. Logically speaking, Yan Wanqiu still wanted to keep the children.

Twins would start showing at around two or three months. According to his plan, within at most a month, Xiansong City and Shuofeng City would surrender, and once the entire Northern Domain Star submitted, he wouldn't face much danger.

Yan Huishi might lose patience and attack proactively, but he'd have to wait until the sixth month of the frozen period when the weather warmed slightly. By then, Yan Wanqiu would be four months pregnant, past the most dangerous stage, and the Northern Domain Star would have sufficient weapon reserves.

As long as he stayed out of mechs, he'd be fine.

Moreover, Yan Wanqiu didn't believe for a second that he would lose.

Yan Huishi was growing increasingly erratic, and the people's support was slipping away bit by bit. In contrast, the Blizzard City he led was steadily rising.

War was a war of people. It wasn't just about technology—it was about momentum. Soldiers who knew what they were fighting for were fearless and unstoppable. Conversely, when weapons were aimed at the people they were meant to protect, and the justice they believed in began to waver, that momentum naturally crumbled.

Even with help from the Mechanical Civilization, with public support collapsing, Yan Huishi could never unify the entire United Kingdom.

Furthermore, thanks to Xie Chi's help, their research had leapfrogged past the electromagnetic gun era entirely, entering the quantum weapon era three thousand years ahead of schedule. They were actually far ahead of Yan Huishi. The only issue was insufficient resources and labor, which limited production capacity—a problem that would quickly resolve once the entire Northern Domain Star submitted.

So, according to Yan Wanqiu's plan, he would definitely lead Xie Chi back to the capital star and seat Xie Chi on the throne beside him.

By then, both he and Xie Chi would be alphas. Without offspring, the line of Yan Tianhe's paternal relatives would still swoop in to claim everything, and they couldn't be completely eradicated.

But if he bore his own heir, the situation would be entirely different.

In just two or three seconds, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Yan Wanqiu analyzed every pro and con clearly, then looked up and said firmly to You Fuzhu: "I want to have them."

You Fuzhu stared at him like he'd seen a ghost.

He was actually going through with it?!

Did Yan Wanqiu love Xie Chi that much? He was willing to bear his children?!

Seeing Yan Wanqiu's resolute expression, You Fuzhu knew persuasion was futile, so he stopped wasting his breath and spoke seriously instead: "Although you used repair fluid in time to protect the pregnancy, that fluid only rapidly heals injuries. There's still a high risk of miscarriage. If you insist on carrying to term, you should rest and stabilize the pregnancy for now. I'll write you a list of precautions. For this week, you need to absorb as much of the father's pheromones as possible, combined with some miscarriage-prevention medication. Come back for a checkup in a week. If the checkup is clear, you'll have passed the danger period."

"However, you're ultimately an alpha. Even after passing the danger period, there's no guarantee you'll have enough omega pheromones to sustain twins. Once the one-week checkup is clear, I'll devise a follow-up care plan for you. You should also come in for regular weekly checkups until two months pass without issues—only then will you be fully stable. Until then, if any complications arise, for your safety, I'll recommend terminating the pregnancy."

Yan Wanqiu nodded: "I understand. I'll cooperate with you."

He was an alpha—it would be strange if he could get pregnant exactly like an omega.

Though he wanted to keep these two children, Yan Wanqiu was also well aware that all his plans were built on him staying alive. If a real crisis arose, he wouldn't stubbornly hold on.

You Fuzhu continued: "Also, the ingredients for the miscarriage-prevention medication are expensive and we don't have them in stock at the base. They need to be purchased from the black market, and even most black-market dealers can't get them..."

Yan Wanqiu immediately said: "I'll go talk to Mr. Ai."

"No, no, no." You Fuzhu quickly interjected. "Don't go intimidating anyone. What reason would you give him? That you need to protect a pregnancy? The fewer people who know about this, the better. I'll go see him—I know him."

Yan Wanqiu was puzzled: "You know him?"

You Fuzhu smiled: "To be precise, 'Fu Zhu' knows him. When he first arrived on the Northern Domain Star, he came to me for a gland removal surgery. He was masked at the time, so I didn't know he was Mr. Ai. Yesterday, when he came to your camp to bring Xie Chi oranges, he stopped by to have his gland checked. It happened to be my shift, so we reunited. I'd meant to report this to you earlier, but Xiansong City suddenly attacked and you went straight to the front lines."

"In any case, I have enough credibility to buy the herbs. Just approve the funds for me. Your pregnancy must be kept absolutely confidential—if it leaks out, plenty of people will try to take advantage and harm you."

Yan Wanqiu nodded, agreeing with You Fuzhu's arrangement: "Fine. I'll leave it to you."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Keep this a secret from Xie Chi for now. Tell him I have a stomach problem."

You Fuzhu said hesitantly, "That's no problem, but you'll start to show in about two months. Even if we say you've put on weight, we can't keep it hidden past four months at the latest, so..."

Yan Wanqiu let out a light laugh, his confidence and sharpness completely undisguised, "By four months, I'll be getting ready to fight my way back to the main star. It won't matter if Xie Chi knows by then—he'll only be my queen anyway."

You Fuzhu knew the gist of Yan Wanqiu's plan. Watching the supremely confident young sovereign, he couldn't help clicking his tongue, "You're really something..."

Yan Wanqiu raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

You Fuzhu smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. It's just that hearing something so absurd come out of your mouth, I actually find it totally believable. Weird."

Yan Wanqiu snorted, amused. "This is actually achievable. Alright, Xie Chi should be back soon. Hurry up and write a prescription for a stomach issue—don't blow our cover."

You Fuzhu immediately got to work on the fake medical record, while silently thanking his lucky stars he'd surrendered so decisively.

Yan Wanqiu had gone straight for his mech. If he hadn't surrendered and had to fight Yan Wanqiu like that, Frost City would probably have taken a serious hit.

Meanwhile, Yan Wanqiu sat on the couch, lifting a hand to gently rest it on his flat stomach.

Two tiny lives were growing inside him.

But because he hadn't realized it in time and had gone into mech combat at two weeks pregnant, these two little ones could slip away at any moment. He'd need to take good care of them to ensure a safe delivery.

Shortly after coming of age, Yan Wanqiu had been plagued by Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome. The first twenty-three years of his life had been all about survival, and he'd never imagined he'd have a lover, let alone kids.

Yan Wanqiu's lips curved into a genuine smile.

After meeting Xie Chi, his life had been turned upside down. Xie Chi had infuriated him countless times, yet also moved and captivated him. Xie Chi seemed to have a natural, irresistible pull.

Whether it was his face, his personality, or even his clumsy little flaws, Yan Wanqiu loved everything about him.

Yan Wanqiu thought that even if he weren't a prince carrying a blood grudge, even if Xie Chi weren't from the future with all that advanced tech to help him, he might still fall for him, be willing to build a family with him, and have kids.

Xie Chi was worthy of that kind of love.

As his thoughts swirled, he heard a sound at the door.

Xie Chi was back.

Xie Chi came in carrying a foam box, apologizing as he walked in, "Sorry, babe. Clams were hard to find this time of year. I even brought Mr. Ai and Viper along, but all we could find was frozen stock..."

"Husband," Yan Wanqiu said softly.

Xie Chi's face flushed again. He immediately forgot about the clams, slipped on his slippers, and crouched down in front of Yan Wanqiu. "What is it, babe?"

His babe was so bold today—calling him that twice in front of other people.

Yan Wanqiu reached out, cupped his cold cheeks, and said with a gentle smile, "You've worked hard. The doctor checked me out and said it's just a mild stomach spasm. He prescribed some medicine to help me recover gradually. I can't eat clams right now, but I'll cook them for you."

As he spoke, he wrapped his arms around Xie Chi's warmed face and pulled him into an embrace, pressing his cheek against his own abdomen.

Ji Chou's embrace was warm. Xie Chi's heart raced as he vaguely sensed something different about the man.

The man had always been gentle and tolerant with him, but now that gentleness seemed to carry an added soft radiance, making him blush uncontrollably.

"Babe..." Xie Chi's cheeks were flushed.

He had been worried about Ji Chou's health for two days. Now that he knew it was a false alarm, he finally relaxed, and began thinking about how to ask Yan Wanqiu for permission to send him some stomach-nourishing meals.

Yan Wanqiu looked down, smiling at that tender young face.

His little husband had no idea he'd just become a father at such a young age.

"Alright." Yan Wanqiu patted his head. "Get up now. The floor is cold. I'll go check the kitchen seasonings and stir-fry those clams for you."

Xie Chi followed him closely, completely forgetting about You Fuzhu.

You Fuzhu: "..."

You Fuzhu had no desire to stay there watching the two of them go back and forth with "babe" and "husband" like a third wheel. He was afraid that if he watched too long, he'd have nightmares. He immediately gathered his things to leave.

He called out to Xie Chi, intending to finish the official business first and help Yan Wanqiu cover the lie. "Lord Xie, I'm done with the examination. Here's the medical record. I'll have someone deliver the stomach-nourishing herbs this afternoon."

Xie Chi stopped in his tracks and took the medical record You Fuzhu handed him, scanning it briefly.

It indeed stated stomach spasm, with the patient listed as Ji Chou.

Xie Chi nodded and asked seriously, "Alright. Are there any precautions I should know?"

You Fuzhu had chosen stomach spasm precisely because its daily care routine closely matched pregnancy care. "Keep a regular diet, avoid cold and irritating foods, stay warm, get plenty of rest, and avoid strenuous activity... I'll send you the precautions later."

Xie Chi noted everything down, then walked You Fuzhu to the door and grabbed a handful of loose gems from his storage space, pressing them into his hands. "Thank you. Sorry for making you come all this way."

You Fuzhu was flattered and quickly refused. "No, no, I can't accept this."

Treating Yan Wanqiu—how could he take Xie Chi's money? If Yan Wanqiu found out, he'd be skinned alive.

Xie Chi stood with him outside the door and, upon hearing this, insisted on pushing the gems into his hands while lowering his voice. "Take them first. I have a favor to ask."

You Fuzhu stubbornly refused. "What is it? Tell me first."

Xie Chi had no choice. He took out two strands of hair from his storage space, each sealed in a transparent bag.

One strand he had cut from Yan Wanqiu today, and the other he had painstakingly collected one by one from the bed at home.

The two white hair samples placed side by side were nearly indistinguishable at a glance.

You Fuzhu was puzzled. "These are...?"

Xie Chi lowered his voice. "Can you run a genetic comparison on these two strands? I want to know if they belong to the same person."