Part 2
Bai Qiu would undoubtedly be pleased about Bai Lu’s relationship with Guan Jiayu, but Guan Jiayu hadn’t emerged as the final winner of his family’s internal power struggle yet, so Bai Qiu was definitely holding back.
And given Bai Lu’s personality, he would never want to use a marriage alliance to tie Guan Jiayu down. That was why he hadn’t dared to tell Bai Qiu about them in the first place.
But now Bai Qiu knew. That alpha, who was so adept at playing dirty tricks, would definitely use Bai Lu.
Years of reading experience led Bai He to an unwelcome thought: the pregnancy trope.
Was Bai Qiu trying to get Bai Lu pregnant with Guan Jiayu’s child? That would not only help Guan Jiayu in his family power struggle but also tie him down permanently. If the story went that route, wouldn’t it just become a cheap melodrama? That seemed unlikely. Based on the first half he’d read, Bai He was sure it was just a sweet, fluffy story.
He cut off his own wild train of thought, his gaze dropping to Bai Lu’s stomach. It was flat, but Bai Lu’s hand was resting there, stroking it.
Bai He froze, then looked up. He saw Bai Lu staring down at his own stomach, his eyes full of the same tenderness one would reserve for a precious treasure.
Bai He: “…”
A long-forgotten memory suddenly resurfaced, attacking him.
How could he have forgotten! He had dropped the novel midway through, precisely because he couldn’t stomach the Mpreg part. He had stopped reading right at the part about childbirth, which was the midpoint. That meant in the mid-to-late stages, the protagonist, Bai Lu, was definitely going to get pregnant!
And right at this moment, Bai He was 100% certain he was in that mid-to-late stage of the story. His presence had caused a butterfly effect, making many small details different from the original, but the main plot had never changed.
Bai He had stayed far away from the main couple’s plot, and it seemed he was gradually shaking off the story’s control. In the early stages, just getting near Guan Jiayu and Bai Lu would get him seriously injured. By the middle stages, the “damage” had gradually lessened.
Moreover, in the original novel, the original ‘Bai He’ should have been killed off by this point. He had managed to dodge that death plot; he hadn’t become a tool to advance the main couple’s relationship. But none of that meant the original main plot wouldn’t still happen.
Bai Lu was still going to get pregnant.
And it looked like he already was.
Bai He’s expression grew complicated. Just then, his instructor, Liu Ruo, pushed open the door and called out from a distance, “Afternoon, Xiao Bai He! You’re here early. And this is…?”
Liu Ruo stood between the two, looking from one to the other, then back to Bai He. “Xiao Bai, is this your brother?”
Bai He gave Liu Ruo a smile but didn’t answer. Liu Ruo, reading the situation, didn’t press the issue.
The scheduled workout time had started, so Bai He followed Liu Ruo to begin. For the next several hours, Bai Lu didn’t leave; he just found a place to sit and wait.
Bai Lu’s pregnancy was no coincidence; it was highly likely he’d been set up. And, predictably, Bai Lu would definitely not want to terminate the pregnancy. Bai He didn’t even have to guess why Bai Lu had come looking for him today.
He didn’t want to get rid of the child, he didn’t want to burden Guan Jiayu with the child, and he was too afraid to tell his family. So, he came to Bai He.
Bai He had always felt that people were walking contradictions—himself included. But Bai Lu was on another level of complicated. This protagonist was always doing contradictory things.
He was genuinely kind to others, but he also had a way of unconsciously taking advantage of their kindness.
After finishing his workout for the day, Bai He went to change. When he came out, Liu Ruo was leaning against the wall, waiting. “Xiao Bai, your brother’s an omega, right?”
Bai He hummed in acknowledgment. “Why?”
Liu Ruo glanced at Bai Lu sitting on the bench in the distance, then turned back, lowering his voice. “Is he pregnant?”
Bai He was surprised. “What makes you think that?”
“He keeps touching his stomach. At first, I just figured he had gas.” Liu Ruo shrugged. “But just now, I saw him with his head down, talking to his stomach. It’s pretty obvious.”
Bai He was momentarily speechless.
“He looks so young. Does his family know?” Liu Ruo said. “To be honest, his mental state seems a bit off. He seems really strung out. You should keep a close eye on him, in case something happens…” He paused, lifting the towel from his shoulder to wipe his face. “By the way, is he really your brother?”
“Same alpha father,” Bai He replied.
“…” Liu Ruo closed his mouth and sighed. He patted Bai He’s shoulder. “You don’t have it easy, do you?”
Bai He gave a small, wry laugh.
After leaving the gym, Bai Lu trailed behind Bai He with small steps. Bai He stopped at the crosswalk. While waiting for the light to change, he glanced at a coffee shop nearby, changed direction, and pushed open the door. He found a corner table, sat down, and ordered a coffee and a hot milk.
Bai Lu followed him in a moment later, hesitating before sliding into the seat across from him.
“Brother…”
Bai He set down his coffee and looked up. “When did it happen? Was it consensual? Were you forced? Or were you set up?”
Bai Lu looked stunned, his lips trembling. “I…”
“Don’t stammer,” Bai He said calmly.
Bai Lu lowered his head, his teeth clenched. “I… It was consensual…”
“Is that so? Then we have nothing to talk about.” Bai He stood up to leave, but as he passed Bai Lu, the other boy grabbed his arm tightly.
Bai Lu’s voice trembled. “Brother, I can’t get rid of it. It’s a little life. I can’t be that cruel—”
Bai He yanked his hand free. “It’s a little life, so you come to me? You want me to take care of you and this little life? Is your kindness and soft heart built on burdening other people?”
“Brother, I can’t tell Guan Jiayu. And besides, Dad, he…” Bai Lu looked like he was about to cry again, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to do…”
“And you think I have a solution?” Bai He said coldly. “I just asked you. If you had told the truth, this could have been handed over to the Omega Protection Association.”
Bai Lu just kept shaking his head.
“There are two ways to handle this. I refuse to believe you don’t know which one is the proper one.” Bai He’s gaze was icy as he cut straight to the point. “Bai Lu, your emotions always seem to win out over your reason. Why do you think finding someone to help you hide and give birth is a better solution than reporting it to the Omega Association?”
“At the end of the day, it’s because this is your and Guan Jiayu’s first child. You like him, and you feel like your love can’t just be erased like this. Isn’t that right?”
“Brother…” Bai Lu choked back a sob, shaking his head. “Please help me. I don’t know what to do…”
Bai He turned his head away. As expected of the protagonist, he thought. Crying so beautifully it makes your heart ache. He remained unmoved. “I have no reason to help you.”
“But you, of all people, should understand me!” Bai Lu’s voice rose, causing the other patrons in the cafe to look over. The cello music playing in the shop suddenly sounded rather mournful.
Bai Lu stood there, gazing at him miserably as his voice dropped again. “Brother, I know you’re an omega too. I don’t believe you don’t understand. If you were pregnant with Qin Yao’s child, could you bear to get rid of it? You’ve obviously felt the pressure from Dad just like I have. Why can’t you understand how I feel?”
“If Dad found out you were with Qin Yao, you’d end up just like me!”
Bai He watched Bai Lu in silence. He wasn’t surprised that Bai Lu knew about his relationship with Qin Yao.
After a few seconds, Bai He walked back and gently pushed Bai Lu back into his seat. “I can’t empathize with you, Bai Lu. If you feel like Bai Qiu is using you, why don’t you find a way to fight back?”
“Also, I’m not going to get pregnant with Qin Yao’s child. Your hypothesis is invalid.”
At least, not right now, Bai He added silently. He still hadn’t fully accepted the whole childbirth setting. But he couldn’t speak in absolutes. Now was now, and the future was the future.
He turned to leave again, Bai Lu’s tear-streaked face watching him, only to come face-to-face with Qin Yao’s smiling expression.
Bai He: “…”
“Did I come at a bad time?” Qin Yao’s smile turned mischievous. He lowered his eyelids, looking at Bai He with a mock-pitiful expression. “Xiao Bai He is right. You’re still a baby yourself. You can’t have a baby so soon.”
Bai He: “…”
How could he manage to sound both pitiful and pleased in the same sentence?
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