“W-what? Child in your belly?!”
Ren Qingqiu felt as if there was something wrong with her ears because she thought she heard the word ‘child’.
Bai Yuxi’s military knife remained firmly pressed against the wall, showing no signs of moving. Yet, she looked at Ren Qingqiu with a patient expression and repeated, “I’m asking you, what do you plan to do about the child in my belly?”
This time, Ren Qingqiu understood clearly.
She opened her mouth, turned her head to glance at Bai Yuxi’s lower abdomen, and felt her throat dry up a bit.
“C-child?”
Bai Yuxi nodded firmly.
Ren Qingqiu’s throat moved in disbelief. “Mine?”
“Who else could it be?” Bai Yuxi replied, her tone tinged with impatience. “Why do you think I would look for you?”
Ren Qingqiu felt that was indeed a logical conclusion.
She honestly couldn’t imagine Bai Yuxi being with anyone else besides what happened that night. After all… Ren Qingqiu stole a glance at the frozen military knife by her neck and slowly exhaled.
—Against such a fierce Omega, even if someone wanted to, no one would dare.
—So this Omega came to ask me for compensation today? For emotional damages?
Ren Qingqiu glanced at Bai Yuxi’s belly and mumbled, “But didn’t you say just a few days ago that you didn’t want to see me?”
Given Bai Yuxi’s previous attitude, Ren Qingqiu felt as though she had amnesia, acting entirely as if she wanted to sever ties.
Bai Yuxi, hearing Ren Qingqiu’s somewhat cold response, pressed down hard on the brim of her hat with one hand.
“…”
After a long pause, Bai Yuxi’s voice came out low, almost a whisper, “Shouldn’t I come to find you?”
Her long eyelashes cast shadows over her eyes, and she glanced at Ren Qingqiu from the corner of her eye.
That fleeting look made Ren Qingqiu’s throat constrict slightly.
—“Shouldn’t I come to find you?”
Ren Qingqiu sensed something unusual in Bai Yuxi’s voice today; it was unusually soft and carried a hint of grievance.
—Grievance? Bai Yuxi?
Ren Qingqiu felt something was off, she must have misread the situation. But when she looked again, Bai Yuxi’s expression returned to its usual cold seriousness.
After a moment of silence, Bai Yuxi looked up at Ren Qingqiu and asked, “What will you do?”
Bai Yuxi’s eyes, hidden beneath the brim of her hat, stared intently at Ren Qingqiu.
Ren Qingqiu glanced at Bai Yuxi’s belly. With clothes on, it still looks flat, and it seemed as if there was nothing there.
This was the first time she encountered such a situation.
She thought that if it were any ordinary Omega, they would have panicked by now. Yet here was Bai Yuxi, coming to threaten her.
After pondering for a moment, she felt the urge to reach out and pat Bai Yuxi’s head.
However, Ren Qingqiu held back and wrapped her arms around herself instead.
“Even though you’re pregnant, I won’t pressure you into having a child for me. You are not obligated to bear my child. However, if you choose not to keep this baby, I believe it will definitely harm your body.”
Ren Qingqiu pressed her lips together.
“So the final decision about this matter rests with you. If you want to keep the child, I will fulfill my responsibilities as a mother. But if you choose not to, while I may feel regret, I will do my best to compensate for any harm to your body.”
“You don’t need to rush. Regardless of what you decide, whether you want to keep the child or not, I will support you and take responsibility.”
Ren Qingqiu looked earnestly at Bai Yuxi. “What matters most is how you feel about it now.”
Bai Yuxi was silent for a few seconds, then exhaled slowly, “I want to keep it.”
The maple leaves behind Bai Yuxi continued to fall softly.
Bai Yuxi didn’t understand what this feeling was; up until now, she had never considered having a child. But knowing that there was a life within her made her aware of the possibilities that life held, compelling her to want to keep the child.
“I won’t deprive this child of its future. I believe at least one person should look forward to its arrival.”
Bai Yuxi raised her chin with determination.
“…”
Watching the maple leaves fall around her, Ren Qingqiu felt as if Bai Yuxi’s words struck a chord within her.
“Alright, I will also take my responsibilities seriously.”
Bai Yuxi looked at her, still not lowering her military knife.
Ren Qingqiu chuckled at her stubborn expression. “I will be responsible and won’t run away.”
After a long silence, Bai Yuxi slowly sheathed her knife. “Tonight, come to the conference room. We’ll discuss this in detail.”
—
In the afternoon, there was a bit of commotion at school, as people were saying the weather had suddenly turned cold, signaling the arrival of winter. Even in the courtyard there was a light snowfall, and the maple leaves were nearly stripped bare, with frost visible on the stair steps.
Ren Qingqiu watched the lively students in the courtyard admiring the falling leaves and secretly scoffed to herself:
—How can the weather change so abruptly? Winter isn’t even near yet. It’s just the commander’s mood being too poor because she is pregnant, creating a localized winter.
Ren Qingqiu approached the conference room and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
A cold voice came from inside.
Ren Qingqiu pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the conference room, Bai Yuxi was already seated. When she saw Ren Qingqiu enter, her expression remained indifferent as she pulled out a piece of paper and placed it directly in front of Ren Qingqiu, pointing to a specific spot.
“Sign here.”
Ren Qingqiu was certainly not the kind of person who would just sign wherever pointed.
She took a closer look at the paper and realized that what Bai Yuxi was handing her was actually a marriage registration form, which Bai Yuxi had already filled out on her side.
“A marriage registration form?” Ren Qingqiu was momentarily taken aback.
She blinked at the items listed on the form. “Are we getting married?”
Bai Yuxi frowned immediately at her question.
“This is a basic condition to ensure our mutual rights. I need to guarantee that during the time you’re with me before our child is born, you cannot mark other Omegas or fulfill any responsibilities towards them. This is the simplest and most convenient legal measure I could think of.”
“If you mark another Omega, I have the right to sue you. Of course, similarly, I will not be with any other Alphas during this time.”
Listening to Bai Yuxi’s explanation of marriage, Ren Qingqiu felt as if it were an eye opener.
—This marriage is incredibly unromantic…
Ren Qingqiu looked down at the registration form, pouting in discontent.
Bai Yuxi, noticing her hesitation, grew slightly impatient, as if she were reaching for her military knife again.
“…”
Ren Qingqiu saw her move and quickly picked up a pen to sign the form.
Bai Yuxi halted her hand, retrieved the registration form and seeing Ren Qingqiu’s signature, smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction.
Ren Qingqiu’s gaze lingered on the corner of Bai Yuxi’s mouth, momentarily surprised.
—Don’t be fooled; this is just a facade.
Ren Qingqiu snapped back to reality.
Once this feline creature achieved her utilitarian goals, she would reveal a smile that was uniquely hers.
Ren Qingqiu reminded herself.
Sure enough, Bai Yuxi’s smile faded instantly. After taking back the marriage registration form, she looked directly into Ren Qingqiu’s eyes and said:
“Also, the doctor mentioned that my emotions will greatly affect my physical condition during pregnancy, so you must not make me angry.”
“…”
Ren Qingqiu felt as if she had fallen into a trap, but she nodded anyway. “Oh, I understand.”
Bai Yuxi observed her expression and raised her chin, speaking confidently:
“During my pregnancy, I will need your pheromones.”
Ren Qingqiu felt her cheeks flush at Bai Yuxi’s blunt statement about needing her pheromones.
—How can she say such a thing with a tone as cold as minus several degrees?
“So?” she asked.
“So, when I need it, you must provide me with pheromones regularly.”
—Providing pheromones regularly? Isn’t that marking?
Ren Qingqiu glanced at Bai Yuxi’s neck, her throat rolling slightly.
—This must be the second trap…
Bai Yuxi noticed her gaze, narrowed her eyes, and her tone became icy again.
“What are you dazing off for?”
—See, see, she immediately turns fierce again.
“Oh, fine.”
Ren Qingqiu cleared her throat, feeling that this was manageable.
“Because soon, I have to participate in a competition…”
Bai Yuxi began reading quietly.
“What?”
Upon hearing Bai Yuxi’s words, Ren Qingqiu’s eyebrows shot up. She glanced at Bai Yuxi’s belly and interrupted her immediately.
“You’re still going to compete?”
Bai Yuxi looked at her with a hint of suspicion. “Why?”
—Is Bai Yuxi serious? Even if she’s the commander of the Northern Military Academy, where does she get the confidence to do this?
Ren Qingqiu stared intently into Bai Yuxi’s eyes and, after a few seconds of silence, confirmed:
“You’re joking, right?”
“I’m serious. I’m going to the competition,” Bai Yuxi replied just as seriously.
“…”
Ren Qingqiu frowned.
“No way.”
“Why not?” Bai Yuxi looked at her.
“Why? You have a child in your belly.” Ren Qingqiu began to explain.
However, Bai Yuxi remained unfazed, crossing her arms and interrupting Ren Qingqiu.
“I decided to participate in the competition before I found out I was pregnant. This is already in process. Your objections will not change the course of events or my personal will.”
“What about the child?”
Ren Qingqiu felt shocked by her words.
Bai Yuxi looked at Ren Qingqiu as if she were confused about logic.
“Aren’t we sitting here for the child?”
Ren Qingqiu swallowed hard.
What? Is she really determined to carry a child to the competition and come back with a victory?
—Does she really think she’s some kind of fighting kangaroo?
Ren Qingqiu took a deep breath, speaking earnestly.
“That’s a bit unsafe.”
Bai Yuxi clasped her hands in front of her and looked seriously at Ren Qingqiu.
“So you have to go with me.”
—Oh wow, she’s waiting for me to join her.
Ren Qingqiu choked on her words.
—Could it be that Bai Yuxi is orchestrating this whole thing to get me to participate in the competition?
Ren Qingqiu closed her eyes for a moment, deeply realizing that she had misjudged Bai Yuxi. She had thought of her as someone like Bai Qingxiao, a stickler for rules and rather naive.
Now it seemed that adhering to rules was merely a means for her to achieve her goals; she was more of a radical willing to do whatever it took to reach her objectives.
Bai Yuxi crossed her arms and patiently said, “This is my last chance to participate in the league this year, and I must compete no matter what.”
“But this situation is still too tough for you,” Ren Qingqiu frowned.
“That’s why I asked you to come with me,” Bai Yuxi repeated patiently.
“…”
Ren Qingqiu glanced away, feeling a bit displeased.
“First of all, when I decided to join the league, I had no idea I would be pregnant. This is our responsibility; you have a duty to accompany me. If I were going alone, I would indeed worry, but now that you’re here…”
—It seems to make some sense… No, no, don’t be swayed by this little madman’s sweet talk.
Ren Qingqiu snapped back to reality, saying, “But in your current state…”
Bai Yuxi… lifted her head, tilting her chin slightly. “I am an Omega with S-level mental strength, capable of matching multiple A-level students. As a leader, I’m top-notch.”
“As long as I stay in a completely safe position, I believe I can win, and I also trust that you have the ability to keep me safe.”
“…”
Ren Qingqiu pouted, feeling somewhat moved by her words, but she still didn’t give up on persuading Bai Yuxi.
“Maybe you could choose another leader, and it would still work out.”
Bai Yuxi looked at Ren Qingqiu’s expression, her tone steady. “The biggest difference between me and other leaders is that I dare to let you be a part of the team.”
“I recognize your skills as a leader. If it were someone else, they might not trust you or see your potential to be a contestant.”
“I chose you because I believe you can win the championship, and that is the decisive difference between me and other leaders.”
Bai Yuxi’s eyes, visible beneath the brim of her hat, fixed her gaze on Ren Qingqiu, her tone calm. “Also, because it’s you, I believe I still have a chance to win the championship.”