AHDIBCB Chapter 42

Yuan Yi was sleeping soundly when he felt his cheek being poked. His first reaction was to wonder if Li Mian had malfunctioned—wasn’t it supposed to wake him up earlier if needed? Now it suddenly decided to get energetic?

But when he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar face.

No—he should say it was a very familiar face, just one he had never officially met before.

Yuan Yi didn’t move much. He only furrowed his brows slightly, then raised a hand to pinch his other hand lightly. Feeling the slight pain, he sat up and leaned against the headboard. With calm restraint and politeness, he nodded. “Hello.”

Li Heng: “…”

The general, who wouldn’t even flinch in the face of thousands of troops, suddenly felt a faint and subtle sense of helplessness. Then, adopting the kind of formal tone used during the establishment of diplomatic relations between two nations, he replied, “Hello.”

…

Yuan Yi said, “Thank you for the food and pheromones you sent earlier. Although I don’t quite understand the reason for your sudden appearance like this, the food was very tasty, and my sleep really has improved.”

Li Heng: “You’re welcome. As long as you like it.”

Yuan Yi said, “It was very good. But from now on, I can just buy it myself. You don’t need to go out of your way.”

Li Heng looked at his eyes—clear and cool—truly without the slightest trace of extra emotion. He finally looked a bit helpless and sighed, saying, “Yuan Yi, first of all, I’m genuinely happy to be able to buy you food. It’s not a burden. Secondly, even though our marriage did begin as a non-romantic cooperative arrangement, I am your husband and the father of your children. When you’re talking to me, maybe try to relax a little.”

Yuan Yi said, “Thank you. I am quite relaxed.”

…Yeah right, like I’d believe that.

Li Heng focused intently, sensing Yuan Yi’s mental state. “I know that when you needed me most, I wasn’t there. That might have left you with the impression that I’m not someone you can rely on. And the fact that I didn’t explain why I could only come at night must have caused some confusion. But there’s one thing I have to clarify.”

Yuan Yi tilted his head slightly, a look of polite curiosity on his face—as if saying, go ahead, I’m all ears.

Li Heng said, “I didn’t find the love of my life. Li Mian misunderstood what I said back then. I was talking about the vastness of the stars, not a person. So don’t misunderstand.”

Yuan Yi’s expression didn’t change. “Mm. There’s no need to explain in such a hurry. While I did insist on having custody of the children, I never said you couldn’t see them in the future, nor did I ever intend to keep them from you.”

Li Heng: “…”

What kind of conversation is this even?

He already thought back in school that this junior of his was kind of hard to deal with—he just didn’t expect that now, with an official relationship between them, he’d be even harder to deal with.

“You think I’m telling you this because of the kids?”

“Otherwise? We didn’t know each other before this.”

“We…”

…Well, technically they didn’t. He couldn’t exactly say they did. He Yanwu’s identity was far too important to be revealed just yet.

He could only say, “We can get to know each other gradually.”

Yuan Yi was silent for a moment. “So you don’t want a divorce?”

Li Heng replied, “We already have children—why divorce? At least we should give it a try.”

So, in the end, it was still for the sake of the children. Which made sense, actually.

Yuan Yi nodded in agreement. He thought this might not be a bad idea either. At least during the pregnancy, it would be beneficial for the baby, and he wouldn’t have to worry about pheromones anymore.

Besides, he didn’t have any urgent desire to divorce either.

He had originally planned to ask Li Heng how he was even getting in and out like this, but figured it wasn’t necessary—if it was something Li Heng could talk about, he’d tell him sooner or later.

The atmosphere grew a bit chilly.

Li Heng sat at the edge of the bed, and Yuan Yi leaned against the headboard. For a moment, neither knew what to say.

Then Yuan Yi glanced at the note he had written and said, “General Li, can I discuss something with you?”

Li Heng: “Go ahead.”

Yuan Yi said, “I know your bloodline carries a special significance in this world, but I still hope you’ll take some time to think things through more carefully. Everyone used to think you died on the Nine-Colored Star Bridge, so they felt justified in choosing a partner for you without your consent. That wasn’t your fault. But now that you’re back—even if your identity can’t be made public right away—you at least know you’re alive. That means in the future you’ll have many choices. You don’t have to be tied to me. What I’m saying is, could you… sign an agreement with me? One that states if you eventually decide to go through with a divorce, you’ll relinquish custody and allow me to take the children. Because I’m already eleven weeks along, they’ve formed. I can’t terminate their lives now.”

Li Heng asked, “Is there more? Say it all at once.”

Yuan Yi nodded. “If they’re born, I won’t stop you from visiting them, but you absolutely cannot take them away—nor can you allow anyone else to do so. Of course, I also won’t deliberately stop them from joining the military or doing something questionable in the future.”

Li Heng asked, “Did Zhou Xingran often steal things from you when you were younger?”

Yuan Yi: “…You’re off-topic.”

Even though he was—because truthfully, anything the original host liked, Zhou Xingran would go out of his way to snatch. But what Yuan Yi had just said had nothing to do with him.

Still, he didn’t bother explaining. If Li Heng was going to soften toward him because of a misunderstanding, then maybe that wasn’t such a bad outcome either.

Li Heng said, “Alright, back to the main point. I can sign an agreement with you—but I can also break it. So do you think that holds any weight?”

Yuan Yi replied, “You certainly have the ability to do that. But I don’t think you’d stoop to such things.”

Li Heng suddenly recalled how Li Mian had said that Yuan Yi often asked to hear stories about him. At first, he assumed Yuan Yi just felt insecure and was looking for a bit of psychological comfort. But now… it seemed like it went deeper than that.

Such a sly little fox.

Li Heng chuckled and said, “Alright, since you trust me that much, I’ll agree. I’ll even swear to it. But I have one condition.”

Yuan Yi felt a slight relief. “What condition?”

Li Heng: “From now on, you have to call me husband. And I’ll call you wife.”

“…That’s two conditions.”

“Fine, then just call me husband.”

Yuan Yi: “…”

How had he never noticed this man could be so unserious?

Or maybe—maybe there was more to it. After all, it was in an omega’s nature to grow attached to their alpha. And words held invisible power. A name, a title… said enough times, it could start to change something deep inside.

Yuan Yi opened his mouth—but couldn’t get a single word out.

Good grief. This was harder than when he’d had to start calling Professor Jian “Mom.”

Maybe it was because Li Heng’s presence was so overwhelmingly strong. Just uttering that one word felt like signing away his soul. Like there would be no turning back.

“Can’t we negotiate for a different condition?”

“Another one… hmm, can’t think of anything right now that I’d need your help to pull off. Everything else I can manage on my own.” He paused, then chuckled lightly. “But all right. Since you’re younger than me by quite a bit, I shouldn’t bully you. I’ll step back—you don’t have to call me husband for now. But if I call you wife, you’re not allowed to object.”

“…”

Yuan Yi frowned slightly. A memory surfaced—back when he was adopted, his foster mother had liked to call him son, like it would help them grow close faster. At first, he’d felt awkward, but eventually he’d adjusted to the new home, the new title.

He’d believed, foolishly and wholeheartedly, that he finally had a family. That he had parents now, and wouldn’t ever be left behind or bullied again.

But when they decided they didn’t want him anymore, they had been just as ruthless. As if he’d been the only one silly enough to form a real attachment to a name.

Li Heng seemed to see the flicker of thought in his eyes. He cut in, firm and fast: “That part’s not up for negotiation. If we start backtracking now, I won’t agree to your conditions either.”

Yuan Yi could only respond, “…Do what you want.”

Li Heng immediately exercised his new privilege: “Wife, why don’t you think carefully again—see if there’s anything else you want to discuss with me?”

Yuan Yi looked puzzled. “Why do you say that?”

Li Heng replied, “Because I still have conditions of my own to propose.”

“…Like what?”

Li Heng pointed toward the study door. “I want clothes like the ones Li Mian wears. I can’t appear in public right now, so it’s hard to buy things. I’m about out of clean clothes.”

Yuan Yi glanced at what Li Heng was wearing.

True, the black shirt was clean—but the fabric looked pretty worn down.

He replied without thinking, “But you’re tall and broad—making clothes for you would take me forever. I don’t have that kind of time.”

Li Mian, who had apparently been eavesdropping from the study, suddenly poked its head out with a dramatic cry: “Wuwuwuwuwu Brother Yi, you’re still the best! Even when you don’t have time, you still made clothes for me! From now on, if you point east, I swear I won’t go west!”

Li Heng didn’t even blink—he flung his shadow blade, Xuan Ying, in one swift motion.

Li Mian yelped and ducked back inside just in time, and the blade returned to Li Heng’s hand like a loyal pet.

Li Heng, now wrapping his communicator band back around his wrist, added coolly, “Oh, so you had time to fold gold ingots and hold a memorial service for me, but not to make me some clothes?”

Yuan Yi: “…”

…Well. That was maybe not entirely unfair.

The atmosphere was getting a little awkward.

Yuan Yi glanced at the time—it was almost midnight. Li Heng was still sitting on his bed. No, wait—technically, it was Li Heng’s bed. Somehow it had turned into Yuan Yi sitting on his bed.

Thinking back to the paper gold ingots and white flowers he’d folded for that absurd “memorial,” Yuan Yi couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish. “Well… it’s not entirely my fault. You’re the one who kept coming and going like a ghost.”

Li Heng said, “That’s because it wasn’t safe for you to see me. Someone tried to kill me during the Nine color Star bridge incident. I had to dig out whoever was behind it before I could feel safe showing up in person again. You understand, right, wife?”

Yuan Yi twitched at the repeated “wife.” No matter how he tried, it just didn’t sit right with him.

They’d only just met. Yes, on paper, he was this man’s legal spouse—but still… jumping straight into that kind of intimate address felt too casual, almost flippant.

Or maybe it was just an act?

After all, they didn’t really know each other. It wouldn’t be surprising if Li Heng was trying to test the waters. If Yuan Yi guessed correctly, Li Heng had probably been watching him for a while now through Li Mian.

Yuan Yi slipped out of bed and poured himself a glass of water. “So… are you staying here tonight? If you are, I’ll sleep on the floor. It’s your bed after all.”

Li Heng replied, “I’ll be leaving. And anyway—what kind of alpha lets a pregnant omega sleep on the floor while he takes the bed? I’m not that unhinged. It’s already late. If you don’t need to use the bathroom, come back to bed. I’ll help you fall asleep, and then I’ll go.”

Help me sleep?

What even was that supposed to mean?

He didn’t need help.

Yuan Yi set his glass down and climbed back under the covers, thinking to himself—Fine. At best, that’s assistance.

Since Li Heng wasn’t staying the night, there was no need to pull out extra bedding. Yuan Yi thought for a moment—since the bed’s owner had already spoken, there was no point in being overly polite—so he lay back down.

At first, he was lying flat on his back, staring up. But the distinct feeling of someone’s gaze lingering on his face made him uncomfortable. He turned over, facing away from Li Heng, and closed his eyes.

He thought he’d feel uneasy, maybe even restless. But instead, sleepiness crept up on him faster than he expected.

A natural, effortless sense of ease and security settled over him—so comfortable that he didn’t even have the strength to resist or feel wary. No wonder so many omegas came to rely on that kind of feeling. The moment the thought crossed his mind, Yuan Yi had already drifted off—quietly, without even noticing.

Li Heng gradually noticed the breathing beside him had become steady and even. Only then did he reach out to gently touch Yuan Yi’s cheek. Soft and delicate—different from an alpha’s. There was always something about the sensation that made him feel a quiet tenderness.

Though his mental energy was more drained than usual, maybe tonight he could indulge a little longer?

Just then, Li Mian peeked his head out again from the study. But before it could utter a word, Li Heng spoke without turning his head: “Li Mian, you better shut up.”

Li Mian: “……”

Hmph! Fine! Shut up it is! But it was totally recording this part, and it was definitely going to play it for Brother Yi later. Let him see just what kind of dirty old wolf his so-called “gentleman” husband really was! Outwardly composed, inwardly corrupt!

See? Just like it suspected—once an alpha got their omega, their brains started functioning exclusively from below the belt. Its master was no exception. Tui!

Li Heng had the rare ability to sense the emotional states of any living creature—down to the smallest insect. Fear, anxiety, agitation—he could detect it all. It was an ability unique to him in the entire empire, passed down from his maternal grandfather, and known to no one else.

But even with that power, he couldn’t tap into a robot’s brainwaves.

Physically, it was simply impossible.

Emotionally, though… oh, he knew exactly what this little brat was up to, “You’d better behave yourself and stop plotting nonsense, hear me?”

Li Mian immediately stopped recording, scrambling to stash the file in a secret folder for future use.

Unfortunately, before the new file had even had time to cool off, Xuan Ying had already deleted it clean.

Xuan Ying said, “Not the right time yet. Right now, the safety of the General and his wife comes first. You can’t record this.”

Li Mian, thoroughly chastened, slunk back to the study to reflect on its actions.

Li Heng stayed seated on the bed until nearly 4 AM. One hand gently stroked Yuan Yi’s head while the other shifted through messages from the Winter Wolf, analyzing and verifying the details. By the time he was done, fatigue started to creep in. With a final glance at Yuan Yi, he straightened the covers and quietly left.

When Yuan Yi woke up, the first thing he saw was Li Mian’s little curly hair.

“Morning.”

Li Mian responded, “Morning, Brother Yi. Did you sleep well?”

It couldn’t help but feel that being patted on the head by the big bad wolf probably wasn’t the most comfortable thing.

Yuan Yi smiled softly, “Very well.”

Better than well, in fact. If he’d been able to sleep like this in his past life—just a third as well—he probably wouldn’t have collapsed at his post.

The time was perfect; five minutes to six.

Yuan Yi climbed out of bed, took a quick shower, and then turned to Li Mian. “We’re moving the entire vacation schedule up, shifting everything forward to be done one by one.”

Li Mian nodded, and floated toward the kitchen. Professor Jian was already up, baking bread. When she saw him come down, she smiled and said, “Good morning, Xiao Yi. How did you sleep last night?”

Yuan Yi replied, “Morning, Mom. I slept really well. Why are you up so early today?”

Although Professor Jian usually wakes up early, it seemed like she had been up for over an hour already. Yuan Yi noticed the spread on the table: freshly baked bread, donkey meat slices, a fruit box, stir-fried vegetables, and a delicate matsutake mushroom and bok choy egg soup.

“Did you forget that today’s your hospital check-up day?”

“Hmm, I asked Li Mian to remind me, but I don’t think it’s time yet.”

“Well, normally, I should remind you at exactly seven,” Li Mian chimed in. “We’re almost there.”

“That’s fine. I see you’re in good spirits and look healthy, and that’s the most important thing,” Professor Jian said, smiling. “Xiao Yi, how does the breakfast look? If there’s anything else you’d like, let me know, I’ll make it. We still have plenty of time.”

“No need, this is perfect. Thank you, Mom. I haven’t had enough of the donkey meat fire buns yet.”

It wasn’t just polite words; Yuan Yi genuinely thought the donkey meat fire buns that Li Heng had brought were exceptionally good.

The sausage seemed to have a nice flavor as well, but for some reason, he didn’t feel the usual anticipation.

Professor Jian suddenly noticed that her daughter-in-law was staring blankly at his spoon and asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Yi?”

Yuan Yi shook his head, a faint smile on his face, “Nothing.”

Dr. Luo had been busy at the hospital lately, although she kept sending regular messages to Yuan Yi, she couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned.

She hadn’t expected Yuan Yi to come in looking so good, appearing to have gained some weight. But there was something a bit off; he seemed to be lost in thought, almost in a daze. There were so many people around, but he didn’t react at all.

Maybe he had grown accustomed to being the center of attention ever since he was young?

Dr. Luo chuckled and said, “You’ve gained a little weight. Yuan Yi, tell me, have you used up that whole bottle of original pheromone?”

Yuan Yi responded, “Used a bit more than I should have.”

It wasn’t really much—just two or three portions of that bottle. The real help came from Li Heng, who acted as a portable primary pheromone production machine. Without him, Yuan Yi wasn’t sure what state he’d be in.

Dr. Luo patted the examination bed, “Come, sit here. It’s your check-up today, and I’ll also do a quick prenatal check for you. How’s your sleep been? Have you experienced any of that restlessness you had before with the pheromones?”

Yuan Yi replied, “Not at all. I’ve been sleeping really well. I used to stay up later sometimes, but I was getting enough sleep. I’ve been adjusting lately and have started going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.”

Dr. Luo instructed a nurse to come over and draw some blood. “So, no signs of entering your heat period, right?”

Yuan Yi nodded, “Aside from a noticeable increase in appetite and a change in taste preferences compared to before, everything else is fine.”

Dr. Luo smiled, “Alright then, let’s take a look at how much the little ones have grown these past few days.”

Yuan Yi lay back on the examination bed, lifting his shirt to expose his abdomen. The smart diagnostic device slowly scanned over him, and after a brief moment, it produced the data: one baby measured 5.7 cm long, and the other 5.8 cm. Both little ones were nearly the same size, having grown significantly since the last check, with clear outlines starting to form.

They seemed to be a bit larger than a typical single fetus would be at this stage for humans.

At this point, the term “fetus” seemed more appropriate than “embryo.”

Both Professor Jian and Dr. Luo were pleased with the results. Dr. Luo printed out the images and handed them to Yuan Yi. Yuan Yi quickly glanced at them before breaking into a smile, “Thank you, Aunt Luo.”

Unlike before, he didn’t spend much time meticulously studying the images; instead, he waited until Professor Jian had also had a look before folding the printout and putting it away.

Professor Jian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off today. Although Yuan Yi wasn’t usually the type to be overly expressive, there was a subtle shift today. He seemed a little more withdrawn, a bit down.

The checkup didn’t take long, but to fully confirm that Aminanka had been ruled out successfully, there were some additional tests that needed waiting. During this time, Yuan Yi didn’t waste it; he ate the fruit Professor Jian had prepared for him while also reading through the recent research report on Aminanka that Dr. Luo had shared with him.

After a while, Professor Jian thought for a moment and then asked, “Yuan Yi, are you feeling unwell?”

Yuan Yi glanced up, surprised. “No, Mom. What’s wrong?”

Professor Jian hesitated but said, “Nothing, just thought I should ask. You keep reading; I’ll go check with Dr. Luo to see if we need to upgrade your nutritional supplements. As the babies grow, they’ll need more nutrition, so we have to keep up.”

The nutritional needs weren’t just for the babies but also for him, to prevent anxiety or other issues from arising due to the lack of an alpha’s presence. Yuan Yi understood this and didn’t try to stop her.

Even though Li Heng had returned, there were still unresolved issues, and it was hard to predict the future with complete certainty.

As Yuan Yi continued flipping through the report, his mind wandered. Suddenly, his communicator buzzed. It was from Pan Yuechen, someone he hadn’t heard from in a while.

“Junior Yuan, is it a good time?”

“It’s fine. What’s up, Senior?”

“I was wondering how you’ve been recovering. After the incident during the exam, both Yue Zhen and I couldn’t come see you, and with Teacher Li being so busy, we didn’t want to bother him either. We never got a chance to check on you.”

Yuan Yi replied, “I’m doing well. I just had a checkup at the hospital today, and everything seems fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior.”

Pan Yuechen laughed lightly, “It’s nothing. We’re all from the same school, so it’s only natural. But the reason I’m reaching out today is that I wanted to ask if you’ve been in contact with Senior Yanwu recently?”

Yuan Yi furrowed his brows slightly. “No, I haven’t. Why?”

“I’ve got a question that I can’t seem to resolve, and I wanted to ask him for advice. But I’ve been trying to reach him, and his communicator has been down. I thought you two were close, so I thought you might still be in touch. Guess I’ll have to ask someone else instead.”

Yuan Yi thought for a moment before asking, “When did you first notice you couldn’t reach him?”

“Probably right after the holidays began. He might have gone back to his research center. Communication is pretty spotty on the planet he’s on, so I guess it makes sense that I can’t get through to him.”

“That seems likely,” Yuan Yi replied.

“Well, thanks anyway, Junior. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. Take care and rest up. We’ll catch up when the semester starts.”

“Okay, see you at school.”

After hanging up, Yuan Yi thought about it for a while before deciding to call He Yanwu himself. After all, if it weren’t for He Yanwu, he might have missed the last exam before the break. He hadn’t properly thanked him yet. He had originally planned to express his gratitude after the semester began.

However, when he dialed the number, the message he received was that the number had been disconnected.

Yuan Yi couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was a hint of disappointment lingering in the back of his mind.

At that moment, Professor Jian returned with the new nutritional supplements and some additional test results. Smiling, she said, “I saw you were on the phone, so I didn’t want to interrupt. The results are all good. Do you want to head back, or should we go for a stroll somewhere before we return?”

Yuan Yi closed the fruit box, “I’m not really hungry right now. But Mom, I was thinking of going to the supermarket.”

Professor Jian raised an eyebrow, “Sure, what do you want to buy? Do you want to go to the one nearby, or the larger one in the city center?”

Yuan Yi replied, “I need to get some food. I’ve been getting hungry in the middle of the night lately. And I also want to buy some loose-fitting clothes—something I can wear around the house. Or… maybe I’ll just wear Li Heng’s clothes. Do you think that’s okay?”

Without hesitation, Professor Jian said, “Of course! But won’t his clothes be too big for you? Besides, his taste in clothes tends to stick to black, starry blue, or maybe white and gray. Omega clothes come in so many more beautiful colors. How about we go pick out some clothes you like, and you can wear his whenever you feel like it?”

Yuan Yi nodded, “Thank you, Mom.”

At the supermarket, Yuan Yi set a strict time limit for himself—just an hour. He was pretty demanding when it came to shopping for himself.

Professor Jian watched with a helpless smile, “You should be a bit more relaxed with yourself.”

Yuan Yi chuckled, “The thing is, I really haven’t been focusing on studying much lately. I need to catch up after we get back today.”

The holiday was already halfway through.

The two of them spent an hour wandering around the supermarket. It was incredibly convenient, not only for online shopping but also for in-person purchases. After parking the flying vehicle in the lot, customers were given a storage tag. With this tag, they could hand their purchased items to the sales associate, who would complete the transaction and hand the items over to an intelligent transport worker.

The intelligent transport worker would then take the items directly to the parking area where the customer’s flying vehicle was parked. Customers simply had to load the items into their vehicle when they left. For larger purchases, discounts would be applied at checkout, and any excess would be refunded to the customer’s account before they even reached home.

Yuan Yi bought quite a few things this time, including food, clothes, and some other essentials.

Most of the clothes he bought were loose T-shirts, which he found particularly comfortable and robe-like. As for the food, he picked up plenty of convenient, ready-to-eat or quick-heating options, but the quality and nutrition were far superior to the instant noodles and self-heating meals he usually relied on.

He also grabbed some snacks.

That night, when Li Heng came back, he found Yuan Yi sitting in a chair, reading a book and taking notes. On the bedside table were some food items, and on the bed lay a fresh set of clothes.

The food was something Li Heng hadn’t seen before during his previous visits.

The clothes, on the other hand, clearly weren’t Yuan Yi’s.

But when he looked at Yuan Yi, there was no expression of trying to please him or make an impression. Yuan Yi was so focused on his notes that when Li Heng entered, he simply nodded in acknowledgment before continuing his work.

Li Heng asked, “Is this clothes bought for me?”

Yuan Yi nodded.

Li Heng said, “Thank you, but this clothes at a glance is not the kind you wear. Mom might think it’s strange if she sees this at home.”

Yuan Yi didn’t even lift his head and said, “It’s fine, I’ve already told Mom that I want to wear it as a bathrobe. As for your clothes, I also asked her if it was okay for me to wear them, and Mom agreed. You can change freely, and when I wash them here, she won’t think there’s any problem.”

Li Heng: “……”

It really takes all of my strength to not hug this person. How can he be so considerate?

Yuan Yi didn’t hear anything for a while, “Is there anything else?”

Li Heng said, “No. I’m going to take a shower. If you need help with anything, you can leave it to ask me. I’ll teach you.”

Yuan Yi said, “Thanks, but it’s fine if Li Mian teaches me.”

Li Heng instantly shot a glare at Li Mian. Li Mian, scared, quickly darted behind Yuan Yi, clutching the corner of Yuan Yi’s clothes, and weakly said, “Brother Yi, I have a date with Brother Xuan Ying today. I need to ask for time off, do you think it’s okay?”

Yuan Yi: “…Didn’t you say you can multitask?”

Li Mian replied, “That’s true. But how can I be distracted in front of someone I admire? I need to focus. Maybe it can even help me level up. It’s so amazing!”

Yuan Yi: “Alright, you can go.”

Li Mian floated into the study on his own, closed the door! Locked it! Finished in one go!

Li Heng was satisfied. After taking a shower, he came out and said, “Today should be the day for your follow-up check, right? How was it? Did Dr. Luo say how your recovery is going?”

Yuan Yi replied, “Everything is fine.”

Li Heng asked again, “How about the kids?”

Yuan Yi paused for a moment, then took out the photos that Dr. Luo had printed for him earlier in the day.

Although the two children were still very young, Yuan Yi knew they looked quite developed. And he didn’t look at them; he just handed the paper to Li Heng.

However, Li Heng noticed that the paper was folded in a rather special way.

One photo was printed in the middle, but Yuan Yi didn’t fold it in the middle. Instead, he folded it along the edges of the photo, making the paper resemble an envelope. The result was that when Li Heng took it, he couldn’t see the photo, but when he unfolded it, he saw that the creases were not on the photo itself.

As someone who had tutored Yuan Yi for several days, Li Heng had seen him fold paper before, but he had never folded it like this. This meant that this was not Yuan Yi’s usual habit.

A person who wouldn’t even allow a slight “hurt” to his child in such a trivial matter, Li Heng couldn’t imagine how he could bear it if he were to take the child away from him or not let him be with the child.

Li Heng suddenly patted Yuan Yi’s shoulder, “Wife.”

Yuan Yi didn’t respond but turned his head to look at him, asking with his eyes, ‘What’s the matter?’

Li Heng said, “Get up, help me with something.”

Yuan Yi put down his pen and stood up.

In the next second, he was pulled into a broad, warm embrace…

He struggled for a moment, about to ask Li Heng what he was doing.

Li Heng said, “Shh… don’t move, I’m about to enter my susceptible period. Let me hold you for a while to calm down.”

Yuan Yi, having studied for so long, of course knew what a susceptible period was, so he had no choice but to remain still. Though he was puzzled by the concept of a “susceptible period,” wondering whether hugging would intensify the stimulation or actually calm him down.

Unexpectedly, Li Heng’s hand gently rested on his back, soothingly rubbing it, saying, “Don’t be afraid. No one can take our child away. Not even I can. I swear to you.”

In an instant, the air around them was filled with Li Heng’s scent of cedar.

Yuan Yi instinctively lifted his hand, wanting to respond.

But even though his hand was already raised, he couldn’t understand why he lowered it again, only nodding slightly and saying, “Okay.”