AHDIBCB Chapter 73

Li Heng quickly set the baby bottle down and reached out to touch Yuan Yi’s face. Sure enough, he felt a handful of warmth and wetness. He softly asked, “What’s wrong? Are the wounds hurting? Or are you afraid that after seeing them born, your husband won’t dote on you anymore?”

Yuan Yi replied with a nasal tone, “How could that be?”

The painkillers here were very effective, and the medical closure gel didn’t even need to be mentioned. As long as one didn’t move recklessly, and it wasn’t a particularly messy wound, it would heal quickly.

As for being afraid that someone wouldn’t love him anymore—he hadn’t even thought of that.

At this moment, the older brother, who hadn’t eaten enough, pouted his lips and began to cry again.

Yuan Yi couldn’t bear to let them cry, so he quickly urged Li Heng to bring the bottle over and continue feeding. Seeing how anxious he was, Li Heng had no choice but to resume feeding. But he noticed that since everyone else had been sent out and it was just him alone here, once he started feeding the two little ones, even touching Yuan Yi with his hand became inconvenient.

Thankfully, though the two sons had just been born, they had a fair amount of strength. They didn’t pause at all while drinking—after a bit, they each finished their share.

He had Li Mian take the empty bottles and hand them over to the cleaning robot. Then he came back with a towel soaked in warm water to wipe Yuan Yi’s face.

Yuan Yi said, “I can do it myself.”

Li Heng avoided his hand. “What’s really wrong? Crying so pitifully—have you made up your mind to make me feel sorry for you?”

Yuan Yi said, “Just gave birth—hormone levels are unstable, it’s nothing.”

That kind of talk might fool outsiders, but Li Heng thought about it and decided not to call it out.

He saw the two little ones fall asleep after eating, but Yuan Yi kept staring at them, eyes fixed, like he couldn’t love them more. He had been crying just moments ago, yet now his face was filled with tenderness. Watching him made Li Heng feel a little jealous, and he asked, “Do you really like them that much?”

Yuan Yi gently pinched the younger one’s soft little hand. “Don’t you like them?”

Li Heng said, “You gave birth to them—of course I like them. But I like you even more.”

Yuan Yi turned away from Li Heng’s burning gaze. “Funny, I seem to recall someone saying their one true love was the vast sea of stars.”

Li Heng heard the slight teasing in his tone and stroked Yuan Yi’s cheek. “The entire sea of stars is in your eyes—my true love is you, of course. Now sleep. While they’re asleep, you should get some rest too. Rest well so you recover faster. And if you recover faster, then I’ll be able to…”

Their gazes met in the air, then quickly parted. Yuan Yi closed his eyes.

Li Heng chuckled. “Wife, I meant if you recover faster, you can help me better as my military strategist. What strange things were you imagining?”

Yuan Yi opened his eyes and saw the glimmer of amusement in the other’s eyes. “Oh, then I misunderstood. I thought you meant you wanted me to recover quickly so you could give me a lifelong mark. But since that’s not it, I’ll just focus on recovering quickly so I can be your military strategist. Just your strategist.”

Li Heng realized he’d shot himself in the foot and felt a little guilty. “Well, that’s not strictly necessary.”

Yuan Yi closed his eyes again, pretending not to hear.

But after a while, he couldn’t help but open his eyes to look at the children again. They were still so small—so small he couldn’t feel at ease.

He stretched out his arm in a rather awkward posture to protect them, forming a half-circle above them, as if encircling them with his arm to shield them.

“Mom said she and Doctor Luo would watch over the babies at night so you can rest. But why do I feel like you’d actually lose sleep if you were away from them?” Li Heng didn’t move Yuan Yi’s arm away. Instead, he gently massaged it, worried it would get sore from being held up so long.

“Can’t we just watch them ourselves at night?” Yuan Yi asked. “They’re still so little. If I’m not nearby, they’ll definitely feel insecure. They grew up listening to my heartbeat. And besides, you can soothe them with your spiritual power.”

“But it’ll wear you out.”

“I’m not afraid of being tired. And besides, I’ve got you, haven’t I?”

Li Heng sensed that faint feeling of anxiety surfacing again in Yuan Yi and said, “Alright, I’ll go tell Mom. But you have to promise—you sleep when they sleep.”

Yuan Yi agreed and soon closed his eyes again.

But Li Heng could still feel that fear clinging to Yuan Yi like vines. So he quietly used his spiritual power to influence him. Only then did Yuan Yi finally fall into a deep sleep.

Li Heng called Li Mian over. “Have you been hiding anything from me lately?”

Li Mian said, “No, Master. The Xuan Ying has higher authority than I do—how could I possibly keep anything from you? Whether I accept your communication requests or not, I always have to check with Brother Yi first. Isn’t that what you said yourself? That we should respect Brother Yi’s wishes.”

Li Heng asked, “Then did anything unusual happen during his time on Immortal Mountain?”

They’d been apart for over a hundred days. Even though they stayed in touch sometimes, most of the time they hadn’t. It wasn’t impossible that something had happened without his knowing.

Li Mian replied, “No, not really. Just at the beginning, when he arrived at Immortal Mountain and encountered those little sea beasts—they had quite an impact on Brother Yi. But overall, it was still fine. Other than that, in the later days, Brother Yi had trouble sleeping a lot. I asked him about it too, and he said it was because the due date was getting close and he was feeling a bit uneasy. But that’s pretty normal, right?”

What omega wouldn’t feel uneasy about giving birth without their alpha around? Back then, Brother Yi had behaved like a textbook steel-willed omega.

Li Heng said, “Got it. Go call the nurses in.”

The medical staff came in, followed by Professor Jian, who asked, “How is Xiao Yi doing?”

Li Heng explained that he would be the one taking care of Yuan Yi and the babies at night, and then asked Doctor Luo, “Aunt Luo, is it common for omegas to feel anxious after giving birth?”

Doctor Luo replied, “It depends. If they were with their alpha from the beginning and received enough comfort and companionship, the chances of that are very low. But in Yuan Yi’s case, there’s definitely a possibility of postpartum anxiety—or even depression. Don’t forget, he still hasn’t been given your final mark. Back then, we artificially induced his heat in order to achieve pregnancy, and during the procedure, we implanted a synthetic soft crystalline gland to simulate the knotting effect. Now that the babies are born, his body has already absorbed that artificial implant. On top of that, his hormone levels are shifting post-delivery, so mood swings are completely normal. Honestly, the surprising part is that he’s only just now showing signs of emotional strain.”

There are three stages in an omega’s life when they are at their most vulnerable: the first time they go into heat, their first pregnancy through childbirth, and when they lose the alpha who marked them. During these phases, they’re often in a state of deep unease—sometimes even panic. And Yuan Yi had, in his own way, gone through all three.

And not just that—he underwent artificial insemination and carried twins, then had to deal with the Aminanka incident, and was separated from Li Heng for nearly the entire time. They had only spent a few days physically together, with most of the connection sustained only through pheromones.

The nurse, who had always worked alongside Doctor Luo and was very familiar with Yuan Yi, added at this moment, “Back when Yuan Yi was induced into heat, he didn’t shed a single tear. Honestly, he endured everything for days straight without breaking down. I’ve never seen an omega like him.”

Doctor Luo cherished talent and admired Yuan Yi. With a soft sigh, she said, “When a person holds themselves to such high standards, repressed emotions tend to accumulate. Xiao Yi has always been the kind who avoids troubling others whenever he can. Sometimes, he’s so considerate it makes your heart ache.”

She had originally intended to bring these matters up earlier. But when they were just asked to step out of the room, she had figured that Li Heng likely needed time to comfort Yuan Yi, so she thought she could mention it later. She hadn’t expected Li Heng to already pick up on the problem.

Professor Jian asked, “Should we find him a therapist or do something to help him feel a little better?”

Doctor Luo looked at Yuan Yi, who was still frowning slightly in his sleep, and said frankly, “Let’s first follow what Li Heng just said—let the two of them take care of the children by themselves at night. Li Heng will have to work a bit harder and use more of his spiritual energy to help Yuan Yi sleep well. If it really gets to be too much, then call us—we’re not far away anyway. As for everything else, the root issue is that he doesn’t have a strong enough sense of security right now.”

When an omega is marked for life by an alpha during heat, the soft crystalline gland implanted in their body isn’t just a symbolic presence—it actually produces real chemical effects, and they’re long-lasting.

Li Heng did a rough calculation. From the time Yuan Yi became pregnant to now, the total number of days he’d actually been by his side wouldn’t even add up to a full month.

He recalled how, when Doctor Luo asked whether he would stay in the operating room, Yuan Yi immediately clutched his hand tightly—that had already said everything.

He needed him, desperately—but had always been the type who wouldn’t say so unless absolutely necessary.

Li Heng’s heart felt tight and sore. He thanked Doctor Luo and the nurses, asking them to handle the necessary screenings for the babies. After that, he started chatting with Professor Jian about what things had been like when Yuan Yi first came to live at their home.

Most of it he already knew, but it was true—there might’ve been things he overlooked before he arrived.

Professor Jian said, “Nothing much aside from what you already know—the Zhou Tandai family treated him terribly. But there’s one thing I once talked about with your father. Xiao Yi has a very distinct habit: no matter who gives him something or helps him in any way, he always tries to find a way to repay them as soon as possible. He’s fine with being kind to others, and he doesn’t mind if people owe him favors—he’s quite tolerant when it comes to family and friends. But he himself cannot stand to owe anyone anything, even to loved ones and close friends. He’s particularly sensitive when it comes to emotional debts.”

Li Heng was aware of this, but he didn’t think Yuan Yi’s current anxiety stemmed from that.

Just then, he caught sight of Ji Lan.

Ji Lan had come over holding a pair of tiny mittens he’d made for the babies. Li Heng motioned for his mother to go check on Yuan Yi, then called Ji Lan over and asked bluntly, “Ji Lan, I hope you don’t mind me asking this. But if you were in Yuan Yi’s shoes right now, what would be your biggest worry? Think about it from an omega’s perspective.”

Ji Lan said, “Well, it’s not like I have an alpha’s way of thinking anyway. But if you want the honest answer—”

Li Heng said, “Of course.”

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Ji Lan said, “Then isn’t it obvious? I’d be afraid you were going to take a concubine! You’re likely going to be made Emperor this time, and Emperors aren’t bound by monogamy. If I were Yuan Yi, I’d definitely be worried about that—especially since you haven’t even given him a permanent mark yet. Who wouldn’t feel insecure in that situation?”

Li Heng: “…”

Ji Lan continued, “General Li, in painting we place a lot of importance on the contrast between light and shadow. Everything in this world has both. If someone chooses to give all the light to others, then they’re the one left to carry the darkness. Xiao Yi looks strong on the outside, but he’s still an omega after all.”

The helplessness and uncertainty of going into heat—only those who’ve experienced it truly understand. And Yuan Yi had no solid support behind him.

Li Heng suddenly realized something. “I understand now. Thank you.”

Ji Lan said, “Then, can I ask you for something too?”

Li Heng replied, “If it’s within my power to help, of course.”

Ji Lan said, “If Pei She ever dares to treat me badly, please exile him to a trash planet.”

Li Heng: “…”

Yuan Yi slept for almost four hours before waking. When he did, he looked noticeably better than he had right after the surgery—at least he had some color in his face now.

As soon as he saw the time, he guessed that Li Heng had probably used his spiritual power to soothe him. Before falling asleep, though he’d been full of worry, he had drifted off naturally and hadn’t had any nightmares.

The most obvious sign of falling asleep under Li Heng’s spiritual influence was that sense of peace.

Yuan Yi saw the two babies sleeping nearby, their little chests gently rising and falling. Then he turned to look at Li Heng.

Li Heng was reading a document. Noticing the mental activity beside him picking up—a sign that Yuan Yi had awakened—he smiled and asked, “Am I handsome?”

Yuan Yi said, “Tolerably.”

Li Heng replied, “When our sons grow up, I’m going to tell them you thought their father wasn’t handsome enough.”

Yuan Yi said, “They’ll judge for themselves. Complaining won’t help. What are you reading?”

Li Heng brought the document closer and flipped through it for him. “I’m reading the post-war report. I need to get a clear understanding of the casualties and the next steps. Also, the babies’ screenings are all done—they’re perfectly healthy. Aunt Luo said in about a month, you won’t even be able to tell the difference between them and full-term babies. They still need a round of vaccinations later. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to be there with them, so I asked Aunt Luo and the others to wait. She said once they’re done, we can bring the kids back to our own room. We’ll raise them ourselves—I’ve already discussed it with Mom.”

“Was Mom upset?”

“Why would she be? She’s just worried you won’t get enough rest. And it’s not like she won’t see them often anyway.”

“How about…”

“No ‘how about’. It’s settled. And from now on, you don’t need to compromise for anyone—except in bed, for me.”

Yuan Yi instinctively glanced around to see if anyone else was there. Even though there wasn’t, his ears still turned red. “You’ve gotten more shameless with your words. And how is that even called a compromise?”

Li Heng chuckled. “So that means my wife’s doing it willingly.”

Yuan Yi looked down at the babies and softly replied, “Mm.”

After a brief pause, he said, “Li Heng.”

Li Heng didn’t respond.

Yuan Yi then called, “Hubby.”

Only then did Li Heng answer, “What is it?”

Yuan Yi thought for a moment, then admitted honestly, “I’m feeling a bit anxious, but I don’t seem to be able to control it. I keep worrying that you might not like them, or won’t want them. Or that someone might take them away from me—what would I do then? I know it’s not right to think like this, but I just can’t stop myself.