AHDIBCB Chapter 32

Jian Yurou said, “Father, do you really have Li Heng’s original pheromone?”

The old man said in a deep voice, “Leaving behind a bloodline for Li Heng is a serious matter. How could I be careless about it?”

After speaking, he beckoned with his hand, and the head of the personal guards opened a safe about the size of a shoebox. Inside was a row of twenty high-concentration original pheromone vials, which he handed over to Dr. Luo.

Dr. Luo quickly and fearfully received them. “Chief, I’ll go use this on Yuan Yi right away.”

The old man said, “Go ahead. Yurou, you go check on him too.”

Jian Yurou instinctively looked at her father, then entered the treatment room.

In just a few seconds, a distinct and unusually steady cedar scent wafted out from the treatment room. From outside, it didn’t smell overly intense or lustful, but its presence and pressure were very strong.

Yuan Yi had been bent over in agony, to the point that he was even starting to consider giving up altogether. But on one hand, he had his own selfish reasons, and on the other, omegas instinctively had a powerful protective instinct toward their own child, so it was hard for him to make up his mind.

He never expected that just as he was on the verge of collapse, a scent with an incredibly soothing effect enveloped him. It was a very strange sensation—as if all the muscles in his body that had been tensed up were slowly beginning to relax. Even his anxiety and agitation were easily calmed.

His body was finally able to relax, as if the suppressant had slowly begun to take effect.

“Mom, this is…”

“It’s Li Heng’s original pheromone. Your grandfather brought it—he had stored some,” Professor Jian said. As she spoke, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why—after all, planning ahead was exactly her father’s specialty.

“Please help me thank Grandpa. I feel much better now.”

“We’re all family. Your grandpa’s worried about you too. And your Aunt Luo and the others have already found the cause. We’ll think of a way to get the thing that can resolve this estrus from the root. In the meantime, just focus on resting, alright?”

“Alright. Is it poison?”

“You could put it that way. But since we already know the solution, we’ll definitely manage.” Jian Yurou’s voice became more urgent as she spoke, “Don’t overthink it now. What you need most is to rest and take care of yourself. Also, if there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me and I’ll have someone make it and bring it to you!”

“Mom, are you okay?”

“I’m fine! But I’ll have to step out soon. Even though this boy is my own son, the pheromone concentration is too high—I can’t take it either!” Jian Yurou said as she was already backing away. “I’ll come back once I’ve changed into a full isolation suit!”

As she spoke, she and Dr. Luo had already left—almost stepping out one after the other—and the door to the treatment room was tightly shut.

Yuan Yi looked out through the glass window and saw Jian Yurou and Dr. Luo running off into the distance. Assistant Fang and the others had long since disappeared.

There was only one person left outside—it seemed to be Li Heng’s grandfather.

Yuan Yi had never met this elder before, yet he somehow felt a sense of familiarity.

At that moment, the man outside waved at him.

So he also waved back. After waving, he instinctively pulled the blanket up, gathering it into a big bundle like a pillow and hugging it to his chest.

He thought this grandfather wouldn’t care about such little gestures—or perhaps wouldn’t even know why he was doing them. But what he didn’t know was that the man outside instantly recognized the blanket he was using.

He had never imagined that Yuan Yi, curled up in his blanket, could look so small and fragile.

He was always the type who seemed unshakable. But now, he was drenched in sweat, pale-faced, his hair sticking in clumps to his forehead.

Li Heng lowered his eyes and rubbed his fingers together, staring at the almost-too-real wrinkles on them. He was a little displeased—they had met several times already, and yet still couldn’t acknowledge each other.

At this moment, Yuan Yi suddenly felt a little drowsy. After extreme physical exertion, he fell into a deep sense of security. Though there was still some slight discomfort in his body, his mind was particularly relaxed.

Unconsciously, he fell asleep.

Li Heng watched as Yuan Yi settled down peacefully and said, “Let’s go back.”

The intelligent wheelchair turned around and exited. The guards outside immediately took over and departed with him.

Dr. Luo, now dressed in a full-coverage isolation suit, came back in and found that the old commander was already gone.

She checked Yuan Yi again. Seeing that the bleeding had completely stopped, she instructed the nurses to help change Yuan Yi into clean clothes.

Yuan Yi felt someone touching him and suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of wariness still lingering in his gaze. “I can change myself, thank you.”

The nurses hesitated and looked toward Dr. Luo.

Dr. Luo said, “Xiao Yi, you don’t have to feel embarrassed. It’s okay.”

Yuan Yi said, “Aunt Luo, I’m not embarrassed. I just want to clean myself up properly before changing.”

He knew that in the eyes of medical staff, there was only a distinction between patient and non-patient. They had long become used to seeing all kinds of appearances and genders. It was just that—although his body didn’t feel too uncomfortable anymore—the unease and sense of emptiness still lingered, and he felt a bit hot. It was simply a natural reaction—a reluctance to be touched by unfamiliar people.

Moreover, he wanted to stay alert—there were some things he needed to think about.

“Aunt Luo, has the test result for the bionic skin and flesh I brought back come out yet?”

“It has. The flesh part is just the commonly used bionic material, but there’s a layer of plant oil on the surface. Nothing much.”

Dr. Luo wasn’t sure how much the issue of the tiny insects inside Yuan Yi’s body would affect him emotionally, so she naturally didn’t dare to speak too clearly. They had previously discussed these matters outside the treatment room, so Yuan Yi likely wasn’t aware of it.

But Yuan Yi wasn’t someone who would passively wait for everything to be arranged and taken care of for him. He said, “Then may I trouble you to give me a copy of the test report? I’d like to take a look myself.”

Dr. Luo said, “Reading it will definitely put you under some pressure—do you still want to see it?”

Yuan Yi replied without hesitation, “Yes.”

Professor Jian was also present and said, “Give it to him.”

Through living and spending time together during this period, she had long realized that Yuan Yi wasn’t the kind of person to be easily defeated by problems. Besides, Yuan Yi had the right to know the truth.

So Dr. Luo had her assistant compile the findings they had so far into a document to give to Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi used some effort to wipe his body with medical sanitizing wipes. He also wanted to take a shower, but first, he didn’t quite have the strength; second, hot water would accelerate blood circulation, and since he was already physically weak, it could easily affect the child and lead to another bleeding incident. So for now, he could only make do.

After he finished changing into the hospital gown and came out, he found that on the bedside table in the treatment room was a meal that was easy to digest but high in energy, along with a fist-sized intelligent projector that looked like a little chick.

“What you want to see should all be in here. It’s called Noka. Just tell it to show you ‘File A’ and it’ll understand,” said Dr. Luo. “Do you want to watch it after eating or while eating?”

“I’ll watch after I finish eating. Thank you, Aunt Luo, Assistant Fang, and Mom.”

“No need to be so polite. Right now, you and the baby being well is more important than anything else.”

Jian Yurou said, “Your Aunt Luo is right. I’ve asked your dad to go home and get some things. We might need to stay in the hospital for a while. Think about whether there’s anything else you need brought over, and have your dad bring it back all at once.”

Yuan Yi saw the two other betas looking at the big blanket on his bed with friendly smiles. Feeling a bit awkward, he gave a slight cough and said, “Besides toiletries and a change of clothes, there’s nothing else I need.”

Jian Yurou said, “Then rest as much as you can. I’ve also checked with your teacher, Ms. Lu from the university. She said you’ve already passed the written portion of the exam this time. Although you didn’t complete the practical part, you can make it up at the beginning of the new semester. Also, the professors at the medical school all believe that you’re fully capable of transferring into the medical school.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi finally let go of some of the pressure and began to focus on eating.

The fish congee was made very fresh, accompanied by some light and tasty vegetarian side dishes. After finishing his meal, while he still had some energy, he began reviewing the test report and summary of the issue projected by Noka, and for the first time, gained an understanding of Aminanka.

He began to carefully analyze his blood test report, as well as learn about the habits of Aminanka.

At the same time, Li Heng was washing out his eyes.

As a young man, disguising himself as an elderly person wasn’t that difficult in terms of physical appearance—with current technology, as long as one spent some time, the desired effect could be achieved.

The difficult part was the eyes, the voice, and the demeanor—those intangible details.

He and the old man were similar in height, but after all, he was young, so there was a huge difference in muscle mass and skin tightness. To make the disguise more realistic, he had injected a certain drug, and even applied something in his eyes, which he now needed to wash out.

“Not to be rude, sir, but this was really too risky,” said the orderly Yi Shen. “What if someone had recognized you…”

“It was a bit risky, but the odds were in our favor. Not many people below have seen the old man, and only with this identity would no one dare approach me lightly.” Li Heng shook his head, and when he opened his eyes again, there was a clear difference in the expression within them compared to before.

“Besides, did you really think my pheromones had such miraculous effects?”

“Doesn’t it?” The young orderly looked confused. In his eyes, the effect was practically miraculous. Even though he hadn’t been at the scene, just the fact that Yuan Yi had been pacified was enough to make him think their general was truly incredible.

“Have you forgotten what our general’s strongest ability is?” Winter Wolf said. “If it was just to deliver some pheromones, we wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”

The young orderly suddenly realized, “Oh right!”

How could he have forgotten that their general’s greatest strength lay in mental control? He could influence a person’s mind and thoughts to a very high degree. But that required close proximity.

Li Heng quickly took a shower and came out, revealing his true appearance—a strong and muscular body, sharp eyes. Still the same person, yet his presence was entirely different from the disguised He Yanwu.

“Has Yanwu arrived?”

“He has,” Winter Wolf said. “He’s currently at the guest house on campus. Are you not going back to the school at all?”

“The school’s already on break. Of course I don’t need to return. Find a chance to let Yanwu continue his environmental research, no need for him to come back.”

“Understood, sir. Also, word is already spreading that Yuan Yi had a sudden incident and was hospitalized. Some are already starting to speculate that this might be related to Fei Qian.”

“Let them talk. The more the better. Fei Qian will definitely have to swallow some anger for a while—let him endure it for now. Just tell him I’ll give him the Blue-Scaled Dragonbone Saber hidden in the arsenal later.”

“Well then, even if he has to put up with it for three more years, he’d still be happy,” the young orderly joked. “He’s been eyeing that thing for ages.”

“Any news from Zhou Tandai?”

“Nothing from his end. Scarlet Snake has done a clean job, and he hasn’t been able to dig anything up for now. He’s been focused on climbing the ranks this past year, so he’s being very cautious. But, General—Snow Wolf just sent over a new piece of intel, and it’s a little different from what we initially thought. This incident with Yuan Yi’s hospitalization might actually still be linked to Fang Jing.”

Before, they had assumed this matter was orchestrated by another faction—after all, whether it ended in Yuan Yi losing the child or forcing their general to reveal himself, it would have been a huge win for the opposing side.

But it didn’t seem so simple now.

Li Heng looked over the message. “Not long after Yuan Yi fought with Zhou Xingran, Fang Jing went to Nanhua Hospital. But there’s no medical record of her there, and that timing doesn’t really make sense for visiting a patient.”

Winter Wolf added, “Right. That’s why Snow Wolf suspects she might have gone to meet someone. What’s strange is that she left behind no trace of communication with anyone during that time. But according to her movement log, she did indeed go to that hospital and stayed for a while.”

Li Heng said, “Have Snow Wolf check her financial transactions, see if there are any clues. Back then she clearly knew Zhou Tandai had a fiancée and still snatched him away—obviously for money and power. I refuse to believe her accounts are squeaky clean.”

Winter Wolf nodded in acknowledgment, then hesitated before asking, “General, that place can be cleaned up and made ready tonight as you requested… but are you really planning to stay there?”

“What’s the issue?”

“No… nothing…”

Winter Wolf truly didn’t know how to put it into words. Just thinking about the smell of that place made him feel faint.

Such a cramped, suffocating space!

But seeing the expressionless face of his superior, he knew the matter was already settled.

Fourth Defense Zone.

Fang Jing and Zhou Xingran had finally received news of Yuan Yi’s hospitalization. Zhou Xingran exclaimed excitedly, “Finally, some good news! Mom, does this mean he definitely won’t be able to keep the baby now?”

Fang Jing said, “Mm. A normal omega’s heat period lasts from three to seven days, but that’s when it happens naturally. His situation is different — if the root of the problem isn’t solved, he’ll stay in heat indefinitely, it’ll wear him down until it kills him. Even if the Li family grows a conscience and allows him to be marked by another alpha, at most they’re just letting him live — the child definitely can’t be kept. Unless he can travel to Brute Star at the speed of light, then there’s still hope; otherwise, he can forget about ever having kids in this lifetime.”

“That’s great. The Li family won’t let him die for the sake of their reputation, but if he’s marked by another alpha, they definitely won’t keep him. Let’s see how he keeps his dignity then. And if he can’t have children, what decent alpha would still want him? He’s doomed to a miserable next life.”

“Don’t worry. When the time comes, Mom will definitely persuade Dad to change sides. There’ll surely be even better alphas introduced to you.”

“But if something really happens with Dad on this side…”

“Even if it does, I’m still his officially wedded wife. If I don’t give way, who dares to snatch him from me? Mom has figured it out these past few days — even if this thing is true, I still can’t divorce him. Money is one thing, but more importantly, it’s the power in your dad’s hands. If you want to marry someone capable, we need that — understand?”

Zhou Xingran of course understood.

Family status is something that always exists. And the higher up you go, the more it matters. If he didn’t want to just marry off casually, then he still had to be acknowledged as Zhou Tandai’s son.

There was competition among omegas too. Several of his classmates came from even better family backgrounds than his — he didn’t want to always be beneath them. After coming out this time, he finally saw things clearly: in this world, there really weren’t many people who sincerely hoped for him to do well. After the fight between him and Yuan Yi got out, those who used to have decent relationships with him all turned around and stepped on him.

But that was still secondary — what made him the angriest was Yuan Yi! That guy was actually gaining more and more recognition at school. But he had never lost in anything since he was a child — this time couldn’t be an exception!

Zhou Xingran suddenly asked, “Mom, why did you say that if Yuan Yi could travel to and from Brute Star at the speed of light, there’d still be hope for him?”

Fang Jing said, “Why else? Of course it’s because Brute Star has something that can cure the ‘poison’ in him.”

Zhou Xingran said, “That won’t do! Marshal Jian has so many people under him — what if they really manage to get him the antidote? Mom, you need to hurry and come up with something, make sure that even if they go, they can’t get it. Otherwise I won’t feel at ease.”

Fang Jing thought that made sense. It’s just that, although things like Isocyclic incense were rare even in Brute Star they weren’t so scarce that money couldn’t buy them — it would be hard to stop Marshal Jian’s people from finding it…

In the end, Fang Jing still decided to ask Ivana.

She didn’t contact Ivana by phone, but used a very small forum where everyone seemed to talk about random things, but in fact, they had their own ways of encrypting messages.

Fang Jing left a message, and Ivana replied in code to tell her not to worry — everything had already been arranged.

Fang Jing was truly curious, so she asked Ivana how she had managed to pull it off. Ivana replied: Did you forget? When the Tayler Tribe attacked Blue Gel Star, Li Heng led his troops to aid Blue Gel Star — only then were the Tayler Tribe defeated. They hate Li Heng to the bone. All I need to do is have someone leak the news that Li Heng’s only bloodline needs Isocyclic Incense to survive, and all of this year’s Isocyclic Incense in their territory will be wiped out.

The Tayler Tribe was the largest clan in Brute Star, and their clan chief was also from the Tayler Tribe. They would love nothing more than to flay Li Heng alive and feast on his flesh — there’s no way they’d stay indifferent after hearing such news.

Fang Jing finally felt at ease and replied: You really thought of everything.

Ivana didn’t respond again.

She put down the communicator and stood respectfully by the side of the sofa.

Seated on the sofa was an omega male who looked about twenty-five years old — more accurately, it was the holographic projection of this young man.

The young man said, “After the job is done, it’s best to keep a distance from idiots like that. If a person’s brain doesn’t match his ambition, he’s bound to screw things up sooner or later.”

Ivana didn’t dare argue at all, and cautiously said, “Your guidance is absolutely right.”

The young man said, “As long as you understand. Don’t worry—as long as you handle this matter cleanly, His Highness definitely won’t treat you unfairly.”

Ivana bent down and bowed toward the projection. Only then did the hologram disappear from its original spot.

That night, the news of Yuan Yi being hospitalized due to an unexpected heat spread all over the internet. People were abuzz with speculation—some believed it was the work of Li Heng’s enemies, trying to eliminate all loose ends. Others thought Yuan Yi was simply faking it, that he wasn’t even pregnant at all. Otherwise, how could someone in the middle of pregnancy possibly go into heat?

Yuan Yi had no reaction to this. What he cared more about was how to resolve the trouble at hand.

At first, he thought it was something done by Fang Jing and Zhou Xingran—after all, the fight had just happened not long ago, and with Zhou Xingran’s personality, it was very likely he’d do something to take revenge.

But upon thinking about it more carefully, neither Fang Jing nor Zhou Xingran was capable of pulling something off with such precision. If that mother and son duo had this kind of ability, Zhou Xingran wouldn’t have taken that beating from him.

The only person in the Zhou family who might be capable of such a thing was Zhou Tandai himself—but Zhou Tandai, at the moment, was absolutely not in a position to shift his allegiance.

Then who else could it be?

When the original host was still around, he had been the type who was very well-behaved and quiet, even to the point of being barely noticeable—he was always afraid of causing trouble, and didn’t talk much. That kind of personality might not have made people like him, but it did help him avoid offending others to the greatest extent.

The only people he had ever offended were Fang Jing and Zhou Xingran, the mother and son. And after Yuan Yi came into the picture, maybe Bai Wanzhe could be added to that list.

But did Bai Wanzhe have the ability to pull off something like this?

He couldn’t help but recall what Bai Wanzhe said after he splashed him with water.

That guy surnamed Bai said he would definitely come looking for him—where did he get that confidence?

If this whole thing really was done by Bai Wanzhe, then Bai Wanzhe should’ve known what consequences it would bring. So what was he even talking about, coming to find him? He was already on the verge of losing half his life—was he going to drag his half-dead body over?

So there had to be someone else behind this.

Since it wasn’t someone he had offended, then eight or nine times out of ten, it must’ve been someone Li Heng had offended—and that widened the range considerably.

He had asked Li Mian to read him everything Li Heng had done over the years. Overall, this deceased husband of his had been a fierce warrior with a glorious military record—someone the Emperor had praised more than once. But all that fighting east and west had also earned him plenty of enemies.

But all that fighting and campaigning east and west had also earned him plenty of enemies.

Of course, he wasn’t so naive as to believe that marrying into the Li family and giving birth to a child would allow him to enjoy a peaceful life. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight — glory accumulated over several lifetimes was never something easily obtained. He just didn’t expect someone to make a move so soon…

Yuan Yi gulped down a whole bottle of water.

Even with Li Heng’s primary pheromones, he was still uncomfortable. He felt hot and irritable. This kind of irritability came from long-standing needs going unfulfilled. But for now, there wasn’t any good solution.

He only had a lousy idea, and wasn’t sure if it would work.

Luo Min came in to readjust the pheromone concentration in the treatment room. Seeing Yuan Yi with a pile of paper, doing calculations and drawings — some of which she could recognize, some not — she asked, “Xiao Yi, what are you trying to figure out?”

Yuan Yi said, “Aunt Luo, how long can fat filling or transplantation survive?”

In modern times, the fastest was generally more than three weeks, and if it failed, the fat would be reabsorbed by the body. But given how many years technology had advanced here, it definitely wouldn’t take that long.

He had found online that it could take three days, but he wanted a precise answer.

Luo Min said, “Depends on the individual’s acceptance and adaptability. The fastest recorded case of successful survival was two and a half days. Why are you asking this?”

Yuan Yi said, “Since Aminanka likes fat, then inside the human body, shouldn’t it also prefer to gather in areas with more fat? The abdomen, buttocks, thighs. But the information says that if it can’t be eliminated in one go, it will also affect fertility. So can I boldly guess that it’s parasitizing in the abdomen?”

Luo Min was a little surprised. In fact, she had thought about this too — but her assumptions were based on the experience of a seasoned obstetrician. And Yuan Yi?

Yuan Yi continued, “I’ve gone over all my test reports three times, including those from before the pregnancy. Although the current reports do show changes that are indeed possible during an omega’s heat cycle, my urine ketone levels during this heat are clearly higher than when I was in heat while trying to conceive.”

Urine ketones are typically a byproduct of fat metabolism. Fever, intense exercise, poor diet, and medication can all cause elevated levels. But he hadn’t eaten anything unusual, nor taken any medication known to raise ketone levels. He also hadn’t done any strenuous exercise.

Luo Min reviewed the data again for comparison, and indeed, as Yuan Yi said, the overall ketone levels this time were higher than during his conception period.

It wasn’t a dramatically obvious spike, but there was definitely a difference.

To be cautious, their testing was never done just once. Yuan Yi’s claim was certainly backed by evidence.

Yuan Yi said, “Aunt Luo, I want to discuss something with you in private.”

Luo Min thought for a moment, then locked the door of the treatment room. “Go ahead.”

Yuan Yi said, “With such a large amount of fat being consumed, I don’t think it’s the work of just one Aminanka. Since we can’t detect any abnormalities in the blood, is it possible that the substance it produces, which causes omegas to go into heat, is also being consumed in the process? Then, could we try to divert it—to make it consume other fat instead?”

Luo Min said, “But right now we don’t even know how to lure it out—” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “That’s why you just asked me about fat filling and transplantation?!”

Yuan Yi nodded. “According to the data, if there’s no Isocyclic Incense, the only solution left is a lifelong alpha mark. The only difference between a lifelong mark and a regular one is this—an omega develops a soft crystal structure inside them that originally belonged to the alpha. One-third of that soft crystal is made up of high-density fat tissue.”

The more Luo Min listened, the more excited she became—and the more it all made sense. She paced back and forth at the end of the bed, thinking for a while. “Xiao Yi, you really… Now I finally understand how you passed the transfer exam into the medical academy in such a short time.”

No, you don’t!

Yuan Yi guiltily touched his nose.

Luo Min said, “You really surprise me.”

Yuan Yi said, “Actually, you had already thought of it too, hadn’t you? It’s just that my identity is a kind of invisible pressure after all. Helping me with these two children hasn’t been easy for you either, and how much to say or not say is hard to grasp.”

If it succeeds, the credit may not amount to much—but if it fails, the responsibility will be huge.

Luo Min was suddenly a little moved.

Yuan Yi wasn’t the first person under her care to try continuing the bloodline for an alpha with special genes—but to understand her to such a degree, Yuan Yi was definitely the first.

Luo Min said, “So you’re thinking of doing a fat transplant, plus a transplant of an alpha’s soft crystal fat?”

Yuan Yi had spoken quite a bit and was feeling a little tired, so he lay down and continued, “That is what I’m thinking, but I’m not sure how viable it is. I know that an alpha’s soft crystal can basically regenerate another one within twenty-four hours after being used. But I’m not sure if it can be obtained through external means. So right now, I’m more focused on trying to simulate that kind of lump of fat as much as possible.”

A lump of fat that might attract the Aminanka’s interest and cause them to relocate.

Luo Min thought for a moment. “But where would you transplant it?”

Yuan Yi pointed to his own arm. “I think, since they entered from here, they should be able to return here too. And if it fails, the consequences wouldn’t be too serious.”

Cosmetic surgery here was already highly advanced, so he wasn’t worried about post-surgery scarring. Besides, even if there was a scar, it didn’t matter.

Luo Min was a little confused. “You’re not worried about it looking bad? Omegas are usually very concerned about their appearance. You’re not?”

Yuan Yi said, “Who am I worried about showing it to? I don’t care myself. As for others, if they care about such things, then people like that aren’t worth my effort. What’s important is whether there’s a relatively easy way to solve this problem.”

Luo Min said, “No wonder Principal Li and Professor Jian spoil you so much. There’s indeed a reason for it. But this matter, I can’t make a decision on my own. I’ll need to report it to my superiors first.”

Yuan Yi naturally understood this and asked, “Are you reporting to Li Heng’s grandfather?”

Luo Min was speechless. “Do you think I can just report to him? Of course, I’ll report to someone who can get through to the old marshal.”

Yuan Yi said, “Then maybe I should ask Professor Jian if she can directly contact the old marshal. Before the results come out, I’d like to keep this matter as confidential as possible.”

“No problem.”

“Thank you, Aunt Luo. Also, do you know if Assistant Fang has the contact information of the netizen who posted the science article about Aminanka? I want to see if that person has shared any other informative content.”

“That might be difficult. I had Assistant Fang try to reach out, but the person quickly deleted all their information. We also tried some special methods to make contact, but couldn’t find them. So whether your proposal can get approved is still uncertain.”

“Deleted?”

“Yes. We suspect that person might have been worried about getting into trouble.”

“That’s very possible. Alright, I understand. But I’ll still try to get in touch with Grandpa as soon as possible. I’ll also trouble you to look into any feasible plans. I’m still at the theoretical stage, and I’ll have to rely on you for the details.”

“Don’t worry. I think your idea has strong feasibility and is worth exploring in depth. For now, get some rest and try to recover—don’t overexert yourself. Call me if you need anything.”

Yuan Yi nodded and set aside the materials he had been writing and drawing on.

He really was exhausted. A large part of it was due to the physical discomfort draining his stamina, and the rest came from the psychological pressure.

Although having Li Heng’s primary pheromones greatly eased his sense of unease, the threat of Aminanka was still unresolved—this fact continued to weigh on him.

There was no denying that he had indeed chosen to marry into the Li family in order to escape the Zhou family and secure a better living environment for himself. But his feelings for the two children were also genuine. He had never had true blood relatives of his own and deeply longed for that kind of bond.

And as an omega, the desire to have children seemed to be something instinctual.

Yuan Yi gently placed his hand on his lower abdomen. It was still flat, but he knew the two little ones were working hard to grow each day. If all went well, by next month their presence would be much more noticeable, and his body would begin to undergo obvious changes.

No matter what, the issue of Aminanka had to be resolved.

Yuan Yi picked up the communicator—because the alpha pheromone concentration in his treatment room was too high, currently only Doctor Luo and the nurses would come in when necessary. Professor Jian had been persuaded to go back and rest. After all, she couldn’t wear the full isolation suit the whole time—it was far too uncomfortable.

Yuan Yi contacted Professor Jian. “Mom, are you resting?”

Jian Yurou replied, “Not yet. I was just about to message you. How are you feeling now? Any better?”

Yuan Yi instinctively curled up with Li Heng’s blanket. “I’m okay—much better compared to before. I called to ask if it would be appropriate for me to contact Grandpa at this time. I’d like to consult him about a few matters.”

Jian Yurou said, “Of course you can. Your grandfather would be very happy to hear from you. Around this time, he usually won’t rest for another hour and a half or so. Do you have his number? If not, I’ll send it to you.”

Yuan Yi indeed didn’t have it—he had never contacted the old man before, and the Marshal had never said anything about wanting to meet him either, so he had never brought it up. Now, asking for the number and thinking about how dignified the old man had seemed earlier in the day—even in a wheelchair—made him a bit nervous. But he knew that without the Marshal’s approval, Doctor Luo absolutely wouldn’t dare authorize the fat filling surgery on her own.

Or rather, it shouldn’t even be called “fat filling” but instead “fat grafting.”

—

Marshal’s Residence, study.

When Jian Qingchuan saw a private number calling—and at this hour—he thought it was his daughter. To his surprise, it wasn’t.

Li Heng was sitting in the Marshal’s rocking chair. “Who’s calling? Why aren’t you answering?”

Jian Qingchuan said, “It’s your spouse. Do you think he noticed you were pretending to be me earlier? Want to answer it yourself?”

Li Heng said, “I already switched my voice back—how could I answer now? You better take it. I’ll just listen from the side.”

So the old man hurriedly answered before the call could disconnect. “Answering.” Then he asked, “Who is this?”

Yuan Yi, hearing the voice, steadied himself and said, “Hello, Grandpa. This is Yuan Yi. If it’s convenient, there are some matters I’d like to ask your guidance on—if that’s okay with you.”

The old man put it on speaker. “Go ahead.”

Yuan Yi then explained his idea in full detail—his logic was clear, orderly, and coherent.

The old man listened while watching his grandson’s expression. “You want to perform a fat filling procedure on yourself—but what if it ends up negatively affecting the two little ones? Besides, I’ve already sent someone to Brute Star to retrieve Isocyclic incense. Wouldn’t that be more reliable?”

Yuan Yi said, “Isocyclic incense is ultimately a product of an enemy star—so is Aminanka. We still know far too little about these things. If someone hadn’t happened to share that information this time, we might not even know such things existed in the world. And if the enemy uses it on other omegas in the future, then it would pose a great threat to our entire A/O population. By then, if Isocyclic incense isn’t available, would our only solution be to rely on alpha marking omega? And many omegas might lose their ability to reproduce—that would be the greatest loss.”

He viewed every life as equal. But many of the outstanding alpha genes could indeed only be best preserved and passed on with omega cooperation. Life required diversity, and to him, the loss of any group would be a regret.

The old man said, “You care a lot about humanity’s future?”

Yuan Yi said, “There are those who give their lives to protect our home—then naturally, there must also be those who try to reduce the sacrifices. I don’t have that kind of ability yet—at most, I can only talk. But you’re different.”

The old man said, “Alright. I’ve heard what you had to say—I’ll find a time to contact Doctor Luo.”

Yuan Yi quietly let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, Grandpa. Then I won’t disturb your rest. Goodbye.”

The old man said, “Wait a moment—I have a question too.”

Yuan Yi, who had just relaxed, tensed up again. “Please go ahead.”

The old man said, “If Isocyclic incense can’t be found, and the only way for you to survive is to be marked by another alpha, what will you do?”

Yuan Yi said without hesitation, “I will keep living. A scalpel in a doctor’s hand isn’t only for saving lives—if that day truly comes, I will seek justice for my children.”

After he finished speaking, there was a long silence on the other end, yet Yuan Yi felt much calmer. “If you have nothing else to say, I’ll hang up now. Thank you again for sending over Li Heng’s pheromones today to resolve my urgent need. Goodbye, Grandpa.”

The old man said, “Good child, I will seriously consider what you said. Goodbye.”

After the call ended, the study fell into a long silence.

After a while, the old man asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Li Heng pondered for a moment and said, “In the past, I felt some things were out of reach, too difficult to grasp. But now that I have him, I think maybe it’s worth a try.”

Countless stars in the sky, yet no one to give them to—that is dullness.

But if there’s someone to whom they can be gifted, then it’s a different story altogether.