Chapter 30: I'll tell you everything that happened before, but...

Chen Huixing hadn't come to see him all week.

Pei Jiqing went about his business as usual. After all, Chen Huixing was furious. He casually turned on the TV. As the opening theme of "Honey Talk Star Chef" played, a strange face appeared on the screen—young, immature, with a rather unnatural smile between his brows.

The program had changed.

The station director's Omega distant relative, with a timid appearance, spoke words that deliberately pricked the guests' sore spots. He lamented that the show wasn't good enough. The originally soothing rhythm of the show had been shattered, and the once slowly simmering warmth had become a deliberately constructed gimmick. The exaggerated rhythm...

Pei Jiqing stared at the screen, dazed, unable to recognize that this was the show he had polished. Although it wasn't perfect, it had once been like a cup of warm, sweet soup, soothing the stomachs and hearts of countless people.

What was this like now?

He raised his hand to turn off the TV.

Pei Jiqing raised his hand and turned off the TV. The light from the screen suddenly went out, but he felt the pent-up resentment linger, lingering in his chest.

He stood up and headed for the door, his bodyguard already standing silently in front of him, like a silent wall.

"Madam," he whispered, "you need to rest."

"I'll just go downstairs for a walk," Pei Jiqing said, curling his lips. "If you keep shutting yourself away, your condition will get worse. Then you should report to the executive officer."

The bodyguards finally gave in, and the two of them trailed behind him like shadows.

Pei Jiqing stepped on the half-wet ground. The lingering scent of yesterday's rain still lingered in the air, a damp coolness wrapped in the scent of earth and fallen leaves, carelessly seeping into his lungs.

Leaves toppled by the rain huddled in a corner, their withered edges like scorched paper, forming a desolate autumn scene.

He straightened his knitted coat, and the blue and white stripes of his hospital gown peeked out from the collar. The medicine prescribed by the doctor was just some vitamins and nutrients in a bottle.

Suddenly, the hem of his coat was gently pulled, very lightly. Pei Jiqing lowered his head and met a pair of clear eyes - it was a very small boy, about four years old, with soft black hair hanging in front of his forehead, making his face only the size of a palm, so well-behaved that it was almost fragile.

In his arms, he was holding a long-eared gray rabbit doll tightly, the fur was slightly wrinkled from being rubbed, and like his coat, it exuded a softness.

The bodyguard subconsciously wanted to step forward, but Pei Jiqing raised his hand to stop him.

He slowly squatted down, his eyes were level with the boy, and his voice unconsciously became softer: "Little boy, why are you here alone?"

The boy didn't say anything, just blinked. The wind blew through the treetops, bringing a rustling sound, and he just stood there, like a quiet sapling.

The little boy said softly, "Keke, come out and see Auntie."

"Your name is Keke, right?" Pei Jiqing's lips curved slightly, his smile gentle yet soft. He reached out, his fingertips gently touching the back of the child's hand. The touch was soft, "What a nice name."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

A middle-aged woman hurried over, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, her eyes filled with lingering panic. She pulled Keke into her arms, her arms tightly wrapped around her. "Didn't Auntie say you'd be out for a while? Why did you come out alone? What if something happened to you? What should we do?"

Keke didn't answer, but buried her face deep in the woman's shoulder, her soft hair brushing against her neck like a chick returning to its nest.

The middle-aged woman glanced up at the bodyguard standing solemnly behind Pei Jiqing, her expression suddenly stiffening. An apologetic smile played at the corners of her mouth, and a cautious fear filled the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

"This child is timid," she said, pulling Coco closer to her, her voice soft. "She's never so abrupt normally."

Pei Jiqing shook his head, his eyes fixed on the tiny whorl on the child's head. "Very cute."

Coco was being carried away reluctantly when she suddenly struggled to get off the ground. It turned out to be a snail slowly crawling across the wet pebbles, the sunlight after the rain coating the traces of its crawling with a layer of shiny silver. The child squatted down, not caring about the mud on her little leather shoes, and just focused on following the snail's steps.

The wisteria flowers under the corridor of the inpatient department were in full bloom. In the shadows cast by them, Pei Jiqing looked at Coco. The people who lived here were either rich or noble. He couldn't help but ask softly, "Is Coco's family... sick?"

A complex shadow flashed across the middle-aged woman's face.

"I've been taking care of Coco since she was a child," her voice suddenly became hoarse, and her eyes drifted to the neatly trimmed bushes in the distance. "Not really, it's just that this place... is more suitable for Coco to live in."

This was the convalescent department, very quiet.

Coco was led away by a middle-aged woman. When her small figure turned at the end of the corridor, she did not forget to turn back and wave to Pei Jiqing. She had the innocence and cuteness unique to children, which made people feel soft for no reason.

Pei Jiqing stood where he was, and suddenly pursed his lips. His fingers unconsciously touched his abdomen, and his fingertips tightened slightly on the fabric.

After returning to the ward, he couldn't help asking the nurse about the child.

The nurse lowered her voice and told him: "The child is an illegitimate child. I heard that the family refused to acknowledge him, so he has been raised here."

There was a bit of sigh in her words, and some subtle excitement of peeking into the secret.

"Are he and the nanny the only ones here?"

"The Omega who gave birth to him disappeared a few years ago," the nurse's voice became softer, "The child was taken away. It is said that he cried so hard that he had to be sent back in the end."

"Poor thing." Pei Jiqing said softly.

The nurse shook her head, a smile that was hard to tell whether it was envy or irony playing on her lips. "If you want to talk about pity, that child lives in a top-tier suite. A few days' worth of expenses would be equivalent to half a year's salary for an average person, and he's got three or four caregivers."

She sorted through the medical records in her hand. "In this world, some people value even their misfortunes more than others."

Pei Jiqing thought, "Illegitimate children aren't always easy to accept. The very word 'illegitimate' carries a certain hidden heaviness, like a counterfeit, unable to be circulated openly, yet still possessing a shred of value that can't be discarded."

Perhaps one day, such a small life will become a weight on the scales of interest, a cold exchange carried out in the shadows, unseen.

Two days later, he ran into Keke again.

The child, holding the gray rabbit stuffed animal, stood in the sunlight at the corner of the corridor, looking at him. Pei Jiqing tilted his head, smiled, and waved. As time went by, they became familiar.

Aunt Ning Yi, who cared for Keke, looked surprised when she saw Keke approaching Pei Jiqing.

Perhaps it was because Pei Jiqing's body was nurturing life, even the pheromones were soft, making the sensitive child unconsciously want to get closer.

Keke took the initiative to hold the corner of Pei Jiqing's clothes, curled up beside Pei Jiqing and quietly flipped through the picture book. Keke pointed to the Omega character of a family of three in the picture book and said, "Dad." Chen

Huixing thought that the child had never seen the Omega or Beta who gave birth to him.

Two days later, one afternoon, Pei Jiqing was under the wisteria trellis in the small garden and accidentally saw Cen Yuean holding Keke in his arms. He gently rested his forehead against the child's forehead and touched the back of the child's head with his fingers. His usually sharp eyebrows were now as soft as the first melting snow.

Keke's childish voice was particularly clear in the silence: "Dad."

Pei Jiqing's pupils trembled slightly. It turned out that the officer who was always at odds with Shen Huixing and whose eyes were sharp would reveal such a gentle expression.

There was no flashy light and shadow of clinking glasses here, and no false flattery of elegant ladies. Pei Jiqing finally saw Cen Yuean's appearance clearly - not the kind of hard and tough look that soldiers usually have, but a handsome and elegant look with a bit of elegance.

His brow bones were very well-shaped, the lines of his nose were neat but not rough, and the curve of his jaw revealed a hint of literary elegance. Only his eyes were still bottomless, like two frozen pools.

Keke turned out to be his illegitimate child.

Cen Yuean lowered his eyes to look at the child, and all his sharpness was suppressed.

He vaguely wondered, if Shen Huixing saw their unborn child, would he also take off his coldness and stare at this little life with the same cherishing eyes?

His thoughts drifted too far, and by the time he came to his senses, a long shadow had been cast among the flowers.

Cen Yuean stood not far away, holding Coco. The tenderness he had just shown was gone, replaced by a cold, blade-like scrutiny. The sunlight reflected off the military uniform insignia, glaring, causing Pei Jiqing to blink.

"...I won't tell anyone." Pei Jiqing heard his own voice carried on the flower-scented breeze.

The encounter with Cen Yuean was purely accidental. The look he gave him sent a chill down Pei Jiqing's spine. Perhaps if it weren't for Chen Huixing's Omega identity, Cen Yuean would have silenced him without hesitation.

Sure enough, the next morning, the small figure holding the gray rabbit doll was no longer seen in the hospital corridor.

Cen Yuean's warning was still ringing in his ears, each word shrouded in frost: "I don't want to hear any rumors. Otherwise, I won't let Mr. Pei's husband have an easy time."

Pei Jiqing nodded, but his eyes couldn't help but follow the child who was taken away. Coco rested on Cen Yuean's shoulder and waved at him with her soft little hand.

Perhaps it was the indelible tenderness in Cen Yuean's eyes when he looked at Coco that planted a faint hope in Pei Jiqing's heart.

He decided to give in one last time. He held the phone handed to him by the bodyguard. When the call was connected, Pei Jiqing deliberately softened his tone, and every word was wrapped in cautious temptation: "Husband, are you still angry?"

But Chen Huixing's voice was still as cold as iron, and the response he gave was like a basin of cold water: "Don't you need to rest? Then stay for a few more days."

Pei Jiqing did not give up, and took out the most familiar name he used in the past: "Husband, don't you feel lonely when you go back home alone?"

Chen Huixing: "I live in the military headquarters."

These four words neatly cut off all escape routes.

Pei Jiqing lowered his eyelashes and calculated silently in his heart.

He knew that he had lied to Chen Huixing more than just this one time, and he felt sorry after all. It was better to let him desensitize slowly than to do something drastic all at once. The bad guy was a bad guy, and everything would be fine if it didn't come to a divorce.

The matter of the child would eventually have to be laid bare. The little life was taking shape in the belly day by day, and like the quietly bulging bud, it would eventually bloom and could not be concealed.

After all, Chen Huixing was his father by blood, and this hurdle had to be crossed no matter what.

"Husband, I know I lied to you..." Pei Jiqing paused for a moment, "but it was because I loved you too much. Those lies... were all well-intentioned. I understand you don't want to see me now, but I will always be here waiting until you are willing to look back at me." Chen

Huixing: "Why don't you let me touch you?"

Pei Jiqing hated himself for not building a chastity arch in Shen Huixing's heart. Now, just because he refused intimacy a few times, he caused such a big reaction from the other party.

"...I didn't want to worry you," Pei Jiqing began. "My glands... haven't been feeling well lately."

Chen Huixing's voice came over the line: "What's the problem?"

"My pheromones are out of whack. I had a serious illness before, and this time... I'm not lying to you."

There was a moment's silence on the other end of the line, and then Chen Huixing's voice finally softened: "Reflect on this for a few days."

A few days later, as the Pei family car slowly pulled up in front of the hospital, a glimmer of light shone in Pei Jiqing's eyes. He got in and called Chen Huixing: "I'll tell you everything that happened, honey. I'll be waiting at home, okay?"

"If you want an explanation... just come home, okay? I really don't want to argue with you. I have a surprise for you."

After a long pause, Chen Huixing said, "Hmm.

" Xu Ze saw that Chen Huixing had finished his paperwork early today, which was unusual for him. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to pick up your wife?"

Chen Huixing paused imperceptibly as he adjusted his sleeves: "...No."

Just then, Yan Zhen called in, mysteriously promising him a surprise. Chen Huixing made a last-minute change of direction on his way home. As he pushed open the door to the clinic, the scent of disinfectant mingled with a faint sweetness.

Yan Zhen pushed a sealed glass tube toward him, the liquid inside shimmering amber in the light.

"What's this?" Chen Huixing frowned, his fingertips tracing the cool tube's walls.

Yan Zhen chuckled mischievously, lowering his voice. "Don't call me ungrateful. This is your wife's pheromone extract, supposedly stored at the Inspectorate."

The glass tube reflected tiny specks of light in Shen Huixing's palm.

"Who told your wife to keep you away lately? I've used a lot of connections," Yan Zhen suddenly said seriously. "You're going to be running for commander soon, so save this."

The last few words were pronounced with profound meaning.

This was indeed an unwritten rule of the Inspectorate: every AO couple must retain a pristine pheromone sample before entering into a marriage contract. Back then, the scent hadn't yet been fused and labeled, pure and clean.

"You're a 90 percent match. One sniff would have you spellbound."

Yan Zhen's voice was devoid of joking, simply stating the truth.

After the car accident that changed everything, Chen Huixing had all the match data reports tampered with, allowing him to steadily advance. He peeled back the sealed cap and, as if possessed, brought the bottle to his nose. The long-lost scent slowly peeled back the cocoon of memory.

"How does it feel?" Yan Zhen observed his expression.

Chen Huixing frowned slightly. "...Nothing special."

The Alpha's Adam's apple rolled. "Just something familiar..." It was Pei Jiqing's scent.

Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "How could that be? A normal Alpha would instantly calm their anxieties and restlessness upon smelling pheromones with such a high match, not to mention your high compatibility..." Chen Huixing

stared at him silently, a dark emotion flickering in his eyes, prolonging the moment's silence.

Pei Jiqing, aproned, had been busy all afternoon, meticulously preparing the dishes as they were laid out on the table. He sat at one end of the long table, his eyes occasionally glancing at the wall clock.

Even after dark, Chen Huixing still hadn't arrived home.

Sister Zhang tiptoed over, her voice soft, "Madam, why don't you go and rest first?"

Pei Jiqing shook his head and said, "No need."

As the night deepened, the shadows of the trees outside the window swayed in the wind, and the shadows cast on the curtains were like some kind of silent mockery. The heat on the dining table gradually dissipated, and the grease condensed into milky white frost on the edge of the plate.

Pei Jiqing always maintained an upright sitting posture.

When the morning light finally flooded through the window lattice, Pei Jiqing slowly stood up, his eyes swept over the carefully prepared but unattended dishes, then picked up the plates and dumped them all into the trash can, the porcelain making a crisp sound as they collided.