Chapter 38 Chen Huixing's voice came close to his ear. Is it fun outside...

Pei Jiqing stood up and said in a resolute voice: "Whatever you think, I'm going back. We'll just pretend we've never met. You can go back to where you came from."

Wei Ji grabbed his wrist, almost embedding it into his bones and blood, with unwillingness and pain burning in his eyes: "Are you really with that kid?"

Pei Jiqing turned his face to the side, his voice calm and almost cruel: "Wei Ji, do I need to make it clearer? We have completely had no relationship for a few years now. It has nothing to do with you who I am with."

Wei Ji's Adam's apple rolled, and he chuckled, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "...Yes, it doesn't matter, Pei Jiqing, why are you so cruel."

He suddenly took a step closer, like a trapped beast making a last-ditch effort: "What if I insist?"

Pei Jiqing finally looked at him, his eyes like frost, and each word fell lightly and heavily: "Don't make me hate you."

Wei Ji looked into Pei Jiqing's eyes, That gaze was so cold, almost transparent, as if there had never been any past between them. A surge of intense resentment suddenly welled up in his chest, and he couldn't help but wonder, had Pei Jiqing truly loved him? Otherwise, how could he have turned so abruptly, walked so far, so quickly, leaving him alone, trapped in the mire of memories, sinking deeper and deeper.

Wei Ji had long since forbidden anyone to get close to him. Every time someone tried to touch him, the moment their skin touched, he would remember Pei Jiqing's cold voice, with its undisguised disdain, calling him dirty.

That word was etched into his bones like a brand.

He had imagined countless reasons why Pei Jiqing had left—perhaps because he was poor, because he had nothing and couldn't offer the promise of stability.

So, all these years, he had desperately climbed upward, struggling in the dust to reach the light, but he never dared to truly stand before Pei Jiqing.

He could only hide in the shadows, as if peeking into a dream that had nothing to do with him, watching Pei Jiqing walk towards so-called "happiness" while he himself lacked the right to even reach out.

He never believed that there would be any real happiness between Pei Jiqing and Shen Huixing.

Those high-ranking Alphas were born accustomed to seeing Omegas as exquisite collections to embellish their lives. How could they understand the pride and gentleness in Pei Jiqing's bones? How could they understand how precious he was?

He didn't know, and forgot that he had been entangled with someone in the chaotic night and was seen by Pei Jiqing.

It was Wei Ji who forgot that a person like Pei Jiqing would never tolerate even a trace of betrayal.

Pei Jiqing had been called an "illegitimate child" for too many years.

When Wei Ji was looking for excuses, he subconsciously thought that he was not good enough, not decent enough, and could not give Pei Jiqing a glamorous life.

But he forgot how much Pei Jiqing had suffered with him. If Pei Jiqing really cared about those vanity and false reputations, how could she have followed him without hesitation?

It turned out that it was not fate that was cruel, nor was it others who interfered, but he himself - he personally strangled that purest love inch by inch in his palm.

His knuckles silently tightened and unclenched at his sides, and a lingering cruelty lingered in his palms.

For a moment, he wanted to just kidnap Pei Jiqing without a care in the world, and lock him up in a place only Wei Ji knew—letting all the glaring lights and noisy voices disappear, leaving only the rotten yet vibrant past between them.

"When you were gone, Chen Huixing came to my house and went crazy," Wei Ji's voice was filled with dull sarcasm, "He thought I was hiding you... How could I have that ability?"

Pei Jiqing's eyelashes cast a light shadow, as if he refused to communicate. Wei Ji knew he was listening, but also knew that he didn't want to listen at all.

"So I told him—he was abandoned too. Do you know what he told me?"

The air stagnated for a moment.

Wei Ji looked at Pei Jiqing's cold profile, and suddenly felt like a very pathetic clown, shouting at the top of his lungs on an empty stage, while the only audience member didn't even give him a look of pity.

But now there was another clown.

"He said you love him," Wei Ji shook his head lightly, a sneer escaping from his throat, "...that's ridiculous."

Pei Jiqing frowned with an almost invisible wrinkle, like a ripple on the water surface blown by the wind, and then returned to calm in an instant.

Wei Ji's voice was a bit hysterical and stubborn: "So I told him everything, our past, and what happened in the downtown area. He was very angry."

Pei Jiqing asked him if that was enough?

Wei Ji let go of his hand and made a gesture of surrender.

Wei Ji suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. He knew better than anyone what kind of stubborn soul was hidden under Pei Jiqing's seemingly gentle appearance.

During his escape that year, when several Alphas forced Pei Jiqing into a corner, the sharp stone he held tightly in his hand had been deeply embedded in his palm, and blood dripped through his fingers. At that time, Pei Jiqing would rather destroy his glands.

But now, Pei Jiqing has completely expelled him and Shen Huixing from his life, and all the entanglements seem ridiculous.

Wei Ji wanted to continue the fight to the death like this.

Pei Jiqing ignored him completely, and he was not afraid even if Pei Jiqing threatened him.

Pei Jiqing felt uneasy when he saw Wei Ji.

In fact, Wei Ji had stayed in Nan'an for several days, and no one knew about it. In

the early morning light of that day, he saw Pei Jiqing sitting in the courtyard from a distance. The sunlight gave him a soft golden edge. He stroked his bulging belly with his palm, his eyebrows lowered, and his expression was so gentle that it was almost heartbreaking.

That was the scene Wei Ji had described countless times in his dreams, their home, their future, Pei Jiqing should be like this, waiting for his return in the morning light, smiling at him.

For some reason, Wei Ji raised his foot forward, but stopped abruptly in the next second.

Someone walked towards Pei Jiqing before him. Lin Qin held a bouquet of flowers covered with morning dew in his hand and leaned over to hand it to him. Pei Jiqing took it, lowered his head and sniffed it, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. That smile made Wei Ji's eyes hurt.

He recognized the man; he was the youngest son of the mansion's owner. His name was Lin Qin, as written in his profile.

When they stood together, even their shadows blended in too harmoniously.

Wei Ji stood there, feeling as if jealousy had gnawed a bloody hole in his heart, and the cold wind blew in, howling in pain.

Later, Lin Qin left Nan'an and returned to school. Before leaving, he promised Pei Jiqing that he would come back to see him often.

Pei Jiqing watched him go, and Wei Ji appeared in front of him again.

Wei Ji: "Do you think such an ordinary family can protect you?"

Pei Jiqing: "No one wants to hurt me, do you want to hurt me?"

Of course Wei Ji wouldn't: "Aren't you afraid that Chen Huixing will come looking for him?"

"What are you worried about?"

Pei Jiqing certainly had concerns, but a few months was long enough, long enough for Chen Huixing to clean up the mess of that farce and return to his position as executive officer. This meant that the man's pheromones had long since returned to stability.

Pei Jiqing knew Chen Huixing too well. All that mattered to him was cold, cold compatibility data, not real people.

As soon as he found a replacement, he would forget Pei Jiqing. He

might still hate her at first, but compared to more important things, it was insignificant.

Wei Ji suddenly stepped forward, his tone almost paranoid, "I can protect you, Jiqing. Let me be the father of your child."

Pei Jiqing finally lost his composure and cursed, "Psycho."

Wei Ji's presence had indeed made Pei Jiqing feel uneasy for no reason.

The baby in her belly was already twenty-five weeks old, occasionally kicking softly in the dead of night. Pei Jiqing even considered leaving Nan'an—until a few days later, a photo of Chen Huixing on an intimate date with an Omega appeared in the news. The jarring image brought him an inexplicable sense of relief.

The headline was extremely exaggerated, but the relationship wasn't particularly intimate, though it was unprecedented.

Wei Ji, however, never left. He

rented a small room next door to Yan Bo's house, and every day, through the vine-covered wooden fence, he would deliberately read the gossip aloud to Pei Jiqing.

In the morning light, his voice mingled with the chirping of birds, with a deliberate briskness.

Uncle Lin and Uncle Yan had complaints about this inconsiderate neighbor. Pei Jiqing didn't want to cause trouble to the two kind elders, so he finally stopped Wei Ji at the alley entrance one evening. He spoke to him in a tone that was more severe than ever before, asking him not to bother him again.

Since then, Wei Ji has indeed restrained himself a lot.

Wei Ji still appeared by the fence, but he just stood there quietly, his eyes passing through the sparse branches and falling on Pei Jiqing's increasingly round belly. His eyes were as complicated as looking at a dream that could never be reached.

A week ago, Lin Qin returned home exhausted with a suitcase, and happened to see Wei Ji showing Pei Jiqing his carefully collected toys, educational toys, exquisitely packaged pregnancy supplements, etc. through the fence covered with flower vines, as if presenting treasures, like an overly attentive salesman. Pei Jiqing

would occasionally glance at those items when he was in a good mood.

Lin Qin clenched the handle of the suitcase, his voice filled with undisguised grievance: "Brother, who is he?"

Wei Ji chuckled at the words: "I am the one before you, Jiqing, your vision is getting worse and worse."

Pei Jiqing pulled Lin Qin and took him into the house.

"Don't mind that lunatic, he will be gone soon, just pretend he doesn't exist."

Lin Qin received a call from his father, saying that he had a rival in love and asked him to return home quickly, so he hurried back during the holiday.

"Brother, is he really your ex-boyfriend?"

Pei Jiqing said: "You are young and ignorant. You must keep your eyes open when you fall in love in the future. Who knows if someone who looks bright on the surface is a scumbag inside."

Lin Qin pursed his lips and said nothing. He only stayed at home for two days, and whenever Wei Ji's figure appeared outside the fence, Pei Jiqing would no longer step out of the gate.

So, one evening, Lin Qin finally approached the lingering man, his white sneakers tumbling over scattered petals. "Brother doesn't want to see you."

Wei Ji stared at the doughy Alpha before him, a nameless rage rising in his chest. Why pretend to be innocent? He scoffed, his gaze like a poisonous knife. "Don't think you can be complacent just because he likes you now! Pei Jiqing is just looking for something new—we've known each other for almost ten years, and I've practically occupied half his life. Do you think you have the right to say that to me?"

Wei Ji suddenly lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing the dark red rose at his waist. "This is the symbol of our love."

Lin Qin pursed his lips. He remembered the tattoo. He'd seen Pei Jiqing apply essential oil to his pregnant belly. The rose stretched gently, its curves opening even more brilliantly, as if absorbing life's nutrients.

Wei Ji's voice was filled with malicious pleasure. "Don't you know? There was another one before you."

"Isn't he dead?" Lin Qin asked softly.

Wei Ji suddenly laughed out loud: "Ji Qing said so, yes, even if she is dead! She is still a bitch."

Lin Qin keenly heard the word "also", frowned, and hesitated to speak, just about to make an opinion.

Pei Jiqing pushed the door open, stood on the steps and called Lin Qin's name, waved at him, and told him not to listen to Wei Ji's crazy talk.

Lin Qin was going to school, but he would come back once a week from then on. As time went by, Lin Qin gradually saw through the truth behind Wei Ji's harsh words - that is, love that cannot be obtained. He listened to those chatter patiently, just to piece together Pei Jiqing's past from those fragmented past events.

After all, Pei Jiqing never talked about the past with him.

Wei Ji began calling Lin Qin "Lin the Pretty Boy," with a mixture of contempt and jealousy. Late one drunken night, his eyes reddened as he grabbed Lin Qin's neck, his alcohol fuming in his face as he cursed, "You disgusting vixen! I waited so hard for this opportunity... you've ruined it all..."

Lin Qin, nearly choking, struggled with Wei Ji on the ground, forced to drink himself into a tizzy, and ultimately, Lin Qin stumbled back home, supporting Wei Ji.

Pei Jiqing, clutching his swollen belly, was speechless and overwhelmed. Two drunken alphas lay in the yard, their faces flushed. Uncle Lin and Uncle Yan, shaking their heads, approached and carried them inside.

Pei Jiqing thought Lin Qin was too kind; he'd have thrown Wei Ji into the sea to feed the sharks.

Wei Ji refused to leave, and no one could do anything about it. With a wave of his hand, he signed a five-year lease for the property next door.

Pei Jiqing asked him, "Can you behave yourself? I want to focus on taking care of the baby."

Wei Ji's eyes fell on his bulging curve, his Adam's apple rolled slightly, and his voice softened, "Then can't I be a godfather? Just consider it as... fulfilling half of my wish."

Pei Jiqing was silent for a long time, and finally sighed, "...Just behave yourself, okay."

Wei Ji immediately agreed, with a cunning light in his eyes. From then on, Wei Ji took Pei Jiqing to every prenatal checkup in the name of godfather, rain or shine, and drove the car very steadily.

But in his heart, he was secretly calculating - the title of half father is just the first step towards that full position.

Half father will be promoted to full father sooner or later.

Wei Ji leaned in close to the thin medical checklist, his eyes meticulously tracing the blurred outlines on the black and white image. A barely audible sigh escaped his throat, "So this is a child."

As the autumn wind swirled fallen leaves outside the window, Uncle Lin had already washed the soft cotton clothes, hanging them in the sun, emitting the delicate fragrance of soapberries. Like a continuous autumn rain, Wei Ji repeatedly suggested returning to Ling City to give birth, his words etched with worry.

After all, childbirth was so risky.

On the day they were finally admitted to the hospital, the smell of disinfectant in the corridor mingled with the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers outside the window. Pei Jiqing told Wei Ji to shut up.

Wei Ji said, "How about... I go in with you?" On

the day of delivery, Pei Jiqing had been feeling unwell since morning, with beads of sweat rolling down his pale cheeks. He was hurried into the delivery room, the door closing with a heavy, muffled thud, as if shutting out the entire world.

Wei Ji and Lin Qin wandered on the corridor, the sunlight moved from the east window to the west window, lengthening and shortening their shadows.

Lin Qin's fingertips unconsciously stroked the armrest of the chair, while Wei Ji was like a trapped animal, pacing back and forth in the small space.

When dusk fell, the ceiling lights of the hospital suddenly lit up, but Pei Jiqing had not come out yet.

Wei Ji grabbed a medical staff and asked why Pei Jiqing had not come out yet.

The nurse said puzzledly: "The pregnant woman has given birth safely and was taken out of the hospital by her husband. Didn't they inform you?"

Wei Ji murmured: "Husband?"

When Pei Jiqing began to feel pain, he suddenly felt a little scared, and his fingertips suddenly curled up, causing him to tremble unconsciously. At this moment, a hand wearing a sterile glove suddenly grasped his sweaty palm. The touch was cool but inexplicably reassuring.

Pei Jiqing's tears silently slid down, soaking the disinfectant towel on the pillow. He subconsciously grasped the hand back, with such force that the glove was almost wrinkled.

In the gaps between blurred consciousness, he vaguely remembered his mother's face. Amidst the waves of pain, he silently prayed in his heart: Mom, please bless me and the child to be safe.

A clear cry pierced the delivery room.

The sound was so vivid, so powerful.

When the doctor whispered, "The child is fine," Pei Jiqing's tense nerves finally relaxed. Fatigue surged like a tide, and he allowed himself to sink into the dreamless darkness.

Pei Jiqing didn't know how long he had slept. When consciousness emerged from the chaos, his eyelids felt heavy as if they were weighed down by lead blocks. When he finally struggled to open his eyes, the expected sound of waves and tides did not sound. The surroundings were terribly quiet, so quiet that he could hear his own weak breathing trembling in the air.

He tried calling out "Wei Ji" and then "Lin Qin", but the voice that escaped from his cracked lips was hoarse and discordant.

Suddenly, the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against each other broke the silence.

Someone gently moistened his dry lips with a wet cotton swab. The moment the water seeped into the lip lines, a familiar scent of redwood drifted into his nose. Pei Jiqing's body instantly stiffened, and even his breathing stagnated in his chest.

The man gently placed the glass on the bedside table. The bottom of the glass touched the wooden tabletop, making a very light "click" sound. He lifted the corner of the quilt and lay down. His arm passed through the gap under Pei Jiqing's neck and pulled him into his arms. The Alpha's chin rested on Pei Jiqing's shoulder, his breath was hot, and his palm cupped Pei Jiqing's cheek.

"The child is fine," Chen Huixing's voice came close to the ear, making Pei Jiqing's eardrum itch slightly, "It's just that the baby has a little jaundice at birth. He is under blue light, and you need to rest."

Pei Jiqing's eyelashes trembled in the dim light: "...Where is this?"

"Ling City, you slept too deeply."

The body under his palm obviously stiffened, and Chen Huixing spoke again with an inexplicable meaning: "Is it fun outside?"

The words fell lightly, like a feather, but it was suffocating. It started raining outside the window at some point, and the raindrops meandered down the glass, turning the neon lights in the distance into blurred spots of light.