Lu Qingcheng stayed up late binge-reading an M-preg web novel, and ended up falling fast asleep right in the middle of Professor Zhang’s lecture.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a hallway hospital bed. All around him, various young men with bellies twice the size of basketballs were laboring to weave their way through the busy hospital corridors.
What on earth was going on?
System: Welcome to the ABO M-preg universe. You do not need to endure the agony of writing a thesis. Just complete the M-preg storyline, and you can return to your classes and your dissertation.
He had transmigrated into a book? Wait, why did it have to be an ABO M-preg novel?
Lu Qingcheng’s voice surged with absolute panic: “How is a guy like me supposed to get pregnant?”
System: You are the one who chose to read an ABO M-preg novel.
The only reason he had clicked into it in the first place, purely out of an impulse to research future population fertility issues for an assignment, was because the Shou protagonist happened to share his exact name.
In the book, the Beta Lu Qingcheng was notoriously obsessed with money. To squeeze out cash, he flirted with numerous young masters until his feet finally got wet walking by the river at night, leading him to be sold off to the Gong protagonist, Mu Xiao.
Mu Xiao’s rut was severe—the lethal, life-threatening kind. People who went in lively and bouncing would come out as cold corpses.
Lu Qingcheng was no exception, and right now, he had just been revived in the hospital.
“Lu Qingcheng, why are you pulling out your IV drip?”
A doctor stopped Lu Qingcheng as he climbed out of bed. Seeing the young man’s dazed expression, the doctor smiled and said, “Someone rescued you from the water. Examinations show you are already pregnant. While a Beta pregnancy is not as delicate as an Omega’s, it is still hard-earned. Contact your partner as soon as possible to sort out prenatal care. Have a wonderful pregnancy journey!”
The doctor’s comforting words only drove Lu Qingcheng further into despair. Filled with agonizing regret, he muttered, “A wonderful journey spent in the hallway of the obstetrics and gynecology ward?”
Just as the doctor smiled, preparing to reply, a hospital bed rushed toward them, its metal wheels spinning at high speed.
On the bed, a young man was cradling a huge belly, his expression one of extreme agony. A nurse said to the doctor standing beside Lu Qingcheng, “Doctor Zhao, the pregnant spouse in Room 42 has ruptured his amniotic sac. The family demands immediate surgery.”
Doctor Zhao instantly sprang into action. With grim efficiency, he and the nurse vanished into the elevator. Lu Qingcheng stared in disbelief, repeatedly recalling that pain-distorted face. The pregnant patient in Room 42 looked identical to the arrogant, swaggering rich-kid classmate from his department.
Lu Qingcheng: “System, is he a transmigrator too?”
Lu Qingcheng: “Are there many Betas like me transmigrating to complete tasks?”
Lu Qingcheng suddenly recalled a remark Professor Zhang had made in class: As human beings, every single adult bears the sacred mission of continuing the species.
Lu Qingcheng: “The little tadpoles inside the transmigrators are not all launched by the same person, right?”
Lu Qingcheng: “Are the little tadpoles inside me Mu Xiao’s?”
System: Judging by the author’s preceding chapters, the tadpoles should belong to Mu Xiao. However, the pheromone residue lingering on you does not match.
Lu Qingcheng muttered in frustration: “Do not tell me he carved open his own reproductive tract and shoved the tadpoles in himself?”
System: You are him right now. You can try asking your body’s memory.
His body currently held nothing but pure anger. He instinctively grabbed the sleeve of a passing doctor in a white coat: “Doctor, is there any way to return this baby to the sender?”
Treating it simply as prenatal anxiety and emotional instability typical of a newly pregnant Beta, the doctor paused in silence before answering earnestly, “We wish we had that technology too, but so far, we lack the research and development capabilities.”
System: Why are you not asking me? I have much better skills.
Before Lu Qingcheng could ask, a scrawny Alpha clutching his abdomen shoved past him. Swaying on his feet, the Alpha rushed toward a plump Omega sitting diagonally across the hall, sporting a round, protruding belly so enormous it looked too heavy to support.
The Omega was leaning against the window, eating treats with relish, casting wary glances as the Alpha staggered over with ravenous eyes, as if terrified his food would be stolen.
“Please, stop eating. It hurts. It hurts so much, it is coming.”
“Just one last bite, I promise,” the Omega giggled, his cheeks puffed out.
Just as the Alpha reached out to snatch the fried chicken from the Omega’s hand, the young Alpha—who possessed zero dignity left—suddenly dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face, in too much pain to speak. Right behind him came four family members, presumably the parents of both sides.
The Alpha’s father hauled his son up while the mother angrily accused the Omega’s parents of failing to keep a proper eye on him. A fierce argument broke out between the two families.
From the murmurs of nearby onlookers, Lu Qingcheng learned that this was a rather miraculous couple; to this day, no medical theory could explain the bizarre phenomenon happening to them.
From the moment the Omega became pregnant until nearly full term, every single pregnancy symptom and physical sensation was directly transferred to and felt by his Alpha husband. The Omega had developed a ravenous appetite, craving everything in sight. Meanwhile, the mere scent of food that the Alpha usually considered delicacies made him retch uncontrollably, only to crave sour and spicy foods moments later. During work hours, he suffered from extreme fatigue, lethargy, and frequent trips to the bathroom.
Not only that, the Alpha’s temper had turned volatile, swinging easily between rage and tears. Sometimes he acted like a needy toddler, demanding that the Omega hug and comfort him by saying he loved him best; other times, he would burst into tears for no reason. In short, his life had completely unraveled.
When they finally dragged themselves near the finish line, the intense labor contractions threw the Alpha into agonizing torment. Meanwhile, his Omega wife remained hungry, sneaking delivery orders behind his back. The sheer level of pain forced the Alpha to drop to his knees right in front of the Omega, begging him to hurry into the delivery room so he could finally escape this ten-month torture.
The farce was eventually mediated by medical staff. The Alpha was supported back to his bed by his family, while the Omega floated past Lu Qingcheng with light, breezy steps, his round belly lightly visible beneath his thin summer shirt.
The tree-bark-like stretch marks had likely all settled entirely on the Alpha’s abdomen.
Lu Qingcheng had a sudden epiphany: “System, can you transfer the pregnancy physical symptoms to the father of the little tadpole?”
System: Do you have what it takes to win the inheritance?
Lu Qingcheng: “Lay out the detailed task for me.”
Right on cue, Lu Qingcheng received a delivery package: an invitation to attend Mu Xiao’s funeral, scheduled for tomorrow morning at Rose Island.
Even if there was physical evidence proving the little tadpole belonged to Mu Xiao, securing inheritance rights was out of the question. Mu Xiao was too terrifying; Lu Qingcheng could only pray the man would not claw his way out of the coffin to kill him a second time.
Lu Qingcheng asked the system: “Transmigrators cannot communicate with each other, right? Is fighting for the inheritance a mandatory task? What happens if I fail?”
System: Naturally, communication is blocked. The inheritance is essential funding required to nurture the baby in the later stages. Failure means the pregnancy task fails. To succeed, you must collect pheromones and convert them into alternative storage pheromones. Collecting one hundred milliliters grants one use, lasting for one minute within a three-meter radius. You can think of it simply as a competition of who gathers the most pheromones.
Lu Qingcheng could practically visualize a chaotic pheromone war breaking out at tomorrow’s funeral.
System: The father cannot be missing during the parenting process. Finding the baby’s father can be conducted simultaneously.
Lu Qingcheng: “Mu Xiao is already dead, how am I supposed to find him? Wait, do not tell me the tadpole is not his!”
A sudden, heart-wrenching wail pierced the air from the entrance of the operating room.
The pregnant patient from Room 42 had suffered a massive hemorrhage. Due to insufficient blood supply, resuscitation efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead. The baby had stopped breathing the moment it entered the operating room.
The family had arrived full of joyous anticipation to welcome a new life, only to receive a double death notice. A scatter of baby supplies littered the floor.
Lu Qingcheng: “He is really dead?”
The deceased patient, wheeled out of the operating room, was covered from head to toe in a white sheet. On an instinctive impulse, Lu Qingcheng stepped forward and lifted the fabric. The familiar face was starkly pale; one glance was enough to tell he had died bearing an immense, humiliating grievance.
With a swift motion, Lu Qingcheng pulled the sheet back down and leaned his back against the cold wall.
Death itself was far more terrifying than fear.
“Mr. Lu.”
A nurse suddenly called out from behind him.
“You forgot your prenatal medical advice sheet.”
Taking the paper, Lu Qingcheng ultimately could not suppress his weak knees; he staggered against the wall and burst into dry heaves in the corridor: “Ugh.”
The stunning Beta possessed a slender waist that cut a striking figure in the obstetrics corridor.
The medical sheet fluttered to the floor, where an approaching Alpha picked it up. Intending a kind gesture, the Alpha handed it back. But as he raised his eyes, it was as if he had witnessed a meteor strike the earth, and his pupils dilated violently.
He called out in a soft voice: “Qingcheng?”
Beneath a scholarly and refined exterior lay a restrained, turbulent storm of shock, alongside burning, volatile, unreadable emotions, ultimately weaving together into: “Did you carry our child?”
The questioning voice remained soft, like silk falling upon a stubborn boulder.
[System Reminder: Pheromone detected. Would you like to collect it?]
Lu Qingcheng fought back his nausea: “This kind of thing still needs to be asked!”
Turning his head to look at the man, it was Lu Qingcheng’s turn to be shocked.
Dressed in a dark gray shirt and slacks, the Alpha possessed a tall, straight posture and wore gold-rimmed glasses. It was not Mu Xiao, but none other than the male protagonist, Qiao Buyi!
In the novel, they had been neighbors during childhood, at least in Lu Qingcheng’s unilateral definition. Back then, Lu Qingcheng had run away from the orphanage to search for his parents, and when starving, he had received bread and milk from Qiao Buyi.
Mocked and shunned by everyone else, Lu Qingcheng had viewed Qiao Buyi as a gentle lifeline. The young, shivering boy would curl up beneath a large tree, finding comfort in the knowledge that every night before sleep and every morning upon waking, he could look across at the house where Qiao Buyi lived.
Qiao Buyi often snuck behind his family’s back to rescue Lu Qingcheng, building him tents, giving him blankets, sharing food, and teaching him to read and play games. But the good times for the two boys did not last; the Qiao family’s business boomed, and they relocated en masse to the big city.
Lacking Qiao Buyi’s help, Lu Qingcheng’s tiny world collapsed, and he was ultimately dragged back to the orphanage.
When the two of them met again, they were adults. Qiao Buyi was a noble, high-status Alpha, while Lu Qingcheng remained an ordinary Beta.
Qiao Buyi was surrounded by countless suitors. Though Lu Qingcheng drifted among various admirers, deep down in his heart, there existed only that single ray of warmth who had once shone upon him through the light.
The rose had quietly taken root and sprouted beneath that great tree.
Qiao Buyi suffered from pheromone disorder. During a relapse, he had actually broken into Lu Qingcheng’s residence, mistaking him for an Omega. That day, Lu Qingcheng had been in low spirits and had consumed plenty of alcohol with his colleagues.
Convinced he had committed an irreversible transgression against Lu Qingcheng, Qiao Buyi woke up two days later only to find Lu Qingcheng gone, though his lower body still ached.
Not wanting to ruin Qiao Buyi’s future prospects, Lu Qingcheng had avoided him ever since.
In the ABO world, Alpha status and bloodlines were paramount. The optimal way to preserve such bloodlines was to marry an Omega with the highest pheromone compatibility. If an Alpha chose a Beta, it was not just a betrayal of instinct, it was a defiance of nature.
Merging with the original host’s lingering emotions, Lu Qingcheng stared fixedly at Qiao Buyi with reddened eyes, his mind racing wildly. Initially intending to snatch the paper back, he changed tactics on a whim, violently grabbing Qiao Buyi’s collar to yank him forward until their noses nearly touched, their breath mingling.
To Qiao Buyi, Lu Qingcheng was like a snow-white cat full of vibrant life amidst a towering heap of dead, lifeless scrap metal. The cat was soft, adorable, fragile, and helpless, surrounded by hard, filthy garbage that threatened its very existence. Qiao Buyi wanted to exhaust every ounce of his strength to protect and cherish it, terrified that a single blink would leave it battered and bruised.
Lu Qingcheng observed every flicker of emotional change in Qiao Buyi’s eyes. Twisting his fingers into the collar, he mischievously wiped at his own lips.
His flushed face bloomed with vitality, his eyes swimming with moisture, and crystal-clear tears clinging to his long eyelashes.
Resembling a helpless pregnant spouse even more now, Qiao Buyi felt as though he were hurting right along with him, yet completely melted by him. There was not a trace of disgust or blame; he simply offered a gentle reassurance: “Qingcheng is acting naughty again. It is alright now, I am taking you home.”
Mu Xiao was already dead. Since his relations with Qiao Buyi had happened first, this little tadpole might genuinely be his. If a mistake had been made, he would just let it stay a mistake!
Once the pregnancy symptoms transferred over, would Qiao Buyi also walk around with pitiful, tear-stained cheeks, looking helpless and vulnerable as he begged him for mercy?