“Beep, beep, beep.”
The rhythmic sound of the heart monitor echoed in her ears. Xia Tingwang’s brain felt like it was clogged, unable to process anything. What was it that Director Huang had just told her?
“Miss, you are pregnant!” Housekeeper Xu, who was clutching her hand, looked so emotional that she actually turned away to wipe her eyes.
Who was pregnant?
“Fortunately, the child is still just an embryo. We caught it in time, and the pregnancy is fully viable,” Director Huang said. “However, Miss, you must stop eating seafood until the baby is born.”
Xia Tingwang stood there, stunned. She felt nothing, as if the doctor were talking about someone else. Her hand reached toward her flat stomach. “There is a child in here?”
Director Huang smiled. “Yes, just over three weeks.”
Three weeks. Xia Tingwang’s eyelashes fluttered. Yes, exactly three weeks.
She rubbed her stomach. She was pregnant? How had she ended up becoming a mother so inexplicably and completely unprepared?
“But that day was not my heat cycle.”
That was exactly why she had felt safe enough not to take any emergency contraceptive pills afterward. How could she possibly be pregnant?
Before Director Huang could respond, Housekeeper Xu patted her hand. “Oh, you silly child. We Omegas do not only get pregnant during our heat cycles. As long as you are healthy and the Alpha is healthy, there is always a possibility of pregnancy.”
Director Huang nodded from the side, clearly agreeing with Housekeeper Xu’s assessment.
Director Huang continued, “The baby is safe for now, but it is not stable yet. It requires the presence of the child’s Alpha parent. The baby needs to absorb the pheromones of its Alpha parent to become more stable, which will also make your pregnancy less difficult. It is best for both you and the child.”
An Alpha?
Xia Tingwang’s eyes suddenly brightened. That was right; she was carrying Sang Ying’s child, so it was only natural that Sang Ying should be by her side.
Whatever she had been thinking, Xia Tingwang suddenly felt invigorated.
Once the news of Xia Tingwang’s pregnancy spread, everyone around her was overjoyed. The happiest of them all was Housekeeper Xu. Xia Tingwang had always been a princess at home, and after falling pregnant, she was treated with even more extreme care.
Housekeeper Xu was so afraid that even taking an extra step might affect the fetus that she insisted Xia Tingwang stay in the hospital until the condition was stable.
“Which family does the Miss’s Alpha belong to?”
Housekeeper Xu was peeling an apple, her eyebrows raised in excitement. “We must prepare for the wedding immediately. Such a big event needs to be announced to the Li family.”
Xia Tingwang looked up sharply. “What?”
“Oh!” Housekeeper Xu was so startled that the knife in her hand slipped, and half the apple went to waste.
“A wedding, of course,” Housekeeper Xu said, throwing the damaged apple into the trash. “We must prepare quickly, while the belly is still small, so you can still wear a beautiful wedding dress.”
Xia Tingwang had never once considered marriage in her life. Sang Ying did not love her, and she was certainly not the type of person to force a marriage just because of a child. What was the point? A marriage like that would never be happy.
“I am not getting married,” Xia Tingwang said.
Housekeeper Xu stared at her for a moment. “Why not? If you do not get married, what about the baby?”
Xia Tingwang touched her stomach. It was magical; the transition from being unable to accept the news to accepting the fact that she was going to be a mother had not taken much time. The child in her belly was hers, connected to her by blood, her closest kin. Of course, she would protect it well.
“I have a way,” Xia Tingwang said.
“That concludes today’s livestream. We will see you next Friday at eight in the evening.” Sang Ying waved at the camera. Only after the staff turned off the feed and everything went dark did she lower her hand and take a large gulp of water. “Everyone worked hard today.”
“Not at all,” the staff member in charge of operations said with a smile. “We sold out of all our inventory again today.”
“The internet is demanding that VW increase stock, saying our products sell out every time.”
Sang Ying nodded with a smile. The new head of the livestreaming room pushed two large black suitcases over from the warehouse. “Sang Ying, these are the product samples you asked me to prepare, one for skincare and one for cosmetics.”
There were many products Sang Ying did not understand, let alone use. Maintaining consumer trust was paramount, so she needed to experience these products for herself.
“Thank you,” Sang Ying said.
The new manager, hired by Bai Li, was named Liu Qing. She was much easier to get along with. She waved her hand. “Do not mention it. You are the star of our livestream. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Mhm. Sorry, I need to take this call.” Sang Ying pulled out her vibrating phone and paused.
It was Xia Tingwang. She had thought Xia Tingwang would never seek her out again.
Sang Ying walked to the balcony, closed the door, took two deep breaths, and answered the phone. “Hello.”
“Is the livestream over?”
“Yes.”
“Come to the inpatient department of Enya Hospital, room 7503. Zhuang Yan is waiting for you downstairs.”
Sang Ying glanced downstairs and saw a black car parked at the entrance.
Sang Ying pushed open the hospital door to reveal a luxurious independent room. Upon entering, she saw a small living room fully equipped with a table and sofa. Looking further in, she saw a white curtain partition.
The curtain was half-drawn. Sang Ying could see a pair of small, bare feet on the hospital bed, the toes wiggling in a messy way that betrayed the owner’s mood.
With a swish, the curtain was pulled completely aside. A middle-aged, slightly plump Omega woman stood before the bed, looking at Sang Ying with a blank expression.
Xia Tingwang, who was on the bed, pushed her. “Housekeeper Xu, please wait for me outside.”
Housekeeper Xu nodded, looked Sang Ying up and down, and left the room. Zhuang Yan stood like a statue at the door.
“Is that her?”
“Yes,” Zhuang Yan nodded.
“What is her background?”
“A student at Wen University.”
The flesh on Housekeeper Xu’s face twitched. “What about her family?”
Zhuang Yan shook his head. “I am not quite sure.”
Housekeeper Xu frowned and glanced at the glass on the door. Xia Tingwang, as if sensing she was snooping, pulled the curtain shut.
“Sit,” Xia Tingwang said.
Sang Ying sat on the stool by the bed. Xia Tingwang looked rosy-cheeked and healthy, which allowed the anxiety Sang Ying had carried all the way there to subside.
She felt a mix of nervousness and joy, but mostly concern. She did not know how to start, and asking “What is wrong with your health?” felt too intimate.
A small table was set before Xia Tingwang, piled with a fruit plate of cherries and strawberries.
She picked up a strawberry and offered it to Sang Ying. “Do you want to eat?”
Sang Ying shook her head. Concern eventually overcame her hesitation. “What is the matter with you?”
Xia Tingwang popped the strawberry into her own mouth, enjoying the sweet sensation. She picked up a cherry, twirling it by its stem. “The doctor told me to eat more of these foods to supplement my folic acid.”
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin with the molecular formula C19H19NO6. As an essential vitamin for cellular growth and reproduction, a deficiency can impact normal physiological activities in the human body.
Sang Ying’s brain immediately accessed the information about folic acid. She nodded blankly. “Ah.”
Xia Tingwang knew she had not understood. She tilted her chin toward the bedside table. “I had the check-up today.”
On the table lay the examination report. Sang Ying picked it up and took a look.
Ultrasound Examination Report Name: Xia Tingwang | Gender: Female Omega | Age: 29 | Clinical Diagnosis: Early Pregnancy.
There were two color ultrasound images, one on the left and one on the right. In the center, a dark spot the size of a walnut was visible.
In the bottom corner of the report, it read: Ultrasound indicates pregnancy of 3+ weeks.
Xia Tingwang ate the fruit, watching Sang Ying with great interest. When she learned she was pregnant two days ago, she had been just as bewildered as Sang Ying was now. For Sang Ying, who had someone she liked, discovering that someone else was carrying her child must be a shock. She certainly would not be as quick to accept it as Xia Tingwang had been.
Sang Ying stared at the report for a long time. Xia Tingwang finished the bowl of fruit. The strawberries and cherries were sweet, but she felt she had not tasted any sweetness while waiting for Sang Ying’s reaction.
“You…” Sang Ying finally responded. She looked at Xia Tingwang’s stomach, her voice trembling. “Pregnant?”
Xia Tingwang pushed the small table away and generously lifted her hospital gown to reveal her fair abdomen. With a hint of retaliatory feeling, she said, “Yes, your child is in there.”
Sang Ying reached out as if to touch it, knowing her child was inside, but as she got close, she simply pulled the hem of the gown down. “Do not catch a cold.”
She did not dare to look at Xia Tingwang. She just stared at the blue and white striped hospital gown, her mind a complete blank.
“I asked you here today to tell you…” Xia Tingwang said, “I am pregnant, and the baby is yours. But do not be afraid; I am not here to ask you to take responsibility.”
Only then did Sang Ying look up, her lips trembling with tension.
Seeing her like this made Xia Tingwang feel both refreshed and angry. She lifted her chin. “The doctor said the baby needs the Alpha parent’s pheromones. Therefore, for the sake of the baby, we must live together until it is born safely.”
To avoid any misunderstanding, Xia Tingwang added, “Although the baby has half your blood, it is in my stomach. It belongs to me alone. Your dating or marriage life is irrelevant to me. You can have your Omegas, and I can have my Alphas.”
Sang Ying looked stunned. Xia Tingwang curled her lips into a smile, feeling comfortable. She tapped her stomach lightly. Look, baby, is Mommy not impressive? Your annoying Alpha mother has other Omegas, but Mommy is not someone to be trifled with, either.
Xia Tingwang glanced over. Sang Ying was still dazed, like a piece of wood. Well, it was earth-shattering news, after all.
“Do not worry, you will not need to support the child in the future…” Xia Tingwang said. “If you do not want to acknowledge the child, that is fine. I only need your pheromones for ten months, no, nine months. You will not lose anything; I will pay you.”
“Fine,” Sang Ying finally reacted. “I agree.”
Xia Tingwang was annoyed at being interrupted. She rolled her eyes and finished her thought, “I will give you money. Consider it a business partnership. You provide the pheromones for my child, and I pay you.”
“I do not want the money…” Sang Ying said. “The child is mine. I have a responsibility to see that it is born safely.”
“Ah…” Xia Tingwang nodded. “Alright, then.”
Not bad. Sang Ying was a responsible Alpha parent. With a mother like that, the child would not be considered unlucky to have her as its mother.
Xia Tingwang got out of bed. “If there is nothing else, you can leave.”
Sang Ying stood up. “Do you need anything?”
Xia Tingwang turned her head and reached out. “I am going to wash my hands. Why are you so nervous?”
Sang Ying scurried around like a headless chicken until she found the bathroom door. She went in, filled a basin with water, and brought it out.
“Sit back on the bed.”
Xia Tingwang was used to being served. She sat on the bed as instructed. Sang Ying placed the basin in front of her. “Wash. The water is warm.”
The temperature was perfect. Xia Tingwang had not expected Sang Ying to take on her maternal duties so quickly. She felt smugly pleased inside but kept her usual haughty demeanor. After washing her hands, she held them out in the air.
Sang Ying put down the basin and used a towel to dry her hands. Her touch was gentle and meticulous, wiping every one of Xia Tingwang’s slender, fair fingers. Sang Ying could not help but recall that night, Xia Tingwang’s soft body like a pool of water, her small hands wandering all over her.
Sang Ying’s ears turned red. She let go of Xia Tingwang’s hand and carried the basin back into the bathroom.
Hearing the door open, Housekeeper Xu, who was waiting outside, jumped up and nearly collided with Sang Ying as she came out. Being a servant for decades, she still maintained professional etiquette; she bowed to Sang Ying and stepped aside.
Sang Ying politely nodded back to the housekeeper and left with Zhuang Yan.
Housekeeper Xu scrutinized Sang Ying, tall, thin, and good-looking, but her clothing and styling were a bit too ordinary.
She entered the hospital room. Xia Tingwang was sitting on the bed, looking at her hands with a faint, subtle smile on her lips.
“Miss,” Housekeeper Xu hesitated.
Xia Tingwang glanced at her and smiled. “By the way, have the Yincrown apartment cleaned out as soon as possible.”
“Why?”
“I am going to live with Sang Ying,” Xia Tingwang said, unable to control her expression as she laughed out loud.
Seeing her in such a good mood, Housekeeper Xu brushed aside her previous dissatisfaction with Sang Ying. “Why not live at home? That apartment in Pingxi only has five bedrooms, not enough space for the servants.”
“It is closer to the office, so it will be convenient for me and her to go to work…” Xia Tingwang said. “Do not need too many servants, just one chef and two cleaning staff will do.”
“How can that be?” Housekeeper Xu was dumbfounded. “Miss, you have never been served by so few people since you were born. How could two be enough?”
“I just want fewer people.” Xia Tingwang toyed with her hands, laughing even more happily.