TAHDO Chapter 77

It was probably one day when he came home and was changing his shoes in the entryway.

At the time, Liang Yan was sitting on the sofa reading a book, with a bowl of porridge beside him. The sky was gradually growing darker, though not as early as it had before. Strands of lingering sunset light slanted into the room, outlining his Omega in a warm, soft glow.

Then Ji Qiu’s gaze drifted downward, and his eyebrows twitched.

That silhouette below… seemed to be swelling ever so slightly.

He quickly realized what was going on.

Seeing him come through the door, Liang Yan closed his book and pushed himself up from the table.

He felt that his emotions had been fairly stable lately. The episodes where he would suddenly burst into tears, which had happened so easily before, had temporarily stopped.

However, ever since that incident, Ji Qiu had been paying extra attention to his emotional state. If he came home late, his first reaction upon entering the door would definitely be to walk over and give Liang Yan a hug. If he sensed even the slightest hint of sadness, he would release a little pheromone to soothe him.

Those few minutes each day seemed to be the gentlest, most tender moments they shared. Neither of them needed to say anything. They simply let time pass quietly together.

Amid the golden afterglow of the setting sun, Ji Qiu watched Liang Yan rise and walk toward him. Liang Yan naturally stopped beside him, lifted his gaze to meet his eyes, and waited for a hug.

…It was just that the sunset happened to outline a subtle curve in a certain area.

Ji Qiu hesitated for a moment, but still obediently opened his arms.

Liang Yan immediately threw himself into the embrace like a fluffy little pet.

Ji Qiu’s shoulders still carried that fresh, springlike scent unique to him. Liang Yan buried his face a little deeper against him, wanting to draw in more of his warmth.

However, it wasn’t long before Ji Qiu started getting restless and talking again.

“Yan Yan, I have something to tell you.”

“?”

“Don’t panic, and don’t be afraid.”

“…Then shut up.”

Ji Qiu let out a pitiful little whimper. Just before Liang Yan could ruthlessly crush his budding enthusiasm, he hurriedly blurted out his question.

“Have you noticed that something about your body feels different?!”

Liang Yan had no idea what aspect he was talking about this time, so he simply didn’t answer and let the other man continue babbling.

Ji Qiu then very solemnly reached down and touched him.

“Here!!”

Liang Yan: “…………”

Ji Qiu’s hand was very warm. Even through a layer of clothing, its comforting heat seemed to seep through Liang Yan’s skin, bringing him a sense of reassurance.

Only then did Liang Yan understand what Ji Qiu was referring to.

They had discussed this possibility before, but now that his pregnancy was actually beginning to show, it was still a little embarrassing.

He lowered his eyes and glanced down.

“It’s fine. At this stage, I should still be able to get by for a while. If I wear looser clothes, people probably won’t notice.”

He thought for a moment before continuing.

“But what if they do notice… what will you do?”

Although KB was currently at a disadvantage, the matter had yet to be officially settled. As long as no verdict had been reached, there would always be hidden risks.

If Ji Qiu recklessly revealed that he was an Alpha, then even if he explained to everyone why he had pretended to be an Omega, he would undoubtedly lose some people’s trust.

“Me?” Ji Qiu, on the other hand, seemed to take the whole thing in stride.

He casually wrapped an arm around Liang Yan’s waist and pulled him onto his lap.

“I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

“……”

Liang Yan fell silent for a moment.

He remembered how enthusiastically this man had played the role of an Omega before, to the point that the entire school had practically turned into his fan club.

He silently closed his mouth.

He had been worrying for nothing.

“Compared to that,” Ji Qiu said, bending down to stare at the slightly bulging area, “I’m more concerned about the little thing inside here.”

“…You call your own child a little thing?”

“Of course! If I weren’t worried about harming your body, I wouldn’t be in a hurry at all.”

After all, once the child was born, he’d have to compete with this little thing for affection.

As he spoke, Ji Qiu glanced at Liang Yan’s expression and quickly softened his tone.

“Of course, that’s not what I meant!! I really like how things are right now, too!!”

Liang Yan didn’t respond to that. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Ji Qiu’s neck.

“All right. Let’s eat.”

It wasn’t a big deal anyway.

But just as Ji Qiu set him down and was about to head into the kitchen, he suddenly stopped again.

“Yan Yan.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think the people at school will assume you cheated on me, or that I cheated on you?”

“If you say one more word, you’re sleeping on the sofa tonight.”

“But I’m genuinely curious, QAQ!!”

“……”

Curious as he was, Ji Qiu knew that it was better not to invite unnecessary trouble. There was no way he would be stupid enough to expose the matter himself.

The next day, he accompanied Liang Yan to the shopping mall and bought a whole pile of new clothes. Most of them were loose-fitting styles that could conceal his growing belly, probably enough to last another month or two.

While they were shopping, the sales assistant had terrible judgment. She kept assuming that Liang Yan was an Alpha and Ji Qiu was an Omega. She also failed to notice the subtle changes in Liang Yan’s figure and repeatedly recommended slim-fitting clothes to them.

Liang Yan’s emotions had already been somewhat unstable lately. Besides, they were out in public, so there was no need to hide anything. Before Ji Qiu could even say a word, Liang Yan shot the sales assistant an unhappy look and said coldly, “Can’t you tell that someone’s pregnant?”

The sales assistant’s eyes instantly widened like saucers. Then, in shock, she shifted her gaze toward Ji Qiu’s stomach.

It was completely flat.

“……”

Liang Yan grabbed Ji Qiu and headed straight for the next store.

The sales assistant probably still hadn’t figured out what was going on. She hurried after them, calling out, “Hey, sir, please don’t leave! I’m so sorry I didn’t realize! But your partner really doesn’t look pregnant at all! How about this? Leave us your phone number, and we’ll make it up to you. We’re getting a new collection in soon, and I’ll definitely call you to offer you a ten percent discount…”

Liang Yan silently added the store to his blacklist.

As he followed Liang Yan out, Ji Qiu turned around and deliberately raised his voice in an indignant, exaggerated tone.

“Your store really doesn’t know how to do business! Can’t you tell that my husband just wants to buy me some loose-fitting maternity clothes? What’s wrong with wanting to wear them?!”

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

Liang Yan flung his hand away, ready to leave Ji Qiu behind to have a nice, long conversation about life with that stupid sales assistant.

Unfortunately, Ji Qiu had clearly come prepared. He held on tightly, making himself impossible to shake off, and clung to Liang Yan like a human-sized burden.

“Husband! Husband, don’t be angry! We’ll just go to another store!”

Seeing that people were already beginning to look over at them curiously, Liang Yan had his pride to consider. He could only maintain his icy expression and reluctantly keep hold of Ji Qiu’s hand while mentally calculating all the ways he could kill this idiotic Alpha tonight.

Still, Ji Qiu’s little performance had to be admitted: it was remarkably effective.

After that, none of the other stores on that floor of the mall dared to ask questions or stare at them too much. The two of them managed to buy their clothes with impressive efficiency and returned home.

Then Ji Qiu got his wish and was locked in the bathroom to reflect on his behavior for an entire hour. He wasn’t released until Liang Yan needed a little of his pheromones to soothe him.

Finally regaining his freedom, Ji Qiu blinked his big eyes cutely at him.

“Yan Yan, getting angry isn’t good for the baby.”

“…Shut up.”

As if Ji Qiu wasn’t the one responsible for making him angry in the first place.

“Husband, please don’t be angry anymore, QAQ.”

Completely oblivious to the danger he was in, Ji Qiu moved closer and wrapped his arms around Liang Yan before releasing his pheromones.

“Have you gotten addicted to calling me ‘husband’ today?”

“I haven’t! I didn’t!”

Liang Yan didn’t actually mind the way he was addressed. It was just that… every time Ji Qiu called him that, it felt strangely awkward. Yet if someone asked him exactly what was so strange about it, he wouldn’t have been able to explain.

Liang Yan didn’t want to entertain him anymore. Sensing that Liang Yan was gradually relaxing under the influence of his pheromones, Ji Qiu instinctively drew him closer into his embrace.

Before long, Liang Yan had gone completely quiet. The effects of his pregnancy made him drowsy, and he soon fell asleep in Ji Qiu’s arms, surrounded by the faint scent of his pheromones.

No matter what, he still relied on him, didn’t he?

Feeling thoroughly satisfied as Liang Yan nuzzled against him, Ji Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly. He gently pecked the gland at the back of his sleeping Omega’s neck, then whispered,

“Wifey.”

However, before the two of them could decide to keep the whole matter under wraps and let it run its course, Director Liang encountered a little complication of his own.

After all, the KB incident had caused such a huge uproar that practically everyone at school knew about it. In order to help Ji Qiu finish his credits sooner, Liang Chen had stopped letting him work on his research project. Instead, he selected one or two other students to help him continue his work.

This time, he chose a fourth-year student named Chang Mingyuan. The student had just finished his internship, and his overall academic performance was decent. Liang Chen was in a hurry, and Chang Mingyuan seemed particularly enthusiastic about the project, so he simply let him join the team.

However, after working on the project for two weeks, Liang Chen had to admit something.

Among all the undergraduate students who had ever worked under him, there was only one person who was consistently efficient, quick on his feet, attentive to other people’s moods, and good at handling situations without causing trouble.

And that person was the very bastard who had deceived his son’s feelings.

Yes, after watching Chang Mingyuan submit incorrect data for the third time, Director Liang had once again begun missing Ji Qiu’s efficiency and competence.

Unfortunately, Ji Qiu was probably still busy earning his remaining credits while taking care of Liang Yan…

Forget it. Forget it.

Liang Chen decided to angrily turn the page in his mind while maintaining the dignified image of a highly respected scholar on the outside.

Unfortunately, someone else had no intention of letting the matter rest.

After much difficulty, Chang Mingyuan finally submitted a set of experimental data that was just barely satisfactory. Liang Chen checked it again and approved it. Noticing how late it had gotten, he waved his hand and told the student to change out of his lab clothes and leave.

Chang Mingyuan agreed. He went to the changing room and took off his lab coat. Before he could even hang up his own jacket, he eagerly pulled out his phone to check it.

As the original poster of one of the hottest threads on the university forum, he couldn’t resist checking for new comments.

After all, if Ji Qiu and Liang Yan really stayed together for a long time, he would have to treat everyone who had replied to the thread to a meal!

But the moment he opened his notifications, the first thing he saw was that same annoying username that always made him frown.

It was that person again, constantly popping up to stir things up!

\*\*[You Don’t Know Jack Sh\*t]: Why do people keep digging up this thread? OP, stop dreaming. I’ve already told you it’s impossible for them to break up, so give it up.\*\*

Chang Mingyuan thought there was something seriously wrong with this person.

They were always acting as if they knew everything, yet they never produced any substantial evidence or juicy revelations. All they did was keep brainwashing everyone in the thread, insisting that Ji Qiu and Liang Yan were a match made in heaven.

Chang Mingyuan snorted in anger and disdain.

He was also one of Ji Qiu’s many admirers, though he was a little timid and didn’t dare confess his feelings. Having watched Ji Qiu remain single for two whole years, he’d gradually convinced himself that simply being an Alpha who quietly supported him was good enough. He had never fantasized about marrying Ji Qiu. Admiring him from a distance was perfectly fine.

But then, the Omega he admired had fallen for another Omega?

Chang Mingyuan had calmly analyzed the feasibility of an OO relationship from every angle and deeply regretted that Ji Qiu had ended up with another Omega.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept it out of jealousy. He simply thought the relationship was impossible to sustain. So, acting on impulse, he had created that forum thread.

Originally, most people at the university had supported his position. But after the KB incident, quite a few people began changing sides, deciding that true love between two Omegas was entirely possible.

Chang Mingyuan scrolled through the replies a little longer. Just as he put his phone away, Liang Chen walked in from outside.

Seeing that he was still there, the director asked curiously, “Xiao Chang, why haven’t you left yet?”

“Oh, oh! I’m going now.” Chang Mingyuan finished changing and apologized to the director.

Liang Chen also came in to change. After glancing at Chang Mingyuan, he said, “Never mind. Wait for me, and we’ll go downstairs together. I’ll explain a few of the key reasons your experiments kept failing along the way.”

Chang Mingyuan nodded.

As they walked, Liang Chen pointed out several problems. Finally, he concluded, “You should refer to last semester’s data as well. Ji Qiu’s work was excellent. You could learn a thing or two from him.”

“Professor Liang.” In the end, Chang Mingyuan couldn’t hold back any longer. He wasn’t sure whether Liang Chen knew about the matter, but curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “Do you know that Ji Qiu is dating your son?”

Liang Chen: ???

So this really was common knowledge now?

Director Liang’s expression darkened, and he replied impatiently, “Ah, yes. I know.”

Not only did he know, but he also wanted to chop off that bastard Ji Qiu’s legs!

Seeing this reaction, Chang Mingyuan’s eyes lit up.

An OO relationship was already like walking a tightrope. An OO relationship opposed by one’s parents? That was practically guaranteed to end in failure!

It’s in the bag!