Afraid of Alphas, but Pregnant with an Alpha’s Child - Chapter 10

On the drive home from the supermarket, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t stop complaining about being hungry. Jiang Qiu coaxed him, promising to cook as soon as they got back.

However, once home, a quick rummage through the shopping bags revealed they hadn’t bought a single ready-to-eat meal. Jiang Qiu pulled out a bag of udon noodles and a pack of pre-portioned Wagyu beef, turning to the two people currently building Lego in the living room. “Is stir-fried udon okay?”

“Yes please!”

Lu Mingshen nodded in agreement.

Jiang Qiu was pleased by how easy they were to please. Stir-fried udon didn’t require much skill, and it was ready in no time. The steaming noodles were finished with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds, the aroma filling the kitchen.

Jiang Cheng clapped his hands in delight. Ignoring his father’s warnings about the heat, he dove in with his training chopsticks.

Chew, chew, chew. The noodles were so hot he had to keep tossing them around in his mouth. He glanced at Lu Mingshen, who was busy mixing the noodles in a separate small bowl so they would cool down faster.

Chew, chew, chew.

Daddy was pouring him some warm milk.

After swallowing, the little boy frowned, a look of utter disbelief crossing his face.

“What is it, baby?” Jiang Qiu asked.

The little one shook his head, took another bite, and chewed slowly. He set his chopsticks down. “Daddy, I want to play with my blocks and eat later.”

“It’ll be cold by then. Weren’t you hungry?” Jiang Qiu said. “How about you wait for Uncle to finish portioning yours?”

Jiang Cheng blinked. “Okay.”

Jiang Qiu patted his head. He trusted Lu Mingshen with the boy, so he went off to tidy up the household supplies.

The living room fell silent. Jiang Cheng poked the bowl with his finger, pushing it slightly away.

“Uncle, why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’re lying. You said you were hungry earlier.”

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“…”

Father and son stared somberly at the equally somber-looking udon noodles. It was impossible to tell if they were burnt or if Jiang Qiu had just been too heavy-handed with the dark soy sauce.

Jiang Cheng looked pained. “Uncle… have you never eaten Daddy’s cooking before?”

Lu Mingshen: “…This is the first time.”

Jiang Qiu had volunteered so many times; who knew his culinary skills were this disastrous?

Lu Mingshen couldn’t just leave the bowls full and hurt Jiang Qiu’s feelings, but he couldn’t stomach the noodles as they were either. He stood up, took the noodles back to the stove, added water and a bit of sugar to turn it into a noodle soup, and then drained the excess liquid.

Once rinsed and recooked, the noodles were no longer bitter from the salt.

Jiang Qiu had been biased—Jiang Cheng had been given a massive portion, while Lu Mingshen’s bowl was much smaller by comparison, so he finished quite quickly.

“Uncle,” Jiang Cheng whispered, leaning against Lu Mingshen’s arm after a sip of milk. “I can’t finish. Can you help me eat some?”

His soft little face rubbed against Lu’s arm. Lu Mingshen gently nudged his head away, looking helpless. “Just a little. You have to finish the rest yourself, or Daddy will be sad.”

“Okay..”

By the time Jiang Qiu came out, Lu Mingshen had finished and was preparing to wash the dishes. Jiang Qiu looked at the table; his son was practically melted onto the wooden surface like a little pancake. “Daddy, I’m too full.”

Jiang Qiu went over to check. There was still a small portion left. He patted his son’s head, satisfied. “Go brush your teeth then. Daddy will finish the rest.”

“Okay..”

Jiang Cheng practically jumped off his chair, his little eyes darting toward the figure at the sink.

“Uncle, I’m going to brush my teeth now! Daddy said he’s going to eat the leftovers..”

Slid! The glass door snapped open.

Lu Mingshen, his hands still wet, leaned against the doorframe with a numb expression. He said, syllable by syllable: “I’m… still… a bit… hungry.”

Jiang Cheng turned his back, covering his mouth to hide his snickering.

Jiang Qiu froze, slowly putting down his chopsticks. “Oh… then… let me make you another bowl.” He couldn’t let the CEO eat scraps.

“No need.” Lu Mingshen sat back down and picked up the chopsticks, looking like a man ready to walk into a fire.

Marching toward death was one thing… eating “dark cuisine” was another entirely. Especially when the chef was watching.

A gentle, melodic voice drifted over like the whisper of a demon: “Mr. Lu, is it good?”

“…It’s good,” Lu Mingshen lied, swallowing the last of the noodles with a straight face.

Jiang Qiu’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Right? Chengcheng ate that whole big bowl.”

Lu Mingshen didn’t comment. He let Jiang Qiu take over the dishes and headed for the bathroom. A tiny, naked human in nothing but underpants was waiting bashfully at the door with a rubber duck.

The little guy blinked. “Is Uncle giving me a bath today?”

“Yes,” Lu Mingshen replied, scooping him up so the boy could cling to his neck. “Are you afraid of the water?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?!”

“When it gets warmer, do you want to learn to swim? There’s a pool on the roof.”

“I want to learn!”

The excited chatter vanished as the bathroom door closed.

When Jiang Qiu finished in the kitchen, he couldn’t find the boy. Passing the second-floor bathroom, he heard Chengcheng giggling inside. Relieved, he sank into the soft sofa. He wanted to buy some books and happened to see a “mystery box” from a closing bookstore. You could tell the owner about your life, and they would curate a selection for you. Jiang Qiu thought it was a fun idea; five books for a hundred yuan was a steal.

After placing the order, he headed to another bathroom to wash up. By the time he finished, Lu Mingshen was bringing Jiang Cheng down from upstairs. Lu Mingshen was in charcoal-gray loungewear, his hair still damp. He pulled the towel away from Chengcheng’s eyes and looked at Jiang Qiu. “All done?”

Jiang Qiu rarely went out, so his naturally pale skin was almost translucent. But right now, he was radiating a soft, warm steam. A gentle pink flush touched his skin, and small droplets of water fell from the tips of his hair onto his collarbone.

Jiang Qiu was entirely unaware of how inviting he looked. He casually wiped his neck and nodded. Lu Mingshen’s gaze traveled down, catching a glimpse of slender calves beneath the oversized bathrobe.

His eyes darkened. His throat tightened. During the day, we were strangers under one roof… and at night, you look like this?

“Come here, let Daddy see if you’re clean,” Jiang Qiu said, reaching out.

Chengcheng’s short hair was wet and spiked up into a mohawk. He had been trying to look cool with his hands on his hips, but at the sound of his father’s voice, the act crumbled. He lunged into Jiang Qiu’s arms. “I’m all clean and I smell like oranges!”

“What kind of word is ‘orangey’?” Jiang Qiu laughed, lifting him onto the sofa. Both of them smelled like fresh citrus.

Lu Mingshen walked over and took the towel to dry the boy’s hair, ignoring his muffled protests. He asked Jiang Qiu casually, “How much longer is your leave?”

Jiang Qiu blinked. “One week.”

“I see.” Lu Mingshen pulled the towel away to see Chengcheng pouting at him. He couldn’t help but pinch the boy’s nose, making him giggle and roll into his lap. “Is it medical leave?”

Jiang Qiu bit his lip and didn’t answer.

“Wait for me a moment,” Lu Mingshen said. He whispered something to his son, who nodded vigorously, hopped off the sofa, and scurried off to watch TV.

“Don’t let him watch too much…” Jiang Qiu started.

“When is your heat?” Lu Mingshen asked calmly.

The room fell into a deathly silence. Jiang Qiu hadn’t expected him to be so perceptive.

“In… three days,” he admitted. He felt Lu’s scorching gaze move from his head to his fingertips, as if he wanted to consume him whole. “Don’t worry, Mr. Lu… I’ve already booked a hotel. I’ll leave when the time comes. I won’t mess up your house.”

“You and Chengcheng stay here. I’ll stay at the office.”

How could a guest stay while the owner slept at work? “No,” Jiang Qiu insisted. “My cycles are always on time; there won’t be a mistake. And I’ve already paid for the hotel…”

“Cancel it.”

Lu Mingshen’s voice was cold and absolute. He wasn’t negotiating. His patience was at its limit. He stood up to leave, ending the argument.

Instinct overrode reason. Jiang Qiu reached out and grabbed Lu Mingshen’s hand. “Mr. Lu…”

He had forgotten his own request for Lu to remove his suppressant bracelet. His fingertips felt like they had touched a roaring flame, and he tried to pull back. But in the next second, the Alpha’s scent surged forward with ruthless intent. His wrist was gripped tight, and he lost all sense of direction as he was pinned against the sofa.

During his years of treatment, Jiang Qiu had been exposed to many intense pheromones, but he had never felt anything this violent—unmasked and unrestrained.

Cold sweat broke out across his skin. He felt as though hands were tightening around his throat, cutting off his air. The Alpha pheromones crashed over him like a storm, giving him no time to adjust.

The tall shadow loomed over him. Lu Mingshen pinned both of Jiang Qiu’s wrists above his head with a single hand. He leaned in, their breaths and pheromones mingling.

“…Jiang Qiu,” he called.

Jiang Qiu shuddered.

“I’m not letting you go to some random place during your heat. And I’m not letting you stay in front of me… you know what the consequences would be.”

Lu Mingshen’s voice was as soft as a sigh, but it sent a wave of heat and electricity down Jiang Qiu’s spine. Terror and a strange, overwhelming pleasure twisted together inside him.

“Mr. Lu, let go… Chengcheng is still right there…”

“Fine.”

The grip on his wrists vanished, and Jiang Qiu collapsed, his strength gone. The Alpha’s scent had left him shivering, his vision blurred, and his stomach churning. He was on the verge of fainting. He steadied himself against the sofa. “Medicine…”

“My head hurts… the medicine is in the nightstand… second drawer…”

He saw blurred figures moving toward him. Suddenly, he was being lifted.

“Uncle, where are you taking Daddy?”

He heard the pitter-patter of little feet. Lu Mingshen paused. “Daddy isn’t feeling well. I’m taking him to rest.”

“Daddy? What’s wrong?” Chengcheng’s voice was trembling, on the edge of tears. “Daddy, don’t die!”

Jiang Qiu’s consciousness was fading. The arms holding him were strong. By the time he realized what was happening, he had been placed on the large, soft bed.

The sound of drawers opening followed. A warm palm supported the back of his neck, lifting him up as medicine and water were brought to his lips.

“No…”

He leaned against someone’s chest, his headache intensifying. He grabbed the person’s wrist, but his body gave out, and he slumped backward. He felt an arm catch him solid and unyielding.

In the darkness, Lu Mingshen watched the nearly unconscious man in his arms and let out a very, very soft sigh.

He tilted Jiang Qiu’s chin up, put the pill in his own mouth, and pressed his lips against Jiang Qiu’s.

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