Afraid of Alphas, but Pregnant with an Alpha’s Child - Chapter 3

The air after the rain was cold and damp. As Jiang Qiu followed Lu Mingshen downstairs, he noticed Assistant Xu holding a knit cardigan.

He was just mentally commending the assistant’s competence as he prepared to brush past him, but Lu Mingshen came to a halt.

Assistant Xu stepped forward. “Mr. Jiang, it’s chilly outside. Please put this on.” He added thoughtfully, “It’s brand new, so don’t worry.”

Jiang Qiu: “…”

He caught a glimpse of the luxury brand logo on the shopping bag, and the pressure intensified instantly.

Jiang Qiu looked at Lu Mingshen’s back, hesitating. His instinct was to refuse, but then he worried he’d seem ungrateful. He took the cardigan and smiled. “Thank you.”

Only then did Lu Mingshen resume walking.

Once they were in the car, Lu Mingshen seemed to want to say something, but he was drowning in work. His phone rang incessantly; several times he opened his mouth only to be interrupted by another business call.

The drive to the headquarters was long. Jiang Qiu had no desire for small talk anyway, so he stared out the window at the congested traffic, lost in thought.

The two of them sat in the back seat, maintaining a distance that was stranger-like but not quite awkward. Only the driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror, sensing an atmosphere so heavy it bordered on the eerie.

The attentive Assistant Xu, knowing they hadn’t eaten lunch, had brought some takeout along. Looking at the bags, Jiang Qiu felt a pang of guilt; he really should have let Lu Mingshen finish a proper meal before dragging him out.

He finally steeled himself and picked out the most convenient item to eat while someone was on the phone—a sandwich. Just as he went to hand it over, Lu Mingshen turned his head. His gaze fell on Jiang Qiu’s hand with a peculiar intensity.

Jiang Qiu looked at the sandwich. Right. Assistant Xu probably bought this for me. A CEO probably doesn’t eat stuff like this.

Feeling awkward about eating in someone else’s car, he started to put the sandwich back, but a slender hand stopped him.

Lu Mingshen was on an international call via his Bluetooth headset. He was mostly listening, offering an occasional “Mhm,” but his hands didn’t stay idle. He naturally took the sandwich, his clean, elegant fingers unwrapping it for Jiang Qiu before handing it back.

He then withdrew his hand and looked away. Up in the front, Assistant Xu finally noticed the situation and turned around to ask if Jiang Qiu needed help.

Jiang Qiu: “…”

So Lu Mingshen was looking at me because he was wondering if he should unwrap it for me?

After hanging up the last call, Lu Mingshen finally caught a break. He turned slightly, his dark eyes falling on Jiang Qiu, only to realize that the younger man had fallen asleep at some point.

He looked at the empty space between them, thinking back to what Jiang Qiu had said before they got in the car.

Jiang Qiu had said he feared the proximity of any Alpha, including his own sister and friends. This kind of rejection couldn’t be nullified just because an Alpha wore a blocking ring or was pumped full of suppressants.

Lu Mingshen looked down at the ring on his own wrist, unconsciously rubbing it. He had wanted to ask so many questions, but the timing never felt right.

He’s been in treatment for five years just to get to this point… was it that severe?

He didn’t have a partner before… what about now?

Why did he develop this phobia?

Was it because of that night?

Was it… because of me?

Jiang Qiu, who was merely faking sleep, had no idea what was swirling in Lu Mingshen’s mind. He only felt a scorching gaze fixed on him, making his skin prickle as if he were about to be roasted alive.

Fortunately, the car arrived at their destination shortly after.

The Rescue Center was crowded and chaotic. The management there wasn’t strict—lax, even. As they walked in, they could occasionally hear the muffled screams of an Omega losing control.

Lu Mingshen looked at the man beside him. He wanted to say, “You can hold onto me if you’re scared,” but then he remembered the nature of the man’s illness and swallowed the words.

Jiang Qiu followed behind him. Every time an anonymous scream rang out, his breathing hitched. Lu Mingshen was just a step ahead of him, maintaining a careful distance. He was the only Alpha here.

Jiang Qiu looked up, catching a glimpse of the man’s sharp profile. He chanted a mantra in his head: It’s fine. Don’t be afraid. I can coexist with Alphas. The source of my fear is right beside me, and I can handle it.

With that self-suggestion, they reached the relevant office.

After they finished the paperwork, though Jiang Qiu’s took a bit longer as he had more forms to fill, Lu Mingshen headed to the DNA testing room.

When he returned to the office, he saw Jiang Qiu kneeling on the floor, holding a small child’s hands and speaking softly.

The boy had a bowl cut and wore an oversized orange T-shirt and a toy crown.

A childcare worker peeked out from behind a curtain, smiling and clapping. “Jiang Cheng! Did we have a runny nose today?”

At that, little Jiang Cheng’s eyes welled up again. “No, I didn’t!”

“Alright, alright, our Little Cheng is a big brave man…”

Lu Mingshen stood at the door, momentarily unsure of how to speak. He had seen a photo of Jiang Cheng before he arrived. In the photo, the child had a messy “apple” haircut, looking like his bangs had been chewed on. He had clearly just finished crying, his flushed cheeks still stained with tears, yet he was stubbornly biting his lip.

Jiang Qiu had been holding the boy in the photo, a gentle, irrepressible smile in his eyes. He had looked even thinner then, but not haggard; he radiated a soft warmth that made people instinctively want to draw close.

While Lu Mingshen remained silent, Jiang Cheng took a step forward and threw his arms around Jiang Qiu’s neck, his voice muffled and soft. “You promised to come in the morning. Why are you only here now? You broke your word.”

He buried his face in Jiang Qiu’s shoulder. “I hate you… bad Papa.”

“It’s Papa’s fault. I got tied up with something this morning. Don’t hate me, okay?” Jiang Qiu coaxed softly.

The worker leaned down to pat the boy’s head. “Your daddies are here to pick you up. Aren’t you happy?”

Jiang Cheng obviously didn’t recognize Lu Mingshen. He frowned and stared at him for a long time. “I don’t know him.”

The worker continued, “He’s your father.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes scanned Lu Mingshen from head to toe like an X-ray before he suddenly turned and hugged Jiang Qiu. “I only have one Papa.”

Jiang Qiu gave the worker a sheepish smile. He was about to say something when Lu Mingshen stepped forward and scooped Jiang Cheng up in one swift motion.

Startled, Jiang Cheng stared at him wide-eyed for a few seconds. Having lost the staring contest, he asked timidly, “Who are you?”

Lu Mingshen hesitated. He wanted to say, “I’m your dad,” but then he worried that might be too much for the kid. While he was debating, Assistant Xu, who had arrived late—stood at the door, dumbstruck. “The little boss is a total carbon copy of President Lu!”

Jiang Cheng looked at Assistant Xu, then at Lu Mingshen, and finally back at Jiang Qiu. Seeing the latter nod solemnly, the boy let out a very loud sigh.

One handsome Papa was enough, and now there was another one. He wasn’t going to be able to look after them both!

Lu Mingshen felt relieved and bounced the little guy in his arms. “You…”

Slap.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, a chubby little paw slapped him across the face without warning.

Jiang Qiu: “Mr. Lu… Cheng, let go!”

Assistant Xu: “President Lu!” An assassin!

A small hand slowly lifted from Lu Mingshen’s face, only to give the man’s high bridge of his nose a curious little pinch.

Jiang Cheng brought his small face close, nose-to-nose and eye-to-eye with the stranger. In a voice thick with milky sweetness, he asked, “Hello, Uncle. Are you rich? My Papa is almost too poor to keep raising me.”

….

Children speak without filters, and this was, after all, his own biological son.

Even though the DNA results hadn’t officially come back yet, Lu Mingshen was certain. The boy’s features were a perfect carbon copy of his own, as if they had been struck from the same mold.

Inside the car, Jiang Cheng scrambled around the back seat with wide-eyed curiosity. Every time Jiang Qiu tried to pull him down, Lu Mingshen intervened. “It’s fine. Let him play for a while.”

Jiang Qiu could only keep a hawk-like eye on the boy, terrified that his son’s clumsy movements might scratch the luxury leather interior. He couldn’t afford the repairs.

He provided the driver with a string of addresses, but the final destination was not his own home.

Meanwhile, his phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with a relentless stream of WeChat messages and missed calls.

Jiang Qiu looked at the three-story luxury villa complete with a private garden and spoke tentatively. “President Lu, this isn’t…”

This isn’t my house. Did we take a wrong turn? This looks like a theme park.

“Live here until Cheng is of age,” Lu Mingshen said simply. “I live here alone. We can hire a butler and a nanny later. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can stay elsewhere overnight.”

Jiang Qiu had no desire to owe the man any favors. He was just about to decline when Lu Mingshen added, “Or, I can take you back to your place.”

The shift in attitude was so swift that Jiang Qiu was still in a daze by the time they reached his actual apartment.

Getting out of the car, Jiang Qiu looked up at the aging apartment building and reached out to take Jiang Cheng’s hand. “We’re home. Aren’t you happy—”

His hand met thin air.

He turned around to find that Lu Mingshen had already scooped Jiang Cheng up. The boy had his arms looped tightly around “Uncle Lu’s” neck, stealing glances at Jiang Qiu. When their eyes met, the boy immediately buried his face in Lu Mingshen’s shoulder, whispering cautiously, “Papa… I think I liked that other house better.”

He quickly added, “It was so big. And there were flowers! I like flowers.”

Jiang Qiu: “…”

Before he could offer a rebuttal, Jiang Cheng held up his little “smartwatch.” It was a discharge gift Jiang Qiu had bought for him. On the tiny screen was a photo of the villa, with a blurry, chubby little fingertip visible in the bottom corner. The shot was crooked and out of focus, but it couldn’t hide the sheer opulence of the estate.

Jiang Cheng pulled the watch back and pointed a dramatic finger toward the top floor of the apartment building.

Compared to the photo, even a decent apartment would look like a ruin—let alone the one Jiang Qiu was currently renting, which actually was a bit of a ruin.

“Come to my place,” Lu Mingshen said. “Jiang Cheng likes it there.”

He looked at Jiang Qiu steadily. “Also… I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you. I want to make amends however I can. Please, give me a chance.”

When Jiang Qiu looked back, Jiang Cheng was already clinging to Lu Mingshen’s leg like a limpet. The boy didn’t understand the heavy talk about “amends,” but he knew this Uncle was likely a good man, the kind of man who could let Papa live in a big house.

Jiang Qiu didn’t own much; everything he had fit into a single suitcase.

With one arm around Jiang Cheng, he used his free hand to message his mother and sister. Jiang Cheng leaned against his shoulder, shouting into the phone’s microphone with every ounce of his strength: “Grandma! Auntie! I have good news! Papa and I are going to live in a giant house…”

Jiang Qiu scrambled to cover the boy’s mouth and canceled the voice message before it could send.

But it was too late. His mother, whose heart had been broken for her son and grandson, flooded the group chat with a dozen “Sad Frog” emojis, followed immediately by a video call request.

Guiltily, Jiang Qiu angled the phone to hide the background. Jiang Cheng poked his head into the frame, flashing a sugary-sweet smile at the screen. “Grandma! Auntie!”

A chorus of “Oh, my precious!” and “My sweet baby!” erupted from the speakers, along with a muffled shout of: “Jiang Qiu, where the hell are you—mph!“

After they hung up, Jiang Cheng began to look drowsy. Assistant Xu, ever the professional, immediately handed a soft blanket back from the front seat.

Jiang Qiu was exhausted too. He leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes to rest.

Jiang Cheng caught Lu Mingshen’s eye and gave him a tiny wink. Lu Mingshen gave the boy’s small hand a gentle squeeze.

Holding the child’s hand in his palm, Lu Mingshen mouthed the words: “Pleasure doing business with you.”

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