Afraid of Alphas, but Pregnant with an Alpha’s Child - Chapter 4

Once they settled into the new house, Jiang Cheng claimed he needed the bathroom, but in reality, he pulled Lu Mingshen along to whisper some private “man-to-man” business.

“Uncle, I like you quite a bit,” the little boy said, his face a map of inner conflict. “But I already have a Papa.”

Lu Mingshen nodded solemnly. “I know.”

“But the teacher at the center said we look super similar. Maybe you really are my father.”

Lu Mingshen knelt down, helplessly ruffling the little guy’s hair.

“But… but I already have a Papa. If I call you ‘Dad,’ Papa will be sad.” Jiang Cheng took a step forward, leaning in until his forehead touched Lu Mingshen’s. He cupped the man’s face with his small hands, giving his cheeks a gentle squeeze. “Can I just call you ‘Uncle’ instead?”

Lu Mingshen had stiffened the moment the boy touched him, instinctively wanting to pull back. However, the refreshing, sweet scent of oranges from the child drifted into his nose, bypassing his defenses. Before he could move away, he found himself holding those tiny hands. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“Yay!” Goal achieved, Jiang Cheng led Lu Mingshen back out.

Showing zero stranger anxiety, he hopped and skipped through every room, conducting a thorough “inspection.” Finally, he marched back out with his hands behind his back and nudged Jiang Qiu’s elbow.

Jiang Qiu was busy unpacking. Lu Mingshen had intended to help, but a sudden conference call forced him up to the second-floor study.

To be honest, Jiang Qiu preferred it that way.

He pulled his son into a hug and kissed his cheek. “Tired from the long car ride? Why don’t you rest for a bit, baby?”

“Okay! I can do that,” Jiang Cheng chirped.

Back at the center, the caregivers always said Jiang Cheng was an easy child—never fussy, always the first to fall asleep at naptime, ate everything on his plate, and brushed his teeth for the full three minutes.

Looking into his son’s grape-like eyes, Jiang Qiu’s heart melted. He stroked the boy’s head, and Jiang Cheng immediately rolled into his lap, napping with his cheek pressed against his father’s arm.

….

By the time Lu Mingshen finished his meeting and came downstairs, night had fallen. The living room was dim, lit only by a small lamp that cast a warm, amber glow over a slender wrist.

Both the adult and the child had fallen asleep on the sofa. Half of the folded clothes were stacked neatly; the other half had been kicked over by a certain pair of tiny legs.

Jiang Cheng was sprawled haphazardly over Jiang Qiu, his little hand clutching his father’s collar as if afraid he might disappear.

Jiang Qiu, by contrast, didn’t seem to be sleeping deeply. Likely due to the unfamiliar environment, his brow was slightly furrowed even in sleep. His right arm was draped loosely around the boy, his hand occasionally patting him in an unconscious, soothing rhythm.

The corner of Lu Mingshen’s mouth twitched upward. He carefully scooped up Jiang Cheng, who was sleeping like a little pig. The boy must have been dreaming of something delicious; he smacked his lips twice and adjusted himself in Lu Mingshen’s arms, mumbling a soft, “Papa.”

After tucking Jiang Cheng into a small bed, Lu Mingshen returned to find Jiang Qiu already awake. He was sitting up, staring blankly at the floor, his body and gaze unusually relaxed. His loose lounge shirt hung off his frame, and the warm light made him look as though he were covered in soft, golden feathers.

Hearing footsteps, Jiang Qiu looked up with bleary eyes. A few tufts of hair, messy from Jiang Cheng’s grip, stood up playfully.

“You’re done with your meeting?” Jiang Qiu asked, his voice thick with sleep.

His tone was gentle and natural, as if he had said those words a thousand times before.

Lu Mingshen was about to answer when Jiang Qiu suddenly stood up, his cheeks flushing pink. Realizing his tone had been a bit too intimate, he hastily smoothed his hair, his posture returning to the familiar, guarded stiffness.

“It’s almost seven. What do you want to eat? I’ll go make…”

“That’s the bathroom,” Lu Mingshen pointed out.

Jiang Qiu: “…”

He stood frozen for a few seconds before silently turning back around.

Lu Mingshen was still in his full suit, not even his blazer removed. He stood there watching, his expression unreadable, but Jiang Qiu felt his gaze was heavy, almost hot, as if he were being scanned from head to toe.

Awkwardly, Jiang Qiu pushed up his glasses. “Is ordering takeout okay?”

Lu Mingshen pulled out a dining chair for him. “A cook is coming to prepare dinner. Sit.”

Though Jiang Qiu hadn’t worked a day during his five years of therapy, he still felt the instinctive pressure of a high-level boss. He nodded obediently.

He sat diagonally across from Lu Mingshen, maintaining a distance that prevented his phobia from flaring up without being too cold. He had just taken out his contacts, so his eyes were slightly rimmed with red. Behind his simple wire-frame glasses, his eyes looked tired, which softened the sharp lines of his thin face and gave him a refined, gentle air.

“President Lu,” Jiang Qiu began. He paused, looking down as if gathering his thoughts. When he looked up, his voice was firmer. “Originally, I planned to leave the city with Cheng and join my mother abroad. But I’ve thought about what you said.”

“Cheng is an Alpha, and I truly lack experience in raising one. Moreover, I don’t want him to grow up missing the presence of his other father. So, if it’s convenient, can we discuss Cheng’s upbringing and education… just a simple chat?”

Lu Mingshen glanced at his watch. “It’s early. Go ahead.”

“Good.” Jiang Qiu stood up and pulled an A4 sheet from his document bag, handing it over.

“I only got to see Cheng once a week; he spent most of his time with the caregivers and other children,” Jiang Qiu said quietly. “This contains his habits and preferences. Some are from my own observations, and some are from the staff. You should take a look.”

Lu Mingshen took the paper. The edges were slightly curled, clearly having been handled many times. The printed text gave basic information, but the margins were crowded with dense, handwritten notes in blue ink:

Sensitive stomach, warm his milk first. Hates vegetables, loves meat. No drug allergies. A bit grumpy when waking up, but easy to coax. The scar on his knee is from a fall when he was two…

Some of the ink had bled and dried, looking like a heart that had been repeatedly dampened and then forced dry.

Lu Mingshen read every single note before handing it back. “I understand.”

Jiang Qiu didn’t take it. Instead, he pulled out a photocopy. “I have more.”

Lu Mingshen: “…”

He let out a faint, imperceptible smile and folded the paper, setting it aside. “I wanted to—”

The question about the Alpha-phobia was on the tip of his tongue when it was cut off by a soft voice: “Papa?”

Both men turned to see Jiang Cheng peeking from behind an oversized pillow, his face still puffy from sleep. He rubbed his eyes, his blurry gaze finally focusing as he shuffled forward. “You guys are playing without me.”

Jiang Qiu smiled and opened his arms. “You’re awake? Want a hug?”

Jiang Cheng immediately forgot his grudge. “Yes!”

Thump. His little foot caught on the pillow, and he tumbled forward. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact, but the pain never came.

He peeked with one eye. A large hand was holding him steady. Lu Mingshen, being closer, had reacted instantly, scooping the little guy into his arms.

Uncle’s scent seems stronger than before?

Jiang Cheng buried his face in Lu Mingshen’s chest, sniffing. It was floral, but with a cold undertone. He poked the man’s shoulder. “Uncle, what’s that smell?”

Lu Mingshen looked at Jiang Qiu, about to explain. “I’m wearing my suppressant ring.”

But then he remembered, right before coming down from the study, he had intentionally sprayed himself with several bursts of perfume.

Lu Mingshen let out a soft, dry cough, smoothly brushing past the topic of his sudden perfume usage. He turned his attention to the little bundle in his arms. “Did you sleep well?”

Jiang Cheng nodded with utmost gravity. “Not bad at all. The bed was squishy, like a giant marshmallow.”

Jiang Qiu caught the hint immediately. “So, you’re craving marshmallows now?”

Jiang Cheng let out a series of “hehe” giggles and flopped back, leaning his entire weight against Lu Mingshen’s chest. He tilted his head back to look at the man’s chin. “Can I eat the chocolates on the table?”

“You can,” Lu Mingshen replied. “Everything in this house is yours to use.” He paused, giving Jiang Cheng’s little belly a playful pat before adding, “Provided your Papa agrees.”

Jiang Cheng didn’t say a word. Instead, he began twining Lu Mingshen’s silk tie around his tiny fingers, casting a pitiful, wide-eyed look toward Jiang Qiu.

Jiang Qiu sighed helplessly and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Go ahead and eat one. But just one! And you have to brush your teeth properly tonight.”

Jiang Cheng threw his arms up in the air. “Long live Papa!”

As Lu Mingshen held the boy, he pulled up an audiobook for children on his phone. Jiang Cheng munched on his chocolate, listening with rapt attention.

About twenty minutes later, the cook arrived. Jiang Cheng, who had been curled up comfortably in Lu Mingshen’s lap, suddenly bopped out like a coiled spring. He spent the next while trailing enthusiastically behind the cook, chirping about how he wanted to help wash the vegetables or cut the meat. In reality, he was more of a decorative obstacle, his little slippers making a rhythmic patter-patter sound against the floor as he scurried back and forth.

The cook had specially updated the menu for a child’s palate. However, when the food hit the table, Jiang Cheng propped his chin in his hands, staring at the colorful array of red and green vegetables with a look of pure resentment.

Jiang Qiu remembered the notes he’d written about Cheng’s picky eating. He didn’t want to ruin their first night with a power struggle, but he knew the boy needed a balanced diet. Just as he was debating how to intervene, Jiang Cheng’s face shifted into an expression of heroic sacrifice. With the grim determination of a man facing his final moments, the boy picked up a large clump of shredded carrots, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed them.

Wait. The little guy’s eyes suddenly lit up. These carrots were… sweet?

They didn’t taste nearly as bad as the ones at the center!

He dug in with a huge spoonful of rice, puffing his cheeks out like a hamster.

Testing the waters, Jiang Qiu added another helping of carrots to his bowl. Jiang Cheng blinked at the orange pile, picked them up, and ate them. Jiang Qiu added green vegetables; he ate those too. Lu Mingshen added wood ear mushrooms and cucumbers; those disappeared as well.

He accepted every vegetable offered. Aside from a slightly pained expression on the very first bite, he finished the rest of his greens like a hungry little bunny.

Jiang Qiu stroked the back of his head. “See? Veggies are actually quite tasty, right?”

“Mhm~” Jiang Cheng hummed happily.

By the time he finished his bowl, his tummy was round and firm. Jiang Qiu finished his own meal and helped the cook clear the table before heading over to help his son with some LEGOs.

It was actually quite difficult. Jiang Qiu adjusted his glasses, studying the instructions intently. He had just managed to snap a few pieces together when he looked up, only to realize the “Smart Baby” was building much faster than he was.

Jiang Cheng waved a small plastic house in the air, looking incredibly smug. “Papa is a dummy.”

Jiang Qiu spread his fingers and began tickling him. “If Papa is a dummy, then you’re a little dummy!”

Jiang Cheng dissolved into a fit of giggles, scrambling into his father’s arms to escape the attack. “Waaah! I was wrong! I’m sorry!”

As the father and son played, the once-empty villa suddenly felt lived-in—warm and full of life.

Lu Mingshen stepped out of his study after finishing a call, just in time to see Jiang Qiu holding the boy. Both of them were huddled over a phone, their eyebrows knit at the exact same serious angle.

The boy’s stubby finger poked the screen. “This one is Papa. ‘Qiu.’ Like Autumn.” He dragged the word out. “Auuutumn—when the leaf-babies all fall down!”

Jiang Qiu beamed and patted his son’s head. “That’s right! My baby is so smart.” To think he was learning characters before he even knew pinyin!

“What about this one?” Jiang Qiu pointed to another set of characters.

“I don’t know that one.”

“Ming… Shen.”

“Ming—Shen—? What does that mean?”

“That is Uncle Lu’s name,” Jiang Qiu explained, holding the boy’s small hand and tracing the strokes with his fingertip. “You’re still a bit too little to understand the meaning. When you’re older, you can ask Uncle Lu to tell you, okay?”

“Too little to understand…” the boy repeated.

As he spoke, he jerked his head up, accidentally headbutting Jiang Qiu’s chin. While the poor father clutched his jaw, blinking back tears of silent agony, Jiang Cheng spotted Lu Mingshen walking toward them. He scrambled out of Jiang Qiu’s lap and lunged for Lu Mingshen’s leg.

“Mingshen!”

“Be polite!” Jiang Qiu managed to croak out through his pain.

“Officer” Mingshen crouched down, a glass of warm milk in his hand. Mimicking the boy’s tone, he recited the characters one by one: “Jiang. Cheng.”

Jiang Cheng immediately stood at attention, his big eyes blinking rapidly.

Lu Mingshen issued a calm command: “Drink your milk.”

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