Divorcing and Returning Home with My Child to Inherit a Billion-Dollar Fortune - Chapter 4

Although Qi Ji still didn’t harbor much affection for him, his previous malice had vanished. “We’ll talk later. I need to rest first.”

Lu Ming kept an eye on the IV drip. When only a third remained, he sat by the bed until the first bottle finished, called the duty nurse to switch to the second, and then stepped out to buy some food. It wasn’t until 10:00 PM that Qi Ji finished all his infusions. Lu Ming droves steadily. Qi Ji was so weak that he leaned against the passenger seat and fell asleep, his face pale. Lu Ming carried him back to the bedroom, and he didn’t even wake up.

Aside from that one night of intimacy, they were practically strangers. Qi Ji had a strong sense of personal boundaries, and since his clothes had been changed at the hospital, Lu Ming simply wiped his face and left the room.

The household helper, Auntie Man, got up at 7:00 AM to start breakfast. Walking into the kitchen, she found Lu Ming already standing at the stove cooking.

“Young Master?”

“Good morning, Auntie Man.”

Auntie Man looked surprised. “What time did you get up?”

“Half an hour before you. I’m just making some porridge; it’s almost done.”

Auntie Man sighed. “Young people these days rarely get up to cook breakfast themselves. I assume this is for Mr. Qi? You’re very thoughtful.”

“Being pregnant is hard for him. It is my responsibility.”

Lu Ming poured the finished porridge into a bowl and set it on the dining table to cool so it would be ready when Qi Ji woke up. Qi Ji rose at 7:30 AM. After spending ten minutes freshening up, he looked at the porridge and checked the temperature; it was perfect. The first bite was smooth and savory, as it was enriched with egg yolk.

“How does it taste?” Lu Ming asked, biting into a sandwich. His obsidian-colored eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“It’s good. What kind of porridge is this?”

“Yam and egg porridge. I noticed yesterday that you didn’t like hard-boiled eggs, so I thought of this.”

“You know how to make this?”

“I didn’t before, but I can learn.”

Qi Ji felt as if his heart had been struck. Indeed, one can learn what they do not know; it simply depends on whether they are willing. He remembered a time when He Zhaolin’s warehouse was flooded. He had helped until dawn, exhausted and hungry. The restaurants were closed, and because of a heavy rainstorm in G City, delivery wasn’t an option. They were trapped in an old house in the suburbs where the cabinets held only a single pack of noodles. When Qi Ji said he was hungry, He Zhaolin said the gas didn’t work. He found an electric pot but then claimed he didn’t know how to cook.

Qi Ji had to boil them himself with a bit of salt. He Zhaolin ate while teasing him. “What will our little President Qi do in the future? How can an Omega not know how to cook? You can’t expect your Alpha to cook for you, can you?”

Then there was the time his car broke down on the highway during a business trip. He called He Zhaolin to pick him up, but He Zhaolin said he wasn’t familiar with that road and that with the light rain, he might get into an accident himself before reaching him. Qi Ji was left stranded on that deserted road in the boundless night, listening to the rain grow louder. He felt a loneliness and fear he had never experienced before, waiting until morning for a tow truck.

Only now did Qi Ji admit the truth: He Zhaolin wasn’t unfamiliar with the road; he just didn’t want to come. Yet, if he tried to find a major flaw in the man, there seemed to be none. Usually, He Zhaolin was gentle and considerate. He remembered every holiday, gave gifts, and provided plenty of private space.

A lack of attention to detail was perhaps a common trait among Alphas, but this young Alpha before him broke all his inherent prejudices about the group. Qi Ji finally felt a flicker of curiosity about Lu Ming. “You’re only twenty. Don’t you have to go to school?”

Lu Ming replied calmly, “I never went to school properly.”

Qi Ji was shocked. “Not even elementary school?”

Lu Ming looked a bit embarrassed. “Is school a requirement?”

Fine, Qi Ji thought. Being a streamer didn’t really require a degree; a handsome face was enough. After breakfast, Qi Ji took a credit card from his wallet and gave it to him. “Take this. It is compensation for you not being able to stream this year.”

“I have money,” Lu Ming tried to return the card, but Qi Ji had already walked to the entryway to change his shoes for work. Forget it, Lu Ming thought. There was no need to explain; let him think what he wants. Their relationship would end in a year anyway. He pocketed the card casually.

After breakfast, he read for an hour, ran a few laps along the riverside boulevard, and returned for a shower. At 10:00 AM, he opened a new mechanical model. Glancing at the complex blueprints, he began assembling it with practiced skill. In the afternoon, he went to the public tennis court in the villa area and befriended a few elderly men exercising. The day passed like that. He showered and checked the time; it was 5:30 PM. Auntie Man returned from the market and started cooking.

“By the way, Young Master, is President Qi coming home for dinner?” she called from the kitchen.

“I’ll call and ask.”

Lu Ming felt a bit nervous calling him for the first time. Would he be angry if he interrupted his work? After a moment, Qi Ji’s cold voice answered. “What is it?”

“Mr. Qi, are you coming home for dinner?”

“I have a dinner meeting. I won’t be back.”

“A dinner meeting,” Lu Ming bottled his worry. “Will there be alcohol?”

“I know my limits. Goodbye.”

Before Lu Ming could say more, the line went dead. After his own dinner, Lu Ming sat on the sofa with his unfinished model. For some reason, he couldn’t concentrate. He made frequent mistakes and had to disassemble and rebuild. A person who had won numerous international youth robotics competitions was acting like a struggling novice.

When he heard the door open at the entryway, he realized it was already 10:00 PM. He set the model down and hurried over. Seeing Qi Ji’s flushed face and bloodshot eyes, Lu Ming felt a mix of disappointment and frustration. “You drank after all?”

“Just a little.”

Lu Ming took a deep breath, his tone restrained. “I don’t quite understand. Even if you aren’t responsible for yourself, you should be responsible for the child in your stomach.”

Exhausted, Qi Ji changed into his slippers and walked inside, snapping irritably, “I didn’t want this child. If my coagulation function weren’t an issue, this child and this marriage wouldn’t even exist.”

“There are no ‘ifs’! Why must you fixate on hypotheticals and waste your energy? What happened, happened. There is no better way than to face it head-on.”

“Is a twenty-year-old kid lecturing me now?”

Lu Ming followed close behind him. “I’m not lecturing you, and I don’t have the right to. Besides, what’s wrong with being twenty? At twenty-six, your psychological age isn’t necessarily more mature than mine!”

Qi Ji spun around suddenly, roughly grabbing Lu Ming’s collar. “Say it again. Say it and you can get the hell out!”

The two were at a standoff for a long time before Lu Ming suddenly sighed. “Wow; you sound very tough.”

“Wow my foot!” Qi Ji released the collar irritably. “To have a child I don’t want, I can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t eat this, can’t do that. Haven’t I been cooperating? Do you think this is easy? Just quit whenever you want, change whenever you want, and everyone will cater to me because of this damn pregnancy? It is ridiculous!”

“I don’t think that.”

“Then what are you doing right now?”

“I’m just worried about you!”

“You’re not worried about me; you’re worried about this thing in my stomach, whether it can be born healthy. You Alphas have this innate reproductive urge; you love finding Omegas to have children because you can’t have them yourselves!”

Lu Ming did not dodge the accusation. “Yes, I care if this child is born healthy. What if your smoking, drinking, and late nights cause health issues? The problem is the pregnancy can’t be terminated! The baby can’t hear yet, but by the twenty-fifth week, the auditory nerves will develop. Please don’t say these things then. If the baby understands that their father doesn’t want them, how sad would that be?”

“The baby won’t understand!”

“How do you know that?”

“Don’t make me hit you.” Qi Ji rolled his eyes and retreated to his bedroom.

Lu Ming was left outside by the sound of a slammed door. He hadn’t felt this frustrated or lost in a long time. He leaned against the hallway wall in silence, head bowed, staring blankly at nothing. There were words he didn’t dare say. If he had a choice, of course he wouldn’t want this child either. He was only twenty; suddenly becoming a father brought a fear and anxiety that almost spilled from his throat.

If the Omega father didn’t want the child, and if he didn’t want the child either, how would the child face the world when they grew up? It was like when he was two years old and his parents fought in front of him, both saying they didn’t want him. He had stared with wide eyes, holding back tears, pretending to play with blocks. When he got older, they stopped fighting in front of him because they were afraid he’d understand, but he had already heard it all at age two. Eventually, they divorced. Even though he tried his best to be good, he was still sent to his grandfather’s house on an island. They only visited once a year.

Deep down, he craved a home and someone to love truly. A child would be wonderful because at least they would be born into a whole, happy family, spared the sadness he endured. He could make up for his own childhood regrets through his child; it would be a form of healing. But now, because of this accident, all those hopes for the future were gone. He couldn’t heal himself, and his child would be born into a broken family.

Lu Ming gathered his thoughts, went to the kitchen, and peeled a pomelo. He placed the segments on a plate and returned to Qi Ji’s door. He knocked, and a muffled “Come in” came from inside.

Lu Ming entered and placed the plate on the nightstand. Qi Ji had just showered and was reading in bed. He gave Lu Ming a quick glance. “Put it down and get out.”

“If you feel unwell, you must say so. Pomelo helps with hangovers, so eat some. Also, the prenatal check-up is next Monday. You must make time. And…”

Qi Ji drew a sharp breath, interrupting him. “There’s an early meeting every Monday. Move it or reschedule it. What else?”

“And,” Lu Ming’s face reddened all the way to his neck, “pheromone soothing is absolutely necessary.”

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