My Omega Rival in Love [Interstellar] - Chapter 31

He Yu stood under the intense pressure of her family’s gaze. She pursed her lips and maintained a defiant posture, clearly refusing to cooperate. Her silence caused the frustration in the room to reach a boiling point.

“He Yi, you speak. Who is the father of the child?” He Yu’s father turned his attention toward his son. Since the news of the pregnancy had slipped from He Yi’s mouth, the father decided not to force his daughter just yet and instead targeted the easier mark.

He Yi looked miserable as he replied, “Father, I truly do not know. I only found out by accident when Sister felt unwell and I took her to the hospital.”

“I do not believe you are ignorant. Speak! Who is it?” While He Yu’s father was reluctant to interrogate his daughter, he had no such reservations with his son. He grabbed He Yi, appearing ready to beat a confession out of him.

Seeing He Yi wailing before a blow was even struck, He Yu could no longer watch. “Father, stop questioning He Yi. He truly does not know. This child belongs to me alone. It belongs to no one else!”

“It belongs to Gu Jin, does it not?” The voice of Elder He suddenly rang out from behind them. He Yu was startled and turned around. She failed to hide her shock, and her expression confirmed everything for the Elder.

The Elder leaned on his cane, his face trembling with emotion. “I knew it!”

He Yu’s parents were stunned by the Elder’s sharp intuition, while He Yi felt a strange sense of excitement at the thought of being an uncle to the child of General Gu.

Since the secret was out, He Yu stopped hiding it. “Yes, the child is Gu Jin’s. However, it was merely an accident. Currently, Gu Jin’s fate is uncertain, and she has no idea this child exists. No one in the Royal Family knows. Therefore, I intend to give birth to this child in secret.”

He Yu did not realize that, elsewhere, the members of the Royal Family likely already knew.

After hearing her words, Elder He turned his back to steady his breathing. He Yu felt a wave of guilt. Her grandfather was three hundred years old, and she felt it was wrong to cause him such distress.

As He Yu’s father stepped forward to comfort the old man, Elder He turned back and pointed his cane at He Yu. “You are being foolish! The Imperial bloodline is so rare that not a single life can be lost. No matter how well you hide this child, do you truly believe you can keep it a secret from the Royal Family?”

In the Interstellar Era, human survival capabilities had increased after the Second Great Evolution, but the birth rate had plummeted. It was common knowledge that the first child usually had a higher chance of evolving into an Alpha or an Omega. Consequently, families placed immense value on the firstborn, especially since having a second child was often difficult.

This was especially true for the Great Houses. No one wanted their lineage to decline, which led to thin populations in most noble families. The Royal Family was the most extreme example. Throughout thousands of years, no Emperor had ever produced more than two children. Often, only one would survive the many dangers facing the throne. It was a miracle the line had not ended.

If He Yu gave birth to Gu Jin’s first child, that child would be the primary heir. Even if Gu Jin recovered and married someone else, she might not have another child. If the Royal Family ever investigated, the child’s identity would be impossible to hide.

Elder He sighed with worry. He Yu felt lost; she had always been focused on mecha research and had never paid much attention to the nuances of Imperial succession or biology.

“What should we do? Is it impossible to keep this child?” He Yu asked. Though she could not yet feel the life inside her, she knew it was growing, and she felt a deep connection to it.

“We must keep the child,” Elder He said as he sat down, looking troubled. “If the Royal Family finds out we harmed an Imperial heir, the He family would face charges of treason. We would all be finished.”

The entire He family felt as though they were under a dark cloud. Protecting the child was a massive risk, but not protecting it was an even greater danger.

The Secret Base and the Birth of Carlo

Meanwhile, Gu Ting dragged Gu Jin through the palace, avoiding the usual hover-discs and taking a convoluted path. They eventually reached a secret base located five thousand meters beneath the Emperor’s bedroom.

Gu Jin gave him a thumbs-up. “Impressive. You actually had a hidden nest like this that I never managed to dig up when we were children.”

Gu Ting waved his hand dismissively. “I have you to thank for that. You dug up my other spots so many times that I decided to spend a fortune building a base near the planetary core.”

“This is hardly the core; it is only five thousand meters deep,” Gu Jin remarked as she inspected the room. “Are you not afraid I will memorize the way and empty the place out later?”

“I have confidence that you do not have the memory for it,” Gu Ting replied without looking back.

Gu Jin was annoyed but remained quiet. After a moment, Gu Ting finished entering a complex series of patterns on the wall. The walls moved silently to reveal a space filled with various miniature mechas. These were unique machines, not custom-made for specific pilots.

Gu Ting grabbed a set and tossed it to Gu Jin. “Wear this over your existing mecha suit.”

Gu Jin complied, using her military terminal to sync with the equipment. In an instant, her appearance changed completely. Gu Ting summoned a full-length mirror. Gu Jin saw a man standing there who was slightly taller than Gu Ting. He had sharp features, a handsome face, and pale skin that gave off an air of casual elegance.

“Amazing!” Gu Jin exclaimed. Her voice had transformed into that of an adult male with a magnetic, slightly playful tone. “What is this?”

Gu Ting looked satisfied. “This is something I developed myself. It can completely alter a person’s appearance, voice, and even body type. I have used this technology to travel incognito and observe the people. I have even created ironclad identities for these personas.”

Gu Jin realized this was the evidence of Gu Ting skipping work. She practiced moving in her new body.

“I have discovered many issues while traveling under different identities. However, I am being watched closely lately and cannot disappear without raising suspicion. Therefore, I am giving this task to you.” Gu Ting transferred the identity data to Gu Jin’s terminal.

“What task?” Gu Jin asked, still confused.

“You will use this identity to infiltrate the He family and investigate the connection between the He and Wen families! Have you not been listening? Do you still want to go?” Gu Ting doubted if she was up to the task.

“Of course I want to go! This sounds fun,” Gu Jin replied, slapping his shoulder. “Do not worry. I did plenty of undercover work during the war with the Kada Empire.”

Gu Ting remained skeptical. “Familiarize yourself with the identity tonight. You start tomorrow. If you blow your cover, I will officially announce that Grand General Gu Jin has passed away due to failed medical treatment.”

Gu Jin was speechless at his ruthlessness.

The Wealthy Merchant Arrives

That night, Elder He decided that He Yu would stay at his residence to hide the pregnancy while he searched for a permanent solution. He Yi also stayed behind to avoid being interrogated by his parents.

The next morning, Gu Jin woke up in her new persona. Her identity was now Carlo, the wealthiest man from Loca Star. Unlike the research-focused Sasha Star or the combat-focused Rota Star, Loca Star was one of the four border worlds dedicated to commerce. It was a place of diverse people and immense wealth.

Loca Star was secretly controlled by the Royal Family, though it maintained the illusion of being a free-trade zone. Gu Ting had created the Carlo identity to manage the planet’s interests.

Gu Jin traveled to a small planet near the capital and then boarded an interstellar passenger ship to make it appear as though she had just arrived from the border. To fit the persona of a wealthy man from a “Planet of Sin,” she acted as a flirtatious and romantic wanderer. She even used the excuse of hiding her identity to explain why a billionaire was on a slow passenger ship.

Upon landing on the Capital Star, Gu Jin remembered her mission. She sent a formal request for a meeting to the He residence. Using Gu Ting’s funds, she booked the entire top floor of the most expensive hotel in the capital for a full year. Since it was an Imperial property, the money was essentially moving from one of Gu Ting’s pockets to the other.

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