Pregnant with the Empress’s Alpha Heir - Chapter 33 (END OF MAIN STORY)

After the wedding, Yu Zhitao returned to Academia Star with the signed documents in hand.

Thanks to Heng Ying’s arrangements, the college didn’t react much to the newlywed names on the documents. Unbeknownst to most, the Empress had quietly taken up residence on campus.

Once the transfer documents were processed, the Archaeology Department gained an inconspicuous female student and a specially hired physical education instructor.

The female student quickly earned the favor of an elderly professor, who took her under his wing, accelerating her academic progress. Meanwhile, the peculiar P.E. teacher always wore an auxiliary vision visor, obscuring her true appearance.

Strangely enough, this very P.E. teacher was frequently invited by the neighboring Elite Mecha Department to assist in teaching.

It was worth noting that the Mecha Department of the Comprehensive University ranked among the top three in the empire. Teaching there would be a world apart from being a mere P.E. instructor in the Archaeology Department. Just as the archaeology students assumed this teacher wouldn’t stay long, Zhen Qianqiu under the alias Zhen Jiu, flatly rejected the Mecha Department’s earnest invitation.

Unwilling to give up, the Mecha Department negotiated repeatedly with Zhen Qianqiu before finally finding a compromise: merging their P.E. classes with the Archaeology Department’s.

Thus, barely a month into the semester, every time the archaeology students gathered for P.E., they found themselves sharing the training field with a line of towering mecha students.

Zhen Qianqiu had no desire to manage extra students. Her primary reason for coming to Academia Star was to accompany Yu Zhitao, and outside of classes, she still had to remotely handle political affairs back on the capital planet.

But the Archaeology Department’s P.E. standards were embarrassingly low. Each class left her feeling like she was dealing with kindergarteners, unsure how to proceed.

Fortunately, the Mecha Department’s merger proposal solved the issue. After some thought, she agreed. This way, the classes wouldn’t take up extra time, and she might even find some enjoyment in teaching.

This afternoon, Zhen Qianqiu picked up Yu Zhitao ahead of their P.E. class.

As the hovercar neared the training field, Yu Zhitao called for a stop.

“Ah Jiu, pull over here. I’ll walk the rest of the way myself,” she said.

Zhen Qianqiu frowned. “Why?”

Yu Zhitao explained, “The last two times we walked in together, someone might have taken photos. You know how it is, teacher-student relationships don’t sound great if word gets out. I think we should keep some distance in public spaces on campus from now on.”

Zhen Qianqiu’s expression darkened instantly.

“You are my legally wedded spouse.

“If anyone spreads rumors, just show them our marriage certificate.”

Yu Zhitao shook her head vehemently. “No way! We’ve managed to keep our identities hidden so far. I want to finish my university life in peace.”

The marriage certificate bore their real signatures. If exposed, everyone would know they were the Emperor and Empress of the Huaqi Empire, turning their lives into chaos.

Yu Zhitao was determined not to become a spectacle. She had been careful to keep her cover intact.

Zhen Qianqiu sighed inwardly.

In the end, she compromised, “Fine, we don’t have to go in together. I’ve set up the autopilot in the car, you can ride it to the training field entrance before getting out.”

“I’ll get off somewhere discreet up ahead.”

Driving this newly assigned hovercar openly to the training field would inevitably raise suspicions of showing off if seen by others.

Yu Zhitao still wanted to keep a low profile, but since Zhen Qianqiu had already made the first concession, she could only nod and agree with a soft “Okay.”

Zhen Qianqiu pulled her into an embrace and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “See you soon.”

After that, she didn’t forget to gently touch Yu Zhitao’s belly, whispering another farewell, “See you soon, little one.”

Yu Zhitao couldn’t help but laugh at her antics.

The baby was still too young to show, and Zhen Qianqiu’s attempts to communicate with the tiny fetus were essentially futile.

But Yu Zhitao loved seeing Zhen Qianqiu like this.

The usually aloof and dignified Empress, so rational and untouchable, occasionally acting silly by talking to an unborn child, such moments were truly precious.

So Yu Zhitao happily played along.

“Mhm, the baby says she understands. See you soon~”

Zhen Qianqiu nodded.

The hovercar had stopped in a secluded corner at the back of the training field, hidden enough that no one else was around.

Zhen Qianqiu held Yu Zhitao tightly, showing no intention of letting go or getting out of the car.

Yu Zhitao patted her back gently. “Ah-Jiu, it’s time to get off.”

Zhen Qianqiu’s muffled voice replied, “Just a little longer.”

Yu Zhitao waited another three minutes.

Glancing at the time on her smart device, she urged, “Alright, you really need to go now, or you’ll be late.”

She reassured her, “We can cuddle more when we get home tonight. Be good.”

Before coming to the Academy Star with Zhen Qianqiu, Yu Zhitao never would have dreamed she’d one day be the one coaxing Zhen Qianqiu.

Yet here they were despite being the pregnant one, her temper hadn’t changed much, while Zhen Qianqiu had grown increasingly clingy.

At her words, Zhen Qianqiu tightened her arms further. “Nighttime cuddles are for nighttime. Right now is for right now. They can’t be lumped together.”

Yu Zhitao laughed at her reasoning.

Zhen Qianqiu added, “Besides, you always pretend not to know me during physical education class. It hurts my feelings, so I need more time to mentally prepare.”

Yu Zhitao’s heart melted completely, who could resist a softly pleading Zhen Ah-Jiu?

If not for a shred of remaining rationality, she would have forgotten everything and stayed cuddled with Zhen Qianqiu in the car for hours!

Fortunately, she had anticipated this moment and set an alarm in advance.

With less than five minutes until class started, she steeled herself and pushed against Zhen Qianqiu’s shoulders to separate them.

Before Zhen Qianqiu could protest, Yu Zhitao leaned in and sealed her lips with a kiss.

The tactic worked instantly Zhen Qianqiu’s attention was immediately diverted.

Her arms wrapped tightly around Yu Zhitao as she took control, savoring the sweetness of her lips.

Yu Zhitao had initiated this deliberately and cooperated fully.

They lost themselves in the kiss, and Zhen Qianqiu showed no intention of pulling away until Yu Zhitao was breathless.

By the time their lips parted, another three minutes had slipped by.

Yu Zhitao didn’t even bother to wipe the drool from her lips as she frantically pushed Zhen Qianqiu away with both hands and feet.

“Hurry, hurry! Class starts in two minutes!!! Get out now!!!”

This time, Zhen Qianqiu finally relented.

She pressed the autopilot standby button before stepping out of the cockpit. “No need to rush. Take your time, I’ll have the hovercar take you directly to the training field.”

Yu Zhitao wrinkled her nose. “I can make it on my own. You should worry about yourself instead.

“You’re going to get performance points deducted for being late!”

Zhen Qianqiu curved her lips in reassurance. “I won’t.”

She closed the door and stood watching as the hovercar carried Yu Zhitao away. Only when the vehicle disappeared from sight did she turn her gaze toward the adjacent training building.

The classroom was located on the fifteenth floor.

Meanwhile…

The top-tier hovercar lived up to its reputation, coming to a stop again in less than half a minute.

Yu Zhitao peeked out and found herself already at the fifteenth-floor window. Inside were classmates she’d met a few times before. Though embarrassed, she steeled herself to exit the vehicle, offering everyone a brief wave in greeting.

A female classmate who’d once shared a desk with her Xiao Zhen, approached in surprise. “Peach, you made it! I was just saying you might be late.”

Yu Zhitao had adopted a different name here; to her classmates, she was now “Yu Tao.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, she said, “Whew, just barely. I was nervous too.”

Xiao Zhen laughed. “No worries, making it is what counts.”

As she led Yu Zhitao toward the training field, she suddenly asked, “What happened to your mouth? It looks a bit swollen.”

Yu Zhitao mentally pummeled an effigy of Zhen Qianqiu.

Forcing an awkward smile, she subtly covered her mouth. “Huh? Really? Must’ve been the spicy lunch. Didn’t expect my lips to still be swollen.”

Xiao Zhen bought the explanation and chuckled. “If you can’t handle spice, you should be more careful next time.”

Yu Zhitao nodded guiltily.

This wasn’t something she could avoid just by being “careful.”

Truth be told, she was often the one initiating these encounters.

Upon reaching the training field, Xiao Zhen glanced around. “Shouldn’t we be assembling now?”

The archaeology department prioritized quality over quantity their year had only sixty freshmen total, split into two classes. The mecha department was even smaller, with just one class of thirty-five specially recruited talents.

At the moment, the mecha students had already formed neat lines, while the archaeology students still lounged about lazily.

Yu Zhitao exhaled in relief. “Relax, no rush.

“Look, the P.E. teacher isn’t even here yet. She’s probably running late, we can wait a few more minutes.”

Xiao Zhen checked the time.

Less than twenty seconds remained before class.

She nodded. “True. Hah, in two months since school started, this is the first time I’ve seen a teacher be late.”

Yu Zhitao gritted her teeth and nodded vigorously. “The school should really crack down on such irresponsible teachers.”

“Eh?” Xiao Zhen looked at her in surprise before laughing. “That’s how you feel?

“From what I’ve seen on the school forums, I thought you got along really well with the P.E. teacher.”

Yu Zhitao widened her eyes, putting on an “impartial justice” expression: “What does my relationship with her have to do with anything? As a PE teacher, leaving over a hundred students waiting is unacceptable and deserves punishment.”

Xiao Zhen nodded in agreement: “Fair point.”

Just as the words fell, a “click” sounded from the training ground’s back door. Immediately after, the door swung open.

With five seconds to spare, Zhen Qianqiu appeared at the training ground entrance, wearing goggles that covered most of her face.

Xiao Zhen excitedly tugged Yu Zhitao’s arm: “Wow, the teacher isn’t late after all! Come on, let’s go line up.”

Yu Zhitao secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.

How on earth did this monster make it up here???

Her plan to report the teacher for tardiness foiled, Yu Zhitao listlessly followed Xiao Zhen to join the formation.

Though both departments took PE together, their training standards differed greatly. Zhen Qianqiu’s routine was to first organize the archaeology department before addressing the mecha department.

Pulling out today’s lesson plan, her gaze swept across the archaeology students’ formation.

She spotted Yu Zhitao standing right in the middle of the crowd. When their eyes met, Yu Zhitao wrinkled her nose and deliberately looked away first.

Zhen Qianqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

She’d teased the little peach too much earlier, and now she was angry.

Setting aside her concerns for now, she announced: “Today’s regular training is suspended for a small assessment.

“The staff have prepared the course. You’ll enter the training track in student ID order.”

Yu Zhitao perked up with anticipation.

Though called an assessment, it resembled variety shows like “Boys and Girls Charge Forward” from her modern era participants navigating obstacle courses to reach the finish line. Of course, the interstellar version offered far more variety: beyond standard hurdles, rock walls, and balance beams, there were challenges like five-G variable-speed runs and chaotic magnetic field mazes.

People in this era generally possessed better physical conditioning than Earthlings, so most could complete the course with some effort.

Zhen Qianqiu explained: “Archaeology department, Omegas pass by finishing within thirty minutes, Alphas and Betas within twenty. As for the mecha department.”

She turned toward the other formation, her gaze instantly sharpening: “Mecha students will carry ten additional kilograms and complete it in ten minutes.”

This announcement drew little reaction from archaeology students, but provoked groans from the mecha side.

“Did I hear that right? This is supposed to be a ‘small’ assessment?”

“The extra weight is fine, the tighter deadline is fine but must we have both in the same test?”

“Professor, can we negotiate?”

Zhen Qianqiu coolly withdrew her gaze: “Quiet.”

Though spoken softly, these two words instantly silenced the field.

She glanced over and asked: “Any problems?”

The entire mecha formation stood as silent as a graveyard.

Zhen Qianqiu gave a slight nod: “Good. You now have five minutes to warm up before assembling at the track entrance.”

A unified “Yes, professor!” echoed before students scattered to prepare.

Yu Zhitao joined Xiao Zhen and some other girls by a wall to begin stretching.

Seeing Yu Zhitao also preparing seriously, Xiao Zhen curiously asked, “Peach, are you joining the assessment too?”

At the comprehensive university, pregnant women enjoyed various privileges. For instance, in physical education assessments like this, Yu Zhitao could receive full marks without participating.

Hearing this, Yu Zhitao replied, “I haven’t stretched my limbs in a while. I want to give it a try.”

She looked toward the track entrance nearby and added, “Besides, the first few obstacles seem quite simple. I’ll just see how far I can go consider it some light exercise.”

Her classmates nodded with smiles, and Xiao Zhen encouraged her, “Right, expectant mothers need moderate exercise too. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just stop immediately,” she added.

Yu Zhitao nodded, responding to their kindness with a smile.

Meanwhile, Zhen Qianqiu stood alone at the center of the field, her fingers lightly tapping on a virtual screen as she recorded something.

A group of mecha department students had gathered not far behind her, their chatter reaching her ears.

“Oh my god, ten minutes is this even doable?”

“I’m dead serious. I think only the top three guys in our department might pull this off. The rest of us just have to do our best and leave the rest to fate.”

“Tch! I really don’t get it. What’s the deal with this random PE teacher? Is she really that capable? Look at her slender arms and legs, I doubt she could even complete this assessment herself.”

This remark surprisingly garnered many agreements.

Their skepticism wasn’t entirely unfounded. At just under two meters tall, Zhen Qianqiu was only average among the towering Alpha population. Her well-proportioned frame lacked the exaggerated musculature typical of other mecha department instructors, giving her an unremarkable appearance.

As their discussion grew louder, Zhen Qianqiu could no longer ignore it.

Her attention had actually been secretly fixed on Yu Zhitao, but now she tilted her head slightly, casting a glance toward the chattering group.

The mecha students froze for a few seconds, a chill running down their spines, before scattering like startled birds.

A person’s aura and gaze never lie. The department’s troublemakers suddenly recalled the painful memories of being completely suppressed by Zhen Qianqiu’s psychic pressure.

Finally regaining peace, Zhen Qianqiu withdrew her gaze and stole another look toward the wall where Yu Zhitao had been standing.

But in that brief moment, Yu Zhitao and her friends had already left the wall, hand in hand, heading for the track entrance.

Zhen Qianqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Frowning, she thought to herself, “Zhitao, surely she’s not planning to take the assessment?”

Coming to this conclusion, she massaged her temples in frustration. “I shouldn’t have gone easy on her last night. If I’d worn her out completely, she wouldn’t be having these ideas today.”

Despite these thoughts, she immediately moved to follow, ready to intervene if necessary.

Five minutes later, the assessment began.

Naturally, Yu Zhitao and her Omega friends had no intention of leading the charge. They found a corner to observe as the brave souls from the mecha and archaeology departments took the first runs.

The assessment track could accommodate up to twenty participants simultaneously. After the first group entered, the next batch would follow after a five-minute interval.

After watching three groups struggle through the course, Yu Zhitao grew eager.

She nudged Xiao Zhen, “Shall we go queue up?”

Several girls responded and gathered at the entrance, each finding their designated track.

Once the five-minute mark arrived, they began running forward.

Yu Zhitao had barely taken two steps when she collided headfirst into a warm embrace.

Recognizing the person before her as Zhen Qianqiu, she tried to push past her. “You let me through!”

Zhen Qianqiu feigned seriousness. “Student Yu, due to your health condition, you are not permitted to participate in the assessment. Please accompany the teacher to the rest area.”

Yu Zhitao ignored her. “I’ll just run three obstacle courses! If I get tired, I’ll come back.”

Zhen Qianqiu remained unyielding. “No.”

Seeing negotiations fail, Yu Zhitao resorted to mischief, ducking down in an attempt to slip past.

But Zhen Qianqiu’s reflexes were beyond her match. In the next second, she was scooped up by the waist.

The Emperor spoke earnestly into her ear. “Zhitao, be good. We’re not going. I’ll take you to the rest area.”

With several teaching assistants like Wan Qing still overseeing the students in the field, she didn’t have to worry about leaving them unattended.

Yu Zhitao flailed her limbs wildly, turning into a broken record. “Wah, no! I want to go, I want to go, I want to go!”

Zhen Qianqiu paid no heed, calmly carrying her away.

After all, with Yu Zhitao suspended in her arms, whether she could participate or not was entirely up to her, wasn’t it?

Nearby, students waiting for the next round burst into good-natured laughter at the scene.

Yu Zhitao’s face flushed red, and she struggled even harder.

Pressed against Zhen Qianqiu’s chest, she decided she had to stand her ground. Leaning close to her lover’s ear, she lowered her voice and issued a stern warning: “Zhen! Qian! Qiu! I am taking this assessment today! If  you dare send me away, for the next month,  no! Two months, I’ll move back to the dorm and live with Yingying!”

The issue of living arrangements had been a point of contention between them before.

It had taken considerable effort for Zhen Qianqiu to coax Yu Zhitao out of the dormitory and resume their cohabitation.

Truthfully, Zhen Qianqiu might not have been fazed by other threats, but the mention of moving back to the dorm made her hesitate.

So she stopped walking and confirmed, “If I let you take the assessment, you won’t bring up moving back to the dorm again?”

Seeing her waver, Yu Zhitao nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes! As long as you let me take the assessment, I’ll never mention moving back to the dorm again!”

Zhen Qianqiu thought for two seconds before replying, “Fine.”

Yu Zhitao was overjoyed, kicking her feet. “Then put me down quick!”

Zhen Qianqiu didn’t release her.

In fact, she had no intention of letting go. Still holding Yu Zhitao, she turned and strode back toward the entrance.

Arriving at the first obstacle, she checked in using Yu Zhitao’s student ID, then effortlessly carried her through the first challenge.

Yu Zhitao slowly realized what she was planning.

Disbelieving, she stammered, “Y-you,  you can’t be serious?”

Zhen Qianqiu patted her thigh. “Wrap your legs around my waist and hold on tight.”

Yu Zhitao didn’t want to cooperate, but with a downhill obstacle ahead, she had no choice but to cling tightly to Zhen Qianqiu in fear.

“Wah, this, this isn’t the assessment I wanted.  You cheater! You jerk!!!”

Unfortunately, under Zhen Qianqiu’s lightning-fast speed, her voice was torn apart by the wind, coming through fragmented and indistinct.

In the blink of an eye, Zhen Qianqiu had already carried her to the finish line.

The assessment screen displayed the final result. [Yu Tao: 6 minutes 09 seconds.]

The score was so outstanding that the virtual screen even played a congratulatory effect fireworks bursting across the top while tiny figures danced at the bottom.

Startled by the sound of the fireworks, Yu Zhiyi snapped back to reality. Resigned to her fate, she buried her face in Zhen Qianqiu’s shoulder and began to cry.

“Wahhh, my  assessment.”

Zhen Qianqiu carried her towards the rest area while gently cleaning up the mess she’d made: “There there, don’t cry. Look, you passed the assessment, didn’t you?”

“In just over six minutes, no one was faster than you. Be good now.”

Yu Zhitao responded by raising both small fists and pounding them against Zhen Qianqiu several times in frustration,

What kind of “passing the assessment on her own” was this???

In reality, those who wanted to cry more than Yu Zhitao were the exhausted special admissions students from the mecha department collapsed at the finish line.

The assessment had indeed been difficult. Most of them hadn’t completed it within ten minutes, with the average time being around twelve minutes.

Before Zhen Qianqiu came charging through with Yu Zhitao in her arms, most had been satisfied with their results, finishing in under thirteen minutes was already quite an achievement!

But then Zhen Qianqiu arrived, carrying Yu Zhitao.

Rubbing his eyes and staring at the display screen several times to confirm the time wasn’t wrong, one special admissions student couldn’t help but ask his companion, “Hey, how much do you think that female student Teacher Zhen is carrying weighs?”

The person being questioned was equally dumbfounded.

“Well, she must weigh at least 80 jin (40kg).”

The student scratched the back of his head: “Yeah, looks about right, so around 40 kilograms then.”

Looking at the 10kg weight he was carrying, he said optimistically, “Hmm, just a fourfold difference. If I work hard, maybe I can catch up in four years of university, right?”

His classmate reminded him, “You’re not counting the time factor.”

“And actually, I noticed Teacher Zhen could have gone even faster. She deliberately slowed down on several obstacles, probably worried the Omega in her arms couldn’t handle it.”

The student suddenly understood: “Oh!  I see.”

His classmate murmured, “Is Teacher Zhen even human? She’s terrifyingly strong.”

The surrounding students nodded in fearful agreement, their gazes simultaneously turning toward the rest area.

The same Teacher Zhen who had just been praised as “terrifyingly strong” was now squatting before Yu Zhitao, coaxing her gently: “Don’t cry anymore. The assessment is over, let’s not think about it anymore, okay?”

Yu Zhitao, her nose red, turned her face away angrily.

Zhen Qianqiu shifted her knees and continued to humble herself: “Didn’t you say yourself that crying too much makes you ugly? Be good now, no more tantrums, alright?”

Yu Zhitao glared at her and scooted around to turn her back.

Patient as ever, Zhen Qianqiu moved to face her again. Knowing words alone wouldn’t suffice, she decisively took Yu Zhitao’s small hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it, conveying her devotion.

This actually worked on Yu Zhitao.

She immediately forgot about being angry or crying, snatching her hand back as she reminded, “Don’t, I told you we can’t do this in public!”

Zhen Qianqiu shamelessly countered, “You were ignoring me. I had no choice.”

Regaining some composure, Yu Zhitao argued back, “Was it my choice to ignore you? Why don’t you look at what you did?”

“The doctor never said I couldn’t run, but you had to treat me like some fragile porcelain doll!”

Zhen Qianqiu said softly, “I couldn’t bear to let you go in alone. If you really want to train, I’ll bring you here alone later, or we can do it in the virtual world, okay?”

After some thought, Yu Zhitao nodded in reluctant agreement, mumbling a quiet “Mm.”

Zhen Qianqiu gently stroked her hair. “Such a good girl, Zhitao.”

The little peach with reddened eyes and nose was utterly enticing. What made it worse was how she obediently cooperated while pouting, it tugged right at the heartstrings. Just looking at her, Zhen Qianqiu could clearly feel her own heartbeat quickening.

But this was a public place. There was nothing she could do.

Taking a few deep breaths to suppress the restless thoughts, Zhen Qianqiu leaned close to Yu Zhitao’s ear and whispered, “Don’t rush. I’ll make it up to you tonight when we get back.”

Yu Zhitao scoffed and pushed her away.

Her gaze was icy. “Zhen Qianqiu, are you mistaken? You don’t actually think you’ll be allowed in my bed these next few days, do you?”

The obedient cooperation was just a facade. The anger in Yu Zhitao’s heart hadn’t dissipated yet.

Seeing this, Zhen Qianqiu licked her lips and smiled.

Damn. She was even more smitten now.