The Female CEO Becomes Pregnant with a Poor Alpha's Child - Chapter 5

Warm water enveloped Xia Tingwang. She held her breath and dove to the bottom of the tub. How pathetic it was that even at nearly thirty years old, she had begun to fear the outdoors at night.

She remembered the empty garden that night, the soft, damp touch on her glands, and the palm covering her eyes.

There was silence in her ears, and a surge of fear gripped her heart. Xia Tingwang straightened up and sat up in the tub. The bright lights of the bathroom helped her recover, but when she reached out to touch the small round table beside her, she grasped at nothing.

She had not brought her tablet inside.

The lack of sound easily made her anxious. Xia Tingwang climbed out of the tub, stepped onto the floor barefoot, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving a trail of water behind her.

She could not find her tablet in the bedroom. She remembered that she had taken it out with her that day, so it must still be in the car.

She opened her laptop, walked into the bathroom, placed it on the round table, and waited for the software to download.

She logged into her “Yinyin77” account and clicked into the “Qingdeng Skincare” livestream room.

[The streamer has not started broadcasting yet.]

Xia Tingwang clicked her tongue in annoyance, remembering that the little streamer probably had not arrived home yet. She stared at the dark page and waited quietly.

Sang Ying ran into the small apartment building through the rain, patting the moisture off her clothes. It had started raining suddenly after she left the subway station, but luckily it was not too heavy. She took off her damp coat and raked her fingers through her hair.

Ding Han took out her keys to open the door. “What do you want for dinner? I will order delivery.”

Sang Ying glanced at her phone. “It is past eight o’clock. I will eat after the broadcast ends.”

“You are not a big streamer anyway. Since you are already late, eat first and then broadcast!”

Ding Han turned on the small heater under the table, which looked like an electric fan. The orange light filled the small room with warmth. She slumped into a chair, leaned against the wall, and took out her phone. “Ying, no matter how hard we work, we still have to eat. I promised your father that I would remind you to eat three meals a day.”

Sang Ying looked in the mirror. Her hair was wet and her appearance was not great, so she decided eating before the broadcast would be fine.

She smiled at the thought of her father. “Okay, a bowl of egg fried rice will do. Do not add anything to it.”

Ding Han understood her better than anyone. She said, “If we add a braised egg, we meet the minimum requirement for a discount. Should we add it?”

“Will it be cheaper than before?”

“Yes.”

“Then add it.”

Ding Han teased, “You really cannot be a little nicer to yourself. Your father would be so heartbroken if he knew.”

“As long as I am full, it is fine.” Sang Ying took off her hair tie and squatted under the table to dry her hair.

Her hair was not long, so it would likely be dry by the time she finished eating. The phone on the table rang with a special ringtone. Sang Ying jerked her head up and bumped it against the table.

“Bang!” The sound was loud. Sang Ying clutched her head while Ding Han glanced at the caller ID and laughed. “It is a video call from your father. You are so excited; anyone would think you were talking to an Omega.”

Sang Ying rubbed her head and ignored the joke. She tapped to open the video. Her Omega father appeared on the screen, looking quite well.

Her father stared at her. “Why is your hair so messy?”

“I just washed it.” Sang Ying smoothed out her hair. “Dad, did you take your medicine?”

Her father placed the phone on the table to stand it up. He unscrewed several medicine bottles and poured the pills into his palm to show her. “See?”

He swallowed all the medicine in one gulp right in front of Sang Ying. She smiled as she watched him. “Tomorrow is your follow-up appointment. It is the same as usual; I will have Uncle Xue drive you.”

Her father poured some water, waved his hand frantically, and put the cup down. “Is old Xue our family driver? Are you paying him a salary? It is a nuisance to bother others every time. How can you be so thick-skinned?”

“I am fine with it. I will give him a big red envelope when I go back for the New Year.” Sang Ying propped her chin on her hand. “I cannot rest easy if you go alone without him.”

“What is there to worry about?” Her father held the phone close to his face and smiled. “I have a useless leg, not two useless legs. I can wear my prosthetic and take the bus to the hospital slowly. You must not bother anyone, you hear me? And talking about red envelopes, you are just a student. Where would you get the money for that?”

Her father’s prosthetic had been due for a replacement for a long time. This outdated prosthetic was very uncomfortable to wear, causing pain and itching. However, replacing it cost tens of thousands of yuan, and her father could not bear to spend the money. Except for necessary trips, he either used a wheelchair or hopped around with crutches at home.

Sang Ying remembered the redness and swelling on his residual limb after he took off the prosthetic. She turned her head away and pressed her eyes against her shoulder.

Ding Han, seeing this, immediately leaned into the camera view. “Hello, Uncle Sang.”

Sang Ying twisted her wrist, and the camera faced Ding Han.

“Little Han.” Her father smiled. “Have you two eaten dinner?”

Ding Han reached out and patted Sang Ying’s back, nodding at the person in the camera. “We ate, we ate. Uncle, do not worry. With me watching her, she will never miss a meal.”

“It is not just her; you must not miss a meal either. You cannot cut corners while living away from home, especially with food. You have to eat well and get full so that your bodies can be healthy.”

Ding Han was talkative and familiar with her father, and the two chatted away happily.

Sang Ying regained her composure after a while and turned the phone back toward herself. “Do not take the bus tomorrow. Take a taxi to the hospital.”

Her father looked at her calm face, understood everything, and nodded along. “Fine, I will listen to you and take a taxi.”

The delivery arrived just as the video call ended. Ding Han took the food, placed it on the table, and even opened the lid for Sang Ying. “Do not worry about your uncle anymore. Eat quickly. We still have to broadcast and make money after you finish.”

Sang Ying looked down. “Shredded pork fried rice?”

“The shredded pork fried rice is only one yuan more than the egg fried rice at this place.” Ding Han shoveled rice into her mouth. “It would not be cost-effective not to buy it.”

Sang Ying said nothing and began to eat with her chopsticks.

If it were up to her, she would spend the least amount of money to buy the cheapest food. Regardless of whether it was cost-effective or not, she would save every cent she could. If possible, she hoped to have saved enough money by the New Year to replace her father’s prosthetic.

She had always eaten quickly. While Ding Han still had half her meal left, Sang Ying had already finished everything. She cleaned up the takeout containers, wiped the table, and tidied her appearance. Ding Han stomped her feet, holding her lunch box. “What are you doing? I have not finished eating yet.”

“It is okay. Just keep your voice down.” Sang Ying had already turned on the camera. “Hello everyone, I am sorry. I was delayed by something tonight.”

She glanced at the screen and saw that people were already waiting in the broadcast room. Sang Ying felt a warmth in her heart because of those waiting viewers. She smiled. “To make it up to you, I will stay on the air a little later tonight.”

“This moisturizer is really easy to absorb. Look at its texture; it spreads with just one touch.”

The little streamer’s voice continued tirelessly from the laptop. Xia Tingwang yawned. It was nearly 1:00 AM, and the little streamer kept her word, making up for the time she was late.

At this hour, only three people remained in the broadcast room. Xia Tingwang felt a strange sense of heartache for the streamer. With only three viewers, she could still be tireless and treat it seriously.

Xia Tingwang stared at the little streamer’s face. She was a beautiful yet dashing Alpha. Xia Tingwang remembered the pheromones she had smelled in the evening.

It was a refreshing mint scent. It smelled wonderful.

Xia Tingwang was feeling sleepy. She placed her laptop on the nightstand, and the streamer’s voice accompanied her into sleep.

Why could she hear the little streamer’s voice?

On Monday morning, Xia Tingwang woke up at 7:30 AM sharp. She went for a half-hour morning run, showered, and had breakfast. After eating, a servant specializing in makeup would help her get ready.

She closed her eyes while a replay of last night’s broadcast played on her vanity table.

The raspy voice was filled with smiles throughout the night, and Xia Tingwang followed along with a smile.

Once dressed, Xia Tingwang went downstairs. Butler Xu entered from outside holding a large box and said when he saw her, “Miss, is this a package you bought?”

She paused. “Open it and let me see.”

Butler Xu unwrapped the package. Xia Tingwang walked over. It was indeed the “Qingdeng Skincare” products she had purchased. There were quite a few items, filling the entire box.

Butler Xu took out the items, puzzled. “Why did you buy these, Miss?”

Xia Tingwang took out a box of facial masks. These masks were likely the streamer’s main product; she had mentioned them countless times throughout the broadcast.

The packaging was very simple: a white box with the words “Qingdeng Hydrating Mask” in large characters, and the mask’s ingredients listed on the back.

Something occurred to her. She told Butler Xu to put everything back into the box and ordered someone to carry the box to the car.

After getting into the car, she sat in her usual spot behind the driver and said to him, “Old Wu, go to the laboratory first.”

The laboratory was VW’s private facility, where all the company’s new products were tested and experimented upon.

Zhuang Yan followed behind Xia Tingwang carrying the box. Xia Tingwang walked into the laboratory, the click of her high heels echoing through the room. The receptionist was startled to see her and bowed to greet her. “Hello, President Xia!”

“Yes.” Xia Tingwang stopped her steps. “Is Professor Guo in?”

“Yes, he is!” The receptionist pushed open the double doors. “He should be in his office. Please go ahead, President Xia.”

Xia Tingwang passed through office after office, finally stopping at the last one. The door was open, and Professor Guo was sitting behind his desk drinking tea.

Upon seeing her, Professor Guo immediately put down his cup and stood up to welcome her. “What brings you here so suddenly today, President Xia?”

Xia Tingwang walked in, and Zhuang Yan placed the large box on his desk. Xia Tingwang said, “Professor Guo, please help me test the ingredients of these skincare products to see if they are up to standard.”

Testing was a minor task. Professor Guo picked up the face cream from the box and looked at the brand, looking confused. “What brand is this?”

“A small brand. How long will it take to get the results?”

Professor Guo replied, “Twenty-four hours. I will have the results for you by this time tomorrow, President Xia.”

He pushed up his glasses and glanced at the ingredients on the face cream. Looking at the list, they were all professional and compliant formulas.