The Top-Tier Alpha Refuses to Be Pretty Cannon Fodder - Chapter 32

Well, he certainly cannot give birth.

If Qi Xi could somehow differentiate into an Omega, it might be possible. But as things stood, Nanny Zhang’s hopes were destined to come to nothing.

Lu Yunli leaned against the stairs, one hand in his pocket, and let out a chuckle. “I’ll mention it to them later, but Nanny Zhang, don’t get your hopes too high.”

“Why not?” Nanny Zhang pressed. “Is there something wrong with Xingxing’s health?” Her brow furrowed even deeper. “Oh, that child. He’s had a weak constitution since he was little.”

As she followed him into the house, she fretted aloud, “The Lu family has so few members left. In your generation, it’s just the two of you brothers. You, Eldest Young Master, have no interest in marriage, so the Lu family relies on the Second Young Master to carry on the line. We can’t let such a major matter be delayed over this.”

Lu Yunli paused mid-step on the stairs. His body wasn’t the problem!

He ground his teeth. “It’s Qi Xi who is the problem. He’s the one who can’t do it.”

Nanny Zhang: “?”

Nanny Zhang: “!!!”

Seeing the shocked expression on Nanny Zhang’s face, Lu Yunli felt a wave of satisfaction. He turned and continued up the stairs.

Below, Nanny Zhang muttered to herself in distress, “Oh dear, what should we do? I need to find some folk remedies… Yes, the neighbors mentioned something about kidney tonics…”

Lu Yunli curled his lips. He entered his room, took a shower, and collapsed onto the large bed. Though the plot had veered slightly off course, things were generally progressing well. These past few days had been exhausting. Finally, he could get away from Qi the Dog and live his own life for a day.

Just as he closed his eyes to sleep, the system’s voice rang out.

[520: Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully unlocking the new character: Duke Albard. Current Level: 16.]

New Character Profile: Name: Albard Gender: Top-tier Alpha Identity: Duke Favorability: ?

[520: Congratulations to the host for reaching 50 percent progress in changing the novel’s ending. Keep it up!]

Lu Yunli frowned. He hadn’t passed the Part 2 scenario, so why did the progress increase? Was there a secret to these percentages?

[520: Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking detailed data. The 50 percent progress is broken down as follows:] Lu Yunli character completion: 30% Lu Yunxing character completion: 20%

So that was it. The birthday banquet centered on Lu Yunli; since he gained fame, his personal completion rate increased.

[Lu Yunli: Also, why is Albard’s favorability a question mark?]

[520: Albard has not yet made a judgment regarding you.]

Not yet determined. That meant Albard hadn’t decided if he was a friend or an enemy. Interesting. It seemed he would definitely see the man again. If he could maximize the favorability of Sheng Yan and Albard—plus unlock some hidden plots—reaching level 20 for full OOC freedom was within reach.

Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief and close his eyes, the system spoke again.

[Part 2: ‘Birthday Peril’ scene similarity: 70%. Determination: Failed. ‘Small Black Room’ punishment warning will commence in ten minutes.]

He sat up abruptly.

[Lu Yunli: Wait, small what?]

[System: Ten-second countdown. Conditions met. Loading punishment…]

The countdown ended. Before Lu Yunli could say another word, his vision went black.

“This waist is too thin.”

The moment the voice appeared in his ear, the sounds of the world rushed back. A hand landed on his waist, and Lu Yunli snapped his eyes open. He was met with Qi Xi’s face. His surroundings were… Tingyun Villa.

The Alpha’s features were superior, and Qi Xi was no exception. Currently, the tall Alpha was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over as his hand slowly slid across Lu Yunli’s waist. Lu Yunli tried to move his fingers, but he found his body paralyzed, forced to endure Qi Xi’s touch.

His body tensed under the contact; a surge of numbness caused his muscles to pull taut. Qi Xi gave his waist a squeeze before resting his hand on Lu Yunli’s stomach. “An Omega is at their weakest during heat. Xingxing, you should eat more. Otherwise, how will you get pregnant?”

Lu Yunli: “????”

In what? Get… pregnant?? He was an Alpha! How could he get pregnant?

Before he could process the absurdity, the scent of Qi Xi’s pheromones filled the air. As the scent entered his nose, Lu Yunli felt a strange transformation. Instead of rejection, he felt a deep, instinctive craving.

He was like a real Omega.

Lu Yunli’s heart was filled with resistance, yet his body traitorously leaned toward the man’s arm.

Lu Yunli: “Wait, what am I doing?!”

Qi Xi seemed delighted by the proximity. He leaned down, kissed the Omega in his arms, and coaxed him, “Be good. Eat something first, or you won’t be able to hold up later.”

The kiss, heavy with Alpha pheromones, brought Lu Yunli back to his senses. He tried his fingers again and found he could move. Immediately, he pushed Qi Xi away and jumped off the bed. The moment his bare feet hit the floor, he heard a delicate clinking sound.

He looked down and saw a very fine gold chain fastened around his ankle. Lu Yunli narrowed his eyes.

Qi Xi stood up with a sigh and picked the little Omega back up, placing him on the bed. He knelt on the floor, took Lu Yunli’s cold foot in his hand, and looked up. “Xingxing, where are you going?”

The Alpha’s gaze was that of a ferocious wolf. Having discarded his disguise, he was now showing his fangs. Lu Yunli’s heart skipped a beat as he met that look. He called for 520 several times, but the usually responsive AI was gone. In its place, a progress bar appeared.

[System: Current punishment progress: 10%]

Lu Yunli narrowed his eyes. This was the “punishment” the system spoke of. In reality, he was an Alpha; the punishment made him an Omega who could be marked. In reality, he wanted to escape Qi Xi; the punishment had him locked up by him. The system truly knew how to pick a weakness.

Lu Yunli snorted inwardly. There was still 90% of the bar left. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to leave until it was full. Feeling his ankle held in the man’s hand and the Alpha pheromones growing denser, Lu Yunli’s face flushed as he grabbed Qi Xi’s arm.

“Brother Qi, I’m not going anywhere.”

Qi Xi pulled the foot closer, tightening his grip on the ankle. “Xingxing, are you lying to me?”

Damn it. Why was this version of the man so hard to fool?

Lu Yunli bit his lower lip in pain, his eyes turning red like a frightened rabbit. “I’m not lying.”

Qi Xi issued a cold, calm warning. “If you dare to lie to me, I will punish you.”

Lu Yunli squeezed out a tear and spoke piteously, “Brother Qi, I’m just hungry.”

Qi Xi’s fingers traced his ankle bone, his expression unreadable. After a long silence, he asked, “Xingxing, what do you want to eat?”

Lu Yunli had no appetite, he just wanted to leave. But the progress bar was moving at a snail’s pace. He felt like his world was turning black. He needed to stall for time. After a quick thought, he chose something difficult to prepare. “Brother Qi, I want steak and pizza. Will you make them for me?”

Qi Xi looked down, contemplating the request for a moment. “I can do that, but it will take some time to prepare.” He looked up, his gaze intense. “Xingxing, you are in heat right now. I cannot leave you for too long, or you will become anxious.”

I’ve never eaten pork, but I’ve seen a pig run, Lu Yunli thought. Being alone for a short while wouldn’t kill him.

He sat obediently on the bed and offered a small, sweet smile. “It’s okay, Brother Qi. I’ll wait for you.”

It would take about an hour to finish the cooking. By the time it was done, that progress bar should be more than halfway through. After a meal, the punishment would finally be over.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, the Alpha standing before him rose. A shadow loomed over him as the scent of Brandy began to saturate the room. Lu Yunli’s face flushed like the colors of a sunset. He tried to prop himself up, but his body turned traitorously soft under the influence of the pheromones.

Qi Xi took a step forward, circling Lu Yunli’s waist with his arm. He tilted the “little Omega’s” chin up and leaned down to capture his lips. Only when the heavy, intoxicating scent of the Alpha had thoroughly soaked into the “rabbit” did Qi Xi pull away.

“This should make you feel a bit better.” He held the Omega close, his thumb lightly brushing against the reddened lips. “Be good. Wait for me here.”

Lu Yunli finally understood how terrifyingly sensitive an Omega was to an Alpha’s scent. That single kiss left a faint pink hue over his entire body. Exhausted by the interaction, Lu Yunli squeezed out a single tear and nodded.

Qi Xi released him reluctantly and turned to go downstairs. As he left, he took a large portion of the suffocating Alpha pheromones with him. With the scent gone, Lu Yunli felt like a fish suddenly pulled from the water.

He frowned. Damn it.

Pretaining to be an “O” had backfired spectacularly. So this was how an Omega felt toward an Alpha… no wonder Xie Xingchi had clung to him so desperately before.

He glanced at the progress bar: 20%. He still had to suffer through this.

Lu Yunli irritably yanked his collar open, trying to find a suppressant. He reached for a nearby drawer, but the gold chain on his ankle was too short. He tugged at the chain; the lock on his ankle had a keyhole, but he had no idea where the key was kept.

His “delicate” body was already feeling the strain of the previous encounter, and he was relying purely on his willpower to stay alert. He searched the top of the desk within reach but found nothing. He cursed under his breath, shaking out everything on the surface. Still no suppressant.

Rubbing his temples, his peripheral vision caught a document on the nightstand with a paperclip attached. He could use that.

After a significant effort, he managed to hook the document, pull it over, and detach the clip. He bent the wire and poked it into the lock. The mechanism was precise, and Lu Yunli’s hands were shaking with weakness. He sat on the bed, ears straining for the sound of the tumblers shifting, sweat beading on his forehead.

The sweat rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor. After several failed attempts, he heard a sharp click. The lock fell open.

Finally…

He stood up and began scouring the room for suppressants. Unfortunately, even after a thorough search, he found absolutely nothing. It seemed the punishment mechanism intended for him to suffer through this without help.

I have to go out and look. If this continues, I’m actually going to end up pregnant!

Lu Yunli crept to the door and cautiously pushed it open. As he stepped out, a ring of exhaled smoke drifted across his vision.

Qi Xi was leaning against the wall right next to the door, looking as though he had been waiting there for a long time. Their eyes met. Through the haze of smoke, Qi Xi’s gaze was as cold as ice.

Lu Yunli froze. “Qi… Brother Qi.”

Qi Xi dropped the cigarette butt and crushed it with his shoe. He walked through the smoke until he was standing directly in front of Lu Yunli. He reached out and cupped Lu Yunli’s face. The skin beneath his palm was burning hot.

Qi Xi looked down at the Omega whose body clearly hadn’t recovered. He asked, each word heavy with intent, “Xingxing, why are you trying to escape?”

“I…” Would he believe me if I said I was looking for medicine?

Qi Xi didn’t wait for an answer. “Is it not good to stay here?” His voice was calm, but Lu Yunli could hear the underlying displeasure and cold fury.

He could feel the Alpha pheromones growing denser. The progress bar hit 50%. He needed to buy more time.

Lu Yunli’s mind raced as his legs went weak from the scent. Just as he was about to collapse, Qi Xi caught him. “Xingxing.”

Lu Yunli huddled in his arms, thickening his skin to play the part. “How could I not want to stay here?” He reached out and grabbed Qi Xi’s arm. “Brother Qi, I like you. I won’t leave.”

The moment he said it, he saw Qi Xi’s eyes darken to a deep, soulful black. He seemed moved. The bar reached 60%.

Having crossed the line of acting cute once, the second time came more easily. He leaned into Qi Xi’s chest. “Brother Qi, I just didn’t want to stay in that room alone. I waited for so long and you didn’t come, so I wanted to find you. Weren’t you cooking? Why are you here?”

Qi Xi’s expression remained unreadable. “I came up to check on you.”

Lu Yunli grabbed the man’s shirt, his voice turning soft and pleading. “Brother Qi, let me go down with you, okay? Don’t lock me in that room alone. I’m scared.”

“Xingxing, you are in a very dangerous stage right now.”

70%.

Lu Yunli blinked, letting tears roll down his cheeks. “But I don’t want to leave your side.”

Qi Xi’s expression shifted. He reached out to wipe away the tears, his fingers lingering on the reddened corners of Lu Yunli’s eyes. “Do you still want to lie to me?”

“I… I’m not…”

“Lu Yunli,” Qi Xi said, his voice dropping an octave. “Have you not lied to me enough before? What kind of story are you trying to spin this time?”

Wait… what did he just call me?

Qi Xi ignored the shock in Lu Yunli’s eyes. He moved his hand down, resting it on Lu Yunli’s flat abdomen. “Is the only way to make you stay to make you carry my child?”

Lu Yunli: “…”

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