Pregnant with the Empress’s Alpha Heir (GL, ABO) - Chapter 5
After freshening up, Yu Zhitao hurried straight to the rescued kitten from last night.
She carefully examined the wound on the kitten’s hind leg, and when she looked up, she saw Ah Jiu standing just two meters away.
Remembering how Ah Jiu had disliked the kitten yesterday, Yu Zhitao quickly turned sideways, shielding the little furball in her arms.
To her surprise, Ah Jiu walked right past her and headed to the kitchen instead.
Puzzled, Yu Yu Zhitao called after her, “Huh? You’re not scared of it anymore?”
Ah Jiu poured herself a glass of water without even looking up. “…Never was.”
Yu Yu Zhitao wrinkled her nose. “Yeah right, you were totally different last night.”
Still, she was secretly relieved that Ah Jiu no longer showed any hostility toward the kitten.
Once she confirmed the wound had healed, she carried the kitten over to Ah Jiu, playfully waving its tiny paw. “Look how adorable our Xiao Jiu is! Can’t you try to like it too?”
As if understanding its little owner, the kitten let out a soft, clueless “meow.”
Ah Jiu frowned. “Xiao Jiu?”
Yu Yu Zhitao nodded. “Since I miraculously saved two cuties in one night, and you’re Ah Jiu, I decided to name it ‘Little Jiu.'”
Then she hesitated. “Um, do you mind?”
Ah Jiu shook her head. “Do whatever you want.”
With that, she finished her water and walked toward the living room.
Though Ah Jiu had tacitly approved the name, Yu Yu Zhitao didn’t feel particularly happy about it.
She had a vague sense that Ah Jiu’s indifference wasn’t generosity, it was complete apathy toward everything around her.
Because she didn’t care, she could casually follow Yu Yu Zhitao home, mark her as requested, and never once ask why.
It was the kind of cold detachment that came from having lost all passion for life.
Lost in thought, Yu Zhitao suddenly felt the kitten gently paw at the back of her hand.
She scratched under its chin. “Hungry?”
Xiao Jiu licked its paw in response.
Smiling, Yu Zhitao turned and instructed the nearby robot to prepare breakfast for the two of them and the kitten.
Though she had expected it, the convenience of this era’s technology still amazed her. Within ten minutes, the round little robot had everything ready and approached her respectfully. “Master, your meal is prepared. Please enjoy.”
Yu Zhitao instinctively said, “Thank you,” earning a sideways glance from Ah Jiu.
“What’s so funny?” Yu Zhitao blushed, avoiding her gaze. “Come eat!”
Ah Jiu unconsciously touched her own face, seriously wondering if she’d made some strange expression.
The robot’s cooking was a bit plain but passable, and Yu Zhitao was satisfied. In contrast to her enthusiasm, Ah Jiu ate with refined elegance.
Yu Zhitao found herself staring at the hands that expertly cut the meat.
Last night, those same hands had set her body aflame, and she’d been mesmerized even then. Now, watching them perform such mundane tasks with grace, she couldn’t help but admire them all over again.
The thought made her cheeks warm, and she drifted into a daze.
Across from her, Ah Jiu finally had enough.
She paused. “Is there something wrong with my hands?”
“Cough, no!” Yu Zhitao nearly choked on her food.
Spotting the kitten clumsily lapping at its milk, she seized the chance to change the subject. “I-I was just thinking… Xiao Jiu is so tiny, yet it already fights so hard to survive.”
She met Ah Jiu’s eyes, her words carrying a double meaning. “We shouldn’t do worse than a little animal, right?”
Ah Jiu was taken aback but quickly regained her composure.
She didn’t respond, and Yu Zhitao had no grounds to press further.
The two ate breakfast in silence. Afterward, Yu Zhitao tidied up and prepared to return to her family home.
Before leaving, she said to Ah Jiu, “I’ve registered access permissions for you and Xiao Jiu. If you have nowhere else to go for now, you can stay here.
“Little Round Barrel will take care of your daily needs though luxuries like last night’s 300,000-credit liquor won’t be available.”
Ah Jiu nodded, but Yu Zhitao couldn’t discern her true thoughts.
The faint scent of decaying wood in the air had nearly dissipated.
Suddenly, Yu Zhitao remembered something else and hesitantly asked, “Oh, right should I go get some emergency contraception?”
It wasn’t entirely her fault for almost forgetting after all, in the modern world, two women together wouldn’t need to worry about this.
But in this world, whenever an Alpha and Omega engaged in marking behavior, there was a chance the Omega could conceive.
Of course, the likelihood of pregnancy from a temporary mark was relatively low.
Ah Jiu reacted uncharacteristically, pausing before turning her head away. “No need.”
Yu Zhitao was puzzled. “…Why?”
Ah Jiu replied with detached frankness, “I’m ill. My pheromones are defective, I can’t impregnate an Omega.”
Yu Zhitao’s lips parted slightly. “Haven’t you sought treatment?”
Ah Jiu shook her head. “It’s incurable.”
Yu Zhitao lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine,” Ah Jiu said. “It won’t kill me.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhitao felt a pang of emotion.
She suddenly stepped forward and embraced Ah Jiu.
She wanted to comfort her, but due to their height difference, she could only press against Ah Jiu’s chest making it seem more like she was throwing herself into her arms.
Quickly masking her awkwardness, she murmured, “Ah Jiu, you know what? Your pheromones are special. They’re my favorite scent.”
Ah Jiu stiffened.
Yu Zhitao continued, “I know most people would find this smell unpleasant like rotting wood.
“But they don’t realize that decay can nurture new life, just like mushrooms sprouting beside peeling wooden doors or little flowers blooming in the cracks.
“I love your pheromones. Every time I catch that scent, it reminds me of life’s resilience.”
Ah Jiu gradually relaxed, her hand resting on Yu Zhitao’s back.
Memories of the previous night surfaced, how Yu Zhitao had trembled beneath her, how she had truly craved Ah Jiu’s scent when their skin touched.
“…Only you would think that way.”
Yu Zhitao widened her eyes. “Are you calling me foolish?”
She pulled back, puffing her cheeks. “I’m not foolish at least I’m fighting to survive and not giving up on any possibility.”
Ah Jiu met her gaze. “I know.”
Yu Zhitao sighed, feeling her words had been wasted.
But she had no more time to spare. “I really have to go now. Just… stay here and keep an eye on Xiao Jiu for me.
“If anything comes up, contact me through the apartment’s comms.”
With that, she walked out.
Ah Jiu slowly adjusted to the fading warmth in her arms until Xiao Jiu suddenly appeared at the entryway.
Not seeing the familiar Yu Zhitao, it rubbed against Ah Jiu’s ankle instead.
Ah Jiu hesitated for a moment before picking it up and turning around.
“Huogulin Yu, one of the four great families,” she murmured under her breath, her voice nearly dissolving into the air. ” The eldest daughter of the Yu family?”
Meanwhile, Yu Zhitao had already boarded a rented hovercar.
She made a detour to a pharmacy first, buying a box of contraceptives.
In this world, contraceptives had no side effects for Betas, but Omegas, influenced by pheromones, usually experienced discomfort after taking them.
Since Ah Jiu had already made her stance clear, Yu Zhitao had no intention of suffering through that. She bought the pills for another purpose.
So, during the ride, she tore open the box, popped out one pill, and tossed it into the hovercar’s trash bin.
Then, steeling herself, she slowly entered the family estate.
To be honest, the original owner’s family situation was quite dramatic.
The Yu family was one of the old aristocratic clans in the Hualin Star Sector, with Yu Zhitao’s father as the current head. However, her mother had passed away when she was young, and the current lady of the house was her stepmother.
Her relationship with her stepmother wasn’t exactly good, but it wasn’t terrible either. The stepmother had a son and a daughter of her own and was somewhat wary of Yu Zhitao, the eldest daughter.
Still, on the surface, they maintained a civil relationship.
Yu Zhitao figured that canceling the engagement would require her stepmother’s help.
When she returned home, the entire family happened to be gathered in the living room. Her father had a habit of reading the newspaper and chatting with the family after breakfast, and the others humored him.
Seeing Yu Zhitao return, her father frowned. “Where have you been all these days? Just coming of age, and you’re already staying out all night? What will people think if word gets out?”
Her stepmother, Li Huaisang, quickly interjected, “Dear, don’t be angry. Zhitao just went out to clear her mind. What matters is that she’s back now.”
Her father glared. “Clear her mind? What does she have to be upset about? Is marrying the eldest son of the Huo family beneath her?”
Yu Zhitao walked up to her father.
This house was already an unfamiliar place to her, so she didn’t have to fake her discomfort. “Father. Mother.”
At that moment, Yu Zhihuai, sitting on a smaller sofa, suddenly spoke up. “Elder sister, what’s that in your pocket?”
Li Huaisang had borne two children for Yu Zhitao’s father, an Omega daughter named Yu Zhiqiao and an Alpha son named Yu Zhihuai.
An Alpha’s eyesight was naturally sharper than most.
Sure enough, his words drew everyone’s attention to the bulge in Yu Zhitao’s side pocket.
Yu Zhitao hurriedly covered it.
But it was too late.
Li Huaisang frowned. “Is that, contraceptives?”
The moment her father heard that, his bl00d pressure spiked. “Yu Zhitao! Take that out right now!”
This was exactly what Yu Zhitao had planned. She lowered her head and slowly placed the contents of her pocket onto the table.
Initially, the two Alphas in the room hadn’t paid it any mind, but now that they saw the pills, their attention immediately shifted to the scent of pheromones on Yu Zhitao.
The next second, both of them raised their hands to cover their noses.
Yu Zhihuai, being younger, had his hair stand on end for a moment, his entire body shuddering as if struck by an electric current.
But soon, that overwhelming pheromone suppression dissipated like an illusion. He couldn’t help retching, attributing his bizarre physiological reaction to disgust.
He blurted out without restraint: “Ugh, sis, what kind of useless trash did you pick?”
Omegas couldn’t detect these scents, but Li Huaisang quickly pieced together the situation through her son’s words.
“Zhihuai, watch your mouth!”
Father Yu slammed the table: “He’s not wrong! Yu Zhitao, have you no shame? What exactly happened these past few days?!”
Yu Zhitao couldn’t help rubbing her earlobe.
Her father’s roar made her eardrums ache.
Then she said deliberately: “Hasn’t Father already noticed? It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
After explaining, she glanced at Yu Zhihuai: “However, she’s not useless trash.”