The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 58

58:

Zhou Lan had never been in love before, nor had she ever truly liked anyone. Her emotions were intense and straightforward.

When she fell for someone, that was it. It was just her nature, to wholeheartedly pour her affection onto that person once she developed feelings.

Of course, she wasn’t the type to get lost in her own world. Her passion would gradually fade if met with rejection or cold indifference.

If Chu Zhao outright rejected her or was so cold that she didn’t want anything to do with her, Zhou Lan would consciously distance herself.

Her concern for Chu Zhao wasn’t solely based on romantic feelings; there was also a friend’s care.

They had been through so much together, and Chu Zhao had helped her immensely. By any measure, they could be considered comrades who had faced life and death.

Doing what she could to help Chu Zhao wasn’t just about crushing on her.

While reading the novel, she had ached for Chu Zhao, who endured so many hardships. If not for being the heroine, her only fate would have been death—and a death of the heart first.

By the end of the novel, Chu Zhao had developed many psychological issues. If not for her inherent gentleness and kindness, she might have truly turned dark.

Every time Zhou Lan read those parts, she wished Chu Zhao would just embrace the darkness. But Chu Zhao never did. Even when things were at their worst, she still couldn’t stand injustice in the world and sympathized with the weak.

It wasn’t about being a saint; it was simply her innate kindness.

Like most people—working 996 jobs with no weekends or breaks, barely making ends meet, living in average rentals, scrimping and saving all year, only to have a bank balance of zero.

Even then, they’d still speak out against injustice and shed tears for others’ suffering.

The difference was, Chu Zhao had endured immense hardship yet retained that gentleness and goodness.

After finishing the novel, Zhou Lan felt a mix of regret and heartache for Chu Zhao. She desperately wished Chu Zhao would be more selfish.

Chu Zhao’s childhood was long gone, and there was a little left to make up for. Fortunately, Mother Chu was still around.

As long as Mother Chu was there, Chu Zhao’s mental state wouldn’t deteriorate to the novel’s extent, where handfuls of sleeping pills couldn’t bring her rest.

When Zhou Lan first arrived in this world, it was impossible not to panic. Even though she knew the plot, she wasn’t the heroine—just a cannon fodder character without any plot armor.

Dealing with those old foxes relied entirely on herself and the ever-changing storyline. Without Chu Zhao, even with her knowledge of the plot, she wouldn’t have escaped the Zhou family quagmire so quickly.

In her previous life, she hadn’t experienced many setbacks. She sailed smoothly into adulthood, her natural talent sparing her from much hardship.

The original host, however, was beaten countless times, subjected to various humiliations, and finally had her limbs severed before being thrown into the sea.

Transmigrating into a story with that ending filled her with a dread of impending death.

Who could guarantee that dying in this world would send her back to her original one?

That she managed to break free from the original plot so quickly and avoid her destined death was thanks not only to her own efforts but also to catching a ride on Chu Zhao’s coattails.

Without Chu Zhao, she wouldn’t have been able to handle many situations.

Her only option would have been to flee far away, leave the country, and hide somewhere no one could find her.

But given her living environment and habits, she preferred staying in her home country. No one wants to leave familiar surroundings.

Chu Zhao had helped her tremendously. Doing what she could in return was nothing.

For a woman, pregnancy is arguably the most vulnerable time in her life.

Right now, Chu Zhao was like fragile glass, where the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.

They were also legally married partners.

By any measure, she should be by Chu Zhao’s side during this time—provided Chu Zhao was willing.

Fortunately, it seemed Chu Zhao had no intention of cutting ties.

She even asked Zhou Lan to deliver meals daily. As for Zhou Lan’s cooking skills… others might not know, but she’s certainly not that good.

Her cooking was probably hard for Chu Zhao to swallow.

Zhou Lan said honestly, “I’ll hire a cook who makes delicious food.”

Chu Zhao was amused by her bluntness. Most people would claim they cooked themselves even if they bought it. Who would outright admit they hired someone?

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Lan asked, puzzled. “I’ll learn. I’ll try very hard during the process, but don’t expect much from the results.”

Unless it was instant noodles.

A smile unconsciously touched Chu Zhao’s lips. Zhou Lan’s sincerity was almost foolish but endearing.

Just then, Zhou Lan’s expression turned confused. She could hear Chu Zhao thinking about her, but aside from her name, the content was muffled, as if censored.

It was like a poor signal, cutting in and out.

This continued throughout their interaction. Whenever Chu Zhao’s thoughts involved her, they’d glitch. Zhou Lan could only guess and fill in the blanks.

She didn’t understand why this mind-reading ability, which had helped her so much since arriving, was suddenly malfunctioning.

If she hadn’t been able to hear Chu Zhao’s thoughts about her, they might not have reconciled even now.

Was it because she revealed she wasn’t from this world that the function was fading?

But it hadn’t disappeared completely. Or was it because Chu Zhao hadn’t fully accepted that she wasn’t the original, causing this interference?

Zhou Lan could only speculate. After all, the ability to read minds was already bizarre in reality.

If she hadn’t transmigrated into a book, she wouldn’t have believed such a function existed.

As Zhou Lan pondered the mind-reading glitch, Chu Zhao stopped smiling. “I’ve made an appointment for a prenatal checkup. Accompany me.”

“Prenatal checkup?”

At this, Zhou Lan immediately pushed all other thoughts aside. “Which hospital?”

It had to be a good one. When she researched, many comments mentioned that top hospitals were hard to get into.

“A private hospital.”

Zhou Lan had specifically looked up that hospital—a nationally renowned maternity hospital specializing in obstetrics, notoriously difficult to get an appointment at.

For Chu Zhao to secure one, she must have either booked far in advance or called in a favor.

It seemed Chu Zhao truly valued the child she was carrying.

Zhou Lan agreed. “How far along is the baby?”

Chu Zhao shook her head. “I don’t know.”

By her estimate, it should be around three months?

Zhou Lan: “…”

How could someone know they’re pregnant yet care so little? She really didn’t take her health seriously.

“Did you have breakfast?”

Chu Zhao shook her head again. “No.”

Zhou Lan took a deep breath. “You’ll eat whatever I make.”

She was genuinely angry. Did Chu Zhao think her body was made of iron?

She helplessly opened the refrigerator, and its contents left her speechless.

While her own fridge was sparse, it at least had basics like eggs and noodles—enough to throw together a breakfast.

Chu Zhao’s fridge only had water, milk, and a bag of bread. Nothing else.

Zhou Lan walked out of the kitchen awkwardly. “Let me put away the things that need refrigerating. I’ll take you out to eat.”

She hadn’t eaten much in the morning either, just drank some milk before coming over.

It was still early. Since Chu Zhao’s appointment was at a private hospital, timing wasn’t a huge concern.

Chu Zhao had planned to eat out anyway, so she didn’t object.

Zhou Lan stored the perishables she bought in the fridge and left the non-perishables on the floor for Chu Zhao to organize later.

Then the two went to a breakfast place near the neighborhood. They ordered two baskets of seafood xiaolongbao and a portion of congee.

Each basket contained twelve xiaolongbao, each about the size of a water bottle cap, translucent and delicious-looking.

The congee arrived in the clay pot it was cooked in. Zhou Lan served a bowl for each of them.

Then she watched as Chu Zhao rolled a xiaolongbao in the chili sauce dish until it was coated red before eating it.

Zhou Lan stared. “Isn’t that spicy?”

Was Chu Zhao eating the bun or the chili?

Curious, she tried a tiny bit of that chili sauce. It was so spicy she had to drink several mouthfuls of lemon water to recover.

Chu Zhao had been craving spicy food lately. Before, her mom kept saying she was pregnant.

Turns out she really is pregnant, and really loves spicy food now.

They say ‘sour for a son, spicy for a daughter’—so the baby must be a girl? I wonder if Zhou Lan would like that.

Wait, why do I care if Zhou Lan likes it? I’m getting an abortion anyway.

??? Mine?

Zhou Lan’s mind buzzed. Although her mind-reading function was intermittent, she heard every word of Chu Zhao’s internal monologue clearly this time.

What did Chu Zhao mean? Why would she care if she liked it? Could the child be… hers?

And she mentioned getting an abortion. Was today’s appointment actually for a termination?

Didn’t Chu Zhao say the child was someone else’s?

The mouth can lie; but inner thoughts cannot.

Zhou Lan was utterly stunned. She thought about all the characters in the novel who could have possibly interacted with Chu Zhao, suspected everyone, but those people were alive and well, and she had ruled them out.

It never once occurred to her that the person could be herself.

But didn’t Gao Anying say she hadn’t marked Chu Zhao?

She had studied this world’s settings regarding bloodlines carefully. An Alpha must mark an Omega first to have a child. That’s why she never considered herself initially.

Zhou Lan lost all appetite. She picked up her phone and searched:

— Can an Alpha get an Omega pregnant without marking?

Replies:

1st comment: No. Congrats, you’ve been cheated on.

2nd comment: Of course not. How can there be pregnancy without marking?

3rd comment: Your Omega was marked by someone else, dumbass.

4th comment: LOL, who asks this online? Isn’t this common sense? Of course not pregnant unless she betrayed you.

5th comment: Gotta have some green in life to keep it interesting. [Note: “Green” implies being cheated on in Chinese internet slang]

6th comment: My Omega had three kids for me. Oh, I’m marking-incapable.

Zhou Lan: “…” What kind of people are these? Enjoying the drama.

Until the 23rd comment: Yes, it’s possible. Even without marking, there’s a certain probability an Alpha can impregnate an Omega. All known global cases involve partners with compatibility rates above 95%. So, pregnancy without marking requires a prerequisite: extremely high compatibility between their pheromones.

Zhou Lan remembered their pheromones were indeed highly compatible, reaching a very high percentage.

When their pheromones mixed, it was more potent than any aphrodisiac, enough to make them lose all reason.

If what the 23rd comment said was true, then the child Chu Zhao was carrying was hers.

And Chu Zhao’s purpose for going to the hospital today was to abort this child.

Zhou Lan was plunged into a strange turmoil, momentarily unsure how to react.