TAHDO Chapter 61

The situation was painfully awkward.

They stood less than a meter apart. Liang Yan was still holding the thing in his hand, everything completely exposed before Ji Qiu leaving no room for misunderstanding about what had just happened.

He hadn’t intended to hide it from Ji Qiu, but… this definitely wasn’t how he’d imagined saying it.

Liang Yan didn’t know how to face this scene.

That day, after dinner, when he’d seen a pregnant Omega on the street, he’d already begun to think about this problem.

He had wondered, if he really told Ji Qiu, how would he react?

Happy? Panicked? Or… angry?

In the heavy silence, Liang Yan spoke first.

“I…” There was no point in hiding it any longer. He stated the result plainly: “I’m pregnant.”

Ji Qiu froze, standing motionless in the doorway.

None of the reactions Liang Yan had imagined happened.

The Alpha just stood there, dumbstruck, still holding the cup of fruit tea he’d bought, even forgetting to blink like a statue.

Liang Yan lowered his gaze, intending to tidy up the bathroom first.

He turned around, just about to go back, when he heard sudden movement at the entrance.

Before he could react, Ji Qiu abruptly shut the door.

Maybe he hadn’t controlled his strength or maybe it was the draft but the door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Right after that, Liang Yan felt himself enveloped by a flood of Alpha pheromones.

Their source tossed everything aside, rushed over, and wrapped his arms tightly around Liang Yan’s waist.

Ji Qiu’s pheromones weren’t aggressive; they didn’t make him uncomfortable. Instead, they carried a kind of soft, flustered comfort like invisible warmth wrapping gently around him.

“You…” Liang Yan started to ask why Ji Qiu had suddenly released his pheromones. “I haven’t cleaned up yet.”

But Ji Qiu didn’t respond. He tightened his hold instead one arm supporting Liang Yan’s back, the other lifting his knees off the ground. With a few steps, he carried him carefully to the couch and set him down.

After that incident with Zhou Jiapeng, Ji Qiu had made a habit of concealing his scent. Liang Yan had no idea what came over him today.

He couldn’t resist. Ji Qiu might act like an Omega sometimes, but underneath it all, he was still an Alpha—strong, commanding, impossible to defy.

And with the room thick with Ji Qiu’s pheromones, Liang Yan, trapped between the sofa and Ji Qiu’s arms, couldn’t help but narrow his eyes slightly in quiet comfort.

But pheromones also revealed emotion and that was when Liang Yan realized Ji Qiu was nervous.

He was so nervous he couldn’t even speak. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to upset Liang Yan, and could only release his pheromones in an instinctive act of appeasement. Meanwhile, Liang Yan remained unnervingly calm.

Then he noticed Ji Qiu’s hands trembling faintly.

Ji Qiu felt like he should be happy but he didn’t dare to be.

Before joy could even surface, guilt and self-blame had already risen to the top.

This was his Yan Yan.

Was he prepared for this? Was he scared? What would happen next? How big of a shock was this to him? Was he angry? …Okay, maybe that last one could wait.

Countless thoughts spun through Ji Qiu’s mind, yet all he could do was hold Liang Yan tighter, unable to form a single coherent sentence.

After all this was his Yan Yan.

And inside his Yan Yan… a tiny sprout of life that belonged to him was growing.

Ji Qiu’s arms tightened again then quickly loosened, afraid of making him uncomfortable.

Seeing Ji Qiu so panicked, Liang Yan, on the contrary, began to calm down.

He lowered his head slightly, looking at the silent Alpha in front of him.

Ji Qiu’s eyelashes were long and curled, brushing softly against him like little feathers. Half of his pretty face was buried against Liang Yan’s waist, and he didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Winter sunlight streamed in, spilling over his body.

This person, who usually seemed so jumpy and dramatic always teasing Alphas and playing hard to get before they got together was, in truth, gentle and thoughtful, and far more responsible than he appeared.

Liang Yan suddenly felt something stir inside him.

He thought Ji Qiu was like a kitten often reckless, unaware of danger but sometimes, his actions were like soft paws brushing against Liang Yan’s heart, making it tingle and go weak.

He sighed, reached out, and held Ji Qiu’s trembling fingertips.

“So nervous?”

Ji Qiu heard his voice, nodded reflexively then realized what he’d just admitted and immediately started shaking his head vigorously. “No! I’m not! Yan Yan, listen to me—”

And just like that, the tension in Liang Yan’s chest dissolved.

He must’ve been too wound up earlier, even entertaining ridiculous thoughts like wondering if Ji Qiu might not want the baby, might be angry, or think things were moving too fast…

But now it was clear. Ji Qiu was still the same as always only worried about his feelings.

Thinking this, Liang Yan even felt a hint of mischief rising.

“You’re not nervous? Really?” Liang Yan lowered his expression, his tone cold.

Ji Qiu visibly flinched, not daring to act spoiled like before, his face full of panic and confusion.

After two seconds, he finally wilted and confessed, “I was wrong, Yan Yan! I am nervous!”

Seeing Liang Yan’s expression soften slightly, Ji Qiu hurried to add, “But I’ll take full responsibility! I’ll do whatever Yan Yan says!”

Liang Yan waited for him to finish before speaking. “Go on.”

“I’m just… afraid you…”

Ji Qiu paused, the rest of his words stuck in his throat.

Afraid you’re upset.
Afraid you’re angry.
Afraid you’ll regret it.

Afraid of so many things.

He lowered his head even further, the sunlight drawing a warm halo over the back of his neck, as if urging him to finish his sentence.

Liang Yan couldn’t see his face only the golden light falling across his nape.

So he hooked a finger under Ji Qiu’s chin and gently but firmly tilted his head up. “Tell me, what are you afraid of?”

Winter sunlight was soft and warm. Ji Qiu’s eyes were slightly red, reflecting Liang Yan’s face in their clear depths.

“I’m afraid… you won’t want me anymore.”

“…”

Looking at him, Liang Yan almost laughed.

It almost felt like he wasn’t the one who was pregnant that it was Ji Qiu instead.

Like he was the irresponsible one, and the pregnant Ji Qiu was nervously pleading with him not to leave.

The thought nearly made Liang Yan laugh out loud.

But both times it had been Liang Yan who took the initiative. This Alpha, foolish as he was, had only ever carried guilt from the start—too timid to confess even when he liked him, and now too scared to breathe.

“Yan Yan…” Ji Qiu called softly, anxious because Liang Yan hadn’t spoken.

“Don’t apologize.” Liang Yan could already guess what he was about to say and cut him off first. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Ji Qiu immediately shut up. “Oh…”

“And I’m not going to stop wanting you.”

Liang Yan cleared his throat before saying that, a faint flush coloring his cheeks probably from being surrounded by Ji Qiu’s warm pheromones.

At that, Ji Qiu finally brightened.

He’d already been holding Liang Yan for a long time, but now he seemed to realize he should ask permission. “Can I… hold you for a while?”

Liang Yan sighed helplessly. “What do you think?”

If I said no, would you actually let go?

So Ji Qiu relaxed again, clinging to him like an octopus.

In the end, Liang Yan released a trace of his own pheromones, letting them intertwine with Ji Qiu’s.

The meaning was clear without words.

Sensing that, Ji Qiu cautiously circled back to the topic. “Yan Yan.”

Liang Yan stayed silent.

“…Do you like kids?”

Liang Yan suddenly felt a little inexplicably embarrassed. “They’re okay.”

“Then I…” Ji Qiu suddenly switched his tone, trying to liven up the mood. “Am I about to become a dad?!”

“………………”

Liang Yan silently pulled back his pheromones.

Yes.

Too bad the guy was an idiot.

Liang Yan felt the tenderness he gave Ji Qiu never lasted more than a minute.

Revived, Ji Qiu got off of him, grabbed a blanket to wrap him up, handed over the fruit tea he’d bought under Liang Yan’s “I’m pregnant, not helpless” glare, and then went off to the bathroom alone to clean up the mess.

Neither of them had exams that afternoon. Ji Qiu started surfing online, buying a pile of weird things. Liang Yan wanted to see, but Ji Qiu wouldn’t let him.

Before five o’clock, Ji Qiu decided the food near campus wasn’t good enough, ran quite far on his own, and started thinking about how to take care of his Omega’s meals.

He had no clue what he was doing, but he was full of energy.

He still had many questions he hadn’t solved and many things he wanted to say.

But when Liang Yan released his pheromones earlier, Ji Qiu felt that there were a lot of things they could talk through slowly.

No—there was still one thing he had to say first.

Ji Qiu suddenly remembered.

So he slipped back, came to stand in front of Liang Yan, and hesitated.

Liang Yan frowned at him.

“Yan Yan…” Ji Qiu struggled for a long time before finally saying what he wanted to say. “I know I’m really stupid, and I always make you angry.”

A second-year student who’d already been allowed into labs normally reserved for graduate students, an Alpha whose intelligence far surpassed his peers, was now standing in front of him calling himself stupid and clumsy.

His voice held excitement, panic, and something else.

“Even though saying this now feels rough and I haven’t prepared anything else, I still want to ask you…”

Ji Qiu lowered his eyes slightly, lips pressed together, his fingers unconsciously curling together as though what he was about to say would take all his courage.

“I can finish all my credits as quickly as possible. S-Class students get direct admission to graduate school. Before grad school, I’ll make time to be with you, don’t worry.”

“I’ll respect every choice you make. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. Right, winter break is coming. I can apply to intern at the affiliated hospital early so I won’t be far from you.”

“I’ll… I’ll buy you your favorite milk tea every day. If you get tired of it, I’ll learn to cook! I think I’m a quick learner give me some time and I’ll definitely manage it.”

“I don’t have much right now, but no matter now or in the future, everything I have—including myself—is yours.”

A moment later, Ji Qiu raised his head again.

All those nervous little gestures from before disappeared in an instant. When Liang Yan looked at him, there was only himself reflected in Ji Qiu’s eyes, wrapped up in love.

“I want to marry you… will you?”

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