Xia Ze had always thought the test report was just that, a report, merely proof of his planting abilities.
He never expected Qi Bo and the others to be so overjoyed. The driver who helped retrieve the report was especially excited, describing how those people had fawned over him, desperate to meet the mastermind behind it all.
Qi Bo laughed. “Our young master is simply extraordinary. No one can deny that.”
“Exactly! They came with all kinds of high-paying contracts, practically begging for a chance.”
“Two S-grade plants, plus three succulents that haven’t been fully evaluated yet but are confirmed to be S-grade, there’s no one in the entire botanical world as skilled as our young master.”
The more Qi Bo listened to the driver’s words, the more delighted he became.
That’s right!
The person his young master had chosen, how could he be anything less?
Xia Ze felt a little embarrassed hearing everyone praise him. Sure, he was good at growing plants, but was he really that exceptional?
Yet everyone in the villa knew just how remarkable Xia Ze truly was.
Because all of them had benefited from the natural energy produced by the garden’s greenery.
This driver was no ordinary man, he was a retired veteran from the military, forced to leave due to injuries and now serving as the Qi family’s chauffeur.
But the hormonal imbalances from the battlefield had plagued him for years.
Recently, ever since Xia Ze’s arrival, his condition had noticeably improved.
They had already respected Xia Ze as General Qi’s spouse, but now, having personally experienced his gifts, their admiration for him had deepened.
Xia Ze glanced at Qi Jing beside him, silently pleading for rescue, but Qi Jing pretended not to notice and instead chimed in, “That’s right. Ze Ze really is incredible.”
“Everyone should know just how amazing he is.”
Qi Jing had no interest in hiding his light under a bushel.
If he could protect the boy, why let him suffer unnecessary grievances?
Of course, his protection didn’t mean flaunting Xia Ze as his Omega, relying on his status as a general to demand respect.
He wanted others to understand that their criticisms of Xia Ze were nothing but baseless assumptions.
Whether as an Omega or a Beta, Xia Ze was extraordinary.
His identity didn’t define his brilliance.
Qi Jing watched as the boy was playfully teased, his gaze growing more inscrutable.
Still, Qi Bo took the time to properly explain the significance of the plant evaluations to Xia Ze.
Only then did Xia Ze realize why those two S-grade plants were such a big deal and gained a rough understanding of the current state of botanical cultivation in this era.
Xia Ze’s eyes lit up. “Does that mean I can definitely make a success of Shop 506?”
Both Qi Jing and Qi Bo froze for a moment.
Xia Ze continued eagerly, “I’ll make sure Shop 506 thrives. I won’t let General Qi down.”
His words deepened Qi Bo’s smile. “I was worried yesterday that there might be tension between the young master and you. Now I don’t have to be.”
The driver looked surprised. “Why would you think that? They seem perfectly happy together.”
“So I was wrong. I thought something might have happened during their honeymoon.”
As the two chatted, Xia Ze shot a guilty glance at General Qi.
Qi Bo was far too perceptive, how had he noticed?
Qi Jing, however, remained as composed as ever.
That night, as they prepared for bed, Xia Ze was still preoccupied with the matter. He instinctively rolled himself into the blankets, cocooning in the middle.
This was too much.
When would it ever end?
Xia Ze even checked the date and whispered, “In another half month, I should be pregnant, right?”
General Qi Jing, who had just stepped out while drying his hair, happened to hear this. His gaze immediately dropped to Xia Ze’s wrapped-up abdomen.
“Yes, you’ll be pregnant soon.”
Xia Ze looked up at the general, his ears turning red, completely forgetting he was lying right in the middle of the bed.
Qi Jing took the opportunity to half-recline by the bedside, looking down at the young man beside him. They were so close that Xia Ze quickly scooted outward, only to nearly roll off the bed from moving too abruptly.
Fortunately, Qi Jing reacted swiftly, catching both the boy and the blanket in his arms.
Xia Ze swallowed hard, finding himself with no escape.
His attempt to avoid the general didn’t go unnoticed, but this time Qi Jing wasn’t going to let it slide. “Why are you avoiding me?” he asked directly.
Xia Ze blinked rapidly, trying to play dumb.
Qi Jing decided to lay it out plainly: “Is it because of that night?”
That night.
The memory instantly flooded back to Xia Ze.
He had smelled General Qi’s pheromones, and his own had nearly been exposed.
If he hadn’t run away quickly, something would have definitely happened.
He even found himself missing the sensation of being penetrated by the general’s fingers.
That feeling had been both thrilling and terrifying.
Perhaps that was the mysterious connection between Alphas and Omegas.
Xia Ze could still feel it, why the bond between A and O could run so deep.
That soul-piercing touch, just one second of it seemed unforgettable for a lifetime.
Xia Ze tried to burrow deeper into the blanket, but Qi Jing’s hands gripped his waist firmly, leaving him no room to move.
Even through the blanket, he could still feel the general’s fingers.
Just like that day.
Seeing Xia Ze still trying to retreat, Qi Jing said, “I’m sorry.”
Sorry?
The apology took Xia Ze by surprise.
Qi Jing thought for a moment before continuing, “It was my fault. My rut came early, and I didn’t tell you.”
“It won’t happen again.”
He meant every word.
His rut had arrived too suddenly, leaving him unable to restrain himself.
Or perhaps, at that moment, he hadn’t wanted to restrain himself at all.
The consequence was frightening the boy.
Scaring him so much that he didn’t dare come near and kept avoiding him.
“Don’t be afraid of me.”
Xia Ze finally spoke up: “I’m not afraid, just, a little weirded out.”
That Alpha and Omega kind of weird.
“To avoid any mistakes, maybe we should keep some distance?”
“But don’t worry in front of others, I’ll definitely act perfectly natural!”
Qi Jing’s grip on Xia Ze gradually loosened, his expression growing even more unreadable.
Weird.
This was worse than fear.
Feeling the restraint lift, Xia Ze quickly wriggled out of the blanket. In his struggle, his slender waist was exposed, earning a glance from Qi Jing before the general covered him back up.
Sleeping with this boy was nothing short of torture.
Xia Ze, sensing something off about the general lately, couldn’t help but ask, “General Qi, are you still in rut?”
The diligent student in him added, “During rut, emotions become unstable, mood swings are common, and wild thoughts arise—it all fits.”
Here they were, sharing a bed, and now talking about rut.
Qi Jing narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he realized the problem wasn’t his rut or his self-control.
It was the boy right in front of him.
Done with keeping up appearances, Qi Jing simply pulled Xia Ze, blanket and all into his arms and asked pointedly, “If I were in rut, what would you do?”
“Inhibitors!” Xia Ze said. “No, wait, there’s also my roses. They’re really effective. I can share them with you in the future. Based on my experience, they truly have no side effects.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have persisted for so long without anyone discovering his true identity.
Xia Ze spoke sincerely, but Qi Jing was grinding his teeth in frustration.
If it were anyone else, they might be deliberately provoking him, but Qi Jing knew the kid was simply stating facts.
Qi Jing asked, “How did you discover there were no side effects?”
“You’re a Beta, so you wouldn’t need them. Who was using them then? An Omega or an Alpha?”
This wasn’t the first time Qi Jing had asked this question, but it was the first time he’d been so blunt.
Xia Ze didn’t want to lie, but he also didn’t want to expose himself, so he replied vaguely, “Just know that someone has used them.”
Seeing that Xia Ze wouldn’t answer, Qi Jing fixed him with a steady gaze, clearly in a bad mood.
Meeting the general’s eyes, Xia Ze thought of the shared couple account he’d seen during the day and the Green Plant Emporium’s store 506.
These were all signs of General Qi’s trust in him, yet he was holding back. The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt.
Xia Ze had no choice but to brace himself and say, “It’s an Omega. He’s a good person. At first, he couldn’t afford inhibitors, so I helped him out.”
“He’s been using them for years, and I’ve monitored him every time, so I know the situation. Don’t worry about him, he definitely won’t talk.”
An Omega.
Qi Jing suddenly recalled that during their time on F31, the kid had seemed very interested in the Omegas in magazines, even staring at them.
Now, he was keeping secrets for an Omega again.
A faint sourness rose in Qi Jing’s heart as he asked, “What’s your relationship then? Lovers?”
Lovers???
Xia Ze nearly choked on his own saliva.
Being lovers with himself wasn’t that narcissism?
In Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the water and eventually turned into a flower, which was named Narcissus, commonly known as the daffodil.
He hadn’t even managed to grow daffodils yet, and now he was being called narcissistic!
“How could we be lovers? We could never be lovers,” Xia Ze said urgently.
To Qi Jing’s ears, this naturally carried a different implication.
His heart settled slightly, but not entirely.
Qi Jing’s gaze became almost tangible, as if trying to see through Xia Ze, before he finally said, “Forget it.”
Although he’d long suspected the kid might be interested in Omegas, he hadn’t expected it to be confirmed like this.
Qi Jing added, “What’s so great about Omegas anyway? Can they protect people? Are they strong?”
Omega Xia Ze nodded in agreement. “Yeah, being an Omega really isn’t great. Not only is their physical strength lacking, but they also have to bear children. It’s really tough.”
Having reached a consensus on this matter, Xia Ze lay down contentedly.
Good, this conversation had been quite productive. He was satisfied!
At the very least, the awkwardness between them seemed to have lessened. That was a good thing!
Finally, Xia Ze poked General Qi. “Are you in your rut right now?”
Qi Jing couldn’t be bothered to answer, simply pulling the boy closer. “Whether I am or not isn’t important. What’s important is, ”
“Be good and get pregnant, alright?”
Qi Jing expected to see the kid blush, but Xia Ze clenched his fists instead. “You’re right! I need to get pregnant as soon as possible!”
Of course, the “pregnancy” Xia Ze spoke of was in quotation marks.
Getting pregnant early would allow General Qi to seek revenge sooner and find relief sooner.
Though he didn’t know why, Xia Ze instinctively felt that if they didn’t leave now, things would only get stranger.
Early the next morning.
Xia Ze and Qi Jing carried on as usual, but there was also good news the latest issue of M Magazine had been released!
The coverage of their wedding took up nearly the entire issue.
Text, photos, and even the latest technology, a holographic projection were included.
Once the magazine was published, a copy naturally arrived at the Qi household.
So that morning, instead of their usual news, everyone in the Qi family was engrossed in the magazine.
Along with the magazine came an invitation, an offer for the most famous Omegas in the galaxy to shoot a magazine cover together!
And of course, Xia Ze was among the most famous.
At first glance, it shouldn’t have been a problem.
But after reading it, Qi Jing’s face darkened. They had only just confirmed yesterday that the kid’s orientation was likely Omega was it really appropriate to throw him into a group of Omegas now?
No, it wasn’t.
XD I love this couple, their silliness, misunderstandings, and jar of vinegar hahaha