Gu Zeyu made a new friend, a little mermaid Alpha rescued by Dr. Pei. As soon as he could walk, he ran into the mess hall to steal food and was caught by Gu Zeyu, who was preparing pig feed.

The little mermaid was beautiful, with crescent moon-like eyes and a red beauty mark beneath them. His skin was fair and smooth as jade, and when he spoke excitedly, a faint blush would appear. These two became friends precisely because they were Alphas who didn’t fit the typical Alpha mold.

To prove he was a formidable Alpha, the little mermaid regaled Gu Zeyu with tales of his heroic battlefield exploits, commanding thousands of troops. Gu Zeyu listened while sweeping, cleaning up glass shards the little mermaid had knocked over when startled by a closing door.

“What about you? What impressive feats prove you’re an Alpha?” the little mermaid asked haughtily, chewing on pearls from his bubble tea.

“I’m going to be a father,” Gu Zeyu replied, sitting beside the little mermaid with his face in his hands. Thinking of Lu Yunian going to battle with a big belly, he furrowed his brow and sighed. “But I’m not an impressive Alpha. My Omega is fierce.”

The little mermaid choked on a pearl, coughing and turning red before catching his breath. When he looked at Gu Zeyu again, his face was full of admiration. He inched closer, crouching down with an eager expression. “Big brother, what’s it like to date someone so fierce?”

Gu Zeyu was stumped. His first encounter with Lu Yunian was at their wedding; he had no idea what dating felt like. He didn’t even know how Lu Yunian suddenly became pregnant. He dared not ask about it – who would willingly seek out the owner of their own metaphorical green hat?

Over the past six months, Gu Zeyu’s brothers had inquired about the situation. Gu Zeyu assured them the child was his, patting his scrawny chest, which dispelled their suspicions. Whenever he accompanied Lu Yunian for prenatal check-ups, other couples would glance at his flat stomach and tell Lu Yunian with smiles, “Your husband doesn’t show at all. You can’t even tell he’s pregnant.”

Lu Yunian preferred to keep his pregnancy secret, concealing his round belly beneath loose clothes. After each check-up, he routinely threatened the medical staff, resulting in being blacklisted by several hospitals. Eventually, Gu Zeyu’s doctor brother helped arrange their prenatal care at a highly discreet private clinic.

Lu Yunian had his good moments when he’d allow Gu Zeyu to lie on his belly and listen to the baby’s heartbeat. He’d run his rough palm through Gu Zeyu’s curls, comforting both his children as he gently stroked Gu Zeyu’s nape. Gu Zeyu loved this reassurance, feeling Lu Yunian’s good mood like a cat being petted. He’d talk to the baby, sometimes seeing a small handprint appear on the belly.

Most times, Lu Yunian was in a foul mood. Pregnancy hormones were beyond the weak Alpha’s control. Apart from that one night when Gu Zeyu’s pheromones had surged terrifyingly, he could only provide a trickle of comfort when Lu Yunian needed an ocean of pheromones. The hormonal imbalance often made Lu Yunian want to strip down and beg for intimacy, but thinking of Gu Zeyu’s condition, he’d grit his teeth and endure.

Kissing, however, was allowed. The comforting pheromones exchanged in saliva eased the Omega’s discomfort. Upon discovering that a kiss could smooth Lu Yunian’s furrowed brow, Gu Zeyu would approach with gentle kisses whenever he saw Lu Yunian frown. In secluded corners, Gu Zeyu would straddle Lu Yunian, the pregnant belly between them like a sphere. Gu Zeyu would carefully lean in, licking and sucking Lu Yunian’s lips and tongue like a lollipop. His lips, smaller than Lu Yunian’s, felt like biting into a cloud, but the loving kisses were sweet. Lu Yunian often found his anger melting away under Gu Zeyu’s kisses.

“Dating is probably just wanting to kiss them,” Gu Zeyu said, his voice growing softer. When he looked up, his eyes were brimming with tears that fell as he blinked. “Kiss them when you’re happy, kiss them when you’re sad, kiss them before sleep, and kiss them when you wake up. For example, I want to kiss him right now.”

The little mermaid Alpha suddenly froze. After a moment’s hesitation, he glanced toward the clinic with an odd expression and asked, “Then why doesn’t Pei Xiuran kiss me?”

Intrigued by the gossip, Gu Zeyu’s mood instantly lifted. He wiped away his tears and asked curiously, “Are you dating Dr. Pei? But isn’t he also an Alpha?”

Pei Xiuran had gone to the front lines with Lu Yunian this time. At 32 weeks pregnant, Gu Zeyu, though naive, understood what going into battle meant at this stage. Too afraid to enter Dr. Pei’s clinic, he would scurry like a hamster each day, leaving fresh fruit at the door and fleeing red-faced if discovered.

When Lu Yunian came to get supplements, he noticed Pei Xiuran sneeze. Taking the glass from him and swallowing the pills, he casually asked, “That Alpha fish you mentioned picking up last time…”

“Hai Yu, third tone¹LYN said 海鱼 Hai Yu, with the character of fish, which is in second tone. The correct character is 海屿, with the character for islet, which is in third tone.,” Pei Xiuran patiently corrected.

“What a strange name. You said you thought he was suspicious, so why didn’t you bring him along? Leaving him in camp, what if some idiot takes a fancy to him…” As Lu Yunian spoke, the baby kicked in protest. He frowned slightly, rubbing his belly as if conversing with the child. “Why can’t I call him an idiot? When you can talk, you’ll probably curse at him too.”

Lu Yunian had seen the mermaid Alpha once. He was truly stunning, especially with his seaweed-like thick curls cascading over fair shoulders. Such extraordinary beauty suggested he was no simple character. Pei Xiuran, with his healer’s nature, often rescued small animals, but finding an unconscious Alpha was unexpected. After reviving him, the mermaid began frequenting the camp, constantly pestering Pei Xiuran about repaying his kindness.

“His injuries haven’t fully healed, and I’ve checked – he’s just a mermaid Alpha with ordinary pheromone levels. He can’t cause much trouble,” Pei Xiuran said, his eyes darkening as he recalled the little mermaid’s persistence over the past six months. “But I suspect he might be the missing king the sea tribe has been searching for.”

Before they could finish their conversation, alarms blared in the combat pod. As Lu Yunian fastened his armor and quickly left the cabin, he heard Pei Xiuran’s parting advice: “Protect your child.”

Author’s Note: Xiao Yu is not the sea tribe’s king.

TL Notes

• 1
  LYN said 海鱼 Hai Yu, with the character of fish, which is in second tone. The correct character is 海屿, with the character for islet, which is in third tone.