Gu Zeyu’s brothers arrived with a truckload of baby supplies at the camp entrance. As usual, the sentries denied entry. Gu Zeyu, teary-eyed, tugged at Lu Yunian’s sleeve, repeatedly swearing he wouldn’t fight the baby for toys and dolls.
Lu Yunian initially resisted but couldn’t withstand the young Alpha nuzzling his palm and pressing against his pregnant belly, whispering to the baby, “Baby, your daddy is so cruel. He wants to throw away all your teddy bears, seahorses, and giraffe dolls. In the future, you’ll only have daddy’s old rag doll to share. You take the left arm, I’ll take the right. We’ll split it.”
The truck’s contents filled an entire military warehouse, with pink plush toys and colorful banana-eating monkey toys singing “Down by the bridge, a flock of ducks swam by” next to golden weaponry. The aide’s eyes widened in disbelief, while the General’s face darkened.
All twelve brothers gathered again. Already surprised by news of Lu Yunian’s pregnancy, seeing it in person sparked hushed discussions.
Doctor Sixth Brother said, “The timing fits a post-marriage conception, but we’ll need a DNA test after birth to confirm it’s Xiao Yu’s child.”
IT Seventh Brother said, “I’ve generated 1,583 possible appearances by merging Lu Yunian and Xiao Yu’s photos. We can input the data after birth to match bone structure overlap. If it’s over 85%, it’s definitely his.”
Judge Eldest Brother said, “Article 1091 of the Civil Code states that in case of divorce, the innocent party can claim damages for bigamy, among other reasons.”
Businessman Second Brother said, “Let me calculate the potential marriage compensation based on our bride price ratio of 1:2.7.”
Writer Eighth Brother said, “Great material. I can start new stories: ‘My Omega’s Carrying Someone Else’s Child,’ ‘I Became the Baby’s Stepfather After Marriage,’ ‘The Cuckolded Alpha’s Revenge.’”
Oblivious to their chatter, Lu Yunian returned to the reception room after leaving Gu Zeyu in the toy warehouse. The twelve brothers sat composed, even looking at him with concern.
“General Lu, thank you for your hard work. If there’s anything we can help with, just ask. Our Gu family will do our best,” the eldest brother said earnestly, the others nodding in agreement.
“Then please take Gu Zeyu back with you,” Lu Yunian said, walking straight to the main seat due to back pain from standing too long. His imposing military presence silenced the room.
The twelve brothers: “…”
“Never mind. The camp already houses hundreds of thousands of Alphas daily. One more won’t make a difference.” As the baby started rhythmic movements, Lu Yunian counted them while addressing Gu Zeyu’s brothers. “I called you here to inquire about Gu Zeyu’s sleepwalking. If I give birth and am weakened, his sudden episodes could lead to unpredictable situations.”
He recalled the blue-eyed Gu Zeyu saying, “You don’t like this child. I’ll come out to take him away.”
Everyone exchanged glances. The doctor, Sixth Brother, pulled out a stack of medical records and handed them to Lu Yunian. “We concealed this part when you last checked his records. Eldest Brother has told you about Xiao Yu’s blood coagulation disorder. These are the EEG, brain CT, and MRI reports from his two sleepwalking episodes.”
Lu Yunian couldn’t understand the reports but kept them, intending to show them to Pei Xiuran later. Sixth Brother glanced at the eldest, who nodded in approval.
“What did he do during his previous two sleepwalking incidents? What did he eat or experience beforehand? Have you identified any triggers?” Lu Yunian asked, thinking of the events surrounding Gu Zeyu’s recent episodes and finding no pattern.
Writer Eighth Brother checked his electronic diary, searching for “sleepwalking” entries dating back to when Gu Zeyu was eight.
“February 15, 3032. Xiao Yu snuck into the garden fountain to swim at night. Eldest Brother dragged him back by the collar and tossed him into bed, still asleep. It was the first time I saw a sleepwalker. He could argue with Eldest Brother with his eyes closed, saying he was a fish, a very, very big fish. Good writing material for future novels.”
“Did you discuss the trigger mechanism for his sleepwalking? He didn’t open his eyes that time at age eight, and you didn’t see blue eyes, right?” Lu Yunian asked after reviewing the diary.
“No. If we had, I would’ve noted such important visual details. It was just a regular family dinner that day. Xiao Yu accidentally drank Third Brother’s drink. My memory is quite reliable,” Eighth Brother replied promptly, somewhat intimidated by Lu Yunian.
“What about the second time?” Lu Yunian pressed.
“July 19, 3038. Xiao Yu sleepwalked again! If Second Brother hadn’t been awake due to jet lag, Xiao Yu would’ve climbed over the fence with his eyes closed. This time he said he was a bird, a very, very big bird that could fly to the edge of the star sea with one wing flap. I haven’t written about this theme yet. Wonder if readers would like human-bird romance.”
After Eighth Brother mentioned “human-bird romance,” the others gave him skeptical looks. He quickly clarified, “I didn’t write it! The Alliance later banned stories about animals becoming human after the federation was established.”
“What about the trigger? Did he drink Third Brother’s drink again?” Lu Yunian asked seriously after counting the baby’s movements.
“No, we didn’t have a family dinner that day. Third Brother wasn’t even home. Xiao Yu and I just ate dinner together. I had just come of age and could drink alcohol. He was so envious, took a sip, then spat it out, saying it tasted awful.”
Lu Yunian paced the room, trying to piece together the information but still drawing a blank.
Eldest Brother, suddenly asked, “You mentioned Xiao Yu sleepwalked while with you. Can you tell us about it?”
Lu Yunian recalled the first appearance of God Yu but remained tight-lipped, refusing to speak. As the situation grew tense, Gu Zeyu burst in carrying a huge pregnancy pillow, running to Lu Yunian and waving it, saying, “This one’s the best! You can sleep hugging it, and I’ll sleep hugging you. We’ll both be comfortable.”
The twelve brothers’ ears reddened, and they exchanged glances before coughing lightly. Lu Yunian pushed Gu Zeyu aside, took the pillow, and placed it in front of him. The long pillow only reached his armpit in Lu Yunian’s hands. He complained, “Too short. It’s useless.”
Gu Zeyu measured it and clicked his tongue, saying, “I’ll ask Mrs. Spider to modify it. There are lots of cartoon cushions in the warehouse. We can add a head to it.”
Lu Yunian grabbed Gu Zeyu’s collar, pulled him back into the seat, and prepared to leave, saying, “Didn’t you miss your brothers? Stay here and catch up. Don’t mess with useless things.”
Raine: Okay, that’s halfway done. I’m going to sleep first. I have been awake for more than 24 hours so if you find any mistake, let me know.
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