Cheering someone up is one thing; safety and health are another.
Neither Ying Zhiyu nor Li Xi were children—they could be a little playful but wouldn’t act recklessly.
Although it was just a common cold, a first-trimester pregnant husband’s illness could be serious. So, that night, they still slept in separate rooms.
Before bed, though, they started a video call.
Sometimes, Li Xi thought Ying Zhiyu was truly a remarkable Alpha.
Through the video, he watched the Alpha brush his teeth, wash his face, lie down in bed, and then, naturally, have Li Xi tell him a bedtime story.
Li Xi: “…”
Ying Zhiyu said matter-of-factly, “I’m sick with a cold, of course I want Xixu to tell me a story to fall asleep.”
Li Xi had never heard bedtime stories as a child, yet this newlywed young Alpha called him “brother” and had him tell three stories in one night.
Their New Year vacation was almost over.
Originally, they only planned to stay on the island for four days, returning on the fifth.
Because of the cold, Ying Zhiyu took a rare cold medicine, and by the next day, his symptoms had completely disappeared.
Still, to be safe, he and Li Xi kept their masks on while together.
On the last night before leaving the island, after dinner, Ying Zhiyu suggested a walk.
He tied a handkerchief over Li Xi’s eyes, took his hand, and led him along a shallow bay where the water was calm and gentle.
Li Xi’s steps were slow, perhaps because he feared losing his balance.
Normally, with Li Xi’s decisive work style, he would have no patience for such a slow pace—but being led like this by the young Alpha, hearing the gentle sea breeze and the calm rhythm of the Alpha’s breathing, he felt a deep sense of peace.
When they finally seemed to arrive, Ying Zhiyu removed the handkerchief.
Li Xi expected to see something special—after all, the Alpha wouldn’t have blindfolded him without reason.
But all he saw were sand, sea, nearby lights, and the boundless darkness beyond.
Li Xi turned to the Alpha.
Having experienced previous surprises—like the time with buns or the cheesecake—he didn’t abandon his prior guess so easily.
“Have you been found out?”
Ying Zhiyu shrugged helplessly, taking a few empty glass bottles from his pocket.
“Since we’re here, let’s bring back some souvenirs.”
Li Xi looked at him. “Souvenirs?”
Ying Zhiyu handed a few small bottles into Li Xi’s palm. He looked down at the sand and said, “Anything can be a souvenir: sand, shells, small flowers, little grass…”
After giving the bottles, Ying Zhiyu’s hand should have been empty, yet when he opened his palm again, there was a dark glass bottle.
“Fragrance fixative—my sister suggested it,” he explained.
Ying Zhiyu’s sister, Ying Yan, was a perfumer.
Before leaving for the island, Ying Zhiyu had asked her for advice on what an Omega might enjoy most during such a trip.
Yan had thought about it for a long time.
She thought that for someone like Li Xi, traveling anywhere probably wouldn’t bring much novelty or surprise.
Rather than that, it was better to create memories and preserve moments.
Ying Zhiyu immediately thought of the “Golden Vineyard” fragrance he had given Li Xi before their wedding. Li Xi had kept the perfume bottle very well, always in the most convenient drawer in his study.
It seemed Li Xi had really liked the gift.
That was why Ying Zhiyu now held the bottle of “fragrance fixative.”
Facing the sea, he spread his arms wide, closed his eyes, relaxed, and embraced the cool night breeze. “How about bringing some of this sea air back with us?”
Li Xi glanced down at the three empty glass bottles in his hand.
Then he looked up again—Ying Zhiyu, crouched on the soft sand, was eagerly playing with crabs.
Li Xi realized what he most wanted to bring back had always been right by his side.
Back in the capital, Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi returned to their intense work schedules.
When Ying Zhiyu had previously mentioned his research, it had only been to warn Li Xi: extreme Beta groups might target him next, and in some extreme cases, Li Xi could even get involved.
He hadn’t expected an unexpected benefit as well.
Although Ying Zhiyu had voluntarily stepped away from the artificial pheromone project in his previous life, his research direction had already been very clear, and the experiments had entered clinical testing stages.
This meant he could probably help Li Xi with the drug development he wanted to pursue.
He mentioned it casually.
Li Xi didn’t even ask in detail how much “help” Ying Zhiyu could provide.
“You’ll be hired externally as a strategic research consultant. Project bonuses will be calculated based on final product revenue,” Li Xi said.
“You won’t need to report to the LI laboratory regularly. During the drug development phase, you’ll receive a fixed consulting fee, including—but not limited to—phone consultations and remote technical assistance. The rate is 5,000 yuan per hour. If that number isn’t satisfactory, we can discuss it.”
Ying Zhiyu paused. “…No need for payment. I’m not worth that much.”
After all, he wasn’t a top scientist now—just a university PhD helping a bit. That price was far beyond normal.
Even without him, the LI Pheromone Laboratory had the capability to succeed eventually.
Ying Zhiyu’s role was mostly just to accelerate the process.
Li Xi shook his head. “The premarital agreement stated you couldn’t touch LI Group affairs. This project was unrelated to you, but now that you’re willing to spend time and effort, the compensation is what you deserve.”
He said bluntly, “LI doesn’t care how much it costs to hire an expert. Finishing the research one minute earlier saves them tens of millions, far more than your salary.”
Drug development was a costly process.
As a businessman, Li Xi understood perfectly that time is money.
Finally, Ying Zhiyu stopped refusing and said, “Alright.”
Besides work, when Li Xi’s pregnancy was first detected via blood HCG test, the fetus was too small for an ultrasound.
After six weeks, Ying Zhiyu accompanied Li Xi back to the hospital for another checkup.
Since Li Xi’s pregnancy was still being kept secret, Ying Zhiyu always accompanied him to every appointment.
Outwardly, they always claimed it was Ying Zhiyu who needed to see the doctor.
Earlier, everyone knew about Ying Zhiyu’s “left-hand injury,” and the later psychological consultation was also not a secret.
This conveniently gave Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi a natural reason to go to the hospital.
Over the next three or four months, the newlyweds frequently shuttled back and forth to the hospital. As a result, the young Alpha son-in-law gained another label on top of “can’t drink”: “delicate and weak.”
Even Li Xi’s private doctor, Qin Baoyan, joked, “With your 91% compatibility, you’ve been trying for half a year with no results. The outside world must think your little Alpha isn’t up to the task.”
Although it was just a joke, Li Xi couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable hearing it.
Ying Zhiyu took things in stride. Out in public, he deliberately put on a “fragile and delicate” act, but at home, he continued to enjoy his meals heartily.
Li Xi lay in bed at night, eyes open, lost in thought.
The young Alpha nuzzled into his Omega’s neck and slept even more soundly.
“My body may be weak, but Director Li still dotes on me. That proves this Alpha has his own remarkable qualities.”
The “spoiling Alpha” Li Xi, who had been brooding, froze.
Three months into the pregnancy, Li Xi had smoothly passed through the early stage. The usual discomforts for a pregnant Omega—dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite—had not appeared.
It was as if the child knew their plans, quietly resting in Li Xi’s womb and growing healthy.
But time was still limited.
By April, the weather would gradually warm, and that was when Li Xi’s pregnancy would start to show.
Neither Ying Zhiyu nor Li Xi planned to hide the pregnancy indefinitely. With Ying Zhiyu’s assistance, the LI Pheromone Laboratory’s project progressed much faster.
Even if Li Xi later became less able to shuttle between the company and the lab, Ying Zhiyu’s presence ensured continuity.
As Li Xi’s legitimate Alpha, Ying Zhiyu could report directly to him. Even in the late stage of pregnancy, Li Xi would retain ultimate control over the project.
By May, Ying Zhiyu and Li Xi had agreed to announce the pregnancy around the end of the month—roughly Li Xi’s 20th week.
During this period, even Li Songqian had asked several times if there was any movement in his son’s belly.
Not to mention, the factions of Li Qin and Li Lü were constantly trying to spy on them.
Before the public announcement, Ying Zhiyu took a business trip outside the capital. Once the news broke, the attention on them would spike exponentially, and online discussions would likely reach a new peak.
Extreme ABO groups were watching closely; it wasn’t a good time for them to be far apart, in case any emergencies arose.
On the sixth day of Ying Zhiyu’s trip, a news item suddenly went viral online.
The entire article focused on one thing:
The only son-in-law Alpha of the LI Pheromone Empire, who had successfully “married” into a wealthy family, was previously a heartless, cheating scumbag who abandoned his student council girlfriend from the foreign languages department.
The news broke late at night.
Li Yue, immediately worried that her brother might be upset by the news, rushed to Li Xi’s home. She was the only one at the LI Group who knew for certain about Li Xi’s pregnancy.
She found her brother calmly at home, making a late-night snack.
“Brother, that thing… did you see it?” Li Yue asked cautiously.
Once the news went viral, not only did it circulate in company-wide chat groups, but office-level groups were filled with speculation.
Li Xi wasn’t someone who ignored the world. Even if he hadn’t seen the news, the subtle messages in the company chat would alert him.
Sure enough, Li Xi replied calmly, “I saw it.”
Li Yue was surprised. How much he valued his newlywed Alpha was obvious.
As Li Xi’s younger sister, she found this realization shocking.
She even took a while to gradually accept her brother’s new married life.
“Have you asked your husband yet? What did he say?” she guessed.
Li Xi shook his head. “Not yet. Once he sees the news, he’ll call me.”
Li Yue: “…”
She knew her brother well. The man, who never tolerated even the smallest slights, was now waiting for the Alpha to explain himself before taking action?
“Brother, did you check on that student council girlfriend before the wedding?” she asked.
Li Xi shook his head. “No.”
At the time, he hadn’t cared about the Alpha’s previous relationships. Once he found out the so-called suspected Omega girlfriend was actually the Alpha’s biological sister, he had no interest in the past love story.
Originally, he had only wanted an Alpha with a clean family background and good genes; past romances weren’t part of the equation.
Li Yue was puzzled. She knew her brother—a man who demanded uniqueness down to a single cufflink, tie, pair of shoes, or even a sock—wouldn’t usually be so indifferent.
And yet, her Alpha’s past was messy, and her brother didn’t mind? That didn’t seem like Li Xi at all.
Li Xi, sensing his sister’s thoughts, shook his head and explained, “Eighty percent of this news is fake.”
Yes, they both knew how prone the media was to exaggeration.
But there’s also the saying, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
As the current son-in-law of the Li family, Ying Zhiyu’s status alone meant that the media wouldn’t release such news without some basis.
Li Xi said, “So I’m waiting for him to call and explain.”
Someone as thorough as Ying Zhiyu would definitely reach out. Since he hadn’t called yet, he was likely busy on the trip, and Li Xi saw no need to disturb him.
After the pregnancy, Li Xi had grown much calmer.
In fact, since the wedding, his mood had become steadily more peaceful.
Ying Zhiyu was younger—almost seven years his junior—but Li Xi had learned a lot from him.
And often, Li Xi found him genuinely adorable.
On planes, Ying Zhiyu would naturally lean against Li Xi, breathing steadily, the warmth of his rhythm brushing Li Xi’s neck.
When Li Xi didn’t know how to express soft affection, Ying Zhiyu would cling to him, acting cute and playful.
If he heard gossip that questioned him, Ying Zhiyu would boldly eat or sleep in front of him, nuzzling his shoulder and offering his head for Li Xi to stroke.
Through his actions, Ying Zhiyu showed Li Xi:
Being attacked, underestimated, misunderstood, labeled weak… nothing could hurt him, nothing would make him shrink in fear.
His Alpha wasn’t the traditionally large and muscular type, but he was truly strong.
Cute, and strong.
Incredible. Since their wedding, everything had exceeded expectations; Ying Zhiyu had never disappointed Li Xi.
It gave Li Xi a confident illusion—a sense that he was always protecting a treasure while someone always had his back.
It was a genuine problem-solving ability; as long as the Alpha existed, there was always a way forward.
He believed in him.
Almost blindly.
And yet, it felt extraordinarily good.