***
When he heard the news of Xi Wei’s pregnancy, His Majesty Trand was overjoyed. He called Xi Wei and Klaire back to the palace and rewarded them with a feast, and prepared a truckload of presents for his unborn grandson, with things to eat, wear and use of all kinds. He even thought of a bunch of names to choose from.
Queen Anna went so far as to personally sew clothes for the baby.
Xi Wei was red with embarrassment over this. It was all because he hadn’t been willing to marry for years, and His Majesty and the Queen had expended no small amount of worry over his marriage. Now, not only was he married, but he’d gotten pregnant as well. His parents’ excitement was understandable.
Klaire’s father General Byron, on the other hand, was relatively unperturbed. When he heard that Xi Wei was pregnant, he urged Klaire, “Take good care of Xi Wei, and don’t let him get too tired. If you’re too busy, bring him back home and he can live there.”
Madam Grace immediately echoed him, saying, “That’s right, Klaire, you should have Xi Wei live at our home. Your little brother’s there, and he can keep him entertained. It’ll also be easier for me to make him some good food and supplement his nutrition.”
It just so happened that the movie was finished with filming, and Xi Wei could take the opportunity to rest for a while. Klaire followed his parents’ wishes and brought Xi Wei back home. Madam Grace made good food for Xi Wei every day. Since she looked down on the stuff the robots made for not being tasty enough, she personally entered the kitchen daily. By the time Xi Wei was in the fourth month of his pregnancy, he’d fattened out round as a ball.
Klaire felt that when he’d gained a little weight, Xi Wei was really soft to hug. Xi Wei didn’t care about the problem of his physique either. After he’d gotten pregnant, he always had a big appetite, and he could eat a lot at every meal, not to mention it was easy for him to get hungry. Maybe it was because the little guy in his belly had big demands.
In the fourth month of pregnancy, Xi Wei’s stomach had an obvious bulge. When you touched it, you could clearly feel the little life inside. The little guy was very lively, and he’d occasionally kick Xi Wei with both feet to remind him of his existence.
Fortunately, Xi Wei’s pregnancy symptoms weren’t serious at all. He never had morning sickness, he had a good appetite, and he slept well. After getting pregnant, his face was even a lot rosier than before.
Today, Klaire came back home after finishing work, and found Xi Wei diligently pruning the branches of the trees in the yard. Given a scare, Klaire immediately walked up and brought Xi Wei down, rebuking him in a low voice: “You’re almost about to become a dad, and you’re still climbing up and down. Do you have nothing to do?”
Xi Wei didn’t seem to think that mattered. He waved his hand and said, “Besides my stomach being a bit bigger, there’s not much difference from usual. I’m horribly bored staying in the house all day. What’s there to be afraid of if I come out and do something? I’m not that weak.”
However, as soon as Xi Wei finished speaking, he was proven wrong. His stomach suddenly started to hurt. Xi Wei’s eyebrows drew together slightly, and he couldn’t help but bend over.
Klaire thought the fetus must be moving inside of him. Worried, he immediately brought Xi Wei to the chair beside them and had him sit down, and asked with an anxious face, “What happened? Do you not feel well?”
With a depressed face, Xi Wei pressed down on his stomach, saying, “This little brat’s always kicking me, he’s too disobedient!”
Klaire went blank, and then realized that the baby in his belly had kicked Xi Wei just now.
Curious, Klaire put his head against Xi Wei’s stomach to listen. The child seemed to have noticed his father drawing near, and kicked Xi Wei’s belly in excitement. Klaire couldn’t help but start to smile. He held Xi Wei gently and said, “This child has a lot of energy, he’ll definitely grow up well.”
Xi Wei said helplessly, “Of course, I’m feeding him lavishly every day. I don’t know how fat he’s going to be when he’s born.”
Klaire didn’t say anything more. He pressed close against Xi Wei’s belly and concentrated on listening to the movements inside.
Xi Wei looked at the handsome man burying his head in his stomach, and he couldn’t resist a thread of softness rising up in his heart. The lively, restless baby in his belly was constantly reminding him that Klaire and him were going to become parents, and their home would soon have a new member.
Feeling the distinct activity of the child in his belly, Xi Wei couldn’t help but sigh over the mysteriousness of the Creator. The arrival of this little life filled him with both expectation and joy. When he was truly about to become a father, Xi Wei found that he actually wasn’t that repelled by the idea of men giving birth to children after all.
It was actually a very heartwarming experience, feeling the little life in his belly slowly growing.
***
The due date of Xi Wei and Klaire’s first child was in the spring of next year. In the middle of February, Xi Wei was admitted to the Imperial Central Hospital in preparation for delivery.
Xi Wei had loved fighting since he was small, so he had a good constitution, and he didn’t have any severe symptoms during pregnancy. Compared to those frail omegas, the risks of him giving birth weren’t great. In addition to that, the results of his prenatal examination were completely normal, and his child was healthy as well. The doctor thought entering the hospital three days before the due date was fine. He was only admitted half a month early because His Majesty and the Queen were worried over him.
After all, both Xi Wei and Klaire had been born prematurely. What if this child was born prematurely as well?
As it turned out, the Queen guessed right. Early in the morning of the second day after Xi Wei entered the hospital, his stomach started hurting intensely, paining him until his face turned white and his voice trembled.
Klaire, who’d been watching over him at his bedside, was startled awake halfway through the night. When he saw Xi Wei like this, he was so worried he almost went crazy. He held him and comforted him with a few sentences, then immediately called the doctor in.
When the doctor examined him, he turned pale with shock, and hurriedly called for the operating room to get ready to operate.
—He was about to give birth prematurely!
The child seemed impatient to come out into the world, and started coming out a whole half a month early.
When he saw Xi Wei being pushed into the operating room, face pale, Klaire hated that the one suffering couldn’t be himself. If there really was a next life, then he could be the omega, and Xi Wei could be the alpha!
Klaire looked at the closed door of the operating room, burning with anxiety. He was worried something would happen to Xi Wei.
Before long, His Majesty, the Queen, General Byron and Madam Grace all rushed over. It was the middle of the night, but Xi Wei’s premature delivery had alarmed the parents from both sides.
Queen Anna said, worried, “Nothing will happen to Xi Wei, right?”
Madam Grace held her hand gently and said, “Don’t worry too much, my Queen. Xi Wei has a good constitution. If it’s just premature delivery, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Queen Anna nodded and sat down anxiously in a chair, looking up at the “Operation in Progress” indicator light on the operating room.
Klaire couldn’t sit still at all, and hated that he couldn’t pound on the door. Once he thought of how Xi Wei’s stomach would have to be cut open so they could take out the baby, his heart hurt like it was being twisted, and he even thought that if he’d known earlier, he wouldn’t have wanted the child, and then Xi Wei wouldn’t have to suffer this burden.
After he’d waited restlessly for half an hour, a baby’s cry came from inside the operating room.
“Waah, wah...wuwaa!”
This child’s crying was loud and clear, simply full of energy.
Klaire froze, and immediately rushed forward in excitement. The doctor was just walking out, carrying the baby. Klaire didn’t pay attention to the wailing baby, and went to find his lover first. “What about Xi Wei? How is he?”
The doctor smiled and said, “Congratulations, General. Both of them are safe and sound, and His Highness has already been sent to the VIP ward.”
Klaire sighed in relief, and then took the child, turned and went up to His Majesty.
It was a boy. This, they’d known since the prenatal examination. For the secondary gender of alpha or omega, however, they had to wait until after the birth to perform a genetic evaluation. When His Majesty came to the hospital, he brought an evaluation expert with him. Everyone gathered around the crying child and busied themselves for a while, and soon obtained the evaluation results.
“He’s an alpha prince.” The old professor with grizzled hair smiled and said.
His Majesty Trand happily took the child, and looked him over with Queen Anna, Madam Grace and the rest.
Once he'd been taken up in a hug by everyone, the child finally stopped crying. He opened up his large eyes and looked around curiously. The child’s golden hair had obviously been inherited from his father Klaire, while his pair of big eyes were jet-black and bright, and clearly came from Xi Wei’s genes. These distinctive traits really combined Xi Wei and Klaire’s strong points. One could only imagine how many omegas would swoon over this little guy after he grew up.
“We haven’t come up with an official name for the child yet.” His Majesty Trand took the child’s little hand, smiled and said, “I came up with lots of choices, but you guys should decide by yourselves.” As he spoke, he transferred the child to Klaire’s arms, saying, “You should hurry and take the child to see Xi Wei.”
“Alright, Father.”
Klaire took the child to Xi Wei’s VIP ward. Having just given birth to a baby, Xi Wei’s face seemed a little pale. It made Klaire’s heart hurt over him.
When he came to Xi Wei’s bedside, Klaire leaned down and gently kissed Xi Wei’s forehead, saying softly, “It’s been hard on you.”
“It’s nothing, I couldn’t feel much under the anesthetic.” Xi Wei smiled, reached out and took the child. “In the operating room, I heard this little fellow crying pretty fiercely. He’s not crying now, huh?”
As he said this, he took up the child. The little kid laid in his dad’s arms and curiously opened his eyes wide, looking at him. After he’d looked for a while, he reached out his little hand and caught hold of Xi Wei’s finger.
Xi Wei thought it was so cute that he lightly held his son’s little hand and smiled while kissing him.
Klaire stood next to him, looking at this scene, and was immediately moved to the extreme. The one he loved the most was holding their baby in his arms. This scene was so heartwarming. No matter how much turmoil the outside world was in, as long as the three of them were together, this would be the happiest, most peaceful place to be.
Xi Wei held his child and rocked him for a bit. He saw Klaire gazing fondly at him, his expression a little blank. He didn’t know what he was thinking of. Xi Wei couldn’t help but pull on Klaire’s hand and say, “You’re already a father. Don’t just stand there lost in thought, think of a name for your son.”
Klaire returned to himself, smiled and said, “Father’s already thought of a lot of names, and asked us to choose from among them. Take a look, which one do you like?”
Xi Wei took the computer Klaire gave him. He looked carefully through them and pointed to one of them: “Let’s call him Dylan, what do you think?”
Klaire mouthed it and said, “Pretty good, let’s call him that.”
The little fellow in his arms waved his hands happily, babbling nonstop. Xi Wei flicked him gently on the forehead and said, “You’ll be called Dylan from now on. You have to listen to what I say after you grow up, or I’ll beat you up.”
Little Dylan couldn’t understand what his dad was saying yet, but he was scared by Xi Wei’s fierce expression, and started crying.
Klaire couldn’t resist laughing, and took his son into his arms to protect him. “How old is he? Don’t be fierce to him.”
Xi Wei said, “When he was in my belly, he didn’t stop tormenting me. If I don’t discipline him well, who knows what he’ll grow up to be like.”
He was an alpha prince. Xi Wei was a little worried. What should he do if he couldn’t manage him properly? He wouldn’t even be able to get a wife in the future, it really made him worry.
***
The anti-Asian attacks have been haunting me lately, and the pictures of little children with their faces slashed. I felt I should say something as a Chinese-American. As someone who had severe childhood asthma and has weak lungs, my mother won't let me go to the grocery store. Then I worry about her, because her manners aren't the best when she's stressed, and what if someone takes out their anger on her? I hope everyone can just be kinder to Asian people in general, since we're also in danger of dying. In any case, from this book, you know we also have kind souls 😊
If you like this translation, please consider encouraging me on Ko-fi! Extra chapter for every two ko-fis 💛
I'm not Chinese but Asian. I think being angry at people who didn't commit the actual crime is just quite silly. If you're a Chinese who spread the virus, then you're responsible. If you're a Chinese who was sleeping in the other hemisphere of the earth when the virus spread, then it's none of your business that people died because of the virus.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thank you for the update!
Hope your well love from Canada. Sorry to hear as a PSC I fell with you. Those who did actually committ spreading intentional in China should be held accountable. But Asians in general should not be attacked.
ReplyDeleteHope you can translate more lovely books.
ReplyDeleteIt's this sort of stupidity that makes me ashamed to be an American sometimes. Our Asian decended friends and neighbors have done nothing to deserve this sort of irrational hate. Everyone's in this mess together. We should be coming together (figuretively) against this health crisis. Not lashing out (literally) against one another.
ReplyDeleteThank you for translating this great novel by the way.
The anti-Asian attacks? I`m shocked. there is no changings, dark ages always here. Stupid and afraid crowd will find someone who response for there insecure. Never mind how - to burn thousands women to save your soul from hell. KKK outdoor activities.
ReplyDeleteFind some group of people to focus crowd anger on - and you can just relax and don`t have to solve any real social problem. Medical care and insurance, biohazard protection, survival skills in a crisis and panic. For all who makes people unstable, mad and cruel there should be very quick punishment. Because haters and emotion manipulators it`s more dangerous than any virus. Be safe and stay human.