TMDP CH 16

Chapter 16: You Would Do Anything?

Han Mingxiu broke into a cold sweat. He had made one mistake after another, unable to explain why his intelligence had seemingly disconnected at that time, throwing him into a state of unreasonable childishness. As soon as he heard Xia Ye was pregnant, he lost his mind.

What Xia Ye was explaining was common knowledge, something anyone would know without needing in-depth biology. Xia Ye continued his “lesson” for Han Mingxiu: “When an Alpha marks an Omega, during the marked period, the Omega is closed off and insulated from other Alphas, unable to bond with anyone else. The Omega’s body will not open to anyone else. Even in the case of a violent assault—even if the reproductive cavity is forcibly broken and injected with sperm—fertilization will not succeed; the Omega is immune to other people’s sperm.” Xia Ye spoke calmly, “Due to inherent biological constraints, an Omega will not seek others after being marked. If they were to interact with someone else, it would typically only be in the context of violence. In such cases, the Omega might be harmed or even die, but they will not become pregnant.”

The restrictions of Omega marking were exceptionally cruel, a kind of physiological limitation. If the one marking the Omega was a consensual partner, the marking could serve as a form of protection. However, if the marking was done against their will, the Omega would have to wait until the marking’s effect faded before they could approach anyone else. And if the marking was permanent, that Omega would belong solely to the Alpha who was unapproved by them, for life. Omega marking was such a serious matter that Alphas received rigorous education on it. A responsible Alpha would not casually mark someone permanently.

Xia Ye continued to lean against Han Mingxiu. He noticed Han Mingxiu’s tension and even reached up to pat him gently, as if to reassure him to relax.

“In truth, I think you were right—you simply stopped loving me,” Xia Ye’s tone was gentle, like a lover’s soft whisper, “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have ignored such basic knowledge.”

“It’s not…” Han Mingxiu denied it, but his voice was faint, like a mosquito’s buzz. He had no way to justify why he had completely forgotten such basic biological knowledge that even a middle schooler would know, and why he hadn’t realized it in all these three years.

Xia Ye offered him an explanation: “At the time, your childhood sweetheart fiancée returned. She was beautiful and elegant, a perfect match for you. It made sense for you to choose her. That day, I could smell it on her—she carried your scent.” Xia Ye smiled faintly. “And now you’re married, right? I heard Miss Mingya address you as Director Han’s Little Uncle. Congratulations, you two make a fitting pair.”

Mingya? Fiancée? I’m married to Mingya? Han Mingxiu was jolted awake and quickly clarified, “No, you misunderstood.” This denial was more assertive—for about ten seconds—before he deflated again. “No, you didn’t misunderstand. It was my fault; I deceived you.” He gently placed his hands on Xia Ye’s shoulders, pushing him a small distance away, then looked tenderly at Xia Ye’s recently tear-streaked eyes. “Mingya’s full name is Han Mingya. She’s my cousin, older than me by a few months. She’s the only daughter of my second uncle…”

Han Mingxiu held Xia Ye’s face in his large hands, his thumbs gently brushing over Xia Ye’s reddened eyes. “The scent on her isn’t mine. The woody scent is from the Han family’s Alpha pheromones. Mingya is an Alpha, and in our generation, she and I both have a cedar-like wood scent.”

“What I told you that day—only that Mingya had been abroad for several years—was true. The rest about a childhood sweetheart, social compatibility, and a fiancée, I only said to provoke you.” Han Mingxiu pulled Xia Ye back into his embrace, holding him tightly, resting his chin on Xia Ye’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Xia Ye. Truly sorry. I was so foolish, unbearably foolish.” He fought back tears, his throat tight with emotion. “I was so afraid. Ever since I learned I was infertile and couldn’t give you a child, I lived in constant fear of losing you. I know how much you love children. Your eyes light up when you see them, and you’re so patient playing with them. When you see them cry, you want to comfort them instead of feeling bothered.”

Han Mingxiu closed his eyes, and his tears fell on Xia Ye’s shoulder. “I knew you would be a wonderful father someday. But at the time, I thought I was infertile, that I couldn’t make you a father. I wanted you so much that I couldn’t bear to let you go. I know I was selfish, even wanting to take away your chance of being a father.”

“Xia Ye, the reason I never gave you a permanent mark wasn’t just because of the Han family’s rule about waiting until marriage—it was more than that. That rule is simply a gesture, meant to show how Han family Alphas respect and cherish their partners. Permanent marking doesn’t have to wait until the wedding day to be accepted.” Xia Ye remained quietly in Han Mingxiu’s arms, listening to words that should have been spoken three years ago. “It’s not that I didn’t want to mark you permanently—I was just afraid to. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to stay. I feared that if you knew I couldn’t give you a child, you’d leave me. I wanted to keep you, but I didn’t want you to feel forced to stay just because of a permanent mark. I hoped you’d stay willingly. I thought that if I treated you well, if I loved you enough, if I spoiled you so much you couldn’t bear to leave, then maybe, when I finally confessed everything, you’d pity me enough to stay.”

For the first time, the strong, dominant Alpha found himself using the word “pity,” a testament to his utter desperation.

Xia Ye gave a bitter smile. This man… Did he even understand what love meant?

Love is pure, yet it’s complex.

Love can begin with admiration, longing, and attraction. It’s an inexplicable, deep yearning to be close to someone.

But as two people spend time together, love is polished. They smooth away the impurities and rough edges, revealing a lasting, sincere affection. It’s standing together through life’s storms, going to pick each other up no matter how heavy the rain or fierce the wind. It’s seeing each other’s flaws and still finding one another captivating, knowing they’ll be cherished. It’s recognizing the other isn’t perfect, yet still choosing to treasure them alone.

It’s like drinking only from your chosen well, despite the thousands of rivers.

But love should not involve pity.

“Have I not been good enough to you?” Xia Ye asked softly. “Otherwise, what made you so insecure about our relationship? Why do you have so little faith in yourself?”

Han Mingxiu shook his head. “You’re so good; I was afraid I wasn’t worthy of you.”

Xia Ye fell silent. Whether someone is “good enough” or “worthy” is just talk—it’s all decided by him alone. So, there was no need for him to say more.

Holding Xia Ye, Han Mingxiu quietly shed tears for a while before remembering he still hadn’t asked for Xia Ye’s forgiveness. “Xia Ye, I’m truly sorry. Please, give me a chance to make it up to you, to make it up to Xiao Li.”

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“You like Xiao Li?” Xia Ye asked, his expression complicated—part nervous, part angry.

“Of course, I like him,” Han Mingxiu replied with emphasis, “I love him.”

Xia Ye let out a short laugh. “Why?” Just a few days ago, you couldn’t stand his existence—how can you say you love him now?

“He…” Han Mingxiu faltered, “he’s my son, after all.” Isn’t it only natural to love your own child?

“Are you sure? And what exactly makes you so certain he’s your son? Because of how he looks? Your reproductive ability? Or the fact that you’ve marked me continuously?” Xia Ye nestled in Han Mingxiu’s embrace, toying with the buttons on his shirt. If it weren’t for Xia Ye’s icy tone, Han Mingxiu might have thought Xia Ye was flirting with him. “You’ve questioned your fertility and your mark. Who knows if one day you’ll suspect I was insane enough to take the child for cosmetic surgery.” Xia Ye chuckled lightly at his own absurd suggestion.

“Xia Ye…” Han Mingxiu held Xia Ye’s hand, aware of the anger Xia Ye must be feeling. His unfounded, illogical accusations of infidelity had been a deep insult. “I really know I was wrong. You can punish me.” He noticed that Xia Ye’s fingers remained cold, despite his efforts to warm them.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. How could an Alpha be wrong? Not being the one to carry a child, it’s understandable to doubt your own offspring.” Xia Ye pulled his hand back, pushing Han Mingxiu away as he sat up. “But I don’t like being misunderstood—not at all.”

“I know, no one likes being misunderstood. It’s all my fault. Please, give me a chance to make it up to you. I’ll treat you well, and I’ll treat Xiao Li well. Just trust me one more time,” Han Mingxiu pleaded anxiously. “Really, I’ll do anything you ask.”

“Anything? You’ll agree to anything?” Xia Ye questioned skeptically.

“Yes. Anything you ask.” No matter what the condition, Han Mingxiu was determined to fulfill it at all costs.

“Then my first request…” Xia Ye said, taking a deep breath. “I want you and Xiao Li to do a paternity test.”

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– End of chapter –

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