Chapter 33: Wait, Who’s Pregnant?!

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Today was the day Lu Yao and Zhou Yunchen had agreed on for their second test. Lu Yao left for work on time, his pants covered in fur from being rubbed by both snow leopard and Torque. As he reached the elevator, the snow leopard stopped, looked up at Lu Yao, and let out a few low “awoo”s.

Lu Yao pinched the obedient big cat’s ears, while still carrying the ever-busy Torque by the scruff of the neck, returning him to the open living space the two cats usually roamed. Soft morning light filled the room, bathing the sofa in gentle illumination. Lu Yao set Torque down, and the snow leopard padded over to curl up beside him.

As Lu Yao turned to leave again, Torque kept calling after him. Helpless, he brought up a media program on the light screen. The shifting colors and sounds instantly grabbed the white cat’s attention, allowing Lu Yao to finally slip away.

A few minutes later, the snow leopard’s ears twitched backward. He rose, walked to the courtyard, and leapt over the infinity-edge pool, landing on the narrow outer step. Water flowed over the step, wetting the snow leopard’s four paws. His whiskers brushed the semi-transparent force field, scattering tiny points of light. Beyond this glow, Lu Yao’s silhouette appeared on a motorcycle across the vast plain, speeding through the morning mist.

Snow leopard’s long, fluffy tail slapped the water anxiously, and a notification from Zhao Minghe pinged through the internal chip, asking when he would depart. Zhou Yunchen wanted to go immediately—but he couldn’t.

Only Federation General Zhou Yunchen could pilot the Distant Star mecha, not a snow leopard. In recent days, while Lu Yao went to work, Zhou Yunchen had stayed at the mountaintop villa, trying to force his will and transform back into human form. No matter how hard he tried, he could not succeed.

Based on the last sudden transformation, Qian Shan analyzed that the power left by the Villeau civilization in him was sufficient, but Zhou Yunchen’s current will to transform wasn’t strong enough.

The Silver Halberd Fleet’s chief void researcher had especially stressed to Zhou Yunchen that if he could change back to human form, he must maintain control—after all, that was why they allowed the snow leopard to be near Lu Yao. Faced with Qian Shan’s earnest warning, Zhou Yunchen remained silent for a moment before replying: he could not control it.

No one could truly suppress the strongest desires in their heart.

When Zhou Yunchen saw that young alpha getting too close to Lu Yao, his anger skewed his desires; the formality and distance between General Zhou Yunchen and Lu Yao faded, and the thought of returning as snow leopard and being near Lu Yao sprouted uncontrollably, piercing through the steel-hard heart that should have been impenetrable.

As Lu Yao disappeared over the mountains, the snow leopard leapt back into the courtyard, shaking the water from his paws and tail before entering the living room. Zhou Yunchen worried that he might have to break their appointment today. Only the little white cat remained carefree, immersed in the colorful lights and sounds of the screen. On it, a media program played clips from the documentary Steel Titans.

The footage showed Lu Yao crossing the suspended corridor of the base. The cinematographer captured the contrast of bright light and deep shadow falling over him—cold, hard, and steel-like, chilling the viewer to the bone.

It was not longing, not joy, not excitement—but a feeling as if someone had grabbed your throat, your heart pounding at a cliff’s edge, fear and awe intertwining, a beauty that demanded silent, reverent attention.

Snow leopard crouched next to Torque, both cats silently immersed in the image of their master, tails still.

Only the ambient sound of footsteps and air movement remained, making the vast space feel empty. No explosions, no dazzling colors—just the cold white and deep gray of massive steel giants, human figures appearing fragile and thin, yet like knives, impossible to look away from.

After the clip ended, the studio host’s voice appeared on screen: “Last night’s broadcast of the mecha manufacturing documentary Steel Titans, starring Federation Master Mecha Engineer Lu Yao, exceeded one billion views in three hours…”

She detailed the documentary’s various achievements but stopped showing footage. Snow leopard, feeling bored, rested his head on the floor. The program then showed online reviews, overwhelmingly positive.

“Beyond praise, we also found some other voices,” the host said.

Zhou Yunchen suspected that the criticism might again target Lu Yao as an Omega Chief Engineer, and he considered having the Silver Halberd Fleet’s PR contact the media to guide the narrative.

“This is a screenshot posted online,” the host continued. “This hot thread speculates: is Chief Engineer Lu Yao pregnant?”

Hmm, not criticism… well, that’s something… wait!

Snow leopard jumped up, staring at the screen in disbelief. Huge floating text filled the air: Chief Engineer Lu Yao Suspected Pregnant.

Zhou Yunchen: Pregnant what? Wait, who’s pregnant? Where did this rumor even come from?

Zhou Yunchen used his internal chip to block the indoor surveillance and summoned a usable light screen. Following the URL provided by the host, he traced the origin of the rumor. The post had already accumulated thousands of comments and was floating at the top of the forum homepage.

At first, it had been a normal discussion about the documentary. But by comment 189, a netizen suddenly posted a GIF. The image was blurry and shaky, apparently clipped from some corner of the documentary. Faces were hard to make out, but Lu Yao’s signature long hair was instantly recognizable.

In the GIF, Lu Yao bent over, holding his abdomen as if retching, while a tall man steadied him. Zhou Yunchen’s memory stirred. This was the scene where Lu Yao had gotten dizzy from the mecha, not a sign of pregnancy.

The original footage had been taken at the System Engineering, Mathematics, and IT department, right across from Repair Bay 3. The production team had cut all shots of Lu Yao at the repair station as requested—but hadn’t noticed that his figure was accidentally captured in a tiny corner.

The other man’s face wasn’t clear, and netizens quickly speculated wildly. Heavens, this was Lu Yao! Fans had never seen such gossip about him before, and excitement ran rampant.

234: This mysterious man is muscular, probably an alpha or beta. I lean toward alpha—Lu Yao himself is over 1.8 meters tall, and this guy looks half a head taller.

237: He’s wearing some kind of combat suit, definitely military.

238: So Lu Yao still likes military types? Our poor doggy Yan really has no chance?

239: Don’t be discouraged! Maybe Lu Meiren is just surrounded by military personnel for work reasons. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t met doggy Yan!

Zhou Yunchen read through the forum while snow leopard’s claws scratched at the floor. But Lu Yao had trimmed his nails just a few days ago, and the metal flooring was extremely hard; the leopard’s claws left almost no marks.

391: Am I the only one worried that Lu Yao just divorced General Zhou? It hasn’t even been a month…

392: If you count, Zhou Yunchen last returned to the Rose System six months ago.

393: Have we discovered a world-shattering secret? How long will this post survive?

394: Who is that alpha, daring to cuckold General Zhou?

395: Lu Yao is brave too… I’ve never imagined what kind of mate he’d find. If not a mandatory match, this alpha gives me an image—a true hero!
…

920: Lu Yao dares to act like this because he knows Zhou Yunchen doesn’t care. If Zhou Yunchen did care, who would dare approach his omega husband? Zhou Yunchen is an S-class alpha. With a clear mark, how many alphas would dare get near his omega?

A sharp metallic screech rang under the snow leopard’s claws. Torque, terrified by the enormous predator’s aura, puffed up and arched his back, almost hiding under the sofa. In the next instant, a pair of broad, strong hands lifted Torque by the hips, rescuing him from the edge of the sofa. The scent was familiar yet strange, and Torque’s eyes widened.

That day, the documentary crew’s visit had reached the Integrated Processes Department. Here, they could see modules of mecha under assembly. Because the integration process was highly classified, it couldn’t be shown directly. Lu Yao led them to an older equipment line. Here stood many older mecha models, many of their structures were publicly known, and the secrecy was low enough for filming.

The department head was discussing gravity system refurbishment with the Assembly and Testing Department. The joint improvement plan from the three labs had already been simulated and approved internally, ready for assembly. The department head’s assistant handled on-site explanations, while cameras and lighting equipment surrounded her.

“Behind me is the XYL01 elbow module. You can see its old pneumatic booster…” Lu Yao didn’t need to appear on camera yet. He stood at the back of the crowd, occasionally checking the time on his personal AI assistant and repeatedly scanning his inbox.

Li Yan noticed his actions. “Chief Engineer Lu, are you waiting for someone?”

“No,” Lu Yao said calmly, though a slight furrow appeared between his brows. He had arranged the second test with Zhou Yunchen today, which was why he had postponed auditing the FL03 assembly in the Assembly and Testing Department. But no one had shown up yet, and he hadn’t received any message. Perhaps Zhou Yunchen wouldn’t appear today.

A flicker of doubt stirred in Lu Yao’s mind. Four days ago, Zhou Yunchen had left in such a rush that they only had time to make a verbal appointment. Lu Yao felt a twinge of regret—next time, he thought, he should set a clearer schedule with Zhou Yunchen.

The relationship between them always seemed to teeter on the edge of sudden unpredictability. Matches, marriage, divorce… Looking back, it felt like fragments flashing past in an instant.

“Chief Engineer Lu, this XYL01 looks so familiar,” Li Yan continued, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Yes, it’s an improved model based on the XY series mecha structure,” Lu Yao replied.

“Engineer Yan’s XY series?”

“Right. He was the previous Chief Engineer at the First Research Base and worked here for fifty years. The XY series was his masterpiece. As the sixth-generation mecha, it was widely deployed across various military units.” Lu Yao paused, then continued, “When I first took over at the First Research Base, I designed this XYL01. It’s a transitional model between the sixth and seventh-generation mecha.”

“My brother once studied mecha piloting at Morningstar Military Academy. I remember he drove the XY04—it was amazing, deep blue like a soaring eagle,” Li Yan said with admiration. “It’s a pity I didn’t continue in the military.”

“You’ve never actually met your brother,” Lu Yao said suddenly.

“Ah?” Li Yan paused, then said, “Well… yes. I’ve only seen him in recorded footage. He died on a desolate star. But Chief Engineer Lu, how… How could you know my brother Li Mo?”

“I don’t know him,” Lu Yao said. “But I know your mother. After your father lost his son, he married her—at that time, you weren’t even born yet.”

 

 

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