Paranoid Alpha Chapter 48: Regret

Chapter 48: Regret

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai

Lu Xingye’s expression turned blank, fully illustrating his current state of mind. During his first surgery, his brain had just suffered from the impact of an explosion, leaving him with no concept of time. Additionally, Qiu hadn’t informed him of the exact timeline, so he naturally assumed it was the joyous days during the Fissure that led to Lyss conceiving Lin Lang.

What Lu Xingye never expected was for Lyss to tell him that he was already pregnant at that time.

Lyss cleared his throat, finding it difficult to articulate but pretended to remain calm. “I think it was during the first estrus phase that I got pregnant… I could actually see her information in the code back then, but I didn’t plan on keeping her, so I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

Lu Xingye’s brain went blank. “So, during the Fissure, you knew you were already…”

Lyss’s face heated up, his eyes slightly evasive. “…Yes.”

As the soup for the dumplings began boiling again, making bubbling sounds behind them, Lu Xingye was completely absorbed in his thoughts. “Why didn’t you tell me at that time?”

Though feeling a bit flushed, Lyss answered truthfully, “I thought we were going to die together there, so I didn’t mention it. And I refused at that time… but you seemed more excited.”

With those words, all the details rushed back to him, and Lu Xingye’s complexion suddenly turned ugly. Indeed, Lyss had refused at that time, his voice trembling faintly. He wasn’t someone who cried in bed; most of the time, he only made a few whimpering sounds when he couldn’t bear the torment. But that time, it had just started, and Lyss couldn’t help but cry. Back then, Lu Xingye had been stimulated by this rejection and had impulsively barged in.

The experience from five years ago was still vividly remembered by Lu Xingye. Every detail of those days and nights was etched into his mind, serving as solace for countless subsequent nights. Recalling those experiences now brought not the excitement and bitterness he had felt before, but overwhelming fear. Following it was intense self-blame and an indescribable sense of guilt.

All the peculiarities of Lyss during the Fissure were vividly remembered: why he unconsciously retched despite consuming nutrient fluid, which wasn’t a symptom of a concussion but rather a sign of early pregnancy. Why he suddenly entered estrus—a result of disrupted pheromones due to hormone overproduction during pregnancy, requiring alpha comfort. The most crucial point: why, even during estrus, the entrance to the reproductive cavity remained closed and instinctively resisted any entry.

With all these realizations, Lu Xingye bit down hard on his posterior teeth, subconsciously gripping Lyss’s hand. Remorse and self-reproach overwhelmed him, seemingly more unbearable than all the pain he had experienced over the past five years combined. It was because of his incompetence as a father that Lin Lang had nearly failed to be born. His complexion was beyond ghastly, filled with unspeakable remorse and pain.

Realizing he was clutching Lyss’s hand too tightly, he immediately let go, turning to shut off the stove and scoop out the dumplings. By the look on his face, he seemed more inclined to slap himself than to serve the dumplings.

Lyss instantly understood his thoughts and couldn’t help but frown, saying, “It was my fault for not telling you. It’s not your fault.”

Lu Xingye, with darkened eyes fixed on the plate of dumplings, spoke in an extremely strained tone, “I almost went in… and you were crying in pain, but I completely ignored your condition. Lin Lang almost…”

Lyss paused, his tone somewhat subtle. “You’re mistaken about one thing. I didn’t cry because of the pain.”

Lu Xingye was taken aback. “What?”

Lyss looked deeply into his eyes. “Your biology lessons seem to have failed. During the omega’s pregnancy, the reproductive cavity can’t be forced open. Also, due to my special physique, miscarriage isn’t that easy… at most, it would have been a thrill.”

Lyss’s words were somewhat ambiguous, but considering their previous conversation, Lu Xingye instantly understood his meaning. He was surprised for a moment, then his face reddened. One moment, he was feeling guilty, and the next, he heard such words. The tremendous contrast felt like an explosion in Lu Xingye’s heart.

Lyss mentioned that to stop him from blaming himself. As for the other sparks it ignited within him, he wouldn’t take responsibility for that.

Seeing the dumplings cooked, Lyss’s gaze immediately fixed on them. It had been five whole years since he last tasted Lu Xingye’s cooking. His taste buds seemed to have revived in this moment, and the sense of hunger dawned upon him belatedly.

Lu Xingye noticed his reaction and felt like he was in a dream. The person he had been waiting for countless nights was standing right in front of him, and there was even a daughter between them. Perhaps all the previous unfortunate experiences were meant to pave the way for this greatest stroke of luck. Regarding the mess he had made five years ago, Lu Xingye still felt guilty. Lyss didn’t seem to mind anymore, and he didn’t want to continue a conversation that would upset him further. Some self-reproach and regret were left for him to digest.

Lu Xingye picked up a dumpling and offered it to Lyss, “Try it?”

Lyss subconsciously opened his mouth to receive it, but instead of a dumpling, he received an unexpected kiss from Lu Xingye.

A faint gasp echoed in the kitchen. Lyss instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck. Suddenly, his waist was lightly pinched, causing his breath to hitch. Lu Xingye teasingly brushed his lips against his and questioned, “You’ve gotten thinner. Why aren’t you eating properly at home?”

Lyss took a light breath, leaning against the door behind him, “It’s not that. It’s not delicious…”

In his eyes, consuming nutrient paste counted as having a good meal. When Lu Xingye heard this, he lightly pinched Lyss, who had become soft against the door, and remarked, “Deceptive. The only part of you with any meat left is here. Being this thin and still claiming to have good meals.”

Lyss blushed, calmly pressing his shoulder and saying, “I’ll eat better in the future… The dumplings are getting cold.”

Lu Xingye lowered his gaze to Lyss’s snowy white ear, his eyes darkening. He leaned down and coaxed, “Give me a kiss.”

Unable to refuse, Lyss lifted his head to kiss him. as their lips touched, a familiar bell rang from behind the door, “Mommy—Daddy, is dinner ready? Lin Lang is a bit hungry…”

Lyss’s pupils contracted, and he promptly pushed Lu Xingye out.

“Hiss…” When Lyss applied force, it was indeed formidable. Lu Xingye, caught off guard, bumped into the stove behind him. He chuckled while rubbing his waist, “If I get injured, the Chief might really become a widower.”

Their daughter was right outside the door, and Lyss gave Lu Xingye a warning look as he cleared his throat. Lu Xingye immediately cleared his throat and solemnly lifted the plate of dumplings, announcing, “It’s ready. Let Mommy taste the seasoning, don’t be impatient, my little one.”

After saying this, Lu Xingye picked up a dumpling and handed it to Lyss’s lips, showing a hint of eagerness to please.

After glancing at him, Lyss bit the dumpling from his hand, nodded after tasting it, and said, “It’s delicious, perfectly seasoned.”

The two of them served all the dumplings, carried their bowls and chopsticks, and walked out of the kitchen. Lin Lang followed them like a little tail, looking more excited than usual. Apparently, the feeling of being a family of three made her experience unprecedented novelty.

“This plate isn’t too hot.” Lu Xingye handed the plate he had first filled to his daughter, “Try Daddy’s cooking.”

Lin Lang had been using chopsticks since she was little. Carefully, she picked up a dumpling, tasted it, and brightly exclaimed, “Delicious!”

Lu Xingye smiled, “If it’s delicious, eat more.”

Seeing this, Lyss’s eyes softened, “But don’t eat too much. Be careful not to overeat.”

Lyss clearly understood Lin Lang. The little girl, only five years old, had managed to eat over ten dumplings. If Lu Xingye hadn’t stopped her with quick reflexes, she probably would have eaten more.

“Phew…” Lin Lang rubbed her little belly, “I’ve never eaten such delicious dumplings before. Daddy, you’re amazing! I have to tell Qiqi when I go back.”

Lu Xingye casually asked, “Who is Qiqi?”

“Her classmate,” Lyss ruffled Lin Lang’s hair and reported, “An alpha boy with four alpha moms. He often says at school that Lin Lang has only one daddy and can’t compare to him.”

Lu Xingye paused for a moment, then turned to his daughter, “Is he bullying you at school?”

“Not really… he’s not as strong as me,” Lin Lang became energetic and complained to Lu Xingye, “But he always brags in front of me, saying his daddy is very powerful. Many alphas like him… saying my mommy, although beautiful, doesn’t have his own alpha, unlike his daddy.”

Lu Xingye’s anger surged up, his face darkening. He patiently educated her, “An omega’s value is not determined by how many alphas like them. Don’t listen to that kid’s nonsense. The next time you go to kindergarten, Daddy and Mommy will pick you up together, and I want to see if his four alpha moms are enough for me to handle alone.”

Lin Lang was comforted by Lu Xingye’s words, smiling and shaking her head, “Daddy is definitely more powerful than those alphas, but you can go alone, don’t let Mommy go.”

Lyss subconsciously sensed something amiss, cleared his throat, wanting to intervene and stop this potentially dangerous topic. He heard Lu Xingye ask in confusion, “Why?”

“Because Mommy is too powerful and too good-looking, she’ll be taken away by others,” Lin Lang earnestly explained, “Last time when Mommy picked me up, Lulu asked me the next day if I had a daddy, saying her daddy wanted to be with my mommy.”

Lu Xingye’s expression became quite colorful all of a sudden. How could he forget about this? Lyss, as the Chief of Triss with an adorable daughter, and a beautiful widower at that, could be considered an alpha harvester in human form. It was fine if he didn’t show up, but once he did, those wild men would rush up like wolves seeing meat.

Seeing the scent of vinegar spreading even outside the door, Lyss quickly and somewhat awkwardly interrupted, “Lulu’s dad is a Beta, and Lulu is his own child… don’t listen to Lin Lang’s nonsense.”

The little girl shook her tail with displeasure, “I’m not talking nonsense!”

Lu Xingye’s alertness didn’t decrease at all; on the contrary, he turned to Lyss, continuing to ask, “Baby, besides him, is there anyone else who wants to be with Mommy?”

Lin Lang wrinkled her little face, pondered for a moment, and said, “Teacher Kame seems to like Mommy too. He even held Mommy’s hand.”

“Teacher Kame is an omega,” Lyss couldn’t stand the father-daughter duo setting him up like this. “That time, he was just checking in with me about your situation at home.”

Lin Lang justified confidently, “But Teacher Kame said that omegas can be together with omegas, and we shouldn’t discriminate against others based on sexual orientation.”

The little girl was as articulate as her father. Lu Xingye, hearing this, turned his head and looked at Lyss with a gaze that made his back tingle. Suddenly, Lyss felt a faint pain in his waist.

Lu Xingye, feeling wronged, said, “Alphas, Betas, and even omegas, the Chief’s charm is so great…”

Lyss really couldn’t divert the topic. He could only calmly interrupt, “Dr. Qiu is an omega, right?” After saying this, he couldn’t help but apologize to Qiu in his heart.

Lu Xingye seemed completely unprepared for this topic to involve him. He froze for a moment and then asked, “Yeah, what about it?”

Lyss silently stared at him, and Lu Xingye suddenly understood what he meant. The whole person almost jumped up, his ears standing straight up, “I have absolutely no relationship with her!”

“And Levine, that adorable little rabbit,” Lyss said without changing his expression, “Seems to be a Beta?”

Lu Xingye’s hair was on end, “That silly rabbit likes the fox!”

“Is that so,” Lyss looked at him lightly, “How did you know? Did he tell you? I didn’t seem to know you’ve been in contact with him all along, from when did it start?”

This was completely unlike something Lyss would say. Lu Xingye was so anxious that he almost wanted to drag those people over to prove his innocence, but as he lifted his head, he caught the smiling golden eyes of Lyss. He paused for a moment and immediately understood the meaning behind it.

“I’m kidding.” Lyss raised his hand and pinched Lu Xingye’s ear, “Since you also don’t like the feeling of being suspected, don’t keep eating vinegar.”

Lu Xingye suddenly wilted, “…I’m sorry.”

Lin Lang blinked at the words, “Is there anyone who likes Daddy too?”

Lu Xingye’s alarm bells rang loudly; he hurriedly said, “No, no one, don’t smear your dad’s innocence.”

“Who says there isn’t?” Lyss said with a hint of a smile, “I do.”

Lu Xingye seemed to hear something incredibly unbelievable and looked at Lyss in disbelief.

But Lin Lang didn’t find anything wrong and nodded, denying Lu Xingye, “Yes, how is it possible that nobody likes Daddy? Mommy likes Daddy.”

Words that might only appear in dreams unexpectedly emerged in such a situation. In that instant, Lu Xingye even felt that he had lost the ability to speak. Lyss quietly looked at Lu Xingye, not saying anything, but his eyes alone were enough to prove his sincerity.

Lin Lang didn’t know about the affairs between adults. In her eyes, parents loving each other was the most normal thing.The little girl watched as the household robot collected the bowls and chopsticks, leaning against Lyss with a bit of reluctance, hugging his waist and starting to act cute, “Mommy… are you going back tonight?”

Lyss withdrew his gaze and looked at his daughter, “Don’t want to go back?”

The young girl, feeling a bit embarrassed, buried her face in Lyss’s embrace and muttered, “Dad, there are fun things and delicious food here… over there, there’s nothing. Lin Lang doesn’t want to go back.”

Lyss glanced at Lu Xingye with a smile, “I don’t decide that. I have to talk to your dad.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Lang immediately crawled out of Lyss’s embrace, wagging her tail, and walked to Lu Xingye. Looking up at him with an expectant expression, she said, “Dad… can Lin Lang stay here tonight?”

Her eyes were big and round, resembling Lyss more, incredibly cute, like a marshmallow. Lu Xingye’s heart melted, and he lifted her up, saying, “Of course you can. Dad’s things are all yours. But… Mommy has to stay too.”

Lin Lang turned to Lyss, “Mommy—”

Facing the dual sweetness of father and daughter, Lyss surrendered helplessly, “Alright, but you need to talk to them in the Empire.”

Lu Xingye immediately revealed a brilliant smile, “No problem.”

That night, Lin Lang finally got tired from playing, rubbing her eyes and falling asleep in Lyss’s arms. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief and carried their daughter to the guest room.

After gently closing the door to the guest room, Lu Xingye leaned in close to Lyss and whispered, “I’ll go take a shower.”

Lyss paused for a moment, looking up at him, “Where’s the bedroom?”

This was an agreement, and Lu Xingye couldn’t help but smile, pointing to the opposite staircase on the second floor, “Right in front of the stairs.”

Lyss nodded, “I’ll wait for you on the second floor.”

Lu Xingye smiled as he let go of Lyss. Just as Lyss was about to walk upstairs, he saw Lu Xingye walk up to a room and lock the door.

Lyss paused, straightforwardly asking, “What’s in that room?”

Lu Xingye didn’t provide a direct answer, “Nothing, just some things that the Chief can’t see.”

The words sounded strange, and Lyss furrowed his brows, “Why can’t I see it?”

Lu Xingye glanced at Lyss with an unfathomable emotion, “If you see it, you won’t like me anymore.”

Despite his words, Lu Xingye’s attitude of locking the door in front of Lyss seemed like he was deliberately tempting him.

Standing on the stairs, Lyss frowned deeply. Before he could ask anything else, Lu Xingye had already walked into the bathroom.

Lyss wasn’t one to pry into others’ privacy. Since Lu Xingye had locked that door, it meant he didn’t want Lyss to know. So, he returned to the bedroom first.

But after sitting on the bed for a while, he felt something was amiss. After all, Lu Xingye had a history. What if this “little dog” was hiding something again? In the end, Lyss couldn’t shake off his worry. He pushed the door open and went downstairs.

The sound of running water was still echoing in the bathroom. Lyss walked to the locked room’s door. Lu Xingye, either deliberately or unintentionally, had used a code lock. But in front of Lyss, this kind of thing was inadequate. He simply swiped it, and the lock clicked open. Behind the door wasn’t a room, but a staircase leading underground.

After a brief hesitation, Lyss stepped down. The surroundings were dimly lit, but the decor was exquisite, reflecting the owner’s meticulousness. It seemed like they were very fond of this place. At the end of the stairs was a door made of metallic light gold, engraved with elaborate patterns and adorned with sparkling gemstones.

—What could be behind the door?

With this question in mind, Lyss furrowed his brows and pushed open the door, only to freeze.

Before him was a spacious yet dimly lit room, centered around an ornate large bed. Above the bed hung something resembling a belt, with a leather wristband hanging from the end at a height perfect for suspending a person. The purpose of such a thing was self-evident, and suddenly, Lyss felt a chill run down his spine.

At the head of the bed lay a black eye mask and some indistinguishable items. These were just the items on the bed, and as for the remaining contents of the room, Lyss glanced roughly but couldn’t help taking a step back. At that moment, he heard footsteps, calm and steady, coming from behind.

The lights in the room suddenly lit up, and Lyss turned around abruptly, catching Lu Xingye’s smiling face. “Brother, do you like it?”

Author’s Note:

Chief: … I’m sorry, I went to the wrong room.