When Song Yanqing entered his Omega grandfather's tent, he was brewing a special tonic for Shen Lanting to drink to help with pregnancy. As an Omega, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was for an Omega to give birth, so he was more cautious than others.
"Grandfather, A-Jue is awake. I came to get some food."
Song Yanqing bowed to his Omega grandfather in a gesture of respect before explaining his purpose. His grandfather paused, then suddenly turned to look at him.
" Xiao Qi, Grandfather won't ask how you and that precious Omega met and fell in love, but what happened at Rose Base is something none of us wanted to see. He's a child with a tragic fate. If you truly love him, you must respect him and protect him, understand?"
Song Yanqing paused slightly, then nodded solemnly and made a gesture as if swearing an oath to the tribe, sincere and devout, without any pretense.
"Grandfather, I know. I swear in Abutu's name that I will love him and respect him for the rest of my life, until death do us part."
Abutu is the deity worshipped by this tribe. People offer sacrifices to him in various rituals, pray to him for happiness and well-being, and swear oaths in his name when making promises.
If one breaks the oath, there will be no redemption, and one will no longer be His follower. This is the most severe punishment in the tribe. Taking an oath in His name is convincing and awe-inspiring.
The grandfather was clearly stunned for a moment by Song Yanqing's appearance, but he quickly recovered and smiled with satisfaction, his eyes full of pride in his grandson's sense of responsibility.
"In that case, after a while, when he's feeling better, you and your father and brothers should prepare the betrothal gifts and propose marriage. Your grandfathers will be waiting to celebrate your wedding. Your bonfire wedding will surely be a grand affair."
Grandfather's words were both an affirmation and a recognition. It was clear that he liked Shang Shujue and Shen Lanting very much, otherwise he wouldn't have personally brewed the medicinal soup.
"Alright, then I'll take the food and drinks and head out. Thank you, Grandfather. I'll bring A-Jue to visit you another day."
"Okay, go ahead."
Song Yanqing left with the food and drinks. His Omega grandfather watched his tall figure disappear into the darkness, his eyes filled with love and satisfaction.
"This child has grown up."
Song Yanqing returned to the tent with the food and a can of goat milk he had received from his Omega grandfather. When Shang Shujue saw him return, he didn't even bother to pet Nuomi's cat tail.
"You're back! What good food do you have?"
"Have some slightly dry steamed buns and goat milk tea to tide you over, then take a nap. When you wake up, you can have a proper meal."
Song Yanqing took the things in his hand and placed them on the stool by the bed. He bent down and pulled his lover out of the blanket, wrapped him in a warm coat, and was afraid that he would catch a cold.
" Song Yanqing, you've got some serious strength in this world! Your arm muscles are so hard, you've made my hands all red."
Shang Shujue was lifted up like a chick and rolled into a ball. He couldn't help but pat Song Yanqing's arm repeatedly. It was hard. He didn't know if Song Yanqing was in pain, but his palm certainly hurt.
"Pfft..." Song Yanqing was amused by Shang Shujue's appearance and laughed for a while before taking his hand, gently rubbing it, and then kissing it.
"That's because you're an Omega. In this world's lore, Omegas are generally quite soft. Hitting me is like hitting a cotton ball; it's so cute."
"..." Shang Shujue's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly. "So this world setting did give you a good time, huh? Hmph ╯^╰"
Song Yanqing smiled gently, neither denying nor saying anything more. He handed him the steamed bun and goat milk, and casually pinched his cheek, gesturing for him to eat quickly.
Aren't you hungry?
Shang Shujue then realized that the amount of food in his hand was only enough to make him half full. He gave Nuomi a taste of something new. Hearing his question, Song Yanqing nodded gently, "Okay, you eat it."
Nuomi took a bite of the steamed bun and goat milk, then made an excuse to return to the System Space. The rest of the food was eaten by Shang Shujue.
Before dawn, Song Yanqing and Shang Shujue continued sleeping, Song Yanqing holding each other. Before falling asleep, the person in his arms patted his chest. He opened his eyes and looked over, "What's wrong?"
"Didn't they say there are temporary markers and depth markers between AOs? How are they marked? Do you want me to get one? By the way, does smelling it really cause... you know?"
Shang Shujue's curious expression towards his own body made Song Yanqing gasp. He remembered educational videos of Alphas marking Omegas, which were very explicit and clear. He couldn't stand it if he had to take Shang Shujue's place.
Unfortunately, this guy has absolutely no self-awareness and even made such a request. He feels his self-control is really poor, but now he has to restrain himself; this place is really inappropriate. ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ
" A-Jue, don't you remember any educational videos?"
Song Yanqing pulled Shang Shujue closer to him, took his hand that was trying to touch the back of his neck, and kissed it lightly. His eyes were dark and deep, as if he were staring at his prey.
"What educational videos?" Shang Shujue raised an eyebrow slightly, her eyes showing a hint of confusion. "My body is extremely weak; I've spent 65% of my memories sleeping in hospital beds. Where am I supposed to learn?"
He paused, then asked suspiciously, "Do you have relevant educational videos in your memory?"
"..." Song Yanqing remained silent for a long time this time, then pressed his forehead against Song Yanqing's and smiled helplessly. "Never mind, I'll teach you next time. Not now. Go to sleep."
Shang Shujue blinked, his mind racing. Before he could ask any more questions, Song Yanqing pulled him close to his chest.
"Hmm... Goodnight..."
He didn't deliberately puff out his chest muscles; his chest was soft and yielding, and when he buried his face in it, it covered most of his face. He was so happy that he didn't want to move at all.
Hehe ૮(˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶)ა Song Yanqing is still a male mother...
Shang Shujue wrapped her arms around Song Yanqing's waist, adjusted her position while burying her face in his arms, and then closed her eyes contentedly, falling asleep as if it were a rare treat.
Song Yanqing contentedly tucked the blanket around Shang Shujue, a slight smile playing on his lips. He then hugged him tightly, letting him press almost his entire body against his, and closed his eyes to fall asleep.
The two woke up at nine in the morning. It was lively outside the tent. There were children playing, elders chatting in their native language, and locals reminding the children not to fall.
There were fewer people than yesterday; most of the tribespeople had already driven their cattle, sheep, and horses to the grasslands to graze and herd. Occasionally, a few barks could be heard, as sheepdogs were working alongside their owners.
Song Yanqing opened her eyes first and saw that the baby in her arms had rosy cheeks from sleeping and still looked at her with trust and dependence. She felt a sense of satisfaction rising in her heart.
Song Yanqing kissed Shang Shujue's forehead and lips, intending to get out of bed to take a shower after the kiss, but before he could leave, he was pulled up by the neck and kissed firmly. He paused for a moment before realizing that his lover was also awake, and then they exchanged a deep kiss.
"Were you woken up?"
Song Yanqing ruffled Shang Shujue's hair and couldn't help but affectionately rub his nose against it. His tone of voice was so gentle that it left the other warriors in the tribe speechless. Of course, at this moment, they knew nothing about it.
"No." Shang Shujue said, her slender fingers touching a certain spot. Hearing the other person's breathing quicken, she gave it a satisfied squeeze, her tone gentle. "I was woken up by Xiao Qingqing; she's quite warm, like a hand warmer."
"... Okay, it's my fault." Song Yanqing's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice a little hoarse, but he just smiled, hugged Shang Shujue and kissed him again before asking, "Want to sleep a little longer?"
"I'm not going to sleep. I need to go see Shen Lanting, and I also need to explain our origins to your current clansmen. Of course, I also need to see my future nephew's husband."
Shang Shujue noticed that the veins on Song Yanqing's neck were bulging and a fine layer of sweat quickly formed on his skin. He knew that Song Yanqing was enduring a lot of hardship, so he stopped teasing him, withdrew his hand, kissed the side of Song Yanqing's neck, and whispered his plans in a coquettish tone in Song Yanqing's ear.
"Okay, then get up, get dressed, and wash up. I'll take you there."
"OK."