Chapter 77 Castile (Twenty-Eight) Viv; Early Pregnancy...

“Ryan?” Viv asked in confusion, blurting out, “Ryan, what are you doing here!” Her memory was still stuck in the dungeon.

"Huh?" Now it was Ryan's turn to be puzzled. He placed his palm on Viv's forehead, and after a moment, Ryan said in a serious tone, "Well, Viv doesn't have a fever."

Upon hearing this, the two stared at each other, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Where is this?

"A small manor."

Why am I here?

"Last night, the maid found you collapsed at the main gate."

"Am I at the gate of the small manor?"

"Yes, that's why I took care of you all night. I'm so glad you're okay. Xiao Ze and I were very worried."

Ryan explained all the things that Viv found confusing, and after clarifying the general situation, Viv breathed a sigh of relief, although she didn't know why she had suddenly appeared at the gate of the small manor.

But as far as we're concerned, as long as it's safe, that's fine.

Duke Gene wouldn't be back anytime soon, and Vina wouldn't let her go unless she was dead. Viv planned to stay at the small manor for a while, so she asked, "Did anything happen while I was away?"

"Well... everything else is fine, except that His Highness the Fifth Prince sent over an invitation, saying he'll be paying a visit today." Ryan said, peeling an orange as he spoke. The orange's fragrance filled the room, and he even hummed a tune shyly.

Viv almost choked when she saw his leisurely demeanor. The Fifth Prince was a huge problem. If it wasn't resolved, the three of them, and even their respective partners, would be implicated.

No! Memories flooded back, and Viv recalled what Vina had told her in the dungeon: the prince had come to find them because Vina had secretly tipped them off.

The situation was extremely critical! Viv hurriedly threw off the covers and tried to get out of bed, but Ryan stopped her. Before she could ask why, a segment of orange was stuffed into her mouth.

The juice exploded in my mouth.

Ryan ate his orange slowly and deliberately. "Don't be afraid. It's almost evening. The Fifth Prince won't be coming. Besides, we have people protecting us!"

Ryan spoke with great confidence.

This made Viv wonder why he was so calm. "Who's protecting us?"

“Xiao Ze’s lover!” Ryan said decisively, and the next second orange juice splashed onto his face.

Ryan: ......

"Can't you be a little more elegant!" Ryan wiped the juice off his face with a handkerchief, looking disgusted. "Don't be so surprised, okay?"

"I'm so sorry, so sorry." Viv wiped her mouth, lowering her voice. "Lover? What makes you say that?"

Ryan cleared his throat dramatically. "These past few days have been Xiao Ze's passionate period. Yesterday he was very anxious to discuss countermeasures with me, but today he has stayed indoors. The maids have been frequently bringing him food and hot water."

“But our Alphas all went to Solo with His Highness, and His Highness the Fifth Prince didn’t come to visit today either. So I think there’s only one truth, which is what I just said. I will definitely keep this secret for Xiao Ze.” Ryan spoke with reason and conviction, and there was even a hint of tragic determination in his eyes. He took Viv’s hand and continued, “We’ll keep it together!”

“Uh… um… okay.” Viv’s lips twitched. She couldn’t agree with Ryan’s guess. She thought that the “lover” Ryan mentioned was very likely Xu Lingzhao, that very powerful female Alpha.

"Tell me, is it possible that the lover you're talking about is Xiaoze's Alpha?" Viv pulled her hand away from Ryan's and tapped Ryan's forehead with her finger. Now it was her turn to mimic Ryan's expression from before. "Ryan, you're still too naive."

"Huh?" Ryan was dumbfounded. He hadn't considered this at all. He leaned closer to Viv and asked, "Alpha? What makes you say that?"

"As far as I know, Xiao Ze's Alpha is extremely powerful, a rare Alpha with high mental strength. Furthermore, Xiao Ze loves his Alpha very much, so there is no possibility of him having a secret rendezvous with a lover."

"So that's how it is. I thought I was going to have to keep a huge secret." Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out he had misunderstood.

Viv breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't know how Xu Lingzhao had done it, the process didn't matter; what mattered was the result. Everyone has their own secrets, after all. She felt more relaxed than ever before, no longer needing to worry.

She could go back as soon as Duke Gene returned home.

-

"The snow is lighter today." Viv drew back the curtains and looked out at the white expanse of snow. Her breath condensed into a thin mist on the windowpane. She turned to Ryan, who was brewing tea. "How long until the maid is back?"

"Oh dear, sit down and have some tea." Ryan glanced at her. Today was the day Duke Gene was returning, and the maids had gone out early to see if the Duke had returned yet, while Viv was extremely anxious.

Viv sat down and took the tea Ryan offered, taking a small sip. "Xiao Ze's passionate phase should be ending around today."

"Yes, judging by the dates, it should be."

"His Highness should have arrived in Solo by now. I wonder how Yu Yu is doing."

“I wonder how my Timothy is doing.” Ryan said with a hint of melancholy. “We had just gotten together when Timothy left me. I really miss her. My honeymoon period ends at the end of the month.”

When Ryan talked about the heat cycle, she realized that she didn't have this problem yet. People only experience the heat cycle when they turn 18, or if their glands mature faster than hers, then Ryan was the oldest, already 20.

With a mischievous grin, Viv leaned close to Ryan and asked, "Without your Alpha, how are you going to get through your passionate phase?"

Ryan watched Viv wink and blush crept onto his face. He coughed lightly and said, "You'll understand when you're my age."

"Hahahahaha." Viv laughed loudly. Just as she was teasing Ryan, the maid came up to them breathlessly. "Miss Viv, the Duke has returned, and it seems that something else has happened."

-

When Viv returned to the Duke's manor, she found a black cloth hanging outside the gate, with maids and servants bustling about. A chill ran up her spine, and she instinctively thought that something had happened to Duke Gene.

Hanging a black cloth signifies a funeral.

When she ran into the castle, lifting her skirt, she found the entire castle very quiet, and her father, Duke Gene, was sitting on the sofa without saying a word.

Duke Gene's face bore the marks of time. When he heard footsteps, he slowly looked up, his voice slightly hoarse, "Oh, Viv, it's you. I heard from the servants these past few days that you weren't at the castle. Where have you been?"

Viv was completely bewildered by Duke Gene's question. She had just been celebrating her mistaken guess, but her father's somewhat distant attitude set off alarm bells.

"Father, I've been staying at a friend's house these past few days."

"You're not at the manor?"

“Yes, Father, I am not here.” Viv stood before Duke Gene with her head bowed, seemingly already guessing who had died.

Why aren't you here?

“While you were away, my sister tied me up in the dungeon. She wanted to kill me, but I escaped. Before that, she also killed my personal maid.” Viv felt that the best course of action at this moment was to tell the truth.

“After I escaped, I was terrified and could only ask my friends for help. I didn’t dare to go home until you came back.” Viv started crying as she spoke, covering her face with her hands and her shoulders trembling slightly.

He looked like a victim.

Duke Gene looked at the frail Viv in front of him. He knew Vina's character well, but she was, after all, his daughter, the moment he learned of her death.

He was heartbroken.

"You must be tired. Go back and rest. Vina's funeral arrangements will need your help." Duke Gene waved his hand, telling Viv to go and rest, and then he remembered what she had just said.

He needs to find someone to verify this.

“Yes, Father.” Viv slowly stepped back, and as she turned away, a faint smile appeared on her face that was difficult for others to notice.

Everything she said was true.

-

Chu Jing slowly opened his eyes. He stretched his hand out from under the covers, exposing his fair neck and hand to the air, and the dense hickeys were also visible to him.

He felt like his bones were about to fall apart. Ever since the Alpha formed a knot in his reproductive cavity, he had gone completely mad. His body was almost covered in hickeys, and at first glance, one might think he had some kind of terminal illness.

His waist was held tightly by the Alpha. He moved slightly, and the Alpha behind him immediately hugged him even tighter. "It's hot!" Chu Jing complained vehemently.

"Baby, it's snowing outside," Xu Lingzhao said lazily, her nose pressed against the Omega's glands. The heat of passion had ended, and the scent of pheromones wasn't as strong, but it could still easily fascinate her.

She slightly opened her eyes to look at her masterpiece. The Omega's glands were covered with her teeth marks. Xu Lingzhao reached out and turned Chu Jingze around so that he was facing her.

Seeing the Omega's tearful eyes, Xu Lingzhao was mostly awake. She quickly hugged him and gently coaxed, "Why are you crying? Is something hurting?"

Chu Jing bit her lower lip lightly, and after a while spoke, "You don't care about me at all." These words startled Xu Lingzhao, who quickly asked, "Why do you say that?"

"I said I was hot, but you hugged me even tighter, you don't care about me at all," Chu Jing whispered his complaint in her arms. His words made Xu Lingzhao chuckle. Then, the Omega added, "See! You're making fun of me!"

"Baby, please forgive me. I was just worried you'd get cold. Should I let go of you now?" Xu Lingzhao looked down at him. Chu Jingze's behavior was a bit strange. This was the first time he had said something like this, which made her wonder.

Is he really pregnant?

Because pregnant Omegas are particularly sensitive, although Chu Jingze had never been pregnant, she had heard about it to some extent.

"Don't let go!" Chu Jing pouted, like a bluffing robber, and then he said, "I'm going to bite your glands too!"

"Hmm? Okay~ I'll grant you anything." Xu Lingzhao smiled and agreed to his request. He was actually quite adorable like this.

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