Kill The Marriage Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Communication
After touring the “cozy little home” with its full-coverage accessibility features, Ren Zhong felt like he wasn’t here to fulfill the orders of his superiors or a statutory obligation.
He was here for a retirement nursing home, right?
The interior was equipped with a residential elevator, and there were no floor height differences inside the house. His wheelchair glided in any direction without a single bump or hurdle in the way. Even the shower room had the same elderly-friendly bath stool and automatic showerheads found in care facilities, and the edges and corners of all the furniture had either been sanded round or fitted with soft padding.
Ren Zhong thought: Zhang Qingyuan and the designer must be trying to open a private sanatorium here.
After a light meal with the designer, the kind but eye-searing Teacher Han finally left.
Ren Zhong’s eyes were granted a momentary reprieve. But how to awkwardly and retroactively discuss their marriage with his “newlywed husband” on their very first meeting became a very uncomfortable problem.
After repeatedly considering how to politely bring up the topic, Ren Zhong decided it was more convenient to just speak plainly.
During the time Ren Zhong was contemplating, Zhang Qingyuan virtuously cleared away the dining table plates and bowls, then sat back down across the table.
“Mr. Zhang, I think it’s time we have a talk.” Ren Zhong cleared his throat to alleviate the awkwardness. “Previously, when I was in the hospital, many things were quite inconvenient…”
His stony expression made it impossible to see his nervousness; it merely looked as if he were seriously delivering an important speech.
In contrast, Zhang Qingyuan appeared entirely relaxed and domestic. His demeanor was calm, even leisurely.
“Coincidentally, I also have some important matters I haven’t had the time to communicate to the Captain.” He even had the leisure to bring over a tea set and pour two cups of fruit and floral tea for them.
Faced with such a relaxed and at-ease Zhang Qingyuan, Ren Zhong felt a faint prickle of discomfort in his heart.
Ren Zhong was clearly the owner of this house, yet here he was—awkward and nervous. Everything around him was unfamiliar, preventing him from feeling any sense of belonging or relaxation.
And yet, the Alpha sitting across from him put on an effortlessly competent front, asserting his sovereignty like “gentle rain moistening things in silence,” infiltrating his hidden desire for control into every corner of this house as if it were his own territory.
Predators who know how to disguise themselves are far more cunning and harder to deal with.
This Alpha was not to be trifled with.
“Does Captain Ren have any demands regarding our marriage?” Zhang Qingyuan struck first, holding back his own cards and throwing out a question to his opponent instead.
Ren Zhong hadn’t grown up easily frightened either, so he met the attack head-on. “I have a subdermal implant. I don’t have heat cycles, and I will not get pregnant.”
Zhang Qingyuan first revealed a hint of surprise, then humbly asked for guidance. “May I ask what a ‘subdermal implant’ is?”
“Ah, this technology hasn’t been available to the general public for many years. Since you’re an Alpha, it’s normal that you wouldn’t know.” Ren Zhong was actually quite patient in explaining. “A subdermal implant is a subcutaneous contraceptive implant.”
He rolled up his sleeve, exposing the inner side of his upper arm. “Right here, a medical device the size of a grain of rice was implanted. It steadily releases medication to achieve the goal of suppressing heat cycles and providing contraception. It’s valid for five years.”
“To think such miraculous technology exists.” Zhang Qingyuan’s eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, “Does it cause any harm to the body?”
Ren Zhong rolled his sleeve back down and shook his head. “No. The side effects of the subdermal implant are lower than those of inhibitors and short-acting oral contraceptives. Two months after it’s removed, fertility can be fully restored. Non-civilian Omega military personnel in the army all receive subdermal implants.”
“Indeed, if an Omega were to go into heat during training or while executing a mission, it would be a fatal disaster.” Zhang Qingyuan thought for a moment, suddenly realizing something, and asked, “Is this classified information?”
Ren Zhong subconsciously replied, “Family members have the right to know.”
The fact that Omega soldiers are unable to get pregnant during their service is crucial information related to “family harmony,” and they are required to inform their spouses.
Only then did Ren Zhong belatedly realize that he was actually using words like “family member” to describe Zhang Qingyuan.
Wasn’t it an incredibly absurd thing that someone he was meeting for the very first time had become a “family member”?
“When I return to the army, I will continue to receive the subdermal implants. Therefore, I will not be having children.”
This was Ren Zhong’s bottom line.
He absolutely would not allow himself to become like other Omegas—a prisoner trapped in the “home.”
Ren Zhong took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
“I know that according to regulations, we must have at least one child within three years of marriage. Otherwise, the monitoring center will force us to undergo treatment and artificial insemination, and a red light will go up on my record. There is no immediate solution to this right now, but I will communicate with the military…”
Just then, Zhang Qingyuan cut him off.
“It’s fine. If it truly comes to that day, I have a solution on my end as well.”
Zhang Qingyuan casually dropped a bombshell.
“As for pregnancy, I’ll do it.”
Ren Zhong: “…”
Ren Zhong: “?”
Ren Zhong: “?!”
He sprayed a mouthful of tea all over the table.
“Wha-wha-wha-what did you just say?”
Zhang Qingyuan remained gentle, polite, and perfectly poised.
“Captain, I understand your noble ideals of defending the country, and that is a part where you cannot compromise. Since that’s the case, I must do my best to find a method that aligns with both of our interests to resolve this issue. Me carrying the child is clearly the optimal solution at present.”
He delivered these words with the same mundane tone as if he were saying, “Today’s weather is perfect for fruit and floral tea.”
Even though Ren Zhong had hovered between life and death on military missions, encountering countless incredibly perilous crises and atrocious, inhumane tragedies, he had never faced a situation that left him quite this panicked and at a loss.
He stared blankly with his mouth open for a long moment before murmuring, “You are an Alpha, right?”
What kind of Alpha would actively offer to get pregnant, just because his Omega didn’t want to?
Was the person capable of saying such things really a predator, an imperious beast, bursting with possessiveness, sitting at the absolute top of the food chain… an Alpha?
Zhang Qingyuan actually let out a couple of chuckles. “Of course I’m an Alpha. You can smell my pheromones, and my genetic test report is right here.”
“Male Alphas can get pregnant too? Do you guys even have reproductive cavities?” Ren Zhong was beginning to doubt all the biology and health classes he had ever taken.
The other party actually smiled so widely his eyes narrowed into crescents.
“Of course not. But the technology to allow a male Alpha to become pregnant does, in fact, exist.”
He grabbed a tissue, wiping the table as he explained, “Just like the ‘subdermal implant’ you introduced to me is a technology only accessible to Omega military personnel. Letting male Alphas get pregnant is also a technology that can only be known and utilized through special channels.”
By simply implanting the embryo into the greater omentum, a male Alpha can successfully become pregnant and deliver a healthy infant via C-section.
Ren Zhong never would have imagined that the first thing to collapse after his marriage wouldn’t be his career, but his entire ABO worldview.
Heavens above, male Alphas could actually get pregnant!!!
“…Is the human body really that miraculous?” Ren Zhong questioned his own superficial common sense, marveling at the mysteries of nature and technology.
Zhang Qingyuan considerately slid a tablet across the table, pulling up a research paper.
Practical Research on Embryo Implantation in the Greater Omentum, Author: Shang Liwei.
“This paper is the latest award-winning publication in this field, authored by a female Alpha scientist. If you’re interested, Captain Ren, you can take a look.”
Ren Zhong didn’t scroll through the pages; instead, he pinched his fingers outward, zooming in on the author’s name.
Not for any other reason, but because he had literally just raced his wheelchair alongside the author of this paper that very morning.
Female Alpha scientist Shang Liwei?
That was his f*cking childhood friend!
Ren Zhong knew she was doing research on ABO gender science at the Academy of Sciences, but how on earth was he supposed to know that the world-changing scientific technology she was obsessively pouring her heart into was how to get male Alphas pregnant?
Taking a few seconds to sort out his thoughts, Ren Zhong tapped his finger on his childhood friend’s name and slowly said, “If the day comes when we truly need this technology… the person who invented it is right next door.”
A flash of surprise crossed Zhang Qingyuan’s eyes, quickly returning to normal.
With elegant poise, he sighed, “It’s a small world.”
In this exchange of blows, Ren Zhong felt like he had pulled the pin on a grenade and chucked it at the enemy camp, only for the enemy to volley it back, leaving him half-paralyzed by his own explosive.
He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly once again: Male Alphas can actually get pregnant!!!
However, the next round of “grenade tossing” fell to Zhang Qingyuan.
His long, slender fingers swiped across the screen to close the research paper, opening up the bank’s web portal and using facial recognition to log into his account.
“Captain Ren, although this matter should have been completed before marriage, doing it today isn’t too late.”
Zhang Qingyuan expertly navigated the bank’s online service system, pulling up a detailed document and handing it to Ren Zhong.
“Captain, this is my credit report. My marital status is ‘married,’ and only your name is listed under spouse—there is no bigamy or fraud. I currently have zero asset liabilities, only a few manageable bank loans, which you will not be required to help repay.”
Ren Zhong was a bit confused.
He didn’t understand why the other party would completely expose his financial situation to him on their very first meeting.
Based on his shallow first impression of Zhang Qingyuan, he assumed the man was shrewd and guarded his privacy, not someone who would make a move equivalent to exposing his belly for someone else to scrutinize.
“I hope that, as a married couple, we can have a relatively clear understanding of each other’s credit situations.”
So, this was what Zhang Qingyuan had been waiting for.
“After all, pre-marital personal assets and debts, as well as post-marital joint assets and debts, are very serious matters. You certainly wouldn’t want a heavily indebted husband affecting your promotions in the military. Similarly, I also wish to be fully aware of my spouse’s financial standing.”
The underlying meaning was clear: He wanted to confirm whether Ren Zhong was carrying debts beyond his capacity to repay, ensure his credit history was sound, and make sure that the Omega wife’s financial risks wouldn’t be transferred to him through marriage.
At first glance, it sounded like Zhang Qingyuan was calculating and shrewd, operating on the principle that “talking about money hurts feelings.”
But Ren Zhong actually wanted to raise both hands in agreement.
Regardless of whether it was voluntary or what ulterior motives they each harbored, their “mom-and-pop shop” was officially open for business.
Rather than dealing with an Alpha who flaunted his vast wealth before marriage only to reveal massive joint debts after, it was much better to have everything clear, transparent, and strictly laid out like this.
You don’t drag me down, and I don’t implicate you.
After swapping credit reports, Ren Zhong casually glanced over the other party’s assets and nearly thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He steadied his focus and started counting the digits up from the decimal point once more.
After counting three times, Ren Zhong finally confirmed two things.
First, he hadn’t miscounted. Second, his marriage partner truly did not lack money.
The way Zhang Qingyuan lowered his eyes to look at the screen was incredibly handsome, radiating a firm and steady focus.
Even with a face that leaned more toward an Omega, he used an invisible aura to declare his societal identity as an Alpha.
“Captain, I can see you have a habit of saving. Given the current unstable economic climate, your decisions are highly sensible.”
After dishing out some corporate-style praise for Ren Zhong’s conservative financial management concepts, Zhang Qingyuan pulled up yet another document.
“This is my detailed medical examination report. No risks of genetic diseases have been detected, and my overall health is good. I also hope the Captain will grant me access to read your recent medical records.”
Naturally, Ren Zhong had no reason to refuse.
No matter what, these two men were going to be sleeping in the same bed. Before undoing their belts, they at least needed to know if the other party had any diseases, right?
Speaking of health, Ren Zhong recalled that when his marriage legally went into effect, he had still been a patient fresh out of the ICU. Even though his surgery was successful, he was still confined to a wheelchair, and whether physical therapy could restore him to full health was an unknown.
An Omega like Ren Zhong was obviously not a very suitable marriage candidate.
But the intel he received stated—
Zhang Qingyuan, just like him, enjoyed preferential treatment in the compulsory matching system and had plenty of outstanding candidates to choose from. Yet, the other party only expressed a strong intention toward Ren Zhong. From top to bottom, he only filled in Ren Zhong’s name on his matching preference form.
“Mr. Zhang, why were you willing to marry me?” Ren Zhong asked.
What benefit was there for him to marry a temporarily disabled soldier?
To this, Zhang Qingyuan replied as follows.
“My delay application expired, so I had to get married. Even though military marriages have many restrictions, overall, marrying the Captain is a highly advantageous arrangement for me.”
He avoided giving a specific answer, only vaguely affirming Ren Zhong’s suspicions.
Then, he added, “Of course, choosing to marry you also involves personal reasons. I’ve watched the Captain’s televised speeches and interviews, and I am aware of your deeds. I believe you are a righteous, clear-headed individual, and communicating with you will be very smooth.”
Zhang Qingyuan’s soft gaze landed on Ren Zhong, mingling with the sunlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
His eyes smiled warmly. “Being able to marry you is also an immense honor for me.”
To be honest, Ren Zhong suddenly felt a wave of relief in his heart.
To not end up with a freak Alpha in a forced marriage was truly a silver lining.
Zhang Qingyuan closed the screen in his hand, folded his hands on the table, and spoke in an incredibly formal tone: “Captain, I just remembered that there is a very urgent and important matter I need to discuss with you.”
“Go ahead.”
The Alpha cleared his throat. “The Compulsory Marriage Matching Act stipulates that married couples have the obligation to consummate their marriage under the surveillance of big data AI smart cameras at least once a month. And it has already been thirty days since our marriage took effect.”
“In other words, before 11:59 PM tonight, we must fulfill this statutory obligation.”
Translator’s Note:
- Subdermal implant (皮埋): Also known as a contraceptive implant, a small rod inserted under the skin of the arm to prevent pregnancy. In this ABO universe, it’s a restricted military tech used to prevent Omega heats.
- Greater omentum: A large apron-like fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach. Here, the author employs some hilariously creative sci-fi biology to allow Alphas to carry children!