Chapter 68: Gender Panic
Qin University Campus Forum.
#Polite discussion about the Moments post I just saw—shocked my whole family#
I saw it too!!! Damn, it’s so romantic!!!
Same!!! Damn, it’s so romantic!!!
Shocked my whole family!!!
As expected of a big shot!!! Only a sophomore!!! A damn life winner!!!
Both hands look so good—hand-fetishists’!!!
As expected, the campus heartthrob’s partner is a girl!!!
Wuwuwu—no hope left at all!!! My youth dying at sunset!!!
So which girl actually took down HSM?!
Is this an official announcement? Does it mean marriage?
It looks like they had a kid?
No way, right? It hasn’t been long since he said he had a partner—how could there already be a baby?
Reasonable suspicion the photo is photoshopped. Has anyone looked carefully at HSM’s hands? Maybe the photo was pulled from the internet?
Found a photo of HSM flipping through a book in the library—same watch! Those are his hands!
Holy shit, the hands stacked on top of his are insanely good-looking—fair, slender, flawless. Could be male or female.
Is that little baby hand on top really their child’s?
Anyone come out to clarify? Please tell me HSM hasn’t had a baby.
Evil thought: if HSM’s partner is male, does that mean this kid could be from illegal surrogacy…
At the same time, Yao Shule was on a self-driving trip with his biological mom, dad, and third aunt’s family. They still hadn’t reached the hotel. He couldn’t sleep, his butt was numb from sitting, and out of boredom he twisted into an S-shape in the back seat and started scrolling through Moments.
He thought the spotty signal wouldn’t let him see much. Who could’ve guessed—he actually saw He Siming’s Moments.
At first glance—damn, it was a confession to Jiang Rong. The “hundreds of millions of light-years” description was the exclusive romance of a STEM guy.
Meeting you in this vast universe is such a stroke of luck—must last forever.
Damn it, another day of envying Rongbao for having such a good husband.
At second glance, the photo—one baby’s hand stacked on top of two adults’ hands!
He didn’t know He Siming’s hands, and he’d never held Jiang Rong’s either. Why would He Siming post a picture like this? Had he secretly started another family behind Jiang Rong’s back? Did he forget to block people when posting?
What does this mean?
Wait—looking at the timing, shouldn’t Jiang Rong be in surgery right now?
Oh my god—this is so melodramatic?
Did He Siming start and then abandon Jiang Rong?
Yao Shule wanted to pull the three of them into a group chat and ask Ding Yan and Li Yizhou—but at this crucial moment, there was no signal on the road!
This damn fruit phone—useless at critical times. I’m replacing you when I get back!
He was so angry he nearly jumped out of the car.
Yao’s mom scolded him in dialect, “What’s with you, jumping at every little thing? Aren’t you afraid you’ll hit your head?”
Yao Shule asked, “Mom, let me ask you something.”
Yao Mom: “What is it?”
Yao Shule: “Look at this photo—do you think it’s a family?”
Yao Mom: “Who? Your classmates are already having kids? Isn’t this showing off a baby? That baby is at least nine jin.”
Yao Shule: “I’m not asking you to judge the baby’s weight—just tell me if this is showing off a baby.”
Yao Mom: “Definitely. When your second aunt’s eldest cousin had a baby, didn’t they show it off like this too? Once you have a child, you announce it far and wide so the baby can receive everyone’s blessings—friends and relatives all give red envelopes. Is this your friend? Don’t tell me it’s your ex?”
Yao Shule’s heart pounded, but the damn phone still had no signal.
“Of course not—it’s my roommate. Let me ask you something else. How long into pregnancy do people give birth? A belly this big is how many months?” He gestured to the size of Jiang Rong’s belly when he came to campus for exams. “Could someone be sick and have a belly this big?”
Yao Mom: “That big? Probably close to giving birth. College students studying while pregnant is pretty normal.”
Yao Shule: “But men can’t get pregnant, right?”
Yao Mom: “Maybe they can. The world is full of wonders. I even saw news a couple days ago about a foreign gay couple using high-tech methods to have a child.”
Ever since learning her son liked men, Yao Mom’s thinking had become increasingly open-minded—she was even reading news about technological reproduction.
Yao Shule covered his face. “I mean natural pregnancy.”
Yao Mom: “That exists too. Some men are born with incomplete development—some even have a uterus inside.”
Yao Shule: “Mom, you know a lot.”
Yao Mom: “Of course. I want to hold a grandchild too. If technology can make it happen, you—”
Yao Shule shrank back into his seat. “Mom, just because I like men doesn’t mean I want to have kids. Absolutely not!”
Yao Mom sighed. “Fine. We don’t have that kind of money to make you a designer baby anyway.”
Yao Shule wiped a cold sweat in secret. Women who want grandchildren are terrifying!
They didn’t reach the county town until ten at night.
Only after checking into the guesthouse did Yao Shule finally charge his useless phone.
He wanted to message Jiang Rong, and also to chat with Li Yizhou and Ding Yan—but those two probably hadn’t noticed anything at all and were happily liking the Moments post.
Yao Shule was so anxious he scratched his head. How was he supposed to sleep?
As Jiang Rong’s bestie, he didn’t have much private contact with He Siming.
Lin Nana had gossiped with him the moment she saw the post, but that was just gossip—she didn’t know Jiang Rong and He Siming were a couple, and he couldn’t say anything.
Others might not know—but how could he not?
Being so close to the truth was painful. He really didn’t want to know secrets like this.
Thinking carefully about his past interactions with Jiang Rong, neither Jiang Rong nor He Siming had ever said it was a tumor—he’d just assumed surgery meant a tumor. And Jiang Rong’s belly really had gotten bigger—anyone would think that, right?
Back in May, when Jiang Rong asked for leave to go home and wait for surgery, they even joked about having a baby at that dinner!
Looking back now, he was the joke.
From beginning to end, He Siming and Jiang Rong hadn’t deceived them at all—every sentence had been true!
Was this the positive feedback of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”? All of it was He Siming’s tactics!
He Siming joked that Jiang Rong was his partner—they didn’t believe it. Fine. Then he kept calling himself “dad”—they still didn’t believe it!
Falling for the same trick twice—and they jumped into the pit every time!
Meanwhile, Jiang Rong slept soundly till broad daylight, completely unaware that his friend had spent the night tossing and turning over him.
When he woke up, He Siming was in the living room feeding He Shenglin milk.
The little guy really changed day by day. His weight increased quickly—only half a month old and he’d already gained a jin.
Maybe he inherited He Siming’s frame—he was bigger than other babies from birth.
His little legs were strong, kicking while he drank.
Jiang Rong asked, “Why are you all up already?”
He Siming looked disgusted. “I got up to use the bathroom and heard him crying. Just changed his diaper. Why does drinking milk smell so bad?”
Jiang Rong sat beside him, watching the little guy drink, slipping a finger into his palm for him to grab. He held on tightly—very strong.
Softly, Jiang Rong said, “Little He Shenglin pooped early in the morning and stank up Daddy.”
The baby focused on drinking, eyes rolling around. At half a month old, he probably couldn’t see clearly yet.
Still, Jiang Rong thought his son was adorable in every way.
He Siming was already adept at holding the baby and chatting with Jiang Rong naturally. In the first few days after birth, he hadn’t even dared touch him—so soft and tiny, he was afraid of breaking the precious treasure.
He remembered something from last night. “Jiang Rongrong, let’s discuss something.”
Jiang Rong stared intently at their baby’s live milk-drinking broadcast. “Go ahead.”
He Siming said, “For the baby’s one-month celebration, who do you want to invite? Not that many people know I have a baby.”
Jiang Rong finally looked up. “One-month celebration?”
He Siming: “Yeah. I posted on Moments last night.”
Only then did Jiang Rong grab his phone. After the surgery, he hadn’t checked it much—he’d gone straight to see He Shenglin after waking, and the phone became secondary.
He opened Moments and saw He Siming’s confession to him.
He rubbed his warm eyes. “I ended up being the last one to know.”
Holding the bottle, He Siming said, “If you want to hear it, I’ll tell you every day.”
Seeing only two mouthfuls left in He Shenglin’s bottle, he decisively took it away and pulled Jiang Rong into his arms.
He Shenglin: “……”
Missing two sips was fine—but his wife had to be soothed.
He kissed Jiang Rong’s forehead. “I love you.”
Moved, Jiang Rong glanced at the bottle. “Why didn’t you let him finish?”
He Siming: “……” Wasn’t I trying to hug you?
Jiang Rong stuffed the bottle back into He Shenglin’s mouth and let him finish the last two sips.
“Don’t waste it.” Formula was expensive, and He Shenglin drank a lot—he could go through one and a half cans a week.
He Siming emphasized, “I said I love you.”
Jiang Rong lifted his face and smiled. “He Shenglin says he loves Daddy too.”
He Siming: “……”
Even confessing got upstaged by his son. He’d always said life shouldn’t have children interfering.
He Siming asked again, “Who do you want to invite to his one-month celebration?”
Jiang Rong: “Anyone you want to invite?”
He Siming: “Let’s invite Tang Yucheng. He already knows I have a baby. Let’s keep this one-month celebration low-key—invite more people for the hundred-day banquet.”
Jiang Rong: “Then I’ll invite Yao Shule? He’s smart—after seeing your Moments, he must have guessed.”
He Siming: “Okay.”
Just then, Jiang Rong received a message from Yao Shule.
Yao Shule: Is it convenient to talk?
Jiang Rong called him directly.
Yao Shule hadn’t slept much all night; his voice sounded hoarse. “You finished the surgery?”
Jiang Rong: “Yeah, did it right after vacation started. Are you feeling unwell? Your voice is really hoarse.”
Yao Shule: “Road-tripping with my parents—eating beef and lamb every day. Got heaty.”
That was partly true; not sleeping well was also true.
Jiang Rong: “When does your trip end?”
Yao Shule: “About two more weeks. They’re traveling for a month.”
He Siming sat nearby. Jiang Rong returned to sit beside him, poked the little guy’s soft belly—so full he even made little “mm-hmm” sounds.
Yao Shule heard it.
The phone was on speaker; both Jiang Rong and He Siming listened.
Yao Shule asked casually, “After your surgery, what did they remove?”
Jiang Rong smiled and gave He Siming a look. “A big treasure.”
He knew it—Yao Shule was smart and had guessed.
Yao Shule’s hands trembled. He was happy Jiang Rong hadn’t hidden it from him, yet also worried about his own lack of insight—how had he not considered pregnancy?
He was so stupid!
Yao Shule: “How precious?”
Jiang Rong didn’t have many friends to show off to. He’d had to hide it at first. Now that he could chat with a friend, he finally understood He Siming and his uncle and aunt’s urge to show off—sometimes people really do want to share their joy.
Jiang Rong: “I’ll switch to video.”
Nervously, Yao Shule accepted the video call.
First he saw He Siming’s cool, stern face—then behavior completely at odds with that image: He Siming was holding a baby.
He Siming asked, “My son—cute, right?”
Jiang Rong added, “Sorry we didn’t dare tell you directly before.”
The heart Yao Shule had been holding finally dropped—Jiang Rong really had given birth to a baby!
After a whole night of processing—and his mom’s enthusiasm for tech-assisted childbirth—he accepted it immediately.
Definitely not because the little treasure smiled at the camera.
Yao Shule: “Wow—he’s smiling at me.”
He Siming shattered the fantasy. “Not at you. His facial nerves aren’t fully developed yet. He just finished drinking milk—excited neural response.”
Yao Shule: “Come on, God He. No need to be that academic—he’s smiling at me.”
Jiang Rong smiled. “Can you come back to the capital early in half a month? We’re planning a small one-month celebration for He Shenglin—just inviting friends for a meal.”
Yao Shule: “Just me?” He hadn’t doted on Jiang Rong for nothing!
Jiang Rong: “I’m only inviting you. He Siming’s inviting one other friend.”
Yao Shule: “Deal. No matter what, I’ll attend the big treasure’s one-month celebration.”
He Siming emphasized, “His name is He Shenglin. Let him get used to his name. We’ll reimburse your return ticket.”
Yao Shule: “No need—I’ll treat it as returning to school early.”
He didn’t mention being a godfather. Old jokes couldn’t be taken seriously.
This baby was real.
His dad called out, “Yao Shule! Why aren’t you washing up and eating breakfast? We’re heading out soon.”
Yao Shule immediately made a miserable face. “I’m hanging up—I’m starting my days of suffering. Send me lots of baby photos to sweeten things.”
Jiang Rong laughed. “So early—it’s only 7:30 and you’re already touring?”
Yao Shule added an awkward congratulatory line before hanging up. “Haven’t congratulated you yet on the birth of your precious son. May the baby grow up healthy!”
Jiang Rong squeezed He Shenglin’s little hand. “Thank you, Uncle Lele.”
Only then did Yao Shule hang up.
He washed up quickly and rushed next door to find his mom.
“Mom, my friend had a son and invited me to the one-month celebration. What gift should I give?”
“The most straightforward is a red envelope. If you’re closer, give gold or silver—like a longevity lock, safety bracelet, zodiac pendant…”
Yao Shule: …
Looks like he’d have to dig out the New Year’s money he’d saved for years!
Jiang Rong was so muddleheaded—how did he end up having a baby for He Siming?
They were babies themselves.
What a headache. Would he have to bring the baby to school later?
Sigh…
Jiang Rong still had no idea that Yao Shule was worrying about his future college life.
He was simply happy to share his joy with a friend and smiled all day.
He Siming treasured him even more.
He hadn’t forgotten—Jiang Rong had no family.
Before bed that night, Jiang Rong was reading a classic. He Siming kissed his faint peach-scented neck. “I’m sorry.”
Confused, Jiang Rong put the magazine down. “Why are you apologizing?”
He Siming: “I didn’t notice you don’t have family to share your happiness with.”
Jiang Rong thought of his parents in his original world and leaned on his shoulder. “Having parents doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get their blessings. Some parents abandon their children over trivial reasons.”
He Siming saw the sadness in his eyes. “What trivial reasons?”
Jiang Rong thought of He Siming’s Moments post. He wasn’t sure whether He Siming believed his origins, but he was still willing to tell the truth.
Jiang Rong: “Gender.”
He Siming stroked his soft hair—it smelled nice and felt soft from being washed during the day.
He Siming: “How so?”
Jiang Rong: “You know about son preference?”
He Siming: “I do. But you’re a boy—most parents like boys.”
Jiang Rong: “No—it’s not like that. What we value is secondary gender.”
He Siming was already familiar with his gender framework. “Secondary gender—Alpha, Beta, Omega?”
Jiang Rong lay down on his lap, tired from sitting. “There, Alpha and Omega are valued—they have high status. Betas aren’t valued as much. And I was a Beta.”
He Siming didn’t understand at first. “They’re all male—what’s the difference?”
Jiang Rong explained simply. “Alphas are physically strong. They and Omegas are a natural pair—they can sense each other’s pheromones. Omegas need Alpha pheromones during heat; Alphas need Omega comfort during rut. Betas can’t sense either pheromone—and they can’t have children.”
He Siming sorted it out quickly. Betas were like worker bees—working all day. Alphas and Omegas were like drones and queens—responsible for reproduction.
“But you can have a baby,” He Siming said.
Jiang Rong replied, “But I was originally a Beta. My glands didn’t fully develop and I was misjudged as unable to differentiate into an Omega.”
He Siming suddenly remembered something. “Wait—then does that mean He Shenglin might also have a secondary gender? When does differentiation happen?”
Jiang Rong: “Around fourteen or fifteen.”
He Siming grew anxious for no reason. “Then that’s bad. If he’s Alpha, where will we find an Omega for him? If he’s Omega, he takes after my build…”
Jiang Rong sat up too, caught in the same anxious mood.
But he wasn’t as nervous as He Siming. He was an Omega too—and he’d still met He Siming.
He comforted him instead. “Don’t panic yet. He could be a Beta—or like you, just an ordinary boy.”
He Siming: “Hopefully.”
That night, He Siming tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Unusually, Jiang Rong couldn’t sleep either.
They both got up in the middle of the night.
Jiang Rong asked, “Why are you still awake?”
He Siming: “No—I need to look things up.”
Jiang Rong: “Then I’ll look with you. I can’t sleep either.”
It wasn’t until two in the morning that Jiang Rong finally couldn’t hold on and fell asleep.
He Siming still couldn’t sleep and proactively went to feed He Shenglin, who had woken up hungry.
Looking at the child’s pure, innocent little face, panic filled his heart.
He took away the bottle He Shenglin hadn’t finished and asked him seriously, “He Shenglin, tell Daddy—what gender will you differentiate into in the future?”
Unable to get his milk, He Shenglin let out a loud wail and burst into tears!
