Chapter 1: The Moon's Orbit
Bai Qinglai sat at his computer, his long, slender fingers flying across the keys. As a business owner, the end-of-the-month accounting was always the most draining part of his routine. He rubbed his aching eyes and was about to tidy up his desk to head home when the phone beside him began to vibrate uncontrollably.
The screen lit up with a message from his second brother, Bai Qinghe: [Finish up and come home immediately. The whole family is in the living room waiting for you. Get back ASAP.]
Qinglai's heart tightened instantly. His brother was usually calm and composed, the type who wouldn't flinch even in the face of a corporate storm. He never spoke with this kind of commanding urgency.
A barrage of worst-case scenarios flashed through Qinglai's mind. Had the family's multinational corporation hit a fatal crisis? Or had his brother finally reached his breaking point with that "social terrorist" Joseph and was about to announce a formal divorce?
"...No way," Qinglai muttered. Without even stopping to change out of his work clothes, he grabbed his keys and bolted out the door. He sped home, his heart hammering in his chest the entire way. Before stepping inside, he took several deep breaths, bracing himself for a family disaster—or perhaps even preparing to help his brother pack his bags.
He threw the door open and shouted, "Second brother, I'm back! Whether it's bankruptcy or divorce, I'm on your side—"
His voice cut off abruptly in the silent living room.
There were no somber lawyers, no mountains of moving boxes, and certainly no tearful catastrophe. There were only two men sitting on the sofa—his biological brother, Bai Qinghe, and that man's partner, Joseph, who was currently lounging with his legs crossed, snacking happily from a fruit platter.
"Oho! My favorite little brother is home!" The moment Joseph saw Qinglai, he sprang up like a Golden Retriever spotting a bone, clumsily shoving the fruit platter back onto the coffee table. He spread his arms wide with a smug, boastful grin. "Lai-lai! Come and see the kingdom I've built for you!"
Qinglai looked at Joseph's beaming, almost punchable face, then turned to his own brother. Qinghe was currently rubbing his temples, his eyes mirroring the weary resignation of someone who had long ago accepted his "familial misfortune."
"So..." Qinglai's lip twitched. The adrenaline he'd spent on the drive home had curdled into pure, unadulterated speechlessness. "You rushed me back not because the company collapsed, and not because you're divorcing him?"
"Divorce? Impossible! My love for my dear He-he is eternal!" Joseph clutched his heart dramatically before pointing upstairs with renewed fervor. "I just had the company's latest prototype holographic gaming pod moved into your room! It's the pinnacle of tech—biometric emotional sensing, realistic tactile simulation... The cost? Well, don't you worry about that. Consider it your exclusive brother-in-law perk!"
Qinglai took a deep breath, pointed at the grinning face in front of him, and hissed through gritted teeth, "So, your 'whole family is waiting' was just so I could... play a game?"
"It's not just playing," Qinghe finally spoke, his voice gentle but tinged with exhaustion. He looked at his younger brother, who had been thoroughly rattled by his husband's antics, and explained, "Joseph's company needs an authentic user report from a high-end player. He mentioned you've been overworked lately... and since it's been six months since the breakup, he thought you could use the relaxation while helping him out."
"Relaxation?" Qinglai felt his temples throbbing harder than when he was doing the accounts. "Do you realize I spent the drive home planning how to divide our assets and wondering how many part-time jobs I'd need to take to support you?"
"Aya, don't sweat the details!" Joseph waved a hand dismissively, slinging an arm around Qinglai's shoulder like they were best friends. He lowered his voice mysteriously. "I personally oversaw the world-building for this one. I guarantee there are surprises inside. Just go in, have some fun, and write a few thousand words of professional critique. Not a bad deal, right?"
Looking at this pair of husbands playing off each other, Qinglai felt that the longest road he had ever walked was the path of his brother's endless indulgence toward his partner. He truly couldn't fathom how his elegant, brilliant brother had fallen for a reckless "social terrorist" like Joseph. What a waste!
He pointed toward the stairs, deadpan. "Is it too late for me to throw that gaming pod out the window?"
"Whoa, wait! I'll pay you!" Joseph dropped his playful act, his tone turning serious. "Just help me out here. I really need data from a fresh player. This is our company's flagship release, Moon's Orbit. We're pushing holographic tech—both helmet and pod versions."
Joseph pulled Qinghe back down to sit and signaled for Qinglai to join them. Seeing Joseph's rare moment of gravity, Qinglai knew the man was in earnest.
"Because of the price, most people go for the helmets. But standard hardware can't handle the high-precision data Moon's Orbit requires, so we spent years developing dedicated equipment..." Joseph droned on.
"We want you to experience the pod version—think of it as a specialized bug-tester," Qinghe interjected, looking at his brother with soft eyes. "And honestly, Lai-lai, I'm worried about you. Ever since the breakup, you've been burying yourself in work. That's not a healthy way to live. That's why we decided on this together."
At the mention of the "breakup," Qinglai's heart gave a slight, sharp pinch.
Six months. The man he had dated for years had ultimately chosen to marry someone else. The reason was as pathetic as it was absurd: because Qinglai was a Beta, and therefore deemed "unsuitable" for bearing heirs. In the eyes of certain prestigious families, affection was no match for reproductive utility. It was utterly laughable.
Meeting his brother's worried gaze, Qinglai sighed. His defenses finally crumbled.
"Fine. The shop isn't busy lately anyway; I can make some time." Qinglai looked at Joseph, his expression softening slightly. "As for the pay, just transfer it to my brother... consider it his 'diaper fund'."
He was observant. From the moment he walked in, he'd noticed Qinghe's hand instinctively resting over his abdomen—a subconscious, protective gesture typical of an Omega.
"As expected of my brother, so sharp!" A look of irrepressible happiness surfaced on Qinghe's face as he gripped Joseph's shoulder. Joseph, however, just blinked in confusion. "...Wait, how did you even know?"
"Please, it's so obvious. I'm not blind!" Qinglai rolled his eyes, though his mood brightened significantly at the good news.
"I wasn't feeling well today, so I went for a check-up this morning. I didn't expect it to be true," Qinghe said with a gentle smile. "Two months, Lai-lai... You're going to be an uncle."
Looking at his brother's tender smile, Qinglai nodded. If it was to earn diaper money for his future niece or nephew, then no matter how absurd this Moon's Orbit game was, he would have to give it his best shot.
"When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?" Qinglai asked. His parents were currently abroad on business, and his eldest brother, Bai Qingyan, was likely still at the office—probably sleeping in the company lounge again tonight.
"I don't know yet. It's best to wait until everyone is actually home," Qinghe admitted. The Bai family members were all career-driven; gathering everyone around a dinner table was as difficult as closing a multinational merger. "It's a big deal; telling them over a video call feels like it's lacking the proper ceremony."
"Let's not worry about that yet. You two haven't eaten, right?" Joseph carefully helped Qinghe to his feet, his reckless demeanor replaced by an almost exaggerated caution. "Dinner first. We can figure out the announcement later. It's only been two months—it's not stable yet. Anyway, eating is the priority. Can't let my big baby and little baby go hungry!"
Watching Joseph act as if he wanted to pave the floor with cotton for fear of Qinghe tripping, Qinglai felt another wave of speechlessness, yet it was accompanied by a sense of genuine warmth.
The three sat down to a dinner of light dishes prepared by the family chef, clearly tailored for an Omega's early-pregnancy appetite. Throughout the meal, Joseph continued to ramble about the development of Moon's Orbit, while Qinghe occasionally placed food in Qinglai's bowl, reminding him not to pull all-nighters in the game like he did for work.
After dinner, Qinglai declined Joseph's invitation to watch a game. His mind was entirely fixed on that mysterious pod.
"I'm heading up," Qinglai said with a wave, walking to the second floor.
The moment he pushed his door open, despite being mentally prepared, he was still stunned by the sight.
In the center of his minimalist bedroom lay a "beast."
This was the pod Joseph had mentioned. Its exterior was a sci-fi, silver-grey masterpiece with a streamlined design. Under the dim lights of the room, a faint blue fluorescence flowed over its surface, making it look like a miniature starship ready for a warp jump.
The semi-transparent hatch reflected a fine, premium texture, with carbon fiber patterns inlaid along the edges. This wasn't just a gaming console; it was a piece of art, radiating an aura of "incredibly expensive and highly advanced."
Qinglai stepped forward, his fingertips brushing the cool metal casing.
At his touch, the pod emitted a low hum. The blue glow transitioned into a soft milky white, and the hatch slid open smoothly, revealing a reclining seat made of deep blue liquid memory foam. It looked incredibly inviting.
"...Moon's Orbit?"
Qinglai murmured to himself. The annoyance of being "tricked" by his family had finally been replaced by pure curiosity and anticipation.
After a shower, Qinglai stepped into the pod. As the hatch slid shut, the noise of the outside world was instantly silenced.
As a total gaming novice, the pitch-black darkness inside the pod caused a brief surge of panic. Did I miss the power switch? In those few seconds of internal chaos, he quickly lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a vast, white expanse. A semi-transparent virtual screen floated before him, displaying only one title. Qinglai realized this was the game Joseph had developed.
He tapped the screen, and text began to scroll:
[System Initializing... Load Successful... Welcome to Moon's Orbit.]