Salorian was certain he had only invited Lu Heguang alone, but when he saw Lu Heguang and his family of three at his doorstep, he was still taken aback: “Marshal, you all.”
“A gift for the visit.” Fei Luo’er handed the exquisite gift box to Salorian with a smile, “Lu Ze and I are here to visit your father. You and Xiao Guang don’t need to worry about us.”
“Inside are some pastries I made. They might not compare to those sold in stores, so if there’s anything you don’t like, please let me know.” Lu Ze winked at him. Salorian accepted it in confusion, instinctively replying, “Mr. Lu’s skills have always been excellent. How could I not like them?”
“Marshal!” Mitchell, dressed in casual clothes, followed Salorian out. His eyes showed surprise, but he and his brother welcomed the three inside. “I’ll go inform Father and the others.”
“Just say I’m here to deliver an invitation.” Fei Luo’er reminded him. Though puzzled, Mitchell nodded and patted his brother’s shoulder. “Can you handle it?”
Salorian gave a thumbs-up behind his back, signaling for him not to worry. Watching his older brother adjust his clothes as he walked back, Salorian led the group toward the guest reception hall.
“Senior’s home is actually a small manor,” Lu Heguang remarked with admiration. “It’s so beautiful.”
Salorian explained, “My father is a general under the marshal. This manor was a gift from the marshal to my father.”
“The Hughesman ancestral home is too far from here, so it’s more convenient to live here.” Fei Luo’er softly explained to Lu Heguang. “Salorian’s entire family has made significant contributions to defending the Imperial Star. Compared to those contributions, this manor is nothing.”
“Hughesman?” Lu Ze frowned upon hearing the surname. “It’s not that Hughesman who called me a street punk, is it? He was the most opposed to us being together back then…”
Fei Luo’er cleared his throat. “Yes.”
Lu Ze opened his mouth but ended up grabbing Fei Luo’er’s hand. “Hmph, even if I am a street punk, you’re mine now.”
“Are they always this affectionate?” Salorian slowed his pace to walk side by side with Lu Heguang, whispering, “I feel like my eyes are about to be blinded.”
Old-fashioned.
That was Lu Heguang’s first impression of Salorian’s father. This wasn’t meant as an insult, but Hughesman himself seemed like an old-fashioned relic from the last century, straight out of a history book.
He wore his military uniform even at home, his stern expression giving Lu Heguang a sense of aloofness and distance. He was also a powerful Alpha, his aura only slightly less imposing than Fei Luo’er’s.
“Hughesman, this is my partner, and here is my son.” Fei Luo’er sat beside him, calmly introducing them. “Since they returned, you haven’t visited me, so I had to come visit you myself. I also brought you an invitation.”
“Mitchell already informed me, Marshal.” Hughesman nodded. The two Alphas behind him stepped forward to pour tea for Fei Luo’er, Lu Heguang, and the others. Lu Heguang held the warm red tea and looked at Salorian, who stood beside the two Alphas with Mitchell, his eyes filled with questions.
Salorian mouthed the words: “My older brothers.”
Lu Heguang nearly choked on his black tea. Salorian actually had three older brothers. So this was what the rumors meant about an Omega growing up among Alphas. But two Alphas couldn’t have children.
“My wife passed away over a decade ago due to complications during childbirth,” Hughesman explained in a low voice, noticing Lu Heguang’s confusion. “Her health had been poor since she was pregnant with Salorian, but she still chose to give birth to him.”
Lu Heguang paused, suddenly understanding the source of Salorian’s inner conflict even if Hughesman and his brothers never blamed him, in Salorian’s heart, his mother had died because of him.
He tried hard to become like his father and brothers, but he was just an Omega. No matter how well he performed, he couldn’t change his nature.
“Father, I’ll take Xiao Lu to my room,” Salorian whispered into Hughesman’s ear. After the old man nodded, he walked over to Lu Heguang, extending his hand with a faint smile. “Let’s go.”
Lu Heguang quickly stood up and placed his hand in Salorian’s. “Alright.”
Salorian led him out of the reception hall. Their hands clasped together felt warm, but Lu Heguang sensed a certain stiffness in Salorian. “Senior, did I come at a bad time?”
“It’s not because of you,” Salorian sighed, realizing his mood was affecting his guest. “Let’s go to my room.”
The Omega led Lu Heguang, who was a head taller, through the garden. Lu Heguang’s eyes widened when he spotted two well-maintained suits of armor in the garden. Salorian, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, remarked, “They’re quite ancient, aren’t they?”
“They’re really cool,” Lu Heguang said sincerely. “You don’t see things like this much anymore.”
“Mitchell always complains in private that even in an era where starships fly across the universe, Father still loves these old things,” Salorian said softly. By then, they had left the garden and entered a corridor. The wooden floor creaked slightly underfoot, startling Lu Heguang. Even when he slowed his pace, he couldn’t avoid making noise.
“Just step boldly,” Salorian turned around and saw him tiptoeing cautiously, chuckling. “It won’t break. It’s just a bit annoying.”
“Sorry, Senior,” Lu Heguang apologized. “I originally promised it would just be me visiting…”
“No, it’s good that the Marshal and Mr. Lu came,” Salorian released his hand and pushed open one of the doors along the corridor. “If you had come alone, I wouldn’t have been able to get my father to join us.”
“Mr. Hughesman is a very meticulous person,” Lu Heguang followed him into the room. “But I’m a little afraid of him.”
“That’s normal. No one isn’t afraid of him,” Salorian turned to look at him. The light-colored wallpaper behind him eased the tense atmosphere. “My brothers and I are all afraid of him too. Don’t let Mitchell being the eldest fool you he’s almost thirty and still scared of Father.”
Salorian’s room was simply decorated, but the small details were heartwarming. On the desk were carefully preserved candy wrappers and clumsily handmade cups. Four cups of varying sizes stood in a row, looking quite adorable.
Seeing Lu Heguang staring at the cup, Salorian leaned in and said, “My brothers and I made this when we were kids, of course, during our breaks while hiding from Father.”
“Breaks?”
“Yeah, you came early. Our training is about to start soon.” Salorian stretched and winked at him. “Want to watch?”
Lu Heguang hadn’t expected that the “training” Salorian mentioned would be even more intense than the daily drills of the combat department.
Mitchell, as the eldest brother in the family, still trained alongside his younger brothers. Salorian’s other two brothers had already begun their military internships and could barely keep up with Mitchell’s pace. What surprised Lu Heguang was that Salorian, gritting his teeth, managed to keep up as well.
“Hughesman, you’re practically a monster,” Lu Ze remarked, frowning deeply as he watched the four brothers on the training field. “Even on a perfectly good rest day, you have to make such a big fuss. Can’t you just let them rest?”
“They rest enough on regular days,” Hughesman replied, showing no intention of complying. Feiluo’er patted Lu Ze’s arm other people’s family matters were something they could only advise on, not interfere with.
“Why aren’t you joining them?” Lu Ze asked, noticing the three younger ones were already struggling. He glanced up at the sun and added sarcastically, “After all these years, you still show no mercy to anyone.”
“Otherwise, how could we protect the Imperial Star?” Hughesman said solemnly. “Marshal, I’ll attend the banquet tomorrow evening.”
“Bring them along,” Lu Ze emphasized. “I don’t want to see you, this old man, coming alone.”
Though his words were harsh, he pulled four extra invitations from Feiluo’er’s pocket and stuffed them into Hughesman’s hand. “Take them, take them. Don’t use not having enough as an excuse.”
Lu Heguang gave his father a thumbs-up out of Hughesman’s sight, but when he looked at Salorian, drenched in sweat, a hint of worry flickered in his eyes.
Has Senior been like this every day for all these years?
Even with Lu Ze the “little troublemaker” in Hughesman’s words chattering nearby, the old general remained unfazed, insisting that his sons complete their training before allowing them to rest.
Lu Heguang watched Salorian walking slowly behind Mitchell. He took a step forward but hesitated, worried that Hughesman might “punish” Salorian because of him. Feiluo’er noticed his hesitation and gave him a gentle push. “Go on, go on.”
As expected, Hughesman was about to intervene when Feiluo’er stopped him. “Let the kids handle their own matters. As parents, all we want is for them to be safe and secure, isn’t that right?”
His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning. Hughesman frowned sharply, glancing at Lu Heguang. Lu Ze pulled his son behind him. “Hughesman, after all these years, isn’t it time you gave the younger generation the right to make their own choices?”
Lu Heguang was taken aback by his words. Was this about him and Salorian? Did Hughesman already know?
Of course, an Omega suddenly carrying the scent of an unfamiliar Alpha’s pheromones Hughesman couldn’t possibly miss that.
“Mr. Hughesman, I’m sorry,” Lu Heguang said earnestly. “At that time, Senior and I were both in a critical situation. To ensure we both survived, it was a decision we made together.”
“Hmph…”
“Though I’d like to say that, I still have to add one more thing.” Lu Heguang stepped out from behind Lu Ze before he could respond, bowing to him. “My feelings for the senior are genuine.”
Hughesman: “…”
Lu Heguang felt a bit uneasy in his heart. Bowing and talking about “genuine feelings” these were things he had improvised on the spot, considering Hughesman’s old-fashioned temperament. He wasn’t sure if this approach would work on Hughesman…
“That’s still up to Salorian to decide.” Surprisingly, Hughesman actually said something like that.
Even Fior was taken aback.
Hughesman looked at Lu Heguang: “I may be old, but I’m using my own methods to make them stronger. Perhaps in your eyes, I’m too strict with Salorian, an Omega, but only by achieving what his brothers have can he avoid being seen as useless in the eyes of others.”
He paused, the stern expression on his face softening, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. “Salorian has always done well, never once giving up.”
Lu Heguang: “”
What should I do? I like the senior even more now.
At this very moment, Salorian, who was exhausted and only wanted to take a shower, had no idea that his plan to make Lu Heguang back off had been completely shattered by his father’s few words.