“Slow-acting poison, staged accidents, hired mercenaries…” Every time Cheng Chi listed a method, he tapped the pen against his notebook once.
After three lines, the young Alpha could only admit with frustration, “Mr. Jiang, looks like Wycliffe Lu was right. There really isn’t any other way to get rid of him without igniting a diplomatic conflict between the two nations.”
Zhong Man nodded in agreement. “Especially considering the terms of the treaty, we need to let Prince Politt meet Wycliffe first. Only then will they hand over Colonel Lu’s remains to us.”
Maurice added, “And we can only arrange for Wycliffe and Politt to meet formally. Any private conversation between them is absolutely forbidden. Otherwise, whatever intelligence Wycliffe holds will be relayed to the Orin side immediately.”
After receiving the assassination order from Agatha, Jiang Yun had convened a small, confidential meeting. The conversation among the three had lasted for an hour, and what they’d said so far was the outcome of that discussion.
Jiang Yun, as usual, remained silent through most of the meeting. When he finally spoke, his tone was calm but firm, “Which plan to execute, give me your decision. Now.”
The three exchanged glances, none daring to take the lead.
After a while, Maurice tentatively asked, “Do you want me to contact some reliable mercenaries, Jiang Yun?”
Jiang Yun ignored him. His eyes shifted to Zhong Man and Cheng Chi. “Do you both agree with that decision as well?”
“Uh…” Cheng Chi hesitated.
After spending a few days observing, Cheng Chi had come to believe that Minister Jiang was trying to shape him into a decisive Alpha, someone who could take action and solve problems, not dither like Maurice.
He couldn’t hesitate. He needed to show resolve.
Cheng Chi gritted his teeth and said, “I think staging an interstellar pirate hijacking would be a good approach. We could disguise our people as space pirates and use the chaos as cover to… eliminate Wycliffe.”
He made a throat-slitting gesture across his neck.
“No.”
Zhong Man immediately vetoed the idea. “You want chaos, fine, but the performance has to look real. If we simulate a pirate attack, people on the ship will fight back. Both sides are our own people. Even if it’s just for show, someone’s bound to get hurt, or worse, killed.”
Cheng Chi slapped his forehead. “Right! I totally forgot about that! You’re always the thorough one. Sorry, Minister Jiang, I take back what I said.”
The meeting fell into silence again.
Jiang Yun exhaled quietly, the sound almost inaudible, and said to Maurice, “Contact the military. Tell them to prepare.”
Maurice blinked in confusion. “The military?”
Jiang Yun spoke evenly, as though leading them step by step toward a revelation, “Do you really think Ian Tang went to such lengths to have us bring Wycliffe to Ice Desolation Star merely so Prince Politt could see him once?”
Zhong Man’s eyes lit with realization. “You mean the Orin side would never be content with just ensuring Wycliffe’s safety in Alliance custody. They’re bound to make a move, most likely a rescue operation, and probably an armed one.”
A spark flashed through Cheng Chi’s mind. He followed their line of reasoning. “But the two nations signed a treaty. The Orin Empire can’t risk an open attack. So… they’ll definitely hire third-party mercenaries to carry it out!”
Zhong Man continued, “And they’ll make their move during our return trip, somewhere in unclaimed neutral space. That way, Orin can deny any responsibility for the hijacking.”
Maurice finally caught up. “You mean we should have the military lie in wait in that neutral zone, ambush the mercenaries, and ensure Wycliffe dies by their hands?”
Cheng Chi snapped his fingers excitedly. “Then we leave a few mercenaries alive to testify under interrogation that Orin was behind the plot! That way, not only will Orin be unable to hold us accountable, but we’ll also gain the moral high ground in diplomacy!”
“Good.” Jiang Yun’s tone was crisp, final. “Since everyone understands, get to work.”
“Yes, sir!”
Zhong Man and Cheng Chi didn’t dare delay. They stood and hurried out.
Maurice lingered a moment, looking at Jiang Yun, words caught in his throat. In the end, he said nothing.
Ever since that night, since he had seen Jiang Yun grieving for Lu Huai with his own eyes, Maurice had felt something change within him.
He no longer had the right to speak freely with Minister Jiang. No longer had the right to desire him.
No Alpha did.
The only one who had ever been worthy of Jiang Yun… was long gone.
He was about to leave when Jiang Yun’s quiet voice stopped him. “Lieutenant Colonel Maurice.”
Maurice froze, throat bobbing slightly. “…Yes, Minister Jiang. Your orders?”
Jiang Yun’s gaze was fixed on the white planet visible beyond the window, Rescue One’s destination, a pale orb floating in the dark like a frozen gem. His tone was soft but distant, “If it were him… how would he have completed this mission?”
Maurice knew instantly who “he” referred to.
The Alpha gave a strained smile. “I don’t know, Jiang Yun. No one could ever predict his methods. Sometimes, he didn’t even have a plan himself.”
Yet somehow, everything would still fall perfectly into place, as if the universe bent itself around his will. Except for that one accident seventeen years ago, the only thing he hadn’t foreseen.
“I see.”
Jiang Yun leaned back in his chair, lowered his head, and resumed reading the documents before him. With a single elegant gesture of his hand, he dismissed him.
Maurice understood. It was time to leave.
A few hours later, the Rescue One descended precisely into orbit around Ice Desolation Star.
Ice Desolation Star Gamma, territory of the Orin Empire. Its surface was buried under layers of crystalline ice, the temperature locked at the threshold of human endurance. It was a planet unfit for life, untouched by civilization.
The Empire had never established infrastructure there. The world had remained in its primeval state until university researchers discovered that the unique crystalline ice formations could potentially serve as a new energy source, a substitute for proto-cores.
Thus began humanity’s race to exploit the ancient, frozen planet.
To alleviate the Empire’s energy crisis, the Orin cabinet sent teams of specialists to Ice Desolation under military protection, alongside hordes of miners to excavate the crystals.
Even so, progress had been painfully slow.
“It’s not surprising,” said Dr. Lin Zhen, always mild and composed. “The Orin Empire’s so called research teams have always been laughably incompetent. Their biggest discovery so far, I suppose, is stumbling upon Colonel Lu’s body buried in the ice.”
When Rescue One approached for landing, the blizzards had been raging for thirty days straight.
The imperial flag flapped weakly in the relentless snowstorm, while the piercing roar of drills mingled with the howl of the wind.
Everywhere were crude, temporary shelters, evoking the ancient age of the early interstellar pioneers, an era when even electricity was a luxury.
At the transport dock’s arrival zone, the Orin diplomatic envoy, led by Ian Tang, stood lined up in formal order, awaiting their guests.
To Ian’s left stood a man in a black military uniform, a golden insignia gleaming coldly on his shoulder, a sixty-year-old Alpha with a stern face and a neatly trimmed beard, gripping a solid-gold cane.
At first glance, he seemed tall and commanding, but a closer look revealed the faint tremor of his legs in the snow, betraying age and frailty beneath the posture.
This was Prince Politt Lu, uncle to the Emperor of Orin, a nobleman and general, whose pride outlasted his strength.
On Ian’s right was a Beta diplomat from the Alliance Embassy, Eliager, a man in his forties whose years of service in Orin had made him a seasoned expert in interstellar diplomacy.
Even Jiang Yun addressed him respectfully as “Senior.”
As the massive ship descended, Eliager’s eyes shimmered with both excitement and nostalgia. At last, his people had come to bring Colonel Lu home.
The Orin honor guard raised their trumpets, playing a solemn imperial march. Their black boots sank into the snow with dull, heavy thuds, and the upward gleam of their bayonets reflected rows of impassive, mechanical faces.
The hatch of Rescue One opened slowly, revealing a dark cavity like the maw of a black hole.
Every gaze on the ground turned toward it. Even the soldiers who were supposed to stare straight ahead couldn’t help but glance up.
With a mechanical whir, the boarding ramp extended downward. A black umbrella appeared first, its edge catching the falling snow.
A gloved hand rested on the railing, slender fingers trailing lightly down the frozen metal. The umbrella tilted upward, revealing the figure beneath it.
The hem of a long cloak brushed against the icy steps, leaving a thin trail behind. Straight, elegant legs carried the man downward, wrapped in a perfectly tailored black suit.
A pristine white shirt gleamed beneath it, the collar fastened neatly with a dark tie.
The umbrella lifted higher.
Above the tie, a pale neck as smooth as marble met a sharp, defined jawline, both nearly blending into the snowy light.
Everyone held their breath.
And then, finally, Jiang Yun’s face emerged.
For a brief, frozen heartbeat, time itself seemed to stop. Even the wind fell silent.
Ian narrowed his eyes, noticing how the nearby imperial soldiers, all Alphas, were staring. He smiled faintly. “Minister Jiang, you’ve made me wait quite a while.”
Behind Jiang Yun stood two young men, both dressed in identical black suits and ties.
They flanked their father on either side. Lu Chao held the umbrella for him, his expression composed and mature beyond his sixteen years.
Though people often said he looked nothing like his Omega father, at that moment, his calm demeanor mirrored Jiang Yun’s perfectly.
Whether in the Alliance or the Empire, it wasn’t uncommon for high officials to appear at formal events with family. Yet Ian had never seen a family quite like this, so striking it was almost unreal.
If there were a fourth person… no, he thought, three were enough.
A widowed beauty and his two handsome sons. What a sight to behold!
Ian chuckled appreciatively. “As expected, the children of a beauty are extraordinary.”
“Enough of your foolish chatter, Ian the Clown.”
Prince Politt didn’t even glance at him, his tone sharp and disdainful, “You’ve already brought enough disgrace to the Empire during your time in the Alliance capital. If my brother were still on the throne, you’d have lost your head by now.”
Ian’s eyes darkened, though he maintained a rueful smile, “I admit, I made mistakes and underestimated them, and it cost us dearly but Jiang Yun was the true culprit behind that disaster, wasn’t he, Your Highness? Surely, you despise him just as much as I do. Wouldn’t it be satisfying to repay that debt, right here on our own soil?”
Politt’s gaze flickered. “What are you suggesting?”
Ian’s lips curved. “You know what Wycliffe valued most, don’t you?”
By then, Jiang Yun had reached them. He brushed the snow from his sleeve and took Eliager’s outstretched hand. “It’s been a while, Senior Eliager.”
“A long while indeed, Minister Jiang,” Eliager replied warmly. “Was your journey smooth?”
“Welcome to Ice Desolation Star,” Ian interrupted with an easy smile. “Though next time, I’d suggest coming in summer, it’s an excellent place to escape the heat.”
Then, turning to Jiang Yun, he said, “Minister Jiang, you must already know Prince Politt, of course?”
Jiang Yun inclined his head politely.
If Politt had an ounce of gentlemanly grace, this would have been the moment to offer his hand but courtesy was not among his virtues.
His gaze slid past Jiang Yun to the people standing behind him. “Where’s Wycliffe?” he demanded bluntly.
Jiang Yun answered in the same cold tone, his voice as sharp and frosted as the snow swirling around them, “Where’s Colonel Lu’s body?”
The muscles in Politt’s jaw tightened. His cane stabbed into the snow, leaving a hole. “Is that your idea of diplomacy, Omega?”
“Now, now,” Ian said lightly, still smiling. “Let’s not spoil the peace we’ve worked so hard to maintain. Minister Jiang, please rest assured, your late husband’s body is being carefully preserved in our research facility. You’ll be able to see him very soon.”
A small exclamation came from behind Jiang Yun.
Lu Chao stepped forward slightly, already taller than his father. “You kept him in a research facility? Are you experimenting on him?!”
Jiang Mu quickly grabbed his brother’s wrist, pulling him back. “Don’t distract Father,” he murmured under his breath.
Ian raised an eyebrow, intrigued, before looking back to Jiang Yun. “I understand your eagerness, and your sons’, to see Colonel Lu again. If you wish, Minister Jiang, we can fulfill our agreement right now.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator would like to formally submit a coffee request.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Who can compare to Colonel Lu?Chapter 2 · He should be deadChapter 3 · How were we born?Chapter 4 · That’s where Colonel died..Chapter 5 · No one knows my pheromone than Colonel LuChapter 6 · Colonel Lu’s remainsChapter 7 · Heat is approachingChapter 8 · CheckmateChapter 9 · A dream liked married lifeChapter 10 · What might be his pregnancy be like?Chapter 11 · He thought he would be the father of two childrenChapter 12 · So we just hang Colonel Lu on the wall?Chapter 13 · Finally, I have something to say to my wifeChapter 14 · Why doesn’t Colonel Lu understandChapter 15 · He doesn’t Love MeChapter 16 · You’ll see him soonChapter 17 · So casual, so carelessChapter 18 Part 1 · He.. He’s looking at meChapter 18 Part 2 · He..He’s looking at meChapter 19 · Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 20 · Wait until I bring back your zombie Alpha dadChapter 21 · Long time no see, Jiang YunChapter 22 · I still have that qualificationChapter 23 · It still tastes sweet when you kiss itChapter 24 · He seems to have forgotten how to act cuteChapter 25 · The two unfortunate children were completely terrifiedChapter 26 · Please make yourself at home.Chapter 27 · Hello, UncleChapter 28 · Am I not your deceased husband?Chapter 29 · Don’t you love me anymore?Chapter 30 · Our home is No. 5, Qianshui RoadChapter 31 · Is he… here to keep him company?Chapter 32 · What exactly did Alpha bring me?Chapter 33 · Thanks a lot, brothers!Chapter 34 · Hi?Chapter 35 · I only let you take care of the child for one dayChapter 36 · Did you have thoughts when you ‘died’?Chapter 37 · Put a double bed in your homeChapter 38 · They both suffered heavy lossesChapter 39 · Welcome back to the Alphas’ arena.Chapter 40 · Why should I lower myself?Chapter 41 · I have learned that Colonel Lu Huai is still aliveChapter 42 · They are sensitive and vulnerableChapter 43 · He would also feel regret.Chapter 44 · When a child is quiet, they’re definitely up to somethingChapter 45 · Dad, you have such a good eye for choosing a husband!Chapter 46 · Who made it wear a colonel’s uniform?Chapter 47 · I love him very muchChapter 48 · Okay, I believe youChapter 49 · I remember you went pretty hard on him at the end.Chapter 50 · Colonel Lu, don’t be too fierceChapter 51 · To…make up for the regretChapter 52 · A perfect match!Chapter 53 · Colonel Lu, let’s get married!Chapter 54 · When will you finally learn to stop talking nonsense?Chapter 55 · My darlings, we’re homeChapter 56 · Babies, please stopChapter 57 · I’m about to enter my heat cycle, not my due dateChapter 58 · Is he complaining to his wife?Chapter 59 · The only lieChapter 60 · Colonel Lu, the babies are all crying.Chapter 61 · Dad, Colonel Lu bullied me.Chapter 62 · A large number of foreign ministersChapter 63 · Jiang Mu definitely likes handsome guys tooChapter 64 · First time bringing a partner to a major diplomatic occasionChapter 65 · You’re still as handsome as you were back thenChapter 66 · Bedtime Strategic PartnerChapter 67 · How can you be so good at threatening people?Chapter 68 · I’m waiting for youChapter 69 · I’ll stay by your side, from beginning to endChapter 70 · Can you handle Lu Chao’s… educational session for me?Chapter 71 · The First SpringChapter 72 · Extra 1Chapter 73 · Extra 2Chapter 74 · Extra 3Chapter 75 · Extra 4Chapter 76 · Extra 5Chapter 77 · Extra 6Chapter 78 · Extra 7Chapter 79 · Extra 8Chapter 80 · Extra 9