On this frozen wasteland of a planet, the research institute stood as one of the few places with anything close to modern civilization. Gray white walls rose stubbornly in the killing cold. Recon drones patrolled ceaselessly across the sky, day and night.
Imperial soldiers in heavy polar suits guarded the perimeter, rifles in hand, breath frosting layer after layer across the cold proof visors of their helmets.
Because Jiang Yun had arrived, every researcher inside had stopped working.
Dean You Jin stood before the thick alloy gates, watching the diplomat who was constantly mentioned among Olin citizens for his chilling beauty approach. Almost instinctively, You Jin straightened the collar of his white lab coat.
Ian walked beside Jiang Yun and, true to habit, began his cheerful speech. “What a rare lovely day. Here we gather, regardless of borders, regardless of national identity, and we…”
Lu Chao cut him off, impatient, “Can we just go pick up my father? My colonel dad is waiting.”
Being interrupted by a high schooler did not upset Ian at all. Instead, he stepped aside with surprising understanding. “Then I will leave everything to you, Doctor You Jin.”
“Colonel Lu Huai’s remains are kept on basement level one,” You Jin replied. Even though his tone was polite, a wary edge could still be heard. “Please follow me.”
The institute had eight floors in total. Three underground, five above ground. The lower one went, the higher the clearance requirement.
The elevator began its descent. Everyone held their breath as the glowing indicator slid down and stopped at B1.
Below ground, the air was damp, cold, and shut off from any warmth. Harsh white light bled onto gray white walls, laying out an icy world cut away from life.
They walked through corridors and passed tightly sealed labs until You Jin finally stopped. “We are here.”
The laboratory was starkly empty or perhaps it only felt so empty because too few devices occupied the great space.
The temperature control system hummed without rest. White ceiling lights stabbed down with piercing brightness. Heavy vault safes lined the walls, perfectly sealed, each one holding a piece of Lu Huai’s personal belongings. Two items used by Ian to negotiate with the Alliance had come from here.
At the very center of the room sat a device shaped like a deep sleep pod. It looked entirely out of place, a long oval vessel crafted from special ice crystal that emitted a cold, ghostly blue glow.
Electronic monitors, like those beside a hospital bed, blinked steadily, producing rhythmic beeps but this was no place of hope, and the Alpha sleeping inside had long since lost his heartbeat.
Lu Chao’s voice trembled with anger. “Why did you all store my dad here? Why keep his body in a place like this?”
You Jin looked at him once. “Because we discovered something. The special ice crystals on this planet, the crystal cores, are extraordinarily effective at preserving a body. Colonel Lu fell directly into a crystal core when he crashed, which is why his physical form remains identical to the moment of his death seventeen years ago. You may not grasp how shocking that identical condition is. Let me put it simply. Even his body temperature has remained as warm as the moment he passed.”
For a fleeting instant, Jiang Yun’s lashes quivered, so fast that others might have mistaken it as their eyes playing tricks on them.
“His body did not stiffen. His pupils never dilated. He still holds warmth. His skin retains a living glow. It is as if he merely fell asleep.”
Even You Jin, an Olin, could not hide a moment of awe. “But he truly has no heartbeat. Colonel Lu Huai’s heart stopped seventeen years ago, and it has never beat again.”
Lu Chao’s eyes widened. Words deserted him. At not even sixteen years of age, he could not understand why it hurt so much.
His father was preserved so perfectly. In a moment, they would be able to touch his calloused hands, brush his face, feel the warmth of his forehead, touch the last temperature his father left in this world.
Compared to saying farewell to a cold corpse, was that not something to be grateful for? So then… Why did it ache even more?
Silence settled.
Out of respect for Lu Huai, You Jin and Ian said nothing.
After a long pause, You Jin looked at Jiang Yun. “Are you ready, Minister Jiang?”
Inside the temperature controlled room, Jiang Yun had removed his cloak, yet he still wore black leather gloves. His refined face was pale, emotionless, perfectly still, as if untouched by sorrow.
As the widow of Colonel Lu, his voice remained cool and distant. “Anytime.”
“Then…” You Jin unlocked the pod with fingerprint confirmation and password entry. He pressed the release button.
A faint hiss sounded as pressure equalized and cold air escaped. All eyes locked firmly on the pod.
It had begun.
The lid slowly lifted. White mist surged out in thick torrents, hiding everything within.
Nobody blinked. Nobody breathed. Their hearts rose with the steel lid inch by inch.
The mist was too dense to see through.
It was fine. Just another moment. They had waited seventeen years. Two more seconds meant nothing.
When the lid fully opened and the mist cleared, they would take Colonel Lu home.
Empty.
The pod was empty.
Nothing lay inside. No body. No form. Only thinning cold vapor swirling over an empty cradle.
Colonel Lu Huai had vanished.
Time froze.
Everyone remained rooted. The temperature system hummed on; indicator lights blinked calmly; monitors chimed their steady rhythm.
Yet one thing was no longer the same.
The ceiling lights flickered once from a momentary power loss, bright white glare washing over shock stricken faces. It looked eerily like the arrogant laugh of a young colonel who once stood above all.
For a surreal moment, grief and disbelief rippled across every face, turning into a scene so absurd it almost appeared humorous.
Lu Chao stared like a student lost mid-math exam, tears suddenly held back. Jiang Mu blinked, pretty eyes shimmering, confusion softening his sadness into an adorable daze.
In that suspended instant, no one noticed Jiang Yun take a rapid step forward. His gloved hand gripped the edge of the pod, fingertips trembling beneath the leather. His other hand reached inside as if to confirm something.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
No trace. No warmth. No body.
Colonel Lu Huai was not there. He could not see him. He could not touch him. He could not confirm his heart had ever truly stopped.
From the beginning, Jiang Yun had never personally verified Lu Huai’s death.
Then…
Behind the cover of leather, his right hand pressed so hard into the crystal rim that it almost sank into the hardened surface.
Then perhaps that one percent chance… was not merely one percent.
The first to react was Yi Lai Zhe. He spun toward Ian and You Jin, voice cutting through the shock like a blade. “Is this what Olin wanted us to witness, Sir Ian Tang?”
“My dad? Where is my colonel dad? Where did my Alpha father go?” Lu Chao shouted, panicked, spinning wildly.
Jiang Mu hugged his roses blankly. “Excuse me… am I blind?”
“This is impossible… absolutely impossible…” You Jin stammered, panic stripping away all composure.
“I opened it yesterday afternoon. The colonel was inside. I saw him myself. How… How could this happen?”
“Yesterday?” Ian frowned tightly. “And today?”
You Jin spoke quickly, trying to defend himself.
“The pod consumes enormous energy each time it opens. Due to power shortages, we open it once a day for inspection. But the pod has monitoring systems and alarms. My colleagues and I checked the feed every ten minutes. Ten minutes ago, the screen still showed the colonel lying inside. No alarms. No breach alerts.”
“Still cannot see the truth?” Yi Lai Zhe sneered, “Your outdated systems were hacked clean through.”
Zhong Man let out a cold laugh, “Amazing. Your security truly matches your energy technology.”
You Jin felt faint, whispering to himself, “How could this be…”
“The Alliance patience is finite,” Maurice pressed, voice hard. “I will ask one last time. Where is Colonel Lu Huai?”
Ian looked even worse now than when Wickliff died the previous day. “This was not planned. Give us time to investigate. We will certainly…”
Yi Lai Zhe laughed wildly. “Your people have yet to solve the sniper incident. Now you want to solve this? Forgive my bluntness. Do you even have enough staff or equipment left to investigate anything?”
At the pod, Jiang Yun slowly loosened his grip. He straightened and turned. The room, noisy only moments ago, fell silent.
“From this moment on, our side will take full control of this laboratory. We will have complete authority over every monitor, every device, every network node. All personnel entry will be subject to inspection and requires my direct approval.”
Before Ian could speak, Jiang Yun continued, voice calm and without the slightest tremor. “If anyone objects, allow me to assure your nation: the three S class CY Six battleships currently stationed in neutral star territory will no longer be conducting exercises.”
Ian froze mid breath.
Olin and the Alliance had always maintained a delicate, surface peace. The unspoken rule: never escalate to true military conflict.
Logic told Ian this was posturing. A diplomatic threat. Yet when he looked into Jiang Yun’s cold dark eyes, a chill crawled up his spine.
This Omega was not bluffing. He would do it. His authority, his power, his status, all allowed him to do so.
Fortunately, all he demanded was control over this laboratory, which held only data related to Lu Huai, and nothing more confidential.
Ian gritted his teeth and was forced to yield. “Fine. But your free movement will be limited to this laboratory only. Every other area remains under our jurisdiction.”
Jiang Yun did not comment. His tone stayed calm and light. “Begin.”
Yi Lai Zhe understood at once and immediately led the other diplomats to work.
Surveying the scene.
Moving data.
Checking devices.
Busy, but steady and orderly.
You Jin stood by the empty crystal chamber, hands hanging uselessly at his sides. For the first time, he had no idea what to do.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jiang Yun walking toward him.
You Jin instantly froze from head to toe. A powerful pressure surged from the soles of his feet straight up his spine. Even the blood in his veins felt like it solidified under that quiet gaze.
He did not dare look directly at Jiang Yun. He lowered his head and stared at the black tie on Jiang Yun’s chest. “Minister Jiang…?”
Jiang Yun merely spoke, almost gentle, without emotion. “You are blocking my way, Doctor.”
He even used a polite address.
You Jin blinked in shock before quickly stepping aside.
Jiang Yun passed him and approached the safes that held Lu Huai’s belongings. With a soft pull, the door opened easily.
The intruder had not spared even the safes.
Information flickered through Jiang Yun’s mind like a silent data flash. Skill assessment: long range shooting at mastery level. Ballistic calculation at mastery level. Network infiltration at mastery level.
Judging from the clues so far, whether it was Wickliff’s assassination or the theft of Lu Huai’s remains, the puppet remained the most suspicious figure behind it all.
Yet if it truly was the puppet, why take Lu Huai’s body? What did he want from Lu Huai’s belongings? Could it be mission logs or confidential intel?
Jiang Yun opened the safe door completely.
The items Lu Huai carried had been perfectly preserved in the escape pod and later catalogued by Olin researchers. Transparent cases held each item, labeled clearly below. A single glance showed that most items were still present.
Colonel shoulder insignia.
Communication device.
Firearms.
Even mission journals were still there.
Out of more than a dozen stored items, only three cases sat empty.
The recording of his final words.
The photograph of his newly wedded spouse.
And…
*Bang*
The sudden sound startled Cheng Chi, who had been working near Jiang Yun.
Cheng Chi jerked his head up. He only saw Jiang Yun shutting the safe heavily, the noise earlier coming from the force of the door closing.
He had never seen the minister make such a harsh movement.
Both of Jiang Yun’s hands pressed against the safe for support, his body leaning forward. His face had gone pale, and even his breathing was unsteady.
Cheng Chi panicked, thinking something had gone terribly wrong. He rushed over. “Minister Jiang? Minister Jiang, are you alright?”
Jiang Yun’s voice was very soft, so soft he seemed the only one who could hear it. “Our ring.”
Cheng Chi froze…… “What?”
Jiang Yun lifted his gaze, staring at his left hand braced on the metal, and spoke each word clearly, quietly, with a strange fragility beneath the calm. “He took only our wedding ring.”
The investigation continued through the night and into the next morning.
When Maurice was finally permitted into Jiang Yun’s office at dawn, he found him sitting behind the wide desk just as always.
Jiang Yun still wore yesterday’s tailored suit. He looked tired yet there was no trace of dullness or disorder. His skin remained porcelain pale, smooth and faintly luminescent.
It seemed he had not slept at all.
What puzzled Maurice most was that there were no files before him. According to Zhong Man, Jiang Yun had not held any holographic meetings with high officials last night either.
Had he truly just sat in his office the entire night?
Maurice opened his mouth to call him by name, then swallowed it back and tried again. “Minister Jiang, are you alright?”
Jiang Yun’s expression shifted slightly, as if pulled back from somewhere far away.
“We have completed our full investigation of the site,” Maurice reported. “There were no signs of forced entry. The infiltrator must have prepared thoroughly beforehand and already understood the research institute’s layout.”
Jiang Yun hummed absently.
“In addition, we confirmed that the monitoring and alarm systems of the crystal chamber were breached the day before yesterday at three in the afternoon. That is thirty seven minutes before Wickliff was shot.”
Jiang Yun asked lightly, “At maximum speed, how long would it take to travel from the institute to the furthest possible sniper position?”
Maurice calculated quickly. “About forty minutes.”
Jiang Yun almost looked amused. “So it was barely possible.”
“Minister Jiang, do you still believe the puppet took Colonel Lu’s body?” Maurice asked. “With all respect, no matter how skilled an Intelligence Bureau agent is, he could not accomplish all of this in thirty seven minutes.”
Jiang Yun suddenly interrupted him. “I never believed it was the puppet.”
He acknowledged the puppet’s skill, but there were still limits.
If the puppet truly were that capable, Agatha May would not be Director of the Intelligence Bureau right now.
Jiang Yun drew a slow breath. “Do you remember the three possibilities I once told you about, Lieutenant Colonel?”
“Of course I remember.” Maurice frowned. “But you never told me the third one.”
“I did not say it at first because I thought it was only a ridiculous fantasy, not worth speaking aloud. Yet now…”
Jiang Yun steadied his breathing. “The third possibility, the one I believed had only a single percent chance… is Colonel Lu Huai.”
Maurice stiffened…. “What did you say?”
“The person who fired that shot was Colonel Lu.”
This idea clearly had lived in Jiang Yun’s mind for a long time. It did not bloom because of the ring, nor because the body vanished. It had always existed, waiting, silent.
Seventeen years ago when the news of Lu Huai’s death arrived, some small voice inside him had already insisted he did not believe it.
So when he said it now, it sounded less like speculation and more like stating a truth already carved in his heart.
“Colonel Lu Huai is still alive.”
Maurice went pale. “That is impossible.”
Jiang Yun asked him softly, “If it were Lu Huai, could he fire a shot like that?”
Maurice answered without a single pause. “He absolutely could, although he is not the only one in the universe capable of it.”
“I know. That is why yesterday I still believed it was only one percent possible.” Jiang Yun’s voice lowered. “But now the wedding ring is gone.”
Maurice frowned deeply. “I heard about the ring. But what does that prove?”
“I have thought about it for an entire night. I cannot find a single person other than Colonel Lu who would take that ring.”
Jiang Yun lowered his gaze to his own left hand. His brow pinched, his eyes losing focus. “In this world, that ring holds meaning only for the two of us. No one else has any reason to take it.”
Maurice considered, then slowly shook his head. “In my view, the missing ring proves it was not Lu Huai.”
Jiang Yun paused ever so slightly.
“Lu Huai loved you, but I knew him better than anyone. If he were operating behind enemy lines, he would never allow a single emotional mistake that risks exposing him. No matter how precious the ring is to him, he would not take it.”
“You think so.” Jiang Yun seemed persuaded for a brief second, then his lashes lowered.
His voice dropped to a soft whisper.
“But Lu Huai would.”
Maurice raised his voice before he could stop himself. “I know Lu Huai. He would never let personal emotion interfere with a mission.”
Jiang Yun shut his eyes for a heartbeat, forcing down a wave of restlessness. He spoke with patience that trembled just slightly at the edges.
“Lu Huai knew the moment I noticed his body was gone, I would lock down all his belongings immediately. He took the ring because he could not bear to leave it, and also to tell me he is alive. Colonel Lu has always been like this. You were supposed to be his closest brother. Do you really not understand him at all?”
Jiang Yun could never grasp how it was possible. Lu Huai had so many comrades and friends. Yet not one truly understood him.
They knew his favorite mecha models.
They knew what he said after a date.
But they did not know who he really was.
It was absurd.
Just like back during the twelve twenty three star rail hijacking case. Even while dealing with interstellar pirates with absolute focus, he still remembered that Jiang Yun wanted milk
He carried logic as precise as a blade, and emotion as warm as sunlight, both at once. He always managed to protect the battlefield perfectly while loving with his entire heart…
Jiang Yun stopped. He swallowed the final word.
Love.
He almost forgot. Colonel Lu did not love him. Colonel Lu had said so himself.
Maurice sighed helplessly. “Then what evidence do you have, besides intuition?”
Jiang Yun lifted his eyes sharply. “My intuition is enough.”
Maurice shook his head, unsettled. “Minister Jiang, you are always rational. I ask you to step back from your feelings and intuition. Look at this with logic.”
Jiang Yun’s gaze chilled instantly, a cold shard of light flashing through his eyes. Maurice instinctively wanted to step back, to give space, to keep a safer distance.
But he held firm. He was an Alpha after all.
“Very well,” Jiang Yun replied. “Then tell me, Lieutenant Colonel, what is logical thought?”
Maurice did not back down. He stepped forward instead.
“First. Lu Huai died seventeen years ago. The institute confirmed his body and confirmed his death. His heart has not beat in seventeen years. There is absolutely no possibility he survived, not even one percent.”
“Second. If Lu Huai attacked Wickliff, why would he do it? He would not receive an assassination order from the Intelligence Bureau. What reason could he possibly have to blow Wickliff’s head open?”
“The third point. Think carefully again. Yu Jin said he personally checked the core chamber yesterday. At that moment, Lu Huai’s body was definitely still there. Even if he somehow came back to life yesterday, do you really believe that someone who has just awakened in a state similar to a long term coma, physically weak like a fragile plant sprout just breaking soil, could fire such a stunning shot at Wickliffe? Jiang Yun, I understand Lu Huai. Lu Huai would never…”
“I said, Lieutenant Colonel Maurice.” Jiang Yun cut him off, completely losing patience. His voice left no room for argument. “Can you please stop repeating that you understand Lu Huai in front of me?”
Maurice froze. “What?”
Jiang Yun’s lips curved, forming a cold, mocking smile. “What is this? Because you can answer a few nostalgic questions from children, do you think you truly understand him better than I do?”
Maurice’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He did not back down. “Do I not? I knew Lu Huai back in the military academy. You only spent three months with him. Should I not know him better than you?”
Jiang Yun stared at the Alpha in front of him for a long time. Silence stretched. It felt like he could not find any words to refute that simple, cruel logic.
Just when Maurice thought Jiang Yun had finally sobered up, Jiang Yun suddenly laughed.
“But have you ever considered,” Jiang Yun said, voice quiet yet crystal sharp, “Lu Huai is the father of my two children, my Alpha, and my husband.”
A smile bloomed on Jiang Yun’s lips, completely different from anything earlier. His usually cool and distant eyes softened like warm crystals touched by morning light.
They shimmered, bright and almost unreal, carrying a beauty that could unsettle souls. “How many times have I slept with Lu Huai? How many times has he marked me? How many times have our pheromones merged, tangled, and fused? Do you know those numbers?”
Maurice’s blue eyes widened, pupils dilating in absolute shock. For a moment he forgot how to breathe. Jiang Yun… What was he saying?
Had his ears failed him?
Jiang Yun. An Omega. Speaking like this in front of an Alpha?
“You may think I am not in a stable state right now,” Jiang Yun continued softly, lashes casting trembling shadows under his eyes.
“But perhaps thanks to those months of endless marking he gave me… even after seventeen years, my glands can still feel him. My sight still reaches for him. My heartbeat never stops searching for him.”
Maurice’s face flushed red to the tips of his ears. His voice cracked. He struggled to push out words. Jiang Yun paused, then added casually, almost gently, as if he had not just shaken someone’s worldview, “So even if there is only one percent chance, I might not be wrong after all.”
Maurice stood frozen like his body was locked in place. It took him a long time before he managed to rasp hoarsely, “Do you even understand what you are saying? Jiang Yun, you have lost your judgment. You are not capable of rational communication right now.”
“Is that so? Then let me repeat myself one last time, Maurice Evan.”
In an instant, Jiang Yun’s tone shifted again, settling back into the cool and composed voice he used when delivering conclusions at diplomatic summits. Polite. Restrained. Crisp. Precise. Yet carrying a pressure that felt like a blade sheathed in silk.
“When it comes to anything related to Colonel Lu Huai,” Jiang Yun said calmly, “Even if I am relying only on intuition… my intuition is far more accurate than anyone else’s logic.”
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the Alpha who stood half a head taller than him. His voice was steady, every word perfectly placed. “Do you understand now, Lieutenant Colonel?”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator has survived another chapter. Please reward them with coffee. ☕
☕ 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