The heated argument came to an abrupt end, leaving only the searing shock that burned away at Maurice’s composure. He was struck speechless.
At that moment, Jiang Yun suddenly felt that perhaps he ought to thank the Alpha standing before him.
When he finally voiced his own deduction aloud, he realized just how clear and coherent his thoughts truly were.
It turned out that deep down, it had never been just a one percent possibility. He was almost certain now, the sniper who had blown Wickliffe’s head apart was Lu Huai.
So unrestrained, so decisive.
No warning, no unnecessary words.
It could only have been him.
Aside from his husband who had been “dead” for seventeen years, Jiang Yun couldn’t think of another person capable of such an act.
But then, where had Lu Huai gone after killing Wickliffe?
Why hadn’t he come to find him immediately?
A thought flashed through Jiang Yun’s mind, and he strode quickly toward the floor to ceiling window.
Outside, five Olin warships still surrounded the Rescue. Their searchlights swept tirelessly across the surface, and the Olin soldiers, armed to the teeth, patrolled in rotation, guarding him under the pretense of “protection.” Wherever Jiang Yun went, they followed.
The answer was self-evident.
Colonel Lu could not reveal his identity yet. He had no way to approach him openly.
Then… What if Jiang Yun created that opportunity himself?
What if he could find a way to move beyond Olin’s surveillance range, would Lu Huai appear?
A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Yi Lai Zhe entered with Cheng Chi, both of them looking grim.
“Minister Jiang,” Yi Lai Zhe began, his tone grave. “Ten minutes ago, a civilian ship landed at the Ice Wasteland Starport. The official reason listed was for ‘cargo transport,’ but something about it feels off.”
“The Olin side is overwhelmed with the recent incidents on Ice Wasteland,” he continued.
“They’ve been so busy locking the place down that they’d rather ban every flight altogether. So how could they possibly approve a non-government vessel to enter the quarantine zone right now?”
“What, are they running out of food or clothes?” Cheng Chi asked, though even he sounded unconvinced by his own words.
Any ship that could land on Ice Wasteland under such circumstances clearly wasn’t ordinary. Behind it, there had to be the shadow of someone high up in Olin’s hierarchy.
But if the ship were truly backed by Olin’s government, there would be no need for disguise. They could have entered openly. So if it wasn’t meant to deceive Olin, then it was meant to deceive the Alliance.
Jiang Yun didn’t even have to think. “Politte Rue… ” he said flatly.
It had only been two days since Wickliffe’s death, and Jiang Yun could still remember the way Politte had looked at him then, eyes filled with hatred deep enough to carve into bone, the kind that would burn everything down just to take him with it.
Politte Rue was convinced that Jiang Yun had sent the assassin who killed his son. Avenging that death was, to him, only natural.
The imperial prince had already planned to hire a third-party force to snatch his son back from the Alliance. It was precisely this intelligence that had prompted Jiang Yun to instruct Maurice to contact military command and launch their counter-assassination against Wickliffe.
Now, with his son dead and the mercenaries already paid, Politte had no reason not to use them.
“Politte is looking for a chance to strike,” Jiang Yun said calmly. “That civilian ship must be carrying the mercenaries he hired to kill me.”
Maurice, ever mindful of his duties aboard the Rescue, spoke quickly. “I’ll request reinforcements from headquarters immediately, to ensure the Minister’s safety.”
“What’s the point of more guards?” Jiang Yun glanced out the window at the Olin patrols changing shifts, and suddenly his tone shifted. “Maurice, how about a wager?”
“A wager?” Maurice blinked. “What are you betting on?”
“On my one percent,” Jiang Yun said.
Maurice could only stare at him, feeling an exhaustion born of trying to wake someone determined to dream. Unless they found Colonel Lu’s body, or the real mastermind behind all this, Jiang Yun would never let go.
“How do we wager?” Maurice asked helplessly. “We can’t even confirm who that sniper was.”
“That’s your problem,” Jiang Yun replied coolly, walking toward the door. “Don’t drag me into your limits. I’m going out. You all stay at your posts.”
“Now?” Cheng Chi’s voice wavered with unease. “Minister, the situation outside is a mess and Politte is targeting you. Isn’t it too dangerous for you to go out alone?”
“I want it to be dangerous,” Jiang Yun said.
“What?” Cheng Chi was stunned.
Jiang Yun’s smile was thin and sharp. “Since the Olin side is so determined to ensure my safety, I might as well give them the perfect chance to do so.”
“But Minister Jiang!” Cheng Chi hurried after him, grabbing the heavy cloak from the coat rack on the way. “At least tell me where you’re going! Do you need me to arrange transport?”
As Jiang Yun stepped out of the office module, he spotted the twins heading straight toward him, their faces spelling out Dad, Dad, Dad, we need to talk!
They were still wearing the same shirts and trousers as yesterday, hair messy, dark circles under their eyes. Neither of them had slept.
It wasn’t easy to make Colonel Lu’s “corpse” disappear without a trace, but it was enough to keep the three of them awake all night.
Jiang Yun didn’t want to waste time. He motioned for them to walk with him.
“Dad,” Lu Chao said, striding beside him. “Jiang Mu and I stayed up discussing it all night. He thinks Olin’s behind the disappearance of Dad’s body, but I keep wondering… what if he’s not dead?”
Good. Nothing too serious.
“You two,” Jiang Yun said, pulling on the heavy cloak Cheng Chi handed him, “stay on the ship and wait for me to come back.”
Wait for me to drag your resurrected Alpha father home myself.
He stepped into the elevator and looked at the group following him. “During my absence, Dean Yi Lai Zhe will act as interim commander of the Rescue.”
The doors began to close. “And.. ” he added to Cheng Chi, “Keep an eye on the twins. They must go to bed on time tonight.”
Jiang Mu fell silent.
Lu Chao stared blankly.
The Rescue’s main hatch opened under highest level authorization.
The rare clear sky above Ice Wasteland had lasted barely a day; now, snow was falling again.
An Olin lieutenant on duty saw the ship’s hatch open and immediately reported it to the command center.
“…It’s the Alliance Minister, Jiang Yun,” the lieutenant said. “You asked if anyone else came out? It looks like no, he’s alone.”
“That’s impossible,” came a skeptical voice over the comm. “How could Jiang Yun be alone?”
“He really is….. ” the lieutenant insisted, growing tense. “Wait, he’s walking toward me!”
The high-ranking diplomat didn’t seem to have the habit of carrying an umbrella. In just a few steps, snowflakes gathered on his black cloak, dusting it with a soft, silvery sheen.
For some reason, the lieutenant felt an impulse to step forward and hold an umbrella for him.
Jiang Yun stopped in front of him and asked politely, “What’s your name?”
“L… Lewis,” the young lieutenant stammered.
Jiang Yun nodded. “Good, Lewis. I’m in a bad mood today and want to take a walk. Can you arrange that for me?”
The command center’s voice came through Lewis’s earpiece. “Agree. Send additional escorts.”
“Of course, Minister. It would be our honor,” Lewis said, forcing a smile. “Where would you like to go?”
Jiang Yun lowered his eyes, as though considering deeply. Then, almost on a whim, he said, “I want to inspect the living conditions of Olin’s miners. How about that?”
If the research institute represented the most advanced part of Ice Wasteland, then the miners’ quarters were undoubtedly the most primitive.
A dense sprawl of makeshift tents and shacks stretched across the land, a chaotic, shadowed expanse much like the slums of an older age.
Cramped and cold, enormous and disordered, it was one of the few places without omnipresent surveillance. Some areas didn’t even have stable electricity.
And that was exactly what Jiang Yun needed.
When night fell, only a scattering of dim lights would flicker to life in that place. The darkness that gathered in its corners would give birth to countless blind spots beyond the reach of surveillance.
A cradle of sin. A paradise for crime.
If he were one of the mercenaries hired by Politte, that was exactly where he would make his move.
When the time came,
Jiang Yun sat in the vehicle that Lewis had arranged for him, watching through the window as the sprawling shantytown drew nearer and nearer. His gloved right hand unconsciously rubbed the ring finger of his left hand.
When that moment comes… will you let me win, Colonel Lu?
………
The tavern sat at the center of the shantytown, a place steeped in grime and noise. The air reeked of old oil, cheap tobacco, and harsh liquor that could make one’s throat burn with just a sip.
A bitter wind howled through the cracks of the warped wooden door, rattling the windows that were covered with layers of yellowed newspaper to hide the splintered glass.
The only source of warmth in the entire place was a small iron stove, the kind that seemed to belong in stories of the Middle Ages.
Lewis could not, for the life of him, understand why the Alliance’s Minister of Foreign Affairs wanted to come to such a filthy and dangerous place for “inspection.”
Still, he supposed there was one small consolation, he finally had the chance to hold an umbrella for a beautiful person.
He folded the umbrella, shaking off the snow that had gathered on its surface, and pushed open the tavern door. The muffled noise inside instantly sharpened into clear voices, laughter, and the faint clatter of glasses.
That clarity, however, lasted barely a second. As Jiang Yun stepped in, the sound faded away like the tide drawing back from shore.
In the Olin Empire, Omegas almost never worked outside their homes and most people in high positions were Alphas. As for miners, that kind of grueling, low-status job was usually done by Betas.
Betas didn’t possess the instinctive, overpowering attraction toward Omegas that Alphas did but in the face of beauty, gender had never been a real obstacle.
Under the weight of those stares, which he had long grown used to, Jiang Yun walked calmly to the bar with Lewis at his side.
Lewis glanced at the greasy wooden table and made a face, but Jiang Yun seemed entirely unbothered. He even ordered a cup of mead from the owner.
The drink was surprisingly good. The fragrance of blossoms mingled perfectly with the honey’s sweetness, rich but not cloying. Just one sip sent a mellow warmth coursing through his chest like liquid sunlight.
Jiang Yun took another, and then a third.
The light of the oil lamps was dim and murky. The fire in the stove popped and crackled, but its warmth could not drown out the low murmurs spreading through the room.
“Who’s that? What a beautiful face…”
“I know him! That’s the Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Interstellar Alliance. He’s on Ice Wasteland Star to negotiate with us.”
“I heard he’s a widower. The net says his Alpha’s been dead for years.”
“Who’s the guy sitting next to him then? Don’t tell me that’s his new Alpha? That can’t be right, they don’t match at all.”
“Hey! hey! you shouldn’t be gossiping about an Omega like that,” another man’s voice spoke up from the shadowed corner. “If you’ve got that much energy, come clean up this mess. Who the hell vomited all over the floor?”
The voices trailed off into awkward silence.
Jiang Yun acted as though he heard none of it. He drank slowly, savoring the mead, his gaze distant and unreadable.
Lewis, however, was furious. He clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth hurt, forcing himself not to lash out.
If not for the fact that the minister had insisted on dressing plainly, refusing his imperial uniform so as not to draw attention, none of these filthy miners would have dared say a word.
“Minister Jiang, please don’t take offense… ” Lewis said, lowering his voice. “These lowborn Betas don’t know any better.”
“Offense? What should I take offense at?” Jiang Yun’s lips curved faintly. “At being called a widower?”
“That’s not what I meant, Minister,” Lewis said hastily.
Jiang Yun turned the chipped cup in his hands, his eyes lowered. His voice was soft, so soft only he could hear it. “I’m not.”
Lewis opened his mouth, about to reply, when something in his expression suddenly froze.
Years of military instinct screamed a warning at him. Something was wrong. Danger was near.
In one swift motion, Lewis drew his gun, his arm snapping up to aim toward the source his instincts pointed to.
It was the man in the corner, the one who had just spoken up to stop the others from gossiping about Jiang Yun.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
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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