Maggie had been working for Jiang Yun since the day the twins were born.
Over the years, she had watched them grow from wailing, milk-drinking infants into bright, energetic teenagers. After more than a decade together, Maggie had long become half a family member to the three of them.
When she received the call from Simon Public Academy, she had been on edge the entire afternoon. Still, she knew that no matter how thorny the problem, Jiang Yun would handle it. He always did.
She had even prepared herself for the three to return home late yet just as the setting sun slanted across the kitchen counter, she heard Lu Chao’s voice calling from the door:
“Aunt Maggie, we’re home! I’m starving! What’s for dinner?”
“Xiao Chao? Xiao Mu!” Maggie cried, using their childhood nicknames. She hurried into the living room just in time to see Jiang Yun handing his suit jacket to the AI butler.
The white shirt that had been under that jacket all day showed not a single wrinkle. His tie was still perfectly knotted, the crisp collar framing a long, pale neck.
“Mr. Jiang!” Maggie stepped forward, nervous, “Was everything at the school resolved?”
“Don’t worry,” Jiang Yun said simply.
When he spoke to her, his gaze remained steady and direct, eyes always meeting hers, what Maggie assumed was some kind of polite social custom.
As he spoke, he calmly unfastened his cuff buttons. “Let’s have dinner.”
If Mr. Jiang said not to worry, then there was nothing to worry about. Maggie smiled with relief and called the twins to wash their hands for dinner.
The dining room lights cast a warm, golden glow. The four of them sat around the table, quietly enjoying the meal, so quietly, in fact, that it felt almost unnatural.
Maggie couldn’t help wondering: hadn’t he said the matter was settled? Then why was Lu Chao, usually the loudest at the table, completely silent tonight?
There were only three occasions when Lu Chao went quiet, first, when Jiang Yun told him to shut up;
Second, when he was about to sleep;
and third, when he was deep in thought.
Right now, he was definitely thinking hard, trying to figure out why his dad hadn’t scolded him.
Even if Jiang Yun chose to overlook the fight, what about the part where he’d secretly been saving money to buy an AS81 mech? Wasn’t that worth getting punished for?
Lu Chao tried to catch his twin brother’s eye to exchange their usual silent glances, but no matter how many times he blinked, Jiang Mu didn’t even look at him.
Instead, Jiang Yun asked lightly, “Do you need to see an ophthalmologist?”
Lu Chao froze, then gave up. With a sigh, he tapped his ear, and the interstellar web expanded before his eyes in a transparent overlay.
He’d just meant to find something entertaining to watch while eating but the very first headline that popped up nearly killed him with shock.
“Pfft.. !”
He sprayed juice across the table.
“Oh dear, what’s wrong now?” Maggie exclaimed, rushing to his side and patting his back.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Lu Chao wheezed, waving her off. He switched the display to projection mode and pointed at the air-screen. “Dad, this is you, right?!”
The holographic image showed Colonel Maurice standing in front of a café, holding the door open with exaggerated politeness for a black-haired young man behind him.
The young man walked straight inside without even glancing at him, but Maurice still followed closely behind, guarding his back as if protecting a treasure.
The headline blared: “Colonel Maurice’s Holiday Date, New Romance Suspected?”
The young man’s face wasn’t visible, whether by coincidence or intent but that tall, graceful silhouette was enough for the twins to recognize their Omega father at a glance.
Lu Chao shot up. “Dad! Are you really dating Uncle Maurice?!”
Jiang Mu gave his brother a look full of silent pity. He’d already seen that dubious gossip post on the way home, and though he too wanted to know the truth, he wasn’t stupid enough to ask their father directly.
Sensing the sudden tension, Maggie quickly tried to smooth things over, “Xiao Chao, that’s an adult matter…”
She expected Jiang Yun to ignore the outburst as usual yet this time, not only did he not silence Lu Chao, he actually answered, calmly and with patience.
“Colonel Maurice invited me for coffee,” Jiang Yun said, voice even. “I accepted. If you consider that a date, then yes.”
Lu Chao nearly exploded. “What does he want?!”
“He said,” Jiang Yun replied blandly, “that he wants to take care of us.”
Jiang Mu hesitated for two seconds, then, after a long internal struggle, spoke up, “Dad, whatever you choose, I’ll support you. If being with Uncle Maurice makes you happy, then I’ll be happy for you.”
“I’m not happy!” Lu Chao shouted, “Who asked him to take care of us?! Absolutely not!”
He began pacing around the table in frustration, muttering incoherently before finally stopping beside Jiang Yun.
In one swift motion, he gripped the armrests of his father’s chair and crouched down to meet his gaze.
“Dad, first of all, I’m not against you remarrying or anything,” he said fervently. “But I am against you lowering your standards just to settle!”
At nearly sixteen, Lu Chao was already taller than Jiang Yun, yet he still instinctively looked up to him. “Dad, Uncle Maurice has been in the military for years and he’s still just a colonel! What does he even have that compares to.. ”
Jiang Yun ignored the crouching teenager beside him. Calmly, he continued cutting his steak, movements unhurried. “Nothing. Not one thing.”
Lu Chao blinked, dumbfounded, “Huh?”
“So I refused,” Jiang Yun said simply, dividing the steak evenly between the twins’ plates. He checked his watch, then stood. “Lu Chao, send me your finished homework.”
And with that, he left the dining room, leaving Lu Chao sitting there, completely dumbfounded.
The Jiang residence had three floors. Maggie’s room was on the first; the twins’ on the second. No one ever went up to the third unless necessary, that was Jiang Yun’s private floor.
When Jiang Mu knocked on his father’s study door, Jiang Yun had already removed his tie. A few minutes earlier, he had asked the AI butler to bring him coffee but the person who arrived was Jiang Mu.
It was the boy’s way of showing closeness, and Jiang Yun, of course, didn’t mind.
As Jiang Mu entered, coffee in hand, he immediately noticed the holographic projection floating above the desk,“Huh?” he murmured. “That’s Ian Tang, the Orin Empire’s Foreign Minister, isn’t it?”
Jiang Yun nodded. “Put it on the desk.” He glanced at the display. “He’s one of the key members of the Orin diplomatic team for next Thursday’s summit.”
“Ian Tang…” Jiang Mu repeated. “He’s called Red-Haired Ian because of his waist-length hair, right? And because he’s manipulative and willing to do anything to achieve his goals, people call him.. ”
“ ‘Ian the Fool,’” Jiang Yun finished for him. “How do you know all this?”
“I’ve been studying a bit,” Jiang Mu said with a small smile.
Jiang Yun nodded approvingly, then asked, “And your brother, what’s he been studying lately?”
Jiang Mu froze, eyes darting away, “R–reviewing… homework?”
Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow.
After several seconds of mental scrambling, failed improvisation, and the realization that lying was pointless, Jiang Mu sighed. “…Sleeping.”
Jiang Yun: “…”
The elder twin looked helpless. “I honestly don’t know where he gets it from. He acts like he can never get enough sleep.”
Jiang Yun said nothing.
After a pause, Jiang Mu asked naturally, “Dad, did Father also like to sleep a lot when he was on leave?”
The moment he asked, he regretted it. But words, once spoken, couldn’t be taken back.
He waited nervously, heart pounding, wondering why he’d suddenly blurted it out like Lu Chao always did, without thinking.
Jiang Yun rarely mentioned their other father.
When the twins were younger, they’d constantly pester him with questions, a chaotic mix of childish nonsense.
One moment it was, “Dad, what kind of flowers did Father like?” The next, “Dad, when Father takes baths, does he play with rubber duckies? Did you two bathe together?”
And Jiang Yun’s answers were always the same: “I don’t know,” or “Not sure.”
But tonight, for some reason, he felt he might be able to give a different answer.
He looked out the window, sifting quietly through distant and fleeting memories.
In the wealthy district, where resources were abundant and few residents, the late-autumn nights were always peaceful and serene.
The ginkgo tree they’d transplanted the year they moved in had already grown as tall as the house itself, its branches stretching high, its golden leaves fluttering in the lamplight like butterflies.
In another month, winter would come.
By then, the leaves would have withered; the twins would be wearing cloaks over their uniforms; frost would gather on the bedroom windows.
For a moment, Jiang Yun could almost see it, a snowy winter morning long ago, in a warm bedroom, a young colonel pulling his newlywed spouse back into bed, half-joking, half-serious as he complained about never getting enough sleep at the base.
“Dad?” Jiang Mu’s voice pulled him back.
Jiang Yun turned from the window and, under his son’s anxious, expectant gaze, shook his head, “I’m not sure.”
Jiang Mu looked disappointed. “You don’t even know that? Then…”
If Dad and Father didn’t even sleep in the same bed, then how did he and his brother come to exist?
✦ ✧ ✦
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