MWITA CH172
Back at their quarters, Ji Ruo looked around before turning and heading towards the greenhouse.
On the other side of the flower bushes, Ji Ruo sat under the corridor, a sketchbook in his hands, drawing intently.
“A-Ruo.”
Hearing the voice, Ji Ruo looked up.
“Finished with training?”
Ji Ling sat down beside him, looking at the blooming plum blossoms with him.
“Mhm. Are you drawing the plum blossoms?”
“Just passing the time.” Noticing the subtle shift in his mood, Ji Ruo asked, “Did training not go well today?”
Ji Ling shook his head. “Ge, have you had your glands checked recently?”
Out of his sight, Ji Ruo’s expression changed for a second before returning to normal.
“I had it checked last month. Same as always.”
Ji Ling looked back at the plum blossom tree and changed the subject. “I heard we’re moving to a new base.”
Ji Ruo frowned. “When did this happen? How come I don’t know?”
Ji Ling was puzzled. “The teacher didn’t say?”
Ji Ruo shook his head. “Did General Lin tell you?”
Ji Ling: “Mhm. He said there’s a base left behind by a historical omega protection organization, specifically for oppressed omegas to use as a safe haven. It’s very suitable for our organization’s development. There, we can promote the medicine Father developed and let more omegas benefit.”
Benefit? That’s not a certainty.
Ji Ruo: “Which planet is it on?”
Ji Ling shook his head. “This is all I know.”
After he finished speaking, he saw Ji Ruo looking thoughtful and unhappy. Ji Ling took his hand and smiled. “Don’t worry. As long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter where we go.”
As long as his family was together, he was willing to endure any hardship.
Ji Ruo squeezed his hand back. “If General Lin makes any moves, you absolutely cannot hide it from me.”
“I know,” Ji Ling drew out his voice and pulled Ji Ruo up. “Let’s go back. I’m hungry.”
In his office, Lin Quan flipped through military documents, listening to his subordinate’s report.
Hearing a certain sentence, he looked up from the documents. “You’re saying Ji Ming went out privately these past two days?”
The subordinate nodded. “Yes. He said he was preparing new clothes for his two sons for the New Year. He went out today as well.”
Smack.
Lin Quan slammed the documents in his hand onto his desk.
“You’re only reporting this kind of thing to me now?!” Lin Quan was furious. “Follow him!”
The subordinate’s heart trembled. He quickly said, “Yes! We’re already following him.”
An hour later, Lin Quan’s face grew even darker as he looked at the enlarged photo on the virtual screen.
He was all too familiar with the person meeting Ji Ming.
The branch family of the Qin family had no backbone, clinging to various powerful forces to gain a foothold on Capital Star. The only exception was this Qin Lin. It was said that when he was dating the Qian family’s only son, Qian Fan, the Qin family had demanded he use the relationship for the family’s benefit. The result was Qin Lin cutting ties with the branch family.
After his collaboration with Ji Ming ended, Qin Lin joined the Central Research Institute and was later transferred to the branch on Academy Star with Qian Fan, making it clear he had no interest in the power circles of Capital Star.
Before approaching Ji Ming, Lin Quan had first approached Qin Lin. Unfortunately, the man was incorruptible and had the Qian family backing him, so he could only shift his target to Ji Ming. Compared to Qin Lin, Ji Ming was more fanatical about academic research and easier to manipulate.
Lin Quan stared at the photo for a long time, then said in a deep voice, “Advance the plan!”
The subordinate was taken aback. “You mean, execute it now?”
“First, destroy the artificial atmosphere devices in the three nearby areas. Find an excuse to make the nearby residents move on their own.” Lin Quan cupped his chin, his eyes full of calculation. “Just say there was a gas leak from a biochemical lab and high-level mutated creatures have been discovered. Transfer our people to the underwater base during the chaos.”
“Yes!” the subordinate replied. “Then, after everyone here has been transferred, do we send the rest of the people to Snow Star, or…?”
For long-term planning, the base headquarters needed to be divided into two major functional areas: research and modification on V99, and cultivation on Snow Star. This was to prevent the omegas from seeing the training and modification processes too early and developing resistance.
Lin Quan shook his head. “Do it simultaneously.”
Qin Lin’s appearance here was definitely not a good sign. They had to be fast. The organization was not yet mature enough. If it were exposed now, years of hard work would be wasted.
The subordinate was about to leave when Lin Quan suddenly stopped him.
“Abandon Ji Ruo. Don’t let Ji Ling find out.”
The subordinate: “Yes!”
The next day, Ji Ruo was awakened by the sound of alarms, each louder than the last.
Ji Ling rushed out from the other bedroom. “A-Ruo, what’s happening?”
Ji Ruo pulled on his clothes as he walked out. “Let’s go see.”
Outside the residential area, the metal corridors were filled with people. Over the years, many omegas had come to the base, and now there were more than three hundred of them in total.
Ji Ling grabbed a passing Lin Jing and asked quickly, “What happened?”
Lin Jing was surprised. “You don’t know? A large number of mutated creatures have been found in the no-man’s-land. It’s dangerous for us to stay here. We’re being urgently evacuated. We have to gather on the second floor within ten minutes!”
Ji Ruo frowned. “Urgent evacuation? To where?”
Facing him, Lin Jing’s attitude was much more dismissive. “How would I know? Just follow the organization.”
Ji Ling pulled Ji Ruo back two steps and whispered, “It might be to that new base.”
Ji Ruo had a gut feeling that something was wrong, but before he could think about it, Ji Ling was already pulling him back.
“Ge, let’s hurry and pack our things too, or we won’t make it.”
The two brothers had grown up on the base, but they had very few things to take with them. They were packed in just five minutes.
The metal corridor was too narrow and overflowing with people. Ji Ling and Ji Ruo were swept into the crowd, pushed forward involuntarily.
“Don’t push! Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?!” Ji Ling was being pushed so hard he could barely stand, growing increasingly irritated. He turned his head to look at Ji Ruo. “A-Ruo, are you alri—A-Ruo?!”
A-Ruo, who had been right behind him, had been pushed somewhere into the crowd. Ji Ling looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere.
“A-Ruo? Ge?” Ji Ling struggled to go back, but he couldn’t push through the crowd at all.
Two guards who worked for Lin Quan squeezed through and led Ji Ling forward.
Ji Ling: “I need to find my brother!”
Guard: “Rest assured, Young Master Ji Ruo has already been sent to the spaceship by us. If you’re late, he’ll be worried.”
Ji Ling looked around again, unconvinced. “Is he really already there?”
Guard: “Yes, please rest assured.”
The scene was too chaotic for Ji Ling to think much. Hearing their confident tone, he believed them and followed the two guards to the spaceship.
Once on board, he searched everywhere for Ji Ruo, but no one had seen him.
“Have any of you seen A-Ruo?!” Ji Ling grabbed a classmate he trained with and asked loudly. “Where’s A-Ruo?!”
“Didn’t see him.”
“Wasn’t he with you?”
“I didn’t notice.”
The spaceship’s hatch slowly lowered. Ji Ling began to panic. He ran towards the hatch but was stopped by the guards.
Ji Ling: “Let go of me! I need to find A-Ruo!”
Guard: “Rest assured, Young Master Ji Ruo is being looked after. Nothing will happen to him.”
Ji Ling demanded loudly, “Then where is he?!”
Guard: “Don’t worry, you’ll see him in a little while.”
As the hatch closed completely, the entire space was filled with panic. Everyone was breathing heavily, unable to calm down. Ji Ling leaned against the exit, staring at the door with growing anxiety and unease.
Meanwhile, Ji Ruo was pushed against the wall by the crowd. Suddenly, his arm was yanked backward, and he was pulled into a room before he could react. Before he could regain his footing, the door was quickly shut.
Ji Ruo’s face changed. He rushed over and tried to push the door open. “Open the door!”
But no matter what he tried, the door wouldn’t budge!
His bad premonition had come true. Ji Ruo’s face was grim as he opened his terminal. It was custom-made for them by the organization and only had an internal network. If it connected to an external network, it would be identified as an illegal terminal and all its functions would be wiped. But now, the terminal showed that it couldn’t connect to any network.
A thousand meters away in the underground laboratory, Ji Ming refused to be transferred.
“Professor Ji, this is General Lin’s order. Please cooperate,” Lin Quan’s adjutant said coldly.
But Ji Ming was unmoved. “Tell him to come and talk to me himself!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the lab door opened from the outside and Lin Quan walked in. “You were looking for me?”
“Lin Quan! You son of a—!” Ji Ming ran over, raising his fist to punch Lin Quan in the face. “What the hell are you doing with my research results?!”
Halfway there, he was surrounded by several guards.
Lin Quan: “Is there any need to be so angry? I’m just letting it achieve its greatest potential.”
“Bullshit!” Ji Ming was furious. “Illegally modifying human bodies is illegal! What exactly are you trying to do?!”
“Illegal?” Lin Quan smiled. “Wasn’t the first person to modify human bodies you?”
Ji Ming’s eyes flickered, his pupils shrinking abruptly. “But I never intended for them to do anything illegal!”
“So what?” Lin Quan’s smile deepened. “Who would believe you? If this gets exposed now, you will be the main culprit.”
“How could this happen?” Ji Ming stumbled back two steps, utterly dejected. “Those are all half-finished products. They can’t be used on humans—”
Suddenly remembering something, he shouted, “Did you do something to A-Ling and A-Ruo too?!”
Lin Quan sat in a chair, his hands clasped in front of him. “Whether something happens to them or not depends on your performance.”
Ji Ming’s face was pale, his mind buzzing. He had to lean against the console to stay upright.
On the spaceship, Ji Ling couldn’t wait any longer. He opened his terminal; it still showed no network. He grabbed a guard’s clothes and said angrily, “Where’s my brother?!”
“Young Master Ji Ling.” The adjutant walked over from behind and led him into a rest cabin.
“I’m very sorry.” Closing the door, the adjutant looked grave. “When our men were transferring Young Master Ji Ruo, they were attacked by mutated creatures. By the time the rescue team arrived, they were already—”
Ji Ling’s eyes widened, and his mind exploded with a roar.
“Wh-what are you saying?!”
“He has already passed away. Please accept my condolences.” The adjutant took a blood-stained piece of clothing from a box and handed it over. “This was left at the scene. It probably fell out of Young Master Ji Ruo’s luggage.”
Ji Ling couldn’t believe it, his fingertips trembling violently.
“N-no, that’s impossible. How could he—”
His throat was tight, and he couldn’t continue.
Fearing he wouldn’t believe it, the adjutant pulled up a photo and enlarged it. The damaged suitcase in the photo was very familiar, especially the paintbrushes scattered on the ground. Those were all things A-Ruo treasured most.
A chill ran through Ji Ling’s body, and he couldn’t stop shaking.
How could this be? It can’t be true. How could A-Ruo die?!
“A-Ruo—A-Ruo!” Tears streamed down his face as Ji Ling clutched Ji Ruo’s clothes and sobbed bitterly.
Back in the base, Ji Ruo pounded on the door, but no one responded. The noise outside grew quieter and quieter, soon falling into a dead silence.
He had been abandoned.
The thought he had been desperately suppressing finally surfaced, sending a chill through his entire body.
After calming down for a moment, he looked around the room, searching for another way out. This was a warehouse, located near the office area of Lin Quan and his men. Ji Ruo had never been here before.
Inside were four rows of shelves, stocked with various medicines and equipment. As Ji Ruo walked down one of the aisles, something in his peripheral vision caught his eye and he stopped.
In a large basket on the bottom shelf, various small boxes were piled messily. Ji Ruo casually picked one up. It was an educational toy with packaging that said it was suitable for children aged two to three.
Why would there be something like this on the base?
As he examined the box, he noticed a line of small, hastily scrawled handwriting at the bottom. The characters were bold and sweeping, showing a strong character.
It was his father’s handwriting!
“For my beloved son, A… A-Ruo?” Ji Ruo tried to decipher it carefully. After reading it, he was stunned.
This was a toy from his father?
Feeling that something was wrong, Ji Ruo crouched down and pulled out the entire basket. He picked up another box; it was a children’s science experiment kit. He quickly looked at the packaging.
[Happy 5th birthday to A-Ruo and A-Ling!]
He looked faster and faster, the boxes soon covering the floor.
[My precious sons are eight years old! Father can’t be with you, but you must grow up happily.]
[It’s getting cold. I bought two cotton coats. I don’t know if you’ll like them, but I like them very much, hahaha.]
[I can’t be with you for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I heard this brand of chocolate is especially delicious. I asked a colleague to buy two boxes. I’ll definitely celebrate Mid-Autumn with you next year!]
…
He went through everything in the basket.
The corners of Ji Ruo’s eyes were red, his heart heavy and pained. Whether it was birthday presents, Mid-Autumn gifts, or anything else, they had never received any of them. His only impression of his father was of brief, hurried meetings.
It turned out his father had prepared so many things for them every year, but they had all been held back here.
“Father—” Ji Ruo’s voice was choked. He had never felt so miserable.
He had to escape from here quickly and tell A-Ling that their father had never treated them as experimental subjects.
On the base on Snow Star, Ji Ling locked himself in his room, his eyes red and swollen. He hadn’t eaten or drunk for days, a soulless husk of a person.
There was a knock on the door, and the adjutant walked in, followed by Lin Quan.
“Who are you putting on this deathly act for?” Lin Quan said sternly. “Your father has already lost one child. Do you want him to lose both?”
The words successfully got a reaction out of Ji Ling.
He struggled to get up, his voice hoarse. “Where’s my father? Where is he?”
Lin Quan: “He is the core of the pharmaceutical research and development. He has to stay at the R&D base over there.”
His father was gone, his brother was dead. Ji Ling had lost his pillar of support and was completely devoid of motivation.
Lin Quan had seen right through him. He said, “If you want to live a good life with your father in the future, then be obedient, teach those other omegas, and make them your kind. I think A-Ruo would also want you to pull yourself together.”
He didn’t say much more, leaving after those two sentences.
In the dark space, Ji Ling sat stunned for a long, long time. He knew there was something wrong with Lin Quan, and he knew that as long as his father was under his control, he would never be free.
It was either die, or continue the inhuman training.
All he ever wanted was to live an ordinary life with his family. Why was that so impossible to achieve?!
After enduring so many years of pain to get to this point, how could he die so easily?
If he wasn’t even afraid of death, what else was there to fear?
His gaze gradually turned cold. The corners of his lips curled up, and a muffled laugh escaped his throat. He laughed and then cried again.
There was only a soft sigh.
“Forget it. Let it all be destroyed.”
On the base, Ji Ruo’s trembling hands tore open a bag of medicinal fluid and poured it into his mouth. As the liquid went down his esophagus, a sharp pain soon shot through his stomach.
“Ugh—!” He clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground, his lips cracked and pale.
This was the tenth day he had been locked in here. Besides the medicines and fluids, there was nothing else. If he didn’t drink the fluids, he wouldn’t have lasted this long. But drinking them caused severe side effects, leaving him in unbearable pain and growing weaker.
“I can’t die, I can’t die…” Cold sweat beaded on Ji Ruo’s forehead as he muttered to himself, “I can’t die yet…”
He picked up a stick beside him and knocked on the wall. There was a ventilation shaft in the wall; maybe the sound could travel through it.
Perhaps the power was running out. The lights in the warehouse flickered, gradually dimming.
In his daze, he suddenly heard strange cries from outside. It took his sluggish brain a long time to realize they must be from mutated creatures that had broken in. In his current state, if a mutated creature broke into this room, he would surely die.
He could no longer think. Only one sentence repeated in his mind—Am I going to die?
The door was suddenly slammed open. In his blurry vision, Ji Ruo vaguely saw a giant rat. His hand by his side tightened, and he closed his eyes in resignation.
Suddenly, there was a shrill scream. He heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps.
“Are you alright?!”
Hearing the voice, Ji Ruo struggled to open his eyes. It took a long time for his vision to focus.
Before him was a young alpha with handsome features, dressed in a military uniform. He had a clean, elegant scent of wine on him, which smelled particularly good.
Ji Ruo wanted to ask who he was, but he no longer had the strength to speak.
The person in his hands was cold and soft. Rong Guang frowned and touched his forehead. The heat was astonishing.
“Hang in there. I’ll get you out.” Rong Guang unbuttoned his military jacket with one hand, took it off, and wrapped it around the omega boy before lifting him into his arms.
Ji Ruo’s ears were ringing, as if he were underwater. He couldn’t hear anything clearly, only two words—get out.
This person can help me escape?
Walking out of the room, Rong Guang’s expression was serious. He ordered the team members who followed him, “I’ll take the injured back first. You all search carefully. Don’t miss a single spot. If there are any injured, send them to the medical team immediately.”
The team members: “Yes, sir!”
Feeling the person in his arms trembling, he thought he was scared. Rong Guang had never seen such a fragile omega. He couldn’t help but tighten his arms and comfort him, “Don’t be afraid. It’s okay now.”
“A-Ruo… A-Ruo?”
Hearing the call, Ji Ruo woke from his sleep to see Rong Guang’s enlarged face.
Rong Guang kissed his forehead and asked in a low voice, “Are you very tired? Should we do this another day?”
His thoughts returned from distant memories to reality. Ji Ruo coughed a few times and shook his head, looking out the car window.
Lin Quan had been caught, and A-Ling was in custody. If he didn’t go see him before the trial, he probably wouldn’t have another chance.
“Dad.” From the front driver’s seat, Rong Shi looked at Ji Ruo through the rearview mirror. “Ji Ling is psychologically twisted and very dangerous. Are you sure you want to see him?”
Ji Ruo: “This may be the last time I see him.”
The Rong father and son exchanged a look and said no more.
In the passenger seat, Song Yu patted Rong Shi’s hand in silent comfort. Rong Shi laced his fingers with his and held them tight.
The eighth underground level of the military headquarters was where serious criminals were held. Most criminals who entered here didn’t have many days left to live. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they could only spend the rest of their lives in prison.
After showing the visitation permit, Song Yu went off alone to the cell where Song Ke was being held.
Ji Ruo, supported by Rong Guang, passed through layers of heavy metal doors to Ji Ling’s cell.
“You can go out first. I want to have a few words with him alone.”
Rong Shi wanted to object, but Rong Guang agreed.
“Alright. It’s damp inside. Don’t talk for too long.”
Ji Ruo nodded and followed the guard in.
The moment the door closed, the composure on Rong Guang’s face vanished. He rubbed his hands together and paced back and forth in front of the door. “I wonder if A-Ruo is cold. I should have given him a coat before he went in. Right, son?”
Rong Shi’s face was wooden. “Stop pacing. You’re making me dizzy.”
Rong Guang: “…”
Rong Shi turned his head to look down the corridor and asked coolly, “Your old comrade is just ahead. Aren’t you going to see him?”
Rong Guang stopped in his tracks.
Rong Shi: “He withheld our family’s consolation money for so many years, forcing me to work before I was even an adult. I’d quite like to pay him my respects.”
Rong Guang: “…”
Rong Shi: “Not going? Then you stand guard. I’m going to find my wife.”
Rong Guang: “……..”
Just as he had taken a few steps, Rong Guang called out from behind him.
“I’m sorry, son.” Rong Guang’s voice was very low. “I didn’t fulfill my duties as a father—”
“What’s the point of saying all this now?” Rong Shi interrupted him, turning around with a slight curve to his lips. “When did we father and son ever need so many explanations?”
Rong Guang was taken aback, then smiled and gave him a high-five.
“Good thing I don’t have to say it. It would have been so awkward.”
Rong Shi: “I wouldn’t have been happy even if you said it, so it’s better not to.”
Rong Guang: “…”
Inside the cell, Ji Ling was leaning against the wall in a daze, completely unmoved by the sound of the door opening behind him.
“A-Ling.”
Ji Ling’s body trembled violently. He turned around bit by bit.
“A-A-Ruo?” Ji Ling’s voice was shaking badly. “You’ve come to get me?”
Ji Ruo walked over, sat on the edge of the small bed, and took his cold hand. Ji Ling’s hand instinctively recoiled, but after feeling the warmth, he grabbed Ji Ruo’s hand tightly.
“Y-you… how are you—” Warm?
“I didn’t die,” Ji Ruo looked at him. “I was saved by Rong Guang when I was about to die after being locked in the warehouse by Lin Quan.”
The amount of information in those words was too great. Ji Ling’s eyes widened, unable to process it for a moment.
“I also found a lot of gifts from Father to us there…” Ji Ruo coughed a few times and said in a low voice, “A-Ling, Father never treated us as experimental subjects.”
Listening to Ji Ruo’s words, a flash of pain, remorse, surprise, and regret—all extremely contradictory emotions—flickered in his eyes. From humbly begging for his father’s love to love turning into hate, he had destroyed his entire self.
It turned out all the beautiful things were still there; only the person he used to be was gone.
After a pause of several minutes, Ji Ling leaned on Ji Ruo’s shoulder, tears streaming down his face.
“It’s already too late. It’s all too late.”
“It’s not too late.” Ji Ruo gently patted his head. “Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong. As long as you’re willing to turn back, we’ll be right behind you.”
In another cell, Song Yu looked at Song Ke through the bars. In just a few short days, he had become a wreck, a shadow of his former self, muttering to himself.
“I am a prince… I am the heir to the throne… You can’t arrest me… I am a prince…”
Just as Rong Shi reached the cell, Song Yu walked out.
Rong Shi: “So soon?”
Song Yu took his hand and led him out. “It’s an eyesore. I’m not looking anymore.”
On a clear winter day, the military tribunal was held in secret. Lin Quan, Lu Youqi, Zhao Ji, Ji Ling, Song Ke, and others were brought to the defendant’s stand.
In court, Ji Ling confessed to all his crimes and revealed all the organization’s activity locations and personnel lists.
Ji Ming, Shen Sinian, and Rong Guang presented detailed information on all the illegal drugs developed and sold within the organization. Rong Shi and Song Yu presented evidence of Lin Quan’s collusion with high-ranking military officials and elites from various sectors.
Ji Ruo, 203, and hundreds of other omegas, as victims, described the process of how they were framed.
The human and material evidence was all present.
After an eight-hour trial, the final verdict was that high-ranking military officers including Lin Quan, Lu Youqi, and Zhao Ji were guilty of treason and endangering national security. They were sentenced to death, to be executed immediately.
Ji Ling and Song Ke were guilty of endangering national security. They were stripped of their royal status and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tens of thousands of modified omegas, including Lin Mo, Lin Dang, and He Nian, were sentenced to five years to life imprisonment, depending on their subjective malice and the harm they caused.
Everything had finally come to an end.
Outside the courthouse, Rong Guang draped a shawl over Ji Ruo’s shoulders, waiting for Rong Shi to bring the car around.
“The redevelopment project for Snow Star has been approved. In the future, it will be a home for the modified omegas,” Rong Guang said softly. “Once Father-in-law’s restoration agent is successfully developed, they will also be able to gradually leave Snow Star.”
“Mhm.” Ji Ruo looked at the azure sky, the huge stone in his heart finally lifted.
“When I wake up next time, will you take me to see Snow Star?” Ji Ruo turned his head to look at Rong Guang and said seriously, “I want to do something for them.”
Rong Guang smiled lightly. “Alright.”
From now on, whether it was mistakes or sins, they would bear them together.
The author has something to say: This extra is a supplement to the ending of the main text. Because it involved too many things about the older generation, writing it in the main text would have been a bit of a drag, so I took it out.
The following is the real extra (not really)
About the Rong family—
[Having Rabbit]
After rescuing Ji Ruo, Rong Guang, considering various factors, submitted an application to take Ji Ruo back to his hometown for a new post.
Ji Ruo had a cold and detached demeanor and had grown up in a laboratory. Rong Guang assumed he must be severely emotionally deprived, so he bought two rabbits, hoping to use small animal therapy to heal his wounded soul.
As he expected, Ji Ruo loved them and had to feed them himself every day.
Before long, there were eight little bunnies in the rabbit hutch.
One day, Rong Guang came home from work and met Ji Ruo waiting at the door.
Ji Ruo said with a straight face, “Rong Guang, I want to have children with you.”
Rong Guang: ?!!
Ji Ruo pointed at the rabbit hutch. “Have one like that.”
Rong Guang looked over curiously and burst into tears.
Rong Guang: I can’t give birth (to a rabbit).
Ji Ruo: ? I can.
#Who would have thought that the casually bought rabbits were actually matchmakers.#
[Rabbit’s Sketch]
Ever since finding out Ji Ruo could draw, Rong Guang bought a huge pile of art supplies and even cleared out a room in the house as a studio for Ji Ruo to do oil paintings, just so he wouldn’t be too bored at home alone.
After that, Rong Guang gained a new pastime: sitting on a small stool in the studio and watching Ji Ruo paint.
One day, Ji Ruo suddenly asked him, “Do you want to try?”
Rong Guang’s eyes lit up. He held the brush and thought for a long time, deciding to paint a portrait of the matchmaker.
Two hours later—
Rong Guang: “I’m done!”
Ji Ruo craned his neck to look. The creature on the canvas was crooked and ferocious-looking.
Rong Guang smiled confidently. “Aren’t I amazing?” [seeking praise]
Ji Ruo: “Mhm, to be able to draw like that is indeed amazing.”
Rong Guang: …
#The mighty alpha general will absolutely not be defeated by a bunny.#
Later, much later—
Rong Guang: Wifey, I learned how to do stick figure drawings!
Ji Ruo: Besides rabbits, what else can you draw?
Rong Guang: … N-nothing else. [arrow to the heart]
[Second Child]
After Rong Guang brought his son back home from Capital Star—
That night, Rong Guang put his son to sleep and returned to the bedroom.
Ji Ruo was leaning against the headboard reading a book.
Rong Guang went to the other side of the bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down. He thought about how his son had been clamoring for a younger brother the whole way home and couldn’t help but laugh.
Ji Ruo: “Shishi wants a younger brother?”
Rong Guang: “Yeah, I’ve never seen him want something so badly.”
Ji Ruo closed his book and put it aside. “Then let’s do it.”
Rong Guang: ?
Ji Ruo rolled over and pressed him down. “Give Shishi a younger brother.”
Rong Guang: !!!
#My wife is too eager to have children, what should I do?#
[Son’s Pheromones]
This year, Ji Ruo was pregnant with their second child.
Having been injected with too many illegal drugs in his early years, his physical constitution was poor, and his pregnancy symptoms were severe.
Rong Guang’s heart ached for him. He took half a month’s leave to take care of him at home.
On a sunny weekend, the family of three sat in the small living room. The couple chatted idly while twelve-year-old Rong Shi held a pencil stub and did his homework.
Rong Guang: “Son, you can control the release of your pheromones now, right? Let your father smell what kind of wine it is.”
Rong Shi: “No time.”
Rong Guang: “Dad wants to smell it too.”
Ji Ruo: “…”
Rong Shi turned his head to look at Ji Ruo and reluctantly put down his pencil stub.
“Are you ready?”
Rong Guang smiled and nodded. “Come on.”
Three seconds later, the couple was passed out drunk on the sofa.
Rong Shi was terrified. He rushed over and patted Rong Guang’s face. “Father? Father!”
Rong Guang was lying horizontally on the sofa, unresponsive.
Rong Shi went to the other side and gently shook Ji Ruo. “Dad?”
Ji Ruo was leaning against the back of the sofa, his eyes closed, not moving.
Rong Shi was in a panic. He pressed his ear to Ji Ruo’s belly and gently patted it. “Little brother?”
His little brother, who usually kicked him, was also quiet.
Rong Shi quickly went to open the window to let the scent of the pheromones in the air dissipate a little.
As soon as he opened the window, two sparrows fell from the eaves.
The dog passing by their door slipped and collapsed to the ground, twitching a few times before going still.
The neighbor who came out to collect their laundry collapsed onto the clothesline.
Rong Shi was so scared he quickly shut the window. Only then did he remember he could turn on the ventilation system.
An hour later, the Rong father and son sat face-to-face in the living room.
Rong Guang’s expression was serious. “Son, your pheromones are too strong. It’s better not to release them in the future. You won’t be able to find a wife.”
Rong Shi: “…”
#Can’t I just find a wife with a high tolerance for alcohol?#