Chapter 163

Chapter 163

As someone who firmly believes in living in the moment and prefers drinking over thinking, Yi Ye had never seen Old Man Ke Wen this furious before.

He was made to sit on the floor for two hours without moving, and his buttocks were so numb that he couldn't help but shift his legs. However, as soon as he moved, a sharp glare from Old Man Ke Wen made him sit upright again.

He listened to Ke Wen's harsh criticisms of Bai Chuan, with sharp and rhythmic words, accompanied by the sharp smell of tequila, indicating that he had drunk quite a bit on the way here.

Bai Chuan had always been the obedient one since childhood and had rarely been scolded by Ke Wen. This was the first time. Yi Ye found it amusing, and although his eyes were looking at the ground, his ears perked up. When Old Man Ke Wen turned his back, he shot a triumphant look at Bai Chuan, as if to say, "So you finally have your day too."

But Ke Wen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, instantly turning to glare at Yi Ye, his fiery gaze piercing through his forehead like two holes.

After scolding Bai Chuan, it was now his turn.

A rough finger, brimming with frustration and disappointment, tapped his forehead twice, causing Yi Ye to close his eyes tightly, bracing for the punch that would knock him out. He straightened his neck and tensed his facial muscles.

"..."

The pain didn't come.

The father, who used to kick him from time to time, after five years of separation, only vented by tapping his forehead twice.

Yi Ye slowly opened his eyes.

But he didn't see Old Man Ke Wen's eyes.

The man covered his eyes with his hands, his silver hair pulled back in a messy bunch, showing deep frustration and distress.

He took a deep breath, having endured the journey from Qixing, trying to stay calm on the Stellar Spaceship. Fellow passengers asked him smilingly if he was going to Qixing for a vacation, and he had to force a stiff smile, saying he was going to see his son.

His son.

This fool who only knew how to handle guns and mechas, the only biological son he had struggled to raise since childhood;

The son who had been dead for five years, with no bones even found, and had to be buried with an empty coffin;

The son who, after being resurrected, kept it from him. Only after townspeople saw the news and came to him did he find out that his son was still alive.

Ke Wen Langley really wanted to give this kid a solid punch, just like when he was disobedient as a child and he would grab him like a chicken and punish him with handstands. Didn’t he think about how much pain his father was in? No matter the reason, the first person he should have seen after returning was him! Not only did he keep it from him, but he also caused such a big mess in the empire. He just came back to life, how many lives does he have to waste!

"Yi Ye Langley, do you even see me as your father?" Ke Wen Langley's voice was full of sorrow.

Yi Ye was stunned, "Old Man Ke Wen..."

The bond between father and son can be as light as water or as heavy as a mountain. But the way he and Old Man Ke Wen interacted didn't belong to either of these categories; it was more like friends. Yi Ye found this way of interacting easy because he didn't know how to interact with a father, but he knew how to interact with elders. His experiences had introduced him to many older comrades, and he understood what worked best.

But Ke Wen Langley was not just an elder; he was his father, a man who, no matter how carefree and easygoing, would be deeply pained by his death. In the five years he chose to fake his death to complete his mission, the person he owed the most to was him.

"I'm sorry," Yi Ye showed remorse, not knowing how to make Old Man Ke Wen feel better. "Maybe you should just hit me."

"Hit you? You think I wouldn't dare, huh?" Ke Wen casually picked up a nearby bottle.

Before he could put his hand down, Bai Chuan suddenly knelt beside Yi Ye: "Mr. Langley, all of this is because of me."

Ke Wen, holding the bottle, stopped and said angrily, "I just scolded you! Don’t cover for your brother."

"It's not covering," Bai Chuan said calmly. "I selfishly trapped my brother, which is why he couldn't contact the outside world. He always wanted to see you, but because of me, it was delayed until now."

Ke Wen suddenly fell silent, staring at him with a strange expression. After a long while, he turned to look at Yi Ye: "...Is that so?"

"It’s not Xiao Bai’s fault; it’s my own issue." Yi Ye couldn’t push all the blame onto Bai Chuan and knelt down as well, speaking earnestly, "There were too many things to deal with at the time, and I hadn’t officially returned yet. If I were found out, it would stir up a lot of trouble. And at that time, I..." He didn’t finish the sentence, only saying, "I was scared that if I told you, you’d head straight to the main planet."

"Would me coming to the main planet get in your way?" Old Man Ke Wen immediately glared.

"Of course not! I was worried you’d get dragged into danger."

On top of worrying that Old Man Ke Wen might be put in danger because of him, Yi Ye didn’t want his father to see him with crippled legs. He had planned to inform his father after his rehabilitation, but unexpected events occurred later. The power plays on the main planet were messy, and he didn’t dare to let his father come here alone before everything was completely settled.

"..."

After hearing their explanations, Old Man Ke Wen’s anger cooled a bit, but letting them off the hook so easily would make him look weak. He sat back on the sofa seriously, his sharp eyes scanning the two, suddenly sensing something off.

"Bai Chuan, why’d you lock your brother up?"

Bai Chuan: "..."

Bai Chuan: "Because—"

"Because he was scared I’d run into trouble!" Yi Ye, fearing Bai Chuan might say something earth-shattering, immediately reached out to stop him, "Dad, you don’t know, I was in bad shape back then, the space pirates didn’t even give me food, I was like a limp vegetable, a stiff breeze could’ve knocked me over. The weather on the main planet was bad then, Bai Chuan was worried I’d get stir-crazy and wander out to catch a chill, so he kept me inside."

Old Man Ke Wen squinted: "Kept you inside?"

"..." Without changing his expression, "Locked, locked me."

A bunch of lies.

Old Man Ke Wen rolled his eyes: "Bai Chuan, I’ve raised you since you were a kid, you can’t lie to me."

"Mr. Langley’s always treated me well." Suddenly grabbed by the waist, Bai Chuan’s voice paused for a moment, a flash of amusement in his eyes, then continued in a low voice, "But what my brother said is right, that’s indeed the case."

That’s a load of crap too!

Not getting anywhere with these two, Old Man Ke Wen rubbed his temples in frustration, reaching out to grab a drink, only to find the bottle in his hand was already empty. Tsk, he put the bottle back. They’ve grown up, these two troublemakers aren’t as easy to manage as they used to be, and they even know how to conspire to lie in front of me. If you’re gonna lie, at least sell it better, you can’t even hide your little movements.

I must’ve done something terrible in a past life to end up with these two, one more headache than the other.

"Fine." Old Man Ke Wen resigned helplessly, "I’m stuck with you. Come here."

He opened his arms.

Yi Ye and Bai Chuan glanced at each other, wiped the dust off their knees, and stood up. Before they could get close, Old Man Ke Wen impatiently pulled them in.

The man smelled like a distillery, but at this moment, his warm, comforting presence was what stuck with them, his broad shoulders becoming a haven. Yi Ye and Bai Chuan had actually grown up, but in front of their father, they seemed to revert to being naughty children. They fell silent in unison, listening to Old Man Ke Wen’s low, hoarse breathing.

The father’s voice carried a slight hoarseness: "Just stay alive... as long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters."

"Dad, have you forgiven us?" Yi Ye asked cautiously.

"Otherwise! Should I grab a stick and whack you a few times? If word gets out, the next day I could be on the front page of political news under the headline 'Drunken Father Abuses Empire Hero'." Old Man Ke Wen let go, vigorously wiping his wet face, "Being in the news doesn’t pay the bills, I’m not doing the government’s work for free!"

Yi Ye chuckled, moved over to hug Old Man Ke Wen’s arm, "Dad, you’re still as straightforward as ever, it would be even better if you didn’t smell like alcohol."

"Cut the crap." Old Man Ke Wen pushed him away, kicked his butt to make him stand up, "I’ll be on the main planet these few days, whatever tricks you want to play, they have to pass my scrutiny."

Bai Chuan: "There are only two rooms here, there’s a five-star hotel nearby, do you need me to book a room for Mr. Langley?"

"Don’t waste that money, it’s better to save it to buy me some good wine. Two rooms are enough," then he kicked Yi Ye’s butt again, "You, sleep with me tonight."

Yi Ye rubbed his sore butt: "Okay."

Bai Chuan was silent for two seconds: "...Alright."

...

As evening approached, the sky darkened quickly.

The father and son pair sat on the sofa watching TV. There was no strong liquor at home, only the occasional wheat beer used for cooking, so Kewen Langley just grabbed a bottle and drank it like water, sipping while ordering Yi Ye to change the channel.

The regular channels were all broadcasting political news. With the empire's current turbulent situation, major news stories were coming one after another, which Kewen didn't enjoy watching. After browsing through several channels, he suddenly saw a page replaying footage from the military academy league, with the title prominently featuring "Yiye Langley."

"Let's watch this," he said with a wave of his hand. After selecting the channel, he pinned Yi Ye next to him, forcing him to watch along. Yi Ye felt extremely uncomfortable seeing his own face on the screen, so he turned his gaze toward the busy figure in the kitchen, using the excuse of helping to escape.

Old Man Ke Wen grabbed him by the ear, "With your cooking skills, you want to help? Are you trying to blow up my house again?"

"People can improve," Yi Ye said earnestly.

"Others might, but you?" Kewen sprayed him with a breath of alcohol and ruffled his black hair, "You're useless. Watching yourself show off is enough to kill you. Get lost, no touching the stove or the pots, got it?"

Yi Ye agreed repeatedly and went to the kitchen. Once the door closed, he leaned against it and exhaled. He couldn’t bear seeing his own face on the screen; although not ugly, seeing himself from a third-person perspective made him feel awkward.

"Xiao Bai, are you nearly done?" he walked over, looking at the fragrant stir-fry in the pan. Not hearing Bai Chuan's response, he tilted his head to look at him.

The young man calmly put the lid on the pot, "Almost."

"What’s wrong? You don’t seem too happy."

"I'm always like this."

Yi Ye rubbed his chin.

Something was off. He could now somewhat discern Bai Chuan's emotions. Bai Chuan usually had a "stay away from me, or I’ll freeze you" look with outsiders, which was normal. But now, his face seemed unhappy.

"Are you not happy that Old Man Ke Wen is here?"

Bai Chuan shook his head, "Mr. Langley coming to the main planet is a good thing. It's not because of that."

"Ha! You’re definitely unhappy," Yi Ye exclaimed triumphantly, having successfully coaxed the truth out of him.

Yi Ye waved his slender, pale fingers around, only to have them suddenly grabbed by Bai Chuan, who pulled him into his embrace.

Whoosh—

A faint scent wafted over him, not the cedar aroma Yi Ye usually associated with Bai Chuan, but the same shower gel they both used—a woody, cold fragrance with a hint of lemon's tartness.

Yi Ye tried to pull away, but Bai Chuan held him firmly. He lowered his head, like a worshipper seeking a deity, rubbing his nose against Yi Ye's, their breaths intertwining, creating an intimate atmosphere in the small kitchen. Outside, the TV in the living room played, and Yi Ye could make out his own voice, seemingly talking to Bai Chuan. For a moment, it felt like both outside and inside the kitchen were just him and Bai Chuan.

Yi Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he felt a bit embarrassed, whispering, "Why are you upset?"

Bai Chuan didn't kiss Yi Ye but slowly nuzzled his nose, "We only confirmed our relationship this morning, and now we have to sleep apart tonight. I'll miss you, brother."

"Don’t you think you’re being... too clingy?" Yi Ye said shyly. Bai Chuan’s words were too ambiguous.

"With Mr. Langley here, I know you’re happy, brother. But if you don't want to reveal our relationship, it means I'll have to hide for a long time and be apart from you. Don't you miss me?"

His breath brushed lightly against Yi Ye’s pale neck, causing a shiver to run through Yi Ye's skin. Yi Ye gritted his teeth, "Don't think everyone is like you. Old Man is right outside, be careful."

"But I’ll feel insecure," Bai Chuan suddenly lowered his head, exposing one of the most important parts for an Alpha—the gland—and guided Yi Ye's hand to touch it, "Next time, try marking me, brother."

"How can a Beta mark anyone?" Yi Ye looked at him as if he were speaking nonsense, "Even an Omega can't do that, right?"

"..."

"Then leave a bite mark, bite hard."

"..." He was confused, "Would that make you feel secure?"

"Yes." Bai Chuan nodded, "It would make me feel much more at ease."

That's so weird.

Yi Ye's hand was guided to touch Bai Chuan's gland, a sensitive spot, his finger pressing lightly, thinking how a bite mark was being compared to a dog leash.

Knock knock knock.

There was a sudden knock on the kitchen door.

"Why’s the kitchen door shut? Open up." Old Man Ke Wen’s impatient voice barked from outside.