Chapter 55: Unit Three (End)

Chapter 55 Unit Three (End)

Song Wuqing would experience countless summers in his lifetime, but only one remained etched in his memory.

That summer, he moved from a dilapidated urban village to a much better new home. His small company was finally on track for a bright future, and even his relationship with Jian Xun was steadily improving.

For Song Wuqing, those days felt almost too perfect—so much so that he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, a shiver of fear running through him, terrified it was all just a beautiful dream that would vanish upon waking. Back then, he greedily wished in his heart that this beautiful dream could last a little longer. If it could continue, he would be willing to exchange anything for it.

*

Perhaps his prayers worked, or maybe it was something else, but in the end, their outcome wasn’t like in his dreams.

Jian Xun’s temper improved significantly. Not only did they not separate, but Jian Xun was the one who initiated getting back together, and even… they had a baby…

Sui Sui’s arrival was truly an accident. Song Wuqing was shocked when he saw the result on the test strip, never imagining he could actually have a child with Jian Xun… Nor did he expect that after learning about the baby, Jian Xun would decide to marry him in under a minute.

At the time, the two were eating breakfast at a small shop. He never would have thought that soon they would be heading to the civil affairs bureau to get their marriage certificate.

*

“Hmm… what time is it now?” Jian Xun casually asked back then. After getting Song Wuqing’s answer, he followed up with a second question: “What time does the civil affairs bureau open?”

It was all too coincidental—so coincidental it couldn’t be more so. There happened to be a civil affairs bureau within three kilometers, and both of them had their IDs on them.

That day wasn’t a particularly meaningful holiday or a special date with a lucky homophone, so there weren’t many people there for marriage registration, and it was soon their turn.

When the staff saw that the two registering were both alphas, they seemed surprised and asked if they were sure.

Even when taking their marriage photo, since it was a spontaneous decision, they hadn’t prepared matching clothes in advance, nor did they do their makeup or hair—they just went as they were.

Song Wuqing remembers he felt like he was floating after getting the certificate that day, his legs weak and his head dizzy. Jian Xun even teased him: “How come getting married made you so silly?”

*

If he was silly on their wedding day, he was even more light-headed the first time he visited the Jian family.

He even spent that year’s New Year at the Jian family mansion.

He remembers the ancestral worship ceremony being so solemn and formal that he was nervous and trembling, worried he might do something wrong.

Jian Xun, however, quickly noticed his anxiety, lightly squeezed his palm, and quietly reassured him: “It’s fine.”

From the first to the third day of the New Year, the mansion was particularly bustling. Song Wuqing didn’t know any of the people there, but Jian Xun stayed almost always by his side. When they met immediate relatives, he would introduce them; when they encountered less important people, he would simply pull him away.

At night, they would lie side by side to sleep, fingers interlaced and palms pressed together. In the darkness, he heard Jian Xun say:

“We’re already married, and I’ve introduced you to my family. Now you’re part of my family too, so there’s no need to be so reserved. Starting tomorrow, even more people will come. To be honest, I might not even know many of them, but so what? It’s just a nod. Once you’ve seen more of this, it won’t feel like a big deal…”

When Jian Xun truly cared about someone, he became exceptionally gentle.

Including during the time when Song Wuqing was pregnant with Sui Sui.

In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, Jian Xun heard from somewhere that a partner’s pheromones could effectively soothe the expectant father’s emotions, so he often stayed by his side, occasionally giving him a little pheromone…

He was a very devoted husband, often taking time to accompany Song Wuqing on walks whenever he had a free moment. After returning home, he would press his ear to his belly to greet Sui Sui, tell him stories, and even sing songs.

Jian Xun sang on-key; his voice was very pleasant. Often, Song Wuqing would fall asleep listening to him. The next morning, Jian Xun would joke: “I sang for Sui Sui, but I ended up lulling you to sleep…”

*

The name Sui Sui was chosen by both of them together—it means “peace every year.” At first, they considered many very meaningful names, but in the end, they settled on Sui Sui.

They didn’t just choose the baby’s name together; they also picked out many things the unborn baby might need in the future—little aprons, clothes, shoes, socks, hats, and more.

At night, the two soon-to-be parents would guess who Sui Sui would resemble more after birth. Song Wuqing honestly said he hoped the baby would look more like Jian Xun…

Jian Xun said he didn’t mind either way—the baby could resemble him, but not too much, as he personally preferred quieter children.

Half a month before the due date, Song Wuqing stopped his work and stayed home awaiting childbirth. At that time, Jian Xun also took half a month off to stay home and accompany him.

Song Wuqing tried to persuade him that it wasn’t necessary, assuring him that he could take care of himself, but Jian Xun insisted on staying by his side, saying that if anything happened, he could quickly comfort him.

After giving birth to Sui Sui, the first person Song Wuqing saw when he came out of the operating room was Jian Xun. Seeing that he was doing well, Jian Xun clearly relaxed.

Jian Xun didn’t even look at the baby first; instead, he asked Song Wuqing how he was feeling. Song Wuqing shook his head: “I’m okay. With the anesthetic, I barely felt anything…”

*

Song Wuqing and Jian Xun held their wedding after Sui Sui was born. Since both were male alphas, neither wore a wedding dress; instead, they wore black and white suits.

In terms of the number of guests, it wasn’t very lavish. Most of the attendees were relatives from Jian Xun’s side—people Jian Xun himself didn’t know, though he didn’t need to.

At that time, almost all of his attention was on Jian Xun. He remembers the weather being quite nice that day, remembers they held a Western-style wedding, and after exchanging rings, they had to kiss in front of everyone.

After the wedding, Jian Xun accompanied Song Wuqing back to his hometown in Wenxi. Together, they cleaned up the weeds from the graves of his grandmother and parents and replaced the offerings.

He then stood quietly by, listening as Song Wuqing talked on and on about his recent life, changes in his relationship, and other things.

What exactly did Song Wuqing say back then? It’s been too long, and he can’t really remember anymore, but he does recall saying this: “Sui Sui is still young, so I didn’t bring him this time. When he’s a bit older, I’ll bring him to visit…”

*

Because of giving birth to Sui Sui, Song Wuqing has always had a very noticeable scar on his abdomen. Even though he later learned about many scar removal products and procedures, he could only barely make it a little lighter; he couldn’t completely erase it.

The first few months were probably when it was most noticeable. So, every time they were being intimate, Song Wuqing would try to cover it, but Jian Xun would push his hand away and kiss the scar: “It looks quite nice…”

Then, looking up and seeing Song Wuqing’s eyes inexplicably welling up, as if deeply moved.

Jian Xun felt a bit helpless, but thankfully, his past experience in relationships made him very adept at handling such situations, and he knew what to do.

One was intent on reassuring, and the other wasn’t too hung up on it anyway, so the matter soon passed. Among the things Jian Xun said at the time, one sentence stood out most in his memory:

“What’s centipede-like about it? It’s quite beautiful. You don’t have to think of it as a scar; you can think of it as a sign that Sui Sui came, like a unique tattoo. Besides… this spot, probably only I get to see it, right? Since I’m the only one who sees it, if I don’t mind, then it’s fine, isn’t it?”

*

Even without Sui Sui, the way Jian Xun treated Song Wuqing back then was incredibly gentle.

He used to play some rather harsh games, clearly just for thrill, doing pretty much whatever he wanted without allowing any opposition…

Then, at some point, he began asking his opinion first, and later… Jian Xun didn’t do those things anymore. Even if Song Wuqing suggested it, he would consider the impact on him.

*

He remembers when they had just transitioned from an underground relationship to a public one. Once, while they were eating out, Jian Xun’s phone suddenly received a message, and he naturally asked Song Wuqing to check it for him.

So he saw the message:

—[Master Jian, how’s it going? I heard you’ve recently taken an interest in alphas. I specially picked out a few for you. If you’re interested, I’ll send their profiles over later…]

Following that were quite a few photos, which Song Wuqing also saw—all sorts of alphas of different heights and types: sunny, energetic, youthful…

At that moment, Song Wuqing didn’t feel any particular emotion and just handed the phone back to Jian Xun.

“Who’s this?” Jian Xun only glanced at it. “Oh… him? Delete it. I forgot to earlier.”

He even said he isn’t interested in all alphas. And how did Song Wuqing feel at that time?

He can’t remember, but he imagines he was probably happy.

Jian Xun's attitude subtly conveyed to Song Wuqing that he was gradually becoming more attentive, no longer solely driven by physical urges as before...

*

It seemed the longer their relationship lasted, the less Jian Xun focused on that aspect—a phenomenon especially evident during their long-distance period.

Back then, Song Wuqing would count the days each week, looking forward to when he could see Jian Xun again. For him, it wasn’t a hardship at all but rather something sweet.

This sweetness wasn't just something that happened when they met; it accumulated bit by bit from the moment they planned to reunite. The anticipation and joy peaked as he traveled to see Jian Xun.

Only when he finally saw Jian Xun and embraced him for real were all the pent-up emotions released, bringing an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

Back then, Song Wuqing and Jian Xun didn't always need to do anything specific after meeting. Often, they simply held each other and slept, sharing bits and pieces of their daily lives...

Yet even so, Jian Xun later began seeking him out, sometimes planning little surprises.

Occasionally, he’d pretend he wasn’t coming, only to show up anyway, just to see Song Wuqing’s astonished expression.

*

Song Wuqing noticed that the longer they were together, the more sentimental Jian Xun became.

Who would’ve thought that the two of them, who once seemed to meet only for physical intimacy, would now be married with a child who could walk—and suddenly get shy when kissing, as if they were just starting to date...

Jian Xun: “I just smoked; my breath might smell.”

Song Wuqing: “I don’t mind…”

Whenever either of them traveled for work, they always brought back souvenirs for each other and for Suisui. This time was no exception—Jian Xun bought gifts for both Suisui and Song Wuqing.

Full-grown adults, yet they waited until the child was asleep to sneak out to play in the snow.

At the time, Song Wuqing took a twig and wrote both their names on the ground, drew a heart around them, and after a moment’s thought, added a tiny “Suisui” inside.

Jian Xun didn't think this was silly at all. After taking a careful look, he even complimented, “Your handwriting is quite nice,” and then took a photo with his phone.

*

As the night went on, the snow fell heavier. Jian Xun and Song Wuqing sat quietly on a bench, snow collecting on their hair, shoulders, and eyelashes. When their eyes met, Song Wuqing glanced sideways and saw Jian Xun’s snow-covered appearance—like a little old man…

He couldn’t help but laugh, and then… Jian Xun, who had been frozen like a statue, finally moved: “You moved first—you lose.”

What kind of married couple with a child still plays such a childish game? Song Wuqing nodded, then reached out to brush the snow off his clothes.

“It’s too cold; let’s not catch a cold. Let’s go back.”

By their feet were a few small snowmen they had built together. Song Wuqing wanted to bring them back, thinking they could just put them in the freezer.

Jian Xun thought it was a good idea too.

*

It was just a few steps from the entrance of their building…

Their eyes met in a sidelong glance, and with unspoken understanding, they drew closer, cupped each other’s faces, and kissed.

The snow falling around them was cold, but their lips were warm, their breaths warm.

Together, it gave them the feeling that winter wasn’t cold at all—but wonderfully warm.

*

Due to its geographical location, the heaviest snowfall in Yanyang only lasts a few days, and it was nearly over by the time Jian Xun returned.

Sure enough, the next day the snow had lightened significantly. By the time Jian Xun woke up, the snow downstairs had already been cleared.

After getting up, Suisui discovered the little snowballs in the freezer. He wasn’t as easily fooled as when he was younger—even telling him it was ice cream wouldn’t have worked.

Still, it was fine. He’d pout and be upset for a bit, then get over it on his own. By then, he could say a few words, though not very clearly—it was particularly charming.

During the meal, on impulse, Jian Xun even took the initiative to take the small bowl from the aunt's hand and feed Suisui himself.

"Aw, are you angry? Because we didn’t take you along? How about next time—no, not next time. How about after your physical next week, we go play at the ski resort, okay?"

Suisui probably couldn’t fully grasp everything Jian Xun was saying, only picking up the parts he wanted to hear, like: next time, go, snow, play.

Neither adult had any idea how the little one was interpreting it, only seeing him nod repeatedly, like his head was about to bounce right off.

*

Although Jian Xun always believed he was still himself, ever since Suisui was born, quite a few people had remarked that Jian Xun had changed his ways and become a good man...

Some netizens believed it, while others didn’t. Some thought he had genuinely settled down, while others insisted that a tiger can't change its stripes and it wouldn’t be long before he reverted to his old ways.

Seeing how heated the discussions were online, some tabloid reporters seemed to spot a gold mine. It’s too hard to catch those celebrities, but Jian Xun was different.

As if to validate the netizens’ speculations, several news stories about Jian Xun began surfacing online one after another. The wording in each article was more or less the same, all along the lines of "Jian Xun is back to his old tricks again," and so on...

At first glance, it did seem plausible. In two instances, someone was approaching Song Wuqing, and from the photos alone, Jian Xun appeared quite close to them in both action and proximity...

Combined with the captions,

it really did look like... he was cheating?

*

But in reality, that wasn’t the case at all. Those photos were mostly shot using forced perspective, and the captions were pure nonsense, practically making up stories based on the images.

In one instance, a young omega, probably visiting Yan Yang for the first time and feeling a bit timid, was just asking Jian Xun for directions. Jian Xun leaned in to take a closer look at the location in his hand and then pointed the way—nothing like what the pictures showed...

As for the other encounter, that one was indeed real. The other party was a good-looking young man, not very old, and you could tell from his scent, clearly an alpha.

The situation was that the young man seemed to be in a hurry for some reason and accidentally bumped into Jian Xun. After getting up, he stammered an apology and tried to get his contact info.

Jian Xun helped him up and asked gently if he was hurt. Perhaps his friendly attitude gave the young man the wrong idea, made him think he was getting somewhere?

But nothing happened between them afterward.

To put it another way, just as the young man thought something might develop between him and Jian Xun, Song Wuqing showed up.

So Jian Xun naturally took his partner’s hand and said, "Next time, do your research—I’m married. Of course, if you don’t mind, the three of us could grab a drink together..."

A few days after that incident, Jian Xun asked Song Wuqing why he had trusted him. Song Wuqing met his gaze directly and said, "No reason needed. The moment I looked into your eyes, I understood..."

The look in your eyes when you truly want to leave me is different from when you’re certain you won’t. Since that’s the case, why put on an act that only annoys people?

Most importantly...

Song Wuqing glanced at Jian Xun beside him, and almost the second he did, the other sensed his gaze and looked back.

"Hmm? What’s wrong?" Jian Xun asked. "Did you forget something?"

Song Wuqing shook his head. "No, I didn’t forget anything."

*

A few days later, those tabloids spreading false rumors disappeared overnight, along with the previous fake reports, disappearing without a trace.

Some time after that, during another interview, Jian Xun was asked about the incident. The question was essentially: since he used to sow wild oats so much, why had he suddenly changed now?

"Sexual desire and reproduction are indeed instinctual needs for animals..." Jian Xun said with a slight smirk at the corner of his lips, continuing unhurriedly under the host’s expectant look.

"But maybe it’s because I’m human. I’m not an animal. Only animals can’t control their primal instincts..."

The reactions from others at the time were pretty taken aback, since Jian Xun had a face that screamed player, yet here he was saying such things...

Honestly, given his past romantic history, it's hard to believe him. But then again, his behavior in recent years has been widely observed, and it does seem somewhat convincing.

In a way, Jian Xun has always believed that he hasn't changed—he feels that at his core, he is still the same person. It's just that he used to seek physical thrills, whereas now he has begun pursuing something warmer and more meaningful.

Some clueless online commenters have even speculated that he married Song Wuqing because of their child, but Jian Xun finds this interpretation way too simplistic and jump to conclusions.

Perhaps, at the time, that was part of the reason—after all, Suisui was here, and he needed a family. But while that may have been a factor, it certainly wasn’t the whole story.

It was only because Jian Xun already had some feelings for Song Wuqing back then that he agreed without hesitation.

Or perhaps even earlier, when Jian Xun agreed to engage in unprotected sex with Song Wuqing, he had already mentally accepted the potential consequences.

He had never been like that before. They were both adults, and some things didn’t need to be spelled out.

*

Because he married young and looks young for his age, Jian Xun has been mistaken countless times for Suisui’s older brother during parent-teacher conferences.

“You’re the father? You don’t look like it at all—you’re so young!” The new kindergarten teacher, meeting Jian Xun for the first time, looked surprised, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

But the next moment, Suisui broke free from the teacher’s hand and ran firmly toward Jian Xun, calling out “Daddy!” as he went, proving through his actions that this was indeed his parent.

Jian Xun knelt down, picked up his son, and gave him a kiss. “How was school today? Did you listen to the teacher?”

Suisui nodded. “Yes!” After answering, the little one glanced behind him as if looking for someone. “Where’s Daddy Ah Qing?”

Jian Xun nuzzled his nose against Suisui’s. “Did you forget? He told you yesterday—he’s working in the neighboring city today. What, is it not okay that I’m here? Oh, so you’re unhappy with me? Fine, I won’t come next time…”

With two dads in the picture, Suisui tells them apart by adding their names before “Daddy,” probably picking it up from hearing how they address each other.

“No, no…” Suisui gently patted Jian Xun’s hair like a little adult, as if comforting him. “I’m not unhappy with Daddy Ah Xun. I like Daddy Ah Xun too…”

After saying this, he solemnly planted a kiss on Jian Xun’s forehead, making Jian Xun’s heart melt. He then cupped his son’s face and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Holding his son with one arm, he used his free hand to pinch Suisui’s cheek. “Since Daddy Ah Qing isn’t here today, let’s sneak off to KFC and not tell him, okay?”

Suisui’s eyes lit up. He’s always loved the toys that come with the meals, but Song Wuqing rarely takes him.

Jian Xun could guess why—probably worried that if Suisui ate too much, he’d end up with a stomachache like Jian Xun often did.

“Yes, yes!!” Suisui was thrilled and hugged Jian Xun, kissing him again and declaring him his favorite.

Jian Xun laughed. “You’re quite the smooth talker for such a little guy. What will you be like when you grow up?”

He had already called the driver, who should be arriving soon. Just as he thought this, Jian Xun noticed a familiar car parked by the roadside. The driver got out and opened the door for him.

Jian Xun got into the car holding Suisui.

“Alright, let’s go home!”

*

On the day that strange system disappeared, Jian Xun asked one final question—a question he had thought it over again and again before voicing it.

“I remember when you first found me, you mentioned detecting some kind of emotional spike, right? Most people would assume it was my emotions that attracted you, and I did have some thoughts back then…”

“But the more I thought about it, the more something felt off…”

“Is it possible that the emotional spikes you referred to weren’t just mine, but also Song Wuqing’s? Am I right?”

The strange mechanical voice paused for a moment, as if searching its records, and soon it replied.

“Yes.”

In this rebirth, it wouldn’t have worked with just one person harboring strong emotions—the other had to have them too, even if just a little, even if they themselves weren’t fully aware…

“I see.”

Later, the system vanished, and Jian Xun could sense it was gone. At that time… Song Wuqing was sleeping soundly beside him. He turned over, and Jian Xun had to lean in close to hear him mumbling his name in his sleep…

Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten, marking the start of a new day. Just as the weather forecast had predicted a few days prior, it turned out to be a beautiful day…

Not only was the weather lovely, but it was also a Saturday. The two of them had promised Suisui the day before that they would go to the amusement park as a family and enjoy a spring outing together.

What should they wear? Maybe the matching family sets they’d bought earlier? Jian Xun wasn’t old to begin with, and his face didn’t show his age. If he dressed in slightly brighter colors, he could easily be mistaken for a college student.

Oh, right—he suddenly remembered that his mom had mentioned bringing Suisui over sometime. Maybe they could take Suisui to the Jian family home on Sunday? Yeah, that sounded good.

All these scattered thoughts ran through Jian Xun’s mind before he snuggled back under the covers in reality, holding his warm partner close.

It was like a ship that had weathered many storms finally finding a warm, comfortable harbor after a long journey across the vast sea. Is this feeling of security and satisfaction what happiness feels like?

He wasn’t sure, but it felt really nice.

[End of Unit 3]