Chapter 73

Chapter 73

When he learned that the Commander himself had arrived at the Research Center in person and insisted on forcibly taking away a high-priority monitored Replicant, Peng Zhongying, the project lead, felt a headache coming on.

He knew that no one could stop the man, so he had to go himself.

Finally managing to stop him downstairs, he saw the man holding a small child in one arm and felt a strong sense that something was off.

"Commander Yan, what is this..." Peng Zhongying pinched the bridge of his nose and went through the standard protocol.

But unexpectedly, despite his polite tone, Yan Zhuo immediately flew into a rage. "I'd like to ask you the same thing. What do you mean by acting in the name of the Alliance but breaking your promises?"

Peng Zhongying was completely baffled. "Could you be more specific?"

"My partner clearly registered here for custody and care of this child. You promised to give him a timely reply, but then you secretly transferred him to the Research Center without so much as a word!"

Peng Zhongying slowly caught on. "You mean Mr. Ruan?"

Yan Zhuo shot him a glare, his face practically shouting "Who else could it be?"

This question might have stumped anyone else, but luckily Peng Zhongying had been hands-on with every detail of the Research Center recently. After a moment's thought, he figured out the reason.

"This kind of Replicant, created from two people's genes, is indeed rare. They probably wanted to observe him for a longer period, so..."

Yan Zhuo gave a tight smile. "Lieutenant General Peng, can I take him away?"

He didn't want to listen to any more bureaucratic nonsense. Peng Zhongying sighed deeply. "Since you've given the order, why not just approve the paperwork yourself?"

"Fine."

Yan Zhuo nodded contentedly. But just as he was about to walk away, he belatedly caught on.

"What did you just say..."

Peng Zhongying nodded readily. "Yes, according to the tests, this special Replicant is, strictly speaking, very close to a real human... like a child born from the two of you. It's clearly a blend of both your genes. Whether it was a mistake in their busy work or intentional, at this point, that's the result."

He finished speaking, his expression turning somewhat subtle.

If it weren't for the fact that Ruan Yunchu had never been receptive to Yan Zhuo before, even he might have thought the two of them had made this child.

Yan Zhuo's expression changed several times, finally settling into deep thought.

He looked down at the sleeping little bundle in his arms, a swirl of emotions churning inside him. In the end, he set aside all those jumbled thoughts.

"Alright, I understand." He calmed down, and seeing the clear fatigue in Peng Zhongying's eyes, he offered a word of reassurance. "You've been working hard lately."

Peng Zhongying gave a bitter smile, clearly not used to this side of Yan Zhuo.

"It's the least I can do. Once this busy period is over, it'll be fine. Most of the other Replicants have already been placed."

"Mm." Yan Zhuo thought for a moment. "How's the old man been?"

He hadn't visited Peng Yun since the latter was arrested.

Peng Zhongying's expression remained normal. "He's fine. The sentence has basically been decided."

According to the rules, Peng Yun's crimes warranted the death penalty. But considering that he confessed everything afterward and showed genuine remorse, and also because Peng Zhongying had voluntarily accepted a demotion and a heap of thankless tasks that no one else wanted to take on in order to save his father's life, the higher-ups ultimately spared Peng Yun's life.

Old Man Peng had watched Yan Zhuo grow up. Yan Zhuo had stayed completely out of the matter to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Actually, Yan Zhuo had foreseen Peng Yun's final outcome, but seeing Peng Zhongying like this, he couldn't help feeling a pang of melancholy.

After a moment's deliberation, he said in a low voice, "After this incident, your future path will be much harder."

Peng Zhongying let out a soft sigh. "He's still my father. Being able to spare his life and let him spend his remaining years in peace... that's not a bad outcome."

"..."

Since it was a choice made willingly, Yan Zhuo said no more. As he passed by, he patted Peng Zhongying on the shoulder and strode toward the door.

The hovercraft, sensing his approach, automatically landed at the foot of the Alliance's main gate steps. Yan Zhuo carried the child down and, with one hand, opened his terminal screen. Seeing that the pinned message still had no notification, he felt a pang of disappointment. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted two figures approaching from a nearby flower bed.

He stopped, squinting slightly, and met Lin Zheng's gaze.

Behind Lin Zheng followed 502, holding a leather schoolbag and looking unhappy.

"Commander Yan." Lin Zheng stopped at the foot of the steps and gave a simple military salute.

Outside the Alliance gates, Yan Zhuo wasn't one to put on airs. He lifted his chin slightly. "What are you doing?"

Lin Zheng glanced back at the person behind him. "Today is the routine check-up for Replicants. I brought him in to get a checkup."

502 stared wide-eyed at Yan Zhuo and also greeted him. "Hello."

"Mm."

Lin Zheng's eyes fell on the child in Yan Zhuo's arms, his expression shifting unpredictably. "This is..."

Yan Zhuo cleared his throat and, with some pride, lifted the little one. "My son."

Lin Zheng: "You two..."

"Mm, the child of Yunchu and me." Yan Zhuo said it coyly.

"..." Lin Zheng stared at the kid, the more he looked, the more familiar it looked. "Impossible?"

Before Yan Zhuo could keep gloating, 502 interjected, "This is the little brother from the base! He's grown so much."

"Base?" Lin Zheng, who had never believed Yan Zhuo's nonsense, immediately put two and two together. "He's a Replicant."

502 nodded. "That's right."

Yan Zhuo's face darkened. Lin Zheng heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"I knew it was off."

Yan Zhuo added, "This child carries the genes of both of us. He is our son. In the future, when I file his birth certificate, it'll be under the Ruan family, listed as our biological child."

"..." Lin Zheng's expression tightened, barely restraining his displeasure. "Xiaochu won't agree. Do you really think he's that easygoing?"

Having known Ruan Yunchu for many years, Lin Zheng understood his old friend—and the person he had once loved for so many years—better than anyone. Ruan Yunchu came from an unhappy family, so he had no desire for a future or family, and hated unnecessary ties, let alone a living child.

Yan Zhuo looked at him with a half-smile, his dark eyes containing a hint of amusement but, under the sunlight, taking on an eerie chill.

"Lin Zheng, that's none of your concern. After all, no matter what, this is between the two of us."

He emphasized "the two of us" heavily, clearly making Lin Zheng know his place.

Before Lin Zheng could respond, he added pointedly, "Recently, we do have a lot to discuss, especially regarding the wedding ceremony. Once we set a date, I'll send you an invitation."

“How is that possible?”

The provocation in those words was too obvious. Lin Zheng’s suspicions gradually solidified. He hesitated, about to speak again, when the sound of a car came up behind him.

He turned to look and saw a silver-white hovercar slip into the only remaining gap in the doorway at a very sharp angle. The door opened, and a familiar figure appeared.

Ruan Yunchu was wearing a light white coat, with strands of hair falling across his cheek. As he got out of the car, his scarf gently fluttered, giving him an elegant, stunning look that was a departure from his usual style.

“Lin Zheng.”

Lin Zheng acknowledged with a grunt. 502 had already pounced over eagerly.

“Brother Yunchu!”

Ruan Yunchu stopped, allowed Lin Rong to take his arm, and ignoring the other two, he began chatting with him.

“I heard you have a name now?”

502 quickly nodded. “Big brother gave it to me. My name is Lin Rong now.”

“Lin Rong.” Ruan Yunchu repeated it, then smiled. “That sounds nice.”

Lin Rong was very happy to see him, chattering about what he’d just learned, and also about his new home and school. Finally, Lin Zheng couldn’t stand it anymore and reached out to pull him aside.

“Alright, we can talk about this later.”

Lin Rong listened to him and stood behind him without speaking, just staring intently at the little one being held in Yan Zhuo’s arms.

Lin Zheng glanced at Yan Zhuo, who was leaning against the car door. Although his feelings for Ruan Yunchu had faded a lot after repeated cold rejections, thinking of Yan Zhuo’s earlier arrogance and the subtle guilt he showed when he saw Ruan Yunchu, Lin Zheng couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.

He deliberately turned to Ruan Yunchu as he came up the steps. “Yunchu, I heard you’re planning a wedding. Are you going to ask me to be the best man?”

Ruan Yunchu paused slightly in his steps. When he looked up at him, there was no emotion in his calm eyes.

“Don’t you know?” Lin Zheng pretended not to notice the murderous glare from the side. “Commander Yan just told me that you’ve already chosen the wedding date.”

“……”

Ruan Yunchu glanced imperceptibly at Yan Zhuo, who had already placed the child in the car and was now standing with arms crossed, leaning against the door, his eyes unfocused.

With a soft laugh, he turned to Lin Zheng and spoke in a low voice.

“We’re just considering it.”

Lin Zheng was stunned, his surprise this time obvious.

Ruan Yunchu didn’t want to talk more, lest he reveal something, so he said, “I’ll let you know when it’s finalized.”

This time it was Lin Zheng who took a moment to respond. “Call me… to be the best man?”

Ruan Yunchu raised an eyebrow slightly, giving a “what else?” look. “Besides you, I don’t have a better friend.”

Those two words, “friend,” were simple to say, but for him, they held a different meaning.

Lin Zheng’s breathing grew heavy. Emotions surged within him, and for a moment his eyes stung, unsure if it was due to emotion or the last shred of lingering regret.

Suppressing the surging emotions, he nodded firmly. “Okay, if you call me, I’ll definitely come.”

Whenever Ruan Yunchu needed him, he never had any objections.

“……”

After hanging around the entrance for a bit, Lin Zheng finally took Lin Rong through the gate.

Before the two left, Lin Zheng gave Yan Zhuo a cold glare. Yan Zhuo rubbed his chin, somewhat displeased. “Young master, you’re already taken. Don’t go around flirting with others, okay?”

Ruan Yunchu walked to the car door, gave him a suspicious look as if not understanding what he meant, and simply reached out to push him aside.

“Where is he?”

Yan Zhuo moved aside. Seeing him lean down to look for the sleeping little baby in the back seat, a wave of jealousy washed over him.

“Young master, you rushed all the way here just because you were worried about him?”

Since Ruan Yunchu arrived, he had only paid attention to Lin Rong and even Lin Zheng, but hadn’t given Yan Zhuo a single proper glance.

“Otherwise? What’s there to worry about? You’re a grown man.”

Saying this, Ruan Yunchu leaned in and stared at the sleeping child for a moment. The child was leaning against the soft seat, snugly secured in the safety harness, his cheeks squished into a soft puff, looking very cute.

After confirming the child was fine, he straightened up to leave, but as he turned, he was caught in Yan Zhuo’s arms.

He didn’t intend to struggle, so he simply leaned against the car door and looked helplessly into Yan Zhuo’s insistent eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Yan Zhuo deliberately tilted his face and let out a couple of huffs, the implication was clear.

Ruan Yunchu: “……”

Time passed second by second. Yan Zhuo had fooled around enough and was about to take the initiative to steal a kiss, but the person in front of him suddenly leaned in.

A very light kiss landed on the corner of his mouth, a brief touch and then separation.

A flicker of discomfort crossed the omega’s handsome face. “Alright, let’s go home.”

Yan Zhuo instinctively licked his lips, then pressed against him like a lovesick fool, half pinning him against the car. “So, does this mean you agree to marry me, huh?”

Ruan Yunchu turned his head away, his brows slightly furrowed. “When did I say I agreed?”

“Just now in front of Lin Zheng, didn’t you say we were considering it?”

“……”

Yan Zhuo’s face showed that slightly hurt expression again. Ruan Yunchu frowned tightly at him, unable to speak for a while.

“Do you know what ‘considering’ means?”

“It means preparing, so it’s the same as agreeing.”

Ruan Yunchu’s tense expression instantly turned helpless. “What kind of twisted logic is that? I was just covering for you, and now I’m blamed for it?”

Yan Zhuo said awkwardly, “If we don’t hurry up and hold the wedding, Lin Zheng will expose my lie.”

“You…”

Ruan Yunchu wanted to call him ridiculous, but seeing the earnest urgency in his deep black eyes, he inexplicably felt a hint of pity.

Strangely enough, he felt that Yan Zhuo seemed to know exactly how to play that card; everything he did today left him with a bittersweet feeling.

After thinking for who knows how long, he sighed softly and raised a hand to touch Yan Zhuo's face.

"There's no need to compare yourself to others or be jealous of anyone else. Didn't we agree to take it step by step?"

He was rarely this patient and earnest. Yan Zhuo's Adam's apple moved up and down, and his voice turned low and hoarse. "Mm."

Ruan Yunchu withdrew his hand. "Let's go home. There's still a lot to do."

Before his hand could drop, Yan Zhuo caught it and placed it back on his own face. He didn't back away, exuding an intense aura but looking utterly pitiful.

"Then will we raise him together?"

Ruan Yunchu sighed. "What else did you think?"

"After we get married, can we live together?"

"..." Ruan Yunchu shifted, but remained pressed against him, feeling utterly awkward, his expression turned unreadable. "Are you some kind of pervert?"

Yan Zhuo: "Can we?"

"Yan Zhuo, this is the entrance of the Alliance Research Center. Do you want to make the news?"

"Can we?"

"..." Ruan Yunchu had had enough. Looking up, he saw someone passing nearby and could only mutter, "Fine, fine, fine. Just go home."

"Then when are we getting married?"

"You just won't stop..."

Before he could finish, the man in front of him suddenly pulled out a light silver ring. It was simple and beautiful, with a flowing luster on its side from the craftsmanship.

Ruan Yunchu's pupils contracted slightly, and as he sensed the man starting to kneel, he grasped that wrist.

"Yan Zhuo, you..."

"What? Even proposing isn't allowed." Yan Zhuo's eyes grew resentful again. "You can say no after I propose. You won't even give me a chance?"

He had prepared this for so long; at this moment, he didn't care if the timing was right.

"I've had this ready for a year. I was planning to find a formal occasion in a few days. Saying it now might be impulsive, but I really can't hold back anymore. Can you let me do this properly? That way, I'll get some practice for next time."

He looked utterly dejected. Ruan Yunchu glanced at him and simply snatched the ring right from him and put it on his own middle finger.

It fit perfectly, like it was made for him.

"Agreed. Can we go now?"

Yan Zhuo was in a daze, staring at him for a long time. Then he slowly pulled another ring from his pocket. "There's one for me too."

Ruan Yunchu took it quickly and slid it onto his finger.

"Alright, let's go home."

The whole thing went too smoothly.

Yan Zhuo was light-headed: "Am I dreaming? How come my baby is being so nice today?"

Strangely, when he used that affectionate term, Ruan Yunchu didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable.

His expression turned slightly unnatural as he looked to the side and murmured, "I just felt like saying yes."

A smile hid in Yan Zhuo's eyes. He didn't press further, he gently took the hand with the ring and lowered his head to kiss the band lightly.

"Someday I'll put a ring on that finger too."

Ruan Yunchu laughed softly but didn't pull his hand away.

"Can we go home now?"

"Right now." Yan Zhuo said, straightened up and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "A family of three—how sweet."

The car Ruan Yunchu had come in drove itself behind them. The two sat in the front seats, windows slightly down, breeze blowing.

Yan Zhuo switched on autopilot, reached over and took the hand with the ring. And for once, Ruan Yunchu didn't resist, as naturally as if this had always been their way.

The now-calm A-Star returned to its usual quiet. At the end of the broad avenue, a brilliant swath of sunlight poured down, warming them through the window like a soft, unreal dream.

But turning to look at the person beside him, everything felt so real.

As for that question, the answer already lay in both of their hearts.

The beast that once grew up under countless restraints willingly let itself be bound again by a relationship.

What but love could explain it?

— The End —