Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The lark was taken out of the golden cage by Lanxiu, who made a small nest for it with soft tissues. After drinking a little water, the little bird lay lying with its bottom in the air in the nest, looking listless. It didn't even have the energy to glance at its favorite little bean treats, showing that having its feathers cut was a huge blow to it.

Eliza explained that she had trimmed its feathers because of the hot weather, trying to keep it cool. Some dumbass on the internet told her that birds could have their feathers cut? That was just setting her up, wasn't it?

For the first time, Lanxiu lost his temper with Eliza. Although the robot had no feelings, his words were harsh. Eliza cried from being scolded. Fu Han had never seen Lanxiu so furious. He stood aside, not daring to speak up for Eliza.

The atmosphere in the house grew heavy with Lanxiu's mood.

All evening, Lanxiu sat on the sofa, staring unblinkingly at the little bird in its nest. Fu Han searched online and found out that long-throated silver-tailed tits are extremely hard to domesticate unless they are raised and tamed from hatching. Moreover, their low spirits can easily lead to starvation and death.

Although Fu Han thought Eliza had been too reckless this time, cutting off most of the lark's feathers, leaving the edges of its wings pink and translucent, which looked severe—after all, wings are to birds what legs are to humans. Without legs, humans can't walk; without wings, birds can't fly. And this little bird had been so energetic in the cage before.

But Lanxiu's reaction was too extreme, especially the way he looked at the lark.

It made Fu Han uneasy.

Fu Han sat beside Lanxiu, watching the little bird on the coffee table. Lanxiu glanced at him, his expression still blank but his tone gentle. "It's almost midnight. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the research institute to officially meet those people."

"When will you sleep?"

"Don't worry about me. You go ahead."

No smile, no cheeky goodnight kiss.

Fu Han didn't know what to say to comfort him. But since he had decided not to let Lanxiu treat him like a child anymore, he had to learn to be a real man, to become Lanxiu's support when he was hurt.

Fu Han stood up, suddenly pulled Lanxiu's head against his chest. It was a bit awkward since Lanxiu was much taller, even when they were both sitting.

"We're friends. If you're upset about something, tell me."

Lanxiu, with his head held by Fu Han, initially wanted to break free. It seemed like acting like a child.

But as he caught the faint scent of Fu Han, his long-tensed nerves suddenly relaxed, unexpectedly, like falling from a height onto a soft, fluffy cotton ball.

For the first time, he wanted to lean on someone.

He was the War God, but he could get tired too.

His arms, hanging by his sides, slowly wrapped around Fu Han's waist, and he buried his face deep in Fu Han's abdomen. Fu Han felt him tighten his hold, and instinctively hugged Lanxiu back even tighter. They held each other in front of the sofa in the living room. After who knows how long, the person in his arms let out a low, short groan, "Let go! I'm suffocating!"

"..."

Fu Han's ears reddened as he sat back down. Lanxiu, flushed all over, leaned back on the sofa, gasping for breath. He remembered that when he held his breath underwater in the military district, he could last up to fifteen minutes. Now, after just a few seconds, he couldn't manage? Had his stamina deteriorated from lack of training?

Ah, he must be getting old.

Once he caught his breath, Lanxiu turned to look at Fu Han. To his surprise, Fu Han was looking back at him. Their eyes met, and they both burst out laughing. For the first time since they met, they had spent time together so quietly, without quarrels or playful banter. Unexpectedly, this mode of interaction was surprisingly comforting, bringing their hearts closer than any previous contact.

Maybe this was true life—not turbulent waves, but a steady stream.

Lanxiu picked up the lark from the coffee table and handed it to Fu Han. Fu Han looked at the little bird, which remained still even when lifted, probably asleep.

Birds are usually so alert. It must be really used to humans.

Fu Han took it and gently rubbed the top of the lark's head with his fingertip. Lanxiu said, "Strange that it's not afraid of people, isn't it? Actually, this little one is the sixth generation raised by me. Its great-great-great-grandmother was the first I kept by my side."

Hearing this, Fu Han's finger paused as he stroked the lark.

Sixth generation?

The average lifespan of a lark is about ten years. With careful breeding, it could be extended to about fifteen years per generation. This one was the sixth generation, so about ninety years.

Ninety years.

That meant Lanxiu was about the same age as him now when he got the first one.

Lanxiu watched Fu Han's expression go from blank to stiff, and couldn't help but chuckle. What wild thoughts were going through that kid's head?

To avoid another cold war, Lanxiu clarified in advance, "Someone did give me this lark, but it's not who you're thinking of."

Fu Han blushed at that, wanting to retort, but thought better of it, fearing it would only make things worse.

"Then who?"

"That person's son. A very, very cute little boy with big round eyes, fluttering eyelashes, and dimples at the corners of his mouth." Lanxiu recalled, then suddenly paused as he looked at Fu Han. "He looked a lot like you."

Fu Han was listening intently when Lanxiu said that, and he rolled his eyes. "Why would that person's son look like me? It's been over a hundred years. I'm not even related to that person."

Lanxiu laughed. "I'm not joking. His facial features really did resemble yours. But the child had green eyes and silver hair. At first glance, he looked more like me."

Fu Han grew more uncomfortable as he listened. How could someone else's child resemble the two of them? It wasn't like they had a child together.

At this thought, Fu Han couldn't help but fantasize. If they ever had a child, it would probably be cute. Preferably a daughter, whether with silver hair and green eyes or black hair and black eyes, she would definitely be cuter than that child! After all, with two such excellent fathers, it would be impossible for her not to be adorable.

While he was lost in self-admiration, Lanxiu suddenly sighed.

"I wonder how that child is doing now. Is he married? Is he happy? Even if he's alive, he'd be a man in his nineties now. If I saw him, I wouldn't recognize him. Ah, forget it. Better not meet. The feeling of being apart but still thinking of each other is nice enough."

Hearing the loneliness and melancholy in Lanxiu's voice, Fu Han felt both sad and powerless. Time that had passed could never be retrieved. *When you were born, I was not yet born.* In the time when Fu Han didn't exist, Lanxiu had already planted deep emotional roots with that person, impossible to remove.

It was fate, but not yet fulfilled.

Lanxiu said he had forgotten, but if he truly loved so deeply, how could he forget?

Since he couldn't forget, he would bury and cover it with even more passionate and profound feelings, turning it into a true memory—only residing in the past, unable to interfere with the present, let alone participate in the future.

That future belonged only to him and Lanxiu.

No one else could interfere. Not even a dead man.

Fu Han held the lark in one hand and took Lanxiu's hand with the other. "Come on, let's go upstairs to sleep."

Sometimes, he thought, his heart was very ruthless. He showed no mercy to those who stood in his way. Lanxiu was the exact opposite—shining brightly even in the darkest places, as if no sun was needed wherever he was.

Maybe Lanxiu himself was the sun. But Fu Han was a petty villain, wanting to monopolize the entire sun.

When Lanxiu was lying in bed and Fu Han hugged him, he was a bit surprised. In the past, even a slight touch would make Fu Han jump up and punch him several times. Hugging while sleeping was unimaginable.

The kid being so warm made Lanxiu feel at a loss. He tried to move Fu Han's arm away. "You don't need to comfort me. I'm not that fragile."

Fu Han was annoyed by Lanxiu's tendency to overthink everything. He frowned. "Who's comforting you!"

Then the arm that had been pulled away immediately returned to its original position, and the hug tightened.

Commander Lanxiu, caught in a bear hug, felt a bit restless. His chest was tight, and his head was dizzy...

In the middle of summer, Baiyao Capital is naturally hotter than Noah City. Although there is a temperature control device in the bedroom, two men hugging still made them unbearably hot—after all, men’s body temperatures are already high, and doubling that only made it worse.

Before long, the two of them were drenched in sweat, sticking to each other. Their pajamas clung to their skin, and every breath was torture. After pretending to be dead for a while, Fu Han finally surrendered. He shot up from the bed and headed for the bathroom.

“I’ll go with you.”

Lan Xiu followed naturally, but as soon as Fu Han entered, he locked the door without even asking.

Staring at the light glowing through the frosted glass, Lan Xiu knocked helplessly on the door. “If you can accept sleeping with me, what’s the harm in showering together?” Besides, there were two shower heads inside—if he felt shy, he could just turn his back.

Inside the bathroom, Fu Han, leaning against the door, swiftly took off his clothes. He glanced helplessly at his own body, which looked like tofu—all skin and bones. As soon as he hit the hot steam, his whole body began to visibly flush red. It was as ugly as a drowned rat.

Although he had some muscle from regular school sports, it paled in comparison to Lan Xiu’s military physique. Back at school, there were boys who looked down on him and called him effeminate behind his back, asking if he was a ladyboy without a dick. But back then, Fu Han could shrug it off and, together with Zhou Yunxuan, beat up those foul-mouthed bullies. However, when it came to being completely exposed before Lan Xiu, he just didn’t have the guts.

So thin and frail—he really needed to practice more when he had time.

When Fu Han came out wrapped in a towel, he saw that Lan Xiu had already showered in the adjacent bathroom and was lying face down on the bed. His hair was still wet, and the pillow beneath his head was soaked. His silver strands hung over the edge of the bed, dripping water onto the floor.

Fu Han sighed, grabbed a dry towel, and carefully wrapped it around Lan Xiu’s hair and dabbed it a few times to absorb most of the moisture. He gently placed the towel beside the pillow.

Ever since he started sleeping with Lan Xiu, Fu Han had noticed that almost every morning, Lan Xiu would end up lying on his own hair. Fortunately, his hair was as tough as its owner and didn’t end up all over the room—otherwise Eliza would have her work cut out for her.

Why does a guy keep his hair this long? It looked nice, but it was inconvenient during military training. And washing it took forever to dry, such a hassle.

Though curious about the reason, Fu Han never asked Lan Xiu. He feared it might be related to that person again—asking would just upset him, so he pretended not to notice.

After tidying everything up, Fu Han lifted the covers and lay back in bed, but this time he didn’t cling to Lan Xiu. There was about thirty centimeters of space between them—close enough but not too close.

However, not long after turning off the bedside lamp, Fu Han felt a human-shaped heat source move closer. An arm reached around from behind and wrapped around his shoulder. Fu Han’s heart stirred, and then he heard a faint murmur by his ear.

“Fu Han, don’t be angry. I won’t touch you anymore, okay?”

The arm tightened, pulling Fu Han closer until his chest pressed against his back. Fu Han turned his head nervously, but didn’t see those green eyes.

It was just sleep-talking.

He said one thing but did another. Hmph, as expected, all men are dogs—except himself. With a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, Fu Han soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when he woke up, the space beside him was empty. Fu Han’s eyes flew open, and he sat up abruptly. Wasn’t he supposed to take him to the research institute today to formally meet everyone? Why did he leave without him?

Fuming, Fu Han silently imagined sticking pins in a voodoo doll of Lan Xiu as he changed clothes. When he came downstairs, he saw Lan Xiu standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, calmly watering the flowers and feeding the birds. The bright sunlight outside was split into countless diamond shapes by the window frame, casting patterns on the floor. The wisteria climbing along the trellis had almost enveloped the largest birdcage.

Apart from Lan Xiu’s most treasured little lark, the house also housed many other species of birds. They were colorful, but surprisingly quiet—rarely noisy. Most were parrots, eleven of them in total. Anyone else raising parrots would hope they’d learn a few words to keep them company, but Lan Xiu never taught them to speak. He even forbade Fu Han and Eliza from coaxing them into imitating human speech.

That was rather puzzling. Lan Xiu said he kept them only to keep the little lark company. Birds had their own language; forcing them to learn human speech was just overkill, like drawing legs on a snake, satisfying human vanity.

When Fu Han came downstairs and saw that only one plate of food was set on the table, he wasn’t sure whether Lan Xiu had already eaten or didn’t need to. He picked up a glass of milk and took a sip. “Why didn’t you wake me up when you got up?”

“You were sleeping so soundly. Why would I wake you?” Lan Xiu glanced at the time. “Still thirty minutes left. Eat slowly, you’ll make it.” As he spoke, he tossed a peanut into the parrot cage.

They played this game often, so every bird caught it skillfully—except for that chubby little one. Spoiled rotten, it wouldn’t even touch a peanut when held right to its beak.

Looking at the salad of broccoli and carrots on the table, Fu Han lost his appetite. He drank a bowl of oatmeal and just went through the motions with a couple of spoonfuls before stopping. He walked over to Lan Xiu, straightened his collar, and said, “I’m full.”

Lan Xiu put the peanut back into the bowl, glanced at the half-eaten plate on the coffee table, and gave a knowing look. He pointed at the picky kid. “Keep being picky—you’ll cry later.”

Fu Han didn’t care. He had already drunk milk and oatmeal, so he was about seventy to eighty percent full.

What are you grinning for, out of nowhere?

Are the people at the research institute really that scary? But didn't Lanxiu promise me before that they wouldn't do anything to me?

Then what other reason could there be?

The more Fu Han thought about it, the more uneasy he became. After all, starting today, Lanxiu would be his commanding officer and boss.

At home, he could mess around and do whatever he wanted, but once at the research institute, it would be a completely different story. Even if it was Lanxiu's own property, it was still built on military district land, a federal military institution. Fooling around in the military would be practically asking to get yourself killed.

Even though Lanxiu told him to relax and that everyone there was on their side, Fu Han knew what really mattered. Once there, he was a soldier—even if he hadn't passed the enlistment exam and was just a temporary field worker, he still had to hold himself to the strictest military standards.

Thinking about how he was about to be at someone else's beck and call, Fu Han chugged two gulps of water and glared back at him. "What are you staring and grinning at?"

Can't I be happy for my new employee?

Fu Han knew he wasn't telling the truth. "Happy for me? I bet you're plotting something nasty. If you dare screw me over later, when I get home, I'll let all your birds out of their cages."

Lanxiu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Fu Han to threaten him with that. He immediately burst out laughing. "Go ahead and let them out. We'll see who's crying then."

When he visited the research institute last time, many people had already heard the rumor that Commander Lanxiu was going to install his breeder in the institute. Although it was just as a low-level technician, it still pissed a lot of people off.

Everyone in the industry knew that the 16th Military Region's research institute was the top weapons manufacturing facility on Bai Yao Star. From blueprint design and R&D to production and sales, it was one of the very few of its kind across the entire star system.

It was obvious how difficult it was to get a job at the institute. You needed top-tier research skills plus a soldier's grit and character. But Fu Han? He hadn't passed any level exams, didn't even have a high school diploma, and yet he could land a position at the institute just because he was Lanxiu's breeder. If that's not pulling strings, what is?

So all that high-level knowledge and research ability meant nothing compared to a belly that could bear children?

It was an insult to science itself.

What was Commander Lanxiu thinking?

But since the commander had spoken, no matter how much they despised it, they wouldn't dare go too far right under his nose. They had all gotten to where they were today, and they knew that acting on impulse wouldn't solve anything. They had to make the commander himself realize that this breeder was completely useless except for popping out kids.

When they entered the research lab, Lanxiu deliberately slowed his pace so Fu Han could stand by his side instead of following behind him.

After Lanxiu introduced Fu Han to everyone, they all clapped enthusiastically and expressed how welcome this fresh blood was. A few of the more tactful ones even pulled Fu Han aside to ask how he was doing, acting like they'd just been reunited with a long-lost child. It made Fu Han a bit embarrassed.

Lanxiu specifically asked two veteran employees to look after Fu Han. These two had been with him for years, and their character was trustworthy.

They nodded eagerly. "Of course, of course. Little Fu is such a good kid, we both like him."

Lanxiu felt reassured and nodded at Fu Han. "Then stay here and learn from them. If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask. You're new, so there's nothing to be ashamed of if you don't know much."

"Yes, Commander."

Lanxiu was caught off guard by the title. He had been called "Commander" for years, but this time it felt strange. Still, with so many people around, calling him "Commander" seemed correct. Any other title would have been inappropriate.

Fu Han also thought the lab's atmosphere seemed pretty good, much better than he had expected. But as soon as Lanxiu left, the same people who had been so warm just moments before instantly turned cold, turning around and going back to their own work, as if they'd just wrapped a movie shoot. Fu Han stood there dumbfounded, completely lost.

His gut feeling had been right.

But since he was here, he couldn't just stand around. Fu Han followed one of the veteran employees Lanxiu had assigned to guide him, wanting to see what they were doing and help out if he could. He made a point to stand where he wouldn't get in the way, but he still got stepped on a few times by the "busy" employees, and his shoulder was knocked hard enough to hurt.

Wells, carrying a reagent bottle, brushed past him and shot him an impatient glare. "There's plenty of room—why do you have to squeeze in here and block everyone?" With that, he slammed the bottle onto the workbench with a clatter, as if Fu Han was the reason he couldn't get any results.

Looking at the mess on the workbench, Fu Han was dumbfounded.

Plenty of room?

Aside from the several large machines and scattered workstations in the lab, the only "empty space" would be outside the door.

Fu Han figured it out: just now, with Lanxiu present, these people were grudgingly going through the motions; now their true colors were showing.

He had to admit they were quite clever—no overt bullying, just pretending to be busy and giving him the cold shoulder. They must have calculated that even if he went to Lanxiu to complain, they wouldn't be punished, and it would just brand him as a tattletale.

How laughable—only elementary school kids tattle on each other. Besides, he'd always been the one who got tattled on.

Since they wanted to play, he'd play along.

Fu Han scoffed, pulled a random chair out from under the workstation, and sat right in the middle of the lab.

Author's note:

Thank you all so much for your support! I will keep working hard!