Lu XingCi finished his exercise book with four minutes to spare.

Not long after, the students who were using their mobile phones to look up the answers were also done with their chapter. They took photos of their exercise books and sent them into the class’ discussion group to share their answers. The atmosphere among them was quite enjoyable.

When the chemistry teacher had come out, he saw the exercise books laid out neatly on the ground. His gaze first went to Lu XingCi before moving onto the rest, “All done?”

The students nodded, and the chemistry teacher got them to send someone along with the class representative to carry the exercise books to the teacher’s office.

“If most of the answers are correct, I’ll take it that you guys have studied properly and let what happened earlier go. If there are too many mistakes, the knowledge points you guys need to copy will still need to be copied.”

A few female students hurriedly said, “Thank you teacher!”

“Go on in,” the teacher said. “There won’t be a next time. If you guys want to skip class again, just don’t do it when it’s my lesson.”

Inside the classroom.

Song Yi opened the bottle of water on his table and took a big gulp. Duan JIaYan was initially looking for his powerbank when he heard Song Yi exclaim, “I think our class monitor is really not bad.”

Without raising his head, Duan JiaYan, “Didn’t you always think he was not bad?”

“That’s different. Previously I was looking through the lens of a fan. With his capabilities, along with his charismatic aura, I was purely admiring him as a male god. But after what has happened, I really feel that his personality is pretty good after all.”

Duan JiaYan didn’t respond to that.

“Dude, you still don’t like him?”

Song Yi turned his head and saw that Duan JiaYan had found his powerbank. He charged his phone and as if remembering something, lazily pursed his bottom lip.

Song Yi heard Duan JiaYan ambiguously saying, “It’s just like that.”

*

When Lu XingCi returned home on Friday night, Jiang Yao was just done playing mahjong with a group of rich taitais and was just directing the family’s auntie to clean up the table. 

When they saw Lu XingCi, some commented, “Lu XingCi is so tall now?”

“This child grew up well, just like his mother.”

“His grades are good as well right? I heard our family’s Yuan Yuan say Lu XingCi got first place during the entrance exam,” one of the taitai said with a bright smile. She was part envious but still genuinely asked, “How did you teach him to be so good?”

“I didn’t teach anything,” Jiang Yao said genially. “He has been this sensible since young.”

Jiang Yao has always been healthy, with a pretty face. Apart from a few wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, she did not look like other women her age at all. 

After sending away her friends, Jiang Yao walked up to Lu XingCi and smelt the faint scent on tobacco on him and paused, “DId you smoke?”

“I went to the cybercafe for a while,” Lu XingCi said. “I didn’t smoke.”

Jiang Yao gave an ‘en’ in reply, “Your grandma fell down yesterday and is now in staying in the Nan Shan hospital.”

Lu XingCi was slightly startled, “Is it serious?”

“No it’s not, I just paid her a visit today. She was in pretty high spirits and will probably be discharged by this weekend,” Jiang Yao also helped to convey his grandma’s wishes, “She said she misses you. If you have time, why not go to Nan Shan and pay her a visit.”

Lu XingCi replied, “Then I will visit her tomorrow.”

“Want me to accompany you?”

“No need. Don’t you have something on tomorrow? I can spend a little more time talking to grandma.”

He had just put down his bag when he saw Jiang Yao looking at him with a huge smile, “Is there any interesting news in your school?”

Lu XingCi chuckled, “I don’t think so. What counts as interesting?”

With how casually he replied, Jiang Yao knew that the gossip she heard before were all nonsense. After relaxing her spirits, she also started joking around, “Perhaps, have you met any pretty Omegas in your school?”

She was originally just casually asking. Since he was young, Lu XingCi has never shown interest in any Omegas around him but this time, she saw Lu XingCi not answering her question.

A little curious, she squinted at him, “There’s really an Omega you find pretty?”

A figure suddenly flashed across his mind and Lu XingCi answered ambiguously, “I guess.”

A few days ago, the person was not even considered an Omega.

Yet Jiang Yao immediately got excited by his response, “If you find someone pretty, you should get to know them more. When your dad was chasing me, if it wasn’t for how persistent he was, meeting me everyday…”

Lu XingCi wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry. All he said was that he found someone pretty, and look where the conversation has headed.

Seeing his mother go even further off tangent, he quickly found an excuse to leave, “I’ll go take a shower.”

Jiang Yao was not done talking but she could only let him go. 

Saturday at the Nan Shan hospital.

Duan JiaYan had accompanied Fu Yuan to the hospital to visit He YunShen. Fu Yuan and He Cheng might be married but due to their jobs, the couple did not have much time to spend together, till recently when He Cheng brought He YunShen to Ning City.

Fu Yuan is a twice married Omega. According to the doctor, a big reason why He YunShen’s body has always been frail is because Fu Yuan has removed her mark once before. Because of that, Fu Yuan has always felt guilt towards her youngest son.

He Cheng and Fu Yuan had suddenly stuff to settle and left He YunSheng under Duan JiaYan’s care for a while. As the little kid was making a fuss about going outside to play, Duan JiaYan had little choice but to wheel him out to the hospital’s garden.

“Big brother, I want to drink coke.”

“No, professionals never drink coke.”

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that, it won’t work,” Duan JiaYan squatted down and lazily looked at the kid in front of him. “Your brother has a heart made of stone.”

“……” He YunSheng pouted and miserably tugged at the corner of his shirt.

Duan JiaYan looked at him for ten more seconds before giving in.

“I’ll go get it for you but only the warm one, and you can only take one sip,” Duan JIaYan looked at him with a finger raised. “If you drink any more than that, your dad will get upset and will smack your butt tonight, got it?”

“Got it,” He YunSheng happily exclaimed. “Big brother is the best!”

Duan JIaYan was actually quite pleased with the praise and as he was about to stand up and leave, he heard a voice laughing.

Turning around, he saw Lu XingCi standing by the opposite side of the flower bed they were at.

Duan JiaYan thought that Lu XingCi was laughing at the way he coaxed the little kid and frowned, “What’re you doing here?”

“To see my grandmother, she was admitted into the hospital two days ago,” Lu XingCi came forward to where they were. “This is your brother?”

Duan JiaYan suddenly remembered listening to Fu Yuan complain on their way to the hospital that Nan Shan hospital seemed to have taken in some important guest the day before. The hospital’s director had even personally attended to them, and even wanted to clear the entire fifteenth level for them. Fortunately the patient did not want to make a big deal out of it, or else He YunSheng would have to change his ward.

It seems that the important guest was actually Lu XingCi’s grandmother.

There was a vending machine close by. Duan JiaYan said with a nod, “Can you help me look after him for a bit? I’m just going to buy a bottle of coke and will be back soon.”

After hearing Lu XingCi agree, Duan JiaYan turned and left. After he was gone, Lu XingCi quietly asked, “Duan JiaYan is your elder brother?”

He YunSheng nodded cutely and Lu XingCi turned to look thoughtfully at the little boy’s face.

Duan JiaYan came back not long later, a bottle of warm coke in his hands, already opened.

He repeated once again that He YunSheng was only allowed to take one sip and He YunSheng listened to his words, only taking one shallow sip.

When the two of them were together, the difference in their looks were all the more apparent.  The two brothers looked nothing alike. Duan JiaYan’s face was extremely pretty whereas He YunSheng looked delicate and pale, with pretty average looking features.

“I’ll send you up?” Duan JIaYan took a quick look at his mobile phone, Fu Yuan had just sent him a text message. “Your dad is on his way back. He is asking where are you guys.”

“Big brother are you staying for lunch?”

“No it’s okay. I’ll…” noticing the look of disappointment on He YunSheng’s face, Duan JiaYan turned to Lu XingCi. A moment of inspiration struck him. He has found an excuse. “I’ll be going to hang out with my classmate, so I can’t join you for lunch.”

Lu XingCi seemed to understand the relationship between the two brothers. After seeing how Duan JIaYan conveniently used him as an excuse, he decided to play along by giving confirming his statement.

He YunSheng said, “Then when big brother is on holiday next week, will you be able to play with me?”

Duan JIaYan honestly replied, “Most probably not.”

He YunSheng seemed to have realised something and quietly said, “Dad said that he bought a big house near your school. Once I’m discharged let’s all move in? Then we can have a meal together.”

Duan JiaYan hesitated for a moment, “Big brother might be moving to stay in the school’s dorm from next month onwards, so I can’t stay with you. You know how high school students are right? Their workloads can be very big…”

He YunSheng this little brat is very sharp and Duan JiaYan is afraid that he’ll realise something is wrong so he quickly roped in Lu XingCi again as a scapegoat. “You can ask my classmate. We are drowning in books and homework every day, we don’t even have time to go to the washroom right?”

Lu XingCi noted how he’s even dragged in his homework, and couldn’t help laughing, “Yes, your brother is very diligent in studying.”

Who would have thought after saying that, He YunSheng took one look at him, and then turned to look at Duan JiaYan. His eyes were starting to water up.

This little kid has always been a little sensitive, and could tell Duan JiaYan’s rejection towards him.

Duan JiaYan looked at his expression and froze, before thinking of how to coax him, “Don’t cry, I’m not putting my studies above you… Actually I really want to stay with you too… Don’t cry,  don’t cry, okay?”

He YunSheng was never one to cry and make a fuss so Duan JiaYan had no idea how to coax him. He did not have much experience in the matter as well. Seeing how Duan JiaYan was talking to him so nicely, He YunSheng couldn’t control his emotions and ended up crying for real.

Duan JiaYan was caught off guard and really had no clue why his coaxing caused the kid to cry for real. He thought about how He Cheng was reaching in any minute. If he came and saw He YunSheng crying, Duan JiaYan was not sure what he’ll assume.

Without a clue on what to do, he could only turn to Lu XingCi for help.

Though Lu XingCi had not much clue on how to coax someone, he did have little cousins in his home. After pausing for a bit, he gently rubbed the top of He YunSheng’s head, “Be good, don’t cry.”

He YunSheng started crying even louder.

Duan JiaYan, “!!!!!!”

Duan JiaYan was about to explode, “Lu XingCi do you know what you’re doing? He’s crying even louder this time.”

Lu XingCi, “……”

Lu XingCi suddenly thought of something. He was reminded of Duan JiaYan questioning him testily just now and smirked.

He suddenly asked, “There is a way but I’m not sure if it’ll work. If I can get him to stop crying…”

Duan JiaYan was dizzy from He YunSheng’s crying and hurriedly said, “If you can gt him to stop crying, I’ll call you father.”

After the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them a little but Lu XingCi only raised his head to look at him, softly saying, “You said it.”

He kneeled down, now on the same eye level as He YunSheng, and started whispering into the little kid’s ear as if he was sharing some top secret information.

He YunSheng paused and immediately raised his head, his teary eyes looking at Duan JIaYan. After looking for a while, it seemed like the tears in his eyes were being sucked back forcefully.

Duan JiaYan looked in disbelief at Lu XingCi. Right when he was about to ask what black magic did he perform, he heard the sound of footsteps running towards them. 

They turned out to be from He Cheng and he called out, “Uncle He.”

“The doctor already said that he should not be touching junk food like these…” He Cheng took the bottle of coke from He YunSheng’s hand. He glanced at Lu XingCi and seeing as how there was an outsider around, whispered to Duan JiaYan, “He’s young and ignorant, but why are you playing around with him?”

Duan JiaYan was startled, “I’m sorry.”

He Cheng heard his apology and was surprised.

He YunSheng noticed the tense atmosphere and interrupted, “It’s not like that dad. I was the one who wanted to drink the coke.”

He Cheng noticed Duan JiaYan’s downcast eyes and explained, “I’m not blaming you but the doctor has already said that drinking such things will negatively affect his health. Normally I don’t even let him touch these things. I was too hasty…”

Duan JiaYan nodded his head.

The atmosphere got a little awkward.

He Cheng asked, “I heard from your mom, you won’t be staying for dinner?”

“No, I’ll be going out to play with my classmate. Uncle He, you can bring YunSheng up first.”

“Then have fun, and stay safe.”

Duan JiaYan nodded his head in response.

As they were leaving, the wheelchair-bound He YunSheng turned around a few times to look at them. Only after the father-son pair were gone did the expression of Duan JiaYan’s face slowly change.

It had gone back to his usual lackadaisical expression. Seeing Lu XingCi looking at him, Duan JiaYan lazily raised an eyebrow, and casually asked, “What did you say to him just now? It was pretty effective, it got him to stop crying immediately.”

Lu XingCi seemed to be studying his face for a moment before narrowing his eyes, his words seem to carry a hint of something unknown. 

“I told him that if he kept crying, his brother will also start crying along with him.”

“……” Duan JiaYan never would have thought of such an idea.

“And afterwards he stopped immediately. He sure is sensible,” Lu XingCi seemed to have remembered something and added. “What about you? Isn’t there something you should be doing?”

“What?”

Seeing as how he intended to pretend to have forgotten what he had promised earlier, Lu XingCi magnanimously decided to help Duan JiaYan by giving him two options, “Do you want to call me daddy or father?”

Duan JiaYan thought in his heart, “I’d rather kill you.”

“I feel…”

“I feel that you won’t be the kind to go back on your words,” Lu XingCi said preemptively. “Right?”

Duan JiaYan felt that the hat Lu XingCi has made him wear was a dangerous one and decided that it was better to not go back on his words. 

But calling someone father like this, Duan JiaYan felt like he was making a loss. Under the other’s gaze, Duan JiaYan could only tell himself that it was just a greeting, just one greeting and it will be over.

One emotionless greeting.

That’s it!

“……er,” Duan JiaYan opened his mouth and realised nothing was coming out.

He could feel his face burning up.

Lu XingCi got a little closer, his gaze not moving away from Duan JiaYan.

He was already taller than him, with his steadfast gaze mixed with the cold and clean Alpha scent on his body, there was a clear feeling of a threat that formed. (TN: Basically LXC is unknowingly making DJY want to submit as an Omega)

He said, “Say it.”

Duan JiaYan quietly murmured, “Father.”

“Did you say it? I didn’t hear anything,” Lu XingCi said, lifting his eyes. “Louder.”

Duan JiaYan’s temper exploded, “……Father! Fa! Ther! Lu! Father did you hear that?”

“Yes I heard it,” Seeing how energetic he was, Lu XingCi couldn’t help smiling. “Call me one more time, I want to record it.”

Author notes: He (DJY) has yet to become Lu-ge’s wife but he’s already his son.

T/N: I’m so so sorry for the long break ;;; I’ve no excuse other than work and life just swallowed me whole and only spat me out this week. ;;;

But I am a lot more free to do translations now so I’ll be going back to a weekly schedule! Yay! \;;w;;/

Also I am not over LXC constantly thinking about how pretty DJY is hahaha and that last bit, Lu XingCi you must be very happy :^)

Also I wish everyone here a (very belated) happy new year and to all who celebrate it, a very happy lunar new year!