Afterwards, both AI children looked thoroughly chastised. Ketchup was teary while the stone-faced Bacon's tail was drooping.
"Wuwuwu! We're so sorry, Mommy! Ketchup and Bacon had been very bad kitty babies tonight and battled another hacker by ourselves! We, kitty babies, thought that we could handle the opponent but Ketchup and Bacon underestimated him. Meowuwuwu!"
"Bacon will train harder at Shadow Winds and become stronger so that it will be our turn to protect Mother next time."
Iris sighed but still smiled. "I'm not mad at the two of you. The way you coordinated with one another and focused on your own respective strengths while filling for the other's weakness is quite commendable. It was just that you ran into a tough opponent who's above your current level this time. Still, I'm pleased that you had the presence of mind to immediately run to me for help the moment you figured out that you're unable to defeat the opponent by yourselves. Let this be a learning experience for the two of you. You need to improve your teamwork."
"Aye aye, Mommy! The cute and not so mighty Ketchup will strive to become mighty again! Meow!"
"Bacon will do my best to become stronger and have the power to protect our whole family."
She reached the computer screen and rubbed her AI children's faces. At that moment, she wished that she could physically hug the two of them.
"I'll tweak your configurations in the following days and perform various simulations on how you can perform better in different scenarios similar to the hacking battle tonight. Let me also remind you that your first priority will always be your own safety. It's much more important that you're safe than victorious. Do you understand?"
"Aye aye, Mommy! Ketchup understands and will never forget forever and ever again! Meow!"
"Bacon understands, Mother. Also please forgive us for waking you up in the middle of the night. We know that you're having a difficult pregnancy and we didn't mean to disturb you."
Her heart melted hearing her AI son's sweet words.
"Where did you learn to speak so sweetly, Bacon?" she couldn't help but ask in wonder.
"He obviously inherited it from me, his dad," Jin Liwei's voice interrupted from behind her.
She turned her head to glance at her husband's serious expression and chuckled.
"Why are you laughing, wife? I'm just stating a fact."
"Alright, Bacon inherited it from you," Iris finally said to appease her husband who looked genuinely serious about his claim.
"En." Jin Liwei nodded, pleased that she agreed with him. "You look sleepy again, love. Let's return to bed now. Don't forget what the doctor said. You need to take this opportunity while we're on our honeymoon to relax and get lots of rest."
"I know, darling." Then she sighed before yawning. "But there are still a few things that I need to do after the hacking battle. First is to—"
Jin Liwei frowned.
"Please listen to Father, Mother," Bacon interrupted. "How about giving Big Sister Ketchup and me instructions and we'll do what needs to be done by ourselves?"
Ketchup started shaking her fluffy white butt in excitement. "Oh oh oh, yes, Mommy! Although Bacon and Ketchup aren't so mighty when battling other hackers above our level, we're still amazing in doing other tasks because we're Mommy and Daddy's super kitty babies! Ehehehe. Meow~"
Iris pursed her lips, a mixture of annoyance and amusement in her expression.
"Please rest now, Mother," Bacon insisted. "Look at Father's expression. He's frowning too much that it's not classy. He won't stop frowning until Mother goes back to sleep. Bacon heard from Uncle Dominic that frowning will age a person faster. I don't want Father to age faster and look like an old man when Mother still looks so young and beautiful."
Jin Liwei scowled at Bacon, his two-faced rascal of an AI son. "You little—"
"Alright, that's enough." Iris immediately mediated between the father and son while trying to do her best to stifle her laughter but failed. "Bacon was just joking, darling. Don't take the child's words too seriously. You're still very young and handsome."
He instantly felt better after hearing his wife's words. Then he glanced at the computer screen showing the two virtual cats, one white and the other black.
Ketchup had a bright smile on her cute, fluffy face. She was also trying to stifle her giggles. Her facial expressions lately were starting to resemble her mommy's more and more. Whenever she smiled, it was like looking at a cat version of Iris.
On the other hand, Bacon remained stone-faced like usual. His tail, however, was rotating like a helicopter's rotor blades, revealing the rascal's amusement at his own joke at the expense of his father.
Jin Liwei could only sigh. These two AI children were already a handful to raise, especially since he and his wife couldn't entrust them to babysitters like normal cat or human children. Then his eyes fell on his wife's still flat belly.
He had a strong feeling that the twins would also be a handful to raise, perhaps even more so than their older AI siblings. After all, they were already giving their mother so much trouble and they hadn't even come out yet. Just thinking about it was already making his head ache. Despite this worry, the strongest emotions that he felt right now at the thought of finally having his first flesh and blood human children with the woman he loved were joy, excitement, and pure, overflowing love.
With a soft smile on his face, he stood up and carried his wife directly to the bed without saying anything. She yelped but he pretended not to hear. The woman needed to sleep soon and that was final.