Carlo and Klaire returned to the capital planet the next day. Although they had a long summer break this year, they didn’t have any plans of going anywhere else to play. After they returned, they stayed quietly at home, preparing for the start of school.
Their summer break passed very calmly, and St. Romia Military Academy soon opened its doors once again. Carlo and Klaire brought their luggage and headed for school. The two sixteen-year-old boys mixed in with a crowd of eighteen-year-old students, attracting people’s eyes. The two of them had been admitted to the school’s command track. When these sixteen-year-old boys wore their military uniforms, they looked very young, but the uniforms also set off their slender figures, so they looked particularly tall and straight.
In a good mood, Klaire took some pictures of himself with the uniform on and sent them to Xi Wei. “Am I handsome?”
Xi Wei praised him. “Very handsome! Does the military school have female students? If you dress up this handsomely, won’t there be a lot of girls chasing you?”
Klaire smiled and said, “Even if there’s girls chasing me, I won’t be tempted.”
Xi Wei was a little confused. “Why? Don’t you think girls look quite charming wearing military uniforms, all heroic and valiant?”
Klaire said seriously, “However charming they are, it has nothing to do with me. I’m going to leave my first love to the person I like.”
Xi Wei scoffed. “That’s too sappy.”
Klaire looked through the big screen at the black-haired boy smiling at him, and he really wanted to say—Actually, you’re my first love, you’re the person I’ve liked for a long time. So it doesn’t matter how charming the handsome guys and beautiful girls around me are, it won’t affect me. Because my heart has long since been filled by a person called Xi Wei.
Unlike Klaire and Xi Wei, who often called each other, the number of Carlo and Aiden’s conversations was pitifully few. Carlo had too poor of an ability to express himself. Every time he called Aiden, he was bound to provoke his anger within three sentences. Towards this, Aiden was pretty speechless—since you dislike omegas so much, why do you still have to call me from time to time to irritate me? Are you that bored?
Carlo almost wanted to cry. He had a pile of words in his stomach that he couldn’t say. He really wanted to pull all his tangled thoughts out of his brain and reorganize them.
The courses at St. Romia Military Academy were heavy, and the two of them were soon plunged into intense studying.
Although they were admitted to military school early, when all was said and done, they had finished learning four years’ worth of material in two years. The result of undergoing this crash course was that their foundation wasn’t solid. If they didn’t continue to work hard at military school, they wouldn't be able to keep up their grades. So after the two of them returned to their dorm each night, they spent the majority of their time studying like before. Obtaining early admission to military school was just the first step to success. The most important part was to graduate with outstanding grades.
Nine months quickly passed, and the due date for Randy’s second baby soon arrived.
This time around, Craig was still keeping watch outside the operating room like before, holding his alpha son and waiting for the results. He was just as restless and apprehensive as someone waiting outside a courtroom for their sentence to be announced. He hoped that this time the child would be an omega, so that Randy’s wish could be fulfilled, and there would be hope for Aiden. If this time it was an alpha again, he couldn't imagine how Randy would feel.
The operation had been underway for a long time, and the child in Craig’s arms kept calling out childishly for his dad. Craig walked the corridor anxiously, soothing the child in his arms. These few hours felt particularly unbearable.
He didn’t know how long had passed when the door to the operating room was finally pushed open, and the loud, clear sound of a child’s crying spilled into the corridor.
“Waah...waaa….”
When he saw Dr. Louis come out, Craig immediately met him and asked, “How’s Randy? And the baby?”
Louis took off his mask, smiled joyfully and said, “Randy’s doing well. This time it’s a girl, and she tested as an omega.”
“Really?” Craig finally breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, he felt a sense of thankfulness and relief, almost as if he had heard the judge saying that he was found not guilty on all charges. After living in hope for such a long time, they had finally gotten an omega. It really hadn’t been easy!
“Can I go see him?” Craig had a face full of concern.
Louis smiled and said, “Of course you can. Wait until I move him to the hospital ward, then you can see him.”
When Craig walked into the ward carrying his child, Randy had a smile on his face and was playing with his daughter in the crib next to him. His daughter’s face was rosy, and she was sucking on her dad’s finger, gurgling and smiling. Randy’s gaze was fond, and he stroked her head and coaxed her softly, saying, “That can’t be eaten, be good.”
“Wah, waa…”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry, Daddy will give you yummy things to eat. This bottle of nutritious milk has lots of protein and vitamins in it. Be good, dear, come drink a little.”
As he said this, Randy lifted his daughter up, and stuffed the bottle of nutritious milk into her mouth. She seemed to think it was delicious, and her mouth moved without stopping, sucking until the bottle was empty. Randy smiled and wiped the milk left on her lips, and then placed her back in her crib.
When he saw this warm and comforting picture, Craig’s heart went so soft it almost melted. For a moment, he almost didn’t want to go up and interrupt that happy scene.
When his alpha son in his arms saw Randy, he started to shout: “Daddy! Daddy!”
Randy looked up and saw that tall alpha general standing there with his son in his arms, his whole body tensed into a straight line, as if he were a statue. Randy couldn’t help but smile a bit, and he reached out his arms, saying, “Come here.”
Carrying his son, Craig went over and moved a stool to the bedside, sat down, and asked, “How do you feel?”
Randy said, “I’m alright.”
Craig gently held Randy’s hand and said, “I heard Louis say that our daughter is an omega.”
Randy nodded, and couldn’t hide the joy at the bottom of his eyes. “Yes, Louis has already drawn the umbilical cord blood, and he’s going to take it to Ellen Academy tomorrow. My body still needs a few days to fully recover, so can you take the trip with him? Take care of Aiden for me.”
Craig said quickly, “No problem.”
When their son Adrian saw that his parents were chatting away without paying attention to him, he couldn’t help but curiously reach out and poke the cheek of the baby in the crib, asking, “Daddy, what’s this?”
Randy grabbed his hand and moved it away, and said, “That’s your little sister.”
Adrian asked, confused, “What’s a sister?”
Randy said, “It’s the person closest to you. When you grow up, you have to protect her well, understand?”
Adrian said, half-understanding, “Oh.” After he said that, he curiously poked his little sister’s cheek again, and after poking a few times, discovered: “It’s so soft.”
Craig couldn’t help but lift the corner of his lips. Although he and Randy had never registered to get married, they now had an omega son, an alpha son, and an omega daughter. Blood was thicker than water, and the family ties between them had long since bound them together, never to part.
Randy had never said that he liked him, but Craig knew that right now, he was unconsciously letting down his guard against him. Just from this matter of letting him go with Louis to Ellen Academy for Aiden’s surgery, he could tell that Randy actually trusted him a lot.
A cute pair of children were by his side, and the man he loved was lying on the bed, tenderly looking after them. Craig had never thought that he could have a day as happy as this.
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Aiden soon got the news about his dad giving birth to his little sister. Although he had long since disregarded the matter of his life or death, his father had been working hard for so long in hopes of him living on, so Aiden didn’t want to give up without a sound. So when he learned that Louis had brought the umbilical cord blood to the Andromeda galaxy, he did his best to cooperate with his treatment.
Thankfully, these omega siblings had inherited very similar genes, and the stem cells completely met the conditions for transplantation. His little sister was also very healthy, and she didn’t have any congenital disorders like Aiden. Dr. Louis was very happy, and he immediately contacted the best hospital in the Andromeda galaxy so they could start the transplant surgery.
After giving birth, Randy was in poor health, so he couldn’t come over. Instead, Craig kept Aiden company for the entire trip.
Xi Wei told his friends Klaire and Carlo about Aiden having surgery. Carlo was excited and incomparably worried at the same time. He couldn’t sleep peacefully for two days straight, so at last he just called up Klaire, asked his teachers for two days of leave, and went to Andromeda galaxy with him to see Aiden.
A spaceship would be too slow, so Klaire didn’t conceal the secret of his mecha anymore, and had Bluestar carry the both of them towards the Andromeda galaxy.
Carlo was surprised that Klaire actually had an S-class mecha. Klaire didn’t give much of an explanation, and just said that his father gave it to him.
The two of them rushed to get there, and finally arrived at Andromeda galaxy’s premier hospital just before Aiden entered the operating room.
Aiden was in the ward at that moment, where Dr. Louis was giving him a pep talk before the surgery started. He told him not to worry, he’d lose consciousness after going under general anesthesia, and when he woke up again, everything would be all right. Of course, what Louis was describing was just the best-case scenario. If the surgery failed or there was an error in the middle, Aiden very well might not be able to leave the operating table.
Although he was well aware of the risks, Aiden appeared very calm on the surface. He smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ve long since been mentally prepared.”
Once, when he was very young, he saw his dad talking to Mr. Louis with tears shining in his eyes. He knew then that his illness wasn’t easy to cure, and he might die. So since then, he’s treasured every day that he could go on living, and he prepared himself to leave at any time.
But now, he was suddenly so reluctant to go. He hadn’t even seen the alpha little brother and omega little sister that his dad had given birth to in the last few years yet. He wanted to see them grow up, and even more than that, he wanted to see his father and dad officially register to get married. His heart was full of too many regrets.
Craig looked at his son sitting staunchly on the sickbed with a smile, and his heart couldn’t help but hurt. He took Aiden’s hand and quietly said, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be waiting outside of the operating room for you the whole time. Dr. Louis got the best specialists for you, there won’t be any problems.”
Aiden nodded.
Craig gently stroked his son’s hair and said, “It’s almost time, I’ll bring you to the operating room.”
Aiden was silent for a moment, then said suddenly, “Can I ask you something?”
Craig said, “Say it.”
Aiden said, “Do you love my dad?”
“...Of course.”
“I’ve always hoped that you could officially register to get married, so that my little brother and sister could have a proper home. Could you?”
Craig nodded and said, “You can rest assured, I love your dad very much. As long as he agrees, we can hold a wedding at any time.”
Aiden smiled a little. “Okay.”
The doctor was just about to push Aiden’s trolley out to the operating room when he saw three boys rushing over to them.
Xi Wei was walking at the front. He had been keeping Aiden company at the hospital earlier, and had just gone out to receive a message. He hadn’t thought that when he returned, he’d be taking along two other people—Klaire and Carlo.
“How come you’re here?” Aiden asked with surprise.
Carlo said hastily, “We couldn’t rest easy thinking about you, so we hurried over to see you. Are you about to go into the operating room right now?”
Aiden nodded. “Yes.”
Carlo walked to his bedside, and asked with a face full of worry, “How do you feel? Does it hurt?”
Aiden really didn’t want to answer this idiotic question, but out of manners, he still replied: “I’m alright, it doesn’t hurt.”
Carlo said in distress, “Then you have to be good, stay strong during the operation.”
Aiden: “...”
—During the surgery, I’ll have lost consciousness under general anesthesia, okay? How exactly should an anesthetized person stay strong, can you tell me?
Craig saw this guy chattering on and on at his son’s bedside, and couldn’t help but frown. He said, “It’s time to send him to the operating room.”
Carlo awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, then suddenly moved close and said to his ear, “You have to come out safe and sound from the operating room. When you come out, I have a secret to tell you.”
Aiden: “...”
What if he’s completely uninterested in the secret he’s talking about?
However, faced with Carlo’s worried gaze, Aiden still smiled and nodded. “Got it.”
Dr. Louis came over to hurry them, and Aiden was soon wheeled into the operating room.
The surgery took a long time. Craig and the three boys sat outside the operating room waiting, and far away on the capital planet, Randy also felt restless and uneasy.
It wasn’t until after ten at night that the door to the operating room was finally pushed open.
Craig rushed to the front and asked worriedly, “How did the surgery go? Is Aiden awake?”
Louis smiled and said, “Aiden hasn’t woken up yet. He has to stay overnight in the ward for observation. But the surgery was very successful, don’t worry, there shouldn’t be any big problems.”
When the people waiting outside the operating room heard this, they let out a collective sigh of relief. Craig immediately video called Randy, who was on the distant capital planet. “Our son’s surgery was very successful. Don’t worry, and rest early tonight.”
Lying on his hospital bed, Randy got the news, and the stone that had been weighing on his heart finally dropped away.
His little daughter, who was born not long ago, was already sound asleep in her crib. His little son was staying quietly by his side, playing on his own. Now, his eldest son was also done with his surgery. His three children were all safe and healthy, and Randy was very content. What’s more, there was also a diligent alpha called Craig who was at his son’s side at the crucial moment. Randy felt that he was actually very fortunate.
That night, Randy finally had a good night’s sleep. In his dream, it was spring and the flowers were blossoming. He and Craig were sitting side by side on the sofa on the porch, drinking coffee. Outside the tall French windows, the wide lawn was glistening verdantly under the sun. Aiden was sitting quietly on a stool, making handicrafts. Adrian was nearby, playing with the mud by himself, and his little daughter Edna was in her stroller, gurgling and laughing…
This scene was so warm that Randy couldn’t help but let out a smile in his sleep.
In the Andromeda galaxy, at the hospital, Craig had the three boys go home first, while he stayed behind to watch over Aiden.
Carlo looked at Aiden lying on the sickbed, his face pale, and was absolutely reluctant to go. Klaire prodded him and said, “Do you want to offend your future father-in-law? Whenever General Craig says something, you’d better do as you’re told.”
“...Oh.” Carlo could only turn and leave. He and Klaire stayed at a hotel for the night.
The next day first thing in the morning, Carlo ran to the hospital to visit Aiden, full of energy. Aiden had already woken up, and was sitting on his bed holding a bowl, sipping rice porridge. General Craig apparently had something to do, and had gone out. There was only Aiden in the ward.
Fired up, Carlo pushed open the door and entered. He walked quickly to Aiden’s bedside and said, “You’ve woken up? That’s great! Do you feel a little better? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Aiden put his bowl on the table next to him temporarily. He looked up at Carlo and said, “Yesterday, I think you said you wanted to tell me a secret?”
Carlo awkwardly looked off to the side. “Yeah.”
Aiden asked doubtfully, “What secret?”
Carlo blushed slightly and scratched his head, saying, “It’s just...uh, it’s not really anything important, it’s just that I...I started liking this omega.”
Aiden said in surprise, “You like Xi Wei?”
Carlo: “...”
Aiden looked at him with sympathy. “I don’t think there’s much hope for you. Can’t you see that Klaire also likes Xi Wei? Those two grew up together, and when they’re together, they talk a lot and have more in common with each other more than you do. You can’t win against Klaire.”
Carlo said angrily, “What, what nonsense are you saying? How could I like someone abnormal like Xi Wei?”
Aiden asked confusedly, “Then exactly which omega do you like?”
Carlo looked up at Aiden’s clear eyes, and his heart surged. Without even thinking, he blurted out: “That omega is you.”
Aiden: “What??”
When he realized he had let it slip, Carlo’s face flushed a deep red. He thought he might as well go all out: “I, I said, the person I like, is...is you.”
He originally thought Aiden would be shocked and ask him why, but as it turned out, after he heard Carlo’s clumsy confession, Aiden didn’t ask him anything. He just said “Oh,” and picked up the bowl beside him to continue sipping porridge.
Carlo: “...”
—How come he didn’t react? Could it be he thought I was teasing him again?
His confession was treated like this. Carlo felt that he had to be the most pitiful alpha in the history of the Empire.
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6:53 for 3,209 words, or 12.9 minutes for every 100 words...an increase in rate by a whole minute... ????The length of the paragraphs is directly proportionate to their difficulty... I always cry at descriptions of anything and I'm relieved at dialogue.
You can now read four chapters ahead on Patreon! I'll add more to the stockpile as soon as I can.
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