Chapter 7
On the virtual screen, He Yuan appeared wearing a hooded sweatshirt, casual shorts, and sports shoes.
He started with warm-up exercises, raising his arms for jumping jacks, lateral torso twists, lunge squats, and lateral shuffle steps.
He counted the rhythm very seriously throughout, his expression resembling that of someone about to go into battle.
Then he ran around the villa exterior, soon becoming out of breath and flushed, but he persisted. When he was truly exhausted, he would stop and rest his hands on his thighs, only to then push forward even more resolutely, the pace steadily decreasing.
So weak.
Extremely weak.
The sole destiny of such a weak being is to be protected.
Yet he did not submit, actually completing the 2,000-meter run, drenched in sweat and breathless, but without immediately sitting or lying down or drinking water. Instead, he stretched and relaxed even more earnestly, panting heavily, making one feel immersed in the scene.
But that was not stretching at all.
It was clearly dancing, straining blindly, completely useless. Wait...
Wen Su's usually sharp eyes contained a touch of tenderness he had not even noticed himself, uncontrollably thinking, "When I get back, I'll teach him personally."
At this moment, the virtual screen's He Yuan finished his stretching, overjoyed at completing his workout plan. Suddenly, he moved close to the robot butler's camera, gave a thumbs-up, and smiled sweetly with his eyes crinkled.
Wen Su: !!!
He was struck, his chest pounding, a hot flow rushing to his throat, the blood rushing to his forehead - he stood in front of the virtual screen, as if he had fallen ill with a fever, until a knock came at the door.
Regaining his senses, he severed the connection with the robot butler and went to open the door, feeling a sense of dreamlike disorientation, returning to the real world.
And because the dream was so beautiful, he was unsure if he would be able to dream it again, involuntarily feeling somewhat regretful and lonely.
"Wen Su, come to the cocktail party quickly."
The one who had come to get him was General Song Pei of the Marigolds, also a top-tier Alpha, equal in ability but completely different in personality.
Gentlemanly, with extraordinary approachability, his gentle smile seemingly welded to his face, his words as refreshing as spring breeze, occasionally interjecting with witty banter, able to chat amiably with anyone.
That's why everyone else was afraid or unwilling to approach Wen Su, but Song Pei could.
"I won't go," Wen Su said concisely.
"But you'll be so bored all by yourself."
"It's not boring at all. Going to the cocktail party is the real boredom." Wen Su was unyielding, "If there's nothing else, I'm closing the door."
He pushed the handle forward, but Song Pei raised a hand to block it.
"I'm afraid you must go tonight."
"Why?"
"Because... your father has come."
Wen Su: ?
Song Pei laughed heartily, lowering his hand and walking away.
The figure in the corridor was tall and upright, yet filled with a gloating schadenfreude.
"Come on, don't keep General Wen waiting."
Wen Su: ......
Wen Su: ..........
Wen Su: .............
Five minutes later, Wen Su changed back into the navy blue suit that He Yuan had prepared for him, and entered the cocktail party hall, once again attracting everyone's gaze.
Including his father's.
But he did not go to his father proactively, instead looking around and heading towards the dessert table, searching with a solemn expression.
Why was there no castella? It's so delicious.
...Oh, perhaps only the ones made by He Yuan are delicious.
I'll have him make it again when I get back.
Whenever he actively makes a request, He Yuan is always so happy.
But is this really good?
He has already fallen deeper and deeper...
"Wen Su."
Interrupted in his thoughts of missing someone for the second time today, Wen Su instinctively felt displeased, looking up to see his father approaching him.
Equally displeased, frowning.
In a corner of the venue, Song Pei, always the center of socializing, was surrounded by several people, whispering in gossip.
"How terrible, the cold air is doubled. Are their father-son relationship not good?"
"Can't say their relationship is bad, it's just that their personalities are too similar. Both top-tier Alphas, General Wen is already arrogant enough, and his son turns out to be even more so, one mountain can't have two tigers."
"And the dark Desolate Star Belt problem that General Wen couldn't solve for years, Wen Su handled it with one move, it's quite delicate."
"But in warfare, it's not just about the commander's ability, but also about the timing, geography, and human factors."
"But the parties involved won't think that way."
"Strange, General Wen has been in seclusion for years, why did he suddenly come here?"
"Of course it's to find his son. In this kind of occasion, they won't discuss official matters, as for private matters... Oh ho."
Exchanging meaningful glances, the crowd's eyes have always been sharp.
General Wen scanned Wen Su up and down, his gaze undisguisedly revealing doubt, and asked, "You haven't been back home lately, why?"
"Because there's nothing to go back for."
General Wen furrowed his brows.
His "nothing" meant that the work was not busy, while Wen Su's meaning was that he had no reason to go home, both clearly understanding each other.
Since he had come here to get him, General Wen didn't want to waste time and directly said, "Make some time to come home, your mother and I have found an omega for you, you two should..."
"No." Wen Su refused flatly.
"Your third courting period is about to arrive..."
"I don't want to."
Completely blocked, General Wen really wanted to get angry, but he had finally caught the person, so he tried hard to restrain himself and soften his tone to persuade, "It's not what you're thinking, it's a proper arranged meeting. The other party's background is very good, you could even say you're punching above your weight. There are many people here, I won't go into details, but you must cherish the opportunity and finalize the marriage during this time..."
"No." Wen Su emphasized.
"Why?" General Wen was perplexed, "Are you an anti-marriage ideologist?"
"I'm not any kind of ideologist, I just find this kind of forced arrangement very boring, and I don't want to cooperate."
"Don't be too high-minded, you're at this age already, don't be so rebellious either. Besides, your mother and I also got married through an arranged meeting, and it turned out fine, didn't it?"
"It has nothing to do with being high-minded or rebellious. Just because it worked out for you and mom doesn't mean I have to be the same."
"Wen Su..."
"This matter is not open for discussion." Wen Su directly interrupted.
General Wen was simply furious, Wen Su had been the "model child" since he was young, everyone envied him, but only he knew the inner turmoil and bitterness.
After a moment of stalemate, General Wen began to find fault, asking, "What's with this outfit of yours? Has something happened recently?"
Wen Su: ......
The earlier words, though making him resistant, were easy to deal with, but this question suddenly came out of nowhere and was very perceptive, like hitting his soft spot, like when he was a child, skipping chores to play, being interrogated by his parents, not knowing whether to admit or deny.
A little flustered.
But General Wen automatically interpreted the silence as his son's uncooperative attitude.
"At your young age, you've already risen to the ranks of core officers, you must be mindful of your identity and influence. Someone like Little Song is not bad, but I don't want you to learn from him."
Little Song was referring to Song Pei.
Wen Su was extremely helpless, one moment saying he was too old, the next moment saying he was still young, was he just spouting nonsense randomly?
An entirely ineffective communication ended with General Wen's admonition "Even if it's not for the arranged marriage, you should still come home for a visit."
The father-son confrontation was like the violent collision of pheromones of the same source, Wen Su was very irritated and unusually drank a lot.
General Wen did not leave immediately, he stayed to participate in the team-building, and although he no longer demanded anything from Wen Su, Wen Su's headache did not subside for the entire three days.
He didn't know if it was due to the invisible pressure brought by his father, or the commotion of everyone gathered together.
Finally, on the fourth day, the team-building ended, and Wen Su set out on his return journey.
Back at the garrison, walking on the road around the villa, a fragrance assailed him, growing more and more intense the closer he got to the main residence.
When he reached the center of the fragrance, on the lawn outside the villa's main house, he saw He Yuan, sleeves rolled up, wearing an apron, holding a water hose in one hand and a hoe in the other, seemingly a gardener.
At his feet, in front of him, all around him, and even further away...
Roses were planted in a staggered pattern, the pink petals clustered densely, appearing both magnificent and sweet amidst the bright sunlight and delicate green shadows.
Wen Su was stunned.
Feeling as if he had fallen into a fairy tale.
At this moment, the protagonist of the fairy tale, the little prince from the deep forest, turned around and discovered him, the expression first surprised then joyful, then waving and smiling, the light in his large, deep brown eyes even more beautiful than the sunshine.
"General Sir, you're back!"
He was wearing a rose-woven floral crown on his head.
Pink and chestnut, no doubt, these were the most complementary colors in this world.
After experiencing speechlessness, confusion, and headaches, at this moment Wen Su suddenly realized that only here truly belonged to him.
Only here could he cast aside everything and stay forever, forever tranquil and warm, a secluded paradise.
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