FT DR Chapter 120: Yanwang’s Face and Tag-along

Chapter 120: Yanwang’s Face and Tag-along

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

The annual graduation season at Tungusic began. After two weeks of busy exams and ceremonies, the registered guides finally welcomed the highlight of their lives – the graduation ball.

The graduation ball at the guide school was different from the traditional format. There were no fragrant banquets, nor were there any mingling wine parties. Due to the special nature of guides and sentinels, all their activities had to strictly adhere to the requirements of the guide school before forming lifelong marks. Private meetings and unauthorized marking actions were absolutely prohibited.

A day in advance, the sentinels who obtained the “matchmaking rights” arrived at the Tungusic base and were arranged to stay in hotels far from the campus by the school. At eight o’clock that night, they all received a special ID. With this ID, they could access the Tungusic campus network using holographic equipment in their hotel rooms and register for the “virtual ball” system. After successful registration, they would upload their physical data, and the system would generate a virtual character with a 100% similarity to themselves, then bind their official certified personal resumes to it.

At the same time, the graduating guide students at Tungusic campus stayed in their respective dormitories and began logging into the “virtual ball” system using holographic equipment. Like the sentinels, their virtual characters were strictly customized according to their appearance, while their data was uniformly certified and filled out by the school. In addition to bloodline, family, and level, their graduation transcripts were also included in the data, in great detail.

Half an hour later, the database prompted completion of entries, and all attendees could browse each other’s data to find potential partners for the virtual ball tomorrow.

In the boat cabin, Wu Chenghe hurriedly emerged from the holographic cabin. For him, the process of finding a partner could be skipped, as there was no one else besides Jin Xuan anyway. His top priority now was to deal with the two little troublemakers running around, to prevent them from stuffing themselves into the toilet!

After the graduation ceremony, when he finally had some free time, he applied to have the twins brought back to the dormitory with the medical officer Luther. He initially thought that with two AI babysitters and his round-the-clock supervision, there wouldn’t be any mishaps. But the destructive power of the little brats was beyond estimation. Just a week had passed, and he was already exhausted and exasperated.

For instance, tonight, the school stipulated that they must log into the system by eight o’clock. He had cleaned up the two troublemakers and tucked them into bed by seven o’clock, telling stories and singing lullabies. He had exhausted all his methods to put them to sleep, but who knew, after lying for an hour, these two rascals were still wide awake, their eyes shining like copper bells. Especially that troublemaker Jin Shengli, not only did he refuse to sleep himself, he wouldn’t let his brother sleep either. Just when Wu Chenggong was about to doze off at around eight forty, he was rudely awakened by a kick.

So the two brothers started fighting with pacifiers in hand. Although Mr. Jin was agile and graceful, he couldn’t match Mr. Wu’s strength. In just a few moves, he was pinned down on the mattress, crying in dismay. Wu Chenghe had no choice but to separate them. After carrying his brother to the next study room, he spent half the night soothing the younger brother. It was only half a minute before the stipulated time that he managed to put him back into bed and go to the living room to upload data.

However, while he was uploading data, Mr. Jin crawled out of the bedroom somehow. He pushed open the door to the study room, armed with a bottle brush around his waist, and attempted to defeat his brother and avenge himself. Wu Chenghe, who lacked vigilance, fell asleep for a while after being locked up for a while. Mr. Jin was furious, thinking this was an extreme disrespect towards him. So, he took out the bottle brush and started hitting his brother’s buttocks.

With cries and screams, Wu Chenghe rushed into the study room, only to find his sons fighting fiercely.

Twins had this downside; their physical development was similar, their fighting power was similar. Once they started fighting, it was hard to separate them, especially at such a young age, it was hard to educate which one should yield to the other. Even though they were just ten months old, they couldn’t understand human language, making it difficult to discipline them. It all relied on the parents’ physical dominance. Despite Wu Chenghe being young and fit, it took him quite an effort to separate the two. By the time he managed to calm them down and put them in their respective cribs, his back was drenched in sweat.

Goodness gracious… Jin Xuan, hurry up and come back. If we’re going to suffer, let’s suffer together. Don’t leave me alone to endure this! Exhausted, Wu Chenghe lay between his two sons. He had no energy left even to take a shower. His mind was filled with thoughts of how to quickly drag Jin Xuan into this mess and let him deal with these two little rascals!

Early the next morning, Wu Chenghe’s blood sugar had only recovered by half when he was awakened by his two sons. He didn’t know why, but the two little troublemakers had made up again, getting along like a single person. The younger one hugged the older one, and the older one gnawed on the younger one, their faces covered in saliva, not needing to be washed.

“Daddy hug! Wah-wah!” Mr. Wu cherished the rare embrace of his father, pinching Wu Chenghe’s nose to wake him up, then squirmed into his arms like a twist candy. 

Wu Chenghe, still half asleep, pulled his short hair and reached out to drag Mr. Jin, who was trying to attack his feet with a bottle brush, up under his arm. “Behave yourself! Your second father will be here tomorrow. He’ll beat you up if you don’t!” 

“Death sentence!” Mr. Jin struggled under his control, waving the brush to hit his head. “Let go of me! I want to get up. It’s wrong for you to make me sleep in. Do you know what time it is now? Do you know I want grandma’s milk…” His speaking skills had improved remarkably in the past month. From needing his father’s brain to decode initially, he now could be understood just by listening. Apart from a few words still unclear, he could rival the eloquence of an ordinary two-year-old.

Wu Chenghe was overwhelmed by his rhetoric, his sleepiness vanished, he got up and dragged the two brothers to the bathroom for a bath, then fed them and changed their clothes, and packed them off to Luther.

“Have they been causing you trouble these past few days? Look at those dark circles under your eyes.” Luther smiled as he waited at the door of the nursery. “Today’s an important day for you. You should have brought them back yesterday.”

“It’s alright, with the help of AI babysitters, and besides, I don’t have much going on,” Wu Chenghe said as he walked over, his anger dissipating. He handed the twin stroller to Medical Officer Luther. “I’m leaving them with you. I’ll come pick them up tomorrow.”

“I’ll keep the nursery door open for you tonight,” Luther winked. “I’ll arrange for the duty nurse to be on another floor. There’ll only be one AI babysitter in the nursery. If you want to bring someone along… well, you know.” He had heard about the school’s arrangements and knew that Wu Chenghe had been studying hard for his graduation exams and attending the graduation ball. It was likely because his sentinel was coming, and Luther was happy to help.

Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Thank you for that.”

“Go on, go on,” Luther waved his hand. “The ball doesn’t start until noon. You can catch up on some sleep.”

“Daddy! Daddy, hug!” Mr. Wu noticed his father was leaving and immediately became agitated, struggling to climb out of the stroller. 

Next door, Mr. Jin held down his chubby face, looking unhappy. “Stop fussing! Daddy’s going to find our other dad, and he’ll beat you!”

“Beat you!” Mr. Wu pushed away his hand angrily. “Other dad will beat you!”

“Other dad will beat you!”

The two brothers fell into a loop of cursing about the other dad. Luther laughed heartily, tears streaming down his face. He pointed at Wu Chenghe. “Other dad, other dad, is it you?”

Wu Chenghe was speechless, covering his face, and quietly retreated.

After taking a nap back in the boat cabin, Wu Chenghe finally regained some energy. He took a shower, had some food, and his personal terminal reminded him that the virtual ball was about to start.

The clock pointed to noon exactly, and Wu Chenghe lay down in the holographic virtual cabin, activated his personal terminal to connect to the holographic equipment, and logged into the campus network’s “virtual ball” system. After the countdown from ten to one, the system prompted that the connection was complete. Wu Chenghe closed his eyes, feeling his consciousness being drawn away from his body and into a strange world.

Before him appeared a huge, clear lake, with transparent water and blooming lotuses floating on the surface, serene and elegant. Surrounding the lake was a lush forest, shrouded in a faint mist, with glowing orchids growing under the trees. The faint purple pollen shimmered and drifted in the mist like countless fireflies. A magnificent circular building was nestled in the forest, somewhat resembling an ancient Roman-style arena, dignified and solemn.

The system indicated that it was the ballroom. Wu Chenghe controlled his virtual character and walked towards the ballroom. This character was created by the system to look exactly like him, dressed in the standard evening dress of the guide school—white shirt, white trousers, light blue suit jacket, paired with a dark blue narrow tie, with the guide school emblem on the left chest, dignified and generous.

Passing through the forest, the ballroom appeared before Wu Chenghe’s eyes. He climbed the steps and saw a familiar face at the door, a level sixteen squirrel guide. If he remembered correctly, she had substituted for him in professional classes before going to Tartaros for a mission. A year had passed, and she had grown a bit taller and more mature. She was wearing a light blue strapless evening gown, shapely and beautiful.

The squirrel guide obviously saw him too. She stopped at the door and waited for him to approach before saying, “You’re late, Wu. The ball is about to start.”

“Good afternoon,” Wu Chenghe smiled and nodded at her. “I overslept yesterday. Taking care of the kids was exhausting.”

“Oh, taking care of children is indeed hard,” the squirrel guide sympathized. “Are the twins doing okay? Monica said they’re adorable, but I’ve been too busy to visit.”

Wu Chenghe’s pregnancy was hardly a secret once his belly had grown big. Many of his classmates and people within the club knew he had a premarital pregnancy, but they didn’t know he had already been marked. They just thought he had a relationship with a regular person, leading to the pregnancy.

Future society was very tolerant of premarital pregnancies. On one hand, the government encouraged childbirth, and on the other hand, the children’s household registration was from the mother, so there was no problem of being looked down upon for not having a father. So Wu Chenghe didn’t face discrimination because of this. On the contrary, because everyone knew he had been forcibly captured from his mate, they felt very sympathetic towards him.

“They’re doing well. They’re ten months old now, crawling around energetically,” Wu Chenghe said, feeling good talking about his children, especially since he would soon see Jin Xuan. He spoke a bit more than usual. “But it’s been tough for Medical Officer Luther to take care of them. The nurses are all so busy. They’re so mischievous, even I find it hard to handle.”

“Children being lively is a good thing,” the squirrel guide said with a smile, linking her arm with his. “Once you find the right sentinel, you’ll have someone to share the burden with. Don’t worry, your future mate will surely accept them; they’re so cute.”

Wu Chenghe’s expression stiffened slightly. He understood that the squirrel guide meant well, and there might even be some comfort in her words—after all, in other people’s eyes, he was a second-time married man, carrying a “tag-along.” But he couldn’t accept the feeling of being seen as weak, especially for his two precious sons. Who had the right to complain about them? If anyone had to worry, it should be whether they would be accepted by his sons!

Of course, with Jin Xuan there, he didn’t need to consider such issues. He was just getting angry for nothing.

Despite his anger, Wu Chenghe didn’t show it on his face. He just smiled faintly, didn’t say anything, and walked into the ballroom with the squirrel guide. The ballroom was bustling with activity, with over two hundred people standing around, half of them guides, dressed in the standard blue and white attire for boys, and various styles of dresses for girls, mostly in blue and white, but with slight differences in details. With unique headpieces, they looked pure and beautiful.

In addition to the guides, all the sentinels were also present. Many of them were military personnel, dressed in various military uniforms, with ranks ranging from lieutenant to general. Unfortunately, there was no General among them this year. The remaining sentinels, about half of them, also had obvious military qualities, probably officials who had retired from the military to enter politics. There were also some from various sectors of society, such as scientists and artists, with a gentler demeanor, unlike the military personnel’s assertiveness.

“Wow, there are so many people!” The squirrel guide seemed a bit overwhelmed, clinging to Wu Chenghe’s arm and murmuring, “What should I do? I’m so nervous, and they’re so tall… they look even stronger than what I saw in the profiles yesterday.”

These guides who were sent to Tungusic from a young age had hardly ever seen live sentinels. Although they traveled once or twice a year, the responsible teachers always cleared the area of sentinels. So usually, they only got to see real people when they graduated… well, not real people, just virtual characters. But because of the high degree of simulation, they felt especially real.

“Don’t be nervous. They’re just virtual characters, not real people,” Wu Chenghe comforted her, patting her hand. “You looked at the profiles yesterday. Is there anyone you’re interested in? Do you want me to accompany you?”

The squirrel guide blushed and nodded. “Yes, there is, but he’s very popular. Probably many level eighteen and twenty guides like him. I’m just a level sixteen guide, too low, I’m afraid he… sigh.”

This year’s graduates were mainly level sixteen guides, with some level eighteen and twenty senior guides. These were people who were considered talented from a young age, so instead of immediately entering matchmaking when they reached adulthood, they stayed in school for further studies, preparing to serve the high-ranking military and political officials in the future.

Seeing her lack of confidence, Wu Chenghe felt sorry for her and encouraged her, “It’s okay. Just go and try your luck. Come on, who is it? I’ll go with you.”

“No, it’s fine,” the squirrel guide shook her head. “What about you? Wu, do you have anyone in mind?”

“Me? Heh heh…” Wu Chenghe’s face was slightly embarrassed. He had come just to go through the motions, but it wasn’t good to be too obvious. So he chuckled and said, “I’ll take a look around first.”

“Then let me help you choose?” The squirrel guide eagerly grabbed his arm and began wandering around the venue, whispering as they walked, “How about this one? He’s a lieutenant general in the army, only thirty-five years old, so young, and very strong… or this one, a researcher at the Federal Academy of Sciences, a fluid dynamics scientist, hmm, I like his quantum beast, the profile says it’s an Arctic fox…”

The strong feeling of being girlfriends was overwhelming. Wu Chenghe silently rubbed his temples. Although he was a gay man, his aesthetic preferences were the same as those of straight men. He really wasn’t interested in these rugged men. After being dragged around by the squirrel guide for half a day, he was sweating, while she was still enthusiastically helping him look for prospects. 

“Oh, Wu, this one is perfect for you! He’s a navy colonel, forty-one years old, widowed, with an eight-year-old daughter. Since you also have two sons, and he has a child of his own, he’ll surely accept your children, right? What do you think?”

“Heh heh.” Wu Chenghe could only give her a blank smile. Although sentinels generally tended to be older than guides, he was only in his twenties. It would be a bit too much to find someone twice his age, right? Would he be treated as someone who needed to be discounted just because he had kids?

Why were the values of these guides still stuck in the 1990s, even after a thousand years?

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like him?” The squirrel guide pointed to a very strong-looking female sentinel. “Then how about her? She’s the captain of the Third Army Group’s ship, and she also has a child, but she’s divorced and the child is with her ex-husband. Maybe she’ll like your children?”

“…” Wu Chenghe couldn’t even force out a chuckle anymore. The idea of a woman being the aggressor and a man being the one who receives just didn’t sit right with ordinary folks like him.

The squirrel guide realized suddenly his gender and then thought about his sexual orientation, and then continued speaking to herself, “No, it won’t work. You’re a fertile man, she’s a female sentinel. You two being together is a waste. You should each find a husband, so there’s a better chance of having more children…”

Wu Chenghe had long known that she had particularly “noble” thoughts, but her noble thoughts had gone too far, making people uncomfortable. Silently withdrawing his arm from hers, he said, “Um, you should look for yourself first. Um, I’ve already found someone I’m interested in.”

“Huh? So fast? Why didn’t I see you looking around?” The squirrel guide looked around in surprise. “Who? Where?”

Wu Chenghe hesitated to speak. His gaze swept across the hall and stopped at a familiar figure under a pillar. The squirrel guide followed his gaze and was instantly stunned, her mouth hanging open almost unable to close. “No way? Him? You, you, you’re interested in him?”

Jin Xuan’s virtual persona stood in the shadow of the pillar, tall, handsome, and striking in his colonel uniform, which outlined his almost perfect figure. The black belt around his slim waist accentuated his impressive golden ratio, making his shoulders look broad and his hips narrow, with long, slender legs. His face was hidden in the shadow of his cap, but his deep, rugged facial features could still be seen – sharp eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a firm mouth. He had the unique clean and refined appearance of an Easterner, combined with the bold and heroic aura of a strong sentinel, making him incredibly attractive and impossible to ignore.

Several high-level guides circled around him from a distance, both boys and girls, with eager expressions as if they were dying to strike up a conversation with him. However, Jin Xuan exuded an aura of “do not approach,” his handsome face set like ice, as if someone owed him five million.

His stern expression intimidated many people, and the guides around him hesitated, reluctant to approach but also unwilling to leave, showing their dilemma.

Under the long window, the squirrel guide looked at Wu Chenghe with incredulous eyes and said, “You like Jin Xuan? Do you know he’s King, the youngest colonel in the navy and the president’s brother?”

He’s still my kid’s other dad. Should I shout it out loud? Wu Chenghe vaguely sensed the words “overreaching” in her eyes, but he couldn’t explain. He could only awkwardly touch his nose and chuckle, saying, “Heh heh.”

“To be honest, I like him too, but I don’t dare to ask him to dance,” the squirrel guide blushed and said, “He’s the most popular candidate this year. As far as I know, there are seven or eight high-level guides who are his die-hard fans. Don’t be fooled by his rank as a colonel. He just received the Blue Star and Eagle Feather medals, and he’s also the president’s brother…” She sighed, patting Wu Chenghe’s shoulder. “Wu, weren’t you also his fan before? But a sentinel like him won’t look at you, and you also have two kids. Shouldn’t you think about them? I think you should be more practical and find an older, ordinary sentinel…”

She continued to blabber on, teaching him how to lower his value and sell himself off. Wu Chenghe was feeling quite exasperated. He never expected that after all these years together, he would accidentally be blinded by King’s radiance again!

Damn it, if only he had asked the school for a black box treatment for them earlier!

From afar, Jin Xuan’s cold gaze pierced through, staring fiercely at the part of his right arm where the squirrel guide was clinging. His gaze seemed like it could turn into a shining saw to cut them apart – damn it, if only he had asked Jin Zhe for a black box treatment for them earlier!

 

 

 

 

 

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