FT DR Chapter 125: The Old Bachelors Are Not Alone

Chapter 125: The Old Bachelors Are Not Alone

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

“What?” Lilith was taken aback. “You want to stay in the Federation?”

“Yes,” Marlow said. “The Navy is conscripting, planning to dispatch multiple fleets to garrison the former jurisdiction of Grandpas. I want to apply to join the Zhifu Chain Nebula Patrol Fleet. It will inevitably gather the Federation’s most elite forces in the future.”

Lilith’s expression was dark and unclear. After a moment of silence, she said, “Marlow, I don’t agree with you staying in the Federation.”

“I know what you’re worried about,” Marlow smiled faintly. “You’re worrying too much, Mom. No one stipulates that the descendants of the Voyager Army must return to the Voyager Army. I just want to study in the best legion. Didn’t Dad also serve in the Federal Legion back then?”

“But he didn’t have a father who was the Commander of the Voyager Army at that time, Marlow!” Lilith said earnestly. She was well aware of Hannibal’s ambition and also understood the game between the Voyager Army and the Federation. In the Battle of Zhifu Chain Nebula, Hannibal seemed to have gained the upper hand, gaining control of half of the Second Corps, but the real beneficiary was the President, because he effortlessly let the Navy take away the other half! For the first time in a hundred years, the Federation’s military strength could counter the Voyager Army, and the strict Independent Strike Teams were like a wedge, piercing into the Voyager Army’s jurisdiction, constantly reminding them of the Federation’s ownership!

But she couldn’t tell Marlow these things directly. She had to protect her son, she had to protect herself, and when necessary, she had to protect Hannibal.

“But I have a mother who is a Federation colonel,” Marlow insisted. “And I have myself! I’m a cadet at Aston Military Academy, a reserve officer of the Federation. I want to enter the best legion.”

Lilith opened her mouth but couldn’t speak. After a while, she said, “Forget it, there’s still a year before graduation, let’s discuss this in the long term.” Thinking back, Marlow staying in the Federation might be a good choice. The ambition of the Voyager Army was too great. In case Hannibal… at least she could protect her son.

Marlow didn’t argue with his mother again about this matter. There were many variables within a year, and there was no need to worry in advance about things that might not happen. He stroked the strand of curly hair at the side of his mother’s temple and said, “Why did you cut your hair? You obviously cherish it so much.”

Lilith smiled and said, “Just want to change my mood, tell myself to start over and be stronger.”

“But Dad…” 

“Adult matters are none of your concern,” Lilith said, avoiding discussing her private feelings with her husband, and asked Marlow instead, “What about you? Have you made a girlfriend at the academy?”

“Don’t tease me,” Marlow exaggeratedly laughed. “There are hardly any girls in the whole Strategy Academy.”

Lilith wondered, “But isn’t your male-to-female ratio 5:1?”

“That one-sixth is definitely not girls, okay?” Marlow said. “They’re tomboys!”

“Oh, I finally understand how those boys looked at me when I was at the academy,” Lilith sighed. “Did they see us female cadets as lacking secondary sexual characteristics?”

“What are you talking about, Mom? How could they compare to you? You were the campus belle!” Marlow flattered, hooking his mother’s neck. 

Lilith grabbed his arm and elegantly threw him over her shoulder, tossing him smoothly. “Let me show you what a real tomboy is!”

Marlow smoothly somersaulted, being flung by his mom, landing steadily. His military uniform was neat and tidy. His gaze suddenly warmed as he glanced in the direction of the official residence. He said, “Please, could you leave me some face in front of my classmates?”

Lilith followed his gaze and saw Wu Chenghe and Chen Miaomiao coming down the steps. Chen Miaomiao looked around as soon as he stepped out, as if searching for something. Soon his gaze fell on Marlow, and he waved to him. Marlow’s eyes softened, he raised his hand to respond to Chen Miaomiao, made a gesture that Lilith couldn’t understand, but Chen Miaomiao obviously understood, nodded, and walked away with Wu Chenghe, supporting each other’s shoulders.

“Is that Popova’s son?” Lilith asked. “The only child of the Chen family?”

“Yes, he is Charlie’s junior, studying at Aston Medical College. He’ll be a junior in the second half of the year.” Marlow spoke warmly about Chen Miaomiao. “His grades are good. He wants to stay in the Federation for his internship in the following year, and his father has agreed, but his mother seems to be against it.”

“Do you get along well?”

“Yeah, I taught him basketball and we often hang out together. He has a good personality and doesn’t find me boring.” Marlow leaned his elbow on his mother’s shoulder, swaying back and forth, completely different from when he mentioned official matters earlier, relaxed and happy. “Don’t be fooled by his appearance, he’s small but strong, very agile, just like his mom, and he’s a heavy drinker, often gets me drunk.”

“Are you in love with each other?” Lilith suddenly asked directly.

“Cough!” Marlow choked on his saliva, his face turning red. “What are you talking about, Mom, we’re just good friends!”

“But your eyes look different when you talk about him.” Lilith said calmly. “I’ve been there, child, I can read your eyes.”

Marlow couldn’t hold her gaze, trying to conceal his embarrassment. “It’s not true, he likes girls.”

“But you like him.”

Marlow fell silent, neither admitting nor denying, and after a while, he said, “I remember what you said, Mom. You’re afraid I’ll end up like Dad, changed into someone I don’t even recognize because of mania syndrome. Maybe you’re right, so I’ve been controlling myself, but… but it’s very painful, you know?”

“Oh, my Marlow.” Lilith tenderly stroked her son’s hair. “I know that kind of pain. I once wanted to keep my distance from your father, not to love him so much, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it. I’m a woman with very poor self-control, so you see, I paid a heavy price today.”

“Mom, please don’t say anymore.” Marlow’s eyes revealed suppressed pain. 

Lilith looked at her son’s young and conflicted face, and her determination suddenly wavered. With a gentle sigh, she said, “I don’t know if what I’m doing is right or wrong, or if you should listen to the voice in your heart, child. You’re twenty years old now, you’re an adult. Maybe what I said before wasn’t right. Life as a sentinel is so short, why bother thinking about things that may not happen until you’re fifty or sixty? The best years of life can’t be spent with the one you love. Even if you grow old peacefully, you’ll still have lifelong regrets.”

Marlow felt bewildered, looking in the direction where Chen Miaomiao and Wu Chenghe had left, then after a moment, he asked his mother, “Did you choose the one you love in your best years, Mom? Are you regretful now?”

Lilith’s face turned pale, and after a while, she shook her head, “I don’t know.”

“I’ll think about it, Mom.” Marlow lowered his eyes, his heart heavy with thoughts.

In the small study on the second floor of the official residence, the door opened, and Jin Zhe and Hannibal walked out side by side, smiling. “I’m relieved that you’ve reached an understanding and resolved the matter smoothly. You are the right-hand men of the Federation, the guardians of the Federation’s star territories…”

Hannibal smiled faintly and nodded, “Please, rest assured, Mr. President. I will work together with the Defense Secretary to guard the Federation’s borders.”

Mr. Balon followed them, closed the study door for Jin Zhe, and said nothing, but his face was very relaxed, apparently getting the result he wanted. The three walked downstairs in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere. Jin Zhe took Balon to the terrace to see the pot of fluorescent orchids he had newly planted, while Hannibal wanted to say a word to his son. As he turned, he happened to meet Jin Xuan.

The father-in-law and son-in-law acknowledged each other. Jin Xuan nodded politely, “Commander.”

Hannibal nodded, “Congratulations, Jin Xuan. Take good care of Charlie in the future. I see he’s lost some weight again.”

“I will, please rest assured.” Jin Xuan’s disgust with Hannibal’s “kind father” demeanor was palpable. “Since returning from Tartaros, his health hasn’t been good. He’s aggravated some old injuries and suffered some mental trauma.” He pointed to his own head, with a double meaning in his words, “But from now on, I won’t let anyone have the chance to hurt him again. You can rest assured, Commander.”

He deliberately brought up the Battle of Tartaros, aiming to accuse Hannibal of allowing the Quadrant Fleet to attack them recklessly. At that time, Yan Shi had repeatedly contacted the Quadrant Fleet, identifying themselves. Later, “Rifle” and “Yin Bo” mechas were surrounded, and they also requested contact several times, but Hannibal pretended to be deaf and mute, indiscriminately attacking. If it hadn’t been for “Rifle” accidentally hitting the ship he was on, they would have been blown to pieces long ago.

But later, Jin Xuan used the same method to suppress Hannibal’s “General” mecha with “Rifle,” and the Quadrant Fleet contacted him to release them, saying it was a “misunderstanding,” but he remained silent, directly shutting down the communication system, and exposing Hannibal’s cockpit without saying a word.

After the war, the military court conducted a detailed investigation into this “mistaken” incident. Hannibal’s reason was that he was riding on the subordinate ship due to certain circumstances and did not receive the communication from the flagship, so he mistakenly thought that the special agent group was the enemy. Jin Xuan also claimed that he had not received any communication requests from the other party due to “communication system damage,” and instead turned the tables, saying that because of the fierce attack of the Quadrant, he thought Hannibal was betraying the Federation with Lancer, so he wanted to kill him with one sword.

At the military court, Hannibal’s face was ugly, because Jin Xuan’s exact words were, “Anyone who intends to betray the Federation, I will not hesitate to kill with one sword, and Commander Hannibal is no exception!” After saying that, he solemnly bowed to Hannibal, “I apologize, Commander!”

Because he said it with such conviction and firmness, Hannibal couldn’t accuse him of anything, so he could only applaud along with the others nearby – yes, this guy’s acting skills were too good, just because of this sentence, he won continuous applause from the spectators.

Encountering such a guy with exceptionally good acting skills was really frustrating… Hannibal felt uncomfortable all over when he saw Jin Xuan’s handsome face that seemed to be above the worldly troubles. As for his announcement to himself about Wu Chenghe’s ownership—”not letting anyone have the chance to hurt him again” and all that—it was nauseating, so he nodded coldly and said, “That’s good. I hope you can say and do it.”

Jin Xuan raised his eyebrows arrogantly, “Just watch and see, Commander.”

The meeting, where sparks flew, hastily concluded. The two men, who historically bore little resemblance to father and son-in-law, parted ways. Hannibal made his way down the corridor in search of his son, while Jin Xuan headed to the garden to find his new groom—lunch was about to commence, and they still had to manage a simple ceremony.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Hobart stepped onto the platform a few minutes later, tapping the wine glass with a smile. He was today’s emcee, responsible for some simple interludes and speeches. “Please, everyone, quiet down. The wedding ceremony of Colonel Jin Xuan and Lieutenant Wu Chenghe is about to begin.”

People gathered at the makeshift lunch venue on the lawn. Mr. Hobart expressed gratitude for everyone’s attendance and then invited the host of the wedding, President Jin Zhe, to speak.

“Welcome, everyone, to today’s luncheon. On behalf of the commander and myself, I thank you for taking the time to bless the newlyweds.” Jin Zhe, contrary to his usual suave demeanor, looked at his younger brother and sister-in-law standing aside, his face filled with genuine joy. He remarked, “As you all know, Jin Xuan is my younger brother, but I raised him since he was young, almost like my own son. Today, Wu Chenghe becomes a full-time doctor for Jin Xuan, becoming a part of our family. In the future, he will assist Jin Xuan in serving the Federal Fleet. I am particularly excited! I won’t say much more here. Commander Hannibal, rest assured, I will make sure this kid takes good care of your son, or I’ll surely beat him to a pulp!”

The audience burst into laughter, unexpected from the usually elegant President’s speech. Yet, this straightforward expression instantly warmed the atmosphere. Even the usually aloof NTU Supreme Commander Yan couldn’t help but join in, “No problem, Mr. President forgot I’m here too. I’ll keep an eye on him!”

Amidst another round of laughter, Wu Chenghe felt so embarrassed he wished he could bury his head in the grass—though his marriage to Jin Xuan was equitable, because he was the guide, legally subordinate, it did feel somewhat like being “given away”. With Jin Zhe’s words, it seemed like he had gone from the Commander’s son to the president’s brother-in-law.

Wait, perhaps that was Jin Zhe’s intention? Wu Chenghe suddenly felt like he understood something. Every word of Jin Zhe was deliberate, regardless of tone or manner, it had a special purpose. From now on, perhaps everyone would distinguish between him and Hannibal, and they would be considered part of the Jin family? Glancing at Hannibal, indeed, his expression was faintly unreadable, evidently also catching Jin Zhe’s implied meaning.

“Since they’ve already had their wedding in Tungusic, we won’t go through any elaborate rituals here,” Jin Zhe said after the laughter subsided, “And, well, the time is dragging on, the kids can’t hold on much longer. My nephews are already hungry.” He gestured to the agents holding the babies, “Get some bottles for them to eat, poor little ones, waiting for their two dads to get married has delayed lunch.”

Just as everyone finished laughing, his words sparked another round of laughter. Everyone looked at the adorable twin boys, who had no idea what everyone was laughing about, just happy to be surrounded by people. Hearing their uncle mention “getting some bottles,” they immediately clapped happily, “Feed, feed!”

In high society gatherings, rarely did one encounter such a lack of propriety. Many people laughed until their stomachs hurt. Jin Zhe stepped down from the platform amidst the laughter, replaced by Hobart. The Secretary of State joined in the laughter for a while, then clapped his hands, “Alright, since Mr. President wants us to start quickly, let’s skip some of the formalities.” He took out a list from his pocket, muttering, “Skip, skip, this one too… Alright, next, let’s have the two grooms come up and say a few words, and then we can eat!”

The crowd applauded and cheered. Jin Xuan, holding the utterly embarrassed Wu Chenghe, stepped onto the platform, maintaining his usual cool demeanor. He simply said, “Thank you, everyone. We will strive to be happy.”

Wu Chenghe was so mortified he couldn’t even speak properly, but he followed Jin Xuan’s lead and bowed awkwardly before trying to step down. However, someone below started shouting, “Colonel hasn’t kissed the groom yet, are we just going to let it go like that?”

With Jin Zhe setting the precedent, the atmosphere completely lost its aristocratic airs. Amidst the lively market atmosphere, as soon as someone spoke, everyone followed suit, “Kiss, kiss!”

Wu Chenghe wished he could disappear from the audience immediately, but Jin Xuan firmly held his hand, dragging him back, whispering in his ear, “Just one kiss, it’s part of getting married.”

Wu Chenghe had never witnessed such a terrifying wedding scene. His head was spinning, and in a daze, he nodded. He thought Jin Xuan would just brush his lips, but Jin Xuan pinched his chin and kissed him directly, his tongue quickly darting into his mouth and tapping his palate before letting go.

Although their lips only touched for a brief moment, at first glance, it seemed like a simple peck, but experienced observers could tell that Jin Xuan had just kissed with his tongue— the moisture on Wu Chenghe’s lips was evidence! Immediately, thunderous applause erupted in the venue, encouraging Colonel Jin’s bold behavior.

Wu Chenghe felt like he had been electrocuted. His upper palate was sensitive, and being poked in front of everyone felt like being struck by lightning. His already flushed face turned as red as a boiled shrimp. It took him a while to step down from the platform, suppressing his anger and secretly swearing: tonight, he would make Jin Xuan and his stupid lion kneel and apologize until dawn!

What was supposed to be a Western-style lawn wedding turned into a lively Chinese-style banquet thanks to the Jin brothers. For the next three hours, Wu Chenghe didn’t have time to settle scores with Jin Xuan. First, he was dragged by Jin Xuan to toast various high-ranking officials, then pulled by Chen Miaomiao to clink glasses with some classmates from the medical school, and finally, he was dragged away by the former NTU Special Forces team for a chat. Chang Gong, Qian Hua, and Yan Shi were all present today, and they would continue to serve in the NTU after the pacification war. Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama had already gone to the Navy Research Base and couldn’t attend the wedding today, but they sent gifts.

Because Kazumi Koyama had been responsible for the development of embryo disruptors for many years, the two husbands were transferred to a joint project between the Navy and the St. Martin Center this month. Yin Bo, after being dubbed the “first sentinel in history with a rank lower than a guide,” also received the title of “the first sentinel to assist guide work in history,” becoming completely subordinate to Kazumi Koyama. His son, Tata, was born last month. Since Kazumi Koyama was an invisible guide, Tata’s guide genes had not been detected yet, and he hadn’t been sent to the Tungusic guide school. Instead, he followed his two fathers to the Navy Research Base.

The joyful luncheon lasted the entire afternoon, and it wasn’t until dusk that the guests began to bid farewell. Wu Chenghe was thoroughly drunk, and Jin Xuan had to half-carry him to send off the last batch of guests. As soon as they finished, Wu Chenghe collapsed on the ground like a noodle, and Jin Xuan carried him to the bedroom to sleep.

Jin Zhe instructed the security command to clean up the venue and sent the three exhausted children to the children’s room to wash up and change clothes before putting them to bed one by one. Once everything was arranged, and the sky had darkened, he went alone to the study.

The electronic frame on the desk was playing holographic pictures of Zhuang Zhuang, showing her eating, sleeping, and laughing with Jin San Pang in her arms… Each picture was so innocent and adorable. As the photos cycled to the end, there were several pictures of Mu and Zhuang Zhuang together. Those were secretly taken by the President from his daughter’s terminal. Mu’s expression was calm and gentle, his dark eyes gazing at his daughter, his slightly curled short hair covering his fair nape. Although he was middle-aged, he had a youthful and clear aura.

Jin Zhe enlarged one of the photos of Mu’s face and stared at it silently for a while before opening a solo photo of Wu Chenghe taken at the wedding.

It was too similar, the more he looked, the more similar they seemed. In the past, Wu Chenghe hadn’t fully grown, and they were only about seventy to eighty percent similar, but in the past two years, he had matured, and from certain angles, he looked almost exactly like Mu. Jin Zhe couldn’t help but recall Lilith’s words, “she resembles Wu Chenghe’s mother, Mr. President.” Although he had said “the world is full of wonders” at the time, he didn’t really believe it. If it was just a resemblance, it might be a coincidence, but the quantum beast couldn’t be a coincidence! Wu Chenghe was an invisible guide, and the quantum beast was an Icarus butterfly, an extremely well-camouflaged species.

From this deduction, Mu resembled Wu Chenghe both in appearance and in his quantum beast. His daughter also looked a lot like Wu Chenghe’s mother.

There’s an old saying among the Chinese: raising a son is like raising a nephew, but raising a daughter is like raising a niece… Jin Zhe opened a hidden file, which he had ordered to be checked when he first discovered that Mu was a guide. In addition to Mu’s official information, there were other records related to him, all sorted by timeline, which could basically reconstruct Mu’s early life experiences. It was through this that Jin Zhe thoroughly confirmed that Mu had visited the small asteroid where he had been trapped when he was eighteen years old.

Mu was abandoned at birth, so the exact place of birth is unknown. However, the hospital registration location that provided assistance for him was within the Second Army Group’s star domain, indicating that his parents likely lived nearby. And Wu Chenghe’s maternal family happened to be well-known wealthy landowners in that area.

Mu was born a year before the end of the massacre, so it’s understandable why his parents handed him over to Sienna’s people after his birth. It shouldn’t be considered abandonment but rather a plea for help. The Wu family’s wealth could support the Free Guide organization, which could ensure that Mu wasn’t sent to the Tungusic base. At that time, Tungusic wasn’t as it is now; the environment was extremely harsh, and guides sent there were essentially sentenced to death, with no one to treat severe heart and lung deformities.

With Sienna’s help, Mu survived, had his congenital deformity cured, and even attended medical school. During this phase, the Wu family likely provided support; otherwise, as an orphan, he wouldn’t have been able to afford the expensive medical school tuition. He probably knew about his origins all along, otherwise, he wouldn’t have given himself the name “Mu”—Wu Chenghe’s mother’s name was “Xi,” and they were siblings, following the Chinese tradition of being broadly associated with “water.” He probably used the name to commemorate his family, adopting the name given to him by his parents.

This completely explains why he was particularly kind to Wu Chenghe from the beginning. Jin Zhe turned off the data and opened a report submitted by the NTU, which contained some evidence Jin Xuan had found in Tartaros. Wu Chenghe’s mother died from the nuclear pollution weapon developed by Lancer, to swallow up the Wu family’s assets and kill Hannibal’s illegitimate child, Lancer almost wiped out the entire Wu family…

Both Mu and Wu Chenghe carried heavy family hatred, especially Mu. For fifty years, he lived in hiding, struggling to survive. How strong and resilient he must be, how hard he must have worked, to reach the position he holds today, sitting as the Dean of Aston Medical College!

His heart wasn’t just filled with hatred, but also with a pursuit of his career, compassion for the weak, and a sense of responsibility towards guides… He lives a very exhausting and lonely life, but also one that commands admiration.

Jin Zhe silently watched Mu’s image for a long time, then took out a small metal box from the drawer beside him. Opening the box, a broken piece of metal lay on the black velvet, faint brown stains still visible.

It was taken out of him thirty years ago, by Mu’s own hands. At that time, Mu had removed many shrapnels from him, but only this one somehow fell into his pocket and had been kept by him until today.

Jin Zhe picked up the shrapnel and gently rubbed it for a while before placing it back in the box and putting it in his pocket. He wanted to give Mu a gift, to tell him that the piece floating in his bedroom’s magnetic bowl wasn’t alone.

They weren’t alone.

 

 

 

 

 

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