Paranoid Alpha Chapter 47: Cozy

Chapter 47: Cozy

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai

Lyss’s sudden remark left both people present stunned.

Lin Lang got up from Lu Xingye’s arms in a state of confusion, nervously looking at the other, seemingly unable to understand how such a young alpha suddenly became her father. And Lu Xingye seemed even more bewildered than her, trembling slightly as he held Lin Lang’s arm, apparently not yet prepared to acknowledge his daughter. After a long time, he mustered up a smile, “Sweetheart… hello.”

Lyss calmly drank water nearby, watching the father and daughter’s shocked and uncertain expressions. He felt an unprecedented ease. It seemed throwing one’s own worries onto someone else was indeed a good way to decompress.

Lin Lang was utterly shocked. She glanced at Lu Xingye and then at Lyss, her already large eyes widened with disbelief, looking incredibly cute.

The little girl tried to say something but couldn’t find the right address, turning to Lyss for help, “Mommy…”

A hint of a smile danced in Lyss’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Lin Lang timidly looked at Lu Xingye and asked, “Is this gentleman really my dad?”

The mix of terms in that question was beyond confusing. Lyss chuckled and nodded, “Of course.”

Despite never having been tricked by Lyss from childhood to now, Lin Lang, still shocked and struggling to accept, obediently turned to Lu Xingye, “Hello… dad.”

She was a bit timid in her speech, but her attitude was extremely sincere, tinged with a hint of expectation.

For twenty-three years, Lu Xingye had never heard that term. Never had he felt so clearly connected to someone by blood, and this little girl, like a snowball, was Lyss’s own flesh and blood. The belated joy finally overwhelmed all the pain. Amid Lin Lang’s exclamations, Lu Xingye bowed his head and lifted his daughter, placing her on his right thigh. Lin Lang instinctively gripped Lu Xingye’s collar, then cautiously looked at him, her wolf ears unconsciously twitching, showing a mix of caution and pleasant surprise.

“What dishes does my baby like?” Lu Xingye clumsily but sincerely tried to please his daughter. “Daddy will make them for you tonight.”

At the mention of food, Lin Lang relaxed a bit, “I like wontons, dumplings, sweet and sour pork, and sweet and sour ribs…”

She listed more than a dozen dishes in one breath. Lyss put down the teacup, “You can’t eat that much in one go, just choose three, we’ll have the rest next time.”

Lin Lang was a bit conflicted at this, fiddling with her tail for a while, “Then… let’s have dumplings.”

Lu Xingye paused, “Do you like dumplings the most?”

Lin Lang nodded and then shook her head, “I like wontons the most… Mommy likes dumplings. Mommy hasn’t been happy these days, so Lin Lang wants to make him a little happier.”

Her innocent words inadvertently stunned both of them present.

Lyss quickly cleared his throat after regaining his senses, but before he could speak, Lu Xingye was the first to say, “Then let’s make both.”

Lin Lang’s eyes lit up, “Really?”

Lu Xingye’s gaze was unusually soft, tinged with unmasked guilt, “Of course.”

This guilt was directed at Lyss and Lin Lang, not just for the uncertainty and harm he had brought to Lyss these days, but also for his absence in his daughter’s life over the years, even though it wasn’t entirely his fault. Lu Xingye had never taken care of a child, but he sounded quite skilled, “What filling does Lin Lang want for the dumplings?”

Lin Lang, wagging her tail, thought for a moment, “Can I have pure meat?”

“Of course,” Lu Xingye replied, then turned to glance at Lyss, “But your mommy likes the fresh flavors.”

Lin Lang was surprised, her eyes widened, “How do you know what mommy likes?”

Lu Xingye smiled, imitating her tone, “Because I am your mommy’s alpha.”

Hearing Lu Xingye address Lin Lang in such a way, Lyss inexplicably blushed and involuntarily lowered his eyes. “Oh, yeah.” Lin Lang suddenly realized, “Teacher taught me that mommy’s mate is my daddy.”

Lu Xingye seemed to agree, but Lyss added, “My mate could also be baby’s stepfather, but only he is your true biological father.”

Lin Lang widened her eyes and nodded. Lu Xingye, somewhat aggrieved, looked at Lyss, “Brother, do you have other mates besides me?”

Lyss paused, “I was just making an analogy.”

Lu Xingye, pitifully holding his daughter, said, “An analogy still means you don’t want me anymore, right, Lin Lang?”

Going silent when unable to answer a question was indeed a skill passed down from Lyss. Hearing this, Lin Lang hesitated, nodding subconsciously along with his line of thought. Finally, she blurted out, “Mommy… I’m hungry.”

Avoiding answering questions was indeed Lyss’s daughter’s skill. Lu Xingye laughed, “Let’s go eat then.”

The two walked out of the palace together, Lu Xingye still carrying Lin Lang. The media surely wouldn’t miss such big news, but the two clearly didn’t care about any of it. This was Lyss’s first visit to Lu Xingye’s home in the empire. Lu Xingye obviously didn’t consider it his home. His exact words were, “This is where I currently live.”

Upon entering, Lin Lang exclaimed, “Wow!”

Lyss, exasperated, came back to reality, “Why are you acting like an uncultured puppy?”

Lu Xingye laughed, “Do you like it?”

Compared to Lyss’s love for minimalist style, Lu Xingye’s arrangement style obviously aligns more with the aesthetic of a little girl. Upon hearing this, Lin Lang felt a bit embarrassed but still nodded, “I like it.”

Lu Xingye assumed the appearance of an indulgent parent to his daughter, “How about Dad gives this house to baby?”

Lin Lang was taken aback for a moment, but her initial response was, “Then where will Dad live?”

Lu Xingye hadn’t expected such a young girl to have this as her first reaction. Upon hearing her, he felt both touched and amused. “Of course, I’ll go back home. Does baby not want me to go back?”

Lin Lang hadn’t thought of this approach and subconsciously widened her eyes at his words.

“Your dad kindly gave you the house, yet you, straight away, kicked him out. You didn’t even think about letting him live here with you in such a big house,” Lyss walked over and took his daughter from Lu Xingye’s arms, “You heartless little rascal.”

Lin Lang felt a bit embarrassed and leaned against Lyss, murmuring, “…Dad said he wants to go back home.”

Lyss ruthlessly exposed her daughter, “Excuse me.”

Lu Xingye chuckled, “Alright, alright, in the future, everything I have belongs to our baby. It’s just a house, nothing special.”

“Wrong,” Lyss held the daughter, raised her gaze to Lu Xingye, and lightly smiled, “You are mine.”

His tone was very serious, with indescribable emotions shimmering in his golden eyes, dazzling and beautiful, not like an ordinary person. Lu Xingye was stunned for a moment, and when he finally regained his senses, he found Lin Lang staring blankly at Lyss. Even though there was no mirror in front of her, Lu Xingye realized that Lin Lang and his recent expression were probably identical.

Lu Xingye half-jokingly said, “Lin Lang, what are you looking at?”

Lin Lang suddenly snapped out of it, this time without any hint of shyness. She raised her hand and wrapped it around Lyss’s neck. “Looking at how pretty my mommy is.”

Lu Xingye raised an eyebrow, “That won’t do, he’s my wife, you can’t just casually look.”

His appearance was oddly similar to the spoiled puppy he used to be five years ago. After giving him a glance, Lyss didn’t say anything, implying a kind of indulgence.

Lin Lang exclaimed shortly, “Ah, b-but… he’s also my mommy.”

At this point, the little girl sounded a bit aggrieved. Lyss looked at her and said, “He’s teasing you, don’t mind him.”

Lu Xingye playfully reached for the terminal, pretending to carry Lin Lang, “Come buy groceries with Dad; Mommy wants to take a bath.”

The experience of raising a child alone for five years had made Lyss less particular, after all, a one or two-year-old baby doesn’t care if you take a bath immediately after coming home. She just wanted her mom’s embrace.

Therefore, when Lyss heard Lu Xingye’s words, he couldn’t help but feel touched and gently handed the daughter over to him, “Don’t buy too much; she doesn’t know when to stop eating when she finds something tasty.”

Lin Lang felt a bit embarrassed at her words and tried to cover her face by grabbing her ears, but being a mix of a wolf and a dog, not a rabbit, her ears were too short to cover her face.

Lu Xingye saw this and chuckled, “How come at five years old, you still don’t know when you’re full?”

Lin Lang cautiously glanced at Lyss and then quietly complained to Lu Xingye, “Because I eat nutrient paste every day at home.”

Lu Xingye was taken aback, “Isn’t there a live-in chef?”

“It’s not a live-in chef,” Lyss clarified, not wanting Lu Xingye to misunderstand, “It’s a chef from an online platform, not regular, just occasionally.”

Lu Xingye’s focus was completely elsewhere, “You usually eat nutrient paste at home?”

Lyss paused, suddenly realizing he had slipped up, and tried to divert the conversation, “Where’s the bathroom?”

Lin Lang didn’t give Lyss face at all, “…Mommy sometimes even skips nutrient paste and goes hungry.”

Lu Xingye’s expression suddenly turned serious. Lyss cleared his throat, “Lin Lang.”

Lin Lang turned her head and buried her face in Lu Xingye’s arms. Lu Xingye gently patted her back, “Mommy doesn’t want us to say that, so let’s keep it a secret.”

Before Lyss could say anything, Lu Xingye took her to the bathroom, “The clothes are in the cabinet beside, if you don’t want to use the dryer, there are towels in the cabinet.”

Lu Xingye’s tone was normal, but his eyes held a hint of darkness. Lyss felt uneasy under his gaze and reluctantly said, “Okay.”

Just then, the doorbell rang, probably the groceries being delivered. Lyss quickly said, “Hurry, don’t let Lin Lang go hungry.”

It was an obvious change of topic. Lu Xingye glanced meaningfully at Lyss and then turned to carry Lin Lang out. Lyss breathed a sigh of relief and slowly took off his clothes. The bathtub Lu Xingye bought was large, far from his personality. Lyss remembered he wasn’t someone who enjoyed baths, and the true intention behind buying such a big bathtub became clear.

Leaning in the tub, Lyss suddenly felt like he was in a dream. At this moment, he didn’t want to know what the Empire was planning, or how Lu Xingye had returned to the Empire as a prince. He just wanted to live this ordinary yet beautiful life. Perhaps, for the first time in many years, Lyss realized what happiness truly felt like.

After soaking quietly in the bathtub for a while, Lyss dried himself off and walked out.

A tempting aroma wafted from the direction of the kitchen. Lyss walked over to find Lu Xingye skillfully cooking with one hand while holding their daughter in the other, as if he had rehearsed this countless times in his mind. Not knowing what was said between them, the little girl was giggling joyfully, her wrist bells chiming continuously.

“What are you chatting about, being so happy?” Lyss approached Lin Lang and said, “Come here.”

As if to carry her, but to Lyss’s surprise, the little girl shook her head, “Dad said Mommy is usually tired and should rest more.”

Lyss paused, “Dad is also working hard, cooking while holding you.”

Lin Lang hadn’t expected this turn, and after a moment of hesitation, her face crinkled, “Then Lin Lang will play by herself.”

Lu Xingye chuckled, “Baby is so light; Dad can still carry you.”

Lin Lang persisted in shaking her head, “No, no, Dad is working hard.”

Seeing her determination, Lu Xingye had no choice but to put the little girl down.

“The kitchen is smoky.” Lyss rubbed his daughter’s ears, “Go play; I’ll call you when the meal is ready.”

Lin Lang obediently nodded, “Dad, can I use the projection screen?”

“Of course,” Lu Xingye said naturally, “As long as you don’t hurt yourself, everything in this house is yours.”

The little girl happily ran out of the kitchen. Once their daughter was gone, Lyss raised an eyebrow, “I thought you wouldn’t sweet-talk anymore.”

The implication behind Lyss’s words still pointed to Lu Xingye’s attitude towards him these past few days. Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Xingye felt guilty and, taking advantage of the dumplings cooking time, pressed Lyss against the door, lowering his head to whisper, “I was wrong, don’t be mad, Brother.”

Leaning against the door, Lyss looked up at him, “Just a simple ‘I was wrong,’ and you think that’s enough? Treating me with such perfunctory affection, Your Highness.”

Even though Lu Xingye knew Lyss was teasing, his Adam’s apple couldn’t help but move slightly at her words. Then, he leaned down to kiss the lips of the person in his arms gently, “Pleasing our daughter and pleasing my wife are not the same…”

Lyss half-closed her eyes from his kiss, “What’s different?”

“Pleasing my wife happens at night…” Lu Xingye paused for a moment and, for some reason, added, “Mommy, you’re so sweet.”

Initially prepared to close his eyes and indulge in his kiss, Lyss widened his eyes in disbelief at his unexpected comment, subconsciously pushing him away. Lu Xingye, being pushed, didn’t get upset; instead, he looked at Lyss calmly, with a slight smile playing on the corners of his eyes.

Lyss gave him an exasperated look, “…Don’t talk nonsense.”

“I’m not talking nonsense,” Lu Xingye pretended innocence, “Aren’t you Lin Lang’s mommy? What’s wrong with me calling you the same way my daughter does?”

Lyss suddenly missed his previous craziness, finding it better than this shameless behavior. Fortunately, at that moment, the water for the dumplings began boiling. Lu Xingye turned to add more water to the pot, giving Lyss some breathing space for the time being.

Usually, dumplings cook after adding water three times after the initial boil. During this time, Lu Xingye, staring at the pot, casually said, “Actually, during the first surgery, even in the most painful moments, I was thinking, if it hadn’t been for your estrus phase coincidentally occurring at the fissure, would we not have this child between us now? Some things may be fate.”

Lyss’s expression turned somewhat odd at his words. After three seconds, he spoke again, “Actually… During the fissure incident, a month had already passed… it was because the pregnancy pheromones were unstable that it led to that estrus phase.”

Lu Xingye was stunned for a moment before his entire body trembled, turning unbelievably to look at Lyss.

Author’s note:

Realizing belatedly that I enjoyed some kind of play as a little dog: …I was such an idiot back then!