Chapter 130: Extra Story One
At the banquet hosted by senior military officials, the hall was filled with a lavish display of clinking glasses and bustling conversations. However, for five-year-old Lu Jingning, it all seemed excessively dull.
Taking advantage of the time when his dad and older brother were occupied with socializing, he slipped away unnoticed. The evening breeze carried a unique coolness, a stark contrast to the overly bustling atmosphere inside the hall.
With everyone crowded inside, it meant no one would interfere with Lu Jingning’s actions, granting him an unusual sense of freedom. He casually found a small twig on the way, recalling the path from memory, and strolled toward the slightly secluded artificial lake.
Though only five this year, under the guidance of Lu Kongbin, little Lu Jingning had already begun creating his own moves. The pond at home was rather small, so this was a perfect chance to utilize the larger lake to test the effectiveness of his new move.
Calculating in his mind, Lu Jingning felt quite pleased. Seeing no one around, he gleefully waved the twig in his hand and dashed towards the lake.
However, before the twig completed its full arc in the air and as he was about to hurl it towards the center of the lake, an unexpectedly slender figure appeared in his field of vision.
Lu Jingning abruptly halted his movement, almost using all his strength to forcefully alter the direction of the twig. Instead of splitting the surface of the lake as intended, the momentum diverted, causing the nearby bushes to be overturned with a clatter.
The commotion drew the attention of Wen Xingchen, standing by the lake, prompting him to turn around. Despite the somewhat immature appearance on Lu Jingning’s face, there was hardly any surprise at such an abrupt event. He calmly gazed at Lu Jingning standing not far away.
Perhaps due to the sudden distraction, there was a faint furrow on his brow when his gaze shifted from the blonde hair.
Despite the late hour and the absence of streetlights nearby, it didn’t hinder Lu Jingning’s vision. Initially sensing someone’s presence, the faint starlight revealed that the person was actually a child around his age, yet with a rather serious and mature demeanor.
In simple terms, a disposition that completely contradicted his short stature.
Seeing the other person furrow his brows, Lu Jingning unconsciously mimicked the expression. He hurriedly took three steps and dashed over, standing right in front of Wen Xingchen, staring motionlessly for a while.
Though only five, Wen Xingchen already had a somewhat aloof character. His gaze shifted from the blonde hair and he asked, “Good-looking?”
Lu Jingning was caught off guard by the question, his round eyes widening even further. “What are you doing here so late? It could have been dangerous if I hadn’t stopped in time!”
Wen Xingchen’s lips twitched slightly. “Aren’t you a kid?”
Lu Jingning, although retorted against, didn’t seem angry. It seemed as if he suddenly remembered something. After observing Wen Xingchen for a while, he approached with a smile. “Are you an Alpha?”
Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Wen Xingchen hesitated. “Yes.”
In this era, all ABO orientations were generally detected accurately at birth and weren’t considered much of a secret.
Lu Jingning’s eyes lit up at the revelation and he asked, “How old are you?”
Wen Xingchen replied, “Five.”
Just after answering, he fell into a brief silence. Why did he even bother answering this little brat’s question?
Lu Jingning simply said, “Oh,” then tilted his head and smiled at him. “Would you mind arm wrestling with me?”
Wen Xingchen remained silent.
Lu Jingning, very actively, grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. “Even though I’m an Omega, my goal is to defeat all the Alphas. In my family, there’s only my dad as an Alpha, who’s an adult. It’s normal I can’t beat him, so meeting you is great! Since we’re both five, let’s see who’s stronger, alright?”
Wen Xingchen replied, “Not interested.”
He came outside to find some peace, only to unexpectedly encounter someone even more unsettling.
However, Lu Jingning seemed oblivious to his response, happily declaring, “Let’s decide on it happily like this!”
The two of them, hand in hand, swiftly emerged from the trees by the lake’s edge.
Wen Xingchen’s gaze lowered slightly, falling upon the small hands tightly clasped together. Although they were just kids, Omega wrists appeared slimmer. As Lu Jingning pulled him along, the warmth from their joined palms transmitted a pleasant sensation, dispersing a considerable amount of the night’s chill.
Wen Xingchen found himself distracted for a moment, forgetting to pull away. When he snapped back to reality, Lu Jingning had already stopped, pointing excitedly to a nearby pavilion. His eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Let’s compete here!”
Subconsciously, Wen Xingchen wanted to refuse, but upon meeting Lu Jingning’s gaze, for some unknown reason, he agreed reluctantly. “Just one round.”
Lu Jingning had no objections to the number of rounds. Upon hearing Wen Xingchen’s agreement, he was delighted. Bending down, he earnestly rolled up the sleeves on both their small hands.
Observing Lu Jingning’s overly earnest demeanor, Wen Xingchen couldn’t help but want to laugh. Yet, just as Lu Jingning was about to raise his head, Wen Xingchen swiftly averted his gaze, also lowering his head to roll up his sleeves.
If anyone happened to pass by, they would witness two small figures standing on either side of stone chairs inside the spacious pavilion. Their elbows rested on the chair’s surface, hands tightly clasped together. Except for their flushed faces, it would appear as if time had frozen.
Eventually, both couldn’t sustain the strain, and in a tie, they collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, utterly disregarding their composure.
Lu Jingning, looking at Wen Xingchen, extended his thumb, praising generously, “You’re amazing!”
Accustomed to various compliments, Wen Xingchen felt his cheeks redden even more at this sincere praise.
After a moment’s thought, he replied, “You’re amazing too.”
Lu Jingning seemed to be pondering something and didn’t have much of a reaction to his words. After a while, he earnestly asked, “Are all these Alphas as impressive as you?”
Sensing Lu Jingning’s slight disappointment, Wen Xingchen instinctively wanted to comfort him. After contemplating for a while, he picked a phrase he thought the other might like to hear. “Probably. I might be a bit more exceptional.”
Although he wasn’t close to Wen Muqiao, judging from others’ attitudes, he could generally sense the disparity between himself and other kids his age. This difference likely stemmed from their abilities.
Initially feeling defeated because he couldn’t surpass Lu Kongbin and now not even able to beat a randomly encountered Alpha, Lu Jingning felt utterly disheartened.
However, hearing Wen Xingchen’s response slightly eased his mind. He softly uttered, “Hmm,” with a serious expression, extending his pinky finger. With a hint of pride and stubbornness in his tone, he said, “Let’s make a promise with a pinky swear. I’ll definitely surpass you next time!”
Under his intense gaze, Wen Xingchen, strangely moved, extended his hand as well. The two tiny fingers gently hooked together.
In the faint starlight, this might be the longest-lasting secret pact, hidden from the world’s eyes.
—
The rare holiday granted by the military was initially cozy and comfortable in every way. Until one day, for reasons unknown to Wen Xingchen, Lu Jingning, in the early hours, suddenly dragged him out of bed, insisting on playing arm wrestling.
When asked why, Lu Jingning looked at him earnestly. “You might not believe it, but I had a dream yesterday!”
The glint in Wen Xingchen’s eyes shimmered subtly. “A dream about us arm wrestling?”
Lu Jingning exclaimed, “How did you know???!”
Wen Xingchen, observing his bewildered expression, smiled slightly. “Funny enough, I had the same dream.”
Perhaps, it wasn’t a coincidence after all.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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I loved the chapter. And they even knew each other as kids? So cute! I wonder if there will be more development with the dream sharing.
Translator-san – is chapter 130 a flashback or a time skip? I got a bit confused since the chapter 129 has the two MC and the ML apart from each other and this one they were together? Regardless, thanks for your hard work ❤️
Oh, chapter 130 is a side story about our main couple (When they were younger) 😀