Chapter 145 – Weaning

 

Lu Shifeng stepped forward, standing in front of him.

 

Jian Luo instinctively looked up; the banquet lights twinkled not far away, but this spot was secluded, the lighting dim. Lu Shifeng stood much taller, casting an imposing figure that made Jian Luo feel pressured. From Jian Luo’s angle, he could only see Lu Shifeng’s sharp jawline and his quiet, blood-red eyes, calm and composed.

 

General Lu raised his hand and wiped away the tears from Jian Luo’s face with a rough fingertip. His voice was deep, “Why are you crying again?”

 

Jian Luo felt embarrassed and turned his face away. “None of your business.”

 

Lu Shifeng withdrew his hand, half-joking, “Then I’ll leave.”

 

“!!”

 

Jian Luo suddenly looked up and glared at him.

 

Lu Shifeng didn’t leave; he seemed to be teasing him mischievously. The Grand Marshal wasn’t as composed and indifferent as he appeared.

 

Jian Luo pursed his lips. “You’re the one who pulled me over here.”

 

In other words, go ahead and leave.

 

Lu Shifeng said, “Hmm, just to calm you down.”

 

“I…”

 

Jian Luo was too annoyed to argue.

 

Lu Shifeng took out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped Jian Luo’s face. He bent down, his long fingers delicately handling the cloth, wiping the tears and dampness from the corners of Jian Luo’s eyes and his thin, vulnerable face.

 

Those hands were naturally suited for controlling the deadliest machines, wielding the power of life and death. Yet now, they gently wiped a fragile human’s tears with a slightly damp handkerchief, seemingly finding some enjoyment in it.

 

Lu Shifeng murmured softly, “The doctor said crying too much isn’t good for your eyes right after childbirth.”

 

Jian Luo looked at him, slightly surprised.

 

Lu Shifeng raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?”

 

“Nothing…”

 

Jian Luo had thought that Lu Shifeng wouldn’t care about such matters. Since returning to the warship, Lu Shifeng had been busy with dragon clan affairs and Dark Star matters, often returning late each day. Jian Luo hadn’t even seen him meet with a doctor, so how did he know about these things?

 

Lu Shifeng was patient and waited until Jian Luo stopped crying before speaking. “About what you said at the banquet…”

 

It had just been an emotional outburst; he had been holding it in all day and now regretted it a bit. Jian Luo quickly cut him off, “It’s okay, you can just ignore what I said, don’t… take it to heart.”

 

“Are you teasing me?” Lu Shifeng squinted slightly, calmly folding the handkerchief, not scolding Jian Luo but carrying an air of authority.

 

Jian Luo hurriedly said, “No.”

 

When he was anxious, his eyes were always lively. His dark eyes with a hint of brown would constantly focus on Lu Shifeng, eager and attentive, his pupils reflecting only Lu Shifeng, his whole being centered around him.

 

Lu Shifeng enjoyed this.

 

It was only right that it was like this; after all, Jian Luo belonged to him.

 

A barely noticeable satisfaction flashed in Lu Shifeng’s eyes. He was satisfied enough to speak, “What you said at the banquet just now, it was well said.”

 

Jian Luo was stunned. “Huh?”

 

Lu Shifeng took Jian Luo’s hand and led him to a nearby stone bench. He said, “Remember when we first met? You were afraid of me, even hesitant to speak a few words.”

 

Jian Luo recalled slowly, and indeed, he had been very afraid back then. Crossing over was difficult, and not just for an inexperienced native like him; even modern humans, if you asked, who wouldn’t be afraid of Lu Shifeng?

 

Jian Luo didn’t dare to tell the truth. “That was because I wasn’t familiar, didn’t understand. If I offended you in any way before, I hope you can forgive me.”

 

“Even after having a child, you still use formal language.” Lu Shifeng lounged lazily beside him. “Your anger from earlier seems to have disappeared.”

 

Jian Luo felt a bit ashamed.

 

He didn’t know what had happened to him after becoming pregnant; he was always so temperamental. Even after giving birth, he hadn’t quite adjusted.

 

Jian Luo said, “Please don’t make fun of me.”

 

Lu Shifeng saw how Jian Luo had been fierce just moments ago, now lowering his head. With his fair complexion, his downturned face revealed a slender, fair neck. Maybe it was because he had been upset earlier; now he looked like a little kitten that had just had its claws trimmed—unintentionally docile, strangely… itchy.

 

Perhaps it was because the child had been born, and after holding it in for so long, with spring approaching, some dragons always felt a bit stirred.

 

Lu Shifeng suppressed the itch in his heart and withdrew his gaze. “I’m older than you. According to His Majesty, there’s always a bit of estrangement with an age gap. You’re introverted and tend to keep things to yourself. I can only understand you through Lady Jin or the doctors.”

 

Jian Luo looked up, slightly surprised.

 

He had always thought Lu Shifeng considered him dispensable, but it turned out Lu Shifeng cared about his feelings?

 

Lu Shifeng looked at him. “But they can only see your daily life; they can’t understand what’s in your heart.”

 

“Not understanding, I can only take care of you in my own way.” Lu Shifeng’s voice was clear in the night. “For the people of Dark Star, only the strong have the right to speak and survive. Whether it’s me or His Majesty, we’re all helping you become stronger in our own way.”

 

Some things didn’t need explaining.

 

He hadn’t intended to explain at all; he had thought Jian Luo would understand.

 

But he hadn’t expected the misunderstanding to run so deep and cause Jian Luo so much pressure.

 

Jian Luo lowered his head. “So that’s how it is.”

 

Lu Shifeng glanced at him, expecting the boy to have more to say. Unexpectedly, Jian Luo just said those four words, which surprised Lu Shifeng a bit. “You’re not angry anymore?”

 

“I’m not angry.” Jian Luo sat on the stone bench, swinging his legs. He spoke softly, “I’ll try harder in the future.”

 

Anger came and went quickly.

 

Once he understood, he behaved obediently.

 

Lu Shifeng had originally thought he would need to comfort Jian Luo more, but this boy turned out to be unexpectedly easy to coax. Compared to the female protagonist of “Dominant Dragon Clan Falling in Love with Me” who was always threatening to break up, Jian Luo was unbelievably sweet.

 

Just as Lu Shifeng was feeling pleased, Jian Luo asked, “So, if it’s all for my own good, does that mean I can have my own opinions? If there’s something, can I talk to you about it, and you’ll agree?”

 

Lu Shifeng was in a good mood and nodded. “Yes.”

 

“That’s great!” Jian Luo smiled brightly. “Then I’ll go pick a new house in the Imperial City in a few days, and I’ll move there.”

 

He had always wanted a place of his own.

 

Earth was too big, the dragon clan too vast, and the grand palace too imposing. He just wanted a small place with his name on the property deed—that would be security enough.

 

Lu Shifeng squinted. “You want to move out?”

 

Jian Luo nodded.

 

Lu Shifeng felt a moment of panic, but he quickly calmed down. Even though he was internally panicked, he spoke calmly, “For the safety of the child, they are better off staying with the dragon clan.”

 

In other words, if you’re not staying with the dragon clan, are you saying you’d rather part with me than the child?

 

Indeed

 

Jian Luo hesitated.

 

Lu Shifeng felt much relieved in his heart, but just as he relaxed, Jian Luo said, “But you need human help to cooperate with research. I’ll definitely need to coordinate with the research institute. I’ll be quite busy next, and I have Earth to manage. The reconstruction of Eden also needs my attention. There’s also the matter of livestreaming that I need to pick up again. Sometimes I won’t be able to take care of them completely, but I’ll be confident leaving them with the dragon clan.”

 

“As long as you don’t stop me from seeing the child.” Jian Luo spoke softly, “I’ll probably be traveling around a lot for the next while. If it gets too late, I won’t come back, it’ll be more convenient that way.”

 

 

Lu Shifeng surprisingly couldn’t argue.

 

But if Jian Luo lived alone, would it imply to others that he was unclaimed?

 

Would those coveting him continue to swarm like an irritating piece of toffee?

 

The thought of others looking at Jian Luo made Lu Shifeng want to shut everyone out, not allowing anyone to touch his treasure.

 

He wanted to keep his treasure hidden away, but his treasure always had its mind set on wandering outside.

 

Truly infuriating for a dragon.

 

“To live outside is fine.” Fortunately, Lu Shifeng still had his reason. He tried not to alarm Jian Luo too much. “I’ll have someone pick a house for you. It might be problematic if you’re alone and the surroundings aren’t safe.”

 

Jian Luo subconsciously wanted to say a few words, but as soon as he looked up, he met Lu Shifeng’s dark eyes. They were filled with unyielding determination. Even though Lu Shifeng hadn’t displayed enough dominance, and had even used a gentle tone, Jian Luo somehow knew that there was no room for negotiation in this matter.

 

He nodded obediently. “Alright.”

 

 

The next day

 

Jian Luo had expected things to be busy, but not this busy.

 

Since he officially resumed work, he had been in a state of constant activity, with the communication device on his wrist never stopping. Various tasks piled up one after another, leaving him disoriented.

 

Fortunately, the efficiency of the dragon clan was truly high. In the afternoon, Lady Jin called him, “Luo Luo, the house has been arranged. I’ll send you the password shortly. Whenever you have time, you can go see the house. It’s fully furnished and ready for immediate occupancy.”

 

At that moment, Jian Luo was still at the research institute. He replied, “Alright, thank you.”

 

After hanging up, before he could focus on looking at the house, the research staff handed him a form, “Could you please arrange for all human personnel to fill out the registration? Upload it to our information mailbox in half a month. We’ll arrange for blood samples to be collected. Please count the number of suitable humans. Oh, we also have a seminar later on the new batch of social behaviors…”

 

After going through the entire process, Jian Luo was completely busy, and it was already past nine in the evening.

 

The kids must be asleep by now.

 

Finally glancing at the password sent by Lady Jin, Jian Luo decided to go see his new house tonight and stay the night there to avoid disturbing the kids.

 

As he rode in the car to the new house, he messaged Lu Shifeng, “I’m not coming back tonight. Remember to take the kids to bed.”

 

After a while, Lu Shifeng replied, “Okay.”

 

The car soon arrived at its destination. The house was close to the city center and conveniently located at the center of his various workplaces. Jian Luo was quite satisfied with it.

 

Entering the house with the password, he found it to be a four-bedroom home with cozy decor, mostly in the style humans liked. There was a small kitchen, a large living room with blankets on the floor, a new tea set on the table, and a corner bookshelf stocked with the latest magazines and journals.

 

Truly fully furnished.

 

Jian Luo walked into the master bedroom and saw the soft, large bed, feeling delighted. He was very pleased with this house and expected to live comfortably here.

 

“Where’s the bathroom?”

 

After setting his things down, Jian Luo found the bathroom, took a shower, and tidied up. By the time everything was settled, it was already past ten in the evening. He turned off the lights and got into bed. Tired from the day, he had thought he would fall asleep quickly, but lying down, he found himself unable to sleep. Normally at this time, the kids would be asleep; Long Autian would sometimes snore softly, and his sister might wake up for a midnight snack. He’d get up to feed her.

 

He didn’t know if Lu Shifeng could take care of them well.

 

Turning over in bed, Jian Luo not only couldn’t sleep, but became more awake. He lay on his back, sighed deeply, and finally admitted to himself one thing: he really missed the kids.

 

On the first night apart from them, he was already feeling uncomfortable.

 

What would he do in the future when the kids grew up and left him?

 

All sorts of strange thoughts floated through his mind. Just as Jian Luo was gradually feeling drowsy, suddenly the doorbell rang outside, startling him like thunder. He jumped up in surprise. Jian Luo walked to the door and looked outside. In the quiet night, the doorbell kept ringing, sending shivers down his spine. “Who is it?”


T/N: Hope you’re having a good day! Drink water and make sure to sleep early! (>w<)/

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