Chapter 4
Edward Quan ·
At that voice, I lowered my head and tried to flee.
“Sorry. Wrong house.”
He gave me no chance.
As though lifting a little bird, he caught the back of my collar, raised me, and set me on the sofa.
“Quite wrong.”
He smiled coldly.
“Our home is on Greenway Street.”
Caught, I hurried to explain.
“Well…”
“I was passing and wanted to see Ô Ca’s house.”
He adjusted his cuff unhurriedly.
“Passing?”
“More than ten kilometers out of your way?”
…
A lie.
And I had walked straight into my own slap.
My face burned.
“How did you know I was here?”
He propped his head on one hand and tapped the armrest with the other.
“Your deskmate.”
“Not suited to the battlefield.”
“One cup of tea, and he told me everything.”
…
Damn dog.
Such a good dog.
I silently cursed him.
“Of course, he isn’t entirely to blame,” Lai Ân said lazily.
“Next time you search something on the terminal…”
“Don’t use my account.”
“I can see the history.”
…
I looked up into his eyes.
The first time I had seen him this close.
Seen him completely.
Not far from my imagination.
Blue-gray eyes.
Platinum hair.
A slightly lowered gaze that carried cool distance.
When I remained silent, he stood and beckoned.
“Come.”
“Where?”
He raised a brow.
“Home.”
“It’s freezing.”
“This place doesn’t even have a hearth.”
“Did you come to become an ice lolly?”
After hesitating, I followed.
Neither spoke on the journey.
The adoptive mother I trusted had suddenly become a father and mother in one.
Who could handle that?
“I didn’t mean to deceive you,” he said after a while.
“I hadn’t found the right moment.”
“Of course…”
“Until you marry, I’ll remain your guardian for now.”
His head rested on his hand, his half-lowered gaze turned toward the window.
“The academy and fleet are busy.”
“I won’t be home often.”
“You can relax.”
If he wasn’t female, so many things became strange.
I couldn’t keep clinging to him as before.
For days, the only creature at home that spoke was the butler.
Never had that lump of metal sounded so heavenly.
Near the end of school, Ô Ca whispered:
“It’s my birthday. Will you come?”
I ignored him.
Still angry he had betrayed me.
“Please,” he coaxed.
“Lots of beastkin are invited.”
“Lai Ân’s fiancée too. You might be family someday.”
I stopped.
“Fiancée?”
“Yes.”
He beamed.
“You’ll see.”
At our door, Lai Ân was preparing to leave.
He looked at me.
Then at Ô Ca.
The boy jolted.
“Master Lai Ân…”
“It’s my birthday. I’d like to invite Tiểu Ngâm.”
He frowned slightly, but asked patiently:
“When will it end?”
“It’s fine. If it’s late, she can stay—”
Lai Ân lowered his eyes and gave him a passing glance.
“…If it’s late, I’ll escort her home myself.”
Before Lai Ân could add anything, I dragged him away.
“Aren’t you saying goodbye?”
I pressed my lips together.
My heart raced.
A fiancée.
He had a fiancée.
My father had abandoned me for a new wife too.
They quickly became a family.
She had new children.
I was a stranger in my own home.
She always told me to see more of the world.
Not stay inside.
I had thought she feared I was lonely.
Now I understood.
My presence spoiled their happy family of three.
“Tiểu Ngâm, my sisters!”
Ô Ca introduced us warmly.
“This is the little sparrow I told you about.”
They were kind.
All evening, they asked whether I had eaten enough or wanted more juice.
“Make yourself at home.”
“Do you like the food?”
“If he bullies you at school, tell us.”
Their smiles were bright as sunlight.
Their evening dresses glittered.
One sister had attended the academy with Lai Ân.
Her introduction helped his transfer approval come quickly.
That sister, Vy Ni, was the fiancée he had mentioned.
“Are you living with Lai Ân?”
She smiled and cut me cake.
I nodded, accepting shyly.
“We went to the same academy.”
“Flew starships together.”
Her smile slowed with reminiscence.
“His temper isn’t easy.”
“You haven’t seen him fight other beastkin.”
“Later, he was wounded fighting space pirates and requested an instructor’s post.”
I looked into my cup.
My reflection blurred on the surface.
“You’re about Ô Ca’s age?”
“When did he adopt you?”
Since last year, adoption law no longer restricted the sexes or ages of adoptee and guardian.
I smiled faintly.
“A few months ago.”
A few months.
He found me at the market.
His home became mine.
Thoughtfully, she nodded.
I pushed away the unhappiness and tried to sound light.
“What about you?”
“When’s the wedding?”
Her cheeks pinked.
“Next month.”
“Ô Ca told you?”
She sounded annoyed.
“Does he tell everyone everything?”
“What a loudspeaker!”
A strange feeling rose in me.
When my stepmother entered our home, everyone congratulated Father like this.
Just imagining Lai Ân marrying made my chest heavy.
Vy Ni took my hand sincerely.
“Afterward, I won’t come home often.”
“But visit my new house.”
“We have no little sister.”
“Only one brother.”
“So annoying.”
Her hand squeezed mine.
Canine hands were always warm.
I nodded and smiled.
“I will.”
The party continued until midnight.
Ô Ca drunkenly collapsed asleep.
His sisters saw the guests out.
The gathering was at their country villa, a long way from home.
When my turn came, Vy Ni offered:
“Stay in a guest room tonight?”
“I’ll have one prepared.”
Before I answered, her terminal rang.
Puzzled, she accepted.
Lai Ân’s voice came through.
“I’m downstairs.”
“Please bring her out.”
In drifting snow, he leaned against the aircraft, smoking.
I followed Vy Ni slowly.
“Sorry.”
He put out the cigarette and nodded.
“For the trouble.”
“None at all.”
She smiled.
“Tiểu Ngâm’s lovely.”
“So much quieter than my brother.”
“I wish I had a sister like her.”
They chatted about their old work and present lives.
Then he said:
“It’s late.”
“We’ll go.”
He casually took my hand and nodded.
She winked.
“Next month’s wedding.”
“Don’t forget.”
…
In the aircraft, I finally asked:
“Lai Ân.”
“Are you getting married?”
He raised a brow.
“Why?”
I lowered my head.
Said nothing.
“I passed adulthood long ago,” he answered slowly.
“I’m of a suitable age.”
“Marriage…”
“Worth considering.”
“Oh,” I said dispiritedly.
Silence filled the cabin.
Finally, I gathered courage.
“Vy Ni is very nice.”
“Beautiful and kind.”
“I like her too.”
“She wants lots of flowers.”
“I collected many seeds.”
“We can plant them out front.”
My nose stung.
Those seeds came from my long flights gathering flowers for him.
“I’m grown now.”
“I can move out and work part-time.”
“Then—”
He interrupted.
“Where?”
His face cooled.
I stopped.
“Vy Ni is nice.”
“We were classmates.”
“We’re friends.”
“But what do her decorating preferences have to do with me?”
“Her fiancé should worry about those.”
My terminal rang.
Ô Ca had finally sobered up.
He complained that I had left without a word.
“I was the birthday boy!”
“You vanished. So unfair.”
“Oh!”
“I asked my sister.”
“I remembered wrong!”
“She isn’t marrying Master Lai Ân…”
“She’s marrying his old comrade—”
“Are you listening?”
“Tiểu Ngâm?”
“Tiểu Ngâm?”
But I had no attention for him.
Lai Ân had pulled me into his arms.
His breath brushed behind my ear, tingling.
“What are you afraid of?”
“That I’ll be like your heartless stepmother?”
“Abandon you?”
He spoke slowly.
Every word struck my heart.
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t do something that stupid.”
“Wolves are possessive.”
“We have one mate for life.”
“Of course…”
He deliberately drew out the words and lightly nipped my reddened ear.
“Now you’re grown…”
“You should have some common knowledge.”
“Once married…”
“Your mate can be your guardian too.”
(The End)