This is me with Chinese novels 😂
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Although Aiden said he’d give Carlo a chance, he didn’t actually take it that seriously. The way he saw it, when Carlo confessed in front of his sickbed that time, it was more like he was teasing him. What happened to the guy named Carlo who had constantly been saying he was disgusted with omegas ever since he was little? If an alpha who had always looked down on omegas suddenly said he liked one, no matter who it was, they wouldn’t be able to easily believe it.
So even if Carlo had told him “I like you” twice in a row, Aiden didn’t take it to heart.
When he returned home, Craig had already made a tableful of sumptuous dishes. Randy was sitting on the balcony, working on his handmade goods, and the two little ones played with their toys by themselves on the carpet beside him. Aiden’s alpha little brother and omega little sister could talk already, and when they saw him come in, they reached out at the same time and fought for their brother’s hug.
“Brother came back!”
“Big brother!”
Aiden smiled and walked up to them. He hugged his brother with his left arm, swept up his sister with his right arm, and soothed the two little ones until they were quiet.
When Craig saw the homey scene of his eldest son taking care of his little brother and sister, his heart felt warm, and he couldn’t help but reach out and rub Aiden’s head. He asked, “You went to see that alpha today, right? How did it go?”
Aiden smiled and said, “I was one step late. He already has someone he likes.”
Randy interrupted, saying, “Does that person like him back? Are they officially together?”
Aiden said, “I’m not sure. I didn’t ask him about the specifics.”
Randy said seriously, “That was wrong of you. Who can say but his love might be only unrequited, and the other party isn’t interested in him at all? If he’s still single at the moment, you still have a chance to win him over. Take the initiative and go chase him, what do you have to be afraid of? I’ll give you my staunch support. If you need money, don’t hesitate to use this card.” As Randy said that, he took a premium gold card from the Imperial Bank out of his pocket and put it in front of Aiden. “I earned a few million just for you to spend on getting married.”
Aiden: “...”
Craig: “...”
His dad’s personality had always been headstrong like this. Aiden was already used to it. He silently took the card and put it away.
Craig coughed and said seriously, “I’ve already helped you check Maynard’s background. When he was eighteen years old, he didn’t go to military school, but went to the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts to study painting instead. He’s completely uninterested in military affairs, so his profile in the Warwick family is very low. His father is the older cousin of General Byron from the Morningstar Corps. His mother came from the Sherman family, and she’s the older cousin of Hooper, the newly-appointed chief of the Rose Corps.”
The bowl in Randy’s hands dropped to the ground with a clatter, and Craig immediately came to a stop. He asked worriedly, “What’s the matter?”
Randy bent over to pick up his bowl and chopsticks, and said, “It’s nothing.” He quickly put his bowl and chopsticks back in place and covered up his emotions, then looked back at his son and said, “Since that Maynard already has someone he likes, you should let it go. My son should find someone who treats him well with all his heart and soul.”
Aiden stared at him blankly. Didn’t Dad change his mind a bit too fast? He’d just been encouraging him to take the initiative to chase after him, and in the blink of an eye, he wanted him to give up…
Craig had also noticed Randy’s big swerve in attitude, and he looked at him doubtfully and said, “Didn’t you just say…”
“I changed my mind.” Randy interrupted him with a calm expression. “Aiden, listen to your dad’s words. The Empire has so many outstanding alphas, you should pick one that likes you wholeheartedly. With this kind of person who has someone else in their heart, even if you win him over, he won’t treat you well.”
Aiden wasn’t actually that strongly attached to Maynard. When he heard his dad say this, he nodded obediently and said, “Yes, that’s what I thought too.”
Randy’s attitude was very firm, so naturally it was inappropriate for Craig to discuss it further. In any case, he hadn’t really set his sights on Maynard either. His son could definitely find a better partner.
After the family around the table finished eating dinner, Craig left early because he had something to do at the palace. Randy used the excuse of not feeling well to turn and leave for his bedroom. Aiden conscientiously put the dishes away, tucked his little brother and sister into bed, and then went to his dad’s room.
Aiden was surprised to find that his dad wasn’t lying down to rest, but was sitting on the edge of his bed, lost in thought. Under the illumination of the lamp, his face looked strangely pale. Aiden walked to his side and sat down, and asked softly, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Randy was silent for a long time, and finally said, “You’ve already grown up. There’s something I should tell you.”
He turned and took a photo in a crystal frame out of a locked safe. There were three children in the photo, two boys and one girl. They were standing hand in hand, and they seemed like they were very close. The three children were all very beautiful, and had some similarities in their appearances, looking as if they were siblings.
Aiden took the photo and examined it carefully. He asked in confusion, “Who are these three children?”
Randy pointed at the girl in the photo and said, “The oldest child in the middle is named Evelyn. The boy on the left is named Hooper. The boy on the right is named Dean. Dean is my former name. Evelyn is a cousin I was very close to, and Hooper is my younger brother.”
Aiden stared blankly for a moment, and a long while later, he finally straightened out these people’s relationships. “You mean...you’re also from the Sherman family?”
Randy nodded. “Hooper and I are brothers from this generation of the Sherman family. Evelyn is my older cousin. Her parents passed away early, and she grew up in my family. The three of us were very close. I was still very young when my cousin got married, and I only knew that she married an alpha from the Warwick family. She didn’t return home again after she got married, and I haven’t been in contact with her for many years.”
Randy paused, then continued, “You and Maynard should be cousins. Him studying art can clearly be put down to him inheriting the Sherman family’s artistic lineage. The good impression you had of him might come down to your blood relation. Maybe you felt close to him because of your shared genes?”
Aiden: “...”
This plot development was really a hundred times more melodramatic than the romantic movies he had watched at school.
His dad’s identity and background had been a mystery. He had never mentioned having any family, and Aiden had already come up with many possibilities for why this might be so. He had even been under the impression that Randy was a descendant of a wealthy family who had been cast out alone when his family was ruined and his parents passed away, orphaned and destitute. He was living by himself on the capital planet, relying on his natural talent for doing business to make lots of money. He totally hadn’t expected that Randy was actually a member of the Sherman family, and the older brother of Hooper, the current commander of the Rose Corps!
When he saw his son’s complicated expression, Randy rubbed his head helplessly and said, “Back then, my grandfather was forcing me to get married. In order to escape the arranged marriage, I faked my death, changed names, and went to live on the capital planet. My younger brother...he’s your Uncle Hooper. He was also pushed by my grandfather until he ran away, and later lost his memory. Although he’s now taken command of the Rose Corps, and is in control of the Sherman family, he doesn’t remember anything about what happened in the past. I’ve never thought of returning to the Sherman family. For me, the last name Sherman is just part of a past I don’t want to bring up again.”
Randy looked back at his son and said seriously, “Son, you absolutely can’t leak this information, or it’ll implicate a lot of people. It’s enough if you know the truth of the matter at heart. You have to help me guard this secret. Don’t mention a word of it, even to your father.”
Aiden nodded. “I understand.”
According to what his dad was saying, back then, he had faked his death and made it so everyone believed that Dean of the Sherman family was no longer in the world of the living. Afterwards, he had forged the identity of Randy and built a house on the outskirts of the capital planet, settling down to live a peaceful life. If this secret was leaked out, one could well imagine how the Sherman family would deal with him. No wonder he had never been willing to get married to Craig; it was because there were problems with his identity. If the marriage registration office looked into his background, his secret would likely be exposed.
Seeing how pale his dad looked, Aiden’s heart couldn’t help but hurt. He grasped Randy’s hand tightly and said, “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll stand with you.”
Gratified, Randy hugged his thoughtful eldest son. After being quiet for a moment, he said, “There’s still one more thing. Back then, when I was at Ellen Academy, I joined a special organization. This organization is called the Underground Alliance, and it’s made up entirely of omegas. Since you already know the truth about this matter, it’d be better if you joined them as well.”
Aiden always listened to what his dad said. He nodded without the slightest hesitation. “Okay.”
That night, Randy brought Aiden to the Locke Castle underground headquarters on the capital planet. When he saw the large scale of the underground factory, and the various machines automatically operating in it, Aiden was shocked to the bottom of his heart. He totally hadn’t expected that the Underground Alliance his dad had spoken of would be this powerful.
What surprised him even more was that when he came to the office with his dad, he actually saw a very familiar face.
“...Xi Wei?” Aiden stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of him who was busy working nonstop. “How come you’re here?”
Randy moved over and said in his son’s ear, “Right now, he’s our second-in-command.”
Xi Wei turned towards Aiden and gave him a brilliant smile, walking quickly to his side. He said, “I’ve long wanted you to join. However, the Alliance’s main purpose is to provide suppressants to omegas who don’t want to marry, so that they can delay their wedding day. You don’t actually fit the Alliance’s requirements.”
Aiden asked curiously, “What are suppressants?”
“It’s a drug we developed that inhibits the release of omega pheromones, so that omegas don’t have to suffer through heats.” Xi Wei took out a transparent syringe and showed it to Aiden, and continued, “The Empire banned the use of suppressants, so we can only secretly manufacture them here.”
Aiden suddenly came to a realization. “So you mean that you never had low omega pheromone levels, but were taking suppressants all along?”
Xi Wei said, “You’re pretty smart.”
“...” Aiden’s worldview was completely refreshed. Since he was small, he had never felt conflicted over being an omega and having heats, but calmly accepted it instead. He didn’t reject the prospect of marrying and having children either. Most omegas probably shared his views. However, there were also a fair portion of omegas who, like Xi Wei, disliked the idea of marriage, and especially disliked the idea of being forced to marry an alpha they didn’t like because of their heat. These omegas chose to use suppressants to protect themselves, and the Underground Alliance was their biggest source of support.
Seeing Aiden curiously sizing up their surroundings, Xi Wei couldn’t help but smile and say, “Aiden, do you want to join?”
Aiden looked back at his dad and said, “Since Dad’s a member of the Alliance, I’ll join too.”
Xi Wei said seriously, “After you join the Alliance, you have to keep it a secret.”
“Of course.”
“Who can say but there might come a time when you also need suppressants. When that time comes, you can just come straight to me.” Xi Wei patted Aiden’s shoulder happily. “Welcome to the Alliance.”
Aiden couldn’t help but start to smile. “You really have the look of a second-in-command.”
The Underground Alliance had admitted a new member, and what’s more, it was his own best friend. Xi Wei was in a great mood. He took Aiden for a tour of the underground factory, and gave him an introduction to the Alliance’s members and method of operation.
It wasn’t until late at night that Aiden returned home with his father.
As soon as he got home, he saw lots of unread messages on his communicator, all sent by Carlo. He’d been in the underground factory just now, which had blocked his reception, so he hadn’t received these messages until now.
“Aiden, after coming home, I thought about it carefully, and I think that when you gave me this chance, it was because you suffered a blow with Maynard and felt momentarily impulsive. But it doesn’t matter, I’ll make sure to seize this opportunity.”
“No matter what, my love for you is real. I hope I can make that clear.”
“When did I start liking you? I actually don’t know either. Maybe it was that time back when we were children, when you fainted, and I carried you to the hospital. On the way there, I discovered that you were so thin, so small and fragile, and an intense desire to protect you rose up in me.”
“In any case, I just started liking you. The specific reason isn’t clear. I only know that I want to take you as my wife, and take care of you for the rest of my life.”
Aiden: “...”
When this guy sent messages, it was like he was giving a soliloquy. Aiden didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Randy found that Aiden was looking down at his communicator with a very strange expression, and he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Who sent you those messages? There’s so many.”
Aiden said helplessly, “Carlo. He confessed to me again today, so I said I’d give him a chance.”
Randy was a bit surprised. “Carlo? The one who often came to our home with Xi Wei and Klaire when you guys were little? I remember every time you guys were playing, he’d just stand off to the side, not saying anything. He looked pretty foolish and spaced out.”
Thinking of what Carlo was like as a child, Aiden couldn’t help but laugh, and said, “I also thought he was kind of dumb.”
While these two were discussing the question of whether or not Carlo was stupid, Carlo was hard pressed to think of what present he should give Aiden.
Every time he gave Aiden a present, he couldn’t get his feelings across. Seeing that Aiden’s birthday was coming round again, and this was the precious chance Aiden had taken the initiative to give him, what exactly should he give him?
Aiden’s dad was so rich that at home, Aiden lacked for nothing. When it came to material things, he really couldn’t give him anything presentable. They all said it was the thought that counted, so what if...he simply gave him his first kiss? When he thought of this, Carlo couldn’t help but get excited. He opened up his computer and started searching the web for the times and places of couples’ first kisses, and how to give a first kiss that would be romantic enough to move an omega’s heart.
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4:34 for 2,782 words, or 9.8 minutes per 100 words. An improvement in rate by two minutes from last chapter, and an improvement by 6.8 minutes from Chapter 44, when I started counting time! My total time's been cut in half. This chapter, I finally stopped reading each sentence three-four times in English, pinyin and Chinese respectively. Although I didn't realize it, my Chinese level actually has improved. 😭 Now I can recognize 90% of the characters, and I'm speaking Chinese at home for the first time since I was five. I started taking actual Chinese lessons as well... I'm really thankful there's such a relatively painless way of learning a foreign language. I'm discovering an enthusiasm for it I never had as a child, and part of the credit has to go to you, my readers. 💕
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