After the birth of Chu Pangpang1literally Chubby/Fatty Chu. It’s an endearing nickname., Chu Rong’s status in the family plummeted.
His lover ignored him, spending all his time at the hospital in dragon form with the baby, unwilling to come back and look at him. His younger brother dared to talk back to him, ignoring him as a matter of routine. The old butler no longer cared much for the second young master, focusing all his attention on Gu Yan’an and her child.
The only ones who seemed to still care for him were Qiao Zhiya’s parents…
“Get up, let’s go again!”
Mi Lai’s hammer thudded, and she wiped the sweat off her brow with a flourish.
Chu Rong paused, then stood up and assumed an attack stance once more.
“Bang bang bang!”
They fought to a draw. Mi Lai snorted coldly and stepped off the stage. Qiao Yi stepped forward just in time to hand Chu Rong a restorative potion, saying, “We’ll continue tomorrow.” This meant that tomorrow, Qiao Yi would take his turn sparring with Chu Rong.
Chu Rong silently looked at him, took the potion, and drank it.
Ever since returning from the hospital, the combined onslaught from Qiao Yi and Mi Lai had officially begun. Their reason was sound: everyone else was busy, only the three of them were free, and they couldn’t let their training lapse. They used this opportunity to make up for the missed practice.
Although the reason was as stated, Chu Rong understood that this combined onslaught was a test from Mi Lai and Qiao Yi. The reward for passing the test was likely to be his and Qiao Zhiya’s wedding.
To fulfill his wish of “marrying Qiao Zhiya right after graduation,” Chu Rong put all his effort into sparring with Qiao’s parents while secretly preparing for the wedding.
Mi Lai and Qiao Yi, aware of his little schemes, said nothing but became even more serious in their training sessions with him. Their attacks were no longer merely instructive like on the flagship but aggressive and relentless. Each strike had a single objective: defeat the enemy and win!
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Gu Yan’an was finally discharged from the hospital. Qiao Zhiya finally came home to see Chu Rong. Seeing him almost made Qiao Zhiya revert to his human form out of shock.
“What happened?”
Flapping his wings anxiously, Qiao Zhiya flew to Chu Rong’s side, looking at the medical tape on his forehead and the faint scent of medicine, and asked, “Are you hurt? What happened to you?”
“I’m fine.”
Chu Rong reached out to comfort him, then nodded at Gu Yan’an, turned around, and left without hesitation—if he stayed any longer, he couldn’t guarantee that Qiao Zhiya would obediently follow him.
Sensing the familiar presence leaving, the now chubbier Chu Pangpang quickly turned his head to look, waving his arms and legs, and opened his mouth to wail.
Gu Yan’an hurriedly picked up a pacifier and popped it into his mouth, helplessly holding him and watching Chu Rong leave in a hurry with Qiao Zhiya. She couldn’t help but laugh and sigh, looking down at her wide-eyed son sucking on the pacifier, and whispered, “You little clingy thing, let’s see how your Er Shu2second paternal uncle deals with you later.”
Oblivious to the fact that he was competing with a formidable opponent for attention, Chu Pangpang stared at her with a silly grin, spat out the pacifier, and broke into a broad smile.
Chu Rong went straight back to his room, shut the door, and grabbed the little golden dragon’s tail, saying, “Change back.”
Having not reverted to human form for a whole month, Qiao Zhiya was momentarily stunned. Then, with a flash of golden light, his slender figure appeared, and Chu Rong immediately pulled him into his arms, leaning in for a kiss.
Caught off guard by the kiss, Qiao Zhiya’s eyes widened, looking at Chu Rong’s face so close to his. Seeing the suppressed longing in Chu Rong’s eyes, his heart softened. He wrapped his arms around Chu Rong’s neck and closed his eyes, responding to the kiss.
Their kiss deepened and led them to the bed. After transforming, Qiao Zhiya was unclothed. Chu Rong initially intended for a restrained kiss, but he clearly overestimated his self-control. With his lover blushing and naked, obediently curled up in his arms, it was too much for any man to handle.
Having not seen each other properly for a month, Qiao Zhiya missed Chu Rong as well and silently allowed the intimacy.
Just as Chu Rong had unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, there was a knock on the door. Qiao Yi’s voice followed, gently calling, “Qiaoqiao, your mom made some snacks for you. Come out and eat.”
Chu Rong’s hands froze mid-action. He glanced at Qiao Zhiya, who had instantly hidden himself under the blanket, took a deep breath, bent down to kiss him through the blanket, and said in a repressed voice, “I’ll go get you some clothes.”
The amorous atmosphere dissipated immediately. Qiao Zhiya blushed, peeked out from the blanket, and seeing the sun still high in the sky, recalled his earlier initiative and covered his face in embarrassment.
Fifteen minutes later, dressed Qiao Zhiya was obediently eating snacks under Mi Lai’s affectionate calls, while Chu Rong was taken to the combat training room by Qiao Yi, not returning until just before dinner.
At the dinner table, Qiao Zhiya looked at the additional medical tape on Chu Rong’s forehead, then at his father’s indifferent expression, shifted in his seat, and silently put a piece of his small steak onto Chu Rong’s plate as a gesture of comfort.
Chu Rong glanced at him, his eyes softening, then placed a peeled shrimp onto Qiao Zhiya’s plate and ate the piece of steak he had given him.
Qiao Zhiya couldn’t help but smile, his ears twitching happily as he focused on eating the shrimp.
After dinner, surprisingly, neither Qiao Yi nor Mi Lai stopped Qiao Zhiya from following Chu Rong back to their room. However, their eyes coldly scrutinized Chu Rong’s vital points, powerfully menacing.
Chu Rong pretended not to notice, holding Qiao Zhiya’s hand and quickly returning to their room.
Finally sleeping together again after a month, they finished their nightly routines. Qiao Zhiya snuggled into Chu Rong’s arms, reached up to touch the new medical tape on his forehead, and asked, “What happened with you and Dad?”
“It’s just normal training. Father says my attacks are too predictable and wants to help me improve.”
Chu Rong reassured him, then rolled over to pin him beneath, kissed his eyes, and asked, “Is this okay?”
The atmosphere became intimate. Qiao Zhiya blushed and nodded softly, moving towards him.
The next day, Chu Rong deeply experienced another round of Qiao Yi’s tough love. Afterward, he had to spend some time in the medical room’s healing chamber. From then on, Qiao Yi and Mi Lai no longer prevented the couple from sharing a bed, implicitly allowing their premarital bedsharing.
Life became lighter and happier. Every morning, Qiao Zhiya personally sent Chu Rong off to work, then played with the baby, taught his mother common language and mecha construction, had lunch, transformed into a small dragon for the baby’s nap, researched magic arrays with his father in the afternoon, and finally shared dinner with Chu Rong before a sweet bedtime.
Time flew by, and soon it was time for the military academy’s graduation exams. Qiao Zhiya perfectly completed his graduation project with a pair of comprehensive mechas, which he then gifted to his parents.
The day before the graduation ceremony, the Chu family’s mecha training room was demolished by Qiao Yi and Chu Rong. Both emerged from the rubble, one with a head wound and the other with a bleeding arm. After a mutual glance, Qiao Yi spoke first, “Remember your promise. If you break it, I will take Qiaoqiao away immediately.”
He then looked towards Mi Lai, who was approaching with concern, and Qiao Zhiya, who was rushing out from the main house, and, embracing Mi Lai, left the scene, giving space to Chu Rong and Qiao Zhiya.
“What happened? Your arm is bleeding! Where’s Dad? He’s not still in there—”
Chu Rong stopped the worried Qiao Zhiya, suddenly bent down to kiss his lips, and showed a clear smile, saying, “I won.”
Qiao Zhiya was stunned, blinked, and then quickly recovered, continuing anxiously, “Where’s Dad? I—”
“Everyone’s fine.” Chu Rong embraced him tightly, kissed his ear, then rested his chin on Qiao Zhiya’s head. Squinting into the warm afternoon sun, his tense muscles relaxed completely, exuding a sense of contentment. He happily said, “Qiao, I won… Congratulations on graduating.”
The next day, Qiao Zhiya donned his military academy uniform and, accompanied by his parents, arrived at the school for the graduation ceremony.
Due to his excellent performance and impressive resume, he was selected as this year’s outstanding graduate representative, gave a speech, and received the Hero Honor Medal from the principal, securing a place on the academy’s honor roll as a role model for other students.
At 9 AM, the ceremony began.
After the various formal procedures were completed, it was finally time for the outstanding graduate to give a speech. Qiao Zhiya took a deep breath backstage, nervously squeezing his hands before forcing himself to calm down when applause broke out from the audience. He stepped onto the stage.
The hall lights focused on him, and the audience’s eyes were fixed on him. After a few seconds of silence, the applause became thunderous.
Qiao Zhiya walked to the front of the stage, facing the students below. His gaze swept over his parents and the Chu couple in the front row, then the familiar faces of Chu Yan and Xiang Kun in the back. He briefly wondered where Chu Rong was but then raised his hand in a standard military salute. After the applause subsided, he began, “Hello everyone, I am Qiao Zhiya, a graduate of the Mecha Manufacturing Department, Class 1.”
Applause erupted again. Mi Lai clapped vigorously, looking at her outstanding and radiant son on stage. She wanted to smile but couldn’t help the tears welling up in her eyes.
From a powerless, incomplete dwarf to a beloved hero of the Federation, this was a path Qiao Zhiya walked on his own, a result of his hard work. At this moment, Mi Lai felt an immense sense of pride and gratitude for Qiao Zhiya’s growth and accomplishments. She even found herself no longer disliking Chu Rong for “stealing” Qiao Zhiya. If such “theft” could bring Qiao Zhiya happiness, then so be it — she was more than willing to let it happen.
Once he started, the rest of the speech flowed easily. Qiao Zhiya’s initial nervousness faded, and his speech became increasingly smooth. His attention was entirely on the audience, so he didn’t notice Chu Rong entering the stage from the other side until the students’ eyes widened, and some gasped in surprise.
Just as Qiao Zhiya finished his speech and turned to see what the commotion was about, he froze.
“Congratulations on your graduation.”
Chu Rong stepped forward, handing over the honor certificate that was supposed to be awarded by the principal. Once Qiao Zhiya took it, Chu Rong suddenly grasped his hand, stepping forward to stand beside him. He glanced at the now-excited students below and said, “The principal asked me to say a few words, but I’m in a hurry to get married, so I’ll keep it brief. Remember your initial aspirations, the Federation needs your protection. Thank you.”
With that, he saluted the audience and, still holding Qiao Zhiya’s hand, walked off the stage with him. His demeanor perfectly illustrated limited patience.
Qiao Zhiya was stunned, following Chu Rong off the stage. Only when they were about to step down did he snap back to reality, his face turning bright red as he stammered, “Wh-what marriage? You, I…we…”
Chu Rong turned and kissed him, then suddenly bent down and scooped him up, striding towards the exit.
The students, witnessing this scene, were momentarily stunned before the atmosphere exploded. Cheers and screams erupted, completely disregarding any sense of discipline. The fervent atmosphere nearly lifted the hall’s roof.
The school leaders, though helpless, did not stop the students. In fact, they themselves felt like cheering. After the great war, the Federation desperately needed a joyous occasion like this to herald a new era of peace.
In the audience, the Chu family and Qiao Yi’s couple exchanged glances and stood up in unison, heading outside. In the back row, Chu Yan stretched lazily and draped an arm around Xiang Kun’s shoulder, saying, “Let’s go, time to drink my brother’s wedding wine on our ship.”
Xiang Kun coldly shrugged off his arm and walked away, exuding an air of cool detachment.
Chu Yan glared after him, rubbing his arm and muttering, “What a bad temper…”
Two hours later, the Chu family’s flagship set sail from their private port, headed for the primitive forest of the original planet.
