Looking at his youngest son, who was acting like a devoted fanboy of Tan Hao, and then at his eldest son, who was in a cold war with the Wei family’s son but couldn’t help stealing glances at him, Xiang Chen felt a tangled mess of emotions—being a father was truly difficult!
The atmosphere between Xiang Qilin and Wei Huanping was awkward and complicated. Wanting to escape the discomfort, Xiang Qilin glanced at his father, who was chatting with Tan Hao, and decided to seek out his younger brother instead.
As for Xiang Qimiao, though he was interrupted from his intense admiration (read: fawning) over his idol, he still tilted his head and asked, “Brother, what’s up?”
Xiang Qilin, momentarily at a loss for words, stammered as his gaze darted around. Spotting Tan Hao, he suddenly had an idea, knowing full well about his brother’s crush on the man. He quickly said, “Miaomiao, were you happy to be escorted back by General Tan?”
This question seemed to poke the hornet’s nest. Xiang Qimiao’s eyes lit up as he grabbed Xiang Qilin and launched into a passionate, whispered spiel about his idol, extolling General Tan’s greatness with endless enthusiasm—his movements swift and energy boundless, completely unlike someone recovering from injuries.
Xiang Qilin glanced at Tan Hao and his father with a complicated expression, catching the latter’s indescribable look.
He sighed inwardly: *My adorable little brother, as a sentinel with heightened senses—let alone a top-tier Dark Sentinel like Tan Hao—even if you whisper, he can hear every word clearly from this distance, especially with the door open.*
Meanwhile, Xiang Chen faced Tan Hao with immense awkwardness. He offered a strained but polite smile. “General Tan, my son is just a fan of yours. He doesn’t mean anything by it—well, not that there’s anything wrong with it—I mean…” Eventually, he gave up.
Tan Hao remained his usual composed and aloof self, though the corners of his lips curled slightly. “General Xiang, there’s no need to explain. Over the past few days traveling back with Xiaomiao, I’ve found him quite adorable—very much to my liking.”
Xiang Chen felt a bit windblown. “General Tan, what exactly do you mean by that?” *Could it be what I’m thinking?* He couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and irritation—was his youngest son’s long-held dream about to come true?
The roots of Xiang Qimiao’s crush on Tan Hao, as well as Xiang Qilin’s idolization of him, traced back to an incident years ago.
During a terrorist attack in the chaotic star systems, a reckless nobleman from a neighboring empire had used civilians as bait to escape, endangering a tourist starship from the Blue Star Empire.
At the time, Xiang Chen—then a newly promoted general—had rushed to stabilize the situation, only for the terrorists to launch a suicide attack toward the civilian starship where his wife was.
It was Tan Hao, then a major in his late twenties on a covert mission, who intervened, saving the civilians—including Xiang Chen’s wife, the mother of Xiang Qilin and Xiang Qimiao.
Since then, the Xiang family had held deep gratitude toward Tan Hao. Xiang Qilin admired him, while Xiang Qimiao’s feelings gradually evolved from gratitude to love—though he never dared confess, remaining single to this day.
Now, to Xiang Chen’s shock, it seemed his son’s seemingly hopeless crush might actually bear fruit.
*So this is what they mean by ‘dreams do come true’?*
Seeing Xiang Chen’s disbelief, Tan Hao softened his tone slightly—after all, this was his future father-in-law. “Yes, General Xiang. I like Xiaomiao and wish to pursue him.” Straightforward as ever.
He added, “Rest assured, my feelings are genuine. I would never force him into anything.”
Xiang Chen chuckled dryly, though internally he screamed: *You don’t need to force him! One word from you, and that traitorous son of mine would follow you anywhere!*
Nearby, Wei Huanping—who had come with Xiang Qilin but was sulking—suddenly doubted his sentinel hearing. *General Tan, the famously stoic and uninterested, actually likes a guide?* Recalling the gossip threads on the military forum, his expression turned thoughtful.
*If Tan Hao can be this direct, maybe I should be bolder in pursuing Qilin too.*
Xiang Qilin, also a sentinel with sharp hearing, felt equally conflicted: *So the forum rumors were true all along.*
Xiang Qimiao, however, remained oblivious due to his injuries and weaker hearing. Had he heard Tan Hao’s confession, he might’ve combusted on the spot.
Seeing Tan Hao’s serious expression and sincerity, Xiang Chen’s initial frustration faded. With a sigh, he relented. “Fine, do as you young people will.”
Still, as a father, he had to add, “Pursue him if you must, but no forcing or mistreating my Miaomiao! Even if things don’t work out, end it amicably!”
Deep down, he mourned: *My precious son is about to belong to someone else…*
**Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!** 🎉
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