Chapter 64: A Family of Three

Did he just hear that? Was he imagining things?

Is Little Star their child?

Xiao Sa froze, his eyes wide as he darted his gaze between the baby and Landis.

His mind went into a brief state of confusion, until Little Star wriggled out of Landis's arms and moved toward Xiao Sa.

The baby's two chubby little arms wrapped around his neck, his chubby arms waving excitedly. The infant's round face happily rubbed against him, "Mommy!"

Landis couldn't give birth, could he? Had something changed with him after he left?

Xiao Sa felt an itch of curiosity, wondering how Landis had a child and how the child had grown so big.

He hesitated, his eyes shifting away guiltily when Landis looked up at him.

No, he couldn't let Landis know about his misunderstanding.

Seeing Xiao Sa's hesitation, Landis pursed his lips, "If you don’t want to raise him, I can do it on my own."

Xiao Sa quickly pulled Little Star into his arms, his eyes narrowing as he shot a wary glance at Landis, "Who said I didn't want to raise him? I just..."

He paused slightly, then took the opportunity to kiss the baby's cheek while holding him, "I'm just too happy."

Landis breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth turning up, his eyes warming. A large stone in his heart finally settled, no longer dwelling on Xiao Sa's previous strange attitude.

"I haven't decided on his formal name yet, but his nickname is temporarily Little Star."

They both leaned in to kiss Little Star’s cheeks, lost in the joy of being a family of three, and the earlier awkwardness slipped away.

Holding Little Star, Xiao Sa pinched his chubby cheeks. Daddy looking at the baby, the more he looked, the happier he became.

Little Star could feel the love radiating from both of them, and his heart swelled with warmth as he called out "Mommy!" and giggled happily.

Xiao Sa suddenly realized and looked at Landis with raised eyebrows, "Wait, why did you teach the baby to call me Mommy?"

He couldn't help but wonder if Landis was being overbearing, trying to assert dominance again.

Landis explained matter-of-factly, "The first word he learned was 'Mommy.' He just loves calling people that, and no matter how many times I try to correct him, he won’t change."

As if to confirm Landis's words, Little Star inevitably crawled back into Landis's arms, rubbing against him while calling "Mommy."

Xiao Sa was speechless—apparently, the kid called everyone 'Mommy.'

He gently lifted Little Star by the back of his shirt and propped himself up on the hospital bed with one elbow, giving him what he hoped was a cool dad look. Speaking clearly, he said, "Little Star, be good, I'm your Daddy, call me Daddy."

Landis silently chuckled, preparing to watch Xiao Sa's antics.

Unexpectedly, Little Star tilted his head and looked at Xiao Sa, then very obediently called out "Daddy."

Landis was left speechless.

Xiao Sa burst out laughing, pulling Little Star into his arms and peppering him with kisses. "Little Star is indeed Daddy's good son!"

Landis looked at the father and son helplessly, wondering if Little Star was doing it on purpose.

Xiao Sa was feeling pretty proud of himself, having just won the unofficial title of 'Best Dad in the Family.'

Little Star wriggled out of his arms, grabbed Xiao Sa's head with one hand, and rubbed his cheeks and chin with the other. He nuzzled against Xiao Sa's cheek and let out a couple of soft "ah" sounds.

Xiao Sa's smile froze. This was the second time Little Star had done this to him.

Puzzled, he asked, "What’s he trying to say?"

Little Star let him go, quickly crawling into Landis's arms, waving at Xiao Sa before burying himself in Landis's chest, mimicking the action of suckling. He then turned back and patted Xiao Sa's forehead.

Xiao Sa choked up instantly. Could it be that the little guy was sympathizing with him for not having milk?

This time, it was Landis who couldn’t help but laugh. He tried to hold back, but his lips wouldn't stay down.

He stroked Little Star's head and said with a smile, "Daddy has no milk, poor him. Let's not laugh at him."

Sure enough, Little Star nodded twice, looking over with a comforting and sympathetic gaze, then patted Xiao Sa's cheek again.

Xiao Sa's face darkened. So, 'Mama' equals having milk, and 'Daddy' equals not having milk. What a simple and crude distinction.

He cleared his throat and asked again, "How did Little Star get lost?"

Landis's brow twitched slightly. "Little Star has already awakened his spiritual entity abilities. It seems he can become invisible, though we don’t know if he can make other things invisible as well. He took advantage of the attendants' negligence and sneaked out of the room."

We’ll need to come up with better ways to keep an eye on him in the future. This ability is really hard to guard against. Luckily, he ran into Xiao Sa directly. If there's a next time, it might not end so well.

Xiao Sa was stunned, looking at the baby in disbelief. This little guy had awakened his spiritual entity at such a young age. No wonder he appeared at my feet out of nowhere—he must have been invisible.

Thinking of spiritual entities, Landis remembered, "By the way, what's going on with your spiritual entity? You said neither you nor your clan had one, right?"

Xiao Sa rubbed his nose and explained that he had undergone a second differentiation, resulting in two new spiritual entities.

Landis couldn't fully understand what secondary differentiation and the ABO world differentiation meant, but he looked at him in surprise. "So, you're now double S-rank, with the spiritual entities being the mental energy orb of a spiritual healer and the White Tiger?"

Xiao Sa nodded and released his little White Tiger.

The White Tiger, bearing a '王' symbol on its forehead, had matured from a small cub to nearly the height of Xiao Sa’s calf, despite being only a little over six months old.

The little White Tiger approached Landis, standing on its hind legs on the edge of the bed, its front paws grabbing onto his chest. Its twitching nose sniffed around his neck, then turned to Little Star.

The furry head nuzzled the baby's cheek and licked him, making Little Star giggle.

Landis, clearly intrigued, scooped up the little White Tiger. Yesterday's situation had been too urgent; he had seen the White Tiger but hadn't had the chance to think about anything else.

He examined the little White Tiger closely. Its black and white fur was sleek and shiny. He couldn't help but stroke its head, scratch under its chin, and run his hand down its back, rubbing the tail.

Landis had his own Dark Flame, but touching his own spiritual entity always felt odd, and he wasn’t particularly fond of animals or interested in others' spiritual entities.

At this moment, he finally realized how interesting it was to touch a spiritual entity, unable to stop. No wonder Xiao Sa loved fluffy things so much.

As Landis enjoyed his petting, Xiao Sa on the bed became unhappy.

Lying stiffly on the bed, still recovering, Xiao Sa was already feeling uncomfortable.

Though the little White Tiger was still young and its empathic connection wasn’t as strong as when it would be fully grown, having Landis pet his spiritual entity so unrestrainedly beside him was too much.

It was tolerable when he stroked the head, but his back had just healed, feeling numb and itchy, and now Landis's petting made it even itchier.

The other man was happily rubbing the tail—how was this any different from touching me directly?

When Landis eagerly moved from the tail to the little White Tiger’s belly, Xiao Sa finally reached his limit, feeling goosebumps break out all over.

"Hey, Landis, cut it out. Stop petting him."

Landis cradled the little white tiger in his arms as if it were a baby, his eyes subtly fixed on Xiao Sa, who was lying on the bed unable to move.

As expected, he stopped and instead lowered his head to gently nibble on the white tiger's ear, his warm, wet tongue flicking inside briefly.

The little white tiger was half-asleep, kicking at Landis with its back legs while letting out a series of groggy 'howls.'

Landis, with a half-smile, saw Xiao Sa's instantly stiff body and a red ear peeking from beneath his hair, which made him chuckle softly.

Xiao Sa's face darkened, and his lips twitched in frustration. "Are you bullying a patient?"

Landis pinched the tiger's paws and scratched its chin leisurely. "After all the times you've teased me, it's finally my turn, right?"

Xiao Sa was rendered speechless. This guy was still so petty, holding a grudge about the time he had touched Landis's Black Flame's large bell.

"Ao!" Suddenly, Black Flame appeared at Landis's feet, unnoticed until now. He immediately climbed onto the hospital bed, his glossy black head nudging close to Xiao Sa as he sniffed him thoroughly.

Before Landis could react, Black Flame quickly clung to his master's leg.

Standing, Black Flame was tall enough that his head reached Landis's chest, his dark golden eyes wide and alert as he sniffed the little white tiger from head to tail.

Finally, he pushed the white tiger's tail aside with his head, sniffed its rear end carefully, and then gave it a long, thorough lick with his big tongue.

Both Xiao Sa on the hospital bed and the little white tiger in Landis's arms froze simultaneously.

Suddenly, the idea of having a mental entity didn't seem so appealing anymore.

Landis twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Black Flame!"

The little white tiger in his arms struggled out and pounced on Black Flame, determined to lick its fur to assert dominance despite being only half its size.

The two large cats, one black and one white, rolled on the floor, kicking and biting with their open mouths.

Only Little Star sat on the edge of the bed, clapping his hands excitedly with a mischievous smile, enjoying the chaos.

Xiao Sa: "..."

He covered his face with one hand, lying on the bed head, exhaling in frustration.

Another day of chaos, as expected.

After playing for a while, Little Star became tired and drooped his head, feeling sleepy. Landis picked him up, gently patting his back to lull him to sleep.

Little Star's hand still held onto Xiao Sa's finger, his little mouth constantly smacking.

Xiao Sa looked at him, torn between laughter and exasperation. It's no wonder babies like to suck on pacifiers; this little guy just had to have something in his mouth.

Suddenly remembering something, Xiao Sa's gaze shifted from Little Star's face to Landis's chest.

Was it just his imagination, or did Landis's military jacket look more... fuller than usual?

No wonder Little Star preferred snuggling into Landis's arms over drinking from the bottle. The day before, Xiao Sa had been gossiping about which "mother" was so indulgent, still not weaning such a big child. It turned out it was Landis.

Xiao Sa's expression immediately became subtle.

Landis caught Xiao Sa's gaze and smiled knowingly. He had always known Xiao Sa enjoyed this.

He gently placed the sleeping Little Star aside and slowly unbuttoned his military jacket. The neat white shirt underneath outlined his firm and muscular chest, which appeared even fuller due to the two nursing pads inside.

He sat down by Xiao Sa's bedside, his eyes twinkling with amusement, as he slowly undid his tie knot.

Xiao Sa's Adam's apple bobbed as he blinked, looking warily at the other. "Landis, what do you think you're doing?"

This damn guy was definitely tempting him again. And now, being unable to move, he was deliberately bullying a patient, wasn't he?

Landis opened his tie and leaned in close to Xiao Sa, planting a kiss on his cheek, his voice low and magnetic. "After being apart for so long, don't you miss me?"

An Alpha's sense of smell was extremely keen, and as Landis leaned down, a faint milky scent wafted into Xiao Sa's nose.

"Do you know how I usually feed Little Star?"

Xiao Sa's mouth opened slightly, his ears turning red as he tried to resist the temptation, turning his face away. "Tsk, I couldn't care less about that."

Landis chuckled and undid the top few buttons of his collar, his heavy chest almost ready to be revealed.

Xiao Sa stole a glance, then another. Actually, it wasn't much different from before, still as big as ever.

Landis took out the pad, blinked, and said slowly, "But Little Star only likes to drink from the left side. He never likes the right, which leaves me feeling sore and uncomfortable. I have to use a pump every time."

Xiao Sa's mind exploded with images, a flush spreading from his ears to his neck.

He narrowed his eyes, clicked his tongue, and thought, this cunning man from the star sea region was getting more ruthless in his seduction techniques!

His gaze shifted slightly down, and he raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Fine, I'll help you out, though I really shouldn't."

Landis stifled his laughter and leaned in to kiss Xiao Sa's lips. The shallow kiss quickly became deep and fiery.

Their breathing grew heavier, and once they touched, it was as if they were stuck together, eager to reconnect with the lover they hadn't seen in months.

Landis lay in bed, holding Xiao Sa's head against his chest, pressing him tightly as his neck arched, his Adam's apple bobbing continuously.

"Xiao Sa..."

He closed his eyes tightly, unconsciously murmuring the other's name, his brows knitted in a mix of pleasure and pain, soon breaking out in a fine sweat that dampened his golden sideburns.

Xiao Sa had only intended to help relieve some of Landis's discomfort gently, but Landis's constant urging was driving him crazy.

His grip grew stronger, his dark pupils deepening, his hot breath mingling with the scent of their pheromones, accompanied by a sweet milky fragrance that filled the air.

That insatiable hunger returned.

Landis hadn't smelled Xiao Sa's tequila scent for over half a year, relying only on the pheromone inhibitor he had left behind. It was just enough to barely soothe the restlessness inside him, providing some nutrition for the baby's development.

But the emptiness of being without his partner could never be filled.

Just as they were kissing passionately, a knock came at the door of the intensive care room, followed by Caro's voice. "Sir, Mr. Xiao Sa, I've brought Mr. Xiao Ke."

Damn, he had forgotten about the message he sent to Caro earlier.

Both Landis and Xiao Sa stiffened, exchanged an embarrassed glance, and quickly pulled apart.

Xiao Sa returned to lying on the bed, pretending to be a weak and lifeless patient, half of his flushed face buried in the pillow.

Landis swiftly buttoned up his shirt, which had been wrinkled from their earlier tussle, and hastily put on his military jacket to hide any signs of their intimate encounter.

Landis walked to the door and opened it, his expression calm and composed again. "Please come in."

Judging by their expressions alone, there was no sign of what had just happened between them.

At least Caro didn’t notice anything, but Xiao Ke, being an Alpha, sniffed the air and immediately detected an unusual mix of scents in the room.

The smell was so strong that it almost made him stagger back.

Xiao Ke’s gaze shifted meaningfully between Landis and Xiao Sa on the bed, then he walked over to his younger brother and bent down to touch his still-flushed cheek.

"Xiao Sa, how are you? Is your injury getting better? Hmm, why do you still feel warm? Do you have a fever? Should I call the doctor?"

Xiao Sa swatted his hand away, his cheek twitching slightly, and cleared his throat. "I’m okay, Older Brother."

As they exchanged a few words, Xiao Ke’s eyes moved to the sleeping Little Star beside them. Xiao Sa glanced at Landis, whose expression remained indifferent, and felt a sinking sensation in his chest.

Damn, Older Brother already knows about my confusion over Little Star’s origins. If I slip up, it could spell trouble.

He needed to bluff his way through.

Xiao Sa’s mind raced.

Xiao Ke smiled gently. "Xiao Sa, so this is your married partner. You haven’t formally introduced him before, have you?"

Caught off guard, Xiao Sa nodded without considering the deeper meaning behind the question. "I’ve already told you about General Landis."

He then turned to Landis and said, pointing at his older brother, "This is Xiao Ke, my elder brother. As for my parents, they’re in the Star Alliance. Maybe you’ll meet them someday."

Landis’s face showed no extra emotion as he nodded imperceptibly, maintaining a calm demeanor. "Yes, I’ve already met Mr. Xiao Ke and had a… friendly exchange."

His unconcerned expression and deliberate pace of speech made it seem as though the earlier incident with Little Star had never occurred. No one could detect any embarrassment from his face.

Landis even gave Xiao Ke a calm nod, as if nothing had happened, before picking up Little Star and gently rubbing the cub’s back, his focus entirely on soothing the child.

He didn’t arouse any of Xiao Sa’s suspicions.

Only the guilty thumping of his heart betrayed him. Landis silently glanced at Xiao Ke, who wore a half-smiling expression, racking his brain.

Xiao Ke observed the tension between them and found the situation amusing. He wasn’t about to ruin their cover by pointing out their secret, only briefly checking on Xiao Sa’s injuries.

As soon as he lifted Xiao Sa’s shirt, he was startled by the crisscrossed scars on his brother’s back. Xiao Ke felt a pang of heartache and sighed deeply. "It’s this bad? How long until you recover?"

Xiao Sa quickly pulled his shirt back down, afraid that his brother might start crying, and hurriedly reassured him. "Don’t worry, Older Brother. The doctor said the injuries will heal in a week."

"What about the contamination in your mental sea? That could take longer to heal."

Xiao Sa thought for a moment, estimating the speed of his mental energy recovery, and said, "At most a month."

Xiao Ke nodded, somewhat reassured, and after a few more casual exchanges with Xiao Sa, finally left, feeling satisfied amidst the siblings' unease.

Once the room returned to silence, Xiao Sa and Landis exchanged a quick, relieved glance, both grateful that nothing had been exposed.

Thank God he didn’t suspect anything.

Several days later.

Xiao Sa had spent several days in the healing pod, and the flesh wounds on his back had healed almost completely, allowing him to get out of bed and move around.

He gently stretched his stiff muscles, then picked up Little Star, using the teaser toy he had made for Hei Yan to swing it back and forth and play with the cub.

"It's about time to give Little Star a formal name."

The little white tiger and Hei Yan, who had been grooming each other under the bed, poked their heads out and circled around them.

Landis, sitting in a nearby sofa working on some paperwork, had the light screens of his holo-computer flashing across his view. In the past few days, Customs Star had been placed under full military management under the pretext of cracking down on smuggling armed groups and space pirates. He now held complete control over the political, military, and economic affairs.

Hearing Xiao Sa's words, Landis looked up from his work and replied, "I've thought about it a lot too, but I'm still not satisfied. You should think about it as well."

"Knock knock—" The door was knocked on again, and this time the visitor was Haino, whom they hadn't seen for many days.

Dressed in a black coat, tall and muscular, with a straight scar across his face, he looked every bit like a ruthless leader of a black market syndicate.

The first time Landis met this eccentric guy, he would have had him thrown out if Xiao Sa hadn't introduced him.

"Is he your synthetic being?"

"Yes. His name is Haino." Xiao Sa hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to reveal Haino's former secret as the core of the Central Mind.

Landis was taken aback and cast a suspicious glance at Xiao Sa, connecting the dots with the Central Mind core that Xiao Sa had taken away.

Before he could ask what was going on, Haino had already swaggered over to Xiao Sa's side and grinned, "Xiao Sa, I never expected that the baby you found would actually be yours. Back then, you said for sure that General Landis wouldn't come looking for you, and now you even have a child!"

Landis's eyes flickered instantly. "Hmm?"

Xiao Sa's alarm bells went off, but before he could stop him, the gossip-loving Haino continued, "I overheard a conversation between General Landis's adjutant and your brother. Apparently, General Landis mistook your brother as a love rival! Haha!"

"What?!"

Landis: "..."

Xiao Sa: "..."

The ward fell silent in an instant. Haino scratched his head in confusion. "What's so unfunny? Why isn't anyone laughing?"