42: Warm

The fragrance of tea seemed to still linger at the tip of his nose as Chen Jun lay on the beast-skin chair in the courtyard.

Looking up at that eternally beautiful yet fake sky, he felt a slight sense of suffocation toward this "top-tier nursing home."

Lin Wei sat quietly on the stone stool beside him, her hands unconsciously twirling a leaf she had just picked from the roadside that emitted a faint, shimmering glow. Her gaze was unfocused, lost in unknown thoughts.

The artificial sunset slowly sank behind the distant complex of buildings. The stars on the canopy lit up one by one, and a soft radiance filled the courtyard, yet it could not dispel the silence between the two.

"Gurgle—"

An untimely sound came from Chen Jun's stomach, breaking the heavy silence.

Chen Jun rubbed his belly and gave a bitter smile:

"I'm a little hungry."

Lin Wei seemed to be jolted awake. Snapping back to her senses, she hurriedly stood up:

"I'll go prepare dinner. Xi'er and the others should be back soon. You need to watch your diet; after all, you have a Mortal Body and are still so weak..."

She turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen, her back looking a bit hurried.

Chen Jun watched his wife's retreating figure and opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

He knew Lin Wei needed something to do to process what had just happened.

He slumped back into the lounger and closed his eyes. However, four figures uncontrollably flashed through his mind—Yuehua's cold loftiness, Xuanji's iron-blooded heat, Su Yao's intellectual fanaticism, and Qing Lin's shy determination.

Four Stellar-level Experts.

Any one of them was a figure in the clouds that he could only look up to and couldn't even touch with his imagination when he was struggling at the bottom in the past.

And now, because of his "ability," they had expressed that kind of intention in various ways...

This feeling...

Was a bit surreal and absurd...

This wasn't some erotic fantasy...

But rather the helplessness of being a tool...

...

The sound of footsteps and the crisp giggles of young girls came from the doorway.

"Dad! We're back!"

"In today's practical combat class, we knocked down all the upperclassmen!"

"Where's Mom? We're hungry!"

Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu rushed into the yard like happy fawns. Their school uniforms were still stained with shimmering debris from energy training, and their small faces were flushed red, overflowing with youthful vitality and excitement.

Their appearance instantly dispelled the gloomy atmosphere in the yard, like sunlight breaking through dark clouds.

Chen Jun immediately sat up straight, a fatherly smile naturally appearing on his face as he forcibly suppressed all his chaotic thoughts back into the depths of his heart.

"Oh? That impressive? Quick, tell Daddy, how did you win?"

He pulled his three daughters over, listening to them chatter away as they reconstructed the "battlefield" situation, letting out exclamations of amazement from time to time.

Looking at his daughters' cloudless smiles and feeling their vigorous energy, Chen Jun's heart gradually warmed up.

For them, everything now—even being a tool—seemed worth it.

The tempting aroma of food wafted out from the kitchen.

Lin Wei walked out carrying several dishes, a gentle smile back on her face as she called out:

"Go wash your hands and eat. Today I made your favorite Blazing Beef and Starlight Salad."

"Yay! Awesome!"

The children cheered and rushed toward the bathroom.

At the dinner table, the atmosphere became warm and lively again.

The children excitedly recounted interesting stories from the academy, Lin Wei smiled as she served food to everyone, and Chen Jun played along with banter, telling a couple of half-true interstellar jokes he'd heard from Old Man Zhang.

It was as if everything in the Jingsi Hall was just an inconsequential dream.

After dinner, the children each returned to their rooms to review their lessons or Cultivate.

Chen Jun helped Lin Wei clear the dishes. By tacit agreement, neither mentioned the events of the day, and they went for a walk in the courtyard to digest, just as they always did.

The starlight was like water, and the night breeze was gentle.

"Weiwei."

Chen Jun suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

Lin Wei turned to look at him, her eyes appearing exceptionally clear under the starlight.

"Don't worry."

Chen Jun stopped, took her hand, and looked into her eyes. His tone was more serious than ever before.

"No matter what happens in the future, no matter who says it or what the reason is—as long as you don't agree, I will never nod my head."

His words were simple, even a bit crude, yet they carried an unquestionable determination.

Lin Wei's eyes instantly turned red:

"Brother Jun, I'm just worried about your body..."

She lowered her head, and tears silently fell, dripping onto their joined hands, warm to the touch.

She didn't mind her husband having relations with other women.

Chen Jun gently pulled her into his arms and patted her back, like comforting a frightened child.

"Silly wife,"

His voice was low, carrying a hint of self-mocking laughter.

"Your husband is now a 'precious asset' of the Federation, very valuable. Even if I'm forced for the sake of the Federation, I can always set some conditions, right? My condition is that our family must stay together and be happy. Whoever makes my wife unhappy or makes my family incomplete—those Stellar-level Experts can go find whoever they want."

He paused, his tone becoming a bit more flippant:

"Besides, those big shots might be good, but they're too far away and freezing cold. How can they compare to my Weiwei? You're warm and real, and your cooking is delicious."

Lin Wei was moved to laughter through her tears by his irreverent words and gave him a light punch:

"No sense of propriety... what do you mean 'warm and real'..."

"Just real."

Chen Jun chuckled and held her tighter.

"We'll just live our own little life. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. I think Leader Yun Xi is quite reasonable; she doesn't seem like the type to force people into difficult positions."

Feeling the warmth and powerful heartbeat from her husband's chest.

Yes, what was there to fear?

They had endured the bitterest days.

Now their daughters had bright futures, their life was prosperous, and her husband's heart was always with her and the family.

Even the Federation Leader treated them with courtesy.

What hurdle couldn't be overcome?

She took a deep breath of the air scented with sweet flowers, leaned her head on Chen Jun's shoulder, and gave a soft "mm."

"We'll just live our own life."

The couple stood embraced under the starlit sky for a long time, their heartbeats gradually synchronizing, warm and peaceful.

...

At that moment, Lin Wei seemed to remember something. She gently lifted her head from Chen Jun's embrace and said softly:

"It's time for Star Language to have her bedtime energy supplement. I'll go check on her."

A moment later, she walked out carrying the babbling and energetic Chen Star Language.

The little girl was wearing a soft onesie with a starlight pattern. Her big, dark eyes blinked curiously as she waved her little fists. Extremely faint starlight gathered spontaneously around her, as if she were draped in a hazy veil.

"Looks like our Little Star isn't sleepy yet."

Chen Jun smiled and reached out a finger, which was immediately gripped tightly by his daughter's soft little hand.

This movement drew the three sisters from their rooms.

Chen Xi held a book, while Chen Yao and Chen Lu poked their heads out curiously.

"Is little sister not asleep yet?"

Chen Lu was the first to run over, giggling as she gently poked Chen Star Language's tender pink cheek. Little Star Language immediately let out a cheerful "giggle."

Chen Yao also leaned in, making a cute funny face to tease her sister.

Even the usually steady Chen Xi put down her book and stood by with a gentle smile, watching.

Chen Jun had a sudden thought. He pulled Lin Wei to sit on the large beast-skin lounger he had been lying on, then took Little Star Language from Lin Wei's arms and let her lean against his chest.

He beckoned to his three older daughters:

"Come, come, everyone come over."

Chen Xi, Chen Yao, and Chen Lu gathered around giggling, leaning or sitting close to the lounger and their parents.

Lin Wei laughed and scolded playfully:

"Oh, there's so much space, yet you insist on crowding together..."

Despite her words, she reached out to pull the leaning Chen Yao and Chen Lu even closer.

The family of six snuggled together intimately like this.

Chen Star Language squirmed restlessly in her father's arms, her little hands trying to grab the hanging strands of her sisters' hair, her mouth making meaningless babbling sounds as she became the most active center of attention.

Chen Xi carefully took her little sister's hand to prevent her from grabbing her hair.

Chen Yao made soft funny faces, making Little Star Language laugh non-stop.

Chen Lu leaned against her mother's shoulder, watching the interaction between her sisters, her own eyes curving into crescent moons from smiling.

On the artificial canopy, the stars twinkled gently, and a soft radiance fell, enveloping the embracing family in a tranquil and beautiful halo.

Chen Jun held his youngest daughter, feeling the warmth and reliance of his wife and daughters beside him.

What Stellar Level big shots, what Federation duty—at this moment, none of it could compare to the weight of the daughter in his arms and the laughter of the family by his side.

He lowered his head and gently rubbed his chin against Chen Star Language's soft, milk-scented crown, making the little girl giggle again.

Lin Wei tilted her head, her cheek pressed against the top of Chen Lu's head. Her gaze lingered tenderly on her husband and each of her daughters, her face overflowing with contented and peaceful happiness.

At this moment, time seemed to become slow and viscous, firmly condensing all the warmth and love in this starlit courtyard.

...