"An illegitimate child," Hữu Duyên murmured with dazed eyes.
"Ah, lão lão đại, it's not exactly tư sinh tử," — but the sentence was drowned out by Uncle Đỗ's voice calling out:
"Young Master, Madam is waiting."
"Mm." Hữu Duyên responded coldly, but her mind was still endlessly wandering through thoughts, replaying scenes of noble families fighting over inheritance from her past life.
In the Vũ family's backyard, the twilight sun filtered through the iron window frame, dyeing the entire garden in a faint golden light that illuminated every orchid petal — a symbol of the love between a young general and an A-rank soldier. It was something special — one born of noble blood, the other an orphan — yet they still came together in the most bizarre and dramatic way. The orchid was the very prop that caused them to fall in love at first sight. Though not brightly colored, the flower flooded the backyard, showing just how much the owner cherished it.
Standing before Mai Lan was a child around six or seven years old, with a frail body but a breathtakingly beautiful, genderless face. Beautiful enough to enchant anyone, male or female. His face looked as though it was sculpted from moonlight and glass — cold and distant, yet strangely captivating. He was Vũ Kỳ, the one who had just returned from a dead planet.
He took out a crumpled envelope and gently placed it on the wooden table:
> "Father asked me to deliver this. He's… still fine. I'm also doing fine over there."
Mai Lan's hands trembled, her eyes turned red, and she clutched the corner of the letter tightly, but before she could say anything, the backyard door suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
Hữu Duyên entered with a cold expression: "Mother, you called me." Though she spoke to her mother, the corner of her eye swept toward Vũ Kỳ with a calculating glance.
"Mm, go change your clothes first," Mai Lan said gently with a smile as she looked at her daughter.
"Yes, Mother." Just before leaving, Hữu Duyên glanced again at Vũ Kỳ. When their eyes met, a faint spark of excitement flickered, but neither said a word.
Since Vũ Hữu Duyên walked in, not only had she been evaluating him — he had also been evaluating her. Just that one glance was enough to startle him. He sensed someone like himself — someone who made his blood boil with the desire to test his strength. A flash of doubt appeared in Vũ Kỳ's eyes but quickly faded as he turned his attention back to the present moment, ears catching the soft sound of paper being opened.
Mai Lan carefully unsealed the letter and took it out to read. Vũ Kỳ stood quietly to the side, his face expressionless, eyes as deep and still as a lake. But in his mind, a string of memories slowly surfaced.
Two days earlier
When he discovered that his time-space ability had returned and that he could control it to tear through the nano energy membrane of the dead planet to glimpse the world beyond, he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he returned to Vũ Gia Hoàng's side and told him about his journey that day. It wasn't because he trusted him unconditionally—he knew this "father" of his wasn't originally from this dead planet. He often told Vũ Kỳ about his family, and most of all, about Mai Lan—who was to be his mother. He knew the two had a child together. He didn't know how that child would react to his existence, or whether this Mai Lan would accept him. But seeing the sparkle in his father's eyes, he held back the discomfort stirring deep inside.
More importantly, he wanted to know—now that he had such power, would this man betray him? But when he saw the worried, determined look in the man's eyes, he thought this "father" would warn him not to use his powers to harm others. Yet the first words he said were:
"Does this power hurt you when used? Does it affect your body? Come here, let me check on you."
Vũ Kỳ was stunned and mechanically walked into the man's embrace, letting him examine his condition. He heard him instruct:
"This sudden power doesn't seem to harm your body, but you must never let a third party know you can manipulate time and space—understood?"
He pursed his lips and nodded silently.
Gia Hoàng gently patted the boy's head and sighed inwardly. He knew—even after living together for years—the boy still didn't completely trust him. He realized Vũ Kỳ was testing him, but rather than feel angry, he just felt heartache. He didn't know what kind of pain this child had endured in the past to become so withdrawn and isolated. He was also a bit surprised that the boy had awakened his nano ability so early—if he remembered correctly, Tiểu Kỳ was only seven, while the youngest known case of awakening was at age nine.
Gia Hoàng knew that when Vũ Kỳ opened a small rift in space-time, only he could pass through it. Although his spirit was slightly weakened, he would recover with rest. That fact alone eased Gia Hoàng's worries somewhat.
The next day, when Vũ Kỳ woke, the repetitive cycle began again: eating training, training, then eating again. Gia Hoàng knew he could no longer train the boy himself—not because he wasn't strong enough, but because Vũ Kỳ now needed a better environment to learn and develop his abilities. Perhaps it was time for Vũ Kỳ to study at the top academy. He thought about it for a long time before starting to write the letter. In it, he explained everything about Vũ Kỳ's background and arranged for the boy's identity within the Vũ family. As for how to handle it, he left that to Mai Lan. He trusted her to do it well. In front of him, she always appeared soft and gentle, but he knew—when he wasn't around—she could become a cold and ruthless goddess of war. He had witnessed it once when he was injured. The memory of that moment still stirred him: the girl who once clung to him like a kitten had slaughtered enemies of equal power effortlessly and overwhelmed them.
Mai Lan's gentle side made him want to protect her; her fierce side made him fall deeper in love. No matter the face she showed, he loved her completely. And he believed that someone like her would love Vũ Kỳ as her own. But he still worried that the child they already had might cause trouble for Vũ Kỳ. He knew Vũ Kỳ wouldn't harm the child born of their love—but it might push him further into isolation. That was the last thing Gia Hoàng wanted.
When he saw that Vũ Kỳ was resting, he approached and handed him the letter. Vũ Kỳ didn't take it, just pressed his lips together and stared at him. Gia Hoàng sighed, sat down beside him, and said:
"Do you want to leave this place?"
Vũ Kỳ replied, "Are you going to leave?"
He gently stroked the boy's head and answered, "Yes. Because my family isn't here. But not yet, because you're not strong enough to take me with you. I could leave alone, but I know—now isn't the time."
"How do you plan to leave?" Vũ Kỳ tilted his head and asked.
He smiled and said, "After years of training, I'm sure you've noticed—at the center of the forest is a strong energy wave. I just haven't had enough strength to break through it yet. But I can feel—it won't be long."
Vũ Kỳ didn't respond, head down, deep in thought. Gia Hoàng recognized the boy's fear and anxiety. This was a habit of his: when he became overwhelmed with worry, he would retreat into silence.
"You're part of my family too. And my family needs you. So—would you like to be our child? Be an older brother to my child?"
Vũ Kỳ's head snapped up, stunned. He opened his mouth but closed it again, unsure what to say.
Gia Hoàng smiled and continued, "That's why I want you to go out there and meet people. I want you to become your true self. So when you go out, the first thing I want you to do is give this letter to Mai Lan. She probably thinks I'm dead. Only by hearing from me will she believe. She's special—you'll definitely like someone like her. So whether you want a mother like her or not, wait until you meet her. Then answer my question."
So he agreed.
As he opened the space rift to leave, he turned back to look at the man one last time. He saw him smile and say something very softly—almost inaudibly—but he understood the lip movements. He was saying:
"Go. Explore the world well. It will be a joyful journey. But never be careless—your safety is most important."
Vũ Kỳ smiled. "Take care, baba."
Vũ Gia Hoàng was taken aback, then slowly smiled and nodded. He understood—the boy had accepted him. That smile said it all. In all the years they'd lived together, the boy had rarely smiled. Once, Gia Hoàng had asked why and tried to make him laugh. Vũ Kỳ had simply replied:
"I only want to smile for the people I trust, the ones I want to protect and love."
He had felt a bit sad and lonely hearing that, because he knew the boy hadn't accepted him yet. Hadn't accepted this family. But he always believed—one day, the boy would. And now, that moment had arrived.
When the boy didn't turn back again, Gia Hoàng knew—he had accepted them. He would see them as his family in this life.
As he stepped out into space and looked at the dead planet from outside, he no longer saw the lush forest, the thatched cottage, or any sign of life—just a dry, rocky world. He frowned slightly and lowered his gaze to the address written on the letter.
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