Chapter 58: Interstellar / 7.7 : Tiger mom
Eden opened his eyes when he heard a gasp of shock. Dawei looked at the vast estate amazed. He knew that Eden was rich but he had no idea how much. The Nings are the richest in the kingdom after the royal family but seeing it is something else. When they arrived in front of the castle he got down from the hovercar gaping. The butler walked to Eden with a smile.
"Welcome back Master."
Eden smiled.
"Thank you. Has the guest room been prepared?"
"Everything is ready."
"The green bag goes in that room."
The butler nodded. Eden pulled a still thunderstruck Dawei to show him around. When he had seen the whole castle Eden walked him to his room.
"Freshen up we’ll eat in 40 minutes."
Dawei nodded and entered the room. He was speechless like he’s been since he set foot on this estate. When he first saw the dorms at The Military Society he was amazed, that academy is expensive and the best soldiers are formed there. Living and eating so well when he’s been raised in a poor environment was a shock. But now that he sees how Eden lives he knows how poor he was.
Dawei sat on the bed and his eyes were sad. This just makes him more aware of how incompatible he and Qiping are. He’s been having feelings for him but he knows that he’s not good enough for him. He comes from a rich politician’s family that’s how he met Haoxuan and became friends. He on the other hand is an orphan from a small village. He knows that he was already extremely lucky to get a scholarship and enter The Military Academy so there’s no way he’ll get lucky again and be accepted by Qiping.
Dawei closed his eyes and decided to forget about his feelings, nothing good will come of it. He took a breath and left to take a shower. When he was done dressing someone knocked on his door. He opened it and smiled at Eden.
"Come on my mother is back."
When Eden saw his nervous face he smiled reassuringly and grabbed his hand. When they entered the living room a man turned his head and looked at them with a smile. Dawei was enchanted by his beauty.
He had familiar misty green eyes with thin eyebrows and an aquiline nose. His cheekbones were high and his lips were full and red. He had dark hair making his eyes look clearer. He looked 10 years older than Eden and it was easy to deduce that it was his mother. Shian stood up and hugged his son, Eden hugged him back with a smile. He pulled back and looked at the Omega standing next to his son. Eden introduced:
"Mother this is my roommate and best friend Dawei."
Dawei looked at Eden stunned, he did think of him as a best friend since they’re always together and he loves him but he didn’t think Eden did too.
Shian smiled, he hugged Dawei and said:
"It’s nice to meet you Dawei."
Dawei smiled shyly.
"You too."
Shian caressed his head with a smile.
"Come on let’s go eat you must be hungry."
Shian sat at the head of the table, and Eden and Dawei sat at his sides. Once the food was served Shian asked Dawei:
"How did your second trial go?"
"It went well."
"How many officers survived and how much information did you get?"
Dawei was surprised that Shian knew this much about the trial, he didn’t want to bore him with the details that’s why he didn’t say more. Eden explained:
"Before he and my father married he worked in the army but in administration."
Dawei nodded, so that’s why he knows what the trials are. He answered:
"I lost two men and got 75 percent of the information."
Shian smiled.
"That’s amazing that means you’ll get a 90%."
Dawei smiled.
"Thank you."
Shian asked Eden:
"How was yours?"
Eden simply answered while binging himself:
"Same."
Shian and Dawei looked at him eating like he’s been starving himself for a month with an amused smile. Eden stood up from his plate remembering.
"My mother and father met when they were both in the army."
Shian said:
"It was before he became the Supreme Commander, he would always pretend to need to get important documents to see me."
Dawei smiled.
"I thought you might’ve known each other since you were kids."
The Ning is an old family so he never thought that Eden’s father who at that time was the heir met his wife in the army.
Shian chuckled.
"The odds of us meeting when we were kids were a 100 to 1. I grew up in an orphanage in a small town while he lived here."
Dawei was even more surprised, Eden’s father married someone who doesn’t have a name? He asked without realizing:
"Did his parents agree to your union?"
Shian smiled.
"Most people think that old or royal families don’t want their name sullied with someone unknown but they are wrong. The Nings only cared about their son being happy just like every parent does."
Dawei looked into Shian’s eyes and felt better. He feels like Qiping likes him too so if his parents are anywhere near Eden’s grandparents it would be great. Shian is right if his parents truly love him they’ll just want him to be happy.
Eden smiled at his mother and he smiled back. He knows what Dawei is worried about and he doesn’t want him to be. He grew up in an orphanage so many times and each time the people around him made him feel less than and like a fool he believed them. He doesn’t want him to feel the same and think that he is beneath Qiping just because they have a different life experiences. Eden put down his chopsticks and looked at his mother.
"I have to tell you something."
Shian could tell it was serious.
"What is it, sweetie?"
Eden took a breath and said:
"I want to end my engagement with Shangyu."
Eden looked at his mother attentively, he was looking at him expressionlessly which never bodes well. Despite being an Omega and being sweet his mother is fierce. Dawei could feel the tension and decided to leave but before he could Eden looked at him threateningly as if to say if you leave you’re dead. He stayed still since it seemed like he needed backup.
Shian asked:
"Why?"
"I just don’t think that we are a match."
"Do you like someone else?"
"I do but it has nothing to do with that."
From the way Shian looked at Eden it was clear that he didn’t believe him.
Eden explained:
"When I told Shangyu that I signed up for the army he said that I was making a mistake. He thought that I wanted to join so he and I can become closer. It never occurred to him that it was a personal choice because to him Omegas should only have to please their partner. He said that they should stay at home and take care of their children and their husband when he is back."
Shian’s eyes darken, to think that bastard said that to his child.
"I tried to make things work despite his view but I can’t."
Shian said outraged:
"You shouldn’t have to make it work with someone who has such outdated and warped views on gender."
"I still did because I know how important it is to you and it was to father."
In the original timeline, Eden didn’t want to have anything to do with him but he never said anything to his parents because he never wanted to disappoint them. Shian felt guilty hearing that, he sighed:
"My love even if it was our idea we would never want you to go through with it if it wasn’t what you ultimately wanted."
He held Eden’s hand.
"All we ever wanted was for you to be happy. Okay?"
Eden’s eyes moistened and he nodded with a smile, Shian looked back teary-eyed with a smile.
"I’ll talk to Zihang and end the engagement."
Eden said gratefully:
"Thank you, Mother."
Shian caressed his head, then he asked:
"So you like someone else?"
When Eden pulled back his hand uncomfortable he narrowed his eyes.
"Who is it?"
Dawei who was glad the tension was gone just a few seconds ago grimaced.
He understands why Eden doesn’t want to say who he likes seeing how fierce his mother is, to think he was fooled when he first met him. When Eden looked at his plate like it was the most fascinating scenery Shian ordered:
"Tell me who it is now!"
Eden looked at him and said:
"Fine, it’s..."
Dawei tired of Eden not saying blurted out:
"He’s the supreme commander and the crown prince Zhu Haoxuan."
Shian looked at Dawei stunned thinking that he wasn’t serious but he looked at Eden he knew he was.
He asked incredulously:
"You like the crown prince?"
"I don’t I love him. He’s the one I want to spend the next 400 years with."
Shian was speechless, after processing the fact that his son loves the crown prince he asked:
"Does he feel the same?"
"He definitely does, he was close to killing an Alpha for getting too close to Eden when he knew he was engaged to Shangyu."
Eden and Shian both looked at Dawei. When Dawei realized he had said that out loud he covered his mouth. Eden’s eyes flashed with amusement but he focused when he felt his mother’s eyes on him.
"I believe he feels the same. He invited me to the royal ball to meet his father and I want you to meet him. I told him I would bring you."
Shian looked at Eden thinking, he doesn’t want to say he approves before he meets him.
"I’ll tell you how I feel about all of this when we meet."
Eden nodded, he knows how his mother is once he sees that Haoxuan cares for him he’ll accept him. He just wants his engagement to be done before the royal ball.
