Chapter 7
Cynthia Sanatorium is a high-end sanatorium exclusively for the military, with the top medical and nursing teams in the entire alliance. Only soldiers with a certain rank or who have made outstanding contributions to the alliance are qualified to recuperate in this sanatorium.
Lu Zhengqing is 100 years old this year, not considered particularly old in an era when the average life expectancy is 120. However, Lu Zhengqing suffered from numerous injuries in his early years, and in middle age he experienced the pain of losing his wife and son. In his later years, his only grandson also died heroically on the battlefield, just like his parents.
Under repeated blows, this great marshal of the old era with great military achievements has been sitting in a wheelchair for ten years, and now he can hardly maintain his consciousness for a long time.
Jiang Yun followed the nurse Cecil, walked through the clean white corridor of the sanatorium, and came to the single-family villa where Lu Zhengqing lived.
Jiang Yun held a bouquet of champagne-colored carnations in his hand. The warm color diluted the coldness brought by the black suit, and his exquisite and breathtaking face was softened a lot under the light.
The staff had the courage to look at the great diplomat a few more times, and Cecil, who was in charge of leading the way, even took the initiative to chat with Jiang Yun.
"It's been a while since I last saw you here, Mr. Jiang," Cecil said. "Are you busy at work?"
Jiang Yun hummed, and asked, "Besides Jiang Mu and Lu Chao, has Marshal Lu seen anyone else recently?"
Cecil said, "No. The sanatorium has always followed your instructions. Except for your two children, anyone else who wants to visit Marshal Lu must first obtain your permission."
In the living room of the villa, a doctor named Ou En had just finished a routine examination for Lu Zhengqing.
Seeing Jiang Yun again, Ou En's smile was so bright that even his mask couldn't hide it. "Mr. Jiang, you've arrived just in time. Marshal Lu is in great shape today and is clear-headed. He's watching the holographic images from previous years."
The former Union Marshal sat upright in a wheelchair. Disease had not bent his straight back. Even though his withered left hand was hooked to an IV drip, his nose was always connected to a cold nasogastric tube.
Even when he was in good shape, Lu Zhengqing could hardly speak complete sentences. The whites of his eyes were still much cloudy than those of a normal person, but his pupils, looking at the holographic projection, were clear.
For a moment, Jiang Yun thought that Marshal Lu was watching the image of Lu Chao when he was a child, but he did not remember that Lu Chao had such a mecha model with big wings when he was a child.
Only then did he realize that the little boy in the video with delicate eyebrows and a slightly ostentatious and arrogant expression was not Lu Chao, but Lu Huai - Lu Huai, who was only seven years old.
Jiang Yun lowered his eyes and placed the carnations he brought into the vase.
Although Colonel Lu's appearance is impeccable, Jiang Yun would rather Lu Chao not look so much like him.
If only both children were just like me.
When Lu Huai was still an infant, his parents died in the line of duty. Lu Huai was raised by his grandparents.
When Lu Huai was seven years old, Lu Zhengqing performed a genetic test on him to determine his potential for secondary differentiation. The results showed that Lu Huai had a probability of becoming an Alpha of over 90%.
The holographic projection in front of you records the scene at that time.
Marshal Lu in the projection looked completely different from his current appearance. He was dressed in the highest-grade military uniform, with thick black hair and a heroic demeanor, perfectly matching everyone's imagination of a combat hero.
Upon learning that his only grandson would most likely differentiate into an Alpha, Marshal Lu nodded with satisfaction and said to little Lu Huai, "When you grow up, you can marry an Omega as strong and resolute as your mother, and the two of you can work together to serve the Alliance."
Little Lu Huai looked uninterested in the topic: "No."
Marshal Lu frowned in dissatisfaction: "What did you say?"
When Marshal Lu got serious, he was so oppressive that everyone else kept their distance from him, but little Lu Huai was not afraid of him at all.
"I don't like cold Omegas." Little Lu Huai fiddled with the large wings of the mecha without looking up. "I like Omegas that are fragrant and soft, like little cakes."
Marshal Lu frowned even more tightly: "Where did you learn these words from?"
Little Lu Huai admitted bluntly: "I didn't learn it from anyone else. I came up with it on my own."
Jiang Yun: “…”
Although he had never seen this video before, he had a certain understanding of the adult Lu Huai's criteria for choosing a spouse.
Omegas that look like little cakes... Colonel Lu's aesthetic taste has remained unchanged for twenty years.
So, if it was my current self who went on a blind date with Lu Huai back then, the twins might not have been born.
Jiang Yun walked to the back of the wheelchair, picked up the remote control to turn off the video, bent down and said to Lu Zhengqing, "Can I push you out for a walk, Marshal?"
Lu Zhengqing slowly turned his gaze to Jiang Yun, as if he had to make great efforts to understand what Jiang Yun said.
Then, Lu Zhengqing nodded.
Jiang Yun didn't let anyone follow him and Marshal Lu. He pushed Lu Zhengqing along the sun-soaked path in front of the fence, occasionally bending down and patiently whispering something in the old man's ear.
Marshal Lu didn't understand, so Jiang Yun repeated it over and over again until the sun set and Marshal Lu fell asleep exhausted.
In the evening, Jiang Yun walked out of the sanatorium accompanied by nurses and doctors.
A low-key retro long car was parked at the entrance of the sanatorium. Gong Ze stood beside the car, and it seemed that he had been waiting for Jiang Yun for a long time.
Gong Ze gave Jiang Yun a gentle smile: "Jiang Yun."
In a non-diplomatic setting, Jiang Yun omitted unnecessary politeness and asked directly, "What are you doing here?"
"Have you forgotten? I said I would come to visit Marshal Lu." Gong Ze glanced at Cecil and Owen behind Jiang Yun, and said helplessly: "But I was stopped by the staff at the entrance of the sanatorium. They said that if I want to see Marshal Lu, I must get permission from Foreign Minister Jiang - is this true?"
Jiang Yun: "Yes."
Gong Ze was silent for a moment, then said, "Jiang Yun, don't you think you are being too forceful in this matter? You have no right to do this."
Jiang Yun interrupted coldly: "That's your idea."
"...Okay." Miyazawa sighed as if admitting defeat. "Then did you tell Marshal Lu about Colonel Lu to make him feel better?"
Jiang Yun walked straight to his car and threw three words to Gong Ze: "No need."
No one except the parties involved knew what kind of conversation Jiang Yun had with her late husband's grandfather on that sunny afternoon. But after this visit, Lu Zhengqing's condition worsened again, and he became less and less conscious.
Doctor Ou En told Jiang Yun that when Marshal Lu was unconscious, he kept silently repeating the same name.
It seems that no one hopes Lu Huai can return home more than Lu Zhengqing.
On the other hand, the Union Congress has reached a consensus to exchange 5% of the original nuclear mining rights for Colonel Lu's remains, and the Olin Empire seems to be more supportive of this proposal.
The only one who refused to give in was Jiang Yun.
With the Lu and Jiang families backing him, Jiang Yun's position in the alliance was far more than just that of a foreign minister. If he refused to agree, no matter how friendly the Congress and the Olin side were, it would be useless.
The situation came to a stalemate.
In order to break the deadlock, Ian organized a small informal gathering, claiming that he sincerely hoped to establish a deeper personal friendship with Foreign Minister Jiang and others.
In addition to Jiang Yun, Ian also invited Gong Ze and Morris. These three people represented the alliance's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Congress, and the military respectively.
Jiang Yun's hormone levels were very unstable, and he would enter estrus in a few hours. The AI butler strongly advised him not to go out at this time, but he still accepted Ian's invitation.
The party was held next to the swimming pool of the hotel where Ian was staying. It was indeed not a serious meeting. Ian himself was even wearing only a pair of swimming trunks, and he also invited many beauties in swimsuits to liven up the atmosphere.
The three members of the alliance were all wearing suits or military uniforms. The four of them sat around a table, chatting tacitly about matters unrelated to the negotiations.
There are three Alphas and only one Omega, Jiang Yun.
"Why didn't you bring those adorable twins tonight, great diplomat?" Ian, showing off his abs, handed Jiang Yun a cocktail and said regretfully, "I really wanted to meet them."
Normally, Jiang Yun would at least maintain the most basic diplomatic etiquette when facing Ian, but he didn't seem to have that patience today: "They are very busy."
"They're just two kids. Could they be busier than the diplomat?" Ian said with a smile. "I guess you haven't told the kids about Colonel Lu's remains yet? Why, you don't want them to know?"
Miyazawa glanced at Jiang Yun and took the initiative to take over the topic: "Sir Ian, I heard that you and His Majesty the Emperor of Olin held a unique golf tournament. Can you tell me about it in detail? I am personally very interested in this matter."
Miyazawa was even more adept at this kind of situation, where he needed to be subtle and accommodating, than the diplomat Jiang Yun. Morris listened absentmindedly to Miyazawa and Ian's discussion of golf, his eyes never leaving Jiang Yun.
Jiang Yun was obviously not in good shape. He hardly participated in their conversation. His face looked frighteningly ugly, as if he had a fever. Even his eyes were wet.
Morris couldn't help it, and lowered his voice to ask Jiang Yun: "Are you feeling unwell?"
As soon as this question was asked, Miyazawa and Ian's stupid conversation about golf came to an abrupt end, and the three Alphas' attention fell on Jiang Yun at the same time.
Jiang Yun's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the palm of his hand holding the wine glass felt hot. Under the gaze of the Alphas, his cold and pale cheeks gradually showed a faint red: "No."
"Hmm? Such a reaction..." Ian's nostrils flared. Although he couldn't smell anything, he still smiled with interest: "Is Foreign Minister Jiang's estrus period coming?"
Morris stood up so suddenly that he almost knocked over the table.
Miyazawa, who was always known for his gentleness, also changed his expression, and his tone became serious, which was unusual for him: "Please be careful with your words, Mr. Ian."
"Ha, don't say that. You don't want to know the smell of his pheromones." Since it was a private occasion, Ian didn't bother to pretend and sneered slowly, "One of you appears serious and the other seems gentle, but we are all Alphas. What's the difference between you and me in front of Foreign Minister Jiang?"
Miyazawa and Morris were both speechless at this moment.
Jiang Yun closed his eyes, and a mechanical voice that only he could hear rang in his ears: "Your estrus period will begin in an hour, please prepare in advance!"
One hour.
He still had an hour to sort this out.
That's enough.
Jiang Yun raised his head and drank the rest of the wine in the glass.
His Adam's apple rolled slightly, and the wine flowed in. Jiang Yun pursed his lips. Due to the rising hormones in his body, his usually cold eyebrows and eyes actually revealed a rare hint of color.
The Alphas held their breath and stared at Jiang Yun without blinking.
Vodka, lavender and amber wood, three completely different pheromones, are silently stirring, and a subtle sense of restlessness is burning in the undercurrent of the air.
"It seems that besides Colonel Lu, tonight there are finally other Alphas who can recognize the smell of your pheromones." Ian's smile grew deeper and deeper, and he stretched out his naked upper body in the direction of Jiang Yun: "Is that what you said, Foreign Minister Jiang?"
Under the Alphas' increasingly difficult-to-conceal gazes, Jiang Yun's wine-stained lips slowly opened.
The Alphas couldn't help but feel a little bit of anticipation, expecting this beautiful diplomat whose husband died young to speak differently than usual under the influence of hormones, or to reveal an expression in her eyes that they had never seen before, or even to choose an Alpha from among the three of them to send him home.
In the end, Jiang Yun still talked to them about his late husband and his work.
"An hour ago, Marshal Lu called me and demanded that I retrieve Colonel Lu's body as soon as possible, at any cost." Jiang Yun stated expressionlessly, his face growing increasingly vibrant in the morning dew. "His attitude is very firm. If I don't agree, he might continue to put pressure on me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
