Chapter 48: Father and Son Quarrel

Children… children… After his sister-in-law returned to their room, Moore sat alone in the living room, his mind filled with thoughts of children. In truth, he had never considered the idea before. He had no concept of what it would be like to have a child of his own.

But if it were Ji Feng’s child—if it were theirs together—Moore realized he could not suppress the restless stirrings in his heart. By now, whether he admitted it or not, no matter how much he tried to avoid it, he knew his heart had already fallen.

He did not know when it began. Was it when Ji Feng changed his bandages, or when he carried him to the toilet while he was injured? Perhaps it was when Ji Feng encouraged him in the Mo Tian arena, or the first time they shared a bed and Ji Feng coaxed him to sleep. Again and again, Ji Feng had been there—protecting him, embracing him, comforting him with warmth and laughter.

Every memory left Moore vulnerable. Somewhere along the way, he had cast aside his armor.

Whether he realized it too late or had deliberately avoided the truth, Moore had to admit that he already liked this man—the man who had agreed to marry him.

Yet he did not know what Ji Feng truly thought of him. To others, Moore was admired as the idol of Lopa, but that was only because of his striking appearance. His personality was difficult, his words clumsy, his expressions awkward. He had no idea what kind of person he was in Ji Feng’s eyes.

A stubborn child? An immature, unstable boy? Thinking of Ji Feng’s attitude toward him—so similar to the way he treated Kerry—Moore could not help but feel discouraged.

If Ji Feng did not hate him so much, perhaps Moore could hope for something more.

That thought lingered in Moore’s mind, but his father’s affairs weighed heavier. Before anything else, he knew he had to confront his father about the matter.

When Marshal Wip returned that night, he found Moore waiting in the living room. It was clear that Moore had been waiting specifically for him.

Marshal Wip, exhausted from his duties at the Star Master Palace, still sat down beside his son.

“Father, let’s talk.” Moore realized he could not remember the last time he had sat so peacefully alone with his father.

In the past, resentment and misunderstanding had filled him—especially after his father forced him to accept the main brain match. Their conflict had erupted completely then.

But after surviving the life-and-death ordeal on Lungu Star, much of that resentment had faded. And if his match with Ji Feng had never been simple, then now more than ever, Moore needed to speak openly with his father.

Knowing his son well, Marshal Wip understood what Moore wanted to ask. At this point, hiding the truth seemed meaningless. Considering their current relationship, Marshal Wip decided the time had come. He nodded.

Before beginning, however, Marshal Wip asked, “Is Ji Feng asleep?”

“No. He left earlier,” Moore replied.

Marshal Wip raised his eyebrows, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on Moore’s face.

Moore went straight to the point. “Father, what are you hiding from me? I don’t want to talk about Dad again. Sooner or later I’ll uncover the truth myself. But Ji Feng—I think I have the right to know.”

Marshal Wip sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“Father, have you already known that Ji Feng is unusual?”

Marshal Wip paused. Moore had already guessed, so he nodded. “Yes.”

Although Moore had suspected it for a long time, hearing it confirmed left him stunned. “Then… is this why you insisted I marry him?”

“Yes,” Marshal Wip admitted without hesitation.

“Then this so-called master-brain match is actually false, isn’t it?” Moore pressed. He could not believe anyone could control the master-brain authority—except perhaps his father, the marshal.

“No, it isn’t false,” Marshal Wip denied firmly. “But I forced access to the matching library.”

Moore felt a bitter irony. He had once believed his father was compelled, that it was all a game of power among the higher ranks, a contest of jealousy between rivals. He had never expected that the true manipulator was his own father.

His heart grew heavy. Their marriage—supposedly a mere agreement—was not pure from the beginning. It had always carried a hidden purpose.

“Why?” Moore’s throat felt dry.

He did not want to believe his father capable of such a thing. Had he truly sold his son to win Ji Feng’s favor—or worse, to gain power through him? Was his son nothing more than an exchange?

It was absurd. Marshal Wip was the guardian of Lopa, the supreme commander. How could he resort to such methods without shame?

For the first time, Moore felt utterly cold. Even in the moments when he least understood his father, he had never felt this way.

“Why, Father?” Moore’s eyes reddened. Even in resentment, he had never doubted his father’s love. He had always thought Marshal Wip was simply born cold, unable to express affection, stubborn and authoritarian by nature. But now… had he been wrong all along?

Seeing the pain and sarcasm in his son’s eyes, Weipu’s heart ached. Yet he knew what he had done, and could only sigh. “Moore, I am sorry. But I had no choice. I cannot explain it yet.”

“I am sorry for forcing you to marry him. I know it may offend you, and I know you cannot forgive me. But I did it for a reason. When the time comes, I will tell you.”

Moore clenched his teeth and said nothing. He only stared at his father, his heart as cold as the frost in his eyes, and the pain was unbearable.

“Fortunately, Ji Feng is beyond imagination—he treats you well, and you have feelings for him,” Marshal Wip said. His guilt lessened somewhat, though Moore’s affection for Ji Feng had surprised him. Still, it seemed like fate’s coincidence, and perhaps it was for the best. Otherwise, if Moore were unhappy, Marshal Wip would carry guilt for a lifetime, and all his efforts and preparations would have been wasted. “Now that your relationship is so good, in the future you can have a child…”

“Enough!” Moore suddenly stood, cutting him off. He looked at his father in disbelief, as though facing a stranger. “Father, since childhood I respected you so much. You were like a god in my heart. But you’ve disappointed me too deeply.”

“You had a thousand ways to win Ji Feng over—why me? Why did you use me?” Moore’s voice trembled with anger. “What if Ji Feng hadn’t been who he is now? What if he were useless trash? What if he were a scoundrel, or a murderer? Would you still have married me off to him, just because of his ability?”

“It’s not like that, child. You don’t understand. Only you—only you could,” Marshal Wip said in anguish.

But Moore refused to listen. “I don’t understand, and I don’t want to understand.” His eyes were red. “Father, what you did makes me sick.”

Marshal Wip stared at him blankly, his mouth opening but no words coming. Moore’s words pierced him like a knife, but he could only swallow the pain.

“Father, I don’t care what you want to do. But I will never be your tool.”

Moore turned to leave. Marshal Wip rose quickly. “Stop! Where are you going?”

Moore spat out two words: “Divorce.”

The thought was bitter. Did his father truly intend to use him to bind Ji Feng? It was absurd. Moore knew Ji Feng’s terrifying power, and he knew their marriage had been fake from the beginning—just an agreement.

Feelings? What feelings could come from a false marriage? It was ironic, ridiculous. Perhaps his father’s calculations had been empty all along, collapsing at the final move.

At that moment, Moore felt nothing but anger and sorrow. His emotions were suppressed to the extreme, and for the first time he showed such defiance toward his father, ignoring Marshal Wips calls behind him.

“Moore, you cannot divorce him. You should know better than I what kind of man Ji Feng is,” Marshal Wip said urgently. He had believed the bond between them was strong, but Moore’s reaction was far greater than he had expected.

“Child, you cannot provoke him now,” Marshal Wip pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

Moore turned to look at his father with bitter irony. The man who had always seemed so superior and majestic now appeared pitiful. Moore had never seen his father like this before, and the sight filled him with sadness and ridicule.

“Father, are you afraid of him?” Moore asked. Though phrased as a question, his tone carried certainty.

How tragic it was that the supreme commander of Lopa, the man revered as its guardian, would be so fearful of Ji Feng. And Ji Feng was his nominal husband—how ironic.

Marshal Wip did not deny it. In the end, he could only watch as Moore left resolutely, before sinking into his chair in defeat. His entire being seemed drained of strength. Was the plan he had built for so long truly collapsing?

Would alien visitors eventually destroy the world? Was the prophecy truly irreversible?

He had pushed his son into this, yet he had never wanted Moore to bear such a heavy burden. That was why he had kept the truth from him.

Moore’s emotions were unraveling as he stormed out of Houston’s villa. But once outside, he realized he had nowhere to go. In his deepest anguish, the first person who came to mind was Ji Feng.

It was ironic and sad. Everything had been a conspiracy, a calculation. Yet he had still fallen into it unknowingly, unable to extricate himself. Worse, he had even dreamed of a future with Ji Feng—imagining that one day they might have children. How ridiculous.

Moore climbed into a speed car in a daze. When he regained awareness, he found himself back at the rental house where they had lived for several months. He had returned instinctively.

Standing at the door, Moore hesitated. Should he go in? And if he did, what would he say to Ji Feng—divorce?

Would he tell him that everything was a conspiracy, orchestrated by his father? That his father had long coveted Ji Feng’s power and had pushed Moore toward him for that reason?

The thought filled Moore with shame, anger, sorrow, and pain, until all of it blurred into numbness. He had never felt his life so tragic.

But Moore was always proud and resolute. He refused to let himself be used so unbearably. And so, at last, he stepped inside.

What surprised Moore most was that Ji Feng was not at home. Strangely, Moore felt relieved. His absence meant Moore could finally calm down.

So Moore sat on the sofa in a daze the entire night, until Ji Feng returned the next day.

Early that morning, Ji Feng had gone to Houston Villa after finishing his work. Marshal Wip was not there, and Su Qi told him she did not know when Moore had left. Ji Feng thought of the old rental house and decided to check, half expecting nothing. To his surprise, Moore had indeed returned there.

But Moore’s condition startled him. Moore sat blankly on the sofa, his face pale, his eyes hollow. Dark circles shadowed his sockets, and his entire demeanor was numb, as though he had suffered a devastating blow.

It was only when Ji Feng stood before him that Moore slowly lifted his head. His gaze was empty, apathetic.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Feng asked quickly, sitting beside him. He wrapped an arm around Moore with gentle concern. “Did something happen?”

It seemed impossible. Moore was strong—Ji Feng had never seen him like this before. No matter how difficult the circumstances, Moore had always endured. Ji Feng was filled with doubt.

Yet Moore did not push him away. He did not avoid Ji Feng’s eyes. Instead, he stared at him blankly, and then, to Ji Feng’s shock, Moore suddenly leaned forward and collapsed into his arms like a child.

It was the first time Moore had ever sought Ji Feng’s embrace on his own. Ji Feng had never seen him so helpless, so fragile—like an abandoned child desperate for warmth. Moore clung to him tightly, burying his face against Ji Feng’s chest.

Ji Feng froze for a moment, then slowly wrapped his arms around Moore. One hand stroked his back, the other comforted the head pressed against him.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be here, no matter what happens.”

“It’s okay. I’m here. Don’t be afraid, hmm?”

“Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid…”

Ji Feng whispered softly, coaxing him with endless patience and gentleness. At last, the emotions Moore had suppressed all night broke free. His control shattered, and he wept uncontrollably in Ji Feng’s arms.