ARIWLBBC Chapter 96

Boge remembered that in his past life, there was an aunt who lived upstairs. She didn’t want children or a husband; she preferred solitude. Occasionally, she would go out with her close friends and live a carefree life.

Although many elderly ladies in the community gossiped about her, Boge felt that this aunt was living the life she wanted. She was independent, happy, and wasn’t harming anyone, so there was nothing wrong with it.

At the time, Boge even thought that if his future partner didn’t want children, he would respect their decision. Living a two-person life together could be wonderful too.

But now, the problem was more severe than Boge had ever imagined.

His partner didn’t want their own child, but still wanted Gu Gu to reproduce as a solitary male. Boge couldn’t help but think of those scam ads he had seen in his past life, pasted on utility poles.

“[Husband infertile? Wealthy woman offering a large sum for a child.]”

Now, Gu Gu was essentially the “wealthy woman” desperately seeking a child.

Without responding to the man, Boge lowered his head and opened his light brain, searching for detailed information about solitary male reproduction.

In this era, technology had advanced to the point where not only could two men or two women reproduce, but solitary female and solitary male reproduction were also possible.

Among these, the most difficult was solitary male reproduction. It could take nearly two years to successfully produce one child. The solitary male would have to take medication to generate embryos, provide sperm, and go through a series of complex procedures and certifications. The process was incredibly complicated.

The man sat silently beside the boy, his eyes downcast. There was a small gap between them, and neither broke the silence.

Boge raised his hand and began peeling off the dried black mud mask on his face. Some parts that were only half-dry rolled off into small mud balls when rubbed.

After finishing with the mask, Boge finally spoke.

“This says that if the person has a spouse, solitary male reproduction requires proof that the spouse is infertile. For the sake of your reputation, why don’t you give it another try?”

The man remained silent.

Boge understood immediately.

This man didn’t want to try anymore.

“Alright,” Boge sighed. “I won’t force you. Honestly, I never thought much about having kids before. Lady An Mei was always nagging about marriage and children. I guess she’ll be disappointed.”

“She?” The man’s voice rose slightly, clearly caught off guard by the answer.

“It’s fine. Even if you can’t have children, I won’t hold it against you.” Boge raised a hand and patted the man’s shoulder. “And it’s okay if you change your mind someday. Lady An Mei is right. We’re a family. If any one member of the family opposes adding another, that decision stands.”

Lie Beishuang stared at the boy for a long time, and the boy met his gaze with an understanding look.

“Hey!” A group of women chatting by the swimming pool suddenly noticed something on the nearby lawn.

“An Mei! Someone’s flirting with your daughter-in-law!”

“What?” Lady An Mei shoved aside the people in front of her and spotted two people on the lawn, gazing at each other affectionately. Out of nowhere, a beastman appeared and even had the audacity to stroke little Boge’s hair!

Unbelievable!

Lady An Mei’s fighting spirit ignited. Holding a cup of juice, she rushed over at full speed and threw it right at the beastman wearing sunglasses and a black mud mask.

Everything happened so fast. Boge stared blankly at the big cat who had just been drenched in juice.

“Where did this beastman come from? How dare you flirt with my daughter-in-law?” Lady An Mei was furious. How dare someone try to steal her family member right under her nose!

“Lady An Mei…” Boge was momentarily speechless.

Lady An Mei’s expression was fierce until the man slowly removed his sunglasses and wiped his face.

Those golden eyes—why did they look so familiar?

The moment she recognized him, Lady An Mei’s face changed dramatically, and she instinctively took a step back.

To her surprise, the man didn’t show any signs of anger. He simply put his sunglasses back on and asked in a calm tone, “Do you still have more treatments to do?”

Lady An Mei looked at Boge in astonishment. She couldn’t understand what the boy had said to make this person so unusually gentle.

“This is the last one,” Boge replied cheerfully, looking at the big cat. “If you wanted to join us for beauty treatments, you’re too late.”

After finishing their treatments, Boge invited Lady An Mei onto a spacecraft. Lady An Mei glanced uneasily at Lie Beishuang, who gave a slight nod.

After safely escorting Lady An Mei back to the Lie family villa, Boge and Lie Beishuang finally departed.

“When you go out with a lady, it’s only gentlemanly to make sure she gets home safely,” Boge murmured into Lie Beishuang’s ear. “Honestly, Lady An Mei is quite nice. She invited me out to have fun, chatted with me, and is straightforward and intelligent when it comes to dealing with things.”

Lie Beishuang raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I’m serious!” Boge lowered his head and added, “Let me tell you a secret. Lady An Mei has been secretly paying attention to you all along. She knows you’re an excellent student and outstanding in every way. She even asked about your study methods.”

“Also, she said you’re not picky about food—you eat whatever you’re given!” Boge’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the man.

Lie Beishuang’s lips curled into a faint smile as he raised a hand to ruffle the boy’s hair.

---

At the Lie family villa, Lady An Mei sat at her dressing table, frowning deeply and lost in thought.

“Madam?” Lie Lanyang entered the bedroom to see her sitting there, her expression as solemn as the last time she deliberated over which prestigious academy their fifty-third son should attend.

“I went to the beauty salon with little Boge today,” Lady An Mei said, her brow furrowed.

“That’s great,” Lie Lanyang said as he bent down to look at her face. “Look at this lovely complexion—so fair and smooth.”

Lady An Mei couldn’t help but smile as she lightly smacked him. “You’re so incorrigible.”

“If I were serious, how would we have so many kids?” Lie Lanyang laughed, sitting beside her and holding her hand. “Come on, tell me what you were thinking about so seriously.”

“We saw that boy today,” Lady An Mei recalled the scene. “The room smelled of mud masks and drinks. He was wearing sunglasses and a mud mask, so I didn’t recognize him at first and splashed a drink in his face.”

Lie Lanyang froze, quickly scanning her to ensure she was unharmed.

“He didn’t get angry. He wiped his face and calmly asked if we had more treatments to do.” Lady An Mei’s face was conflicted. “Can you believe it?”

Lie Lanyang rubbed his neck, still feeling the lingering ache from an old injury.

“I suspect little Boge said something to him, so he didn’t hold a grudge. When we left, little Boge insisted on escorting me, and he actually piloted the spacecraft to drop me off at the door. Can you believe it?” Lady An Mei was deeply puzzled.

“He doesn’t feel as aloof as before. His personality has changed so much for the better!” She felt a deep sense of shock.

“Beastmen change, even if just a little, when they find a partner,” Lie Lanyang mused. “When I was eighteen and had you, especially when we had our first child, I felt like I matured overnight, transitioning from a student to a father.”

“So, you’re saying he’s changed because he found a human?” Lady An Mei pondered this.

“You’ve watched this child grow up,” Lie Lanyang said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve seen the hardships he endured. His only fault was being born under Laplace’s hand. But tell me, can anyone choose the circumstances of their birth?”

“I know they can’t,” Lady An Mei said, her brows furrowed. “But I can’t help it. Every time I see his face, which somewhat resembles yours, I feel upset knowing he’s not my child.”

“His mother was from the Ark—a remarkable human woman from a thousand years ago who has long since passed. She left behind an equally remarkable child. I don’t think she would want to see her child lonely or reduced to a mere experiment.”

Lie Lanyang looked at her earnestly. “That human woman would hope we treat her child well. Don’t you think?”

Lady An Mei lowered her eyes, her discomfort evident. “But… the hurtful things I’ve said in the past—they’re already out there. I hardly took part in his upbringing and even deliberately ignored him.

He’s such a good kid. When he was three, he gave me a birthday gift, but I didn’t even look at it and threw it away. When other children mocked him, I didn’t intervene. He must have felt awful.”

“What’s in the past is past,” Lie Lanyang sighed. “I wasn’t a good father either. I knew he had done nothing wrong, but to please you, I treated him coldly and ignored his longing for a father’s love.”

“We’ve let him down for so long.” Tears glistened in Lady An Mei’s eyes. “I’m not a good beastman.”

Lie Lanyang patted her back and, after a moment’s thought, suggested, “The Alliance Festival is coming up, and Beishuang will undoubtedly deliver a speech. Shall we attend in person?”

Lady An Mei wiped her eyes and turned to hug Lie Lanyang. “Alright.”

---

At a mansion in the wilderness, Lie Beishuang carried a drowsy Boge off the spacecraft.

The Lie family villa was about twenty minutes from the wilderness. At first, the boy had excitedly recounted the day’s events, but before long, he had fallen asleep, as if nothing in the world could disturb his peaceful slumber.

“Master,” Nais greeted, lowering his voice upon seeing the boy in the man’s arms.

Lie Beishuang carefully changed the boy into sleepwear, combed his hair, placed a dental device in his mouth, and warmed a cleansing wipe in his hands to clean the boy’s face with care.

He felt nostalgic for the days when the boy had bought him.

Back then, the boy would wipe his paws, brush his teeth, and groom his fur—just as he now did for the boy.

At that time, the black leopard was the boy’s treasure. But after the boy learned the leopard was a beastman, his status had clearly plummeted.

No more paw wiping or tooth brushing.

Truthfully, the black leopard missed the boy’s manual brushing, with its rough bristles and gentle technique. It was nothing like the quick, impersonal efficiency of the dental device.

Technology had robbed the leopard of many tender moments.

Lie Beishuang gazed at the boy for a long time, then impulsively ordered a toothbrush and human toothpaste. When the items arrived, he took a deep breath, placed a towel around the boy’s neck, and carefully pried his lips apart to reveal his pearly teeth.

Squeezing toothpaste onto the toothbrush, Lie Beishuang carefully placed it into the boy’s mouth, brushing gently and cautiously.

Boge had already been stirred awake by the activity. Feeling a foreign object in his mouth, his tongue explored briefly and recognized it as a toothbrush. Content with the realization, he closed his eyes again to enjoy the experience.

The man’s movements were meticulous, brushing in small motions, ensuring every corner was taken care of. Boge obediently kept his mouth open, relishing the luxury of not having to lift a finger himself.

Was this, perhaps, the perk of having a man eighteen years older than himself?

Boge felt like a pampered emperor. After Lie Beishuang finished brushing his teeth, the “emperor” opened his eyes serenely. Lie Beishuang leaned down to kiss the boy’s soft, pink lips, still carrying a faint minty fragrance from the toothpaste.

“Oh, right, there’s something I forgot to tell you,” Boge said, looking at Lie Beishuang. “I agreed to Luo Qi’s request.”

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