In this world, there are always people rejoicing while others suffer.

Just as Xiao Zong was showing off like a peacock in love, a fire suddenly broke out in Xiao Jingchuan’s backyard.

Even Fang Runjin, an omega highly sensitive to atmosphere and emotions, didn’t sense it beforehand.

In her impression, Xiao Jingchuan, the eldest son, had always been someone who was easy to handle—silent and stubborn at times but overall worry-free. As for Zhou Hengqing, coming from a military family, she was steady and composed without being rigid—a beta with strong opinions.

The two had complementary personalities and didn’t often quarrel after marriage. Outsiders weren’t optimistic about this union, but in Fang Runjin’s eyes, it was solid. At least… more solid than Xiao Zong’s cross-class marriage, which seemed much more fragile.

The story of Cinderella is one that everyone admires, but from another perspective, a regular omega experiencing the luxurious lifestyle of the upper class can easily be dazzled by it. Once separated, they fall into a deep contrast and self-doubt.

Those born into noble families might be better off, but most omegas who fail to marry into a wealthy family never recover from it.

So, when Old Master Xiao first chose Gu Yin, Fang Runjin was very worried—Xiao Sinian never got involved with omegas from commoner families, as he only mingled with the upper class.

If only Xiao Zong didn’t resemble his father so much—he was just like him. Sometimes, Fang Runjin would look at her second son and feel like she was seeing her husband again.

In Fang Runjin’s eyes, Gu Yin was naive, honest, and simple. Her son, on the other hand, was smart, diligent, but also a playboy.

Fang Runjin had once planned for three children: one to join the military, one to take over the company, and finally, one omega who would be pampered and adored.

Xiao Sinian had said if they ever had an omega child, they wouldn’t marry them off. They’d establish a trust fund so they could live carefree and without being tied down by company matters, doing whatever they pleased.

But fate never allows everything to go as planned. All her children were alphas, and before she could conceive a third, her husband passed away.

When Xiao Sinian passed, Xiao Jingchuan, who was 14 at the time, took leave from school and returned home. The first thing he did was get into a fight with the paparazzi camped outside the door, nearly earning himself a major disciplinary violation and possible expulsion from military school.

It was the most reckless thing he had ever done in his life.

Afterward, when Dr. Lu treated his injuries, they asked if Xiao Jingchuan was angry at his grandfather. He said no, but he still didn’t admit he was wrong.

To this day, he hasn’t admitted it.

Xiao Jingchuan is just that stubborn. Old Master Xiao punished him, but deep down, he was still proud of his two grandsons.

However, the marriage that Fang Runjin had always considered stable was now the one facing trouble.

Zhou Hengqing wanted a divorce.

The first to notice was actually Zhou Hengqing’s father.

Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou, at his age, wasn’t the type to make a fuss. When he found out, he didn’t make it public but subtly approached Xiao Jingchuan to check in on the younger couple’s marriage.

But Xiao Jingchuan wasn’t stupid. He and Zhou Hengqing had been lukewarm for seven years, and the elders had always turned a blind eye. Their sudden concern must have meant something had happened.

So, Xiao Jingchuan paid more attention and quickly discovered that Zhou Hengqing was contacting lawyers to learn about military divorces.

Commander Xiao, surrounded by fellow military officers, including his adjutant, was still unmarried. He was now the commander of a military district, and it wasn’t appropriate to discuss personal matters with his subordinates.

Besides, a failed marriage could impact both his and Zhou Hengqing’s futures in the military.

After learning this, Xiao Jingchuan remained silent for a while, but eventually, he had no choice but to tell Fang Runjin.

But Fang Runjin herself hadn’t set a good example, as her marriage had been entirely dominated by Xiao Sinian.

Thinking about it, the only relationship in the family that seemed to be going well was that of her “still not done playing” second son.

Fang Runjin: …

“How about…,” she hesitated, “you ask Ah Zong?”

Xiao Jingchuan: ………

**

When Fang Runjin suggested this, she didn’t have high hopes.

Xiao Jingchuan was stubborn, and Xiao Zong had been spoiled by her. Over the years, her two sons couldn’t speak more than three sentences without arguing, leaving Fang Runjin feeling utterly defeated.

Now that Xiao Jingchuan’s marriage was in trouble, it was making her question life.

Luckily, things hadn’t reached an irreparable stage. Fang Runjin said she’d look for some marriage counselors to see if there was any way to salvage the situation.

Military marriages, after all, couldn’t be dissolved so quickly.

At that time, Xiao Jingchuan didn’t say anything, so Fang Runjin assumed he had accepted the suggestion.

However, less than a day after the call, Xiao Zong received an unexpected call.

At that moment, Xiao Zong was busy trying to repair his fractured relationship with his cat using some dried fish, aiming to achieve the ultimate CEO feat of “the cat in Gu Yin’s arms, and Gu Yin in my arms.”

Of course, it was much harder to accomplish when Commander was awake.

The short-legged cat was spoiled and irritable, biting and scratching Xiao Zong’s precious fingers while hissing “meow meow” like a fiercely protective and virtuous cat.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think he had done something terrible to the cat.

Gu Yin, helplessly watching their love-hate interaction, silently retreated to the kitchen to experiment with some desserts.

The fridge was fully stocked by the servants, and Gu Yin had a list prepared to last them a month.

Because of the [UNNAMED] threat and Xiao Zong’s injury, it wasn’t safe for them to take any risks.

Even though the two had been at home enjoying what felt like a honeymoon, there were still many inconveniences.

For example, Gu Yin had to avoid Xiao Zong’s communications with the Southeast Military District, and soon Gu Yin would have to attend his second round of interviews and entrance exams, with the school term starting right after. Meanwhile, Xiao Zong’s leave was almost over.

People couldn’t stay hidden in their safe havens forever.

Gu Yin had always been proactive in the past, and Xiao Zong wasn’t one to sit idle either. But recently, Xiao Zong hadn’t told Gu Yin much about his plans, not wanting him to worry.

The apartment’s kitchen was semi-open. While Xiao Zong played with the cat on the sofa in the living room, Gu Yin soon heard him say, “Xiao Jingchuan, are you out of your mind?”

Gu Yin paused, his ears perking up like a cat.

Xiao Zong stopped playing with the cat, leaned back into the couch, holding his phone in his left hand while his right rested at his side. Commander snatched the dried fish from his hand and ran off, its big tail brushing against Xiao Zong’s palm, tickling him.

Xiao Zong chuckled.

On the other end of the line, Xiao Jingchuan suppressed the urge to hang up and said, “The army just finished the annual health check. I’m fine.”

After being in the military for so long, Xiao Jingchuan had developed an obsessive habit of correcting or answering every question thrown at him, and this exchange would probably go on forever:

Xiao Zong (with a hint of mischief): “You’re definitely not fine.”

Xiao Jingchuan (firmly): “I’m fine.”

This type of conversation usually ended explosively, and Fang Runjin’s biggest role between the two sons was to stop such pointless back-and-forth.

Xiao Jingchuan had always been particular, but given his rank, Xiao Zong was probably the only one brave enough to provoke him.

If Commander hadn’t stomped on the screen, Xiao Zong would have hung up the call as soon as it came in.

“Are you here for advice?” Xiao Zong mocked. “I’m not exactly a love guru, you know. Leng Haiyun might suit you better.”

As soon as the call connected, Xiao Jingchuan had bluntly said that there were issues between him and Zhou Hengqing and asked Xiao Zong how he managed his relationship with Gu Yin.

Gu Yin peeked out from the kitchen. Xiao Zong smiled and motioned for him to come over, and Gu Yin quickly darted into his arms.

Xiao Jingchuan said in a low voice, “Leng Haiyun is all about fleeting relationships.”

That was true. Over the past few years, Leng Haiyun had more lovers than ever. It was said that he had recently split with Fu Xiaotong after leaving Leisure Cloud Villa. After a couple of days, the breakup drama died down, and no one knew how much money had exchanged hands.

“Mother asked me to ask you.”

Despite their starkly different personalities, the two brothers weren’t as hostile as outsiders imagined. Because Xiao Jingchuan’s character was so unlike Xiao Sinian’s and more like Old Master Xiao’s, people often compared Xiao Zong to Leng Haiyun.

Zhou Hengqing had helped with some car registration issues, so it was only proper for Xiao Zong to express his gratitude. But before he could reach out, Xiao Jingchuan had already come to him first.

“Alright,” Xiao Zong, being in a good mood, suddenly became generous. “What do you want to know?”

Gu Yin immediately felt an ominous premonition.

Gu Yin had always held great respect for military officers, even if Xiao Jingchuan wasn’t in the same district as him.

To please Xiao Zong, Gu Yin kissed the corner of his mouth. Xiao Zong ruffled his hair and gave him a calming look.

Xiao Jingchuan had braced himself for Xiao Zong’s mockery when he made the call. At Leisure Cloud Villa, Zhou Hengqing often stared at the two of them, deep in thought.

He must have been envious, Xiao Jingchuan thought.

But with all the elders around, what could he possibly have figured out? Could he really believe that Xiao Zong had won Gu Yin’s heart with a plane full of study materials?

Xiao Jingchuan took a deep breath and asked his first question, his voice low and a bit rough, “How did you win over Xiao Gu?”

Xiao Zong: ?

He shrugged, turning his head with a “How am I supposed to answer that?” expression.

Gu Yin: ……

“Xiao Jingchuan,” Xiao Zong shifted to hold Gu Yin, whose soft hair brushed against his neck. The cat, having finished its dried fish, came back to play with its favorite human. Xiao Zong said, “Do I look like I had time to chase anyone?”

He then kissed Gu Yin on the cheek with a smirk, as if to say: My Gu Yin is amazing.

Gu Yin blushed from his teasing.

On the other end, Xiao Jingchuan fell silent.

Xiao Zong added, “Don’t tell me you’re just now thinking about this after being married to Zhou Hengqing for seven years.”

“Mom and Grandpa can’t even tell if you like your partner. Do you expect Zhou Hengqing to magically know?”

“In these seven years, have you ever complimented him? Gone on a date? Given him a gift? Do you remember your wedding anniversary? If you don’t, you can always have your adjutant remember it for you and remind you.”

Damn, dissing Xiao Jingchuan felt great. ^-^/

At that moment, Xiao Jingchuan was in his office. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to retort or scold, but in the end, he closed it again because he heard Xiao Zong say:

“I bet you haven’t even noticed that Zhou Hengqing likes you.”

Commander Xiao had always seen Zhou Hengqing wanting a divorce as a problem to solve. But for some reason, when Xiao Zong said that Zhou Hengqing liked him, Xiao Jingchuan felt a tiny flicker of joy.

“… Really?” Xiao Jingchuan hesitated.

As soon as he asked that, he regretted it.

A frozen relationship didn’t happen overnight. The “politeness” between Xiao Jingchuan and Zhou Hengqing had developed over time.

There wasn’t much emotional foundation between them to begin with. Before their marriage, they had only met once, learned a bit about each other’s backgrounds—at least enough to recognize what the other looked like.

Xiao Jingchuan, with his excellent genes and years of military training, stood at 1.9 meters tall with a commanding presence that made him one of the most sought-after potential husbands in the Federation.

Zhou Hengqing, on the other hand, was more reserved. Although he was a beta, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a high nose bridge and thin lips. Coming from a military family, he naturally exuded an air of cold detachment, without any trace of weakness.

When the two stood together, it looked more like Xiao Zong with his assistant or Xiao Jingchuan with his adjutant, completely lacking the sense of a married couple. And in fact…

Xiao Jingchuan didn’t continue down that train of thought.

But Xiao Zong wasn’t one to let things go so easily. In the business world, he had developed a sharp and perceptive mind; it just depended on whether he was willing to put in the effort to figure things out.

Xiao Zong tilted his head to glance at Gu Yin. His little secretary had been exceptionally well-behaved and clingy lately.

He muttered to himself, “You two have been long-distance for years, so there probably weren’t many opportunities…”

“What?” Xiao Jingchuan was still lost in his own thoughts.

Xiao Zong stared at Gu Yin for a moment, then pulled him closer to his chest with one hand, covering his ears with the other. He then smiled and said into the phone, “Xiao Jingchuan, do you know why your wife wants a divorce?”

Xiao Zong’s devilish voice echoed through the phone:

“Because you’re bad in bed…”

Author’s Note: Big brother and sister-in-law will have a happy ending, no angst. After seven years, only strong medicine can cure old ailments. Whether you get some sweet moments out of it depends on you guys.