In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 159: The Ruthless Marshal Father (2)

Qi Sheng carried the little tiger in his arms and, guided by memory, arrived at the dining room. Inside the dining room, aside from Bu Qiongyu who had been waiting there for some time, there were also two other fluffy little furballs.

Qi Sheng glanced at them and could clearly sense the excitement radiating from the two little furballs as soon as they saw him.

The little tiger in his arms seemed to be lost in thought. He squirmed a bit, as if he wanted to get down, but didn’t struggle. He merely cast a sideways glance at his younger siblings, who were staring at him enviously, then awkwardly turned his head away.

The two little furballs, however, were far less restrained than the little tiger. They were dragon-phoenix twins and had a natural mental connection. At that moment, they exchanged a look and instantly saw their shared thought in each other’s eyes: We want cuddles and to be lifted high!

These little ones were three years old this year. They had only been in training for two years and hadn’t yet developed the reserved demeanor that the little tiger had. Their father had still been holding them when he left last time, and now, seeing him being so gentle, they immediately ran in perfect sync to stand in front of Qi Sheng.

“Father!”

Their voices were perfectly in unison, soft and sweet. Paired with their bright, glistening silver eyes, Qi Sheng felt his blood pressure spike for a moment.

Looking at the two fluffy white furballs in front of him, he gently put the little tiger down and squatted down in front of them.

One was a small white tiger and the other a small white fox. The little fox must have taken after their mother, Bu Qiongyu, in terms of species. Although Qi Sheng couldn’t understand how twins could be of different species, the genetics of this world were simply that strange. He didn’t need to look into it deeply—he only needed to understand one thing:

These two little furballs were his, too! Qi Sheng steadied his mind. He thought fluffy animals really had a deadly cuteness to them. When you didn’t raise them, you could still maintain control. But once you did, it was all too easy to spiral into doting madness.

He tried to control his hands, repeatedly reminding himself to maintain his cold, stern image.

Unfortunately, even someone like him couldn’t withstand the sparkling, expectant stares of both furballs together.

Qi Sheng reached out and rubbed the small white tiger—who was about the size of a large cat. She was a little girl and the older twin.

The little white tiger had snowy fur with light-colored stripes. Compared to the little tiger’s deep black stripes, hers looked like the ink had been diluted. Perhaps because she was a girl, the pattern made her look more delicate. The little one was clearly well-fed and in high spirits, her coat looking glossy and sleek. Her chubby little short legs especially made Qi Sheng want to give them a good squeeze.

Afraid he couldn’t restrain himself, Qi Sheng only gave her fur a simple smoothing stroke.

The little one was visibly disappointed, her big silver eyes brimming with grievance.

Qi Sheng couldn’t take it. All his internal self-warnings went straight out the window. He quickly picked her up to soothe her.

Nestled in his arms and being petted, the little white tiger squinted her eyes in contentment. Getting the hug she had longed for made her eyes sparkle like stars. She stretched her body comfortably and even gave her twin brother a smug little look.

Seeing this, the little white fox who had been pitifully watching from the ground wouldn’t stand for it. He shuffled forward with quick little steps and looked straight at Qi Sheng, trying to get his attention.

Qi Sheng, of course, noticed. He couldn’t help but smile, and after putting down the little white tiger, he naturally picked up the little white fox and began smoothing his fur too.

Though a little reluctant to leave her father’s arms, the little white tiger felt that today’s father was already amazing. As she secretly looked forward to whether their father might hug them again in the future, the next scene made her tiger eyes go wide.

Her twin brother… he actually licked Dad’s chin!

In that moment, the little white tiger felt utterly betrayed. She stared at her brother who had suddenly gone off-script and couldn’t resist the urge to pounce and bite him.

You sly little fox!

This kind of thing… why didn’t you tell me to do it earlier?!

Feeling completely tricked by her brother, the little white tiger was fuming. While Qi Sheng had his back turned, she took her chance and gave the little white fox a full paw-smack to the face.

The little white fox wasn’t one to back down either. These two had been bickering since they were born—while their bond was genuine, so was the frequency of their fights. Unwilling to be outdone, the little white fox slapped back with his paw.

In a spot where Qi Sheng couldn’t see them, the two little ones exchanged quick, silent swats. But when Qi Sheng turned around, they immediately fell into line, standing side-by-side in perfect silence.

The little white fox even tilted his head cutely.

Little White Tiger: …

Tsk! That damn fox really is cunning!

So now the question was: If she tilted her head now, would it be too late?!

Bu Qiongyu, who had watched the entire interaction between the two cubs vying for their father’s attention, cleared her throat to cover up a laugh that nearly escaped. She looked at her now-quiet eldest son and said seriously, “Brother Sheng, let’s eat.”

Qi Sheng gave a calm “Mm,” then sat down and gestured to the three little ones still standing off to the side. “Xiao Ye, Xiao He, Xiao Yan, come eat.”

Upon hearing this, the three little ones trotted over on their short legs and easily leapt onto their dining chairs using the stepping ladders attached. When the servants began serving the food, all three obediently placed their front paws neatly on the edge of the dining table.

Qi Sheng, who was stirring his tea, froze mid-motion when he saw this. Although the pause lasted only a moment before he resumed as normal, he couldn’t help but think: Is it really okay to act this cute so openly?!

Because of the dignity and authority the original version of himself had maintained, even Qi Junye—the eldest cub—had always behaved very obediently in front of Qi Sheng. The three little ones didn’t yet realize that their casual, normal behavior was nearly sending their current father’s blood pressure through the roof. As they waited for their meal, they each had their own thoughts swirling in their heads. Their pure eyes reflecting such seriousness made Qi Sheng itch to reach out and give them a pat.

Only now did Qi Sheng truly realize the difficulty level of this world’s mission. Under these conditions, maintaining the original persona was just too hard!

He sighed inwardly. Looks like the pace of his transition could be sped up a bit.

In the Beastman World, the favorite and most common food was roasted meat—made from all kinds of ordinary animals that could be added to the menu. The chef’s skills were excellent. Qi Sheng sliced off a piece to try and found it crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Paired with the right condiments, it was rich in flavor without being greasy.

He quietly ate the food on his plate while also occasionally keeping an eye on the three cubs neatly lined up at the table.

Their chairs were high stools specially made for beast-form cubs. The three little ones squatted atop them, easily leaning over the table. On the plates in front of them was roast meat already cut into small pieces. After the butler had wiped their paws with damp towels and saw that both father and mother had started eating, they all lowered their heads and focused on their own food.

Qi Junye hadn’t eaten in several days, so Bu Qiongyu had instructed the servant to first bring him a bowl of lean meat porridge.

Qi Sheng observed for a moment. Although tiger paws couldn’t hold a spoon, the little tiger’s way of eating porridge was anything but messy. The other two little ones eating their roast meat moved with similar poise. It might have been due to the family’s strict etiquette training from a young age, but Qi Sheng could even detect a trace of elegance in them.

The meal was eaten in quiet harmony. Afterward, Qi Sheng had some affairs in the legion to deal with, so once he headed to the study, the twin siblings—now seeing their older brother finally eating—became lively again.

Because they had just eaten, and due to their beast form instincts, cubs often liked to bask in the sun afterward.

The Qi family had a dedicated sunroom. The two little ones flanked the reluctant little tiger from either side and used their heads to gently nudge him over to the cushions for a nap.

“Big Brother, don’t be discouraged. Father didn’t get angry at all, so what Mama said must be true. It’s normal to awaken your transformation a bit later.”

Little White Tiger Qi Junhe noticed her brother deep in thought again and spoke up to comfort him. She still didn’t fully understand the embarrassment of not being able to transform. In her eyes, the little white tiger form was extremely majestic. Among cubs of the same age, few could match her in a fight. As the current queen bee of the cub nursery, she was proud of her beast form. So, in her view, not being able to transform wasn’t a big deal at all.

The little white fox, however, could understand his older brother’s sadness. Due to his beast form, no matter how much he ate or trained, he still often ended up getting pinned down and rubbed into the ground by his sister. Naturally unwilling to admit defeat and also eager to become the top dog at school, the little white fox even looked up some information on his own.

So, he came to understand before his not-so-studious sister did: while the advantages of a beast form are innate, as long as one successfully undergoes beastification, trains hard, and masters the skills needed to pilot a mech, it isn’t impossible to defeat a beast form stronger than one’s own.

Because Qi Junye had yet to successfully beastify for the past two years, Bu Qiongyu was worried about the psychological pressure on him. She rarely talked to the twins about life after beastification and seldom showed them mech combat videos. The little white fox had secretly watched some online. He was completely fascinated by mech combat footage, and so he understood—if he could never pilot a mech in the future, it would be a truly painful thing.

Thus, the little white fox didn’t try to comfort his older brother with words. Instead, he quietly walked over to the little tiger, stuck out his tongue and gently licked his brother’s tiger face. Then, he nestled his head into the fluff around the little tiger’s neck, intending to quietly nap beside him.

Qi Junye turned and gave his younger brother a lick, then was just about to turn back around to lie down again when he saw his sister waddling over on her chubby little legs—thump thump thump—and then plopped herself right on top of his belly.

Having just eaten his fill, Qi Junye: “……”

His sister had definitely gotten even chubbier again!!

Bu Qiongyu stood quietly outside the sunroom for a long time. Watching her three children sleeping together in a cuddly heap, the burden on her heart finally eased a little.

Without making a sound, she gazed at her eldest son’s gloomy expression—even in sleep—and felt a sharp pang of heartache. At the same time, she made a firm resolution: the Bu family must, without fail, develop a mech that can be piloted by someone in beast form!

Qi Sheng had no idea about his wife’s resolve. While the three little ones were taking their afternoon nap in the sunroom, he had finished dealing with most of his legion’s official business.

It was soon time for the training session the original Qi Sheng used to do with the cubs, so he stretched his muscles a bit and made his way toward the training room.

The training room was located on the basement level. Aside from all sorts of physical training equipment, there was also a spacious glass room—specifically designed as a live mech combat area. However, Qi Sheng didn’t need it today.

Following the original’s plan, he first completed a round of basic training, then activated the mech simulation combat chamber.

This kind of simulation was different from the public holographic battles available on the star network. It was a military-exclusive mech training ground developed by the armed forces. The simulated enemies were modeled on real combat capabilities of the Federation’s enemies, and the realism and intensity of battle far exceeded what was available on civilian platforms.

As the Marshal of the White Tiger Legion, Qi Sheng’s combat prowess ranked among the best in the Federation. This time, he chose to fight a star-level exotic beast with combat capabilities similar to his own, intending to study how to defeat it with ease through actual combat.

The three-meter-tall silver mech looked rather small in comparison to the gigantic exotic beast, especially with the beast’s body wrapped in crackling purple lightning that looked as if a single spark could reduce anything it touched to ash.

Just as the exotic beast was about to move, the silver mech vanished into the starry sky—only to reappear in a blink behind the beast’s head in an impossible maneuver.

Qi Sheng had already memorized the structure of this beast down to every detail. Before the creature could react, he swiftly activated the photon sword and, dodging the areas densely charged with purple lightning, stabbed fiercely and precisely into the back of its head.

In this moment, the beast’s incredible defensive and combat strength was fully revealed. Even a photon sword capable of slicing through warship hulls could barely pierce its flesh.

Having its vital point attacked, the exotic beast flew into a frenzy. Purple lightning burst forth in blinding flashes through the starry sky. The silver mech now seemed like a lone leaf adrift in space, weaving skillfully through a storm of intertwined lightning. As the two clashed back and forth, the exotic beast finally realized—it was being toyed with. Enraged, it unleashed an unprecedented surge of violet lightning, sending out concentric shockwaves of destructive energy in all directions.

Just then, the three cubs woke from their nap and headed to the basement for training—only to be stunned by the combat scene before them.

The little white tiger, never having seen such a spectacle, widened her beautiful silver eyes, jaw slack in disbelief, and let out a dazed, “Miiiii~”

Even the little tiger and little white fox, who had watched plenty of mech combat videos, stood with mouths slightly agape, completely awestruck.

So this is the kind of terrifying power you can have after piloting a mech?

The near-lifelike battle scene had all three cubs frozen in awe. Qi Junye, lost in the long moment of amazement, looked longingly at his father, so majestic inside the mech. But then he remembered his own body that had yet to undergo beastification, and once again, his deep-blue tiger eyes clouded over with gloom.

Lowering his head in disappointment, a hopeless thought echoed endlessly in his mind—

If I never manage to beastify… does that mean I’ll really be nothing but a useless failure for the rest of my life?