03 picked a room at random and kicked the door open. He originally intended to set Ye Muo down onto the sofa, but doing so seemed impossible. It was as though Ye Muo had merged with him, clinging to him tightly with all four limbs while still holding onto his bunny plush.
Left with no choice, 03 sat down himself and supported the child leaning against him in his arms.
“And I thought someone was lying in ambush. Why’d you corner this little thing? Did he steal your stuff?”
He glanced at the suitcase in Faceless’ hand which didn’t seem to have been opened. Faceless was the kind of person who couldn’t care less about anything aside from that damned suitcase of his. It wouldn’t be the first or even second time his terminal or other possessions had been swiped.
03 had even caught Faceless glancing over as his stuff was stolen, yet the man let those clumsy pickpockets carry on anyway. Once, when a novice pickpocket reached towards where he stored his dagger, Faceless had just sighed and discreetly swapped the dagger with his terminal.
Faceless frowned. “He was hiding in the 6th floor ventilation ducts. I assumed he was a vengeful remnant from our previous mission.”
Their previous mission was still wrapping up. As for the search mission they had just received, neither of them seemed to take it particularly seriously, treating it more as a vacation.
Even so, Faceless had carefully read through the mission briefing. He crouched down to give Ye Muo a closer look.
The moment the man looked at him, Ye Muo buried deeper into 03’s arms out of fear. The way Faceless had suddenly materialized like a ghost as he looked at the box of choco pies he had worked so hard to steal stayed with him.
Ye Muo only had time to grab Theodore and run. His heart was still racing a bit now.
03 subconsciously placed a hand on his back, giving him a few clumsy yet gentle pats. With that, he felt the child wrap his arms even tighter around him.
03 was a bit uncomfortable. The last time he recalled being so intimate with another living being was back when he was very small, hugging a puppy.
That was a long time ago. He had even forgotten the pattern of that puppy’s coat. All he recalled was its warmth and the way it faintly trembled, just like the child currently in his arms. 03 hesitated.
He looked at Ye Muo, the carpet on the floor and then Faceless before he managed to ground himself. Clicking his tongue, he said, “Stay away from me.”
Faceless paused for a moment before standing up and retreating a few steps. He crouched down again, but Ye Muo had already been completely tucked away into 03’s embrace. Faceless could only catch a small glimpse of the child’s side profile.
……
Ye Zhiyuan arrived at the Intelligence Bureau once more.
The people working here were already quite familiar with him. Before he could even say a work, someone said, “There’s still no news, sir. However, there has been some movement in the Exile Sectors lately. We aren’t sure if it’s related, and we weren’t able to follow up due to our lack of informants over there. That’s all I can say at the moment.”
Ye Zhiyuan nodded slightly. “Thank you.”
With that, he turned and left on the spot.
Only after his figure disappeared around the other end of the corridor did someone sigh, “It’s been so many years, but Commander Ye still comes by regularly to ask. His online applications are just as frequent. I checked once and he’s basically gone through all the intelligence accessible within his clearance. It’s almost as if he’s obsessed. Apparently, he comes rushing over whenever there’s the slightest hint of Arachnid involvement.”
“I would be too if I was in his shoes. A perfectly good family, destroyed just like that. Grantz was in a period of great turmoil back then. Although now the Grantz–”
His coworker whacked him hard on the back of the head. “Don’t say another word.”
Meanwhile.
Ye Zhiyuan hurriedly walked into a toy store that was about to close. “I would like a mech model.”
He paused and seemed to recall something. “The blue and white one that’s popular with kids these days.”
The employee glanced at the military uniform Ye Zhiyuan hadn’t had time to change out of before shooting him a friendly smile. “I’ll throw in a plush as well, sir. It used to be very popular but we’re clearing out stock recently. It’s still in perfect condition and hasn’t been opened.”
Ye Zhiyuan paused. He thanked the employee before going to examine the plush. It felt familiar for some reason. He was frowning down at it even as he left the store. Moments later, he circled back and stated, “I would like to buy a couple more of these plushies.”
Though he was carrying a large bag as he came home, Ye Zhiyuan took care to lighten his steps as he pushed the front door open. However, footsteps sounded from inside the moment the door opened.
Ye Yun was the first to approach, one side of his face bearing the reddened impression of what looked like a game controller. Lady Ye trailed behind him. “He insisted on staying up to wait for his present.”
Ye Yun had already taken the bag and began to eagerly tear it open.
Ye Zhiyuan pulled out a terminal in the shape of a bracelet as well. “It’s equipped with the latest command simulation system, the one you kept saying you wanted before.”
Ye He quickly came over and gave Ye Zhiyuan a brief hug before taking his gift to the side to inspect.
Ye Yun had already unwrapped the mech model he wanted. “Why’d you buy so many plushies, Dad? It’s way too childish even for me. Though I do remember really liking this series when I was younger.”
“One was a clearance freebie. As for the rest, I bought them because it felt right at the moment.”
Setting the mech model aside, Ye Yun picked up one of the plushies and muttered to himself, “I had good taste back when I was little too.”
There was someone who seemed to really like these… Who was it?
Nearby, Ye He also glanced at the plushies scattered across the floor. His brows knitted thoughtfully.
Only after both boys had a chance to inspect their gifts did Lady Ye usher them off to bed.Ye Zhiyuan sat down on the sofa and picked up a half-knitted hat.
Lady Ye took the seat beside him and poured herself and her husband a cup of hot water. “Did you head straight over there after your return?”
“En, I went to ask around.”
Lady Ye simply nodded in response. “As you should.”
Ye Zhiyuan made a sound of acknowledgement. His thoughts drifted back to that night as he slowly got back into working on the hat.
During that period of pure chaos, after learning of the death of his older sister, a crestfallen Ye Zhiyuan had holed up in his room for an entire day. Then, following his sister’s final wishes, he used the key and opened that room, laying eyes on the embryo that was nearing maturity hidden within.
He shouldn’t have gone over so soon. Alas, he was in such a state that he didn’t notice that he had been followed.
News reports of the incident could still be found on the galactic network. On that day, as the imperial theatre came under attack, the youngest child of the Ye family confronted the assailants head-on and was seriously injured as a result. However, Grantz military forces patrolling nearby arrived in time, resulting in zero fatalities.
It was thanks to this event that the empire managed to pick up on Arachnid’s trail. Internal order within Grantz was restored after a bloody purge, whose effects lingered to this day. Even as infighting among the Grantz family raged on endlessly and only escalated, the empire itself remained stable.
Even now, Ye Zhiyuan could not be sure if that chaotic period as well as the people tailing him were deliberately overlooked by the empire.
Many claimed that, should the empire will it so, that chaotic period would have never happened. Even the disturbances within the Exile Sectors could have been quelled within a single adya. It was only because the empire set its eyes on something that it stood coldly by from the start.
Ye Zhiyuan didn’t care, nor did he wish to dig deeper into the matter. He had secrets of his own.
Only he knew that he had sustained more than just injuries on that day. He had also lost the precious keepsake left behind by his deceased older sister: a child close to taking full shape.
The secret organization he had been relentlessly pursuing had not only taken both his older siblings, but also a living, breathing child.
That child should have had a peaceful and fulfilling life, just like Ye Yun and Ye He.
……
Ye Muo remained huddled in 03’s arms. The table was piled high with food, all freshly prepared and steaming hot. There was also a colourful dessert arrangement, each piece far surpassing Ye Muo’s little stash in the vents in quality and taste.
Faceless had ordered all of this moments ago, having heard the child’s stomach growling several times.
You could see the child tilting his head and sneaking peeks at the food on the table even now.
However, Ye Muo continued to cling tightly to 03’s clothes. Every time the man so much as shifted, his head snapped back, freezing in place like a frightened little animal.
After hearing that growling sound again, 03 couldn’t take it anymore. Grumbling, he peeled Ye Muo off himself. “Don’t think you can cling to me.”
It went a lot more smoothly than expected. As long as he persisted in prying open those little hands a second time, they wouldn’t reach back a third, instead pulling away somewhat uneasily.
03 placed him in front of the table. “No one’s trying to do anything to you. Now eat.”
Ye Muo hugged the ordinary plush containing Theodore. He was used to the AI not speaking to him when others were around.
He looked at the food on the table, then 03. “Eat…Xavier eat. Hug Xavier.”
The child tentatively tried nuzzling his way back into 03’s arms. “Hug…hug Xavier.”
03 didn’t push him away for some reason. He just let the child slowly wrap his arms around his neck once more. It would’ve taken no effort at all to dislodge the child, but he didn’t, merely grumbling, “Is the one being fed you or me?”
Ye Muo just quietly leaned close to him.
The warm sensation he remembered from hugging that puppy came flooding back once more.
Faceless watched them in silence. Glancing at his suitcase and then the child in 03’s arms, an inexplicable thought came to mind. He could hold the suitcase in one hand while carrying the child in the other.
He shook his head and tried to focus…though the child did look quite huggable. Faceless looked up. “You are aware he’s our target, right?”
03 tilted his head slightly to look at him. Killing intent filled the room. Even if he hadn’t realized it yet, his instincts had already made the decision for him.
At the same time, the eyes of the plush in Ye Muo’s arms flickered.
Faceless raised the hand that wasn’t occupied with the suitcase, indicating he had no intentions of becoming an enemy. “He most likely escaped from the laboratories”
Faceless had fallen silent for a few seconds after learning of the mission. He even wondered if the organization had noticed him slacking off too much and decided to get rid of him by assigning such a task to 03 and himself.
Just hearing news related to the laboratories would put 03 in a foul mood for several days. Faceless had a hard enough time handling 03 as he was. Further provoking the man would see him meeting the same fate as 03’s former partners sooner or later.
Fortunately, 03 barely gave the mission details a glance. He probably only knew this was a search mission at most. After all, he left all aspects other than combat to Faceless alone.
Faceless never intended to give the mission his all. Although his reaction wasn’t as intense as 03’s, he too disliked the laboratories.
However, even he hadn’t expected for their target to deliver himself right to their doorstep at their very first stop.
Faceless dutifully kept his hand raised. “Regardless of how you choose to handle this, I have no objections. The commotion at the hotel today was merely due to a thief who broke in and fled. That will be the official and unofficial story.”
03 continued to glare at him. “I don’t believe you.”
Moments later, Faceless’s suitcase ended up at 03’s feet.
Meanwhile, the man himself closed the distance significantly. He stared intently at his suitcase, disregarding his volatile partner that could attack him at any time.
Theodore slowly relinquished control over the robots in the vicinity. Although his psychic power could be transmitted in the form of data, unlike Ye Muo’s, leaving traces was inevitable. It was best for him to keep a low profile until the child’s safety could be assured.
03 set Ye Muo down on his leg and had him face the table. He kept an arm wrapped protectively in front of him. “Alright, now eat.”
Somewhat emboldened, Ye Muo tugged 03’s other free arm over as well. “Want…want both to hug Xavier.”
03 scoffed. Did this little stammered even understand the concepts of vigilance or caution, he wondered?
Even so, he wrapped both arms around him anyway. 03 glanced at Faceless who was crouched on the side with his eyes virtually glued to his suitcase.
Forget it. Someone as single minded as him isn’t capable for pulling off an ambush.
It’s an artform, mind you.
Thought 03, who was exceptionally gifted in both ambushes and sudden betrayals.
Author’s Corner
Muomuo and Theodore have experienced many timelines.
In this timeline, during the Grantz internal unrest, the Grantz and Sylvia were fine. Things just got a bit out of hand.
During his first trip to the theatre to see Muomuo, Dad Ye was intercepted and beaten to the draw by Arachnid. He’s been quietly searching for Muomuo ever since.
Dad Ye: anxious out of his mind, but can’t find him
Ye Huaiyuan: had no idea, but he popped up right in front of me
