Two weeks later, China.
“Dada...dada...mmmm!” In the moderately sized, traditional architecture inspired living room, a toddler was rolling on its belly while imitating human-like voices.
The toddler was chubby and appeared rather sturdily built for someone his age. The toddler was Liang Siyao’s son, Liang Jiayu. Right behind his chubby buttcheeks were three other children, namely Xia Long, Xia Jianghe and Xia Fan. Two sons and two daughters competing on all fours to get to their father.
Xia Lei naturally was also on the floor with his children. He knelt down and casually crawled around the floor mat while his four children chased him in circles, screaming and flaunting their limbs.
The mothers of the four children were also sitting at the couch right next to them, watching their husband spending quality time with their children. It was a heartwarming sight and it was also one that was joyous to watch.
Since his return from America, Xia Lei led the women and their children out of the Peace manor and into their new residence. The new location appeared just like any other suburban household.
The security in their new residence was no less intricate than its former, with an omnipresent security force within a radius from the residence, an honour not even the likes of Governors could experience.
Moving there effectively took the family out of the eyes of American and Japanese spies and agents, while creating a more realistic narration for Xia Lei’s ‘demise’. Nonetheless, the clear advantage for their new residence was his increased protection over his women and children, while simultaneously researching on the Thunder Horse Organization’s fighter jets and bombers.
Right now, the Thunder Horse Organization presented itself as a conglomerate without a leader, leaving the executive decision to its core members. Regardless, Xia Lei was convincingly still the mastermind of the organization, leaving the signing of official documents in the forefront to each one of his four wives.
The truth was, not only were his wives and children under enforced protection, even his sister Xia Xue was brought to a safe space. She was being educated by different professors at her secure location. Even if Liu Zhengnan were to meet up with her, he will need to go through the additional effort of arranging a timeslot with the assigned agents on site.
Now that the arrangements were in place, Xia Lei could plan ahead for when he ‘passes on’, allocating his four wives to be the leaders of the Thunder Horse Organization while nurturing Xia Xue to eventually ascend to the directorial board.
Even then, Xia Lei still had the one glimmer of hope that he might still ride on his stroke of luck during his Area 51 mission, getting the upper hand on Zhu Xuanyue and the prehistoric chosen one and blowing them to bits.
If that actually went to his favour, the world will essentially be cleared of any being that could pose him any harm. If that were true, he could happily and merrily live out the rest of his life. But nevertheless, he knew it was just wishful thinking. Days went by without clear evidence of Zhu Xuanyue and the prehistoric chosen one’s demise. He knew he had to be prepared for the worst.
“Dada…” Liang Jiayu caught up to Xia Lei.
His chubby little hands attempted to slap Xia Lei’s buttcheeks, but alas, he overestimated his arm length and fell on his father’s sole. His minuscule fingers began scratching and caressing Xia Lei’s feet, rendering him to break into laughter.
“You little rascal, how did you know about Daddy’s weakness. I’m going to seek my revenge by spanking you!” Xia Lei acted tough as he lightly patted little Jiayu on the buttocks.
“Mm...wah!” Seemingly terrified by his father’s sudden punishment, Liang Jiayu began wailing.
“Uhh…” Xia Lei was perplexed.
Liang Siyao brought herself towards her husband, a hand on his waist, and the other began spanking on his buttcheek. “How dare you spank my son, he’s still so tiny. This is to serve you a lesson!”
Whack whack!
Xia Lei was cry-laughing.
“Blurp blurp blurp…” Liang Jiayu began drooling from laughter.
Liang Siyao spanked her husband but also started pampering her son, “Look son, if your father bullies you again, tell Mama. I’ll show him who’s in charge.”
Xia Lei grinned, “Siyao, aren’t you just pampering him at this point? He’ll turn out a spoiled kid.”
“Give him time, once he’s older I wouldn’t let him have everything,” Liang Siyao lovingly replied.
Xia Lei was left speechless. From the motherly love and joy projected from Liang Siyao’s eyes, he could practically picture her definition of ‘older’ to be when their son reaches eighteen. Nevertheless, considering all the hurdles Liang Siyao had to go through to be with him, Xia Lei felt her actions justified themselves.
Right then, Xia Long crawled onto his two feet, lifted his dominant hand and whacked straight at Liang Jiayu’s buttcheek!
Liang Jiayu was caught off-guard as he blanked for a moment, before once again wailing at his heart’s content.
Liang Siyao hurriedly wrapped her arms around her son as she comforted, “Oh my baby, oh don’t cry. Oh, you’re mother’s favourite. Oh now now don’t cry, baby…”
Long Bing then scooped up her son and lightly spanked him on his buttocks as she lectured, “Why did you hit your brother, that’s not right.”
Xia Long chuckled at his mother’s ‘punishment’ as he turned towards his father. From his gaze, it was clear that he was less affected by his mother’s lesson and more towards his father’s attention!
Sisters Xia Jianghe and Xia Fan then came crawling towards their father and began nibbling on his finger and the other flapping his ear, trying to convey words she had not learnt yet.
Xia Lei scooped both of his precious daughters up, gave each of them a kiss on the cheek as he remarked with a grin. “How’re Daddy’s favourite girls? Are you girls hungry? Should Daddy tell both your Mummys’ to give you milk?”
Xia Jianghe cracked a smile as she minced a word, “Woo...me...”
Xia Lei was bewildered. From his point of view, Xia Jianghe’s ‘Woo’ sounded like ‘cool’, and ‘me’ sounded like ‘milk’.
His aimless blabbering unexpectedly got a clear cut answer from his one-year-old daughter! How did she have such clarity and pronunciation?
“Mama mama…” Xia Fan flapped her little hands. Pouting her little lips she blurted, “Me, me, me!”
Xia Lei was dumbfounded. If he was just awestruck by Xia Jianghe’s pronunciation, then Xia Fan was even better! She even called out for her mother!
Thinking about his four children, each having a different mother, it was expected that they would have different personalities and traits. At that point, Xia Lei essentially had a rough idea of each of them. Fan Fan’s daughter was the smartest. Coming in second was Jiang Ruyi’s daughter Xia Jianghe. Both his daughters were contrastingly different in personality, with Xia Jianghe being more reserved and introverted, while Xia Fan was more outgoing and bubbly.
As for his two sons, Liang Siyao’s son Liang Jiayu was athletic and full of vigour, clearly, the biggest built and a fighter. Xia Long was more cheerful and observant of his surroundings, which Xia Lei perceived as the one whose personality most resembled his.
Just as Xia Lei was mingling with the children, his two daughters began calling out for their meals.
Xia Lei quickly comforted, “It’s alright… Shh… It’s alright, your mama will be here to feed you soon. You’re still growing up, we can’t have you go hungry.”
“Jeez, you’re already spoiling the girls to oblivion. Give me the baby, I’m going to feed her now.” Jiang Ruyi stepped forward and shifted her voice to a tone specially reserved for Xia Jianghe. “My, my… All you do is join hands with your father to bully your mother.”
Xia Lei was speechless.
Liang Siyao and Long Bing dissolved into a fit of giggles at that.
At this moment, Xia Long decided that he wanted some attention from the adults too.
“Aren’t you a busybody? Had you formed a plan with your father?” Long Bing reprimanded her son teasingly.
Xia Long winked at Xia Lei out of the blue.
Xia Lei was stupefied by the quirky antics of his young son.
The living room was pure domestic bliss. In Xia Lei’s safe haven, he watched his feeding children and their mothers. A soft expression adorning his features, his heart was content.
A while later...
Xia Lei felt like something was fundamentally different. But he just couldn’t pinpoint it.
Noticing his dazed look, Liang Siyao giggled. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking while staring at us like that?”
Xia Lei shook away the odd sensation forcefully and went to tease his son. “My little Jiayu, come. Your papa wants to hug you.”
Liang Jiayu reached out two of his minuscule fingers, jabbed it into Xia Lei’s nostrils and started digging!
“Aww, that’s a no,” Liang Siyao sarcastically declared as she brought her son to another corner.
Xia Lei brushed it away and then leaned towards Long Bing, “Ah Long, since your brother doesn’t want me to hug him, how about you come to hug papa instead?”
“Hey, who said it’s your turn to hug him. Stay aside and wait for your turn,” said Long Bing with a grin.
Strangely, however, Xia Long actually nodded.
Long Bing was perplexed. “Son, you want your father to hug you?”
Xia Lei coyly followed, “Hey you’re in denial. Our son literally just nodded.”
Long Bing just couldn’t wrap her mind around the display.
Suddenly, Xia Long lifted his little crown and blurted a clear “Yes.”
Long Bing was stunned. Xia Lei quickly rushed forward and took Xia Long out from her arms.
Noticing the other mothers laughing at her, Long Bing forlorn rolled her eyes at Xia Lei.
And that had garnered a playful wink from both her husband and son.
The three other women began laughing.
It was a joyful scene in the living room.
If Xia Lei had used his right eye on his wives, he would’ve caught the little specks of light floating about their bodies.