Cai Zheng

"Grandpa Qiao, we will go now!"

"Alright. Take care and good luck kids." Grandpa Qiao waved goodbye to his granddaughter and her friends, Leng Shaoming and Cai Zhenghao.

After the first round for the SMERG, the three of them decided to have a study session at Cai Zhenghao's house.

Today, they went to the Qiao Manor to pick her up and they rode the car back to Cai Zhenghao's house.

"Ning Xi!"

When they got out off the car, they heard someone's loud call and the three of them looked behind and saw Mother Cai running towards them.

The moment Cai Zhenghao saw his mother running, he felt a bad omen and immediately reminded his mother. "Mom, be careful!"

Due to their distance, Mother Cai didn't understood him and asked. "What?!"

"Wahh. Ouch! That hurts." Mother Cai uttered while tapping her elbow lightly to remove the dirt after tripping.

Qiao Ning Xi and Leng Shaoming instantly went to her and asked her. "Are you alright, Auntie?"

Mother Cai felt a little bit embarrassed realizing that the two of them saw her tripping so she reassured them. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm used to it." She smiled.

Hearing his mother, Cai Zhenghao walked towards them and said, "I told you so--- Ahhh! Mom!"

Mother Cai glared at her son and pinched a small amount of skin in her son's waist to warn him. He looked to his mother feeling wronged but his mother, instead of letting him go, she pinched him harder.

"What were you saying, young man?" She looked at him smiling but Cai Zhenghao knew that she wasn't smiling at all. He felt goosebumps looking at his mother's so called smiling face.

"Nothing, Mom." He answered but he couldn't help complain in his heart.

'It's not like they haven't seen her tripping before.'

"Forget about them, honey. Let them have their mother-son moment."

Qiao Ning Xi was startled by Mother Leng's sudden arrival, which she didn't realized.

"Mom, you're going to frighten her, no, us if you keep appearing out of nowhere." Leng Shaoming complained.

Mother Leng slapped her son's head trying to knock some sense out of it. "Who will, I mean the right term should be, who CAN appear out of nowhere?"

Leng Shaoming glanced at his mother wanting to answer back, but he met his mother's glare and decided to swallow back the words.

"Why are you even here, Mom?" He asked instead.

Mother Leng crossed her arms and said, "Why? Can't I come here?"

"You know that's not what I mean." He pouted.

"Yeah. Yeah. I know. We are going to the mall, alright so stop pouting. It doesn't suit you." She said, pinching her son's mouth.

Qiao Ning Xi giggled while watching their interaction. She envy them for having a family like that, for having a mother who cherished them. Her foster mother used to hate her, well, more like doesn't care about her, whereas, my biological mother left me in an orphanage.

"Yeah, you look disgusting." Cai Zhenghao agreed after running away from his mom.

"Ning Ning, do you want to come?" Mother Leng asked, hugging her.

"No!"

Cai Zhenghao and Leng Shaoming, both disagreed in unison. The two of them, both held one of Qiao Ning Xi's arm.

"Auntie, we still need to study for the entrance exam." Cai Zhenghao explained so Mother Leng had no choice but to leave with Mother Cai and let Qiao Ning Xi stay with her son and godson to study.

Basically, Mother Leng is Cai Zhenghao's Godmother and Mother Cai is Leng Shaoming's Godmother. It's also the same for their fathers, in short, the two families are really close to each other.

"Big Bro!" Cai Zhenghao and Leng Shaoming both called when they saw the man beside their fathers.

"Mhm." The man sitting in a single couch while reading a paper replied.

The man, Cai Zheng, has the same almond eyes as his younger brother, Cai Zhenghao. Those eyes look deep and cold. His sharp nose and concrete jaw, along with his eyes show aloofness. He is the mature version of Cai Zhenghao except that his brother doesn't have that mysterious aura.

"Big bro, do you have any gifts or souvenir for me?" Leng Shaoming ran to his side and asked.

"Me too." Cai Zhenghao also ran to his brother's side, asking for gifts.

The two of them completely forgot about Qiao Ning Xi. Well, it's alright, she's used to it. Even before, in her previous life, Leng Shaoming and Cai Zhenghao admired Cai Zheng.

Leng Shaoming doesn't have any brothers or cousins, however, he does have cousins in his paternal family but they live in Country C and never visited Country P.

Meanwhile, Cai Zhenghao's admiration to his brother started since he was young. To him, his brother is a genius than he couldn't reach. His admiration intensify when his brother saved him when he was kidnapped only a month before he met Qiao Ning Xi in this life.

"Stop bothering your brother. He needs to rest, he just came back from abroad!" Father Cai warned his younger son.

Actually, Cai Zhenghao birth wasn't planned. When Mother Cai had Cai Zheng, the doctor warned them that she might not get pregnant again and another birth is dangerous for her body that might cause her life and baby's life. That is also the reason why Cai Zheng's name only has one character because they didn't expect to have another child.

As soon as she found out that she was pregnant of Cai Zhenghao, Mother Cai knew that it was a blessing and the destiny that God gave them.

Moreover, there's a chance that the child might be a girl. Unfortunately, the baby wasn't a girl instead it was another boy.

"Your Uncle is correct. Stop bothering your Big bro and bring your girlfriend to her room so you could meet your tutors." Father Leng slapped his son hard behind his head.

"Ouch! Dad!" Leng Shaoming rubbed the back of his head. He really wanted to ask why are his parents getting physical. He is always the one getting hurt.

Qiao Ning Xi looked up to the man, who was 173 cm tall. The man has a bulky body but not that big. She could see through his tight t-shirt his biceps that's not big but tight. For her, it was irresistible, therefore, she couldn't help but to stare to it and admired it.

The man, she is admiring, is Leng Shaoming's father. He has a military haircut because he's a soldier, a lieutenant general in his early 40s. Opposite of his son, Leng Shaoming, he exudes a mature and masculine temperament.

Qiao Ning Xi extended her right hands and introduced herself. "Hello, Uncle! I'm Qiao Ning Xi, Leng Shaoming's----"

"Girlfriend, I know." Father Leng interrupted her and shook her hands.

She was stunned. She glanced at Leng Shaoming and Cai Zhenghao asking for help, however, they were also startled by Father Leng's sudden statement or misunderstanding.

Father Cai suddenly sighed. "Oh. Was she Shaoming's girlfriend? I thought she wasn't, I guess my boy doesn't have any chances now."

"She is not!"

Cai Zhenghao and Leng Shaoming, both disagreed in unison once again.

Leng Shaoming coughed, out of embarrassment and explained. "She is not my girlfriend, Dad! Why did you even think that? I'm not even 13-year-old!"

Father Leng nodded. "Your grandma told me."

Leng Shaoming groaned when his father mentioned his grandmother. He should have known. His grandmother is a stubborn woman, when she knew that Qiao Ning Xi wasn't his girlfriend, his grandmother taught him how to chase a girl, which he doesn't need for now.

"Oh. I'm glad that my son still stand a chance."

Cai Zhenghao immediately held Qiao Ning Xi's and Leng Shaoming's arm and dragged them out of their after, hearing his father dragging him in the conversation.

He felt awkward at them talking about his or their love lives, even if it's just some kind of joke between parents. As a matter of fact, they never thought about that because they knew that they are still kids so it's too early for them to talk about that.

*******

"The kids already left, so what do you want to tell us?" Father Cai asked after confirming that the three kids really left. He looked at his oldest son, waiting for his answer.

Actually, the main reason why Cai Zheng went back to Country P is to inform and warn the Cai and Leng Family.

Father Leng also sat down and stared at him.

Feeling the gaze of these two old men, Cai Zheng told them the news that he have. "The force in Country S is changing, at the same time, some of the countries are feeling threatened. They are already preparing for their next move. Based on the inquiry, there are only few years before it officially begin and before they launch full force."

Silence befall them after he finished speaking.

A minute had past and Father Leng asked, "Is it confirmed?"

Cai Zheng nodded and added, "Mhmm. However, the beginning of it is uncertain. Do you have any information about it?"

"Country C doesn't have any news or information about it. We are completely unaware about their movement."

Father Leng came from a family of soldiers in Country C. He fell in love with Leng Shaoming's mother and decided to marry her but his family throughout the generations, always married a warrior or soldier.

Thus, they didn't allow Mother Leng to step into their family. Father Leng had no choice but to leave his family and marry to the Leng Family as their son-in-law.

Father Leng's Family didn't think that he would make that move because among all the descendants of the family, he was the most talented and prideful man of the family.

"You are not here just to inform us about it, right? What are you planning to do?"