After Being Deceived, I Married Someone Else and Had Children Chapter 72

“If not father-in-law, then what else should I call you?”

Gu Heng feigned mild confusion—but his hand slid around Zuo Shihuan’s waist possessively. He tilted his chin slightly, smiling faintly at Zuo Zoujian, his dark, elegant eyes glinting with arrogant indifference.

He looked every bit the type born cold and unfeeling—beautiful, but dangerous.

Zuo Zoujian’s fury faltered for a moment, replaced by wary unease. He said sternly, “Whatever you call me, you have no right to use that title. Don’t think that tricking Zuo Shihuan means you can step into the Zuo family. You’re a Beta—don’t even dream of it. Even if you were an Omega, it’d still be impossible. Get back to where you came from!”

Gu Heng gave a light laugh, completely unfazed by Zuo Zoujian’s threat. Instead, he lowered his gaze toward Zuo Shihuan, who happened to be looking at him at the same time—his light brown eyes slightly widened in shock at Gu Heng’s audacious words, then quickly furrowed in worry, his expression full of anxious concern.

The hardness in Gu Heng’s eyes instantly softened; the cold indifference in his heart melted away as he gave in to the pounding warmth there, slipped an arm around Zuo Shihuan’s waist, and pressed a gentle, treasuring kiss to his forehead.

So what if Zuo Zoujian was Zuo Shihuan’s biological father? He would never let go of Zuo Shihuan easily—unless the day came when Zuo Shihuan no longer wanted him.

Watching this scene unfold, Zuo Zoujian’s face turned red with rage. His hand trembled as he pointed at the shameless Gu Heng, spluttering, “You—you shameless vixen of a Beta—!”

Gu Heng turned his head at once, raising an eyebrow in amusement at the man who looked on the verge of apoplexy, and with a taunting smile said, “Sorry, father-in-law, but I’m not letting go.”

Zuo Zoujian’s self-control snapped. Forgetting all dignity, he roared, “Who the h*ll is your father-in-law?!”

“Whoever answers to it, that’s who.”

Gu Heng’s leisurely, teasing grin nearly made the old fox burst a vein—but as he looked down again, he caught sight of Zuo Shihuan’s round, stunned eyes, and couldn’t suppress the low chuckle that rumbled in his chest.

It was so rare to see Zuo Shihuan lose control of his expressions like that—and in such an adorable way. Usually composed and mature, Zuo Shihuan now looked like his mind had short-circuited: dazed, frozen, those light brown eyes wide and guileless, soft pink lips parted but unable to close.

Blink once, and—

It was like looking at a long-haired Maine Coon cat with fluffed fur and wide brown eyes.

That elegant, clever, independent Maine Coon, startled when its owner sneaks a toy snake behind it—whirls around, every strand of fur on end, eyes blown wide in frightened innocence, staring at the bad human who dared to scare it.

Any decent owner would hurry to offer an apology—with a can of food.

But not Gu Heng.

He found the wide-eyed, frightened Maine Coon pitifully cute—so cute he wanted to scoop it into his arms. Warm affection welled up in his chest, yet he couldn’t stop the quiet laugh that shook through him.

He quickly caught himself, pressing a hand over his mouth as his throat bobbed a few times, struggling to hold it back.

Not wanting to embarrass the thin-skinned Zuo Shihuan into angry shame, Gu Heng swallowed his laughter, though his dark eyes still glimmered with amusement.

At least, outwardly, he didn’t seem to be laughing anymore.

But that fooling didn’t work on Zuo Shihuan, who knew Gu Heng’s wicked temperament all too well.

Zuo Shihuan glared a warning at him—telling him to rein it in and stop provoking his father, whose face was now black as soot.

Gu Heng shrugged as if to say he understood, seeming to behave a little more properly. Yet when he lifted his eyes toward Zuo Zoujian—his lover’s “biological father”—those dark eyes still held that innate indifference and distant pride. His thin lips curved faintly, detached.

He smiled as though nothing had happened, extending his hand politely.

“Mr. Zuo Zoujian, hello. Earlier was just a little joke between us. It’s our first meeting, and I don’t think I need to over-explain my relationship with Shihuan. As his father, you can simply call me by my name—Gu Heng.”

On the surface, Gu Heng’s manner was perfectly courteous, but the deep black of his eyes was like a still, cold lake. His refined, handsome features seemed to glow faintly with poise, a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship.

Even the hand he extended—long-fingered, strong, with smooth, hard lines like polished jade—showed no trace of the brutal force he’d displayed earlier, when he’d smashed the Zuo family’s humanoid prototypes against the marble floor. He stood tall and striking, close to one meter ninety—an uncommon height for a Beta—forcing even Zuo Zoujian, who was not short for an Alpha, to look up to see his face fully.

Gu Heng’s smile struck the perfect balance—warm enough to feel approachable, yet distant enough to maintain decorum. To anyone watching, he looked like a man of fine breeding and grace, a polite and distinguished guest who brought with him the comfort of spring sunlight.

Anyone would think Gu Heng was well-educated, composed, and well-mannered.

But while Zuo Zoujian cursed him inwardly—dismissing this Beta as a greedy, sycophantic nobody, a gutter rat scraping by on violence—he couldn’t help but sense that Gu Heng was not an ordinary man.

At the very least, this Beta dared stand before him without fear, meeting his threats with boldness, mocking him to his face, and then, immediately after, pretending civility and politeness as if nothing had happened.

No ordinary person could pull that off.

And don’t think this superficial politeness fooled him—it might deceive his naive, foolish Alpha son, but not him.

Zuo Zoujian could see through the chill beneath that smile—the courtesy that was all form and no warmth, the composure that masked arrogance and willfulness. Gu Heng’s politeness wasn’t an offer; it was a command, a declaration made from above, leaving no room for dissent.

It wasn’t that Gu Heng was inviting Zuo Zoujian to call him by his name.

He was granting permission—from a position of superiority—to do so, and only because he happened to be Zuo Shihuan’s father. Beneath that veneer of courtesy was pure, unrestrained arrogance. There was never any true respect.

For an instant, Zuo Zoujian caught a trace of something familiar in Gu Heng—

That same aura of cold detachment that seeps from those long accustomed to power: distant, proud, lofty, eyes fixed only on what they desire, indifferent to the rest of the world.

Zuo Zoujian knew that feeling all too well.

Because he was the same.

Only, in truth, far baser and more ruthless than Gu Heng—

A man who put on a charming, flirtatious face to seduce those drawn to his wealth, looks, or status; who could be warm and intimate one moment, then turn cold the next, tossing a bit of money to dismiss them—treating every man and woman who fell for him as nothing more than a fleeting amusement.

Even if someone truly fell in love with him, Zuo Zoujian would at most find it amusing—another novelty to be played with, a pastime in the form of a romantic game. When the novelty faded, he’d evaluate their “worth,” then decide when to discard them.

It was precisely because Zuo Zoujian knew the kind of person he himself was that he was all the more wary of others like him.

In his mind, Gu Heng’s danger level shot up several notches.

There was no way he would take the hand of such a deceitful, cunning Beta offering false courtesy.

He hadn’t forgotten the arrogant, infuriating look this vixen Beta had shown just moments ago. Now he was putting on a refined, polite, and friendly face—something that might fool his foolish, naïve Alpha son, but could never fool a man like him with years of experience.

Zuo Zoujian’s guard only rose higher. Narrowing his eyes, he scrutinized Gu Heng, intending to see what tricks he was up to. Only after confirming that Gu Heng’s hand wasn’t smeared with anything nasty or underhanded did he relax—slightly.

A moment later, Zuo Zoujian gave a cold laugh and, following his impulse, swung his hand sharply to slap Gu Heng’s away.

“Smack—!”

A crisp sound cracked through the air.

Zuo Zoujian’s brow twitched, but before he could spit out a word of disdain, he slowly lowered the hand that had just struck and slipped it back into his trouser pocket, his mouth tightening as he silently endured the prickling numbness and swelling pain spreading across his palm.

That Beta’s bones were ridiculously hard—made of stone, surely!

But he wouldn’t lose face, even if he’d lost the hit.

Grinding his teeth, he kept his expression dark and calm. With his uninjured hand, he casually lit a cigar, exhaled a plume of smoke, and lifted his chin arrogantly as he said,

“There’s nothing for us to shake hands over. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave my son alone. Young men lose their heads for a time, mistake infatuation for love. Once that heat cools, everything will return to what it should be. Since I’m in a good mood today, I can even spare you some money. Isn’t that what you’re after?”

Saying this, Zuo Zoujian made a show of pulling out a check, scribbled a string of numbers, tore it off, and waved it mockingly in front of Gu Heng’s face.

“One million Federation credits—enough? For the fact that you’ve managed to keep my son entertained, I can add another half million. Think of it as extra money to buy yourself some decent clothes.”

Gu Heng almost burst out laughing in disbelief.

He, the crown prince of the Empire, was being handed a check—someone actually dared to throw money at him? When had he ever lacked money—especially from some Federation bureaucrat?

If this weren’t Zuo Shihuan’s biological father, and if the old fox weren’t already advanced in age—so brittle that one touch might break his bones—

If this were back in his Imperial army days, things would’ve been settled by now, the military way.

When he’d once gone undercover in the Imperial forces, commanding troops under a false identity, he’d met more than a few troublemakers—but even the toughest of them had never dared to taunt him like this.

Back then, he had been dispatched to one of the Empire’s most perilous regions—a harsh, beast-infested outpost that was occasionally attacked by the Zerg. His mission: to investigate where the injured Zerg Queen was hiding, and whether there had been any outbreaks or the emergence of new Zerg variants that could threaten Imperial territory.

Because the environment was so brutal, the soldiers and officers sent there were mostly those with no background or those who had offended the wrong people—troublemakers, every one.

So when an unfamiliar officer named Gu Heng parachuted in to take command, many Alpha and Beta veterans were openly resentful. In a place where a single bad order could get everyone killed, having some clueless “commander” barking orders was a recipe for disaster.

Outwardly, they obeyed his orders, but Gu Heng soon noticed the investigation’s progress was oddly slow. He discovered that the old-timer soldiers were deliberately slacking off—missions that should have taken one day dragged on for three, four, even seven.

When he realized what was happening, he ordered all of them back from the field.

The lazy veterans thought they were finally being given a break and were delighted—until they saw Gu Heng standing at the camp gate, blocking their way, saying that anyone who wanted to eat or rest would have to defeat him first.

At first, none dared lift a hand against a commanding officer. But as time passed and hunger set in, one man finally snapped and attacked—only to be knocked flat in a few moves.

One after another, the Alpha and Beta veterans stepped up, unwilling to believe it, and one after another, they were all thrown to the ground.

By the time the sun began to set and darkness fell, not one of them had managed to make it back into camp for dinner.

Growing desperate, several ganged up to take him down, breaking all decorum—but every attempt ended the same way: flat on the dirt.

Gu Heng fought them all night, until dawn broke.

The group of battered, starving veterans lay groaning on the ground, unable to stand, staring up in disbelief at Gu Heng, who stood there calm and unscathed. At last, beaten and hungry, they grudgingly raised their thumbs in surrender.

Gu Heng didn’t blame them for their defiance. Sent to such a desolate, dangerous posting, every one of them had their own history. Distrust of an outsider was natural.

As the Imperial Crown Prince, he treated all soldiers equally. After knocking them down, he still let them back into camp to eat and rest. Later, he even arranged for the outpost to receive better supplies and a full replacement of new-model Imperial weapons.

But being Gu Heng, who never forgot a grudge—

He later singled out a few of the worst offenders, those who’d been the most insubordinate, and dragged them along on a Zerg-frontline expedition to “temper their energy.” They didn’t come back until they were so exhausted they could barely lift a gun—crying and begging for mercy. Only then did he bring them, intact and limping, back to camp.

Those who managed to survive under his command, though, were always the Empire’s finest. Many of them later rose to become officers and generals, handpicked by Gu Heng himself.

But he had to admit—Zuo Zoujian really had him pinned this time.

In the Empire, he could handle his soldiers however he wished. But here, in the Federation, no matter how furious he was—even if he smashed ten thousand of their so-called “advanced” robots—he couldn’t so much as lay a finger on that old fox, Zuo Zoujian.

It was obvious that the old fox Zuo Zoujian knew perfectly well that Gu Heng wouldn’t dare make a move against him in front of Zuo Shihuan—that was the only reason he acted so arrogantly and provocatively.

If Gu Heng really did lash out recklessly, that sly old man would’ve gotten exactly what he wanted.

Gu Heng had no intention of reacting to Zuo Zoujian’s petty tricks.

Nor would he take that insulting check.

Zuo Zoujian’s lips curved in smug triumph. Puffing on his cigar, he looked at the silent Gu Heng, pretending to speak kindly while his words dripped with false concern.

“Take the check—it’s better for everyone. You’re just a Beta. Even if Zuo Shihuan is momentarily infatuated with a Beta, in the end he’ll return to the arms of an Omega. And the one he’s engaged to today happens to be a top-tier, elegant S-grade Omega heiress.”

“You’re just a nobody from the bottom ranks, a Beta without name or background. Look at those rags you’re wearing—what could you possibly give Zuo Shihuan? Could you even soothe him with Omega pheromones when he goes into heat?”

Zuo Zoujian gave a disdainful laugh. “No, you can’t give him anything. Take my advice—before Zuo Shihuan inevitably falls into another Omega’s arms, take the compensation and bow out quietly.”

Gu Heng’s eyes went cold in an instant, chilling to the bone.

The worst part was—

He couldn’t refute it.

Every cruel, cutting word Zuo Zoujian spoke pierced his heart with painful accuracy.

Even Gu Heng had to admit it—society believed that Alphas and Omegas belonged together. Even he used to think that way.

No matter how powerful or exceptional an Alpha he was, he could never comfort Zuo Shihuan during his heat like an Omega could.

All the more so because—he wasn’t even a Beta.

As an Alpha, his very nature rejected another Alpha’s pheromones. He feared that one day, when Zuo Shihuan’s heat broke loose and his craving for Omega pheromones became uncontrollable, he might instead reveal disgust and rejection toward Gu Heng’s own Alpha scent.

Gu Heng didn’t dare think about it. He didn’t want to imagine such a day ever coming.

Even though he kept telling himself, over and over, Zuo Shihuan isn’t that kind of person… he isn’t like that…

Still—here he was, standing at Zuo Shihuan’s engagement banquet with another Omega.

Suddenly, Gu Heng’s mind went blank with panic. He began to fear that Zuo Shihuan hadn’t truly wanted this—that by barging in and disrupting the engagement, he might be forcing Zuo Shihuan to make a choice against his will.

What if Zuo Shihuan hadn’t chosen him from the heart?

What if Zuo Shihuan regretted it?

Each wave of anxious doubt shook Gu Heng’s composure.

He struggled to suppress the violent agitation rising in his chest. The anger clawing for release made him lift his gaze toward Zuo Zoujian, veins bulging along his clenched fists, each finger stiffening until his knuckles creaked audibly.

He looked like he was about to strike.

Cold sweat broke out on Zuo Zoujian’s forehead, but he forced his voice to stay steady as he barked, “What, you want to hit me now? Did I say anything wrong? Today, Zuo Shihuan is the center of attention, engaged to the top Omega heiress of the Yu family—and you show up here in tatters, uninvited! The one who should be leaving is you!”

Never before had anyone dared to humiliate and belittle Gu Heng so wantonly—even if that person was Zuo Shihuan’s own father. The insult made the fury in Gu Heng’s chest boil over, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes.

The more Zuo Zoujian tried to provoke him into losing control, the clearer Gu Heng’s mind became—this was exactly what the old fox wanted: to make him lash out and drive a wedge between him and Zuo Shihuan.

The more Zuo Zoujian pushed, the calmer Gu Heng forced himself to become.

Instead of getting angry, he slowly raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly in front of him.

Zuo Zoujian’s arrogant expression froze. A bad feeling shot through him.

Sure enough, the next second—

Gu Heng turned his head toward Zuo Shihuan, eyes filled with restrained grievance. He covered the spot on his palm where Zuo Zoujian had struck him—though there wasn’t a single mark left—and asked in a low, pitiful voice: “Zuo Shihuan, will you listen to your father-in-law and drive me away?”

Then, as if wounded, Gu Heng turned slightly to the side, pressing his hand to the arm that no longer bled. His cold, proud face carried a trace of dejection and fragile sorrow that made him all the more heartbreakingly beautiful.

He lowered his head, occasionally lifting his gaze toward Zuo Shihuan. His black eyes shimmered faintly, as if on the verge of tears. Though clearly hurt and despondent, his tone was still sincere, unwilling to make things hard for Zuo Shihuan.

“I know your father disapproves of me. He thinks I have ulterior motives or bad intentions. But I came here only for you, Zuo Shihuan. I don’t want your father’s money, your family’s wealth, or reputation. As long as you remember how much I care for you, I can endure all of this—his violence, his insults, his contempt.”

Everyone could see it—Gu Heng was deliberately stirring the pot again with that sweetly poisonous act.

Zuo Zoujian’s face twisted in fury, his eyes bloodshot as he roared, “Don’t listen to that shameless Beta’s nonsense! Get him out of here!”

If only he could win a fight, he’d have already swung his fist at that sly, pretty-faced fox, to make sure that seducer could never again deceive his son with that charming face!

But his foolish Alpha son couldn’t see a father’s painstaking intentions at all.

The moment that shameless Beta showed even a hint of wounded fragility, Zuo Shihuan’s expression softened instantly, full of worry. He carefully held Gu Heng’s arm, afraid that Zuo Zoujian’s earlier blow might have reopened the wound.

When he checked, though, the injury was already healing fast—no reopened gash, no fresh blood, just a thin scab forming.

Zuo Shihuan froze for a moment.

He couldn’t quite believe that the wound, which had bled so much earlier, now looked almost completely healed.

He didn’t think too much of it—perhaps some people just healed quickly. Maybe the bullet had only grazed him, lucky not to have lodged in his flesh.

Still, even that thin layer of dried blood on Gu Heng’s arm made Zuo Shihuan’s heart clench with pain and regret, as though his own chest were being torn open by that very wound.

While Zuo Shihuan was relieved that the injury wasn’t serious, guilt quickly followed—he regretted not stopping his father’s rude behavior in time. His voice was soft and full of concern as he comforted the clearly aggrieved Gu Heng: “I know. I won’t listen to my father and drive you away. Gu Heng, please wait a little longer. I’ll take you out now to find a doctor and get your wound treated.”

A look of displeasure flickered in Zuo Shihuan’s light brown eyes as he turned toward his father, who had struck someone moments earlier. But since it was his elder—his father—he couldn’t openly confront him. Still, a trace of guilt flashed in his gaze before it steadied again.

“I’m sorry, Father. I’ll do my best afterward to make up for the losses the Zuo family has suffered, but forgive me—I can’t continue this engagement banquet.”

Gu Heng felt a wave of satisfaction at those words, but he deliberately cast a sidelong glance at the dumbfounded Zuo Zoujian, the corner of his lips curving into a mocking, provocative smile. His eyes were full of wicked amusement and scorn.

He was like a cunning black fox—curling his long tail around Zuo Shihuan possessively, yet still flaunting his victory just to infuriate his enemy.

Zuo Zoujian was so angry he nearly spat blood.

How could his excellent, well-bred Alpha heir not have inherited any of his own charm and sophistication—his ability to stay untouched despite walking through a field of blossoms—and instead be deceived by a shameless little fox-faced Beta?

Fuming, Zuo Zoujian jabbed a finger toward Gu Heng and shouted at his son: “Zuo Shihuan! You have to choose—your father, or this nameless Beta!”

Zuo Shihuan looked torn, caught between them until his head ached. The whole scene felt absurdly like being trapped in a domestic squabble between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Gu Heng crossed his arms, lips curling in a cold smirk. “Of course Zuo Shihuan chooses me. As for you, dear father-in-law, why don’t you take that money of yours and go fix your pile of scrap metal instead?”

The moment those two words—father-in-law—left his lips, veins bulged on Zuo Zoujian’s forehead. He roared, voice cracking with rage: “I am not your father-in-law, and I never will be!”

Gu Heng’s mouth curved upward, his handsome, refined face taking on a gleefully insolent expression.

“That’s not up to you to decide. It depends on what Zuo Shihuan says. Besides,” he added with a smile that dripped with mockery, “I don’t particularly want to call you father-in-law either.”

Zuo Zoujian’s face turned red with fury.

This was the first time in his life he’d been humiliated like this—and the most infuriating part was that this shameless Beta wasn’t even afraid of him, or of the Zuo family’s wealth and influence. Was he simply arrogant beyond reason, or did he actually have something to back it up?

Grinding his teeth, Zuo Zoujian glared at Gu Heng.

“You’ve done well,” he spat. “To deceive the Zuo family to this extent—do you really think I can’t deal with you? Sooner or later, I will drive you out!”

Gu Heng let out a low laugh, his tone dripping with ridicule.

“Oh? And how would you do that—with your pile of busted scrap-iron robots?”

Zuo Zoujian’s face darkened further.

“Those are not scrap iron! They’re the Zuo family’s Blue Eagle Group’s top-of-the-line, expensive research products—”

He was so angry he almost rolled up his sleeves to fight that insolent Beta himself, but in the end, reason barely reined him in.

If only that Beta weren’t so strong—if only he could actually beat him—Zuo Zoujian would’ve already done it long ago.

But the truth was bitter: the advanced combat robots he had proudly brought had all been crushed by Gu Heng in no time, reduced to a heap of useless metal. For the first time, doubt began to gnaw at Zuo Zoujian’s confidence.

He couldn’t help but question it inwardly.

The Blue Eagle Group had spent nearly ten years developing the A-type 1008 military-grade combat and espionage robot. The first batch had already been deployed in the army, with glowing reviews and almost no complaints. Yet such a meticulously engineered product had been easily defeated by a mere Beta.

Could the product really have a flaw? Or had there been cost-cutting in manufacturing?

A headache pounded in his temples. If word of this spread, the product’s reputation would tank.

The public didn’t know the real circumstances—they’d only see that Blue Eagle’s new model had been effortlessly destroyed by a Beta. If the Federation military started questioning its reliability, every major contract under negotiation could be canceled.

As his thoughts spiraled, Zuo Zoujian began to imagine darker possibilities—industrial espionage, data leaks, even the chance that this Beta might actually be some kind of secret military bio-weapon in human form.

Honestly, if he hadn’t sensed zero pheromone from Gu Heng, Zuo Zoujian might have suspected that he was a high-level Alpha in disguise.

How could an ordinary Beta possess that kind of ability? Even Zuo Zoujian himself, a high-ranking Alpha, knew his own limits. Without specialized combat training, even a strong Alpha was mostly bluster.

But according to the data, trained Alphas couldn’t even beat those robots. Only top-tier, lightning-fast Alphas might detect their weak points—and such Alphas were so rare they usually served as elite officers in the Federation military, far from ordinary nobodies.

Could he really not be an Alpha?

Zuo Zoujian’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering toward Gu Heng.