King of the Wilderness

Aliya lifted her head, leaning against Lin Yu’an’s chest, her blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief and probing.

She asked softly, in a seemingly casual, conversational tone, "Darling, speaking of which... you and that Dr. MacKeez, you consider each other good friends now, right?"

Lin Yu’an’s heart instinctively tightened slightly.

He hadn’t expected Aliya to bring up that name suddenly, but he immediately thought of his unique family structure now, and the tension instantly relaxed.

He nodded calmly: "Yes, I guess so. She helped us a lot, she’s a very... very special woman."

"Special?" Aliya grasped onto this keyword, her smile deepening at the corners of her mouth, "How special? Is it like Emily, making you feel that it’s not just friendship, that kind of special?"

That question, like a precise feathered arrow, instantly struck the deepest part of Lin Yu’an’s heart, a place he himself was deliberately avoiding.

He thought he had hidden it well, the unspoken ambiguity between him and MacKeez was a secret belonging solely to him.

He hadn’t figured out how, or when, to confess all of this to his two wives.

But just like when he initially accepted Emily, Lin Yu’an, who was rather dull emotionally, seemed to always need a push from the wise women around him.

Looking at Aliya’s eyes that seemed to see through everything, and the gentle and encouraging smile on Emily’s face.

He let out a long sigh, a smile mixed with awkwardness and candor appearing on his face.

"Alright," he rubbed his brow, "yes. I admit, I do have feelings for her..."

"She’s intelligent, kind, courageous, beautiful, there’s a purity about her not belonging to this Western world, and being with her feels very easy."

Aliya and Emily listened quietly, their faces showing no signs of surprise or jealousy, only a sense of having already known.

Aliya was the first to break the silence, her tone full of concern rather than interrogation.

"Do you like her, Lin? Not just having feelings, but do you like her enough to want her to become a part of our family?"

Lin Yu’an’s expression grew complicated. Looking at his two wives, he said candidly, "I like her. But... I’m not sure if she can accept a family like ours."

"You know, our situation is quite unique. Also, between her and me... it’s far from reaching that stage."

Aliya shook her head, her voice more resolute than his, "No, darling, it’s not a matter of whether she can accept it."

"It’s about whether you must let her know you have the willingness, you have the right, to give her a choice."

She sat up straight, her gaze becoming incomparably clear and determined.

"We cannot let such a wonderful girl suffer in longing for you and uncertainty about the future; it’s unfair to her."

Emily gently added from the side, her voice tinged with a reminder of shared past experiences.

"Yes, darling. Back then, if it wasn’t for Aliya’s persistence and initiative, I wouldn’t know how long I would’ve lingered in hesitation before truly becoming your wife."

"Sometimes, you, this blockhead, really need someone to light a fire for you from behind."

Hearing this, Lin Yu’an’s face showed even more embarrassment.

He looked at the two loving and extraordinarily wise women before him, his heart filled with gratitude and a slight guilt.

He tried to explain, "I just didn’t know how to express it for a moment, and feelings like this need time to be nurtured."

"Just like how I love you both now, it’s undoubtedly much deeper than... than my feelings for her."

Hearing this, both Aliya and Emily flashed a trace of undisguised joy in their eyes, but they quickly restrained it.

Emily chuckled, speaking in a teasing tone, "Of course, we know, but just now when I brought you coffee during your meeting."

"I clearly saw the way Dr. MacKeez looked at you in the video. It was practically oozing! I swear to God that girl must be in love with you."

Aliya took over, making the final decision, "So, this matter is settled just like that."

Her tone was that of a true queen planning her king’s harem, "We need to meet her soon, and Emily and I will help this blockhead clarify things."

"We will tell her what our family is like and what our beliefs are. We will find out her true thoughts."

"If she really can accept having a family like ours and genuinely wishes to join..."

Aliya and Emily exchanged a glance and then solemnly stated to Lin Yu’an, "We will surely open our arms to welcome her arrival."

Looking at these two women who were not just his lovers but soulmates, all of Lin Yu’an’s embarrassment and concerns transformed into an endless warmth.

He believed he must be the luckiest man in the world.

At this moment, any word seemed feeble and inadequate.

In the home theater, the Discovery Channel’s end theme had long been over, transitioning into a serene screensaver.

The soft, shifting light was the only source of illumination in the room at present.

It enveloped the trio’s embracing figures and everything around them in a dreamlike halo.

Earlier, midway through watching the program, the two little ones on the screen had already succumbed to sleepiness, nestled in their mother’s warm embrace and sound asleep.

Aliya and Emily then pressed the service bell, and the two nannies waiting outside the door gently picked up the little angels, carrying them back to their warm and cozy children’s bedroom.

The entire theater was now even quieter.

Only the clear, gradually hastening sounds of breathing and heartbeats among the three remained.

The conversation about the new member acted like a powerful catalyst, completely breaking a certain unspoken balance among them.

Aliya and Emily’s transcendence beyond worldly tolerance and wisdom left Lin Yu’an deeply moved, stirring an irrepressible surge of emotion within him.

He wanted to respond with the most direct, primal manner to the unreserved love and trust they granted him.

He gently loosened his arms, though his gaze never left their faces.

In the starry screensaver’s flowing, flickering light and shadow, Aliya’s emerald eyes seemed ever deeper, as if holding a gentle ocean.

And Emily’s serene cheeks, now tinged with a touching blush, her long eyelashes slightly trembling under the light, carrying an indescribable shyness and expectation.

The air seemed to turn into viscous honey, filled with silent ambiguity and tugging.

Lin Yu’an said nothing; he merely gently traced Aliya’s perfectly contoured silhouette outlined by light and shadow.

He could clearly feel her warm blood hastening beneath her sleepwear due to excitement.

The enormous leather sofa provided the perfect stage for this silent symphony.

Lin Yu’an slowly leaned back, sinking into the soft, sound-devouring leather backrest.

While Aliya and Emily, like two cats finding their ultimate harbor, naturally curled up on either side of him.

No one spoke at that moment; they all quietly enjoyed the calm after the storm.

On the screen, the deep blue starry sky continued to flow silently.

Light and shadow shifted, sometimes outlining their silhouettes crisply and distinctly, sometimes merging them into an ambiguous darkness.

The screen emitted one final faint sigh, leaving only a slightly glowing ember of warmth.

The entire world plunged into total darkness and silence.

In this absolute darkness, senses expanded infinitely.

He could smell the rich fragrance like osmanthus flowers, the fresh tranquility akin to grass after rain.

In this kingdom that belonged solely to them, in this fortress isolated from all external clamor, they once again merged intimately.