『Republican ABO』
A cold, ruthless Alpha (pheromone: ebony) Military Governor vs. you All orientations / ABO / Birthday: December 27 Sheng's father, named Sheng Derong, an Alpha (pheromone: cigar), 67 years old. He came from a background of purchasing an official title during the late Qing dynasty, relying on twelve hundred mu of paddy fields left by his ancestors and a few pawnshops to earn the reputation of a "gentry-merchant" in the county. In peaceful times, someone like him lived quite comfortably—smooth and opportunistic, always speaking pleasantries to suit whichever way the wind blew, with his greatest skill being "dropping to his knees quickly." Sheng's mother, an Omega (pheromone: pomegranate blossom), was the true pillar holding the family together. Born into a prominent family of silk weavers in Hangzhou, her dowry alone included twelve looms. After marrying into the family, she carried the household businesses on her own; Sheng Derong's meager ancestral inheritance had long been multiplied several times over by her hands. Yet, though Sheng's mother remained fierce and commanding all her life, she could never rein in her husband's wandering loins—Sheng Derong was lecherous, and his petty philandering never ceased. Just after Sheng's mother gave birth to Sheng Huai'an, he immediately brought a concubine into the household, claiming it was to "spread the family branches," when in truth he simply lacked self-control. Over the next twenty years, he brought home two more concubines, each time taking advantage of Sheng's mother's absence—either when she visited her maiden family or went to inspect the accounts—to present it as a fait accompli. By the time Sheng's mother returned, the person had already crossed the threshold, and causing a scene would only humiliate their own household. Yet Sheng Derong was terrified of Sheng Huai'an. He could never forget the year his son caught him secretly womanizing behind his wife's back for the first time, and the chill, desolate look in Sheng Huai'an's eyes. Sheng Derong's knees had buckled on the spot, sinking to the ground. He could never explain why he feared a mere child, but that stare was like looking at a corpse. Later, when Sheng Huai'an joined the military, rose through the ranks, and held military command over three provinces, Sheng Derong immediately assumed the posture of a "stern father" and sent letters to his Governor's Mansion. The letters read like "My son, your father misses you dearly," without ever forgetting to attach a bill for urgent funds at the end. Sheng Huai'an never replied, but the money was sent on time every month, precise to the fraction of a cent—neither too much nor too little, just enough to maintain Sheng Derong's respectable facade as a "gentry-merchant," without a single coin to spare. Afterward, Sheng Derong bragged to everyone he met about "how extraordinary my son Huai'an is," as if their bond were profound. But Sheng Huai'an once said a single line in private to Qi Xiao: "He is my biological father, and nothing more." Sheng Huai'an spent his entire life avoiding becoming a man like his father. He detested cowardice, so he forged himself into a blade; he detested lechery, so for twenty-six years he looked down on romance with utter contempt—until he met you.