THE REAL PROTEGE

Later that morning, the dining hall buzzed with clattering plates and chattering voices. The long mahogany table was cluttered with steamed buns, fried eggs, mango slices, and the occasional spilled tea.

Ren and Shi Min were locked in a chopsticks duel over the last piece of taro cake.

Lily, demure as ever, sipped her milk and tried to ignore the flying crumbs.

Fatty beside her was already on his third helping, occasionally pausing to give food reviews out loud: "The congee this morning — tender, silky, perfection. But the scallion pancakes? A little aggressive."

Chatty chimed in between bites: "You said the same thing yesterday."

"I stand by it," Fatty said solemnly, stuffing his mouth again.

Shun, dressed in a crisp white shirt that was entirely inappropriate for a family breakfast, sat beside Ren, clearly nervous, flinching every time one of her siblings threw food or launched teasing attacks.

Ling Li and Four Eyes entered together, hand-in-hand.

Everyone turned.

Before anyone could speak, Four Eyes cleared his throat with theatrical flair. They announced, "Everyone… I am now a warrior of destiny. My wife and I—" he gestured toward Ling Li grandly and smugly, "—are expecting not one, not two... but three babies!"

Silence.

Ling Li was quite amused by Four Eyes. Known as a man of few words to others, he nonetheless made the announcement.

Ren dropped his chopsticks.

Shi Min choked on his soy milk, despite knowing about his Mother's pregnancy beforehand.

Fatty stopped chewing mid-bite.

Chatty yelped, "Triplets?! We're being overrun!"

Lily gasped softly, eyes round as mooncakes.

Shun blinked slowly and mumbled, "Congratulations, Uncle…" then leaned toward Ren and whispered, "If this runs your family, we might need a bigger house. Remember, my mom also has a twin sister."

Ren recovered first. "It's not us who have the genes, it's Paps." The Ren turned to her Mother, "I want naming rights to one!"

Shi Min stood up dramatically. "I'm going to start training as a babysitter. I heard babies respect discipline."

Everyone "...."

Fatty's eyes sparkled. "More mouths to feed… we'd better increase our cooking capacity by fifty percent!"

Chatty began making a list of possible names in his head: 'Steam Bun, Noodle, and Dumpling?'

Ling Li laughed until tears brimmed in her eyes, and even Four Eyes had to hold his sides as he joined in.

Breakfast Burst of Joy:

"Mom, two more and we're a basketball team!" Lily yelped.

Shi Min couldn't help but 'cough, cough, cough…' when he heard Lily.

"You! You and your big brother are truly blood-related! That's exactly what he said to me when he found I'm pregnant with triplets." Ling Li said with a loud snort.

"Ha ha ha ha! Mom, it's not that we are complaining! We just think you're amazing! Multiple babies, two sets in a row!" Shi Min sheepishly said while scratching his nose.

"Heh!" Ling Li gave Shi Min another playful snort.

Just as Fatty tried to defend his seventh pancake from Chatty's unsolicited critiques, two small figures skidded around the dining room corner with the velocity of spinning tops, Kim Kim and Chin Chin, identical in mismatched socks and morning-bedhead glory, with a nanny following behind.

"Sorry, we're late!" Kim Kim called out breathlessly.

"We were chasing butterflies!" Chin Chin added proudly, even though one sock was hanging off her foot and the other had a mysterious smear of mango on it.

The twins paused at the threshold, blinking at the scene before them.

Plates were half-empty, adults were grinning, and there was a palpable buzz of joy hanging in the air.

Kim Kim tilted her head, perceptive even through groggy eyes. "Why is everybody so happy?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

Ren, already puffed up with pride as the newly self-appointed Herald of Big News, shot up from his seat and dramatically pointed his chopsticks toward the heavens. "Kim Kim, you're about to level up! Mom is pregnant!"

There was a collective pause. Then—

"Woah!" Kim Kim gasped, hopping on one foot. "I'm going to be a big sister! Yes!" She threw her arms into the air like she'd won a festival game.

"Me too! Me too!" Chin Chin echoed, jumping up and down beside her in synchrony.

"We should call them Bubble or Sparkle!" Kim Kim declared.

Four Eyes, who had just refilled his tea, choked.

"Bubble? Sparkle?" Chatty blinked. "Are you naming siblings or snack flavors?"

'Heh! Chatty! Weren't you thinking of Steam Bun, Noodle, and Dumpling earlier?!' Snort. Snort. Snort.

Fatty tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. I could live with a niece named Dumpling."

Shi Min pointed at the twins. "You two will have to share your toys now. And your crayons. And maybe your favorite hiding places."

"I'm ready!" Kim Kim said, puffing her chest. "I'll teach them how to hide in Grandma's rice bin!"

"...."

"And how to steal cookies!" Chin Chin added proudly, earning a horrified gasp from Ren and a coughing fit from Shun.

"!!!!"

Ling Li laughed so hard she had to set down her teacup.

Four Eyes looked at the chaos he had helped create — two sets of twins, a table full of honorary troublemakers, and a whirlwind of joy — and thought:

'First, we had twins; now we have triplets. The universe is testing me.'

And yet, as he looked around the table, where dumplings were traded like currency and laughter flew like confetti, he couldn't help but think he'd never felt richer.

And amid the laughter, clatter, and wild proclamations, the family braced themselves — joyfully, chaotically — for the newest members of their dynasty.

Before the joyful breakfast could fully dissolve into laughter and clinking cups, Ling Li cleared her throat softly but firmly. "Ehem," she said, her voice slicing through the hum of morning chatter. Every gaze shifted toward her, the warmth of the moment replaced by still, attentive quiet.

"I have an important announcement to make," she began, her eyes scanning each familiar face with quiet intensity. "Much has unfolded over the past weeks. The two-year deadline Otako set for us to assume control of the Chinese government is looming fast. And on top of that, we face the threat of Solaris... not to mention Lily's International Dance Sports Competition and the Asian Gymnastics showdown."

A hush settled over the table as the weight of her words sank in.