CH 18

Xu Xinghe stayed in the Third Military Hospital for two days until his physical indicators returned to normal.

On the afternoon of the third day, he finally got his wish and was discharged from the hospital.

Because he still had a meeting, Ling Changfeng sent Qin Yuan over to escort him out.

“Do you want to go directly back to the Marshal’s mansion?” Qin Yuan was surprised by Xu Xinghe’s nod. “I thought you were going to find friends for hot pot.”

Xu Xinghe shook his head. “They have other things today. I’ll go back and see Xiaoqi first.”

Qin Yuan asked, “Xiaoqi?”

“My cat.” Xu Xinghe explained, “I haven’t seen her for three days. I miss her and am a little worried, so I have to go back and take a look.”

Qin Yuan: “…” He never thought it was for this reason.

“Then I’ll take you home first.” Qin Yuan chatted with Xu Xinghe while instructing the driver. “I’ll say, when I saw another long-haired cat hair on the marshal yesterday, I asked him if he had another cat, and he replied “en” to me.”1En = sound of agreement

“What?” Xu Xinghe was alarmed. “That’s my cat! How’d it become him raising it?”

Qin Yuan: “…That’s not the point, the point is that he raised a cat for you.”

Xu Xinghe: “So why did he raise my cat?”

Qin Yuan looked at him with a complicated expression. “Are you worrying that he wants your cat?”

Xu Xinghe curled his lips: “It’s useless just to want it, will he rob it? Besides, doesn’t Marshal Ling have a cat already? Aaron is so good-looking, what is he not satisfied with?”

Qin Yuan: “……”

In a sense, the brain circuits of these two people are quite matching.

Qin Yuan didn’t say anything, and happily sent Xu Xinghe back.

Back at the Marshal’s mansion, Xu Xinghe went straight to his room on the second floor.

But Xiaoqi was not there.

“Where’s my cat?” he asked the servant beside him.

He Han, the steward, came over and said, “Your cat is in the cat room on the east side of the third floor.”

Qin Yuan heard this and asked in surprise, “Are you raising it with Aaron?”

He Han nodded: “They are together, but…”

“What?!” Xu Xinghe’s heart jumped.

Qin Yuan also frowned.

Cats are solitary animals with strong territorial awareness. It’s easy for two cats to fight when they meet for the first time.

Therefore, if two cats are raised in the same space, they should be isolated for a period of time, and they can only meet after a gradual familiarization process.

What’s more, Aaron is not very good-tempered. He likes to use his claws when he’s unhappy.

When he brought his Labrador to visit the Marshal’s mansion before, it was almost disfigured.

How can two cats be raised directly together? The people in the Marshal’s mansion can’t be so haphazard, right?

He Han was speechless for a while, and his expression distorted inexplicably. “This, you should see for yourself, they…”

Before he finished speaking, Xu Xinghe had already disappeared with a ‘whoosh’.

Qin Yuan blinked behind him, hooked his two little fingers together, and asked He Han, “Is it what I thought?”

He Han nodded.

“Wow~” Qin Yuan whistled and walked slowly towards the third floor.

Xu Xinghe trotted all the way to the third floor and pushed open the door of the cat room.

At a glance, I saw the fluffy Miss Xiaoqi, lying comfortably on the ground, holding a small dried fish in her paws.

In front of Xiaoqi, all kinds of cat snacks piled up into a hill.

Not far away, Aaron came over with his beloved dried fish in his mouth, and silently placed the dried fish gently in front of Xiaoqi.

He didn’t eat it himself, and quietly watched Xiaoqi eat.

Xu Xinghe: “…”

This didn’t make him speechless. The most speechless thing is that the tails of these two cats actually hooked together!

Major General Qin Yuan, who followed along to watch the fun, was also dumbfounded.

Is this still the cat raised by Changfeng who doesn’t lose in a fight against dogs and protects food better than dogs?!

After meeting a little female cat, it’s personality changes like this??

Xu Xinghe bit his back molars and asked, “When did it start?”

He Han lowered his head in embarrassment. “I don’t know. At first we were worried that the two cats would meet and fight, so we fed them separately. Until yesterday morning, someone saw Aaron holding his favorite dried fish at the door of Xiaoqi’s room, and started scratching the door…”

Xu Xinghe said with a gloomy expression: “You guys… Has the marshal’s cat been neutered?”

He Han was stunned. “No, Aaron is an extremely rare breed, so it’s rare to consider sterilization.”

Xu Xinghe: “…”

He ran over and hugged Xiaoqi.

“Meow?” Xiaoqi’s sapphire-like eyes lit up when she saw her master come back.

Immediately forsaking the fish biscuits, her two claws hooked Xu Xinghe’s neck, and rubbed against his neck affectionately.

Xu Xinghe: “…”

He originally wanted to tell Xiaoqi to stay away from the male cat and not be blinded by the food. But he couldn’t say anything with Xiaoqi softly attached to his chest.

Qin Yuan sighed aside: “Your cat has such a good temper.”

Xu Xinghe raised his chin: “Of course, my Xiaoqi has the best temper in the world!”

So it must not be easily humiliated!

Thinking of this, Xu Xinghe looked down at Aaron again.

The Persian cat with mismatched pupils squatted upright on the spot. A pair of mismatched feline eyes with blue and gold like Marshal Ling stared intently at… Xiaoqi in his arms.

Xiaoqi seemed to sense his gaze, and shyly covered her face with her fluffy tail.

Xu Xinghe: “…”

Hehe, he’s not smiling.

Originally, he looked at Aaron from the perspective of a cat lover. He felt that he was good everywhere. His fur was smooth and smooth, and his limbs were strong and powerful.

But seeing the Persian cat now, he only feels that it has a dangerous aura all over it.

Xiaoqi is soft and cowardly, what if she is bullied by him?

“I’ll take Xiaoqi back to my room.” Xu Xinghe said to He Han.

He thought that Ling Changfeng was rushing to raise him because he had a crush on Xiaoqi. But in reality, he wanted to get a wife for his cat?

Dream on!

After returning to the room with Xiaoqi, it was time for dinner in a blink of an eye.

Xu Xinghe asked Qin Yuan: “Are you staying for dinner?”

Qin Yuan waved his hand. “No, the marshal’s meeting is about to finish, so I have to go back. You have just been discharged from the hospital, so you should rest early after eating.”

Xinghe nodded and remembered another thing. “By the way, what was that ‘surprise’ you said in the hospital last time?”

“Tsk, I wanted to tell you a few days later, since you asked directly—” Qin Yuan smiled mysteriously. “Gamma Galaxy’s Union Day is coming soon, and the annual state banquet will be held at Capital Star again.”

Xu Xinghe: “State banquet?”

It is a tradition to hold a state banquet on Union Day.

Every year, Gamma Galaxy will invite important people from all walks of life, as well as people who have made outstanding contributions to the Alliance, to a banquet and entertain them in the capital’s Prosperity Palace.2term was rich & prosperous palace, so I picked one that sounded nicer

With hundreds of people gathering together, the scene is quite grand and extraordinary.

This state banquet has gradually evolved from an initial reception dinner into a grand ceremony that lasts several hours, and even includes a red carpet and dance party. All media are eager to report about this annual event.

“What does this have to do with me?” Xu Xinghe asked.

Qin Yuan replied: “Marshal Ling used to be fighting on the eastern battlefield, so he directly rejected the invitations for state banquets. But this year is different. This year he returned to the capital, so it’s best for him to show face on such important occasions.”

“So what?” Xu Xinghe was still confused.

Qin Yuan said: “So, you have to attend too.”

“Ah?!” Xu Xinghe was stunned. “Why me?”

Qin Yuan took a deep breath and smiled, “Because you are the legal spouse of the marshal. According to the regulations, he has to bring his family to attend.”

Xu Xinghe: “…”

Falling speechless, Xu Xinghe could only ask with a tangled heart, “This, can I not go?”

Qin Yuan’s expression was even more troubled than his: “Why? That’s a state banquet!”

Xu Xinghe: “I’m not from that circle, don’t know anyone, and don’t want to socialize. Why should I go?”

“Just because of this? Are there any other concerns?” Qin Yuan asked.

Xu Xinghe thought for a while, and replied, “There aren’t any worries, I just don’t want to go. Why, will it cause any trouble to you guys?”

Qin Yuan sighed: “To be honest, a little bit. But your needs come first. If you really don’t want to go, it doesn’t matter. It’s just Changfeng…”

Qin Yuan paused and didn’t say any more, but changed the topic: “The media’s interpretation may be a little troublesome at that time, and rumors will fly all over the sky again.”

Xu Xinghe: “…”

Qin Yuan’s words are true. It reminded him that Mu Qingyun was also invited to and attended last year’s state banquet – alone.

Obviously, General Mu’s face is not thick enough to dare to take Miles to the state banquet while they were married, but he didn’t bring him either.

Xu Xinghe didn’t know how the Mu family explained it. He only remembered that he seemed to be working overtime in Ark that night.

If he doesn’t attend this time, the media will probably flood the web with inconspicuous reports…

He is not afraid of being gossiped about, but it’ll be annoying if  there are too many wagging tongues around him.

Xu Xinghe thought for a while and said, “It’s not that I can’t go, so what preparations should I make?”

“No, no, it’s alright as long as you go.” Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his agreement. He clasped his fists together and thanked him. “I can’t thank you enough, I’ll leave our marshal to you.”

Xu Xinghe: “?”

“By the way, do you know how to ballroom dance?” Qin Yuan asked.

Xu Xinghe was stunned for a while, then shook his head. “No, is dancing a requirement at the banquet?”

Qin Yuan said, “What if someone invites you?”

Xu Xinghe asked back, “Who would invite me?”

Qin Yuan: “…”

He looked at Xu Xinghe silently, with a “who do you think” expression on his face.

Only then did Xu Xinghe remembered that he still had a legal husband, but—

“Marshal Ling? How is that possible!”

This option was kicked out of his mind instinctively. He had goosebumps just thinking about it!

Qin Yuan said: “Why is it impossible? Yesterday when I inquired about getting a dance teacher to teach some basic movements, he didn’t refuse – but clearly the documents to be approved have already piled into a mountain!”

Xu Xinghe: “…”

Qin Yuan waved his hand: “Forget it, let’s not talk about this for now. As long as you are willing to attend, these are all small issues. Then let’s settle this first? I’ll find someone to measure your size and make clothes for you in a few days, and arrange a dance teacher. Is this okay?”

“It’s okay to measure my size, but do I really need to learn how to dance? Will the marshal really invite me to dance?” Xu Xinghe was deeply skeptical. “And…” He finally realized with hindsight, “You call this a ‘surprise’??”

Qin Yuan said: “Otherwise? Going to a state banquet! You can brag for a lifetime!”

Xu Xinghe’s skeptical face disagreed.

“Don’t be like this, look forward to it.” Qin Yuan winked at him and smiled. “Maybe there will be a real surprise that day.”

Flags, so many flags being planted!

Consider supporting this translation of SMM and get faster updates by buying a ko-fi~ Thank you! Progress for add’l releases, and other ongoing projects, can be found on my ko-fi page.