CH 4

T/N: first chapter translated without 2-bit’s indirect help ahaha I don’t even know if it makes sense any more by this point tbh. They’re more summaries than translations by now I’m so sorry guys

• • •

Resisting alien invaders, protecting his homeland, universal domination etc was of no trouble to our military advisor Xie, but the problem before him truly made him worry a bit.

In those days, he and Lu LI had only known each other for a month before deciding to be together; even though at the time they weren’t dating yet, they had already slept together, and, from the bottom of his heart, he truly wanted to be with him for life.

Later on, in order to liberate the Milky Way system, they had fought together side by side, and so of course there hadn’t been enough time to indulge themselves with love.

When the battle ended, Lu Li had proposed to him, and he had nodded in agreement without the slightest bit of hesitation.

After that, the two were sweetly in love for many years, becoming the model ideal couple to the entire Galactic Empire.

Lu Li treated him very well, and he also treated Lu Li very well.

This wasn’t some sort of romance done for the sake of appearances - they truly had eyes only for each other.

Embracing this kind of mindset, how could Xie Jianwei bear to see Lu Li in pain?

Yan Ke let loose some of his harsh words again: “Although Lord Supreme Commander isn’t your average person, if his mind continues to be in such a state of instability, there’ll be terrible consequences!”

Xie Jianwei abruptly calmed down: “I know.”

Yan Ke loosened a breath he was holding. He knew Xie Jianwei very well.

This youth, younger than him by a decade, possessed a temperament as extraordinarily strong as his appearance was beautiful.

The things that he had decided upon, no matter what they were, would definitely be seen through by him till the end - and he would carry them out perfectly at that.

Lu LI was his weakness, but he was also the most important existence in his heart - he knew what was truly at stake here.

Yan Ke said: “Then let’s continue!”

Xie Jianwei nodded.

Once again entering Lu Li’s dreamscape, Xi Jianwei thought that he would continue the ‘brother-in-law’ setting - but apparently, Lu Li, who had fragmented once again, didn’t plan on making the same mistake twice.

And so now, Xie Jianwei had taken up yet another identity.

He woke up in a rather gorgeously decorated room.

Above his head was a crystal light, in a design that manifested the style of the ancient times; on the walls were the thin and elaborate decorative patterns that had been in fashion a few years ago; a hand-drawn mural hung on it, which Xie Jianwei knew was by a master of its art even without touching it.

An interior design of this sort, that echoed the styles of the ancient times, wasn’t something an ordinary household could afford.

Xie Jianwei got off of the bed, the black silk nightgown on his body moving down along his legs, directly falling onto the long-furred rug. The floor length windows opposite were made of one-way glass, coincidentally reflecting his appearance.

His face hadn’t changed, although his hair was slightly longer. He had probably just woken up - his clothes were loose and scattered; a large part of his chest and legs were exposed to the outside, the rope around his waist barely tied properly, and the parts that were supposed to be covered were almost revealed.

Xie Jianwei was just planning to tidy things up a bit, yet footsteps echoed from behind him.

Xie Jianwei turned his head, immediately sighting the man standing beneath the crystal lights.

He looked as if he had just hurried over from outdoors, wearing a long indigo trench coat on the outside, with a button undone on the purple dress shirt underneath, revealing a sensual collarbone.

Under the illumination of the light, within his inky black eyes, was a mass of utterly unconcealed infatuation.

- Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei pondered for a moment. What was this situation?

Could it be that they were lovers in this dream?

Xie Jianwei felt a little happy at the thought, but he didn’t act rashly, merely watching him.

Lu Li’s gaze roamed over his body, from his porcelain chest to his reddened feet - inch by inch, thread by thread, the gaze sedate yet scorchingly hot, almost palpable.

Xie Jianwei ‘reacted’ immediately.

The clothes he wore couldn’t hide anything.

Lu Li lightly laughed, taking off his coat, walking over and sticking himself onto his body: “Did you miss me?”

Xie Jianwei thought that this development was pretty great, and so went with the flow: “Missed you.”

He raised his head, and so Lu Li kissed him.

Like how dry kindling will blaze the moment it is ignited.

After tangling with each other for most of the night, Lu Li got up and off the bed.

Xie Jianwei thought that he was going to get a drink, and so didn’t pay it any attention.

As a result, Lu Li actually started putting on pants.

Xie Jianwei sprawled out on top of the bed, not wanting to move at all: “Do you have something you need to do?”

Lu Li’s hand that had been buckling his belt paused, as he smiled: “It’s so late already, what could I have to do?”

Xie Jianwei laid on his side, supporting his head whilst watching him: “If there’s nothing, then why are you putting on clothes?”

Lu Li’s eyes flashed, appearing somewhat surprised: “Do you still want it?”

Xie Jianwei thought in his heart: What sort of logic was that?

But Lu Li actually felt kinda happy: “Having not done it for a few days, it looks like you’ve truly missed me.” Saying this, he moved in for a kiss.

Xie Jianwei blocked up his mouth: “That’s enough fooling around, do you even want to sleep anymore?”

Lu Li’s mouth was pressed against his hand, and like this, he stared fixedly at him.

Xie Jianwei’s other hand patted the side of the bed: “Come here and sleep.”

He couldn’t have uttered four words more normal than that, yet Lu Li’s pupils shrunk violently, his surprised expression impossible to conceal.

Naturally, Xie Jianwei saw it. Having the experience of being kicked out of a dreamscape, he felt a bit worried that he had said something wrong.

But what bubbled up in Lu Li’s eyes,  after the surprise had scattered away, was actually joy.

“Can I stay?” Lu LI’s questioning voice was very soft, said with the utmost care.

Xie Jianwei thought inwardly, they’d already done it for more than half the night, could it be that he didn’t plan on sleeping here?

Lu Li unblinkingly stared at him.

Xie Jianwei knew, logically, that he probably should have said the line: No, you can’t.

In the end, however, this guy was his lover - moreover, it was at this sort of time; sleeping in the middle of the night by himself wouldn’t feel good - and so he said: “Hurry up and come here.”

The joy in Lu Li’s eyes was incredibly concentrated, and the raised corners of his lips made his already handsome features beautiful beyond reason.

Xie Jianwei couldn’t resist kissing the corner of his lips.

Lu Li pulled him into his embrace: “Don’t tempt me.”

Xie Jianwei laid down on his sturdy arm: “Go to sleep!”

Finished talking, he closed his eyes and went to sleep - but Lu Li carefully stared at him for a whole night.

Beautiful no matter how he looked; lovable no matter how he looked; despite knowing of his fickleness, he still couldn’t resist falling deeper into the trap - to the extent where, because of this tiny, thoughtless piece of kindness, he felt as happy as if he had had been given the entire world.

Lu Li truly couldn’t sleep, completely and utterly unable to do so. He feared that if he opened his eyes again after closing them, he would discover that it was all a dream.

How could a person like someone so much?

Lu Li didn’t know, but he liked Xie Jianwei, liked him to the extent of not caring about anything else.

Xie Jianwei slept well, inside of a dream - this phrase was quite awkward to say out loud, but that was exactly what happened.

He saw Lu Li after he woke up, habitually giving him a morning kiss.

Lu Li visibly fell into a bit of a daze.

Xie Jianwei said to him: “Good morning.”

Lu Li reacted half a beat late, his voice carrying the coarseness of not having slept all night.

Xie Jianwei detected this, and said: “Didn’t sleep well?”

Lu Li looked at him, replying: “I was too happy, couldn’t sleep.”

Xie Jianwei lost his smile: “What’s there to be happy about?”

Lu Li said: “I’ve known you for three months, yet this is your first time letting me stay the night.”

Xie Jianwei halted, feeling that this turn of events wasn’t very encouraging - but having already made it to this step, he feared that turning back now would make it worse, and so he outlined ambiguously: “I wasn’t used to sleeping with others before.”

“I know.” Lu Li tightly hugged him, his hot breaths lightly touching the base of his ear, his voice filled with joy: “So I’m very happy.”

Truthfully speaking, Xie Jianwei had no sense of control when confronted with this sort of Lu Li  - nevermind bullying him, he even hated that he couldn’t hold the entire world in his hands and present it to him.

He and Xie Jianwei fooled around on the bed for a little while.

While eating breakfast, Xie Jianwei very naturally picked away the apple slices from Lu Li’s plate.

Lu Li paused momentarily, disbelievingly asking: “How’d you know I don’t like eating apples?”

Xie Jianwei’s chopsticks paused [1], as he became aware that he had done something he shouldn’t have, out of habit.

Apples were the speciality produce of the waste planet Lu Li was born on, and as a child, he would gnaw on the apples whenever he was hungry. When a person was forced to eat the same thing for a few years straight, even if the thing was a Peach of Immortality [2], they would come to loathe it.

And so Lu Li hated apples; even if many years had passed, the shadowy memories that apples brought still couldn’t be rubbed away.

But, with regards to the iron-blooded, man-of-steel, god-of-war Lu, being a picky eater was honestly a bit too embarrassing, so Lu Li had always endured it to avoid exposing himself.

Ever since Xie Jianwei knew of this, he would pick away the apples and eat them for him.

Although this was a dream, apparently Lu Li’s preferences were unchanged.

Having eaten apples for him for nearly ten years, he would basically take them away upon sight without even thinking about it, his hands moving faster than his brain.

So this time, with Lu Li questioning him, Xie Jianwei truly found it hard to come up with an answer.

Even if he said that he liked eating apples himself, surely he couldn’t like them to the point of ignoring his manners and taking Lu Li’s, right?

Xie Jianwei looked at him with a smile, maintaining his composure and directing away from the topic of conversation: “So you don’t like eating apples?”

Lu Li was charmed into confusion by this one smile, and, without pursuing the details, was led along by his words onto some other topic.

Breakfast had been sweetened by this beautiful atmosphere, and everything felt as if it had been smothered in honey, right down to the bottoms of their hearts.

After they had finished eating, Lu Li glanced at the time. Xie Jianwei asked him: “Are you going back?”

Lu Li said: “Do you have time today?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t, in fact, know whether he had free time or not, so he didn’t reply.

‘If you have time,” Lu Li’s Adam’s apple quivered a little, “can I ask you out…”

He hadn’t finished speaking yet before a knocking sound came from the outside.

Xie Jianwei smiled at him apologetically, raising his voice: “Come in.”

The door opened, and a few men dressed in black suits were standing there in an orderly fashion: “President Xie, it has already been prepared.”

Xie Jianwei didn’t actually know what they had prepared, and so could only follow along and reply: “En.”

Regret flashed pass Lu Li’s eyes, and he said: “If you’re busy, I’ll come back another day.”

Xie Jianwei didn’t really want him to leave, and so uttered: “Wait first.”

He would go see what was going on, and if it wasn’t too urgent, he would push it back.

As a result of his words, those suited men acted like they had received a command, stepping into the room in files, arriving before Lu Li.

“Mr Lu, please.” His hand carried a silver plate with a few things placed on top.

A pure black card, a set of car keys, and a land deed with the owner’s name already written on it.

Seeing these items, Lu Li felt as though his entire person had plummeted into an ice cellar.

• • •

The author has something to say: [3]

Zhihu inquiry: What to do if my husband always forces me to be a dreg shou?!

A certain kind-hearted person’s reply: Then just be one! How can he logically blacken if you’re not a dreg? How can you guys play in a small dark room if he doesn’t blacken? :-D

Saw a few little angels ask if this novel had a prequel; this novel is independent, absolutely independent! But a long time ago I posted on Weibo a short piece on the military advisor and the supreme commander, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve read it or not, it won’t influence this novel. xx!

(there’s more to the author’s note thanking people who may or may not be her commenters/supporters?? And then she says that ‘the internet connection is bad, it finally posted an hour after I uploaded it, I too am drunk’ but like ‘drunk’ refers to how done she is with it)

• • •

[1] The Chinese use chopsticks for everything. EVERYTHING. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, EVERYTHING. I’ve seen my father eat ice cream (scoops of it on a plate) with chopsticks and he somehow made it work.

[2] Peaches of Immortality, the direct translation being celestial peaches, they confer immortality (or close to it anyway) upon those who consume them - namely, the gods. In ‘Journey to the West’, a super old classic, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West) Sun Wukong (monkey dude, daredevil, rebellious trouble child) steals a bunch and eats them and gets in a lot of trouble for it (he gets crushed under a hand-shaped mountain and is forced to go on a super long journey to the west with a monk, a magic horse, a magic pig-demon, and a magic cannibalistic sand demon). His name in Japanese is Son Goku if that’s more familiar to you ;)

[3]: Zhihu: Like yahoo. You make inquiries and people answer.

Dreg shou: Dreg - dregs of society. Shou - the bottom, if-ya-know-what-I-mean

Little black room: For now, just know that it’s this literal small and windowless room used for punishing kids with bad behaviour in the good ol’ days. They lock the kids up in there to reflect. In this case, it refers more to locking XJW up in a golden cage. More on that later. The ML has issues. More on that later too.