FT DR Chapter 38: The Cunning Plan of Keeping a Boyfriend

Chapter 38: The Cunning Plan of Keeping a Boyfriend

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

On Sunday afternoon at six o’clock, Hannibal personally drove to pick up Wu Chenghe to attend the party. Wu Chenghe had changed into the white suit, looking refreshed. Hannibal looked him over, tidied up his hair on his forehead, revealing a full forehead, and nodded in satisfaction, “Very good, extremely handsome.”

Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed. He glanced at his father, who had also taken off his usual military uniform today. He was wearing a navy blue shirt, light gray trousers, and a matching suit, looking handsome and imposing.

“Let’s go.” Hannibal habitually reached out to pat his head but fearing to ruin his hairstyle, he patted the back of his neck instead, leading him onto the spaceship.

Father and son flew to the hotel where the Secretary of State was staying, and Lilith happened to arrive with Marlow.

“How have you been lately?” Lilith, wearing exquisite evening makeup, her royal blue floor-length gown accentuating her noble and elegant British temperament, politely smiled at Wu Chenghe. “I regret what happened last time. I visited you in the hospital the day after the accident, then set sail.”

“Thank you for your concern.” Wu Chenghe politely responded. Although Lilith seemed the same as usual, he could sense her consciousness clouding with unease. Despite the delicate makeup, her face still looked very bad, showing signs of extreme fatigue.

It’s probably because of the General Lancer incident, Wu Chenghe thought. No one would be happy encountering such a thing.

“The reception is about to start, and we are the guests of honor. It’s best not to be late.” Hannibal reminded his wife with a smile, offering his elbow. Lilith smiled and lightly hooked her arm around his, walking towards the banquet hall.

Wu Chenghe noticed that Lilith’s gown and Hannibal’s shirt were of the same color scheme, and her jewelry matched his cufflinks. The two of them standing together were simply a perfect match. The only regret was that Lilith was not a guide, destined for their relationship not to last.

“What are you staring at?” Marlow frowned as he saw Wu Chenghe dazing off. “Let’s go in together. It’s not good for family members to go their separate ways; the media will make a big deal out of it.”

As the son of a commander, he was obviously adept at handling such situations. Wu Chenghe nodded, “Okay.”

“Let’s go.” Marlow glanced at him and even mimicked Hannibal’s gesture of offering his elbow. Wu Chenghe was speechless. This teenage phase of yours seems too long. You’re sixteen, still using this childish way to embarrass your older brother. It’s too immature!

So he ignored his mischievous younger brother and walked in by himself.

“Welcome!” Mr. Hobart was dressed in a medieval costume, wearing a top hat. There was a pocket watch in the pocket of his black vest, and a gold chain hung from his chest. Such an exaggerated attire was somewhat strange, but because of his classical and elegant temperament, he surprisingly looked harmonious.

“Welcome, Commander, esteemed lady.” He shook hands with Hannibal with a smile, kissed Lilith’s hand, and then solemnly hugged Wu Chenghe. “Thank you, my child, thank you for saving Jin Xuan. Without you, I wouldn’t dare to return to see His Excellency, the President, this time. I’m afraid I would have to stay under your father’s command.”

Hobart’s enthusiasm made Wu Chenghe feel a little embarrassed. He smiled shyly, “You’re too kind.”

“What a good boy, it’s embarrassing to tease you.” Hobart chuckled, then shook hands with Marlow. “Next year is the Federal Youth Baseball League. I wish your team the championship.”

“Thank you.” Marlow smiled gracefully.

“Oh! Mrs. Chen!” Hobart’s eyes lit up as he looked behind them, his tone immediately becoming courteous. “Your presence here truly brightens up the place!”

Wu Chenghe curiously turned around, wondering why the elegant and noble Secretary of State suddenly changed his demeanor. However, as soon as he saw, he himself was stunned—a lady so stunning that it was blinding was slowly approaching. She was petite and exquisite, with perfect proportions. Her wine-red long hair was pinned up on top of her head, with a few curly strands hanging down by her temples. The black hollowed-out dress she wore perfectly highlighted her captivating charm, and her long legs were faintly visible beneath the semi-transparent skirt, evoking endless reverie.

Wu Chenghe finally understood what “bewitching beauty” meant. As a man of integrity and purity, even he couldn’t help but be moved in the presence of such a temptress.

“Hello, Mr. Hobart.” The lady smiled at Hobart and reached out her right hand gracefully, showing that she was accustomed to his courteous manners.

“It’s so good to see you, Lena.” Hobart looked at her affectionately until the tall man next to her coughed unhappily, prompting him to forcefully control his expression and say, “Hello, Mr. Chen, welcome.”

“This is Lena Popova, the former Admiral Hobart once pursued her, but she married a guide instead, the one next to her, Chen Zhen, the head of ‘Chen Fuji’.” Marlow sneered in front of Wu Chenghe. “Aren’t you ashamed? Haven’t you seen a beauty before?”

Wu Chenghe blushed and said, “Just now, weren’t your eyes wide open too?”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Marlow also blushed and whispered, “She’s already an auntie now. I just appreciate her beauty!”

“Can’t I appreciate the beauty of an auntie?” Wu Chenghe retorted in a whisper. The two brothers glared at each other with flushed faces, then turned away.

“Senior! Senior, I’m here!” Chen Miaomiao had been recuperating for over a month, and his leg bones had basically healed. He briefly greeted Hobart and then rushed to Wu Chenghe’s side. “Come on, my parents want to see you.” With that, he pulled him over to the beautiful aunt’s side. “Mom, this is Mr. Charlie, my senior.”

“Oh, hello, Charlie.” Popova was of Russian descent, with deep features and a pair of captivating emerald eyes. “Thank you for saving Miaomiao’s life. This child is too mischievous. It’s rare to see someone getting along with him.”

This kind of “tomboy” completely overturned Wu Chenghe’s imagination. He had always thought Popova would be the rough type, at least a woman with thick thighs like Chun-li, but he never expected her to be so beautiful and feminine. Stammering, he said, “Hello, General.”

“Just call me Auntie.” Popova smiled gently and introduced the man beside her to him, “This is Miaomiao’s dad.”

“Uncle Chen, hello.” Wu Chenghe looked at Chen Zhen. He was surprisingly tall, close to 1.85 meters, with wheat-colored skin that looked very healthy. However, because of the guide genes, his frame was relatively slender, and his muscles were thin and weak. He wore glasses and looked gentle and refined.

“Hello.” Chen Zhen was a very taciturn person. After nodding, he didn’t say much. Wu Chenghe knew that this was a common trait among guides—they had powerful minds and consciousness, so they were more accustomed to perceiving the world through thoughts rather than verbal communication.

“I was originally planning to visit, but the Commander said you prefer quiet, so he didn’t let me disturb you.” Popova apologized, “Miaomiao’s matter has caused you a lot of trouble. I really don’t know how to express my apologies.”

“You’re too kind, it’s actually my fault that Miaomiao got involved.” Wu Chenghe said embarrassedly, “Because of my situation, my father misunderstood you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s nothing. The Commander is a very wise man.” Popova noticed his discomfort and considerately pushed her son towards him. “You kids should play together to avoid awkwardness.”

Miaomiao was in a great mood. He immediately dragged Wu Chenghe to talk by the long window. “Hey, Marlow is here too. He still has that dead face. Don’t you feel uncomfortable looking at him?”

“He… is actually fine.” Marlow was a kind and good boy, to be honest, just a bit awkward.

“By the way, King will also come later. You… hehe, don’t let people find out.” Chen Miaomiao narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Mr. Hobart used to be an NTU special agent. His gaze is very sharp.”

NTU stands for “Naval Tactical Unit.” It was initially established to carry out special secret missions in cooperation with the Navy. Later, as the Navy expanded beyond the galaxy, it evolved into the Voyager Army. NTU’s scope of activities expanded to the entire galaxy and gradually became a federal special agent agency. NTU is directly managed by the President, and it’s almost equivalent to the CIA in status. They are best known for various kinds of espionage activities.

Wu Chenghe chuckled vaguely, not intending to mention the trivial matter with Jin Xuan in such a place. Just then, Chen Miaomiao tapped him on the shoulder. “Look, the little hens from the Lancer family are here.”

Standing at the door was a medium-built Anglo-Saxon man, bearing a resemblance to Lilith, General Lancer. He was already over eighty years old, but due to frequent repairs, he looked only about fifty. He was accompanied by his guide wife, a young man, young woman, and a rosy-cheeked little girl. Chen Miaomiao said, “The two little hens are the son and daughter of the General Lancer, and the little girl is his eldest son’s only daughter. His eldest son intends to succeed him and is currently on a mission in the Third Army.”

Seeing so many big shots at once, Wu Chenghe’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He tried hard to remember each face and asked Chen Miaomiao, “Why do you call them ‘little hens’?”

“Because they’re super proud. Every time we meet, they have this arrogant attitude. Come on, even my tomboy is a star, why should they look down on me? Just because I’m small? I grew up with my mom, okay.” 

Wu Chenghe only then realized that Chen Miaomiao’s physique followed his mother’s, petite and delicate, while his facial features followed his father’s, clear and gentle. So the combination was a bit unfortunate—a perpetual baby face.

“It’s okay, you’re only sixteen, you’ll still grow. Look at me, I’ve grown half a centimeter in the past six months.” 

“Senior, please don’t compare me to you in the future. Because you’re really not better than me.” Sighing, Chen Miaomiao said, “Why are we both like this?”

“It’s your problem if you’re like this, don’t drag me into it!” Wu Chenghe retorted.

“Do you want to pursue him? Do you think it’s possible?” Chen Miaomiao said ruthlessly, pointing to the door. “Do you think you can pursue him?”

The much-anticipated King finally arrived. Today’s Jin Xuan was simply stunning, with his long hair dyed in shades of blue and purple, tied with a black satin ribbon draped over his right shoulder. After over a month of recuperation, his cheeks had regained their fullness, making his facial features impeccable. Standing next to Hannibal, his tall figure didn’t pale in comparison, though he wasn’t as muscular as him, he exuded a unique charm with his slender frame and his handsome Asian features.

However, his clothes weren’t as impressive, at least in Wu Chenghe’s eyes, they were downright hideous—dark-colored patchwork suit, purple graffiti T-shirt, distressed jeans, and worn-out shoes that revealed his toes, whether they were sandals or slippers, along with a purple metal earring on his ear… The whole ensemble was so lively that it felt like attending a temple fair!

“Too handsome!” Chen Miaomiao was about to kneel before him, his eyes sparkling with tears of excitement. “King is always so handsome!”

Fuck, is this what handsome looks like? It’s more like a circus clown! Wu Chenghe trembled in horror. Their standards were too high; us normal folks couldn’t understand.

Jin Xuan saw Wu Chenghe as soon as he entered, glanced at him with his phoenix eyes, but didn’t come over to talk to him. Instead, he turned to General Lancer and politely greeted him.

Lancer’s youngest daughter and granddaughter were obviously fans of King. Although they seemed calm and composed on the surface, their twinkling eyes completely betrayed their inner excitement.

“I’m very sorry for the danger you encountered due to the negligence of the Second Army this time.” General Lancer apologized to Jin Xuan with regret. “Fortunately, you returned safely, unscathed. Otherwise, I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

“You’re too kind.” Jin Xuan’s expression was cold, but his attitude towards his elders was very appropriate. “Terrorists are everywhere, and you’ve been fighting on the front lines for years, protecting the safety of the entire Federation. You deserve the respect of all of us. This incident was entirely accidental. Even tigers take naps. You don’t have to blame yourself excessively.”

Although his crazy brother had scolded and punished him, General Lancer still had to thank him for his generosity. “Thank you for your understanding.” He then introduced his children and granddaughter to him one by one.

“Nice to meet you.” Jin Xuan put on an invincible, cold and unsmiling demeanor, killing everyone with his arrogance. 

Miss Lancer and Miss Lancer Junior blushed as they greeted him, “Hello, Mr. Jin.”

For some reason, facing the two young girls, Jin Xuan appeared particularly indifferent, only giving them a glance before shifting his gaze away, nodding slightly to acknowledge their greeting.

His rejection made the two young girls feel a bit embarrassed. Continuing the conversation would be too embarrassing for them, but leaving was also difficult. After a moment’s hesitation, Lancer’s little girl quietly nudged her aunt’s waist with her finger, then glanced at Jin Xuan, as if suggesting that she should take the initiative.

Miss Lancer glared at her niece, bit her lip, and gathered her courage to say, “Mr. Jin, I… I’m your fan. Could I have the first dance with you at the dance later?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t dance.” Jin Xuan politely but coldly rejected her.

Miss Lancer’s face immediately turned very ugly. She had grown up in the Voyager Army, and General Lancer was already a star when she was born. She was practically raised in the palm of everyone’s hand in the Second Army. The whole Second Army treated her like a princess. It was already a great fortune for ordinary men to have the opportunity to shake hands with her. Unexpectedly, today she was humiliated by being coldly rejected when she humbly invited someone to dance.

Moreover, as an artist who frequently performed in various stage plays, dramas, and performance art exhibitions, who would believe that King couldn’t dance! This was the most basic social skill in the Federation!

“I’m sorry to have bothered you.” Jin Xuan ignored her princess’s pride, nodded his head, and left on his own.

“He… he’s too much!” The little girl muttered angrily, “Auntie, you begged him like this, and he actually…”

“Stop talking.” Miss Lancer let go of the hand grabbing her skirt, frowned at the abrupt wrinkles, and said, “He has always been proud. In the past, when a fan threatened to commit suicide to force him to meet, he didn’t respond. Artists are stubborn, otherwise he wouldn’t be King.”

“Yeah, I see.” The little girl echoed, her eyes following Jin Xuan’s figure as he walked away, surprised, “Huh, why is he going to find that wild… Oh, he’s smiling!”

Miss Lancer’s proud face turned even uglier as she followed her niece’s gaze. Clenching her fists tightly, she turned her head in disgust. “Don’t mention that lowborn guy. I can’t believe my sister tolerates him staying here. She’s been brainwashed by the Commander. Women in love have negative IQs!”

“Don’t be angry, Auntie.” The little girl whispered, trying to comfort her. “Maybe it’s just because that stinky kid saved his life, so King won’t be too rude to him, just to save face.”

Miss Lancer looked at the two people facing each other under the long window in the distance, trying to convince herself that her niece was right. But deep down, she couldn’t suppress a sour emotion—was that warm smile really just for show?

What she didn’t know was that under the long window, Wu Chenghe was already horrified.

“What are you doing? Stop smiling at me like that, aren’t you disgusted?” It’s too scary, even the male lead in a melodrama isn’t this affected!

Jin Xuan also knew that his smile was too forced, but it was all for… He awkwardly touched his nose and said, “It’s been a long time since I saw you, and I can’t help but be happy when I do.”

Wu Chenghe: “Heh.” We just had cherry pie together last night. Your definition of “a long time” is really unique.

“Are you hungry?” Jin Xuan adjusted his expression slightly, making his smile more natural, and casually took a muffin from the waiter’s tray and handed it to him. “Hobart specifically invited a chef, and the cakes are pretty good.”

“Thank you.” Wu Chenghe loved sweets. He took a bite of the cake and found it indeed delicious, sweet but not overpowering. He was about to compliment when suddenly he felt four scorching gazes burning on his thin back. He turned around in horror, only to see the backs of the two Miss Lancers leaving.

It must be his imagination, he thought, turning back to continue eating the cake.

Jin Xuan’s viewpoint was broader than his, and he caught sight of the jealous and resentful glances of the two young girls when they looked at him. A barely perceptible smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth as he turned around and went to the cold buffet table to get some cake for his little guide.

If possible, he would never resort to such underhanded methods. But he was facing a formidable and ruthless enemy, one who had the dual protection of blood ties and guardianship rights. To win in such a perilous situation, he had to use every means available.

Author’s Note: my emo boy is a very contradictory character, a multifaceted prism of beastly and human emotions in love and a combination of openness and scheming in personality. But there’s no doubt that he deeply loves Doctor Wu.

 

 

 

 

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