FT DR Chapter 39: I Carried the Blame and Sent You to Your Death

Chapter 39: I Carried the Blame and Sent You to Your Death

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Jin Xuan had fed Wu Chenghe a few small cakes before being called by Hobart to entertain guests. Wu Chenghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. Even on such a formal occasion, Jin Xuan’s aura was too bright. Many people in the room couldn’t help but be attracted to him. Wu Chenghe suspected that if he continued standing next to him, he would be skewered by those envious and jealous gazes.

Today’s main guests were the three star generals and their families, but there were also some other officials attending. Before the formal start of the banquet, the room was already filled with the fragrance of clothes, the sound of laughter, and chatter. Chen Miaomiao was called by his glamorous mother to greet several uncles and aunts, leaving Wu Chenghe alone, leaning against the long window with a glass of juice, feeling like a wallflower. As a quasi-member of the Commander’s family, his status was somewhat awkward. It was best to lower his presence to avoid arousing the resentment of his stepmother.

“Hi!” Suddenly, a soft voice greeted him. Wu Chenghe turned his head and found a little girl in a fluffy yellow dress standing beside him. She was none other than the granddaughter of the General Lancer.

“You’re Charlie, Marlow’s brother?” The girl’s big eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “You’re the son of the Commander’s ex-girlfriend?”

“…Yes.” Wu Chenghe admired her summarizing ability and smiled as kindly as possible. “Hello, Miss Lancer.”

“Oh, you know me? It must be Chen Miaomiao who told you, right?” The girl tapped her juice glass against his, took a small sip, and said, “You don’t look like the Commander at all, or Marlow either.”

“I take after my mother.” Wu Chenghe was generally patient with little girls, especially this one who seemed quite innocent.

“You’re really fair, with good skin.” The girl examined his face carefully. “Your eyes are very beautiful, black, is that typical of Chinese?”

“Yes.” Wu Chenghe was actually quite troubled by his overly fair skin. He smiled and said, “Your eyes are beautiful too, pure icy blue, very charming.”

The twelve or thirteen-year-old girl was at the age of vanity. Being praised by him immediately made her happy. “Really? You have such a sweet mouth, no wonder even Auntie, who is such a formidable person, can accept you.”

“Hehe.” Wu Chenghe accepted that it wasn’t because of his sweet mouth that she accepted him, but for her husband’s sake. He didn’t want to say much to a little girl, so he just smiled faintly, tacitly agreeing.

“There will be a dance later, do you have a dance partner?” The girl suddenly asked.

“Um, no.” Wu Chenghe shook his head. “I’m not very good at dancing. I’ll just watch others dance.”

“That’s not good. Everyone has to dance the first dance. How about I be your dance partner?” The girl impulsively suggested, then noticed their height difference, raised her hand to compare, and wrinkled her nose. “Oh, you’re much taller than me, forget it.” 

Wu Chenghe was considered short among boys, but he still towered over a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl.

“Why don’t you go ask my aunt to dance?” The girl had another idea, poked his shoulder, “She’s about your height.”

Wu Chenghe didn’t want to get involved with the Lancer family, especially women of similar age. Lilith wouldn’t be happy about it. So he apologized, “I really don’t know how to dance, and your aunt is so beautiful, she must have many outstanding young men inviting her. I think I won’t disturb her.”

The girl frowned and said, “My aunt’s temper is really difficult. She doesn’t even bother with those young men. I asked you because I thought you were good at talking and easygoing, but it seems you’re too timid to invite her. So, I’ll just tell you the truth.”

Wu Chenghe sweated. Although he was quite handsome, he could only attract admiration from girls under fifteen, like Monica. Above fifteen, he could probably only receive maternal love. Miss Lancer seemed to be around Marlow’s age. Why would she be interested in him?

And his relationship with the Lancer family was far from harmonious. His presence first hurt Lilith’s feelings, and then in the Mayflower and Grasshopper Space Station incidents, he brought disgrace upon the General Lancer. Under these circumstances, it would be considered polite if people didn’t snub him, let alone develop any favorable feelings. Ha…

In this world, perhaps only someone with a twisted aesthetic like Jin Xuan would consider him valuable.

“Would you like some more juice?” Wu Chenghe didn’t want to directly reject her kindness, attempting to change the subject. “The muffins here are also delicious. Would you like me to get you some?”

“Who eats that stuff? I’m on a diet.” Unexpectedly, the little girl didn’t fall for it at all. She grabbed his sleeve directly. “Hey, what do you mean? I kindly passed on a message for my aunt, and you’re so disrespectful. Do you know that rejecting a lady is extremely disgraceful? Or is it because you’ve been harboring resentment against our family for the Grasshopper Space Station incident?”

Rising to such heights, the little girl was truly formidable… Wu Chenghe rubbed his forehead. “No, the terrorist attack was carried out by the Free Revolutionary Army. General Lancer just had a moment of negligence, and later cooperated with the Commander to wipe them out. I have great respect and gratitude towards him.”

“Then why are you unwilling to even invite my aunt to dance?”

Wu Chenghe was relentlessly held by the little girl. Surrounded by guests and unable to shake her off, he sighed, “Alright, let go of me, I’ll go invite her.” Old foes should be resolved rather than persisted with. It was just a dance, at most he would lower his stance a bit, anyway, he was a man.

The little girl achieved her goal, smiled brightly, and let go of him. “That’s more like it. Remember to be a gentleman.”

Wu Chenghe smiled bitterly, guided by her, he crossed half the hall and approached Miss Lancer. Politely bowing, he said, “Hello, Miss Lancer.”

Miss Lancer sat in a high-backed European chair, looked up at him coldly, and immediately recognized who he was—the excess baggage that made her proud sister sad and miserable, the annoying guy who made her father scolded by the President, and the nuisance who stuck to King like a fly…

What right did he have to enjoy King’s tender gaze? What right did he have to let him fetch juice and cakes for him? He was just an undesirable low-class nobody!

“Can I have the first dance with you?” Wu Chenghe felt the inexplicable resentment emanating from her, recalling the piercing gaze on his back earlier. He began to suspect that something was amiss, but still smiled gently as he extended the invitation. Regardless, he was a man and had to maintain his composure.

“Dance with me?” Miss Lancer’s lips curled with a hint of ridicule. “Then, how should I address you? Mr. Simpson or Mr. Wu? Or… what was your real father’s last name?”

Wu Chenghe glanced at the smiling little girl not far away and fully understood that he was being teased. Miss Lancer’s voice wasn’t low, and many guests around had already turned their attention to him, their eyes filled with gossip.

“I, I don’t want to dance with someone of unknown origin.” Miss Lancer raised her chin arrogantly, turned her head disdainfully to look at him, and cast a sour glance not far away at Jin Xuan who was being led away by Hobart, her tone slightly bitter, “I prefer to sit alone for a while, in peace.”

The atmosphere became quite awkward. Even someone as open-minded as Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed, and the surrounding spectators began to whisper:

“Who is that?”

“The Commander’s adopted son.”

“Oh, I’ve never seen him before. Is he a war orphan?”

“No, I heard he’s the Commander’s biological son, born from his ex-girlfriend, an accident.”

“Ha! What a joke, could such an accident still happen these days? It must have been premeditated…”

“Shh… the Commander values him greatly. He even reprimanded General Lancer because of him recently.”

“Poor Lilith, her family fell apart because of this person, and she’s having trouble with her family.”

“And he dares to harass Miss Lancer, truly overestimating himself.”

“…”

Wu Chenghe’s mental fortitude was quite strong. Even though they lowered their voices to gossip in the farthest corner, he could still sense it clearly. Originally intending to be a wallflower, he unexpectedly became the center of attention. He could only sigh inwardly. As an adult man, he had no sensitivity to such childish tricks from little girls and ended up being caught off guard.

Fortunately, losing face in front of others wasn’t a big deal for him. It merely resulted in being seen as an ignorant and impetuous youth. So, he shrugged casually and said, “Sorry for the disturbance.” 

He glanced at the little girl, giving her a meaningful look.

The little girl didn’t expect him to be so tolerant. She had hoped to see some drama but felt somewhat disappointed now. However, as a little princess brought up by the Second Army, she didn’t think she had done anything excessive—just teasing a lowly outsider who was living off others, similar to playing tricks on a street performer, just for fun. After all, he always stuck around King (cloudy), making her aunt lose face!

“What’s going on?” Hannibal noticed many people looking their way and walked over. 

Wu Chenghe was already planning to leave and said, “Nothing. Just a little misunderstanding.”

Hannibal extended his hearing and soon heard the surrounding discussions. His expression darkened, and he looked at his cold and proud sister-in-law. He said, “Since Miss Lancer isn’t feeling well, let her rest for a while. There’s an uncle I want to introduce you to. His daughter is a year below you and is interested in discussing your college entrance exam.”

Miss Lancer looked at her brother-in-law in surprise, never expecting him to defend an illegitimate child so openly, blatantly labeling her with the excuse of “not feeling well.” Furious, she stood up. “Commander…”

“Younger sister.” Lilith arrived just in time, took hold of her sister’s arm, and lightly pinched her wrist. “I want to go to the restroom. Will you accompany me?”

“…Fine.” Miss Lancer agreed with a grim expression, not refusing her sister’s invitation, and walked towards the restroom with her.

“Sister, are you too kind-hearted? How can you let the Commander treat you like this…” As soon as they entered the restroom, the blue-clad Miss threw her handbag heavily onto the sofa.

Lilith furrowed her brows. “He’s good to me! Younger sister, what’s going on with you? Today’s reception was organized by the Secretary of State. Do you have to make a scene here and let the President’s people laugh at us?”

“What scene? Who made a scene? Who shamelessly harassed me?!” Miss Lancer stomped her foot. “Sister, you’re actually helping that wild…”

“Mind your manners, younger sister.” Lilith said sternly but softly, “He’s the Commander’s son. Adopting him was our joint decision. You’re not a child anymore. You should understand that leaving him to fend for himself would be very detrimental to me and the Commander!”

“Why? We’re in a society governed by law. When will you stop indulging in Emperor-like behavior?” Lilith said seriously, “I’ve said it before, just ignore him and keep up appearances. Why don’t you ever listen to me? Dad has targeted him several times, and you two are causing trouble for him in public. How is that any different from handing ammunition to others? Have I endured so much injustice in vain?”

“Sister!” Miss Lancer said angrily, “You’re blinded by love. Do you think the Commander adopted him out of pity?”

“What do you mean?” Lilith looked at her suspiciously, “Has Dad said something to you?”

“No, he hasn’t.” Miss Lancer said in a low voice, “I, I just heard one or two things when they were talking.”

“What?” After the Mayflower and Grasshopper incidents, Lilith also began to doubt her father’s motives and anxiously asked, “Are they hiding something from me?”

“I, I don’t know.” Miss Lancer’s eyes flickered. After a long silence, she gritted her teeth and said, “I just heard them say that he shouldn’t be kept. His mother’s family, the Wu family, seems to have something wrong. Sister, you know that the Chinese have always been mysterious. Who knows what secrets he holds? I’m not trying to drive a wedge between you and the Commander’s feelings, but you shouldn’t trust a man too much. After all, you’re not his guide, you can’t understand his true thoughts.”

Lilith’s face showed a painful expression. She sat on the sofa, her slender fingers twirling her beautiful curls, murmuring, “What can I do? I’m not his guide, but I love him so much…”

“Sister.” Miss Lancer half knelt in front of Lilith, holding her knees, and said, “Don’t you think the Commander is too good to that kid, too protective? Just now, it was obviously that guy who came to harass me, yet he gave him a way out, saying it was my discomfort, heh… He’s not as doting to Marlow, is he?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. That kid wouldn’t harass you. I know him very well. He’s a very decent person. Just now, it was obviously you two playing tricks on him.” Lilith defended her husband weakly, “Hannibal saw through your little tricks. Playing games with him in this kind of setting is embarrassing for the Commander, and Hobart was present too…”

“Sister, don’t delude yourself.” Miss Lancer’s heart burned with jealousy. Why, why did everyone protect that annoying guy, King and the Commander, too!

She held her sister’s icy hand and said, “You’re the pride of the Lancer family, the youngest female fleet colonel of the Voyager Army. Use your wisdom to see through your man. Don’t let his sweet words blind you. Maybe he still has lingering feelings for that deceased woman, or maybe there are other reasons. You’re not his guide, so you can’t completely control your husband. If you want to protect your family, protect Marlow, you must snuff out any potential threats.”

“What do you mean?” Lilith looked at her sister. “I warn you, don’t play these childish pranks anymore. And Dad, you’d better advise him not to try anything against that kid. The Commander won’t make the same mistake twice. If there’s a next time, he won’t be so lenient. He hates being plotted against, challenging his authority.”

“I know.” Miss Lancer said softly, “Since we can’t get rid of that unnecessary guy, why not send him to the Federation? Keep him far away, out of the Commander’s sight, and he won’t have time to reminisce about his mother. By the time he graduates from college, masters, or even a doctorate, it’ll take at least five or six years. Maybe by then, he’ll just stay in the Federation and not come back. The Commander’s power in the Voyager Army won’t affect him that much.”

“Are you talking about that bill?” Lilith frowned. “Do you think I haven’t considered it? The Commander has already told me. He wants Marlow to go because Marlow is our legitimate eldest son. He wants Marlow to go to the Federation to make friends, build a network. And Marlow himself wants to go to Aston University. He doesn’t fancy the military academy on our side. That boy is stubborn.”

“Are you stupid, sister?” Miss Lancer said, “Do you think the President really wants to benefit the descendants of the Voyager Army? Isn’t it just taking them as hostages? So many high-ranking officials’ descendants are being kept in Dunkirk, the capitol. Who would dare to act rashly? And with the Commander’s current power, so many people envy him, wanting him to fall, even die, not to mention so many opposition groups. Sending Marlow to Dunkirk, isn’t it sending him as a living target? Why not let that lowlife step into the minefield? It’ll keep him away from your family, and if anything happens, it won’t affect your relationship with the Commander. You can even condemn those opposition groups together.”

Both descendants of the Lancer family, Lilith naturally had more maturity in strategy than her sister. However, because of her deep love for her husband, she always worried about his feelings. Hearing her sister’s words, she twisted her fingers anxiously, and the balance in her heart began to tilt. After a while, she patted her sister’s hand. “Alright, don’t think too much about it. This is my family matter, and I’ll handle it carefully.”

Miss Lancer looked at her sister’s deep eyes, knowing that she had accepted her advice. A slight curve appeared at the corner of her proud lips. Whether it was out of protection for the Lancer family or out of anger for not gaining King’s favor, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she would be very happy to see that annoying guy suffer.

That’ll do!

In the reception hall, Wu Chenghe followed Hannibal to a corner and said, “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Hannibal raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked. 

Wu Chenghe rubbed his chin and said, “I was rejected by Lilith’s sister. I was too abrupt, and it embarrassed you.”

“Why would you think that?” Hannibal chuckled, couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck, and said, “Her rejection of your invitation was because she lacked grace. Men should take the initiative. If you want to dance with someone, just invite her. It’s no big deal if you fail. Haven’t you ever been rejected by a girl you liked?”

“…No.” Wu Chenghe felt a little embarrassed. “Because I’ve never confessed.”

“Oh, then your life must be incomplete.” Hannibal’s eyes showed a warm smile. “Now you’ve finally had your first rejection. You’ll get used to it if you’re rejected more often in the future.”

“…Are you cursing me?” Wu Chenghe knew he was trying to ease his embarrassment and felt very grateful. He smiled and said, “Don’t you hope I’ll be a bachelor forever?”

“Hmm, how could I? I’ll love you forever.” Hannibal said half-jokingly, “If no one wants to accept you, I can take care of you for a lifetime. After all, you eat very little, don’t care much about clothes, and don’t spend much money. It’s much easier than raising Marlow.”

“Are you really cursing me?” Wu Chenghe pretended to look dejected. “Just now, weren’t you going to introduce a girlfriend to me? Did I hear it wrong?”

“You heard wrong. I was just going to introduce a junior to you, not intending to make her my daughter-in-law,” Hannibal said seriously. “The joint entrance exam is coming up soon. You better focus on reviewing. It’s not easy to get into the First Army Medical College. Your mock exam scores are too risky.”

“Hmm, did they send you my scores? Is it really hopeless? I was thinking of applying to the Aston University Medical College,” Wu Chenghe felt a bit embarrassed. After all, he was a top student in his previous life, and now he couldn’t even handle the joint entrance exam. It was really embarrassing.

“You want to study in Dunkirk’s capitol?” Hannibal’s expression changed. “You’ve never mentioned this to me before.”

“It was my teacher who mentioned it. The Aston University Medical College is the best medical university in the Federation. It’s the highest dream for anyone who wants to study medicine.”

“I suggest you stay in the First Army,” Hannibal said straightforwardly. “You’ve had too many accidents in the past six months. I’m not comfortable letting you leave my side. At least in Gabriel Military Harbor, I can guarantee your safety. But in Dunkirk’s capital, it’s hard to say. To be honest, my reputation there isn’t very good. You might get implicated.”

“Is that so?” Wu Chenghe actually felt a bit nervous. Aston University was the top-ranked university in the Federation, and it attracted a lot of elite individuals, with more than half being sentinels. He was about to come of age, and how to hide his identity among such a high density of sentinels was a problem. Moreover, the guide school was on the companion planet of Planet Dunkirk — Eida. He naturally had a sense of fear towards that place and didn’t want to get too close to it.

“You still have plenty of time to consider. I’ll help you gather information,” Hannibal didn’t force him to make an immediate decision, patting his shoulder affectionately. “The first dance is about to begin. I’m going to dance with Lilith. I’ll introduce you to the junior later.”

“Let’s not talk about that now,” Wu Chenghe said. “I don’t want to meet any girls right now. You go ahead and take care of your business.”

“You can dance with Chen Miaomiao. You two look good together,” Hannibal joked before leaving. “With him as a reference, you’ll look very manly.”

“…Does any father tease his son like this?” Wu Chenghe rolled his eyes helplessly.

 

 

 

 

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