Chapter 27: Calloused Hands

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

While the snow leopard was being taken for his checkup, Zhou Yunchen met with Zhao Minghe and Professor Qian Shan to discuss recent developments. Normally, the implanted chip in snow leopard could handle basic communication, but many sensitive and complex matters were better discussed in person.

“Wonderland completed the recalculation of Distant Star’s navigation data. Before the Decatoli pursuit, the navigation deviation was less than 0.03%,” Qian Shan reported.

Zhou Yunchen typed, During the pursuit, the deviation was definitely over sixty percent.

“Yes. That’s why, as you requested, I reconstructed the mecha core’s three-dimensional fragments. Structurally, there’s no deviation.”

“Not a mechanical component issue? What about the internal computational network?”

“The fluctuations happened instantaneously. It wasn’t a rolling error caused by accumulating faulty characters, so I lean toward a physical cause.”

“But you said the structure is fine.”

“I only checked the mechanical structure at the macro level. I can’t inspect at the wave or particle level—that requires the original design data,” Qian Shan said thoughtfully. “General Zhou, I have a delicate request. Could you ask Lu Yao about it? When he performed maintenance, we were instructed to hide Villeau’s Void accident. But after spending so many days with him, do you still feel he’s untrustworthy?”

Snow leopard’s pale gray eyes flickered slightly. Zhou Yunchen had never doubted Lu Yao’s trustworthiness. On the contrary, in many ways, Lu Yao was probably the most reliable person he knew.

The failure of a central nervous system could stem from only two causes: natural or human. Human causes were usually political conflicts. Lu Yao avoided entanglements, had no factional bias, and therefore no motive to leak secrets.

At first, Zhou Yunchen hadn’t known how to explain to Lu Yao that he had become a snow leopard—or how to face him as one. Now, he could confront Lu Yao relatively freely in this form. The real question was: if Lu Yao discovered that the affectionate, lifted, and cuddled big cat was actually a person—his former husband—what would he think?

Zhou Yunchen didn’t dare gamble.

Still… since macro-level mechanical inspections showed no problems, having Lu Yao perform a more detailed check wouldn’t necessarily require mentioning his own injuries. Molecular or electromagnetic checks wouldn’t reveal the snow leopard’s true identity.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Yunchen typed with his paws: Zhao Minghe, coordinate with the First Research Base. Send Distant Star over.

Lu Yao returned home from work as usual. Zhao Minghe had said that the snow leopard, after his checkup, had been sent back to the hilltop villa. But when Lu Yao exited the elevator, the big cat wasn’t there to greet him with a wagging tail.

A few steps into the living room, he nearly jumped at the sight of the snow leopard crouched in an attack posture, teeth bared and front paws pressed low. The moment the snow leopard realized he was Lu Yao, his ears drooped nervously before settling back into their normal position. A soft, tentative, “Aw…” escaped him.

His hind leg was still bandaged. Lu Yao knelt and cupped the snow leopard’s face, rubbing it back and forth. “Baby, were you scared at the hospital? Don’t be afraid. You’re home now.”

Zhou Yunchen wasn’t a real cat, so doctors didn’t frighten him. But he thoroughly enjoyed Lu Yao’s firm yet gentle touch. If only Lu Yao’s hands didn’t carry a trace of another alpha’s scent. The moment that unfamiliar alpha pheromone reached the snow leopard’s nose, he thought an intruder had appeared.

Why would Lu Yao have alpha pheromones from going to work? Snow leopard padded along at Lu Yao’s heels while he prepared dinner, rubbing against Lu Yao’s pant legs, trying to mask the scent of the other alpha. Fresh, grassy, Class A, and very young.

Zhou Yunchen didn’t recall anyone like that at the First Research Base. It wasn’t until evening, while Lu Yao reviewed the next day’s documentary schedule, that the snow leopard connected the pheromone scent to Li Yan—the youngest son of General Li from the Azure Dragon Fleet—whose name appeared in Lu Yao’s notes.

Lu Yao’s alpha pheromone stress syndrome meant he probably wouldn’t rush to find a mate. Even if he did, Zhou Yunchen doubted he’d be interested in such a noisy, brash young man. In theory, Li Yan posed no threat. But the strong territorial instincts shared by alphas and felines made Zhou Yunchen bite Lu Yao’s pant leg the next morning as he left for work.

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, unsure what this stubborn cat wanted. He tried to move forward. The cat slid along the smooth floor, dragged several meters while refusing to release his grip.

Sighing, Lu Yao said, “Come on, baby. I’m going to work. Couldn’t you stay home like before?”

Snow leopard stretched a paw forward, pressing against Lu Yao’s calf, his entire body leaning against him.

“Ugh, you…” Lu Yao muttered, dragging the big fluffball into the elevator and down to the garage, only to find the snow leopard still refusing to let go. He had to wonder if he had been too cold yesterday. Perhaps sending the snow leopard to the hospital had really frightened him, causing him to cling even more.

“All right, fine. I’ll take you with me,” Lu Yao relented, abandoning his motorcycle for the long-neglected flyer.

Snow leopard finally sat obediently in the passenger seat, secured by a seatbelt.

Upon arriving at the base, Lu Yao clipped the leash to his collar and, before exiting, tapped the snow leopard’s pink nose. “No biting. Otherwise, next time you go out, you’ll have to wear a muzzle. You don’t want that, do you?”

Snow leopard licked his nose and let out a soft, “Aw.”

Lu Yao finally arrived early that day. On the way to his office, he led the snow leopard along, encountering only a few colleagues. Once inside, he unclipped the leash, letting the snow leopard explore while he settled into a day’s work, occasionally glancing at the cat as he sniffed and prowled the room, investigating every corner.

Zhou Yunchen picked up the scent of fresh, grassy alpha pheromones and dragged his tail along the floor, rubbing his neck against spots that carried the scent, methodically masking the smell. If Torque had come in at that moment, he would probably have been frightened by the potent, beastly aroma and dashed away, hackles raised.

When snow leopard’s scent-marking operation reached ninety percent completion, the documentary crew called Lu Yao away—they were scheduled to visit and film the Energy and Propulsion Lab that day.

After leaving his mark on nearly every inch of the office, the snow leopard made his way to the massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the main construction area of the base. He sat down, tail coiled around his paws, and watched Lu Yao stride across the catwalk below.

Lu Yao was tall and lean, his long hair lifted by the breeze as he walked through the shadows cast by the towering mecha. At the far end of the catwalk, he was to meet Li Yan. Snow leopard bared his teeth, claws scraping against the wooden floor in growing agitation.

Li Yan patted Lu Yao’s arm, apparently in greeting. He dared to touch Lu Yao? The instinctive, cold, and proud feline nature of Zhou Yunchen surged. A guttural, threatening growl escaped his throat. His claws gouged the floorboards, revealing the pale core beneath.

Across the distant catwalk, Lu Yao gestured to Li Yan, guiding him in a certain direction. Zhou Yunchen felt his blood boil, his predatory desire rising. Yet human reason urged him to calm down. Encountering an alpha while Lu Yao worked was completely normal—there were countless alphas, and he could not hunt them all.

But this alpha’s body language was blatant, signaling clear affection toward Lu Yao. The scratching sounds grew louder, and a strange, volatile mixture of jealousy and anger bubbled up inside Zhou Yunchen, turning his chest, lungs, and throat tight and painful, making him act with unusual aggression. Snow leopard felt wronged.

Lu Yao wouldn’t respond to any of these alphas; all his warmth was reserved for the feline. Perhaps in this lifetime, the only one who could sleep on the same bed as Lu Yao was a cat. But love for a cat has never been the same as love for a person.

Zhou Yunchen was still a snow leopard. Though he enjoyed Lu Yao’s affection, the possibility of a different kind of love was utterly cut off.

Li Yan, however, was not a cat. He could not attain Lu Yao’s initial high favor, but there remained the potential for another form of affection. Even if that possibility was as infinitesimal as the universe returning to order, could infinitesimals ever be considered zero?

The thought was irrational, yet the more Zhou Yunchen considered it, the angrier he became. He stood, pacing back and forth across Lu Yao’s office. By the catwalk’s end, the crew and equipment had vanished. Snow leopard circled Lu Yao’s desk five times, the storm of emotions inside him spinning his vision.

Zhou Yunchen thought he had been overtaken by fury, until a heavy thud and the pain in his shoulder brought him back. He tried to sit up, only to hear the rustle of fabric.

Clothes? There were no clothes here—he should only hear the sound of his own long fur.

Wait… Zhou Yunchen lifted his front paws. They were no longer furry paws, but hands calloused from handling firearms.

Author’s Note:

Snow leopard: So mad…

 

 

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