Chapter 42: Giant Scoop of Catnip Ice Cream

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The Wild Field starship gradually slowed as it entered Ring City Two. After landing, shuttles would transport personnel and equipment to their designated locations. Currently, only the First Research Base used Ring City Two. In this artificial rotating world, countless skyscrapers hung upside down overhead, as if about to touch another set of marble-like structures standing upright at a different angle. Reality, yet also like a dream where directions were indistinguishable and bizarre phenomena abounded. The space tests would last for a week. Upon landing, each team would take time to rest and recover. The film crew stayed together in Zone A, District 7.

Ring City staff approached Lu Yao to ask which room should be prepared for Zhou Yunchen. Lu Yao looked at Zhou Yunchen. “There are very few people here. Many rooms are vacant—you can choose from the layout map.”

Zhou Yunchen asked, “Where do you stay?”

“Zone A, District 1.”

Lu Yao had a fixed room in District 1, closest to the central control area.

“Are there still spare rooms in District 1?”

Considering military rank, Zhou Yunchen should ideally receive equal treatment, but…

“The rooms in District 1 are standard. Are you sure you want to go there?”

Lu Yao lived in District 1 mainly for work convenience.

“Mm. The conditions don’t matter,” Zhou Yunchen’s voice was calm, emotionless.

The administrator whispered to Lu Yao, “Chief Engineer, the remaining rooms in District 1 are four-person bunk rooms. They’re unoccupied, but maybe not ideal.”

“I remember we converted two single rooms before. One is mine; there’s still one left.” Lu Yao thought for a moment, then asked Zhou Yunchen, “General Zhou, there’s a single room next to mine. Mo Feng stayed there a few times before.”

The administrator added, “Cleaning robots disinfect the rooms daily, supplies are replaced regularly, no personal traces remain…”

“Good.” Zhou Yunchen decided immediately. Just living next to Lu Yao was enough to overlook any other shortcomings. “I’ll take that room. My aide—”

Zhao Minghe volunteered, “I don’t mind staying in a four-person room alone.”

Lu Yao asked Ring City Two’s control personnel to synchronize the city’s time with New Blue Star, so the staff who had traveled a long distance wouldn’t need to adjust for time differences.

In the afternoon, Lu Yao checked test range data and ran simulation scenarios. One natural planet and two artificial planets would be used to create various space conditions required for the tests.

That evening, a banquet would be held in the Ring City to wish the tests success. Lu Yao, uninterested in food or socializing, made a brief appearance and then left alone. After Lu Yao departed, Zhou Yunchen didn’t stay long either. When he returned to District A, Lu Yao’s room lights were off, the floor-to-ceiling windows set to sleep mode, leaving the space in complete darkness.

Lu Yao felt some fatigue. He had participated in many space tests; today’s workload was normal. However, his estrus period was approaching, and the hormonal changes made him uncomfortable.

Although it was still early, Lu Yao wasn’t in the mood for more work. Just as he was about to lie down, he remembered that two alpha individuals were still in District 1. He got up, took out his personal suppressant from his luggage, and injected it in advance.

Lying down again, Lu Yao instinctively reached for the pillow beside him—but found it empty.

…He recalled that Torque and the snow leopard were still on New Blue Star. No cat slept at his side. Lu Yao frowned, closed his eyes, and forced himself to sleep.

But the sleep was uneasy. As expected, the estrus period attacked him at midnight. The suppressant could not fully suppress the restless heat. He would awaken intermittently, groggy, as if he had never really slept, yet vague dreams flickered in and out of his consciousness.

He seemed to hear thunderous sounds and the piercing roars of a large cat. But these noises vanished instantly before his brain could fully process them. Ring City would not have such thunder, and no cat lay beside him. Perhaps it was just a dream.

Unnoticed by Lu Yao, a silver-white snow leopard had curled up tightly on the floor, tail stiffly arched in a C-shape. It pressed its ears against the wall, carefully listening for any movement from the adjacent room.

A faint scent of catnip drifted through tiny gaps in the building materials. Zhou Yunchen, nearly uncontrollably, transformed again into his snow leopard form, rushing to the wall to roll and rub, trying to absorb every molecule of the scent into his fur.

The snow leopard banged its head against the wall with loud thuds. Only when a hoarse yowl erupted from his throat did Zhou Yunchen realize the trouble he had caused. He immediately shrank back, afraid Lu Yao would come rushing in. The snow leopard froze for ten minutes, finally confirming that Lu Yao had not woken up.

He rolled onto his side, collapsing beside the wall into a puddle of fur. The catnip pheromones still lingered in the air, lightly brushing his long white whiskers, sending a ticklish sensation through his body. His raised hind legs twitched, and his long tail flopped weakly against the floor.

“Whu…” The snow leopard let out a barely audible whine, rubbing his face against the wall again. Drowsily, he napped amid the sweet scent until the artificial sunlight of morning gradually brightened. A thought struck him like lightning. The snow leopard leapt from his dream, spreading himself midair like a flying pancake.

The appearance of the catnip scent meant that Lu Yao had entered his estrus period. Then came a tremendous crash. Zhou Yunchen, mid-air, transformed back into human form. But a human’s suspended motion and reflexes could not match the highland-running leaps of the snow leopard. He hadn’t yet adjusted his posture before crashing to the ground. Bang—

Lu Yao, startled by the loud crash from next door while tapping his glass ampoule, accidentally cut his finger on the sharp edge. He pressed his lips to the fingertip, drawing away the emerging blood, then used the syringe to draw up the suppressant and quickly injected himself.

While waiting for the suppressant to take effect, Lu Yao set the room’s ventilation to maximum. After confirming that he was ready, he stood up to head out for work. Perhaps he should also check if General Zhou had encountered any problems next door.

As he walked toward the door, Lu Yao thought about Zhou Yunchen. Their ages were close, and he was a long-trained soldier—there was no way he had fallen because of unstable footing. The moment Lu Yao opened the door, Zhou Yunchen’s image appeared in his mind.

Zhou Yunchen raised his hand, seemingly about to knock, but when he saw Lu Yao, a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. Lu Yao didn’t notice this subtle change; Zhou Yunchen’s face completely captured his attention.

He hesitated, opened his mouth slightly, and finally asked in a soft, delicate tone, “General Zhou… what happened to your face?”

There was a bruise. Near the cheekbone, edges tinged red, seemingly fresh. Lu Yao reasoned that in Ring City, no one would dare provoke Zhou Yunchen. Even if someone tried, Zhou Yunchen’s martial skills should prevent a punch to the face. Zhou Yunchen clenched his fist out of sight and answered stiffly, “I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Meaning he had rolled out of bed? Lu Yao didn’t know how to respond and dryly said, “Next time, you can sleep on the side against the wall.”

“I’ll try.”

But Zhou Yunchen suspected that tonight he might again be drawn by Lu Yao’s catnip-like pheromones, transforming back into a snow leopard and curling up in the corner to secretly inhale Lu Yao’s scent. He even worried he might revert right in front of Lu Yao.

Lu Yao moved as usual, likely having already used his suppressant. His face was slightly flushed from the heat, but Zhou Yunchen could still faintly detect the subtle catnip scent. A cat’s sense of smell is forty times more sensitive than a human’s.

Zhou Yunchen suspected his snow leopard olfactory ability had transferred to him. When Lu Yao opened the door, the wave of pheromone fragrance almost made him lose control. But Zhao Minghe walking by didn’t smell anything—the injected suppressant effectively masked Lu Yao’s estrus reactions and pheromone emissions.

Lu Yao led the two of them to the central control area to board the observation shuttle. Today’s project tested mecha resistance to cosmic high-energy particles and radiation, along with checks on whether all mecha components could function properly in the cold vacuum of space.

Zhou Yunchen climbed into the mecha, and Lu Yao once again connected to Distant Star through the neural interface, sitting beside him, both facing the cosmic expanse. Blazing stars burned in the distance; artificial planets gradually lit up in countdown, red, blue, and purple lights racing along kilometer-wide metallic seams on their surfaces.

Lu Yao guided Zhou Yunchen through the test procedures while supervising the three other FL03 prototypes performing simultaneous tests. The engines of the four mecha spewed flames, yet the vacuum of space remained silent. Lu Yao’s cold, clear voice echoed inside Distant Star. The AI within dutifully recorded every word spoken. A strange mix of guilt and excitement twisted into a sense of taboo, forcing Zhou Yunchen to bite his tongue to prevent his expression from giving him away.

The durability tests concluded after several hours. Researchers found areas needing improvement, and Lu Yao suggested modifications to the FL03’s dorsal armor streamline design.

The FL03s returned to the observation shuttle. Distant Star remained in the field for live-fire testing. This test wasn’t suitable for multiple mecha simultaneously. Distant Star had performed excellently, so Lu Yao allowed it to begin its firing exercises first.

Laser cannons, energy blades, electromagnetic cannons, space missiles, gamma-ray bursts, high-energy particle weapons—all unleashed in succession. Countless lights exploded in the void of space. When shockwaves neared the observation shuttle, the hull trembled, feeding back the sound of space vibrations.

Hours later, Distant Star’s test concluded. Zhou Yunchen returned to the observation shuttle and went to the neural interface room to find Lu Yao, who had just disconnected from the mecha.

Lu Yao was alone, preparing to return to the observation deck for the next test. Seeing Zhou Yunchen approach, a thought flashed through his mind. He didn’t know whether to say it—the words forming in his consciousness seemed oddly mismatched with the iron-willed, cold General in front of him. He felt Zhou Yunchen was being overly clingy.

Normally, Lu Yao would use these words only to describe cats. But Zhou Yunchen was like a large, aloof feline—rarely vocal, not like a playful dog, yet exhibiting separation anxiety and wanting to stay near his owner at all times. Lu Yao pressed his lips, controlling his expression. Even if he didn’t, Zhou Yunchen wouldn’t know what he was thinking—he was too absorbed in the tests to guess.

After nearly a day of estrus, Lu Yao exuded pheromones like a giant, sweetly scented catnip ice cream. When he approached Zhou Yunchen, even the swaying of his hair sent fragrance into the air.

Author’s note:

My husband, so fragrant!

 

 

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