Chapter 53: The General Hates Marriage
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
It was Sunday, with clear skies and a gentle breeze. Lu Yao noticed that the snow leopard, who usually clung to his pant leg trying to go out with him, was unusually calm today, lounging by the pool. Lu Yao had already boarded the aircraft. The roar of the engines and the rush of air failed to catch the snow leopard’s attention. Lu Yao rolled down the window and called out loudly to the snow leopard across the way, “Baby! I’m heading out!”
The snow leopard glanced back at him, then buried his face in his paws, refusing to move. Alright, Lu Yao didn’t insist on bringing the snow leopard along. He was going to meet Zhou Yunchen privately today, and having the leopard there would be inconvenient.
“I’m off!” Lu Yao’s voice was drowned out by the engine roar. Once he was out of view, the snow leopard leapt up and dashed down the hill, heading straight for Zhao Minghe, who had been lying in ambush to meet him.
When Lu Yao arrived at the agreed meeting point, a military aircraft streaked toward him, creating a strong gust before landing. Lu Yao smoothed his hair that had been blown about and looked at Zhou Yunchen stepping out of the aircraft.
He knew the military craft could ignore speed limits, but flying this fast in the central district was unnecessarily risky. They still had fifteen minutes before the scheduled time, so Zhou Yunchen need not have rushed.
Zhou Yunchen approached, his back dusted with a patch of gray—either brushed against the wall or fallen to the ground. Lu Yao thought it likely wasn’t the latter; how could the General fall?
“Lu Yao, let’s go inside and talk.”
Lu Yao nodded and followed Zhou Yunchen to the white villa they had shared for three years. Zhou Yunchen suggested discussing the psychic core in a private location, but choosing this villa surprised Lu Yao slightly.
During this period, neither had mentioned their previous marriage, behaving as if they were merely colleagues—even after the incident with the forced marking… In those three years, they truly hadn’t lived like a married couple.
Once inside, Zhou Yunchen invited Lu Yao to the third-floor study. Looking up at the stairs, Lu Yao noticed that the fourth floor remained unchanged, with no signs of renovation.
“You didn’t touch the fourth-floor rooms?” Lu Yao asked, observing Zhou Yunchen’s back. Zhou Yunchen’s back stiffened subtly, and he turned slightly, revealing only half his face.
“I just got back,” he said, implying he hadn’t had time to renovate the floor Lu Yao once lived on. Lu Yao understood and was about to ascend the stairs when Zhou Yunchen added, “I don’t want to change it.” Lu Yao frowned slightly. Why would he say that?
“The three floors below are enough for me,” Zhou Yunchen explained, though he seemed dissatisfied with his own clarification.
“Okay.” Lu Yao didn’t think it was odd. “The next person can renovate it later.”
He didn’t specify who that next person was, yet Zhou Yunchen immediately understood the implication.
“There won’t be a next person.” The moment the words left his mouth, a subtle pause and tension filled the space between them. Zhou Yunchen turned to look at Lu Yao standing a few steps down. Lu Yao’s wandering gaze, previously without focus, met Zhou Yunchen’s eyes mid-air.
Soft rose-colored sunlight streamed through the skylight, dust motes drifting in the air, crossing their line of sight. Zhou Yunchen’s features were firm and handsome, but at that moment, his eyes weren’t fully resolute. In the shadows, they flickered as he avoided direct eye contact.
After a few seconds, his dark eyes returned, locking forcefully with Lu Yao’s unwavering gaze. Lu Yao tilted his face toward him; sunlight lit his pale features, erased shadows, and made his icy blue eyes seem translucent, highlighting his dark brows and lashes. His expression held no particular emotion, seeming only calm.
“Hmm.” Silence stretched too long, and seeing that Zhou Yunchen wouldn’t speak, Lu Yao made a small sound. In the past, he wouldn’t have brought up such a private topic as a “next person” in conversation. Now, he couldn’t explain why he did. Zhou Yunchen’s reaction caused his mind to stall slightly. After a moment, he said, “So, General Zhou is a non-marriage advocate.”
Zhou Yunchen parted his lips, “I don’t—” But before he could continue, another voice interrupted. “General, Major Lu, are you heading to the third-floor study?”
Zhao Minghe appeared, holding two cups of tea, unaware of the unusual tension. Smiling faintly, he said, “The household robot here used to be Major General Lu’s creation. After you took them, no new robots have been added yet. I brewed two cups of tea—wonder if it’s as precise as the robot’s measurements. Shall I bring them up?”
“Go ahead,” Zhou Yunchen said. Settling into the armchairs in the study, Lu Yao felt a bit odd. Zhou Yunchen had returned to New Blue Star a month ago; why hadn’t he replaced the household robots yet? He remembered that all housework had previously been handled by robots, with no cleaning tools for humans. Yet now, everything was still clean and orderly—as if no one had lived here at all.
Zhou Yunchen sat opposite Lu Yao. There were only two armchairs, placed by the window. Smooth leather covered memory foam cushions, wide and thick enough to let the sitter sink comfortably.
Zhou Yunchen remembered that back at Morningstar Military Academy, during idle days without classes or experiments, Lu Yao would find a corner chair facing a wall on the library’s top floor—a chair he favored.
When Lu Yao moved in three years ago, Zhou Yunchen had the supplier replicate the library chair, producing two identical ones, placed facing each other. Over the years, Lu Yao frequently used the study’s chairs, but they had never sat together there. Now, for the first time, they sat facing each other, as imagined, though the conversation remained strictly about work.
“What issues have you found with the psychic core?”
“It’s… the core’s driving energy liquid—the Hera Red Crystal—showing abnormal Eot radiation,” Lu Yao replied. “The radiation is too high; the emitted particle flow is damaging the atomic structure of other hardware components.”
“Is that an expected side effect of the Red Crystal?” Zhou Yunchen furrowed his brow. The Hera Red Crystal, a high-energy precision power source, was widely used in mechas and starships. Because it was expensive and highly profitable, the Exploration Corps extracted large quantities of Red Crystal during interstellar expeditions and sold it to Helios Group, which held the purification patent. If the Red Crystal had this kind of side effect, it could threaten a significant portion of Federation weaponry.
“No,” Lu Yao said. “The Hera Red Crystal is an extremely stable processed energy liquid. I’ve reviewed Helios Group’s test reports and compiled operational data from mechas and starships using it. None showed significant radiation fluctuations. This is the first time I’ve encountered such a situation with Distant Star. From the navigation data you’ve provided, the cause isn’t clear. I think Distant Star may have entered an abnormal environment, but we haven’t yet identified the specific factor.”
“An environmental anomaly? Could it be tampering?” Zhou Yunchen asked. Lu Yao tapped his knee thoughtfully. “How long did that pursuit last?”
“From Distant Star leaving the pod to when I noticed the anomaly, about three hours.”
“The detection shows the radiation spike occurred within half an hour,” Lu Yao said. “If someone had tampered with it beforehand, Distant Star couldn’t have lasted that long. Also, the mechas accompanying you didn’t experience this issue. The incident happened after you were alone. But I can’t conclusively rule out human interference in the environment.”
“I’ll send drones to investigate the scene. I need a reconnaissance project list.”
“I’ll make one for you.” Lu Yao assumed Zhou Yunchen’s concern was that residual Red Crystal effects might still be dangerous, and sending people prematurely could cause harm.
“Besides that, I want to examine Distant Star further, to see if areas outside the core were affected by the Eot radiation particles.”
“Fine. I don’t need Distant Star for now; you can proceed with your plan.”
Lu Yao glanced at Zhou Yunchen. The General seemed willing to comply with anything he requested. In reality, Lu Yao didn’t just want to check radiation outside the core; he also wanted to check other mecha parts for abnormal titanium decay. The psychic core had never been replaced, but other parts of the mecha were often damaged in combat and replaced periodically. This might allow him to trace when the decay began. He was curious, but unsure whether to ask Zhou Yunchen about it. “General Zhou, have you ever piloted Distant Star to any… particularly unique places?”
Zhou Yunchen’s fingers tightened, his voice calm yet low. “How do you define ‘unique’?”
Lu Yao thought for a moment, masking his curiosity. “The Red Crystal anomaly might be due to overlapping reactions, which is why the other mechas weren’t affected—only Distant Star showed abnormal readings. I don’t know how to define ‘unique.’ Do you have any ideas?”
“I…” Zhou Yunchen had indeed been to unusually remote areas that no other humans had ever set foot in. But this… this involved Lu Yao. He didn’t know how to explain it. He didn’t know how Lu Yao would react if he revealed this secret, which is why he had kept it to himself for years. Just as he was at a loss, a notification from his personal AI assistant gave him an excuse to shift the topic. The screen displayed a message that made Zhou Yunchen frown.
“Military matter?” Lu Yao asked.
“No,” Zhou Yunchen said, turning the screen toward Lu Yao. “It’s related to you.”
It was a message from Zhao Minghe. Lu Yao opened the link, and a sensational news page flooded the display:
“Morningstar Military Academy Students Reveal Shocking Secrets! Mecha Research Institute Chief Engineer Lu Faces Expulsion Crisis!”
“Shocking! Possible Behind-the-Scenes Irregularities in Mecha Research Institute Hiring of Chief Engineer!”
Zhou Yunchen knew Lu Yao hadn’t completed his studies at Morningstar Military Academy.
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