Chapter 64: Love at First Sight Pays Off

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

When they arrived at the clothing store, Lu Yao increasingly felt like he had been coaxed into coming. Inside, all the sales attendants were intelligent bionic humans. The display windows showed both physical garments and virtual representations. Customers didn’t need to visit in person—they could select styles, measure sizes, and place orders through the star network, with items delivered within three days.

Yet Zhou Yunchen’s expression remained as composed as ever, seemingly unaware of anything unusual.

The bionic attendants guided Zhou Yunchen and Lu Yao to a VIP lounge to rest briefly. Lu Yao wanted to ask what Zhou Yunchen was planning, but before he could, a middle-aged alpha entered. Lu Yao scrutinized him for a moment and finally confirmed that the alpha with the measuring tape around his neck was a real tailor.

“General Zhou, how can I assist you?” the alpha asked with a warm smile.

“This is Mr. Wei, the owner of this store,” Zhou Yunchen introduced him to Lu Yao, then turned to Wei. “Bring out the clothes retained from the past two seasons.”

Wei went to instruct the bionic attendants to retrieve the garments. Zhou Yunchen explained to Lu Yao, “All the clothes you’ve received over the past three years were designed by Mr. Wei.”

Since Lu Yao and Zhou Yunchen had a matched marriage, Lu Yao had received a batch of new clothes every quarter—but this was because…

“Zhao Minghe told me those clothes were essential for a General’s spouse,” Lu Yao admitted. He didn’t know the military’s rules for wardrobe provision, so he had accepted them. “But now we’ve divorced.”

“Yes,” Zhou Yunchen didn’t contradict himself. “However, I placed the orders independently, so it’s not under the military’s jurisdiction. Mr. Wei continued making them even after our divorce.”

The military indeed had dress regulations, but generally didn’t extend to officers’ spouses. Besides, Lu Yao himself held a military rank, his major-general status taking precedence over the General-spouse designation.

Zhou Yunchen had noticed that Lu Yao wasn’t very fond of new clothes. He usually wore the base’s gray uniform, and for important occasions, a white military uniform or simple formal attire sufficed. Lu Yao paid little attention to such matters.

Yet Zhou Yunchen cared about every aspect of Lu Yao. Fearing that Lu Yao might refuse the gifts, he had found a pretext. The bionic robots pushed in several long racks, each packed with garments. Lu Yao was taken aback. In previous years, when he received clothes, he merely let the household robots clean and fold them. This display was overwhelming.

“These are last summer’s clothes and the new autumn collection,” Zhou Yunchen explained. “See if there’s anything you dislike or want altered.” Lu Yao felt dizzy at the sight of clothing filling three walls.

Mr. Wei spoke up just in time: “Summer is ending, so these clothes may not be needed immediately. Mr. Lu can start with the autumn collection. The colors and styles are based on the preferences you had before.”

Most of Lu Yao’s garments were simple in color and design, with a few practical requirements: deep pockets for sunglasses, stimulators, or wrenches; fabrics that didn’t attract static or cling to fur; and easy-to-care-for materials suitable for high-heat work environments. The new designs largely adhered to this strategy.

While Lu Yao frowned and examined the designs, Wei approached Zhou Yunchen. “General Zhou, the leather jacket you wanted reproduced is ready and included in the autumn collection. We used more durable materials this time; normal cat claws won’t tear it.”

“Good.” Since the snow leopard and Torque had torn Lu Yao’s leather jacket during a previous scuffle, Zhou Yunchen had been planning a replacement. That jacket had looked especially good on Lu Yao—especially when he straddled a mecha.

Lu Yao, indifferent to fashion, told Mr. Wei to leave everything as it was. Just as Lu Yao was about to step away from this fashion nightmare, Zhou Yunchen held his shoulder. The bones under his slender shoulder pressed into Zhou Yunchen’s palm, sharp against his grip. “Mr. Wei, take Lu Yao’s measurements again. He’s lost weight.”

Lu Yao stiffened as Zhou Yunchen arranged him for the measurements. Afterward, Wei put away the tape and said, “Clothes that don’t need alteration will be delivered first. The rest will be modified and delivered within three days. Same address as before?”

“No, deliver to District Eight,” Lu Yao replied, sending the exact mountaintop villa location to Wei. “An AI will receive the packages at the foot of the hill.”

By the time Lu Yao and Zhou Yunchen left, the pale violet-red night had fallen over the new blue star. Far to the west, fiery clouds lingered along the horizon. A night breeze blew. Zhou Yunchen stopped Lu Yao and returned briefly to the store. Lu Yao waited under the streetlight.

Flying vehicles streaked across the sky, their lights flickering in and out, intermittently illuminating Lu Yao’s face.

When Zhou Yunchen emerged, he saw Lu Yao standing in the bluish-purple night, pale face tinged pink by the wind, the streetlight reflecting like tiny stars on his long lashes. Lu Yao’s gaze fell on Zhou Yunchen as he turned slightly.

The wind swept through the long street, lifting his hair. His expression was calm, distant. Zhou Yunchen stepped forward quickly, shook out the deep-blue cashmere shawl on his arm, and draped it over Lu Yao’s shoulders. Warmth enveloped him.

“It’s gotten colder,” Zhou Yunchen said, following Lu Yao’s gaze. At the end of the street lay a deep lake called Pavilion Lake, reflecting scattered lights and stars, the first chill of autumn rising off the water. “Do you want to walk by the lake?”

“Let’s go.” Lu Yao had only glanced in the direction the wind came from. If Zhou Yunchen hadn’t suggested it, he would have returned home to attend to his cats. Tonight he had planned to brush snow leopard and Torque, who were starting to grow their winter coats. Yet Zhou Yunchen seemed to want a walk by the lake—a rare, worthwhile way to spend time.

They walked through the high-rise-lined street toward Pavilion Lake. Streetlights stood silently on either side, their light flickering intermittently over the pedestrians. Faces and forms became fragments, like observing a series of tranquil paintings.

At the street’s end, they descended from the second level to the ground and disappeared into the dense trees by the lake.

The rosy hue of dusk had vanished entirely. Night revealed countless stars, sparkling like gems. City planning had preserved the natural landscape around Pavilion Lake, letting citizens enjoy untouched nature. Except for the towering buildings on the horizon, no trace of modern technology remained—not even streetlights. The starlight and the slowly moving trinary moon sufficed to illuminate the quiet, still waters.

Zhou Yunchen’s military brass buttons and epaulets gleamed in the starlight. Lu Yao wrapped the shawl tighter. At this temperature, only he really needed one.

The next moment, a warm coat settled on his shoulders. The brass buttons on Zhou Yunchen’s uniform clinked gently. Zhou Yunchen had taken off his own uniform jacket. He adjusted Lu Yao’s collar, intending to fasten the buttons of the uniform so it wouldn’t slip off his shoulders, but it looked like it might block Lu Yao’s hands, so he let it be. “There’s no atmospheric control here by the lake. It’ll be colder.”

“Mm.” Lu Yao tightened the uniform around him, even wrapping his loose hair inside. “I remember the vote on the climate control system—citizens of the New Blue Star agreed there’d be snow this winter.”

“Years with snow are colder than usual.”

“But snow leopard will like it.”

Zhou Yunchen remained silent, gazing at Lu Yao’s frosty profile. After a long pause, he replied, “If you walk with him in the snow, he’ll enjoy it.”

“I suppose so.” Lu Yao softened his tone. Whenever he spoke about his cats, he was gentler than usual.

He looked ahead at the lake path fading into the night and asked, “The military held an emergency meeting—was it for something important?”

“Mm.” Zhou Yunchen’s voice was calm, not urgent. “Some of the top strategists in the Military General Staff were debating whether to inform the public about the approaching Beast Tide. There were disagreements.”

“Did they reach a conclusion?”

“They only called the meeting after the debate was settled,” Zhou Yunchen explained. “The General Staff was divided: one side thought that even if the public knew, they’d remain indifferent, lacking any sense of urgency; the other feared social unrest. During the last Beast Tide, Federation’s economic growth had turned negative, so they worried people might panic at the mere hint of a looming enemy.

“In the end, they compromised: they’ll announce the news soon while simultaneously conducting space military exercises to guide or stabilize public sentiment. That’s why the fleet commanders were summoned—to plan the exercises. They intend to conduct them near the Rose System, so I won’t need to travel far.”

Zhou Yunchen paused briefly, adding, “It won’t interfere with your pheromone acclimation therapy.”

“I’m not in a rush for that,” Lu Yao said. “Time is always abundant… Zhou Yunchen, I’ve been thinking about something.”

Zhou Yunchen listened quietly.

“If you hadn’t appeared at the CROSS Laboratory, I wouldn’t have survived to escape. You saved me, and only then could I enter the mecha research base, build the TL01/01, and make Distant Star your mecha. If any link in that chain were missing, we wouldn’t have reached this point.”

“Earth civilizations discussed temporal logic millennia ago,” Zhou Yunchen said.

“Yes, the grandfather paradox. But the thread connecting us isn’t blood—it’s Distant Star. I’m somewhat like Distant Star’s grandfather,” Lu Yao said. “As long as you chose to pilot Distant Star, it was inevitable that you’d save me.”

Lu Yao’s mind raced, the light of thought spilling from his eyes. Yet his gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, missing Zhou Yunchen as he opened his mouth to speak, then swallowed the words.

Zhou Yunchen’s sole reason for choosing Distant Star was his devotion to Lu Yao—and Distant Star was Lu Yao’s creation. He had been able to find the CROSS Laboratory because of that devotion. Over twenty years ago, when Lu Yao disappeared for a long time, Zhou Yunchen had painstakingly tracked him near the Thaddeus Constellation.

All of this had given him the chance to save Lu Yao. To walk by the lake under the stars with him, rather than face a handful of bones or the drifting ash of an empty universe. The love he had concealed in his heart was not unrewarded. Fate had granted everything.

 

 

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