Chapter 83 – Do you like Lu Shifeng?
Jian Luo looked at the person in the popup window in front of him, listening to him speak. For some inexplicable reason, he could sense a hint of a northeastern accent in his voice. However, in the presence of this person, he remained cautious. “Do you have something to discuss with me?”
“Do you know who I am?” the masked individual asked him. “I suppose there’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard of my name.”
Jian Luo fell silent and slightly elongated his tone. “Oh, you are…”
The masked person brightened up. “You’ve heard of me.”
“No,” Jian Luo replied.
The two sat on the couch, and Jian Luo leisurely regarded the masked individual. “So, what brings you to me?”
Initially, the masked person had no particular interest in Jian Luo. However, it didn’t take long for him to find this human quite intriguing. Some people would be terrified upon seeing him, but Jian Luo, though clearly frightened, managed to maintain a facade of composure. He even had the time to crack jokes.
Eventually, the man’s charisma caught the attention of the masked individual. He began a self-introduction that he hadn’t done in a long time. “I am Silver Gray, an interstellar pirate.”
Jian Luo gazed at him in silence. There was a momentary stillness in the air. Silver Gray waited calmly for Jian Luo’s reaction, but it turned out to be a lonely wait.
After a moment, Jian Luo asked, “And then?”
Silence from Silver Gray.
Silver Gray furrowed his brow. The way he looked at Jian Luo was as if he were looking at a fool.
Finally, Silver Gray asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Jian Luo scratched his head and sighed, “Fear won’t help. If you had any means to harm me, you wouldn’t be contacting me through a video call like this. If you’re still here, it means you can’t do anything to me, right?”
This time, Silver Gray fell into silence.
The interstellar pirate looked at Jian Luo, observing the seemingly frail human across from him. After a brief silence, he burst into laughter. “You’re quite interesting, little one.”
Jian Luo remained quietly watching him laugh.
The masked individual seemed to glance behind Jian Luo and said, “Your man confiscated some of our cargo. We need to recover something.”
Jian Luo choked, “Crayfish?”
The masked person replied, “He even told you about that? Seems like you’re more than just his pet.”
Not exactly. It’s just that I was the one who initiated eating that crayfish.
Jian Luo hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t reveal the truth. He was afraid that if Silver Gray, the pirate, learned the real story, he might want to tear him apart.
Silver Gray scanned Jian Luo for a moment, as if about to speak, but then someone seemed to pass by behind him, saying something that Jian Luo couldn’t hear. In just a few words, Silver Gray turned away, looking back at Jian Luo and sneering, “Your man is really ruthless.”
Jian Luo:?
Before he could say anything, the communication signal on the screen suddenly became unstable, and then a loud crash sounded from the other end. The sheer magnitude of the noise left even Jian Luo, watching through the video call, startled and his heart racing.
Then, from the other end of the video call, there were familiar footsteps.
Jian Luo’s heart unconsciously raced. A faint guess emerged in his mind, and as the footsteps approached, that answer was almost about to come to light.
However, he didn’t see the person he wanted to see on the screen. Just when Jian Luo was about to give up, in a split second, he heard a familiar voice, “Jian Luo.”
Jian Luo froze. “Huh?”
“Take off your communication bracelet and turn it off,” Lu Shifeng said. “Go back to bed.”
“Oh,” Jian Luo replied.
In a second, the entire screen went dark.
Jian Luo stared at the now normal livestream page without immediate action. He wanted to keep this page and see if someone would contact him later, hoping to find some clues.
The soundproofing in this room was quite effective. It seemed that the situation outside had escalated. Jian Luo removed his communication bracelet and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains to look outside. He was taken aback by the scene he witnessed.
The vast cosmic theme was black. His warship was situated within a golden vortex, surrounded by secondary ships, a total of ten, forming a protective formation around the main ship. Not far away, a row of silver warships formed a circle, and there was aerial combat in progress, the battle was intense.
Jian Luo felt a bit worried and closed the curtains. The artillery fire outside was booming, and he sat on the edge of the bed, constantly wondering about the progress of the battle and if anyone was getting hurt.
“Ding.”
Another message came in. Jian Luo quickly opened it, and the sender was an unknown number. The message consisted of only four words, yet it exuded a hint of threat: “【We’ll meet again】.”
Jian Luo looked at those four words, feeling an inexplicable chill down his spine. Just as he was staring at it, the entire message suddenly disappeared from his contacts, as if it had never existed.
“…”
Who could this person be?
Jian Luo sighed and decided to keep himself occupied. He found a medical book in the bedside cabinet, which he had obtained from a certain someone. It contained descriptions of various herbs and different medical cases. In truth, the people from the Dark Star race rarely got sick, so this book wasn’t of much practical use. However, Jian Luo was genuinely interested in herbal medicine. He enjoyed cooking, and if cooking could also help treat people’s ailments, it was a win-win situation.
As he flipped through the book, Jian Luo made notes and studied. Eventually, with the sound of artillery fire from outside the warship, he fell asleep.
“Thud, thud, thud.”
After an unknown amount of time, there was a knocking sound at the door. Jian Luo woke up from his slumber, sat up, and looked towards the door, hesitating. “Who is it?”
A warm male voice came from outside, “Mr. Jian, I am the marshal’s adjutant. We’ve concluded the previous battle, and the marshal is currently handling post-war matters. I’ve been tasked to bring you some food.”
Jian Luo hesitated for a moment. He remembered what Secretary Jin and Lu Shifeng had told him – not to leave his room, not to go outside. What if this person outside wasn’t the adjutant but a ruse to lure him out?
With these thoughts in mind, he decided to be cautious. Jian Luo took a few small steps towards the table and picked up his communication bracelet. He sent a message to Lu Shifeng, “Is it over?”
There was no response for a while.
Frowning, Jian Luo sent a message to Secretary Jin, “Secretary Jin, is it over on your end?”
Secretary Jin also took a while to reply, “It’s over. What’s wrong, Luo Luo? I recall the marshal asked his adjutant to bring you food.”
Only after confirming did he feel at ease.
Jian Luo walked to the door and opened it. The adjutant stood there, upright. Behind him was a dining table, and upon seeing Jian Luo, he politely bowed and said, “I’ve brought your meal.”
Jian Luo nodded and gestured for him to enter. The meal was placed on the table, including chicken soup and various supplements.
Sitting on the sofa, Jian Luo still felt worried. “How’s the situation in the previous battle? Are there any casualties? How’s the marshal?”
The adjutant answered his questions conservatively and politely, “You don’t need to worry about the situation in the front lines. Take care of yourself.”
“…”
Jian Luo watched as the adjutant placed the dishes on the table, unable to help but ask, “What about Secretary Jin? Why did you have to come over?”
The adjutant maintained his respectful demeanor. “Secretary Jin is assisting in compiling the casualty list. I came over since the previous battle has ended. Is there anything wrong, Mr. Jian? Did I do something to displease you?”
Jian Luo shook his head, “No.”
After all the dishes were placed on the table, the adjutant said, “In the next few days, the front lines may be a bit busy. If it’s mealtime, I’ll be responsible for bringing you food.”
Jian Luo was puzzled, “What about the marshal?”
He remembered that Lu Shifeng had said that he would come to see him soon.
The adjutant stood still, and after a brief pause upon hearing the question, he gave a serious response, “It involves military secrets, and I can’t inform you. You don’t need to worry too much. Take care of the child and get some rest. I’m sure the marshal wouldn’t want anything to happen to the child. After he’s done with his work, he will come to see the child. If you’re okay with it, I’ll take my leave now.”
“……”
Actually, Jian Luo found it a bit strange. Although this adjutant seemed fine on the surface, there was something odd about how he spoke. Between the lines, it seemed like he was constantly bringing up children, as if he himself wasn’t important at all. It was all about the children, and it seemed like Lu Shifeng also valued the children. While there were no direct barbs in his words, every sentence seemed to carry a sting, as if he were deliberately making Jian Luo think more.
Who was he resenting?
Comparatively, Jian Luo suddenly felt that Lu Shifeng was more adorable.
Regardless of his thoughts, Jian Luo still maintained his composure and spoke politely to the adjutant, “Thank you for making the trip.”
The adjutant smiled, “You’re too kind. This is something I should do.”
On the other side, the adjutant left the room and returned to the front.
Secretary Jin had just returned from the medical area and still had a strong scent of blood on him. He casually asked, “Did Luo Luo say anything?”
The adjutant replied, “He didn’t ask.”
“Ah.” Secretary Jin was a bit surprised and sighed, “There’s no helping it. Luo Luo has been through a lot. I didn’t expect to encounter Silver Gray this time. Marshal’s situation is also uncertain. I just checked, and it doesn’t seem too severe, but we don’t know how long it will take for him to recover.”
The adjutant stood upright, removing his gloves. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over him outside.”
Secretary Jin had great confidence in this loyal subordinate and nodded, “Please keep an eye on him.”
She left the room and saw the young assistant waiting outside. The assistant asked, “What did he say?”
“He’s just watching outside,” Secretary Jin sighed. “You know how serious Marshal’s condition is. It’s really gotten to him this time.”
No one could forget the terrifying scene back then.
In fact, it was rare to see Lu Shifeng lose his temper. Silver Gray was an interstellar thief, a habitual offender, but he had never dared to be too audacious in Dark Star’s territory because they were both branches of the Dragon Clan. They usually settled things with a fight when they met, and then went their separate ways.
The assistant sighed, “Who would have thought he crossed the line this time.”
Lu Shifeng had no intention of dealing with Silver Gray, but the problem was that Silver Gray’s plan targeted Jian Luo. Unfortunately, Jian Luo’s obsidian bracelet had a low defense rating, and it was easily broken. Silver Gray had managed to approach him.
Everyone knew how strong the Dragon Clan’s control and possessiveness were, especially when it came to Jian Luo, who was like Lu Shifeng’s very eyes. Touching Jian Luo now was like poking a hornet’s nest.
Secretary Jin recalled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him in his dragon battle form.”
“That’s true,” the assistant agreed. “He rarely uses his dragon form in combat. It’s too terrifying.”
Secretary Jin didn’t want to dwell on it too much. When she had learned about this, Lu Shifeng had exuded a terrifying aura, and the enemy’s ships had practically collided with his on their own. They didn’t need any assistance. Facing an enraged Dragon King left no room for regret.
The smell of blood seemed to thicken the air.
The assistant whispered, “He hasn’t gone on a killing spree in a long time.”
Secretary Jin picked up a plate of food from the cafeteria and sat down at a table. “Yes… I don’t think it’s as severe as before this time.”
The assistant nodded after recalling. “Right, it doesn’t seem as severe as before.”
Lu Shifeng was usually reserved and refined, and his killing intent was not prominent. If anyone thought they could easily approach him, they were gravely mistaken. Lu Shifeng’s most terrifying aspect lay in his dragon battle form’s madness.
Bloodthirsty, the more he killed, the stronger he became.
Secretary Jin whispered, “Right after the war ended, Marshal was in a terrifying state. No one could get close to him, or they would risk being accidentally injured.”
The assistant fervently agreed, “Exactly!”
As they were talking, they heard Jian Luo’s voice from behind, “Sorry, what are you talking about? Can I join in?”
??!!
Secretary Jin shivered all over.
The assistant also exclaimed, “Luo Luo, when did you…”
Jian Luo was pushing a food cart behind him and innocently said, “The adjutant brought me some food. After I finished eating, I thought I’d return the dishes to the cafeteria. He didn’t tell me not to leave the room when he left, and Secretary Jin said it was over, so I went out to take a look.”
Secretary Jin peeled a small lobster and replied, “Well, I’ve been quite busy lately, especially with personnel matters. This area is something I can’t entrust to anyone else, so I might not be able to personally take care of you for a while.”
Jian Luo sat nearby and said, “It’s okay, the adjutant is very reliable.”
……
Silence filled the table.
The assistant sneered, “The adjutant is indeed quite something. He only listens to the Marshal’s orders and is usually difficult to approach.”
Secretary Jin nodded in agreement.
Jian Luo had a good idea of the situation now. He didn’t dwell on it too much since the adjutant wouldn’t harm Lu Shifeng, so he shifted his attention to another matter. “By the way, is the Marshal still around?”
Secretary Jin’s movements paused.
Jian Luo continued to ask, “Is he injured? Is he okay?”
Secretary Jin and the assistant exchanged a quick glance, and finally, the assistant lowered his head and pretended to be busy.
Secretary Jin, with a long road ahead, awkwardly replied, “Well, the Marshal has a lot of matters to attend to right now, Luo Luo, don’t worry, he’ll be here in a couple of days.”
Huh? Is he that busy?
Jian Luo looked around at the faces of Secretary Jin and the assistant, but all he saw were two heads buried in peeling small lobsters, and their expressions were unreadable.
“…”
Were they too tired to chat?
Not getting any useful information from here, Jian Luo felt a bit disappointed. Based on Lu Shifeng’s demeanor, he should be fine. After all, he wasn’t the kind of person to be overly dramatic. If someone didn’t come to him, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t live, right?
The Next Day
“This is bubble tea!”
A cheerful voice emanated from the kitchen.
Jian Luo, who had been experimenting with a new product in the kitchen after numerous trials, had finally created a cup of Red Heart Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea. It was sweet and delicious, with an endless flavor.
The cafeteria chef tasted a sip and widened his eyes, giving high praise, “Luo Luo, this is incredible! I tried dragon fruit before, and it was sour and bitter, but after your preparation, it’s sweet and not cloying!”
Jian Luo smiled, patting himself on the back because he had gained some weight due to this. He leaned on the counter and said, “Actually, I stopped liking dragon fruit since June. I drank a lot while making bubble tea, and I even made a sweetened version. You can try it too.”
The chef was incredibly moved, “Luo Luo, you’re truly talented. Dragon fruit used to taste sour and bitter to me, but now it’s sour and sweet, and it’s not cloying!”
Jian Luo scooped some dragon fruit and ate it, saying, “Because I can’t finish it myself. Dragon fruit trees bear fruit quickly, and I wasted a lot that I couldn’t eat. Let’s enjoy it together with bubble tea.”
The chef was touched.
Since Jian Luo joined the cafeteria, the number of soldiers eating there had doubled. Previously, most of them opted for nutrient fluid and only rushed to the cafeteria when it was mealtime. However, aside from that, there was another dish they never grew tired of: small lobsters.
Today, some soldiers saw several cups placed on the counter in front, containing a red drink that looked strange.
One soldier asked, “What’s this?”
The cafeteria chef explained, “This is Red Heart Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea, made from dragon fruit.”
“Dragon fruit?”
The soldiers looked at each other, and it was clear that some of them remembered the fear they had once felt when they were dominated by the sour and bitter taste of dragon fruit:
“That fruit is really hard to eat.”
“It’s even worse than nutrient fluid.”
“Isn’t it still going to be terrible when juiced?”
“A real dragon shouldn’t eat dragon fruit!”
The soldiers began to chatter loudly, expressing their disdain for dragon fruit. Quite a few of them had already picked up their meals and left, leaving the cups of Red Heart Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea untouched.
The cafeteria chef couldn’t help but sigh, jokingly saying, “I didn’t expect that even a new product developed by Luo Luo would have a day when it couldn’t be sold.”
The soldiers waiting for their meals were taken aback.
The chef asked, “What’s wrong?”
The soldiers’ gazes almost instantly became fervent, and one of them said, “Is it developed by Luo Luo?”
Others overheard:
“Is it developed by Jian Luo?”
“Is there a new product?”
“Is it that Red Heart Dragon Fruit?”
The cafeteria chef never expected that just mentioning Jian Luo’s name would be so effective. He said, “Yes, it’s developed by Luo Luo.”
With his words, the nearest soldier decisively took a cup of the drink and paid swiftly. He even ran away as if afraid of being robbed of it.
The soldiers behind him also got excited:
“I want one too.”
“Please get me one too.”
“A true dragon should drink this!”
The bubble tea quickly disappeared, and Jian Luo’s influence on the cafeteria chef was once again refreshed. And this person had only been a chef for a few days; he was truly impressive.
Jian Luo sat at a table in the cafeteria, watching a few soldiers who had bought the bubble tea. He was curious about their reactions, as he was concerned that dragons might not like sweet things. He had adjusted the flavor to strike a balance between sweet and sour.
After sipping the bubble tea, someone exclaimed, “Delicious!”
“Better than nutrient fluid.”
“Is this the real taste of dragon fruit?”
Jian Luo smiled, his heart secretly rejoicing. The most satisfying moment for a chef was being recognized.
Soon, soldiers began approaching him, and most of them had comments about the new product:
“You’re amazing, Luo Luo.”
“I feel happy every time I eat something you make.”
“Yes, it’s very comforting. Is this what happiness feels like?”
“No wonder, I was wondering why the Marshal seemed to be in a different state than before…”
The conversation suddenly came to a halt, and the entire place fell silent.
Jian Luo looked at everyone with suspicion. He was aware of the situation with the Dark Star people. Someone had told him before that the Dark Stars couldn’t generate their own happiness and needed external stimuli. He understood the previous sentences, but he didn’t quite understand the last one.
Jian Luo hesitated and asked, “What happened with the Dragon Brother?”
The soldier realized he had said something wrong and quickly stood up. “I, I just remembered there’s training and a mission. I need to go!”
Others followed suit:
“I have a mission too.”
“So do I.”
“I remembered I have something to do.”
“…”
Jian Luo watched them leave faster than anyone else.
Combining what he had heard accidentally from Secretary Jin a few days ago, he had a basic idea that something might not be quite right with Lu Shifeng. However, he didn’t know how severe the situation was. Was it so serious that they needed to keep it a secret from him, and why were they so afraid of him knowing?
After pondering for a while, Jian Luo finally returned to the cafeteria.
The chef was surprised to see him return. “Luo Luo?”
“Uncle,” Jian Luo replied honestly, “Can I make another meal?”
“Of course,” the chef didn’t refuse.
Jian Luo acted swiftly. He used the available ingredients to make some potato cakes, cooked a pot of congee, and stir-fried some eggs. Most of it was vegetarian since he wasn’t sure if Lu Shifeng had any injuries, and some wounds required a light diet. He hadn’t included much meat.
The chef looked at the food on the table and felt a bit conflicted. “…”
Jian Luo let out a sigh of relief and, seeing that the chef had agreed, he thought for a moment. He found a piece of paper and drew three small dragon eggs. Then he wrote, “Dragon Brother, stay strong!” He also added a small smiley face before handing it to the chef.
The chef nodded. “I’ll take it to him.”
“Thank you,” Jian Luo said, relieved.
With this matter resolved, he let out a sigh and went back to his room. He thought it was empty, but he saw Lu Shifeng’s adjutant standing at the door.
Jian Luo’s steps hesitated for a moment before he walked over. “Adjutant.”
The adjutant politely bowed and then stood up straight. “Mr. Jian, I’m here to record your information on the communication bracelet because your obsidian bracelet stopped working.”
Jian Luo nodded. “Okay.”
The two of them sat down on the couch, and the adjutant asked for Jian Luo’s household and court organization information. Jian Luo answered truthfully. Then the adjutant said, “Both of your relatives in the household belong to the Peaceful Haven household. The temporary household registration I applied for you has limitations, and only pure dragon household registrations have full permissions. So, I won’t register the information of your relatives. Is that okay with you?”
Jian Luo furrowed his brows. “Is it the only option?”
“Yes,” the adjutant replied, his gaze behind his glasses carrying a significant meaning. He continued, “Or you can wait until after your child is born, and then you can transfer your household registration to Peaceful Haven.”
Jian Luo didn’t express agreement or disagreement.
The adjutant withdrew his gaze. “I’ll continue organizing your information. Also, considering that you seem to be going out frequently recently, for safety reasons, I suggest you stay in your room. I’ll assist with food delivery. Human bodies are fragile, and I hope you won’t add unnecessary trouble for me.”
Jian Luo leaned against the couch, looked at the adjutant, and smiled, “Adjutant, it seems like you have a lot of opinions about me. Do you want me to stay inside all the time, not going out to receive any news?”
The adjutant’s hands paused for a moment, and he denied it, “You’re overthinking it.”
“Really?” Jian Luo grinned, feeling a bit triumphant. “I thought you liked Marshal Lu Shifeng.”
The adjutant fell silent for a moment. “No.”
Jian Luo tilted his head and looked at him, smiling, “You don’t need to have such concerns about me. You also don’t need to always remind me that I’m a human. You treat it as a treasure, but not everyone thinks that way. I don’t plan to bother myself with it after giving birth to my child. You’ve been worrying too much.”
Since June, he had felt a bit tired. If he had to deal with the adjutant’s strange attitude every day, it was better to have a conversation and clear things up. After waiting for a while, he saw the adjutant looking at him with a deep gaze and asking, “You don’t like him?”
Jian Luo choked.
He inexplicably felt a bit flustered. “Me?”
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Ohhhhhhhh a confrontation ~
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