Chapter 22 - The General's Wife is an Illegal Resident in the Star System

Translator's Note:

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Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

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Marshal Qin's Heartache

 

 

Lu Li anxiously followed Qin Yu to Marshal Qin's office. After a moment, the guard entered to announce them, only for a suppressed, furious voice to roar from within.

 

"Tell him to get in here right now!"

 

"General, the Marshal requests you enter alone," the guard said to Qin Yu, emphasizing "alone" just enough to make the point to Lu Li.

 

Lu Li understood at once—this was a moment for father and son to talk alone. Not wanting to make things harder for Qin Yu, he said, "I'll wait outside; you go in first."

 

"Take my wife to the lounge next door," Qin Yu instructed, unwilling to let Lu Li wait in the hallway, his tone as commanding as ever.

 

The guard dared not defy General Qin's order, especially given that he referred to Lu Li as his wife. With quiet urgency, he escorted Lu Li to the lounge and poured him a glass of warm water.

 

"Thank you," Lu Li said gratefully.

 

The guard only nodded in silence.

 

Qin Yu stepped into the marshal's office just in time to dodge a flying chair. Though getting hit wouldn't have harmed him and might have even given the Marshal an outlet for his anger, Qin Yu wasn't one to indulge in such gestures. The chair crashed against the door behind him with a resounding bang.

 

"Did you call me back just to throw chairs at me?" Qin Yu, unfazed, looked calmly at his father, his expression placid as if they were just here for a casual hat.

 

They said that Marshal Qin could stand unshaken even before a crumbling mountain, but his eldest son was his Achilles' heel. Qin Yu had never cared to spare his father's feelings, defiant and self-willed. Many times, he'd driven the Marshal to the brink, even occasionally making him wonder if his son might rebel.

 

Qin Yu hadn't gone that far—yet. But he had silently completed one of the most significant events of his life without a word of warning. He had gone ahead with the marriage and didn't even notify a single family member—not even a simple message saying, "I got married." If not for his covert actions against the Federation, his father would likely still be in the dark.

 

"Is there nothing you want to explain to me?" asked Marshal Qin, his anger oddly tempered after venting with the chair.

 

"Yes," Qin Yu answered, surprising his father.

 

The Marshal assumed he was going to explain about his marriage and listened closely.

 

"The Federation attempted to steal our Empire's secrets. I intend to show them the price of provoking the Empire," Qin Yu said, his face impassive, voice icy and dangerous.

 

"And?" Marshal Qin pressed, staring at him.

 

"That's it," Qin Yu replied flatly, fully aware of what his father wanted to hear.

 

"You ungrateful son! Do you even consider me your father? You get married and say nothing—not a word! Don't you fear I might refuse to acknowledge your partner as the Qin family's eldest daughter-in-law?" Marshal Qin picked up another heavy object and hurled it at the door, leaving the guard outside in a terrified flinch.

 

"He's my partner; I don't need your approval."

 

The Marshal wanted to sit down, only to realize he'd already thrown his chair. A pang of regret struck him; he should've known better. His eldest son's ability to drive him to fury had only grown, and though he didn't have heart problems, Qin Yu was sure to give him a heart attack.

 

"So, your wings have spread, and I can't control you. But marriage is a serious matter. Your mother already knows and asked me several times today. You know how much she cares about your marriage—yet you went ahead and got married, to a man no less, without a word to anyone. She's been dreaming of having a grandchild."

 

"Let Qin Ge and Qin Shuang give her one," Qin Yu replied, quickly deflecting the issue to his younger siblings.

 

"She wants a grandchild from you!" Marshal Qin's mustache bristled with frustration.

 

"The matter about our own child, Lu Li and I will take care of it ourselves."

 

Marshal Qin, in moments like these, often wondered if he could have strangled his eldest and remade him in a less infuriating form. But realizing he'd likely lose in a fight with his son, he let go of the idea and instead pondered whose genes his son had inherited because it certainly wasn't his.

 

Taking a deep breath, Marshal Qin decided to settle things before Qin Yu's obstinacy drove him to an early grave.

 

"Your mother asked me to convey her wishes. She said she absolutely does not agree to let that man into the Qin family's gates. I've done my duty in delivering her message—handle it however you want."

 

"The Qin family's gates?" Qin Yu let out a derisive laugh, laced with disdain.

 

Seeing his son's reaction, the Marshal suddenly realized that, of course, Qin Yu wouldn't care about their acknowledgment. He hadn't even thought it necessary to inform them of his marriage, making it clear he had no regard for their approval. His wife's ultimatum would mean nothing to him. If pressed, he might very well take his wife back to Qin Lu Star, only to vanish for years on end.

 

Marshal Qin felt his teeth ache at the thought. Here he was, commanding millions of imperial troops and receiving deference from even the king, yet his son seemed bent on showing him no respect. Using the family or his career as leverage was hopeless—Qin Yu couldn't care less. And if he ever quit in a fit of temper, he'd only be making life harder for himself, turning him into the biggest villain of the Empire.

 

"Are you really that set on him?" Marshal Qin asked, marveling that his eldest son, usually so indifferent and self-centered, would display such devotion. A quality, he realized, he could relate to.

 

Qin Yu only stared back at him.

 

Marshal Qin, accustomed by now to feeling outsmarted by his son, swallowed his frustration. "I understand. I'll talk to your mother. And I assume he's here as well—have him come in."

 

Half an hour earlier, Marshal Qin had been furious. Now, resigned to his fate, he realized he would be the first in the family to give in. But at least, he mused, he would maintain a façade of authority and not let it show when he got home.

 

"His name is Lu Li, not 'that man,'" Qin Yu said before leaving the room.

 

Meanwhile, Lu Li had been waiting in the lounge for over half an hour. During that time, several people had wandered in and out, pretending to fetch various items as an excuse to get a glimpse of him.

 

When the door opened again, Lu Li assumed it was yet another curious passerby, but seeing Qin Yu enter, he stood up quickly. "Did you finish talking to your father? How did it go? He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

 

"My father wants to see you," Qin Yu replied.

 

"Marshal Qin wants to see me?" Lu Li had anticipated this meeting someday but not so soon. He had half-expected the Marshal to refuse even to look at him, especially after he'd stolen his son and set him on the path to war with the Federation. If anyone qualified as a "troublemaker," Lu Li knew he did.

 

"You've got me by your side. Let's go," Qin Yu said, reading his concerns.

 

Lu Li forced a smile. Though he was about to meet Qin Yu's father, he couldn't help feeling a little anxious.

 

As they walked out, Qin Yu took his hand, silently encouraging him and giving him strength. The tension in Lu Li's chest eased, and he found a sense of calm.

 

This display left the onlookers outside utterly dumbfounded. The famously aloof General Qin Yu, not caring for anyone's opinion, was now openly holding a man's hand! Previously, no one could have imagined him acting so tenderly.

 

That day, as the janitors cleaned the base, they found a surprising number of jaws lying on the floor.

 

It wasn't only the base personnel who felt they'd entered a dreamlike world; Lu Li himself wondered if he'd imagined the encounter. He had expected a cold reception from the Marshal—rejection, or at least demands that he leave his son—but none of that happened. Instead, he was asked straightforward questions: his identity, his family, how he met Qin Yu… Questions that any ordinary father might ask about his son's partner. Normal, almost too normal.

 

It wasn't until they left the base that Lu Li finally snapped back to reality.

 

"Did your father just… approve of us being together?" Lu Li clutched Qin Yu's jacket, his voice filled with disbelief.

 

Qin Yu simply looked at the fabric bunched in Lu Li's grip, his expression as calm as ever. "Mm."

 

Lu Li released his grip, his face still full of astonishment. "Why? I thought your father would be impossible to deal with." He had always imagined the esteemed Marshal of the Empire, Qin Yu's father, to be an imposing figure, severe even in silence.

 

"There's no need to ask why. All you need to know is that the Qin family won't be an obstacle for us," Qin Yu replied, smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform with quiet confidence.

 

"So… what's next?" Lu Li asked.

 

"Home," Qin Yu answered, pulling Lu Li along toward the Qin family estate.

 

The Qin estate was located in the capital's most prestigious district, a neighborhood occupied by the Empire's wealthiest families. Here, it was common to see people with assets numbering in the tens of billions or high-ranking officials and military leaders, so security was naturally tight, and it wasn't far from the military base.

 

In less than half an hour, they arrived at the estate. As soon as their vehicle landed, a throng of people gathered around, though the guards kept them at a safe distance.

 

The guards, all former soldiers, were strong and immovable. The crowd soon realized that no amount of shoving would get them any closer, so they resorted to holding their cameras high in the air, snapping photos, and even shouting questions from afar.

 

"General Qin Yu, is it true that you're married?"

 

"We heard you got married without informing anyone or hosting a wedding. Is that because the Qin family doesn't accept your partner?"

 

"General Qin Yu, do you know that when news of your marriage broke, many of your admirers were heartbroken? Some even say they'll wait for you to get divorced!"

 

...

 

Lu Li glanced at Qin Yu, surprised that even entertainment reporters were so invested in his personal life.

 

Having never visited the capital, Lu Li didn't realize the extent of Qin Yu's popularity. If it were any other general, the media wouldn't be so intrusive. But Qin Yu was different—he was the Glory Empire's God of War, young and handsome, embodying the very image of a dashing hero admired by both men and women alike. Before he even rose to fame, he already had a devoted following, and once he did, his appeal became unstoppable. Occasionally, someone would confess their admiration for him, and even celebrities had publicly declared that Qin Yu was their ideal type.

 

To the entertainment media, Qin Yu was a constant source of fascination. Though he had no connection to the entertainment world, his presence seemed to cast a radiant spotlight, drawing fans and the media alike. So, as soon as his marriage became public knowledge, reporters had immediately gathered outside the Qin estate to await his arrival.

 

Thus, today's scene unfolded.

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