Chapter 33 - The General's Wife is an Illegal Resident in the Star System

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Bu Xiaoyu

 

 

Qin Yu left shortly afterward to attend to his duties.

 

Left alone, Lu Li wandered idly. He had considered cleaning the villa, but it was already spotless, so he dropped the idea. Nearing noon, he decided to cook instead.

 

Cooking was a skill he had honed both in his previous life and in this one, especially in the years he'd lived alone. Managing a household, including cooking, had been a necessity and one he'd practiced countless times.

 

After moving out, his family in the Federation hadn't provided him with much allowance. His studies kept him busy, and as he strove to break free from his fragile constitution by improving his physical strength, he'd meticulously planned his days, leaving no room for a part-time job. To save on living expenses, he had taken to cooking for himself once more.

 

Qin Yu hadn't yet tasted his cooking; back on the Qin Lu star, the villa had a chef, and he'd been preoccupied, so Lu Li hadn't had a chance to cook. Now, wanting to surprise him, Lu Li felt a surge of motivation.

 

To his surprise, he found the refrigerator in the kitchen well-stocked, with fresh meat, vegetables, and a full array of seasonings.

 

He took out a bundle of fresh greens, still moist and vibrant—a sure sign they had been delivered that very morning. For lunch, he decided on something simple. Grabbing some green onions and a few seasonings, he rummaged through the cupboard and found a bag of fresh flour. Inspired, he decided to make noodles. Just as he was mixing flour and water, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.

 

Wiping his hands, Lu Li walked out to see a woman entering.

 

He recognized her as Bu Xiaoyu. She wasn't Qin Yu's adjutant, but he had heard she was a childhood friend of Noyce. "Are you here for Qin Yu? He's in a meeting," he said.

 

"It was the general who asked me to come," Bu Xiaoyu replied coolly, her gaze distant.

 

"Is there something you need?" Lu Li didn't mind her demeanor; the first time they met, she had been equally frosty. Since he hadn't done anything to offend her, he figured her attitude wasn't directed at him personally.

 

"The general asked me to prepare lunch for you." After a pause, she added, "I usually prepare the general's meals as well."

 

Lu Li hadn't expected that Qin Yu, busy as he was, would still think of him and felt touched. He overlooked the hint of pride in Bu Xiaoyu's expression as she added that last part and replied with a smile, "No need; I can cook for myself. You won't need to trouble yourself in the coming days either—I'll cook for the general myself."

 

"Whether or not I prepare his meals isn't up to you. I only follow the General's orders." A flicker of disdain crossed Bu Xiaoyu's eyes.

 

Lu Li was momentarily taken aback.

 

"If you don't need me, I have plenty of other work to get back to," Bu Xiaoyu said coldly, ignoring his reaction before leaving abruptly.

 

Lu Li finally realized that it wasn't just his imagination—she seemed to genuinely dislike him. He couldn't fathom why, but he chose not to dwell on it. He wasn't a star coin; he couldn't be liked by everyone. Just as Madam Qin didn't like him, sometimes people just took a dislike to others without reason.

 

Returning to the kitchen, Lu Li resumed kneading the dough. He planned to make a scallion noodle dish, something he had cooked countless times before. Its simplicity made it all the more challenging, as the dish's flavor relied heavily on skill.

 

He had cooked this dish so often that, while he wouldn't claim it rivaled a top chef's work, even he couldn't help but praise the taste.

 

The broth for the noodles was chicken stock he'd just prepared. Since Qin Yu enjoyed meat, Lu Li had found a whole chicken in the freezer section and decided to use it for the stock, which he could save for dinner later.

 

After bringing the water to a boil, he dropped in the freshly made noodles, letting them cook until they floated to the surface. While waiting, he began preparing the additional ingredients.

 

Seasoning was one of the most crucial steps for a bowl of noodles. Done poorly, it could ruin the dish, and even the best broth couldn't save it.

 

After a bit of rummaging, he finally found a few green peppers in the refrigerator.

 

The peppers here were unlike any he'd seen before; they weren't long and slender but had a somewhat irregular shape. No wonder he hadn't recognized them at first.

 

When the noodles were ready, Lu Li found a large, spotless insulated container in a cabinet. After giving it a quick wash, he carefully packed the noodles inside before calling Qin Yu. Unbeknownst to him, in the time it had taken to prepare the noodles, Bu Xiaoyu had gone to Qin Yu and lodged a complaint.

 

"Marshal, I don't know what I did wrong. I only mentioned that you'd asked me to make him lunch, and his mood soured immediately. He even ordered me not to make your meals anymore," Bu Xiaoyu said, looking up at Qin Yu with watery eyes. Already beautiful, she looked all the more pitiful with her subtle distress.

 

"If he doesn't want you to cook, then you don't need to anymore," Qin Yu replied without looking up, his voice steady and unyielding.

 

Bu Xiaoyu's eyes widened in disbelief, her disappointment evident. "General, why? Did I do something wrong? You once praised my cooking…"

 

The so-called "praise" had merely been a passing "not bad," as curt as Qin Yu himself. But for Bu Xiaoyu, hearing those words from him had set her apart—she thought she was special.

 

"I already told you: what my wife says reflects my wishes. I don't want to repeat myself. If you have nothing else to say, you may go." Qin Yu finally looked up, his gaze cold and piercing.

 

Bu Xiaoyu couldn't believe that the general would revoke her only chance to be near him just because of a single word from that man.

 

Just then, Qin Yu's communicator rang.

 

Lu Li's face appeared on the screen.

 

"What's up?" Qin Yu asked.

 

Across from him, Bu Xiaoyu clenched her fists, worried that Lu Li might reveal what she'd said.

 

"Have you eaten yet? I made some noodles and wanted to share them with you," Lu Li said, getting straight to the point.

 

"You know how to cook?" Qin Yu suddenly understood why Lu Li had turned Bu Xiaoyu away.

 

"Huh? Didn't I mention it? I've always known how, but I hadn't had the chance to cook for you before. When I found all those fresh ingredients in the kitchen, I thought you might not have eaten yet, so I made extra. Are you free now? I'd like to bring it over, but I don't know where you are."

 

Bu Xiaoyu's frustration flared again; all those ingredients were things she'd brought that morning, hoping to earn some goodwill with the general, only to have it all go to this man's advantage.

 

"There are soldiers outside the door," Qin Yu replied, "ask one of them to bring you here."

 

"General, that's against protocol! This is the military headquarters, and he's an outsider…" Bu Xiaoyu blurted, but her voice trailed off under Qin Yu's cold gaze.

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