Chapter 37 - The General's Wife is an Illegal Resident in the Star System

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Chapter 37: You Have Feelings for Qin Yu

 

 

Lu Li was deeply curious. Bu Xiaoyu's suspicions were still just that—yet they must be based on the fact that she already knew he was from the Federation.

 

He remembered how, to get close to Qin Yu, his adoptive father had helped him fabricate an identity as a resident of a remote planet in the R star system. Only a few people should know he was actually from the Federation.

 

So how did Bu Xiaoyu find out?

 

There had to be something here he wasn't aware of.

 

"You should go. If you leave now, I'll forget that any of this happened today." Lu Li shook his head, unwilling to let this escalate.

 

"So, you're guilty after all. What, afraid I'll expose you as a Federation spy?" Bu Xiaoyu sneered, ungrateful for his leniency.

 

Lu Li looked at her, half-serious, half-teasing. "What would I have to be afraid of? If I truly were a Federation spy, do you think Qin Yu would still have me by his side? You really underestimate him. If it were as you claim, it wouldn't be up to you to expose me. Besides, your accusation is groundless."

 

His attitude was so composed that Bu Xiaoyu's resolve wavered, though she didn't want to let him off that easily.

 

No one knew that from the very first moment she saw Qin Yu, she had been deeply smitten.

 

Her feelings were so intense they seemed to seep into her very bones. Even watching him from afar filled her with joy—that was enough for her, or so she had initially thought.

 

When she later discovered that the General had no one by his side, she began to crave more than just admiring him from a distance. When she heard he needed someone to cook for him, she volunteered right away.

 

She had heard that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, so she threw herself into mastering her culinary skills, even hiring a top chef through her family to teach her. All of it was to leave a lasting impression on the General. And no one knew just how elated she was when she heard him compliment her cooking, how she had wished she could announce her joy to everyone around her.

 

She had thought she had already taken the most difficult step, that it would only be a matter of time before she would be the one standing by the General's side.

 

She was so certain of it.

 

But Lu Li's arrival shattered the dream she had been nurturing for so long.

 

The moment she found out about the marriage, she was devastated—and to make it worse, she was the last to know.

 

By the time she processed the news, it was already done; the General was already married. And his wife, despite being male, was even more enchantingly beautiful than any temptress. She convinced herself that he must have seduced the General and that Qin Yu's feelings wouldn't last. Yet, when they returned to the capital, and the General brought him to the military base, it was clear that his intentions were serious.

 

At that moment, her world collapsed.

 

Why him? Why did he get to stand beside someone as perfect as the General? That should have been her position. And so, she despised Lu Li, hiding her malice so well that even Noyce, who knew of her feelings, never noticed her deep-seated animosity toward Lu Li or her wish to get rid of him.

 

She'd grown desperate. When she discovered Lu Li was from the Federation, she thought her chance had finally come and immediately came to confront him, intending to use this secret to drive him away.

 

"You have feelings for Qin Yu?"

 

That question jolted her from her thoughts, and Bu Xiaoyu looked up to meet Lu Li's knowing gaze, her pupils shrinking.

 

Now Lu Li was sure of it; he finally understood why she was targeting him. He'd already had his suspicions.

 

"And so what?" Realizing she couldn't hide it any longer, Bu Xiaoyu admitted it without hesitation. Even if he knew, what could he do about it? She refused to believe the General would transfer her because of this man.

 

Lu Li chuckled softly, replying calmly, "It doesn't matter. I can't control how you feel. I was just curious—does anyone else know you came to see me?"

 

Bu Xiaoyu's expression faltered.

 

At that moment, steady, assured footsteps approached.

 

Zhou Junyan, accompanied by two soldiers, came over. Upon seeing them standing in the garden, his refined face lit up with a gentle smile. "Madam, Lieutenant Bu, why are you both out here?"

 

Bu Xiaoyu's face instantly drained of color at the sight of him, as though she understood the reason for his appearance.

 

"Lieutenant Bu said she had something to discuss with me," Lu Li responded truthfully.

 

"And how did it go?" Zhou Junyan's mild gaze shifted to Bu Xiaoyu, whose face had gone ashen.

 

Though his expression was as calm as ever, the kind of smile that could set others at ease, Bu Xiaoyu knew Zhou Junyan too well; years of acquaintance had taught her that this gentleness concealed a certain ruthlessness.

 

Under his gaze, she couldn't find the words to speak. Her hands trembled slightly.

 

Lu Li, on the other hand, seemed unfazed compared to Bu Xiaoyu's palpable unease. "We're just about done here. You must have business with Lieutenant Bu. Please, go ahead; don't worry about me."

 

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam," Zhou Junyan said courteously, turning to Bu Xiaoyu. "Lieutenant Bu, if you would come with me."

 

A forced smile briefly flickered across Bu Xiaoyu's face before she lowered her head and walked ahead. The two soldiers fell in beside her, one on each side.

 

"My apologies for the intrusion, Madam," Zhou Junyan said, giving Lu Li a respectful nod before departing.

 

Lu Li watched them until they disappeared from sight, then furrowed his brow and went inside.

 

Zhou Junyan was escorting Bu Xiaoyu to see the General when they came across Noyce, who was being assisted by two soldiers. His entire body was battered and blood seeped through his dark uniform, so thick it was impossible to hide, even in the heavy fabric. His forehead was damp with sweat, which trailed into his collar, leaving him looking both pitiful and grim. His platinum hair, normally vibrant, hung limp and dull.

 

The two soldiers assisting him were close friends of Noyce. They stopped immediately upon seeing Zhou Junyan and Bu Xiaoyu. Noyce lifted his heavy eyelids, and his gaze briefly flickered with cold disappointment as he looked at Bu Xiaoyu.

 

All along, he had believed Bu Xiaoyu's attachment to the General was a passing infatuation, something that would fade with time. He thought he could wait, patiently, for the day she let go. But he had been wrong.

 

He did have feelings for her, yet he never imagined she would do something like this, abusing his trust to use his access credentials to investigate the General's wife. If his permissions had been higher, and if the General's wife's file had not been classified as top-secret, the consequences could have been unimaginable.

 

Noyce felt disheartened. Bu Xiaoyu had only thought of herself and hadn't considered how he would be punished if this was discovered. He couldn't believe she didn't understand the risks he would have to face.

 

"Noyce…" Bu Xiaoyu's body stiffened under his icy gaze. No, this wasn't the way Noyce usually looked at her—didn't he like her?

 

"Let's go." Noyce could see that she wanted to explain, but he didn't want to hear it. No words could repair the disappointment he felt. He looked away, signaling to the soldiers supporting him.

 

The soldiers, who knew of Noyce's long-standing feelings for Bu Xiaoyu, were surprised at his coldness. Though they didn't understand the full story, they refrained from asking questions. Once they learned the truth, they would feel no sympathy for her.

 

As they passed, Zhou Junyan reminded the two soldiers, "Take good care of him, and come find me if you need anything."

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