Chapter 32: The Secretary Gets Drunk

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At the same time, at the military headquarters.

Lucas, wearing earmuffs and protective goggles, steadily fired shots at a target in the distance.

The human-shaped target’s abdomen was instantly pierced by a few holes.

Lucas didn’t stop. He reloaded his gun and continued to shoot until the target was in tatters and its face split into a jagged grin.

Shit, just a human-shaped target, what’re you smiling for, so shameless.

Lucas snorted coldly, then smoothly reloaded again.

Nearby, Lu Cheng and another adjutant called Wang Qiuyang looked at each other.

“The admiral is in a bad mood?” Lu Cheng asked.

Although Lucas was also very fierce during his usual training, today he was… how to say it… he looked disgruntled.

“Okay.” Lucas rotated his wrist and glanced at Lu Cheng as if looking at a fool.

Then he looked at Wang Qiuyang. Although he was also quite silly, he was already married to an omega, with whom he had a good relationship for many years.

Lucas asked Wang Qiuyang, “Why would your omega suddenly ignore you?”

Luo Ran wasn’t an omega, and they weren’t in that kind of relationship, but it felt right to ask Wang Qiuyang.

Lucas also didn’t know why.

Lu Cheng and Wang Qiuyang’s eyes widened.

Ohh!!

Their boss equated he and Secretary Luo to Wang Qiuyang and his wife, and asked about his feelings!

A wonderful love!

Wang Qiuyang forcibly calmed down, cleared his throat, and brought out his most professional attitude. “For this, it depends on how long it lasts. If it’s just for a while, then they probably want to have some fun teasing you. If it’s for an entire day, then it’s probably because they’re upset after an argument and you need to coax them.”

Lucas thought for a while, then replied, “It’s been about four days.”

The main thing was that Luo Ran wasn’t completely ignoring him. He was just as gentle as before, all his work was still perfect, and everything that should be done was done.

But… he wasn’t stupid, he could feel the difference.

Wang Qiuyang: “…”

Lu Cheng: “…”

He’s been left hanging for four days and still has the energy to come to practice now…

This is a bit…

Lu Cheng and Wang Qiuyang decisively shut up.

Lucas gritted his teeth. “Just say it! Don’t piss around in front of me!”

Wang Qiuyang straightened himself and obediently stated, “Normally, if Xiao-Yun ignores me for so long, I would reflect on if I was too cold to her, or if I neglected her somehow?”
Lu Cheng grinned. “I know, isn’t this ‘in order to capture, one must let loose’?”*

“Guess so.” Wang Qiuyang also smiled. “She’s half irritated, half aggrieved, and wants to convey that my recent performance made her unsatisfied.”

In order to capture, one must let loose…?

Lucas frowned slightly.

That’s right, didn’t Luo Ran have a crush on him?

No wonder.

Ah, this damnably cunning guy.

His long-held love was never answered, so he felt angry and wronged?

Lucas had a bit of a headache.

Did that guy want an answer from him?

Troublesome beta.

Troublesome secretary.

Lucas snorted coldly, picked up the other gun beside him, and pointed it at the target. 

His mind wandered as he practised, but even so, his every shot landed in the most accurate location.

This was his muscle memory.

Just like getting used to Luo Ran was in his muscle memory.

Bang!

Before Lucas left, he shot the target’s head wide open.

* * *

In the company’s reception room.

“Doctor Shen, wait.” Seeing Shen Xiluo starting to gather resources, Luo Ran couldn’t help saying, “You’ve misunderstood… I don’t read these things.”

“Hm?”

“I’m just curious how others talk about me, so I bought it,” Luo Ran said seriously. “I definitely, definitely don’t have that kind of thought towards the admiral.”

It was Zimei Xueran who ordered it, not Luo Ran.

He had nothing to do with it, really.

Shen Xiluo frowned softly and persuaded, “Secretary Luo, sex is a natural instinct for all animals. As animals ourselves, we have an obligation to bear the next generation, there’s no need to feel ashamed.”

“…” Luo Ran suddenly remembered what Xia Zhi said before.

This person’s IQ is incomparable to others, and his EQ is also incomparable.

Luo Ran looked at Shen Xiluo with a kindly gaze.

You’re being like this?

Okay, your dinner appointment’s gone.

Once Shen Xiluo left, Luo Ran held the bag with the book with complicated feelings.

To read or not to read?

Of course he had to read it!

This book made him look so weird in front of Shen Xiluo, he had to finish it even if he shoved it down his throat word by word, otherwise, he’d have suffered for nothing.

Luo Ran’s lips pouted uncontrollably.

Then, he gathered himself up and opened the report Shen Xiluo brought with him.

Within 24 hours, they’d successfully analysed the ingredients and effects of the drug affecting the omega he bought from the black market.

Luo Ran slowly furrowed his brows.

It did have some harmful ingredients which made it addictive and could lead to impaired mental function and fatigue, or something worse if they kept using it.

It also had stimulants which, when combined with the other ingredients, could make the user fall into a heat five times stronger than normal.

It was a terrifying aphrodisiac. If an ordinary person ate it, they would experience an almost endless heat period.

Luo Ran rubbed his temples.

This drug was… terrible.

Next, he turned to the report about Luobing’s Prince Andika, which said that Prince Andika hadn’t left his room for several days.

Luobing’s ambassadors were a little worried about him and tried to go in, but were all driven out.

Just then, Luo Ran received a real-time alert.

At the same time as when he asked Shen Xiluo to get the book, Lu Cheng finished the day’s training and, unable to hold himself back, went to find the prince.

The intelligence team asked whether they should stop him.

Luo Ran hesitated a few seconds, then returned a ‘no need’.

He speculated that for an unknown reason, the prince of Luobing ingested the same drug as the omega from the black market.

But he couldn’t rely purely on speculation.

After thinking it over, he contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked them a few things.

Earlier, Luobing’s envoy toured the military camp, and in a few days, they and the imperial family would go to the agricultural area outside the capital’s city limits to enjoy themselves.

The empire had several of these agricultural areas scattered around its territories, and every one was its lifeblood. Many soldiers and machines took care of their day to day operations.

Luo Ran examined the itinerary, then finally replied to one of the invitations the eldest prince occasionally sent him — he asked him to teach his newly appointed secretary the ropes.

He’d previously always refused on the grounds of being too busy; although this was indeed true, this time…

He could take advantage of when they all went to the agricultural area overnight to give the new secretary some lessons.

Luo Ran planned to bring Shen Xiluo as well to get a good understanding of Andika’s situation and give him a physical exam as well if possible.

Ding dong–

An alarm Luo Ran set on his terminal rang.

When he saw that it was a notification marked in red, he immediately opened it.

He used red on his calendar for annual reminders, either festivals or other special days.

Admiral Alton’s death anniversary

Luo Ran felt a little surprised.

It’s already the anniversary of Admiral Alton’s death…

Admiral Alton, the soldier who brought the empire many victories and was hailed as a hero.

He was Lucas’ uncle, teacher, and second father.

When Lucas stepped onto the battlefield as a teenager, Alton was the one who personally raised him into today’s Lion of the Empire.

Later, Alton was killed in a battle against interstellar pirates, so Lucas smoothly inherited the army and became the empire’s newest admiral, bringing countless victories.

Luo Ran got up, left the company, went to a flower shop, and carefully picked out some flowers then arranged them himself.

It was already dark when he finished. Luo Ran took the flowers back to the company to give to Lucas.

Lightening his footsteps, Luo Ran quietly went to the highest floor.

Lucas usually wouldn’t be there at this time.

As expected, the lights were off.

Luo Ran let out a sigh of relief, went into the office, and put the flowers down properly. Just as he was about to leave, a sudden force made him lose his balance and slam into the sofa.

He reflexively wanted to resist, but immediately stopped when he smelled the familiar scent of tobacco.

Luo Ran lifted his head and stared at Lucas, who stood before him.

Such a tall man looked down on him from above, and in the darkness, his pair of sharp eyes made him look like a lion on the hunt.

Luo Ran swallowed.

He remembered that Lucas ruthlessly vowed to ‘clean him up’ before he left earlier.

“Admiral, if you beat me up I won’t be able to work tomorrow,” he said. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of Sir Alton’s death, so I have to be here to handle the official business while Admiral isn’t here. The day after tomorrow, I have to visit Prince Andika and negotiate with him…”

“The anniversary.” Lucas looked down. “I remember.”

Luo Ran quietly looked at him. Admiral Alton had already passed away many years ago, and Lucas no longer had obvious emotions when talking about it.

“You stay tonight, drink with me, and I won’t clean you up.”

Luo Ran opened and closed his mouth. He originally wanted to refuse, but when he met Lucas’ eyes, he somehow said, “Okay.”

Lucas always drank the night before the anniversary of Alton’s death, and Luo Ran often joined him.

This might be called a tradition, because when Admiral Alton was still alive, he would share a drink with Lucas before every battle.

Even though Luo Ran was deliberately avoiding Lucas, this time… was different.

Lucas took out the white tea wine Zhou Mingkai gave him from the cabinet.

As a wine with the flavour of white tea, it was very special.

Luo Ran opened its cork, letting its mellow aroma flow out. Unlike other wines, this smell wasn’t overwhelming because it had the mildness of white tea.

Luo Ran actually liked to drink, but couldn’t do it often because of strict family rules in the past and a high workload in the present. Now, his eyes brightened. “I’ll pour Admiral a glass.”

Lucas raised his eyebrows.

Their two glasses were soon full.

Every time they drank together, Lucas only drank one glass, while Luo Ran finished the rest of the bottle.

The point was that Luo Ran had a good tolerance for alcohol and rarely got drunk.

“Admiral, you and Admiral Alton have been drinking together for so many years, why is your tolerance still so bad?” Luo Ran smiled and took a sip, visibly satisfied.

This wine already had a strong flavour, then it was infused with white tea, making the final taste especially intense.

“I don’t like the feeling of not being in control, it was always my uncle who drank, not me.” Lucas frowned softly.

Luo Ran chuckled.

In contrast, he liked the feeling of being slightly tipsy. When he wasn’t completely drunk, yet wasn’t completely clear-minded, with that light, floaty feeling, all his worries and concerns would disappear.

This wine was so strong that Lucas only drank a few mouthfuls before putting it down.

The bouquet of flowers was nearby.

The two sat by the floor-to-ceiling window filled with wisteria flowers. Moonlight shone through gaps between the petals and fell onto Luo Ran’s silver hair.

Luo Ran, having been drinking for a while, had a somewhat flushed face.

“Luo Ran.”

“Hm?”

Luo Ran raised his head, his gaze soft.

Lucas was taken aback.

Luo Ran raised his glass and made another questioning hm? noise.

Lucas wondered to himself why he never realized that Luo Ran was so stunning before. “Nothing,” he finally said.

This wine, with its strong flavour, didn’t seem to be of high purity, but in fact, it had a higher alcoholic content than most spirits.

Luo Ran was fooled into losing his self-control and soon became somewhat drunk.

It didn’t occur to Lucas that Luo Ran was drunk. Mainly, this was because he’d paced himself, so Luo Ran slowly became drunker and drunker, and didn’t directly collapse into sleep.

Lucas smiled at seeing Luo Ran gaze out the window with hazy eyes. “Hey.”

Luo Ran slowly turned his head to look at Lucas.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Ad… miral.” He seemed to be the same as usual, just a little more sluggish.

Luo Ran stared blankly at Lucas, still holding a wine glass in his hands.

“Do you like me?” Lucas asked in a low voice.

He already knew the answer, yet still couldn’t resist asking at this moment.

Luo Ran didn’t reply for quite a while, but finally smiled and replied, “I… like.”

Lucas was a hero, how could anyone not like him?

Lucas felt that something might be wrong with his heart.

Before he could say anything, Luo Ran put down his glass, crossed his arms, and went to sleep right there on the table.

Lucas: “…”

A flower petal blown by the wind landed on Luo Ran’s hair. Lucas got up and reached out to flick it away.

After a short pause, he bent down and gently laid a kiss on Luo Ran’s brow.

He was covered in the scent of white tea wine.

Lucas clicked his tongue.

Lucas thought, If it’s Luo Ran…

Then, it’s not impossible to try to give him a response.

---

Author:
The Lion of the Empire: I’ll  b r e a k  myself

Translator:
Feelin’ a bit weird that Alton, a dead guy, is named when Lucas’ actual biological mother (and maybe his father too) with actual screentime isn’t. Also, we never learn the name of the company they work at (or own??), it’s always ‘the company’.

Footnotes:

1. In order to capture, one must let loose [欲擒故纵]: from the Thirty-Six Strategems; as explained by Wikipedia: cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this, let the enemy believe they still have a chance for freedom. Their will to fight is hampered by their desire to escape. The enemy’s morale will be depleted and they will surrender without a fight when the illusion of escape is revealed.

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