Tag: BL (page 12 of 12)

TW: implied date rape drugging (unsuccessful), towards the end, starts at ‘Xie Ancheng’

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As soon as Luo Ran’s words came out, everyone was shocked into speechlessness.

Luo Ran, the famously perfect secretary of the Empire, was capable, intelligent, and rational to the point that it was doubted if he had emotions. Everything he did was for the good of Lucas, and there was hardly anyone else who could move him.

His character was naturally gentle, but it could also be called alienating, or even apathetic.

But he actually said… he liked Lucas?

“No, there’s no way!” As she looked at the handsome man in front of her, Lillia felt her worldview shaking.

“I like him very much,” Luo Ran solemnly said. “I cannot hide it any longer, I hope Your Highness will be considerate.”

Lillia: “…”

Lucas: “…”

Zhou Mingkai, standing to the side, desperately held in his laughter.

As someone who’d spent a long time on the love scene, he knew at a glance what Luo Ran was doing.

Lucas turned his head to look suspiciously at Zhou Mingkai, who was hunched over into a ball and trembling.

At this moment, Zhou Mingkai suddenly felt blessed.

For his brother’s future happiness! For the marshal and his wife to live happily with grandchildren! For the hopes of millions of people in the Empire! For excellent descendants in the next generation!

Carrying the trust of millions, he–

“Oh, heavens.” Zhou Minkai squeezed out a few tears, clenched his fist, and beat his chest. “What a wonderful love! How pitiful, to have to secretly nurture his love like this! Secretary Luo has suffered…!”

Who knew what Lucas was thinking, the man just turned expressionlessly and walked away.

He was still the mighty admiral who was unmoved by feelings.

However, when he passed the balcony steps, he suddenly stepped on air and the whole person staggered and almost fell.

Zhou Mingkai: “…”

Zhou Mingkai looked up at the moon and pretended not to see it.

Lucas snorted coldly, stomped on the steps once with a terrifyingly dark expression, then strode away.

Zhou Mingkai immediately scurried after him.

The two on the balcony didn’t notice the actions over there at all. Lillia was still looking at Luo Ran with disbelief.

“You, you… You believe it or not, I’ll tell everyone!”

“If Your Highness wants to, then I can’t do anything.” Luo Ran lowered his gaze, looking extremely pitiful.

To be honest, Luo Ran dared to say this because he wasn’t afraid the princess would do anything.

The princess was already known for acting willfully, and her brainless reputation was deeply entrenched in people’s minds. Her words didn’t have much credibility.

And even if she did say it, the people who believed it were already CP fans, while those who didn’t believe would think that the CP fans were making trouble again. People would only use it as a chat topic for a while.

“Then… Then you can like the admiral, I don’t mind! A-Anyways, he doesn’t like you, I can snatch you back!”

Luo Ran: “…”

He once again wondered how Luobing’s royal family raised this princess. The other royal children were clearly normal.

However, Luo Ran still had another method.

“Your Highness, do you really want to steal people from the admiral?” Luo Ran asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Huh…?”

Lillia stared. “D-Don’t you just have a crush? You and the admiral… are together?”

Luo Ran didn’t speak, he didn’t admit it nor did he refute it, but Lillia felt that such an attitude meant that he acquiesced to the truth.

No way, right…?

“Woo, you’re shameless!”

Lillia cried as she ran away.

How could she compete with Lucas…! That was the admiral who beat her country into a vassal state!

As he watched Lillia leave in anger, Luo Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

The princess shouldn’t want anyone from the Empire anymore.

Since he solved this problem, Luo Ran returned to the main hall. He couldn’t find Lucas after searching everywhere, but just as he was about to ask someone, he came across the star of this birthday banquet – Zhou Mingyu.

“What a coincidence.” Zhou Mingyu grinned. “Did Secretary Luo encounter any difficulties?”

“Your Highness.” Luo Ran respectfully bowed in greeting, then asked, “Does Your Highness know where the admiral is?”

Zhou Mingyu paused. “Apologies, I haven’t seen him.”

“Oh…” Luo Ran wondered if he went to a private room upstairs with Zhou Mingkai to drink and play darts.

Zhou Mingyu joked, “There are so many birds and butterflies here. He may be more comfortable if Secretary Luo doesn’t follow too closely.”

Luo Ran only smiled.

“Since we’ve met, might Secretary Luo join me for a dance?” Zhou Mingyu gestured at the dance floor.

Luo Ran remembered that Zhou Mingyu invited him to be his dance partner before. Now that he asked again, he was a little surprised.

This royal highness could hardly lack dance partners, why would he insist on him?

“It’s a little embarrassing.” Zhou Mingyu shook his head with a smile, and said jokingly, “Maybe it’s because I’m still single at this age that my family always tries their best to let me meet excellent omega and beta. At a banquet like this, I’m like a fragrant piece of meat surrounded by starving wolves.”

Luo Ran understood.

Zhou Mingyu, as the eldest prince, was the person most likely to inherit the throne. His princess consort would thus be the future empress who would enjoy supreme glory.

There were probably piles upon piles of people who would do anything to seize a chance to dance with Zhou Mingyu, so he became so frustrated that he directly pulled Luo Ran over as a shield.

Zhou Mingyu also confirmed Luo Ran’s guesses, saying helplessly, “So I could only invite Secretary Luo to be my dance partner. You are the admiral’s secretary, no one would dare to say anything. It’s a pity… you refused so mercilessly, I’m disappointed.”

“I apologize…” Luo Ran smiled. “I hadn’t known… that Your Highness would have this trouble.”

“You know now.” Zhou Mingyu held out his hand, bowed slightly, and politely asked, “This handsome gentleman, may I ask you for a dance?”

Luo Ran smiled and took his hand.

Since Zhou Mingyu said this, he had no reason to refuse. Besides, Lucas currently didn’t need his help, so he accompanied Zhou Mingyu to the dance floor.

Soft lights shone down, and gentle music surrounded them.

“Secretary Luo dances well,” Zhou Mingyu commented with a smile as he lightly held Luo Ran’s waist. “It’s a pity we don’t have many chances to appreciate it.”

Luo Ran looked down. “Thank you for your kind words.”*

“Sometimes I can’t help but envy the admiral. With someone like you as a secretary, don’t mention how much work is saved, even daily life will become much easier.”

“Your Highness’ secretary graduated from the Imperial Academy and is professionally trained, they must be much better than me,” Luo Ran replied.

“How could that be?” Zhou Mingyu smiled and shook his head. “That year, Shuang Ye competed against you for the position of secretary for the admiral and lost. Even now, she admires you a lot, and mentions it to me from time to time.”

Luo Ran was shocked.

“That year…” Luo Ran checked, “That year when Admiral Lucas was looking for a secretary?”

“Yes…?” Zhou Mingyu was a little surprised that Luo Ran didn’t seem to know this. “You didn’t know that you and Shuang Ye competed? Not only her but also several civilians related to the imperial family.”

Luo Ran fell silent for a moment, then casually followed the topic with a smile. “It’s been so long, I’d forgotten.”

But he had some doubts in his heart.

At the time, he was directly pulled from the preliminary auditions to the final selection, so he didn’t have much contact with the other applicants.

If there were several people from the Imperial Academy, why was he chosen in the end…?

Zhou Mingyu’s next words broke his train of thought.

“But Shuang Ye will resign in a few days.”

“What happened?”

“She’s getting married and plans to focus on her family. So… I want to ask you for help again.” Zhou Mingyu sighed. “The newly appointed secretary hasn’t got used to things yet. For the sake of making the Empire’s official affairs more efficient, can you come teach him a bit?”

“It won’t take much of your time.”

Neither humble nor arrogant, Luo Ran said, “I’ll try my best, but the military and economy are very busy recently.”

People and wine swirled around them in a lively scene,* as the two chatted and danced.

* * *

A private room, upstairs:

“He actually dared to lie to me!” Lucas smacked the table. “Luo Ran’s pretty brave, hey, ‘many years’? So he’s fooled me for so long!”

“…”

Zhou Mingkai’s hand suddenly trembled and the dart deviated from the target hanging on the wall.

Zhou Minkai was stunned. “What Admiral cares about is… that he lied to you?”

He sat on a table, crossed his legs, and opened a bottle of wine.

Lucas paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Zhou Mingkai thought, Before, if someone said they liked Lucas, his reaction would be anger and disgust. There had been a noble omega at the previous banquet who confessed to Lucas with a rose. As a result, he sneered and called the guards to throw the person out the hotel’s main door along with the rose.

But now… Lucas, who never once thought of his own emotions, would be so confused?

Zhou Mingkai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

A few seconds passed.

Lucas stopped. “Actually, it’s not unreasonable.”

“Huh…?”

“After all, he’s stayed by my side for so many years, getting along day and night. Isn’t it reasonable to fall in love?” Lucas asked rhetorically.

Lucas felt this development was natural, and his tone even revealed hints of satisfaction.

“And there’s no better alpha than me.”

“Other alpha and omega are all inconsistent trash, not one of them look good.”

“Staying beside me and remaining unmoved is a tall task, after all.”

Zhou Mingkai: “…”

Lucas frowned and asked, “Then how do I reject him? What if he gets angry and resigns?”

Zhou Mingkai: “Why would you reject him??”

Lucas: “What does an admiral like me talk about love for? Don’t misunderstand. I only fight wars.”

Zhou Mingkai: “…”

At this time Zhou Mingkai once again thanked his lucky stars that he had this chance. He patted his chest and said, “First, Secretary Luo could hide it from you for so many years, and second, it hasn’t affected your work. Can’t you stay like this?”

He frantically added, “The secretary is too tragic! Don’t rush to reject him. Secretary Luo has an introverted character, you’ll hurt him if you act too rashly.”

Tsk, so troublesome.

Lucas scratched at his head, thinking that being too attractive brought trouble.

His silly secretary was also very worrisome.

Just as he was about to say something, someone knocked on the door.

It was one of Zhou Mingkai’s good brothers, a young punk* who dyed his hair a fiery red.

“Brother Kai!” As soon as the young man saw Zhou Mingkai, he shouted, “Your sister-in…”

Then he saw Lucas standing behind Zhou Mingkai. He instantly shrank his head and swallowed his words.

“What?” Zhou Mingkai frowned.

“Uh, Secretary Luo just danced with the eldest prince.”

“Hah?” Although Zhou Mingkai was a little surprised to hear this, he still found it inexplicable. “Is this worth running up to tell us?”

“No no no, after Secretary Luo finished dancing with the eldest prince, he was forced to agree to that bastard Xie Ancheng’s invitation, they’re dancing right now! Big bro, didn’t you tell me to keep an eye on that Xie Ancheng bastard!”

Lucas’ expression sank. “Who is Xie Ancheng?”

“Damn it.” Zhou Mingkai’s face also became dark. “Xie Ancheng is the only son of old Duke Xie, and he takes advantage of the fact that his family made great contributions to play around with good-looking beta and omega. That’s my rival!”

Lucas’ expression sank further.

Zhou Minkai continued, “But I’m friends with my partners and everyone is willing. That bastard is different. He seems like a cheerful and upright person to the world, but then he secretly drugs people when they’re not looking and plays them to death! His family also has the power to suppress all the news about this for him. If this motherfucker didn’t dare to do this to my own sister before, I still wouldn’t know!”

Lucas strode out of the private room without a single word and headed downstairs.

* * *

Luo Ran was dancing with Xie Ancheng. The man looked particularly gentle, and smiled as he said, “It’s rare that Secretary Luo is willing to play out here today.”

Xie Ancheng was just about to continue speaking when a sudden wave of pheromones almost brought him to his knees.

He was completely taken by surprise.

As an alpha with relatively strong spiritual power, how could he be suppressed until he couldn’t move…?

“Admiral…?” Luo Ran looked behind Xie Ancheng with shock.

Lucas directly seized Luo Ran’s wrist, roughly pulled him behind himself, and dragged him out of the banquet hall.

Xie Ancheng was as pale as death as he watched Luo Ran get dragged away.

So it was Lucas…

“Admiral…” Luo Ran, who was hauled into a hovercar, looked at the suddenly angry Lucas before him doubtfully.

“Was it fun?” Lucas asked coldly. “That eldest prince and that duke’s son or whoever, was it very fun?”

“…” Luo Ran stared blankly at Lucas.

“I’m asking you!”

Luo Ran felt that the current Lucas was like a lion who screamed because his territory was invaded. He explained helplessly, “I couldn’t possibly refuse the eldest prince when he asked me to dance. You also know that the eldest prince and second prince have been fighting to win you over. After I danced with him, I worried that other people would think too much and think that you’d made a decision, so I also accepted Xie Ancheng’s invitation. Everyone knows that Xie Ancheng’s family all follow the second prince.”

“Secretary Luo is quite thoughtful,” Lucas sneered.

Luo Ran was going to reply when his whole body lost strength and he uncontrollably toppled over.

Lucas subconsciously caught him. As a result, Luo Ran crashed into Lucas’ chest so hard that he saw stars.

Lucas’ first reaction was: fuck, this little bastard is planning to seduce me?!

But then he remembered Zhou Mingkai’s description of Xie Ancheng – secretly drugs people.

* * *

Lucas’ eyes darkened.

Xie Ancheng… doesn’t want his life anymore, right?

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Author:
Zhou Mingkai: I’m the Empire’s biggest CP fan! Who would disagree!
Nina: I disagree.
Rong Duo: I disagree.
Adjutant: I disagree.

Translator:
Lucas really cracks me up sometimes. But also, fuck that Xie Ancheng guy.

Footnotes:

1. Thank you for your kind words [过誉]: lit. ‘you’re overpraising me’, but in essence, it’s a polite response to a compliment. Sounds awkward in English so I changed it to something that more or less means the same.
2. Lively scene [觥筹交替]: very likely it’s supposed to be 觥筹交错, the last character is different; lit. wine goblets and tallies intertwine
3. Punk [杀马特]: specifically, shamate; an edgy aesthetic which developed in China around 2008, involving spiky hair dyed in unnatural colours, dark makeup around the eyes & lips; inspired by Japan’s Visual Kei style.

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After they finished eating, Lucas first sent Luo Ran home before going to the company himself.

Even after he took a shower and laid in bed, Luo Ran still felt the day was a little surreal.

His body was sore from riding a horse for half a day, but it wasn’t a major problem.

Who knew that he would spend the third day of his holiday with Lucas like this.

Luo Ran suddenly thought of the forum.

“…”

He froze, then forcefully steadied his heart, bravely picked up his terminal, and opened the forum to see if there were any new posts.

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH]

[AAAAAAAAAHHHH]

[OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH]

Luo Ran: “…”

There weren’t any real posts, just screaming.

Only after flipping several pages, almost making his finger cramp, did Luo Ran find a post with actual content.

[{Master Post} {Screenshots} The Admiral and Secretary Had a Date!]

After he clicked in, he found that the poster was a high-level member of the group who organized all the main points of the day.

[1: Unlimited doting – the entire amusement park’s dolls are for you!
The admiral reveals his domineering side and fights for love! He asks the secretary which one he wants, because he can get them all!
The secretary shyly expresses that anything the admiral gives him is fine. The admiral shows off his prowess and says he can give anything he wishes for.
The secretary is so happy that he teases the admiral, saying that he doesn’t want dolls anymore, he wants to play something more exciting. (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Below are photos taken by passersby.]

[2: Feelings are hard to suppress – I can’t help being intimate!
The haunted house is very private, so we don’t know exactly what they experienced. However, everyone can see from Miss Ghost’s post that the SSS-grade overbearing admiral is even jealous of a ghost! When they came out, Secretary Luo’s face was red and his legs were also soft (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Then the two ran underneath a tree, close enough to kiss – it’s not clear – then the secretary shyly pushed the admiral away and they went into the bathroom.
According to eyewitnesses, the admiral and secretary embraced in a cubicle, and the cubicle door was knocked off its hinges (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Below are photos.]

[3: The promise of love – a romantic dinner!
After sunset, the two went to a place famous for its beauty to take photos, below are screenshots from the lady boss’ account.
The lady boss says the two were particularly sweet together. The photos and meal were all decided by the secretary, looks like our Empire’s heroic lion can’t escape the fate of being henpecked (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄) (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
Then they watched fireworks together. Here I have to thank all the sisters who crowdfunded this, you’re too amazing!
The secretary watched fireworks and the admiral watched him, completely fascinated. He even sneakily took a photo. The secretary doesn’t know we know!! A sister got a picture!]

The comments below were going wild.

[Aaaah goddamn!!! I believe in love again! So sweet!]

[Wuwuwu it turns out the admiral can be so gentle.]

[Even jealous of a ghost… Admiral, as expected of you.]

Luo Ran: “…”

I-It really wasn’t like that…

Luo Ran wanted to cry.

And… the photos of that night only existed because after the lady boss posted them and people saw, this poster gathered donations to buy them and display them online.

It took a lot of work.

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran, helpless, wondered if he should thank them.

But if he did, wouldn’t that be indirectly acknowledging it…

Never mind.

Stuffed among the many incoherently screaming posts, Miss Nina’s posts were as eye-catching as ever.

She started another work, but this time it was a series of short stories.

[The Devilishly Charming Secretary and the Domineering Admiral Who Can’t Stop Doting on Him!]

“Zimei Xueran.” Lucas K. Dior Gucci Prada affectionately held Zimei Xueran’s hand and said, “I love you. I’m willing to share my family name with you.”*

“From now on, your name is Xueran Dior Gucci Prada.”

* * *

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran remembered what he told Lucas before: If I ever lie to you, I will take your surname.

Luo Ran: “…”

The forum was going crazy, and Luo Ran felt he might be going crazy too.

Now that everyone thought they were together, what would the real wife of the admiral do in the future?

The admiral’s problems were his problems.

Then the admiral’s wife’s problems were also his problems.

Anyways, it was always him who solved it in the end.

Luo Ran looked at the forum which looked like it was New Year’s Eve, or like the Empire won a great victory, with a tangled expression.

After thinking for a long time, Luo Ran finally decided to make an official account to explain.

[@Luo Ran the Secretary: A friend told me everyone here bought the fireworks, thank you, they were very beautiful {bow.jpg}. The admiral and I liked it very much. To celebrate our friendship, he brought me to relax today. I will continue to work hard in the future ^_^]

As soon as Luo Ran opened his account, a huge number of people followed and commented, showing his popularity.

It only took a few minutes for the news of Secretary Luo’s new account to spread.

His account received many messages.

[Cheers to the admiral and secretary’s great friendship! {doge.jpg}*]

[Friendship is a glass of wine, everyone who drinks will get drunk. I wish you many years of friendship!]

[Oh, what a beautiful friendship, I’ll toast to the admiral and secretary’s friendship!]

Seeing this, Luo Ran was very relieved and satisfied.

Sure enough, clarification was the right choice.

He stretched, set an alarm, then turned in for the night.

The next day, Luo Ran’s damnable heat finally ended, and so he returned to his usual ‘early to bed, early to rise’ lifestyle.

Luo Ran first went to the company to rescue the people in the secretary’s office and its director who were about to commit suicide from the stress, dealt with the urgent documents, brewed coffee for Lucas and arranged his clothing, then went to Xia Zhi in the afternoon to continue refining UNK.

In the past few days, neither Luo Ran nor the omega at the research institute made much progress, even though they poured all their energy into exploring this troublesome ore.

Luo Ran couldn’t rest even after night fell, he still had to check on the gift for the eldest prince’s birthday.

After all, the day of his birth was fast approaching. As the eldest son of the Empire’s most noble royal family, it was only natural that he organized a banquet and invite every big name in the Empire and its surrounding territories – including Lucas.

After he finally finished everything on his schedule, Luo Ran was about to head home when he was stopped at the company’s door by a person from Luobing.

A girl dressed as a maid stepped in front of Luo Ran. She smiled and said, “Our Royal Highness the Princess invites you to dinner.”

“Her Royal Highness, Lillia…?” Luo Ran felt a little strange. Last time, Lucas scolded her until she cried because of him. Logically, Lillia should hate him to death, right?

“Yes.”

“She’s inviting me, not inviting Admiral Lucas?”

“Yes! She hopes you can attend! It is taking place now, at the embassy.” The maid’s smile brightened. “It is inconvenient for the princess to leave the embassy. However, the top floor of the embassy has a good view and a beautiful greenhouse, so the chef was invited there.”

“…”

It wouldn’t be a trap, right?

“The princess sincerely hopes you can come!” The maid urged. “She also prepared a gift for you.”

Luo Ran let out a sigh, then followed the maid onto the hovercar.

If it was a trap then it was a trap, anyway, she couldn’t do much to him. At most, she wanted to retaliate by humiliating him. He could deal with that.

But such a sudden invitation was still too weird, so Luo Ran sent a message to the captain of Lucas’ guard-escort about his plans and asked him to contact him later just in case.

On the top floor of the embassy, Lillia, in a markedly different style than before, cheerfully watched Luo Ran approach.

Luo Ran walked up to her. “Did Your Highness ask for me?”

“Sit, let’s eat.” Lillia pointed to the seat opposite her and said in a haughty tone, “This princess requests you to accompany me for dinner.”

As Luo Ran sat, he wondered if she was trying to manipulate his emotions into saying good things about her to Lucas.

“I have received the secretary’s office’s chocolates, and I also accept your apology.” Lillia crossed her arms. “So this princess will not care about the past any longer.”

Luo Ran smiled and nodded.

Lillia was stunned by this smile.

She remembered that when they first met, Luo Ran also treated her this gently as he persuaded her not to provoke the admiral.

Looks like he’s also a pitiful person who is bullied by that unreasonable admiral.

The second time they met, he handed her a tissue and comforted her, and didn’t get angry even when she called him a watchdog.

Afterwards, he also sent chocolates as an apology.

Lillia clearly remembered what her mother told her.

Only if she married someone with a lower status would her spouse love, respect, and be in awe of her.

If they were a proud son of heaven like Lucas, they would only arrogantly refuse to take her seriously.

“This princess has decided, you’re not too bad.” Lillia stroked her chin. “What’s so good about marrying the admiral? He’s so fierce. Wouldn’t it be better to be with you?”

Luo Ran: “…” ??????

Luo Ran suspected his ears weren’t working properly.

Lillia tilted her face up proudly. “This princess permits you a trial period, and afterwards, we can slowly get to know each other.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Luo Ran reacted. “Your Highness, I am not suitable. You are a princess.”

“It’s because I’m a princess that you have to listen to me! I like you now, I want you.” She eyed him. “You are a secretary of the Empire, and your status isn’t low. It’s acceptable for you to marry into Luobing.”

His features were refined, his manners elegant, and his speech gentle and courteous.

And he was so handsome, with silver hair resembling a galaxy.

He was much better than that Lucas guy.

Lillia became more satisfied the more she looked at him.

Luo Ran thought… it was a little funny.

Before he arrived, he worried about his own safety, but things now were completely different from what he speculated. Why were Luobing’s people all so strange?

At this inopportune time, Luo Ran suddenly thought of a certain post on the forum.

[These Luobing people, their brains have probably been frozen by ice for a long time! So their IQ aren’t very good.]

Luo Ran shook his head and solemnly stated, “Princess, it is precisely because I am a secretary of the Empire that I cannot marry you. I know too many secrets of the Empire.”

“Huh?” Lillia frowned, not understanding at all.

Luo Ran explained, “In the Empire, civil servants who work with high officials have always been ordinary people with simple backgrounds because only these people will not and do not have the power to use the Empire’s secrets to its detriment. We can only seek protection from our superiors in the Empire.”

Lillia still didn’t really understand.

“So I am not someone of high status, but I have a hand in all military affairs in the Empire. Your Highness, as a foreign princess, do you think it is possible to marry me?”

“This, this…” This was indeed a problem. Lillia frowned.

After thinking it over, she clapped her hands and smiled brightly. “We can elope! How romantic!”

Luo Ran: “…”

Grinning, Lillia began to plan. “I’ve watched it in dramas, eloping is romantic and fun! Plus, Luobing will protect us!”

“Luobing was previously defeated by Admiral Lucas,” Luo Ran reminded her.

“But, but he doesn’t like you, he won’t send troops to snatch you back!” Lillia said. “Don’t let him deceive you! He treats you terribly, yelling and scolding, and even made me apologize for the sake of his own pride!”

Luo Ran felt extremely helpless.

They couldn’t communicate at all.

“Your Highness, please dispel your ridiculous thoughts. Marriage is not a game.” He stood. “I will pretend this never happened. I also hope Your Highness will no longer raise this matter, otherwise, the relationship between our two countries may become troubled.”

As soon as Luo Ran finished speaking, he left.

Just then, the captain of the guard-escort called him.

“Secretary, are you alright?!”

“I’m fine…” Luo Ran hesitated, then ordered, “Don’t tell the admiral about today.”

“Yes!”

        ———  XXXX  ———

The next day, the birthday banquet of the eldest prince took place as scheduled.

This was a big event. It was also a good opportunity for the eldest prince’s faction and the second prince’s faction to compete for Lucas’ favour.

–Only when they had military power in hand could they have the country.

And Lucas controlled almost all the strongest military forces in the Empire. The officers under him would follow whoever Lucas aligned himself with.

But Lucas was unwilling to interfere in their struggle for power. He only obeyed the Empire and its king; between the eldest prince and second prince, he would listen to whoever ascended the throne in the end.

Lucas’ thoughts on this were very simple and he didn’t care how the two princes messed around, but it was impossible for the people under them to sit still.

So, as soon as Lucas stepped into the banquet hall, a group of people rushed over like hungry wolves to toast him.

When Lucas put on a cold expression, his whole body was as imposing as an ice sculpture.

Among them was an old comrade of the marshal who was probably only there to greet Lucas, so Luo Ran didn’t rashly go and block them.

But there also wasn’t much for Luo Ran to do, just standing behind Lucas, so he simply turned around to get some food for him and Lucas to eat.

Luo Ran once again met Luobing’s Prince Andika near the buffet table. It seems like this person really loves to eat.

“Your Highness.”

“Ah… It’s Secretary Luo!” Andika smiled at him. “Thank you for the food last time, I liked it a lot…! It was delicious.”

“It’s good as long as Your Highness is satisfied.” Luo Ran glanced at the attendant following Andika and, smiling, commented, “I think I’ve seen this young lady before. Was it at the last banquet?”

Andika thought nothing of it and straightforwardly refuted him. “No, it was a different maid last time.”

“Oh… Why did it change?”

Andika stiffened for a moment, then his smile turned dry. “She fell sick.”

“Is that so? Then has she seen a doctor?” Luo Ran asked. “The Empire’s medical department is led by Shen Xiluo, they have many skilful doctors there. Your Highness can go there and try.”

“O-Okay…”

“What are you two talking about!”

Lillia’s angry voice came from behind Luo Ran.

“What are you flirting for, you bastard!”* Lillia glared at Andika and huffed, “Scram!”

“I-I’m sorry…!” Andika stumbled away with his plate of food.

Luo Ran faintly frowned.

“What were you talking about?” Lillia leaned in with a smile. “Accompany me to drink?”

Luo Ran looked at the beautifully dressed young woman in front of him. This matter can’t be left to fester, he thought, it’ll be bad if this little princess causes more trouble and it involves Luobing and the Empire.

As Lucas’ secretary, he was someone who existed to solve his problems, not add to them.

“Your Highness, let’s chat.”

* * *

Lucas was being forced by his father’s comrade to reminisce together when he saw Zhou Mingkai bounding over like a monkey.

“Admiral, Admiral! Brother brother brother! It’s not good!”

When the old comrade saw that the young people had something to say, he obligingly left.

“Spit it out,” Lucas ordered in an annoyed tone.

“Sist– Secretary Luo is going to be taken away!”

Lucas: “?”

While pulling at Lucas, Zhou Mingkai lowered his voice and said, “When I went home yesterday, I accidentally overheard my eldest brother talking about that princess of Luobing’s, Lillia. I don’t know what’s wrong with her brain, she somehow fell in love with your Secretary Luo, and even wanted to officially ask the Empire for his hand in marriage! But my eldest brother secretly suppressed this news.”

Lucas’ eyes widened. “How dare she?!”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Zhou Mingkai nodded his head as if he was pounding garlic. “She’s too audacious, oh I’m so nervous! Just now I saw the princess drag Secretary Luo to the balcony!”

Lucas’ eyes became even fiercer. “Absurd!”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Zhou Mingkai continued nodding, pounding away at the garlic. “It’s too fucking audacious! So let’s hurry to the balcony!”

Daring to steal his sister-in-law, wasn’t it absurd?!

 * * *

The balcony:

“Why? Why can’t we be together?!” Lillia was flushed with anger.

Luo Ran paused, then said, “Because… my heart already belongs to someone else.”

Suitable means for suitable problems.

“Huh???” Lillia couldn’t believe it. “Who do you like?!”

Luo Ran was silent for a while, then said with a heavy expression, “I like… Admiral Lucas.”

“I’ve liked him for many years.”

At this time, Lucas’ usual reputation of ferocity was very useful.

 * * *

As soon as he arrived at the balcony, Lucas heard this sentence.

Lucas: ???

Zhou Mingkai: ???

---

Translator:
And thus begin the misunderstandings…

This was a monster of a chapter at 10k characters, more than double the earlier chapters. For reference, those were 3-4k characters. Expect future chapters to be a bit longer at 4-6k characters, except for chapter 27 which is also 10k (Ｔ▽Ｔ)

Footnotes:

1. Share my family name [以我之姓，冠汝之名]: the more typically used (female) version is 以吾之名 冠汝之姓, meaning ‘using my name, crown it with your surname’. This is because in ancient times, when a woman married into a man’s family she would add his surname to hers. So when before she might have been surnamed X, and called Miss X, afterwards people would call her YX-shi, meaning Madam X of Y, with Y being the husband’s surname. At no point in history did the wife give up her surname completely and change it into the husband’s surname as in the West. A concise explanation here.
2. Doge.jpg [狗头]: literally the doge meme. In Chinese netizen slang, it conveys sarcasm/irony and is a way of stating the reverse position
3. As in bastard son, not as in an asshole. Though I’m sure Lillia would be happy to mean it that way as well.

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Happy lunar new year! Another early chapter to celebrate our New Year 2.0, and this one’s a doozy. It’s so long I’ve had to split it! Once again, your regularly scheduled update will go back to normal on Wednesday… which is tomorrow.
-moondancer

---

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In the bathroom:

Once he was in the bathroom stall, Luo Ran locked the door and dug out the inhibitor from his pocket.

He took its cap off with trembling hands. Just as he was about to inject it, he heard a thunderous shout from outside.

“Luo Ran?! Where are you?”

Lucas could detect the smell of white tea.

Luo Ran was so frightened that his hands shook and almost collapsed.

He opened his mouth but didn’t dare to speak, instead hurriedly thrusting the needle into his wrist.

Fortunately, he’d already sprayed scent blockers, so Lucas shouldn’t be able to smell his heat pheromones.

“Luo Ran?”

Lucas banged on the door.

“I-I’m fine…” Luo Ran tried to steady his voice, but couldn’t stop his shivering.

The inhibitor needed some time to work. Luo Ran kept his eyes on it with a death stare.

Lucas felt anxious when he heard Luo Ran so weak.

“Luo Ran, open up!”

“Admiral, I… Please don’t come in!”

Lucas pushed at the door, wanting to break in.

“Admiral…!”

Luo Ran stared at the pitiful door, which was constantly being hit, with ever-widening eyes.

It was at this time that the inhibitor finished injecting its contents.

One second later, the door crumpled and was officially turned into scrap.

At almost the same moment as when the door was shoved open, Luo Ran successfully threw the inhibitor and its bag into the trash can.

The pop of the trash can’s automatic lid closing was perfectly masked by the much louder sound of the door breaking.

Luo Ran lost his strength and slid to the floor.

“Luo Ran!” Frowning, Lucas strode forwards and caught Luo Ran in his arms. “How do you feel? Still sick from the claustrophobia?”

Luo Ran, still faintly trembling, didn’t speak.

It was almost revealed.

He couldn’t believe that he forgot he was still in heat.

But it was also Lucas’ fault for blocking his door so early in the morning, then the two set off for the amusement park, so Luo Ran forgot to inject his inhibitors.

“Luo Ran?”

Seeing that Luo Ran didn’t respond, Lucas said, “I’ll call Shen Xiluo.”

Shen Xiluo was Lucas’ GP.*

Then, as if he thought of something, Lucas added, “I can also help you call Xia Zhi.”

“No need.” Once Luo Ran recovered, he supported himself against the wall and stood.

Lucas frowned and offered Luo Ran his body as a crutch.

Luo Ran stumbled to his feet, only to hear an exclamation not far away.

Maybe it was because Lucas was too loud when he kicked the door open that all the nearby tourists and staff ran over to see what was going on.

So when they came in, what they saw was–

The door to the cubicle was, for some reason, off its hinges and fallen to one side. Inside, an imposing man held a delicate silver-haired man. The two men leaned on each other. The silver-haired man was flushed red and seemed to be unsteady on his feet.

* * *

Fuck.

The scariest thing was when everything turned silent.

“Ah… uh…” One of the staff members spoke up. “The door needs to be repaired! Everyone, don’t stand here and hinder the work!”

Then everyone finally reacted and slowly dispersed.

Luo Ran: “…”

Once everyone left the scene, Luo Ran expressionlessly turned and walked away.

Lucas: “…”

A-Angry?

Lucas chased him. “Luo Ran?”

Not saying a word, Luo Ran walked onwards with his arms crossed.

“Luo Ran? You’re angry?”

“Not at all,” Luo Ran said with a smile.

Lucas: “…”

“Why are you angry?” Lucas asked.

Luo Ran fell silent again.

“…” Lucas followed Luo Ran in a daze. He didn’t have any goal either, just wandering around while carrying his juice.

“Luo Ran.”

“Luo Ran?”

“How about you give me a beating.”

“Luo Ran.”

“How about I buy you something?”

Luo Ran stopped in front of a carousel.

“If the admiral takes a ride on this, I won’t be angry anymore.” Luo Ran kept smiling.

Of course, it was a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Lucas glanced at the colourful, disgustingly cute carousel with cheerful music, and fell silent.

Pei!

He was a dignified admiral, whose name brought awe to everyone who heard it. Even if Luo Ran was angered to death, angered to the point that he jumped off a cliff, Lucas wouldn’t take one step onto this damn thing.

* * *

Lucas: “I’ll go buy a ticket.”

Luo Ran was taken aback.

…He’s really going?

In a dull voice, he slowly replied, “No need to buy tickets… you can go straight up.”

Then he heard Lucas take a deep breath and stomp up the stairs.

Luo Ran: “…”

A man with a heroic bearing and a fierce expression stood under the rainbow pavilion, choosing his pony with the focus one might give to murder. No matter how someone described it, it made a weird picture.

In the end, Lucas chose a relatively less fancy one. He threw his leg over it with jerky movements, stiffly placed his hands on its handles, and sat up straight with his expression as serious as ever.

Luo Ran immediately, pitilessly, took out his terminal – to take a commemorative photo for Lucas.

Lucas’ gaze faintly rested on him.

He couldn’t suppress his laughter anymore.

When Lucas looked down, he saw that Luo Ran laughed so hard his eyes curved and his hair swayed, which was very beautiful.

Then Lucas also began chuckling.

He jumped down and walked to Luo Ran. “Not angry now?”

“I wasn’t… angry before.” Luo Ran smiled and tilted his head.

“Today I’ve seen a different side of the admiral.”

They circled back to the beginning.

It felt both comfortable and refreshing.

“Tsk,” Lucas snorted, then said, “I’ll take you to a place, it’s much more interesting than here.”

Lucas brought Luo Ran onto the hovercar. The navigation distance was quite long, bringing them straight to the city outskirts.

When Luo Ran looked out the window, he saw lush forests and vast grassland.

“Admiral, where are we going?”

“Going to a fun place.”

“Ah…” Luo Ran curiously asked, “Has Admiral been there before?”

He knew everything about Lucas’ movements. Logically speaking, if Lucas came here before, he should know about it.

“Twice, both times for meetings hosted by the Aldor family.”

Luo Ran understood as soon as Lucas spoke. Lucas attended the annual Aldor family reunion every year without Luo Ran accompanying him, and neither would Luo Ran inquire about it, since it was arranged by the marshal’s people.

But the entire Aldor family, from the main family to its branches, were involved with the military. A meeting place for this kind of people…

Luo Ran looked at the primitive landscape below them and fell into thought. If Lucas brought him to train or climb a mountain during his break, he’d… actually, he couldn’t do much.

After the hovercar landed, Luo Ran got off, prepared for anything to happen.

…?

But when he saw what was in front of him, he was still a little surprised.

“This is…”

Lucas smiled and said, “A ranch.”

Before them was a wide grass plain and fluffy white clouds against a clear blue sky, lit by warm sunlight.

The grass plain was full of horses of all sizes and colours. Some were resting, while others ran with the wind.

It was the first time Luo Ran saw such a scene.

“This is also a kind of entertainment left by the people of ancient Earth. But now, not many people know of it, and even fewer know how to ride a horse,” Lucas explained. “They’re all from ancient Earth, but it’s much better than your amusement park or whatever. If you want to ride then ride this kind of horse, what’s the point of riding a little wooden horse?”

This was much better than what Luo Ran expected. He happily walked forwards, wanting to take a closer look.

“Wait.” Lucas grabbed Luo Ran’s wrist. “Some horses who aren’t broken in will be violent and might kick people. You follow me, don’t run around.”

Lucas took Luo Ran to a farmhouse and asked the boss there for a saddle and bridle.

With a raised eyebrow, Lucas said, “I’ll take you on a lap, then I’ll teach you how to ride a horse.”

“Yes.” Luo Ran looked expectantly at the equipment in Lucas’ hands.

It was the first time the elderly boss saw Lucas bring someone there, and it was even such a beautiful person. All smiles, he said, “Have fun, young master, I won’t tell Madam Marshal.”

“You’ve misunderstood, this is my secretary.”

Lucas brought Luo Ran away to pick a horse.

Luo Ran asked curiously, “He calls you young master?”

“Yeah, the Aldor family bought the ranch, so now it’s private land.”

Luo Ran nodded.

People from Lucas’ family who were retired or didn’t want to join the military mainly went into business, and their family company could be considered a big one. His family had a handle on both the military and economy in the Empire.

As Lucas spoke, he patiently picked through the horses in the stable. If it were just himself, he would prefer to ride a spirited horse, or choose to tame a young colt, but today he wanted a docile and beautiful one.

The horse he stood in front of had a coat of pure white, soft hair, and a pair of eyes that shone like water in the sun.

At Lucas’ signal, Luo Ran stretched out his hand and stroked it. The horse lowered its head and rubbed his hand.

Luo Ran glanced at the nearby wooden sign with the horse’s breed and name, and smiled. “Hello, Lisa.”

Luo Ran had a foundation in fighting and good physical strength. Lucas wasn’t particularly worried.

Lucas taught Luo Ran how to mount the horse, and after he got on, Lucas jumped on too.

Luo Ran stiffened as soon as he detected warmth and pheromones coming from the person behind him.

He tentatively asked, “Do we have to ride together…?”

Lucas threaded his hand past Luo Ran’s waist, held the reins with him, and sat behind Luo Ran while holding him in his arms.

Lucas smirked. “You want to ride alone the first time you’re on a horse?* You’re quite arrogant.”

“…”

Lucas controlled the reins and stirrups, causing the white horse to amble out with the two on its back. They circled the pasture once, then slowly began to trot.

They didn’t move fast. Luo Ran could feel the oncoming wind on his face, which was extremely comfortable.

Sitting on this tall horse, he instantly felt the world open up. He could even see a lake in the distance.

“Having fun?” Lucas smiled. “Isn’t it much better than the amusement park?”

“Just as fun!” Luo Ran’s eyes were full of joy.

It was Luo Ran’s first time doing this, so everything was fresh.

Lucas hooked his lips, held Luo Ran’s waist tightly with one hand, and held the reins with the other. He kicked the horse’s flanks and sent it galloping with a sharp command.

“…!” Thrown by the force, Luo Ran’s body slammed against Lucas.

The shaking intensified, but after getting used to it, it was more comfortable once he found his balance and kept up with the rhythm.

Lucas made the horse run even faster, letting go of all scruples.

Luo Ran felt as if he’d plunged headfirst into the jetstream. At this speed, the boundary between heaven and earth blurred into nothingness.

Just as the books described, this was the feeling of freedom.

Lucas saw Luo Ran grip the reins so hard that his hands were rubbed red. “Let go.”

“…?”

Lucas’ lips curled up. “Trust me.”

Before he knew it, Luo Ran already obeyed and released his hand.

Lucas hugged Luo Ran’s waist tightly. Under his strong power, Luo Ran’s position didn’t deviate an inch.

“Comfortable…! So comfortable.” Luo Ran couldn’t resist raising his hands to feel the wind passing through his fingers.

Luo Ran’s long hair, blown by the wind, brushed against Lucas’ ears and lips.

The horse galloped on the prairie. At this speed where they could barely see the way ahead, Lucas gently kissed his hair.

       ———  XXXXX  ———

Lucas took Luo Ran to ride a horse and taught him basic riding skills. By the time they finished, it was getting into the evening.

The two found a nearby restaurant to have dinner and led the horse there. The restaurant also had stables, which could be said to be very convenient.

Lucas eyed the small wooden house hidden in the forest which was covered in lanterns and little lightbulbs, and said with some surprise, “I haven’t been here before.”

This place was near the ranch but not within its borders, so it wasn’t one of the Aldor properties.

Usually, when the Aldor family came, everyone would return to the main house to gather around a long table and have a formal meal.

Luo Ran commented, “Very romantic, very beautiful.”

The restaurant deck was decorated with tulle fabric, tassels, and candles.

“Hello, guests… It’s the admiral and his secretary!” The boss, a young woman, became a little excited when she saw them.

“Who?!” The young woman’s husband was cleaning the back porch. When he heard her words, he also came to the door to greet them.

“Oh!!! It’s the admiral and his secretary!”

Luo Ran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Hello.”

“Please sit! Please sit!”

The lady boss then brought the two of them to the second-floor balcony, where they could watch the most beautiful scenery and feel the night breeze as they ate.

She also handed them the menu.

Lucas sat there with his arms crossed and couldn’t be bothered to read it. Anyways, Luo Ran knew what he liked.

As Luo Ran looked over the menu, the lady boss enthusiastically introduced, “We’re famous for being a good spot for photography here! A lot of friends and couples have taken photos here, would you like to try?”

The lady boss indicated one of the walls on the lower level, which was covered in small photos, writing, and drawings.

It was messy, but also lovely.

“It’s very simple. We have a lot of good places, you just need to take a photo!” She continued, asking, “If you do take one, can we upload it online for publicity?”

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran felt helpless, but he didn’t mind that much. The news that he and Lucas came here had already spread, one photo wouldn’t be able to change much.

“So… would you guys like a camera to take photos?” The lady boss looked to Lucas with a smile, asking for his opinion.

Lucas, not having much interest in it, pointed to Luo Ran. “Ask him.”

Faced with the ardent eyes of the proprietress, Luo Ran said, “Okay, if it’s not too much trouble.”

When the two returned to the first floor, they saw a corner area sectioned off and set up as a photography spot with a hanging chair, a swing, beautiful wallpaper and shelving, and fresh flowers and lighting. It was indeed very beautiful.

According to the photo wall, most people first took a solo picture by themselves before taking a group photo.

Lucas directed Luo Ran to stand beside a bunch of flowers, then held the camera up and ordered, “Stand up straight.”

“Yes, keep your back straight.”

“Put your hand on your leg, make a fist!”

“Hold your head up higher, keep your shoulders back! Haven’t you eaten?”

The boss and lady boss, watching this happen: “…”

The two were dumbfounded as Luo Ran was guided to stand at attention.*

Luo Ran was also helpless.

Click!

Luo Ran’s solo photo was complete.

Although he stood as if he were participating in a military parade, the photo still turned out well because of his high face value and beautiful background.

After Lucas took his own photo, the two men stood stiffly in front of the gorgeous wallpaper and asked the lady boss to take their photo.

And so, their first photo together was created.

The lady boss printed out the photo then looked up with a smile. “Do you want to write something? For example, your relationship…?”

All the photos on the wall had a description, like ‘my love’, ‘a friend of fourteen years’, or ‘celebrating our eleventh anniversary of marriage’.

Luo Ran and Lucas answered at the same time.

Luo Ran: “Employee and employer.”

Lucas: “Brothers.”

The lady boss: “…”

The lady boss: “Okay.”

After the two went upstairs for their meal, she thought about it for a moment then wrote a line of words on the photograph.

—The special you

As they ate, Luo Ran received a report from their guards.

He read through it with a deep frown. “Admiral, we’ve got results from the investigation into Luobing’s Prince Andika. The investigators found scent blockers and… contraceptive pills… in the bathroom, which are suspected to have been used by Prince Andika.”

“Contraceptives?” Lucas’ brows knitted together.

“There is currently no way to confirm he was the one to use them, but the investigators think they were bought by the same maid he asked to buy fever-reducing medicine.”

“It’s really him?” Lucas raged.

“Not necessarily… I don’t think he is.” But Luo Ran also felt puzzled.

The perpetrator was clearly himself! How could it be someone else?

Then why did Andika need to buy these drugs? His movements also completely matched that person’s on the night.

Luo Ran quietly tapped the table as he thought.

Could it be…

“Eat if you’re going to eat, don’t think about work.” Lucas scowled and knocked on Luo Ran’s terminal.

Luo Ran looked up at Lucas in surprise.

Lucas, his boss, the Empire’s admiral, would actually be so caring?

But then again, the fact that he and Lucas were here for a meal together was already unusual.

Lucas bit at a piece of meat. “What?”

“I’m just thinking… I’ve worked with you for so many years, but it’s the first time we ate and played together,” Luo Ran chuckled softly.

He even felt it somewhat magical when he said it out loud.

“Happy?”

Luo Ran paused, then said, “Happy. It’s not only the first time having fun with the admiral, but also the first time I came out myself.”

Lucas was a bit surprised. “The first time?”

“Yeah.”

Lucas thought, His first outing was with me.

The lion’s possessiveness was satisfied once again, so Lucas broke into a grin. He tsk’d and said, “Secretary Luo’s life is very boring.”

“Think about who’s the reason.” Luo Ran also smiled. “It’s so busy at the company that Admiral can’t go out the door. I have even less time.”

“You.” Lucas waved a fork at Luo Ran warningly. “Anyway, you have to be my secretary for a lifetime.”

The atmosphere was pretty good.

Boom——

Immediately afterwards, the two were attracted by the fireworks that suddenly exploded in the sky.

Someone had bought fireworks and set them off at a nearby lookout.

Fiery rockets trailing shining tails soared upwards, then bloomed among the heavens.

Flowers soon decorated the barren night sky, as if a painter gave colour to the world.

“Beautiful.” Luo Ran subconsciously put down his knife and fork to watch.

As Lucas gazed upon the person in front of him whose face was cast into shadow and light by the fireworks, he raised his terminal… and took a photo.

In it, the silver-haired man’s eyes reflected a beautiful play of lights as he smiled up at the sky, against a backdrop of fireworks and the night sky.

---

Translator:
Rushed this to get it out for the lunar new year, my fingers are going to fall off

Thanks to diabolomenth for the Ko-fi!

Footnotes:

1. GP [私人医生]: lit. private doctor; general practitioner, aka family doctor; usually the first medical port of call for the normal person, especially in Western countries (maybe Eastern too? I know China has a more centralized medical system that focuses on hospitals rather than clinics); in my experience, not affiliated with hospitals
2. Note: Riding double is dangerous for both horse and rider. The weight is bad for the horse (especially two grown males!), falls are more likely, it’s harder to control the horse, and most saddles just aren’t made for it so it’s uncomfortable to boot. When you’re learning to ride for the first time, there’ll be a rope lead held by a more experienced person riding another horse or walking in front. This is fine because horses follow other horses. The beginner doesn’t even have to touch the reins at all, they can just hold onto the mane or saddle for dear life. 
3. Standing at attention [军姿]: a military posture often used in parades or for inspections etc. Usually involves standing upright with an assertive posture; general guidelines include: chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in, eyes front, heels together

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After getting off the roller coaster, Luo Ran’s legs trembled uncontrollably, and he immediately had to support himself with the railing.

But his situation was already considered good. Some people directly vomited as soon as they got off, or they couldn’t even stand firmly and fell to the ground, or they had to stagger to a nearby bench to rest.

Luo Ran turned to Lucas, who stood beside him.

He still had his arms crossed across his chest, but now looked at Luo Ran with an expression of intense interest. “It’s a very different side of the secretary than usual.”

“I don’t think it’s boring anymore.” Lucas grinned. “What’s next? The pirate ship? The Turbo Drop?* Let’s try them all.”

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran pursed his lips. “We won’t play these, let’s go to the escape room.”

Where no physical effort was needed.

Luo Ran swiftly turned and left, followed by a smiling Lucas.

The escape room had a supernatural theme. Players entered in teams, and not only did they have to solve puzzles to progress through the rooms, but they also had to endure various ‘scares’.

A team had a minimum of two people and a maximum of five.

Luo Ran and Lucas waited in line for a long time before they could go in, but they didn’t feel impatient at all. Rather, while queuing, they silently pulled out their terminals at the same time to… do paperwork.

When they walked into the dim room, the atmosphere immediately changed.

The candlelight swayed, the wind whistled, and there were strange sounds from time to time.

Luo Ran looked around the first room, which was shabby and dilapidated. The walls were messy and covered in bloodstains, and there were only three pieces of furniture: a bed, a desk with drawers, and a wardrobe. It undoubtedly matched the supernatural theme.

Luo Ran and Lucas first tacitly went to check the exit door, where they found a keyhole. It looked like the goal was to find a key.

Luo Ran: “Then let’s start looking for clues.”

The two began to search.

Luo Ran started with the bed. He pulled open the sheets to reveal a lighter, which should be a prop.

Following this, he crouched down, wanting to see if there was anything under the bed.

* * *

Then he met a pair of eyes rolled back to show their whites.

Luo Ran: “…”

They actually hid an artificial corpse under the bed, and its eyes were so big they could become searchlights.

Thinking quickly, Luo Ran calmly stood up. “Admiral, there’s a prop under the bed that I can’t reach.”

His tone was the same as usual, and his expression also wasn’t any different.

Lucas went and crouched down without thinking.　　

　* * *

Lucas: “…”

He got up. “You’re too bored.”

Luo Ran had some regrets.

He’d found a lighter on the bed, while Lucas found a charcoal grill* in the drawers, which happened to correspond with Luo Ran’s clue.

Logically, the key must be hidden inside something which needed to be melted. Lucas had searched the walls earlier, and the things there only explained the room’s story, so the key should be in the large wardrobe.

Luo Ran stepped up and opened the cabinet door.

He was prepared for something to jump out, yet unexpectedly there was no movement.

The cabinet was completely empty except for a lonely plastic ball in a corner.

Luo Ran reached out for it, but the back panel of the cabinet suddenly disappeared. The wood backing was actually just a piece of fabric that hid a small space behind it, from which a woman with dishevelled hair and a terrifying face leapt out at Luo Ran with a shrill scream.

She’d always wait until the player let down their guard before scaring them.

But Luo Ran wasn’t any ordinary person. He watched the female ghost come at him without any reaction, then calmly grabbed her shoulder.

Female ghost: “…”

This was a bit embarrassing. 

Didn’t most people close the cabinet door…!

And when the female ghost rushed out, her angle was a bit tricky, so she soon lost her balance and began to fall. Luo Ran immediately stretched out his hand to support her other shoulder.

Female ghost: “…”

This was even more embarrassing.

Lucas was using the lighter to make a fire, but when he saw what was happening, he angrily rushed forward. “What are you two doing!”

He saw the physical contact between them and, glaring at the female ghost, uncontrollably let out some pheromone due to an alpha’s strong desire for control.

His fierce gaze and hostility made the female ghost tremble all over. She quickly went back into her hiding spot, and even conscientiously closed the cabinet door herself.

Luo Ran: “…”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What are you doing, Admiral?”

“I haven’t even asked what you two were doing, pulling at each other,” Lucas sneered.

When she heard this, the female ghost hiding behind the cabinet covered her mouth to muffle her cries while logging on to the forum.

That’s it!

The admiral was so fucking excessive! He was even jealous of a female ghost! It’s too hard to be a ghost these days!

He deserved to be an SSS-grade alpha!

What a wonderful love!

As for the excessive Lucas and Luo Ran, after they collected the props and used fire to melt the plastic ball, they collected the key and moved on to the next room.

Although the design of the escape room was exquisite – the difficulty increased with each room, and there were many things to scare people – the two of them smoothly completed it all without any waves in their hearts.

When they came to the entrance of the last room, Luo Ran paused for a moment.

It looked like they had to crawl through a narrow passage.

Seeing Luo Ran’s hesitation, Lucas asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, let’s go.”

Past the passage was a smaller room, this time with a password-protected door. The walls were covered in countless colourful posters and stickers, among which the password was probably hidden.

This room was very special. It wasn’t so much a room as it was a box, which could barely fit five people standing up.

The sealed box only had a small gap in the corner for ventilation, and was very dark, giving a heavy sense of oppression.

Luo Ran and Lucas didn’t have much room to move around; the two had to match their movements if they wanted any hope of success.

Luo Ran stood in front of a wall, collecting clues, yet Lucas frowned slightly.

In this narrow and quiet space, he could feel Luo Ran’s breathing gradually becoming rapid.

Lucas stepped closer and touched the back of his hand to Luo Ran’s exposed skin.

It was freezing cold.

With a stern tone, he asked, “Luo Ran, you’re uncomfortable?”

“No.” Luo Ran replied quickly but his voice was a little weak.

Lucas directly pressed Luo Ran’s shoulder to make him turn around, then turned on his terminal’s flashlight.

As soon as the light turned on, he saw Luo Ran’s flushed face covered in a cold sweat.

Lucas frowned deeper. “Claustrophobia?”

“…” Luo Ran hesitated, then said, “It doesn’t matter, we can go out after finishing this.”

In fact, the entire escape room complex was automatically monitored by an intelligent system, so they could use their terminal to contact the administrator and immediately stop the game. However, Luo Ran didn’t want to do this.

For a game like this, he didn’t want to and didn’t need to give up here.

Luo Ran gently moved Lucas’ hand away and turned around. “Hurry up and I’ll be fine.”

He clenched his hands into fists, pinched his palm with his fingers, and forced himself to calm down. He did his best to adjust his breathing so that the inexplicable fear wouldn’t affect his rhythm.

The next second, he was enveloped by warmth.

Startled, Luo Ran turned his head and met Lucas’ eyes.

They were so close that the tips of their noses almost touched.

Lucas hugged Luo Ran from behind and pulled at his own jacket to embrace Luo Ran within.

Luo Ran could feel the heat of Lucas’ hand at his waist through the jacket, and his entire person was wrapped in the coat.

It was like being surrounded by tobacco. The sharp, strong scent soon swept through his brain.

Although they were so close together, Lucas thought he was a beta and didn’t see the need to restrain his pheromones, so Luo Ran felt a little weak. Fortunately, with claustrophobia as an excuse, his unsteadiness could be explained away.

Lucas: “Continue.”

The man’s deep voice floated into Luo Ran’s ears. He took a deep breath and nodded.

The alpha pheromone and sudden hug calmed him down.

Beep——

After a while, Luo Ran input the correct password and the two left the room.

This metal box was the last puzzle. The exit door led directly outside, where Luo Ran couldn’t quite react to the glaring sunlight.

“Congratulations on your success. In addition, you guys are the fastest team this month!” The staff member smiled and handed them their ‘escape room report’.

“And because you’re the current record holder, we have a gift for you.”

The staff member pointed to a shelf behind them, which was filled with rag dolls. “You can choose one to take home!”

Lucas had no interest in this, but Luo Ran went over to choose one.

After looking through them all, he picked a little lion.

The young male lion had a thick mane, was covered in fluff, had a cute scowl on its face, and its four paws were amusingly big for its size.

“This is for you.” Luo Ran stuffed the little lion into Lucas’ arms.

Lucas expressed distaste. “I don’t need these.”

“One for each person, take it as a souvenir.” Luo Ran also took back the little sheep he stored behind the counter.

The staff member watched the two big men. One of them was even tall and fierce, but one held a little sheep, while the other held a little lion…

It looked pretty cute.

The staff member couldn’t help but chuckle.

Lucas gritted his teeth.

Were the citizens of the Empire so idle?

They’d shoot targets for dolls, ride roller coasters, play in haunted houses, and do these clearly silly things all day?

Everyone had so much free time.

Afterwards, the two bought drinks and rested in a shaded area. Lucas asked with a frown, “Where did your claustrophobia come from?”

“Ah…” Luo Ran took a sip of juice, then said after a pause, “Born with it?”

“Lying again.” Lucas’ expression turned sullen. “If you keep lying, I’ll pour this water on your head.”

“…”

“What’s your evidence that I’m lying?” Luo Ran asked.

“Intuition.”

“Admiral, your intuition isn’t accurate.”

Lucas sneered. “If my intuition wasn’t accurate, I’d already be dead on a battlefield somewhere.”

So Luo Ran simply said, “Then I don’t want to say.”

“…”

“You sure are bold enough.”

“Yeah.” Luo Ran nodded calmly.

Bang——

The next second, Luo Ran was pressed against the tree trunk behind him.

Luo Ran: “…”

The reason he dared to act like that was because they were outside, so he didn’t think Lucas would do anything.

But… this?

Luo Ran panicked for a moment. “Admiral, people will see…”

“And I’d care?” Lucas raised his eyebrows. “I’ll let go when you say it.”

Lucas supported himself with the tree trunk behind Luo Ran, trapping him there.

Luo Ran quickly calmed down.

Although Lucas had a domineering personality, he wasn’t someone who would act rashly in public.

Luo Ran quickly assessed their surroundings. They were hidden in a corner where few people passed, and even if someone came, Lucas stood at the perfect angle for his tall body to block him from sight.

So, Luo Ran smiled at Lucas. “I’m not saying.”

Lucas: “…”

Lucas was a little angry.

His pheromones became denser.

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran knew Lucas didn’t do it on purpose, but his legs softened once again and his mind buzzed.

Before, it was already deadly for him to be so close to Lucas in the escape room, especially as Lucas was the SSS-grade alpha who gave him his temporary mark, not to mention he was currently going through heat.

It was just that he felt more fear and tension at the time, so nothing much happened.

Now he was already drenched in Lucas’ rich pheromones. With him being teased like this, Luo Ran felt a bit wrong.

“Ad… miral, let go.” Luo Ran grabbed Lucas’ hand and tried to push him away. “I feel a little nauseous. I’m going to the bathroom.”

Lucas frowned. Was he trying to escape?

Luo Ran lowered his head, his breathing somewhat disordered. “…Please.”

Lucas was so shocked that he subconsciously complied. Plus, his face did look very sick.

Lucas watched Luo Ran’s diminishing figure in a daze, not moving an inch.

A beat passed.

Then Lucas reacted and chased after him.

Luo Ran’s pallor was so bad, did something happen?

---

Translator:
Kabedon 2.0!

From next chapter onwards is the start of the VIP chapters. It’s also 2.5x the length of this one, so you can look forward to that. Go support the author on JJWXC if you can!

Footnotes:

1. Turbo Drop: a vertical drop tower that uses compressed air to slowly lift passengers to the top of the tower, hold for several seconds, then launches them down
2. Charcoal grill [炭烤盆]: these are probably small tabletop versions which are different from the usual Western outdoors BBQ grills

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Lucas stood there and even scolded Luo Ran. “How come you came home so late!”

Luo Ran: “…”

That’s right, this was a man who would act so righteously even though he was the one blocking someone else’s door.

Luo Ran could only helplessly ask, “Does Admiral want something?”

This feeling was as if it were a weekend and you were immersed in the joy of doing nothing, yet the boss suddenly called you in to work overtime.

Lucas didn’t answer Luo Ran’s question. Instead, he pointed at the door and said, “I’ve been waiting a long time.”

“…”

Luo Ran opened the door.

As soon as Lucas walked in, he sat on the sofa and pulled out three ties from the bag he held.

Luo Ran: “?”

Lucas frowned. “You help me choose one to wear at work today.”

Luo Ran: “???”

Then he ordered, “And brew me a cup of coffee.”

Luo Ran: “…”

Luo Ran stagnated for a moment then asked, “Admiral, you came all this way… just to drink coffee and choose a tie?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Lucas crossed his legs and folded his arms. “I couldn’t have one yesterday, if I still can’t drink I won’t be able to work.”

And the tie, if it wasn’t one Luo Ran chose then he always felt it looked ugly no matter how he arranged it. He’d been uncomfortable and distracted for a whole day.

Luo Ran admitted defeat.

He made it sound like no one in the company could make coffee.

Luo Ran had to obediently go into the kitchen and brew a cup.

Lucas sat in the living room and looked around him.

So small.

He furrowed his brows.

Doesn’t Luo Ran earn enough? How can his apartment be so small?

Although… it was both beautiful and homely. The walls were covered in sticky notes, cards, calendars, and other small ornaments. They all looked to be bought separately and arranged by the homeowner himself, showing that he knew how to treat himself well.

“Okay, here’s the coffee Admiral wanted.” Luo Ran handed the cup to Lucas. He swept an eye over Lucas’ outfit then picked out one of the three ties.

Once the tie was loosely knotted, he handed it to Lucas for him to put it on himself.

“Oh, right… There’s also this.” Luo Ran trotted into his room and came out with a small, delicate bag. “Yesterday I bought some buttons and buckles for Admiral.”

Surprised, Lucas raised his eyebrows and said, “You’d buy me things when you go out?”

“Of course.” Luo Ran passed the bag. “Your wardrobe needs to be replenished.”

Lucas’ expression lightened, and he even carried a hint of a smile.

He held the little bag and glanced inside. “Not bad.”

The styles were all to his taste.

Lucas carefully put it away then leaned back in satisfaction to drink his coffee.

Hmm, so comfortable.

Lucas looked at Luo Ran, who stood nearby. “What are your plans for today?”

“Go… to the amusement park.” Luo Ran remembered last night’s outrageous experience, and asked curiously, “How does Admiral know I’m going out?”

Lucas didn’t answer him. Instead, he frowned and asked again, “Going by yourself?”

Luo Ran nodded.

After a pause, Lucas turned on his terminal and opened his itinerary for the day.

He originally had another military meeting, but yesterday he’d asked Rong Duo to postpone it, so now there wasn’t anything particularly important on the schedule.

“I’ll go with you,” Lucas stated.

“…?”

What?

Luo Ran stared blankly at Lucas.

The admiral said… he’s going to the amusement park?

Lucas crossed his arms. “It’d look too bleak if you go alone.”

The scene completely had the appearance of Lucas deigning to grant his secretary a favour.

“I think going alone will also be fun,” Luo Ran said.

He wanted to relax, not take care of his boss all day.

Lucas turned his head and said in a dark tone, “You don’t want to go with me?”

Luo Ran pasted on a smile. “I just don’t want to waste your time. Admiral, you still have meetings to go to and have so many important tasks to do. A place like a playground for children isn’t suitable for you.”

“How can I know it’s not suitable if I’ve never been there? Besides, I also want to see what’s so special about it.”

“Admiral, I…”

Before Luo Ran could say anything, Lucas already took off his tie and military jacket, and undid the top three buttons of his shirt.

Once the formal outerwear came off and he only wore a thin white shirt, Lucas’ smooth lines of muscle became clearer.

And after unfastening his top three buttons, there was a hint of his broad and strong chest, as well as the swell of his Adam’s apple.

Luo Ran subconsciously looked away.

Lucas cracked his neck, pulled at his collar, and asked, “When do we leave?”

Luo Ran: “…”　　

* * *

An hour later, Lucas and Luo Ran appeared at the entrance of the Retro Amusement Park in the empire’s capital.

Since Lucas rarely went out, he didn’t have many casual clothes.

So before they set out, Luo Ran went to the mall and quickly bought him a normal jacket. When Lucas wore the black leather jacket, he looked even more handsome.

Luo Ran randomly chose a long-sleeved blue shirt for himself and folded the cuffs to show his wrists.

The two bought tickets and went in.

The amusement park was full of people, and all the facilities dazzled the eye. Of course, the most eyecatching was the super-tall ferris wheel and the roller coaster.

As Luo Ran looked around him, his mood improved a bit.

Lucas, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and sunglasses firmly perched on his nose, followed behind him in a lackadaisical manner.

The closest attraction was a shooting booth. Luo Ran bought them a set of darts each and handed one to Lucas.

Lucas looked back suspiciously.

Luo Ran pointed at the target. “As long as five darts hit, you can take a small prize. If ten hit the bull’s eye, you can get a doll.”

Lucas looked at the row of large plushies placed on a high shelf within the booth with disgust.

He looked around him. So many people desperately throw this thing, just for those fluffy things? Are they so bored?

Lucas impatiently turned to Luo Ran. “Which do you like, I’ll get it for you then we’ll go.”

Luo Ran: “…”

“Which?”

“…Anything’s fine.”

When the boss and nearby people heard their conversation, they all cast their gazes over.

Who would be so arrogant?

…Ah, it’s Secretary Luo?

And the admiral?!

!!!!

Some people in the crowd recognised the two of them and, covering their mouths in excitement, eagerly took sneak shots.

Quite a few people already recognised them, but the middle-aged boss was still stunned and said, “Young man, this target isn’t so easy to hit. If you want to show off in front of the one you like, you have to see if you have the ability first.”

Lucas sneered and didn’t say a word. He just stood in place and threw the dart in his hand with a whoosh.

Twenty darts were thrown out, and every one landed squarely in the little red area.

Yet the thrower didn’t stop his movements in the least, not even pausing for breath between each dart. He barely paid attention, instead preferring to look at Luo Ran and the boss.

“So cool…! Who is he?”

“It, it’s him!”

“Ah?”

Lucas’ series of actions brought a wave of admirers who all kept looking at Luo Ran with envy.

Luo Ran was a bit distressed.

This… he predicted that he would once again make his debut on the forum.

Maybe Lucas was already used to it, so he didn’t feel anything about being the centre of attention and nonchalantly walked up to Luo Ran. “Which do you want?”

There was a suppressed scream from the crowd.

Luo Ran’s ears flushed red, a little uncomfortable.

“A-anything’s fine…”

Originally, Luo Ran didn’t think this was anything big, just a normal interaction between superiors and subordinates who worked together for many years. But now that he was under the enthusiastic gazes of people who would later go on the forums to cheer for their CP,* Luo Ran felt somewhat embarrassed.

The boss had already solidified into a statue.

Heavens… what kind of person is this, is this a soldier of the empire who came out to play?

No, would a soldier come to a place like an amusement park?

Lucas stepped up, swept his eyes through the fluffy dolls, and finally took a little sheep.

Since it’s for Luo Ran, let’s get this one.

The little sheep was a big ball of fur. It was pure white, had a sleepy expression, and there were even two tiny horns on its head.

Lucas thought, it suits him. Very soft, very silly.

“Thank you…” Luo Ran took the doll.

“What else do you want?” Lucas asked. “Or we’ll go to other booths.”

He looked as if he was about to commit a robbery.

Luo Ran suggested, “Let’s go play something more exciting.”

And avoid these people on the way, otherwise, it would be too awkward.

Luo Ran saw that Lucas looked uninterested in the booths, so he decided to head for the most thrilling ride.

So the two lined up at the ticket counter for the roller coaster.

There were too many people in the amusement park for everyone to recognise them, plus Lucas also wore a pair of sunglasses.

Luo Ran examined the roller coaster track, which soared among the clouds and had many sharp turns. Riders were even restricted to those above eighteen years old.

“Scared?” Lucas stood aside, watching Luo Ran with his eyebrows raised.

“No way.” Luo Ran shook his head and smiled. “I’m looking forward to seeing a different side of the admiral.”

“Then you’ll have to wait.”

After Luo Ran stored his little sheep behind the counter, the two followed the crowd and got on the ride. Luo Ran tied his long hair into a firm braid and fastened his seat restraint.

“Five, four, three…”

“Two… One!!”

Following this announcement, the roller coaster slowly started moving.

Rumble——

The train made dull noises as it crossed over the tracks, but they were soon concealed by shrill screams that rose one after another.

Luo Ran could just barely stabilize himself. With his personality, he wouldn’t scream, but he was still dizzy and could only hold the handrail tightly.

When the roller coaster entered a relatively peaceful section, he turned to look at Lucas.

Lucas sat steadily with his arms crossed over his chest, looking just as bored out of his mind as before.

If his hair weren’t blown out of shape, you’d think he was sitting on a rocking chair.

That’s when Luo Ran remembered that Lucas was trained to fight in a mecha.

Mecha used on the battlefield shook much more than this, so control over the body’s balance was very important. At the same time, pilots also had to actively control the mecha to defeat the enemy.

Lucas, seeing Luo Ran’s death grip on the handrail, even let out a whistle.

“Weak chicken.”

“Not screaming?” Lucas pointed at the other people who were screaming for their lives and signalled Luo Ran to study them.

Luo Ran: “…”

There really wasn’t any sense of fun.

---

Translator:
Hahaha imagining Lucas’ unimpressed face gives me life

Footnotes:

1. CP: couple, as in shipping people together; often in the sense of pairing up celebrities

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