Luo Ran returned to the office after having dinner at Xia Zhi’s house.

Upon reaching the top floor, he saw that the lights were not on.

Luo Ran frowned slightly. He pushed open the office door and saw Lucas sitting on the side of the bed and looking at his terminal. There was no telling what was on his mind.

“Admiral?”

Luo Ran stepped forward with a smile: “What’s the matter?”

Only then did Luo Ran see that Lucas’s terminal contained satellite images of the wisteria flower villa.

A sea of purple flowers surrounded the wood cabin. It was sunny in the satellite images.

Luo Ran paused.

Lucas didn’t speak.

Luo Ran said with a smile: “Why are you suddenly looking at these? I remember that this villa is one of the Aldor family’s assets, right?”

Lucas said hoarsely: “Do you know everything?”

Luo Ran paused again.

Lucas lowered his head and said: “I’m sorry.”

He was the one who had caused Luo Ran’s spiritual injury.

Luo Ran had always had spiritual problems, and was injured badly by the UNK because of that fragility, which was caused by him.

Luo Ran bent down at once to hug Lucas, putting his head on Lucas’s shoulder.

“Admiral……” Luo Ran pressed his face to Lucas’s neck and said: “It had nothing to do with you.”

Lucas reached out to hug Luo Ran’s waist, but his hands froze unmoving in mid-air.

Lucas hated touching others, not only because of the aftereffects of the ravine before, but also because he knew he couldn’t control his strength.

The mechanical hand was one thing, and his own estimation of his strength was different from others.

—Thud!

In the next moment, Lucas was thrown down by Luo Ran.

Lucas’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Luo Ran to be so proactive.

Luo Ran embraced Lucas and lay down on the bed with him, smiling as he said: “Admiral, don’t think about it. It’s a thing of the past.”

Luo Ran lay on top of Lucas with his cheek against the other’s chest.

Lucas said nothing.

He could see the red marks on Luo Ran’s neck, and the bruises on his collarbones and wrists that hadn’t faded.

Luo Ran raised his head and said: “I remember. At that time, you accidentally injured me while protecting me, but you were in a very severe state of spiritual breakdown. However, it was because you wanted us both to live that you performed a spiritual resonance with me, and your spiritual power exploded.”

“If the Admiral hadn’t done so at that time, let alone being spiritually injured, I might have lost my life.”

Luo Ran smiled and said meaningfully: “So I must thank the Admiral.”

“The reasoning is sound.”

Lucas scoffed coldly. He embraced Luo Ran gently and said: “I will control myself in the future. I can learn.”

“An Alpha’s instincts cannot be controlled. The Admiral doesn’t have to force it.” Luo Ran closed his eyes slightly, saying: “This is good. It’s late, you need more rest, Admiral.”

“En.”

Luo Ran knew that Lucas was concerned, but it was illogical.

“Good night, Admiral.”

Raising his head, Luo Ran kissed Lucas on the cheek.

Lucas looked at Luo Ran for a moment, and finally grasped his chin and kissed him back.

Silly Ranran.

“Good night.”

The next day, Lucas went to military headquarters early, and only Rong Duo and Luo Ran were left in the office. Rong Duo happily typed at her computer as she replied to emails, saying: “I heard that my brother and Major-General Luo will be sent to join the army in the upcoming battle.

“Yes.” Luo Ran was also quite happy.

Luo Xingyuan and his adjutant Rong An would be temporarily stationed in the capital, which meant that Luo Xingyuan could live at home. He had brought his team back a few days ago.

“I hope they can stay after the battle……huh?” Seeing a new encrypted email, Rong Duo frowned: “Secretary Luo, this needs your permission to open it. I’ll forward it to you.”

“Okay.”

After Luo Ran opened it and read for a moment, his complexion became a bit bad.

“What’s that matter?” Duo Rong also became nervous.

“The First Prince was originally detained in court, but he used his connections to escape and left the capital.” Luo Ran said with a slight frown: “He left from a port exclusive to the royal family, and there are not many military troops stationed there.”

“Ah…..? Hasn’t he not even been convicted yet? Why is he in such a hurry!” Rong Duo was a little surprised. 

Luo Ran didn’t speak.

Since the First Prince escaped, it must be that he knew the result in advance.

But this was also to be expected. If it wasn’t obvious enough when the star pirates blew up J5, he would be found out through the pharmaceutical company accounts, not to mention that there was still Cyril’s confession.

Collusion between the First Prince and the star pirates was already a certainty.

Therefore, the First Prince cleverly used his relationships with the council to flee before the trial was held, and before he could be transferred to a heavily-guarded prison.

“But the First Prince running away……what is the use, ah?” Rong Duo didn’t understand. “If he runs, won’t he be wanted by the Empire? And he will lose the chance to turn things around.”

Luo Ran said: “The Empire will not arrest him, but will let the military department do it privately. It would be too ugly if this spread. The First Prince had no chance of turning the tables, so he ran away……”

After fleeing, he probably went to humbly beg the star pirates. The First Prince had been in power for so many years, so he must have some bottom line. This should be the last thing he had to trade to the star pirates in exchange for asylum.

If Lucas was killed in battle and the Empire was in chaos, then the First Prince could come back and fight.

And pull the carpet out from under them.

“Let’s leave this matter to the Second Prince. The military department will just follow orders.” Luo Ran rubbed his temples and said: “It isn’t easy for us to intervene.”

It shouldn’t look like the military was oppressing the royal family.

“Yes!” Rong Duo looked over curiously at Luo Ran.

Luo Ran was drawing on white paper with a pencil. This was a very rare scene.

“What is Secretary Luo doing, ah?”

“I’m preparing a surprise.” Luo Ran put his index finger to his lips and said with a smile: “You can’t tell the Admiral.”

“…….!”

“Oh!!”

. . . . . . . .

When Lucas returned in the evening, he opened the door and saw that Luo Ran had taken a shower and was sitting on the side of the bed wiping his hair.

Long blue-silver hair hung over his shoulders. Lucas gazed at his back and stood by the desk without speaking.

“The Admiral is back.” Luo Ran got up and handed Lucas some documents. “This is the court report. The Second Prince has already taken over. We may need to mobilize our people, and I plan to have Adjutant Lu negotiate. He is the husband of His Highness Andika, and he has enough status to negotiate on behalf of the military.”

“En, you can arrange it.”

Lucas took the official documents and frowned slightly. 

There was a book underneath them.

Lucas looked at it, and was a little surprised.

The cover featured two cute chibi characters, one of them fierce and wearing a military uniform and cap, and one of them smiling with a ponytail.

It was a small book made with beautiful paper stapled together.

“What is this?”

Luo Ran smiled: “It’s a birthday gift. Happy birthday, Admiral.”

Saying this, Luo Ran opened a small box to the side, and Lucas saw a cake.

The small cake was different from those sold outside, without excess cream and decorations. It looked very filling.

It was the kind of food Lucas liked.

Luo Ran also thoughtfully put the cream bottle beside it, instead of pouring it on the cake himself first.

“…..Ah.” Lucas remembered that it was his birthday today.

Looking at the birthday cake, Lucas smiled. Luo Ran would remember it every year and make him a “birthday cake.”

There seemed to be an extra gift this year though.

Lucas opened the book. On the first page was a character with short hair reading official documents, and a character in military uniform was scolding him.

Lucas: “……..”

This was the first time I saw you.

When they met for the first time, Lucas had angrily told him not to go into his office without permission. Still reading documents at that time, Luo Ran was dumbfounded when he saw his boss come back suddenly.

Next to it was a date.

Further on, there was a character with shoulder-length hair crying in front of an aircraft while holding a jacket. The character in military uniform was still fierce, but held the other party’s hand in clumsy comfort.

There were many more.

For example, the wisteria flower cabin, with two people sitting and gazing at the stars together, watching the fireworks festival together, Lucas’s first susceptible period after returning to the capital…..

Turning through it, every page contained bits and pieces of their lives and relationship. Luo Ran went from short hair to long, and Lucas always had that fierce look. Although he was fierce, Lucas knew how to hold Luo Ran’s hand from the beginning, and now he knew how to treat his lover tenderly.

Each page had a date.

They had been together for many, many years.

The gift they gave each other was time.

Lucas flipped through the pages without saying a word.

It was clear that Luo Ran had prepared it very carefully. The book was thick, and although the drawings were simple, it still would have taken time. It was even colored.

Every page had a date, thanks to Luo Ran’s memory.

It could be seen that Luo Ran truly cherished their time together, and recalled many scenes that Lucas had forgotten.

Lucas thought to himself, there is nothing this secretary can’t do, even drawing.

“So……” Luo Ran lowered his head with a smile. “I really don’t care about the Admiral accidentally injuring me with his spiritual power. Although it really can’t be called an accidental injury……it was a compromise for protection.”

“You said you would like me no matter what. I……”

Lucas said in a low voice: “Of course I do.”

“Silly Ranran.”

Lucas treasured it very much, and put it away. Then, breathing a little quickly, he grabbed Luo Ran’s collar and kissed him.

Luo Ran wrapped his arms around Lucas’s neck and tilted his head upward to cooperate.

This kiss was very passionate, and Luo Ran could feel Lucas’s tongue break in to outline every inch of the back of his teeth. The two exchanged breaths and pheromones, and perhaps because the kiss was so enthusiastic, the pheromones gradually got a little out of control, which……filled the two of them with desire again.

Lucas pressed Luo Ran onto the glass desk. Laying on his stomach, Luo Ran said nervously: “Here…..?”

“En.” Lucas said with red eyes: “I won’t be like I was the last two times. I’ll learn.”

“No, not……here.” Looking at the pens and documents beside him, Luo Ran felt too embarrassed. This was where Lucas worked.

Besides, there were still people outside who hadn’t left work. If they came in……

“Right here.” Lucas bowed his head and bit Luo Ran’s ear. Purposely malicious, he didn’t tell Luo Ran that he had already locked the door.

“Admiral……the cake……you haven’t eaten it yet.” Luo Ran struggled: “You eat the cake, I’ll make the bed, and we……”

Before he finished speaking, he couldn’t speak anymore.

Lucas said with a smile: “I want to eat a more delicious cake. I don’t want to eat that hard flour.”

Lucas thought to himself, this year’s birthday benefits were really good.

. . . . . . . 

Two days later, the battle finally began.

The star pirates attacked eastern Luobing, entering from the wasteland, and occupied several small cities. Mu Yuan was already prepared to lead the army to meet the enemy.

This also meant that Lucas was going to fight.

After two days of tenderness, Lucas was about to leave the capital again. But this time was different. This time, Luo Ran would see Lucas again soon.

Having bid farewell to Lucas, Luo Ran headed to the pier. 

This battle was very important, especially since the star pirates had prepared a Meteor Shower.

Because of this, Luo Ran personally escorted the logistics supplies. Lucas gave Luo Ran Wang Qiuyuang, and put Luo Xingyuan with him, who had just transferred back.

When Luo Ran went to the pier, Luo Xingyuan stood up straight and gave a military salute.

“Commander Luo!”

The two stood on the edge of the dock where everyone could see. Luo Ran understood Luo Xingyuan’s intentions.

The commander in charge of logistics this time was Luo Ran, so Luo Xingyuan and Wang Qiuyang straightforwardly expressed their obedience to Luo Ran. This stabilized the morale of the soldiers, and simultaneously, Luo Xingyuan also conveyed that there was no special relationship between relatives on the battlefield.

“En.” Luo Ran nodded. He looked at the battleships that had docked around the pier, and took a report from Luo Xingyuan.

According to plan, they would set off the next morning and meet Lucas on the battlefield.

The two brothers stood facing each other, one tall and stalwart in military uniform, and the other elegant and capable. Just looking at them gave people a sense of trust.

“We’re almost ready.” Luo Xingyuan said: “We will be able to leave on time.”

“Good.”

Luo Ran patrolled around with the report, and Luo Xingyuan had his adjutant Rong An follow along.

When Luo Ran came to the western side of the pier, he saw a soldier rushing over, who said: “Commander Luo! Six boxes of gunpowder are missing from the H6 battleship!”

Luo Ran recognized him as Wang Qiuyang’s cousin, Wang Ruicheng.

Both Wang Qiuyang’s younger brother and cousin had joined the military, and their positions were quite high. Wang Ruicheng was the commander of H6, and had also gone to the snowy mountain with Luo Ran before.

“What?” Luo Ran frowned slightly.

Luo Ran boarded H6 and took the inventory records. It really was missing.

“Turn on the trackers.” Luo Ran frowned and said: “There are trackers under the supplies.”

“Yes!”

After Wang Ruicheng left, Luo Ran and Rong An went to the main control room and saw a red dot appear on the screen.

The cargo had been hijacked to another pier.

This pier was located in a very tricky place. Although it was still within the scope of the Empire, it was adjacent to the border of the Desolate Star.

Rong An asked: “Commander Luo, should we pursue them?”

“Yes.” Luo Ran said: “Have Adjutant Wang bring the whole team over.”

The opponents were likely star pirates. This situation was not surprising. Although this was called logistics, because it was where the supplies were, it would directly affect the front line and was just as dangerous. That was why Lucas left behind his most capable Wang Qiuyang, and even Luo Xingyuan.

“Yes!”

Rang An also went.

The battleship started up and chased in the direction of the red dot.

Then the alarm sounded.

Luo Ran looked at the main control screen — The battleship he was on had been hijacked.

Luo Ran raised his eyebrows slightly.

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Chapter Eighty-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighty-Eight