Future's First Marriage, Later Love - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“Stay home for now. Don’t go out; just stay at home.”

Mai Hai said somewhat helplessly, “Why?”

Pollack put it rather tactfully: “It’s nothing. Anyway, just stay home and rest well for the next few days. As for that matter, I’ll consider it.”

Mai Hai knew Pollack was definitely still angry because of what happened yesterday. As the saying goes, “When under someone else’s eaves, one must bow one’s head,” so he could only submissively agree. As long as Pollack was willing to let him go to work… that way, he would have the chance to go to Blues to find Spinai, contact the people from Planet Pandora, and leave this ghost of a place.

Mai Hai originally thought Pollack would go to work after eating, but to his surprise, Pollack didn’t even change his clothes today. After breakfast, he squatted in front of the glass tank teasing the little jellyfish. Mai Hai really wanted to ask him if he wasn’t going to work, but he was afraid Pollack would think he was chasing him away, so he gave up the idea.

Bored, Mai Hai started playing computer games. Computer games nowadays involved lying in a special chair, logging in, and wearing a headset; the nerves of the entire body would feel sensations—a good way to pass the time when bored.

While Mai Hai was playing games, Pollack took the chance to call Chris. This surprised Chris a bit, and he asked Pollack, “Little Spinach, what’s up? Did you sleep well yesterday?”

Ignoring Chris’s joke, Pollack said, “He wants to go out to work…”

“Who?” Chris asked. “Mai Hai?”

Pollack said, “Mm.”

“So, what are you thinking?” Chris asked him.

Pollack said somewhat blankly, “I’m not quite sure myself.”

Chris said, “You’re worried? Are you in love with him?”

Love? Pollack hadn’t thought about it in that way at all. After all, he and Mai Hai had only married in the beginning because it was necessary. But it seemed that, imperceptibly, his feelings for Mai Hai had begun to change. Every day after work, he couldn’t wait to get home, just to see that smile overflowing on his not-so-beautiful face as he said, “You’re back.”

Yesterday, seeing him with another man, smiling so incredibly happily, he felt very angry—a sense of being betrayed. But between him and Mai Hai, such a thing as love didn’t exist at all, let alone betrayal.

Pollack thought for a long time but still couldn’t figure it out. He decided to go out to clear his head. So he went upstairs, pulled Mai Hai out of the game, and said, “I’m going out for a few days. You stay home and don’t go out during this time.”

“Mm, I got it,” Mai Hai asked. “Is there a mission?”

Pollack hesitated for a few seconds before nodding: “Mm.”

Mai Hai said with concern, “Then be careful.”

“I know.” Pollack packed a few clothes and left the house. He needed some peace and quiet to think about what exactly was going on between him and Mai Hai.

Meeting Again at the Cocktail Party (Part I)

After Pollack left, Mai Hai was home alone. The game he had been playing suddenly felt tasteless. He called Spinai and said, “I’ve been grounded.”

“No way.” Spinai clearly didn’t believe Mai Hai’s words.

Mai Hai said helplessly, “It’s true.”

“So what are you going to do?” Spinai offered a bad idea. “How about sneaking out secretly?”

Mai Hai was silent. After thinking for a while, he said, “No, if I’m discovered, it’ll be troublesome.”

“Then when do you plan to handle that?” Spinai asked with a headache.

Mai Hai said, “Do you have an interference system on your end?”

“Yes,” Spinai asked curiously. “What do you want that for?”

Mai Hai said, “How about this: Pollack won’t be home for the next few days. Bring the equipment over at night. Wait for me to decipher the password for his outdoor radio-optical system, then I’ll dismantle the transmitter while you install the instruments.”

“OK.” Spinai agreed, but he was still a bit uneasy, so he asked out of curiosity, “He won’t suddenly come back, will he?”

“It’s fine.” Since Mai Hai dared to invite Spinai to the house, he had naturally considered everything.

After preparing some dry rations, Mai Hai went upstairs and turned off the game. Back on Planet Pandora, he had studied these things; he just hadn’t operated them practically. This time, he might as well use Pollack’s password for practice. Anyway, if he were accidentally discovered, he’d just deny everything to the death.

Mai Hai began to recall the design blueprints Pollack had shown him, observing where would be suitable for a transmitter. Because Pollack was a general—the first line of defense for the Giant Planet—his home was naturally different from that of ordinary citizens. Sometimes he would bring important documents and items home, so the security measures in his house were very well-done.

The more dangerous the place, the safer it is. Mai Hai thought about it: as long as Pollack wasn’t home, sending radio waves toward Planet Pandora from here should get a response very quickly without being suspected.

After spending most of the day, Mai Hai finally deciphered the string of passwords. He immediately called Spinai: “You can bring the things over now. And remember, you must bring the jammer.”

Spinai’s lazy voice came through the communicator: “Are you serious, big brother? It’s so late.”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Mai Hai didn’t feel like bickering with Spinai.

Knowing Mai Hai’s temper, Spinai stopped arguing: “Mm, okay, I got it.”

Mai Hai reminded him uneasily, “And be careful not to let anyone see you.”

“Don’t worry,” Spinai said.

After hanging up, Mai Hai started researching how to turn off the transmitters Pollack had set up around his house. Once he had handled two of them, Spinai arrived at his home carrying a large box. Mai Hai told Spinai to go to the study and set up the equipment first; that way, even if Pollack suddenly returned, there would be no need to worry—he could just say Spinai came over to play games.

After a while longer, Pollack had finally turned off all the transmitters. When he went upstairs to the study and saw Spinai still fiddling with that pile of equipment, he asked, “Not done yet?”

Spinai said, “In a second. I have to connect the damn jammer too.”

At that exact moment, the doorbell downstairs suddenly rang. Mai Hai made a “shush” gesture to Spinai. He picked up the video monitor in the study and asked, “Who is it?”

The image appeared; standing at the door was actually Kedexin. He asked with a smile, “Little Spinach?”

“It’s Mai Hai.” A bad feeling rose in Mai Hai’s heart. Wasn’t Pollack away on a trip? Why would Kedexin suddenly appear here?

Kedexin was also clearly taken aback: “Eh? Little Spinach isn’t home?”

“Mm, he went out,” Mai Hai said as calmly as possible.

Hearing Mai Hai’s words, Spinai also stopped his movements and looked at him strangely. Mai Hai frowned and shot a look at Spinai; Spinai understood and quickly began dismantling the equipment.

“Eh, alright then. Tell him to contact me when he gets back,” Kedexin said.

Mai Hai promised, “Mm, okay.”

“Bye-bye,” Kedexin said.

“Goodbye.” After hanging up the video monitor, Mai Hai said to Spinai, “I’ll help you. Today probably won’t work.”

Spinai asked, “What’s wrong?”

“He told me he was going on a trip, but…” Mai Hai didn’t continue.

The two looked at each other with mutual understanding and dismantled the equipment as fast as possible. Installing it was complicated and time-consuming, but dismantling it was much easier. In no time, the equipment was all taken apart. Mai Hai escorted Spinai out. At this time, only the outdoor lights were on. Mai Hai opened the door first to check the situation outside, and seeing nothing unusual, he let Spinai leave his home carrying the big box.

About an hour after Spinai left, Pollack suddenly returned. At this time, Mai Hai hadn’t gone to sleep yet and was wandering outside. Pollack looked at him suspiciously and asked, “Why aren’t you asleep so late?”

Mai Hai thought to himself that Pollack’s timing was really precise. He had just finished turning all the transmitters back on; any earlier and it would have been trouble. He smiled and said, “Oh, I couldn’t sleep. The weather is nice today, so I was looking at the stars for a bit.”

“Is that so?” Pollack still looked at him with some disbelief.

Mai Hai asked, feigning casualness, “How come you’re back so early? Didn’t you say it would be a few days?”

“Oh, it was nothing. They made a mistake, so I came back,” Pollack said. Actually, it was because he ran into Kedexin halfway and found out that Kedexin had gone to the house to look for him, so he hurried back. He just didn’t want Mai Hai to know he was intentionally avoiding him.

Mai Hai knew Pollack wasn’t telling the truth, but he couldn’t very well ask. He spoke as if he had no doubts at all: “Kedexin came by earlier looking for you. He wanted you to contact him once you got home.”

“Mm, I know.” Pollack felt a bit guilty in his heart, but seeing that nothing about Mai Hai seemed strange, he set his mind at ease and went upstairs with his luggage.

Mai Hai stayed outside for a while before following him up. Inside the bedroom, Pollack had already finished washing up and was lying in bed in his pajamas looking at something. Mai Hai took his pajamas into the bathroom to bathe. When he came out, Pollack said, “There’s a cocktail party tomorrow. Come with me.”

Mai Hai nodded and said, “Alright.”

“As for the formal wear, pick it out first thing tomorrow morning,” Pollack said in a business-like manner.