Future's First Marriage, Later Love - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

…only his nominal husband had gone to serve the country and hadn’t come, that was all.

“Then you must have a great time! It truly is a magical place,” the man said with a smile.

Hearing him say this, Mai Hai began to grow interested: “Have you been there before?”

“Of course!” The man looked immensely proud as he spoke. “This is my fourth time going to Egypt.”

“Oh, really? What do you do there? Not just traveling, I assume. Looking at that big bag of yours just now, could it be that you’re an explorer?” Mai Hai was suddenly excited. He remembered back when he was still on Earth, countless explorers followed one after another to visit the ancient civilizations there.

Back then, Mai Hai had desperately wanted to go to Egypt. He never expected that, under these circumstances and many years later, he would finally set foot on a journey to that mysterious land.

The man nodded and gave Mai Hai a playful wink: “Yeah. Want to come along?”

Mai Hai was somewhat surprised by the man’s warm invitation, but he quickly and tactfully declined the kindness. “I think I’ll pass. I’m afraid of ghosts.”

The man burst into laughter at Mai Hai’s words: “You’re really interesting. My name is Kedexin. What’s yours?”

“Mai Hai.” Mai Hai smiled and exchanged names with Kedexin.

Through their conversation, Mai Hai discovered that Kedexin’s primary occupation was also a military officer. He instinctively wondered if the man knew Polack. Kedexin said that every time he had a holiday, he would pack his pack and begin exploring various planets—from Earth Village to Mercury, from Mars to Pluto, from Halley’s Comet to asteroids… Mai Hai could foresee that the long thirty-plus-hour journey on the spaceship would not be boring.

Along the way, the two chatted very congenially. Before they knew it, quite a bit of time had passed. Kedexin told Mai Hai that the ship was about to pass through the Galactic Belt; he suggested Mai Hai sleep for a bit and promised to wake him up to see it. Mai Hai readily agreed, took a piece of clothing from his bag to cover himself, reclined his seat slightly, and leaned back to sleep.

Kedexin, however, didn’t quite understand Mai Hai’s behavior and questioned it. After all, the spaceship had temperature controllers that adjusted at any time according to the needs of living organisms, so it would never feel too cold or too hot; it was always maintained at the most appropriate temperature.

Mai Hai found Kedexin’s confusion a bit funny. He couldn’t exactly tell him it was a habit formed in the past that persisted even after his transmigration, so he just said it was a personal habit—he couldn’t fall asleep without covering himself with something.

Trip to Egypt (Part 1)

Mai Hai didn’t feel sleepy at first, but he gradually fell into a deep sleep. So much so that when Kedexin woke him, he was still a bit dazed, looking at him blankly: “What’s wrong?”

His dazed appearance made Kedexin stare a bit blankly. Although Mai Hai wasn’t considered handsome, his confused and defenseless state just after waking was truly captivating. He suddenly really wanted to kiss Mai Hai—and thinking about it, Kedexin did it, pressing a gentle kiss onto Mai Hai’s forehead.

Mai Hai was startled awake by the kiss and stammered, “You… what are you doing!”

Kedexin pointed outside and said, “Waking the Sleeping Beauty. Look over there.” As he spoke, he pointed to the transparent window of the spaceship behind Mai Hai’s head.

Mai Hai’s attention was successfully diverted. He turned to look outside. Countless glittering stars connected into a single line—a miracle that no man-made creation could replicate. The breathtaking scenery made Mai Hai’s eyes light up, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “God, it’s so beautiful!”

Kedexin looked at Mai Hai with a smile and said, “It is indeed beautiful.”

Mai Hai didn’t notice his gaze; he was fully concentrating on looking out the window. Before he transmigrated, he had seen the Milky Way’s countless asteroids connected together in a science museum, reflecting the sun’s light, but compared to seeing it with his own eyes now, what he had seen before was like a small sorcerer in the presence of a great one.

“It’s amazing!” Mai Hai kept watching the beautiful scene until the spaceship slowly moved away and plunged once more into the boundless darkness. Only when it was no longer visible did he reluctantly turn back, still feeling like he hadn’t seen enough.

Seeing Mai Hai’s reluctant look, Kedexin comforted him: “You can see it again when we return. If you still want to see it, how about I take you specifically to see it next time?”

“Really?” Hearing that he could come specifically to see this scenery, Mai Hai’s eyes couldn’t help but sparkle.

Kedexin nodded: “I can apply for spaceship usage rights in the military.”

“Ah! That’s amazing, you actually know how to fly a spaceship!” Mai Hai looked at Kedexin with a face full of admiration.

His gaze greatly satisfied Kedexin’s vanity; receiving praise from the person he admired was a supreme honor.

Since he had taken a nap, Mai Hai’s spirits were high: “Where do you plan to explore this time?”

Kedexin took out a hand-drawn map from his pocket and said, “An explorer gave this to me last time. It’s along the banks of the Nile; there’s a pyramid that hasn’t been discovered yet. This time, I plan to go there.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being snatched by a mummy to be eaten as a snack?” Mai Hai took the map, glanced at it, and teased as he handed it back.

Kedexin blinked playfully: “I don’t taste good, unless the mummy likes eating sour things.”

“Maybe he’s pregnant or something,” Mai Hai continued laughing.

Kedexin froze for a moment, and only after quite a while did he react, clutching his stomach and laughing heartily: “You’re really funny.”

“So are you,” Mai Hai shot back, refusing to be outdone.

Kedexin smiled and said, “Then I guess we’re two of a kind.”

“I think ‘six of one and half a dozen of the other’ is better,” Mai Hai smiled slightly.

Kedexin couldn’t help but feel even more fond of Mai Hai: “I didn’t expect your mastery of idioms to be so good.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Mai Hai replied, not being humble at all.

He hadn’t known Kedexin for long, but just over ten hours of interaction made Mai Hai feel that this person was decent, and being with him was relaxed and pleasant, like old friends who had known each other for years.

Pleasant times always pass quickly. Mai Hai and Kedexin chatted for a long time until both felt sleepy and leaned back to sleep.

When Mai Hai woke up again, the sweet, syrupy voice of the stewardess came over the spaceship broadcast. It was as soft as cotton candy, enough to make one’s bones go soft.

After the broadcast finished, Mai Hai watched the sky outside begin to turn white and muttered to himself, “So we’re almost there. I wonder what ‘future’ Egypt looks like?”

“Future?”

Mai Hai was startled by Kedexin’s sudden interruption. Patting his chest, he said, “You’re awake?”

Kedexin nodded and then asked, “What future Egypt?”

“Ah!” Mai Hai thought to himself: I certainly can’t tell you I transmigrated from the past world. “Oh, you misheard. What I meant was, I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt, and I wonder if it’s the same as what I saw on TV before.”

“So that’s it,” Kedexin nodded.

Mai Hai let out a long sigh of relief seeing that he didn’t press further.

As they approached Earth’s atmosphere, Mai Hai only saw a flash of white light outside the window, followed by clouds. The spaceship began to descend rapidly. Following the instructions, Mai Hai placed his hands on the handles at his side, and a circular soft buckle extended from his waist to hold him firmly.

The scenery outside the window sped past. Then, Mai Hai heard a sound similar to a steam engine exhaling, and the buckle at his waist retracted. The soft, sweet female voice over the broadcast continued: “Dear passengers from Planet Juhua, Flight Z-100 from Planet Juhua to the Egypt region of Earth Village has arrived safely. Thank you for flying with us. We wish you a pleasant journey. Please follow the guidance of the service staff, remove your boarding suits at the hatch, and disembark in order.”

Sitting on the outside, Kedexin stood up and took down his massive backpack, then took out a card and handed it to Mai Hai: “This is my contact information. You can call me anytime.”

Mai Hai took it, put it in his pocket, and said with a smile, “I will. Be careful on your way. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye!” Shouldering his large backpack, Kedexin bid farewell to Mai Hai reluctantly.

Mai Hai also took his single-shoulder cloth bag from the groove next to his seat, put on his sunglasses, and followed the crowd out of the hatch, removing his boarding suit before disembarking.

Standing in the airport hall, Mai Hai first went to collect his checked luggage, then came out of the hall in a great mood, turning back to look at the gleaming words on the airport: Earth Village  Egypt.

He found a “tutu” car at the entrance. Fortunately, there are high-tech language translators now, so there was no need to worry about language barriers. After giving his hotel address, the driver enthusiastically put Mai Hai’s luggage on the car. Mai Hai sat comfortably in the vehicle looking outside. Once the luggage was stowed, the driver got in and enthusiastically introduced the surroundings to Mai Hai while driving.

Mai Hai would ask a question or two now and then, but mostly sat quietly, listening to the driver’s words.

Technology is advanced now, and many places flash with the light of high-tech, but Mai Hai could still see the shadows of the Nile’s ancient civilization through these technologies.

The hotel was located in Egypt’s most prosperous area. Because Polack had high requirements for environmental comfort, the hotel naturally booked was quite high-class. Upon arrival, the driver enthusiastically helped unload the suitcase. After paying, Mai Hai walked toward the hotel with a light step.

At the entrance, there stood a five…