The General's Love Glitch - Chapter 19

Jun Jue nodded in agreement and tightened her grip on Ruan Wei’s hand.

The clerk behind the counter belatedly realized that the voice speaking to her earlier had been unfamiliar. When she looked up, she was startled.

“G-General…”

As soon as this clerk spoke, the others also turned their heads and promptly stood up, their eyes darting around nervously. Each was mentally reviewing whether they had inadvertently said anything inappropriate while happily slacking off earlier.

“General, are you here to accompany your wife to look at a neural computer?” the clerk who had mistaken Ruan Wei for a coworker asked nervously yet excitedly. She never imagined she would one day meet General Jun Jue in person.

Jun Jue gave a slight nod, but the atmosphere in the store remained tense, as if a cold front had frozen all warmth.

The clerk smiled and asked, “What specifications is your wife looking for in a neural computer?”

Ruan Wei had no idea and turned to Jun Jue for help.

Jun Jue said, “Show her a few high-performance models.”

“Rest assured, General.”

“I also want one that looks pretty,” Ruan Wei added, tilting her head up to look at Jun Jue.

Jun Jue pinched Ruan Wei’s cheek and turned her face toward the clerk. “Tell the clerk yourself.”

“Oh.”

Jun Jue’s fingers lingered in the softness of Ruan Wei’s cheek, giving it one last squeeze before withdrawing. Then, with a serious expression, she began selecting a neural computer for Ruan Wei.

Ruan Wei leaned in close to look with her, their hands still tightly intertwined.

The clerks internally screamed like fangirls: I’m witnessing real-life romance!

Ruan Wei picked out several neural computers, but after checking the prices, she put each one back.

Jun Jue picked up the silver-gray model Ruan Wei had last returned and said, “We’ll take this one.”

Ruan Wei clasped both hands around Jun Jue’s arm.

“What, don’t you like this one?” Jun Jue glanced sideways, lowering her gaze to ask.

Ruan Wei shook her head. “How did the General know this was my favorite?”

Jun Jue didn’t answer. Instead, she raised her right hand to display the payment code for checkout.

The cashier clerk was puzzled by the color choice. The general’s wife seemed young, shouldn’t she prefer bright, pastel colors? Why choose silver-gray? But when the clerk saw Jun Jue’s own neural computer, it clicked: the couple even matched their tech accessories.

After completing the payment, the clerk asked if they needed help with packaging. Jun Jue declined, taking it directly and fastening it onto Ruan Wei herself. She transferred all the saved data related to Ruan Wei from her own device and set up basic services for her, including a network plan.

Ruan Wei didn’t have to worry about a thing. Standing to the side, she cradled the neural computer, exploring its features. Noticing the empty contacts list, she recalled Jun Jue’s account and tentatively sent a friend request.

Jun Jue saw the notification: It’s Weiwei. Followed by a little purple demon emoji that vaguely resembled a vampire. The corner of her lips curled slightly as she tapped “Accept.”

The clerk who peeked at the scene thought, The general’s wife is just too adorable.

“Your learning ability isn’t bad,” Jun Jue remarked after they left the neural computer store.

Ruan Wei said proudly, “I’m very smart.”

…

Once inside the hovercar, Jun Jue asked, “Shall we head home now?”

“Not yet.” Ruan Wei was still fiddling with her neural computer. “I want to go to the hospital to look for a job. Last time, you told me the Federation has civilian hospitals. Could you take me there?” She looked up at Jun Jue with pleading eyes.

“…” Jun Jue didn’t know how to begin. Ruan Wei had spent the past decade in prison and likely had no medical knowledge, despite her healing abilities, something she couldn’t casually reveal.

“General, I just want a simple job at the hospital, one that doesn’t require medical expertise,” Ruan Wei insisted.

After a moment’s thought, Jun Jue said, “I’ll take you to see.”

…

Half an hour later, the hovercar landed in the parking lot of Second Citizen Hospital, and Jun Jue led Ruan Wei inside.

Jun Jue wore her gray-green military uniform, while Ruan Wei was draped in a fuzzy military-green cloak, standing out conspicuously among the ordinary citizens seeking medical care.

Everyone in the Federation knew General Jun Jue. And because of her, many had already seen Ruan Wei’s beautiful face online. The hospital buzzed with excitement, though it remained subdued, no one dared to disrupt order in the presence of the Federation’s War Goddess.

This was Jun Jue’s first visit to Second Citizen Hospital, and her first time witnessing ordinary citizens suffering from various illnesses and injuries. The hopeful, reverent gazes fixed on her were overwhelming.

Ruan Wei, too, was seeing this for the first time, and she felt ashamed for coming under the pretense of work when her real goal was to find food.

Jun Jue guided Ruan Wei to the reception desk. The staff member was stunned. “Is the general’s wife really going to work at our hospital?”

Jun Jue gestured for Ruan Wei to speak for herself. “Yes,” Ruan Wei said, slightly embarrassed. “But I don’t have any skills. Is there any simple job I could do?”

Ruan Wei was eventually assigned to comfort and care for young patients. Eager to start immediately, she agreed, and Jun Jue left after confirming her shift hours.

Jun Jue sat in the hovercar, hesitating to leave. She was uneasy about leaving Ruan Wei alone. Staring at her holopad, she considered sending a message.

“If you have any problems, just tell me,” she typed, then immediately deleted it.

After waiting another quarter-hour with no word from Ruan Wei, Jun Jue finally started the hovercar and left Second Citizen Hospital.

…

Ruan Wei changed into a white coat and was led to her workstation by a nurse. At first, she was nervous, but she quickly adapted.

The ward housed six children, all under ten years old, the youngest just three. There were five boys and five girls, all suffering from congenital diseases. Ruan Wei read them fairy tales and played small games to boost their mental and physical well-being.

As she played with the children, Ruan Wei completely forgot her original purpose. Before she knew it, her shift was over.

Her workday ended at six in the evening. After saying goodbye to the children and promising to see them tomorrow, she left the ward. A woman in a white coat emerged from the neighboring ward, a gentle-looking brunette with a warm smile. “I heard from a colleague that the general’s wife was working at our hospital. I didn’t believe it at first.”

“Hello, I’m Tian Tian,” she introduced herself. “Tian as in ‘farmland,’ and Tian as in ‘serene.’ I work in the next ward over. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Ruan Wei smiled warmly. “You can call me Weiwei.”

Tian Tian covered her mouth in mock horror. “I wouldn’t dare!”

“Why not?” Ruan Wei asked, puzzled.

“Isn’t that the general’s special name for you? At the starport, that’s what she called you.”

“No, not really,” Ruan Wei denied. When she was little, her parents and many uncles and aunts used to call her that.

“By the way, Tian Tian, how are you getting home?”

“I’m taking the Sky Bus.”

“What’s a Sky Bus?” Ruan Wei asked curiously.

Tian Tian pulled up images and routes of the Sky Bus on her wrist-computer to show Ruan Wei. When Ruan Wei saw the words “Military District,” she got excited.

“Can I come with you?” Ruan Wei asked.

“Of course,” Tian Tian readily agreed, though she found it a bit odd that the general’s wife would take an ordinary Sky Bus. But then again, the general’s wife was also working at a regular hospital, so maybe it wasn’t that strange. Tian Tian quickly dismissed her doubts.

After changing out of her white lab coat, Ruan Wei followed Tian Tian to the Sky Bus stop.

Meanwhile, Jun Jue, who was on leave, had already left home to pick Ruan Wei up from work. She waited in the parking lot for a long time but didn’t see Ruan Wei come out.

Worried that something might have happened, she called Ruan Wei on her wrist-computer.

Ruan Wei answered slowly, and after a while, her image finally appeared on Jun Jue’s screen.

The background was noisy. “General, did you need me?”

“Where are you?” Jun Jue asked.

“I’m on the Sky Bus. It’s so lively here!”

…

Jun Jue returned home alone, having failed to pick up Ruan Wei.

Uncle Zhang greeted her at the door. “Madam didn’t come back with you?”

Jun Jue shook her head. Seeing her expression was off, Uncle Zhang didn’t press further.

Jun Jue went straight upstairs to her room and instructed Uncle Zhang through the door not to mention that she had gone to pick up Ruan Wei.

Later, Uncle Zhang knocked on her door to say dinner was ready. Jun Jue came out and heard that Ruan Wei still hadn’t returned.

At Uncle Zhang’s urging, Jun Jue called Ruan Wei again. This time, she couldn’t see Ruan Wei, only darkness.

“Weiwei?”

“General, I can’t find my way home.”

Ruan Wei’s voice was trembling, sounding both pitiful and scared. Uncle Zhang, listening nearby, fretted anxiously, muttering, “Oh dear, oh dear.”

Jun Jue headed downstairs while reassuring the person lost in the dark. “Don’t be afraid. Wait there, I’ll come get you.”

“Okay…”

Ruan Wei had no idea where she was. It was already dark, and she couldn’t find her way. She wasn’t yet familiar with using her wrist-computer and hadn’t figured out the navigation. Not wanting to trouble Jun Jue, she had been stumbling around blindly in the dark, trying to find her way home.

But in the end, she had still inconvenienced Jun Jue, forcing her to come looking.

Ruan Wei crouched in a dark corner, the only light coming faintly from her wrist-computer. She raised her hand to let Jun Jue see her.

Jun Jue did find her by that faint glow. She bent down and pulled Ruan Wei up from the ground.

Ruan Wei hung her head, not daring to look at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I thought the Sky Bus would stop near the Military District, close to home, and I could find my way.”

“It’s no trouble,” Jun Jue said.

“Huh?” Ruan Wei was stunned. She had prepared a whole speech of apologies just like every time she had tried to escape and was dragged back to her cell by the bad guys, she had instinctively apologized. But this time, before she could even say anything, Jun Jue wasn’t blaming her.

Jun Jue lifted Ruan Wei’s right hand and lightly tapped her wrist-computer. “You can adjust the brightness here.”

“Oh, that’s where it is? I looked for so long and couldn’t find it.”

“Remember this spot. From now on, you can call me directly by pressing here.” Jun Jue swiftly set herself as Ruan Wei’s emergency contact without hesitation.

Ruan Wei didn’t quite catch the steps but was stunned by her words. Unsure, she asked, “You… really don’t find me troublesome?”

Jun Jue released her hand and walked ahead.

Ruan Wei stayed rooted in place. She decided to test it, pressing the button Jun Jue had just mentioned. The general, who had been walking ahead, stopped. On her wrist, a miniature projection of Jun Jue appeared in the darkness, confirming the call had connected.

“I can’t keep up with you, General,” Ruan Wei said.

Jun Jue turned back with a resigned sigh.

Ruan Wei flashed her a triumphant, sweet smile before dashing toward her through the night.

…

Author’s Note:

Weiwei: The general actually doesn’t find me troublesome ^o^/