The General's Love Glitch - Chapter 8

Ruan Wei was alone in Jun Jue’s private lounge, utterly bored.

This was her first time aboard a starship, and she desperately wanted to explore. But she had promised the pretty sister not to wander around recklessly.

The lunch had been sumptuous. After so long without human food, and having finally seen her mother’s image as she wished, her appetite had surged. Before she knew it, she had overeaten.

The pretty sister’s lounge was spacious, ten times larger than the prison cell she had been confined to before. She wandered aimlessly to help digest, and when she grew tired, she found herself beside a simple bed covered only with a green military blanket.

Ruan Wei yawned, tempted to lie down. But then she abruptly remembered how the pretty sister hadn’t even allowed her into the mecha cockpit, so she dismissed the thought.

She returned to the silver metal dining table, resting her arms on it and laying her head in the crook of her elbow. Soon, she fell asleep.

…

Jun Jue returned to the lounge with a grim expression.

Lin Qiyue’s unexpected move earlier could be considered a major communication mishap. The Chief Executive had demanded that even if she refused, it should be done privately not in a way that would embarrass Lin Qiyue or him publicly. That was why the call had been abruptly terminated.

When the private communication came through, the Chief Executive had insisted on dismissing all soldiers present before speaking.

If private refusals had worked, today’s fiasco wouldn’t have happened.

If she hadn’t been pushed to her limit, she wouldn’t have used such a severe term as “forced marriage.”

The Chief Executive’s expression had darkened instantly, while Lin Qiyue stood beside her father, speechless.

“Marriage is free in the Federation, Xiao Jue. You’re joking, there’s no such thing as forced marriage.”

“If you truly don’t return this time, I’ll arrange for Qiyue to marry Hanjun, Zhuo Hanjun, the Federation’s prospective general.”

Whatever else the Chief Executive had said afterward, or how Lin Qiyue had protested with furious shouts, Jun Jue didn’t want to recall.

The operation to defend the energy planet G30 had been launched immediately after her victory in a battle against space pirates. The troops had only a dozen or so hours to rest and regroup while the starship traversed the interstellar passage.

By her count, she had only been away from the Federation for half a month.

Yet, in that short time, the Federation had already gained a prospective general.

Zhuo Hanjun. Jun Jue leaned against the lounge door, arms crossed, eyes closed as she searched her memory.

The name wasn’t familiar at all. She could list every decorated officer in the military, and Zhuo Hanjun wasn’t among them.

But since the Chief Executive had made this decision, he must have been planning it for a long time.

Had she not returned safely to dispel the rumors of her death, the Chief Executive would likely have announced Zhuo Hanjun’s promotion from prospective general the day after her funeral, directly usurping the position she had nearly died to earn.

“Zhuo Hanjun.” Jun Jue murmured the name softly. Her neural interface responded to the command, instantly pulling up all available information on Zhuo Hanjun.

A virtual screen lit up with several lines of introduction:

Zhuo Hanjun
Gender: Female, S-Class Alpha
Age: 24
Blood Type: B

The identity details were conspicuously absent. The most useful piece of information was “S-Class Alpha,” though even that was questionable.

Jun Jue flicked her fingers, deleting the search history. The smart interface then automatically displayed the name “Ruan Wei.”

Her hand paused as she read the summary of what Ruan Wei had done in her absence.

Wandered in circles to digest.

Fell asleep at the table, still asleep now.

No unusual behavior detected.

Jun Jue put away her light brain and cleared the set of data.

Then, she straightened her shoulders away from the door, resumed her upright posture, and strode with her long legs toward the depths of the lounge.

Casually glancing toward the dining table, she saw Ruan Wei with her face nestled in the crook of her arm. From her angle, she could only see a small part of Ruan Wei’s cheek and her tightly closed eyes.

Ruan Wei’s eyelashes were long and curled, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes.

Jun Jue didn’t pause her steps, walking directly to the desk in the lounge and sitting down.

Before starting her work, she casually turned off the light above the dining table.

…

There was no information about Zhuo Hanjun in the Federal database, but Jun Jue didn’t give up her investigation. Throughout the afternoon, she tried various other methods to gather information about Zhuo Hanjun.

At 7 p.m., the lounge door was knocked on again, the lieutenant had personally come to deliver dinner.

Jun Jue turned on all the lights in the room, stood up to open the door, and noticed as she passed the dining table that Ruan Wei was still asleep.

The lieutenant still didn’t get any chance to come in, and even craning his neck didn’t let him see what he wanted to see.

“General, are you sure you don’t need me to assist you with your meal?” the greasy lieutenant persisted.

Jun Jue lifted her eyelids slightly, giving him a cold glance, and he immediately shrank back.

Jun Jue pulled the meal cart in herself and closed the door directly.

Pushing the cart to the dining table, she found Ruan Wei still asleep. Jun Jue lightly tapped the table three times with her knuckles.

Only then did Ruan Wei stir, nuzzling her face deeper into her arm, still unwilling to open her eyes.

Jun Jue: “…”

This was the first time she’d seen someone who could sleep so much.

“It seems you really do prefer eating compressed biscuits.”

Ruan Wei woke up, opening her eyes, but her expression at the mention of compressed biscuits wasn’t exactly happy.

“The restroom is over there,” Jun Jue said, pointing vaguely in its direction.

Ruan Wei slowly got up and headed to the restroom. She washed her hands first, then splashed some water on her face.

There was a mirror on the wall, and Ruan Wei looked up, admiring her reflection for a few extra seconds. After ten years without a mirror, she seemed even prettier now!

But soon, another worry surfaced.

Her eyes were streaked with red veins. She was glad she hadn’t looked up to meet the pretty sister’s gaze earlier, otherwise, she would’ve definitely been exposed as a vampire.

What to do, what to do?

Ruan Wei stared at her reflection in the mirror, deep in thought.

Jun Jue had already set the table. After a few more minutes, Ruan Wei still hadn’t come out of the restroom. Considering some possible needs girls her age might have, Jun Jue walked over to the door to ask.

“Do you need anything?”

Blood.

She really wanted to drink blood right now!

But she absolutely couldn’t say that.

“Check the second drawer of the storage cabinet under the mirror… see if there’s anything you need,” Jun Jue said, clearing her throat slightly, sounding a bit awkward.

Humanity had evolved for thousands of years, yet still hadn’t escaped this particular discomfort. However, rapidly advancing technology had minimized the inconvenience, sanitary pads were now smart, capable of self-cleaning and staying dry, needing only one change per day.

Ruan Wei didn’t quite understand what she meant. Vampires didn’t have this particular human problem, but she still opened the storage cabinet and looked at the second drawer.

Sanitary pads. She vaguely recalled her mother using them when she was still alive. She took a small pack and stuffed it into the inner pocket of her cloak, creating a small bulge.

The problem still wasn’t solved. She couldn’t just ask the pretty sister to let her drink her blood.

“Pretty sister, you should eat first. Don’t worry about me.”

Jun Jue waited by the door, unsure if Ruan Wei’s issue was what she had guessed.

Ruan Wei’s voice sounded dejected, a little withdrawn.

Jun Jue said, “Call me if you need anything,” then walked away.

After a while, Jun Jue was already eating when she saw Ruan Wei emerge, bundled tightly in her cloak with the hood up, revealing only the lower half of her face.

There seemed to be some kind of mark on her face.

“Come eat.”

Ruan Wei walked to the table but didn’t sit down, only saying, “I don’t want to.”

Jun Jue noticed the mark on her face, it was the imprint of a military badge from the cloak, probably pressed there while she slept.

Jun Jue didn’t push her. She watched as Ruan Wei walked alone to a corner, crouched down, hugged herself, and lowered her head like someone withdrawn into themselves.

After finishing her meal, Jun Jue cleared the table but left behind a bowl of rice and two dishes she hadn’t touched, braised pork and blanched Chinese broccoli.

She pushed the meal cart to the door; someone would come to take care of it later.

Closing the door, Jun Jue saw Ruan Wei still curled up in the corner in the same position.

She walked over and said softly, “Even if you regret following me, I can’t let you go right now.”

“We’re in space at the moment, and there’s no docking point available. The next one should appear in about two hours.”

“I don’t regret it,” Ruan Wei murmured, slightly raising her head, her hands clutching the hood to keep it firmly over her eyes.

Jun Jue paused, not quite understanding Ruan Wei’s behavior, and only said, “Go wash up and rest.”

Ruan Wei tugged at her hood as she stood and headed to the bathroom.

“There are clean towels and pajamas in the storage cabinet. None of them have been used.”

“Thank you, pretty sister,” Ruan Wei said before closing the door.

“Pretty sister, can I use the bathtub?”

“Go ahead.” Jun Jue never used the bathtub herself, preferring showers, so she agreed without hesitation.

Ruan Wei placed her clothes on a clean rack, filled the tub with cold water, washed her hair, then sank comfortably into the bath.

As she leaned back against the edge of the tub with her eyes closed, she remembered her parents taking her to the swimming pool when she was little.

She swirled her hands aimlessly in the water, but it didn’t ripple the way she wanted. Disappointed, she pressed her lips together.

Remembering that the pretty sister still needed to bathe afterward, she got up after half an hour.

She found a hair-drying cap and a bathrobe in the storage cabinet. After wrapping herself up, she checked the mirror, her eyes weren’t as red anymore, maybe from the cold water.

…

When Ruan Wei came out of the bathroom, Jun Jue was browsing the latest updates.

She noticed Ruan Wei seemed in better spirits this time, even smiling a little.

“Pretty sister, I’m done. You can go wash now.”

Jun Jue stood and walked toward the bathroom.

While undressing, she noticed something odd, there was no warmth in the room at all.

Ruan Wei had bathed in cold water.

Jun Jue showered with warm water, dried her hair with a blow-dryer, and stepped out to find Ruan Wei sitting at the table, eating the food she had left behind.

Seeing her, Ruan Wei stopped eating and asked nervously, “Pretty sister, can I eat this?”

Jun Jue nodded, and only then did Ruan Wei relax and continue eating. The way Jun Jue had looked at her just now made her think she’d made a mistake that the food wasn’t meant for her.

Ruan Wei focused on filling her stomach while desperately repeating to herself:

“You’re human, human. Eating human food is enough. Blood is just an occasional treat.”

But for the past ten years, she had only ever drunk blood. Suddenly cutting it out was difficult.

Still, aside from stuffing herself full, she had no better way to stop her eyes from reddening, turning purple, or her little fangs from emerging.

“You can go dry your hair after eating,” Jun Jue said.

Ruan Wei shook her head in refusal.

Jun Jue didn’t think much of it, assuming Ruan Wei might simply dislike the heat, after all, she even used cold water for her bath.

Soon, another question crossed her mind: where would Ruan Wei sleep tonight?

The lounge only had one bed.

The image of Ruan Wei napping on the desk that afternoon flashed through Jun Jue’s mind.

Letting her sleep on the table again was out of the question.

She found an inflatable tent in the Silver Fox mecha cabin.

Originally meant for harsh combat conditions, it now seemed perfectly suited for Ruan Wei.

She set up the inflatable tent in the corner where Ruan Wei had previously crouched, just six or seven meters from her own bed. A wall stood between them, one that could be easily bypassed, ensuring privacy for both while allowing Jun Jue to keep an eye on any unusual movements from Ruan Wei.

After washing up, the two settled in for the night.

Ruan Wei climbed into the inflatable tent, the soft air cushion beneath her making it quite comfortable.

Jun Jue lay down on her bed and turned off the lights. Perhaps because her private space now unexpectedly included Ruan Wei, she found herself wide awake.

Her posture was impeccable, lying flat on her back, motionless, eyes closed as she rested.

About half an hour later, Jun Jue heard faint rustling sounds from the other side of the wall.

The noise was steadily drawing closer.

Her fingers tensed slightly as she waited in silence to see what would happen next.

…

Author’s Note:

General: “So she followed me with ulterior motives after all?”

Weiwei: “First attempt at climbing into bed, kinda nervous (._.)”