Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 120: A Bouquet of Roses

Xia Liang and Zhu Yanchen officially “separated”.

This statement wasn’t entirely accurate. The news of their breakup was already made public before Zhu Yanchen disappeared. And since Zhu Yanchen’s resurrection, they hadn’t made any comments regarding their past.

Later, when Miss Xia’s identity as “Dong Lao” was exposed, she officially became a Marshal of the United Government. The distance between them became more apparent. They never acted together in non-public occasions, and their words and actions showed no hint of familiarity, clearly exhibiting a normal superior-subordinate relationship.

Some people were quite dissatisfied with this development.

Knowing that Xia Liang had been Zhu Yanchen’s subordinate for many years, tabloid journalists started speculating and fantasizing about numerous ambiguous stories. Initially, the writers could only imply, and the United Government didn’t pay attention. But gradually, some people became bolder—one of the most legendary leaders of the United Government, and a marshal who transitioned from being a star became the subject of openly discussed interests.

The catalyst was a press conference related to medical issues.

Zhu Yanchen himself didn’t attend, but Xia Liang was present as one of the marshals. After repelling the Erosion Swamp, humanity entered a period of rapid development, and the atmosphere of the press conference was quite relaxed. That was until a daring reporter asked Xia Liang a question.

“Do you and Mr. Zhu have any plans to get married within the year?”

A smile froze on Xia Liang’s face. Before she could respond, another question was thrown at her.

“You’ve been secretly accompanying Mr. Zhu for so long. Is this marshal position some kind of transaction promised to you by Mr. Zhu? The current status of the Xia family…”

The journalist who asked the follow-up question didn’t even have the courage to finish his own question—Xia Liang’s smile faded, and her expression turned terrifyingly unpleasant.

She was still beautiful. Stripping away the layer of gentle charm, her beauty carried a hint of aggression, transforming from rose petals into thorns. However, Xia Liang had always been skilled in dealing with the media, and she wouldn’t lose her temper in public. At most, she would no longer hide her true character.

Fortunately, she didn’t become arrogant, and she was easier to deal with than Yi Ning back then. Even if someone asked impolite questions, Xia Liang would cleverly defuse the situation and keep the conversation under her control.

…This was the first time she revealed this expression.

“The woman behind a successful man? You certainly know how to choose a topic.” Her face twisted, revealing an uncomfortable, cold smile. “The word ‘accompanying’ is quite interesting. Did I disguise myself as an old man just to keep Mr. Zhu from feeling lonely? What do you think the battlefield is?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s admirable that you’re willing to go through thick and thin with Mr. Zhu. We are…”

“Go through thick and thin?” Xia Liang continued with a cold smile. “The reason Zhu Yanchen initially hid and concealed things is simple; he had no choice. It’s the same for me. I could only find a collaborator to exploit.”

With that, the smile at the corner of her lips grew even more pronounced.

“As for why I didn’t have a choice, it’s because certain people firmly believed that I was destined to be nothing more than a pastime—either a pastime for the public or a pastime for Zhu Yanchen.”

“It’s unnecessary to be so negative. This is too harsh,” someone murmured quietly below. “Who doesn’t know that Zhu Yanchen is responsible for the majority of the achievements on the synthetics’ side? She merely stabilized the situation within the city.”

“Yes, now she’s pretending to have contributed so much. The Xia family has so many members, and Xia Yufeng’s contribution isn’t insignificant. But in the end, Xia Yufeng only received some money, while she climbed to the position of Marshal after the war… Who believes that she has no connection with Zhu Yanchen?”

“At least Marshal Yi fought on the frontlines and made so many sacrifices. She stayed safe and sound in the headquarters without any trouble…”

Xia Liang seemed to have heard their words, and her disdainful smile carried a hint of contempt. She didn’t explain, argue, or even show anger.

“The theme of this press conference is the improvement of medical policies, not a lesson on the basics of tactics, and certainly not a personal life exhibition.” Her voice grew slightly louder. “Everyone, please restrain yourselves. I have only one thing to say to all of you—remember how you used to evaluate Zhu Yanchen many years ago. I hope you keep it in mind.”

Her words were light yet cold, carrying a kind of oppression that had never been felt before. The crowd involuntarily fell silent, allowing her to steer the topic back.

Many years later, when the United Government welcomed its youngest female leader, some people did recall this chilling moment. However, that was a story for another time.

After the meeting, Xia Liang took decisive action, directly pressuring several major organizations that spread rumors and publicly announcing her sexual orientation. Since then, discussions about romantic relationships involving the leader and marshal could only be found in unofficial tabloids.

“Now the magazines are full of rumors about Marshal Xia and Doctor Ai,” Uncle Pan said while wiping the wine bottles. “After Marshal Xia stirred things up like that, your partner finally got liberated.”

“No one dares cause trouble in front of A’Yan. The articles are backed by big conglomerates seeking profit, and they’re skillfully toeing the line. A’Yan can’t just step forward without a valid reason, so it’s infuriating. But it’s their own fault, running into Xia Liang’s crosshairs.”

Shu Jun casually flipped through the newspaper. “I’ve said before that I don’t care about those messy gossip stories, but he has always been bothered by this.”

“Tsk tsk, young people.” Uncle Pan gave Shu Jun a sideways glance. “They like to be possessive; that’s why they mind.”

“But it’s Xia Liang. She would always stay at the Ai’s Clinic whenever she has time. Ai Xiaoxiao would complain to Mr. Tang three or four times a week… Oh, recently Dr. Ai has been complaining less.”

Shu Jun put down the newspaper as he responded in a heavy tone.

“Anyway, Xia Liang is completely out of the question. It’s more appropriate to say that A’Yan and his office desk are more ambiguous. I’ve said it a billion times, but he just doesn’t listen—despite being extremely tactical, he’s more stubborn than anyone in this regard.”

Uncle Pan raised an eyebrow. “Why? Worried that without Marshal Xia, more people will have their eyes on your significant other?”

Shu Jun burst into laughter. “Let them look. If he wanted to betray me, he wouldn’t wait until now. Xia Liang has her own thoughts and is not obliged to be a shield for the two of us, but…”

“But?”

“But I feel a bit regretful if I don’t take the opportunity to tease A’Yan a bit. Uncle Pan, do you know anyone at the flower shop? Help me order a bouquet of roses—the biggest one they have—and have it delivered to the command center.”

“No problem, I’ll take care of it.”

“Oh, by the way, also…”

One day later.

Zhu Yanchen saw the message sent by the gatekeeper, and his face turned slightly pale. The assistant thought something major had happened and approached with trepidation. When he took a look, he almost couldn’t control his expression—

There were countless invitations outside the meeting, and many bold pursuers even sent gifts to the command center. Since Marshal Xia came out openly about her sexual orientation, people from other factions no longer held back. The young and handsome leader was the best target for a political alliance. The Xia family didn’t want that piece of fat, but there were plenty of people eager to make a move.

During the period of the fastest development for humanity since the apocalypse, Zhu Yanchen was just over thirty, in the prime of his life. With his resolute and efficient style, he would undoubtedly choose a partner that maximized his own interests.

As for the confession from the leader of the synthetic humans at the beginning, it had long been forgotten by everyone.

The assistant flipped through a long list of items. “Wow, this name. Isn’t he the leader of the Southern New Trade Association? It’s fine if a lady sends a gift, but why would he, a single man, send this kind of gift?! Marshal Xia’s coming out really gave them quite a lot of inspiration…”

Zhu Yanchen glanced at his assistant with a complicated expression.

“Sir, the number of gifts being sent recently is increasing. I promise to return them all, but they just won’t give up. If we don’t handle it soon, the situation will only get worse.” The assistant earnestly changed the topic. “I know you’re not interested in romance, but honestly, it would be best for you to find a partner, even if it’s fake, to put an end to their hopes—”

“Help me order a new set of uniforms for my meetings,” Zhu Yanchen firmly stated. “Completely redesigned, without gloves.”

“But, but…”

“Traditional systems can be reformed, and traditional uniforms can naturally be changed,” Zhu Yanchen said each word with determination as he slowly took off his gloves. “Isn’t there a fairly significant meeting next Wednesday? Get it done before then.”

“You…?!”

The assistant’s gaze immediately fell upon the young leader’s ring finger. On his fair skin, the ring exuded a warm blackness. Judging by the mark, it was undoubtedly a ring that had been worn for a long time.

“I’m married. My spouse doesn’t want to get involved in politics, so I don’t intend to disclose their identity.”

In public, Zhu Yanchen’s attire was always impeccably neat, and even the assistant had never seen him take off his gloves. Shaken by this earth-shattering news, the assistant stumbled over his words. “B-B-B-But, in that case, surely many people will want to ascertain your wife’s identity. Even if we can suppress it, it will still be quite troublesome. Your wife is a lady, and she might not be able to withstand those scheming individuals. Maybe, maybe you should consider asking her to endure it and hire another lady to pretend in public…”

“No.”

“Sir…”

“In the past, I was able to make myself untraceable, so naturally, I can make my partner untraceable as well. I won’t have someone else impersonate my spouse; absolutely not. As for those gifts, same as usual. Return them as they are.”

After speaking, Zhu Yanchen breathed a sigh of relief, his tone becoming lighter.

“By the way, I need to correct something. My ‘wife’ is a man.”

“…”

The assistant stood frozen in place for a few minutes, trying to confirm whether his boss was joking or not. Seeing that black ring and recalling the confession of the leader of the synthetic humans earlier, he suddenly had a bad premonition.

Forget it, forget it. He must be overthinking things. How could it be “that person”? The leader of the synthetic humans had been placed in an underground secret chamber, dormant for a long time. He had seen the images inside the chamber himself—Shu Jun didn’t have any rings on his hand.

Who could it be then?

It was one thing if it were a woman, but he remembered every man Zhu Yanchen had come into contact with, and he hadn’t seen him show any special attitude toward anyone. On the other hand, considering Mr. Zhu’s current work intensity and scope of activities, if he wanted to have a normal family life, that gentleman would have to be able to fly.

When it came down to it, the two of them couldn’t even meet face-to-face.

Thinking of this, the assistant’s shock began to turn into sympathy. In his mind, the image of a gentle, slim, and restrained young man emerged.

Forget it. If they were willing to make sacrifices for love, he shouldn’t speculate further. The assistant regained his composure and looked at the list of gifts.

“Um, sir. There’s a bouquet of roses here, but it has no signature or message, and it can’t be returned. Do you want to dispose of it or…?”

“No information at all?” Zhu Yanchen furrowed his brow.

“No information at all. The gatekeeper scanned it. It’s just a large bouquet of roses, and they’ve been treated to prevent wilting. Oh, and there’s a hidden bellflower inside, probably a mistake by the florist—”

Zhu Yanchen smiled.

The second half of the assistant’s sentence got stuck in his mouth. He had never seen Zhu Yanchen make such an expression. This new leader had a strong grip and was particularly strict with his trusted subordinates—a genuine iron-fist leader. Zhu Yanchen had never bothered to put on a fake smile.

…Let alone such a gentle smile.

“Get me two vases. Put the roses in the lounge and take out the bellflower separately, placing it on my desk.” Zhu Yanchen’s tone softened slightly. “And don’t forget about the uniform redesign.”

“Yes, sir.” The assistant responded quite decisively this time.

A week later, the news of the married leader caused a huge uproar. Zhu Yanchen had kept that person well hidden, and countless people tried to dig out the identity of that mysterious lover, but in the end, they all came back empty-handed.

The closest thing to the truth that the investigators found were two things:

First, the bellflower on the leader’s desk seemed to have been a gift from that person.

Second, they were deeply in love.

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The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: Thank you for the invitation. I really can fly, so we see each other every day.

Marshal: ? Finally, it’s my turn to call someone “my spouse”.

Shu Ge: ?

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