Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Showing Off

If Admiral Clan had once doubted that a life could be so warm and vibrant, he was a believer now.

For the first time, he finally understood that life as a couple could be this simple and warm.

It gave him a concrete vision of what family life could be—something so wonderful he couldn’t bear the thought of spoiling it. Instead, he wanted to become one of its protectors.

After breakfast, Admiral Clan took his own hover car, so he didn’t need Ares to drive him to military headquarters.

Lu Xiao and Ares walked Admiral Clan to the door. “Father, if you ever feel unwell, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You’re always welcome to visit.”

Just as she finished speaking, Lu Xiao stepped forward and gave Admiral Clan a hug.

Taken by surprise, Admiral Clan’s body instinctively stiffened for a moment. Then, mimicking her, he gently patted Lu Xiao’s shoulder.

“I had a wonderful time. Thank you for your hospitality. Feel free to contact me if you ever need anything.”

“I will, Father. And please don’t get tired of me bothering you.”

Lu Xiao had a way of making people feel at ease. Being around her, one couldn’t help but relax.

It was as if she had a natural, built-in charisma.

After seeing Admiral Clan off, Lu Xiao got ready to go on a date with Ares. In fact, the two of them hadn’t been on a single private date since they’d gotten together. Now that they finally had some rare time off and the weather was beautiful, Lu Xiao was eager to find a scenic spot for a picnic with him.

That was why they had packed a lunch box, even though it wasn’t a workday.

As for Admiral Clan, who had left with his own lunch box, his gaze kept drifting to the dark blue container beside him, even as he piloted the hover car.

Every time he looked at it, his mood lifted. A warmth spread through him, as if he were soaking in a warm bath. Even the corners of his mouth, usually pressed into a firm line, fought to curve into a smile.

His hover car soon entered the First Military Region. For the soldiers there, seeing Admiral Clan on a day off wasn’t particularly surprising. But what was that he was holding today?

’Did that look… like a lunch box?’

’When did Admiral Clan learn to cook? Everyone knew that all the men in the First Military Region, from the top down, survived solely on nutrient solutions. There were no exceptions.’

Of course, this wasn’t unique to the First Military Region; it was the same in all the major military districts.

The only exception they’d ever heard of was Major General Ares from the Seventh Military District. Rumor had it his lunch was a bento box every day, and he’d even been equipped with a microwave for it. They said his mate prepared it by hand for him; even the microwave was a gift from her.

None of them had ever seen it, so they dismissed it as a wild rumor meant to undermine morale. They didn’t believe a word of it.

But now… what was that in the hands of their own leader, the head of the First Military Region, Admiral Clan?

It was a lunch box!

’Oh my god, what is going on?’

Many of them stared so hard at the lunch box in the Admiral’s hands that they forgot to salute, just standing there, stunned. Luckily, Admiral Clan was in a good mood and paid them no mind.

He walked straight to his office. Seeing him approach, his adjutant immediately stood and saluted. “Good day, Admiral.”

“Mm. You as well. At lunchtime, find a way to heat this up for me.”

Admiral Clan pushed the lunch box across the desk toward his adjutant. Copying Lu Xiao’s earlier gesture, he tapped his fingers lightly on the lid.

The adjutant’s eyes widened as he stared at the lunch box. “You… you brought a meal, Admiral? Did you make it yourself?”

“Do I look like someone who knows how to cook?” Admiral Clan’s expression was softer than the adjutant had ever seen, as if he were basking in a spring breeze. “My daughter-in-law made it for me.” The adjutant was so shocked he felt his eyes might pop out of his head. His mouth hung open, completely forgotten.

Answering the question seemed to lift the Admiral’s spirits even further.

“Remember now, don’t forget!” Admiral Clan had never put this much thought into a meal before. The fact that he was repeating his instructions showed just how important this lunch box was to him.

It was a long moment after Admiral Clan left before the adjutant snapped out of his shock. ’Admiral Clan’s daughter-in-law… isn’t that Major General Ares’s mate from the Seventh Military District, Lady Lu Xiao?’

By now, the name Lu Xiao was known throughout the major military districts. Everyone was hoping that the Fifth Research Institute, where she worked, would select their district for its next round of joint physicals.

Beyond that, the stories circulating from the Seventh Military District about Major General Ares’s mate were enough to make anyone green with envy.

So when Admiral Clan mentioned his “daughter-in-law,” the adjutant’s mind naturally jumped to Lu Xiao.

He’d heard the rumors: Major General Ares of the Seventh Military District got a handmade lunch from his mate every single day.

’So this lunch box must have come from Lady Lu Xiao, right?’

No wonder Admiral Clan was treasuring it so much.

Admiral Clan was probably the only father in the entire Empire to enjoy a delicious, handmade lunch from his daughter-in-law, wasn’t he?

He finally understood why the Admiral was acting so differently today. If it were him, he’d stand at the entrance holding that lunch box for three days straight, making absolutely sure everyone knew who made it for him!

Admiral Clan was just being too modest!

Just as the adjutant was carefully finding a place to store the lunch box, someone couldn’t resist sidling up to him. “What’s the deal with the lunch box?” he asked in a low voice. “Did the Admiral make it himself?”

The adjutant heard the familiar question and scoffed, repeating the Admiral’s words. “Does he look like someone who knows how to cook? This is from Lady Lu Xiao… You know who Lady Lu Xiao is, right? She’s our Admiral’s daughter-in-law! Lady Lu Xiao made this lunch for our Admiral with her own hands! Bet you didn’t see that coming!”

“Oh my god, so there are females who actually cook? Then the rumors are true? The lunch box Major General Ares from the Seventh Military District eats every day is really handmade by Lady Lu Xiao?”

“What do you think? The evidence is right in front of you. How can you not believe it? Our Admiral Clan admitted it himself!” The adjutant watched as they all wore the exact same dumbfounded expression he’d had moments before. A sense of satisfaction washed over him.

’Okay, so my reaction wasn’t that dumb. It was just a perfectly normal response.’

After all, who wouldn’t be shocked to hear something like that?

It was shocking enough to give someone a heart attack!

The adjutant carefully stored the lunch box away. When he returned, he found the small group still gathered around his desk. “Is there something else?”

“Heh heh,” one of them said, “so if Lady Lu Xiao is making lunch for our Admiral by hand, their relationship must be pretty good, right?”

“Of course it is!”

“Then do you think… we in the First Military Region could, you know, pull some strings like the Seventh Military District did? Get the Fifth Research Institute to come here for a round of joint physicals?”

“…That’s a great idea. I suggest you go tell Admiral Clan right now. While he’s still in a good mood, who knows? He might just agree.”

At first, the adjutant thought the man was daydreaming. But then he recalled the Admiral’s expression from earlier. The more he thought about it, the more he believed… it might actually work.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep