Chapter 36: Family Time
When Achi returned to the villa, Yan Gui Xing was in the home theater watching cartoons with Mu Mu. Standing in the empty living room, he asked Xiao Ting, who had slid out from its charging station in the corner, where Yan Gui Xing was.
Xiao Ting curiously circled Achi twice—one hand carrying the small suitcase, the other laden with shopping bags—before answering, “Master is in the home theater watching Lilo & Stitch with the young master.”
After receiving the answer, Achi started walking towards the stairs, but his left foot hesitated and returned to the ground.
Lilo & Stitch sounded like a movie, and Achi wasn’t sure.
His days revolved around Yan Gui Xing. His rare free time was spent working out or bonding with his mecha; he hadn’t paid attention to movies or other entertainment.
Achi thought this matter wasn’t urgent, so he could report it after Yan Gui Xing finished the movie, rather than disturbing him.
“What’s Lilo & Stitch? A movie? How long have Master and Mu Mu been up there? Is it almost over?”
Xiao Ting, who had moved to Achi’s left, was looking at the contents of the shopping bags hanging from Achi’s arm. Its round eyes widened in surprise. “Adjutant, you don’t even know what Lilo & Stitch is?”
Achi: “Should I?” He paused, then exclaimed, “Is it a new mecha discipline film from the military? Are we required to watch it? Do we need to write a review? Do we need to submit it to the publicity department? I’ve been busy lately; I forgot to check my emails.”
As a robot, Xiao Ting experienced speechless for the first time. It silently slid half a meter backward, putting distance between itself and the big oaf.
After all, silliness was contagious. As a smart robot, it couldn’t let Achi infect it; other marshals’ robots would make fun of it.
“Lilo & Stitch is an animation series featuring animals from ancient Earth. Since its premiere ten years ago, it has swept the entire Empire and remains at the top of the animation charts. Children and adults alike watch it. Mimi the black cat and Wang Wang the Border Collie are the mascots and spokesmodels of the Empire’s largest amusement park!”
Achi listened attentively and summarized, “Oh, Lilo & Stitch is a cartoon. So, Master is watching cartoons with Mr. Mu.”
Xiao Ting felt that something was wrong with what Achi said, but couldn’t pinpoint it. It sighed heavily. It was just a robot, it only cleaned and cooked; what did it know?
Xiao Ting turned and silently slid back to its charging station in the corner, its facial expression vanishing, replaced by the words “Charging” – clearly indicating its refusal to continue the conversation.
Achi couldn’t guess Yan Gui Xing’s thoughts most of the time, let alone Xiao Ting’s.
He simply assumed Xiao Ting was out of power and needed emergency charging, not noticing his own mistake.
Knowing Yan Gui Xing was watching a cartoon, Achi was no longer afraid of disturbing him and strode upstairs.
The home theater was in the innermost room on the right side of the second floor. Although Yan Gui Xing rarely used it, during construction, it took up the space of two rooms and had a large double door.
The door was made of beautifully carved walnut wood and was very heavy.
The designer had installed a doorbell to ensure that knocking wouldn’t be missed, preventing delays for the marshal, a thoughtful touch.
When the house was first completed, Yan Gui Xing had used the home theater a few times due to its novelty. He’d watched military documentaries or internal training materials from the mecha repair department at the military academy.
As for why Yan Gui Xing had access to the military academy’s internal materials, it wasn’t because he abused his authority.
Yan Gui Xing was an honorary professor at the Imperial Military Academy’s mecha repair department, and he taught classes twice a year.
It was said that his two lectures were incredibly difficult to get into. Every year, mecha engineering students would camp out in front of their screens, preparing five minutes before registration opened.
Within a single second of registration opening, all 300 spots would vanish.
Thus, every year on that specific day, students from departments other than mecha engineering would hear the rough cries from the mecha engineering dorm building, much like the werewolves in ancient Earth’s Western myths who reverted on full moon nights.
On the day of the lecture, not only were the 300 seats in the classroom filled, but the aisles would also be packed.
Those unlucky students who couldn’t even grab a spot in the aisles would squat at the doorway, hoping that Yan Gui Xing wouldn’t be like other professors who liked to close the doors.
Fortunately, although Yan Gui Xing had a bad temper, he was friendly towards the mecha engineering students. He’d ignore those sitting in the aisles and squatting at the door.
If he was in a good mood, he’d even allow the students at the door to enter and sit on the floor in front of the first row of desks.
Returning to the home theater, Yan Gui Xing used it a few times and found the large leather recliner about as comfortable as the embroidered sofa in his bedroom.
The special projection screen and the enlarged screen from the brain-computer interface were also about the same.
Anything he could watch in the home theater, he could also watch in his bedroom.
Most importantly, if he got sleepy in his bedroom, he could simply lie down on his bed. In the home theater, he’d have to go upstairs to his bedroom.
This whole process would wake him up, so there was no need to sleep.
It was troublesome.
So, the home theater was abandoned.
This time, it was used after lunch. Yan Gui Xing noticed Xiao Ting and Mu Mu chatting enthusiastically about Lilo & Stitch, ignoring him.
Driven by jealousy, he suddenly remembered his home theater.
Yan Gui Xing casually interjected, casually asking Mu Mu if he liked Lilo & Stitch. Upon receiving a positive answer, he mentioned his home theater with excellent sound, successfully piquing Mu Mu’s curiosity, and smoothly lured him upstairs.
As a robot, Xiao Ting truly didn’t realize that its master was jealous and was happy about the budding romance between its master and future Madam.
Yan Gui Xing, leaning against the soft leather sofa, watched the cute cats and dogs on the screen, listening to their sweet voices, until his eyes grew heavy.
He glanced at Mu Mu, leaning forward slightly, eyes shining with interest. His initial intention of doing something intimate was replaced with overwhelming affection.
Forget it, that kind of thing could happen anywhere, not necessarily in an uncomfortable home theater without a bathroom.
Yan Gui Xing didn’t realize that he was already compromising in his treatment of Mu Mu. He wouldn’t imagine that once this compromise began, it would be impossible to stop.
Just as Yan Gui Xing was dozing off, he heard the doorbell ring.
At first, he thought it was a sound effect from the cartoon, so he slightly opened his eyes, glanced at the screen, shifted his body slightly towards Mu Mu, and closed his eyes again, intending to take a nap.
The next second, his drowsy brain suddenly became clear. That sound…was like the rarely used doorbell of his home theater.
Except for Yan Gui Xing pressing it playfully when he first saw the home theater, no one had ever rung it.
It had been so long ago that Yan Gui Xing couldn’t remember.
Yan Gui Xing leaned back to look and saw a crack open in the tightly closed door.
Achi appeared in the gap, his arm laden with shopping bags.
Yan Gui Xing’s eyes fell on the shopping bags, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously, a twitch in his temple. Leaning over, he told the enthralled Mu Mu that he was going out for a moment and would return shortly, then stood up and left.
The equipment in the home theater was the best in the Empire and, as Yan Gui Xing said, the sound was excellent.
When Yan Gui Xing spoke to Mu Mu, it was during the most exciting part of the episode, and the sound effects drowned out his voice. Mu Mu didn’t hear him.
Only when the next episode preview played did he turn excitedly to share his favorite part of the episode with Yan Gui Xing.
Seeing the empty seat beside him, he scratched his head and mumbled, “Where did Gui Gui go? He was just here? How did he disappear? So strange.”
Mu Mu stood up to find Yan Gui Xing, but the next episode started automatically. He thought he’d just watch for a moment, then go find Yan Gui Xing.
However, one glance led to another, and another, until he was completely absorbed, forgetting when he sat down, let alone finding Yan Gui Xing.
Back to Yan Gui Xing, after greeting Mu Mu, he stood up and left. He moved quickly, intercepting Achi at the door, pointing outside before going out first.
Achi obediently followed. Entering the study, he saw Yan Gui Xing sitting on the sofa, silent. Looking around, he realized he’d forgotten to close the door when he left.
Hurriedly putting down the suitcase, he returned to close the door.
“Master, Mr. Mu’s luggage is here.” Achi pushed the small suitcase towards Yan Gui Xing.
Sitting on the sofa, Yan Gui Xing elegantly crossed his legs, gesturing towards the battered suitcase. “Open it.”
Mu Mu’s suitcase was old and worn; the combination lock was broken, so any number combination would open it. The lock was just for show.
Zheng An had told Achi this when Achi was checking Mu Mu’s luggage.
【Author’s Note】: Q: Which is more important, cartoons or Yan Gui Xing?
Mu Mu: (Looks at Yan Gui Xing) (Hesitates) Can Mu Mu choose the cartoon?