Chapter 98: I will bring you victory
Mu Mu wasn’t truly foolish; he was just a bit slow to react. Given enough time, he would eventually figure everything out.
For example, why Yan Guixing had gotten engaged to Mi Ya, and why he had broken it off.
Why he had come to D5 Star to find him, why he had allowed photos and videos of him working at the convenience store to be plastered all over StarNet, and why he had let the rumors about Mu Mu being his spouse run rampant without a single clarification.
Why he had set aside the status of a General to work in Mu Mu’s small convenience store, and why he was willing to live in a broken-down rental apartment that was no better than a hovel to him.
Mu Mu understood the power of the Mi Ya family, and how it could help Yan Guixing secure his re-election as General. He was just a disabled little fool who had nothing and could offer Yan Guixing no help at all.
He also understood that Yan Guixing putting aside his luxurious life to suffer with him meant he genuinely liked him, loved him, and wanted to sign the marriage papers and spend his life with him.
It was precisely because he understood everything that he had chosen to leave Yan Guixing and return to D5 Star; it was precisely because he understood everything that he had forgiven Yan Guixing; it was precisely because he understood everything that he couldn’t go home with him.
He would always be a disabled little fool with nothing, and he would never be able to help Yan Guixing.
But he had tried so hard to refuse, so why had things turned out this way? Was he being too greedy? Was he so attached to the sense of security of living with Yan Guixing that he was trapping him here?
Mu Mu had actually noticed that something was off with Yan Guixing for a while. Several times when he woke up in the middle of the night, he saw the living room light was on through the cracked door, and he could vaguely hear Yan Guixing speaking in a serious tone.
During the day, he no longer stayed at the store to keep him company. He would disappear sometime around noon or in the afternoon and only rush back just before closing time to walk home with him.
The more Mu Mu thought about it, the more irritable he became. His mind was a tangled mess, like a ball of yarn that a cat had played with, and he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. He felt like throwing a tantrum.
He patted Wangwang, who was curled up in his arms, stood up, and placed him in the chair, telling him to sit still and not wander off. After getting a responsive “Awooo!” from the dog, he stepped out from behind the counter.
Through the gaps in the shelves, Mu Mu saw Zheng An stocking goods. His brow furrowed, and he turned around and went back behind the counter.
There was an unspoken rule in the little convenience store: only one of either Zheng An or Yan Guixing would be in the store at a time. They would not appear together except for during lunch and closing time.
Yan Guixing’s possessiveness had kicked in, and he had unilaterally decided that Zheng An had incited Mu Mu to run away from home this time, so he found him an eyesore.
Zheng An, on the other hand, was simply afraid of Yan Guixing and didn’t dare stay in an enclosed space with him for long.
Since Zheng An was there now, Yan Guixing must not be.
Mu Mu recalled the news he had just seen. Once-towering skyscrapers had become a field of rubble. Displaced people looked at the camera with dazed expressions, and the distant sounds of explosions were so clearly audible.
The sight of blood, smoke, and broken walls was so jarring.
Mu Mu felt he couldn’t selfishly keep Yan Guixing here. So many people needed Yan Guixing more than he did.
That day, Mu Mu found an excuse to leave Zheng An to mind the store and returned home early with Wangwang.
Even though Yan Guixing wasn’t with Mu Mu, he had left many people to protect him. When he learned that Mu Mu had gone home four hours earlier than usual with his dog, he thought something was wrong. As soon as his meeting ended, he rushed back to the small rental apartment.
Yan Guixing frantically pushed the door open. Mu Mu, who was sitting on the floor playing with Wangwang, turned his head at the sound.
Their eyes met. Yan Guixing confirmed that Mu Mu’s face looked normal and that he didn’t seem sick, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
He took off his overcoat as usual and hung it on the wooden stand by the door, casually asking, “The little store manager came back so early. Were you being lazy?”
Mu Mu lowered his head to look at the little bear toy Wangwang was chewing on and answered his question with one of his own. “When are you leaving?”
Yan Guixing didn’t think much of it and replied, “Leaving? To walk the dog?”
Mu Mu looked at Yan Guixing, who had walked over to him, and tilted his head back to look at him. After a moment, he shook his head and asked again, “There’s a war at the Border Star. When are you leaving?”
With the stalemate and two Generals having suffered repeated defeats, the news was all over StarNet. Yan Guixing wasn’t surprised that Mu Mu knew.
He thought Mu Mu was scared after seeing the news, so he knelt down in front of Mu Mu, affectionately ruffled his little curls, and said with a gentle smile, “I’m not leaving. I’m staying here to protect you.”
Much to Yan Guixing’s surprise, Mu Mu grabbed his hand in a rush. “No! You have to go! Gui Gui, you shouldn’t stay here! You must go!”
Yan Guixing looked at Mu Mu in a daze. Then he let out a soft sigh, his jade green eyes filled with a smile that Mu Mu couldn’t understand. “Mu Mu, do you want me to go? To the front lines? To fight the Zerg?”
Mu Mu shook his head, looking seriously at Yan Guixing. His black, gem-like eyes reflected two tiny Yan Guixings, as if his world only contained Yan Guixing.
And yet, he was pushing the only person in his world toward the entire world.
“It’s not about what Mu Mu wants. Gui Gui, you’re a General. A General should protect everyone. They need you more than Mu Mu does.”
It wasn’t a passionate motivational speech or an impassioned plea, but Mu Mu’s few words were enough to set Yan Guixing’s blood on fire.
He continued to ask, “Mu Mu, do you like heroes?”
Mu Mu didn’t know why the topic had jumped to this, but he nodded vigorously. “I do! When Mu Mu was little and the space pirates came, I was so, so scared. My mom hugged me and told me not to be scared, that the heroes of the Empire would come and save us. And then, the heroes came and saved us.”
Yan Guixing’s heart trembled. He knew about the space pirate hijacking Mu Mu spoke of. He had been there. It was his command that had caused Mu Mu to lose his parents, become an orphan, suffer severe injuries that made him a disabled little fool, and be left to fend for himself on another star.
He thought Mu Mu would resent those who had caused him so much pain or wouldn’t want to talk about what happened back then.
He never expected Mu Mu would consider them heroes.
Mu Mu noticed Yan Guixing’s mind wandering and used his little hand to swat Yan Guixing’s bent knee in disapproval. “We’re talking about something very serious! Don’t get distracted!”
Yan Guixing smiled apologetically. “My apologies. I’ll pay attention.”
Mu Mu glared at Yan Guixing with a feigned air of importance, then continued, “Mu Mu knows everyone at the Border Star must be very scared right now. They must be just like Mu Mu was back then, hoping that a hero will come and save them.”
Yan Guixing stared intently at Mu Mu for a few seconds before shaking his head with a laugh. He had known all along that his little fool was kind and soft-hearted, and he should have expected him to tell him to go to the front lines.
But once a person has something to care about, they are no longer as fearless as they once were. The reason he hadn’t volunteered for the front lines this time to seize military honors was that his heart was so completely full of Mu Mu.
He had never been defeated in his previous campaigns, but there was no such thing as an invincible General. No commander could guarantee they would return from the battlefield unscathed.
He wasn’t afraid of being defeated; he was afraid of dying on the battlefield and never seeing his little fool again.
Therefore, given the First Legion’s fixed duty to protect the Capital Star, he had let the two newly appointed Generals lead the main assault force.
His uncharacteristic behavior had prompted Dessimo, with whom he had established a deep friendship (of convenience) during their search for Mu Mu, to send him a private message asking why.
Yan Guixing’s reply was that he needed to discuss it with his wife.
He wasn’t just giving Dessimo a perfunctory answer; Yan Guixing had genuinely intended to talk to Mu Mu about it.
However, he hadn’t thought it would be necessary. In past wars like this, both he and Dessimo would have sent the Zerg scrambling back to their lair within two months.
Who would have thought that these two Generals, who had grown up in peacetime, would be so useless? They had been defeated one after another and had suffered heavy losses.
The Zerg’s morale soared, and their invasion quickened.
A few Commanders had cursed the two Generals during a meeting that afternoon and told Yan Guixing and Dessimo to decide within two days who would go to the front lines.
In truth, even if Mu Mu hadn’t brought it up, Yan Guixing had already decided to discuss it with him. He had given the decision to Mu Mu. If Mu Mu agreed, he would go; if he hesitated and wanted him to stay, he would remain behind.
Now, his little fool had made the decision for him.
With a serious expression, Yan Guixing nodded in Mu Mu’s hopeful gaze. He smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on Mu Mu’s forehead.
The kiss was as light as a feather, but the warmth on his lips and his hot breath felt as though they had landed on the tip of Mu Mu’s heart. It made him widen his eyes and stare at Yan Guixing’s chest, clad in a black cashmere sweater.
Next, Mu Mu felt a weight on his head. Yan Guixing had taken the strawberry hair clip out of his pocket, where it had been since Mu Mu left.
He clipped the strawberry clip back into Mu Mu’s curls. “This time, don’t lose it again.”
Yan Guixing watched Mu Mu nod, then leaned down and hugged him tightly. His voice was low, solemn, and gentle—like a devout believer making a promise to his deity.
“Mu Mu, remember what you said. I will bring you victory.”
The familiar cold scent of ice and snow from his memories was everywhere, enveloping Mu Mu. The intimacy of their past was revived in that moment.
Mu Mu couldn’t help but reach out and hug Yan Guixing back with all his might. The sensitive little fool seemed to sense danger at that moment, and his voice was muffled against Yan Guixing’s chest, laced with a barely noticeable nervousness.
“I’ll wait for you to come back, Gui Gui. You have to come back safely.”
Yan Guixing wouldn’t give up any chance to claim benefits for himself. A simple kiss on the forehead and a hug were hardly enough to satisfy his greedy appetite.
He seized upon Mu Mu’s soft spot, using the excuse that their parting was imminent and that he wouldn’t have control over his time once he reached the front lines. He feigned that he might become lovesick and get distracted, which could lead to injury. He successfully coaxed a soft-hearted Mu Mu and won a ticket into his bedroom.
Yan Guixing had a great plan. There was only one bed in the bedroom, and since he had already gotten in, he would naturally be sleeping with Mu Mu.
For once, he didn’t have any wicked thoughts. He just wanted to hold Mu Mu and get a good, peaceful night’s sleep. It would be a source of comfort for him on the battlefield later.
Mu Mu couldn’t possibly let a person who was about to go to war sleep on the floor. It would be a disaster if he caught a cold and got sick.
When it was time for bed, he actively invited Yan Guixing to get in with him. But the black and white dog curled up next to him on the bed made Yan Guixing dumbfounded.
He pointed at Wangwang and asked, “It sleeps on the bed?”
Mu Mu nodded, then pushed Wangwang toward the edge of the bed with a backhand, also scooting over himself to make a large space on the small single bed.
He patted the soft blanket with a firm hand, urging him, “Hurry up and get in! Mu Mu’s bed is very big, it’s big enough for all of us to sleep in together.”
Yan Guixing gave Wangwang a cold stare. Wangwang promptly closed his eyes, hiding his entire body behind Mu Mu, pretending not to see Yan Guixing’s dog-murdering gaze.
Yan Guixing saw that Mu Mu had no intention of kicking Wangwang off the bed. What could he do? He could only take off his shoes and get into bed.
Fine, sleeping with a dog still counted as co-sleeping.
[Author’s Note]: Yan Guixing: The one thing I regret most in my life is giving my wife a dog! (Currently bathing the dog, lathering, rinsing)
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