Chapter 48 (1): The Truth of the Secretary’s Blind Dates

Lucas was playing billiards with Zhou Mingkai, who drank alcohol as they played. Neither of them intended to go to bed early.

“Go in…!”

The white ball collided with the red ball, making a dull sound, and pushed it into a corner hole. “I won!” Zhou Mingkai shouted happily.

“Boring.” Lucas rolled his eyes.

“Admiral…” Zhou Mingkai hesitated, then asked, “How are you and Secretary Luo?”

“How can we be?”

“It’s just…” Zhou Mingkai put down the cue stick, directly sat on the pool table, and crossed his legs. “There’s something I’m not too sure about, but I still want to tell you.”

“Speak.”

“Um… I think my oldest brother, he… seems to like Secretary Luo?” Zhou Mingkai said hesitantly. He only guessed so because he saw that Zhou Mingyu’s attitude towards Luo Ran was a little strange.

Lucas was taken aback.

“I don’t know, he might be doing it because he wants to pull you to his side.” Zhou Mingkai shrugged with a smile. “After all, you look like someone who’ll support my second brother.”

Zhou Mingkai thought that it was hard for him too. He clearly wanted to just be a salted fish, but was somehow forced to get stuck in the middle of these three.

“How dare he!” Lucas sneered and slammed the cue stick on the floor. “I’ll skin him alive!”

“It’s not for certain, maybe he just wants to make friends with you two.” Zhou Mingkai paused for a moment, then smiled slyly. “And what are you and the secretary? If you haven’t confessed, you don’t have the right to manage him.”

“Who says I have no right! I’m his boss, he’s my secretary, of course I can manage him.”

“…”

Just as Lucas was always shocked at Zhou Mingkai’s scumbag ways, so too was Zhou Mingkai always shocked at Lucas’ straight male declarations.

“Then do you like him or not?” Zhou Mingkai asked, grinning. “If you don’t like him, why bother caring?”

Lucas stiffened.

Luo Ran went on another date.

When Lucas learned of this, he really, truly felt angry.

He wanted to keep Luo Ran, he didn’t want Luo Ran to be with someone else. As soon as he imagined Luo Ran smiling at another man or woman, Lucas felt uncomfortable all over.

As if something was stolen from him.

No need to mention the thought of Luo Ran talking intimately with others, showing a different expression, or taking care of them; Luo Ran only had to smile as he walked with someone else for Lucas to feel angry.

“Don’t control him if you don’t like him, if you like him, go confess already,” Zhou Mingkai said helplessly. “You haven’t told him anything but you’re still so possessive, and you’ve even messed with his dates, tch, you’re such a scumbag.”

“…”

Lucas was silent.

After a long while, he threw the cue stick aside, swiped Zhou Mingkai’s wine, and gulped down a few mouthfuls. “If I can’t give him the best, I won’t give anything,” he said in a low, unclear voice.

“What?” Zhou Mingkai didn’t hear clearly.Lucas hesitated, then snorted, “I said, I’m not controlling him, and I haven’t done anything about his dates!” He slammed his glass onto the table. “When have I controlled him?! I just want him to work hard and not go on dates and stop thinking about love or whatever all day long! The most I’ve done is go see just what his damn date looks like. If they’re not at least as good as me, why should I let them get together with my secretary?”

Zhou Mingkai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You’ve even sent people to bribe and intimidate them, and you don’t call it messing with them?”

Yu Han worked in the government and was a friend of a friend, so Zhou Mingkai happened to hear of something. Apparently, after Yu Han went on a date with Luo Ran, first it was Lucas going to his door and asking about this and that, then someone dressed in black threatened him and gave him money to stay far away from Secretary Luo.

He’d even thought he was reading a section from one of Nana’s tyrannical president stories.

“Intimidate?” Lucas frowned.

“…?” Zhou Mingkai blinked. “It wasn’t you?”

“What wasn’t me? If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”

“Uh, nothing…” Zhou Mingkai was a little surprised.

Lucas wasn’t the type of person to lie about this. If he really did it, he would righteously admit it.

Then who…?

Oh, maybe it’s…

Zhou Mingkai was surprised by his own thoughts.

No way, right?

Lucas’ expression darkened. “You’re saying someone did that? Who?”

“No one, no one.” Zhou Mingkai smiled until he squinted. “I’m just guessing, I thought you did it, since you’re so scary already.”

Then Lucas went back to his room. Despite what some people thought, his tolerance for alcohol wasn’t actually that good, and now he felt a bit tipsy.

Lucas turned on his terminal, wanting to see what Luo Ran was doing.

False Truths: Do you think the admiral likes the secretary?

He subconsciously replied–

Lucas: Likes.

And couldn’t help but laugh.

The wine gave him courage, and let him give the most honest response — so he replied.

But he was very clear about what he was thinking.

How could he not like him?

That was his Luo Ran.

* * *

Likes?

Likes??

In his room, as Luo Ran looked at this reply, he felt as if he was breaking apart.

Could it be that Lucas’ account was hacked?

Could it be that Lucas’ hand slipped?

Could it be that Lucas was deliberately teasing him?

Could it be that Lucas had been kidnapped?

H-How could Lucas like him?

Ridiculous.

Absurd.

Luo Ran was so nervous that he felt confused from top to bottom.

It must be the like between friends, the affection towards an employee… Yes.

It must be.

H-He shouldn’t think too much.

It was so late, time for bed, yes.

Luo Ran immediately got up to wash.

Smack!

“Ow.”

He’d accidentally bumped into a nearby pillar, and immediately covered his forehead.

Calm down.

Lucas was an iron-boned, battle-hardened admiral who hated marriage, love, and sticky partners. He thought romance was a farce, and everyone around him was rubbish.

He should stop thinking so much.

It was an outrageous thought.

Outrageous!

Luo Ran rushed through his nighttime routine and, not daring to look at the terminal again, directly laid down to sleep.

Then he had a dream. In the dream, he was carried away by a lion and thrown into a cave in its territory.

In addition, the lion showed a savage expression and wanted Luo Ran to birth little lions for it.

But when it found out he was an omega, it was so angry that it banished him to the wilderness, where Luo Ran was the only person there. Luo Ran walked and walked, suddenly came upon a fierce beast, and was immediately killed.

Then Luo Ran was frightened awake.

Luo Ran: “…”

His night passed chaotically like that.

The next day, after everyone ate breakfast together, Mou Kadi suggested he take Zhou Mingzhu out to sea on a smaller boat.

The small boat was connected to the cruise ship’s system and there were a lot of the Empire’s soldiers on board, so although it was small, it was very safe, and they could appreciate different scenery while on board.

Zhou Mingzhu was reluctant, but in the end was half-persuaded, half-cajoled onto the boat.

After sending them off, Zhou Mingjing invited Lucas to the ship’s fighting arena, and Zhou Mingkai also tagged along. 

Lucas glanced at Zhou Mingyu and, worried that he would come to pry a corner again, hooked a finger at Luo Ran. “Come on, let’s go.”

Luo Ran dodged his gaze. “I’ll go back…”

Lucas frowned and moved forward as if to pull him.

But Luo Ran immediately retreated in alarm.

Lucas was taken aback.

What the hell was he doing?

Luo Ran lowered his head and clutched at a stack of documents in his hands. “Admiral, I’ll go to my documents to read some rooms.”

“The hell are you nervous for!” Lucas growled. “Get over here!”

Zhou Mingjing and Zhou Mingkai watched them snuggle together, going back and forth in low voices. Zhou Mingjing walked closer. “What’s wrong, Secretary Luo? It’s perfect, I also want to spar with you. It’s been a long time since I exercised a bit.

Zhou Mingjing was tall and handsome and had forbidding yet delicate features, completely different from Zhou Mingyu’s elegant, scholarly demeanour. His was an intimidating appearance.

In fact, all three royal alpha brothers were tall and handsome, but each had very different temperaments.

“See?” Lucas snarled. “Come with me!”

Zhou Mingkai and Zhou Mingjing looked at each other.

Oh, a lovers’ spat.

As soon as they arrived at the arena, Zhou Mingkai put on boxing gloves and turned to Luo Ran.

After ‘forming grievances’ with the two princes in that garden years ago, Zhou Mingjing would occasionally ask to spar with him. However, Luo Ran was someone taught by Lucas, and Zhou Mingjing was in the end a prince entangled in business and politics, so Zhou Mingjing had never been able to beat him.

And eventually, as they fought again and again, to beat Luo Ran became one of Zhou Mingjing’s goals.

Luo Ran also put on a pair of gloves and gave Zhou Mingjing a respectful salute.

The two went into the ring while Zhou Mingkai and Lucas watched from below. Zhou Mingkai blew into a whistle, then grinned. “Go Secretary Luo! Go brother! Woohoo!”

Whoosh!

Almost as soon as the announcement came, Luo Ran lunged. His fists fell like a violent storm.

He struck without any hesitation at all, giving his opponent no time to react. Luo Ran took advantage of this gap to push him back step by step, and Zhou Mingjing had barely any chance to retaliate.

Even Zhou Mingjing who’d fought with Luo Ran many times before was weakened by his fierce aura every time.

Thump! A fist hit Zhou Mingjing’s stomach and forced him back several steps.

Zhou Mingkai whistled again, then turned to look at Lucas.

Lucas, who was stunned in place.

Lucas was a little distracted.

His ears had suspicious traces of red.

Fuck, so sexy, he thought.

Up on the stage, Luo Ran’s body was as light and agile as a swallow, yet every attack was as forceful as a sledgehammer.

For an instant, only his graceful, floating silver-blue hair remained in Lucas’ eyes.

So lovely.

And he was the one who taught Luo Ran, the moves that were used were all his.

Lucas could guess what Luo Ran would do next, how he would do it, from which direction, he knew it all.

It’s just that in the past, what Lucas cared about was if his technique was right, if his strength was enough, if his reactions were quick, but now…

Lucas found that he couldn’t move his eyes away from Luo Ran’s hair and face.

Even his heart beat faster.

Shit, how did I become like this?

Bang!

On the stage, Luo Ran threw Zhou Mingjing over his shoulder.

“Three, two, one!”

“Secretary Luo wins!”

Zhou Mingkai grinned wide. “Oh my, brother! You’re an alpha, how can you not beat him?”

“You’re also an alpha,” Zhou Mingjing said indifferently as he stood up and patted dust off his sleeves. “Why don’t you come up and go a round with Secretary Luo?”

“…No no, not going,” Zhou Mingkai smiled dryly. He had been a salted fish even in the military academy, what would he use to take on Luo Ran? His life? “If anyone, let the admiral fight!” He tried to push Lucas forward.

Lucas was about to say something when there came the sound of rapid knocking on the door.

It was a staff member from the ship’s control room. “The prince and princess’s boat was intercepted by merfolk…!”

Luo Ran was surprised.

What…?