Translator: deathbutlowkey from dummytranslations
Editor: Mimishijie ☺

The General’s Secret (1)
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When Yi Jia saw the post, it’d been already up for three hours. Reading it through to the end, there was nothing else that could be done aside from leaving a comment.

“A life where you can’t do KK, how different is it from a salted fish ah?”[1]

Her heart filled with tender feelings, with nowhere to vent, she could only bother her deskmate.

Shen Zhirou was right in the middle of sleeping soundly, drool all over her face, dreaming of feeling up a certain male idol or something. Her braid was suddenly tugged at, and after a full-body shiver, she lifted her head.

The teacher? Wasn’t there ah.

She stared blankly for a moment, before finally noticing the aggrieved expression of her seatmate.

Shen Zhirou, “...I’m letting it pass that you always like to interrupt my spring dreams, but what kind of disease makes you enjoy pulling on my hair?”

Sniffling, Yi Jia shoved her phone into Shen Zhirou’s face, sticking herself closely to her.

“Rourou ah, I really want to meet KK ah!”

Shen Zhirou was still a little dazed from sleeping.

KK? What was a KK?

Oh, KK was just her brother. With difficulty, a path opened up in her mind. Sigh, who else did she think it would be?

“What’s so good about meeting him…”

Shen Zhirou yawned and shifted to the side, afraid that the little sister beside her - who’d been bewitched by a snake demon - would wake her again.

“What do you mean ‘what’s so good about meeting him’ ah!” It was evident that Yi Jia wasn’t going to let this go, hands and feet working in tandem to tangle around Shen Zhirou, “That’s KK ah, the KK that the whole world loves ah!”

Shen Zhirou really wanted to throw off this lump of girl currently on her, “...Dear, can you please be more aware that this is a public place? Even though I can’t get a boyfriend, that doesn’t represent my inclinations.”

However, even after saying this, she still hadn’t pushed the other away.

Because...that, the feel of certain places were really quite nice...cough.

Yi Jia was a pretty young lady, with a large chest and slender waist. Her eyes were so teary that one could pinch water out, about the same as a porcelain doll. She was the only girl that Shen Zhirou had met in her life that was both beautiful and alluring, yet pure and innocent.

It was because she was also slightly dim-witted.

As it turns out, right now they were both roommates and foodie buddies.

Shen Zhirou’s grades weren’t too good; it was completely thanks to Shen Zhifan being rich and imposing that she’d been shoved into this seat. She was currently studying art, which had the most filler content. Now, school had only recently started and she wasn’t inclined to tell others about her connection to Shen Zhifan...of course, even if she did tell, no one would believe her.

After all, living to her age, she felt that she and Shen Zhifan were the only siblings she’d seen in her life that couldn’t look less like siblings.

“Rourou,” Yi Jia, still softened into a lump, rubbed against Shen Zhirou’s face, “Ah, KK is the best KK in the world!”

“...” In her heart, Shen Zhirou thought; Damn, and here I thought you were going to confess to me, then you confessed to my brother instead! “Move aside, what’s the fucking use of telling me?”

Yi Jia, who was minding her own business, was completely unconcerned with Shen Zhirou’s thoughts. Pinching at Shen Zhirou’s face, she sidled closer, grinning.

“Rourou’s face is so soft ah.”

“...” Shen Zhirou thought, your chest is what’s soft, it’s so soft that I’m too embarrassed to push you away! However, she managed to maintain her demeanour, “Scram.”

She paused, feeling that Yi Jia was actually quite cute. Apart from being a little oblivious, she had no gaping faults. Everyday, with her rubbing her face and chest against Shen Zhirou and acting spoiled...she was really rather cute.

“Uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

She was a bit hesitant, but seeing Yi Jia drooling over the image on her phone background everyday, she thought that satisfying this enchanted little girl was something she could do.

Perhaps she could get an extra rubbing of the chest or something.

“Ah?” Yi Jia didn’t even lift her head up, still looking at her male god’s face on the screen.

Shen Zhirou cleared her throat, “Actually, that KK ah, do you know his real name?”
　　
Yi Jia tilted her head, “I know ah, it’s Shen Zhifan, right? Though KK sounds cuter, KK ah…”

“That’s right, so,” Shen Zhirou lowered her voice, whispering into the other girl’s ear, “I’ll tell you a secret. Your KK is my brother, my older brother.”
　　
Yi Jia’s expression froze; she was evidently shocked by this news. Extremely solemnly, she looked at Shen Zhirou.
　　
“Rourou, I also have a secret to tell you.”
　　
Shen Zhirou blanked. Yi Jia’s reaction was unexpected.
　　
“Actually, I’m KK’s wife, his legal wife...pfft, ahahahahah!”
　　
Yi Jia couldn’t keep up the act halfway through and burst into laughter.
　　
Shen Zhirou, “...”
　　
Yi Jia came up again to rub at Shen Zhirou’s face, “Rourou’s so cute ah, let me touch, I know you’re the funniest ah.”

Shen Zhirou was expressionless, “Scram. You’ve already lost KK’s sister forever.”

“Hahaha!” Yi Jia laughed loudly three times, tilting her head to rest it on Shen Zhirou, “Rourou is still the funniest.”

Shen Zhirou pulled out a small mirror and looked at appearance, then glanced at Shen Zhifan’s face on Yi Jia’s screen.

I suspect that I’m a fake little sister.

...
　　
“Are you feeling better?”
　　
Yan Shuo passed him a cup of water. The transparent liquid rippled in front of him. His eyes were still fixed ahead blankly somewhat, with a sort of frightened confusion.
　　
“I…”

He mumbled a little, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he simply pulled at his hair and sighed.
　　
“I’m really sorry, just then, to you...I…”
　　
“It’s fine,” Yan Shuo interrupted his fumbling words, “Have you gone to a doctor?”

Shen Zhifan’s lips pursed into a straight line, his complexion as pale as before. Still a little out of it, he lightly nodded his head after a while.

He was lying. He was the one who’d refused to go to a doctor.

Yan Shuo’s eyes moved over, but he didn’t expose his lie. In fact, this should be a good thing for him, even though there would be times when he was inevitably worried.

Shen Zhifan’s whole person was twitchy, restless and fidgety.

With great difficulty, he had wrenched himself from that one moment that had triggered him, and didn’t want to recall his memories in detail. However, the worst thing was that if he didn’t train, how was he to compete in the mech season that was imminent?

Moreover...could it be that as long he simply touched the controls, he would begin to recall his memories?

Or perhaps it would be better to try it one more time - but then, his fingers reached into his hair, and his complexion was still as bad as before.
　　
He didn’t want to feel all of those emotions again.

...they were painful.
　　
It was a kind of suffering that felt like he’d been dragged into a swamp and left to suffocate.
　　
Somewhat hesitant, Yan Shuo patted his shoulder. This time of course there wasn’t as fierce of a reaction, it just seemed that he wouldn’t be able to lift Shen Zhifan’s spirits.

“...I’m really very sorry,” Shen Zhifan shook his head. “I’ve made you waste so much time on me.”
　　
He was still somewhat panicky, and therefore embarrassed.
　　
However, Yan Shuo only lightly breathed out a sigh beside him, then reached out a hand...neither lightly nor roughly, he tapped on his forehead.
　　
Shen Zhifan blanked.

“I already said that it’s fine,” Yan Shuo turned his face; when he became serious, he changed into that severe Lieutenant General again. Without a hint of wrinkles by his eyes, he was exceptionally young and handsome, and yet there was still a sort of steady reliability about him. His eyes were deep and azure, but something in them shone. Unexpectedly, there was a kind of older-brotherly concern, “Your body is more important.”
　　
Shen Zhifan turned away and lowered his head again, motionless even as his eyelashes quivered. So softly that it almost couldn't be heard, he spoke.
　　
“Thank you.”
　　
Yan Shuo then stood up and offered him a hand.
　　
Blankly, he accepted it.

“Are you hungry?”
　　
Finding the comment unexpected, Shen Zhifan blinked, “...ah?”
　　
White steam rose in the air; on the street, the sounds of voices shouting didn’t seem to fit with the times. Mixed within was the heavy aroma of meat, as well as all sorts of fruits and snacks.
　　
He breathed through his nose. In the face of this captivating fragrance, of course, he suddenly felt that he was very hungry.
　　
This place wasn’t far from the mech base, it was about two streets away. It was hard to imagine that not far from that high-grade, refined building was a crowded, old-fashioned and bustling alley of fine food.
　　
There weren’t actually a lot of young people. Even though Shen Zhifan was swaddled in the scarf, he felt no danger from the people around him, mostly since they were all of the grandfather-grandmother generation.
　　
He glanced at Yan Shuo a little hesitantly and was met with the sight of the latter very naturally entering a shop, on the shop-front was written...

——“Fish Is Better Than Mechs”
　　
...Although he didn’t know how mechs and fish had anything to do with each other, he still hurriedly followed Yan Shuo and entered.
　　
There was quite a lot of people inside. Since the shop itself wasn’t large, there were probably about ten tables, and younger people were actually present. The few that were there were all boys and they even had schoolbags; laughing and chattering, it was obvious that they were bragging to each other.

That was indeed a good age ah, Shen Zhifan suddenly thought.
　　
“You don’t eat spicy food, right?”
　　
Yan Shuo turned and asked him.
　　
Shen Zhifan paused again, then nodded, somewhat perplexed. He then followed Yan Shuo into a private room.
　　
“Aiyo, the great Major General still remembers to come by ah?”
　　
A fuming, white-haired old man suddenly came in. The look that he fixed Yan Shuo with couldn’t be called kind, but was definitely quite sharp.
　　
Hearing this, Shen Zhifan was a little uneasy, but Yan Shuo didn’t seem to have an excessive reaction. He simply corrected him mildly.
　　
“It’s Lieutenant General, not Major General.”
　　
The old man snorted coldy, then stormed out.
　　
Shen Zhifan...actually seemed to have mistakenly heard some pride in Yan Shuo’s last sentence.

“He’s the owner of this place,” After he left, Yan Shuo smiled softly, “He watched me grow up.”
　　
Shen Zhifan blanked.

That wasn’t right ah, if he’d remembered correctly...Yan Shuo had been born into some kind of aristocracy, right? Otherwise...he wouldn’t have been able to become a Lieutenant General at his age.
　　
Of course, his male god’s strength was still definite.
　　
Shen Zhifan’s eyelid twitched, and he suddenly understood that he had encountered another side of Yan Shuo that was unknown to anyone.
　　
From that immaculate, meticulous, and esteemed General who’d been born into a prestigious family and placed above the common people...it was another side of him that resided in the shadow under his illuminated figure.

But Yan Shuo’s expression was extremely calm, and moreover, the grilled fish was set on their table very quickly. It gave Shen Zhifan practically no chance to bring up the subject.
　　
Naturally, he was also too scared to. Even after restraining himself for two minutes he still hadn’t come up with a good conversation starter.
　　
The aroma of grilled fish quickly flooded the small, private room. Skillfully, Yan Shuo took up his chopsticks and poured the soup, his movements graceful, calm and unhurried. He split open the fresh, tender white meat of the fish with his chopsticks. The crimson soup gradually soaked into it, still sizzling.
　　
At the end, Yan Shuo even poured him a cup of wine. Perhaps it was because of the lighting, but the wine appeared to be a warm yellow with a slight tint of green.
　　
“Sometimes I actually feel that, if I weren’t a Lieutenant General, I would probably go open a grilled fish restaurant.”

Shen Zhifan, having just taken a sip, almost spat it out.
　　
He couldn’t help laughing, momentarily at a loss for how to reply. As he lifted his head, he was met with the General’s deep yet smiling eyes, slightly covered by long eyelashes. Even so, the light inside of them couldn’t be hidden. They were so evidently abyssal, yet in the depths of the abyss were thousands of fleeting stars, coming together and scattering about in the sandy sea of time.
　　
He suddenly forgot why he wanted to laugh just then.
　　
Ah, no, thinking of it...it was Yan Shuo who made him laugh.
　　
“This restaurant makes their own wine,” Yan Shuo lowered his head, still arranging the fish, “I think it’s fermented with some sort of flower…”

“Why exactly do you treat me so well ah?”
　　
Shen Zhifan looked up, staring blankly at him for a moment. Suddenly he reached out his left hand, draping it on the back of Yan Shuo’s hand which had just been moving the fish.
　　
His fingertips were warm.

***