Bo Ge’s first reaction upon hearing Big Cat speak wasn’t “Wow, you can actually talk!” but rather “Although this suit looks high-end, it doesn’t look as good as the maid outfit from before!”
“Sorry, I concealed the situation before,” said Big Cat in a pleasant voice, successfully diverting Gu Gu’s attention back on track.
“You are Lie Beishuang, right?” Gu Gu felt like he had already guessed the truth, and now he was just confirming it.
Big Cat nodded slightly, a subconscious and reserved gesture that was elegant.
“How did you end up in a pet store?” Bo Ge couldn’t help but ask, finding it hard to imagine the Chief, the mind behind the Interstellar Alliance, in the lowest levels of the free trade market.
“It’s a complicated story, so I’ll try to keep it simple.” Big Cat looked at the young man with a pair of golden eyes, steady and convincing, naturally infecting people. “I was betrayed, and the real purpose of the other party was to find you through me.”
“Find me through you?” Gu Gu pointed at himself. “So, you, being so powerful, are just an intermediary for someone to find me?”
“Correct,” Big Cat saw the excitement in the young man suddenly.
“So, why is the other party looking for me, is it related to my background?” Bo Ge had countless speculations in his mind, even envisioning an annual drama of father and son reuniting.
“It’s related to both you and me.”
Gu Gu vividly saw the words “serious” on the leopard face.
“I can tell you about this, but you need to promise me a request.” Big Cat made a condition, like setting a trap bit by bit in negotiations.
“What request?” Bo Ge stared at Big Cat seriously. If it was about forgetting his dirt, he could try his best and probably manage it.
“My request is, within three months, try to date me. Treat me as your prospective partner, just like other successfully matched couples.”
Big Cat was serious, as if every word he said had gone through countless thoughts and considerations.
This request was a bit unexpected for Gu Gu.
“I’ve read the book you wrote,” Bo Ge said puzzled, “and when we communicated last time, you mentioned that you didn’t like the matching system. Why are you now asking me to treat you as a boyfriend assigned by the Alliance like other successful pairs?”
What happened to the idea of freely falling in love?
You have to stick to your position!
“Recently, I’ve found that the matching system isn’t entirely useless,” Big Cat expressed his betrayal very tactfully.
Bo Ge stared at the leopard face of Big Cat. If his skin were a little thinner, it would turn red after he slapped himself in the face. But the current one obviously had too much fur, successfully covering his face.
Gu Gu regretted a bit, why didn’t he shave off the fur on its head back then.
There was silence on the dining table for a while. Big Cat patiently waited for a response, and a barrage of thoughts flashed through Bo Ge’s mind.
Is he interested in me?
I’ve already slept in the same bed with him!
I’ve touched every inch of his body. If I refuse, will it seem like I’m not responsible?
Damn it, I’ve even seen his big eggs!
The more he thought about it, the more Gu Gu felt unable to refuse.
Moreover, Lie Beishuang was completely different from what was said on the star network, having a bad personality and a temper. If he remembered correctly, he had kicked his leopard face with his feet, and he didn’t even roar.
Even more obedient than a little kitty.
“After we are together, can I still bully you?” Bo Ge asked seriously.
The leopard nodded.
“Wait, I have a few questions to ask you, and you need to answer within five seconds.” Bo Ge took out his light brain and started voice input. “Each answer you give will be recorded as the basis for my evaluation of you.”
The big cat subconsciously sat up straight, and its large claws quickly moved a few times on the smart chair.
“Before me, did you have someone you liked?” Gugu stared into the big cat’s eyes.
“No,” the big cat blinked its eyes.
“I don’t know who my parents are, would you mind?”
“I will help you find them, and I don’t mind their identity.”
“After being with me, can you keep a distance from other humans?”
“I used to keep a distance from everyone.”
The answers were flawless, Gugu squinted his eyes, and the crucial questioning phase began.
“When we are together, if a human or an beastmen confesses to you, what would you do?”
“Reject them and then let them go build a frontier planet,” the big cat replied seriously.
“If we argue, what should we do?”
“Resolve the problem promptly, strengthen communication, and, without touching on fundamental issues, I would first request reconciliation.”
Very principled, logical answers… Gugu looked serious; typical questions couldn’t stump this cat.
“If we go to watch a holographic movie together, and a human next to us asks you to help unscrew a bottle cap, what would you do?”
The big cat, in a rare moment of contemplation, took three seconds.
Gugu displayed an expression of “Finally, you can’t answer this one.”
In the fourth second, the black panther spoke seriously, “I would contact the responsible departments of the company producing this product, including the management, technical supervision, quality inspection, as well as the conservation organization, consumer protection agency, and business administration.
According to the alliance regulations, goods sold to rare species must consider all aspects of the rare species’ conditions. The situation where ‘the product sold to the rare species cannot open the bottle cap’ indicates a quality problem.
If this product does not meet the alliance standards, it should be compensated for as a measure of the conditions for making it available to rare species.
If the product complies with alliance standards, it means there is a problem with its applicability, as it is not suitable for rare species customers. As a measure of suitability for rare species customers, the product should be adjusted.
Then, everyone will be able to open the bottle cap of the product sold to them.”
Bo Ge tilted his head, silently watching the big cat, and didn’t snap out of it for a while.
“Is there something wrong with my answer?” The big cat looked at the young man’s expression, revealing a hint of uneasiness, like a student waiting for the teacher to hand back their exam.
“You’re really amazing,” Gugu sincerely exclaimed, “Although I don’t understand, I just feel it’s impressive.”
“Thank you,” the big cat remained sitting upright, always ready to respond.
“One last question,” Bo Ge glanced at the almost cold and exquisite meal in front of him, looking quite expensive.
“If you feel unhappy during these three months we’ve been together, could you tell me promptly?” Gugu couldn’t help scratching his head. “I think I can be a good caretaker, but I might not necessarily be a good partner. So, if you ever feel unhappy, please tell me immediately. We can peacefully part ways, and who knows, maybe we can still be friends.”
“I don’t want to be friends with you,” the big cat stared earnestly at the young man with its golden eyes.
“That would only make me obsess even more over everything about you. I wouldn’t be able to pretend not to care, even when I can see but can’t touch your pain, every minute would be torturous for me,” Gugu confessed.
Bo Ge nervously licked his lips. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that if he agreed to the big cat, things could spiral out of control. Yet, if he refused the big cat, the situation he would face might be even scarier.
“Since that’s the case, let’s give it a try for three months?” Bo Ge felt a bit awkward, like meeting a desirable partner on a blind date, about to restart his life.
“Thank you,” the big cat expressed gratitude again, its tense muscles slowly relaxing.
“Let me warm this up for you.” Xiao Du picked up the meals in front of Bo Ge and the big cat and went to heat them up.
“Try this juice.” The big cat held the juice bottle with both paws, attempting to pour some for Bo Ge.
Bo Ge brought his cup over, watching the big cat carefully control the fragile juice bottle and pour it out cautiously, the movements clumsy yet adorable.
“So, what should I call you from now on? Mimi or Chief?” Bo Ge propped his chin with both hands. “Being a chief must be very busy, can you still play with me?”
“You can call me whatever you like, it doesn’t matter, and we can play together wherever.” The big cat stood up and tilted the juice for Bo Ge. “I have dedicated eighteen years to the Alliance. In the future, I will refuse overtime and spend more time with you.”
“It’s said on the StarNet that you have a chronic condition, is it true?” BoGe asked cautiously.
“What chronic condition?” The big cat finished pouring juice for BoGe and pushed the cup with its furry paw, placing it in front of Gugu.
“Don’t you usually read StarNet?” Gugu immediately opened StarNet, selected a passage, and read it to the big cat. “During the Interstellar War, Admiral Lie Beishuang led a small team to raid a Zerg nest and discovered a large number of Zerg eggs inside. He chose to sacrifice a ship to completely destroy the Zerg nest. Unfortunately, the small team was discovered by the Zerg. During the battle, Admiral Lie Beishuang was unfortunately hit by the residual explosion, fell into a coma, and after waking up, was diagnosed by the medical pod to have permanently lost his reproductive ability.”
“That’s quite well put,” Bo Ge couldn’t help but comment.
“I… am fine,” the big cat’s eyes had a slight evasion. “Medical records and information from medical pods are strictly confidential above the rank of Major General. No one can steal information from the scepter.”
“Scepter?” Gugu was puzzled.
“Ding ding ding!” The golden sphere revealed its mechanical legs, accompanied by flashing lights and its own background music, gliding to Gugu’s side.
“You’re the scepter?” Gugu realized after a moment of thought. “No wonder you carry advertisements and give pollen to Mimi.”
“That’s what the Chief requested,” the scepter explained with a clear conscience, shaking its round body and explaining the specific effects of the pollen to BoGe. “Although I am powerful, I cannot make decisions for my owner without authorization.”
“I see.” BoGe glanced at the big cat. It was apparent that there were some issues between this father and son duo, or else it wouldn’t be like this. However, as the soon-to-be partner for the three-month period, Gugu refrained from expressing any opinions.
“Both masters, the meals are heated and ready.” Xiao Du approached with the meals and placed them in front of BoGe and the big cat. “Enjoy your meal.”
Gugu stared at the upscale meals, suddenly realizing a serious issue. Recalling countless news articles about “breakup fees” he had seen in his previous life, and considering the big cat’s knowledgeable demeanor regarding Alliance laws, if they weren’t compatible after three months, he couldn’t rule out the risk of bankruptcy.
“Um…” Gugu awkwardly raised his head. “How about we split the bill this time?”
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ❤️”
