At five in the morning, Jiang Ye’s eyes snapped open.
Living on the colony, being woken by wolf howls every day had ingrained a biological clock in him.
The quilt was silk, its touch incredibly smooth, warm, and comfortable, making him want to sleep longer.
He reached out to the side and suddenly woke up, the girl sleeping beside him was gone.
Looking up, Jiang Ye’s heart settled again.
Cen Yemeng was sitting by the window, wearing white lace underwear, her fair legs bare, her hair disheveled. She had clearly just woken up, yet she was still as beautiful as a fashion poster.
The orange kitten she kept was curled up on her fair calves, a fluffy ball with its tail coiled.
On Cen Yemeng’s lap was a thick copy of “Ulysses,” which she was intently reading.
“Reading a pornographic book first thing in the morning?” Jiang Ye watched her from his pillow.
“Pornographic book?” Cen Yemeng chuckled. “How is this a pornographic book? It’s a representative work of stream-of-consciousness literature.”
“In my era, this book was banned as illegal publication by both Britain and America, only unbanned more than ten years later,” Jiang Ye smiled.
“Meow!” The orange cat raised its head and let out a sharp cry.
Cen Yemeng closed the book and picked up the kitten, holding it like a baby. She nuzzled the cat’s face with her nose. “What are you meowing about? Hmm?”
“It’s jealous of me,” Jiang Ye yawned. “It was meowing so miserably last night.”
“This kind of kitten is very stupid. It heard me call and probably thought you were bullying me,” Cen Yemeng lifted the kitten and shook it. The cat’s flesh jiggled exaggeratedly. “Moreover, it’s so fat that it has trouble walking, and it can’t jump onto the bed to rescue me, so it can only cry sadly.”
“The way you put it, I feel a bit sorry for it,” Jiang Ye said. “Should I go to the market and buy some fish to feed it? To apologize?”
“It doesn’t eat fish, only vegetarian food.”
“Cats eat vegetarian food?”
“Genetically modified kitten, eats vegetarian, produces less waste, sheds less, has soft fur and no claws, specifically bred as pets for people,” Cen Yemeng got up from the windowsill, carried the kitten to the bed, and placed it in front of Jiang Ye. “Scratch him! Avenge your owner!”
The kitten, which had been baring its teeth and claws, suddenly realized Jiang Ye was many times larger than it when it got close. It was so scared it closed its eyes and dared not move.
“This kitten is incredibly timid,” Jiang Ye reached out and stroked its head. “So useless.”
A rapid ringing tone.
Jiang Ye stiffened and turned to look at the stool by the bed where his clothes were piled.
He got out of bed and took the communication tablet from his pocket. It was a call from Li Nannan.
Jiang Ye answered. “Good morning, Commander.”
“The meeting starts in two hours. Can you make it?” Li Nannan asked directly.
“So soon? No problem! Still at the same place as yesterday?”
“Nonsense, be there on time.”
The call ended abruptly. Li Nannan had always been so decisive, never wasting words.
Jiang Ye got up to get dressed. Cen Yemeng sat on the edge of the bed, watching him quietly.
“Are you going?” she asked.
Jiang Ye looked back at her, his voice gentle. “There’s an important meeting, I really must go.”
Cen Yemeng stood up and walked to the door, tapping on the display screen by the door.
“Come record your face,” she said.
Jiang Ye walked over. “Record my face?”
“Whenever you want to come, just scan your face to enter. I have six houses in the city, and I switch them daily, so I might not be here. But if you scan your face to enter, I’ll receive a message and know you’re here. That way, I can sneak away from work to pamper you,” Cen Yemeng leaned against the door, her eyes full of affection.
Jiang Ye leaned his face forward for the scan.
A line of text popped up: [Archive Two Complete!]
“The way you put it, I feel like a kept man by a rich woman,” Jiang Ye joked. “I’m leaving. I’ll come find you later.”
“Am I inviting a wolf into my den?” Cen Yemeng opened the door for him and suddenly asked.
“Yes, but I’m a kind wolf. You can trust me,” Jiang Ye put on his jacket and left.
Time was tight, and as soon as he went downstairs, he ran all the way.
Everyone on the road was looking at him, their expressions surprised, some even covering their mouths and laughing.
Jiang Ye thought his hair was too messy and ignored the pedestrians’ reactions, quickly returning to the Ear Room Hotel.
When he looked in the mirror in the bathroom, he suddenly understood.
His face was covered in countless lipstick marks!
He felt like he had seen a ghost. He had showered before bed last night. He had looked in the mirror then, and his face was clean.
The only possibility was that while he was fast asleep, Cen Yemeng had kissed his face repeatedly, like stamping an imprint.
She hadn’t reminded him when he left. She had definitely done it on purpose.
Jiang Ye’s neck turned red with embarrassment. He turned on the faucet and washed his face.
It took him half an hour to wash it clean. He didn’t have time to rest, so he changed into a black suit and went out.
He ran all the way and arrived at the military headquarters.
Li Nannan was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Jiang Ye rush in, she visibly relaxed.
“The Division Commander just arrived, others haven’t come yet. It’s perfect for you to go chat with the Division Commander alone first,” Li Nannan grabbed his collar and pushed him inside.
Jiang Ye’s adrenaline surged. “Chat alone? Does my awkward Division Commander have any preferences?”
“He likes honesty, not hypocrisy or snobbery. Just be open. Never lie, he sees through people. He’ll know in an instant if you’re lying, and then it’s game over!”
They took the elevator upstairs.
He ran all the way to the meeting room door.
Jiang Ye was still panting, fumbling to straighten his clothes and tie.
Li Nannan was already knocking on the door. “Commander, Jiang Ye is here.”
“Come in!” a deep male voice commanded.
Li Nannan pushed the door open, shoved Jiang Ye inside, and quickly closed it. She turned and went to the elevator entrance, standing with her hands behind her back and legs apart, ready to intercept those who came later. The meeting was still half an hour away, and she wanted to dedicate this time to Jiang Ye.
A man as huge as a bear sat behind the imposing long table. He was at least 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered and square-faced. His thick, dark blue officer’s uniform, with golden epaulets, reflected the sunlight.
The Division Commander looked up. He had a Chinese facial structure, but his skin was a pale, sickly white. His eyes, like a viper’s, were sharp and gleaming. His hair was messy, each strand as stiff as a steel needle.
Jiang Ye felt an overwhelming sense of majesty!
“D-D-Division Commander, hello!” Jiang Ye wanted to slap himself after speaking. He hadn’t stammered before, but he managed to stumble over his words the first time he met him.
The Division Commander said nothing, staring at him silently, his eyes growing sharper and brighter.
Jiang Ye remembered Li Nannan’s words about honesty and mustered his courage to speak:
“Excuse me, Commander, I’ve never met an official as high-ranking as you, so I’m a bit nervous. I don’t usually stammer.”
The Division Commander revealed a slight smile. “Jiang Ye, right? Come and sit. The first seat.”
Jiang Ye’s heart suddenly relaxed. The moment the Division Commander smiled, the pressure surrounding him dissipated.
So, some people really do have an aura, so strong it was almost tangible.
He walked to the first seat at the meeting table, pulled out the chair, and sat down.