Chapter 99 Spring Beast Tide - 1 That night, Lu Yi...
That night, Lu Yi climbed through the window into Tang Bufan's room. Wan Yiming, who had just arrived, was keeping watch in the yard. Lu Yi knew Tang Bufan's personality; he didn't want anyone to see him sleeping with his 18-year-old fiancé, fearing gossip.
Lu Zhi found Tang Bufan's strange concern and persistence adorable.
Tang Bufan lay quietly in bed wrapped in a blanket, only his head showing. He only woke up groggily when Lu Yi lifted the blanket and crawled into bed.
Tang Bufan is no longer in a deep sleep, but his sleep quality is still very good. He can't be woken up by the slightest noise. Lu Yi has mixed feelings about this.
"Finished with your work?" Tang Bufan asked him lazily.
Lu Yi reached into his pajamas and habitually touched the man's chest.
“Around May or June, a group of people from the Western Federation will be coming.” Lu Yi said to him in a low voice, “Although I really want to send a few people over now… the East and West are too far apart, global transportation has not yet been restored, and the spring beast tide is coming soon. Around May or June, the Western Federation will probably have finished building its first flying machine.”
Tang Bufan became slightly more sober after listening. He turned over and looked at him. The young orc's golden-green eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"Is it about the Rebooters, or about cooperation with the Federation?" Tang Bufan asked.
"Yes, I have both." Lu Yidao, seeing the alluring look on Tang Bufan's face, couldn't resist leaning over to kiss him.
Tang Bufan turned his head away, preventing him from kissing him, and continued talking to him: "Who came?"
He wouldn't let him kiss, so Lu Yi kissed his neck instead: "Two high-level orcs I know, and a small army, which may be adjusted later."
Tang Bufan was forced to raise his head because of his kiss. He looked at the gauze curtain above his head and felt some pressure. He was not mentally prepared to face Lu Yi's friends and the people from the Western Federation.
But there are still three months left. Tang Bufan closed his eyes again, feeling sleepy, and gently tapped Lu Yi's head.
"Go to sleep, no making noise."
Lu Yi was hit by him before reluctantly lifting her head from his neck, gently stroking the man's increasingly fleshy body, adjusting herself into a comfortable position, and falling asleep while holding Tang Bufan.
The bed was filled with Tang Bufan's scent, and Lu Yi felt very peaceful. The surroundings were also very quiet, as if they had returned to the RV, with the open fields outside.
The next day, Lu Yi went next door to video chat with the people from the Western Federation. Tang Bufan curiously went into the house and hid to listen in. He learned that the Eastern Federation wanted the Western Federation's aircraft manufacturing technology, while the Western Federation wanted the Eastern Federation's ground ecological base construction technology.
Of course, both of these technologies were obtained by them from humans. Although the humans in the underground city of the West District also build surface ecological bases, their technology is not as mature as that of the East District.
Among those discussing the matter were economists and researchers from the Western Federation, who were analyzing the potential impact of the technology exchange. Roughly half of them were against it, believing that aircraft technology was more valuable than ground-based bases.
Currently, 95% of the Earth is barren wasteland, and the three major orc federations have rebuilt less than 5% of the Earth's territory. With the aircraft, the Western Federation has a first-mover advantage and can develop other parts of the Earth ahead of time.
“There might not be anything good left for us outside,” one researcher said. “The Americas and Australia may have already been explored by the Rebooters.”
“The satellite did not capture any signs of human activity outside,” another researcher said.
“That’s why the Rebooters have been hiding right under our noses for a thousand years,” the researcher continued. “And strategically, mixing humans with us also prevents the Rebooters from launching regional attacks on us. They shouldn’t be harming humans.”
The group argued back and forth until Lu tapped the table a few times with his finger and calmly gave the order:
"After the beast tide recedes, arrange for a search team to travel by ship to North America for on-site investigation. Also, my goal is to bring humans back to the surface, but not so you can use them as a shield. It's to build the Federation together. Don't let me hear this kind of talk again. The military will analyze any potential attacks by the Rebooters; that's not your job."
Although the majority initially opposed it, after Lu Yi finished speaking, everyone stopped arguing and began to focus on how to implement Lu Yi's goals.
Tang Bufan watched quietly from the side, feeling as if he had witnessed another side of Lu Yi.
Judging from the reactions of the dozen or so people on the other end of the video, they were used to Lu Yi issuing orders and obeying him, even though Lu Yi had left the Federation a year ago.
Tang Bufan then realized that Lu Yi had lived such a life in the Western Federation before, and that he had such a somber appearance. He had always thought of him as a child, innocent, energetic, and shy.
The result was that the meeting was so formal, so formal that it was a bit dull and lifeless. You can't develop this kind of temperament without having attended a thousand meetings.
Tang Bufan belatedly realized that Lu Yi seemed to have started managing federal affairs when he was ten years old.
A pang of heartache welled up from the bottom of Tang Bufan's heart. He saw that the people over there had started to talk with their heads down. At this moment, no one was paying attention to Lu Yi, so he took the opportunity to walk over, cover Lu Yi's bracelet with his hand to block the camera, and then, under Lu Yi's astonished gaze, he lowered his head and kissed his cheek.
"You look so handsome in meetings," Tang Bufan whispered to him, then smiled and got up to leave: "Keep busy, I'm going out."
Tang Bufan released his grip on Lu Yi's wrist and tiptoed out of the room. The people in the Western Federation conference room looked up and suddenly noticed that their boss had blushed and was smiling slightly with his head down, looking like a young man, as if flowers were blooming behind him.
"..." So you're in a relationship. The researchers fell silent.
"..." Is it really that sweet? The scholars fell silent.
Tang Bufan returned to his room, intending to return the hairpin he had received yesterday to Pei Zhishu. He changed his clothes and used the hair bun technique he had just learned to half-up his hair, inserting the golden-brown wooden hairpin into the bun on top, just like the ancients, while leaving his hair loose behind him.
After he finished tidying up, he took the tray and went outside.
Wan Bing, Wan Yiming, and the twins were all in the courtyard. One of the twins was sitting on a stone bench reading a book, while the other three were talking by the bamboo grove. It turned out that bamboo shoots were sprouting next to the bamboo, and they were discussing whether they could dig them up and eat them.
Seeing Tang Bufan come out, the four of them turned their heads and looked over. They all opened their eyes wide at the same time. Then, the sub-beastman next to the bamboo bushes hopped over.
"Mrs. Tang, let me take it." He smiled and took the tray from Tang Bufan's hands, his eyes still sparkling as he looked Tang Bufan up and down.
"This was given to me by Mr. Pei yesterday. I'm returning it to him," Tang Bufan said, beckoning to Wan Yiming, who was still standing there in a daze, "Come on, come with me and He Yun to find Mr. Pei."
Wan Yiming was jolted awake by Wan's forceful pat on the back. He immediately rushed over, embarrassed, his already dark face appearing even darker due to the flush.
The three of them left the Green Bamboo Pavilion together.
“Mrs. Tang looks even more beautiful with her hair tied up.” He Yun said to Tang Bufan with a smile, holding a tray. “After meeting you, I realized what an immortal is.”
Wan Yiming remained silent, but he agreed, his eyes still fixed on Tang Bufan with a simple, honest gaze.
"That's an exaggeration." Tang Bufan smiled slightly, having also enjoyed wearing Tang suits.
“It’s really beautiful.” He Yun’s expression became more serious. “You’re just like the characters in the novels I’ve read.”
Tang Bufan thought of He Xing, who was reading in the courtyard, and asked him, "What book is your brother reading?"
“English books,” He Yun said. “Although we can speak the common language, we don’t know English. Since the leader started to revive Chinese, everyone has been learning Chinese characters.”
Tang Bufan understood, while He Yun looked at him curiously: "How can Madam Tang tell the two of us apart?"
The twins looked very alike, and their parents would sometimes mistake them for each other, but Tang Bufan recognized them from afar at a glance.
“He’s still, you’re moving.” Tang Bufan found the two easy to recognize, and leaned closer to He Yun to smell his scent: “Your brother wears perfume, but you don’t.”
Seeing Tang Bufan suddenly move closer to her, He Yun couldn't help but feel her heart race as she looked at his handsome face. Then she blushed slightly and thought to herself that even if they were both sub-beastmen, good-looking people could still make people's hearts flutter.
But when He Yun thought of He Xing, his emotions became complicated again.
“…My brother didn’t wear perfume before,” He Yun said, looking at Tang Bufan meaningfully, “He started wearing it when Mr. Louis and Mrs. Tang came.”
Tang Bufan could sense the warning in his words, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
He Yun originally wanted to say something to Tang Bufan, but after glancing at Wan Yiming following behind the two, he shut his mouth in annoyance.
Before the three of them even reached the main courtyard, they ran into Pei Zhishu, who was walking his youngest son's dog. Tang Bufan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as he had been worried that Pei Zhishu had gone to work.
He claimed he was walking his son's dog, but Pei Zhishu sat in the pavilion, his face propped up by his hand, dressed in a suit and tie, with his legs crossed.
Tang Bufan watched from afar and felt something was strange; Pei Zhishu's gaze towards his son was too cold.
He turned to look at the little boy playing with the dog; he was clearly very cute and bright-eyed.
Tang Bufan walked over with Wan Yiming and He Yun. Pei Zhishu, who was in a daze, noticed him coming. He glanced at Tang Bufan and finally his gaze fell on the wooden hairpin in Tang Bufan's hair.
He narrowed his eyes and gave a meaningful smile.
"Mr. Pei," Tang Bufan greeted him politely.
Pei Zhishu looked at He Yun, who was carrying a tray, and guessed Tang Bufan's purpose. He put down his crossed legs, slowly got up from the stone bench, and walked directly to Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan was secretly startled, feeling that he was too close, and thought of stepping back, but Pei Zhishu had already reached out and touched the wooden hairpin on his head.
Tang Bufan could only remain still.
Pei Zhishu was a head taller than Tang Bufan and had held a high position for many years. Although he was a sub-beastman, he was not lacking in the sense of oppression he gave off. He carefully ran his fingers over the edge of the wooden hairpin before stepping back from Tang Bufan.
"Qinan has a slightly sweet fragrance, is shaped like golden threads, and is crystal clear under light. It is the highest grade of agarwood," Pei Zhishu said slowly, smiling at Tang Bufan. "It looks very nice on Madam Tang."
Tang Bufan had asked Kai Ge to check the wooden hairpin yesterday, but they couldn't find any information about it, so they didn't know its value. Hearing Pei Zhishu say this, he immediately felt uneasy.
"Is it expensive?" he asked, wondering if he should return the wooden hairpin as well.
"It's just that the wood used is expensive." Pei Zhishu looked down at Tang Bufan. "It's not some historical artifact."
Tang Bufan breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this and said to Pei Zhishu, "Then I'll accept this one. The others are too valuable. I think it's better for Chinese cultural relics to remain on this land."
Tang Bufan was self-aware; since he was engaged to Lu Yi, he was now considered a member of the Western Federation.
Moreover, he has no home in this apocalyptic world.
“The artifacts are indeed artifacts, but they are now private collections.” Pei Zhishu said calmly, “Since they can’t go into a museum anyway, I think it’s better for them to be worn on Madam Tang’s head than to be hidden away in this family’s warehouse without seeing the light of day.”
“…It’s too valuable.” Tang Bufan insisted, “Mr. Pei, please take it back. I’ll keep this wooden hairpin.”
Pei Zhishu's gaze fell on the wooden hairpin in Tang Bufan's hair again, and he smiled slightly: "Alright then."
Tang Bufan inexplicably felt that his smile was somewhat malicious.
"Caw—!" Suddenly, a bird about half the size of a person descended from the sky and landed beside the pavilion, startling everyone.
"I'll do it!" Wan Yiming shouted loudly, displaying the aura of a bodyguard. He immediately strode forward from behind Tang Bufan, swiftly grabbed the bird's long neck, and caught it in his hand.
"Caw—! Caw—!" The bird, its neck grabbed, immediately flapped its wings frantically. With each flap, its body appeared even larger, its wingspan exceeding one meter. The flapping created a fierce wind in the pavilion, which was quite frightening.
He Yun's face turned pale. He immediately tried to protect Tang Bufan and retreat, but then he saw the slender man lift up his long robe, reach under the slit of his Tang suit, and pull out a pistol from the side of his thigh.
With a loud "bang!", blood splattered, and the large bird that had been struggling wildly in Wan Yiming's hands suddenly stopped moving.
The pavilion fell silent again. Everyone stared blankly at Tang Bufan, who was holding a gun. The man, who should have looked like an immortal, had lost all his ethereal elegance. He wiped the blood off his face with his arm and deftly shoved the gun back into his thigh.
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