Chapter 88 – Extra (The Full Conclusion)

Chapter 88 - Extra (The Full Conclusion)

At eight in the morning, Ya Lan stood nervously at the door of her marshal's residence.

The marshal had been on leave for over a year! Ever since Chu Li was found to be pregnant a year ago, Jing Baiyuan, or Bai Yuanting, hastily returned to Qian Yun to handle all the necessary resignation procedures.

Of course, as the chief, he didn't allow the marshal to resign altogether; instead, he granted him an exceptionally long paternity leave so that he could be there for his partner during childbirth.

Then, the marshal left with his companion! For more than a year, and only returned the day before... Although during his absence, he handled military affairs through video communication, and the world was peaceful without any significant troubles, still...

She hadn't seen the baby yet!

How could someone just run away with their spouse when they were about to give birth? !

Unacceptable!

Ya Lan rubbed her hands together at the entrance. This time! She must catch a glimpse of the baby.

After waiting for approximately ten minutes, the door opened, much to Ya Lan's surprise, revealing Chu Li himself.

On this sunny day, the gentle morning light bathed Chu Li, making him appear even more amiable.

It had been a year since Ya Lan last saw Chu Li. At first glance, he felt a sense of estrangement, but upon closer inspection, those familiar features reemerged.

Ya Lan blinked, feeling that Chu Li's demeanor had become more tranquil—back when they first met several years ago, Chu Li exuded an aloofness and stubbornness, as if he didn't quite fit in with the world.

That version of Chu Li was unique and captivating, yet the current Chu Li evoked a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Perhaps he had finally found his rightful place, no longer needing to face the world with a defensive attitude.

Ya Lan smiled. "Long time no see."

"Long time no see," Chu Li replied, stepping aside. "Come in and have a seat."

Ya Lan followed him into the house.

They must have been back for a while, as the interior had been freshly decorated, even with a plush carpet covering the living room floor.

Ya Lan, unaccustomed to the change, stumbled upon entering.

Chu Li glanced back at her with a smile. "Be careful, Little Chu Miao is always running around the house, this blanket is for him."

"Little... Chu Miao?" Ya Lan looked stunned.

No sooner had she spoken than a small cat emerged from the bedroom. It was a familiar sight, Little Key.

It had been over a year since she last saw Little Key – Jing Baiyuan had taken the cat with him back then.

Now, Little Key was a seasoned feline, its face bearing an air of maturity and composure. It strolled out gracefully, meowing at Ya Lan upon seeing her.

Ya Lan had taken care of Little Key for quite some time, and she missed it dearly after such a long absence. Just as she was about to approach and scoop up the cat, another large cat followed behind the kitten.

This was a giant cat resembling a Li Hua Cat in appearance but with a body size akin to a leopard. Two tufts of black fur stood erect on its ears, giving it a resemblance to a lynx.

Its eyes were a clear emerald green, and in its mouth, it carried a tiny kitten with the same pattern, who was struggling fiercely and mewing incessantly.

Ya Lan: "?"

Why did this big cat resemble the Marshal's feline form so closely?

She knew Jing Baiyuan had left to learn transformation and returned because he had mastered it. Yet, she had never seen him in action! This big cat was entirely different from the little Li Hua Cat... It was way too massive!

And what about the kitten it was carrying?

The kitten's fur pattern resembled the big cat's, with black paw pads. It hung its front paws limply, looking at Ya Lan innocently with big eyes.

Ya Lan stopped in her tracks, blinking in surprise.

Upon seeing this, Chu Li frowned and stepped forward to retrieve the kitten from the big cat's mouth, scolding, "Why did you carry him again? Didn't I tell you not to carry him and let him learn how to transform into a human himself?"

The big cat meowed, "~Meow~"

Chu Li took the kitten, and the large feline affectionately circled around them before rubbing its forehead against Chu Li's leg.

After a while, it suddenly noticed that there was someone else beside Chu Li. The big cat froze and sat down solemnly, turning towards Ya Lan, "Meow!"

Ya Lan: "..." So, you only just saw me now?

Ya Lan was speechless.

Chu Li patted the large cat's head, indicating for it to return to the room. Reluctantly, the feline left, and about ten minutes later, Jing Baiyuan appeared from inside. Upon catching sight of Ya Lan, he coughed softly.

Instantly, Ya Lan stood up. "Admiral."

"Mm." Although Jing Baiyuan was still attempting to maintain his stern demeanor, Ya Lan's mind was still filled with the image of the big cat.

The Admiral's imposing presence had vanished entirely.

Aware that Ya Lan and Jing Baiyuan had important matters to discuss, Chu Li sent them to the kitchen, staying in the living room to entertain their child.

Xiao Miao couldn't speak yet, nor did he know how to use human limbs. Most of the time, he appeared as a kitten. With an outsider in the house, he was even more reluctant to transform back into human form.

Chu Li didn't mind, as Jing Baiyuan had assured him that Xiao Miao's health was fine.

After all, he didn't wish to pressure the child into anything.

However, Jing Baiyuan and Ya Lan's conversation seemed to drag on. After tidying up the living room and finding himself with nothing else to do, Chu Li went to the balcony to bask in the sun, eventually falling asleep. Even then, the two of them hadn't emerged.

It was simply because there were too many unresolved matters from the past year.

In the study, Ya Lan hadn't even finished speaking when Jing Baiyuan was already growing impatient. He tapped the table. "Is it urgent?"

Ya Lan choked. "Actually... not really."

It had been delayed for so long anyway; a day or two more wouldn't make much of a difference.

Jing Baiyuan seemed to transform into an overworked employee for the capitalists. Upon hearing "not urgent," he promptly said, "Then you can go back first. I'll personally take care of the rest at the base."

Ya Lan was filled with doubt. Was he being sincere? Wasn't he lying to her?

Also, she had come all this way—was she really not allowed to hug her baby?

With a gaze brimming with yearning, Ya Lan looked at Jing Baiyuan, hoping that her admiral would understand her intentions. Unfortunately, the admiral's heart was cold and unfeeling. When he left the study, Chu Li was nowhere to be seen. Ya Lan knew that her hopes were in vain as she left Jing Baiyuan's residence with a dejected air.

But as soon as she stepped out, she quickly regained her spirits. The baby still had a long time before it grew up! She had even raised Little Key; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future!

-

After seeing Ya Lan off, Jing Baiyuan went to the balcony. The sun was shining brightly that day. Since Chu Li enjoyed basking in the sun, they had placed a rattan chair on the balcony.

At that moment, Chu Li was lying on the rattan chair with Little Key at his feet and the baby nestled in his arms. His breaths were soft and slow, and the corners of his lips curled slightly, as if he were having a beautiful dream.

Jing Baiyuan Yuanting reached out to gently pat his head, the soft rustling of fabric rousing the cub from its slumber. The cub lifted its head to glance at its father, and Jing Baiyuan continued to caress its head.

Then, he bent down to lift Chu Li from the wicker chair.

Unconsciously, Chu Li's head leaned against Jing Baiyuan as he carried both him and their cub towards the bedroom, in a slow and tender embrace.

Not long after they left, Little Key lifted its head in confusion, realizing that it was now alone on the balcony, not knowing when everyone had disappeared.

"Meow?"

It understood – this must be the big cat's retaliation!

Cats, indeed, were creatures that held grudges.

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