Chapter 9 House-shaped Honey Cake

Chapter 9: The Honeycomb House

When Li Hanchuan descended the stairs, his beautiful and devoted young wife was already seated at the dining table.

Earlier than him, even?

How dedicated could one be?

The alpha, in his military uniform, remained stiff and solemn, though a lack of sleep lent his expression an undeniable intensity and gloom.

Spotting Rui Rui from afar, he adjusted his collar.

Adopting the demeanor of one engaged in international negotiations between humans and beastkin, he took his seat, cold and silent.

But under the subtle, affectionate gaze of his little wife, the alpha finally broke the silence: "Did you make all this yourself?"

"Huh?"

Rui Rui paused.

He had merely been waiting to have breakfast with the major general—a human custom taught to him by his mermaid tutor.

Who knew the alpha would take so long? The baby seal was practically starving.

He had been desperately signaling with his eyes to hurry up and eat, but the alpha didn’t seem to understand!

The frail wife lowered his light golden lashes and shook his head. "No."

The baby seal had never cooked before; in the sea, he ate whatever he caught. Occasionally, when he ventured farther, he’d treat himself to Western cuisine, such as penguins.

Nothing as troublesome as human food.

Li Hanchuan scoffed coldly, picking up his knife and fork. "Playing hard to get."

After a few bites of bacon and eggs, the omega, who ate elegantly but was inwardly irritable, suddenly remembered something: "Oops, I forgot to wait for Father and Mother to eat together. Should we—"

"No need!"

The words blurted out reflexively.

It was the first time since they’d met that the usually emotionless major general had shown such raw emotion.

Rui Rui was stunned. He only reacted like that when he saw a killer whale—but weren’t they Major General Li’s parents?

The air grew still for a moment.

The alpha, realizing his outburst, quickly reverted to his usual robotic demeanor. "My family situation is… unusual. We don’t usually eat together. If you’d like, I can submit a request to Father when I have time."

"Also, don’t call her 'Mother.' That’s Mrs. Luo."

Li Hanchuan explained calmly.

The cold, aggressive scent of cedar pheromones around him gradually receded.

Rui Rui was utterly confused.

Even though he’d heard before arriving that the Li family was complicated—that the major general wasn’t the current Mrs. Luo’s biological son—the tense, sensitive atmosphere still unnerved him.

Perhaps, like some animals, humans weren’t meant to live in groups.

Thinking of it that way made it easier to understand.

The omega nodded obediently. "I understand."

The seal’s mind was only occupied with eating, sleeping, and how to perfectly perform the role of a qualified mermaid wife in this alliance marriage.

He was searching for words to bolster his persona when Li Hanchuan cut in coldly: "If they bother you or act inappropriately, be sure to tell me."

The silver knife and fork in his hand gleamed ominously, as if he were ready to kick Rui Rui’s in-laws out of the house at any moment.

Rui Rui: "…?"

This household was complicated indeed.

A robotic husband, troublesome in-laws, and him—a chubby deep-sea seal pretending to be a beautiful mermaid.

While the omega was still taking this in, Li Hanchuan had already wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"You—you’re finished eating already?"

Rui Rui instinctively glanced at the food in front of him. To his surprise, the man who best embodied the "clean plate campaign" in the entire federation was right before him. The baby seal couldn’t even sneak a bite—there was nothing left.

The major general raised a handsome eyebrow, suddenly boasting for some reason.

"Of course. During field operations, we have thirty seconds to eat. No exceptions."

…Field operations?

Rui Rui’s eyes widened, and he began devouring his food like a whirlwind.

It seemed only the strong could survive in the Li household!

This was a place of meager portions, robotic people, and the need for patience and strategy!

The alpha should have left for the office immediately, but for some reason, he found the mermaid’s clueless yet scheming demeanor amusing. His eating manners were also unbelievably graceful.

So he crossed his long legs and watched with narrowed eyes.

Watching his little wife eat so enthusiastically—just because he’d finished the breakfast the wife supposedly made.

Was he really that happy?

From a distance, the head cook watched silently, then gave his apprentice a thumbs-up. "Well done! The major general and his wife both love your cooking. Keep it up!"

"Cough…!" His beautiful wife suddenly frowned, patting his chest with difficulty.

Li Hanchuan’s expression turned serious. He stood and moved behind him. "Choking?"

Rui Rui waved a hand, unable to speak.

After a quick observation, the alpha concluded it was from eating too fast. Clearly, his own survival techniques weren’t suited for such a delicate creature.

The commander raised a hand and, mustering the gentlest touch of his life, lightly patted his wife’s slender back.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He asked awkwardly, "Better now?"

Rui Rui was instantly cured by Dr. Li’s miraculous touch.

It felt like a lion was massaging his back—even with the utmost gentleness, he could still sense the terrifying strength behind it. It was like the strange sensation of walking on a glass walkway or riding a roller coaster drop: no matter how much others reassured him of its safety, he knew his chance of dying was definitely not zero.

The baby seal managed a teary smile, his voice soft and nasal. "...Wow, completely better now."

How does one play the role of a good wife? Who could tell Coo?

He needed to clock in immediately!

Li Hanchuan sighed with relief and withdrew his hand, only then noticing how slender and fragile his little wife’s shoulders and back were—his hand could easily wrap around that impossibly slender waist.

His gaze shifted.

It met the omega’s delicate face, eyelids and nose tinged pink, eyes teary as he looked up, looking every bit like someone moved after being saved by a world-saving hero.

"..."

Hah.

The alpha pressed his thin lips together, turned coldly, and left for work.

So what if he was a little scheming?

After all, this little shrimp was both dumb and delicate.

Holding a warm latte, the omega silently turned away, feeling the post-survival gloom. So the rumors were true—the Commander could pound ten Coos to pulp with one hand.

The little seal inside him began to whimper again.

Waa...!

...Waaa!

-

The act of kindness that had kept Li Hanchuan in a good mood all morning had thoroughly ignited Rui Rui’s survival instincts.

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools.

The omega got a whole new look.

Wearing a brown beret, a college-style vest and shirt, he exuded a gentle, scholarly vibe. Though empty-handed, he set his delicate brows and strode into the central city’s largest public library.

Coo.

This way, no one would be able to tell the baby seal had never been to school.

After some browsing, the omega put down a book and thought to himself, "This should be it."

The seal was going to devour every book in this place about "how to be a virtuous wife"!

Nearby students studying in silence collectively froze when they saw the titles—

《Military Marriage Sweet Love: The Special Forces Husband’s Little Wife》

《General, Be Gentle!》

《Five Years Later, He Returned with a Baby, and the Major General Begged for Reconciliation》

As soon as Rui Rui sat down, he received a note from a neighboring alpha: "Someone as pretty as you coming here for air conditioning? Want to get to know each other? I’ll buy you coffee."

"?"

The cold-faced, knowledge-hungry beauty directly tossed the note into the trash.

What a joke.

If his cover were blown, the Commander would pound him to pulp!

The omega turned a page, and the morning flew by in the shocking plot of the chase where the prey can't escape.

Following the lunch crowd out of the library, Rui Rui was dismayed to find his head was empty.

So was his stomach.

As for what he had learned, it was mostly that if he got pregnant, he should disappear outright and make the other party search heaven and earth!

But it wasn’t mating season yet, so that wasn’t important.

The baby seal knew well that loving oneself was the most important thing. He immediately called a ride to the nearest high-end restaurant and, in one fell swoop, mastered both booking luxury rides and dining at upscale places.

The restaurant’s promotional ad featured five chubby kittens feasting happily.

The plump salmon had met a noble end.

Rui Rui was momentarily surprised. "Aren’t the kittens in the ad Mi Su?"

He immediately took a photo and sent it to her, soon receiving a flood of excited, cat-like audio messages raving about how delicious the seafood was here.

The omega frowned in distress.

"Alright."

"As the Major General's wife, knowing how struggling and complex my husband’s family situation is—having to finish a meal in thirty seconds or go hungry—I really shouldn’t be indulging alone, but..."

For the sake of his newlywed husband, for all the little sea creatures.

He had to master cooking hands-on.

To become a dutiful wife.

Rui Rui resolutely walked into the restaurant and elegantly took a seat—

"Please show me your freshest catch."

The chef greeted him warmly.

But faced with such a fragile-looking beauty, he didn’t plan to go all out.

A little something would be enough to fill this customer with a tiny appetite to the point of crying uncle.

Forty minutes later.

The beautiful omega with light golden long hair calmly swiped an unlimited black card, thanked them gracefully, and glided out ethereally.

The chef, who had developed tendonitis from rice ball-making, collapsed on the spot.

The owner came out and was horrified to find their entire weekly supply devoured.

Rui Rui, merely half-satisfied, sighed on his way home and murmured:

"Human supplies are indeed limited. They have to stretch a bit of fish with filler rice—how pathetic."

As soon as he stepped through the door, Rui Rui, now refueled with knowledge and food from the morning, felt a surge of inspiration.

He specifically instructed the butler, "I’m going to make afternoon tea for the Major General. Don’t let anyone near the kitchen."

The butler agreed.

Once outside, he gathered all the staff of the estate and began spreading the word: "The Major General and his wife are deeply in love! On the very first day of their marriage, the mermaid omega is already cooking for the Major General. Beautiful and kind-hearted, his heart is completely devoted to our Major General!"

-

By the island counter, a pot of rice had just finished steaming. The warm, fragrant aroma of rice wafted through the steam.

Rui Rui, now wearing a frilly little apron, fell into silence.

Various types of fish and shrimp had already sneakily slipped into his mouth. Now, only a small piece remained—it didn’t seem like enough.

...Hmm.

No biggie.

Humans are, after all, very economical creatures.

They’re the type to pair a tiny bit of fish with a large portion of rice.

The omega’s slender, fair, delicate hands picked up a thin slice of meat. Recalling how the chef had shaped sushi, he unthinkingly popped the last piece into his mouth.

"Mmph!?"

Oops, forgot—leopards only eat!

The baby seal’s true form emerged, its round body still tied with a pink apron, stretched taut and looking quite eye-catching.

The Strawberry Oreo Daifuku pondered for a moment, then simply started shaping onigiri.

After all, the Major General eats so fast he’d never notice.

Hehe.

The leopard paw had been rinsed with water. It grabbed a handful of warm rice, squeezed it for a bit, then slapped it onto the cutting board!

"...Mmph?" The round-mouthed furball leaned closer to the counter, little brows furrowed. "Why is it so ugly?"

His paw, still sticky with rice grains, tried to strike a thoughtful, chin-on-paw pose.

But the baby seal had neither a chin nor arms long enough to manage it.

Perhaps practice makes perfect. The little one’s stubby flippers moved swiftly. At first, he sculpted with the care of Nüwa creating humans, but soon lost patience. In a flurry of motion, he churned out a whole batch as if tossing blobs of clay.

Each plain rice ball was uniquely misshapen.

"Wah!" the baby seal cried out in frustration. "Arf!"

It must be because the onigiri are too small!

The cooled rice never could have imagined that, after being cooked, it would face such a fate—lined up and then shaped into one giant mass.

Still ugly.

The little one panted, exhausted. "..."

Why is it so hard to make onigiri as perfectly round like me!

The baby seal’s round mouth tightened into a fierce expression, and a dangerous, low oceanic rumble rumbled in its throat.

But this held no threat over the rice.

After a few seconds of silence, its round, dark grape-like eyes grew moist again.

There has to be a way!

Heaven never closes all doors for a leopard. Rui Rui soon thought of an awesome plan.

"Smack smack smack smack!"

"Smack smack smack smack!"

The chubby, soft little guy lay on the floor, tail pointing straight toward the ceiling, using its dexterous hind flippers to vigorously slap the onigiri back and forth. The massive rice ball soon took on a plump, round shape mid-air.

Even if it meant the baby seal would work up eighteen-pack abs from the effort.

But being a devoted mermaid wife was his job now. Mmph, he’d do his best.

"Phew...!"

Still a bit exhausting!

Before long, the baby seal was lying on the sofa, with a gallon-sized fruit tea placed beside the cushion. Its adorable puppy-like face sported a spectacle-shaped straw.

Slurp slurp—

The refreshing taste was quite similar to his own scent.

On the TV, the latest marine documentary was playing.

The baby seal juggled three tasks at once, its tail still dutifully slapping the onigiri: "Smack smack smack!"

Even if the unidentifiable object was transitioning from onigiri to mochi.

By the time the fruit tea was finished, the food beneath the baby seal’s sleek flippers was officially ready. This was the seal master chef’s latest creation.

Made especially for Commander Li Hanchuan.

Rui Rui felt a great sense of accomplishment. He originally intended to pack it into a small bento box.

But it didn’t fit.

So he hauled a bucket to the Double-Headed Eagle HQ.

This experience ignited Rui Rui’s culinary drive. He sent a WeChat message to the butler, instructing him to prepare more fresh ingredients.

With a bright smile, he asked the driver:

"I’ve decided to name this dish 'Genmai Cloud Crest · Silver Sand Bay Miracle · Quantum Ocean Onigiri.' What do you think?"

The driver didn’t understand a single word, breaking into a cold sweat.

But he replied with tact: "You’re amazing, ma’am. Not only have you captured the Major General’s heart, but his stomach as well."

Upon arriving at the building, the omega asked the driver to wait a moment, handed the pail straight to security, and left.

"Ma’am, aren’t you... going to see the Major General?" The driver was stunned.

The omega already dreamed of becoming a creative chef, eager to rush home and cook—who had time to go looking for him all over?

But Rui Rui’s appearance was utterly deceptive.

He tilted his head slightly, sapphire-blue eyes sparkling with amusement, radiating a vulnerable charm tinged with bitterness and restrained affection.

"I don’t want to disturb his work."

...

Before the big food delivery even reached Li Hanchuan, the Double-Headed Eagle Building was already buzzing from floor to floor.

“Oh my gosh, Major General Li’s wife just came to deliver a meal for him—and, they say, she’s the mysterious mermaid omega! So down-to-earth and approachable, not putting on any airs at all!”

“The Major General actually married such a beautiful and virtuous wife…”

“Now everyone’s saying Madam deeply loves the Major General but dares not get too close. Even when delivering food, she just glanced at the building from afar before leaving. What a devoted mermaid!”

“No, I heard Madam doesn’t love the Major General at all!”

“It’s because that mermaid omega’s cooking is so incredibly delicious that Major General Li snatched her up from the seaside to marry him! They say her food is so good that someone could die eating nearby and not even notice!”