Chapter 11 Thick Bottled Milk

Chapter 11: The Alluring Milk Bottle

A sliver of light pierced through the gap in the curtains, landing precisely on the omega's eyelids, so translucent that his veins were clearly visible beneath the skin. His pale golden lashes, almost indistinguishable from the morning glow, fluttered. The little wife unconsciously let out a soft, delicate whimper.

His fragile, delicate appearance was strikingly similar to that of a young animal, instinctively seeking a mother's protection.

Li Hanchuan gazed distractedly, and without a second thought, raised a hand to shield the light—

His fingers twitched abruptly, and the alpha frowned.

What was he doing?

Since when had he become so protective?

Yet, the hand meant to block the light never descended. It wasn't until he caught sight of a grain of rice clinging to Rui Rui’s mouth that the man's icy eyes softened slightly.

…How old was he, really?

The mermaid wife's stunning looks often made people forget that he was, in fact, an omega who had just turned twenty—still very young.

Li Hanchuan reached out and plucked off that silly grain of rice.

Unexpectedly, the action woke Rui Rui directly. The soft, spacious bed was so comfortable that the omega, still half-asleep and disoriented, thought he was back in the ocean—a poor, sticky rice dumpling being harassed by an evil killer whale.

He swiped with his tail in response!

By the time he realized what had happened, both he and Li Hanchuan were stunned.

The omega's flawless, pale foot was pressed mercilessly against the alpha's cheek, making it unclear whether it was flirtation or anger: "Oops, I didn’t hold back…"

The Major General was so shocked his eyes widened slightly.

Accompanied by the sweet fruit-like pheromones, blended with the scents of shower gel and skincare products, the soft, pale sole rubbed against his cheek—like a coy gesture, yet also like a temptation.

Had he tilted his head just slightly, he could have seen the curve of his little wife's raised leg, the smooth, fair skin trailing all the way to places unseen.

"Sorry, I’m really sorry!"

The omega sat up, his soft voice still tinged with sleep: "I thought something unclean was touching me and wanted to… use my mermaid tail to push it away. I forgot I’m in a human body now."

The disheveled wife explained in a fluster.

Li Hanchuan remained silent, still lost in thought.

Getting stepped on the face.

If an enemy had done this to him on the battlefield, it would have been a grave insult. He would have beheaded them without hesitation.

But…

But.

Catching a glimpse of his wife's pink shoulder where the pajama had slipped, his flushed, bewildered blue eyes trying to soothe him, and his pretty toes curling up in fear—it didn’t seem like the kind of humiliation Li Hanchuan was familiar with.

In a flash, the man recalled the call from his bodyguard earlier: [The young master said he’s an S!]

Li Hanchuan’s handsome face showed a flicker of understanding: "!"

Rui Rui was fully awake now, startled.

Why did the Major General never speak? Was he mute?

Or perhaps…

Did he want to see his mermaid in its animal form?

The omega pressed his pink lips together, silently locking eyes with him, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his temple.

Given his striking resemblance to a mermaid, he was confident he could pull it off.

But unless absolutely necessary, he had no intention of revealing his true seal form!

After all, he was a natural at camouflage.

Not only did he look like a mermaid—he looked even more like a sticky rice ball.

What if Li Hanchuan mistook him for a baby seal and ate him?

The alpha had never imagined that this seemingly delicate little seafood could be so wild at heart. He let out a cold chuckle.

Mischievous little thing.

Trying to play those kinds of games so early in the morning?

He stood up and left, stating coldly: "I understand, but I won’t play along with you in those games."

Rui Rui scratched his head.

The Major General’s words were inscrutable, but at least he hadn’t forced him to show his mermaid form.

Both of them harbored their own secrets.

Neither brought up why Li Hanchuan had been in Rui Rui’s room in the first place.

As soon as his husband left, Rui Rui let out a long sigh, collapsing back onto the bed. With a soft *pop*, the little beauty transformed back into a plump, springy Coconut Charcoal Sticky Rice Ball!

His round muzzle twitched slightly as he rolled back and forth, wrapping himself in the blanket like an unfinished Swiss roll.

Soft and fluffy.

So comfortable.

The baby seal poked his head out from within, squinting contentedly like a maneki-neko.

Really don’t wanna get up, mmm!

-

"What did he mean? Inviting me?"

Sitting alone at the dining table, the alpha began ruminating, absentmindedly touching his cheek where he’d been stepped on.

But the Major General coldly decided not to play along.

Letting his kinky mermaid wife be frustrated would teach him that he wasn’t just any casual alpha. Even if their political marriage was certified with a marriage license, that didn’t mean they could do everything.

Li Hanchuan stared at his coffee, watching the ice melt, and arched a questioning brow.

But would trampling him really make him happy?

The tsundere omega even made up such a lame excuse, saying he used his mer-tail to push away the dirt.

To go to such lengths, it seems Ruifulodite really wants to step on him.

Rui Rui woke up late today and hasn’t come down yet.

The stern, uniformed commander glanced at the opposite seat, and the empty seat made him imagine his young husband sitting there, smiling at him.

That same obedient, gentle smile.

Yet in reality, he would use his pale, delicate feet to hook around his military boots under the table, or playfully bother him with his beautiful, dazzling mer-tail, making the spread before him taste like wax.

Is this quirk of his meant to delight in seeing the alpha flustered and heated?

Doesn’t he know what consequences this could bring?

The air-conditioned room, usually kept at a constant temperature, suddenly felt unbearably hot. The Major General’s expression remained calm, but his ears were burning. He took a deep breath and abruptly stood up.

“I won’t have breakfast for now. Make sure to remind the young master to eat.”

The alpha intended to take the lunchbox his husband had prepared yesterday.

But the refrigerator was empty.

The butler hesitantly informed him, “Last night, I vaguely saw the young master come to the kitchen. He huddled on the floor, crying as he finished the meal you didn’t eat. His sobs were muffled and choked—he seemed utterly heartbroken…”

“…He had spent the whole day preparing it and even had special ingredients bought. Now the fridge is empty. It seems the young master, in his grief, quietly threw everything away.”

Li Hanchuan was stunned.

It felt as though an invisible hand had clenched his heart, leaving it sore and numb.

So that’s how it was.

No wonder there was a grain of rice at the omega’s mouth.

He had cried all night in sorrow, eating the meal his husband had scorned between sobs, until he eventually fainted from distress.

The alpha’s expression darkened, his long fingers slowly clenching.

“Crying over such a small matter,” he uttered dryly before decisively leaving.

The butler bowed respectfully. “Take care, Major General Li.”

Faintly, Li Hanchuan overheard the butler muttering, “The young master must have been deeply hurt. He probably won’t ever cook again…”

When Rui Rui came downstairs, he found the Major General long gone.

Learning that he had gone to work at the ministry, the omega breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank God his husband was all about his work.

He wouldn’t fixate endlessly on his unusual behavior.

The butler approached to comfort him. “Young master, please don’t lose heart. Major General Li does care about you. Just now, he wanted to take the meal you made yesterday to work. In all my years of service, I’ve never seen Major General Li eat leftovers.”

“…What?” The omega seemed shocked.

His delicate frame staggered half a step back. Covering his lips, he shook his head repeatedly. “I knew it, I knew it!”

The butler was thoroughly touched.

He felt like an NPC in a protagonists’ mutual crush storyline.

“When Major General Li saw the empty fridge, his expression turned very grim. It seems he deeply regrets not being able to eat the meal his husband made with his own hands.”

Rui Rui leaned against the table, speechless.

He knew it—with his culinary skills that strip things down to essentials…

Li Hanchuan would definitely fall in love with his Mystic Rice Cloud Peak · Silver Bay Miracle · Quantum Seafood Rice Ball!

But given what happened this morning, Rui Rui vowed to avoid all foods that resembled his appearance. He couldn’t let Li Hanchuan look at a round rice ball and think of him.

He had the butler prepare new ingredients.

Under the butler’s clearly moved expression, Rui Rui dismissed all the servants.

The soft, round Mochi put on a pink apron, his dark, bright eyes filled with resolve.

“Alright, let’s try again!”

After all, last night, the baby seal had gotten hungry, sneaked into the kitchen, and stuffed both the rice balls and various vegetables into his mouth.

-

All morning, he felt restless.

Li Hanchuan was widely known for his decisive nature and mercilessness. He never regretted his actions and never showed mercy to anyone.

Yet in just a few hours, he kept picturing his omega husband hiding in the kitchen late at night, eating pitifully with rice mixed with tears.

The alpha irritably looked down, touching the brim of his military cap.

It seemed his adjutant was right—he really didn’t know how to be gentle with delicate ones.

“What do you, a beastman, know about life? What alpha doesn’t sow wild oats?!” Before he could enter the ministry, a distant argument caught Li Hanchuan’s attention. “I’ve been stuck in this position with no promotion, all because you, a useless rabbit, do nothing but cry all day!”

“If you were as socially adept and well-connected as the wives of the military officials, I would’ve already met Commander Li and become his right-hand man!”

The furious alpha appeared to be a junior officer.

He yanked his weeping husband, and the rabbit staggered, nearly falling, pleading miserably, “P-please let me go. I don’t want to be with you anymore…”

The omega’s face was bruised, clearly no stranger to his husband’s violence.

“Try mentioning divorce again, I dare you!”

“Let me tell you, stop nagging me about going out to have fun. What successful alpha doesn’t play around? Why don’t you ask Major General Li how many mistresses he keeps!?”

The adjutant, unable to stand it any longer, was about to step in when the Major General raised a hand to stop him.

A gunshot rang out!

The cursing officer suddenly screamed and rolled on the ground in agony. Li Hanchuan calmly put away his weapon, his light brown eyes completely impassive.

Amid the shocked gazes of his subordinates, the man steadily advanced.

Crack—

The hard military boot heel snapped the officer's already bleeding arm.

"To answer your question."

"I have only one spouse in this lifetime."

The officer's face contorted; confronted by the top alpha's dominant aura, his throat tightened instantly, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood!

Li Hanchuan looked down at him condescendingly:

"Your words are not only a challenge to me, a provocation to the friendly relations between federal humans and demi-humans, a disregard for the right to life, but also an offense to my wife."

"No, no no! Major General Li, there must be some misunderstanding…!"

While begging desperately, the officer suddenly realized that his cries at this moment were eerily similar to his wife's screams when she suffered violence.

What was worse.

He realized he could never be a federal soldier again: "Major General, Major General!"

The commander couldn't bear to look at him any longer and ordered his adjutant: "Escort him away and hand him over to the Federal Police."

"Also, reassure the frightened citizens."

Demi-humans being looked down upon was not uncommon, let alone herbivorous omegas who were already at a disadvantage in marriage. Li Hanchuan sat in his office, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The disappointed look in his little wife's eyes appeared before him again.

The adjutant tried to persuade him several times, but he had no appetite for lunch.

For him, eating was just about sustaining vital signs; whether it was delicious or not didn't matter.

The alpha wondered if he had unknowingly become an unfaithful husband.

Even though theirs was an arranged marriage.

Shouldn't they still maintain a certain level of courtesy?

Li Hanchuan took out his phone; his chat history with Rui Rui stopped at "You have added each other as friends."

He typed a few words, then quickly deleted them.

As he was feeling agitated, a knock came at the door. He frowned impatiently, about to tell the adjutant urging him to eat to leave, when he looked up and saw the elegant figure of the omega standing in the doorway.

"Sir, please."

Rui Rui nodded, with a somewhat evasive gaze as he entered, speaking softly: "...Major General, I prepared lunch for you."

"If you eat lunch, then you can't eat the baby seal."

It was like being handed a pillow when sleepy. Li Hanchuan sat up even straighter and casually flipped through some documents.

"You're really persistent."

Just finished crying for him, and now you've regrouped to wholeheartedly serve a husband who has no interest in you?

Both out of courtesy and practicality, Li Hanchuan should give it a try.

Before opening the lid, Rui Rui, who was leaning on the desk with both hands, suddenly grew nervous and couldn't help asking: "Yesterday's dish, you really didn't see it, did you?"

His tone made the alpha puzzled.

The man glanced at him, met that beautiful, gentle face, and truly couldn't say anything harsh: "As you wished."

The lunchbox opened.

Li Hanchuan fell silent at the sight of the dumpling-shaped, fiery red rice ball: "...What did you put in it?"

His mermaid little wife looked at him, sapphire-blue eyes sparkling brightly, full of the innocence of a small animal.

"Fire chicken noodle sauce, it's red and pretty, right?"

And it was specially shaped using the baby seal's little claws.

There were even leopard claw marks on the rice, but Rui Rui wouldn't explain the process to him; the design concept was kept in his heart.

Besides, the non-spicy fire noodles had been enjoyed by the seal alone.

Li Hanchuan: "."

Adjutant: "..."

The omega, seemingly worried about the pain of rejection being replayed, obediently said "Enjoy your meal" and left the building.

The beautiful and virtuous mermaid received the soldiers' respectful gazes all the way.

The reputation of deeply loving the Major General once again spread throughout the Double Eagle Building.

-

This time, Rui Rui didn't go to the more serious atmosphere of the library but found a bookstore, chose a private booth, and quietly picked out many cookbooks.

Finally, the baby seal decided to start with "Good Girls All Like Seals."

After deeply analyzing his own outstanding qualities, the confident omega nodded: "Okay, it's really time to start learning now."

Half an hour later, the baby seal was so angry it puffed up like a ball, flapping its flippers wildly in the room: "Mmph!"

"Why, why does the domineering CEO have to take someone's kidney when he's sad or angry! Major General Li isn't like that!"

Even though the baby seal didn't understand what a kidney was.

It was still furious enough at the scumbag.

The little one took a breath, its chubby belly rising and falling.

After calming down, it then gracefully and slowly raised a leopard claw, like a stunning mermaid from the deep sea, and lightly moved its mouth: "Server."

"Please bring me a bottle of milk."

The baby seal is melancholy and needs a little drink to soothe his mood, just one bottle will do.

At 9 p.m., as the bookstore was about to close, a handsome, tall alpha walked to the private booth door, hesitated for a moment, and opened the curtain.

When Li Hanchuan saw this scene, his expression froze involuntarily.

Twenty or thirty empty milk bottles were scattered messily on the table and floor.

His mermaid little wife was slumped over the table, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, but perhaps because his heart was too heavy, he was still sound asleep.

Li Hanchuan didn't wake him, quietly sitting opposite his wife. Seeing the mountain of cookbooks piled on the table, he let out a soft sigh—no emotion could describe what he was feeling at that moment.

Who gave him permission to overstep his bounds and do these useless things?

The alpha felt a sudden, inexplicable anger, suddenly rising to leave.

Rui Rui, sound asleep, murmured in his dreams, "Don’t go… don’t go! Give me another bottle of milk."

In his dream, the baby seal was taking a milk bath while gulping down bottle after bottle.

Li Hanchuan’s legs felt as if filled with lead. His tall, straight figure paused for a moment before he silently sat back down.

He stared silently at his mermaid wife.

When humans are troubled, they smoke, drink, or indulge in pleasures—but this silly mermaid only drowns his troubles in milk.

The alpha’s clasped hands slowly loosened.

He stood up, bent down, and very gently brushed aside the omega’s disheveled light golden hair, his eyes dark and complex.

"You could have been carefree like those birds, with nothing to do."

"Why… why do all this for me?"

His voice, hoarse from the spicy turkey-rice ball, murmured lowly.