Chapter 48 Thai Iced Coconut Water

"..."

With his wife's fluffy little head nuzzling against him, Li Hanchuan found himself holding his breath.

For twenty-five years, he had been an iron-willed, top-tier alpha, yet never had he imagined a human heart could melt to such an extent.

His erupting cedar pheromones enveloped his sobbing little wife from every direction.

He comforted her, ecstatic, gently patting her back.

“...I missed you terribly at that time too.” Li Hanchuan’s voice was hoarse. He wasn’t good with sweet nothings, so he simply repeated, “I missed you. I almost went crazy with worry. Thank goodness you’re safe.”

“As long as you’re safe and sound, I’m willing to do anything.”

Had Ruifulodite even heard him clearly?

He was crying so pitifully—his small face entirely tear-streaked, his fair skin flushed red from the intense sobbing, and his sapphire-blue eyes rimmed with a rosy hue, like the pink sunset clouds outside.

He kept nodding frantically, snuggling coquettishly into his embrace, a heartbreakingly adorable sight.

“Your eyes are all swollen. Lift your face, let me wipe them for you,” the alpha coaxed softly.

The more the commander thought about it, the more delighted he felt.

During danger, the person Ruifulodite most wanted to see was him, and only him—wasn’t that just like wanting to grow old together with him, loving him for a lifetime?

The world’s most adorable omega was right in his arms.

Unable to resist, with his erection, he kissed the tear-streaked little one until he was utterly dazed.

Li Hanchuan swore.

From now on, aside from making him cry in bed, he would never let his wife shed another tear.

Rui Rui had been quite moved initially, but being kissed so intensely became unbearable, even annoying. He mumbled in protest, his small hands pushing his face away, his voice muffled and coquettish with tears.

“That’s enough. I want to eat the braised pork now.”

The food melted in his mouth, and the baby seal couldn’t help but admire Li Hanchuan’s cooking skills. If he ever returned to the ocean one day, he would always miss this flavor.

Remembering the plight of going hungry the previous night was too miserable, Rui Rui elegantly devoured three large bowls of red-braised pork over rice, along with countless dessert servings.

The major general had official duties that evening but arranged to work from home.

Rui Rui simply hugged his laptop and nestled in his study, unusually avoiding the media room or game room. The two stuck together, keeping within three meters of each other.

Perhaps inspired by the alpha’s serious work ethic, Rui Rui also felt motivated and began reviewing for his final examinations.

“Is it really okay for you not to go to the military department?”

As soon as the omega spoke, Li Hanchuan was by his side within two seconds, pulling his little wife onto his lap. He glanced at his computer screen and praised, “You're working hard, but don’t overwork yourself.”

“My father previously had close ties with the Wei family. Now that the higher-ups are moving to investigate the entire Wei family, to avoid suspicion, I can’t go.”

Rui Rui nodded.

The incident of the baby seal’s kidnapping had also secretly helped Li Hanchuan avoid suspicion of entanglement with the Wei family. If any federal general were suspected of colluding with the empire, their peaceful days would be over.

Late at night, the omega, whose nerves had been frayed, quickly fell asleep.

Li Hanchuan propped himself up on his arm, quietly gazing at his little wife’s serene sleeping face. Inexplicably, the words of that hyena before its death echoed in his ears.

What gray?

At that time, Rui Rui had turned ashen and seemed deeply concerned about it.

The baby seal’s sleep was restless; even in his dreams, he was violently slapping Wei Hanchi's long-dead spirit with his tail, fighting valiantly.

Smack! Smack!

Through the thin blanket, a somewhat short, rounded tail thrashed wildly.

Li Hanchuan was startled: “…”

He hadn’t expected staying up late would yield such a discovery. He looked at his frowning little wife, then at the tail thrashing incessantly under the blanket.

—So he really was a mermaid.

They say intimacy grows through sharing vulnerabilities. Li Hanchuan’s throat moved as a sense of closeness welled up inside him.

His bond with Rui Rui was truly deepening.

The alpha’s hand reached over, lovingly stroking through the blanket: “?”

The texture was that of a slender yet plump fish tail. He gave it a light pat, then squeezed gently—it felt as soft as mochi.

No words could describe Li Hanchuan’s shock at that moment.

Completely unlike his wife’s elegant and sacred perfect appearance, in everyone’s impression, Rui Rui should have a sleek, with slightly firm scales, shimmering fish tail.

Why was it so... adorably chubby?

After pondering for a while, the commander convinced himself.

Just as human legs can be long or short, hands slender or stout, the same goes for mermaids. Perhaps his wife was the corgi of the sea, hence her plump tail.

Should he take a look?

That damned hyena had seen his little wife’s beast form, while he knew nothing about it.

After wrestling with himself, out of respect for individual privacy, Li Hanchuan refrained from lifting the blanket to check for himself.

The alpha lay down beside him.

Holding his little wife whose tail was still twitching, he fell asleep contentedly, filled with indescribable fulfillment and pride.

The fish tail felt firm and substantial.

His wife was really strong.

But then again, shapeshifter partners generally weren’t ashamed to reveal their original forms to their spouses, since that was their true nature.

Having been married for so long, yet Rui Rui had kept it hidden, maintaining his perfect image—it was clear this short, plump gray tail was a deep insecurity of his.

His little wife must be deeply insecure about it.

Li Hanchuan wasn’t an alpha who judged based on appearances; it just so happened that his wife was absolutely gorgeous.

To tactfully help Rui Rui overcome his inferiority complex, once the Wei family matters were mostly settled, Major General Li applied to use the outdoor shooting range inside the military base.

"You asked me before to teach you how to shoot, right?"

The alpha's gaze was firm and cool: "Starting now, I'll teach you basic shooting skills and self-defense techniques every day. With enough practice, you'll be more than capable of dealing with ordinary criminals."

Rui Rui, dressed in a black training outfit, his eyes full of yearning.

Feeling hot, he tied his jacket around his waist. The thin, pure black fabric clung to his slender waist, outlining the faint trace of his V-line with each breath.

His face tense, he snapped upright: "Yes, sir!"

"Good attitude," the Major General praised with a nod. Walking past his young spouse, he steadied his waist—and the feel was good.

What did a plump gray tail matter?

In the face of absolute firepower, appearance was the least important thing.

Though the omega’s body was delicate and somewhat weak, he excelled in flexibility.

The two spent the entire afternoon at the training ground. He had to admit—the baby seal was serious and learned quickly, his cheeks burning hot but never stopping.

"I'm not thirsty!"

The omega waved off the offered lemon soda and continued aiming with his gun.

While his little wife remained focused, the commander couldn’t help but start fantasizing every time he caught sight of that slender waist and long legs. Even while guiding his movements with an embrace, he secretly hoped the other would lose balance and fall into his arms.

Old-fashioned TV dramas loved this trope.

Every dramatic romantic trope Li Hanchuan had ever known flashed through his mind, all projected onto his little wife.

Turns out it wasn’t that he’d been celibate and cold-hearted in the past—he just hadn’t met the right person.

In the Major General’s heart, Rui Rui was like an immortal descended to earth, even the sweat-dampened hair at his temples carrying a faint berry scent. He smelled it—it was delightful.

After waiting awhile, the omega finally let out a sigh, completely exhausted, and unconsciously staggered backward...

"Careful," Li Hanchuan caught him as hoped, chuckling, "So little strength."

Rui Rui looked up, panting, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

He gave a shy smile: "Mhm... I need more practice!"

Major General Li nearly got swept away by the breeze of his wife’s light golden lashes. After a dazed moment, he roughly ruffled his little one’s hair and coughed awkwardly.

"You’re doing great, don’t push too hard."

Maine Coon Lieutenant and Lieutenant Bernese slurped coffee not far away, tossed their empty cups accurately into the trash, then returned to their true forms—two fluffy giant creatures lounging on chairs.

"Meow?"

The Major General didn’t train us like this—has he changed tactics?

"Woof..."

You wouldn't understand.

It looks like combat training, but it’s actually flirting.

The alpha held back his strength with every move, and the omega remained completely unaware. It was hard not to suspect Li Hanchuan was deliberately tricking his little wife into kicking him a couple of times.

The scenario of the domineering general and his delicate wife continued for some time.

Rui Rui’s life suddenly seemed to hit fast-forward. Balancing training with getting certifications, he quickly passed courses in tea ceremony and flower arrangement, while his combat and shooting skills steadily improved.

On the day he received his various certificates, the baby seal was so moved he teared up.

Leopard Claw opened a food delivery app to order milk tea to celebrate. The familiar shop interface showed, "You have ordered 238 times." The little one hesitated for a second, wondering if he should try a different shop for something new.

Just then, a pop-up notification appeared—a message from Li Hanchuan:

"Don’t eat too much outside. I’ll cook tonight."

The alpha had taken leave early to prepare ingredients at home.

He originally wanted to buy a bouquet to celebrate his little wife’s achievement, but since he’d just earned professional certificates, his taste would surely be more refined and critical than his own. A poorly chosen gift might backfire—unoriginal.

This straightforward alpha wasn’t one for roundabout gestures. That evening, he made handmade sausages in various flavors, wrapped them in oil paper and decorative paper.

Incredibly fragrant.

When Rui Rui received the sausage bouquet, tears practically dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Chef Li, if you opened a restaurant, you’d definitely win over the entire Federation!"

Li Hanchuan most loved watching him eat happily. Rui Rui’s happiness was his happiness.

He raised an eyebrow: "How did you know?"

He usually only ate fruit skin and all, but these days he’d learned to cut them into little animal and flower shapes, arranging them on a plate to serve to him.

"If I hadn’t gone into politics, I planned to open a restaurant or become a zookeeper."

The omega, in a light gray loose-knit sweater, thought for a moment before suddenly smiling: "Then you’ve achieved both."

"How?"

"You cook for me every day and take care of me—haven’t you achieved both?" His little wife smiled with curved eyes at him, beaming. "And you became a Federation General too. You really hit the jackpot."

In the chill of autumn, Rui Rui gave Li Hanchuan a dreamlike, surreal feeling.

"...Yeah."

The alpha subconsciously touched his stiff face.

Why was he smiling like this?

Li Hanchuan usually didn’t like to smile. Even in formal social settings, he wore a forced, insincere smile. Outsiders often thought he deliberately put on a stern face.

His adjutant had advised him to be more amiable. Li Hanchuan would only offer a more "deadly friendly" expression and say, "Who are they to me, that I should smile for them?"

But before Rui Rui, he smiled effortlessly.

The alpha’s gaze burned as he kissed his hair: "Well then, thank you for making my dreams come true."

Ruifulodite.

Like a softly glowing little creature, alighting in gun-calloused palms.

He feared he no longer belonged to himself, wanting to hold on tightly yet afraid of hurting him, so he maintained an arms-length distance, his heart anxiously hanging in the balance, unsure how to feel more secure.

Cooking, caring, revolving around Rui Rui—the formidable commander was wooing in such a simple, unadorned way.

Funnily enough, he didn’t realize it himself, feeling it was all only natural.

"The hyenas outside the border are still restless, so I’ve picked up the 'Brave Citizen Award' awarded to you by the authorities on your behalf. All public interviews on major platforms have been declined."

Rui Rui gladly accepted his husband’s proposal.

Li Hanchuan handed him a wooden box shaped like a treasure chest. The omega took it with curiosity, and when he opened it, he was nearly dazzled by the sparkle of the diamonds—

"What is this?!"

Major General Li remained expressionless, though the tips of his ears burned. "Don’t you like getting piercings?"

"These are bought for you—some finished pieces, some loose stones. If you want them set in custom designs, I can connect you with a designer." After saying this, the alpha fell silent for a moment. "These... are prizes from your husband for you."

At first, Rui Rui didn’t quite understand human currency.

But now he was a bit of an old hand, well aware that each of these items alone was worth a fortune.

Li Hanchuan led a monotonous life with nowhere to spend money. If not for cooking for his wife daily, he’d spend almost nothing, able to get by just on cafeteria meals.

This was likely the commander’s biggest expenditure.

The baby seal hugged his little treasure chest—heavy, yet warming his heart.

If you're giving, I'm taking—Rui Rui didn’t refuse in the slightest, accepting it gladly once again.

Li Hanchuan clenched his fist inwardly; the gift was a perfect choice.

The baby seal had a tight schedule. The next day, he spent the morning baking cookies at the pastry shop. The little fox omega was a hidden master in the baking world; with a few pointers from his fox paws, the cookies’ flavor instantly improved.

Rui Rui made a visit on his own to the orphanage.

Last time, the baby seal had actually heard the children’s feedback about his pastries. His pride was briefly bruised for a second, but two cups of milk tea cured it completely.

Now, returning from his training, with a wave of his little hand, several assistants bustled about moving food and daily supplies.

The Brave Citizen Award bonus the baby seal received went directly to helping those in greater need.

A chameleon child sorted through paintbrushes, muttering softly, "Seven colors aren’t enough to draw Big Brother anymore—I need seven hundred colors..."

"Madam Ruifulodite, how can I ever thank you?" The director was moved.

Rui Rui nodded with a smile, graceful and poised.

"I’m merely following in my husband’s footsteps."

The director shook hands repeatedly. "You yourself are such a wonderful person. Major General Li is incredibly fortunate to have a partner like you!"

This time, instead of identical charcoal-colored cookies, the children could choose between hard or soft cookies based on their preferences, with a wider variety of flavors.

The kids jumped for joy.

"Wow!"

"The cookies don’t hurt my mouth anymore!"

A rebellious child deliberately objected, "Hmph, I like the ones that smack my mouth—it’s super cool!"

Nothing could stump the baby seal cookie master. Rui Rui directly brought out the popping candy flavor, and the children cheered, proclaiming the beautiful Major General's wife as their king.

The omega even rolled up his sleeves to help in the kitchen, but since he couldn’t handle the large wok, the task fell back to the cook.

He was responsible for just eating instead.

The officer’s wife had significant social duties, which for Rui Rui, who loved interacting with people, was a breeze. The next day, they were supposed to follow up with the previous victims, but with the major general occupied, the baby seal led Three Birds Madam there instead.

As the door opened, a squealing brown blur came darting over.

"Sea—"

The little mole quickly corrected himself, "Madam Mermaid, you’re here!"

Six mole pups rushed into Rui Rui. The omega stumbled back a little, his neck tickled as he laughed, raising the cake in his hand.

"Children, I’ve come to fulfill my promise."

The moles danced around: "Squeak squeak squeak!"

"Madam, our children get carried away when guests come—please don’t mind them..." The mole couple hurried over to gather their kids, slightly worried the esteemed visitor might be displeased.

But Rui Rui just smiled considerately. "Not at all."

Every gesture was refined and elegant, his demeanor warm and approachable. Three Birds Madam had a good nature too, though by comparison, she carried a bit more arrogance from her high status.

"Brother Rui Rui, we really didn’t expect you to bring us cake, and you made it yourself!"

The children, back in human form, sat obediently around the cake, chin in hands, reluctant to eat it as they gazed. "Daddy, don’t cut it yet, let us look a bit longer!"

"This one is brother, this one is sister, this one is me..."

The child pointed at the fondant little mole figurines on top, naming each one.

Rui Rui applauded and nodded in agreement.

The omega exchanged glances with Three Birds Madam, both unable to hold back their laughter.

Because he had actually made six identical fondant little moles.

Before leaving, the children clung to his legs, reluctant to let go, their eyes sparkling. "Brother Rui Rui, you’re so good. Mom and Dad said Major General Li is your husband, so he must be a very good person too."

The baby seal thought for a moment.

Patting each mole on the head in turn, he agreed, "Mm, he’s especially good."

From that day on, the mermaids the children drew in art class at school inexplicably changed in appearance.

No longer the slender, complex mermaids of before, but a chubby round shape with a small tail and two little paws.

Someone loudly objected, "This isn’t a mermaid at all—it doesn’t even have scales!"

The little moles scattered across various classes were indignant, squealing, "Just draw them on then!"

So they added a few wavy lines on the seal tail.

The objector was left speechless and stunned. And since the style was simple, allowing for free addition of cute little elements, it soon became a trendy mermaid drawing style among the youngsters, with Rui Rui almost turning into a spiritual totem.

A stationery shop owner with keen business sense reported the situation to the factory.

The factory immediately began mass-producing small dolls, stickers, and cultural merchandise featuring similar designs.

One day, while passing by after work, the Major suddenly raised his hand and said, "Wait."

The driver, confused, stopped the car.

The alpha got out of the car with his briefcase, picked up his authentic Rui Rui doll, compared it with the items at the cultural products stall, scoffed, and turned to leave.

His tall, handsome figure radiated arrogance.

"Mine is still the best-looking."

The shopkeeper: "?"

-

On the day Rui Rui received his advanced pastry chef certificate, Mermaid Chief Anna came to see him.

The two sat silently facing each other in a private café booth.

Little Dumpling knew that the powerful Mermaid Chief would not make an appearance easily unless necessary—the last time was just before the wedding.

This meant that...

"Gulp—!" The little one chugged a small sweet drink in two mouthfuls, his leopard claws trembling slightly from nervousness.

"The runaway bride has been found," Anna sighed, hesitating as if she had more to say.

Rui Rui paused for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. Do I need to tell the Major now?"

"Not for the time being. I’ll leave the timing to you," Anna said with a complicated expression, as if hiding something. "Rui Rui..."

"Hmm?"

She could see the little one’s disappointment. After all, no one is immune to emotions, especially someone as soft and adorable as Rui Rui, a Little Dumpling through and through.

Faced with those innocent, grape-like black eyes, the formidable female omega held back her words.

She only said, "I’ll deal with the runaway mermaid as soon as possible."

In Rui Rui’s heart, his initial purpose in coming to the human world was to serve as a substitute bride. Sooner or later, the mission would end, and he would leave Li Hanchuan and return to the sea.

When he first started living with the Major, the baby seal was constantly on edge.

He feared that Li Hanchuan would discover the truth, that Li Hanchuan would bully him, and that life on land would mean no good friends or delicious food.

But when the day finally came, none of his fears materialized.

He had gained far more than he had lost, and now he felt reluctant to leave.

That evening, Mi Su invited Rui Rui to a bar. Rui Rui knew that this feline omega was rather wild, causing chaos wherever she went. Feeling down, he also wanted to let loose with someone.

What was there to fear about alcohol?

He was, after all, a leopard who could eat two boxes of liqueur chocolates in one go.

But when they arrived, he realized it was an upscale, low-key bar with a foreign band playing on stage and customers chatting and drinking below.

"Meow, meow, meow!"

A small figure leaped up from the sofa, a little kitten waving its claws wildly. "Over here!"

As Rui Rui approached, he saw the table filled with snacks, pasta, and freshly squeezed juice.

As soon as her friend arrived, Mi Su quickly shifted back to her human form, grabbed a plate of pasta, and slurped it down while mumbling, "Let me tell you, the food here is amazing. Once, when my husband and I were arguing, he even insisted on taking the chicken wings to go..."

Rui Rui said, "I thought coming to a place like this would make us act more mature."

"Good point," Mi Su raised her hand. "Waiter, we’d like to order more!"

For some reason, Rui Rui, who was usually calm, felt unusually irritable tonight. But he didn’t skip the meal—instead, he ordered a lot of alcohol, transforming into a rebellious and mature full-grown leopard.

After a few rounds of drinks, the little kitten ran onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the singer, filling the bar with meowing songs.

Rui Rui, now quite drunk, smiled and wanted to go up and sing too.

But he had to hide his identity. He couldn’t freely use his seal form like Mi Su or any other demi-human there. He froze for a moment, feeling like crying.

这时，一个早就吸引全场omega注意的alpha走了过来。

"Hello, may I buy you a drink?"

The man’s voice was pleasant. Rui Rui looked up dizzily and saw that he was quite handsome.

With his striking, handsome features, it was clear he was a demi-human. His light-colored heterochromatic eyes hinted at an unusual animal origin, and Rui Rui could sense the aura of the sea.

A look of certainty flashed in the man’s eyes as he knelt on one knee, took the omega’s limp hand, and moved to kiss it.

"I can feel the blessing of the Mermaid Chief. So it’s you—my apologies."

Rui Rui, heavily intoxicated, squinted and reacted slowly. Just as the alpha was about to kiss the back of his hand, a chilling, icy cedar scent filled the air.

The man suddenly froze, yanked up by his collar.

A swift shoulder throw sent the alpha who was hitting on him crashing to the floor with a loud thud. The entire bar stood up in shock, but it didn’t end there—a punch followed, landing squarely on the man’s face.

From the takedown to the punch, it took only seconds. The man briefly lost his ability to move.

Li Hanchuan’s handsome face was contorted with fury as he stood up and stepped on the man’s chest.

"What were you trying to do to my wife?"