Chapter 43: Snatching the Spaceship Launch
Xu Huazhang picked up the bottle and gently sniffed it. The intoxicating aroma forcefully sank into his senses, sending a shiver through his whole body.
“The flavor’s intense. Baby, how’s your alcohol tolerance?”
He shifted closer to Mu Lantu, the distance between them shrinking from enough for another person to not even enough to fit a sheet of paper.
The warmth that didn’t belong to him felt like a flame, igniting his easily provoked young body. Mu Lantu felt a wave of heat rush through him, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV.
The serious tone of financial news quickly broke the ambiguous tension.
“Average. You?”
Xu Huazhang took his hand. “Not bad. I like savoring wine, not getting drunk. I’ve only ever gotten drunk once, and that was… a long time ago, during a tolerance test.”
“If you like this wine tonight, I’ll give you a bottle,” Mu Lantu said, relaxing into him.
“Great. Does the wine have a name?”
They were so close now, the flush of his lips right in front of Xu Huazhang’s eyes. He couldn’t look away.
“It does. It’s called Overlord.” Mu Lantu glanced at the kitchen, slightly regretting choosing that wine—he had other bottles, less aggressive than Overlord. He lowered his voice, “How’s Brother Zhou and Tao’s drinking tolerance? Don’t let them get drunk and cause a scene at my place.”
Xu Huazhang’s breath caught slightly. His shocked yet burning gaze locked onto Mu Lantu, a flicker of stormy emotions surging in his eyes. But in the next moment, powerful self-restraint buried all that turmoil deep in his gaze—leaving only warmth, joy, and overflowing affection.
Mu Lantu noticed his distraction and looked up. “Hmm?”
Xu Huazhang lightly bumped noses with him. “They can handle it. Both of them are trained. Besides, four people sharing one bottle isn’t much.”
It was such a small gesture, but Mu Lantu’s heart pounded wildly. Maybe it was just his own mood getting carried away, but Xu Huazhang’s voice sounded better than ever—like the affection in it had taken form and was teasing his nerves into numbness.
Mu Lantu was just about to lean in and kiss him—
—when Zhou Ye’s voice rang out from the kitchen. Because of the exhaust fan, he had to shout:
“Lantu! We’re out of soy sauce! Got any more?”
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang simultaneously shot a disgruntled look toward the kitchen.
“Yeah, it’s in the lower cabinet. Take a look.”
The two of them sat up straight, pretending to watch TV intently.
“Now broadcasting the evening news…”
Mu Lantu suddenly remembered he hadn’t poured tea for Xu Huazhang yet. He got up, made some tea, and washed a plate of cherries.
The cherries were big and sweet. He ate one and fed one to Xu Huazhang.
“This is Zhang Xianhe reporting for Jasmine News in the A-Country. The B Country will launch a manned spacecraft to Dream Home at 8:11 PM on May 16, Jasmine Standard Time…”
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang’s expressions shifted subtly, their entangled gazes drawn to the TV.
Outside the window, exclamations could be heard from other residents in the neighborhood.
Mu Lantu turned up the volume, his eyes brimming with interest.
[Host, the A-Country is seriously overestimating itself!]005 grumbled indignantly.
[Ignore them. Little Five, instead of binge-watching TV dramas, start learning about investments. I’ll need your help laundering rental income in the future.]
005 had run out of shows and movies it liked recently, so the new task perked it up immediately.
[Roger that, Host! On it right away!]
The news anchor calmly reported:
“The President of the A-Country declared that Dream Home must include a place for his nation. As the first country to launch a spacecraft there, they will uphold their role as a global leader and guide all of humanity toward a better future…”
Xu Huazhang scoffed.
Mu Lantu turned to look at him.
Xu picked up a cherry and fed it to him.
“Like it?”
Mu Lantu nodded. “Yeah, it’s really good.”
Xu took a tissue and gently wiped the juice from the corner of his lips. Just then, an AiXin notification sounded.
“I’ll go check if dinner’s ready,” Mu Lantu said, wandering toward the kitchen.
Xu Huazhang watched his back with a soft gaze and opened the message.
Zhou Ye saw Mu Lantu and smiled. “Just finishing up the last dish, then we’re ready to eat.”
“No rush. I just came to grab some wine glasses.”
Mu Lantu glanced at the counter. Aside from the blanched pine mushrooms and garlic lettuce, the rest were full-on main dishes: spicy stir-fried clams, braised pork with preserved vegetables, home-style baked fish, crispy pork bites, steamed ribs, diced chicken with chili peppers, and Sichuan-style boiled beef.
“Brother Zhou, you’re amazing. You made all this in just an hour—and it looks and smells fantastic.”
Zhou Ye humbly replied, “It’s nothing. Practice makes perfect.”
From outside came the slow, unhurried call:
“Baaaby… Baaaby… Baaaby…”
Xu Huazhang’s tone was lazy and teasing, not at all urgent, but the repeated calling made Mu Lantu want to throw something. His temper had been worse than usual lately—and it was definitely Xu Huazhang’s fault.
“I’m coming! What do you want now?”
