Chapter 44 Impossible

"Would you like a new kitten?" Felix deliberated and proposed. "Or perhaps a puppy? I can buy one for you."

Nian Tu shook her head in refusal.

Marshmallow was one of a kind. She did not want a substitute.

"...Then shall I take you out to clear your mind and relax?" Felix wrung his brain trying to coax her into happiness.

Although the coming days were not rest days, he could apply for leave.

As the Empire's renowned model worker, Lord Marshal had accumulated decades of unspent annual leave.

Felix calculated his accumulated vacation time and envisioned a future with Nian Tu, unexpectedly feeling that his holidays might not quite be enough.

At this moment, Lord Marshal completely forgot his past disdain for his nephew's lovesick brain, his heart overflowing with yearning.

"I own a sparsely developed primitive planet with wonderful natural scenery and various wild animals. I've developed a hot spring on the snowy mountain of that planet, which is very suitable for a vacation and clearing one's mind." He had done some research into Nian Tu's preferences.

Sure enough, Nian Tu's interest was successfully piqued. The more she listened, the brighter her eyes became. After maintaining her restraint for a brief moment, she couldn't help but nod.

The entire military department was inexplicably filled with a joyful atmosphere today.

The subordinates didn't know if it was their imagination, but they felt that the Marshal had left in a hurry and seemed in a very good mood upon his return. Even when the documents they submitted had a few minor flaws, they didn't face the usual torrential storm.

The last time the Marshal was in such a good mood seemed to be when Nian Tu brought him steamed stuffed buns.

What was the reason this time?

The audacious subordinates secretly gossiped about their top boss, but no matter how wildly their imaginations ran, they all dropped their jaws in shock upon learning that Felix had actually requested three days of leave under the pretext of a "date."

The Marshal? A date? Dating whom?

Which female was so formidable that she actually subdued the legendary, cold-blooded Marshal!

If this news leaked out, countless females' hearts would surely shatter. Even with the gender ratio disparity being so extreme, many females had expressed their adoration for Felix, with some even claiming they were willing to be the only one in his life.

Yet the Marshal had always remained unmoved.

Everyone thought the Marshal would remain single for life, only for him to suddenly have a dating partner! If word got out, it would probably be the biggest blockbuster news of the entire Empire this year.

Never could they have imagined that someone as ruthless and merciless as Marshal Felix would quietly fall for a certain female like this! Who on earth was this sacred female capable of making Lord Marshal's iron tree bloom?

After some reasoning and analysis, the subordinates found they couldn't find a single suspicious candidate. The Marshal was usually overly self-disciplined and had never gotten close to any female.

"Could it be Nian Tu?" someone boldly guessed. "Nian Tu brought the Marshal steamed buns before."

"Impossible!"

"How could that be..."

"Stop guessing wildly."

Everyone shook their heads one after another.

In their assumptions, the Marshal would definitely choose a female of high rank and equivalent nobility. Although Nian Tu was pretty and had a cute personality, being matched with Major General Xion was already punching above her weight class, let alone matching the dignified Imperial Marshal.

"Shh!"

At this reminder, everyone who had been slacking off at work and gossiping quickly sat up straight, turned expressionless toward their documents, and lowered their heads to pretend to work diligently.

Felix walked past them and left the military headquarters building ahead of schedule, clearly going on a date.

Out of the corners of their eyes, the subordinates secretly caught a glimpse of Lord Marshal's radiant and beaming expression, making them so intensely curious their hearts itched. If they weren't too cowardly, they would have even wanted to follow the Marshal to get to the bottom of it.

Not only were the subordinates curious, but friends who learned of the matter also came to question Felix one after another, and even His Majesty the Emperor came to probe, asking if he truly had a female he fancied.

A female he fancied...

Looking at the messages sent by his friends, Felix raised his gaze and looked toward Nian Tu.

They were currently aboard a spaceship.

The destination, that primitive planet, was slightly farther away from the Central Star, and the journey was filled with monotonous scenery. Yet Nian Tu squatted on her seat, curiously peering out the window. Her soft, delicate face pressed against the porthole, and the resplendent cosmic nebula was reflected in the depths of her eyes, making her look exceptionally innocent and carefree.

Felix's gaze lingered on her for a long time, unable to look away.

When Nian Tu came back to her senses, she saw Felix seemingly taking a picture of her. Instead of dodging, she struck a pose, blinked with a smile, and deliberately displayed the blue iris necklace around her neck right in front of Felix's eyes.

Coming out to play this time, she specially wore the gift Felix had given her.

Yet Felix acted as if he hadn't seen it, showing no particular reaction.

Nian Tu felt a trace of doubt in her heart, but quickly brushed this small confusion aside.

"Uncle, let me see," she leaned over to check how the photo turned out, only to find that Felix seemed about to post her photo to his personal StarNet feed. Her face flushed scarlet instantly. "Don't post it out—!"

Felix was the Imperial Marshal, a figure in the spotlight of the masses. If he were to post her photo to his personal feed just like that, she didn't dare imagine what kind of sensation it would cause.

Nian Tu hurriedly moved to stop him.

Felix seemed not to understand why she reacted so intensely; with a sweep of his large hand, he easily grasped both of her wrists and subdued her.

With the vast disparity in size and strength, Nian Tu was like a little rabbit caught by a hunter, forced to sit obediently.

If it were just sitting ordinarily, that would be fine, but Felix actually pulled her into his arms, making her sit right on his lap!

Shyness and burning heat surged over her in an instant!

The man's embrace was broad and warm, and photos were completely thrown to the back of her mind. Nian Tu's head was entirely occupied by the two solid thighs she was sitting on, trying hard to ignore the sensation of the muscles, but failing repeatedly.

Until Nian Tu felt as though her whole body was about to burn up, Felix finally released his grip. "I'm sorry..."

He was accustomed to handling all problems from a high vantage point and subconsciously acted that way, only realizing afterward that it was inappropriate.

Nian Tu's skin was delicate and thin. Although she hadn't felt any pain, a clear circle of grip marks was visible on her wrists, making Felix feel even more self-reproachful.

"Next time you can just slap me directly," Felix said apologetically.

If he accidentally committed such an impolite act again, he hoped Nian Tu wouldn't endure it in silence and would remind him directly and roughly.

Nian Tu scrambled down from his lap in a flash, trying to make herself look composed as she shook her head offhandedly, "It's fine, you didn't do it on purpose."

"The photo," she dragged the topic back to the picture, "definitely don't post the photo out!"

Although the picture actually turned out very well, it couldn't be posted casually either!

"Is visible-to-friends-only not acceptable either?" Felix solicited her opinion. "They are all discreet people and won't leak the photo."

Even though they hadn't formally registered their relationship yet, he was already the guardian whom Nian Tu had acknowledged with her own lips. As rational as he always was, he actually gave birth to the urge to show off.

"Visible-to-friends-only?" Nian Tu pricked up her ears. "There's a feature like that?"

As long as it wasn't posted on StarNet for the entire public to know, she didn't mind too much and relented, agreeing to Felix's request.

In the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor saw the photo posted by Felix, verified it back and forth several times, and clapped his hands in astonishment. "This lion is actually falling in love?"

This was, after all, the Empire's notorious battle maniac and workaholic.

The little female in the photo possessed a rare, pure temperament that made one forget worldly matters at first sight. The Emperor looked a few extra times, found her looking familiar, searched his memory, and confirmed her identity.

So it was that female named Nian Tu.

Previously, the video of Nian Tu pacifying the out-of-control Black Mamba in public had caught the royal family's attention. Royal researchers and doctors had reported to the Emperor, stating that Nian Tu likely possessed immense potential and might awaken S-class spiritual power in the future.

This was also the reason why she was specially invited to the court ball held for selecting the Crown Prince's consort.

Even though her file still showed no spiritual power at present, there was no guarantee she wouldn't undergo a secondary awakening.

Recalling this and looking back at the photo, the Emperor acutely sniffed a different flavor.

Like the Crown Prince, Felix was also an SS-class male. This cold-hearted, emotionless blood-freezing Marshal who never paid attention to females was now dating Nian Tu...

It seemed Nian Tu was truly special.

If she could genuinely awaken S-class spiritual power, she would be the most suitable female for the Crown Prince.

Thinking that Felix had actually stolen a march on them, the Emperor couldn't help but feel anxious for his son.

The Emperor summoned Tan Konglin and urged him to abandon that unrealistic longing in his heart. "Since you can no longer remember the appearance of that female, forget her completely."

"Come take a look at this little female named Nian Tu. Do you like her?" The Emperor displayed Nian Tu's photo in front of Tan Konglin.