Chapter 72: The General and the General’s Wife
To be honest, that number [6573] really stings the eyes.
Wu Yue’s first reaction was: “Did Mom buy something again?”
But when he looked closely, he realized it was compensation for Huai Yu.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly—destroying someone’s home and then paying to rebuild it was only fair.
He didn’t know exactly how the compensation was calculated, but with the Defense Force’s capabilities, it wasn’t like they’d take a cut of a few scraps here and there.
All he could do was accept it and sign his name, then confirm the point transfer.
And once the points were transferred, and he saw he was only left with just over a thousand, Wu Yue finally slumped back in his chair in exhaustion.
He’d fought on the frontlines and never lost to anyone. Everything he earned was through sweat and blood. But—he just happened to have a mother like that.
Poker, shopping… Even during the apocalypse, her taste for luxury never waned.
He had tried to persuade her, but she’d always respond with tears in her eyes, talking about how hard it was raising him alone, the injustices she’d endured…
Same old stories over and over until Wu Yue was left helpless.
Outsiders thought he lived a glamorous life, but no one saw the bottomless pit underneath. After all these years, he hadn’t been able to save anything. Even his house—if it weren’t government-assigned—he might not even have a place to live.
People who knew him thought he still had lingering feelings for Huai Yu. Those who didn’t assumed he was an ambitious man with his eyes on a bright future.
But how could he be? He had nothing to back him up. Even if he had the ambition, he didn’t have the capital to ask for anything.
With a deep sigh, Wu Yue got up and headed home—ready to give his mother one last warning:
No more points. There’s nothing left for her to spend.
Their housing assignment was in Longya Mountain in the capital—a row of tightly guarded villas.
When Wu Yue stepped inside, he saw his mother welcoming an all-too-familiar aunt into the house.
She lit up when she saw him:
“Xiao Yue, you’re back? Just in time! A few days ago I was in Flower City and short on points. Your Auntie Wang lent me 2000—can you pay her back for me?”
Wu Yue felt a heavy weight fall on his heart.
Auntie Wang wore a high-end, pre-catastrophe designer suit, standing tall and elegant, like a flawless white swan—even her smile carried a kind of superiority.
“It’s okay if General Wu’s a bit short on points,” she said warmly. “I know how it is for young people these days—hard to save anything.”
“Besides, you’re on the rise right now. I’m sure the folks under your command need attention now and then… Points, after all, are just things. I’m not here for the points—I just really get along with your mother…”
She may have carried herself with pride, but her voice was sincerely warm and friendly—like a neighbor you always run into and can’t help but chat with.
Even Wu Yue found himself sighing a little less heavily.
“By the way,” she added, “my daughter just got into the Defense Corps. She’s also a wood-element ability user. Since we’re neighbors, do you think she could come by and learn from you sometime?”
Wu Yue exhaled slowly and nodded—what else could he do?
Meanwhile, at Auntie Wang’s home, her daughter was waiting eagerly.
“Mom, how’d it go? Did he agree?”
“Yes,” Auntie Wang said, shedding all her pride now that they were in private.
“Your wood-type ability is strong, but Mom’s warning you—you’d better not get too strong. Look at General Lin. So powerful, yet in the end, even he couldn’t find a way to purify the contamination…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know!” her daughter grumbled. “But his team is full of guys who’ve gone through life-and-death together. If I don’t get close to them, how can I win them over?”
“Now that most of the city’s outbreaks are under control, ability users aren’t as important anymore. If I want to make a name for myself, I have to form a strong team and head to the wilderness.”
“His people are excellent. Some of them even followed General Lin after he retired. I want that too!”
“Don’t worry, Mom!”
“I want to be a General—not the General’s wife.”
Her mother gave a hum of approval, though she still looked slightly worried:
“I know. But what if… what if something happens? Wu Yue’s young and handsome.”
Especially when he was silent—his whole presence carried a sharp, almost deadly aura that drew in young women.
And that quiet melancholy in his eyes…
If her daughter ever developed some naïve desire to save him or make him happy, they were doomed!
So the mother warned her again, sternly:
“You can learn from him, but don’t get any foolish ideas. I will never accept that kind of son-in-law.”
Then she scoffed:
“Can’t even control his own household, but wants to lead like General Lin? He’s lucky to have that kind of ability and reputation—his path was laid out for him.”
“But look at him—he can’t even rein in his own mother. No discipline, no decisiveness. No drive or integrity.”
“That kind of man won’t go far. Bai Yu, don’t let yourself get swept away.”
Bai Yu smiled sweetly, but her eyes sparkled with a sharp intensity:
“Don’t worry, Mom. The thought of having that neighbor auntie as my mother-in-law?
That’s enough to kill any dream of settling down.”
“General Wu is impressive, but I’ve fought beside Lin Xuefeng three times already!”
As she spoke, her gaze dimmed slightly:
“There’s word he went out into the wilderness himself… That’s perfect. Every warrior’s rightful place is on the battlefield.”
“Mom, if one day I have to walk that path too—please don’t stop me.”
Her mother rolled her eyes with exaggerated elegance gone:
“I won’t stop you. But if you feel you’re reaching your contamination limit—hurry up and give me a grandchild first.”
“Bai Yu, we’ve spent a lot raising you. If we don’t have enough outstanding heirs in the next generation, our family’s legacy will fade.”
“I’m a realist. I’ll support your dreams of defending the country or climbing the ranks. But please, consider your mother’s heart too.”
“If I had a grandkid to take care of, maybe I wouldn’t die from grief when you’re gone.”
Despite the serious and somber topic, the atmosphere between them was relaxed and joyful.
Even their laughter echoed loudly through the wind—loud enough for Wu Yue, with his sharp senses, to catch the tail end of it.
“What a warm family…”
Wu Yue thought to himself, his resistance to mentoring the young neighbor girl softening.
And inside the house, Bai Yu, who had just made her mom laugh, secretly hid her hands behind her back.
With a flick of power, she summoned a large, fluffy bouquet of chamomile—white petals with yellow centers, fresh and fragrant.
The gentle scent filled the room as she held the bouquet up and grinned:
“Don’t worry, Mom!”
