My Partner was Assigned to me by the Country

Ryan didn’t expose Auston’s awkwardness and shyness hidden beneath his calm exterior. He casually invited him to lunch, and it happened to be lunchtime. The desk, serving as the dining table, was filled with simple but delicious food. While Auston was taking a shower, Ryan hurried to the kitchen and managed to persuade the chef to sell him some lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and purple cabbage. He also added some shredded boiled chicken breast, dressed it with oil and vinegar, and sprinkled some black pepper, making a refreshing and appetizing salad. If it weren’t for his close friendship with John, the chef in the kitchen, he wouldn’t have been able to buy these ingredients.

The supply received by the Xingtian spaceship docking at B612 was not plentiful. B612 is a remote, barren, and cold planet with limited resources, and the local people have to rotate among a few kinds of food, making their meals quite monotonous. Every time a warship docks here during their patrol, it brings hope. The various strange-tasting nutritional supplements favored by the military are highly sought after by the local people. The Xingtian spaceship sells a large portion of them at a very low price to improve the living standards of the local residents and clear inventory.

The kitchen of the Xingtian spaceship became very stingy without sufficient supply. If Ryan wasn’t a VIP customer of the kitchen, it would be challenging to purchase ingredients from them. The spaceship would need to wait until a supply ship comes during the return journey to replenish fresh food in large quantities.

The B612 specialties of small fried fish and the lean meat of the wolf poison beast after removing the fat, have become the recent hit dishes in the kitchen. If it weren’t for the fact that the body of the two-horned snake is too hard to eat, the crazy chef might make all the soldiers on the ship eat grilled, steamed, and braised two-horned snakes to control inventory consumption…… causing the soldiers to howl in agony.

Auston pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. A bowl of warm corn juice, yam and walnut drink was placed in front of him, followed by mixed grain of rye, quinoa and rice. As someone of mostly Chinese descent, Ryan preferred this kind of diet with a mix of vegetables and meat, which supplements carbohydrates and nutrition while satisfying the appetite.

Auston said thank you and took a sip of the warm corn juice. The warm taste was soothing to the stomach, the fine sugar granules inside slowly melting on his tongue. He noticed a pile of new books in one corner of the table, all of which were required for second-level mecha engineers to read. On top was the outline for the second-level exam, a summary of the knowledge points, and the ten thousand things that must be learned.

“Have you started studying for the second-level exam?”

While cutting the steak, Ryan glanced at the pile of new books on the corner of the table. As it was difficult to buy new books on B612, these were exchanged from the team captain Su Ming. The Department of Mecha Engineering also supported this way of using learning materials, as it was environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and promoted communication and tacit understanding within the team.

“I’ve started reading it and I think it’s pretty simple, just added some new knowledge points on top of the first level…” Ryan could list up hundreds of new knowledge points in one breath, but it was his lunchtime with Auston, so he stopped talking. “There are still three months until the exam in August this year. When we finish our patrol and return to the ground base, I should be able to participate. It would be great to get a new qualification certificate before going home.”

Driving with a license at a slow speed can take the fast lane, and driving without a license can only slow down and jam in place. Ryan is currently in the latter situation. In today’s society, he must obtain the relevant qualifications to prove his ability in the field of mecha, which is frustrating.

Auston was taken aback at how quickly time had passed, and he realized that the next exam was not far away. He felt a little regretful that he hadn’t shown as much concern for Ryan as he had thought.

As if understanding Auston’s inner thoughts, Ryan said, “You have a lot on your plate and you are busy with work. Don’t worry about these small things, just wait to see my qualification certificate. We didn’t celebrate our first wedding anniversary properly, so the second anniversary must be different.”

When they first got married, Auston only saw it as a means to accomplish his goals, never imagining that their marriage would develop into something so beautiful. He nodded, silently remembering that special day in his heart.

“How’s Sierra doing?” Ryan asked about his defeated opponent, feeling no sense of accomplishment in winning so easily.

Auston replied, “According to the regulations, he’s been relieved of all his duties, and he’ll be in solitary confinement for a month. Since he’s an external employee, his confinement will be in his own room, and his personal terminal will be restricted from contacting the outside world during his confinement.”

After speaking, Auston furrowed his brow slightly. He had already shown Colonel William the small device that Sierra had installed on the Neural Center of Code Zero, but William had said that the device had twenty-four layers of encryption, and if even one layer was failed, the core of the Zero Code would be destroyed.

If that happened, the mighty biological mecha that had once dominated the battlefield would be destroyed.

Sierra kept a hand from the very beginning, catching Auston off guard while also making it seem completely unsurprising. This was the essence of Sierra‘s perfect desire to control. His performance during the competition had clearly deviated from his reason and intelligence, as he had become too impatient and eager for success, which had led him to act almost madly. Once a person becomes insane, anything can happen.

Ryan noticed the change in Auston’s expression and asked, “What’s wrong? Can’t you tell me?”

“It’s nothing,” Auston said, explaining the situation with Code Zero. “Don’t worry, I’ve asked William and Charles to figure it out. We’ll have a solution by the end of the cruise.” Sierra was stubborn and arrogant, and no amount of coercion or bribery could make him remove the implanted device. He might even activate the self-destruct program immediately if he were provoked, and at the moment, no one but him knew how to activate it.

Ryan nodded slightly, suppressing the bloody gleam in his eyes. Auston’s explanation was simple, but Ryan thought more deeply about it. Sierra held the lifeblood of Auston’s battle, and if he were to activate the self-destruct program of the implanted device, the consequences would be unimaginable….. This person had a powerful background and was exceptionally capable, making it possible for him to preserve his reputation even if he made a significant mistake. He held the life of an Imperial general in his hands, but was it due to his desire for control or was it because of something else?

Siera can’t be killed for the time being, and killing him wouldn’t make much of a difference, but losing the clues to the hidden danger behind him would be terrifying.

Ryan hated the feeling of being shrouded in haze. He wanted to be powerful, powerful enough that no one dared to challenge him. But now he finds himself so powerless that he still has a long way to go even to get certified in his field. Is there any way he could get the qualification in one go?!

When he brought up Sierra during the meal and dampened the mood, Ryan realized it was his mistake and decided to make it up to him by shifting the topic and asked Auston, “My ability is far superior to that of the soldiers in the Mecha Engineering Department, and even rival those of combat soldiers. Don’t you want to know why?” Ask me quickly, I have been waiting for a long time for you to ask me, but you never did, and I don’t know how to say it!

Ryan looked at Auston, trying to convey his inner frenzy with his eyes.

Auston couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth, “I know.”

Ryan crumpled his face as he said, “You don’t know.”

“You participated in Dawn during your university days, and I knew it from the first day. I just didn’t expect that Dawn had cultivated you so well, to a level that far exceeded the evaluations of the leaders of Dawn,” Auston added, pondering his thoughts.

Ryan didn’t beat around the bush. He noticed that Auston reached for the sea fish more often with his chopsticks, so he switched the position of the plates. The unique experience of Dawn became just ordinary small talk in his mouth. “When I was a sophomore in college, I had occasional contact with Dawn’s personnel. After a few chats, I found it to be good and decided to join. After graduation, I left, but I still have Dawn’s medal here with me.”

He reached out and took an iron pencil case from a pile of books, opened it, and took out a round badge with a red phoenix pattern on it, which was the totem of Dawn. Dawn is a semi-official organization affiliated with the public security system, specializing in hunting down dangerous adventurers on the wanted list. Killing them can earn a corresponding bounty. The deposits in Ryan’s bank account came not only from his parents’ sponsorship but also from his own efforts. The source of every penny in his account can be traced and he is an absolutely law-abiding citizen.

Dawn recruits new members for training every year. Ryan was recruited because of his outstanding academic performance but lack of attention. When he was recruited, he became a member of the organization.

When he left, the captain who brought him was quite reluctant. Such a good seedling went to join the military, but little did they know that on Ryan’s first day in the military, he was sent to the kitchen. If Dawn’s old friends knew about this, they would surely burst into laughter.

Ryan handed the badge, which represented his past honors to Auston. “This is a little secret of mine. I’ll tell you other little secrets later. “

Auston took the badge and looked at the black-based emblem with a proud and soaring red phoenix on top. The cold texture seemed to carry the pride of Ryan’s bloody battles. He no longer thought about the incongruity in Ryan’s character. As Ryan had said, he would learn more secrets later.

Holding the Red Phoenix Medal of Dawn, Auston stood up to get his military jacket and took off a golden Crusade armband from the sleeve. He wanted to give Ryan the armband that had accompanied him for over 20 years, “When I was twenty, I won the military competition, and my father personally put this armband on me.”

The following year, the old general passed away and left the heavy responsibility of the family and the legion on Auston’s shoulders. This armband had an extraordinary meaning to him.

Ryan cherished it and took it over. “Thank you”. Thank you for giving it to me. 

Their marriage was hasty, and their goal of being together was practical and single-minded, without any romantic pledges or steadfast commitments. But through their interactions, a delicate and intimate affection blossomed, which would last for a long time.

After lunch, Ryan prepared to deliver the relics he brought from Moon Bay to Hanna, who had been eagerly waiting day and night. This was not going to be a pleasant task, but the following commission had to be completed, and Hanna also had to learn to face reality.

“Wait.” Auston, who decided to accompany Ryan, called out to him as they were about to leave. “Bring some flowers to Hanna.”

He opened the cultivation pod, holding scissors in his hand, but didn’t know where to start. He was good at chopping wood and forging paths in the jungle, but was struggling with how to trim a portion of the moonlight roses without harming the plant’s roots.

“I’ll do it.” Ryan put down his bag, walked over to Auston, crouching down beside him and taking the scissors, he said, “If we take some away, it won’t be as big.”

The large clump of moonlight roses was incredibly beautiful, with a bright and intense red color that looked like a bundle of flames. Even taking away a small portion would weaken the brightness of the flames.

“As long as we leave the roots, more will grow. That’s hope,” Auston said. “Taking away one-third won’t harm their beauty.”

Ryan nodded. “Okay.” This was giving hope to Hanna.

Auston watched Ryan’s movements carefully, trying to absorb new knowledge. He secretly made a decision in his heart that when he retired, he would return to the plantation star with Ryan and learn some essential skills for the future, like planting flowers and vegetables.

What seemed like a difficult task for Auston was effortless for Ryan. He dug up a recently planted moonlight rose, cleaned the roots, and divided it into one-third while keeping the vibrant root system intact. When replanted, it would have a higher chance of survival. Moonlight roses were easy to care for, not picky about the location, and had beautiful flowers and vibrant colors. With proper cultivation, they were definitely the best ornamental flowers and a good source of income. Some people even thought of digging up the whole plant for artificial cultivation, but nobody had Ryan’s ability to operate barehanded in the deep crevices of the Moon Bay. After all, you need to have the ability to make money before you can earn it.

Using a few sheets of kitchen paper, Ryan wrapped the roots of the Moonlight Rose. Holding the rose and Leo’s relic, he walked out of the room, followed by Auston who was empty-handed not because he didn’t want to carry anything, but because Ryan wouldn’t let him. From Ryan’s dormitory to the exit of the Xingtian ship, they had to pass through many places and encounter many people, but the two walking side by side completely lost their previous scruples and walked together calmly.

Along the way, every soldier they met greeted them warmly. They would call out, “General, good day.” They would also say, “Hello, Ryan.”

Ryan was no longer the quiet guy who came from the kitchen at the beginning of the cruise. He was the first member to enter the Moon Bay, one of the main protagonists who caused a sensation on the entire grassland, a highly skilled soldier who defeated many people and earned many medals.

As mentioned repeatedly, the military is a place that admires strength. As long as one is strong enough, it doesn’t matter where they come from or what their background is. What matters is their abilities as an individual.

Ryan Smith is a tall and handsome mecha engineer.

When they saw Ryan standing next to the general, no one found it strange, because news had come from the medical rescue team that the general, like everyone else, had ventured deep into the ice grasslands and Moon Bay and had been with Ryan’s team all the way. It was clear that they had a good relationship.

Ryan smiled and greeted both familiar and unfamiliar faces, whispering to Auston, “I’m sure all those posts on the forum have sunk down by now.” He was still bothered by the comments about him being short and small.

Auston whispered back, “Don’t worry, they’ve all been deleted.”

“Well done.” 

Auston smiled, “There won’t be any more slander against you in the future.” Ryan had proven himself with his own abilities.

Ryan chuckled, “Hmm.”

Walking out of the Xingtian ship, the azure sky suddenly jumped into view, with large clouds slowly drifting by and a few large birds with long feathers flying overhead, emitting clear and melodious cries, just like what he had imagined. Walking through the Xingmang town dominated by grayish-blue and icy-white colors, he passed by the Red Orange Bar, where a colorful grass rope wreath hung at the door. Not only the bar, but also every household in sight was adorned with wreaths, instantly adding a lively atmosphere to the otherwise quiet town.

The sweet smell emanating from the bakery next to the bar was the planet’s main food, made from rough fiber black rye by diligent housewives. One loaf cost only five or three star coins, cheap enough to feed a family of three for two days.

Butter, jam, and condensed milk are luxury items in B612, but the delicious flavor from the fermented fat of the wolf poison beast is not expensive. The coarse and hard bread slices paired with the fermented fat bring a rough and original flavor, which only a few foreign visitors can tolerate. A mahjong-sized piece of fermented fat can feed a family of three for three meals if they are frugal.

The harsh nature did not exterminate the human beings living here completely, at least it provided a decent yield of black rye and the wolf poison beast with a thick layer of fat.

Many young men and women walking on the road were either holding hands or walking shoulder to shoulder. They wore grass rope bracelets on their wrists that were the same color as flower crowns, which were exposed outside their sleeves.

Yuemang town is celebrating the harvest and joy of the warm sun season, and it is also a good time for young men and women to go hiking.

Ryan has a good memory, and even after several days, he can still find the right route when walking through a place he has been before. However, this time there was a pungent smell along the route, which came from the chimney of a small workshop that was emitting gray smoke. The smell was due to this.

The small shop had no signboard, only a large wolf skin that supported and opened up at the entrance, making it clear that it was a store selling products made from the poison wolf beast.

The pungent smell was unique to the poison wolf beast fat during the refining of the oil, and if it was used to make fermented fat, it would not be so unpleasant.

No wonder this street was so deserted.

Ryan and Auston hurriedly walked forward as if they were fleeting, “The flower shop is quite far from here, the smell won’t drift over. We won’t come this way when we go back later.”

“I’ve never walked like this in Xingmang town before,” Auston said, feeling very novel.

It should be said that since being with Ryan, he has learned to live. The clean and simple desk is now adorned with bouquets, and candy is always at hand. He often sees cute pink pastries, and life seems to have suddenly become delicate and warm. Now, he is actually shopping without any strong purpose. If he were to say this to others, they would surely find it unbelievable.

Ryan’s eyes were filled with tenderness as he looked at Auston, who had changed out of his military uniform and put on his regular clothes. Suddenly, Ryan had an idea and proposed, “After we deliver the things to Hanna, let’s take the airship to Yuemang Town. They produce leather there and have fresh seafood. Under the night sky, the moon will tint the white sands with a faint pink hue, and we can lie on the beach and gaze at the stars. However, Yuemang Town is currently in the freezing season, so we can’t stay outside for too long without our combat uniform.”

Ryan racked his brains, thinking of ways to persuade Auston to take a break from his work for half a day, and he heard Auston reply without hesitation, “Okay.”

“I saw in the description that Yuemang town is more romantic than Xingmang town… What did you say?” Ryan reacted belatedly and asked incredulously, not believing what he heard.

“I said okay,” Auston repeated, “Let’s go to Yuemang town. It’s a small town on the edge of the cliff, where the deep blue sea is tinted with a red glow at night. There are luminous jellyfish floating on the surface, and during the freezing season, the hawksbill sea turtles with purple speckles will hatch.”

Using his limited imagination, Auston tried his best to describe the scenery as beautiful as possible, but found his efforts to be in vain. What he said was just a matter-of-fact description, similar to the text description sent by the B612 leader, without any aesthetic feeling.

“Really beautiful, then let’s go today.” Ryan didn’t mind Auston’s dull description, as his entire mind had already been captured by the anticipation and joy in Auston’s eyes.

The two of them walked and talked, and the not-so-short distance was soon covered. Not far away was a deserted flower shop located at the end of the street. In the shop window, the dazzling and bright moonlight roses were frozen in their most beautiful moment, and under the careful care of the shop owner, Hanna, they could maintain their beauty for a long time.

Ryan pushed open the door and the crisp sound of the wind chime reminded busy shop owner Hanna that a guest was coming.

While watering her soil-cultivated hyacinths, Hanna looked up with a lingering anxiety on her face. These bulbs were not cheap, bought from an adventurer’s hands, but the hyacinths she had grown didn’t look good at all. Only two or three leaves showed banana-like symptoms.

Upon seeing the visitor, Hanna widened her eyes. “It’s you.” She dropped the watering can and took a few steps forward, suddenly realizing that she was in a messy state and very impolite at the moment. She quickly wiped her hands clean with the apron in front of her and tucked her messy hair behind her ears. “Mr. Smith.”

“Hello, Hanna.” Ryan smiled, not very big but enough to make people feel at ease. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring Leo out of Moon Bay. I brought these instead. Your beloved loves you veru much.”

Ryan took out his handbag, opened it to reveal a diary, a pen, and the bracelet with a crescent-shaped amulet, with the side with the inscription of Hanna’s name facing up.

Hanna’s body visibly shuddered, and she wanted to smile and express her gratitude, but she found her lips as heavy as stones, pulling them downward. Suddenly, she felt empty inside, and the cold, icy wind blew in, freezing her blood. She wanted to burst into tears and look at Ryan resentfully, why didn’t he bring Leo back, even if it was just a corpse!

Tears blurred her vision as Hanna struggled to hold onto the things left behind by Leo. She caressed the leather cover of the diary, which she had personally selected for Leo when they went to Yuemang town. It cost thirty star coins, and Leo had said he felt sorry and wanted to return it, but he couldn’t bear to let go of the diary once he held it in his hands. Then, he used his hard-earned money to buy her a necklace for sixty star coins, which he didn’t feel sorry for at all. He had said at the time, “My Hanna looks so beautiful wearing it, just like a fairy.”

Those words were still ringing in her ears, but she would never see him again.

Holding the diary, Hanna smiled as if an invisible gentle hand had removed the heavy stone hanging from the corner of her mouth. “Thank you, Mr. Smith, thank you for bringing Leo home.”

“No need to thank me.” No amount of comfort could ease the pain, and Ryan sighed silently without saying much. He and Auston exchanged a glance and picked up the moonlight rose, and handed it to Hanna. “Hanna, this is what Leo wanted to pick and bring back. Now I’m giving it to you, and I also brought the roots of the Moonlight Roses. Just take good care of them, they will grow a lot.”

Hanna was startled and took a step back, biting her lip. She shook her head and said, “No, no, this is something you brought back from the Moon Bay through an adventure. I have never heard of anyone bringing back a moonlight rose that can actually be planted alive. You must have put in a lot of effort, and I cannot take advantage of your hard work.”

“I still have more, and I’ll plant them around the house in the future, blooming the most beautiful flowers,” Ryan pushed the flower forward. “Being able to grow is hope, and I wish you happiness in the future, which is also what Leo hoped for.”

Tears silently welled up in her eyes, and Hanna murmured, “Hope, hope…” She took the moonlight rose from Ryan’s hand, smelling the light floral fragrance.

Dīng líng líng–

The sound of wind chimes rang out, as if someone had walked in and brought a gentle breeze that brushed across Hanna’s cheeks.

…..

Under Hanna’s watchful gaze, Ryan and Auston walked out of the flower shop. After walking about ten meters, they heard footsteps behind them. Hanna hurriedly caught up with them.

Hanna held two hand-woven bracelets made of colorful grass ropes, one of which she handed to Ryan and the other to Auston. After they received them, she clasped her hands together and devoutly blessed them, “Wishing you both a happy and long-lasting life together.”

Ryan and Auston both said, “Thank you.”

The grass used to weave the bracelets only grows in the warm sun season, it is tough and resilient, and even after being wind-dried, cut with a knife, or burned, it will not break. It is the most common accessory for couples in Xingmang town, called the rainbow rope, symbolizing the beauty and longevity of love.

As Hanna watched Ryan and his lover walk further and further away, unlike the last time when she saw him off, this time she did not stay too long. After watching for a while, she turned around and walked back into the flower shop. Now she has Leo and hope.

Auston and Ryan walked side by side like an ordinary young couple on the street, heading towards the terminal building on the outskirts of the town. There were three flights to the seaside town of Yuemang every day, and they could catch the third one. They can take the first flight back tomorrow. A couple holding hands walked past them, and Ryan looked at their interlocking hands, two rainbow ropes dangling on their wrists, occasionally touching as they walked. Ryan coughed lightly, and his hand, which had been hanging naturally at his side, moved and accurately caught Auston’s hand without even looking. “We’ve arrived at the terminal building. Let’s go buy tickets.” He also found a reason to hold hands in public, to hurry on the road faster, that’s it.

Auston instinctively struggled for a moment, but didn’t break free. He pursed his lips as he watched the two holding hands, but didn’t intervene.

The streets were crowded with locals from Xingmang Town, adventurers from all over the world, soldiers or their families stationed nearby, and military personnel from the Xingtian ship.

Among them were a few melee fighters who noticed the General and Ryan and were about to greet them when they suddenly saw this scene.

“Am I blind?”

“No, you’re not.”

“Ah, why did I see Ryan and the general holding hands!!!”

“I saw it too!!!”

Someone asked hesitantly, “What is their relationship?”

After a while, someone said, “Have you heard? The general got married.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Everyone said in unison, “Impossible!”

The person who was well-informed said, “It can’t be fake. I have a friend in the command center who heard it from the Mecha combat team, and their information comes from the Mecha Engineering Department.”

The convoluted source of the news and its unbelievable content made everyone’s heads hurt.

“Hehe, we must have had too much to drink. Let’s go back and sleep, and we’ll wake up to find it was just a dream.”

“What shall I do? I replied to a post about Ryan on the forum, mocking him for not having ten centimeters.”

“……….No wonder all those posts disappeared overnight. Nothing like this has ever happened before.” The Xingtian ship was a place of free speech, no matter how exaggerated it is, the post wouldn’t be deleted, but they will be invited to drink tea with the leader.

“It’s useless even if it’s too long below.” Someone muttered quietly.

“！！！”

“！！！”

Ryan didn’t care how much shock that his hand-holding with the general had caused. He had already bought the tickets and arrived early for check-in. He walked through the boarding gate with Auston, who was flying on a civilian aircraft for the first time. They entered the airship and found their two adjacent seats in first class, with the window seat given to Auston.

Although Auston had seen the sky in many different ways, he had never looked through the small window of a civilian airship before. He looked outside with a hint of novelty.

The first-class cabin, which had ten seats, wasn’t completely full. The flight attendants served tea and snacks to the only three passengers, including the two handsome gentlemen sitting at the back. The flight attendant couldn’t help but think how good-looking they were, but her gaze was fixed on the rainbow rope on their hands, and she sighed with disappointment in her heart, why do handsome guys always end up with other handsome guys?

Translator has something to say:

Ah, Our Baby Ryan is holding hands with his wife only to walk faster, That’s all! 

I would like to know the expressions of these soldiers when they were to know the genetic sequence of Ryan and Auston.