C37 Girlfriend

Yang Chuxia thought Edi was referring to her violation of the military medical code and that someone had come to talk to her about it. She shook her head and said, "No, if they wanted to talk to me, they would consider your feelings and approach me when you're not around, right?"

Edi realized she had misunderstood and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry! Cliff will smooth things over about the surgery. You won't have to worry about that anymore."

Upon hearing this, Cliff asked Yang Chuxia, "Dr. Yang, may I call you Chuxia?"

She couldn't help but glance at Edi for approval.

Cliff chuckled, "Do you really need Edi's permission for that? It's hard to believe you're the same person who bravely performed major surgery on our General Edi under such dire conditions!"

Edi boasted with a smirk, "If you're so capable, you can call your Lafite 'my little bird' too!"

Lafite rolled her eyes at him in response!

Embarrassed by Cliff's teasing, Yang Chuxia's face flushed as she whispered, "That's not it!"

Seeing her blush, Cliff couldn't resist teasing her further. "What's not it? Surely 'Chuxia' isn't a term reserved for Edi's use?"

Yang Chuxia's face grew even redder as she stammered, "General Cliff, I... I didn't mean that! I just..."

She was puzzled by how close Edi and Cliff were, wondering why Cliff, who had such a good relationship with Edi, would go out of his way to help her, a mere military doctor, over something so trivial.

Edi, with an arm around Yang Chuxia's shoulders and a grin on his face, said to Cliff, "Come on! Chuxia is shy, let's not tease her anymore."

Lafite settled onto Cliff's lap and teased, "Why are you such a troublemaker, always flirting with the young ladies?"

Wrapping his arm around Lafite's waist, Cliff retorted playfully, "Then I'll stop teasing Chuxia and start teasing you!"

With a look of mock contempt, Lafite replied, "It's yet to be decided who's teasing whom!"

Cliff laughed and then turned serious, "Actually, I'm quite curious. Dr. Yang, what was going through your mind on Planet Niya that you dared to defy military medical law, risking a lifetime of imprisonment, to perform surgery on Edi and save his life?"

Upon hearing this, Lafite and Edi instinctively turned their gaze to Yang Chuxia.

Caught in the intense stare of the trio, Yang Chuxia fumbled for words, her voice tinged with anxiety. "At that time, the general's condition was critical. Without immediate surgery, he would have been in mortal danger! And I had no idea when the rescue team might arrive. All I knew was that I had to perform surgery on the general. The military medical law never even crossed my mind."

Their expectations were completely upended by her response! She had simply forgotten about the military medical law, so she felt no psychological pressure while operating.

"And what happened next? When did you finally realize you had breached the military medical law?" Cliff arched an eyebrow, noting her naivety as a fresh graduate.

"It wasn't long after the surgery when Sean informed me that the rescue team had arrived. That's when it hit me!" Yang Chuxia confessed. She had actually remembered while taking a break in the restroom, which left her feeling weak in the knees.

"Weren't you scared when it dawned on you?" Lafite inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Yang Chuxia gulped, turning to Edi. "Terrified! I even told the general that if something happened to him, I might have to join him in heaven."

Edi let out a low chuckle, squeezing Yang Chuxia's hand reassuringly. "There's no need to join me in heaven. Let's focus on staying together here on earth," he said warmly.

Cliff made a tsking sound, exclaiming, "It's a rare sight to see our stoic general dabble in sweet talk! I must be dreaming; this can't be real."

Lafite reached over and gave a sharp twist to the soft flesh at Cliff's waist, eliciting a hiss from him. "Ouch, ouch, that really hurts, darling!"

"How can it hurt if this is just a dream?" Lafite teased.

Cliff could only offer Lafite a speechless look.

Both Edi and Yang Chuxia chuckled quietly to themselves.

Suddenly, there was a knocking at the door. Cliff nodded towards Edi, "That's got to be for you!"

Lafite rose to answer it, and there stood a statuesque redhead in a white evening gown—the very female general Lafite had mentioned earlier, who had been searching for her.

Upon seeing her, Lafite greeted her with composure, "Hello, Major General Jenny Antonia."

Jenny Antonia's gaze swept past Lafite and settled on Edi, then moved to Yang Chuxia, whose hand was tightly clasped in hers, and she said icily, "Hello, General Edi! May I have ten minutes of your time?"

Despite the soft and somewhat dim lighting, Yang Chuxia could still sense the hostility emanating from the red-haired general. She discreetly scrutinized Major General Jenny Antonia. She seemed to be around the same age as Edi, likely in her late twenties. Her eyes were small and deep-set, with a prominent nose and brown eyes. Her red lips were pursed, her cheekbones slightly high, and her chin was upturned. Her facial features conveyed a rather severe impression, and her current anger only accentuated her haughty demeanor.

Sensing Yang Chuxia's covert observation, Antonia strode into the room and stood before the coffee table in front of Edi, a hint of scorn curling at the corner of her mouth as she fixed her gaze on him.

Edi responded coolly, "Is there something you need, Major General Antonia?"

Antonia's piercing gaze locked onto Edi as she spoke sternly, "Didn't Mrs. Aurelian inform you, General, that we have a blind date scheduled for tonight? Are you disrespecting me, Antonia, or are you dissatisfied with the arrangements made by your family?"

The directness and assertiveness of her approach caught everyone in the room off guard.

Yang Chuxia now understood why Lafite had taken her out and then brought her back; her face blanched as she withdrew her hand from Edi's grasp.

Edi extended his hand and took hers once more, addressing Antonia with a frosty tone, "I already have a girlfriend, so I see no need for a blind date. Regarding the arrangement Mrs. Aurelian made for you, Major General Jenny Antonia, I believe you should direct your questions to Mrs. Aurelian, not to me."

Edi's response left Yang Chuxia both shocked and anxious. She was uncertain whether he truly considered her his girlfriend or if she was merely being used as a shield.

Antonia, with a keen eye, caught the incredulous look on Yang Chuxia's face. Towering over her, she sneered, "Little sister, if I'm not mistaken, you must be the Military Doctor who accompanied General Edi, right?"

Yang Chuxia steeled herself and rose to respond.

Edi quickly pulled her back down into her seat, meeting Antonia's gaze with his piercing eyes. He said deliberately, "Major General Antonia, it's not your place to inquire about her identity. We are not under the jurisdiction of your Celestial Moon Combat Group here."