Universe Infinite Canteen

Ma Lu adjusted the restaurant's menu to use up the surplus ingredients from the Desktop Farm.

Then he sent Shen Yue ten thousand yuan, asking her to buy an engagement ring as an errand.

Shen Yue found a cultivated diamond company and, after a round of bargaining, spent only forty-five hundred on a one-carat diamond ring, kept five hundred for herself, and brought the remaining five thousand and the ring to Ma Lu.

After closing time, Xiao Zhang and his black D9 arrived as promised. This time, in addition to Ma Lu and Old Wang, there was also a cat among the passengers.

Considering he was going to propose tonight, Mr. Furball, remarkably, hadn't indulged in alcohol that afternoon and even had the Valkyrie People groom him, giving him a haircut and a bath. Now he looked quite spirited.

Ma Lu had messaged Wei Jingyan before departing, telling her to stay at home tonight because he had a surprise for her.

Before meeting up, Mr. Furball gathered Ma Lu and Old Wang to have one last review of the rescue plan.

"If I'm attacked there, I'll immediately scream like this: 'Meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow~' When you hear it, don't hesitate; break down the door and take down all humans in the room except for Xiao Yan," he said.

"Don't worry, we'll come to rescue you, but we won't take down anyone. No person or cat will get hurt tonight," Ma Lu said.

"Alright." Mr. Furball thought for a moment and added, "To prevent them from acting too quickly and putting me down before I can call for help, or in case Xiao Yan drugs my drink or food, five minutes later, I'll send a safety signal like this — 'Meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow~'. If you don't hear it, you need to come to my rescue in time."

"Uh... Can you repeat the sounds for calling for help and signalling safety? They sound the same to me." Ma Lu frowned.

"No, one is 'Meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow~' and the other is 'Meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow~'. There's a big difference."

"I can't tell any difference," Ma Lu said, "since you're going to come clean tonight, why don't you just scream for help outright?"

"That's an option too." Mr. Furball reluctantly agreed, but quickly added, "Then, for signalling safety, can I still use 'Meow-meow-meow-meow-meow-meow~'?"

"That's fine."

After making sure nothing was missed, Mr. Furball had Ma Lu tie the proposal diamond ring to his tail. When his tail hung down, it would cover the ring, but once raised, it would be visible.

Mr. Furball practiced in front of a mirror several times. "I don't know, this is a bit strange. Does anyone propose while pointing their balls directly at the proposee?"

"How about I hang the ring around your neck instead?"

"That would be too obvious, lacking the element of surprise," Mr. Furball considered, "Never mind, let's just do it this way. I don't want to delay any longer in case I change my mind.

"Marriage is all about that moment of impulse. Any sane person who thinks it through will dismiss such a foolish idea."

"You still have time to back out now," Ma Lu said as he groomed the fur on Mr. Furball's back.

"I've said that marriage means the grave for a man, and every man will eventually lie in a grave, so I'm just going down a bit earlier than others. Let's go."

Ma Lu opened the house door and, together with Old Wang, brought the ragdoll cat upstairs. Glancing at Mr. Furball, who took a deep breath and gave a slight nod, he signaled he was ready.

So Ma Lu stepped forward and knocked on the door.

He didn't know if Wei Jingyan had been sitting on a stool by the door the whole time, but in less than two seconds, the door was flung open.

Wei Jingyan poked her head out and immediately saw the stuffed cat on the ground, letting out a surprised shriek of delight.

"Oh my god!!! Mr. Furball, my dear little treasure, you've finally come back!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she rushed over and scooped the stuffed cat into her arms, then her eyes started to fill with tears as she choked up.

"I'm sorry, it was me... I was wrong, I shouldn't have forced you to do what you didn't want to, I promise you, I won't make you unhappy ever again, won't you please never leave me again, can we be together forever and ever?"

After saying this, human and cat were tightly embraced.

Ma Lu, deeply moved by this touching scene, took the opportunity while the two of them were lost in their world to quietly retreat to the side with Old Wang.

However, he didn't move too far away, just into the nearby fire escape, remembering Mr. Furball's instructions. When Wei Jingyan closed the door, he and Old Wang moved back out into the exterior hallway.

Listening for any disturbances inside, ready to rescue the cat at a moment's notice.

Yet, considering Wei Jingyan's reaction upon seeing Mr. Furball, her sincere shows of emotion seemed hardly feigned, and Ma Lu was inclined to believe her.

"I never thought I'd see a person and a cat fall in love in my lifetime," Ma Lu mused.

Old Wang remained calm, "This is quite common in The Grand Alliance, with many different species living in the Multiverse, and many people choose to marry outside of their own species."

"Oh... they don't have reproductive isolation?"

"Reproduction might be the goal for a species, but not necessarily for an individual, and besides, with the level of technology available in The Grand Alliance, there are plenty of ways to overcome reproductive barriers. And it's not just intelligent species; I've even seen someone merge with his coffee mug."

"So what do they end up having in the end, a human, a coffee mug, or a coffee mug person?" Ma Lu asked curiously.

The two of them were chatting when they heard banging noises coming from inside the room.

Ma Lu glanced at the time on his Traveler's Bracelet and muttered, "Wow, it's only been one and a half minutes, what's the rush?"

More sounds followed: the shatter of a vase hitting the floor and the breaking of dishes. Ma Lu began to sense that something was wrong, but Mr. Furball was not calling for help.

Moreover, it hadn't reached the five-minute confirmation time they had agreed upon yet, so Ma Lu hesitated but decided to continue waiting outside the door.
Your journey continues on empire

He didn't have to wait long though, as soon a loud scream echoed from inside the room!

The person screaming was obviously terrified, to the point of their voice cracking by the end.

This time Ma Lu didn't delay, preparing with Old Wang to break down the door, but before they could act, the door swung open by itself and a figure rushed out, screaming and scrambling downstairs.

On the way, they took a fall, then astonishingly continued on all fours into the stairwell, as if a fearsome beast was chasing them.

Ma Lu rubbed his eyes, somewhat unsure as he said to Old Wang, "The one who just ran past... was that Miss Wei?"