Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

He disliked the word because it seemed to separate him from them, since he wouldn't grow old.

"This is not a good thing," Shen Liang said in a low voice. "If possible, I would also like to grow together with everyone."

“No way, everyone at the base is a wicked woman who judges by looks. That’s why everyone is so devoted to Wawa.” Mei chuckled. “Everyone can grow up, but you can’t. Hmm, over the years, I’ve come to understand more and more why Ellie has been raising you this way.”

“Mei isn’t old.” Shen Liang looked into her eyes and stroked her cheek. Mei’s face flushed slightly as the boy’s clear red eyes gazed at her. She could only look away and whisper, “I really am old.”

“Thirty is the age when a woman is most charming. In my eyes, Mei is not old at all.” Shen Liang stubbornly turned his face to face her, looked at the panicked, mature black-haired woman, then tilted her head and said calmly, “Please believe me, my aesthetic standards are very high, so since I like Mei, Mei is the most beautiful girl.”

"Baby, you..." Mei couldn't stand that look. She struggled for a while, but finally couldn't move and slowly went limp. Then she realized that she had unknowingly sat on the beach chair and was holding the boy in her arms.

Shen Liang tilted his head up and kissed her earlobe.

Mei gritted her teeth and dared not speak.

However, she skipped that topic and rubbed her ears, bringing up another matter. She smiled and said, "Everyone in the base has been talking about you lately. You've been too high-profile this past year. You announce your engagement on social media after conquering a continent... Last time, some of the older members even criticized me, saying that your high profile might corrupt the spirit of our Firefly Moths. You're the son of a man, my deputy commander, the son of a man who is pure and untainted in the eyes of girls all over the world... In the end, you've shattered the illusions of many people."

Shen Liang knew what she was talking about.

Disillusionment truly aptly describes the internet landscape of the past year. The lamentations sparked by this word are ubiquitous online.

Because Shen Liang, as the "Son of Man"—the face of the Fire Moth organization—was young, handsome, and exceptionally powerful, he was originally a carefully crafted savior figure designed by Mei and others. From the moment he appeared in the public eye, the Son of Man was flawless in every aspect.

But Shen Liang had truly grown up, and he often acted according to his own opinions. He had no interest in becoming a perfect savior; rather, he was so arrogant as to use the recapture of lost territory as a gift for his girlfriend's engagement.

“I promised them a proper wedding, and I think that proper should at least be ‘public’,” Shen Liang said with a smile. “If I happen to have the ability to let the whole world know that I’m getting married, then why not? I don’t care about other people’s feelings, Mei, I only care about you two.”

Mei's heart skipped a beat.

But she still couldn't help but laugh.

"So... my deputy commander had to sneak into my room while everyone was having a barbecue?"

"Because your deputy commander misses you, Mei." Shen Liang pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "Your deputy commander couldn't hold back anymore, Commander-in-Chief, when can we be together?"

Chapter Fifty-Five: How could a prince who has been in power for thirteen years be allowed to pursue his ambitions?

The water ripples.

The temperature was still too cold. Although Shen Liang felt there was no problem, Mei forced him to jump into the pool because the water temperature was higher than the outdoor temperature in this season, especially in the evening.

Shen Liang has never liked being treated like a child, but over the years he has had to get used to it; humans have an instinct to judge others by their appearance. No matter how many years pass, or how much he grows up, in Mei's eyes or the other women who provided him with his genes, he will always be that frail, distant, and obedient boy.

Or we could put it another way, on a deeper level.

Shen Liang has been controlled by these nine "women of the house" from beginning to end. To be precise, he has not yet escaped their control. His social life, his knowledge, his growth, and his values ​​have all been shaped by Mei and the others. In their eyes, Eve is surprisingly well-behaved, even showing very little teenage rebellion, so they love her even more.

However, for Shen Liang, there was indeed no need for him to escape the so-called "circle of control".

His lifestyle has always revolved around the nine Primarchs who love him, so he has been keenly aware of his future destiny since childhood. Rather than saying he is not rebellious towards the nine girls, it would be more accurate to say that he has been considering and embarking on a decade-long training course as a groom since childhood.

It's not too difficult for Shen Liang to transform himself into their ideal image over a decade or so. He doesn't care about their control over him; after all, his life doesn't need anything else.

He is the "Eve" of nine girls, and all he needs to do is be "Eve".

The greatest blessing in the world is that Shen Liang doesn't need to expect anything; the pampering he receives from Mei and others far exceeds his hopes. Some say that unconditional pampering is like an abyss, but the feeling of mutual pampering and embracing each other as they fall into that abyss is always incredibly beautiful.

—Will the pampering that gets a response still be pampering?

Mei sat by the pool, her slender legs, encased in black stockings, dipped into the water. She shivered, then looked at the boy lying on the edge of the pool and chuckled, "This isn't even the deep end yet."

Shen Liang knew, of course, that this was not the deep water area. The deep water area was 180 centimeters deep, but even at the boundary between the shallow and deep water areas, he couldn't reach the bottom. He could only barely lift his face up by kicking the water, like a little goldfish surfacing for air.

Mei took out her device, snapped a picture of the scene, and set it as her wallpaper. Then she made the device float, turned on selfie mode, and gazed at herself on the screen.

She touched her face.

The tall, slender, black-haired woman on the screen was still incredibly beautiful. Her face, without makeup, was firm and fair, and still looked delicate to the touch. Despite being over thirty, her figure was still the envy of every young girl. Her full breasts, almost too big for her work uniform to contain, revealed a cleavage that made Mei feel embarrassed. Her waist and legs were still slender and without any excess fat.

Thirty is the perfect age for a well-maintained woman, and Mei has been a renowned campus beauty since her university days, and she still looks young. Just like Kevin, who is clearly middle-aged and a handsome man, many people would still believe they are siblings when they meet the children.

Mei herself understood that it was precisely because she subconsciously wanted to appear well-matched with the doll in the eyes of others that she cared so much about her appearance. And it was because she spent every day with that little wolfhound, enjoying his warmth, that she was unable to age.

Mei looked at her elegant and beautiful self in the mirror and sighed again.

—Even so, it is precisely because of this that this little wolfhound has always been restless... and full of jealousy.

Mei gently paddled the water with her feet, pressing them against the boy's bare chest in the cold water, feeling the only warmth in the icy water.

For some ulterior motive, although Mei granted Shen Liang all his requests in most cases, she insisted that their relationship be kept secret and not made public like that of Alicia and Eden.

Even though they had taken that final step ten years ago and knew each other intimately, there was one thing she wouldn't allow Shen Liang to do recklessly. Apart from their nine trusted guardians, no one knew about Mei's close relationship with him.

But now, even as the Son of Man gradually takes over the base, and has even publicly announced the engagements of several ambiguous partners, and is already the next commander-in-chief of the Fire Chaser Base... Mei is still in hiding.

Mei couldn't meet Shen Liang's expectant gaze. She knew this child desperately wanted to legitimize their relationship, make it public, even to the point of marriage, and proudly announce it to the world. But... no matter what, Mei still believed that the bigger picture was more important.

"What do you mean by prioritizing the overall situation?" Shen Liang asked irritably, bubbling away in the water.

“The bigger picture is what matters…” Mei sighed, stroking the boy’s wet hair. After a moment’s hesitation, she couldn’t say anything more and could only whisper, “Alright, kid, don’t be so jealous. Look, the whole world knows you’re my deputy commander-in-chief. Your office and my office are right next to each other, and there’s even a hidden bedroom in between. I’m your girlfriend. You sit on my lap every day while you go to work. Isn’t that enough?”

"You don't need to emphasize that I sit on your lap while I work. In a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, it should be you sitting on my lap."

"But I can't sit with you..."

"Don't you dare attack me personally!"

Seeing the pitiful look on the little wolf-dog's face as he tried to jump out of the water, Mei laughed. Then she grabbed Shen Liang under the armpits with both hands, used the buoyancy of the water to lift him up, and let him lie on her lap.

At this moment, the water droplets on his body soaked Mei's delicate black stockings. Mei touched his face, brushed his long hair to one side, and said softly, "Why are you suddenly so sensitive today, and are you sulking?"

Mei knows her pet dog very well. Shen Liang also gets jealous for various reasons, but he's very direct. He never sulks alone when he's jealous; instead, he immediately shows his unhappiness through his actions.

Everyone loves Shen Liang's straightforward style. You don't need to guess what he's thinking, and even if you make him jealous, he can make up for it immediately... The downside is that he often doesn't consider other people's opinions. Before others even understand why they made their boyfriend angry, he'll angrily drag them away.

"I'm not sulking, it's just that Kevin and the others are watching the horse race downstairs, and I'm not in the mood to join them." Shen Liang rested his chin on Mei's black stockings, inhaling the faint scent of the knitted fabric of her new clothes.

“An excuse,” Mei said.

As she said before, she knew Shen Liang too well; she could sense his subtle emotions with extreme sensitivity. Shen Liang simply couldn't lie to her, or rather, he couldn't lie to his nine older sisters either. These women were always with him, deeply in love, and knew him better than he knew himself. Every time the boy said one thing but meant another, he would be directly pointed out, without fail.

“Even if you don’t like watching horse racing, it would be good to go down and keep them company. You’ve specially sneaked into my room, so of course you have something to say.” Mei gently guided her. She was actually a very serious and rational person, but only when facing Shen Liang did she act like a caring older sister, patiently persuading him.

It's not that she's impatient or irritable with others, but with Shen Liang, she always shows her gentlest and most patient side. Sometimes Mei herself can't figure out whether this gentleness is based on romantic love or maternal tenderness.

So, did she seduce the android boy or was she seduced by him?

"Okay." Shen Liang was indeed the type of person who couldn't hold a grudge for long. He rubbed his cheek against Mei's thigh and said somewhat reluctantly, "It's mainly some unpleasant gossip. In fact, this gossip has been going on for a long time."

"Online public opinion? Don't you dislike watching this?"

“I don’t usually read about me, but I read about you guys all the time,” Shen Liang said. “I don’t really like these kinds of statements. People often say under the official account of Firemoth that you are the Queen of Firemoth and Kevin is the Great General of Firemoth.”

Shen Liang paused for a moment, "These busybodies have a saying called 'shipping.' Many people think that Mei and Kevin are a good match, saying things like their black and white styles complement each other."

Mei then realized why the little guy had been so sullen and hiding in her room all evening, and couldn't help but chuckle. But seeing Shen Liang's displeased expression, she quickly suppressed her laughter and put on a serious face.

But I still want to laugh!

She was still not mature or composed enough. Even now, as the radiant "son of man," she could still be driven to despair by online controversies. She felt inexplicably both happy and angry. Happy because after all these years, her child was still so adorable, cherishing her immensely, even her jealousy was inexplicable. Annoyed because after all these years, this little one was still just a child; only his experience had grown, his heart hadn't matured at all.

But Mei's inability to suppress the upward curve of her lips proved that she was very happy.

—That's it, this possessiveness that gives you a strong sense of security... a childlike possessiveness that lets you know you'll never be abandoned and will always be loved.

Mei picked up a glass of orange juice to suppress her expression, then said seriously, "Seriously speaking, if one has black hair and the other has white hair, that's called complementary styles. We both have black hair, so that should be called unified styles. According to this logic, we are more reasonable, right?"

Shen Liang opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Mei could only continue to comfort him: "Baby, you don't need to care so much about Kevin. You've already got me. As the winner in love, you should have the composure of a winner. You should know that I've distanced myself from Kevin enough. In fact, he should be able to feel my estrangement... It's just that some things can't be made public. We should think about the bigger picture. After all, you know that Kevin is still willing to stay here largely because of me."

She said this with a hint of shame, for despite having hinted at it to Kevin many times, she had hesitated to publicly acknowledge her relationship with Shen Liang to dispel Kevin's hopes. As the most powerful warrior in the entire Moth Chaser organization, Kevin was one of the ultimate safeguards against the Honkai, and his importance was self-evident.

Despite her continued rejection, Kevin's persistence was beyond imagination; it seemed he wouldn't give up his pursuit as long as she didn't have a boyfriend. As a result, May had to move her office and lab to Area A1 to minimize contact outside of missions, gradually fading his passion.

Over the years, the results have been achieved, and Kevin has had less and less contact with her. Perhaps Kevin will gradually find other reasons to fight for the fire... But there are still some idle people outside who speak without restraint, which will make her jealous again.

"Doll, you've been engaged to many people, but in reality, they're all clueless when it comes to relationships. Whether it's Eden, Paddo, or Velvet, even though you're young and they might even be each other's first love, when I met them, I thought that such outstanding people like them might end up alone forever. So there's nothing wrong with them getting engaged or even married to you. Their lives are simple; they only need to consider each other. But Doll, I'm different. I need to consider the future of Moth Chaser. If you and I go public, it will cause a huge uproar. Putting aside Kevin, the Commander-in-Chief of Moth Chaser and the Vice Commander-in-Chief, who's practically a nuclear weapon, are actually a couple...?"

Mei paused slightly as she spoke, because Shen Liang, who was sitting on her lap, was resting his chin on his hands and staring at her quietly, his clear red pupils reflecting the starry sky.

"Are you very anxious, baby?" Mei said softly. "Am I making you feel insecure?"

"Because it might be too late."

"Too late for what?" Mei didn't ask this question; of course she knew what Shen Liang was talking about.

Even though the boy in front of him had subdued the Herrscher of Knowledge, the Herrscher of Rock, the Herrscher of Domination, the Herrscher of Restraint, and the Herrscher of Erosion with almost no damage, his increasingly powerful Herrscher abilities were obvious to all. And the more he integrated the genes of the Herrschers, the more things Shen Liang could perceive.

Just as Aponia predicted, sooner or later, the Fire-Chasing Civilization will face Judgment Day.

Even as a "son of man," it's uncertain whether he can face such a future.

“If there really comes a day when it’s too late, then let’s do it then,” Mei said with a smile. “Why bother with an engagement? Wouldn’t it be more romantic to have the end of the world as our wedding?”

Shen Liang pouted.

“But speaking of which, those people compare me to an empress and Kevin to a great general, so what about you?” Mei suddenly patted his cheek playfully. “Our most glorious ‘son of man,’ you haven’t said anything yet.”

Shen Liang's expression froze, and she turned her head away. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Listen to me, speak quickly."

Shen Liang's face turned bright red. After struggling for a long time, she gritted her teeth and said resentfully, "...The Crown Prince will oversee the country."

Upon hearing this phrase, so rich in East Asian cultural flavor, Mei was initially taken aback, but then finally couldn't help laughing so hard she almost fell over. "Hmm... Hahaha, the Crown Prince overseeing the country, the Crown Prince overseeing the country... So apt! Why are you angry, baby? Isn't this very realistic? Hmm, are you angry that a moth drawn to a flame can only be a crown prince for thirteen years? Are you trying to usurp my throne?"