I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

The posts from the Great Xia War Zone are longer and more substantial.

"Patriarch Fu Wanqing personally led the troops to recapture seventeen important towns on the North China defense line, and Regiment Commander Fu Shiwei also made outstanding contributions in England."

"But the true strength of the Great Xia Dynasty has never been limited to the combat power rankings."

"Have you ever calculated how many years the ancient martial arts families of Great Xia have existed?"

"The Pei family is a family of sword immortals. Pei Yuran is an SS-level expert, which is enough for you to look at for a lifetime. But the ancestors enshrined in the Pei family ancestral hall are all capable of withstanding the direct impact of the Black Tide."

"The Lin family practices both ancient martial arts and fire-based superpowers, and began researching superpower suppression technology during the reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty."

"The theoretical basis of the Mirror Flower Imperial Seal that Gu Yan used back then was provided free of charge by the Lin family."

"The Chen family, one of the founding families of the Superpowered Individuals Association, possesses the most complete genealogy archives of superpowered individuals in the world."

"Even before the Black Tide arrived, the Chen family began to consciously cultivate specific ability pairings that could counter the Black Tide."

"These families usually keep a low profile, but when the Black Tide comes, they pour out all the resources they've held back for decades."

Do you know how many hidden sects there are in the Great Xia Dynasty?

"Kunlun, Shushan, Longhushan".

"You've only seen these names in legends, but they really exist, and their leaders have been on the front lines for over two years."

The posts from the Central African theater were the shortest, but every word seemed to have been picked up from the trenches and slammed directly onto the screen.

"We have no ancient families, no reclusive sects, and no knightly order with a three-hundred-year history."

"But we have the world's most tenacious defenses and the most fearless soldiers."

That's enough.

After nightfall, the officers' quarters of the core fortress of Kyoto's fourth line of defense were quiet.

Gu Yan finished showering and changed into a clean set of pajamas. Just as she sat down on the edge of the bed, the door was pushed open very gently.

Lin Jinyu slipped in sideways, closed the door behind her, her movements so fluid it was as if she had rehearsed it countless times.

She was barefoot, wearing only a loose white shirt and a pair of very short light-colored shorts. Her long golden hair was loose over her shoulders, and the ends of her hair still smelled damp from just having showered.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Gu Yan put down the towel in her hand.

"I'm afraid you'll be assassinated."

"You saw the news today. Six people died, all of them S-class or higher, and all of them were assassinated in the rear."

She walked to the bedside and sat down cross-legged, her movements as natural as if she were entering her own room.

"You're still a near-S-rank player, and I'm fifth on the combat power ranking. It's safer for me to protect you."

"If an assassin comes, I'll burn it down."

As she spoke, the collar of her white shirt slipped down a bit, revealing a small patch of fair skin below her collarbone.

She seemed completely oblivious, simply resting her chin on her hand and tilting her head to look at him, her golden pupils shining brilliantly in the dim light.

Just as Gu Yan was about to say something, she suddenly changed the subject.

She said that when she first saw him on the news when she was a child, she thought the boy was really good-looking, a hundred times better-looking than her brothers whom she saw every day in the Lin family.

She also said that when he first came to the Lin family to help her treat her bipolar disorder, she was so nervous that her palms were sweaty while she sat in the chair.

Later, his fingers touched her forehead, and that gentle spiritual energy flowed into her meridians. She wondered how this person could be so gentle.

As she spoke, she moved closer to him, going from sitting cross-legged to kneeling, and then leaning her whole body against him.

The white shirt had an extra button undone, revealing her fair collarbone. She looked up at him, her long golden hair cascading over his shoulders.

The door was pushed open again.

Chiyomiya Hanyu stood at the door, holding two cups of hot tea.

She was still wearing that light blue kimono with flowing patterns, her long, jet-black hair loosely tied with a silver ribbon, looking as if she had just stood up from behind her desk. She hadn't brought her kimono, only tea.

She saw that Lin Jinyu was already in the room, leaning against Gu Yan with his shirt wide open.

But she didn't stop walking. She simply walked in, placed the tea on the bedside table, and then sat down on the other side of Gu Yan.

"Ms. Lin is right, it is indeed not very safe these days."

"My room happens to be right next to Mr. Gu's, so I came over to take a look."

"Since Miss Lin is here, then I don't need to worry."

As she spoke, she picked up Gu Yan's towel from the bedside table, changed her kneeling position, and straightened up slightly to help him dry his hair.

Her fingertips gently pressed against his temples through the towel.

"The tea is brewed with spring water, which helps to calm the mind."

"Mr. Gu has been in meetings all day; he must be very tired."

She dried her hair very gently, but Gu Yan could sense from the pauses she made each time her fingertips touched his scalp that she was deliberately telling Lin Jinyu that she was there too.

Lin Jinyu didn't try to take it from her, but instead buried her face in Gu Yan's shoulder, her voice muffled.

"After you're done wiping, it's my turn. I'll wipe it too."

Just then, the door was pushed open again.

Pei Youyi stood there holding a tray with four cups of hot milk on it.

She changed out of her dark blue outfit and into a moon-white cheongsam. Her hair was down and draped over her shoulders, and the light shone on her face, making her gentle and beautiful features appear exceptionally soft.

"I noticed that all your room lights were on, so I figured none of you would be able to sleep tonight."

She came in and placed the hot milk on the bedside table. Her gaze swept over Lin Jinyu, who was leaning against Gu Yan's left, and Chiyo Miyako, who was kneeling on his right and drying his hair. The corners of her mouth curved slightly. She didn't ask anything, but simply divided the milk and sat down in the only remaining space on the bed.

That spot was right next to Gu Yan.

The hem of her cheongsam gently brushed against the back of his hand as she sat down, its touch warm and delicate.

The atmosphere became subtle and quiet when all three women were in bed.

Lin Jinyu's white shirt had an extra button undone at some point, and she was pressed against Gu Yan's left side.

Yuzuru carefully put away the towel and sat upright to his right, but quietly placed his hand on Yuzuru's knee.

Pei Youyi placed his left hand in her palm and gently stimulated his meridians.

Occasionally, the footsteps of patrolling mechs and the low hum of a rune tower charging in the distance could be heard outside the window. Later, someone turned off the lights, and the sounds of tossing and turning in the darkness rose and fell, eventually settling into steady and long breaths.

The first rays of morning sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains and fell on Gu Yan's face.

When he opened his eyes, Lin Jinyu on his left had her face buried in his shoulder, with one leg draped over his lap, and an extra button undone on her white shirt.

Chiyomiya Hanyu lay quietly on his side on the right, his hand still on his knee, his breathing steady and long, even his sleeping posture was a standard upright sitting posture with a slight turn.