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

Gu Yan placed her hand on her back. Her shoulder blades were very thin, and the outline of the bones could be felt through a thin layer of skin.

He thought to himself, the girl who used to get angry at the drop of a hat, who would call him effeminate while lying on his back and talking nonsense, is now lying on his chest saying, "Wherever you are, I am."

Three years ago, when he died, she almost burned the entire city of Kyoto to the ground. Now, in this city that is about to be abandoned, she tells him, "Kyoto is beautiful, and the matcha cake is delicious."

Just as dawn was breaking, Lin Jinyu sat up in his arms.

She didn't turn on the light, and in the dark, she picked up the clothes scattered on the ground one by one and put them on.

My fingers paused for a moment when I put on the white shirt.

Several buttons were ripped off last night.

She pulled her shirt collar tighter, turned around, walked to the bedside, leaned down, and gave him a very light kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Then she stood up and walked towards the door, but halfway there she turned back and gave him another kiss on the forehead, her voice very low.

"I'll lead the morning meeting, you can sleep a little longer."

Don't be late.

After saying that, she pushed open the door and left without looking back.

Gu Yan was awakened by the footsteps of the patrolling mechs in the corridor.

He opened his eyes to find sunlight streaming in through the gaps in the curtains, casting several golden lines on the floor.

Just as he was about to get up, the blanket slipped down to his waist, and the chill made him look down at himself.

Then he froze.

Where are his clothes?

He propped himself up on the bed and sat up, looking around.

The shirt was at the foot of the bed, the pants were under the bed, and one sock was on the pillow while the other was nowhere to be found.

He quickly pulled the blanket back to his chest.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

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

She was still wearing that light blue kimono with flowing water patterns, and her long, jet-black hair was tied with a silver ribbon. It looked like she had just come down from the morning meeting and stopped by to bring him tea.

Her gaze swept around the room.

The bed sheets were in disarray, clothes were scattered all over the floor, and there was still a lingering ambiguous atmosphere in the air.

Then her gaze fell on Gu Yan.

He was shirtless, the blanket pulled up to his chest, revealing faint red marks all over his collarbone.

A very fine crack appeared in the composure in her deep brown eyes.

"While this can indeed boost your mental strength, and while I know it's beneficial for your physical recovery, however..."

She placed the tea on the bedside table with a bit more force than usual, and the bottom of the cup made a crisp sound as it hit the wooden surface.

Her voice remained as composed and elegant as ever, but her speaking speed was a little faster than usual, as if she had rehearsed these words in her mind more than once.

"Even with me and Lady Elena helping you prolong your life, Mr. Gu should still exercise a little more restraint."

"The priestesses of all generations have been very innocent; you can't expect me to pretend I didn't smell anything every time I stumble upon something like this."

Gu Yan pulled the blanket up even higher.

"I know."

"I'll definitely do it next time."

"Could you open the windows to let in some fresh air before next time?"

After she finished speaking, she walked to the window and opened it. The cold morning breeze rushed in, dispelling the lingering ambiguous atmosphere in the room and also stirring a few strands of hair on her forehead.

She stood by the window, watching the evacuation convoy gathering outside, and after a moment of silence, added a sentence without turning her head.

"Also, next time Miss Lin leaves, tell her to take the bed sheets with her."

"The last one was the same."

Before Gu Yan could answer, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on the alloy floor came from the doorway.

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

She had changed into a dark blue outfit, and her hair was still tied up in a bun with a jade hairpin, as if she was preparing to make a final inspection of the pass before retreating.

Just as he was about to speak, his nose twitched slightly.

She smelled a faint trace of golden flame spiritual energy mixed in with the ambiguous aura in the air.

Then she saw Chiyomiya Yuzuru standing by the window, his expression even more serious than when he was in a meeting. She saw her future son-in-law sitting shirtless on the bed, the blanket pulled up to his chest, his collarbone covered in hickeys.

Pei Youyi's lips curved slightly.

Her smile was extremely gentle and graceful, but when she placed the milk on the bedside table, she used much less force than usual. The bottom of the cup touched the wooden surface almost without making a sound, as if she was afraid of waking something, or as if she was covering something up.

"Although you young people are in good health, we are about to retreat, and we still have to travel today."

Mr. Gu.

"No, Xiao Yan, you need to be more restrained in this kind of thing in the future."

Her tone was still that of an elder caring for a younger person, but when she mentioned the word "moderation," her gaze lingered for half a second on the faint red marks on his collarbone.

Then she turned to Yuzuru and said.

"Ms. Chiyomiya, next time this happens, you can just knock on the door."

"I heard it all from next door."

Chiyomiya Hanyu let out a very soft hum from his nose.

Gu Yan pulled the blanket up to her chin.

"I want to get dressed."

"Could you please turn around first?"

Yu Sheng and Pei Youyi glanced at him at the same time, then turned around to face the wall simultaneously.

He walked barefoot on the cold floor, quickly picking up the clothes scattered in various corners of the room and putting them on one by one.

Put on your pants and button up your shirt.

He buttoned a few buttons in the wrong place, so he unbuttoned them and buttoned them again.

Behind him came Yu Sheng's very soft sigh, and the sound of Pei Youyi gently tapping her palm with a jade hairpin.

For some reason, he always felt that there was an unspoken understanding between that sigh and the rhythm of the clapping.

Gu Yan put on her shirt and buttoned it up one by one to the top.

Chiyomiya Yusuke and Pei Youyi had already turned around, and only when they saw that he had buttoned up his collar did they simultaneously relax their arms that were crossed over their chests.

Yuzuru stepped forward and pulled out a neatly folded holographic tactical map from her sleeve. She had clearly been studying the map for a long time, as there were slight creases on the edges.

"The evacuation plan needs to be more meticulously planned."

"We can't use the wreckage of fleets and mechs to fill the Black Tide's charging line like we did last time."

She looked up.

"Come with me to the Supreme Operations Council."

"You're my deputy; this plan needs your presence."

The highest command center is located at the deepest part of the fortress's underground. A three-meter-thick rune alloy plate covers the entire command center, and the walls are covered with holographic screens that are updated in real time with the dynamics of each defense zone.

As Gu Yan followed Yu Sheng into the hall, all the generals who were already seated stood up at the same time.

It wasn't directed at him, but at the girl in front of him, dressed in a plain white kimono with a pheasant sword hanging at her waist.

She nodded slightly, and everyone took their seats.

Gu Yan quickly scanned the people on both sides of the long table.

On the left, closest to the main seat, sat a young woman in a black combat uniform. She had short hair, sharp eyes, and wore the arm patch of the Lightning Commando.

Han Jae-hee, captain of the East Asia Theater Lightning Commando Team, ranked eleventh on the combat power list.

Beside her was an elderly man dressed in an old-fashioned kendo uniform, his full head of silver hair neatly tied into a short ponytail at the back of his head, and an ancient sword without a tsuba (handguard) lying horizontally at his waist.

Sakamoto Shingo, the swordsman of the Sakura Kingdom, ranks tenth on the power ranking.