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

"You defended Kyoto, you defended the last few ships of the fifth line of defense, and you preserved the seal of the Chiyomiya family."

"You saved me, you saved Jinyu, you saved Yuran, you saved millions of people."

You haven't wronged anyone.

"I'll be here for you from now on."

"Let someone else be the commander-in-chief; you'll be my Yuzuru Hanyu."

"I don't have to carry this alone anymore."

Yuzuru remained quiet in his arms for a long time.

Then she chuckled very softly, a muffled laugh that came from inside his shirt.

"Mr. Gu, why are you talking so eloquently tonight?"

"Did you practice under the lighthouse last night?"

"That's not true."

Gu Yan looked down at her, trying to keep her tone relaxed.

The sea breeze passed between the two of them, causing the hem of her kimono to flutter gently, like a white wing unfolding in the night.

"I just sat with Sister Youyi under the lighthouse for a while last night; she was in a bad mood."

"It was really just chatting."

Yuzuru did not speak immediately.

She stepped slightly away from his embrace and looked up at him.

The moonlight fell on her profile, making her features appear soft yet clear.

There was a very faint light flowing in her eyes, not tears, but something deeper and softer.

"I know."

"Sister Youyi likes you, and you like Sister Youyi."

"Miss Lin likes you too, and Miss Pei likes you too."

"I know everything."

Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid it would be blown away by the sea breeze.

Gu Yan looked at her, her lips moved as if she wanted to explain something, but she found that she couldn't say anything.

She was telling the truth.

He likes Sister Youyi, Jinyu, and Yuran.

They all liked him too.

These emotions are intertwined, like the fog on this sea, impossible to unravel or dissipate.

"They might mind if you have other women."

Yuzuru continued, his tone as calm as if he were reciting a haiku.

"Miss Lin may not say it, but she cares a lot."

"Not to mention Miss Pei, she even frowns when I stand next to you."

"But I don't mind."

She paused, took another step forward, and gently pressed her forehead against his chest again.

Her hair brushed against his chin, carrying a very faint scent of cypress.

"Mr. Gu, believe it or not, I'm probably the least likely person among all the people to mind."

Gu Yan's breath hitched for a moment.

He could feel her body temperature seeping through the thin kimono, and he could feel the very subtle rise and fall of her chest as she spoke.

He slowly raised his hand and placed it on her back.

Her back was very thin, like a cherry blossom that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Why?

His voice was a little hoarse.

"Because I was the last one."

"They all knew you before me, liked you before me, cried for you, fought for you, and even died for you before me."

"I am the one who waited for you for more than ten years in the deep mountains and forests of Japan."

Her voice came from his chest, muffled, yet every word was clear.

"That's why I never dare to ask for more."

"I'm already very happy to be able to stand beside you and be hugged by you occasionally."

She looked up, her deep brown pupils sparkling in the moonlight, like two pieces of amber washed by seawater.

"But people are always greedy."

"I'm no exception."

"So I want to ask Mr. Gu, if I didn't mind that you have other women, would you like me a little more?"

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, blowing her bangs wildly across her forehead.

Looking into her earnest eyes, Gu Yan felt as if something had squeezed her heart tightly.

This girl who slays dragons on the battlefield, this chief priestess of the Sakura Kingdom who traded her remaining spiritual power for his life, now stands before him, asking him in the most humble yet courageous way if he would like her a little more.

"That's not necessary."

His voice was soft, but steady.

Yuzuru's eyelashes trembled slightly.

You don't need to say "I don't mind" to get my approval.

"You are Chiyomiya Hanyu, the chief priestess of the Sakura Kingdom, and the third strongest on the combat power ranking."

"You saved my life, and you saved countless other lives."

I like you because you are you, not because of anything you tolerate.

Gu Yan took her hand off her chest and held it in her palm.

Her hands were very cold, like jade that had been soaking in seawater for a long time.

"You don't need to compromise yourself to accommodate anyone."

"Especially me."

Yuzuru looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

The sea breeze blew her long hair up, and a few strands clung to her face, but she forgot to brush them away.

Then she chuckled very softly, a sound like a small bell ringing once in the night breeze, then again.

"Mr. Gu, you really know how to talk."

Her eyes curved upwards, like two crescent moons.

"Can I kiss you now?"

"It's not because I don't mind, it's because I want to kiss you."

"I've wanted to kiss you ever since you said, 'I like you because you are.'"

Gu Yan looked at her and slowly lowered her head.

His lips gently covered hers.

Her lips were soft, carrying the slightest coolness of the sea breeze.

She closed her eyes, her eyelashes brushing lightly against his eyelids like two small fans.

His hand moved from her back to the back of her head, his fingers running through her long, dark hair.

His hair was cool and smooth, like silk soaked in spring water, slipping through his fingers strand by strand.

She tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against his chest.

Her body was very light, as light as a cherry blossom falling on the sea.

The kiss was long and light, as if it contained all the unspoken words after the bloody battle at Nagoya Pass, melting into the sea breeze-swept night.

It took a long time for Yuzuru to slowly back away.

Her face was still tilted upwards, her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes were trembling slightly.

Her lips were slightly red from the kisses, looking like two petals just wet with dew in the moonlight.

She opened her eyes and looked at Gu Yan; the light in her eyes was so soft it was heartbreaking.

Mr. Gu.

Her voice was as soft as a whisper.

"Thank you for not saying 'later'."

Gu Yan smiled gently and used her thumb to wipe away the tiny, fine drop of moisture from the corner of her eye.

"The way you're saying that makes it sound like I often break my promises."

"You are it."

Yuzuru buried his face in his chest again, his voice muffled.

"You said you'd take me to Kyoto's night markets, but Kyoto's been overrun."

"You said you'd take me to eat matcha cake, but that shop got swallowed up by Kuroshio."

"You said you would protect me, but you passed out on the beach yourself."

Gu Yan was speechless for a moment.

He discovered that everything she said was true.

Kyoto's night markets are gone, wagashi shops are gone, and he did indeed faint on the beach, forcing her to go around to the back alone to kill that near-SSS-level calamity.

I'll make it up to you later.

He said.

"How to replenish it?"

She looked up at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.