How come I, who has the physique of a succubus, was pushed back by the ship girl?

If the boy is strong, the girl will hold on to the wall, Zhou Xuan thought viciously.

This annoying little goblin will be eaten up one day so that she will remember this lesson!

After finally suppressing the evil thoughts that had arisen in his mind and adjusting his restless mood, Zhou Xuan nodded, responding to her expectations in a silent way.

A touching chuckle fell, and the two of them immediately returned to their previous working state.

Zhou Xuan looked at the table quietly, looking at Qi Peilin's face in the photo on the list. The scarlet eyes were shining in his eyes.

Chapter 9: Iceberg Beauty Zeppelin

Unlike others, Zeppelin's situation is rather special, perhaps because of the historical influence that its predecessor had been ordered to be demolished.

Since the day she was born on the sea, her abilities have been imperfect.

The inability to fully materialize the ship's equipment naturally means that she cannot exert her full strength.

Not only that, her congenitally defective body also prevents her from maintaining the ship's outfit for long.

There was no other way, so Zeppelin tried to free himself from this predicament by exercising every day.

She exercised day after day regardless of wind and rain. Although there was no significant effect, it became a habit for her over time.

By the way, it also became an excuse for her to numb herself. This is what Zeppelin thought and did.

Day after day, she chased after an illusory goal, until one day, with the appearance of a strange boy, her lonely life was completely broken.

He was the newly appointed trainee commander of the port area, and Zeppelin knew his identity.

She was also in the meeting room that day, but she just watched them get along harmoniously from the sidelines.

Zeppelin didn't care about the boy's background, nor did she want to try to understand. She was used to being alone, and she already had a cold but strong heart.

The flowing water is ruthless, but the falling flowers are intentional. From the current situation, it seems that the other party has mastered her activity patterns.

Every morning he would appear on the playground with her on time. He would not talk to her actively, but would run the same distance and exercise for the same amount of time as she did.

First you lose, then you think you have gained, and finally it becomes nothing. Humans love to play this kind of boring trick...

Zeppelin had thought more than once that he should look at the world with malice and scrutiny.

Every time she felt the goodwill shown by the other party, she had repeatedly thought about exposing his tricks, but due to the lack of evidence, she could only let it go and had to accept his existence.

At first they didn't pay much attention to it, and they spent one beautiful morning after another together.

Until later, affected by emotions, he developed to the point of secretly competing with others, vowing to leave human beings like him far behind.

Zeppelin suddenly looked back and realized that his physical condition had undergone tremendous changes without him realizing it.

KanColle are superior to humans. Even without their ship suits, their physical fitness is beyond the reach of humans.

Of course, Zeppelin was an exception.

At the very beginning, there was some kind of shackles that meant her body could only withstand the limit of a ten-kilometer long-distance run. No matter how she trained, there was no improvement at all.

And now, twelve, fifteen, twenty kilometers...the upper limit of what she can endure is broken through every day.

This had never happened before, and everything changed quietly after the young man around him joined in.

Could it be because of him... But we clearly didn't spend that long together. When I think about it carefully, it was only less than half a month.

If not, how do we explain the current situation?

Qi Peilin was puzzled. After many days, this question continued to ferment in her mind.

"Your breath is messed up~ Miss Zeppelin, if you adjust in time and work harder, you may be able to break through the 25-kilometer limit today."

Zhou Xuan's reminder came in time. Realizing that his breathing was disordered, Zeppelin hurriedly retracted his wandering thoughts, stopped thinking about it, immediately adjusted his state, and continued to run forward.

As he expected, she had once again broken through her limit, and joy and confusion were intertwined in her heart.

Zeppelin half bent over, resting his hands on his thighs, his chest heaving, panting, and covered in sweat.

"Congratulations, Miss Zeppelin."

"I'm not some noble lady. You don't need to address me in that way. I'm just... a poor abandoned child."

Zeppelin continued speaking in a calm tone, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"If you just want a name, then just call me Zeppelin like them, even though I don't like it."

Everything was going wrong, but after seeing the other party accept his words with deep conviction, for a moment, Zeppelin actually felt a taste of success.

Unfortunately, he was soon replaced by reason, and Zeppelin changed the subject and went straight to the point.

"Enough of the small talk, human. You've followed me for so long, it's time to tell me your purpose..."

Finally having the opportunity for face-to-face contact, Zhou Xuan immediately got down to business.

Cure, improve...there was no concealment and the purpose of this trip was stated in detail.

The result was just as Zhou Xuan had expected when he came. Faced with his own ambitions, Zeppelin gave the same evaluation as August, and even used more intense words.

"Stop bragging, human! Do you think you can heal me? That's a fantasy! In me, there is only eternal and cold hatred!"

"Put away your pathetic and ridiculous sympathy, human! I am down and out, but I am not down and out so much that I need you to pity me."

Although the words were fierce, Zhou Xuan could sense that there was not much hostility in the sharp sarcasm. What was revealed was the cowardice after countless hopes were shattered.

"If my abilities sound a bit far-fetched to you, then I respect your opinion. Let's not discuss the issue of ship equipment for now."

"Let's look at the reality first. Zeppelin, haven't you already felt the sharp change in yourself? Even though it's small, everything is moving in a good direction, isn't it?"

Facts speak louder than words. Zhou Xuan easily choked Zeppelin's disdain like a storm with his calm response.

As the person involved, Zeppelin could most directly feel the changes that had taken place in her in recent days.

"The reality is stark before our eyes. If Zeppelin still thinks I'm just talking nonsense, then I'll go a little further."

"Not only will I heal you, I will also do my best to lead you out of that cold, lonely abyss of despair, and play the melody of the end with you."

"The movement of the end...how dare you say that?" Zeppelin was stunned.

Astonishment, trance, sarcasm and the anticipation of seeing Zhou Xuan defeated miserably flashed in her eyes one after another, and finally reached her calm heart.

This was the first time someone had said such words to her, and...it was a human being. It was really interesting to see him in such a miserable state.

"Anyone can say nice and high-sounding words, but... this is the first time I've seen a human as arrogant as you."

She rarely smiled, but Zhou Xuan only felt a cold murderous aura from her. The pair of scarlet eyes came closer and closer and stopped right in front of him.

The fragrance of the girl and her hot breath continuously assaulted his senses. With his eyes moving and full of teasing, Zeppelin said softly.

"Do you know? When you stare into the abyss, the abyss is also staring at you~"

"Put away your senseless arrogance, Zhou Xuan. My hatred is beyond your imagination!"

Without paying any further attention, Qi Peilin withdrew his body after he finished speaking, returning to his initial coldness. Finally, he glanced at Zhou Xuan and resolutely turned and left.

The three-foot-thick ice did not form overnight. The first communication between the two was not satisfactory. Zhou Xuan knew that it would not be easy to melt the iceberg and gain the other party's trust.

He proved his sincerity by accompanying her, and then used his own abilities to slowly improve Qi Peilin's situation, allowing her to see the hope of rebirth.

This was his plan and also the best way to open up Zeppelin's defenses.

Since Qi Peilin had left, Zhou Xuan had no plans to stay in the playground for long. He was busy with official duties and had many other things to deal with.

Because of the unexpected communication, he didn't have much time left today to make preparations.

Looking at the running out of time, Zhou Xuan quickened his pace and rushed towards the cafeteria.

As the saying goes, the closer you get to your goal, the easier it is to slack off.

Zhou Xuan was no exception. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when he reached the next corner of the cafeteria, he didn't have time to brake and collided with someone.

As if she had taken all the blame on herself, the white-haired ship girl hurriedly stood up and did not dare to accept the helping hand extended by Zhou Xuan.

He held the umbrella horizontally in front of him, nodded rapidly, and apologized repeatedly.

"Sorry... I'm sorry!!! It's all... It's all my fault for coming here so suddenly. I'm really sorry!!"

Chapter 10: Cinderella and the Prince's Dream Encounter

"I thought the commander might be working in the command room and I wouldn't run into him on the street, so I relaxed a little..."

"Well, it's all my fault. I got the Commander into trouble..."

From her intermittent and almost incoherent words, it can be seen that the girl is extremely nervous at the moment.

With her head lowered, her red and blue eyes wandered restlessly. Even though she was apologizing to Zhou Xuan, she didn't dare to focus her gaze on his face.

Trembling and trembling, it was obvious that the girl, who had been tormented by inferiority and introversion for a long time, would once again face spiritual condemnation because of her recklessness.

Realizing that the other party was increasingly doubting himself and had a tendency to get stuck in a rut at any time, Zhou Xuan spoke in time.

"I am the one who should be apologizing. I was running all the way and not paying close attention to the situation, which led to the accident."

"Are you okay, Elbin? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, Zhou Xuan gently brushed away the dust that had gotten on her body when she fell to the ground just now.

Even the gray stain on the navy blue umbrella could not escape the disaster, and was soon erased by him, restoring it to its original pure color.

Fortunately, Elbin was not injured. Compared with the trivial physical matters, she is now more concerned about other issues.

"Commander... do you know my name?" As if he was Cinderella who met the prince, a touch of emotion flashed in Elbin's eyes.

"Well, I've noticed you from the beginning. Of course, it would be great if you were willing to give me a detailed introduction."

Like most people, when she saw Zhou Xuan, she also felt the specialness of this commander.

I just didn't expect that someone as insignificant as me could catch his attention.

Elbin couldn't describe how he felt for a moment. He only knew that since the commander had made a request, he must not let him down.

For no reason, driven by passion, Elbin spoke hastily without even thinking.

"I... I belong to the Iron Bloods. I am a Pillau-class cruiser, which is classified as a small cruiser. Elbing... Because of its thin armor and weak firepower, I have not had any active ship history."

Unfortunately, this state did not last long. Halfway through his speech, he seemed to recall the bad past, and his mighty momentum quickly weakened.

"I'm sorry... Commander, I'm weak and clumsy, and my luck is terrible. This is... causing you trouble on our first meeting."

His self-abasement had reached its peak, and every word he spoke was a denial of himself.

In order to give Zhou Xuan sufficient persuasiveness, he even exaggerated the current situation to prove the basis of the matter.

His every move before and after is full of contradictions. He clearly desires the recognition of others, but he is used to denying himself in front of others.

Fortunately, Zhou Xuan did not take her wishful thinking seriously. He reached out his hand, gently placed it on her hair, and rubbed it again and again.

"I don't think so. Or maybe I should say no one has ever thought so."

"Everyone is born with different styles. You are a cruiser. Your speed and maneuverability are your strengths. Why don't you play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses and focus on this aspect of your training?"

"The lack of armor and firepower can still be compensated by relying on weapons and equipment, but once you lose your courage and confidence, no one will be able to help you."

Perhaps he had never thought that there would be a day when he would be comforted. Elbin's pupils dilated slightly, and he could hardly believe what was happening before his eyes.

Her small cherry lips were slightly open, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. Her small hands tightly grasped the ribs of the umbrella, and the blue veins on the back of her fair hands fluctuated with her emotions.

His eyes once lit up and flashed with a hint of hope, but then he remembered something, and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed and turned to loneliness, so he had to give up.

Self-doubt has been deeply rooted in her heart. It is wishful thinking to convince her to let go of her inferiority complex and face life with just a few words.

Although he has special abilities, Zhou Xuan is not that arrogant. There is still a long way to go, and time is the best medicine to heal a broken heart.

"So, Elbin, you don't need to belittle yourself. If you are confused or perplexed, just come to me. I will do my best to help you."

"This is my duty as a commander, and it is also the meaning of my existence as a commander..." Zhou Xuan's smile was like a spring breeze, reaching deep into his heart.

No longer struggling to think of what to say, the girl tried to relax her body and mind, quietly feeling his touch.

The gentle commander and the timid me... If only this moment could last forever... Elbin thought.

It’s a pity that such a warm scene didn’t last long.

Suddenly remembering important matters, Zhou Xuan glanced at his watch which he had forgotten about. With little time left, he had to say goodbye to the girl in front of him.

He didn't even have time to enjoy breakfast and turned around to rush to his other battlefield.

Before he could take a step, Elbin, who had been silent all the time, finally couldn't help but speak and called him timidly.

"Commander, this... this is for you."