It's time to give out the rings, Admiral!

As the girl pondered more deeply, her brows furrowed more and more, and she grew increasingly alarmed. At this point, she believed that Lexington had no reason to lie to her, because if it were a lie, she could easily expose her by simply asking her brother.

But the woman in front of me showed no sign of guilt, appearing completely confident that she believed him. This meant that what she said was most likely true...

The girl clenched her teeth tightly. Her brother was already an admiral or something before she met him, which was a serious situation that had never occurred in any of the various emergency plans she had imagined!

My brother has many ship girls. You can tell from the women he brought back that he was married to his ship girls before. This is true, and it's different from what she thought there must be some deeper reason behind it.

Thinking about what this woman said, that her brother might own hundreds of ship girls and even dozens of marriage ships, the poor girl felt dizzy. Everything in front of her seemed to spin around, and her chest felt like it was being squeezed hard by someone, the pain making it hard for her to breathe.

In a normal situation, she felt she would have been so frightened that she would have fainted again. However, this time, the girl managed to endure a conversation that was even more heart-stopping than their previous meeting.

Now she understands that running away from reality is pointless; it will only give her opponents an opportunity to take advantage of her brother, allowing them, his ship girls, to steal even more from him. She only has her brother left, and that's all she has left. So, no matter what, she has to find a solution, even if it's just temporarily deceiving herself...

“Little Rou, I understand how you feel right now. You’re worried that we’ll take your beloved brother away from you, and that we’ll diminish the Admiral’s affection for you.”

"But, little Rou, you don't really need to worry about this. My dear... the Admiral really, really likes you. Even if he may not realize your feelings for him yet, I always heard him talk about you when we were in Tsugawa. I know that you occupy a very big place in the Admiral's heart. You are irreplaceable to him. Even if we wanted to take you away, we simply couldn't."

Lexington smiled and stroked the girl's hand, her eyes filled with sincerity and gentleness. She tried her best to use her friendliness to help the girl lower her guard a little, but they could only have normal conversations. To make Xiaorou understand her and get along well with her and the other sisters, it wasn't enough to just have sincere words; it required practical actions and the joint efforts of herself and the other sisters.

"?!"

The girl blushed slightly. She hadn't expected that Lexington would see through her feelings for her brother. It was a bit embarrassing to have someone discover her feelings for her brother's sister, even though they weren't blood-related siblings.

Moreover, she had just been righteously and vehemently criticizing them from her sister's perspective, but it turned out that they had already seen through her little scheme...

But is what this woman said about her brother's feelings for her real? Has her brother really been thinking about her and caring for her every day since he arrived in Jinchuan? Brother, brother... no, that's not right! She already knew that her brother cared about her; this must just be another delaying tactic by this woman. She can't be careless!

"What do you want from me by telling me all this? No matter what, I will never acknowledge you as my sister-in-law."

Having strengthened her resolve to fight her brother's ship girls to the end, the girl then spoke to Lexington with a hint of defiance. However, even so, her attitude was much better than before. At least, she no longer regarded Lexington as a female liar who had deceived her brother, but as a highly threatening "enemy" on equal footing with her.

"Of course not, little Rou. Why can't we get along harmoniously? Maybe you're not very welcoming to us right now, but everyone in the naval base is very happy to have you here, little Rou."

Just as planned, Lexington subtly expressed her and everyone's views on the matter to the girl. It was an undeniable fact that Little Rou would return to the naval base with her husband. Little Rou loved her husband just like everyone else, which was common knowledge except for that one silly girl.

In conclusion, with Xiaorou joining the naval base, to everyone else, she's just another pitiful, adorable, and beautiful human sister in the port area who wants to be taken care of and has a slightly special relationship with her husband. As for what special feelings she might have for her beloved, well, everyone's the same, so there's nothing to worry about.

"That's impossible. I will never give my brother to you, even if you were my brother's ship girls a long time ago."

However, the girl was not buying it. Even when facing Lexington and the group of ship girls behind her, she looked a bit fierce but weak-willed. But as the saying goes, you can lose the battle but not the battle. At least in front of her group of "love rivals", she still had to put on a good show.

"Sigh, I understand, little Rou. It seems that words alone are not enough to satisfy you. To show our goodwill, we will demonstrate to you through our actions that we will not take your brother away."

"However, I also need to reiterate our position. If you insist on making us leave the Admiral, that is impossible. We are ship girls, dear... the Admiral is everything to us, and this is our bottom line. I hope you can understand, little sister."

"Also, little Rou, at least for the time before we head to Tsugawa, can we get along peacefully? If your brother finds out that his favorite little sister doesn't like his ship girls, he might get a headache and be heartbroken. You don't want that for him, do you?"

"Besides, we can also create opportunities for you, Little Rou. You want that blockhead to understand your feelings for him, right? We'll be staying at a hotel in town these next few nights; we don't have enough beds at home for us, do we? How about it? Are you satisfied with this exchange, Little Rou?"

Volume 1, Chapter 512: Be Patient

After their conversation, Lexington had achieved his initial goal of being able to interact normally with the girl. He also explained his bottom line to her: of course, he would take care of Xiaorou, and he would be more accommodating to her, since she was his dear and favorite little sister.

However, it's impossible to give in to Xiaorou without any limits. If Xiaorou insists on being hostile to them and wants these girls, whom she sees as outsiders, to leave their husbands, then she will only be able to disappoint her.

Ultimately, the decision rested with the young woman. After listening to Lexington's words and calmly considering the pros and cons, the intelligent woman nodded in agreement.

Of course, we must fight, but the prerequisite is that we cannot cause trouble for our brother. If we go to our brother to make a scene by crying, making a scene, or threatening suicide, he will definitely respond, but he will also have a terrible headache. He might even think that we have become a unreasonable girl and have made him hate us. If we really become like that, then we will be just doing what these ship girls want.

"Okay, I agree, but only in front of my brother. That doesn't mean I agree with you."

"I know, Little Rou." Lexington smiled. Although they hadn't achieved much, a good start was always good. Maybe as they spent more time together, Little Rou would get used to their presence.

"Then let's go out together. We've already prepared dinner. How about we grab something to eat?"

The girl frowned. These wicked women had taken away the job that should have been hers as soon as they returned, which reduced her significance to her brother. They were definitely prepared.

But she didn't speak, just nodded in agreement, and followed Lexington out of her bedroom. Her immediate priority was to get to her brother; she hadn't even had a chance to say a few words to him when she got back. If she wanted to fight, there would be plenty of time later.

After changing her clothes and tidying up her appearance, the girl went to the living room first. It was already late, but the not-so-large living room was now crowded with people. In addition to her brother, whom she wanted to see the most, and her brother's group of ship girls who were currently in a truce, the living room was also crowded with the elders from the village who usually took care of her and her brother.

"Hey, isn't this our eldest daughter? What? You're awake? I thought you were going to sleep until tomorrow morning!"

The first person to speak to the girl was Uncle Wang, Wang Jing's father. He was sitting around the large square table in the living room with his brother and Aunt Zhang. Wang Jing, who was wolfing down the snacks her brother had given her, was grinning and waving at him.

As for Wang Jing's brother, who had an ordinary appearance and was giving her a fawning smile, the girl didn't even glance at him. She was teased by Uncle Wang until her face turned slightly red, and she walked over to her brother and the girl with big blond hair named Saratoga who was sitting next to him.

"Xiaorou, I just heard from Yuchen that you fainted from excitement. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Aunt Zhang. I'm just a little unaccustomed to it right now."

"Are you really alright, Xiaorou? I just heard from Xiaofei that your face was pale when you woke up! Do you want to rest a little longer?"

She shook her head slightly at Aunt Zhang, who was concerned about her, and went to her brother's side. The big golden retriever then started talking to her.

The girl was furious as she watched the brat Saratoga clinging to her brother and trying to feed him snacks she'd somehow gotten her hands on. Her gentle lips twitched involuntarily, but remembering the agreement she'd just reached with Lexington, she managed to suppress her anger.

It's alright, Su Yuru. She's just being patient for the time being, all to better achieve her goals!

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Saragaga?"

"It's Saratoga! Little Rou! I already told you, you can call me Jiajia, and it's not wrong to call me sister-in-law!"

"Heh, then forget it..." Hearing the blond guy in front of her actually ask her to call her sister-in-law, she was so angry that she almost couldn't catch her breath. She gave a light sneer, shook her head, and then turned to look at the girl named Phelps, whom she had just seen in her bedroom.

"Xiao Fei? I'm sorry for showing you that side of me just now. I've calmed down now."

The girl apologized to Phelps, saying that since she had said she would act normally and not let her brother notice anything amiss, then the act had to be convincing. It wasn't just about keeping her brother guessing; ideally, it should be enough to fool her opponents as well, making them all lower their guard. That way…

"No, it's alright, little Rou."

Phelps quickly waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care. However, as a girl who had just experienced Xiao Rou's state, no matter how well the girl put on a show, Xiao Fei could still clearly feel the hostility emanating from the girl towards him, Lexington, and everyone else.

Eek! Little Fei, your eyes are terrifying!

Once again, Phelps couldn't help but shrug his shoulders slightly and leaned back, but the girl didn't care at all. She assumed that Phelps was still holding a grudge against her because of what had just happened.

Now that everything that needed to be done has been done, the next step is to get this nasty golden retriever away from my brother. Only I can sit in the seat next to my brother!

"Sister Saratoga, could you move aside? I'd like to sit with my brother."

"Oh? But I want to too, little Rou. I've only been sitting with my brother-in-law for a short while!"

"But I haven't seen my brother for over a month. Shouldn't Saratoga give way to me?"

"Hmm... well, okay then. I'm only giving you my seat because it was your request, little Rou?"

Saratoga reluctantly stood up, reluctantly giving up the seat next to her brother-in-law to the young girl. During this time, the conversation between the two made Phelps, who was standing to the side, feel a little uneasy. The way the little girl looked at Saratoga as if she were looking at a dead fish was really scary!

Seeing that the golden retriever had finally given up the seat next to her brother, the girl's expression softened slightly. She lifted her skirt and sat down next to her brother, whose familiar hand instinctively touched her forehead.

"Are you really alright, Xiaorou? She fainted as soon as she came back and saw me. I was so scared..."

Volume 1, Chapter 513: Everyday Life

"Are you really alright, Xiaorou? She fainted as soon as she came back and saw me. I was so shocked..."

When the boy's hand touched the girl's soft, delicate black hair, feeling the familiar yet slightly reassuring touch on her head, the girl's somewhat stiff smile immediately softened. A glimmer of light appeared in her bright eyes as she stopped her brother's mischievous hand from messing up her hair. The girl smiled quietly.

"Hehe, I'm so happy to see my brother come back so suddenly!"

The girl sat close to her brother, her lovely face still flushed with a charming blush. Unlike her stiff smile just now, in Phelps' eyes, the moment Little Sister Phelps sat down next to the admiral, it was as if solid ice melted, and her light gray eyes immediately turned into a pool of spring water.

She skillfully grabbed the boy's arm, just like when she used to cling to her brother and want to be spoiled when she was lonely or scared. The girl couldn't help but rub her face against the boy's shoulder.

It had indeed been a long time since they last saw each other for more than a month. The girl had almost forgotten to sit next to her brother, close to him, and draw warmth from him that gave her motivation. So, whenever she had the chance to sit next to her brother, the girl would unconsciously put her hands on his arms, even now that all the elders were sitting opposite her.

Anyway, her feelings for her brother were nothing new to everyone except him. The girl gave herself a reason that was enough to convince herself. So, even in front of her aunts and uncles, she felt at ease pressing her body even closer to her brother.

"What's wrong? It's only been a month and a half since we last met. You're still acting like a little girl, so fond of acting cute. Wait until you grow up and go through your rebellious phase, then let's see if you still dare to do this."

He gently stroked the girl's pink nose. The girl's behavior left the boy helpless. He had told her many times that boys and girls should not touch each other, and even as her brother, he shouldn't be so intimate. But no matter how many times he said it, it seemed to have no effect. He could only take the girl's affectionate behavior as her dependence on him. When she got older and knew what adolescence was, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get close to her even if he wanted to.

"Is that her being affectionate, Yu Chen? In my opinion, this girl doesn't treat you like a brother at all! You didn't see how much she missed you when you weren't around. She was just..."

"Wang! Uncle Wang!"

Before the boy could finish speaking, Wang Jing's father chimed in, saying that the relationship between the siblings was really making all the grown men a little uneasy!

One couldn't see it, and the other stammered and refused to speak directly. Anyway, he was happy to see Old Man Su's precious daughter paired with Yu Chen, so he immediately wanted to make it clear. But before he could even open his mouth, he was drowned out by the girl's humiliated and indignant scream.

What is this! You haven't even told your brother about your feelings for him, and you want him to figure it out on his own? You want Uncle Wang, a grown man, to tell your brother what's going on?

"Alright, old man Wang, you don't need to worry about these two kids anymore. Can't you see that Xiao Rou isn't happy about it?"

"Okay, okay, I don't care. I'm just annoyed by something. I'm really frustrated. Fine, let's continue with that topic. Yu Chen, what are your plans for coming back this time?"

Having almost been exposed, the blushing girl clutched her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. The boy beside her, however, was completely bewildered. What was going on? What had happened between him and Xiaorou? Why didn't Xiaorou treat him like a brother anymore?

He wanted to ask, but seeing his sister staring intently at him, as if afraid he would press her for answers, he had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and tell himself that this was probably something Xiaorou didn't want to talk about. Instead, he answered the question Xiaorou had discussed with Aunt Zhang and Uncle Wang before they came out.

"Well, I don't have any particular plans. Tomorrow morning, I plan to take Lexington and Xiaorou to pay respects to Uncle Su and Aunt Su. In the afternoon, I'll take Xiaorou and the others to Tianshui City for some fun. We'll also visit Aunt An and the others while we're there... Sigh, I still need to apologize to Yuelin..."

"what happened?"

"It's nothing, it's just that something unpleasant happened when I ran into Yue Lin at the port this afternoon."

"Xiaofei, where's your sister?"

"As for Sister Lexington, she went to the kitchen to help prepare dinner."

"Oh, then I'll go help my sister too!"

Seeing that there was nothing left for her to do, and knowing that she had already talked a lot with her brother-in-law's elders and been asked many questions before Xiao Rou came out, including some embarrassing ones, Jiajia, with a little happiness on her face, went to the kitchen with Xiao Fei.

However, after hearing her brother's words, the girl beside him suddenly fell into deep thought.

No wonder Zhuo Yuelin didn't show up this afternoon. If she knew her brother was back, she would have stayed at home and refused to leave. Now that she hasn't seen him, she must be just as shocked as I am to see my brother.

Perfect timing! Now that Zhuo Yuelin knows that her brother's ship girls are not easy to deal with, and that she is outnumbered and outmatched, this is the perfect opportunity to discuss with Zhuo Yuelin how to deal with her brother's ship girls. Now is not the time to be prejudiced like before. We must let her brother know that we human girls are no less capable than ship girls!

"Let's not talk about that. There's also the house. I originally planned to sell it before taking Xiaorou to Jinchuan, but now I think I'll pass. After all, this is where Uncle Su and Aunt Su lived, and it's the house Xiaorou has lived in since she was little. It would be a real pity to sell it. Besides, we can stay here when we bring Xiaorou back to pay respects to Uncle Su and Aunt Su. So I'm planning to ask Aunt Zhang to take care of it for us while we're away. You can use it as your own house. I'll send you management fees regularly."

"Sigh, don't talk about money. It's just taking care of the house. Leave it to me. When you come back next time, the house will definitely be exactly the same as it is now. You and Xiaorou can rest assured."

"Okay, then consider it my tuition fee for Yaya. Yaya will be of primary school age soon."

"This child, why won't he listen to me..."

Volume 1, Chapter 514: Dependence

The first dinner after returning to Tianshui ended amidst praise from the neighborhood elders. The dinner, prepared by the wives of the family, was naturally excellent. Even though they had anticipated this situation and prepared extra food, by the end of the dinner, only a few scraps remained on the plates that were originally full of delicious and colorful dishes.

After enjoying the ship girls' cooking and having a delicious meal, the uncles and aunties went home. Outside the window, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The house, which had been a bit noisy, suddenly became quiet, with only the boy, his group of girls, and Xiaorou, who had a complicated feeling for some reason.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, shall we go to Tianshui City together tomorrow?"

"Ayanami isn't very good at going to crowded places."

"Hmm, I wonder if they sell any special ingredients over there? Looks like I'll need to add more variety to the recipes. Hehe, Admiral, do you have any recommendations?"

Even after dinner, while the virtuous young women were already clearing away the dishes, the younger girls were still excited about arriving in Tianshui and chattered excitedly around the boy, talking about all sorts of things.

The girl sat silently to the side watching the scene, her feelings very complicated. She suddenly felt that she didn't recognize her brother anymore. With so many cute ship girls by his side, he was a powerful admiral before he met her. Looking at her brother's smiling expression beside his ship girls, she felt a little empty inside.

She had just tasted the dinner that Lexington and the others had made, and to be honest, it was so delicious that she ate an extra bowl of rice than usual. But she didn't feel it while she was eating it. Now that dinner was over, she was starting to appreciate the taste.

I used to cook dinner for my brother. After each meal, he would always praise me patiently and considerately. That was the time I looked forward to the most every day. But now, my cooking is not as good as my brother's ship girls, and I don't have as many different dishes. The job of cooking for my brother will be taken away by these ship girls. Doesn't that mean that I can do less for my brother?

Unlike the ship girls, she couldn't help her brother fight in the deep sea. They also took care of his daily needs. They used the same simple kitchen, but they could cook better meals than she could. Apart from being her brother's sister, she felt that these ship girls could do everything she could, even more than her...

The girl glanced at the lovely girl with light purple hair who was still clutching her brother's sleeve, and felt as if a large part of her significance had been taken away from her, making her inexplicably sad.

Although she had acted nonchalantly before because she didn't want to show cowardice in front of her brother's ship girls, upon reflection, the confusion, unease, and even genuine fear that her brother would be taken away by his ship girls, along with the fear of no longer caring about herself, immediately overwhelmed the somewhat weary girl.

"Sister Xiaorou? What's wrong?"

Noticing the girl staring at her, the unicorn tilted its head in confusion and asked her a question. The girl didn't want to talk; she just felt very tired and wanted to be alone for a while. This environment and this scene were exhausting and made her feel inexplicably lost, so she just shook her head and turned her gaze to the side.

The girl was thinking. Of course, she was unwilling to continue like this, but now it seemed that spending a long time with these ship girls was the only possible option.

As mentioned in her previous conversation with Lexington, she couldn't drive them away; that was their bottom line. If she insisted on driving them away, they would have no choice but to take passive measures. Even though the woman named Lexington didn't say that directly, that was roughly the gist of it.

Before, the girl wished that Zhuo Yuelin, that vixen, would disappear from the world immediately. But now, she misses the way Zhuo Yuelin always came to her house and shamelessly clung to her brother.

Sometimes, she really envied those ordinary girls who, after being "scumbags" by their brothers, could just curse the scumbag without saying a word, then walk away without worrying about not finding another one.

But she couldn't do that. All she had left was her brother. Without him, she would have nothing left. Although she seemed like a normal girl, she knew very well how deeply she depended on her brother.