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

I was asked to go to her place around noon today. It seems like there's no problem, but the issue is that my advisor wasn't out of danger when she told me this. I don't know what urgent matter she has that she'd tell me even during a battle. Oh well, I'll find out when I go at noon. I didn't have time to visit her yesterday afternoon. Should I bring her some gifts if I go at noon?

Reaching out to touch his empty wallet, the boy frowned somewhat. After buying those two items for Unicorn and Radiance, he had no spare money left to buy any expensive gifts this month.

Ignoring Su Yuchen, who was worrying about money again, she was serving the Admiral rice and dishes like a dutiful wife. She noticed that her little wingman had been acting strangely since he woke up in the morning. She squinted the light in her sea-blue eyes and whispered to the unicorn sister who was eating her food in small bites.

Gazing into those somewhat absent-minded, light purple eyes, like those of a young mother and daughter, Radiance gently placed a piece of sweet egg custard on her unicorn sister's plate.

Perhaps his sudden movement startled the girl, who was lost in thought. He noticed the fleeting panic and shyness in her expression as she looked up, and recalling what he'd found that morning while tidying Unicorn's bed, the perceptive Glamour quickly understood what had made her so uneasy. Gently placing Unicorn's hand in his own, Glamour, a slight smile playing on his lips, whispered in the girl's ear, "Unicorn has grown into a big girl now."

"Radiant...Radiant Sister..." Completely unprepared for her respected Radiant Sister's words, meeting her slightly teasing gaze felt like her thoughts had been read aloud. The young girl's delicate face flushed crimson. She fidgeted, clutching the hem of her nightgown, too embarrassed to know where to put her hands. Unable to look at her Radiant Sister's unicorn any longer, she buried her face in Yu-chan's wings.

After teasing the cute girl a little, Glorious, who was in an exceptionally good mood today, smiled and stroked the unicorn's long hair that draped over her back. After all, he had played a part in making her like this, and continuing to tease her would be going too far. However, it was just a few pairs of panties. Last night, the naughty admiral had also made Glorious... cough... Anyway, it was a very normal physiological reaction, nothing to worry about.

Turning around, Glorious helped the admiral, who was baffled by the seemingly cryptic conversation between himself and his unicorn sister, wipe the rice stains from the corner of his mouth. Just as he was about to give his lovable sister a good talking-to, he heard the doorbell ring.

Volume 1, Chapter 85: The Gift

Skillfully untying the apron around her waist, she heard the doorbell ring and gently responded towards the front door, "Coming." Placing the pink apron covered in hearts on a chair, the virtuous woman walked to the entrance and opened the door under the somewhat curious gazes of the boy and the unicorn.

The person knocking on the door was a young man in his early twenties wearing an orange work uniform. He piled several pieces of his favorite bacon into the unicorn girl's bowl. The boy, peeking out, saw Glorious talking to the man with a somewhat puzzled expression.

Perhaps he understood that this was the naval academy campus where ship girls gathered. When he saw Illustrious open the door, although he was stunned by her stunning beauty for a moment, he didn't dare to show any disrespect.

"Admiral, this gentleman has something to discuss with you." Hearing vaguely the words "goods," and seeing the still-red-faced unicorn's somewhat evasive expression, Su Yuchen smiled wryly. Then she heard Glorious calling her from the main entrance. Patting her behind, the boy, curious about who would be looking for her at this hour, walked out of the restaurant.

Seeing the radiant beauty standing confusedly in front of the door with something that looked like a receipt in her hand, the boy noticed that the man with a buzz cut outside the door was occasionally glancing at the radiant beauty's chest. Not happy, the boy frowned inwardly. He silently approached the radiant beauty from behind, and then, to the man's great surprise, he intimately put his arm around her soft waist, just like last night.

The boy's sudden attack startled Illustrious, who was deep in thought. Her forbidden territory, which no one but the Admiral could touch, was suddenly pulled into someone's arms. Illustrious, who was still wondering who could have delivered something so early in the morning, froze. She subconsciously unleashed her powers as a ship girl. If she hadn't smelled that familiar and reassuring scent, she might not have known that the boy she had just gone through was now lying on the ground.

Feeling a little scared, she relaxed her waist and looked up at the Admiral's face beside her, which she found so captivating. Just now, the Admiral was blushing because she had been fixing his hair. How could he now dare to make such intimate gestures in front of others?

Feeling the heat around her waist that made her blush slightly, Glorious glanced at the boy's slightly furrowed brows and noticed a hint of resentment in her admiral's expression. As if she understood something, Glorious smiled and obediently leaned her mature body against the boy.

Amazed that his admiral was just as mischievous and adorable as a child, he ignored the poor deliveryman who had only glanced at him instinctively and was about to be shown up, and quietly took the boy's arm, handing the shipping label in his hand to Su Yuchen, who had a serious face.

"Admiral, this gentleman seems to be a staff member from the store where we bought things in the harbor before. He said something has been delivered. Did we buy anything that needs to be shipped?"

Upon hearing Guanghui's bewildered, gentle voice, the boy, who was smugly doing something he used to despise, immediately patted his head as if he had remembered something.

Having guessed that the poor fellow in front of him was probably there to deliver the gifts he had bought for his ship girls, he glanced at the two boxes, one large and one small, placed in the hallway and chuckled somewhat sheepishly. "You're the deliveryman from that store? Sorry, I hadn't thought of you until now. By the way, has my stuff been delivered?"

Although he was bombarded with a mouthful of PDA, knowing he was also at fault, the deliveryman smiled and shook his head, indicating the boy shouldn't mind. He pointed to the receipt in the boy's hand and said, "It's alright. You must be Mr. Su Yuchen? I've delivered your purchases from our mall. Actually, these goods should have been delivered yesterday, but because of the sudden lockdown in the city, it was delayed. Please forgive us."

With such excellent service, the young man didn't blame them for such a small matter. Under their guidance, he signed his name on the receipt. Amidst Guanghui's increasingly confused gaze, Su Yuchen happily carried the two boxes into the living room.

Watching the boy carefully place the rather heavy cardboard box on the coffee table, Glorious couldn't help but ask him, "Admiral, when did you buy these? Unicorn and I don't remember you buying any..."

"Ah, you mean all this? Well, actually... Oh, right, Unicorn, come out here, I have something to give you." The grinning boy gently patted the cardboard box in front of him. Hearing Guanghui's confused question, Su Yuchen, who had been squinting, suddenly became mysterious. He excitedly called out to Unicorn, who was still eating breakfast in the kitchen, and then used a fruit knife to cut open all the transparent tape covering the cardboard box.

Hearing her brother calling her name, the petite girl quickly emerged from the kitchen, carrying Yu-chan who had been almost constantly by her side. Glancing at her older sister, Radiant, whose face seemed to be aggrievedly accommodating a mischievous child, the somewhat shy Unicorn blushed and approached the boy. "Brother... is there something you need from calling Unicorn?"

"Yes, this is a gift for you, a unicorn. Come and open it to see." With that, the boy pushed the large cardboard box, which had already been opened, in front of the girl.

Volume 1, Chapter 86: Tenderness

"A gift?" Standing before the box, which was a size larger than herself, the unicorn tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. She glanced at the boy's eager, expectant expression, and, not wanting to disappoint him, reached out and opened the box. Seeing the white plush toy wrapped in plastic film inside, the girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Brother...brother...this is..."

Slowly lifting the large Yu-chan figure out of the cardboard box, Su Yu-chen smiled with satisfaction, having successfully surprised his ship girl. He forcefully tore off the plastic film and handed the giant plush toy to the still astonished Unicorn sister. "Hmm, this is the plush toy you saw in the mall before. I saw you really liked it, so I secretly bought it. What do you think? Do you like it?"

Staring blankly at her brother's face, the girl didn't speak, but her bright, light purple eyes revealed her immense happiness. Gently stroking the unicorn plush toy's soft fur, she lowered her head, seemingly shyly concealing the corners of her curved lips. The boy then heard the unicorn's soft voice, noticeably different from usual, say, "The unicorn likes it very much… Thank you, brother!"

"Really? That's good." The boy was naturally happy that his ship girl was satisfied and that his efforts hadn't been in vain. He watched as Illustrious, who was also smiling with satisfaction, walked to Unicorn, who was holding the two girls, big and small, in her arms. He heard her say to the little girl in a motherly tone, "That's great, Unicorn." The boy touched his chin, pursed his lips, and picked up another cardboard box.

He certainly wouldn't forget to buy a gift for Glorious, but compared to the dolls that unicorns like, he wasn't quite sure if what he bought was something Glorious would like.

Taking a deep breath, the boy nervously called out to the girl, who was stroking her hair and sharing her joy, "Radiance, this is a gift for you. I don't know if you like it."

"Huh? Admiral, you bought a gift for Glorious too?" Perhaps because she cared more, she was even more nervous. Seeing that he had heard her voice and looked at her with some surprise, the boy nervously swallowed. He handed the small cardboard box in his hand to Glorious, who had stood up, and then said to her, "Yes, I bought this when I went back alone later. I was lying to you when I said Uncle Wang asked me to bring something for him..."

Of course, Glorious wouldn't be angry with the boy for saying he had deceived her. On the contrary, her heart was now overflowing with tenderness and love for her beloved admiral. Gently opening the thin cardboard box, Glorious suddenly covered her mouth in surprise upon seeing the golden tin can lying in front of her.

"Admiral... this, this is..."

Guanghui's surprised voice reached the boy's ears, making him turn his head away somewhat embarrassed. He scratched his cheek with his finger and then said to her somewhat awkwardly, "I remember when we were in the mall before, Guanghui, you stood in front of the shelf looking at this can of black tea for a long time, right? I thought you might like it, so I bought it..."

The boy spoke of it so easily, but for the radiant figure before him, it meant something entirely different. Clutching the exquisite tea canister, staring blankly at the boy's face, Radiant felt as if a dam in his heart was about to burst.

So you found out all along, and even bought it... In her increasingly blurry vision, Glorious's body, which had just been given to her admiral last night, trembled slightly uncontrollably. Feeling the throbbing in her heart, and finding no other way to vent it, she could only kiss the lips of the boy in his incredibly surprised eyes.

Desperately trying to intertwine his tongue with the Admiral's, as if only in this way could he alleviate the restless emotions in his heart, Glorious's soft arms coiled around the boy's neck like serpents, their saliva flowing freely, until the boy felt he was about to suffocate, at which point Glorious, his face flushed, reluctantly released him.

After a long while, feeling the warmth on his lips, the flushed boy widened his eyes. He never expected that the usually gentle and virtuous Guanghui would do something so impulsive because of a can of black tea. He was flustered by Guanghui's unexpected kiss. Smelling the orchid-like fragrance on Guanghui's body so close to him, it was as if everything had returned to last night. Su Yuchen glanced at the unicorn next to him, who was blushing and covering its eyes, but with a large gap between its fingers.

“Radiance…Radiance…Unicorn…” The uneasy boy seemed to want to remind Radiance, whose face was flushed with emotion, but Radiance, moved by the Admiral’s gift, was oblivious and gently rested her head on the boy’s shoulder, whispering softly in his ear, “Admiral, thank you…” She then grasped the boy’s hand with her fingers, but who knew…

"!!!" Perhaps because Glorious touched the wound on his hand from yesterday, the boy stiffened in pain, and when he heard his admiral gasp, Glorious was jolted out of his reverie.

Looking apologetically at the admiral before her, who was sweating profusely and enduring pain, the fleeting tenderness in Glorious's heart vanished instantly. Filled with heartache, she gently took the boy's hand and breathed softly on his wound. Glorious, who was so anxious that tears almost welled up in her eyes, immediately threw aside the Darjeeling tea that had just moved her so deeply.

It's just a pity that the expensive black tea, having just been delivered to someone who loves it, has been treated so cruelly.

Volume 1, Chapter 87: A Different Kind of Mentor

The blush-inducing yet heartwarming farce that started early in the morning ended when Su Yuchen began tutoring her unicorn sister in aviation warfare. She was serving tea and water to herself with the radiance of a virtuous wife and loving mother, while the sun outside had already risen high in the sky.

The dazzling sunlight shone through the window onto the boy's face. Immersed in the warm feeling of this family of three, Su Yuchen, who had almost forgotten everything, finally remembered that he had an appointment with his mentor Junquan at noon. He stood up, said something to Guanghui who was already preparing lunch, and left the school building alone under Guanghui's affectionate smile.

Although it's only early autumn, the morning sun at around 11 a.m. is quite pleasant in Tsugawa, a prosperous coastal city. The golden rays are bright but not scorching, and the sea breeze is cool and comfortable. Even walking under the blazing sun, you only feel a warm embrace of the sunlight.

Still pondering what his mentor might want from him, the boy, following the route he had memorized, arrived once again at the villa area where the ship girl mentors lived, but he scratched his head in confusion.

Although I was summoned by my mentor Junquan, she didn't tell me which building she lived in. All the villas looked so similar and didn't have any identification signs. How was I supposed to find her?

He wandered alone hesitantly along the straight tree-lined path. Just when he was about to be mistaken for a suspicious person by the guards because of his headache, he was lucky enough to run into Instructor Langley, who was on his way to the maintenance depot to retrieve the carrier-based aircraft he had sent for inspection.

Having learned from her where the mentor of the monarch resided, the young man, as if saved, thanked her and then arrived at a quiet little villa at the end of the road.

He straightened his collar and the white admiral's hat on his head, and cautiously knocked on the door. After a short while, the boy standing at the door heard a somewhat anxious response from inside.

"Ah!...Coming! Coming!"

Perhaps because the owner of the voice was in such a hurry, a series of clattering sounds followed, like pots and pans falling to the ground. Before anyone could react, the main gate of the villa was opened, and the slightly flushed face of the mentor appeared before the boy.

His long, jet-black hair shone dazzlingly in the midday sun, and his tall figure was perfectly accentuated by his belted casual clothes. Gazing at the seemingly completely transformed mentor, the young man was momentarily lost in thought.

Normally, Manli's long hair was tied into a neat side ponytail and draped over her high chest. But when Junquan, the mentor, stood in front of her, looking at her in casual clothes, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, exuding the gentle and considerate aura of a little woman, unlike her usual serious uniform seduction, Su Yuchen was about to greet her when she blinked in surprise.

However, having experienced the gentle and considerate bombardment of Guanghui, the young man, who was dizzy from Junquan's completely different style, quickly came back to his senses.

He subconsciously glanced at the pair of long, slender, and beautiful legs shining beneath her dress, and then heard the tutor, Jun Quan, who was inexplicably blushing, exclaim excitedly to him, "Su Yuchen, you're here! Ah! Quick, come in quickly!"

"Yes, Professor, good afternoon. I'm here to bother you."

Seeing the teacher's smile, which was a mix of surprise and nervousness, the boy scratched his head, puzzled. He then put on the slippers she had taken from the shoe rack in the entryway and followed her into the living room.

The room was just as spacious. Silently following behind Jun Quan, the young man who had just entered turned his head and quietly looked around the living room.

Perhaps because it was built by the same contractor, this place was quite similar to Langley's residence. However, for some reason, the curtains on the huge French windows in the living room were not drawn, making the room seem somewhat dim, with only the chandelier overhead emitting a faint warm glow.

"By the way, mentor, I didn't have a chance to visit you when you came back yesterday evening. I'm sorry. Are you and the other instructors alright?"

Stepping onto the soft carpet, and with her mentor's warm greeting, Su Yuchen, feeling a little embarrassed, sat down on the soft sofa in the living room and started talking to her mentor, Jun Quan. As she enthusiastically brought out a lot of snacks and drinks that looked quite unusual, the young man suddenly noticed that his mentor's expression had become somewhat disappointed.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Su Yuchen. The other ship girl instructors and I went into the canal yesterday, and we're all fine now."

Seeing the woman's beautiful smile become somewhat forced, the boy realized he had said the wrong thing and immediately lowered his head in annoyance. He had clearly heard that Instructor Lin Xian, who was in charge of light cruiser training, had been unfortunately sunk by a deep-sea carrier in yesterday's naval battle, yet he had spoken so casually to his mentor. He deserved to die… But it seemed that Instructor Lin Xian's sinking had really affected his mentor greatly; Guanghui said that she hadn't said a single word when she returned yesterday…

"I'm sorry, mentor..." After a silent sigh, as if trying to expel the heavy gloom in his heart, the boy looked up at his mentor's face beside him. Seeing that pale face looking away, Su Yuchen wanted to slap her own tongue twice.

But after all, the other party was a gentle and mature mentor of monarchical power. When she noticed that the little guy had become somewhat gloomy because of her, and fearing that it would affect her future plans, she shook her head and immediately put those heavy thoughts behind her. Then she showed him that reassuring smile again.

"It's alright, Su Yuchen. This is a war, after all. There will always be some people who have to sacrifice. We just need to remember their contributions, so don't worry about me."

"By the way, I've almost finished making lunch. Can you wait here for me for a bit? Oh, don't be too formal, just make yourself at home."

"Ah? Okay, mentor." Seeing that Mentor Junquan had smiled as usual again, the boy, who had just been thinking about how to comfort her, was taken aback. He realized that she wanted him to stay for lunch, and he nodded gently, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

But as the smiling mentor was about to head towards the kitchen, the boy, as if remembering something, suddenly asked her, "Mentor, I don't know why you called me here. Is there something important you need my help with?"

Well, actually, there is something really important that requires your help, Su Yuchen... wait, shouldn't we change how we address you from now on?

Hearing the boy's questioning words and recalling the determination she had made yesterday, Jun Quan's beautiful face, which looked quite lovely under the lamplight, blushed slightly. She secretly squeezed the white paper in her pocket, turned around to look at the boy behind her, and then waved the spatula in her hand as if to change the subject.

"This... well, let's talk about this when we eat, Su Yuchen!"

Volume 1, Chapter 88: Determination

Alone, Jun Quan returned to the kitchen, which was filled with the aroma of oil. He still held the spatula in his hand and had a very complicated expression on his face. He slowly walked to the stove in front of him, which looked very high-end.

She glanced silently at the bowls and dishes scattered all over the floor because of her momentary nervousness, picked up the cookbook on the table that she had painstakingly bought from that popular Chinese restaurant in the city, and sighed deeply, feeling somewhat powerless and helpless.

"Ah... It's such a simple thing, so why am I so nervous? I even went to learn Chinese cooking. This is so unlike you, Junquan..."

Gazing quietly at her reflection in the tiles, a reflection so different from her usual self, she murmured to herself, as if mirroring the unease in her heart. Smoothing her braided hair, she touched once more the letter in her pocket that had been troubling her since the previous night.

Admiral... I don't know if what I did was right or wrong. I just hope the headmistress won't blame me...

Looking at the young man who was still sitting quietly in the living room, observing the furnishings, Jun Quan, who had been silent for a long time, gently shook her head. Perhaps she finally understood that she would never get an answer this way. She absentmindedly picked up the various kitchen utensils scattered on the ground, then opened the recipe on the table and carefully poured the prepared ingredients into the pot.

………………

Listening to the crisp sound of the spatula hitting the edge of the pot coming from the kitchen, Su Yuchen, who was sitting alone on the soft sofa in the living room, hugging the cat head pillow that exuded a mint scent and lost in thought, had no idea that her mentor was having so many complicated thoughts in his mind.

Kneading the cushion that seemed to carry a somewhat familiar scent, and having already examined the various furnishings in the living room for a while, he looked up at the chandelier on the ceiling. Feeling a bit bored, he seemed to see once again that radiant, alluring body under the dim light last night, exuding a sweet and seductive charm like a drug.

His heart started racing unconsciously. It was the first time he had experienced that kind of thing, that kind of profound and wonderful feeling. Having tasted the sweetness, the young man couldn't help but get a little tent pitched between his legs. But before he could feel ashamed for fantasizing about that kind of thing, he suddenly heard the voice of his mentor, Junquan, coming from behind him.

"Are you getting impatient, Su Yuchen? Lunch is ready. Go wash your hands and then come eat lunch with us."

Turning around, the boy, feeling guilty, was startled by the sudden sound of her smiling mentor, Junquan, as she skillfully placed the two plates she was carrying onto the wooden table.

Feeling quite guilty, Su Yuchen nodded and awkwardly replied to her mentor, Junquan, "Okay, okay!" With a slightly awkward posture and a slight hunch, she slunk into her mentor's bathroom.

He vigorously wiped his burning face with icy water. When the boy, blushing and ignoring the women's underwear hanging on the clothesline in the washroom, came out again, his tutor, who had taken care of everything, had already taken off his wifely apron and was sitting at the dining table waiting for him.

He glanced furtively at his mentor Junquan's unchanging expression and, finding that she seemed oblivious to his embarrassing behavior, breathed a sigh of relief. Under his mentor's watchful eye, the young man went straight to the dining table, pulled up a chair, and sat down opposite her.

"Are you hungry, Su Yuchen? Come and try what I made. I wonder if it suits your taste?"

Before he could even settle into his seat, Jun Quan's soft voice reached his ears again. Sensing that his mentor's voice sounded a little off, the young man, without thinking much of it, focused his attention on the several brightly colored dishes on the table.

It has to be said that Master Junquan must have put a lot of effort into this lunch. Although it looked like just a few ordinary home-cooked dishes, the unusual aroma made Su Yuchen, who considered herself to have been raised by Guanghui to the point of being a half-"gourmet", unable to resist the temptation to eat.

Eagerly picking up his chopsticks, the boy grabbed a golden, crispy fried shrimp and stuffed it into his mouth. Enjoying the delicious taste that stimulated his taste buds, Su Yuchen couldn't help but grab another one. Under Jun Quan's expectant gaze, Su Yuchen nodded vigorously.

"Mmm! Mentor! Your food is so delicious! It's comparable to that of a five-star chef at a hotel!" Although it's still a little bit inferior to Guanghui's skills... Of course, the boy would never say such a thing out loud.

Finally, she heard the answer she wanted from the boy. Jun Quan, who was a little nervous, happily pursed her lips. She gently rolled up her braid that was draped over her shoulders and then quietly pushed the plate on the table towards the boy.

"Is...is that so...Since you like it, then eat more..."

"Ok!"

Seeing the boy wolfing down the lunch she had made, Junquan, who was smiling at him with her chin in her hand, suddenly blushed as if she had remembered something. She lowered her head and quietly looked at the boy's still immature face. Feeling increasingly uneasy, she unconsciously began to rub her plump and slender legs under the table.

"Mentor? Why aren't you eating?" Junquan's actions eventually caught the boy's attention. Perhaps noticing that his mentor Junquan hadn't touched the rice in his bowl for a long time, the boy couldn't help but ask his mentor.

"Huh?" Hearing the boy's question, Jun Quan, who was having a fierce internal struggle, was startled and let out a cute scream that was out of character for her. Her face turned bright red in an instant.

"Ah... well... Su Yuchen, didn't you want to know why I called you here? Well... actually, there's something I want to show you..."

As if she had finally made up her mind, Jun Quan let out a long breath, and under the utterly bewildered gaze of Su Yuchen across from her, she took a document out of her pocket and handed it to him...

Volume 1, Chapter 89: Resignation Letter