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

"What is this?" The young man took the little notebook from his wife's hand, which seemed to be a treasure to her. Feeling relieved that he no longer had to answer the question that had just troubled him, he gently opened it.

The golden wheat ears and the insignia symbolizing the marshal exuded a faint sense of majesty and ceremony under the sun's glow. Looking at the booklet in front of him, which resembled some kind of certificate and contained his detailed information, the boy knew that this was probably proof that he had once been their admiral.

Holding this admiral's certificate, which was almost enough to command all the other admirals, the young man was filled with mixed feelings. This young marshal, who was not even an adult yet, and who commanded hundreds of ship girls, would probably say goodbye to his status as a trainee admiral when he received this certificate. Along with it came the heavy responsibility of bearing the future and happiness of the ship girls around him...

"Thank you, Lexington." With a soft sigh, the boy, having accepted everything, slowly nodded to Lexington. Even though he was worried about whether he could shoulder the responsibility of being their admiral, there were some things he would never run away from.

"What are you saying, Admiral? I am your wife, your Mrs. Lek! Why do you need to say thank you?"

Perhaps sensing that the boy's mood had become somewhat heavy, Lexington once again spoke to him with such tenderness that it made one blush. Seeing that the boy had successfully forgotten his feelings and become shy, she couldn't help but cover her lips with the back of her hand and chuckle softly.

However, just as she was feeling warm and happy at the sight of her husband and wife snuggling together, Saratoga, who had somehow vented all the grievances she had accumulated over the past year on the boy's pitiful shirt and was still hugging him around the waist, suddenly wiped away her tears and looked up.

"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!" She suddenly called out to her brother-in-law, who was blushing slightly from her sister's teasing.

Volume 1, Chapter 111: The Fox Spirit

The evening sun painted the clouds red, and a cool evening breeze blew along the boundless coastline into this tranquil little town, which was like a girl taking a rest. Gazing at the fishing lights shimmering in the sunset in the distance, the girl, who had worked hard all day, helped her neighbor Aunt Zhang put away the empty basin after selling all the fish, and then quietly wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead.

Perhaps noticing the slight weariness unconsciously showing on the girl's face, Aunt Zhang, the neighbor who was still laboriously packing her things and moving them to the flatbed cart beside her, smiled gently at the beautiful girl who looked like half a daughter to her. Wiping her hands on her apron, which had somehow become dirty, she said to the girl, who was gazing at the distant sea, seemingly lost in thought, "Xiao Rou, are you tired? You should go back first; leave the rest to Aunt Zhang."

"Hmm...no need, Aunt Zhang, I'm not tired yet." The woman's words reached the girl's ears under the setting sun, bringing her back to reality as her thoughts drifted to someone far, far away. She stood up, patted her faded trousers, and gently shook her head.

Watching the defiant young girl skillfully roll up her sleeves and continue cleaning up the leftover fish scraps, the middle-aged woman sighed helplessly. Such a beautiful, hardworking, and sensible girl—why did she have to encounter such a heartbreaking situation? Heaven is truly blind…

But if he had a son, he would definitely miss such a wonderful girl. To be able to marry a virtuous and capable girl like Xiaorou would be a blessing that takes countless lifetimes to accumulate... No wonder Old Wang's wife was keeping such a close eye on her. It's just a pity that she already has someone she loves...

Speaking of which, Yu Chen has been gone for over a month now. I wonder how he's doing in Jinchuan. I hope he hasn't run into any trouble... Sigh, look at this old woman of mine, starting to ramble on about this useless stuff again. He's an educated man, and now he's even become an admiral. How could he possibly run into any trouble he can't handle?

While sighing over the girl beside her, Aunt Zhang lowered her head and began deftly pushing the large items onto the handcart. Inadvertently, she looked up and saw a girl in a pink dress and sandals, who looked very delicate, slowly walking towards her and Xiao Rou not far from the market.

Recognizing the girl whose attire seemed so out of place in the chaotic market, she gave a wry smile to her wrinkled face and gently patted Su Yuru's shoulder.

"Xiaorou, the girl from the mayor's family is looking for you again. Go and see what she wants."

Aunt Zhang's words made the busy girl turn around in surprise. Following the direction Aunt Zhang pointed, she indeed saw a somewhat familiar figure. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She wondered what this vixen, whom she naturally disliked, wanted to do with her. Reluctantly, she put down her work and walked towards the figure not far away.

"Zhuo Yuelin, what's wrong? Why are you looking for me so late?"

With her hands lightly on her hips and her brows furrowed, the girl slowly approached the other girl. Looking up at the familiar face that resembled a seductive, malevolent vixen, the girl's brows furrowed even more as she spoke softly.

The girl's somewhat aloof voice echoed in the noisy space, ignoring the secretive attention of the annoying boys not far away. Despite the girl's indifference, the girl called Zhuo Yuelin simply stroked her beautiful face without a care.

"Hey, don't be so cold, little Rou. We're family, why are you being so formal? Why don't you just call me Sister Yuelin? If you don't want to, you can call me sister-in-law."

Hearing the mocking voice and obnoxious words of the girl who was only a year older than her, the previously aloof girl's smooth forehead instantly bulged with anger. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "You vixen." The girl, who wished she could throw this stinking woman into a cesspool dozens of meters away, forced a twitching smile.

"What are you talking about, Zhuo Yuelin? When did we become family? Besides, please don't call other people 'sister' so casually. I don't care about anything else, but what you're doing will damage my brother's reputation."

The girl's words became somewhat cold, and her attitude also became less friendly. However, in the face of such a girl, the girl with beautiful, waist-length black hair in front of her still maintained the same confident and smiling expression as before.

She gently brushed aside the strands of hair from the corner of her eye, revealing a pair of large, charming eyes. She then said to the girl again, "Hehe, I was just joking, don't be so serious, little Rou. By the way, why haven't I seen you wear that dress I gave you last time? The pattern and style of that dress were clearly very suitable for you."

Perhaps it was the girl's words that reminded the girl, whose topic had been diverted, of the little dress she often wore and looked at in the mirror. Her pale complexion improved slightly, but even so, the words she uttered were still so merciless.

"Do you think I'm some pampered young lady like you? I have to help Aunt Zhang sell fish at the market every day. I don't have as much time as you to dress up like a butterfly and attract attention everywhere. Forget it, what do you want from me? If you still want to know when my brother will be back, then I'll say it again: no comment!"

Tsk! This brat is really hard to deal with! If it weren't for Yu Chen's sake, I would have kicked you, you flat-chested, legless little brat, away long ago. I wouldn't be trying so hard to get on your good side like this now!

Her slightly upturned eyes trembled slightly, and she narrowed her beautiful, twilight-colored eyes. She puffed out her chest, which was a size or two larger than the difficult girl before her, and pressed it firmly against her chest, feeling that her good upbringing had almost been ruined. Taking a couple of heavy breaths, she told herself not to stoop to the level of this annoying little brat, and pulled a beautifully packaged bottle of perfume from her small handbag.

"How could that be, little Rou? Do you really think I'm such a shameless woman? Even if I were to attract attention, I would only attract Yu Chen's attention. What if your nonsense affects Yu Chen's opinion of me?"

"And actually, I came here with something nice to give you! Look, this is perfume that my grandpa's driver went to great lengths to bring back from the provincial capital. It's a limited edition, and I heard that all the wealthy ladies in the city love this brand. Plus, it's Yu Chen's favorite lavender scent. What do you think? Do you like it?"

Volume 1, Chapter 112: You're Small, I'm Big

The instinct to like cute, pretty, and fragrant things has been ingrained in women's genes for a very long time, and even the young girl in front of us is no exception.

Hearing the black-haired girl's voice, filled with delight as she held the perfume in her hand, reminded her of the cute little dress at home. She imagined herself being affectionately held in her brother's arms, smelling of lavender, and a longing expression involuntarily appeared on the girl's face.

"How about it? Don't you want it? Then I'll give it to you, little Rou."

Seeing that the girl had successfully touched her heart with her gift, the black-haired girl was relieved that the first part of her plan was about to succeed and satisfied with her own judgment. She held up the glass bottle in front of the girl's clear eyes with satisfaction.

Although I felt a little bad about sacrificing several months' worth of allowance to buy this perfume, and considering that I actually really liked this expensive perfume, the thought of someone far away who took her most important thing with him made these little trinkets that girls usually love seem less important.

The glass bottle, now crystal clear under the setting sun, swayed gently. The girl's eyes involuntarily followed the liquid inside, and she couldn't resist reaching out to take the perfume bottle. But she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the sly smile on the face of the girl opposite her, who had a pair of alluring, fox-like eyes. Startled, she immediately withdrew her delicate, white hand, which didn't seem like the kind of hand she had to do so much work every day.

The girl's outstretched hand suddenly retracted. Seeing this, the black-haired girl's charming eyes twitched involuntarily. She worried that this troublesome brat had seen through her plan. Under the other girl's suspicious gaze, she forced herself to maintain her previous smiling face and asked...

"What's wrong, little Rou? Don't you like it?"

"Hmph, there's no such thing as a free lunch! Zhuo Yuelin, stop hiding it and tell me, what exactly is your purpose in doing this?"

The girl's answer was as uncompromising as ever, her resolve palpable. Even if she desperately wanted that seemingly expensive perfume, it was out of the question when it involved her brother. Not even if you gave her the entire factory that made it.

"Tsk!" Her plan had just failed so inexplicably. The black-haired girl clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "Do you think I went through so much trouble to get this perfume? If it weren't for Yu Chen... if it weren't for building a good relationship between my future sister-in-law and sister-in-law, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble!"

Forget it, you brat, I won't hold it against you. Just wait! One day, I'll make you cry and humiliately call me "sister-in-law" in front of me. And I'll tie you up and throw you by the bed while we're doing *that*, so you can watch helplessly as your dear brother and I do all those shameless things together on your bed!

Gritting her teeth fiercely, she almost swallowed the girl's hateful face whole. So angry that she almost lost her usual ladylike demeanor, she barely managed to keep the bottle from throwing at the girl's face, her veins bulging and her lips twitching. She reminded herself not to ruin things because of a moment of impulse, and could only force a somewhat forced smile once again.

"Wh...what's your purpose? Don't be so rude, little Rou. Actually, I just wanted to discuss something with you...You see, Brother Yu Chen wrote to say he's successfully become an admiral and even has his own ship girls, so I'm no longer your number one enemy, right? Those ship girls are the ones you should be wary of. And I heard they're all incredibly beautiful, I was worried you wouldn't be able to handle them all alone, so I came to help you like this...Little Rou, how about we put aside our past prejudices and help each other? At worst, I'll compromise a little, I'll be the boss, and you can be the mistress. Anyway, that's how all the rich people in the city keep mistresses, isn't it?"

The black-haired girl tried to reason with the girl in front of her, appealing to her emotions and reasoning with her. However, even though she was trying so hard to show her kindness, all she got in return was a look of disdain from the girl.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade this girl who was as stubborn and unyielding as a rock, the black-haired girl finally sighed deeply after a while, shrugged as if giving up, and then shoved the perfume bottle in her hand into the hand of the girl in front of her.

"Sigh... If you don't agree, then forget it, little Rou. I'll give you this perfume. It looks like Aunt Zhang has been waiting for you for a while, so I won't take up any more of your time. But I still hope you'll think carefully about what I'm saying, since there's now a third party in addition to you and me. Well then, goodbye, little Rou."

After saying that, the black-haired girl waved her right hand, which was adorned with a star-shaped bracelet, at the young woman, then turned around and walked in another direction not far away.

Watching the fox spirit's figure gradually disappear by the roadside, the girl looked down at the perfume bottle in her hand. A slight smile unconsciously appeared on her face in the sunset. Although it was a gift from her "enemy" in various ways, if she forced it on her, there was nothing she could do, just like the little dress she had forced on her before.

Imagining herself wearing a cute dress, smelling wonderful, and rushing into her brother's arms as he finally returned, the girl unconsciously chuckled and muttered, "You vixen." She then turned and slowly walked towards Aunt Zhang, who was waiting for her to go home together.

She's always fiddling with these strange things. No wonder she's from a rich family. But she thinks she can trick me into making peace with her just by using a bottle of perfume. I really don't know what she's thinking. And even if we really want to make peace, she should be the one in charge. What makes that woman, who has big breasts, long legs, and looks like a vixen, dare to make me the mistress?

However... what she said does make some sense... My brother has his own ship girl... What should I do?

Volume 1, Chapter 113: The Cherry Blossom Divine Axe

"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!"

The girl's voice reached the boy's ears, causing him to lower his head slightly, still blushing from Lexington's embarrassing words. He wondered what the lovely girl in his arms wanted from him. His free left hand unconsciously stroked the golden hair on her head. He lowered his eyes and met the girl's clear, watery eyes.

"What's wrong? Uh... Jiajia..." Gently opened his mouth to his sister-in-law and concubine, the young man who was beginning to get used to this level of intimacy wanted to ask her what was wrong with her somewhat anxious appearance. However, before he could finish speaking, a scene that surprised him but also felt strangely familiar to him occurred before his eyes.

It was as if he had returned to the morning before he set off, exactly as his sister had done to him in his memory. The girl, dressed in a blue Lolita-style dress, tiptoed slightly, her beautiful sea-blue eyes half-closed, and her face, with a touch of bright blush, which was very similar to Mrs. Lek's, slowly moved closer to the boy. He smelled the increasingly strong fragrance of the girl, and before his brain could react, that soft and warm feeling was already imprinted on his lips.

Staring blankly as the girl affectionately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips in front of her sister, breathing in his scent like a puppy on his neck before contentedly withdrawing her tiptoe, the boy subconsciously sighed that today might be the luckiest day of his life when it came to romance. Confused, he touched his lips, still lingering with a sweet and sour citrus flavor, and glanced at the girl's face, which was beaming with uncontrollable joy, as she nestled against his chest. He heard her soft whisper in his ear.

"Brother-in-law! I love you the most!"

The girl's innocence and deep emotions always touched the hearts of others in just the right way. Hearing the girl's soft voice, the boy felt once again being thoroughly charmed by the two famous sisters in front of him, and his heart couldn't help but beat a couple of beats faster.

However, perhaps it was a case of too much joy leading to sorrow. After savoring the sweet and innocent first kiss from the girl, he noticed his sister-in-law's somewhat wandering gaze. The boy, whose mind wasn't particularly slow to process things, was slightly stunned before breaking out in a cold sweat. A chill ran down his neck, and he stiffly looked at the person beside him.

“Jiajia… Lexington, no, this is actually…”

What should I do if my wife's younger sister kissed me in front of her? Will my wife beat me to death? I need help urgently!

Looking at Lexington's warm smile, as gentle as a spring breeze in March, nestled on his shoulder, the tender feelings he had just had vanished. Cold sweat streamed down the boy's forehead. He opened his mouth to explain, but his mind went blank. He stammered Lexington's name, then closed his eyes resignedly. Even after hearing Lexington's soft laughter, the scolding he had imagined never came.

Watching her beloved younger sister and her beloved Admiral kiss silently, Lexington couldn't help but show a hint of helplessness on her stunning face. She knew, of course, that Jaja's reaction stemmed from her kissing her favorite brother-in-law in front of her. But she herself had acted impulsively; after all, the Admiral had been missing for over a year without explanation… Oh well, after all, she was her beloved younger sister, and also the Admiral's beloved sister-in-law and second wife…

"Jiajia..."

Lexington reached out and touched the forehead of her younger sister, who was pretending to admire the scenery but whose hands were still honestly wrapped around the boy's waist. With a smile of affection and helplessness, she turned to look at her silly admiral who thought she would be angry and jealous. She was about to say something when a soft cough suddenly came from behind her.

Hearing Washington's cough behind her, which seemed like a reminder, she forgot everything else, her eyes fixed only on the young Lexington. She finally remembered the sisters she had left behind.

Understanding that her and Jiajia's prolonged monopolization of the Admiral had caused some dissatisfaction among the other admirals, Lexington gave a wry smile. She still had so much to say to her Admiral, and filled with reluctance, she reluctantly pulled her sister aside to give her time to her other sisters. After all, she was the Admiral's secretary ship, and maintaining harmony among the sisters was one of her duties.

"By the way, the other sisters must be getting impatient too. They've missed you just as much as I have, Admiral. Why don't you talk to them? Don't disappoint them. Alright, Jiajia, let's wait a bit over there." With that, she took Jiajia's hand and led her to Yixian's side. Although the girl was a little reluctant to part with her brother-in-law, she knew this wasn't the time to be willful, so she obediently followed her sister to the side.

"Ah, okay."

The gentle lady, still so kind to him, led Jiajia by the hand to his back. Gazing at their graceful backs, the boy, as if he had escaped a disaster, nodded blankly. He savored the touch of the flaxen hair that had inadvertently brushed against his cheek. He then turned his attention to the group of ship girls slowly walking towards him opposite him. They looked somewhat familiar, but were all equally beautiful.

Looking at the ship girls in front of him, whose names he could all recognize, and their beautiful faces that were far more vivid and lifelike than the illustrations in the game, the boy, who didn't know what to feel, was slightly stunned. A woman with gorgeous silver hair tied into a ponytail with a blue ribbon and wearing a standard black naval uniform had already come up in front of him.

Looking up at that serious yet subtly gentle face, the boy's heart skipped a beat. Recalling the upsetting incident that had occurred just a few days ago, the smile on the boy's face quickly became somewhat stiff.

Good morning, Miss Washington...?

He awkwardly but politely greeted the ship girl named Washington in front of him, already bracing himself for being cleaved in two by an axe.

Volume 1, Chapter 114: The Pretty Boy

Good morning, Miss Washington...?

The boy's polite yet slightly awkward greeting, accompanied by the sound of waves, reached his ears as he slowly approached. Washington, who had been in high spirits because of her admiral's return and whose handsome face was beaming with smiles, was momentarily stunned. She stopped in her tracks, and the words she had prepared to make a good impression on the boy suddenly stuck in her throat.

Her silver ponytail gently brushed against her neck. Confused by the boy's strange, somewhat embarrassed attitude, she frowned and looked at Lexington and Washington behind him, who were talking to Yi Xian. She subconsciously raised her arm and touched her cheek, which was wearing a light layer of makeup for the first time since birth.

"Admiral? What's wrong? You've never been so formal with me before... Oh, right, I almost forgot, you don't remember anything from before, do you?" Touching her lips, which were adorned with lipstick she'd borrowed from Wisconsin that morning, she composed herself and remembered that she'd forgotten, in her excitement, that the boy had lost his memory.

Feeling as if she understood what the boy was thinking, she pinched her smooth chin and revealed a glamorous smile full of American flair.

"This is probably the first time you've met me, but there's no need to be so nervous. After all, you're the admiral we've always been so proud of. Well, it's okay to be a little more confident... Now, let me introduce myself again so you can relax a bit."

As she spoke, Washington straightened her slender body and waved her arm. The uniform draped over her shoulders swayed gently with her movement, and her brown boots, which were tucked under her slightly flesh-colored black stockings, made a crisp clattering sound as they pounded the ground.

She struck such a dashing pose, and seeing the somewhat amazed look in the young man's eyes, she couldn't help but grin.

"My name is Washington, the second ship of the North Carolina-class battleships. As your most loyal subordinate, I am ready to serve you at any time, Admiral. Of course, I won't be angry if you continue to call me 'Sakura Axe' as before."

The powerful yet gentle voice slowly faded, and the slightly embarrassed young man, stared at by a pair of deep blue eyes, grinned awkwardly. He was relieved that Washington hadn't bothered him because of what had happened before, but being praised and offered loyalty to him by such a beautiful woman, whom he was meeting for the first time in every sense of the word…

Suppressing a slight feeling of elation, the young man subconsciously adjusted his admiral's hat and quickly replied, "Hello, Miss Washington, I'm sorry to disappoint you. To be honest, I've only been an apprentice admiral for a few days now. Even if you say I can be more confident, I really don't have much confidence in being a good admiral for you."

For a young man who has always wanted to become an excellent and competent admiral, suddenly becoming the admiral of such a large group of excellent and beautiful ship girls is truly a hellish start. Of course, this is only from a professional point of view; otherwise, people would criticize him for not appreciating his good fortune.

"Haha, it's okay. Even if you don't know anything, it's no problem. We will take care of everything for you. As long as you are here, it is the greatest encouragement for us. Take me for example, I am full of energy right now."

Washington reached out and grasped the boy's hand, feeling a sense of reassurance. She smiled generously. As for whether the so-called drive in her words was the drive to fight the deep sea or the drive to steal a man from Lexington, only she knew.

"How can that be? Wouldn't I become a useless person then? Being with such excellent ship girls like you, I must become an admiral worthy of you." After hearing Washington's words, the boy immediately shook his head firmly. Leaving everything to his ship girls and enjoying their company and service without a care in the world—this kind of gigolo life is too enviable... Pshaw, despicable. Anyway, he would definitely despise such a guy.

Reaffirming his slightly wavering resolve, the young man shook his head. For a moment, he noticed that the woman's face had become increasingly gentle. After a slight pause, he heard her say to him, "I knew you would say that. Fortunately, you are still the same admiral I know. More than a year has not changed you."

“I…” The boy instinctively wanted to say something, but Washington waved her hand at him. “We can talk about it later, Admiral. I’m relieved to know you’re safe and sound. Let’s leave the time to the others.” After saying that, she gave a thumbs up and then nudged the boy’s shoulder from behind.

Seeing Washington walk briskly toward Lexington without any hesitation, the boy, regaining his senses, gently patted his face. He had thought he would be treated as a despicable heartless man and chopped in two with an axe, but thankfully, that was just wishful thinking. The sensible Washington would never do something so impulsive.

After calming himself down a bit, the boy looked up and saw a pair of beautiful sisters. Just two days ago, he had seen these two faces, so beautiful that even the biggest stars on the screen couldn't compare, at the safe harbor. The boy couldn't help but sigh at the capriciousness of fate.

I was cursing whoever had sunburned me, but now... is this what they call "I'm sunburning myself"?

"Admiral, welcome home." Dressed in a beautiful light-colored casual outfit, with high-heeled boots and gorgeous black stockings, her legs crossed, Missouri, who naturally exuded a star quality, came to the boy's side. Looking at the face that had captivated her for some time, she playfully rubbed her flawless face almost against the boy's nose.

The warm breath tickled the boy's cheek, making him blush instantly. But before he could back away even a little, he heard another, completely different voice.

"So you finally decided to come back, you stinky admiral." Out of the corner of my eye, Wisconsin, with her arms crossed and her fingers resting on her bright red lips, walked over. But the way she spoke, with a noticeable fluctuation in her voice compared to her usual sharp tongue, sounded like a young wife complaining about her husband who hadn't returned for a long time.

Volume 1, Chapter 115: Hints