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

Atlanta raised an eyebrow, and her long cat tail swished involuntarily after hearing Changchun's words. She blinked, grinned, and excitedly gestured with her finger in front of Changchun.

"I know! Xiao Changchun is feeling this way because she can't bear to leave the Admiral! Xiao Changchun, you must be in love! You're worried that the Admiral won't look at you anymore after he comes back with Xiao Fei!"

"Sigh...sigh? No way! I'm not that petty! I'm really happy for Xiaofei that she got the Admiral's ring! I don't have such a mean mindset!"

Hearing Atlanta's teasing words, Changchun's cheeks immediately turned red. After hesitating for a while, she shyly waved to Atlanta and then lowered her head shyly.

Although I envy Xiaofei, even if I envy myself, I would never have such petty thoughts! Sister Lexington and Sister Yixian both said that everyone should value harmony, and if I had such thoughts, the Admiral would definitely be disappointed! Changchun doesn't want to see the Admiral's disappointed expression!

With a knowing grin, Atlanta nodded repeatedly at the blushing girl: "I understand, I understand! Little Changchun is indeed too fond of the Admiral, which is why she's so suspicious right now. It's alright, trust me! How about it? Do you feel a little better?"

Hesitant to speak, then hesitant again, opening his mouth as if to speak, but then forgetting what he wanted to say, the little girl was interrupted by Atlanta. She did feel much better, probably because she was too busy being shy. But when she thought about how Xiao Fei, who was about the same age as her, had received the Admiral's ring, she felt envious and even more excited about what life would be like after the Admiral brought Xiao Rou back to the port.

Who says a girl like me can't compare to a mature and beautiful woman like Missouri? Look at Xiaofei, didn't she also get the Admiral's wedding ring?

"Besides, the Admiral's body is very resilient. Even if something happens, nothing will go wrong. Do you remember the time you made a mistake during training, Xiao Changchun?"

Atlanta squinted as he continued talking to the girl whose lips were slowly beginning to curve upwards. But just that one sentence suddenly made the girl's delicate body freeze.

"That time you accidentally shot Upstream No. 1 into the Admiral's office, right? The Admiral's face was smashed flat by the missile, and Sister Lexington, who witnessed it all, almost had a heart attack. But didn't the Admiral just dust himself off and get up as if nothing was wrong? Hehe!"

The girl slowly raised her head and glanced at Atlanta, who seemed completely oblivious, then pouted in annoyance. Why did she have to bring up such an embarrassing thing?! She had already decided to bury that most shameful memory deep within her mind forever, why did she have to bring it up again?!

The girl pouted shyly. That was her most embarrassing and most frightening memory, and she still remembered it clearly! As the first ship girl in the port to be able to use missiles, she remembered that time when she was practicing how to control the trajectory of the Shangyou No. 1 missile. But somehow, something went wrong. The Shangyou No. 1 missile, which was supposed to fly over the admiral's office and then directly into the ocean, was actually a little lower than expected, and it crashed straight into the admiral's office!

When I saw the window of the Admiral's office smashed by Number 1 upstream, and heard Sister Lexington's panicked screams, I was terrified. Afterwards, Sister Lexington and Sister Yixian summoned all the famous doctors in Tsugawa City to examine the Admiral. Fortunately, the Admiral was unharmed except for a mark on his face, otherwise I was afraid I would have had to drown myself to atone for my sins.

"Haha, it's fortunate that you used a training round, Xiao Changchun, otherwise our naval base might not exist now!"

The girl lowered her head, her mouth agape in a nervous expression. She remembered that she hadn't anticipated such a large deviation in the trajectory of the Upstream No. 1 missile, and it seemed like it had actually used live ammunition! As for why it didn't explode, even though it hit the admiral, it only left a few marks on his face. That was probably because the Upstream No. 1 missile was lucky enough to be a dud with a damaged propulsion system...

"Sigh, but that's not right... I remember after we inspected the scene, Sister Lexington seemed to say that it looked like a live bullet, but why..."

"No! Stop talking so much, Atlanta! The admiral... he's already finished speaking with the people on the passenger ship, let's go together!"

Volume 1, Chapter 348: Yi Xian's Medicine

The remaining time before their departure left the ship girls gathered around their admiral somewhat worried. The thought of their admiral disappearing from their sight for more than a month, even knowing that he was only going to Tianshui to pick up Xiaorou, still made them feel as if they had suddenly lost a goal worth striving for when they looked at his youthful and charming profile. They were filled with anxiety and unease.

"Admiral, do you really not need our escort? Although it's reassuring to have Lexington by your side, as an aircraft carrier, she's not good at night combat. And Saratoga and Illustrious, who are accompanying you, are also aircraft carriers. The only ones capable of night combat are Little Fei and the still-immature Marani."

The captain and his first mate had just left when the ship girls, reluctant to part with their admiral, surrounded the boy. They watched as the boy turned around, holding Lexington and Jaja's hands, and smiled at them. Washington, after a moment of silence, skillfully raised his arm and pinched his chin.

As one of only three battleships currently in the naval base, Washington had already discussed with Missouri and Wisconsin at noon how to ensure the admiral's safety without affecting his travels.

Requesting the captain's itinerary and nautical charts, and having him regularly send telegrams describing the situation to the naval base, were all decisions made by the three of them together.

However, no matter how thorough these preparations are, they can only ensure that the passenger ship is aware of the situation as soon as possible when it is attacked from the deep sea, and can set off to provide assistance. They cannot guarantee the absolute safety of the passenger ship.

Let's take a look at the ship girls who went with the admiral. Four of them, including Lexington, Saratoga, Illustrious, and Unicorn, are actually aircraft carriers. The only ones with strong night combat capabilities are Marani, who is still in training, and Phelps, who is not a main destroyer in the naval base.

It's no wonder the three women were worried about this squadron, which was extremely powerful during the day but somewhat weak at night. However, the choice of who would accompany the admiral had already been made, and it was not convenient to change it at the last minute. So they suggested that another person be sent to escort the admiral throughout the journey.

The boy was taken aback. He had just been thinking of saying a few words to ease the somewhat melancholy atmosphere, but he didn't expect Washington to suddenly make such a suggestion to him. He smiled and then waved to her.

“It’s alright, Washington. I know you’re worried about me, but haven’t we all already discussed it? Most of the way we’re going is within the protection zone of the local naval bases, so there’s almost no risk. Besides, even if you come with me, your accommodation will be a big problem.”

Su Yuchen sincerely told her that the space on the ship was already cramped. Even if she gave up her first-class cabin and stayed in economy class, she could only bring two more ship girls. Moreover, even if she could bring two more, finding accommodation in Tianshui would be a major problem. After all, she only had a small, dilapidated house in Tianshui. Even including Aunt Zhang's room, it would be the limit to fit Mrs. and Guanghui. She would also have to worry about whether they would be able to get used to the place.

"Accommodation is not a problem. At worst, we can just turn around and return to the naval base after we deliver you to Tianshui. Anyway, with the physical condition of us ship girls, sailing on the sea for more than ten days is just equivalent to staying up all night."

Washington wasn't annoyed by the rejection. She glanced at Wisconsin beside her, who, as expected, understood her meaning and continued to persuade her admiral. "Admiral, if all else fails, we can take turns with Lexington on the way there. They'll handle the daytime escort, and we'll handle the nighttime. Once we reach Tianshui, we'll find a ship to take us back to Jinchuan. What do you think?"

What do I think?

I don't think that will work. If I bring you all to Tianshui like that, how can I bear to send you back? The only solution is to find you a hotel in Tianshui, but what's the difference between that and staying in Jinchuan?

After a moment's thought, the boy shook his head. Rather than having them go through all that trouble and energy to come with him, only to find they couldn't even stay by his side, it would be better not to go in the first place. He knew they really wanted to go to Tianshui with him, and refusing them would naturally make him feel guilty. But there was so much time ahead; he could always organize some sightseeing activities at the garrison headquarters so they would have the opportunity to go out and have fun with him.

"No need, Washington, Wisconsin. This time, only my wife and Glorious will come with me. But I promise you, I'll take you out to play often in the future. The naval base has never had a paid trip before, has it?"

"But, mention..."

Before the boy could finish speaking, and before Washington could even open his mouth again, Missouri and Wisconsin grabbed her from both sides and forcefully covered her mouth.

The Admiral said he'd be going on publicly funded trips and taking everyone on outings? No problem! This trip will definitely be very safe, Admiral, you and your wives can just enjoy your journey! Leave the affairs at the naval base to us, don't worry!

"Alright, alright, Washington, since the Admiral has said so, let's not think about it too much! Instead of wasting time, let's think about how to urge those slacking workers to repair the naval base's docks as quickly as possible while the Admiral is away!"

"Waaah... Ugh..."

"Yes, yes, yes! Wisconsin is right. We are the Admiral's ship girls, of course we have to trust the Admiral! If the Admiral says it's alright, then it's definitely alright! Admiral, please talk to everyone a little longer. Wisconsin, Washington, and I will go over there to discuss the matters after your absence!"

This sudden change in attitude left the young man somewhat bewildered. Watching the two six-star legendary ship girls, Missouri and Wisconsin, drag Washington, a ship girl who had been downgraded to six-star, away from him, he secretly wiped his sweat and decided to ignore them. He looked at the girls still surrounding him, wanting to liven up the atmosphere, when he saw Yixian, who had unusually taken off her cheongsam and was wearing a light blue-green dress, holding a large jar that looked like Chinese medicine and handing it to him.

"Admiral, I've noticed you haven't been feeling particularly well lately, so I've prepared a jar of traditional Chinese medicine for you to use as tea on the ship. Lexington, remember to make sure the Admiral drinks it several times a day; it's very good for his health."

Volume 1, Chapter 349: Remember to Drink Well

"Admiral, I noticed you haven't been feeling particularly well lately, so I've prepared a jar of Chinese medicine for you to use on the ship to make tea."

Just as Yi Xian held out her hand, carrying a medicine jar, a rich yet pleasant aroma of Chinese medicine wafted over. Yi Xian, dressed in a loose-fitting yet subtly revealing blue-green dress, wore long, slender feet in black stockings and delicate high heels. Her virtuous face was so beautiful and elegant. She gently touched the jar in her hand and gave the young man a faint smile.

A gentle and melodious voice entered his ears, causing the young man to scratch his cheek in surprise. To be honest, he had indeed been feeling a bit tired lately, probably because he had been doing too many bad things recently. But the symptoms had only just appeared, and Yi Xian had already prepared medicinal tea for him to improve his condition. This made the young man feel involuntarily touched.

"Lexington, remember to make sure the Admiral drinks it several times a day. It's very good for the Admiral's health, especially when he's tired from working continuously. It can also help increase his working hours."

But before the boy could reach out to take it, Yi Xian covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then handed the medicine pot to Lexington, who was holding the boy's hand and explaining something to Belfast.

"In the past, we used to clean the reputation area twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, but since everyone is not here, we only need to clean it once a day."

"Yes, I understand, Miss Lexington."

Lexington was handing over some tasks to Belfast, who had temporarily taken over the affairs of the absent Prestige. She entrusted the management of the naval base's daily sanitation and other trivial matters to Belfast, the new head maid who was diligent and hardworking in getting used to the naval base's affairs. Lexington was somewhat surprised to receive the jar containing some Chinese medicine from Yixian's hand.

"What are these...?"

"That's the one."

When it comes to medicinal supplements, Lexington admitted that she didn't know as much as traditional C-class ship girls like Yixian. But before she could even ask what the effects of this jar of Chinese medicine were, after hearing Yixian's words and that faint mischievous smile, she immediately understood and nodded with a blush.

After carefully examining the contents, she exchanged a glance with Yi Xian with a slightly inexplicable yet grateful smile, then protectively tucked it into her suitcase.

"Thank you, Yixian. I will make sure the Admiral drinks it every day."

"What are the effects of this jar of traditional Chinese medicine? Can it relieve fatigue?"

However, witnessing all this, and seeing Yixian and his wife seemingly exchanging cryptic glances, the boy scratched his head and asked out of curiosity. Perhaps it was because his mother in another world loved Chinese medicine and would bring back all sorts of medicinal herbs from outside from time to time, that he had been quite interested in Chinese medicine since he was a child.

Hearing her admiral's words, Yi Xian paused for a moment, then looked at his face. For some reason, she suddenly blushed slightly and turned her cheek away a little. She gently pursed her lips and whispered to the young man, "This is something I specially made for you, Admiral, to address your recent fatigue. Besides relieving fatigue, it also warms the liver and kidneys, and increases your energy. In short, it's very suitable for your current condition. So, Admiral, please drink it properly and don't be inconsistent with your consumption."

The boy nodded, but suddenly stood up straight and asked her, "Hmm, I think I know. What's in there, Yixian?"

"I know that, Admiral! I was watching Sister Yixian make this herbal tea last night!"

Before the boy's voice had even faded, Zhao He, who was standing next to Chongqing and Yi Xian, suddenly raised her hand. She pouted and thought for a moment, not noticing the sudden dark look on Yi Xian's face and Hai Qi's face behind her. She then rattled off a long list of Chinese medicine names to the boy.

"Hmm... there's ginseng, mulberries, red dates, goji berries, polygonatum, and so on... oh right, and maca! But I know about the first few, what is maca? I've never seen Sister Yixian use it when she was making Chinese medicine before, Admiral. It seems like Sister Yixian bought quite a lot when she went out the day before yesterday! Waaah... Sister Yixian... what are you doing? Why are you covering my mouth?..."

The boy raised an eyebrow. Maca? I remember that besides its ability to combat fatigue, it's also said to improve fertility, right? Generally speaking, even if you want to combat fatigue, you wouldn't specifically use it, would you?

He touched his chin in confusion, just about to ask Yixian why she bought so much of that stuff, when Yixian and Haiqi suddenly covered Zhaohe's mouth in a panic.

"That was to make tea for the Admiral, you little idiot! And I told you to get some sleep, you must have sneaked out again last night! Go back tonight and copy the Three Character Classic ten times, I'll be checking it before lunch tomorrow!"

"No! Sister Yixian, I was wrong! I just couldn't sleep because the Admiral is leaving today! I didn't mean to spy on you making Chinese medicine!"

"No, you've done so many wrong things today, you have to be punished so you can reflect on your actions."

With a dark expression, Yi Xian scolded Zhao He. This brat had been causing her trouble since she woke up that morning. Besides barging into the rooms of the other sisters who hadn't returned yet and touching their things, she had even torn a small hole in the clothes the admiral had given her. Although it could be repaired, the thought still made her angry. Plus, with her talkativeness now, she knew she was in for a good scolding when she got home that night.

"Sister Chongqing! I don't want to copy the Three Character Classic anymore. Can you help me persuade Sister Yixian?"

"Well... Zhaohe, Sister Yixian asked you to copy the Three Character Classic for your own good. You've done so many wrong things today, so you should just obediently copy it."

"How could this be? Even Sister Chongqing won't help me. Admiral! Please help me persuade Sister Yixian! She'll definitely listen to anything you say! Please! I don't want to copy the Three Character Classic anymore! I'm about to throw up from it!"

The boy, who had been dragged to her door by Zhao He and had been successfully diverted from the conversation and had forgotten what had just happened, smiled helplessly at her. Seeing her tearful and snotty face, he felt a little soft-hearted and patted her head, wanting to speak up for Zhao He. But before she could even open her mouth, Yi Xian had already cut off her escape route.

"No, Admiral, we can't spoil Zhaohe like this. You have no idea what bad things she did this morning. Making her copy the Three Character Classic twenty times is already a very lenient punishment."

"Look, Yixian has already said so, there's nothing you can do if you come to me. Zhaohe, you'd better go back and copy tonight."

"Ugh... It's just that I tore the clothes the Admiral gave to Sister Yixian, is it really necessary to get so angry..."

The boy glanced at Zhao He, who pouted and looked at him pitifully. She pouted again, looking aggrieved, and muttered something under her breath.

The boy smiled slightly, looking at Yixian's smiling face as she looked at him, and said softly to Yixian, "You must be very tired, Yixian. It must be very hard to take care of Zhaohe and the others. I'm entrusting them to you while I'm away."

Volume 1, Chapter 350: He still didn't know

The ship girls of the C-class are always gentle and reserved, and Yi Xian is no exception. However, as a ship girl, her love for your admiral is no less than that of others.

Listening to her admiral speak eloquently in front of her, Yixian could feel the happiness and joy of having her admiral by her side. The sadness and confusion of her admiral's disappearance had long since dissipated, leaving only a full expectation for the future. Of course, what she looked forward to most was the admiral's wedding ring that belonged to her.

"I understand, Admiral. I will take good care of them while you are away. Hehe, seeing Zhaohe still so mischievous, Yingrui and Changchun still so well-behaved, and Ninghai and Pinghai working as hard as ever, especially you, Admiral, you are back by our side... There is truly no happier sight than this moment."

Yi Xian spoke slowly, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she looked at her admiral. She had thought before about what kind of expression she would have when she finally found her long-lost admiral. Perhaps it would be the bewilderment and disorientation of someone struck by a giant hammer, perhaps it would be a cathartic, unrestrained sobbing in front of her admiral, or perhaps it would be the genuine emotion revealed in a single glance amidst a crowd.

Although each of them is somewhat different from reality, upon reflection, it is indeed closer to the last one.

“Yes, I’m really happy. But compared to before, my darling has changed a lot.” Lexington held her husband’s hand, her eyes filled with his profile that made her heart flutter.

As her husband's most trusted secretary ship, she was fortunate enough to accompany him to Tianshui. However, not long ago, she had also experienced the same anxious feeling as Yixian, who was unable to obtain the ship. She felt quite sorry for her sister, who was also a ship girl whom her beloved husband called a "wife-type" ship girl.

“My dear used to work like crazy. Except for when she was resting and eating, she spent almost all her time directing the sisters to go out to sea. Now she’s become a lazy bum. She doesn’t even want us to go out to attack. In my dear’s words, the harbor is almost overgrown with weeds.”

Yi Xian smiled gently. The Admiral has changed a lot. Besides being much more laid-back than before, he also cares more about everyone at the naval base. When she was busy with work before, it was difficult to even catch a glimpse of the Admiral. Even if the Admiral took the initiative to see her, he would only say a few words before leaving. But now, she can find him in the Admiral's dormitory or office whenever she wants. Even when he is working, he will put his work aside for her and the other sisters.

"What? Lexington, don't you like this kind of admiral?"

Yi Xian asked casually, her bright eyes making Lexington blush slightly.

How could I not like it? On the contrary, I like it even more than before! But it's not incomprehensible. My dear before must have worked so hard to ensure the long-term peace and tranquility of the naval base, constantly sending everyone out to attack. Only when the naval base became strong could everyone be happy together.

"How could that be? No matter what my darling becomes, I will still love her. Hehe, Yixian, don't you also think that my darling cares about everyone more now than before? And she's become much easier to talk to too."

"Hehe, have we been found out? But I think the admiral was working so hard before because he was doing it for everyone. Only when everyone becomes stronger can the port be peaceful and stable. It seems that our port is not as strong as we thought because of just one sneak attack that the admiral has been missing for so long."

"Cough cough!"

Su Yuchen was a little confused. Why did the conversation suddenly turn to her again? She was right in front of them, and they were talking about her like that. She felt really embarrassed!

The incompetent boy, embarrassed after being told a few words by his two stunningly beautiful ship girls, coughed twice to indicate that he was still there and asked them to stop praising him. He explained that he had only been playing games before and was nothing like the noble and powerful people described.

"Hehe, I still remember that first meeting, in a peaceful and prosperous era, when we played around the bed like childhood sweethearts. But now we live in a chaotic world, and I only hope for your safety. Admiral, please be careful on your journey and don't catch a cold. Lexington and Glorious are still here, so please take good care of the Admiral."

"Yes, don't worry, Yixian."

"Yes, I will take good care of the Admiral, Sister Yixian."

Beside the boy, Lexington and Illustrious both nodded at the same time. Illustrious held the unicorn's soft little hand and, noticing her admiral's gaze, smiled brightly at him. That beautiful smile was as heartwarming as Illustrious herself.

"I think, Yixian, I'm not a child anymore. Even if I don't need such instructions, I can take care of myself on my own!"

Once again treated like a child unable to take care of himself, the boy tried to prove that he was a mature adult. But before he could even think of how to prove that he could take care of himself, Yi Xian had already pulled his hand.

"I believe you, but if the Admiral can really take care of himself, then why did he go missing? Heh, and even if you really can take care of yourself, no matter what you become, you are still the Admiral we need to take care of. I really envy you, Lexington, that you can go to Tianshui with the Admiral. There's nothing to do there, so it's like going on vacation with the Admiral."

"What? There's still Xiaorou's matter to be resolved! Darling, even if you don't know, can't you tell? I think it's quite tricky."

"That's true, but there's no need to worry too much. Just let things take their course. If Xiaorou really doesn't mind, given your personality, why not let her join?"

"I'm not talking about Xiaorou, I'm talking about my darling. He really didn't notice at all. It's so sudden, he might..."

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