I really don't have money for the ship girls.

"Would you like some wine? I'd certainly enjoy that..."

Shinano slumped softly onto the sofa. Of course, she came here not just to find a quiet place, but also to escape—to escape some of the fateful scenes she would see after the Prince of Wales became her husband's ship.

Kalyon said jokingly, "Commander, are you so eager to get everyone drinking to celebrate Mercury's victory, or do you have some ulterior motive? Are you trying to get everyone drunk so you can take advantage of your position as commander and do something inappropriate?"

"How could that be?"

Ayanami said, "I know, people lose control when they're drunk."

The little girl's slurred voice almost made Ying Tian spit out the plum wine in his mouth. Long Feng, her cheeks slightly flushed, said, "Commander, how could you teach Ayanami something like this..."

“I didn’t teach him,” Ying Tian explained, then asked, “Ayanami, how do you know about this?”

"That's what Mercury Memorial told me."

"Mercury Commemoration!"

"Um, you guys take your time chatting, I'll start with a toast, chuck chuck chuck, vodka, chuck chuck chuck—"

Chapter 45 The Fate Shinano Saw

“Drinking alone isn’t very interesting,” Calien said, taking a sip of champagne. “I’m starting to miss the naval base. Right now, New Jersey is probably full of pole dancers in bars.”

"Pole dancing?" Ying Tian took a couple of sips of wine. He wasn't drunk or tipsy, but he felt like his mind was clearer. Kali Yong had only mentioned it briefly, and almost immediately a scene appeared in Ying Tian's mind: a woman dressed as a bunny girl dancing passionately on a pole, especially her full, beautiful buttocks, whose curves were simply perfect.

"Is the commander interested?"

“I…” Ying Tian felt a pinch on his waist, a loving caress from the Prince of Wales. He realized that he was now a married man with four wives, and he had to be more dignified. “Interested, because pole dancing is a very proper dance. By showing the curves of one’s body, one can achieve the ideal of harmony between man and nature.”

“Commander, what are you saying?” Ryuho said. “If you want to see a dance, you can find Chitose and Chiyoda. They are very good at Kagura dance.”

"Can Chitose still dance?"

Ying Tian had a strong impression of the two sisters with long, wine-red hair. He had thought that Qian Sui was particularly aloof, like a cool girl from Essex. Later, he discovered that this older sister was actually a useless person who couldn't even sweep the floor. Instead of being disillusioned, he found her inexplicably cute.

“Of course, they are shrine maidens,” Shoukaku said. “Every time a major festival comes around, the Sakura Empire ship girls gather at the shrine in the naval base to pray for blessings. The Chitose and Chiyoda sisters, along with Fuso, Yamashiro, Hiei, and Harutsuki, all dress up as shrine maidens, holding Kagura bells and Hoko-no-rin bells, and perform the Sakaki dance, spear dance, and sword dance. Everyone writes their wishes on ema (votive plaques) and hangs them on the cherry blossom trees…”

"Your cherry blossom trees are even occupying our White Eagles' tennis courts."

The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly ruined by Kaliyong. Faced with the angry glares of several Sakura ship girls, she immediately shrank back.

"Your shrine is also an illegal structure... cough cough, mainly because the island of the naval base is still a bit small."

Time passed slowly, and although everyone had originally planned to eat something and then go back to the villa, they were all too lazy to move.

Zuikaku said, "There's no reason to drink, so why don't we play cards instead?"

"How do we play?" Mercury Memorial asked. She didn't actually need any reason; for the Northern Alliance ship girls, the best snack to accompany drinks was the drinks themselves.

"What happens if you draw the Joker card? What will happen if the person who draws the Joker drinks?"

Zuikaku, Zuikaku, the auspicious crane, she has always been lucky, so she is particularly fond of this kind of game. Akagi and Shoukaku both fell silent, their luck had always been average.

Ying Tian was slightly tipsy at this point, and not wanting to spoil the fun, he said, "Then let's give it a try."

The commander gave the order, so Shoukaku took out a deck of cards from the drawer, removed one of the Jokers, and then each person was given a few cards. They took turns drawing cards from the next player, and if they had a pair, they threw it into the deck. The player who had the Joker left was the only loser.

Zuikaku was really lucky; she was almost always the first to fold all her cards, or it was St. Louis.

Ying Tian asked curiously, "Is there a trick to drawing the Joker card?"

"It's just good luck." Ruihe's lips curled up, and he looked around, not at all smug.

"Damn it," Kalyon said, "the Enterprise and Santiago aren't here... St. Louis, it's up to you, Luck Lu, punish her."

For ship girls, luck seems to be tangible. Yingtian drank once, Akagi and Shoukaku each drank twice, and Shinano drank five times, taking on more than half of the drinking.

Even excluding the Northern Alliance's heavy drinkers, ship girls don't actually get drunk. As long as their ship equipment is activated, no alcohol can remain in their bodies. However, very few ship girls do this. If they weren't looking for that slightly tipsy feeling, why would they drink?

Shinano's pretty face was flushed, her eyes were hazy, and her white fox ears were already showing. The straps of her nightgown slipped down her rounded shoulders, revealing a large patch of smooth, white skin.

Ying Tian couldn't help but glance at it a few more times, and exclaimed, "Shinano, is your luck really that bad?"

"It's just awful." Shinano slumped her head, her pink lips slightly pouting. She said, emboldened by the alcohol, "If I want to eat something, the cafeteria definitely won't serve it today. The lottery always ends with 'thank you for your patronage.' Whenever I go on a sortie, it's either raining or there's a strong wind. I never run into the Commander... So I can only sleep. I'm sure I won't have bad luck when I'm asleep."

“That shouldn’t be the case,” St. Louis said, swirling his wine glass. “I remember there’s always been a rumor at the naval base that you can see destiny in Shinano, which is quite amazing.”

Kaliyon waved his hand and said, "There are plenty of people in the naval base who claim to be able to see fate, Shinano, Strasser, August... especially August, who is always pretending to be a god, talking about witches and fate, saying that he is waiting for the commander to defeat her. I don't even want to know what he is up to."

Ryuho's face was flushed: "I don't know about others, but Shinano really can see fate."

"Really?" Ying Tian was a little curious. Ship girls are already such amazing beings, so it wouldn't be surprising if they also had some amazing abilities.

Shinano was already somewhat confused. She said, "I can glimpse a trace of the future in my dreams, but I can only see the future that relates to myself and the Commander."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Does the Commander really want me to say it?"

Kariyong, slightly drunk, egged him on: "Speak up, the Commander already told you to speak."

“Then I’ll tell you.” Shinano bit her lip and glanced at Ying Tian, ​​then said, “I saw the Commander lying on top of me, pulling my tail… bullying me.”

"Pfft—cough cough cough cough—"

Shinano's last words were both tender and aggrieved, and anyone could understand their meaning. Yingtian was so frightened that he coughed up the wine in his mouth.

Kaliyon scoffed, "If dreams can be considered prophetic, then I've also had prophetic dreams... cough cough, I mean, I dream a lot, so I can be a prophet too."

"Shinano, don't talk nonsense. How could I possibly bully you? You can all see from the time we've spent together that I'm a good person." Ying Tian believed he would never bully anyone.

St. Louise narrowed her beautiful eyes and said, "Commander, you're a womanizer and then irresponsible. How can you be a good person?"

"Where have I been irresponsible? I just haven't taken responsibility yet."

Ryuhou's face turned even redder, and she said to Shinano, "Lord Shinano, did you really have such a dream?"

Shoukaku said, "Is it possible that Shinano, you actually have ordinary dreams too?"

Shinano felt a little wronged. She didn't want to say it, even though the commander told her to. But no one believed her. Now, emboldened by the alcohol, Shinano said, "It's not just me. Ryuhou, you'll also be bullied by the commander."

The dragon and phoenix blinked, their cheeks instantly turning bright red.

"Shokaku, your hair is all wet."

“Akagi, your tail won’t escape either, oh, you’re quite happy about it.”

"Zuihe, you're not even as good as your sister."

“St. Louis was the most proactive.”

"Kaliyong is only passive."

"And then there's Ayanami..."

Ying Tian spat a mouthful of wine onto Shinano's face, interrupting her. The Prince of Wales and many others looked at him with thoughtful expressions, leaving only Ayanami, who was drinking her juice with a blank look on her face.

Chapter 46 Bullying Shinano Doesn't Require a Character Design

"I didn't mean to spray you in the face, but you really went too far."

While wiping the remaining wine from Shinano's face, Yingtian said, "I have never bullied anyone. I haven't even punished someone like Taihou yet. Besides, it's one thing for you to say I bully others, but what about Ayanami? Would I lay a hand on a little girl?"

Shinano bit her lip, looking aggrieved, and said, "But that's what I saw in my dream. This is fate."

“Is it possible,” Ying Tian said, “that you’re sleeping too much, which is why you’re having these strange dreams?”

“Is there another possibility?” Kaliyong said, lying on the sofa, “What Shinano saw was truly fate, so beneath the seemingly familiar commander’s mask lies a heart that would harm everyone, especially little girls.”

It doesn't matter what persona you put on in front of others, since they're all strangers anyway. Ying Tian doesn't care about his reputation, but he'll be dealing with the naval base a lot in the future, and he can't be indifferent to his reputation in front of familiar people. He said, "Ah, right, right, Shinano is right. You're just passive, Kaliyong."

"It certainly can't compare to the commander's initiative."

Kariyong retreated with a laugh; only she herself probably knew what she was really thinking.

Ying Tian reached out to Ayanami, pulled the cute, quiet little girl into his arms, and stroked her head affectionately: "Ayanami, do you think the Commander will bully you?"

Ayanami gently rubbed against Yingtian's chest and said, "As long as I can be by the Commander's side... Ayanami will protect the Commander."

"That's right, Ayanami is the cutest, she can definitely protect me from bad women."

"Pass it down, the commander says the Princess of Wales is a bad woman." Different people have different drinking habits, and as for Kariyon, she's definitely the type who talks more and more the more she drinks.

The Prince of Wales put down his wine glass and said, "Perhaps I should have a long talk with Essex. You're in charge of the American Airlines flagship."

"No, I was wrong. What I meant was... we're both bad women, and you're the legal wife."

"My legal wife is not me, my legal wife is Yixian."

Under everyone's gaze, Ying Tian shamelessly said, "There is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise... No, no, what I mean is, there's no such thing as a legal wife or not, everyone is my wings."

After speaking, Ying Tian fell silent, because he suddenly realized that what he had just vehemently denied was now being directly admitted. Could it be that the fate that Shinano saw was real?

They'd had enough to drink. Ever since Shinano said those things, Ryuhou and Zuikaku had rarely spoken. Akagi looked thoughtful. Mercury Memorial had downed three large bottles of vodka and was already a bit slurred. The Northern Alliance ship girls were heavy drinkers, but not invincible.

Those who weren't drunk took care of the drunk ones and went back to the villa together.

Shinano's room was in a corner on the fourth floor, perfect for her to sleep undisturbed. Yingtian carried her plump and soft body into the room, turned on the light, and helped her to the bed.

Unlike some people who decorate their rooms with personal touches, Ying Tian once visited the room of Louis IX and Joan of Arc, which contained icons, murals, and religious reliefs. Although these were all purchased from Taobao, they looked quite authentic when paired with the prayers of the two saints.

Shinano's room has hardly been decorated or changed; everything is in its original state, except for a large throw pillow on the bed, which shows that she really loves sleeping.

"You've had too much to drink. Take a rest. If you want some water, I'll go down and get a pot."

As Ying Tian spoke, he turned to leave, when he felt a hand grab his clothes. A wise yet hazy voice came from behind him: "Commander, I'm sorry. I was too fixated on the helplessness of fate and even said it out loud, causing you trouble."

"fine."

Ying Tian turned around, and saw the owner of the snow-white jade arm lying on her side on the bed, half-supported by herself, her hazy blue eyes looking up at him.

So Yingtian sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully examined Shinano. She was an undeniably stunning beauty, with a faint blush on her delicate face from drinking, a straight, elegant nose, beautiful starry eyes, and lips even more delicate and pink than cherry blossoms. At this moment, her intelligent and pretty face had a hint of confusion, which was truly endearing. Yingtian couldn't imagine that such a mature and intelligent older sister would have a wet dream, or even a mixed wet dream.

"By the way, Shinano, can you really see the future?"

Because of her guilt, Shinano truthfully said, "In my beautiful dreams, I can see fragments of the future, and in my experience, that is an inevitable destiny."

Ying Tian thought for a moment and asked, "Then can we see the lottery numbers?"

"No."

"What was the result of the game?"

"Neither."

So all you can see me doing is bullying others?

"No, we couldn't see it before either," Shinano said dazedly. "We've been able to see it ever since you announced that the Prince of Wales was the wedding ship, Commander."

Ying Tian thought to himself, "That's what happens when you think about something during the day and dream about it at night. It's not narcissism after all; everyone really loves me that much."

"Sometimes what you see is not necessarily what actually happened."

As Ying Tian spoke, he took off his shoes and got into bed. Following Shinano's description, he lay on top of her, feeling the white fox's warm and voluptuous body.

"Commander, you need to..."

"Don't speak yet, Shinano, let your tail out."

"Well……"

Shinano let out a cute call, and nine fluffy fox tails appeared at an unimaginable angle behind her rounded buttocks, softly spreading on the sheets.

Ying Tian grabbed one of the tails, looked at Shinano's slightly flushed face, and said, "Look, isn't this similar to the one in your dream? Actually, even if it's exactly the same, it might not be exactly what you imagined."

Shinano paused for a moment, seemingly unable to bear meeting Ying Tian's gaze. She turned her pretty face away and said, "I understand what the Commander means. I have lamented the many 'fated and helpless' things that have entangled me, and I cannot bear to face them again, but this time..."

"Actually, I hope it's true, because I don't hate the commander's bullying."

Shinano's last words were barely audible, yet each syllable seemed to strike Yingtian's heart through their touching bodies.

He suddenly realized that the person who was helpless and struggling to live before was himself, and the person who is now surrounded by people and living a carefree life is also himself. There is no such thing as a persona. In fact, it is all just himself, so why hide it?

"Shinano, look at me." Ying Tian held Shinano's face and looked into her eyes. "To tell you the truth, I've had this urge to tease you ever since I first saw you."

"Commander, why are you looking at me like that? Your face is a little..."

"Shinano, can I tease you?"

Ying Tian asked, then shook his head and said, "No, it's not a question, it's a statement. Shinano, I'm going to bully you."

"Not here... not here..."

Ying Tian ignored Shinano's contradictory struggles. He lowered his head and gently licked the beauty's cheek, holding a strand of hair in his mouth and kissing his way down to her snow-white neck, leaving a trail of warm, wet kiss marks on her skin with bluish veins.

"I hope you like this fate."

He breathed into Shinano's ear, then kissed the beauty's fragrant lips, silencing her answer.