Ziye bolted toward the light screen, her heart sinking into an abyss. Why was no one forewarned that the enemy forces were attacking?

On the light screen, the warships were adjusting their turrets, firing toward the Allied fleet. Neat, powerful missiles pierced directly into the Allied ranks.

Wait, these warships weren't attacking them—they were actually helping them attack the enemy vessels!

Reinforcements?

Whose reinforcements were they?

She looked around, intending to ask someone, but everyone was too busy working, leaving no time for her queries.

Seeing Ziye staring blankly at the screen, Jiushou clapped her on the shoulder. "Go get some sleep. We have a tough battle ahead of us tomorrow."

Ziye nodded. Whoever the reinforcements were, as long as they were reinforcements, she could finally sleep soundly.

She scampered back to her room, dove under the covers, and settled in for a deep sleep.

Just before her consciousness slipped into darkness, one thought echoed: It feels so good to have backup.

After Ziye returned to her room to sleep, the leader of the reinforcements boarded the command ship with his assistant.

Tang Jingyi caught a flicker of recognition in his eyes when he saw the man standing ramrod straight in the crisp black military uniform, his black boots gleaming. He quietly sent a message to Tang Wen: An Junlie has arrived to help.

The arrival was indeed An Junlie. He entered, greeting everyone briefly, but not seeing the person occupying his thoughts, he couldn't help but ask, "Where is she?"

He didn't name a person, but everyone understood precisely whom he meant. Jiushou chuckled, "She’s sleeping in her room, completely unaware you're here."

—An Junlie had kept his arrival a secret from the rear battlefield personnel to ensure the element of surprise. Jiushou had only just learned about the reinforcements and decided to let An Junlie give Ziye a surprise.

As for matters between the couple, Jiushou wouldn't pry. Besides, he feared An Junlie would blame the group of men for not looking after Ziye if he saw her eyes were red from lack of sleep, so he had sent her back to her quarters immediately.

An Junlie nodded, instructed his adjutant to coordinate the battle plan with the existing command, and headed straight for Ziye's room without pausing.

Ziye was just falling asleep!

An Junlie gently pushed the door open—it wasn't locked, probably left that way for emergencies. He felt Ziye was perhaps too trusting. Even though everyone onboard was familiar, she was the only female on the entire command ship; it didn't seem entirely safe.

Though he intended to scold her later, his movements involuntarily softened, terrified of waking her.

To avoid disturbing her sleep, he didn't turn on the light. He navigated by the faint ambient light seeping in from outside, found his way to the bedside, and sat down.

In the darkness, he could only make out the shape of a mound under the heavy blanket.

He leaned in and inhaled deeply over her head, instantly recognizing the scent of her hair. The intense longing he had tightly suppressed burst forth uncontrollably. He reached out and pulled her close, clutching her tightly.

It had been another month since they last parted.

He had initially expected their reunion to be soon, but the continuous demands of the war had thwarted his plans. He worried about the safety of his legion while simultaneously being unable to stop worrying about her, even though he had specifically sent the twins to protect her.

He knew Ziye's nature: faced with danger, she would never retreat; she would always stand at the very front line of the battle.

Only now, holding her in his arms, did he truly and tangibly feel her vitality again, sensing the warmth that belonged only to her.

As Ziye slept, she seemed to sense someone beside her, yet she perceived no threat, and she was overwhelmingly tired. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't manage it, so she simply ignored the presence and drifted back to sleep.

It was pure instinctual warmth-seeking that caused her to burrow deeper and deeper into his embrace until she was curled up entirely against An Junlie.

An Junlie shook his head lightly, holding her close, leaning against the edge of the bed, and dozed off. He had come directly after dealing with matters in the Angel Domain and hadn't slept well for days. He trusted his adjutant to manage the fleet operations, so he decided to spend this time with Ziye. He woke up as dawn approached and saw Ziye still deeply asleep. Unwilling to rouse her, he gently placed her back on the bed, washed his face, and walked to the command room.

In the command room, both Jiushou and Tang Jingyi had bloodshot eyes, and his adjutant was busy running battlefield diagnostics.

"I'll take over. You two go rest," An Junlie said.

"Jiushou, you go first," Tang Jingyi offered.

Jiushou didn't refuse, nodding. He briefly explained the current situation to An Junlie and then turned toward the hallway.

Tang Jingyi glanced sideways at An Junlie before turning back to stare at the screen.

An Junlie was unconcerned. He told the adjutant, "Get me a coffee outside, please."

The adjutant acknowledged the request and left.

Only two men remained in the command room.

An Junlie dropped all pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Do you have an issue with me?"

Tang Jingyi didn't turn around. "No." He paused. "I just wanted to see what the person our Young Master detests looks like."

An Junlie didn't get angry, letting out a hearty laugh. "I appreciate our Young Master keeping me in his thoughts."

Tang Jingyi said nothing more.

Moments later, the adjutant returned with three cups of coffee. An Junlie handed one to Tang Jingyi and took a sip from his own. He looked at the adjutant. "How is it?"

The adjutant snapped to attention. "Report: It's feasible!"

An Junlie nodded approvingly. "Prepare the supplies now. As soon as Ziye wakes up, we can get to work."

Tang Jingyi turned his head. "Work on what?"

An Junlie smiled. "It’s classified for now. You’ll know soon enough."

Tang Jingyi silently turned back, rolling his eyes where they couldn't see him. Damn it, he truly was the person the Young Master hated; even his way of speaking was infuriating!

Ziye enjoyed a rare, deep sleep. When she woke up and checked the time, she was stunned—she had overslept!

They worked in shifts; sleeping two extra hours meant her next shift would have to be two hours shorter. Filled with guilt, she scrambled out of bed, grabbed a slice of toast, and rushed toward the command room: "I'm sorry, I slept late!"

The command room was silent.

Ziye blinked open her eyes in confusion, and the next second, she saw someone she believed absolutely could not be in the command room—An Junlie!

The toast in her mouth dropped.

Mid-fall, she managed to catch it, her gaze still vacant. Have I time-traveled?

An Junlie watched her with a gentle smile, opening his arms.

Ziye rushed forward, stopping abruptly just before him, suddenly realizing many people were watching.

An Junlie took one step forward, his long arms wrapping around her, pulling her into his embrace.

The surrounding crew froze for a second.

One person still had a light screen unfurled; another was still holding a piece of toast.

Seeing the jaws drop around her, Ziye felt a blush creep up her neck. She pushed An Junlie away and quietly walked toward the small pantry area in the back. Heavens, this is too embarrassing!

An Junlie rubbed the top of her head, smoothing down the stray hairs that had been mussed while she slept. He chuckled softly. "Don't worry. Jiushou went to rest. I'll cover your shift."

Ziye, her face flushed, hid in the pantry to compose herself.

An Junlie had finally arrived. She felt like she had found an unshakeable pillar of support; she felt not only secure but also sweet warmth bubbling up inside her.

An Junlie had broken his promise to visit her after three days, but he had come for her nonetheless—that alone was enough for her!

-RS