Ziye, observing the Odor Alliance army struggling to break out of the encirclement from the command ship, finally let out a breath she’d been holding. To minimize casualties among her own fleet and personnel, she deployed swarms of drones and sentry cannons around the flanks of Odor's forces, waiting for them to break through.

An Junlie stood behind her, watching the chaos engulf the Odor allied forces. He stretched his arm, embraced her from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder, half-whining, half-confiding, "Little Sister, I've missed you so much."

Ziye's heart softened completely.

The commanding officer of the Angel Domain, a figure revered like a deity in the public eye, appeared before her like a child, revealing a side of his personality unseen by others. She felt profoundly touched.

Because An Junlie considered her something utterly special.

She turned around, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her head in his embrace. "When the war is over, we'll be together properly, okay?"

An Junlie was powerfully built; his shoulders were broad, but his waist wasn't thick. Through his dashing double-breasted military uniform, she could feel the lines of muscle beneath—lean, toned with abs, even the flesh around his waist felt coiled with latent strength.

Yes, holding him felt incredibly safe.

Ziye sighed contentedly and looked up, seeing An Junlie’s eyes filled with utter doting affection.

Ziye couldn't help but rub her cheek against his chest. Yes, just let me drown in this feeling a while longer.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when the silver communication line from the red-haired man pinged, shattering Ziye's notion of comfortably nestling into An Junlie's embrace like a spoiled pet. Ziye almost threw the communicator away. Damn that annoying red-head!

But she had to answer.

She answered with three parts grievance and seven parts irritation. The red-haired man immediately blurted out, "Little Brat, hope the Legion Commander is done for."

Ziye sprang up. "What?"

The red-haired man fell silent, sending a series of encrypted codes instead.

Ziye opened the light screen and attempted translation. A cold sweat instantly broke out.

An Junlie looked at the codes but didn't understand them at all. Sensing Ziye’s sudden shift in demeanor, he was about to ask something, but Ziye quickly stowed the screen and ran toward the room, slamming the door shut behind her with a snap.

An Junlie was left outside.

Tang Jing passed by and scoffed at the scene. "Oh? So you have moments like this too!"

An Junlie couldn't be bothered. Based on what the red-haired man had said, he guessed the matter was serious and likely involved the Hope Legion, but Ziye clearly didn't want him to know, which stung him slightly.

Did Ziye not trust him?

He hesitated for a moment, about to leave, when the door suddenly slid open. Ziye poked her head out, offered no explanation, simply grabbed his wrist, pulled him inside, and shut the door again.

An Junlie's recent slump instantly lifted. He thought Ziye was about to explain, but instead, she said nothing and immediately began sending coded messages to Old Dog.

This time, An Junlie composed himself. He asked nothing, sat down on the sofa, lifted her onto his lap, circled her waist with his arm, and watched quietly as she finished sending her messages.

After she was done, Ziye explained, "I sent Old Dog to investigate the clone of the Hope Legion Commander."

An Junlie pondered this. "Are you worried the Hope Legion will descend into chaos if their Commander passes away?"

Ziye shook her head. "No. The Hope Legion Commander in the Coray Hotel won't survive. If his clone is also destroyed, before the other Legions can carve up the Hope Legion, our Wolf’s Den will absorb it entirely!"

An Junlie nodded. "That’s not a bad idea. Rather than letting it fall into other hands, it’s better for it to become part of the Wolf’s Den. The Wolf's Den needs to expand; developing new star systems alone isn't enough."

Ziye understood this point perfectly.

The more new star systems they developed, the further out they ventured into remote areas, requiring massive manpower and capital to build infrastructure, making it difficult to attract investment.

The Hope Legion was a ready-made territory, complete with established infrastructure and thriving commercial zones. If it could become part of the Wolf’s Den, not only would the territory double, but their overall strength would increase significantly.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at An Junlie. "The Angel Domain won't try to seize it?"

An Junlie laughed heartily, rubbing her head. "Silly girl, if you want it, I'll conquer it and give it to you. The Angel Domain is vast; it doesn't need that little bit extra to shine brighter."

Ziye batted his hand away. "Really?"

An Junlie pinched her delicate cheek. "If you’re willing."

Ziye was momentarily confused. "Willing to what?"

An Junlie suddenly flipped over, pressing her down onto the sofa, his face so close their noses touched. "What do you think?"

Ziye puffed out her cheeks in mock displeasure. "Get up first and then talk!"

An Junlie did not comply. Instead, he exerted more pressure, pinning her down harder.

His body was all muscle, unlike Ziye’s softness, like tofu. When he pressed down, Ziye flattened against the sofa cushions, weakly tugging at his uniform. "Stop messing around!"

An Junlie leaned his upper body slightly forward, keeping her immobilized, his arm naturally reaching behind her to secure her waist. "I'm serious. If something truly happens to the Hope Legion Commander, you go ahead and take it over bravely. Whatever support you need, I'll provide."

Ziye struggled to sit up. "Let go of me first."

—Deliberately pinning her down while maintaining such a serious expression to discuss warfare—he was truly wicked!

Since parting ways in the Bicycle Star System, Ziye hadn't been this close to An Junlie. Now that they were so near, she could smell his distinctly masculine scent. Her heart pounded beautifully, and her face couldn't help but flush.

She stealthily tried to shift inwards, but her legs were pinned by his, leaving her unable to move.

An Junlie showed no sign of gentlemanly restraint, lowering his head to press a kiss to her lips. "I don't want to let go."

Ziye pushed his face away in protest. "You have 'Jun' (gentleman) in your name, yet you behave so un-gentlemanly!"

An Junlie was amused. He rubbed his nose against hers. "Tell me, do I need to maintain gentlemanly conduct in front of my own woman?"

Ziye, tickled by the rubbing, suddenly got mischievous and opened her mouth to gently nip his nose tip. However, a nose tip is hard to hold onto; fearing she might leave a mark, she didn't dare bite hard. An Junlie instantly turned the tables, seizing her lips and lightly licking across them.

His touch was feather-light and gentle, brushing across her mouth. Ziye’s heart skipped a beat, her mind went blank, and she forgot the important business she intended to discuss.

She involuntarily closed her eyes, wrapping her hands around his lean waist, savoring his unique scent, and silently crying out in her heart: An Junlie, I've missed you so much!

-RS