“Bang—!”

The flare burned out about one kilometer ahead of the lead ship, releasing a dull thud.

It signaled that the fleet had entered the atmosphere of the main planet.

In the Marshal’s office on the flagship behind the lead ship, everything was momentarily silent.

Yu Bai’s action had been too sudden.

Although Fu Linyuan’s brain reacted in time, for some reason, at the exact moment he raised his hand to block, a brief hesitation passed through him.

And it was precisely that tiny moment of hesitation that allowed Yu Bai to successfully push him down to the ground.

In fact, the moment the other moved, Fu Linyuan had thought his long-held suspicion was finally confirmed: this little mermaid’s previous meekness and innocence were all just an act, waiting for the right moment—either once he had healed or Fu Linyuan had lowered his guard—to reveal his sharp fangs.

…He really was strong.

The light above was almost entirely blocked out by the other’s slender frame, Fu Linyuan thought.

But the movements that followed proved that his brief hesitation might have been the correct instinct.

Yu Bai had pinned him down in an entirely protective posture: shielding him in that small space between himself and the sofa, his two icy hands covering Fu Linyuan’s ears; those same sea-blue ear fins were alert and standing upright, yet his eyes were tightly shut as if refusing to witness something.

He was squeezing his eyes so tightly his whole little face wrinkled up.

The little mermaid was trembling.

Like he had been frightened.

Though the trembling wasn’t severe, because the two of them were so close, Fu Linyuan could feel every subtle movement clearly.

Even each soft breath.

At that very moment, Yu Bai’s mind had essentially shut down.

The reason he’d acted like that was simple—he had mistaken the flare for a highly destructive photon cannon, and believing the ship was about to explode, had instinctively lunged to shield the person beside him.

“Bang—!”

He had also heard that muffled thud.

…But why wasn’t there any sound of the ship breaking apart afterward?

Or had he… already died? So he couldn’t hear anything anymore?

But the person beneath him was still warm, like a little furnace.

Even through the fabric, he could feel the other’s warm breath brushing against his collarbone.

Just as his thoughts started to spiral, a hand gently patted his back.

“…What’s wrong?”

He heard Fu Linyuan ask.

Because the other spoke, the warmth at his collarbone became more distinct.

I must be… still alive, right?

After freezing for another few seconds, Yu Bai belatedly realized—

He could even feel Fu Linyuan’s chest vibrating as he spoke.

…So there wasn’t an explosion?

Slowly opening his eyes, Yu Bai looked confused.

He clearly saw that photon cannon flying toward them—why hadn’t it exploded?

With that thought, Yu Bai cautiously lifted his head to glance around.

Everything in the office was just as it had been. Even the large window was still intact.

It was as if what he had just seen was all an illusion.

Because his ear fins had fully risen, the second disguise chip on his ear had silently fallen off, rolling into some unknown corner.

His long silver hair fell naturally with his movement, a few strands brushing gently across Fu Linyuan’s face, bringing with them a faint tickle.

The little mermaid looked all around but couldn’t find a single place that had been damaged.

His puzzled gaze wandered for a while before finally landing back on Fu Linyuan’s face.

Fu Linyuan’s disguise chip had also fallen off when he was pushed down.

So, in this moment, as their eyes met, what Yu Bai saw was no longer that generic, forgettable face Fu Linyuan had worn before.

Fu Linyuan was aware his disguise chip had fallen off.

The two of them were so close their noses almost touched, but in those deep ocean-like eyes of Yu Bai’s, there was only pure confusion—no trace of other emotion.

As if he had already known Fu Linyuan’s true appearance all along.

They remained frozen like that for a few more seconds, until finally, Fu Linyuan sat up first.

He moved, and the already-exhausted Yu Bai nearly lost his balance.

So the little mermaid’s hands instinctively slid down and landed on the man’s shoulders for support; his center of gravity shifted along with the other’s movement until…

He ended up sitting steadily on the man’s lap.

The two of them went from lying and leaning to sitting and facing each other.

The little mermaid didn’t seem to realize how suggestive this posture might appear.

He was still trying to figure out how such a massive photon cannon had just vanished.

…What exactly happened?

From Fu Linyuan’s perspective, Yu Bai’s upright posture looked very much like a student zoning out in class.

Just then, another dull “bang” came from outside.

Yu Bai turned to look and happened to catch the flare forming the shape of an arrow.

…What kind of strange new weapon is that?

Yu Bai was a little confused.

He looked at the transformed flare, then back at Fu Linyuan, and then turned again to glance in the direction the flare disappeared.

His vivid and ever-changing expressions made the usually stern Marshal unable to resist a fleeting upward twitch of his lips, a shallow trace of a smile appearing in his eyes.

Gently patting the stunned little mermaid in reassurance, Fu Linyuan asked, “Were you scared?”

Yu Bai snapped out of it and raised his hands to gesture.

First, he made fists with both hands, then held the left one still while the right came in from an upper angle.

The two met, then both fists opened and retreated rapidly.

To better convey his point, the little mermaid even added a sound effect.

“Pff—”

A soft and adorable puff of breath.

And Fu Linyuan understood what Yu Bai meant.

…So he mistook the flare for a bomb?

But just as he was about to explain, the door was suddenly knocked again.

“Report—!” The subordinate who had gone to get refreshments had returned, saluting stiffly at the door for the second time. “Marshal, your tea…”

He didn’t even finish the sentence. The moment he saw the scene inside the office, he froze like stone.

—From his perspective, it looked exactly like their superior had possessively wrapped one arm around the other’s waist; the two were so close it seemed like something unsuitable for an audience was about to happen any second.

Even though the little mermaid reacted quickly and buried his face into Fu Linyuan’s chest the moment the visitor knocked, his eye-catching silver hair had nowhere to hide—it was seen clearly by the man at the door.

Subordinate: …!

Before he could react, the Marshal’s icy gaze swept over.

Those pitch-black eyes were devoid of emotion—cold and sharp.

Subordinate: …!!

Yu Bai’s reason for lowering his head was actually very simple. He guessed that Fu Linyuan had given him the disguise device because his mermaid features were too distinct.

So it was necessary to hide his appearance in order to conceal his identity.

But the pure little mermaid had no idea just how colorful human imagination could be in such a brief moment.

His slender frame curled up in the man’s arms, nearly clinging to him. His faintly pink fingertips clutched the fabric on the man’s shoulder as if seeking safety—like a small, timid creature unwilling to lift its head in front of strangers.

The Marshal of the Empire hadn’t thought in that direction at all. He had only heard a noise, turned back, and said, “Just put it on the table.”

The subordinate, under that single glance, felt a chill from head to toe: …!!!

So this was why the Marshal had requested two sets of refreshments…

Wuwuwu, he didn’t mean to barge in and ruin a moment—how was he supposed to know the Marshal was… was…

Oblivious to the subtle shift in the subordinate’s emotions, Fu Linyuan patted the thin back again, lowered his gaze, and looked at the whorl on top of Yu Bai’s head. “It’s okay now.”

Yu Bai’s forehead had been resting against Fu Linyuan’s chest, and the heat radiating through the fabric was clear.

Even though he hadn’t done anything, the little mermaid felt like his face had become a little hot.

Hearing Fu Linyuan say everything was fine, he hesitated a moment before slowly lifting his head.

The soldier who brought the refreshments didn’t dare look toward the sofa.

He simply held the tray, walked stiffly to the desk, set the items down, turned around, and stiffly exited the room.

The entire time, he pretended not to see a thing—

As if by doing so, he could convince himself nothing had happened.

The scent of the refreshments soon filled the room.

The sweet aroma made Yu Bai instinctively swallow a little.

But remembering the misunderstanding he had just caused, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

Would Fu Linyuan think he tried to fight him?

…He couldn’t win right now anyway.

With that thought, the little mermaid’s gaze dropped guiltily, eventually landing on the nearby carpet.

He stared at the plain-colored rug as if, if he concentrated hard enough, a flower might bloom from it.

Although the little sea creature seemed to be spacing out while staring at the floor, Fu Linyuan keenly noticed a suspicious flush creeping up behind his ear.

Clearing his throat, he explained, “Flares aren’t dangerous.”

So that thing that didn’t explode is called a flare.

Yu Bai silently repeated the pronunciation of those three syllables a few times in his head.

Seeing that he seemed to understand, Fu Linyuan paused for a few seconds, then asked, “…Why did you try to save me?”

—Why did you try to save me?

For a moment, Yu Bai was dazed.

He had asked Fu Linyuan the exact same question in his past life.

The little mermaid still hadn’t fully understood the answer Fu Linyuan had given back then.

Seeing him silent and seemingly lost in thought again, Fu Linyuan guessed he probably hadn’t understood the second part of the question.

There was always a noticeable difference between the little mermaid when he had fully understood something and when he hadn’t.

If he understood, there would be a response in his eyes; if he didn’t, he would easily start zoning out.

“…Are you hungry?” Rubbing his brow, Fu Linyuan changed the question. “If you are, go eat something.”

The voice in his ear brought Yu Bai back to his senses.

He understood the words hungry and eat.

The little cakes on the table indeed smelled delicious, and after confirming once again that Fu Linyuan really hadn’t misunderstood and thought he wanted to fight, Yu Bai got up and darted over to the table, picking up a piece of cake.

The little mermaid’s dash toward the cake was quick and decisive, his attention seemingly now completely shifted away from the man who had been sitting on the floor for so long.

Fu Linyuan: …

He stood up, dusted off his clothes, and walked back to the desk, ready to finish up the last bit of paperwork.

Just as he sat down, another piece of cake was handed to his mouth.

“I don’t know—”

At the same time, the previously quiet office was suddenly filled with a voice that was clear and pleasant, like soft petals in spring or a cool breeze in summer, instantly bringing a sense of calm and joy to anyone who heard it.

The little mermaid held up the cake, repeating the words he had practiced in his mind for a long time, slowly and seriously, one word at a time:

“Just wanted to save you.”