At sea.
After the great battle ended.
The exhausted Little White Tiger and Old Ninth stood on deck, watching Kou Island recede into the distance.
They were filled with emotion.
They had come so close to never making it back.
If White Garment hadn't intervened, if the Seventh Fleet hadn't arrived in force, they might not have returned alive.
At that moment, both men had deeply mixed feelings.
They had seen their own shortcomings.
"How are you doing?"
Ji Min and Xiao Yuan walked up from behind.
Xiao Yuan had just showered and changed into comfortable clothes, carrying a fresh fragrance.
She came forward, slipped her arm around Little White Tiger's, and naturally rested her head against him.
After this battle, they had found true affection through adversity and made their relationship official.
"Oh, look who's here. Mr. Bystander?"
Ji Min's expression shifted slightly.
How could he miss the mockery in Old Ninth's words?
"My people fought hard defending the city gates the whole time. You were the ones who didn't get there in time, all right?"
Ji Min pursed his lips, feeling wronged.
He had given Little White Tiger his full support this time, calling in almost everyone he could personally mobilize.
The four stood in a row, gazing out at the sea.
Three men and one woman, a group brimming with boundless possibilities, had come together without realizing it.
The sea breeze blew against their faces, carrying a briny smell.
Xiao Yuan tucked the dark hair beside her ear back and was the first to get down to business.
"You saw your weaknesses this time... didn't you?"
Uncharacteristically serious, Xiao Yuan fixed her stunning face on Little White Tiger, studying him intently.
From the very beginning, this woman had been making plans for Little White Tiger.
Now that