The ten o'clock curfew falls through: Chisa's compromise

"Arrive."

The adjutant turned around from the passenger seat and gave a reminder, just as the car came to a stop.

Zhou Yu lifted the bag of snacks in Dania's arms to prevent her from crushing the jelly when she bent over. The car door slid open, and the evening breeze from Jinzhou City rushed in, carrying the dampness of the cobblestone streets after the rain.

When they got out of the car, there were already people waiting in front of the vermilion gate.

A gilded plaque hangs above the door, bearing the four characters "Climbing Flower Inn". Lanterns hang on both sides, their light falling on the bluestone steps, where water stains have not yet dried.

This place doesn't look like a temporary stop prepared for a team whose priority is "hot pot over military intelligence."

The adjutant first whispered a few words to the shopkeeper, then turned and saluted the crowd.

"The general has ordered that Clear Radiance Courtyard be reserved for all our distinguished guests. It's a secluded courtyard, where you'll be undisturbed. Hot water, late-night snacks, and changes of clothes are all prepared."

When he mentioned "late-night snacks," he didn't even glance at the bag of snacks in Dania's hand.

Zhou Yu patted him on the shoulder, her tone almost like she was handing him an award.

"Please thank General Jiyan for me. Tell him he deserves the credit for tonight's hotpot meal. If he ever comes to the Flamebearers' Academy again, I'll give him special treatment."

The adjutant didn't understand what kind of treatment "logistics green channel" meant, but he still stood at attention and nodded.

I will convey this to the general.

Clear Radiance Courtyard has artificial hills and ponds, and a row of lanterns hangs under the eaves. There is also a hot spring in the corner of the courtyard, with white steam rising from the surface.

Linnai put her luggage down at the lobby entrance and started flipping through the bath salts.

"This place is great! Soaking in the hot springs and then having a late-night snack, the people of Jinzhou really know how to live well."

Aimis, holding the megaphone, looked around.

"This courtyard is perfect for filming a music video. We can push the camera in from under the eaves and then give the hot spring an empty shot."

Chisaki stood at the door holding a tablet and tapped her fingers twice.

"The facilities at the high-end inn in Jinzhou exceeded expectations by 32%. The price also exceeded budget by 10%..."

Sigelica saw the price list and almost choked on her breath.

"Stop reading! If you keep reading, I won't be able to sleep tonight!"

Chisa stood in the middle of the courtyard, the bells at her waist jingling softly in the wind. She gripped the hilt of her sword, and her words were immediately measured and proper.

"According to the rules, after 10 PM..."

Sigelica and Linnai flanked her from both sides, moving very quickly.

The two men had serious expressions, as if they were about to hold a tactical meeting.

Sigelica lowered her voice.

"Chisa, we in Huanglong have an old saying: 'It's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage.'"

Linnai immediately took over.

"Although they are not married yet, the rules can be applied in advance."

Sigelica nodded.

"And Dania is a light sleeper."

She paused for half a second, then added.

"It's mainly about recognizing people. Without Zhou Yu around, she'll have nightmares. You don't want the whole yard to hear her yelling about being hungry in the middle of the night, do you?"

Linnai nodded enthusiastically beside her.

"Seriously, Dania is terrifying when she wakes up hungry. She'll sit up and recite the menu."

Chisa looked at the two of them, her hand still on the hilt of her sword, and remained silent for a long time.

She could tell that most of what he said was fallacy.

But Dania is not easily fooled.

Dania ran out of the house at that moment, grabbed Zhou Yu's arm, and hung on it.

She tilted her head back, her voice soft.

"Sister Chisa, I can't fall asleep without Xiao Yu telling me bedtime stories."

The courtyard was silent for two seconds.

Chisa looked down at her, and then remembered the bowl of plain noodles before dinner, the chicken leg handed to her in the wilderness, and the bottle of orange soda.

These things aren't big, but they certainly sound much better than those "must be sacrificed" statements.

She loosened her grip on the hilt of the knife.

"Tonight only."

Chisa turned and walked towards the courtyard gate.

"I'm in charge of security in the courtyard. If there's any unusual activity, I'll draw my knife first."

Linnai and Sigelica cheered in hushed tones and gave each other a high five.

"Take it down!"

First clear of a high-difficulty dungeon!

Zhou Yu chuckled and rubbed Dania, who was still clinging to him.

"Alright, stop overacting. If you keep acting Chisa, I'll really draw my sword and raid your room."

Dania blinked, looking completely innocent.

The master bedroom door closed with a click.

As soon as Zhou Yu put the canvas bag on the table, he realized that the weight on his arm hadn't eased.

Dania clung to his neck, taking a half-step forward. Zhou Yu lost his balance and was dragged down onto the bed by her.

The mattress was very soft, and the two of them sank into it.

Just as Zhou Yu was about to sit up, Dania was already lying on top of him, her pink hair falling onto his shoulder. She lowered her head to sniff it, then raised her face and stared at him.

"Xiao Yu."

She kept her voice low.

"It's been so long since we slept together."

Zhou Yu was just calculating the hotpot queue time, the inn deposit, and the route for tomorrow's breakfast when a line of red text popped up in her mind. "The current scenario is beyond the scope of the logistics supervisor's handling. Please contact the legal department."

Dania didn't give him any time to adjust.

She lowered her head and nuzzled against his shoulder and neck, then spoke very earnestly.

I want you to sleep with me now.

Zhou Yu froze.

All the usual expense reimbursement scripts, schedules, and anti-internal friction procedures suddenly went offline.

Only a few lines of large text flashed through his mind.

"Regulations on the Safety Management of Student Dormitories of the Flamebearers' Academy"

"Dania's Healthy Eating and Rest Management Regulations"

Article 7 of Chapter 3: High-calorie snacks are prohibited three hours before bedtime. Exceptions require approval from the zookeeper.

Zhou Yu immediately raised his hands, assuming a surrender posture.

"Wait, wait a minute."

He spoke with difficulty.

"First, define the specific methods of 'co-sleeping.' Is it telling stories, patting your back, covering you with a blanket, or have you learned some strange terms from Linnai?"

Dania was taken aback.

She extended a finger and pressed it against his lips.

"It's the kind of thing Xiao Yu used to use to lull me to sleep."

She spoke very frankly and even added her own detailed explanation.

"You tell me a story, I'll hold you, and you're not allowed to sneak away after you fall asleep."

Zhou Yu finally managed to exhale half of the breath he had been holding in.

Linnai and Sigelica's suppressed laughter came from outside the door, but it was quickly silenced by Chisa's word to "be quiet."

Looking at Dania lying on top of him, Zhou Yu admitted for the first time that some battlefields were indeed not suitable for being solved by cheats.

He reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Okay, I'll tell you a story."

Dania immediately buried her face in his shoulder and tightened her arms around him.

"And pat their backs too."

"Can."

"I also want to eat crab roe buns tomorrow morning."

"That depends on whether the store is open or not."

"I want two."

"One and a half. The other half depends on whether you ate a midnight snack last night."

Dania was silent for two seconds.

"Then I won't sneak any food now."

Zhou Yu sighed.

"That's called delayed crime."

Dania pretended not to hear, had already closed her eyes, and was still clutching the hem of his clothes.

Zhou Yu reached out and pulled the blanket over her, then dimmed the bedside lamp.

He thought for a long time before finally speaking.

"Once upon a time, there was a logistics manager who took a very big-eater girl to Jinzhou for hot pot."

Dania closed her eyes and corrected her softly.

Six portions of tripe, please.

"Okay, six portions of tripe."

"And shrimp paste."

"And shrimp paste."

"And orange soda too."

No soda before bed.

Dania snorted and snuggled closer to him.

Outside the courtyard, a bell rang once, then quickly stopped.

Zhou Yu patted her back, his voice low.

"Then they checked into a very expensive inn. So expensive that Sigelica almost filed for workers' compensation on the spot after glancing at the price list."

Sigelica's suppressed anger came from outside the door.

"Zhou Yu! I heard you!"

Dania hugged him, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Zhou Yu smiled and continued speaking.

"But it's alright, the bill will be handled by the special fund. As long as breakfast is on time tomorrow, the world will keep turning."

Dania gave a vague reply.

Before long, her breathing slowed down, and her grip on the hem of her clothes loosened a little.

Zhou Yu glanced down and reached out to brush the hair from her forehead.

Goodnight, Dania.

Dania closed her eyes and spoke very softly.

"Xiao Yu, don't work overtime tomorrow."

Zhou Yu paused for half a second.

"Don't worry, anyone who dares to make me work overtime, I'll make them write three separate process descriptions."

Linnai, standing outside the door, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Chisa's voice followed.

"If you laugh again, go stand guard at the gate."

The courtyard quickly quieted down.

Zhou Yu leaned against the headboard, her hand still resting on Dania's back. The canvas bag on the table wasn't zipped up properly, revealing half a bag of potato chips and an unopened bottle of orange soda.

He glanced at it, then withdrew his hand.

Never mind, I'll check the inventory tomorrow morning.