Jingliu's eyes were unfocused, and her body instinctively tensed up.
After countless battles, combat had long become muscle memory. At this moment, she had to do everything she could to suppress the urge to break free from the restraints.
With difficulty, Jingliu forced herself to think carefully.
Another word game.
Zero had only said she could tell him to stop. He never said he would actually listen.
———
The facts proved that this time... Zero really wasn't playing a word game.
Jingliu turned her head to look at her lover.
He was wearing a bathrobe, his hair untied, the ends still slightly damp. At the moment, he was focused on scrolling through a food delivery app.
Jingliu wrapped an arm around Zero's and recalled what had happened.
Zero really did... keep his promises.
Compared to himself, he cared more about Jingliu's feelings.
He would look at his lover gently.
His actions were equally gentle.
When kissing her, he would softly speak words of praise.
He kept praising her until Jingliu's face grew hot and her gaze started to avoid his.
When she tried to hide her expression, Zero unexpectedly showed the firm attitude unique to someone in a position of authority.
As if realizing he had been too forceful, Zero would then softly add the form of address Jingliu liked most.
It felt as though Jingliu had once again been made dizzy by the steam in the bathroom, and her face gradually turned red.
He was really... too much.
She lowered her head, deliberately holding back her strength, and bit down, refusing to let go.
Zero automatically ignored the painless nibbling on his arm and calmly handed the jade abacus terminal to Jingliu.
"Take a look and order a few more dishes."
Jingliu took it. Seeing that there was already enough food for two people, she instantly remembered the drinking snacks Zero had packed for her yesterday.
She handed the terminal back.
"...This is enough. It's already too much."
Zero was puzzled.
"Hm? Is it enough? Don't you want some dessert too?"
Jingliu finally lost patience and lowered her head to bite him again.
"Do you have some misunderstanding about how much I eat?"
Zero tilted his head and smiled.
"We've eaten together plenty of times."
"You and Baiheng even said you had a second stomach."
"Besides snacks, you couldn't eat anything else."
Jingliu, "..."
Expressionless, she pressed her lips against Zero's shoulder, leaving another bite mark before resting her chin on his shoulder.
Zero laughed and switched to the dessert section, adding two desserts.
Jingliu happened to see it.
"...Don't order them. I can't finish them."
Zero lowered his head and paid directly.
"Mm, okay. I'll eat them myself."
He raised a hand and helped arrange the hair of the person beside him.
Jingliu really liked his military dress uniform.
Liked it so much that... she had even used something from the Ten-Lords Commission.
Zero pulled back his thoughts and softly asked, "On the wedding day, should I wear that uniform?"
Jingliu rolled over and wrapped her arms around Zero, burying her face against his neck and shoulder.
She gently rubbed against the hollow of his neck.
"Okay."
Zero casually placed the jade abacus terminal beside the pillow and wrapped his arms around her waist.
He slightly tilted his head and rested his chin on top of her hair.
"After we eat, go try on the dress."
Jingliu raised her head and pulled back slightly.
Looking directly into Zero's eyes, she immediately rejected the suggestion.
"No need."
Her gaze shifted and landed on the military dress uniform by the bedside.
She stared at the shoulder insignia that represented her lover's identity.
"Same as you."
'I don't need your protection.'
'I am the Sword Champion with countless achievements and unmatched swordsmanship.'
"I choose the military dress uniform."
'I can walk forward at your side.'
'You and I are the most suitable match.'
Following Jingliu's gaze, Zero immediately understood.
He cupped his lover's face, their foreheads touching, their noses brushing together.
"Sword Champion, may I ask..."
"May I pin your medals on for you?"
Jingliu laughed softly and wrapped her arms around Zero's neck.
"Of course."
She kissed him and once again pulled open his collar.
———
Jingliu changed into a fresh bathrobe and stood before the mirror.
Thanks to the special physique of a long-life species, the marks on her neck had already faded by half.
She walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel as she headed downstairs.
Jingliu couldn't help thinking.
At the beginning, Zero would still get shy. The tips of his ears would turn red.
Now he looked completely calm and composed.
How could she get more reactions out of Zero?
Jingliu arrived at the main dining room on the first floor. After meeting her gaze, Zero finally started opening the takeout packaging.
"This restaurant's packaging is pretty good. The food is still hot."
As Zero opened the containers, the jade abacus terminal beside him started vibrating.
He checked it. It was a message from Zandar.
[Zandar: ?]
[Zandar: It's almost six o'clock. I asked the butler, and he said you still haven't come back.]
Zero looked at the time displayed in the upper-left corner.
'People always say to round up...'
'It isn't even four o'clock yet...'
'Zandar, so Eric learned his rounding method from you?'
[Zandar shared a document with you]
The entire chat page was filled with more than a dozen documents shared by Zandar.
[Zandar: I want to see your report within 24 system hours at the latest.]
Zero, "..."
When he saw Zandar guarding against him so carefully before, he had only felt helpless.
At the time, he believed he wasn't the sort of shameless man who crossed boundaries before marriage.
Now...
Zero silently switched the terminal to silent mode and then looked up at the various outfits hanging in the reception hall.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Jingliu, maybe you should try them on after all?"
Marriage was a major life event, not something to take lightly.
Daiyang and the others had prepared all kinds of outfits. There were Xianzhou-style wedding robes, white satin wedding gowns, elaborate beaded dresses...
There were many different styles, and most of them were priceless treasures that belonged in museums.
Compared to those dresses, the military dress uniform seemed a bit too simple.
Even if Jingliu had already decided not to wear them, she should at least try them on.
The two of them would only get married once. Zero didn't want his lover to have any regrets.
After thinking for a moment, Jingliu agreed.
She had seen Zero in uniform before. It was only fair to return the favor, wasn't it?
Maybe she wouldn't remain as composed as before?
After eating, the two went to the reception hall.
Jingliu understood Zero's preferences, so she skipped over the more revealing dresses and chose a Xianzhou wedding robe.
She knew nothing about fabrics or embroidery. She could only tell that golden dragons and phoenixes had been embroidered on it with gold thread.
Only when she walked could the hidden patterns on the hem be faintly seen.
Jingliu stepped out of the dressing room and met Zero's gaze.
His expression shifted slightly. He took her hand and led her to the dressing table.
Staring at her features, he softly said, "In ancient times, people would draw their wives' eyebrows."
"I probably can't do that."
"It feels too difficult..."
"Putting on lipstick seems easier."
Jingliu cooperatively raised her chin.
Holding a lipstick, he leaned closer. His expression was focused as he stared at her lips. One moment he used the lipstick, the next he picked up a cotton swab and copied the movements of a professional.
After quite a while, Zero finally lowered his hand and spoke confidently, "Take a look."
"Does it look good?"
Jingliu turned toward the mirror and nearly laughed.
"Come here."
She beckoned to Zero, signaling for him to lean closer.
Half a minute later, Jingliu looked into the mirror again and raised a finger to wipe away the lipstick that had smeared at the corner of her mouth during the kiss.
Then her gaze shifted.
Her eyes repeatedly wandered over the lip marks she had left.
From his cheek, to his lips, then his neck, and finally his chest.
Jingliu met Zero's eyes in the mirror.
Seeing her lover's dazed expression, she slightly curved her lips and answered the earlier question, "Mm, it looks very good."
At the same time, Guanliang and Hua finally settled on the final plan.
Since Zero didn't want to reveal his identity, they had no choice but to find another way and preserve as much of the real history as possible.
Now they only needed Zero's approval.
Guanliang sent the document to Zero.
The two looked at each other, both wearing confused expressions.
It felt like they had forgotten something.
Guanliang, "..."
'Oh no!'
'The Reignbow Arbiter!'
He forgot the Aeon at the Alchemy Commission.
[🎉 Shoutout to Justin for joining p@treon. Thank you very much.🤗]