As soon as Zhan Zeyi finished speaking, Tang Xiuyuan stepped forward, ignoring the crumbs of peach shortbread on his lips, and stood protectively in front of Tang Qiyue.
"Who are you trying to scare? My sister can do whatever she wants!"
Instead of feeling touched, Tang Qiyue slapped the back of his head.
"Eat properly!"
She couldn't bear to watch him act like that. He was testing her patience.
Tang Xiuyuan clutched his head, looking wronged.
"I'm protecting you!"
Tang Qiyue sighed.
"…He's your brother-in-law."
Only then did it sink in.
His sister was married now. Things were different.
"That's just an act!"
The moment those words came out, he received a warning look from Tang Qiyue and a mocking smile from Zhan Zeyi.
Only then did he glance at Bai Xu for help.
Bai Xu rubbed his forehead.
"He's still young and doesn't think before speaking. Please don't take it seriously."
Zhan Zeyi clicked his tongue.
"Young? Wasn't he born the same day as my wife?"
Tang Qiyue rubbed her nose, then pushed Tang Xiuyuan toward Bai Xu.
"It's getting late. Take him back to rest. We should head back too."
Bai Xu nodded but still added with concern,
"If anything troubles you, come find us. We'll protect you—even if it costs us our lives."
Tang Qiyue acknowledged it, then looked at Tang Xiuyuan, who was still reluctant to leave.
"I'll cook something good for you tomorrow. But if you make trouble again, I won't bring anything."
Tang Xiuyuan immediately smiled.
"Thank you, Sister!"
She waved him off, urging him to go.
Watching the siblings part, Zhan Zeyi felt slightly annoyed.
"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have been able to come in."
Tang Qiyue turned to him with a smile.
"Aren't you his brother-in-law? Can't you take care of him?"
That smile caught him off guard. Without thinking, he nodded.
The moment he realized it, his expression stiffened.
He had just been swayed by a smile—his own wife's.
Meanwhile, Bai Xu dragged Tang Xiuyuan away.
Zhan Zeyi strode ahead, forcing Tang Qiyue to hurry to keep up.
"What's wrong? Don't you accept him as your brother-in-law?"
After acknowledging the guards and leading her out, Zhan Zeyi finally replied,
"If I didn't, would you cry?"
Tang Qiyue clenched her fists and forced a smile.
"I wouldn't cry. But I might feel like hitting something."
Zhan Zeyi: …
He immediately remembered being thrown earlier.
That was enough.
"Give me a kiss, and I'll agree."
Between pride and benefit, he chose benefit.
He had only meant to tease—but unexpectedly, Tang Qiyue grabbed his arm, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek.
"I knew you were the best."
Just a few words, and his grin stretched wide.
Tang Qiyue looked away, not wanting to see it.
She knew her appearance could be used to her advantage—but she hadn't expected it to work this well on him.
The two walked away together, unaware of the eyes watching from a distant watchtower.
"I can't watch this."
Hu Peng muttered, nudging Chen Dazhuang beside him.
Both of them had been kicked out of their homes by their wives for different reasons. Not wanting to return to the crowded dormitory, they had taken over guard duty instead, enjoying the sea breeze.
They hadn't expected to witness such a scene.
They only glanced once—Zhan Zeyi's awareness was too sharp to risk more.
But that one glance was enough.
Tang Qiyue tiptoeing to kiss him.
And that foolish, satisfied grin.
Already irritated, they felt even worse.
"We're all married. Why are wives so different?"
Hu Peng took out a cigarette, holding it in his mouth without lighting it.
Chen Dazhuang sighed.
"Isn't it obvious? We're all men, but the difference is huge. If Zhan hadn't led the team this time, would we even have made it back alive?"
Both fell silent, thinking about the recent mission.
What should have been a routine patrol turned dangerous. The enemy had deliberately provoked them, testing their limits again and again.
The gap in strength was too great.
Even with determination, they couldn't intimidate the enemy. In the end, their ship was forced onto an uncharted island.
If not for Zhan Zeyi…
Going into the sea alone.
Setting up torpedoes.
Carrying a rocket launcher to break through enemy ships.
Then detonating everything to drive them away.
It sounded simple—but with outdated weapons and overwhelming disadvantage, survival itself had been a miracle.
Zhan Zeyi never spoke of it.
But those who were there knew.
Back on shore, when command tried to keep him, he simply used the excuse of escorting technicians to leave.
For Hu Peng and the others, there was no jealousy—only admiration.
If they were considered elite soldiers, then Zhan Zeyi was something beyond that.
Back at home, Tang Qiyue checked the sea cucumbers and conches to see if they had been cleaned properly.
Sea cucumbers were usually braised, but given the limited conditions, she decided to stir-fry them with chili instead. Tang Xiuyuan liked spicy food, so she could bring some to him and Bai Xu.
As for the conch, steaming it would be enough.
Simple and effective.
But that wasn't all she had in mind.
She remembered how people in fishing villages made shrimp paste. Buying some to make chili sauce would go well with rice.
With her plans set, she washed up and returned to the room.
Zhan Zeyi was sitting under the oil lamp, holding the cookbook she had left behind.
The sight looked oddly mismatched—his large frame paired with such a delicate book.
"Not sleepy?"
After hanging up her coat, Tang Qiyue climbed into bed.
Before she could settle, she was pulled into his arms.
The book had already been set aside.
Under the dim light, his gaze was fixed on her.
"Didn't I say before I left… I'd take good care of you when I got back?"