14: Chapter 14 Return Voyage

"I smell like sweat, at least let me take a shower first..."

"Hmph..."

The arms wrapped around his neck tightened their hold...

Li Ming had no choice but to take a few steps back and sit on the steps, looking at the three girls surrounding him. For some reason, they all looked... more or less shy and expectant.

Laffey clung to him, refusing to let go, and Fujian had disappeared to who-knows-where. It seemed he could only rely on himself for now.

When he wasn't acting out or having a specific trigger open his chatterbox, Li Ming was a silent fellow. Facing such a completely unfamiliar scene, he had almost lost the ability to speak.

"Um... er... everyone, long time no see?" Li Ming spoke tentatively.

Laffey seemed to hug him even tighter.

Z23 looked at the flustered Commander. After a moment of doubt, she immediately dismissed her thoughts. A Ship Girl could never mistake her Commander, never.

"Commander... you can't keep playing favorites with Laffey-chan!" Javelin reached out, making a gesture for a hug.

"Javelin... is very brave, I say..." Lanshan said expressionlessly while watching Doubling Lin ask the Commander for a hug.

Though her attitude was more along the lines of "I want one too"...

Li Ming, who had not yet unlocked the ability to read people's hearts, couldn't sense her meaning. However, he was already struggling to handle the offensive from Laffey and Javelin. In desperation, he could only look toward the always reliable Z23.

Then he was pushed back by a gaze full of resentment.

Looking at their travel-worn appearance and damaged clothes, they must have suffered a lot along the way.

Most importantly, they were calling him Commander.

Even though he had been prepared, he was still at a loss when actually facing all this.

Struggling to steady himself and suppress his unease and awkwardness, Li Ming tried his best to act normal.

He stood up, supporting Laffey.

"How about this, you guys look tired. Follow me into the cabin, I'll take you to the changing room. There's a bathroom right next to it. Take a shower and get some good rest..."

Li Ming looked at the three of them and then took Javelin's outstretched hand—Li Ming would never have dared to do this before. Perhaps it was because he had been on the island alone for too long, or because he had lived with Fujian for a month (which included plenty of physical contact during training), but Li Ming ultimately did it quite naturally.

Carrying one and leading another, with two following behind, they walked into the cabin. Li Ming called over a Logistics Manjuu to get some clothes and towels from the ship's warehouse, then sent the four of them into the bathroom, rejecting Laffey's request for a bath together.

He had been conservative for eighteen years; he couldn't handle such passion.

After hearing the sound of water, Li Ming saw the Yellow Chicken appear with the clothes and towels, then turned and went to the Bridge.

His mind was full of damage reports and the wretched state of The Big Three.

Fujian might be right; danger was approaching. If even he had trouble fighting the Sirens, then what the Sirens had to face...

Climbing onto the Bridge, Fujian was waiting for his return.

"Commander, are they settled?"

"I sent them to take a shower." Li Ming replied with his head down, "Are we heading back now?"

"Yes, it's time to return." Fujian turned her head toward the window, "Do you have any thoughts, Commander?"

"What thoughts could I have..." Li Ming sighed silently, "Or rather, what thoughts should I have?"

He looked at this young yet very mature-looking lady.

She sat in the chair, legs together, facing him and looking him straight in the eye.

"I mean, about them..." Fujian continued, observing his expression, "How do you see them?"

"Since I've already agreed to your decision to act as Commander, I will naturally fulfill my duties." Li Ming still replied formulaically, like a mindless transponder.

Fujian's intuition was sharp, but she couldn't find where the problem lay. Everything was very logical, and the Commander's answer fit normal understanding...

So where did this sense of dissonance come from?

Fujian couldn't figure it out. The Commander was far from the confident and talkative person in her memory, yet the words he spoke were exactly the same.

It must be my own feeling that's wrong, Fujian thought to herself; she couldn't see any problem.

"Good work, Commander." After thinking for a bit, she brought out the words the Commander used to say to her often.

"Yeah, you too." Li Ming didn't have the heart to think about these things and simply issued the return command based on what he had learned.

They looked at each other in silence until Fujian's stomach let out an ungraceful cry of hunger.

Facing Li Ming's half-broken, indescribable expression, the 'Dull Atmosphere Destroyer Maiden' instantly turned red from her neck to her ears.

Li Ming glanced at the time; it was ten in the morning.

Well, they had been hungry since morning.

I guess I have to make portions for six today... Li Ming thought, stuffing the textbook he had just taken out back in, then turning to leave the Bridge for the kitchen.

It was probably too late to prep the ingredients in advance; it would have to be noodles for lunch today.

As he was thinking this, Li Ming turned around to see a rabbit-alien wearing an oversized shirt pouncing toward him.

"Whoa!" Li Ming was startled and finally broke his composure. His body, trained for three months, subconsciously made a counter-move, but luckily he reacted in the next instant, changing his punch to an open palm to catch the impact.

"Ow, ow, ow..." Li Ming took two steps back. Laffey took the opportunity to swing her legs, kicking her slippers to the floor, and then refused to come down.

"Laffey, so bold..." Lanshan followed from behind.

"You're done washing?" Li Ming looked at Lanshan, "Where are the other two?"

"The First Mate took them... to clean the cabin." Lanshan replied, "Commander... what are you doing?"

"Preparing lunch. There's no time to prep dishes today, are noodles okay?"

"Okay..."

"How about you, Laffey?"

"Hmph hmph..."

Li Ming tilted his head.

"Laffey... says okay." Lanshan indeed knew her best friend and immediately understood what she meant.

"That's good then..."

Seeing that Laffey wouldn't come down, Li Ming had no choice but to carry her into the kitchen. Thanks to several months of training, after Laffey adjusted her posture to free up Li Ming's hands, he could still work effortlessly.

"Lanshan, can you help me crack some eggs? ...Eight should do."

"Okay..."

Lanshan was efficient; she took the eggs out of the fridge and started working.

Li Ming took out a large pot; this was his first time cooking a large batch of food.

I hope I don't mess this up, Li Ming thought. Then he took out another wok to prepare a few side dishes.

Laffey buried her head in Li Ming's neck, greedily inhaling the scent on his body.

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