28: Chapter 28 Back Mountain

After the Four Little Ones arrived, Li Ming replanned his base.

The original industrial base was moved outside the bay, with only the port and docks remaining on the inner side, while more industrial and mining equipment was transferred toward the Industrial Zone.

Within the residential area, there were only the Airbase and Radar Station, which also served for potential travel activities.

The radar system from the Soviet Union could monitor a very large surrounding area, with the added function of eavesdropping on most radio frequencies nearby.

As for why Li Ming came here today, it was simply because he wanted to spend time with Z23.

Finding a reason for everything he did was Li Ming's way of avoiding his emotional barriers.

Aside from Hu Jian, who insisted on training and assisting Li Ming with his studies every day while also handling the overall planning, Z23 was the busiest.

She took the initiative to help Li Ming, ensuring he wouldn't be distracted by other matters.

Daily meals, cleaning, and helping him study when Fujian was unavailable.

Li Ming didn't like studying, but he didn't dislike her.

This bit of exhaustion might be nothing to a Ship Girl, but Li Ming, who tended to project his own feelings onto others, chose to take her out for a walk while they were free.

Starting from the Radar Station, they entered the mountain forests of the island.

This area had undergone preliminary development by Li Ming in his spare time and subsequently became the site for his daily warm-up training.

However, Li Ming never lingered; after all, someone was always waiting for him, and he usually wouldn't stop during training.

But today was a day off; occasionally, Fujian would give Li Ming a break.

He wasn't a soldier, at least not yet—this was the consensus reached by the Ship Girls.

"Commander?"

Z23 was still in her slim-fitting, formal attire, but she appeared to be wearing light makeup—something Li Ming had never experienced before.

"Shall we take a walk together? Just on the back mountain."

"Okay!"

After a moment of hesitation, Li Ming took her hand, which she had proactively reached out.

On typical days, Li Ming would always take two steps at a time, sprinting up the stairs as part of his training—just as he used to go upstairs in the past.

But today, he chose to climb up step by step properly. After all, he was holding a girl's hand; how could he rush up like a whirlwind?

He also hoped to find more topics to talk about.

But it seemed... no matter what he wanted to say, the words got stuck in his throat the moment they reached his lips, and he couldn't utter a thing.

It was always this old problem, Li Ming cursed inwardly; he could never say anything when it mattered most.

Fortunately, she saw through his embarrassment and took the lead in guiding him forward.

She was a content and good girl; his intention alone was enough for her, and she didn't want to make things difficult for him.

In a truly intimate relationship, sweet talk is never the most important thing.

Li Ming felt a bit embarrassed. The enthusiastic Javelin, the calm Ayanami, the lazy Laffey.

And then there was her—professional and dutiful. She was so excellent, a girl who perfectly matched the ideal image his parents often spoke of.

Fujian always told him not to worry about whether he was "worthy" or not; the fact that they were his Ship Girls would never change.

Yet Li Ming still chose to be humble and conservative; he felt he shouldn't indulge himself by relying on their trust in him.

He walked forward behind her with his head down.

Honestly, the scenery in this forest was quite nice; there were no mosquitoes or insects here in spring, and the view was pleasant.

But Li Ming's mind was not on the scenery.

"Commander?"

"Hmm?" Li Ming snapped out of it, only to find her looking back at him.

"Commander, you can't keep spacing out when you're with a girl!"

She was still lecturing him in her usual serious manner.

She cared about him so much that she even worried about whether he would run into trouble when interacting with other girls.

What a... good girl.

"Commander?" Blushing slightly under Li Ming's intense gaze, Z23 looked away, breaking eye contact. "Don't just keep staring at me without saying anything..."

"Ahaha, my bad..."

"It's not really that!" Z23 had heard him take the blame for trivial matters countless times over the past few months.

As the two continued forward, Z23 felt his gaze on her back, and her cheeks turned even redder.

Her Commander possessed the moral integrity often spoken of by Ark Royal—acting out of affection but stopping at propriety.

He was in near-constant close contact with Hu Jian every day, yet he always maintained basic restraint; most of the time, it was Miss Hu Jian who was proactive while he was the passive recipient.

As an observer, Z23 could feel that Li Ming had things hidden in his heart, and he felt similarly toward her and the other Ship Girls. Laffey, as his Starter Ship, had been persistent about sleeping in the same bed as him, but things never went any further.

Even though he had confessed his origins, identity, and the relationship between them to everyone, and even though they had clearly stated they didn't mind, he still remained the same... or rather, he didn't dare to cross the line.

"Um, Z23?"

"What is it, Commander?"

This was the first time Li Ming had spoken up since they started climbing the slope.

"I've troubled you quite a bit lately."

"It's no trouble, Commander," she replied naturally. "Your business is our business."

She turned around again.

"Commander, no matter what happens, no matter what goes wrong, we will always be your Ship Girls, and..."

She paused, then let go of his hand and stepped forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Commander, you always like to fake a smile! If you're unhappy, you should say so!" she complained. "Commander can clearly feel everyone's feelings, right? Why do you keep avoiding us?"

"Clearly, as long as you nod and agree, we're willing to do anything!"

After a moment of silence, Z23 calmed down; she seemed to have been a bit too eager.

"Sorry... um..." Li Ming hesitated. "Shall we keep walking?"

"Okay..."

They continued walking. This time, Li Ming took the initiative to hold her hand.

"Z23, some things... now isn't the time." Li Ming paused. "I mean, give me a little more time. I'm not ready yet..."

"Alright, I promise you, Commander." Z23 was behind him, so he couldn't see her face. "But Commander, don't always look so gloomy... You're clearly very unhappy every day, yet you still have to pretend to be happy..."

No, I'm just afraid of being unable to fulfill my responsibilities...

Li Ming thought to himself; he still needed time to become stronger...

Z23's face leaned in close, completely interrupting Li Ming's train of thought.

Afterward, he continued to enjoy this moment of beauty.

...

...