19: Gu Zhixia's lunch

The two quietly exited Gu Nianqiu's room, gently closing her door.

In an instant, only the two of them remained in the narrow corridor.

The air, mixed with the gentle breeze from the ship's constant temperature system, became subtly tense and stagnant.

Lin Mo was the first to break the silence, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

"Let's eat, we're both hungry."

He turned and walked towards the second-floor terrace restaurant, his steps as steady as ever.

Gu Zhixia followed behind him, her high-heeled military boots making no sound on the alloy floor, her steps betraying a subtle hesitation.

On the alloy dining table on the terrace, two plates were set.

The plates held golden fried rice with egg.

The rice grains and scrambled egg bits were evenly mixed, dotted with some green scallions cut in varying sizes, making for a decent presentation.

But a faint burnt smell was noticeable upon closer inspection, and many rice grains had charred edges, clearly indicating that the S-Class Weapon Master had failed to perfectly control the heat in his battle with the kitchen.

Lin Mo sat opposite her, picked up a spoon, and, as if oblivious to the imperfections, took a large spoonful into his mouth without changing his expression.

Gu Zhixia sat opposite him, her hands instinctively placed on her knees, her body held rigidly straight; the hands that usually held a gun with rock-like steadiness were now nervously clasped together.

Her phoenix eyes, always cold and sharp, now uncontrollably fixed on Lin Mo's face, observing his every subtle expression, awaiting judgment.

"...How is it?" Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of uncertainty she herself didn't detect.

Lin Mo chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, then nodded.

"Edible. Better than I expected."

Gu Zhixia immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good, I thought you'd say it was just so-so."

"It's good, it's good," Lin Mo said, taking another large spoonful, continuing in his straightforward tone, "The salt is also just right. But it definitely can't compare to Nianqiu's; there's no buff bonus."

"You!" Gu Zhixia was choked by his words, feeling as if she had punched a cotton ball.

Of course, she knew it couldn't compare to her sister's, but hearing him say it so bluntly still made her feel a lump in her throat.

She lowered her head, picked up her spoon, and, as if to hide something, began to eat her rice with a hint of pique.

Neither of them spoke again.

After last night's vigil and this morning's bloody, brutal battle, their physical and mental energy were pushed to their limits.

Hunger, like a delayed tide, surged over them.

A seemingly failed plate of fried rice with egg now became an unparalleled delicacy in their mouths.

Soon, both plates were empty, not a single grain of rice left.

Full and satisfied, much of their physical exhaustion was dispelled, but the heavy stone in their hearts still weighed them down, making it hard to breathe.

Gu Zhixia put down her spoon, remained silent for a long time, then finally looked up, mustering the courage to face Lin Mo.

Her gaze was complex, holding gratitude, guilt, and an indescribable mix of dependence and panic.

"Today... thank you," her voice was low, with a touch of hoarseness from her recent ordeal. "In that situation, you protected my sister very well."

She paused, as if making a decision: "I... owe you a favor."

"No," Lin Mo leaned back in his chair, shaking his head, his expression turning serious. "We are a team. And, on the contrary, I feel my previous judgment was somewhat flawed."

His eyes deepened, reflecting the dark blue sea outside the window. "We were too hasty. If we hadn't been so eager to land on the island, and instead used the Natural Selection's upgrade advantage to develop more at sea for a while, perhaps today's situation would have been completely different."

He concluded, "We are still not strong enough."

Gu Zhixia hadn't expected him to say that. This man, who clearly possessed a god-tier warship and terrifying power that could instantly destroy everything, always maintained an almostharsh level of sobriety and vigilance.

A certain string in her heart was gently plucked.

Just then, she made a move that even surprised herself.

She suddenly reached out across the table and grabbed Lin Mo's hand, which was resting on the table.

Her hand was cold, trembling slightly from nervousness and lingering fear.

"Can I... make a selfish request?"

Lin Mo's body stiffened. He could clearly feel the cold sweat in her palm and the uncontrollable tremor coming from her fingertips. He looked at her reddened eyes, remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"You can."

Having received his permission, Gu Zhixia spoke as if using all her strength, word by word, almost pleadingly: "If... I mean if. If one day, I encounter some accident... and die..."

"You must protect Nianqiu! Please... you must!"

Her voice took on an uncontrollable sob, and her grip on his hand tightened, her knuckles turning white. This was her last resort, the only entrustment she could think of.

Lin Mo looked at her, almost on the verge of collapse, and did not offer any empty reassurances like "everything will be fine."

He turned his hand, gripping her cold hand, and with a slight pull, drew her entire body from her seat and into his embrace.

"Ah!" Gu Zhixia gasped in surprise, caught off guard, and crashed firmly into his solid, broad chest. A strong, uniquely masculine scent, mixed with faint sweat and gunpowder, completely enveloped her, instantly blanking her mind.

"Don't worry."

Lin Mo's deep, powerful voice sounded close to her ear, his warm breath making her eardrums tingle.

"It's still the same thing."

"I intend to protect both of you."

"I won't let either of you suffer any more harm."

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the dam in Gu Zhixia's heart, built of pride, indifference, and forced strength.

All the fear, self-reproach, lingering dread, and grievances completely burst forth at this moment.

"Waaah—"

She could no longer hold back, burying her face deep in Lin Mo's solid embrace and sobbing loudly.

She was truly afraid during today's battle.

She wasn't afraid of death.

She was afraid that after her death, her innocent and kind sister would fall into the hands of scum like Chen Feng.

The thought of Chen Feng's filthy, insane ramblings about treating them as war trophies to be played with made her heart feel as if it were being repeatedly cut by countless dull knives, hurting so much she couldn't breathe.

That feeling of watching her sister get hurt and being powerless, that despair and fear for the future, almost consumed her entirely.

Now, this man had given her a promise.

A promise that allowed her to shed all her defenses and pretenses.

In the spacious terrace restaurant, only her long-suppressed, heart-wrenching sobs remained.

Lin Mo didn't move or speak; he just quietly held her, letting her hot tears soak his clothes.

Just then, the bedroom door was gently pushed open a crack.

A small head, wearing a lace nightgown, peeked out.

Gu Nianqiu rubbed her sleepy eyes, looking at the two people tightly embracing on the terrace, and blinked blankly.

"Sister?"

"Brother Mo?"

"What are you two doing?"