When Jingliu was in her teens, she would silently count how many times she swung her sword and think about how much longer she had to train before it would end.
Compared to those dull, repetitive movements, she preferred sparring with others.
Once the sword is drawn, there is no turning back, no dodging, no retreat.
Now, Jingliu no longer counted in her heart.
The enemies she faced could not last long.
They only had two endings.
Either they died beneath Shattered Blade, or they were brought back to the Luofu and locked inside the Shackling Prison.
Occasionally, there would be a few tough ones that gave the Ten-Lords Commission quite a headache.
At such times, the Ten Kings of the Ten-Lords Commission would approach General Tengxiao and temporarily borrow manpower.
Whenever Jingliu used weapons provided by the Ten-Lords Commission, she could not help but praise Yingxing in her heart.
No matter how many divine weapons there were, none could compare to the Shattered Blade forged for her by her friend.
This time was no exception.
She tried her best to hold back her strength, but the sword in her hand still did not last long.
Jingliu released her grip, and the fragments all fell to the ground.
Turning around, she found that there were very few places left to step.
She could not help letting out a light sigh. The heavily guarded prisoner inside the cell struggled violently, and the chains immediately gave off a grating screech that made one's teeth ache.
Jingliu frowned slightly.
"Too noisy."
As soon as she spoke, the prisoner's movements froze, and from then on, there was no more movement.
Jingliu lightly tapped the ground with her toes and stepped around the patch of red on the floor.
After leaving the cell, she crossed her arms and looked at Zero with calm leisure.
"Now, do you still think I'm easy to fool?"
Zero looked focused and shook his head.
"Not at all."
Jingliu knew that she was very different from the image of a wife in the minds of most men.
At the very least... besides her, there probably wasn't another woman who would bring her husband to a prison on the second day after their wedding and have him watch her interrogate a major criminal.
If this were posted on the star network, people would probably report it.
Those who knew would know it was a honeymoon.
Those who didn't would think it was intimidation.
Zero said she was easy to fool, but was she really?
After all, she had served in the Cloud Knights for eight hundred years. How could she possibly be deceived?
It was just that the person she was facing was a Marshal who had held office for nearly five thousand years.
Jingliu would not have her competitive spirit stirred by a few words.
What she cared about was the meaning behind Zero's words.
Zero once again considered the worst possible outcome for the two of them.
He said, "Someone like you..."
"...would be very easy for me to deceive."
He was thinking about how Jingliu would leave him if their relationship ever fell apart.
His words were vague because he did not want to show Jingliu his darker side.
After suppressing his true emotions for so many years, to the point that even Zero himself could no longer possess or notice the emotions that belonged to his human side.
Zero was the perfect Marshal and the perfect superior.
After meeting Jingliu and falling in love with her, he began trying to play the role of the perfect partner as well.
Jingliu did not need him to be perfect.
He could hesitate. He could waver. He could show her his imperfect side.
Did that mean weakness? Did that mean cruelty?
No.
Those were emotions every person had.
Jingliu had said those words to Zero before.
Of course, words were just words.
Actions always carried more weight.
Jingliu brought Zero to the Ten-Lords Commission.
She willingly revealed the cruelest and darkest side of herself to her beloved.
As expected, the method worked well.
On the way to their vacation planet, Zero opened a bottle of champagne.
They sat beside the water bar and talked, from the wedding to their honeymoon plans.
Only after the champagne bottle was empty did Zero speak seriously.
"I may..."
"...not be that generous."
Jingliu did not want to spend the first day of their honeymoon listening to her husband discuss things like... how she could smoothly get a divorce.
She casually replied, "Mm."
"I'm very selfish."
Jingliu thought for a moment and decided to steer the conversation toward what they would wear on the island.
Zero disliked revealing clothes, but no matter how much he disliked them, he would never interfere with her decisions.
It would be better to use this chance and make requests herself.
Jingliu raised an eyebrow.
"When swimming, you aren't allowed to wear swim trunks. You can only wear a one-piece swimsuit."
Zero, "..."
He opened his mouth and for a moment did not know what to say.
Jingliu thought to herself that everyone in the academy, regardless of gender, wore one-piece swimsuits, so her request was not excessive at all.
She reached out and undid the hair he had kept tied all night. Contrary to what she had expected, his hair remained straight, without the slightest curl.
Jingliu let go of the hair and immediately started raising the roof.
"In front of other people, you're not allowed to push your bangs back."
Zero, "...That's a bit difficult."
"It's very hot on the island."
Jingliu pretended to hesitate and pondered for a moment.
"Just this once. No next time."
She smoothly stated her true purpose.
"In exchange, you can decide what I wear."
Hearing that, Zero hesitated.
"You trust my taste that much?"
Jingliu nodded.
"Of course."
From the academy to the Cloud Knights, she had always worn uniforms provided to her.
Compared to what she wore, Zero was clearly more important.
Zero always put others first and rarely cared about his own feelings.
He never got jealous. It was even possible that he became jealous without realizing it himself.
If a few outfits could gradually make Zero care more about himself...
Then it would be worth it.
Zero obediently picked up his jade abacus and prepared to choose dresses for Jingliu.
His fingertip tapped the screen, but there was no response.
He immediately felt that something was wrong. He held down the restart button. Once the screen lit up, he immediately opened his work software.
A system notification popped up automatically.
[Hello, Zero]
[You have withdrawn from the Luofu Divination Commission and will no longer be able to access the organization's internal documents]
[It was already a blessing to have traveled together]
[Thank you for everything you have done for the Xianzhou Alliance over the past two years]
[We sincerely wish that all your wishes come true, and that every road you walk becomes smooth]
Zero, "..."
No wonder.
No wonder Guanliang had asked about his jade abacus just before he entered.
How long ago had that been?
And he still remembered it...
Seeing something off about his expression, Jingliu softly asked, "What's wrong?"
Zero handed her the jade abacus and sighed.
"This time, I'm really going to live off my wife."
Jingliu lowered her head to look. She reached up and pinched his face before pressing his head against her neck.
"Okay. Eat however you want."
When they arrived at the island they had chosen, staff members dressed in exotic clothing played instruments unique to their culture and presented songs and flowers to the guests who had never visited before, though the island had long awaited them.
The hotel manager smiled and guided them onto a shuttle.
"What you're seeing is the largest lagoon in the universe..."
The manager softly introduced the island and some of its facilities.
The driver only drove for a little over ten minutes before stopping beside an overwater villa.
Looking apologetic, the manager explained that the island was simply too large. Driving around the whole place would take several system hours, so only a rough introduction to some facilities could be given.
"We've prepared welcome drinks, fruit, and gifts for the two of you. If you aren't satisfied with the bedding, it can be changed at any time. We have thousands of mattresses and pillows..."
"It is our honor to welcome you during this special and memorable occasion..."
"Congratulations to both of you on your marriage..."
Zero smiled and nodded, accepting the room card offered with both hands.
The guests who came here were all wealthy or influential, and what they valued most was privacy.
Therefore, even though facial recognition technology had long become common, the hotel still provided room cards.
As soon as they entered the villa, clear seawater, as transparent as glass, stretched beneath their feet.
The color of the sea reminded Jingliu of the blue-green mint candy she had eaten when she was young.
Looking carefully through the glass, she saw several sharks swimming by without a care.
Jingliu could not help asking, "Why aren't there any tourists?"
Zero paused for a moment and said helplessly, "Do you remember... those signatures you gave me?"
Jingliu widened her eyes.
"You mean..."
Zero pulled her farther inside.
"This island has never received any guests."
"We're the first."
They stopped before a floor-to-ceiling window hidden behind curtains.
"This is your planet."
"This is your island."
Zero squeezed her palm and teased, "And you still say you're not easy to fool."
Jingliu deliberately turned her face away in dissatisfaction and casually pulled open the curtains.
In the next moment, her vision was filled with pink.
Looking closely, besides pink, there were red and white colors as well.
She had received an entire swimming pool filled with flower petals.
Hand in hand, Jingliu and Zero walked from one end to the other.
Only then did she clearly see the words formed by the petals.
Her name.
And the love words Zero had spoken to her.
Jingliu said nothing.
Like a magician, Zero somehow produced a ring.
The main stone was a Paraiba gemstone with a color similar to the sea.
He asked, "Will you marry me?"
Jingliu looked at the flower petals covering the entire pool and remained silent.
Zero felt that his proposal in the dressing room had not been formal enough, so he made up for it with another proposal.
Seeing her silent, he asked, "...What's wrong?"
"Don't you like the colors of the flowers? Or is it the cut and design of the ring?"
Jingliu slowly turned her head and forced out a smile. She extended her hand, signaling for him to put the ring on her.
Lowering her head, she carefully adjusted the ring and looked at the oval Paraiba gemstone.
How could she not like it?
'You hold nothing back from me.'
'You've already done enough for me.'
'But why, even now...'
'After giving me your whole heart, do you still think it isn't enough?'
Jingliu's eyes turned sour.
With her head lowered, she closed her eyes and tried her best to suppress the urge to cry.
After calming herself down, she said, "I like it very much."
"As long as it's from you, I like it."
"You respect my wishes in everything and never cross the line."
"You're the perfect partner."
"But I don't need you to be perfect."
As she spoke, her voice became softer and softer.
'A thousand years ago, were you the same?'
'Working yourself to exhaustion without realizing it, giving everything you had.'
'Even until the last moment, still giving endlessly?'
'That's right.'
'No one can compare with you.'
'You're the perfect Marshal.'
'The perfect superior.'
'And if you want to, you'll be the perfect partner too.'
'But...'
Jingliu's vision gradually blurred.
She murmured, "That's not how things should work."
'Just because you can do something doesn't mean you must do it.'
As she thought this, Zero held her chin.
She was forced to raise her head.
Zero gently kissed away the tears on her cheeks little by little, then said in a tone that sounded almost like a sigh, "It's too late to regret it now."
———
The two moved from the poolside to the master bedroom upstairs.
Zero hurriedly pulled away and raised a hand to wipe his chin.
Jingliu released the hand that had been pressing the back of his head and kissed him on the lips.
Earlier, when introducing the island, the manager had proudly said that their lagoon was known as the most precious gem in the universe.
Those words were undeserved.
The genuine article was clearly in her lover's eyes.
———
For three days straight, neither of them stepped outside the villa.
Zero aimed the camera at the pool and the glass-like sea outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, took a photo, and uploaded it to his newly registered account.
[EricFish1028 shared an image]
This platform did not require adding friends. As long as permissions were not set, anyone could see his posts.
If Chanzhen and the others wanted to know where he was, then he would simply create an account and regularly share photos.
That way, they could rest easy.
After refreshing the page, dozens of followers instantly appeared on Zero's newly registered account.
Zero, "..."
A little too obvious.
Apparently some people realized they had been too obvious, because after another refresh, several followers disappeared.
Zero, "..."
Even more obvious.
Lying in Zero's arms, Jingliu flipped through the booklet provided by the hotel. Looking at the time, she could not help sighing.
It was too late. They had missed the time for offshore fishing.
Zero glanced at it.
"It's okay. These activities are available every day."
"Do you want to try floating breakfast tomorrow morning?"
Jingliu asked, "Hm? What's the difference between it and a normal breakfast?"
After thinking about it, Zero said, "The difference is that you can eat breakfast in the pool."
Jingliu was not interested.
Zero added, "It looks better in photos."
Jingliu's eyes lit up.
Zero laughed.
"Alright. Two floating breakfasts tomorrow, fishing in the morning, seafood for lunch, the aquarium in the afternoon, and... sea breeze by the beach at night. How does that sound?"
Jingliu nodded and pointed to the rainforest area on the island.
Like the Xianzhou, the temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels here were fixed.
"The day after tomorrow, rafting in the morning and the rainforest in the afternoon."
"Don't worry, we won't need an instructor."
"I know how to ride a motorcycle. I'll take you."
Zero accepted it easily.
"Sure. I know how to drive a snowmobile. When we go to see the aurora, I'll take you."
The two made plans while flipping through the booklet.
The next morning, the waiter delivered the floating breakfast.
Jingliu pointed the camera at Zero.
Zero blinked.
"...Huh?"
He often took group photos with subordinates, but he rarely photographed himself.
Even during the time he traveled with Akivili, they had only taken one picture.
Being in front of the camera made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
Jingliu frowned.
"Don't move."
She took pictures from the villa to the boat, then at the restaurant and the aquarium.
By evening, as soon as the camera pointed toward him, Zero was already able to find a good angle and strike a pose.
The sea that looked sparkling and fascinating during the day shed its harmless disguise at night and revealed its true appearance, enough to inspire fear.
Yet both of them felt completely calm.
Lying side by side on the swing on the beach, they chatted while enjoying the sea breeze, occasionally swaying back and forth.
Zero turned over and gently kissed Jingliu's brows and eyes.
At that moment, she understood the love words he had written for her.
Zero met people and then parted with them.
He had seen too many farewells.
He believed that as long as people shared some moments together, that was enough.
Of course, understanding was one thing.
That did not mean Jingliu agreed with his way of thinking.
If it were her, she would make the sun stop for her.
She would make the sun stay only for her.
Afterward, they returned to the villa.
The next day, Jingliu woke up very early.
This was the body clock she had developed from years of sword training.
Without special circumstances, she would wake up no later than five in the morning.
Zero wrapped his arms around her. Noticing her movement, he held her even tighter.
Experienced with this by now, Jingliu rubbed the top of her lover's head. He rubbed against her neck before finally letting go.
A few minutes later, Jingliu had already packed their belongings and applied sunscreen.
Shortly before departure, Zero came downstairs.
Moving quickly, Jingliu first handed him breakfast and juice, then pulled open his clothes.
Feeling the muscles beneath her palm gradually tense up and become harder, she lightly tapped them with her fingertips.
"Relax."
As soon as she spoke, the muscles under her hand softened.
By the time Jingliu finished applying sunscreen, Zero had also finished breakfast. The two set off together and began a new day.
One in front and one behind, they sat on swimming rings and drifted along with the current.
Separated by glass, they passed all kinds of schools of fish.
In the afternoon, they reached the rainforest area.
A staff member took out three stones of different colors, added water, ground them, and signaled for them to apply the mixture to their faces.
Jingliu moved first, drawing cat whiskers on both sides of Zero's cheeks.
Copying her, Zero added some paint to the tip of Jingliu's nose.
He was fully armed, afraid that mud would splash onto him.
Halfway through, he could not take it anymore.
Unfortunately, there were no showers along the way, so he had no choice but to continue holding Jingliu's waist.
Zero endured it all the way to the finish and finally found a place to wash off the mud.
For the next month, they spent their days with the staff, going out to sea together. They tried snorkeling, surfing, whale watching, feeding sharks and other fish, and played every kind of water activity imaginable.
At night, the staff held different themed events and constantly came up with new ways to prepare dinner for the two of them.
Before leaving the island, Zero handed over a check.
It was a reward for all the staff on the island.
The two set off once again.
Next, they would witness the great animal migration.
This time, they traveled with other tourists.
As soon as they arrived, Zero noticed a vendor carrying seven or eight puppies.
His eyes lit up, and he pulled Jingliu over.
"These are... Beagles?"
The vendor nodded.
Zero smiled.
"I'll take one."
"No, I'll take them all."
"Send them all to the Yaoqing."