Zerg: I ​​was picked up by the cold and beautiful Major General at the start of the game.

Stepping onto the solid deck, the moment the tension in his nerves eased, a wave of exhaustion washed over him, and Lin Luo's legs went weak, almost causing him to collapse to the ground.

Hawke quickly caught him, asking, "Sir, are you alright?"

"Thank you..." Lin Luo used the momentum to steady himself, thanked Hawke casually, grabbed his arm, and asked urgently, "Where's Ailand? How is he?"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency," Hawke reassured, "the AI ​​assistant will take good care of Major General Ailand."

Lin Luo's heart sank: "He... hasn't woken up?"

Hawke asked in confusion, "If the Major General had woken up, he would have come out to look for you immediately, but according to the reports we received, there has been no movement from the Major General's residence."

"...Yes," Lin Luo murmured to himself, "he has already come to see me."

Hawke didn't hear clearly, but seeing that Lord Lin Luo looked somewhat tired, he said:

"Please go and rest for a while. You've had a tough time these past few days. Under such dangerous circumstances, you still managed to find the opportunity to use the military-encrypted channel to call for help. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have been able to find you so quickly, and you've suffered so much!"

Lin Luo asked in confusion, "Hmm?"

But he tried to remain calm, "...Show me the message you received."

Although Hawke was somewhat puzzled, he still did as he was told, took off his personal computer, pulled up the distress message, and handed it to Lin Luo.

Lin Luo's gaze was fixed on the short text on the screen; every word seemed like a silent protection from Ailand.

"It was Aland, it must be him! He protected me in this way without my knowledge... He's always been with me!"

This realization was like a warm current that broke down her defenses, making Lin Luo's nose tingle and almost unable to control her surging emotions.

He shoved the quantum computer back into Hawke's hand, turned his head away, and said in a hoarse voice, "I...I'm a little tired, I'll go rest for a bit."

Before Hawke could respond, he turned and fled towards the rest pod, as if afraid that if he delayed even a second, his scalding tears would burst forth.

Hawke watched his slightly hurried back. Although he felt that the gentleman's emotions were a bit abnormal, he took it as a normal reaction after surviving a disaster.

He composed himself and began to calmly give orders: "All ships, take note! Return to the capital planet immediately!"

At the same time, a report of victory was sent to the military headquarters: "Lord Linluo has been successfully rescued and confirmed to be safe and sound. The fleet is returning to port."

The message was also relayed back to the Capital Star Patrol Team.

Almost simultaneously, Theodore's communication request popped up on Lin Luo's personal computer.

After the call connected, Theodore and Voske, who were watching from outside the screen, finally felt a sense of relief upon seeing that their friend was tired but not injured.

As soon as the call ended, Theodore's forced composure relaxed. He didn't forget to update the status "Lin Luo is safe" on the StarNet, then ignored the instantly exploding comment section and casually tossed his personal computer aside.

"My lord," Vosk said, his voice full of tenderness and pity as he looked at the faint blue shadows under his eyes.

"You've barely slept these past few days. Now that Lord Lin Luo is safe, you should get some sleep."

"Haa—" Theodore yawned widely, his eyes welling up with tears.

He turned his head, looking at Voske with a hazy gaze, then very naturally buried himself in the female ruler's broad, warm chest, nuzzling against her like a little animal seeking comfort, his voice heavy with sleepiness: "Carry me over~"

Hearing the male ruler's almost coquettish, completely dependent voice, Vosk couldn't help but smile slightly, his heart melting.

He bent down and carefully lifted the powerful man into his arms, as if he were a priceless treasure.

Theodore's body was always soft and supple. Because he preferred to lie down rather than sit, he didn't have any firm muscles, just soft, white flesh that you could sink into with your hand.

Voske never urges his master to exercise more, which makes it hard to say that he doesn't have malicious intentions.

He held the warm figure in his arms and walked steadily toward the bedroom, gently placing Theodore in the center of the soft bed.

He was about to straighten up to close the door when he felt a tightness around his waist—Theodore, with his eyes closed, had his arms wrapped around him dependently, letting out an unconscious moan.

Voske's heart was instantly filled.

Closing the door? That's not important at all.

He readily lay down on his side, one hand firmly holding Theodore's supple waist, pulling him closer to his chest, while the other hand slipped behind his neck, gently stroking Theodore's hair.

The two bodies were pressed together perfectly, as if they were one.

Through the thin clothing, we could clearly feel each other's warmth and our gradually synchronizing heartbeats, thump...thump... steady and strong, together playing the prelude to peaceful sleep.

------

In the lounge, Lin Luo ended Theodore's call and lay wearily on the bed. If... Ailand had always been with him, what about now?

"...Ayland?" Lin Luo asked cautiously.

The air was completely silent...

Lin Luo was somewhat disappointed. The price required to support the emergence of Ailand's "soul" must have been quite high. Ailand might...

Suddenly, Lin Luo felt something cool touch his hand.

"!" Lin Luo sat up instantly.

"Ayland?!"

"Is that you?"

It's not an illusion!

There was indeed some kind of invisible contact in the air, bouncing against me again and again.

Lin Luo held her breath, filled with anticipation, and cautiously reached out her hand.

He could feel it! Something soft and cool was resting on his hand!

He tentatively curled his fingers slightly, and the little thing didn't run away; instead, it rubbed against his palm.

He poked it very lightly with one finger, and the little thing seemed to be tickled, rolling and dodging nimbly in his palm.

At this moment, all the worries, fears, and longings transformed into an uncontrollable ecstasy.

Lin Luo's face finally broke into the first genuine, untroubled smile in days, and at the same time, a hot tear uncontrollably slid down her cheek.

He clasped his hands together, gently cradling the invisible yet real "small ball" in his palms:

"Hehehe... Elland, I'm so happy~ hiccup~ Hahaha... I'm really, really happy!"

He was crying and laughing at the same time, his voice choked with sobs, and he even accidentally let out a small hiccup.

The little thing in his palm seemed to be infected by his joy, jumping happily in his closed palm, as if responding, or more like a silent comfort and companionship.

Lin Luo, like a child who had received a beloved toy, curled her arms into a ball to protect Ailand inside, while she herself couldn't help but fall into the soft bedding and roll around happily.

The small rest pod was filled with crisp, tearful laughter.

The road ahead may still be unknown, but at this moment, being able to sense each other's existence again is a kind of glimmer of hope for them.