Plop!
A figure descended from the sky appeared in Yamanashi Chiho’s sight. Then, she watched with her own eyes as the person was thrown into the sea, dyeing a small patch of water red.
Oh, right.
After a brief shock, she realized. This wasn’t a person, but the corpses of those few individuals.
She watched as the corpses were torn apart by sea creatures, then sank to the seabed, eventually disappearing completely.
It was as if these people had never existed.
Yamanashi Chiho withdrew her gaze and entered the cockpit to accompany Chen Jinzhao.
Besides Chen Jinzhao, there were two other crew members in the cockpit, who had been on standby on the ship. After Matsui Yusuke’s death, the two could only obey Chen Jinzhao’s orders and sail the ship towards Chinese waters.
“You’re here,” Chen Jinzhao said.
Yamanashi Chiho smelled the strong scent of blood in the air and unconsciously frowned. Chen Jinzhao pulled her away from the cockpit and said, “I haven’t even cleaned myself up, and you’re already here? By the way, has grandfather woken up?”
“Not yet, he’s still asleep,” Yamanashi Chiho shook her head.
Other than that.
She didn’t have much to say.
Chen Jinzhao understood Yamanashi Chiho’s thoughts after a moment’s consideration. He said softly, “Are you feeling lost about the future?”
“Mm,” Yamanashi Chiho nodded.
“After leaving my homeland this time, will I still have a chance to return?”
Chen Jinzhao opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
Yamanashi Chiho said, “Just say whatever you have to say. We are husband and wife, there’s nothing we can’t talk about.”
Chen Jinzhao leaned on the railing, gazing towards the end of the sea, and said in a heavy tone, “The world is once again at an unprecedented crossroads. This time, it will be the most intense conflict between Eastern and Western civilizations. No matter who wins or loses, you will have the opportunity to return home.”
Either the East would fail and they would become puppets, perhaps even overrun by Mitri warriors.
In that case, China and Japan would be no different.
If the Mitri failed, their military bases would be dismantled one by one. China, Japan, and Silla would return to their historical norm, becoming an inseparable cultural sphere, and relations between the two sides would have certainly eased.
Therefore—
Yamanashi Chiho’s return home was only a matter of time.
“Alright, I don’t understand these things. I just need to believe what you say,” Yamanashi Chiho said.
They chatted for a while.
Yamanashi Chiho’s expression suddenly changed slightly. Chen Jinzhao immediately asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“Why don’t you go back and rest first?”
Yamanashi Chiho gagged a few times, her face flushing slightly. She waved her hand and said, “I’m fine, just feeling a bit unwell.”
“Wait.” Chen Jinzhao thought of something.
“How long has this symptom lasted? Why didn’t you tell me before?”
He was very concerned about Yamanashi Chiho’s physical condition.
Yamanashi Chiho said weakly, “It hasn’t been long, really. It’s only been like this for the past week. I don’t have an appetite for anything. You don’t need to worry about me, maybe it’ll get better after a while.”
Chen Jinzhao’s expression turned strange, and he hesitated, “Have you… not had your period in a while?”
“Which one?” Yamanashi Chiho looked confused.
“You know, that…” Chen Jinzhao didn’t know how to say it.
Yamanashi Chiho realized something and blushed, saying, “Why are you suddenly bringing that up? It’s true, it’s been a week late.”
Chen Jinzhao blinked, his breathing quickening.
“Then that’s it.”
“You might be pregnant.”
Yamanashi Chiho hadn’t understood Chen Jinzhao’s words, “Pregnant? Pregnant with what?”
Sensing Chen Jinzhao’s gaze on her abdomen, Yamanashi Chiho gradually understood what he meant. She covered her mouth with her hand and asked, “You mean, I’m pregnant? Jinzhao, you’re not just trying to make me happy, are you?”
This was a major life event, not to be trifled with.
Chen Jinzhao recalled that during the last period he spent with Yu Mengzhi, her symptoms were exactly the same as Yamanashi Chiho’s.
He had lacked experience before, so he had overlooked this.
“It should be true,” Chen Jinzhao said with certainty.
Yamanashi Chiho’s expression immediately became one of surprise and excitement. “If this is true, that would be wonderful. Grandfather has been urging me to be more mindful, and I know there’s no use rushing, but I didn’t expect to get pregnant so soon.”
Chen Jinzhao was also very happy.
He immediately said to Yamanashi Chiho, “Go back to your room and rest first. Don’t catch a cold from the sea breeze.”
It was winter, and the wind was biting cold.
Yamanashi Chiho giggled foolishly, “Do you think it will be a boy or a girl? Should I start thinking about names for the child?”
Chen Jinzhao smiled and said, “There’s no rush for names. We’ll discuss it after we safely return to China. Go back and rest now.”
Yamanashi Chiho softly hummed in agreement.
Before she could leave the deck, Yamanashi Toru’s wails reached their ears.
They looked towards the cabin door and saw Yamanashi Toru saying mournfully, “What are you doing? Are you trying to keep me away from my homeland?”
“I am already old. It would be best to die in my homeland.”
“You…”
Yamanashi Chiho and Chen Jinzhao exchanged a look, then walked up to Yamanashi Toru. Yamanashi Chiho gently comforted him, “Grandpa, we are already far from home, and the journey to China will not be peaceful. Please behave yourself.”
“Alas, you should let me go back. I want to die in my homeland,” Yamanashi Toru said.
Chen Jinzhao stepped forward and said, “Grandfather, Chiho is pregnant. We will need your help to take care of the child. So please, come back to China with us. I beg you.”
Yamanashi Toru immediately stopped making a fuss. He looked at Chen Jinzhao, then at his granddaughter.
“Really?”
“Chiho is really pregnant?”
Yamanashi Chiho nodded.
Yamanashi Toru suddenly laughed heartily, “Good, good, good. Then I can rest assured. I was worried I wouldn’t see my great-grandchild. It seems this old man can’t die yet. I still want to see my great-grandchild grow up, get married, have children, and hopefully hold my great-great-grandchild.”
The old man was very optimistic and immediately abandoned his suicidal thoughts, telling his granddaughter not to be chilled by the cold wind.
As for other things, he couldn’t be bothered.
Chen Jinzhao watched them enter their room to rest. He breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned slightly. It would take at least a day and a night to travel from the original island to the nearest Chinese island. However, the Mitri had established air bases on those three large islands. If their planes caught up, it might not even take half an hour.
Now that Yamanashi Chiho was pregnant, Chen Jinzhao felt the burden on his shoulders even heavier.
Ring ring!
As Chen Jinzhao was lost in thought, his phone in his pocket suddenly let out a piercing ring, pulling Chen Jinzhao back from his thoughts.
The phone belonged to Matsui Yusuke.
The caller was the butler of the Matsui family.
To answer, or not to answer?