After Lion and Jun Hao left the courtyard, Lion said nothing. She walked beside him in silence, her pace noticeably slower than before.
Jun Hao could tell from her slowed steps that she was lost in thought.
Perhaps she was savoring the pride of having defeated a "love rival."
Or perhaps she was pleased by the firm stance he had taken earlier.
Whatever the reason, Jun Hao chose to break the silence first.
"Lion, should we stick to the original plan and head to the girls' training sea area? Didn't you say you wanted to show off a little?" he asked with a smile, gently shaking the arm she was holding. "I'm ready. Let's go 'sweep the field' together."
At his teasing, Lion stopped.
She stood there quietly, gazing at the scenery ahead.
Jun Hao stopped beside her and waited without complaint. In that calm silence, he wordlessly let her know that he would support whatever choice she made.
After a while, Lion slowly shook her head, a hint of apology in her voice.
"Commander, I've been thinking... let's not go to the training sea area after all."
The answer caught Jun Hao by surprise.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want our date to turn into a string of dull offensive and defensive battles."
She was not afraid of those so-called rivals. She simply didn't want to waste the precious time she had alone with him.
Besides, his performance had already satisfied her more than enough, and the little vanity in her heart had been thoroughly indulged.
"I understand. My Lady Lion has given this matter careful thought. So where are we going next? We agreed today's schedule would be entirely up to you."
His easy acceptance made a confident smile bloom across her face once more.
She took both of Jun Hao's "paws" and immediately reclaimed the initiative, tugging him in a new direction.
"Mm! Naturally. For the next part of our plan, absolutely no one is going to disturb us again!"
Jun Hao only smiled and asked nothing more, allowing her to lead him onward.
Before long, however, he noticed the path they were taking felt strangely familiar.
When the all-too-familiar door appeared before him once more, his suspicion was confirmed.
"Lion? Why are we back here again? Are you planning to cancel the date?"
"How could that be~"
Still smiling, Lion took out her keys, unlocked the door, and pulled him inside. Then he felt a pair of soft hands gently rest on top of his lion headpiece.
"Commander, no matter how breathable this mascot suit is, it still has to be uncomfortable wearing it all day," she whispered as she carefully lifted the headpiece away. "Now that we're home, you should take it off and rest for a bit."
So that was why she had brought him back. She had been worried about him the whole time.
'What a wonderful wife.'
Jun Hao obediently let out an "oh" and lowered his head slightly to make things easier for her.
As the headpiece came off, fresh air rushed in at once. He drew a long breath of relief, feeling as though the whole world had suddenly become cooler and clearer.
But the moment he turned around, he found Lion standing there with her arms crossed, a mischievous smile on her lips.
"There. The headpiece is off. As for the rest, you'll have to take it off yourself."
Jun Hao instinctively reached for the zipper on his back.
Only then did he realize he was still wearing the oversized lion paw gloves.
He tried to pinch the tiny zipper pull with the furry paws.
Once.
Twice.
Several times.
The useless paws refused to cooperate, leaving him awkwardly scraping at his own back.
He looked less like someone trying to undress and more like a lion scratching an itch. Even Jun Hao found himself ridiculous.
In the end, he could only stop with a wry smile and look to Lion for help.
"Um... Lion... could you help me out here?"
Seeing his disheveled yet oddly adorable state, Lion finally burst into laughter.
Even so, she didn't step forward right away. Instead, she deliberately took another step back, leisurely enjoying his predicament.
"Commander, you've made me lose my composure several times yesterday and today."
Jun Hao froze, recalling the incident at the bathhouse yesterday, then the chaos during today's date. He could only smile helplessly.
"Yes, yes, my fault. Lady Lion, would you be merciful enough to lend me a hand?"
When she saw him surrender so readily, the smug satisfaction on Lion's face only deepened.
"Hehe~ Now you understand how formidable Lady Lion truly is~" Her amused voice drifted from behind him. "I, Lady Lion, shall graciously accept your plea for assistance~"
"Zip!"
The sound of the zipper being slowly pulled down echoed through the room.
As it slid all the way open, the stifling heat trapped inside the costume finally escaped.
Jun Hao wasted no time shrugging the suit off his shoulders. The bodysuit underneath was completely soaked, clinging to him with sweat.
The moment Lion saw the defined lines of his body, she instinctively wiped the corner of her mouth.
But that fleeting impulse was quickly replaced by concern.
"You... how did you get this drenched? Why didn't you say something sooner?"
Seeing the worry written all over her face, Jun Hao simply smiled and shook his head.
"It's fine. Just a small inconvenience. Seeing you so happy made it worth wearing a little longer."
"That's exactly why I keep saying it, Commander... you're an idiot..."
And yet, this kind of idiot, the kind who always put her feelings before his own, was precisely what she loved most.
Lion forced down the emotions rising in her chest, hurriedly poured him a glass of warm water, grabbed a clean towel, and rushed back. She pressed both into his hands.
"Quick, drink some water first, then dry yourself off. Otherwise, you'll end up sick from dehydration."
Jun Hao obediently accepted the glass and drank most of it in one go. Almost immediately, he felt much better. While helping wipe the sweat from him, Lion spoke again.
"How about this, Commander? Go take a shower first. I'll have Cleopatra bring over some fresh clothes."
Jun Hao nodded at once.
"Alright. I'll do as you say."
Just as he was about to head toward the bathroom, Lion suddenly called out again. A visible blush spread across her cheeks.
After hesitating for a moment, she looked at him and spoke.
"Commander!"
"Hm? What is it?"
Jun Hao turned back, towel in hand, ready to go inside.
"After you're done showering... come to my bedroom for a while. There's something very important I want to discuss with you."
"Okay! No problem!"
With that, Jun Hao headed straight into the bathroom, and soon the sound of running water echoed from within.
Lion swallowed hard several times.
The moment of the decisive battle was coming far sooner than she had expected.
She had not been this nervous even when facing the Arbiters alone before.
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