In the evening, the orange-red sunset painted Xuanzhu County the color of red wine. The factories were off work, storytellers set up their stalls, and the nightlife of Xuanzhu County was about to begin.

At the entrance of Jing Garden, Yin Minghong wore an expression of exasperation.

"Chairman, I just said one wrong thing, is it necessary—"

"Necessary, very necessary." Le Yu leaned against the newly replaced steel door frame from the other day, browsing through the information Yin Minghong had spent a day collecting: "Actually, there are quite a few women in Jing Garden as well. It's really not appropriate for you to frequent such a wicked place. Vice leader, I'm thinking of you. You know, as a young bachelor often entering a den of debauchery like Jing Garden, people might think you're unclean."

'Unclean' is such a childish adjective... Yin Minghong twitched his mouth: "Okay, even if you won't let me in, the chairman shouldn't come out either. What if they hire a Flying Flower Assassin—"

"Aren't you standing right in front of me? If there's really a Flying Flower Sniper, your body would buy me enough time to hide inside."

"..."

"Alright, just teasing you." Le Yu arranged the information: "I'm actually out here waiting for someone, so don't flatter yourself. If you have nothing to do, just go home and cook. There are no tableware for you in Jing Garden."

"But it's too dangerous for you to stand here waiting for someone..."

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Alright, Yin Minghong shut up.

However, he didn't leave but instead stood silently in front of Le Yu, shielding him from potential bullets from outside.

"Are you so free that you want to work overtime?"

"I don't like eating with men, so don't think about it."

"You're not young anymore, haven't you thought about settling down?"

After a moment of silence, Yin Minghong said: "Dongyang is unsettled. How can one have a home..."

"Copying, copying, all you know is to copy famous sayings from the Youth Daily!" Le Yu reached out to mess up Yin Minghong's hair: "Do you use the front cover of the Youth Daily to help you sleep every night?"

"No!"

"You answered so decisively, that's suspicious. We're all men here, don't be shy."

"Really no!"

"Do you particularly like that cover with five big men and five pretty girls?"

"Isn't there just one cover?"

As soon as Yin Minghong spoke, he knew he had misspoke.

But Le Yu did not take advantage of the situation to ridicule him, he just slightly smiled.

After a while, he suddenly said: "Considering the time spent developing feelings, you should be about ready to confess to someone you like now."

Yin Minghong was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Le Yu didn't answer: "The person I'm waiting for is here."

A car drove up the cobblestone road, followed by a unit of the Linhai Army. Le Yu and Yin Minghong watched as the car slowed down more and more, eventually stopping on the road.

"Ran out of gas, huh?"

"Could be an engine failure."

The car door opened and Qing Lan in green robes got out, turning her head and saw Le Yu by the entrance. She waved at Le Yu and hummed a little tune while carrying a small bag back.

Her steps became larger, and her pace faster, quickly turning into a brisk walk, then a jog, and by the time she was almost to the doorway, she was sprinting, spreading her arms to embrace Le Yu.

Le Yu spun her around in place, and Mu Qingmei, Huyan Siluo who followed behind, and Yin Minghong standing nearby, all felt a bit blinded by the scene.

Wow, so dazzling, so full!

I shouldn't be here; I should be in the car!

After spinning enough, Le Yu put down Qing Lan, seeing her face full of joy and excitement.

"I'm back!"

"Welcome back."

Yin Minghong reminded very socially awkwardly: "Chairman, please hurry inside, it's dangerous outside."

"Huh?" Qing Lan looked surprised: "Vice leader, you're here!?"

I was standing right next to the chairman just now! Our bodies were almost touching!

How could you not see that?

Le Yu's gaze fell on the two women who had followed: "Editor Mu, why are you here too?"

Mu Qingmei really wanted to say 'none of your business', but seeing the woman's face full of happiness, and with Yin Minghong 'supervising the work on site', she could only grumble internally and explain: "I accompanied Sister Qing Lan to see the Medical Officer, Qing Lan said she wanted to treat me to a meal..."

"Vice leader, you take her to the Celestial Court Restaurant for dinner! Qing Lan, let's go—"

Qing Lan held onto Le Yu's hand, shaking it with a sweet smile: "Qing Mei helped me a lot, don't treat her like that."

"...Alright." Le Yu waved at Mu Qingmei: "But let's be clear, Editor Mu, you can only sit at the table with Silo later."

"?" Huyan Siluo looked confused, feeling a bit offended.

"Hey, don't be in a rush." Qing Lan looked at Yin Minghong: "It's such a coincidence, shouldn't we invite the vice leader to eat together?"

Le Yu shook his head: "Not a coincidence at all, the vice leader comes to Jing Garden at least once a day. If we invite him every time, he can practically live here."

Yin Minghong: "I think that's a great idea."

"Pay attention to propriety. When you speak to me, it's called a suggestion; when I speak to you, it's a command."

"I solemnly obey the President's command."

"My command is for you to get lost immediately..."

Qing Lan asked, "Second-in-command, were you discussing something with the young master at the door just now?"

"Nothing much." Le Yu shook the documents in his hand: "I just had him conduct a market investigation for infant products and drinking milk."

Everyone was bewildered. Infant products, drinking milk?

"The conclusion is, not worth mentioning." Le Yu shook his head: "The infant industry is basically non-existent. Infant products for wealthy families are either custom-made by servants or shops, and it's mostly just clothing. Things like diapers, pacifiers, and baby powder are all absent."

"The same goes for drinking milk. In Dongyang District, there are only dairy products like cheese; fresh milk sources only exist in northern regions like Tianji and Youyun, Dongyang has none."

"As for education, wealthy families hire tutors, and the Mongolian Studies textbooks issued by the Shining Imperial Court merely teach literacy."

"Although raising children is relatively rough and simple, the infant mortality rate in Shining is not high. But I have high standards for myself, so if we were to raise a child, we would need to prepare products, food, and textbooks ahead of time..."

Yin Minghong, Mu Qingmei, Huyan Siluo, along with Mi Die who stepped out of the car, and the nearby gatekeepers, were all stunned hearing Le Yu speak so candidly.

It's not just that what he said was puzzling enough, but the fact that the one speaking is Zhengwei, the President of the Silver Blood Association—this is precisely new material for the 'Worldly Confusion Award' in the new section of Youth Daily for public viewing.

Seeing Le Yu about to embark on a long speech, Qing Lan had no choice but to interrupt him swiftly and decisively: "Actually, no."

"Hmm?"

"I've had it checked by the Medical Officer, there's nothing."

Le Yu scratched his head, "I saw you jumping around so merrily just now, I thought..."

Qing Lan wrapped her arms around his neck, "The Medical Officer said, the pregnancy rate for Martial Artists is generally low, and my constitution isn't as good as yours, so it's even harder to conceive. I felt nauseous this morning, probably because I've been lacking sleep recently."

Though Martial Artists have a relatively low pregnancy rate, it's actually relative—the reproductive capability across Shining people is generally low.

As the cost of being immune to all diseases, where everyone can live healthily to at least fifty, Shining people's metabolism rates are exceptionally high, and the decline in fertility is an expression of this. Martial Artists have an even higher metabolism rate than average, so their reproductive capabilities are naturally worse. But despite this, nobody stops practicing Combat Technique—

Regular practice of Combat Technique can guarantee a healthy lifespan up to seventy years; not practicing, you'll start to wither and fall ill by fifty. It's easy to see what's more important, even for a dog, and as for reproductive urges, they can be completely suppressed through survival instincts.

Thus, Shining people almost universally have children in their twenties. Early marriage is pointless, as the overwhelming metabolism kills off young people's reproductive cells cleanly, only allowing for reproduction when Shining people's physical condition peaks.

For Martial Artists, because their metabolism is stronger, this peak comes even later, at least after the age of twenty-five.

"Then you'll have to practice Combat Technique diligently in the future, even if not for this, it's for your health." Le Yu said: "But this is also fine, we can enjoy our time together for much longer, although it does waste the parenting preparation plan I spent all day on..."

"Mm."

Le Yu reminded: "Also, the Medical Officer suggests you should get good sleep at night in the future, do you understand?"

Qing Lan looked exasperated: "I don't accept her suggestion!"

"Tsk."

Huyan Siluo curiously asked: "Qing Lan, why don't you sleep well at night? Are you insomniac?"

Yin Minghong glanced at the street outside and urged: "President, you'd better hurry inside, don't linger at the door. I suspect the Flora Martial Artists are almost here..."

"Young master, let's go." Qing Lan pulled Le Yu into Jing Garden. Le Yu watched her with smiling eyes and couldn't resist asking:

"Then, what's making you so happy, Qing Lan? I've seen you smiling since earlier, haven't stopped."

"Guess?"

"Youth Daily's sales hit a record high?"

"No."

"You found money?"

"No."

"You saw misfortune fall upon your enemy."

"None of those!"

Qing Lan shook her head and whispered in his ear, "I've finally understood why you cried that night."

Le Yu blinked: "Hmm?"

"So, no matter what you intend to do, I'll be with you till the end." Qing Lan lifted their locked hands earnestly, saying, "Until death do us part."

Le Yu gazed into Qing Lan's eyes, nodded lightly, then shook his head: "Death cannot part us."

The glow of the sunset shone in the courtyard of Jing Garden, the smooth white floor appearing like a red carpet, the pair ahead seemed wrapped in a shimmering red veil.

Mu Qingmei followed behind, noticing Yin Minghong still vigilant, Huyan Siluo full of curiosity and envy, and the couple shining 'bling-bling'.

She looked up at the sky and gradually began to smile.

Sparrows startled in flight, waves crashing in the distance.

Sunset has faded, Silver Blood no more.

A myriad of lights, Xuanzhu night shines on.

Dawn approaches, Dongyang rises anew.

May everyone's life remain as this moment, all is well.