I'm Yang Tieyu, What's There to Fear?

"Wait, Auntie, shouldn't you barely know her? You only met a few hours ago," He Tangtang ventured, breaking the stalemate first as usual. "Not at all. I feel very close to Liaison Officer Yang," Mother Han said with an earnest, completely candid expression. Seeing how urgently she tried to justify herself, everyone present—except for the two people concerned—burst into laughter. "See, that's where you don't get it. With the situation as tense as it is, Auntie would probably feel close to any young, pretty, unmarried girl whose head isn't quite right," Wen Jifei turned his head and pushed his luck with a grin. His intention had been to change the subject and ease the awkwardness. Instead—"Get lost!" Mother Han flared up on the spot, huffingly swatting him on the arm. Yet the moment she turned back to Yang Tieyu, her expression melted into warm, motherly affection, looking very much like the Big Bad Wolf disguised as Grandma coaxing Little Red Riding Hood. "Miss Yang, don't listen to Xiao Fei's nonsense. There's nothing wrong with your head, right? Just look at those bright eyes—anyone can tell you're a sharp girl... "Anyway, Auntie isn't just saying things out of desperation. I really do feel close to you, almost like... like we've known each other for ages." When she said this, the others were slightly taken aback, marveling inwardly at how miraculous human intuition could truly be. Han Qingyu felt a brief pang of the same sentiment, but it lasted only an instant before he plunged right back into awkwardness, bewilderment, and utter helplessness. *Me? Marry Rusty Sister? This...* It was the very first time in his life he had ever contemplated such a question. Whether it concerned romance, marriage, or Rusty Sister, it was unprecedented. Before this, Han Qingyu had never given serious thought to anything of the sort. He had never considered whether he had feelings for Rusty Sister, nor had he ever imagined truly marrying a woman and having children. Even during that period of frequent matchmaking back home, he had never taken any of it seriously. Yet now... *Alright, Mom's just acting up. The only ones here to witness it are these guys, and they've long since gotten used to this sort of thing. As long as I keep a straight face afterward and don't feel embarrassed, nobody else will think it's awkward.* Han Qingyu comforted himself with these thoughts. "I'll marry him." The tone in which that single response was spoken was hard to pin down with precision. It was somewhat like a teacher asking a high school freshman, *Will you study hard from now on?* and the student saying *Okay*; and somewhat like someone asking a fresh graduate with concern about a job assignment, *Are you okay going out to a remote mountainous region?* and them answering *Sure*, without feeling conflicted or sounding heroic—something right between the two. In short, there was neither excitement nor resolute determination, nor was there the slightest trace of shyness, bashfulness, embarrassment, or hesitation. Yet that single response struck like a thunderclap. Aside from Mother Han beaming with joy and Father Han feeling both amused and delighted, everyone else—including Han Qingyu—felt as though they had taken a direct, crushing blow from Puta'er's sword. They were nearly blasted off their feet, sent crashing to the ground, heavily wounded. "She agreed?" "She agreed." "Just like that?" "Just like that." "Isn't that... a bit too thick-skinned?" "Wasn't that a little too hasty?" "So what's the deal with Rusty Sister? Could she have secretly been... all along?" "This is way too shocking." "Yeah, it's terrifying." Amid the chorus of stunned reactions, Rusty Sister stood there with a tranquil smile, looking thoroughly composed and untroubled. *What do I have to be afraid of? I'm not Shen Yixiu right now—I'm Yang Tieyu, okay?* If it were Rusty Sister, burdened by their history and shared experiences, encountering such a situation would inevitably have made her feel awkward, conflicted, and too constrained by pride. But Yang Tieyu had none of that. Not a single shred. A liaison officer dispatched from Azure, a young female super-combatant of humanity, who had yet to learn just how 'detestable' and 'terrifying' Han Qingyu truly was, had secretly harbored an infatuation and dreamed of marrying Major Qing... Was there anything wrong with that logic? As if the world didn't have countless people harboring the exact same fantasy! Hmph! The fabricated Yang Tieyu had absolutely nothing to fear, nor any reason to feel conflicted or care too much. That was the core psychological pillar allowing Rusty Sister to answer so decisively. Beyond that, there was another crucial support—not unique to her, but part of a shared shift across all of humanity in recent years. Facing the threat of apocalypse, staring down a world that could end at any moment, the love and hate of nearly every human being had grown more direct and far less restrained. In regions with culturally open traditions, the shift was not particularly dramatic, but in nations where personalities were historically reserved, it was exceptionally pronounced. Over these past few years, more people had fallen in love, more had gotten married, and more had come together purely for love itself—though naturally, divorces had surged as well. Experts noted that in recent years, human society had seen massive increases in rates of sowing, cultivation, and reproduction. On the one hand, this referred to the heightened anxiety over food and the need for strategic reserves; land cultivation rates across the globe had indeed soared, and grain yields had climbed sharply year after year. On the other hand, it referred to the continuous rise in human newborns. Confronted with the end of days, there were certainly those who, overwhelmed by pessimism, lost their passion and hope for life, choosing never to marry or have children. Yet simultaneously, far more romance and marriage blossomed, and far more people chose to bear one, two, three... children. For themselves, and for this world. Both Azure and national governments actively encouraged childbirth. Because: *What if humanity had a hundred super-geniuses like Major Qing, Pegmont, and Wolf? Could this war be won then?* After all, no one currently knew how many Yanxiu wills remained uninherited on Blue Star, this graveyard of Yanxiu, nor what coincidences would ultimately be required for which gifted youths to inherit them. In short, with no one knowing how many tomorrows this world had left, or how much time the word 'future' actually held, why fear loving someone? Why fear things being awkward or strange? *Not to mention us—we're about to set off for Mars.* *** "Is something wrong?" Prompted by the strange reactions around her, Liaison Officer Yang had no choice but to turn around, spreading her hands in feigned innocence. The guys were staring at her as if looking at an alien species they had never seen before. "No, no, nothing! Wonderful, wonderful!" Mother Han chimed in and hurried forward, clutching Liaison Officer Yang's arm tightly, as though the slightest hesitation or lack of decisive speed would let the girl she had caught slip away. "Auntie," Yang Tieyu called sweetly, turning toward her. "Yes, dear! Whatever it is, just say the word," Mother Han replied with tender warmth. "In your family, you call the shots, right?" "Of course I do!" Mother Han declared. After a moment's thought, she didn't directly put her son on the spot—after all, she knew what little spine he had in such matters. Instead, Mother Han's gaze snapped toward Wen Jifei and the others. "What are you all standing around for? Get to work, hurry up!" "Work? What work?" Wen Jifei asked, fighting back laughter. "Tell the kitchen to prepare the wedding banquet for dinner! Have Huaxia hurry up and send someone from the Civil Affairs Bureau! And decorate the bri... the new bridal chamber!" Mother Han said. "Extenuating circumstances call for swift action—we'll keep it simple!" Everyone present: "..." After three seconds of stunned silence, it was the prospective bride who had caused all the trouble that finally spoke up. "Auntie." "Yes? What's the matter?" Mother Han grew tense when she saw the slightly troubled look on the girl's face, thinking to herself, *Don't tell me you're backing out already.* "It's not that," Liaison Officer Yang said, as though reading her mind. After denying it, she continued, "It's just that, Auntie, we have to depart before dinner." Mother Han froze. "Depart? You?" "Yes. I'm going to Mars too." "..." Mother Han looked left, then looked right, her spirits instantly deflating. "Can we consider these things after we come back?" Rusty Sister asked, her eyes bright and sincere. Mother Han stood there looking pitiful and helpless. She wanted a daughter-in-law—preferably one with a grandson or granddaughter on the way—not a daughter-in-law who, just like her son, threw herself into mortal danger and war across the heavens and earth. Besides, they were going to Mars this time. That place... what kind of place was it really? Why had they only allowed retired veterans to accompany her son and the others? Why was it that someone as formidable as Pinky had gone there and couldn't even make it back? Rusty Sister sensed her worry. "Don't worry, Auntie. I promise you, we will definitely come back. And I will definitely bring Major... Major Qing back for you." Even in her heartfelt sincerity, Rusty Sister remained mindful of her wording. She said 'Major Qing' instead of 'Qingzi,' keeping the tone properly distant to match Yang Tieyu's identity. If it had been Rusty Sister herself facing this situation... she probably would have made a complete mess of it long ago. There were so many things she wouldn't have known how to say, or wouldn't have had the courage to voice. *Thank goodness for this twist of fate that let me become Yang Tieyu,* Rusty Sister thought, bolstering her own confidence. *Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump...* A sudden roar of noise, the churning chop of helicopter rotors, approached from just above the treetops. Not one, but two. Suspended by cables between the two helicopters was a set of blue-black, chilling, and massive full-body dead iron armor. It looked like something straight out of Transformers. In an instant, every pair of eyes turned toward it. *That full armor... uh, looks a little familiar. Don't tell me it's meant for me?* The moment Rusty Sister realized this, she felt like a thief caught dead in the glare of a searchlight. Her eyes darted with panic, and her composure shattered completely. For roughly ten seconds, nobody spoke. Until Mother Han, staring blankly upward, muttered, "Huh? That iron lump..." Second Lieutenant Shen Yixiu of Stream Blades was dead. That was the official announcement Azure had released to the world following the battle in Antarctica. At the time, Han Qingyu and the others had all been gravely wounded. By the time he recovered, his mother had already passed through the deepest throes of grief. Because she had a loose tongue and might inadvertently leak secrets, and because Rusty Sister's survival had genuinely been uncertain back then, Han Qingyu had never brought it up with her again. Even after Rusty Sister separated from the iron armor and returned, he hadn't rushed to tell his parents. As a result, when it came to Rusty Sister, Father and Mother Han's understanding was identical to that of the general public—they believed she was gone forever. "That iron lump... looks so much like our Rusty Sister's," Mother Han continued softly, her eyes reddening with sorrow.