Chapter 13

It was three in the morning.

The night sky and sea surface draped over the centrally halted Cruise Ship like a deep blue curtain, with a full moon above torn open like a mouth, casting down eerie, cold moonlight.

On this windless night, the strange calm inexplicably bred unease.

Aside from those in the Luxury Cabins equipped with top-tier soundproofing materials, everyone else awoke to the abrupt blare of the horn and began asking what had happened.

The crew explained that the engine had sustained minor damage, forcing them to stop for repairs. They would resume before dawn, but to avoid any risk of the damaged equipment failing again, they had no choice but to end the voyage early and dock somewhere nearby.

Zhong Nian fell into thought upon hearing this explanation.

Hiding the murder case and using this as the reason for docking nearby was indeed clever, but he noticed the solemn demeanor of the other crew members and instinctively knew things were not that simple.

Had something gone wrong with Charles? Or had a second victim appeared?

As he pondered, a tall figure approached. “Zhong Nian.”

Zhong Nian looked up and was met with the man’s bulging, full chest beneath his tank top. He paused. “Zhan Lu…?”

Zhan Lu raised a brow and lightly knocked his forehead with his knuckle. “You don’t recognize me without the chef’s uniform?”

Zhong Nian pressed the sore spot and shot him a glare. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same.” Zhan Lu’s gaze lingered for a moment on the jacket draped over Zhong Nian’s shoulders before flicking to Ke Zhengchu behind him, whose face still bore the mark of a slap.

“I heard the commotion and came out. I heard something happened with the Cruise Ship. Do you know anything?” Zhong Nian asked Zhan Lu.

Zhan Lu subtly withdrew his gaze and shrugged. “Just an engine failure. It’s common. Nothing big.”

“Oh…” Zhong Nian still wasn’t reassured.

He couldn’t just sit idly by, so he decisively headed off to find Charles.

After just two steps, his wrist was grabbed from behind. “Where are you going?”

Zhong Nian turned to look at Ke Zhengchu, whose eyes brimmed with worry.

His tone softened involuntarily. “I have something to do. I’m just going to find someone.”

“Don’t go!” Ke Zhengchu gripped him tightly. “We think it’s better to go back and sleep.”

Zhong Nian grew anxious inside but coaxed him. “Zhengchu, be good. Go back to the Dormitory and wait for me. I’ll be back right away.”

The somewhat intimate address and words successfully made Ke Zhengchu loosen his grip unconsciously. Zhong Nian immediately hurried upward without looking back.

But in the next second, his feet left the ground, his vision spun, and when he came to, he realized Zhan Lu had picked him up.

It was like carrying a child—his legs were clamped tight, forcing him to sit on the man’s rigid arm.

“Zhan Lu, what are you doing?!” He shrieked in shock, pounding Zhan Lu’s shoulder, drawing looks from others.

“Taking you back to the Dormitory. He’s right—it’s not safe to wander around in the middle of the night. You need to go back and sleep properly.” Zhan Lu felt no pain at all and steadily carried him back.

Whenever he felt off-balance, Zhong Nian instinctively wrapped his arms around Zhan Lu’s neck, then switched to smacking the top of his head.

“Are you sick? Put me down! Where I go is my freedom!”

Zhan Lu ignored him and strode away from the crowd with Zhong Nian in his arms.

As they turned a corner, Zhong Nian spotted Ke Zhengchu following and immediately called for help. “Zhengchu, help me!”

Ke Zhengchu’s mouth opened, but before he could speak, Zhan Lu cut in. “He won’t help you.”

“…” Ke Zhengchu shut his mouth and said nothing more.

“You’re just bullying us weaklings, huh? Zhan Lu, you’re not a real man.” Zhong Nian resorted to personal attacks.

If his legs hadn’t been pinned, he would have kicked this jerk to death.

It was utterly baffling.

“Weaklings? Does that include him too?” Zhan Lu let out an enigmatic chuckle.

Zhong Nian twisted Zhan Lu’s ear. “Who else? You’re built like a damn ox—who can match you!”

“Say whatever you want.” Zhan Lu remained unprovoked and didn’t slow a step as he delivered Zhong Nian back to the Dormitory. He pressed him onto the bed and, before he could get up, wrapped him tightly in the blanket. He even had Ke Zhengchu fetch a few belts to use as ropes, binding the bundle securely.

Zhong Nian wriggled on the bed like a caterpillar but couldn’t sit up. Zhan Lu even swatted the spot where his butt was.

Through the thick blanket, it didn’t hurt much, but the muffled smack left Zhong Nian—who had never endured such humiliation—furious, his eyes turning red.

“Zhan Lu, you’ve gone too far! What gives you the right to tie me up and spank me?!”

“Sleep well.” Zhan Lu pressed his head back onto the pillow, ruffled his hair a couple times, then turned to Ke Zhengchu. “I’m off. Keep an eye on him.”

Ke Zhengchu nodded. After Zhan Lu left and he closed the Dormitory door, he turned to face the youth on the bed, whose face was flushed red with anger.

“Little Nian…”

By now, Zhong Nian was sweaty from struggling and the bundled blanket, a strand of hair sticking to his face. His pleading eyes took on an unusually alluring charm at that moment.

He pleaded softly. “Zhengchu, let me go, okay?”

Ke Zhengchu said nothing, staring at his bound, helpless form on the bed. He licked his dry lips.

Unaware of Ke Zhengchu’s thoughts, Zhong Nian continued. “Zhengchu, that nutjob’s gone. You don’t have to be afraid of him.”

But to his surprise, his shy, honest roommate shook his head in refusal.

“No.” Ke Zhengchu crouched by the bed. “Little Nian, you can’t go out.”

“Why?” Zhong Nian was utterly baffled. “Are you with him?”

“No…” Ke Zhengchu frowned. “I just… don’t want you running around. It’s dangerous.”

Zhong Nian didn’t understand. “What danger? There are so many people even at night. I’m just going to ask someone a few questions.”

Ke Zhengchu hesitated. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No, I need to go now.” Zhong Nian worried another incident might arise in the meantime. “If you force me to stay here and sleep like this, I won’t be able to anyway. If I don’t rest well, I might get sick.”

At those words, Ke Zhengchu’s resolve wavered.

Zhong Nian pressed on. “How about you come with me? Okay?”

“…Alright.”

–

“You’re looking for Charles the First Mate?” On the way, Ke Zhengchu’s expression turned a bit odd upon hearing who it was.

“Yes, don’t worry. He’s a decent guy.” Zhong Nian patted Ke Zhengchu’s arm.

The two reached the Bridge entrance. Perhaps due to the night’s incident, it was a hive of activity inside, and outsiders weren’t allowed.

Zhong Nian had to ask the on-duty crew member to pass a message. Soon, Charles emerged.

Zhong Nian immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him aside. “Charles, I have something to ask you. Let’s find somewhere private.”

Charles followed obediently, looking quite relaxed and even reassuring Zhong Nian. “Don’t rush. Slow down.”

In a secluded spot, Zhong Nian remembered Ke Zhengchu, who had followed on his own, and said, “Zhengchu, wait over there for me.”

Ke Zhengchu pressed his pale lips together, glanced at Charles, and nodded. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Mm-hmm.” Zhong Nian was focused on the matter at hand and didn’t notice Ke Zhengchu’s oddity. Once he left, Zhong Nian hurriedly tugged Charles’s upper body down to whisper, just like before.

“How’s it going?”

Charles smiled at him and tugged the jacket tighter around him. “How’s what going?”

“The bomb thing!” Zhong Nian was nearly frantic.

“Progress is a bit tricky.” Charles touched his nose. “I secretly led a team and found a few.”

“And then?”

“Then something came up on the ship, and the Ship Captain called me back.”

Zhong Nian was shocked. “At a time like this? What could be more important than the bombs? Shouldn’t we resolve the biggest crisis first?!”

“Keep it down.” Charles covered Zhong Nian’s soft lips with his hand and whispered, “We can’t afford to alert them. We have to investigate quietly and grasp the full situation before acting.”

Zhong Nian calmed a bit and nodded.

He was right—the person holding the bomb detonator could blow everything at any moment. No mistakes allowed.

“You’ve probably heard the Cruise Ship’s engine failed. We don’t know yet if it was an accident or sabotage by those people. It’s tricky. It’s not safe out here right now, so head back soon and stay put. Try not to wander. Don’t worry—I’ll handle it.”

One after another, they all wanted to shove him back indoors.

But since Zhong Nian had gotten answers from Charles, he had no reason to linger outside.

“Got it,” he replied.

Charles placed a hand on Zhong Nian’s shoulder as they walked back. As he leaned down to say goodbye, his lips seemed to accidentally brush against the soft, fragrant strands of hair.

“Go on back.”

Zhong Nian didn’t notice, nodded, and returned to Ke Zhengchu’s side. “Let’s go.”

“Mm.” Ke Zhengchu lagged a step behind, glanced back at Charles—who was still watching from afar—then reached out and patted the youth’s head.

Zhong Nian looked puzzled. “What?”

Ke Zhengchu’s expression was normal. “Nothing. Just some dirt.”