Chapter 12: Kidnapped at the Same Time as My Boyfriend’s White Moonlight

◎So you’re being obedient now, huh.◎

Wen Tong nearly spat out his mouthful of water. He set the cup down in a hurry and coughed until his chest hurt.

Green Face’s mouth twitched. He stomped hard on Qiang Ji’s foot.

Qiang Ji looked at him, baffled, wondering what he’d said wrong.

Lu Fei’s gaze drifted among the three of them, and then it clicked—the “Mrs. Lu” Qiang Ji had just mentioned was Wen Tong. “Who ever said he’s Mrs. Lu?”

Your lackey did, Wen Tong answered silently.

A beat later, Qiang Ji said, “Green Face.”

Green Face: “…” Thanks a lot, jackass.

He slapped himself across the face and said at once, “Third Master, that was my slip of the tongue.”

Lu Fei shot Green Face a look, then turned to Wen Tong.

Wen Tong had been protected too well by Xie You—he had no cunning to speak of, and everything in his head played out plainly in those clear, bottomless eyes of his.

Surprise, curiosity, a spectator’s delight at the drama, and threaded through it all, a trace of distaste…

Distaste—plainly, distaste for the title of Mrs. Lu.

Distaste for being Mrs. Lu. So he wanted to be Mrs. Xie, did he?

Lu Fei’s eyes darkened. An inexplicable anger rose in his chest. “He’s nothing but a hostage.”

Wen Tong nodded, agreeing with him.

At that, Lu Fei’s anger burned hotter. The corners of his mouth pulled down, and his voice dropped low. “The only value he has is being Xie You’s boyfriend.”

“Don’t go getting any other ideas.”

Green Face and Qiang Ji bowed their heads in unison. “Yes.”

Listening, Wen Tong turned it over in his mind—did Lu Fei mean that the moment he and Xie You broke up, Lu Fei would kill him for being useless?

If that was the case, then wouldn’t it be simplest to just come clean that he and Xie You were only pretending to date?

Wen Tong sank into thought and didn’t notice Lu Fei had walked up to him.

Lu Fei bent down and pinched his face.

Those ink-black eyes were fixed on him, and yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of him in them.

His grip tightened for an instant, the veins standing out on the back of his hand, then slowly loosened.

Lu Fei straightened and swept the steak in front of Wen Tong onto the floor. Dishes shattered across the deck. “If you don’t want to eat, then starve,” he said coldly.

He looked at Green Face and Qiang Ji. “You two—get out and eat.”

With that, Lu Fei strode out of the cabin and stood at the edge of the outer deck, leaning against the railing to let the wind hit his face.

Green Face and Qiang Ji hurried after him.

Lu Fei stared at the restless surface of the sea and asked without expression, “Green Face, what did you say to Wen Tong while I was gone?”

Green Face: “He asked how Xie You had managed to offend you.”

Lu Fei glanced at him. “He doesn’t know?”

Green Face nodded. “We didn’t tell him anything. I only gave him a few vague answers—said it was because of him.”

Lu Fei lit a cigarette and went on. “How did he react?”

Green Face stole a look at him, saw his expression had only gotten worse, hesitated, then said cautiously, “He was surprised. And—a little speechless, too. He probably figured out I was lying to him.”

Lu Fei: “And the rest?”

Green Face: “I dodged all his other questions.”

Lu Fei lifted his eyelids and turned to Qiang Ji. “When the two of you were alone, what did he say?”

Knowing Qiang Ji had no filter on his mouth, he added, “Repeat every word. Every single one.”

Qiang Ji acknowledged and began. “He asked how old I was this year, where I’m from, where we’re headed now…”

Hearing him ramble through a pile of nonsense, Lu Fei frowned and cut in. “How did you answer?”

Qiang Ji answered honestly. “I didn’t say a single word.”

Lu Fei: “…”

Qiang Ji continued. “He also asked what Green Face had gone off to do, how long the yacht would take, and whether I was from Country Hua…”

As he prattled on through the meaningless chatter, Lu Fei raised his eyelids, and his gaze drifted, unbidden, toward the cabin.

Wen Tong sat obediently in his chair, head bowed, fine soft hair hanging against the side of his face, hiding it from view, so it was hard to see clearly.

The only thing visible was his posture—clutching his stomach, as if he were uncomfortable.

Since being taken, two days now, Wen Tong hadn’t eaten a thing.

Back in the apartment complex, it seemed he’d just been about to eat, too…

Lu Fei’s long, narrow eyes lowered slightly. His face showed nothing, pale gray smoke curling around him, his whole air cold and forbidding.

Qiang Ji swallowed nervously and sped up. “Then he said he had a midterm exam in a few days, asked if I was a college student, asked where I’d gone to school—I didn’t answer any of those either.”

“Then he said he was thirsty, and I went to pour him some water. I saw him going through the drawers, so I told him Brother Dog handles things thoroughly—there wouldn’t be any phones on the boat.”

“And then you came over.”

Lu Fei looked up at him. “That’s all?”

Green Face nodded. “That’s all.”

Lu Fei: “Then what are you still standing around for?”

Qiang Ji had no idea what he was supposed to do and looked to Green Face for help.

Green Face was a little lost himself, and ventured, “Third Master?”

Lu Fei: “Go make some porridge. Now.”

“Yes.”

Green Face answered and hurriedly dragged Qiang Ji off toward the kitchen.

Qiang Ji was utterly at a loss. Once they were far enough away, he couldn’t help asking, “What’s going on?”

“What’s Third Master’s attitude toward that Mrs.—no, that hostage—really?”

Green Face glanced at him. “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t get it.”

Qiang Ji: “Then just tell me. How do you know I won’t get it if you don’t say it?”

Green Face: “All these years—have you ever seen anyone else by Third Master’s side?”

Qiang Ji: “No. But didn’t Third Master say it was to take Xie You’s man?”

Green Face: “You idiot! I told you—you wouldn’t get it.”

……

Lu Fei didn’t go back into the cabin. He stood on the deck making calls, handling business.

After being away so long, a pile of things had piled up back on the island.

By the time he finished, over an hour had passed. He’d smoked two cigarettes, and his mood had settled.

He knew the attention he paid to Wen Tong was excessive, beyond his control. But the moment he let his guard down, his gaze drifted, helpless, back to Wen Tong.

Wen Tong was still in the same position in the chair—except now his head was dipping, little by little, like a chicken pecking at rice. He was dozing.

Suddenly his body pitched forward, his forehead knocking against the tabletop. He jolted awake for an instant and sat up straight.

Before long his head began to dip again, bit by bit. He was clearly dead tired.

Lu Fei looked at the shattered porcelain scattered across the floor, sent Green Face a text to bring the porridge up to the second floor, and headed toward the cabin.

After a few steps, his foot came down on a piece of the broken dishes, and a crisp crack rang out.

Wen Tong heard it and turned his head, eyes bleary with sleep.

Lu Fei looked down at him. “Upstairs.”

Wen Tong rubbed his eyes and blinked up at him, dazed. “Upstairs for what?”

Looking at that just-woken face, Lu Fei curled his fingers, his palm itching.

He raised a hand and patted Wen Tong’s cheek. “To be locked up.”

“Have you ever seen a hostage who gets to wander around freely?”

Wen Tong swatted his hand away, said “Oh,” and got slowly to his feet.

He was truly exhausted—two days without proper sleep. The hunger he could bear; it was the tiredness that made his mind sluggish.

He trudged slowly up the stairs. The boat swayed, and his body swayed with it, tipping toward the sea.

Lu Fei’s expression changed. He grabbed him by the collar at once.

Wen Tong said instinctively, “Thank you.”

That nasal tone sounded right by his ear, and Lu Fei’s ear actually itched. His hand on Wen Tong’s collar slid inward.

His fingers pressed against Wen Tong’s neck. “How are you going to thank me?”

Wen Tong shuddered at the heat of his fingers, instantly wide awake. “Verbally.”

Lu Fei lowered his head. “Fine. Go ahead and kiss me.”

Wen Tong: “???”

Lu Fei: “Didn’t you say you’d thank me verbally?”

Wen Tong gritted his teeth. “I meant with words.”

Lu Fei said “Oh,” and said, utterly shameless, “Then say it.”

He crooked his index finger and lightly scraped the nape of Wen Tong’s neck.

Goosebumps erupted across Wen Tong’s back. He broke free of Lu Fei’s hand in a panic and took the steps two at a time, saying without turning back, “Didn’t I already thank you just now?!”

Lu Fei followed behind him and clicked his tongue. “Just that one line? Your life really isn’t worth much.”

Wen Tong ignored him and quickly reached the third floor.

The third floor was all rooms, each door shut tight. It looked like the place for sleeping and resting.

“303,” he heard Lu Fei say behind him.

Wen Tong hurried forward to the door of 303.

It wasn’t locked—a push and it swung open.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t a storeroom or some storage closet. It was a proper bedroom.

And there was already someone inside.

Green Face stood by the table, having just set down porridge and milk.

He said quietly, “Eat something before you sleep.”

Wen Tong blinked, thinking Green Face had taken pity on him and secretly cooked the porridge himself.

He glanced back at Lu Fei in the corridor, then hurriedly shut the door and said softly to Green Face, “No need. Take it away, quick.”

“I’m not eating.”

Green Face frowned slightly. “Why? You don’t like seafood porridge?”

“No,” Wen Tong paused, then told him, “Didn’t he just say I wasn’t allowed to eat? That I should starve?”

Lu Fei had reached the doorway just in time to hear this.

He pushed the door open and leaned slantwise against the frame, a false smile floating on his face. “Since when do you listen to me so well?”

Wen Tong’s lips moved, but he said nothing. In his heart he thought, Ever since I learned you like people who resist…

Lu Fei looked at his meek, downcast manner and remembered the reason too. He stepped inside.

Step by step he drew closer, until he stood before Wen Tong, looking down at him from above.

Lu Fei’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slowly. The corner of his mouth slackened, and he gave a mocking laugh. “So you’re being obedient now, huh.”

“Then if I want to fuck you right now—are you going to let me?”