Chapter 25
Yi Xing Shui stood on the deck, the sea wind whipping her shoulder-length hair around her ears.
She stared intently into the distance.
An umbrella appeared above her head, followed by a cup of water offered to her.
Looking sideways, she saw Zhao Qian silently holding an umbrella beside her, his glasses reflecting the usual somewhat unfeeling light.
“Thank you, I’m not Mr. Gu, I dare not order you to hold an umbrella for me.” She took the cup but didn’t drink it; she just held it in her hand. “You’re still… waiting for him?”
Zhao Qian hadn’t dared to take any risks earlier. After picking her up, he had the captain steer the boat away from the border of the waters. However, after a short while, they stopped a little further away, remaining there, as if believing Shu Ci could still escape death.
The clouds were thick, and the rain intensified. The view of Longji Island was completely obscured.
But there was no sign of the black creatures from before.
Zhao Qian gazed at the sea, the echo of Shu Ci’s words reverberating in his mind—
“You’re also a father… If someone treated your child like this, how would you feel?”
“Have you ever thought that retribution might fall on your own child!”
He clenched his fist at his side, his voice hoarse: “I’m not chasing anymore, not waiting anymore.”
After speaking, he turned and walked towards the cabin, taking the only umbrella with him.
Yi Xing Shui watched his back, slightly stunned.
This was… a change of heart?
But with no body found, it would be difficult to explain to Mr. Gu.
However, Zhao Qian didn’t respond to her; he walked straight ahead. After thinking for a moment, she held the cup, went under Zhao Qian’s umbrella, and followed him. “Did you see the creatures chasing us on the boat? Have you seen them before? What were they?”
Zhao Qian pushed up his glasses: “I don’t know. Let’s check when we get back.”
The rain stopped, and the sky over the sea brightened.
The unusual atmospheric pressure above the entire sea area was gradually replaced by normal pressure and airflow. Sunlight pierced through the thinning cotton-like clouds, sprinkling on the deep blue sea, creating sparkling ripples.
No one expected this to be their fastest mission completion.
A large number of unknown creatures were captured alive, but apart from the maritime fleet, and specifically apart from General Lu, everyone else felt they hadn’t done much. It was as if their previous training and selection were useless; they had come for a paid vacation.
Lu Wanqing assigned the patrolling squads their shifts, allowing all the team members to return to Longji Island to rest. After making all the arrangements, he returned to the rest room of his ship.
Shu Ci lay on the bed in the rest room, sinking into a deep unconsciousness after the exhaustion.
The length and width, cramped for Lu Wanqing, were just right for Shu Ci to lie down on. The cabin was air-conditioned; he was wrapped in a blanket, only his pretty head visible, like a silkworm.
Lu Wanqing’s mind was full of the scene on the sea.
No one was closer than he was to Shu Ci, and no one understood better what Shu Ci had just done.
The honeysuckle-scented pheromones wafted out, perfectly condensing into a sharp arrow.
Under his control, it broke through the air, cut through the rain, and fell directly into the container he had placed on the sea. Although the shape, strength, and speed had some minor flaws, Lu Wanqing could tell it was his limit.
He hadn’t told Shu Ci that what he had taught him was something only their group of “golden shields” had the conditions to learn. Without a teacher’s guidance and medical assistance in the early stages, it was very likely that he would go astray, injuring his glands and becoming disabled.
Mimicry was a fundamental skill, the most basic of basics. Ordinary Alphas in training camps needed to practice for three to five months to achieve perfect mimicry without losing a single trace.
This was also why he had warned Shu Ci.
Becoming stronger required a lot of time and effort, and it might not catch up with the divorce he hoped for.
How long had Shu Ci been practicing? What kind of genius was he?
Or… was his desire to divorce and become independent so urgent that it led to such enormous progress?
Lu Wanqing was thinking this when a communication from headquarters came through.
“The mission was completed well.” Before he even returned to Longji Island, He Lian had received the report he had sent. “You can stay on Longji Island for another two days to make sure there are no remaining unknown creatures before returning.”
“Received.”
“Now let’s talk about your spouse.”
“…As you say.”
Marshal He had informants everywhere. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of the ins and outs of this operation.
He hadn’t mentioned Shu Ci’s pheromone abilities in the report, intending to discuss it face-to-face when he got back. The Marshal should understand what he meant. He just didn’t know what else the Marshal wanted to talk about.
Lu Wanqing leaned against the cabin door of the rest room, adjusting his headset, and couldn’t help but glance at Shu Ci a few times.
He didn’t know when he started, but he was becoming increasingly accustomed to the term “your spouse.”
As if sensing something, the person in the blanket murmured and turned over, his two arms extending and obediently resting on his stomach. There were faint red marks on his wrists.
He Lian asked, “Why was your wife there?”
Lu Wanqing’s gaze fell on the red marks, and he couldn’t help but frown. “He came from the Jiaoyuan Island direction, driving a speedboat with the Gu family’s logo.”
What else could the reason be? He could guess.
“You only have internal communications there, no access to the external network. I saw news about a private helicopter circling near Juqing Road, but it was suppressed by the Gu family… So what’s the situation with this son of the Gu family? Are underhanded methods not working? Has he started to seize things openly?”
He Lian’s tone was calm, but Lu Wanqing could still hear a hint of displeasure.
Spouses are one; Gu Lanzhu targeting Shu Ci was extending his hand to Lu Wanqing’s head. And now Lu Wanqing was one of the twelve star generals, this was tantamount to provoking their military.
“I heard their match rate is 100%.” Lu Wanqing told Marshal He the truth.
He Lian gasped when he heard this.
100% meant perfect, and the Gu family was the most demanding among all the wealthy families when it came to perfect genes.
They had been striving for the top Alpha-Omega bloodline for generations, and Gu Lanzhu was the top of the top; someone who was 100% compatible with him would certainly not be far off.
In other words, the Gu family was impossible to give up.
He Lian felt unprecedented trouble.
“Although you are legal partners, we all know that a flimsy law may not shake the Gu family, let alone restrain him. Like today, if Shu Ci hadn’t escaped, Gu Lanzhu might have locked him up until he got pregnant.”
Lu Wanqing’s face darkened.
But He Lian couldn’t see his expression; he analyzed it independently and quickly figured out what had happened today.
No matter how indulgent Gu Lanzhu was, he probably wouldn’t allow Shu Ci to go out to sea on a speedboat in such bad weather.
So Shu Ci’s appearance at the mission site today was most likely a forced choice to escape.
“Thank goodness he’s the heir to Longji Island.” He Lian’s voice unconsciously became gentler when he mentioned Shu Ci. “Maybe the automatic defense system recognized him, so he was fine.”
Lu Wanqing walked to the bedside and half-squatted.
He glanced lightly at Shu Ci’s closed eyes, thoughtful.
He had just had someone check the speedboat. When it was close to Longji Island’s waters, the positioning system would generate a “warning” image, reminding him that there was a danger to life in the area ahead.
However, Lu Wanqing had clearly seen it on the monitoring screen.
Shu Ci charged in without hesitation.
He hadn’t asked for help from anyone, nor could he have.
Knowing he might die, he still chose to take a gamble. Perhaps this choice would be easier for him, because once dead, he could completely escape Gu Lanzhu’s entanglement.
Thinking of this, Lu Wanqing felt an indescribable restlessness.
He had promised Shu Ci many things, but in the end he hadn’t protected him.
“Do you know about Longji Island’s inheritance process? Is it on the island or do they have to return to City A?” Lu Wanqing stood up and walked out of the rest room. “If it can be done on the island, I’ll bring him there before I leave this time.”
“I don’t really know about this; I’ll ask for you.” He Lian’s side had rustling sounds, as if changing clothes. “I won’t talk anymore; the people from the parliament are going to have a meeting again. Report anything important promptly.”
“Okay.” Lu Wanqing waited for him to hang up.
“Hey—wait a minute!”
He Lian’s voice suddenly raised a bit.
“I remember your wife is from the film academy, right? There’s something… You know about the conscription promotional video, right? The several proposals they submitted are all too poor. Ask your wife if she’s willing to cooperate with us?”
“Co-cooperate?” Shu Ci screamed, scrambling out of the tent. “You want me to film a promotional video?”
When Shu Ci woke up, he was already on Longji Island.
Because access to all buildings on the island required permission, the team members slept in large tents according to their squads. Lu Wanqing could only have someone set up a tent for Shu Ci separately.
When relaying Marshal He’s request, Lu Wanqing was standing outside the tent.
He stood straight, only to see a head of messy red hair rushing from the tent to his legs. Shu Ci scrambled to his feet, his waist still a little weak, instinctively grabbing Lu Wanqing’s arm.
Both of them reflexively frowned, waiting for the repulsion to flow from the point of contact.
After regaining his footing, Shu Ci quickly let go.
“No problem, I absolutely have no problem!”
Shu Ci felt his breathing quicken. He hadn’t filmed anything for a long time; even a promotional video was fine!
“It’s just that my summer internship has also been cancelled.”
Damn Gu Lanzhu, I’ll get you one day!
Shu Ci grumbled inwardly.
Lu Wanqing saw his slightly furrowed brow, the light in his eyes clouded by a layer of light gray, guessing he wasn’t in a good mood.
He thought for a moment, hesitated for a long time, and spoke: “Do… you want to look at the stars?”
Look at the stars?
Shu Ci was stunned, and a plot suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was the part where the original protagonist was imprisoned on Gu Lanzhu’s island; one night, Gu Lanzhu took him to the rooftop and watched a meteor shower all night. The two of them had a half-forced, half-willing roll in the stars for four or five chapters.
“…” He hesitated for a moment.
What if he got excited and Lu Wanqing wanted to roll in bed with him? They were legal, after all!
“The experts say that today’s meteor shower is rare.” Lu Wanqing explained, “It was first discovered and recorded on your birthday.”
“My birthday?” Shu Ci tilted his head. “My birthday isn’t—”
It hasn’t arrived yet?
Before he finished, he immediately fell silent.
Help, his birthday was September 17th, the original protagonist’s birthday was February 29th. Lu Wanqing must be referring to the original protagonist’s birthday!!!
His pupils constricted, only to see Lu Wanqing’s gaze pressing down, examining him.
His dark blue eyes became deeper under the night sky, like spreading ink, intense and profound. Shu Ci could see his own embarrassed face in them.
Shu Ci hurriedly looked away, but unexpectedly, Lu Wanqing persisted, leaning down and looking directly into his eyes.
Shu Ci held his breath.
Please, don’t let him discover anything!
Lu Wanqing looked at him closely for a while, then straightened up; the tassels on his uniform’s epaulets fell on his ear, his lips seemingly brushing against his hair.
His voice was low: “So, do you want to go and see them?”
Author’s Note:
Old Lu: Feeling at a loss on a first date invitation (?)