The sea breeze brushed his face, bringing the chill of late autumn. The top deck was brightly lit, and a servant played an elegant, romantic piece on the violin. Yet the two seated here were far from romance; he was indifferent, she was intent.
Miss Bai watched Yu Zhi sip his water and nibble on dessert with calm, unhurried composure, showing not a trace of nervousness, and her admiration for him deepened.
Yet she knew, admiration alone meant nothing. This was a man she could never control.
From the moment he refused her, her chance had vanished.
She flicked the cigarette from her hand, extinguished it in the ashtray, and closed the magazine in front of her. Smiling at Yu Zhi, she said, “I’ve already said I don’t like forcing anyone. Since Mr. Yu is unwilling, then so be it. I was presumptuous this time. For the rest of your time on the cruise, I hope you enjoy yourself.”
With that, she stood to leave, but after a few steps, she paused, turned back, and smiled. “Oh, as a small gesture, I’ll share a piece of information for free: Ji Xingyu is also on this cruise.”
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow and watched her retreating figure.
Frowning faintly, he didn’t plan to continue his dinner. Descending to his floor, it took little effort for him to spot Ji Xingyu. He was chatting with friends, and from the way they interacted, their rapport seemed strong.
“You coming out to play with me, won’t your wife be upset?”
Xue Yan, who had married his fiancée months ago and just returned from their honeymoon, had long neglected his friends. Feeling guilty, he had volunteered to accompany Ji Xingyu. With their connections, securing this invitation had not been difficult.
“She’s been busy with performances lately, no time for me.” His tone, as if even a honeymoon was an inconvenience that might interfere with her work, immediately made Ji Xingyu realize: it wasn’t that this man particularly wanted to spend time with him, it was that he had been sidelined by his wife and needed a friend for company.
He had no idea how this kid ran his company. Was the President really this free?
“Sh*t! He’s here too?!” Xue Yan’s eyes darted, and suddenly he froze, staring in a certain direction with disbelief.
Ji Xingyu, startled by the outburst, asked, “Who?”
Following Xue Yan’s gaze, his own eyes narrowed slightly the next moment.
Xue Yan hadn’t even managed to stop it, his brother had already spotted Yu Zhi, and the “sh*t” in his head deepened.
Lately, listening to Ji Xingyu talk about how his relationship with Yu Zhi had been evolving, he’d held a bit of doubt, but seeing the man in person dissolved most of it. They had indeed caught up; feelings were real.
He was just thinking about whether to make space for his brother when his phone buzzed in his bag.
He picked it up, and the instant he saw the screen, his expression froze. He seemed to forget how to move, standing still for a long moment.
Ji Xingyu noticed something was wrong, frowned, and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
The next moment, Xue Yan suddenly hugged Ji Xingyu and shouted, “Ahhhh! I’m going to be a dad!”
Ji Xingyu’s eyes lit up. A friend receiving such joyous news was truly something to celebrate.
“Congratulations!” he said, smiling.
“And… are you going back now?”
After a few attempts, Xue Yan finally stuffed his phone into his pocket, muttering repeatedly, “Y-yes, yes, going back now! Brother, enjoy yourself here! I need to go back to my wife! I wish you happiness in love too!”
He ran toward the service area while still shouting back that he was going home.
Even though the cruise was at sea, leaving midway was possible, he could be taken back by speedboat.
The staff member who received the instructions furrowed his brow subtly, glanced toward a certain direction, and after receiving confirmation, turned to the happily distracted soon-to-be dad, Xue Yan, with a stiff but polite smile: “Of course, sir. Please follow me.”
Xue Yan, engrossed in the ultrasound images his wife had just sent, didn’t notice the subtle oddity in the staff member and obediently followed, still muttering, “Hurry a bit, my family’s waiting. They’re anxious!”
The staff’s eyes darkened slightly, his face frozen in a fake smile, and he said, “Certainly.”
Watching Xue Yan leave, Ji Xingyu couldn’t help a flicker of envy in his gaze.
A friend with a happy family, about to welcome a newborn, truly blessed in both career and life.
And yet here he was, still hung up on some stubborn man.
He had a lingering feeling of defeat.
With that thought, Ji Xingyu turned and saw Yu Zhi walking toward him.
He reined in the flicker of envy in his eyes and said, “I didn’t know you’d come to a place like this.”
In his impression, Yu Zhi wasn’t the type to seek out leisure or entertainment. Moreover, this wasn’t a place ordinary people could just walk into.
So how had Yu Zhi gotten an invitation?
The thought flickered in his mind and refused to fade.
Yu Zhi offered no explanation. The matter with Miss Bai had been handled; it was likely resolved, and there was no need to burden Ji Xingyu with it.
“Someone sent it,” he said simply, passing it off in a single sentence.
“Ha!” Ji Xingyu scoffed, a cold smile tugging at his lips. “I can’t believe it. Since when have you been on such good terms with someone that they can casually hand you something so important?”
That was jealousy, pure and simple, but what right did he have to be jealous? Nothing more than a petty irritation.
Yu Zhi, adhering to the principle of more words, more mistakes, avoided the topic. Instead, he said, “Your friend has good news at home? I forgot to offer my congratulations.”
Ji Xingyu knew perfectly well he was deflecting, and annoyance flared. He couldn’t help snapping: “What does my friend’s happy news have to do with you? Or do you also want that kind of joy?”
Was he implying marriage and children?
The softness in Yu Zhi’s expression vanished; his brows drew together, a warning sign of his temper rising. “Ji Xingyu.”
Ji Xingyu looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.
He had long reminded himself to stay calm, to avoid throwing tantrums and provoking Yu Zhi unnecessarily, yet when matters like this arose, he couldn’t control himself.
Who had sent Yu Zhi the invitation?
And what was that person to him?
Everyone on this cruise was either wealthy or noble, each with their own agenda, either to play, network, or endure politely. But neither Ji Xingyu nor Yu Zhi fit into any of those patterns. They ignored the games, didn’t seek connections or status, and stayed tucked away in a quiet corner, simply enjoying the peace.
At night, fireworks were set off on the cruise. Yu Zhi hadn’t known about this, so when the sudden explosion of light and sound reached his ears, his reflexes immediately tensed. For a moment, he thought it was an attack. His expression sharpened, and he turned to look, but the deck was crowded with people, heads jostling against one another, cheers and shouts rising like a mountain and sea of sound.
Looking closer, he realized it was just fireworks.
Relief washed over him, and his body relaxed from the tight tension.
The two of them were close enough that Ji Xingyu couldn’t have missed Yu Zhi’s reaction. Forgetting his own irritation for the moment, he stepped closer with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“You weren’t scared by the fireworks, were you?” he asked, a small humor threading his tone, it was only a casual guess.
To his surprise, Yu Zhi answered seriously: “A little… it was rather sudden.”
Ji Xingyu hadn’t expected it to be so literal. Had this person never experienced fireworks growing up?
Still, despite the oddity, Ji Xingyu couldn’t help feeling a pang of pity and concern for Yu Zhi.
He found himself asking inwardly: why was he getting worked up over a young man?
He was older, what harm was there in giving a little leeway?
Even though Yu Zhi seemed capable and upright, after all, this person was ten years younger, a young man.
No, that wasn’t quite right. He wasn’t old either.
It was Yu Zhi who was just too young.
Ji Xingyu had never cared about the ten-year age gap. Ever since he realized he liked Yu Zhi, he had never worried about the difference. It was as if… it simply didn’t matter. Every time the thought crossed his mind, it passed lightly, without weight or concern.
“These fireworks are set off randomly; it’s the rule here. After all, unexpected beauty brings the greatest surprise, many people like it that way,” Ji Xingyu explained to Yu Zhi.
Yu Zhi considered this for a moment, feeling the reasoning made sense.
“This place is too noisy,” he muttered. He didn’t really enjoy crowded spaces, so many people, so hot and chaotic, it didn’t feel safe.
Ji Xingyu nodded in agreement. “Let’s go back.” He, too, preferred a world for just the two of them.
The decision was mutual. They weaved through the throngs of people and made their way to their rooms.
By coincidence, their rooms were on the same floor. While not right next to each other, it was far better than being on different floors.
Passing down the corridor, they reached Yu Zhi’s room first. Ji Xingyu lingered outside the door, noticing Yu Zhi enter without any hint of invitation. He couldn’t help but call out, “Hey…”
Yu Zhi pressed his lips together, sighing inwardly, and reminded him: “Teacher Ji, I don’t think we’re together?”
True, Yu Zhi recognized that on this cruise, the only person he was truly familiar with was Ji Xingyu, and over the next few days, they’d likely be in contact frequently. But that didn’t cross the line, yet if he invited Ji Xingyu in, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t take it further.
No matter what excuse Ji Xingyu might come up with, Yu Zhi resolutely closed the door.
Back in his room, after a shower, Yu Zhi thought over the lingering unease in his chest but couldn’t locate its source. Resigned, he went to bed.
The next morning, before Yu Zhi even woke, Ji Xingyu’s barrage of phone calls began. Frowning, he answered. “Hello…”
“Wake up! Why are you still in bed? Get up and open the door. I’m outside.”
Just as Yu Zhi had expected. Ever since he realized Ji Xingyu was on the same cruise, he had anticipated this relentless persistence.
After all, the cruise wasn’t large; there was nowhere to hide. Ji Xingyu would certainly seize this to keep on him.
Yet with so many people and strangers on the ship, Yu Zhi didn’t want to avoid Ji Xingyu entirely, better to keep an eye on him, lest he get into trouble or encounter some mishap.
Ji Xingyu wasn’t empty-handed either. When he came in, he carried a packed breakfast. “I brought breakfast. What do you want to eat?”
Yu Zhi, still brushing his teeth, spat out a mouthful of foam. “Anything.”
Ji Xingyu remembered that when they lived together, Yu Zhi cooked mostly Chinese dishes, so he had prepared a largely Chinese-style breakfast.
After finishing the meal, Ji Xingyu tried to drag Yu Zhi out for exercise, using the standard excuse: Yu Zhi hadn’t done his morning training today.
Yu Zhi groaned, blacklining internally. “Teacher Ji, haven’t you forgotten? It’s not good to do strenuous exercise right after eating.”
Yu Zhi had stayed up too late the night before, and coupled with being in an unfamiliar environment, he had slept in this morning and missed his usual morning training.
“You don’t want to exercise? That’s fine, we can do other things instead,” Ji Xingyu said, a playful edge in his tone. “We could go to a concert, watch a movie, or… if there’s anyone you want to meet, I can introduce you.”
In short, no matter what, it would be something for the two of them to do together, there was no shaking him off.
Yu Zhi couldn’t help but smile wryly at Ji Xingyu’s persistence. The irritation he’d felt moments ago had already vanished.
“If you think this is boring, you can go make more friends,” he said evenly. He didn’t have anyone he particularly wanted to meet.
Ji Xingyu’s gaze darkened slightly. He crossed his arms and said in a low, firm voice, “Yu Zhi, what are you pretending not to understand? If you don’t want to see me, just say so. I wouldn’t be this relentless otherwise.”
That was because he knew I had feelings for him, and therefore acted with confidence.
Yu Zhi’s thoughts churned, but his expression remained neutral. Watching Ji Xingyu’s retreating figure, he rubbed his forehead with a slight headache.
Looking at Ji Xingyu like this, he felt that losing ground in this little battle was only a matter of time.
Yu Zhi was both frustrated and a bit annoyed. Ji Xingyu’s fearless attitude made him hard to manage, he couldn’t scold, couldn’t lecture, couldn’t even speak his mind properly. He had no authority to advise him, let alone control him.
Should he leave the cruise altogether?
The thought flickered briefly in Yu Zhi’s mind, but he set it aside.
Miss Bai had said she was giving up, but who could be sure? What if she reignited her temper because he was too eager to leave? Yu Zhi wasn’t afraid of trouble, but he detested unnecessary complications.
Better to add fewer complications than more.
What Yu Zhi didn’t know, however, was that at this very moment, Ji Xingyu was chatting with Miss Bai, the same person Yu Zhi had been thinking about.
Oddly enough, Ji Xingyu didn’t quite understand the situation himself. As soon as he left the accommodation area and reached the leisure area, he was approached by two black-suited bodyguards. One of them said politely, “My lady would like to invite Mr. Ji to have a meal together.”
Their tone was respectful, their manner sincere.
But Ji Xingyu had seen countless people like this; he knew immediately that this wasn’t a request but a statement of fact.
In other words, he wouldn’t be able to avoid this meal even if he wanted to.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Ji Xingyu’s lips. There was a hint of mischief in it, and the sharp glint in his eyes masked the underlying depth of his gaze.
“All right,” he said.
He followed them along, not for any other reason, but because his sixth sense told him this had something to do with Yu Zhi.
After all, he hadn’t provoked anyone recently. Whoever sought him out here on this cruise must be connected to Yu Zhi. There was no other explanation.
He just hadn’t expected that the one coming for him would be her.
“Mr. Ji, long time no see. Did you enjoy yourself yesterday?” Miss Bai greeted him with a smile.
Ji Xingyu glanced at her briefly, then walked straight to the seat across from her and sat down. A faint curve appeared on his lips. “So it’s you.”
Miss Bai’s smile was warm, almost teasing, as she leaned forward slightly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. “Yes, it’s me. Mr. Ji, are you jealous? Back when I was interested in you, you turned me down. Now the person you like is on my cruise… and who knows, maybe even in my bed. Regret it yet?”
Ji Xingyu merely smiled and said nothing, simply watching her quietly.
Her smile stiffened, the act of laughing finally faltering. She quickly drew it in, her expression turning neutral as she asked, “What are you smiling at?”
Ji Xingyu’s smile was subtle but genuine. “Nothing. I just think you’re interesting. Your acting’s improved recently. Maybe you’ll even get a chance to work in our industry someday.”
The unspoken implication: I’m watching you perform.
Miss Bai, no matter how patient she was, was utterly exasperated by this man. “Ji Xingyu!”
Ji Xingyu reached out and refilled her coffee. “Miss Bai, calm down. Anger is bad for the body. You’re in your thirties now; your health isn’t like a young person’s. If something happens, you’d have to see a doctor, wouldn’t that be troublesome?”
This time, Miss Bai truly laughed in exasperation. She looked at the man in front of her, the very man who had driven her up the wall, and spoke coldly: “You call me old, yet you’re only two years younger than me. Women have a natural advantage in that regard, and you’ve been dormant for so many years… does that thing even still work?”
Ji Xingyu: “…”
“Whether it works or not isn’t something you can know.”
Miss Bai snorted and gave him a disdainful glance. “No wonder Mr. Yu didn’t accept you. He has such a good temper, clearly thinking your personality is terrible. That’s why he made excuses to brush you off on the surface while secretly trying every way to get rid of you.”
Ji Xingyu couldn’t smile; his face darkened. He knew perfectly well she was deliberately provoking him with lies, yet this was exactly what had been on his mind recently. Her words hit him right in the heart.
Having won back a small victory, Miss Bai finally restored her smile.
Yet Ji Xingyu’s mind was elsewhere, unable to shake the thought: why did this woman invite Yu Zhi up? Could it really be what she said?
Seeing Ji Xingyu’s expression darken further, Miss Bai lingered for a moment, enjoying the sight, before finally speaking in a mock-charitable tone, “If you beg me, I might tell you what he and I talked about.”
“I beg you,” Ji Xingyu answered without hesitation, giving her no chance to back out.
Miss Bai: “…”
Even with that, she felt no satisfaction; it didn’t even make her want to speak. But if she tried to go back on it, this man would surely mock her endlessly.
“Alright, since you begged me, I’ll tell you. You guessed right, I wanted to sleep with him,” Miss Bai said, smiling brightly.
Ji Xingyu’s expression remained unreadable. “He won’t agree.”
Miss Bai, instead of arguing, challenged him: “Then guess, if I used you as leverage, would he say yes or no?”
Ji Xingyu froze, clearly unprepared for such a possibility. Not considering anyone else, what did he want Yu Zhi to say—yes or no?
He hesitated.
………………
Watching Ji Xingyu leave in a rush, Miss Bai took a sip of her deep red wine. The color mirrored her lips, complementing one another perfectly.
“Miss, why are you doing this?”
Miss Bai smiled. “Don’t you think it’s interesting?”
The bodyguard didn’t think so. What’s interesting about a men falling in love?
Miss Bai’s smile lingered, then she suddenly thought of something. Her tone shifted, serious now: “What about the situation in Lincheng?”
The bodyguard’s expression stiffened. “It’s settled. The Zou family has no chance of turning things around.”
Miss Bai leisurely put on her lace white gloves, her voice calm and elegant. “Then deal with it quickly. I don’t want to see useless trash wandering in front of me the next time I go there.”
“Yes, Miss!”
………………
Yu Zhi waited for a long time, yet Ji Xingyu still hadn’t returned. He wondered whether he should go look for him. But the moment he opened the door and stepped out, someone suddenly lunged into his arms!
Yu Zhi instinctively furrowed his brows. The familiar scent at his nose made him hesitate, and he didn’t immediately push the person away.
He led Ji Xingyu inside, closed the door, and only then pushed him back, frowning. “What are you doing?”
But Ji Xingyu was staring at him with eyes that glittered like stars.
The irritation he had before leaving had completely vanished, replaced by a warmth he could hardly resist.
Thinking they weren’t in a relationship and should maintain some distance, Yu Zhi stepped back.
Ji Xingyu, however, stepped forward, closing the distance.
Yu Zhi frowned again, but then Ji Xingyu smiled, a smile that was both devastating and tender, soft yet sharp in its pull.
“Yu Zhi, you’re neither my family nor my lover, so why do you defend me in front of others?”
“You say you don’t accept me, yet your actions have never left me behind.”
“You refuse to enjoy the privileges of being my boyfriend, yet you carry all the responsibilities toward me. Are you a snail?”
Carrying everything on his back.
“Do you… have a little love for me?”
Not just liking.
Not simply liking.
It’s love.
Like grass clinging to soil, quietly growing.
====================
