Chapter 44 Self-Indulgence

Chen Fu stepped down the stairs and walked towards the cabin.

Jiuqiu followed behind him, her steps light and graceful, her waist swaying naturally as she walked—a subconscious habit she herself was unaware of.

Chen Fu turned around, looked at her sternly, and asked in a slightly sharp tone, "What are you doing following me?"

Jiuqiu looked up blankly, then calmly took out her boat ticket from her sleeve and showed it to Chen Fu: "There is only one way to the cabin. I am not following you, but we were originally going the same way."

Chen Fu carefully checked and found it was a third-class ticket, for the lowest cabin.

He handed it back expressionlessly.

Jiuqiu reached out to take it, and as they exchanged the tickets, her fingertips seemed to casually brush against Chen Fu's palm, the rough texture and ordinary feel of the hand.

Chen Fu seemed to have been burned, abruptly pulling his hand back and glaring at Jiu Qiu with a fierce look in his eyes.

Jiuqiu smiled and said, "Now that we've reached the young master's floor, shall I take my leave?"

After saying that, she stopped arguing, her eyes sparkled, and she turned and left decisively.

Chen Fu's eyes held a complex expression as he watched her continue down the stairs, lost in thought. After a moment, he looked away and headed towards his cabin.

As I passed by Ning Jue and Bai Hua's room, I noticed that the candles inside were out and there was no light, so I assumed that the two of them had already gone to sleep.

Chen Fu walked quietly and closed the door gently, trying not to disturb them.

...

In the latter half of the night, the storm arrived as expected.

With the waves crashing and the winds raging, even the largest merchant ship appears as small as a lone boat on the vast, boundless sea.

Because the degree of turbulence felt in different cabins was different, Bai Hua, who was staying in the first-class cabin this time, clearly felt that the swaying of the ship was much gentler, and the shaking was not as unbearable as before.

But the weather was uncooperative; as the rain poured down, a thunderstorm followed.

Rumble, rumble...

Outside the porthole, it was pitch black; every flash of lightning, as bright as day, was a warning of thunder.

Bai Hua lay on the bed, completely covering herself with the blanket, including her head, in an attempt to find a brief sense of security.

She covered her ears with her hands, trying to comfort herself. It wasn't the first time she'd encountered thunderstorms and waves while on a boat; she was mentally prepared and should be used to it.

But she overestimated herself. Overcoming innate fears is not so simple. Just as some people are born afraid of insects and some are born afraid of cats, this psychological fear will not be lessened or disappear just because an insect crawls on your arm or a cat crawls into your arms.

On the contrary, it will only intensify the stimulation, making the memory of each trembling and shivering more deeply imprinted in the mind.

When another deafening clap of thunder rang out, Bai Hua shivered, closed her eyes, and gripped the edge of the quilt tightly with her fingers, silently praying that the wind and rain outside the window would pass quickly.

Just as the thunder subsided, suddenly, the cabin door was knocked on from the outside, producing a clear, muffled sound.

That was the sound of fingers slightly bent and knuckles clicking.

Bai Hua was afraid it was a hallucination, so she didn't react immediately. It wasn't until the knocking sounded a second time that she was moved. She quickly got dressed, put on her shoes, ran to the door, and carefully opened it a crack.

It was pitch black inside and out; not even a shadow could be seen.

Bai Hua had no choice but to identify her by her voice.

"It's me."

“…Young Master.”

The clear, melodious voice was familiar and pleasant to the ear, and Bai Hua immediately felt much more at ease.

Ning Jue pushed open the door, took two steps forward, and asked with concern in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Were you scared just now?"

Bai Hua's first reaction was to shake her head. Realizing that he might not be able to see clearly, she prepared to speak.

However, she hesitated before she could finish speaking. At this point, she didn't want to continue to act tough and suffer for herself.

Bai Hua hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Yes, a little."

Ning Jue remained silent, only taking a step forward. Bai Hua, facing his intrusive stance, had no choice but to retreat.

It was too dark in the cabin, and you couldn't see anything. It was easy to lose your footing, so Ning Jue put one arm around her waist to help her.

The two maintained a position one in front of the other, taking turns stepping back until they had nowhere left to retreat and their backs pressed against the wall. Ning Jue stopped and closed the cabin door behind him.

Behind Bai Hua was a wall, cold and hard, and in front of her was another wall, hot and fiery. She was caught between ice and fire, completely at a loss.

Her face flushed, and she quickly looked away, avoiding Ning Jue's scorching breath.

She reached out and pressed her hand against his chest, preventing him from going any further.

“…Young master, no…Chen Fu is next door.”

"What if he's here?"

Ning Jue's tone was not at all arrogant when he asked the question.

Bai Hua was in a dilemma. Not wanting to be noticed by others, the two of them did not sleep peacefully in the middle of the night, but instead huddled together in one room, acting suspiciously.

She didn't want to be scrutinized and probed by Chen Fu with strange curiosity for the next few days or even tomorrow.

So she reached out and pushed Ning Jue's shoulder again, using some force to force him to leave.

The two had been talking for a while, and then they didn't hear any more thunder. Perhaps the ship had already left the thunderstorm area, and the rest of the night's journey would be windless and rainless.

Thinking this, Bai Hua said, "The thunder has stopped, young master, you don't need to worry about me. Go back and continue to sleep peacefully."

However, fate was truly unkind. No sooner had Bai Hua finished speaking than a sudden clap of thunder flashed outside the porthole, illuminating the area as bright as day for a moment, followed by a deafening roar of thunder, a sign of impending doom.

Bai Hua panicked, her hand trembled, her shoulders shrank, and she almost lost her mind. She even thought of squatting down and burying her head in the ground.

Ning Jue remained unmoved; the strange phenomena in the sky, despite their deafening noise, did not stir the slightest ripple in his heart.

He witnessed Bai Hua's helpless reaction and opened his arms. This time, he didn't need to say anything. Bai Hua was too frightened and took the initiative to rush into his arms for protection.

Ning Jue withdrew his arm, patted her back reassuringly, and said in a natural tone, "Since you're scared, do you want me to stay?"

If she had been asked that question just now, Bai Hua would have refused without even thinking.

But right now...

She really didn't want to endure that terrifying noise alone anymore.

Thinking of Chen Fu in the next room, Bai Hua hesitated before speaking, "This time we're not traveling alone. I... I don't want Chen Fu to find out..."

Ning Jue glanced to the side and replied, "Don't worry, I'll leave early tomorrow, and I guarantee you won't see me when you wake up."

Bai Hua pursed her lips, looking aggrieved: "The key isn't me, it's Chen Fu..."

Ning Jue curved her lips slightly and patiently added again, "Okay, I will make sure Chen Fu doesn't notice. I will be extra careful when I leave tomorrow morning."

Their conversation sounded like that of a pair of lovers having an affair, discussing how to conduct their secret rendezvous in secret.

Bai Hua lowered her eyes in embarrassment, but at the same time, she felt much more at ease because he was there.

Noticing that her resistance had weakened, Ning Jue began to push his luck.

He raised his arms and gently encircled her, testing that she didn't resist, then went a step further and picked her up horizontally.

Bai Hua was startled and almost cried out. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and glared fiercely at Ning Jue.

Ning Jue handled the situation with ease, having his own reasoning: "The boat is rocking so violently, what if you accidentally trip and fall, making an even bigger commotion, wouldn't that be more likely to disturb the neighbors? It's safer for me to carry you, isn't it?"

This explanation is barely somewhat convincing.

Bai Hua couldn't blame him, so she had no choice but to compromise and reach out to wrap her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling.

The two lay down side by side, seemingly familiar with each other.

As usual, Ning Jue gently placed one arm around Bai Hua's waist, letting her feel his constant presence.

Bai Hua remained motionless, her emotions still unsettled.

Despite her efforts to resist, everything turned into a joke. In the end, she still became entangled with the young master and ended up sleeping with him.

She was always annoyed afterward, yet she kept making the same mistakes.

Bai Hua sighed sadly. Actually, she was just feeling unhappy and intended to sigh to herself, but she didn't expect to sigh out loud.

Her heart tightened, and sure enough, the person behind her heard her and put his arm around her, saying, "Does my embrace make you so melancholy?"

Bai Hua was truly embarrassed and didn't want her thoughts to be pried into, so she replied with difficulty, "I'm just afraid I'll get used to it."

Ning Jue hugged her, seemingly pressing closer, mimicking her earlier gesture, and also sighed dramatically, "I'm used to it now, but what good is it if you don't care about me..."

His tone was clearly aggrieved, and as he spoke, his breath burned her ear, the burning sensation spreading from her earlobe throughout her body instantly.

Bai Hua didn't know how to reply. A moment of flutter ran through her heart, and at the same time, guilt and shame overwhelmed her.

An impulse surged through her, and Bai Hua turned around, throwing herself into Ning Jue's arms. There were no words, only an embrace, their warmth passing between them.

Since separation is the inevitable outcome, how should the process proceed? Can she be allowed to do as she pleases this once?

Let's just say she's being selfish.

She also fantasized about having a period of time to be honest with the young master before the real separation came.

Just then, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky outside, so Bai Hua's immediate action of turning over didn't seem too abrupt.

Ning Jue hugged her back, assuming she was just scared and not delving into anything else.

The cabin was quiet, making the sounds of wind and rain outside even more prominent. With the ship rocking more violently, Ning Jue kept an eye on Bai Hua's condition, stroking her hair on the back and reassuring her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Bai Hua nestled in his arms and nodded gently.

She unusually took the initiative and said, "Young master, if we encounter storms again during the voyage, could we... still do the same thing?"

Ning Jue paused, feeling that what she said was easy to understand, but she wasn't sure if that was what she really meant.

To avoid any misunderstanding, he asked again, "So what?"

Bai Hua blurted out, "Sleep together."

Ning Jue was taken aback upon hearing this.

Sometimes, Bai Hua's unexpected remark can be quite hard to digest.

Ning Jue lowered his gaze, his eyes dim, sighed, and replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Yes, only if you're willing."

I do.

These are three words that Bai Hua cannot say.

After Ning Jue finished speaking, no one else spoke.

This was probably the first time the two of them had felt a shared emotional connection, their hearts touching, and an unspeakable surge of feelings rippling across their hearts.

The ship was rocking, and so was my heart.

Bai Hua's heart pounded rapidly, her mouth was unbearably dry, Ning Jue's Adam's apple bobbed, and he rubbed his fingertips up and down.

What a dry bundle of firewood! They could probably spark if they just looked at each other, but even so, the fire never caught fire.

For Bai Hua, this is already the maximum degree of self-indulgence.

If things were to go any further, she might not be able to accept it.

Ning Jue, on the other hand, was thoughtful and far-sighted, and he was certainly not satisfied with the present.

Bai Hua has only slightly opened her heart and lowered her bottom line, but what he wants is to have her completely.

Today has opened up a good situation, and the development trend is still entirely under his control. He has been strategizing and planning, and having reached this point, he feels that it is not unreasonable for him to reap some benefits.

And the day he truly wins the gamble is certainly not far off.