Chapter 1 The Wound: "No Notice?"
The cruise ship remained in the depths of the ocean, rocking with the rising waves.
The cabin was dark and quiet, filled with swirling steam.
Song Luoyun swallowed a fever reducer haphazardly and curled up on the sofa, her chest heaving with her rapid heartbeat.
In a daze, I heard several conversations coming from the doorway.
"Did he just walk this way?"
"Mr. Fu? He's right behind us."
"Shh, don't let him hear us, I followed him here secretly."
Physiologically, the chill spreads from head to toe.
A thought flashed through Song Luoyun's mind: The door doesn't seem to be locked.
As the medication slowly took effect, her consciousness teetered on the edge, making it difficult for her to move.
soon.
The door was pushed open, letting in the cold light of the hallway through the crack. Then it was closed again and locked from the inside.
Accompanied by a few murmurs:
How did he get in there?
"That looks like a girl's room."
"He went into the girl's room?"
Footsteps approached, and a cool hand landed on her forehead, pausing for a long time.
She shrank back, trying to open her eyes, but could only see a vague figure, tall and slender, standing silently upright.
"Fu Zemin?" she called out softly, but received no response.
In the silence, my eyes slowly closed, and my senses gradually amplified, allowing me to perceive the scent of ambergris mixed with smoky aroma in the air.
He is not Fu Zeming.
The presence drew ever closer, carrying a subtle eeriness, blocking all light from her view.
Song Luoyun struggled to lift her heavy hands, trying to hide herself under the thin blanket.
The next second, his arm was restrained.
The ambergris scent grew stronger and stronger, as if a block of ice were exploding in front of me.
The lips were covered in softness and moisture, and a daunting scent wafted to the tip of the nose.
"Hmm—"
Fear gripped her, her heart pounded, she clenched her teeth, and her whole body screamed resistance.
Her wrist was pulled tighter and tighter, and she couldn't move; even her breathing was suppressed.
A sharp pain appeared, and the taste of blood spread to my lips.
The atmosphere dissipated, the door was pushed open and then closed again, and only then did things return to calm.
-
When Song Luoyun woke up, her phone had already rung twice.
I struggled to open my eyes, and a strong, blinding light hit me. It took me a while to reach out and answer the phone.
A male voice broke through the deep, heavy metal sound: "Where have you been? I haven't been able to find you all night."
"I am here--"
She only managed to utter two words before a sharp, pulling pain shot through her lips.
I was stunned for a moment.
She licked her lips; the scab had already formed.
"Hello?" the person on the other end raised their voice.
Song Luoyun hung up the phone and typed: [Where are you? I'm coming to find you.]
She received a reply instantly, glanced at it, and sat up straight. Her fever had probably subsided, and she seemed much better, except for a strange wound near her mouth.
I rinsed it with water and went out.
She was on a cruise ship hosting a private party. It was late at night, and all she could see above her was the vast, empty ocean. If nature were to suddenly unleash a massive wave, even the wealthiest people at that moment would be swallowed up.
As soon as Song Luoyun entered the corridor, the biting sea breeze made her shiver, so she went back and put on another layer of clothing.
When I pushed the door open again, I suddenly heard several unusual sounds beside my ear.
I didn't hear clearly at first, but then I took a few more steps forward.
The sounds of limbs colliding, hoarse whispers, and heavy breathing.
My breathing slowed involuntarily. Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw two people enjoying themselves in the dim light on the deck.
The rest area was almost deserted at night, which seemed to create a favorable environment for the two. The only sounds in the darkness were the scattered clothes being blown up and then falling back down by the sea breeze.
Song Luoyun planned to pass by quickly.
Unfortunately, just as she entered the corridor, the motion-sensor lights suddenly turned on, illuminating the entire row and shining directly on the two busy people.
"Damn, someone's here."
The view suddenly became clear, and under the light, three pairs of eyes looked at each other.
She stopped in her tracks and saw clearly the two people frantically picking up their clothes.
She had seen the man before; his name was Liu Yeshan, an actor who had recently gained some attention for his "good husband" persona. As for the woman, she had danced gracefully at the banquet the day before, introducing herself as Pan Lanying. She was not Liu Yeshan's wife, as rumored online.
Somewhat abruptly, she averted her gaze and turned away.
"Wait a moment."
A man's voice called her back.
The light falling on her head was blocked, and when Song Luoyun turned around, Liu Yeshan was walking towards her. He was already dressed and had put on a serious expression.
"You saw everything?" Liu Yeshan frowned, her tone firm.
Before Song Luoyun could respond, the man's next words came urgently: "Speak, what are your conditions?"
"What do you mean?" Song Luoyun frowned.
"Don't play dumb. We're both smart people. We've gone to all this trouble to come here just to get money. Just give us a number," Liu Yeshan said.
"I won't tell anyone, don't worry," Song Luoyun said, not wanting to get entangled with him any further.
Liu Yeshan was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over her to make sure she wasn't a paparazzi before he said, "If a third person finds out about this, I won't let you off easy."
He warned, his eyes fierce, and after speaking, he gritted his teeth and turned away.
His career has been shelved for many years, and he has finally started to rise again. If he were to have a scandal at this time, he would definitely not be able to stay in the industry. He must eliminate anything that threatens him.
He thought this would intimidate the other party, but unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, staring at another figure in the darkness, at a loss for what to do.
"Mr. Fu..." The trembling voice echoed through the environment.
Song Luoyun looked over.
They also became a bit sluggish.
No one noticed that there was another person in front of the Black Sea, tall and languid, leaning against the railing, his trench coat slowly lifted by the sea breeze, only the firelight between his fingers faintly illuminating his silhouette with his movements.
"President Fu, what brings you here?" Liu Yeshan asked, feigning friendliness.
He was afraid of him. Nobody knew how long he had been there. If anyone offended him, he would never have a chance to turn things around.
At that moment, the only solution he could think of was to curry favor with him.
"Come out for a smoke, get some fresh air." The person being called had a faint laugh, glancing in a certain direction as they spoke.
Song Luoyun clenched her fist slightly; her hands were very cold.
“Oh, I came out for some fresh air too. The fog is so thick, I can’t see anything… You agree, right?” Liu Yeshan said, her voice trembling.
The man remained smiling, offering no response. The woman who had been silent until now, however, suddenly slumped down, trembling all over. "Mr. Fu," she cried, "I...I was just momentarily blinded by greed. Please, please don't tell the boss..."
Pan Lanying is a trainee who has not yet debuted. The company she signed with has a partnership with the Fu family, probably because she is afraid that this will affect her future.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yeshan gritted her teeth and tugged at her, her eyes filled with impatience.
The woman was still eager to apologize: "I swear, it wasn't my choice. I've always valued my reputation. I was deceived..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yeshan immediately became agitated: "What do you mean? You were the one who seduced me, and now you have the nerve to say these things?"
"It's you..."
That's enough.
The man finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Song Luoyun: "Everyone has their own version of events, who should I believe?"
“I…” Pan Lanying wanted to say something more.
Liu Yeshan then remembered that there was another person present, and her expression turned obsequious. "There must have been a misunderstanding just now. I mistook this young lady for a paparazzi." Then she said to Song Luoyun, "I apologize. Just now... nothing happened, right?"
In an instant, Song Luoyun became the central figure in this farce.
She took a step back, her hands clenched into fists: "I don't know anything."
She tried to leave, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man shrug, indicating he had no choice. This made the two men even more flustered, eager to make their presence known to Song Luoyun.
"Don't go! I know I was wrong, but I know I was wrong. Can you say a few words for me?" Pan Lanying grabbed her arm and pleaded softly, "I really, really can't lose all of this. I've sacrificed so much to debut. I've practiced for almost ten years."
—But what does that have to do with her?
Song Luoyun's lips were pale.
The voices of the man and woman stung her, and if she looked up slightly, she would see the man's expression, watching the show with a leisurely air, easily drawing her into the fray.
“This is your business. Go find whoever you need to find. No matter how much you try to hold me back, it won’t make a difference,” she said, ruthlessly shaking off Pan Lanying’s hand.
She walked backward, her dizzy head making it difficult to discern what was happening behind her. She only vaguely caught the man saying something, followed by the two men echoing him. As she walked further and further away, she gradually regained her composure.
Song Luoyun stood on the deck, walking into a dead end.
The cruise ship was newly built; she had never been there before. There was only one path from the deck into the atrium.
She went the wrong way.
I found a seat and sat down quietly, enjoying the breeze for a while. After the fever, I was in the midst of a long cold, and the sea breeze couldn't warm me up no matter what. The longer I sat, the colder I got, and I finally got up and walked back when I couldn't stand it anymore.
I thought everyone would be gone by now, but as I entered the main corridor, the familiar lights came on, and the open view led to the stern of the ship. That person was still standing there.
The surrounding atmosphere was quiet, with tiny dust particles floating in the air. Two gazes heated up in the silence. Song Luoyun paused, then walked past him with her head down.
The sound of a lighter being lit came from beside my ear, and the smell of smoke was especially strong when I got close to the man.
She remained silent. The man took a drag of his cigarette and spoke up first: "Not going to say hello?"
Song Luoyun could only stop and turn around: "Brother Fu."
"Hmm." Fu Huaizhi flicked his cigarette ash and spoke to her from a distance, "Where did you go just now?"
“Just sit over there,” Song Luoyun said.
"Aren't you cold?"
"It's not cold."
He asked a question, and she answered, like strangers exchanging pleasantries.
Fu Huaizhi took another puff of his cigarette: "Has the fever gone down?"
"Hmm." Song Luoyun tacitly avoided mentioning how he knew she had a fever.
She also tacitly agreed not to show him the wound on the corner of her lip.
"Where to now?" Fu Huaizhi continued to ask.
Song Luoyun replied, "Just taking a walk."
“Let’s go together,” he said.
She changed her mind: "I'll go upstairs."
Song Luoyun walked to the elevator entrance. His reflection in the glass door stubbed out his cigarette, glanced at her, and she avoided his gaze. He walked to her side.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside, leaning against the corner. The man followed, his trench coat brushing against her ankle. The elevator doors closed, their faces still reflected in the glass.
The four-story elevator seemed very long. In the cramped space, only the two of them were entwined, with a strong smell of cigarettes and ambergris, which eroded their senses.
"Ta-da!"
His phone suddenly rang, the ringtone being the phone's default music, a series of sharp, short whistles that inexplicably made him uneasy.
He glanced at it but didn't take it, letting the noise continue.
Song Luoyun pressed her knuckles, feeling as if the ringing was tapping on her scalp, making her tingle.
The phone rang again. Song Luoyun stared at the slightly open elevator door, turned around with a sigh of relief, nodded, and strode into the main venue at the end.
The man stood there for a long time.
A note from the author:
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The story has finally begun! After numerous revisions and polishing, I'm finally here to fill this gap in my writing!
The paragraph reviews are now open, so please feel free to comment!
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