Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Get up and mark me temporarily.
Because of a little incident at sea.
In order to appease the passengers, the cruise ship specially held a dance performance.
Thinking that Lu Hean and Pei Shuyu might go, Qiao Zhishi still mustered up the courage to apply with Qiao Songyan. Under Qiao Songyan's scrutiny, he repeatedly assured him that he wouldn't run around or cause any trouble, and only then did Qiao Songyan reluctantly agree.
"Brother, are you going?" Qiao Zhishi asked cautiously.
Qiao Songyan was on a video call with his subordinates when he heard the voice and turned off the microphone. "I'm not going. I have more important things to do. Do you think everyone is like you, who only thinks about having fun every day?"
Qiao Zhishi nodded and bowed quickly: "Yes, yes, brother, you are busy, you are busy!" After that, he immediately slipped out of the room, and when he left, he did not forget to close the door for his brother gently.
As the door closed, the impatience on Qiao Songyan's face quickly faded. He turned on the microphone again and spoke calmly to the other end of the screen, "Everything is ready. We can start the experiment. I'll be there shortly."
He cut off the call, straightened his suit jacket, and showed no emotion on his face, as if he was just attending an ordinary meeting.
Qiao Songyan walked out of the guest room alone, walked steadily through the corridor covered with gorgeous carpets, and did not go to the lively dance area on the upper deck. Instead, he turned to the crew passage, swiped open a door that required special permissions, and disappeared into the stairwell leading to the work area deep inside the cruise ship.
He didn't notice that in the shadow of the corner not far behind him, a figure was holding his breath in concentration.
It was Qiao Zhishi. Unable to suppress his doubts and a vague sense of worry, he followed. Seeing his brother enter an area normally off-limits to passengers, his suspicions grew even stronger. Gritting his teeth, he slipped in just as the gate was about to close.
The passage below was dimly lit, filled with the low hum of machinery and the faint smell of disinfectant.
Qiao Zhishi followed cautiously, making many detours and taking every step carefully. After walking like a little mouse for a long time, he finally saw Qiao Songyan stop in front of a heavy metal door. He swiped his card again, and the door slid open silently, revealing a cold and bright white light.
It's a bit like the working environment of their company.
There really is a laboratory?!
Qiao Zhishi hid behind the pipe and peeked in. The scene inside the door made his pupils dilate instantly!
That was not an ordinary storage room or utility room, but a space with extremely advanced equipment, just like a regular medical laboratory.
Several researchers wearing white protective suits, masks and goggles were busy, but what made his scalp tingle the most was that there were several transparent life-support capsules placed side by side in the middle of the laboratory. Inside the capsules, one could vaguely see the outlines of curled-up humans with various tubes connected to their bodies.
Qiao Songyan was standing with his back to the door, giving instructions to one of the researchers. Qiao Zhishi could vaguely hear fragments of words like "glandular activity," "data recording," and "final stage."
A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Did Lu Hean lie to him? His brother really...really...
Extreme shock and fear made his brain temporarily lose its ability to think. He had to leave. He had to go find someone, but who could he find?
Qiao Zhishi hid behind the cold pipe, his heart beating so wildly that it seemed like it was going to break out of his chest.
He took a few deep breaths, tremblingly took out his personal terminal, and quickly took pictures of the creepy life-support cabins and figures in protective suits in the laboratory.
A cold fear swept over him, and he just wanted to leave this terrible place immediately.
Qiao Zhishi held his breath again, and while the people inside were concentrating on their work, he crouched down and slipped back along the way he had come. Finally returning to the starting point, he eagerly reached out to push the door, but it didn't budge.
It's over. His brother came in with a card. He didn't.
Ahhhh I can’t get out!
Qiao Zhishi panicked instantly, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and a feeling of helplessness of being trapped in a desperate situation came over him. His eyes turned red with anxiety and he almost cried.
What's the difference between being caught at the starting point and being caught at the door of the laboratory? The harder he works, the more desperate he becomes!
Just then, a big hand gently patted his shoulder.
"!" Qiao Zhishi was so frightened that she almost screamed. She turned around abruptly and pressed her back against the cold metal door.
The person who took the photo was a tall man in a dark suit, one of his brother's bodyguards. The bodyguard had no expression on his face, just looking at him calmly.
"Master, why are you here?"
Qiao Zhishi's mind raced, fearing the other party would immediately escort him back to his brother. He forced himself to remain calm, managed a smile that was uglier than crying, and said in a trembling voice, "I wanted to go to the dance, but I got lost... I don't know how I ended up here..."
This reason was a bit lame, even he himself didn't believe it.
However, the bodyguard simply stared at him in silence for a few seconds, his sharp eyes seemingly seeing through everything, yet he said nothing. Then, he silently pulled a permission card from his pocket and swiped it on the sensor.
There was a soft "beep" sound, the green light came on, and the door lock was unlocked.
"Master, don't be so careless next time." The bodyguard's voice was low and steady, without any emotion. "This is not the place for you. Go back now."
Qiao Zhishi nodded repeatedly as if he had been pardoned, and his words were so unclear that he could hardly speak: "Thank you, thank you! I'll leave now!" He almost used his hands and feet to squeeze out from the crack of the door, and ran along the corridor without looking back. His figure soon disappeared at the end of the passage.
The bodyguard stood there, watching Qiao Zhishi's hastily fleeing figure disappear completely. After a few minutes, confirming that no one else was around, he slowly pulled out a miniature intercom and pressed the call button: "Mr. Qiao, Master Qiao Zhishi just followed you in..."
…
Qiao Zhishi clutched the terminal and ran out of the restricted area. His heartbeat was still pounding. Where should he go now? Could anyone on the ship help him? All the transactions were handled by his brother, and he didn't even recognize him!
Oh, right! There are two more people.
He quickly ran to the cabin area, followed the room number he remembered, and knocked on the door. He was so nervous that he forgot to speak. His only thought was: "Open the door, open the door! Open the door quickly! No matter what you are doing, please open the door first!"
I kept knocking for about a minute.
The door opened.
It was Lu Hean who opened the door. He had a gloomy face and looked in a bad mood.
Sure enough! What were you doing just now?
A few minutes before he knocked on the door...
Pei Shuyu held out some water and pills, and passed them to Lu Hean. "Take the medicine, for lunch." Lu Hean swallowed the pills from his hand, but the dizziness and weakness brought on by the high fever didn't subside immediately, and he closed his eyes irritably.
"It seems to have no effect if I eat it."
Pei Shuyu looked at his still flushed face and said with a hint of hostility, "Then don't eat. You can die here."
Lu Hean opened his eyelids, glanced at him sideways, and suddenly reached out, grabbed Pei Shuyu's wrist with his uninjured hand, and pulled him towards him.
Pei Shuyu was caught off guard, lost his balance and almost fell on him. The two of them were very close to each other in an instant, their noses touched lightly, and then separated.
Lu Hean's gaze locked onto him, then slowly shifted from his dull eyes down to his tightly pursed lips. His Adam's apple rolled as he edged closer...
Just then, there was a rapid and almost crazy knock on the door.
Pei Shuyu suddenly came back to his senses and began to struggle: "I'll go open the door!"
Lu Hean tightened his grip, his voice hoarse and full of dissatisfaction: "Let him wait... Kiss him before you leave, give me a kiss."
"What are you doing!" Pei Shuyu tried hard to break free from his grip.
One of them insisted on opening the door to deal with the emergency, while the other insisted on asking for a kiss and refused to let go. The two of them pulled and hesitated silently for nearly a minute.
In the end, Pei Shuyu almost used all his strength to break free and now stood aside, staring at him. Lu Hean walked to the door quickly and flung it open.
He wanted to see which divine being it was.
Outside the door, Qiao Zhishi came back with a pale face and panic.
Lu Hean looked at Qiao Zhishi, who had ruined his plans, with a face so gloomy that water could drip out of it. He said in a very bad tone, "What's the matter again?"
Qiao Zhishi spoke incoherently: "I have something urgent to talk to you about! Important things! Let me in and talk! Let me in and talk!" He was eager to squeeze into the house.
Pei Shuyu spoke from behind Lu Hean, his voice relatively steady: "Let him in first."
Lu Hean turned sideways, and Qiao Zhishi almost rushed into the room.
He immediately took out his terminal, opened the photo album with trembling fingers, showed the blurry photos to Lu Hean, and began to speak incoherently: "What should I do? What should I do? My brother really...really...experimented...on the gland. Lu Hean, can you...can you help him..."
Lu Hean sneered, his tone cold: "How can I help him?"
Qiao Zhishi looked for help at Pei Shuyu, who seemed calmer.
Pei Shuyu took the terminal and carefully examined the blurry photos taken due to his trembling hands, his brow furrowed. Lu Hean also leaned over to take a look and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Why is there a mosaic effect?"
Qiao Zhishi was stunned. He grabbed the terminal and took a look at it himself. He was even more desperate: "Ahhh! My hands were shaking so much! What should I do?"
Pei Shuyu stuffed the terminal back into his hands and soothed him, "Go back first and pretend you know nothing. Your brother's case is too complex, so we can only take it one step at a time. You must not interfere anymore." He paused and asked a crucial question, "Did anyone else see you when you came?"
Qiao Zhishi shook his head: "No, I was very careful..." He suddenly remembered and said with a frown: "But when I escaped, I met my brother's bodyguard at the door... He opened the door for me..."
As soon as these words came out, Lu Hean's face suddenly changed, and he looked at Pei Shuyu fiercely: "We have to leave quickly."
Qiao Zhishi hadn't reacted yet: "Huh? What's going on? Where are you going?"
Pei Shuyu instantly understood what Lu Hean meant and quickly said to Qiao Zhishi, "Your brother must have known about this. We can't stay here any longer. Go back to your room immediately. Remember, you've never seen us before."
After saying that, he no longer paid attention to the stunned Qiao Zhishi, pulled Lu Hean, and quickly left the room, his figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Leaving the confused Qiao Zhishi alone.
What? They're all gone?!
The long corridor seemed to have no end. Because of the dance, all the passengers had gone, the corridor was empty, and the sound of footsteps could be clearly heard.
Pei Shuyu dragged Lu Hean along and rushed out a short distance, but suddenly his steps froze, and he violently shook off his hand: "No, it's okay for you to stay there. Qiao Songyan doesn't dare to touch you."
Lu Hean stumbled at the sudden movement, already dizzy, and now his vision went black. He managed to stand steady, a helpless smile forced across his pale face. "Did you tell Qiao Zhishi that news only to you? I heard it too. Qiao Songyan wanted to silence us," he held up two fingers and waved them in front of Pei Shuyu's eyes. "It was us two."
The two walked for a while and noticed something strange almost at the same time.
There were footsteps behind me, not far away but not near.
Pei Shuyu's intuition was always accurate. Without saying anything more, he grabbed Lu Hean's wrist and quickened his pace. However, as they moved faster, so did the people behind them. As they began to run, the dense footsteps behind them immediately turned into a running sprint. They could even hear someone whispering into their headset, "The target is moving towards the stern..."
It turns out to be Qiao Songyan’s man!
If this continues, we will soon be surrounded in the closed area.
Pei Shuyu's eyes flashed, and he made a quick decision. He suddenly stopped and turned, facing the man in black who was chasing him closest. The powerful Alph Qi element pressed forward with precision like an invisible blizzard!
The man in black groaned as if he was hit by a sledgehammer. His legs softened and he fell to his knees, his face instantly losing color.
However, almost at the same time, Lu He'an beside him also let out a suppressed groan of pain, his face became even uglier than before, and his body swayed uncontrollably. He only managed to avoid falling down because of Pei Shuyu's support.
Pei Shuyu's heart tightened and he quickly supported him: "What's wrong with you?" He thought that his pheromones had affected Lu Hean.
Lu Hean panted rapidly, shook his head, and said in an unbearable hoarse voice: "It's none of your business... I know, I don't seem to have a fever..." He raised his eyes, with abnormal red bloodshot under his eyes, "It's the susceptible period... My susceptible period came early."
Susceptible period!
Pei Shuyu's heart sank.
An Alpha in his susceptible phase was like a beacon in the darkness, leaking pheromones uncontrollably. For pursuers, it was a clear signpost. Even if he tried to hide Lu Hean, it would be futile.
We must find another way.
Pei Shuyu's mind raced, his eyes scanning the corridor markings and cabin layouts on the wall. He recalled the safety instructions he had glimpsed upon boarding the ship. Large cruise ships were usually equipped with emergency facilities such as lifeboats.
These lifeboats are usually stored on the sides or at the stern of the ship, as close as possible to the accommodation and service spaces, and have clear escape direction instructions.
"Let's go!" Pei Shuyu no longer hesitated. He half supported and half hugged Lu Hean, who was starting to feel hot all over and his consciousness was a little blurred due to the susceptible period. Relying on his memory and basic judgment of the ship's structure, he moved with difficulty towards the area at the stern where the lifeboat might be stored.
He now only hoped that Qiao Songyan's hands would not reach every corner of the cruise ship so quickly.
On the other side, Qiao Zhishi also listened to Pei Shuyu's words and returned to his room obediently. He sat on the balcony, looking at the calm sea outside, and a hint of uneasiness arose in his heart.
“Click.”
The door was gently pushed open.
Qiao Zhishi turned abruptly from the balcony, her heart suddenly tightening as she saw Qiao Songyan slowly walking in. His face was expressionless, even calm, but his eyes were like searchlights, scanning Qiao Zhishi from head to toe.
"Didn't you go to the dance?" Qiao Songyan's voice was not loud, but it carried an invisible pressure. "Why are you back so soon?"
Qiao Zhishi subconsciously shrank his shoulders, avoiding his brother's gaze, and his voice was a little weak: "I went, I went... The dance was not very fun, so... I came back first." He tried to make his tone sound more natural, but the slightly trembling ending of his voice betrayed him.
"Really?" Qiao Songyan said lightly.
Qiao Zhishi didn't know whether this sentence was a question.
Qiao Songyan walked to the sofa in the middle of the room, sat down gracefully, took out a cigarette from the inside pocket of his suit, and lit it slowly.
Smoke rose in wisps.
"Brother...why are you here?" Qiao Zhishi mustered up the courage to ask, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of his clothes.
Qiao Songyan blew out a puff of smoke and looked at him through the smoke: "I can't come?"
"Yes, of course." Qiao Zhishi waved his hands quickly. He looked at his brother's overly calm face, and a sense of foreboding grew stronger and stronger.
He remembered Pei Shuyu's warning... He had to do something.
"Brother...um...can we discuss something?" Qiao Zhishi's voice was as thin as a mosquito, with a feeling of risking everything.
"Speak." Qiao Songyan flicked the ash off his cigarette, his tone still calm.
Qiao Zhishi took a deep breath and said quickly: "I, I don't like Lu Hean anymore, I don't want him anymore! Brother, you don't have to help me! So...so can you...let him go? Okay?"
He said, nervously waiting for his brother's reaction.
However, Qiao Songyan just listened to him quietly, then uttered a very light, almost joyful laugh. He raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Qiao Zhishi's pale face.
"Qiao Zhishi," he said slowly, his words sending chills down Qiao Zhishi's spine. "As expected... you're best suited to being locked up."
Before he finished speaking, the door of the suite was pushed open again, and two tall bodyguards in black suits walked in quietly. One on the left and one on the right, they stood beside Qiao Zhishi like iron pestles.
The color drained from Qiao Zhishi's face instantly. He stared at the scene in horror, then looked at his brother, who was still sitting peacefully on the sofa, in disbelief. He opened his mouth and said, "Brother...you...how could you...are you going to lock me up?"
Qiao Songyan strode over, grabbed Qiao Zhishi's wrist, and completely ignored his accusations.
He winked at the bodyguards on either side and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "Lock him up here and keep a close eye on him. Without my order, he is not allowed to leave, and no one is allowed to approach him."
"Brother! You can't do this! Let me go!" Qiao Zhishi struggled desperately, but the bodyguard's hands were like pliers, pinching his shoulders painfully. Tears welled up in his eyes, both out of pain and fear.
But Qiao Songyan just watched indifferently as he was held down by two strong bodyguards on the left and right.
"You disappoint me so much, Qiao Zhishi." Before he left, he threw a last word to Qiao Zhishi, "Just stay here honestly. I'll settle the score with you after we get off the boat."
With a bang, the door was closed.
Almost at the same moment when Qiao Zhishi was imprisoned, in a secluded corridor on the lower deck of the cruise ship, Pei Shuyu slammed the door of another empty cabin.
"Damn it, where's the lifeboat?!" Pei Shuyu cursed, sweat dripping from his forehead. He opened several hatches, and found them either filled with debris or empty.
The structure of the luxury cruise ship was more complicated than he had imagined, and the storage location of the emergency equipment was not obvious at a glance.
What's worse is that Lu Hean, who was leaning on him, was in increasingly worse condition.
Even before the fever of the susceptible period has fully erupted, the powerful and chaotic pheromones of alpha have already spread uncontrollably in the small space.
Pei Shuyu is also an alpha, and these pheromones are making him more and more irritable.
Lu Hean put almost half of his weight on him, breathing rapidly and hotly, rubbing Pei Shuyu's neck in a daze, mumbling incoherently.
"Shuyu... feels uncomfortable..."
Pei Shuyu could only soothe her: "Just bear with it for a while."
Where is the lifeboat located?!
Pei Shuyu looked around. This corridor seemed to lead to the engine room or some unused equipment room. He glimpsed a compartment door marked "monitoring room" in the corner ahead. The door was ajar, and a faint light shone from inside.
There is no time to hesitate!
Pei Shuyu half-dragged and half-carried Lu Hean over and cautiously pushed open the door.
There was no one inside, probably they had gone to the dance, and there was no sign of danger for the time being.
He first placed Lu Hean on a chair and let him lean against it.
Lu Hean's eyes were vacant, and his forehead was completely soaked with sweat. He subconsciously grabbed the corner of Pei Shuyu's clothes.
"Don't go..." Lu Hean's voice was hoarse, carrying the almost instinctive possessiveness and uneasiness that is unique to susceptible alphas. "Don't leave..."
Pei Shuyu didn't care about him. He stretched out a hand for Lu Hean to pull. His eyes were fixed on the surveillance camera. Those people were searching room by room. The next one they would come to was definitely the monitoring room.
They can't stay here for long, they have to leave quickly.
But Lu Hean's condition...
It seems that is the only way.
Pei Shuyu gritted his teeth and walked over, "Lu Hean, do you still have the strength? Get up and temporarily tag me."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Did I write too much? Let’s make peace!
What misunderstandings are there? Let’s clear them up quickly! [Cat’s Paw]
My friend has banned me from reading comments [please], and I'm a bit crazy here, I can't see many comments, but my friend can see them, but I can't reply even if I want to. (scratching my head)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
