Chapter 49: Eternal Day (Thirteen) They
Wen Yin slept very deeply. When she woke up, she found that the weather outside the window was extremely depressing.
Yesterday's clear sky disappeared, replaced by strong winds and heavy rain, which hit the portholes hard, making a dense and dull sound.
In the stormy sea, the waves hit the hull violently, and the entire cruise ship was shaking violently in the wind and rain.
And it was with this background music that she slept the best sleep she had ever had.
This caused Wen Yin to wonder if there was some kind of drowsiness-inducing ingredient in Cangli's body fluids.
Wen Yin got out of bed and poured a glass of warm water, her eyes subconsciously looking towards the bathroom.
The frosted glass door had been fully opened by the shaking of the waves. She saw Cangli lying on the edge of the bathtub, with his upper body sticking out of the water, staring at the turbulent sea outside the window without blinking.
There was an unreadable concentration in his eyes.
[028, Was there any movement on the cruise ship last night?] Wen Yin asked in her mind.
[Host, everything is normal.] 028's childish voice rang out, [Aside from the storm, no other abnormal energy fluctuations or events were detected.]
“Where’s the boat owner?” Wen Yin asked.
028 was silent for a moment: [The room where the ship owner is… the strange energy in that area is simply too dense. My detection is completely blocked, and I can't see anything inside.]
Wen Yin showed no reaction, she just picked up the water cup and took a sip.
Putting the cup down, she gave the order again.
[028, You stay here and watch over Cangli.]
[If there's anything unusual, tell me immediately and I'll go check it out.]
[Okay, host! I promise to complete the mission!] 028 responded immediately.
Before going out, Wen Yin pressed the service bell.
Soon, a servant brought an exquisite silver plate and a beautifully wrapped gift box, despite the shaking caused by the wind and rain.
Freshly processed snow-white fish fillets were placed on the silver plate.
As for the gift box...
The servant lowered his head and said softly, "This is a gift from the ship owner."
Wen Yin signaled the servant to put the gift box on the table, then pointed in the opposite direction of the bathroom with a flat tone.
"Food for the guy in the tub."
The servant immediately entered the room respectfully, placed the silver tray on the edge of the bathtub, and quickly retreated, keeping his head down the whole time, as if he didn't dare to look at Wen Yin any more.
Wen Yin didn't leave immediately. She walked to the bathroom door and said to Cang Li, who was still lying on the edge of the bathtub looking at the sea, "This is for you."
Cangli turned his head when he heard the voice, looked at her with his dark blue eyes, and then looked at the silver plate beside him.
He hesitated for a moment before slowly extending his arm from the water and carefully dragging the edge of the silver plate, pulling it closer.
He didn't eat immediately, but just looked at Wen Yin timidly, with a hint of uneasiness and caution in his eyes after being rejected last night.
The gauze-like tail fin sank underwater and swayed slightly.
"Eat it."
After Wen Yin finished speaking, she turned and left the room without looking at the mermaid in the bathtub who was trying to seduce her with her beauty.
-
Wen Yin vaguely guessed the contents of the gift box. She opened the lid and saw a mask lying quietly on the inside lined with inky black satin.
It is still a half-face style, with a background of cold white, like condensed moonlight on the sea.
However, this time the carvings on the mask were no longer shells and waves, but two lifelike fish tails.
One on the left and one on the right, embellished on both sides of the mask.
One is a deep dark blue, and the texture of the scales seems to be flowing with the undercurrent of the deep sea.
The other was pure inky black, with a subdued luster, like the abyss itself that swallowed up all light.
Dark blue and inky black form an extreme and strange symmetry on the pure white background, as if... silently indicating some kind of indescribable connection.
Wen Yin tapped the inky black tail with her fingertips, then put on a mask and pushed open the door.
-
There was a gloomy atmosphere throughout the cruise ship.
Due to the bad weather, most tourists chose to stay in their rooms, and only a few people gathered by the windows in the public area, watching the huge waves rolling outside.
The cruise ship was shaking so much that I had to hold on to the wall to walk.
There were waiters in white uniforms walking around with professional, soothing smiles on their faces.
"Dear guests, rest assured, this is a common storm during sailing. The Everday has a state-of-the-art stabilization system and is absolutely safe. Please stay indoors as much as possible and avoid unnecessary movement."
Wen Yin leaned against the wall and glanced at the crowd. She keenly noticed that there were obviously fewer mermaids brought out by her master today.
The one or two that were seen occasionally, both male and female, looked somewhat listless.
They hung their heads, their tails dragged limply on the ground, and their scales were much darker than they were yesterday, as if all the life had been drained away.
But their owners are in stark contrast to this.
Each one of them looked radiant and energetic, even with a kind of excitement after being satisfied, as if they had received excellent nourishment.
"Look at my 'Amethyst'!"
A slightly plump man was proudly showing off to the people around him the female mermaid with long pink-purple hair and scales beside him.
The mermaid had empty eyes and let him hold her waist roughly, showing off her graceful tail.
"This one of mine is really top-notch!"
The man was also wearing a half-face mask, but it couldn't hide his obscene and satisfied smile.
Several passengers around also laughed knowingly.
At this moment, something unexpected happened.
The pink and purple mermaid called "Amethyst" stared at the surging sea outside the window with empty eyes. Suddenly, an astonishing strength burst out from somewhere and she suddenly broke free from the man's arms.
"Ah! My darling!"
The man screamed and reached out to grab it, but caught nothing!
Under everyone's astonished gaze, the pink and purple mermaid rushed towards a porthole next to it that was half-open for ventilation with all its strength, like an arrow shot from a bow.
Crash!
Its slender body smashed the decorations on the window sill, and covered with rain and glass fragments, it fell heavily on the deck outside where the storm was raging!
The cold rainstorm instantly soaked it, and its long pink and purple hair and scales looked particularly dazzling against the gray sky.
"Catch it! Catch it for me!"
The man rushed to the window in frustration and hissed at the waiter outside.
"That's mine! My 'Amethyst'! I can't let it get away!"
Several waiters who were securing items on the deck were immediately alarmed. They tried to surround the mermaid that fell on the deck despite the pouring rain and violent shaking.
Wen Yin also walked to the window and looked at the scene outside through the glass that was blurred by rain.
The pink and purple mermaid fell heavily and struggled for several times before it was able to barely support its upper body with its tail.
It raised its head blankly, letting the cold rain wash its pale cheeks and empty eyes.
Its gaze passed over the surrounding waiters, over the shaking ship's side, and went straight to the churning, boundless, inky black sea.
The strong wind blew the salty sea water towards us.
Just when a waiter was about to grab its arm,
The emptiness in the mermaid's eyes suddenly turned into a determination and yearning that was almost like liberation.
It swung its tail fin suddenly, and its entire body leaped from the slippery deck like a graceful purple lightning, flying high in the air over the railing of the ship!
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Wen Yin clearly saw that the moment before it jumped into the boundless sea, a smile of finally being relieved appeared on the face that was washed extremely pale by the rain.
The next second, its figure was swallowed up by a huge wave and completely disappeared under the vast, violent sea.
All that was left were the dumbstruck waiters on the deck and the deathly silence in the cabin.
The man's chest-beating and cursing were drowned out by the sound of wind and rain.
Wen Yin stood by the broken glass window, her eyes fixed on the raging waves.
The shock in her heart caused by the mermaid's decisive leap had not yet subsided, but a deeper chill suddenly crept up her spine.
At the moment when the mermaid was swallowed by the huge waves, through the surging rain and the rolling white foam, she vaguely saw that the pink and purple figure that was supposed to swim gracefully and gain freedom had turned into a naked female corpse.
The long black hair was entwined around the blue-gray limbs like seaweed, floating in the inky black sea.
What is even more chilling is that just below the female corpse, in the dark sea, an indescribable shadow silently slid by.
Then, a huge mouth covered with layers of sharp teeth, like a whirlpool in the abyss, suddenly opened.
It devoured the corpse in an instant.
Wen Yin's heart was pounding and she blinked hard.
Outside the window, there was still a violent storm with huge waves.
The sea was rough, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.
"My 'Amethyst'!!"
The man was still beating his chest and stamping his feet, cursing at the sea outside the window, his face full of pain and anger, and there was no trace of regret for the lost life.
Several waiters rushed over to comfort him.
"Sir, please calm down. We are deeply sorry that this accident happened."
The leading waiter had a professional, apologetic smile on his face, and his voice was still clear despite the sound of wind and rain.
"To make up for your loss, we have a spare mermaid on board... Although it may not be as good as your Amethyst, we will deliver it to your room as soon as possible."
"A spare?"
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking quite knowledgeable pushed his glasses up in confusion and interrupted.
"I remember my recommender clearly stated that there were exactly one hundred invited guests on this voyage, and exactly one hundred mermaids were prepared. These are extremely rare and precious, and there will be no surplus. How... are there any spares?"
This question expressed the thoughts of many people in the know, and everyone's attention was focused on the waiter.
The waiter's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes quickly glanced in the direction where Wen Yin was standing.
The gaze was so fast that it was almost impossible to capture, but Wen Yin still noticed it.
"Yes, sir. Your information is very accurate."
The waiter retracted his gaze and bowed slightly to the VIP who had asked the question. "Originally, it was indeed a strictly corresponding one hundred VIPs and one hundred mermaids. But this year... there are some special circumstances."
He paused, his expression still polite and humble.
"You could say... there was an extra one unexpectedly. This can be considered as fate's small compensation to you, sir." His last words were directed to the man who had lost "Amethyst".
The man's anger subsided slightly, but he still had doubts on his face. "A spare? Then... can it compare to my 'Amethyst'? I've been carefully selecting it for a long time!"
The waiter still had a smile on his face, and his voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"Sir, the value of mermaids goes far beyond their outward beauty... Their inner nourishing qualities are their most priceless treasure. I believe you've already experienced this."
His eyes swept meaningfully over the faces around him, whose faces, even those covered with masks, could not conceal their radiant looks.
The man was stunned for a moment, then seemed to remember something, and the doubt on his face instantly disappeared.
He nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! You're right! Appearance is secondary! What's important is... what's important is practicality. Then quickly arrange it and send it to my room!"
"As you wish, sir." The waiter responded respectfully.
Wen Yin stood at the edge of the crowd, her brows deeply furrowed.
One more line?
The waiter's obscure glance and the word "accident"...
She quietly looked around at the guests with different expressions. Just as her eyes fell on the end of her sight, a corner leading to the upper cabin, she vaguely saw a tall and straight black figure.
It's the ship owner.
He turned his back to the warm light in the cabin and faced the raging sea outside the window that looked like the end of the world.
The hem of the dark black dress was lifted by the wind.
He stood straight, staring silently at the deep sea that had just swallowed a life.
Although there was a distance between them, Wen Yin could still feel the deep and oppressive feeling emanating from that figure.
He stood there, as if merged with the storm outside the window.
[028,] Wen Yin immediately called out 028 in her mind, [Is Cangli still in the room?]
028's voice responded immediately, with a hint of confusion.
[Host, I'm here! Cangli is still in the room. He's lying on the edge of the bathtub, staring out the window at the ocean. He barely moves, but... he's looking so intently?]
Wen Yin was looking at the direction of the boat owner in deep thought when the other party suddenly turned around slowly without any warning.
Across several decks, and through the noisy or astonished crowd below, the ship owner's gaze fell on Wen Yin with incredible precision.
Wen Yin's heart suddenly sank.
The next second, she clearly saw that the other person's thin lips under the black mask gently curved upwards.
He gave her a gentlemanly and polite smile.
The red mark on his jaw, belonging to the prop, was particularly obvious to the user even from a distance.
He and Cangli are really not the same person.
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The author has something to say: 028: Choosing one of the two is so difficult!
Wen Yin: Only children make choices...
Today is Sunday and I don't have work, so I'll update early! [cover my face and peek]
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