Chapter 40 (1/2)
Crescent Bay Island
shi+ Jin said hello to the club staff on night duty and left, carrying a disposable bowl of still steas He headed for a military jeep parked at the entrance which stood out like a sore thuot off and stood by the car, watching him approach
shi+ Jin stopped two steps away from his brother and handed him the bowl “Here, eat it, it's about time for supper I ht not taste as good Still, they're edible”
This stunned Xiang Aoting His eyes dropped to the paper bowl After a moment of hesitation, he took it and set it on the car hood As he split the disposable chopsticks, he said, “I didn't know you could s”
“It's not that difficult to learn” shi+ Jin put his hands in his pockets and watched his brother As soon as Xiang Aoting took the cover off the bowl, shi+ Jin reached out and stuffed a du, “Aren't you afraid I put laxatives in the obediently opened his“Would you do that?”
“Of course,” shi+ Jin said “I used to think you were horrible, and I was angry at you because every time you visited me, you said I was too fat and made me exercise I came up with a lot of pranks to play on you, but you never came I had no chance to use any of thehts shi+ Jin had no qual broke apart, ‘shi+ Jin' was the least intiet closer to hiinal ‘shi+ Jin' was an ordinary boy Xiang Aoting, his brave elder brother who could fly fighter planes, was pretty ined a hero
It was a pity this hero, in front of his youngest sibling, occasionally played the role of a villain
Xiang Aoting said nothing in reply to shi+ Jin's words He lowered his head, picked up another du, and stuffed it into hisof his hands caused the soup to splash on his clothes and proved his heart wasn't unperturbed
“Did you know about the deal?” shi+ Jin asked
Xiang Aoting started He sed the du in his s in the soup suddenly made him remember the moment he first met his sixth brother
It was in M country, in shi+ Xingrui's nificent but desolate residence shi+ Jin was less than a year old and had just lost his rui's ar Aoting, he broke out in a wide, pure smile
Children were innocent—this he learned in the ar suddenly felt unable to face shi+ Jin The dus he'd eaten stuck in his throat He continued, his voice subdued, ”But I guessed soned to the best service branch, had the best instructors and the best resources This happened every tied it I just hated the feeling as if I got in through the back door Arth speaks, and s”
shi+ Jin realized so “So that's why you visited me less and less, and why, every ti you couldn't avoid and tasks you had to do”
Xiang Aoting neither confirmed nor refuted He stirred the soup in the bowl and asked, “Xiao Jin, do you hate us?”
“I didn't hate anyone until after I knew the truth Now, I hate my other brothers, but you are different I don't hate you,” shi+ Jin answered
Xiang Aoting's hand on the chopsticks stiffened He glanced at the teenager and asked in a rough tone of voice, “Why ainal ‘shi+ Jin's' thoughts at the end of ‘his' life and sighed inwardly He said, “Because you're a hero Even if the hero occasionallyas his heart stays pure and noble”
Xiang Aoting put down the chopsticks and braced hi moment for him to speak, and when he did, his voice was hoarse “I'uess you're disappointed with me… No one is truly pure and noble Certainly, fro affection, none of us was”
It was a painful conversation They both spoke the truth buried in their hearts and, in return, heard the truth they'd rather not hear
Suddenly, shi+ Jin didn't want to continue anyo back and wash, we're leaving early toot a hold on his eazed at the teenager unblinkingly, took in his face, and squeezed out an ugly smile “I heard you were hurt and wanted to take a look at you… It's late, and it's cold outside You should go back”
This clearly wasn't what Xiang Aoting originally wanted to say shi+ Jin watched as he struggled to le with hi he wanted to say So, he nodded to his brother, turned and walked towards the club
After he took a few steps, Xiang Aoting's call came from behind, so he stopped and turned to hi Aoting said, with a slight, aard s like that… Xiao Jin, I'm sorry”
“I should thank you” Even if just for rescuing ‘shi+ Jin' in the original plot
shi+ Jin said nothing else He turned around and continued walking towards the club He glanced through the printed glass door—Xiang Aoting had picked up the boith dus His eyes dropped to the floor In a low mood, he headed for the elevator
When he ca a bath, he found a textsent it and, as usual, it was short and unfriendly: [Little bastard, you didn't watch the New Year's Gala where I appeared]
shi+ Jin stopped rubbing his hair and opened the inal plot—it wasn't just Rong Zhouzhong's mouth that was poisonous, his actions were all kinds of toxic too He texted back: [Yeah, I didn't want to see you, you big bastard]
Then he deleted all the 's follow-ups, laid down on the bed, wrapped himself in the quilt, and fell into a deep, dreaht, the plane landed in a coastal city in M country shi+ Jin observed his progress bar nervously and was relieved to find it didn't rise—on the contrary, it dropped a little
<it didn't=”” go=”” up=”” it=”” seerew=”” in=”” are=”” no=”” longer=”” lethal=”” factors=”” leaving=”” b=”” city=”” also=”” reduced=”” the=”” danger,=””> Xiao Si said happily
Watching the bar drop to 490, shi+ Jin was happy too He sighed with e tiood we left”
<yeah, it=”” is,=””> the system echoed
shi+ Jin leaned to the side in the backseat Though he pretty , there was no change in the progress bar He recalled the survival factors he'd gained froht In the end, he shook his head and dismissed the matter from his mind
Whatever, it's fine I'm safe now
He took a piece of toffee from his pocket, opened it, and offered it to Lian Jun ”Here, have a candy to wake up You'll feel great all day”
Lian Jun, as soht shi+ Jin's wrist and ate the toffee fro his eyes
Satisfied, shi+ Jin retracted his hand and pulled out his phone to playfro in the rearview mirror and silently put a lollipop in his mouth
The car drove all the way to a private port shi+ Jin followed everyone to a mediu in the unfa to the island by helicopter I never expected a cruise shi+p”
”We could, but it would be too ot a shi+p so we could have a good night's sleep on board,” Gua Two explained He eyed shi+ Jin strangely ”You used to be a rich young master Haven't you seen a cruise shi+p before?”
“Uh… Of course I have, but I was always studying and didn't have tio play on a cruise shi+p” shi+ Jin tried to save his iht, do I look ave it a rest When they caet seasick? It will take us a while to arrive on the island If you do, you'd better take soht now”
shi+ Jin pondered this question for a ood sense of balance; I heard only people with bad sense of balance get er persuading him, he led the way to the cabins
Ten minutes after the shi+p set sail, shi+ Jin collapsed on the sofa in the lounge The entire world spun
“This doesn'thalf-dead, he covered his mouth and tried not to vomit
Xiao Si was very sympathetic: <it's probably=”” because=”” you=”” haven't=”” been=”” on=”” a=”” shi+p=”” until=”” now=”” let=”” ive=”” you=”” a=”” buff=”” so=”” you'll=”” feel=”” better=”” in=”” a=””></it's>
A few minutes later, shi+ Jin's nausea slowly calratitude, then found a tablet and touched a certain app icon
So, when Gua Two returned to the lounge with a seasickness , as fresh as a daisy It was quite different fro also cures seasickness?” Gua Two couldn't believe his eyes
Uncle Long, who followed behind, glanced at the teenager, then rolled his eyes at Gua Two He put his hands in the white coat's pockets and strode away
”It was Jun-shao who asked you to co your eyes at ed He looked at shi+ Jin, who had fun with the tablet, then at the seasickness medicine in his hand He threw it in a trash can and stalked off in a huff
The cruise shi+p dropped anchor for the duration of dinner shi+ Jin was delighted to see the sun go down He arranged for them to eat on the deck and pushed Lian Jun's wheelchair outside
Lian Jun took a nap while they were underway Now, he was etic, and his ht dinner” prepared on deck, the expression in his eyes changed slightly He looked over his shoulder at shi+ Jin ”Did you arrange it?”
”No, I asked the staff The sea air is good for you, but the sun was too strong earlier Now, it's just right, and the breeze is pleasant,” shi+ Jin replied as he parked the wheelchair at the table He sat next to hied the tableware over ”The kitchen planned the Western-style meal, with dishes served one at a time I don't like it because it's just so slow, so I asked the the dish covers ”Don't worry, it's all what Uncle Long allowed you to eat, it won't upset your stohtly He picked up his chopsticks and said, ”You're quite considerate How is your studying going?”
shi+ Jin's smile disappeared in an instant He lowered his head and started to shove in food, pretending he didn't hear
Once that silly grin vanished, Lian Jun was satisfied He stopped teasing the teenager and turned his attention to the excellent ht breeze
By the time dinner finished—peacefully—it was dark The table was reain The sky filled with stars, appearing to be so close one could reach out and touch the tihed and sprawled out on a lounge chair The fresh sea breeze, the gently rocking shi+p—it was like a beautiful, intoxicating dreaazed at the stars, his eyes serene He put his hands behind his head, looking languid and carefree
It was quiet as if the only sound in the entire world was the murmur of waves and the whisper of the wind
shi+ Jin turned his head to Lian Jun His eyes followed the ht breeze and swept over the , jet black hair and the he inside the robe blown open by the wind