Lu Jinghuai wasn’t asleep. He was simply resting with his eyes closed, leaning against Ji Nian, drawing from her the energy he needed to face tomorrow.
Ji Nian suddenly stood up, catching him off guard.
“What’s wrong?”
He reached out and grasped her hand, giving it a gentle shake.
The warmth of her skin against his palm—a sensation Lu Jinghuai had longed for—now belonged to him without restraint. He could hold her openly, without hesitation.
The thought filled him with immense satisfaction.
After exchanging a few urgent words with her system, Ji Nian turned to Lu Jinghuai. “Do you know where the sea area is where His Highness and Uncle Lu Zhi disappeared?”
Her question cast a shadow over Lu Jinghuai’s expression.
Without questioning her motives, he kept hold of her hand and led her to a room deeper inside. There, a large table was spread with a thin electronic map.
Lu Jinghuai’s gaze settled on the sea area he had studied countless times over the past few days.
“Here.”
With his free hand, he pointed unerringly to a specific coordinate.
“This is where they lost contact.”
A few hours earlier, the search team had found fragments of the ship’s wreckage.
Upon hearing the news, some members of the royal family had reportedly dropped all pretense, celebrating privately.
A dark glint flashed in Lu Jinghuai’s eyes.
Still holding his hand, Ji Nian leaned over to examine the map closely. With her free hand, she zoomed in and scrolled across the screen.
To the north and south of the disappearance point lay a stretch of sea area with no land in sight.
But Ji Nian knew—somewhere within that expanse, hidden behind thick fog, lay an undiscovered island.
“Is there a place nearby where ships get lost in dense fog?”
The original novel hadn’t specified the exact location, but Ji Nian had learned about this plot point from her system when reviewing the story’s progression.
Though Shen Qingtang and Gu Xiuyuan might not have disappeared in the same place, what if they had encountered a similar situation?
After all, the outside world had once declared Gu Xiuyuan and Shen Qingtang dead, never to return.
Ji Nian wanted to explore that possibility.
“I’m thinking… what if they didn’t sink into the sea? What if they drifted somewhere no one has found?”
Her words sounded like comfort—surviving such an ordeal would be nothing short of a miracle.
“When they lost contact, could their signals have been disrupted, preventing them from calling for help?”
Lu Jinghuai didn’t dismiss her words as mere consolation.
He pondered carefully before decisively making a call and summoning someone.
The man who arrived was named John, an experienced sailor. Though it was the middle of the night, he had hastily dressed after receiving the young master’s summons, explaining the situation to his half-asleep wife before rushing over.
Along the way, he encountered trouble—members of the royal faction were keeping close watch, and John faced obstruction due to his status. Still, he managed to make it through.
“Young Master.”
John bowed respectfully to Lu Jinghuai, his gaze briefly lingering on the tightly clasped hands between Lu Jinghuai and the unfamiliar girl before quickly looking away.
Before he could dwell on it, Lu Jinghuai spoke.
“Sir, I’ve heard you’re highly familiar with the nearby sea area. I’d like to ask for your insight.”
John knew the young master was gentle by nature, but he still felt flustered. “No, no—Young Master, there’s no need for such formality. Just call me John.”
His palms grew sweaty with nerves, and he kept his eyes fixed on Lu Jinghuai’s collar, not daring to glance at the strikingly beautiful face beside him.
Sensing his discomfort, Ji Nian repeated her earlier question.
Though unsure who this girl holding the young master’s hand was, John still chose to address her with respect.
“Are you referring to the Devil’s Mist?”
Ji Nian and Lu Jinghuai exchanged a glance.
“Do you know where it is? And please, no need for formalities with me.” Ji Nian stepped aside to give him space.
John wiped his palms on his pants before hesitantly pointing to a spot on the electronic map.
This is the Devil’s sea area. It’s prone to thunderstorms, but on rare clear days, ships venturing in this direction encounter a thick fog. Signals weaken inside, so most vessels avoid it and take detours.
The grip on Ji Nian’s hand tightened. She slipped her thumb free and gently stroked his knuckles in reassurance.
Even if the hope was slim, they wouldn’t give up.
Lu Jinghuai summoned experts to analyze the situation, then contacted the search team while juggling company affairs.
The royal faction had quieted down somewhat. Upon investigation, Lu Jinghuai learned they had secretly reached out to Ji Tingzhou.
Aware of the ties between the Lu family and Ji Tingzhou, they not only sought to seize the Lu family’s assets but also wanted to secure a profitable alliance with Ji Tingzhou.
However, their overtures were met with a cold rebuke: “I don’t collaborate with incompetents.”
Ji Tingzhou had even thrown obstacles in their path, leaving them too preoccupied to meddle in Lu Jinghuai’s affairs.
Every time Lu Jinghuai recalled that line—“I don’t collaborate with incompetents”—he could vividly picture Ji Tingzhou’s disdainful tone.
For now, Ji Nian stayed in the guest room, unable to go anywhere.
News of Princess Feia and her husband’s disappearance at sea had spread, stirring nationwide unease.
Mourners gathered outside Princess Feia’s residence, and some extremists, blaming Lu Jinghuai for her disappearance, hurled objects at the estate. The guards could only shoo them away, forbidden from using force, their frustration evident in the blisters forming on their lips.
Yet Lu Jinghuai remained unaffected. Having grown up understanding the double-edged nature of influence, he had long since stopped caring.
Chaos reigned both online and offline.
Though confined indoors, Ji Nian didn’t find it dull. When Lu Jinghuai was swamped, she helped with company matters—though most critical decisions still required his input. While he didn’t mind, Ji Nian knew her boundaries.
Moreover, Lu Jinghuai had grown clingy.
The moment he had free time, he sought her out, holding her hand during meals as if to reassure himself she was real.
Sometimes, when Ji Nian stepped out at night for air, she’d find him sitting by her door.
Under normal circumstances, she might have teased him.
But given the situation—and the shift in their relationship—she indulged him.
Like now.
At noon, finally catching a break, Lu Jinghuai sat cross-legged beside Ji Nian, wrapping his arms around her legs and resting his head against her as he dozed off.
Beneath his fair lashes, dark circles stood out starkly.
Ji Nian glanced at him and couldn't resist snapping a photo.
Just as she finished, a message from Ji Tingzhou popped up, emphatically advising her not to go out unless absolutely necessary—and if she had to, Wei Yang and the others must stick close to her.
Ji Nian replied briefly.
Then, another message arrived, this time from He Xiang.
He was asking about Lu Jinghuai’s current condition and also inquiring when she’d be back.
Ji Nian tapped her finger absently against the edge of her phone, sighing inwardly before finally typing: "It’ll be a few more days. When I return, let’s talk."
On the other end, He Xiang seemed to sense something, replying with a simple, "Okay."
Putting his phone away, He Xiang turned his attention to the task in front of him.
Just then, someone nearby called his name.
He removed his earbuds and looked over.
A young woman in an apron gave him an apologetic smile. "Handsome, is this for your girlfriend?"
He Xiang had stood out the moment he walked in.
In a DIY jewelry shop like this, most customers were couples or married pairs. A strikingly good-looking guy like him, working alone on what was clearly a women’s piece, drew attention.
He shook his head lightly. "For someone I like."
The clerk’s eyes sparkled.
Wow.
So handsome—and so earnest, too.
"I came to recommend some tools. For this style of bracelet, these tweezers would work better. The ones you’re using are a bit too thick and harder to control."
She handed him the new set.
He Xiang thanked her quietly and accepted the suggestion.
Putting his earbuds back in, he resumed working on the bracelet while listening to an English audio lesson.
He imagined how it would look wrapped around Ji Nian’s wrist, and a faint smile touched his lips.
Even if she turned him down again, it didn’t matter.
From the moment he confessed, he’d known there’d be no response.
