She was speechless.
Where on earth did this bully and tyrant come from?
“I’m not a bad person. She helped me when I passed by,” the girl sighed and spread her hands. “I don’t mean you any harm, sir.”
She had noticed him at the banquet.
This was the first time in her life she had seen a guy like this.
His hair was black, and his eyes—rare too—were pure black.
Standing in the twilight, he looked like a freshly watered black tulip dewdrops trembling on swaying petals icy cold and almost unreal.
Unfortunately, the man couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
Once he spoke, her first impression of Shen Wenta quickly shifted from “Charming Black Tulip” to “That Guy.”
Two out of every three sentences were threats. Spending more than ten minutes with him left her feeling her blood pressure spike.
“I don’t know any of the people you mentioned. I can’t help you find them.”
This was a luxury cruise ship on international waters. Even the nearest country would take several days to reach. She had no intention of spending that time with a dangerous man armed with a gun who had killed someone.
“She’s just temporarily unconscious. She’ll wake up soon,” the girl said. “You can have your bodyguards look for those people. Didn’t you bring men on board? They’re much calmer than you.”
She stood up, wiping her bloodstained fingers on her skirt hem.
“Then I’ll take my leave?” she asked tentatively.
Shen Wenta was silent for a moment. He turned and opened the door to let her go, then gave a few names and detailed information to the two bodyguards waiting in the hallway. “Find those three people. Quickly.”
After the two bodyguards left, Shen Wenta leaned against the doorframe, his fingers unconsciously stroking the gun handle.
His gaze never left Shen Yi’s face. He even blinked less than normal.
The ship drifted on the sea as twilight sank layer by layer into the dark of night.
Shen Wenta locked the cabin door and checked the windows twice.
Once he confirmed Shen Yi was stable for the moment, he calmed down enough to remember he still had his phone.
When the screen lit up, it was flooded with missed calls and unread messages. Shen Ruxu alone had called seventeen times.
He dialed a number first.
The phone rang twice before connecting.
The assistant’s voice was fast and clear: “Sir, I’ve been waiting for your call. The signal might be poor on the ship—I tried three times but couldn’t get through.”
Shen Wenta told him the port and country where they would dock. The assistant immediately understood and began arranging follow-up support and medical care.
The exchange took a few minutes.
When he hung up, the bodyguards returned.
The three people with medical training had been dragged over, lined up single file, and escorted into the VIP room. Their expressions varied, and they all saw the gun in Shen Wenta’s hand.
The black muzzle was aimed straight at them.
The three unlucky souls slowly raised their hands.
“...We can help. Could you put the gun down first?” said the woman in the cheongsam.
Shen Wenta tilted the muzzle slightly toward the bed: “Check the wound.”
Given how intimidating the gun was, no one dared delay. They immediately examined the injury.
“The wound was handled well. No major blood vessels were damaged.”
“Then why is she unconscious?”
“Blood loss and shock. She should wake up after a night’s rest. Just monitor her temperature.”
“That’s enough.” Once he was sure Shen Yi was really fine, his tone turned as if he were driving away something dirty: “You can leave now. Close the door on your way out.”
The three were immensely relieved.
The room fell silent again.
Shen Wenta placed the gun on the bedside table and let out a long breath. He collapsed into the chair like a puppet with its strings cut.
When he called Shen Xun, the latter picked up immediately.
Wenta instinctively sought help from his family, murmuring, “Xiaoyi’s unconscious now.”
Shen Xun sounded like he had already expected this.
The young man’s voice came through, light and flat: “Then you have to stay by her side.”
“Of course I will!” Shen Wenta’s voice rose sharply, then quickly dropped.
To be honest, he sometimes found family annoying.
But in moments of utter helplessness like this, they were actually useful.
At least hearing their voices helped calm his heart rate a little, giving him a place to pour out his fear and anxiety.
“You know what? Those people on the ship refused to help me. I have to protect Shen Yi. At least I’ve got a few competent bodyguards here who can pitch in.”
Shen Ruxu was also on the line, and she sneered coldly: “You really are useless.”
Shen Wenta and Shen Ruxu were used to trading barbs, but this time he didn’t bite back.
He only zeroed in on one key point: “Shen Ruxu, are you with Shen Xun too?”
Shen Ruxu said, “Eldest Brother is here as well.”
Shen Wenta frowned, surprised the three of them were together.
But he didn’t have the energy to dwell on it now: “Let me talk to Eldest Brother.”
When Shen Zhizhao took over the phone, his first words were: “Calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“Really? You sound like you’re about to blow up the whole ship.”
Shen Wenta had no retort. He changed the subject and recounted the general events to the three.
The other two kept pressing about Shen Yi’s condition.
Only Shen Zhizhao gave an assessment of the current situation.
“It’ll take two days to reach shore,” Shen Zhizhao said, his tone eerily calm. “Anyone can be a threat during that time.”
“There are plenty of cases of bloody incidents at sea. Murder and dumping bodies, destroying evidence—international waters are paradise for crime.”
“Your identity isn’t widely known in our country, but not many outsiders know it either.”
“Foreign powers have even less information about you, so it’s unlikely to be a revenge attack.”
“Besides, our family has a certain reputation. Most wealthy people wouldn’t court death. But this ship is a mixed bag, and there are always snakes that sneak in. Those people have no scruples and are extremely dangerous. It’s best you don’t leave the room. Let the bodyguards handle everything.”
“Also, after Shen Yi dealt with those men, quite a few guns and bullets were left scattered on the floor. It’s hard to guarantee some bold guest hasn’t picked them up as souvenirs.”
“First, have your bodyguards search the ship, collect all the loose weapons, and confiscate them.”
“Until we dock, you must keep her safe.”
Shen Wenta listened, his thoughts gradually sorting themselves out: “Got it.”
But he was far from being as calm as his Eldest Brother. At that moment, his mind was full of Shen Yi, and he hadn’t considered the problem of guns being picked up by others.
He hung up.
He immediately ordered the bodyguards on night watch to find the weapons first, leaving only one to guard the door.
Shen Wenta himself sat in the chair all night, listening to the sounds outside.
He hugged his arms in silence.
Not a wink of sleep.
...
The next day, Shen Yi started running a fever.
When Shen Wenta noticed, he was completely stunned.
You see, Shen Yi had always been the type to rarely, if ever, get sick, while he himself was a walking medicine cabinet, catching colds and running fevers every few days.
He had never been this terrified even when he himself fell ill.
Shen Wenta immediately grabbed his phone and dialed Shen Zhizhao's number.
Shen Zhizhao answered quickly—maybe he hadn't been asleep at all.
"A fever? What's the temperature?"
"I don't know. This godforsaken place doesn't even have a thermometer! I'm going to tear this boat apart as soon as I get back!!"
Shen Zhizhao was silent for a moment. "Then how did you judge?"
"Her forehead is burning! I've been a sickly kid my whole life—I can tell if someone's feverish just by touch!" Shen Wenta was frantic, his voice even catching with a sob.
