When Pei Ning offered her heartfelt congratulations, her attention wasn’t actually on her sister at all.
After all, she knew her sister better than anyone. Though Pei Liang was a gifted woman blessed with every advantage, when it came to romance, she could be unbelievably foolish.
In fact, as Pei Ning said those words, she felt rather smug.
See? The fiancé you now regard as the love of your life—this old lady no longer cares about him. With the experiences of another lifetime, the trials of survival and death, the brutal laws of the jungle, the fragility of human nature, and the way seemingly untouchable social classes could collapse and be reshuffled overnight, she had gained a broader perspective and a more generous heart.
She was no longer the shallow, ignorant fool she had once been—someone obsessed with everything her sister possessed, someone who had considered stealing her sister’s fiancé the greatest achievement of her life.
Compared with her sister’s reaction, Pei Ning was more worried that Zhong An might say something reckless and expose the fact that they had once been involved.
But he probably wouldn’t. In her previous life, at this point, she had still dreamed of becoming Mrs. Zhong for real, hoping Zhong An would abandon her sister and choose her instead. But now, after seeing it all and being able to look at Zhong An with detached clarity, she knew how naïve she had been.
The Zhong family had money, yes, but they were merely nouveau riche who had struck it rich by catching the right wave of opportunity in recent years. They had no foundation or connections among the upper class.
Nor were the Zhongs wealthy enough to ignore such things entirely. That was why her sister—one of the world’s top artists, acquainted with countless distinguished figures—was the better choice.
A marriage alliance with a refined, high-minded artist could seemingly wash away some of the Zhong family’s vulgar smell of money. Besides, the Pei family was itself a scholarly household. Their parents were professors at prestigious universities, with extensive connections in academic and artistic circles.
The Zhongs would neither have to grovel before those haughty old-money families nor struggle to gain entry into high society. Instead, they could establish themselves there naturally and elegantly.
Unless the Zhong family had rocks for brains, they would never pass over her accomplished sister in favor of an ordinary nobody like Pei Ning, who had achieved nothing.
What was more, if their affair came to light, it would undoubtedly enrage her parents. The connections her parents had introduced them to, the doors they had opened for them, even the crucial technical support for one of the Zhong family’s high-tech ventures—any of it could vanish with a word from her parents, immediately placing the Zhong family in a difficult position.
Her parents were nowhere near as easygoing as her sister. Zhong An would only be more terrified of their affair being exposed.
And yet, even with the risks and costs of cheating so high, Zhong An still couldn’t keep his lower half under control.
Hah. That was just the kind of man he was.
As for her sister, Pei Liang had always valued family and cherished her loved ones. She deeply loved her fiancé.
Receiving such sincere blessings from her younger sister would surely fill her with joy. She would be so moved that tears would well up in her eyes.
To be honest, Pei Ning was almost touched by herself in that moment. She could practically see her sister Pei Liang’s beautiful eyes brimming with tears of happiness.
Then she heard this—
“Why so formal? He’s just a toy. We sisters take turns playing with him—that’s all. Why are you taking it so seriously?”
At that moment, Pei Ning felt as though she had failed to hit the brakes and driven straight off a cliff.
It wasn’t just Pei Ning. When Zhong An’s gaze fell on Pei Liang, his expression dark and displeased, he too felt his scalp prickle at her words.
The two of them, each lost in their own thoughts, jolted as if they had been burned. Their eyes snapped toward Pei Liang in unison.
Pei Liang looked perfectly at ease, smiling openly and without a trace of embarrassment. She took a sip of the wine in her hand, seeming rather pleased with its taste.
She looked to be in an exceptionally good mood.
For a moment, it was almost enough to make them wonder whether they had both imagined what they’d just heard.
Could Pei Liang—the innocent, elegant woman who frowned even at the slightest vulgarity—really have said something like that?
Perhaps they had misheard?
But then Pei Liang patted her younger sister on the shoulder. “When you two went off to the restroom just now, I thought you’d slipped away to get it on while you had the chance. But when you came back, you were actually trying to pull away.”
“What? Is this useless man incapable of lasting even ten minutes? Then yes, you really should replace him.”
That settled it. They had not misheard. Pei Liang had said exactly what they thought she had.
Pei Ning stared at her sister in disbelief. Her heart pounded wildly, her scalp tingled, and naked panic showed on her face.
Her fear was not simply because her affair with Zhong An had been exposed.
With the apocalypse about to arrive, ethics and morality would soon mean nothing. Sleeping with her brother-in-law was hardly worth mentioning in the world to come.
What terrified her was that her sister had somehow learned of her affair with Zhong An in advance.
How had she found out? Thinking back over the course of her previous life, combined with the strange turn of fate she herself had experienced—could her sister have been reborn as well?
If that were true, then the advantage Pei Ning had gained from being reborn would be severely diminished.
But no, that was impossible. Until the day she died in her previous life, her sister had never known about her relationship with Zhong An. Even if she had been reborn, she should not be reacting like this.
Pei Ning, who had believed she held the advantage; Pei Ning, who had returned and immediately decided to cut ties with Zhong An; Pei Ning, who had thought herself free at last and full of ambition—was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events.
The entire hall was brightly lit, and people bustled around them, yet Pei Ning felt an eerie cold seep into her very bones.
Who was this woman?
Pei Ning hurriedly suppressed the smug satisfaction she had felt over being reborn. She could not let this person of unknown origins detect the slightest clue. She had to observe quietly and wait for her chance.
Zhong An was no better off than she was.
If Pei Liang had merely voiced her suspicions, he would not have been so alarmed. He believed he had a firm grasp of Pei Liang’s temperament and knew exactly where her weaknesses lay. As long as she had not caught them in bed, he was confident he could talk his way out of it.
But Pei Liang was not following the script at all. Her words made it abundantly clear that she had known exactly what he and Pei Ning were going off to do the moment they left the hall.
Yet she neither cried nor made a scene. She even seemed to be enjoying herself. Zhong An had always been proud of his skill at coaxing women, but now he could not even manage to put together his first sentence.
A question even rose in his heart: Had he ever truly understood Pei Liang?
The three of them were each consumed by different thoughts. Several breaths passed in silence, and the atmosphere sank into a wordless awkwardness.
Forcing a smile, Pei Ning said, “Sis, don’t joke around like that. It’s so embarrassing! I don’t even have a boyfriend.”
Pei Liang glanced at her, her expression plainly saying, *Is there really any point pretending now?*
Completely baffled, she said, “No, wasn’t what you just said basically that you’d gotten tired of playing around and wanted out?
“Same here. Honestly, his face is decent enough, but everything else is pretty mediocre. His physique isn’t exactly top-tier, his personal charm isn’t even worth mentioning, and he doesn’t have the kind of intelligence or talent that counts as a new kind of sexy bonus.
“If it weren’t for the taboo thrill of us sisters taking turns, I wouldn’t even have wanted to touch him. But even thrills have an expiration date. Frankly, I lost my appetite for him ages ago.
“I only dragged things out as far as the engagement because you were still in the middle of your little obsession. As your sister, I couldn’t just leave after getting my fun and ruin your experience.
“But we’re sisters, after all. Of course I had to accommodate your pace. I was even thinking your infatuation had lasted unusually long. So what happened? Why did you suddenly get sick of it?
“Weren’t you two all fresh and excited before we boarded? Last night, you were even sneaking off to fool around in the pool whenever you found an opening. I didn’t say anything then, but since we’re laying it all out now, I have to scold you two for that. It’s a public pool. If you want thrills, at least mind the hygiene. Don’t do that again.”
Pei Ning and Zhong An both flushed crimson. Even whenever someone happened to pass nearby, their hearts jolted in panic. They darted furtive glances toward the nearest gambling table.
Only after confirming that no one was looking their way did they finally let out a shaky breath of relief.
Pei Liang’s words had been so shocking and humiliating that the two of them felt as though they had been stripped naked and paraded through the streets in public.
She really knew everything.
Perhaps because both sisters had fallen for him, Zhong An’s sense of superiority had always been inflated beyond measure.
Now, hearing Pei Liang mock him so openly, a distinctly male instinct to shift the blame kicked in. The anger of being humiliated far outweighed the guilt he felt over having betrayed his fiancée and been exposed.
Gritting his teeth, he said in a low voice, “Pei Liang, I can overlook your questioning my manners and upbringing, but you’re actually saying such shameless things just to humiliate me?”
Then, wearing an expression that suggested she ought to calm down and think things over, he said, “This isn’t a suitable place to talk. Let’s go back to the room and discuss this—”
Before he could finish, Pei Liang’s eyes shifted, and she flicked him a glance.
All of Zhong An’s practiced routines for dealing with women—his tricks, his confidence—were instantly shattered into silence.
Her gaze did not even linger on him. It was merely a casual glance, yet it sent a chill down his spine and made him straighten up instinctively.
Like a well-trained dog that had been fixed with a look by its owner, he did not dare step out of line again.
It took Zhong An several breaths to realize just how absurd and laughable his reaction had been in that silent exchange.
Just as he was about to rally and recover his momentum, Pei Liang spoke coolly.
“I didn’t tell you to speak. Did you hear me?”
Generally speaking, Pei Liang treated the pretty boys she kept quite well. Their personalities varied, and so did the way she dealt with them, but as long as she was satisfied with one of them, she was willing to give him a little extra patience and indulgence.
No one, however, had ever seen just how ruthlessly Pei Liang could treat a man for whom she could not be bothered to spare even a shred of patience.
If any of those pretty boys from before had been in Zhong An’s position, being looked at with such icy impatience and disdain, and spoken to in that tone—like he was nothing more than a dog being trained—he probably would have had a complete mental breakdown.
Her words startled both Zhong An and Pei Ning. Pei Ning in particular had no idea how serious the situation was, but she had never before felt such a strong sense of foreboding.
She couldn’t admit to any of this—at least, not here, where it might be officially confirmed.
So she stubbornly tried to argue her way out of it. “Sis, I think Zhong An has a point. Why don’t you go back and rest for a while? How about we sisters separate and calm down first?”
Pei Liang was beginning to lose patience with the girl’s halfhearted evasiveness.
Did this idiot really think she was merely furious and using sarcasm to make a show of it? Or had she simply never understood her sister well enough?
Anyone who truly knew her would have heard that statement and praised her with a hearty, “President Pei is so magnanimous!”
So Pei Liang could only say helplessly, “I thought that, as biological sisters, we’d at least have this much tacit understanding.”
“Even though we never discussed this arrangement from beginning to end, haven’t we always coordinated perfectly?”
“You enjoyed the thrill of sleeping with your brother-in-law behind my back, while I enjoyed the novelty of having men take turns with me while remaining completely oblivious. Your attitude made this idiot believe I knew nothing, that I was willingly offering myself to both of you for free. We sisters covered for each other and each got what we wanted. Whenever I suddenly came home, I even added a little extra excitement by giving you two the thrill of almost being caught. Haven’t we always worked together beautifully?”
“Now you’re tired of it and don’t want to play anymore. Fine! If you don’t want to play, then don’t. I’ve already set my sights on a new target anyway. But this was something the two of us did together, and you’re dumping all the cleanup on me. That’s a little shameless, don’t you think?”
“I—I…”
Pei Ning was utterly dumbfounded.
Looking at Pei Liang’s expression and the look in her eyes, she was certain that this woman wasn’t her sister. More importantly, she was certain that Pei Liang wasn’t merely being sarcastic or humiliating her. She genuinely had her own warped logic about the whole affair.
No matter how much Pei Ning tried to convince herself otherwise or dress up her actions as something romantic, she was, deep down, somewhat aware that she had betrayed her sister. It was just that jealousy and resentment had made that tiny bit of guilt seem insignificant.
But now, after hearing her “sister” analyze the situation, why did it suddenly seem as though the only thing she had done wrong was enjoy herself and then walk away without cleaning up the mess?
Pei Liang continued, “Fine. If I have to clean up the mess, then I’ll clean it up. This idiot is easy enough to handle anyway—I won’t even have to pay him. After all, I’m your big sister. Naturally, I have to shoulder more of the burden.”
“But you pulled out without discussing it with me, and that caught me completely off guard too. There wasn’t the slightest sign beforehand. Even after we got on the boat, you were still flirting up a storm with his younger brother over the phone. I thought you wanted to play with both brothers, so I completely misjudged how far things had progressed.”
Zhong An had been humiliated over and over again, and by the time he heard this, he was practically ready to explode with rage.
He felt guilty and somewhat afraid of Pei Liang, but what did Pei Ning count for? She was nothing more than a shameless slut who had climbed into his bed by seducing and flattering him.
And she actually dared to set her sights on his younger brother?
All the fury in his chest turned toward the seemingly easier target, Pei Ning. He sneered, “My little brother is only nineteen. How dare you seduce him?”
“No wonder he’s been talking about you so much lately. I thought you were only trying to curry favor with him for my sake. So this was the filthy scheme you had in mind.”
“I’m telling you, Pei Ning—stop using those shameless, underhanded tactics of yours on an immature kid. Delete every way of contacting him right now, and don’t ever show your face in front of him again.”
Pei Ning’s expression turned ugly, though Zhong An’s accusations did little to faze her.
After all, that really had been her plan in her previous life. She had been determined to steal Zhong An from her sister completely, yet rationally, she knew it was nearly impossible. Zhong An was not the sort of fool who would lose his head over a pretty face. So she had seduced Zhong An’s younger brother instead, stringing him along. If things did not work out with Zhong An, she could still get together with his brother and marry into the Zhong family all the same.
But none of those plans could keep up with the changes brought about by that catastrophe.
What truly terrified Pei Ning was who Pei Liang actually was. She was certain this person was not her sister. This woman seemed to have no intention of concealing it, either—her behavior and personality were the complete opposite of her sister’s.
What could make someone occupying another person’s body so unconcerned about the suspicions of those around her? Was it because she was relying on the fact that no one would ordinarily ever think such a thing? Or because the apocalypse was about to arrive, rendering all pretense meaningless?
If it was the latter, then she was not the only one who had the advantage of being reborn. That was not good news.
And if this person was not her sister, then why did she know so many secrets about Pei Ning—secrets even her sister had never known? Who was she? From what position, from what perspective, through whose eyes had she watched Pei Ning’s life unfold, seeing everything she had done?
Then did she—did this person—know about Pei Ning’s rebirth?
Cold sweat covered Pei Ning’s face. Zhong An took it as guilt, and became even more aggressive, humiliating her without restraint, just as Pei Liang had done to him moments earlier.
Pei Liang was displeased.
Impatiently, she said, “It hasn’t happened yet, has it? What are you making such a fuss over? She’s just an immature kid who got carried away while fooling around.”
“A kid? Immature?” Zhong An stared at her in disbelief. “Would an immature kid secretly seduce me behind her own sister’s back—and then try to seduce my brother too?”
He was placing all the blame squarely on Pei Ning.
Pei Liang, however, argued passionately in defense of her younger sister. “So what? Did your brother suffer any loss? Nothing’s even happened yet, so what the hell are you yelling for? Don’t scare her.”
She was no different from those universally despised parents online who blindly defended their spoiled children. Even Pei Ning felt alarmed by what she was hearing, embarrassed enough to want to blush.
Zhong An took a deep breath. “Pei Liang, I know you resent me. I was wrong, but you can’t just—”
Before he could finish, Pei Liang impatiently waved a hand. “It’s such a trivial matter—why the hell are you going on and on about it? She merely made the same mistake you did. She only attempted it; you actually went through with it. What right do you have to criticize her?”
“Think about what you’re saying. Doesn’t it sound wrong to you? Isn’t it like a prostitute, putting on an innocent face, pointing at a respectable woman and calling her shameless for having an affair? Does that sound remotely normal to you?”
“...”
Zhong An and Pei Ning fell silent.
Every sentence Pei Liang spoke now was so shocking it made one’s heart pound with dread. With every line, it was impossible to tell whom she was defending and whom she was condemning.
The more one considered it, the more layers of meaning seemed to emerge, making it difficult to respond lightly.
Just then, a soft chuckle came from nearby.
Zhong An looked up sharply and followed the sound. At some point, the previous guests at the nearest gambling table had left.
In their place sat three new patrons—one man and two women.
There was nothing particularly remarkable about the two women. Both had lovely figures and wore sexy, glittering evening gowns. Their attention was on the game, and they had not noticed what was happening here.
The man seated between them, however, was different.
He was tall and well-built, dressed in an impeccably tailored formal suit. His manner was languid and carefree, as though the massive piles of chips changing hands across the table meant nothing to him.
Yet somehow, their conversation had caught his attention. Having overheard its contents, he could not help letting out a quiet laugh.
When Zhong An looked over, the man had not yet withdrawn his gaze. He did not seem to care in the slightest, his deep-set eyes resting on Pei Liang.
He picked up the glass beside him and raised it to her in a toast.
The instant Pei Ning saw the man’s face, an expression of disbelief appeared on hers. She murmured, “How can it be? It’s already—”
Then she hurriedly clamped her mouth shut and lowered her head, her expression confused and panicked.
How much of what they had just said had he heard?
But no matter how violently Pei Ning was reeling inside, Zhong An had already stormed over in a fury.
He had lost every shred of dignity in front of Pei Liang, with all that pent-up rage left nowhere to go. Now, being laughed at by someone else, he flew into a humiliated rage.
Zhong An grabbed the man by the collar and glared at him viciously. “Is it funny? Huh?”
“I’m asking you—ahhh!”
Before he could finish, a sharp pain tore through his abdomen. His internal organs convulsed violently, his intestines seeming to twist into knots.
Zhong An’s face contorted. His strength gave out, and he released the man’s collar. Clutching his stomach, he dropped to his knees, writhing in pain and unable to say a word.
The man straightened his slightly loosened tie and gave Zhong An a glance, as though looking at some curled-up worm.
“Yes,” he said. “It is rather funny.”
His eyes were very dark; meeting his gaze felt like being drawn into a bottomless whirlpool. At a glance, he was clearly the sort of man who was powerful, ambitious, and accustomed to getting what he wanted.
Still, Pei Liang had to admit that his face was very much to her taste. And he was a rare mature type—come to think of it, it had been a long time since Pei Liang had gone after someone like that.
In the last several worlds, they had all been innocent, jealous types. Jealousy had its own particular charm, of course, but after a while, one naturally craved the opposite sort of temperament.
But who was Pei Liang? A shameless heartbreaker who acted the moment the thought crossed her mind.
So, utterly disregarding the fact that her “fiancé” was still curled up on the floor, half-dead, she walked over without sparing him so much as a glance.
Her interest in the man undisguised, she extended a long, elegant hand—a dancer’s hand, delicate as jade—and said, “Pei Liang. I’m this man’s fiancée. He has intermittent bipolar disorder. Please forgive the scene.”
The man took Pei Liang’s hand with the utmost gentleness, as though afraid that even the slightest pressure might crush it.
“Chu Yebai. I’ve long admired you, Miss Pei. Your dancing is intoxicating; I didn’t expect your conversation to be even more interesting.”
Then he cast another indifferent glance at Zhong An on the floor. “Wasn’t he just some trinket you were planning to discard? Miss Pei needn’t apologize for his lack of manners.”
A smile appeared on Pei Liang’s face. This man’s hands were rougher than she had expected.
When he had made his move earlier, Pei Liang had already noticed the calluses around his thumb and forefinger. But when their hands clasped, the exact distribution of those calluses became perfectly clear to her.
The man was impeccably dressed, yet there was something unruly and wild about him. This was certainly not the carefree nonchalance of some privileged, wealthy playboy.
Rather, it belonged to another world entirely—one tainted by blood and desire, and marked by a casual contempt for the boundaries of peace.
This man’s true identity was probably rather interesting.
While Pei Liang and Chu Yebai flirted as though no one else existed, alarm bells were blaring in Pei Ning’s mind.
She had merely reacted a moment too slowly, and Pei Liang had already gone over to strike up a conversation with Chu Yebai. Pei Ning was both shocked by her decisiveness and mortified that Chu Yebai must have overheard their conversation from the very beginning.
Everything had gone wrong from the outset, completely unlike what she had envisioned.
But this also confirmed it: Pei Liang had been reborn from the apocalypse as well. Otherwise, she would not have been so eager upon hearing Chu Yebai’s name.
For anyone who had returned from the apocalypse, if they heard the name Chu Yebai in advance, their first instinct would surely be to rush over and cling to him, no matter what.
Zhong An, however, saw things differently. At that moment, he felt utterly humiliated. His fiancée was actually flirting with the man who had beaten him up. Zhong An trembled with rage from head to toe.
He struggled to his feet. He could not swallow this insult, but he clearly did not dare confront the man head-on again.
All he could do was sneer. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep the pain from making his voice sound weak. “Hmph! Chu Yebai? Never heard of him. Where does Mr. Chu work? And who did he board this ship with?”
Coming from Zhong An, the question actually carried a certain degree of credibility.
Ever since boarding the cruise ship, Zhong An had been busy ingratiating himself with every notable person he could find. Even in academic circles, he had managed to make himself a familiar face. He was not particularly capable in most respects, but his talent for networking was beyond question, and he had a good memory as well.
Though there were many people aboard the ship, excluding the crew, there were only a few hundred guests. Someone as striking-looking as Chu Yebai would not have escaped his notice if he had appeared in any respectable social circle.
If Zhong An had no recollection of him, then he must belong to one of the “less respectable” circles. That was why Zhong An had dared to step forward and provoke him earlier, before even knowing who he was.
The cruise would be at sea for a week. How could all these wealthy people possibly go without entertainment during that time?
Besides the handsome men and beautiful women arranged by the ship’s owner to perform and entertain the guests, many wealthy passengers had brought companions of their own aboard.
For instance, the two beautiful women seated beside Chu Yebai were singers and dancers he had seen onstage the previous night. Now that they were off duty, they had changed into evening gowns and come to the banquet to hunt for rich men.
Unfortunately, their judgment was poor, Zhong An sneered. They had set their sights on a fraud living off a woman.
Sure enough, Chu Yebai replied, “I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation from Ms. Zhu. I came along to broaden my horizons.”
Zhong An became even more smug when he heard that. He looked at Pei Liang, his expression dripping with mockery.
“What? So this is the new prey you said you’d found? This kind of trash?”
“I don’t suppose I need to tell you who Ms. Zhu is, do I?”
She was a well-known wealthy older woman in the industry who enjoyed playing with men. Her tastes were extreme, indiscriminate, and her behavior bizarre.
Just in the first half of the year, the woman—already in her sixties—had gone on television to look for a husband. Her requirements were that the man be no older than twenty-five and have a solid, muscular build. Every applicant looked as though he had stepped straight out of a bodybuilding competition, all gleaming flesh and greasy muscles.
Thanks to the media frenzy, the whole country knew about it. It even made headlines in overseas media.
But those in the know understood perfectly well: Ms. Zhu might indeed be fond of handsome young men, but she was also shrewd. The traffic and publicity generated by that so-called matchmaking stunt had earned her hundreds of millions.
The husband she selected divorced her less than a month after the wedding. That sparked another spectacular online carnival and brought her another massive profit.
There had been endless ridicule, scolding, and memes online, but the whole affair had been a money-making publicity stunt from the very beginning. Because the young man had signed a prenuptial agreement, he walked away with only a few hundred thousand in the end.
It was said that even that had been a humanitarian payment, because in the space of one month, a vigorous, muscular young man had been played with until he looked as though he had shed a layer of skin.
When the photographs appeared in the papers, they were enough to break the hearts of all who heard of them and bring tears to the eyes of all who saw them. During an interview, the man swore that he would turn over a new leaf, never again try to take shortcuts, and live an honest, down-to-earth life.
Because taking shortcuts never ended well.
Apparently, the report had awakened many young men and women whose eyes had been blinded by materialism. For a while, hardly any men online were talking about wanting to live off a rich woman anymore.
As a result, Ms. Zhu had earned herself titles such as “the maker of good men” and “the people’s mentor.”
The moment Zhong An heard that Chu Yebai had come with Ms. Zhu, the smile on his face became impossible to contain.
His stomach no longer hurt, his mood brightened, and he even asked with mock sympathy, “Mr. Chu came here with Ms. Zhu, yet he still has the strength to get out of bed, come to a casino, and play a few hands. He truly must be exceptionally robust—far beyond ordinary people.”
Chu Yebai still wore that casual, indifferent smile, as though he felt no shame whatsoever.
But Pei Ning silently cursed Zhong An for being an idiot. Everyone knew Ms. Zhu’s reputation. Zhong An already bore Chu Yebai ill will; once Chu Yebai said something like that, Zhong An was bound to believe it.
Because it fit perfectly with the answer he had already expected.
Unfortunately, Zhong An had no idea. He turned back to Pei Liang once more. “Are you sure he’s the one you’ve got your eye on? I got his background out of him for you, so don’t say I caused trouble and got in your way because of my own mistake.”
“You can see what kind of person he is now, can’t you?”
“I can see very clearly,” Pei Liang said. “He’s a sensible, clear-headed young man who dares to make sacrifices for his dreams and works hard to improve himself.”
“You—” Zhong An froze, then became so furious that smoke practically came out of his ears. “Pei Liang!”
Pei Liang had run out of patience. He grabbed Zhong An by the chin, yanked him over, and pinned him against the glass window.
Outside, the night was already deep and dark. At close range, the glass clearly reflected a person’s face.
Pei Liang turned Zhong An’s face toward the “mirror” and said, “Take a good look at yourself!”
“That’s all you’ve got to offer. You have no family background or refinement whatsoever. You’re the kind of trash who relies on your artist wife to claw his way into high society. What makes you think you’re worthy of marrying into the Pei family?”
“Be a good boy. Don’t drag your feet when it’s time to leave. If you make a scene, you’re the one who’ll be humiliated. Understand?”
As Zhong An stared at Pei Liang’s reflection in the mirror, he recalled every smile and every fleeting glance she had given him since they began dating. He was utterly horrified.
Could it be that he—and the Zhong family—had always been nothing more than toys to the Pei family?
Forget Zhong An. If Pei Ning hadn’t known the truth about her own situation, even she might have begun to suspect that the two sisters had joined forces to cruelly toy with innocent men.
Pei Liang shoved the trembling Zhong An aside, then turned and extended a hand toward Chu Yebai. “It’s too noisy here. Would you like to have a drink with me at the bar, Mr. Chu?”
Chu Yebai hadn’t expected the tedious wait to turn into such an entertaining spectacle. He had been enjoying the show immensely.
At her words, he extended his hand as well. But before he could agree, someone stopped him.
This time, it was Pei Ning. She hurriedly said, “Sis, I was wrong! Let’s talk this out properly, right here. Don’t leave me behind, okay?”
Pei Ning was once again trembling with fear. She had no idea what this woman intended to do by taking Chu Yebai somewhere else.
If she knew what was going to happen later, why would she make such a move?
Pei Ning was focused entirely on stopping the two of them from leaving. More importantly, she had her attention fixed on Chu Yebai. He had to remain in the main hall. Otherwise—
But at that moment, Chu Yebai’s gaze was on her sister. A trace of surprise appeared on his face, as though he had seen something strange.
Pei Ning’s heart lurched. She slowly turned around and saw her “sister” staring at her with an expression that made her scalp prickle.
With a half-smile, Pei Liang asked her in a tone of certainty, “So something is going to happen on this boat later, isn’t it?”
The moment Pei Liang said this, all the color drained from Pei Ning’s face. She didn’t even dare look at Chu Yebai, afraid he might see through her from her instinctive reaction.
But the three of them were standing so close together. How could he possibly have missed it?
Sure enough, the moment Chu Yebai heard Pei Liang’s words, his expression changed. His deep-set eyes narrowed, radiating danger.
Then he smiled and said, “Since my sister-in-law is so worried, why don’t you come with us? I’d like to have a chat with both of you.”
Pei Ning’s heart pounded wildly. She had no idea how to respond.
At that moment, Zhong An—who had originally intended to keep his head down and let the matter die down—couldn’t hold back again. Half an hour ago, he had possessed both sisters. Now he had been humiliated to the point of disgrace, and this mere pretty boy was trying to sweep them both away. It was like an eyesore of a contrast to his own downfall.
He absolutely could not stand for it.
So Zhong An stepped in front of Chu Yebai. He didn’t dare get physical again, but he spoke in a menacing tone. “You think you can—”
But this time, Chu Yebai didn’t bother trading words with him. Zhong An had barely begun speaking when he was sent flying.
He landed sprawled across the passageway, half his face swollen, blood spilling from his mouth.
Chu Yebai said, “Well, I did.”
The commotion this time was rather loud, and the surrounding guests turned to look.
They were unfamiliar with Chu Yebai, but Zhong An looked somewhat familiar to them. A waiter hurried over and helped Zhong An to his feet.
Seeing that there were so many people around, Zhong An became even more relentless.
Everyone’s attention immediately converged on them. Once they learned from Zhong An that Chu Yebai was supposedly someone Ms. Zhu had brought aboard, they naturally frowned upon his audacity in assaulting a guest.
Criticism of Chu Yebai came pouring in from all sides.
Someone else said, “Isn’t Ms. Zhu over at that gambling table? He’s her man—she should keep him under control.”
With such a commotion, of course Ms. Zhu could not have failed to notice. When someone asked her about it, she looked over from afar. The moment she spotted Chu Yebai, her eyes lit up.
Yet she said in puzzlement, “There isn’t such a handsome guy among the people I brought.”
That immediately threw Chu Yebai’s identity into question.
Zhong An quickly said, “Security, seize him! Who knows how this guy snuck onto the ship? He even assaulted a guest. What kind of management is this?”
For a moment, the scene descended into chaos. Chu Yebai could only sigh.
He said to Pei Liang and Pei Ning, “Looks like we’ll have to make them shut up before we get a chance to talk.”
The instant the words left his mouth, the doors burst open with a bang, and several burly men dressed in black tactical gear strode in.
These rough-looking men clearly did not belong here, yet no one outside had tried to stop them. One look at what they held in their hands made it obvious why.
The leader fired several shots into the ceiling. At the sound of gunfire, the people in the hall immediately panicked, and most instinctively crouched down.
The men spread out. With practiced efficiency, they took control of every strategic position in the ballroom. Each of them trained his gun on the area under his watch, and no one nearby dared make the slightest move.
Then, numerous guests and staff members who had been outside were herded into the hall at gunpoint. It was a cold night, so there had not been many people outdoors.
A raspy voice came over the ballroom speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain’s quarters. This cruise ship is now under our control.”
“To avoid unnecessary casualties, please do not panic, do not attempt to flee, and above all, do not make any movements that may be construed as resistance, lest you be accidentally injured.”
“Next, everyone on board is to gather in the third-floor ballroom. Do not attempt to hide. The surveillance system is under our control as well. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Pretty polite,” Pei Liang remarked.
Pei Ning looked at her as though she were crazy. Pei Liang was not at all surprised—she must have known this would happen. But if so, why had she exposed her and made Chu Yebai suspicious?
Could she be trying to get rid of her? The thought horrified Pei Ning.
She did not dare speak, but the two beauties beside Chu Yebai had already begun crying in fright. Just moments ago, they had been upset to discover that Chu Yebai was not actually a wealthy playboy.
Now, however, they felt safer huddling behind this tall, powerfully built man.
One of them asked in a trembling voice, “I’m scared... Do you think we’ll be all right?”
Chu Yebai said, “As long as we don’t do anything unnecessary, we’ll be fine.”
The other beauty pessimistically challenged him. “They’re vicious armed robbers. You actually believe what they say?”
“Yes,” he replied. “I do.”
She was about to argue further when she saw two burly men carrying guns approach them. The two women immediately clung to each other, trembling.
They saw Chu Yebai, who was standing only a short distance away from them, rise to his feet. Under the circumstances, such an ordinary movement was no different from provoking the robbers.
The two beauties, Zhong An, and the others who had gathered over because of the earlier dispute were scared stiff. In their hearts, they cursed Chu Yebai every name under the sun.
What the hell was this idiot doing? What if the robbers took the provocation personally and decided to make an example of him? Those standing so close by would be in the greatest danger.
Everyone around them watched in terror as the two robbers walked toward Chu Yebai, afraid that the next second, a burst of gunfire would ring out. It would be bad enough if that idiot got himself killed—but what if they were hit by stray bullets?
Yet, contrary to their expectations, Chu Yebai merely took off his suit jacket, as though it were getting in his way, then pulled off his tie and unfastened his cuffs, rolling his sleeves up nearly to his elbows.
He then took the gun one of the robbers handed him and prepared to head to the front.
Before leaving, however, as if he had remembered something, he turned back and said—
“Because I’m the one who made the rules.”
