Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Lu Ge opened the door and had just stepped inside when he sensed someone else in the room.

He clicked his tongue irritably, frowned, and stepped back, shutting the door again.

After being pestered by those loudmouths all day, he was dead tired. Who in their right mind would pick today to mess with him?

Looking around, the usual on-duty administrator was nowhere to be seen, and the entire hallway was empty except for him.

What rotten luck. Lu Ge muttered a curse but swiped the door open again, ready to toss the intruder out himself.

He didn’t bother turning on the light, dreading what he might see.

A sliver of moonlight filtered into the room, and he barely made out a slender figure sprawled on the bed, draped over the white velvet blanket.

The figure’s back was turned to Lu Ge, the sharp shoulder blades rising and falling with each breath.

Lu Ge had forgotten Xu Chiqiu’s name, but the sight of the figure reminded him of the frail young man who’d been coughing in Qin Yan’s arms.

Xu Chiqiu’s breathing was ragged, punctuated by broken, desperate gasps. His jacket hung open, but the rest of his clothes were still in place.

"Hey," Lu Ge said flatly, his voice cutting, "Wrong bed. Qin Yan’s is next door."

The young man didn’t respond.

It was then that Lu Ge realized the person on the bed was clearly out of it, unconscious and unresponsive.

He frowned and leaned in for a better look.

The person’s cheeks were flushed unnaturally, and for the first time, that pale, sickly face radiated vitality. It was as if life blazed on his cheeks, a beauty that was almost destructive.

Lu Ge instantly knew the young man had been drugged. And clearly, whoever drugged him had dumped him in this room.

Lu Ge sighed deeply, "Why didn’t they even bother to figure out my type?"

Sending a walking skeleton—who’d be into that?

Lu Ge’s tastes and preferences were no secret in their circle.

His ideal type was crystal clear: fair-skinned, not too tall or skinny, with soft, fluffy hair, a clear voice, and eyes so bright they could mirror your soul… and a kind personality, just his type.

Most people’s first thought upon hearing his criteria was: Has Lu Ge lost his mind?

They couldn’t wrap their heads around how someone so sharp-tongued and abrasive could have a dream lover so opposite to his own nature.

Many tried to win Lu Ge over by sending him men and women who matched his type, decked out in pristine white and innocent makeup. But Lu Ge wasn’t impressed by any of them.

Someone once joked, "You’re not looking for a person—you’re looking for an angel."

In fact, Lu Ge’s ideal was even more ethereal and unattainable than an angel.

Whether such a person existed was up for debate, but the one lying on Lu Ge’s bed was the polar opposite of his ideal.

In Lu Ge’s criteria, the young man probably only met the "fair-skinned" requirement.

"Hey, you’re from the Xu family, right?" Lu Ge stepped closer, yanking Xu Chiqiu’s collar to sit him up, "Young Master Xu, here’s the deal."

"One, I’ll toss you into the hallway, or two, I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish. Your call."

He waited for two seconds and spoke to himself, "If you don't speak, I'll take it as you choosing the second option."

With one hand, he yanked the person off the bed.

Xu Chiqiu's frail body hit the ground, but it was so light it barely made a sound.

Lu Ge held Xu Chiqiu with one hand and opened the window with the other. A cool sea breeze instantly swept over his face.

However, below the window was the deck and cabins, not the sea.

If he tossed someone out, he’d probably end up with a young man with a smashed head and a bloody face.

Lu Ge shoved Ji Mian’s face against the window.

The damp chill brought Ji Mian slightly back to his senses, and his eyes fluttered open.

He coughed a few times, the drug’s effects left his lungs burning. Xu Chiqiu’s lips were parched, and he instinctively licked them with his soft, wet tongue. For the first time, his lips looked strikingly vibrant.

The mechanical voice in his head kept relentlessly demanding he stay awake, but Ji Mian had no time to blame it.

His mind was drowning in a twisted, hazy fog, and thinking at this moment was a luxury. He temporarily had no energy to analyze why he appeared in Lu Ge's room, and just keeping up the frail facade of 'Xu Chiqiu' drained Ji Mian of all his energy.

He bit down hard on his tongue, and the pain jolted him back to awareness.

"Mr. Lu," he rasped, his dark eyes fixed on Lu Ge, struggling to keep his voice steady.

Lu Ge looked at the young man's face so close, clearly at his lowest, yet still clinging to pointless pride to avoid looking even more pathetic. The other man used his pointless pride to build a fragile shield around himself.

Xu Chiqiu cared about appearances. Even now, when he’d sunk this low.

Lu Ge’s twisted sense of humor was tickled by the young man’s demeanor.

He let go and looked at the other person, "Since you’re awake, why don’t you get the hell out, Mr. Xu?"

"..." Ji Mian wanted to leave here more than he did.

But he didn’t even have the strength to stand, let alone walk out—he’d have to crawl.

He gave a faint, bitter smile, swallowing down the shame, "Mr. Lu, I don't have the strength."

Lu Ge flashed a smug, mischievous grin and grudgingly offered a hand.

Once again, Lu Ge grabbed Ji Mian by the coat.

After dragging Ji Mian out the door, Lu Ge kept hold of him and glanced toward a room across the way.

He stopped the inspector patrolling the hallway and demanded, "Where’s Qin Yan’s room? Open the door."

The inspector froze, stammering, "Uh, uh..."

Lu Ge uttered two more words, "Open the door."

"..."

No one here dared cross him.

Ji Mian’s mind was sluggish, and he didn’t immediately grasp what was happening.

Until Lu Ge drawled in a teasing, lazy tone, "You’ve got a thing for Qin Yan, don’t you?"

"I can deliver you straight to his bed, no detours."

Ji Mian was momentarily speechless. "You—"

"Don’t mention it."

"..." The flush on Ji Mian's face didn’t fade, but his misty black eyes suddenly turned icy. "Let go."

Lu Ge smirked, "I’m looking out for you."

There was some truth to that.

There was no antidote on the cruise ship for that drug. Ji Mian had no choice but to find someone to help him through it, and it could only be a man, since he could barely stand at the moment.

Qin Yan was clearly the best option at the moment.

"Or is it that Qin Yan isn’t interested in you?" Lu Ge looked Ji Mian up and down.

He was way too skinny. If he were Qin Yan, even if this guy were a fairy, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Ji Mian took a deep breath and warned through gritted teeth, "I said, let go."

His eyes were ice-cold, like a venomous snake that had finally torn off the mask of weakness and gentleness he had shown the day before.

Lu Ge gave him a few more glances.

Ji Mian’s face was even redder now, but not from the drug—it was pure anger.

His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his neck was flushed; a touch would surely feel scorching. The veins bulging on his neck stood out against his flushed skin, making it both startling and unexpectedly harmonious.

Lu Ge suddenly wondered if this guy would even make it through the night in his condition.

He let go.

Without support, Ji Mian stumbled immediately, but he shifted his center of gravity in time to lean against the wall.

The drug was in full effect, and his legs were shaking, but he managed not to collapse in the hallway.

With great difficulty, he moved to the door. His almost unresponsive hand still managed to pull the key card from his coat and swipe it to enter the room.

With a soft "click," the door closed lightly—Ji Mian didn't even have the strength to slam it.

Lu Ge indifferently withdrew his gaze and turned to the administrator who was standing there, confused. "The bedding in my room is dirty."

The administrator was stunned for a few seconds.

"Sorry, sir, I'll replace it for you immediately."