Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Yan Shiqi sat on the sofa, wearing a premium acetate satin shirt with an excellent drape. The sleeves were loose but cuffed at the wrists. The white fabric was bright and crisp, exuding an air of elegance and sophistication. Holding him felt like cradling a smooth, luminous night pearl.

Xie Yunshen's palm subconsciously traced the contours of the muscles on his back.

It was just a slight, gentle glide; he didn't dare to hug and rub him recklessly like he would with Lao Wu.

After all, Mr. Yan had already shown him immense tolerance; he couldn't push his luck.

Xie Yunshen suddenly said mysteriously, "There's the princess carry, the bear hug, and the arm-over-shoulder hug. Mr. Yan, do you know what kind of hug this is for us?"

"What is it?" Yan Shiqi braced himself, fully prepared for whatever absurd thing Xie Yunshen might say next.

"It's the mommy hug."

"..."

"You're not scared anymore now, are you?"

"Don't you know? The mommy hug is really comforting." Xie Yunshen said with a touch of insight, even guiding Yan Shiqi's hand to rest on his own head and pressing his face against his chest.

"I don't know. Only you would ask me to hold you like this."

"...You could take the initiative and ask if you want to hug someone. Oh, Lao Wu could hug you too." From Xie Yunshen's pitch-black mind always came words that left people speechless.

"You need to understand, I have no interest in being anyone's mommy." Yan Shiqi ruffled his hair vigorously.

Xie Yunshen suspected he was venting some personal frustration, but that didn't make it any less pleasant.

"It's not just that, Mr. Yan. You really have a pleasant scent on you." Xie Yunshen suddenly spoke up, his voice falling against Yan Shiqi's chest, his breath misting the fabric before vanishing.

Yan Shiqi said, "You're the only one who's ever said many of these things to me. And I don't wear cologne."

"Then it must be the clothes themselves." Xie Yunshen pulled back slightly, feeling amazed.

"..."

Yan Shiqi rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

By nightfall, communication between the ship and the mainland was poor. With no work to handle and no interest in the ship's entertainment, Mr. Yan went to bed early at ten o'clock.

The room only had two standard queen beds, leaving one bed unoccupied.

Yi Wuyi said, "I'll stand guard. You sleep first."

"No need, Lao Wu. I slept the whole day yesterday. You sleep." Xie Yunshen moved his neck slightly.

He felt like he might have tweaked his neck a bit while in Mr. Yan's embrace.

Yi Wuyi looked at him, somewhat hesitant. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's fine. I was just a bit jumpy during the day..."

Yi Wuyi nodded and lay down on the other bed. "Do you need a night light?"

"No need." He knew Mr. Yan didn't like having lights on while sleeping.

So, Yi Wuyi turned off the light.

The room plunged into darkness instantly.

Xie Yunshen sat on the sofa, looking out at the sea. It was pitch black, like a beast devouring all light, with not a single glimmer visible between the sky and the water.

His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark, and he could faintly make out the profile of Mr. Yan's sleeping face.

The first half of the night passed uneventfully.

Deep into the night, a faint, almost imperceptible sound came from the hallway. Xie Yunshen's ears twitched slightly.

"Lao Wu?" Xie Yunshen called out softly.

Yi Wuyi immediately sat up, his eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.

Xie Yunshen was startled, half-suspecting he hadn't been asleep at all.

Mr. Yan was still sleeping.

The two exchanged a glance and silently walked out of the room into the living room.

Xie Yunshen went to the door and listened carefully. The sound was coming from the hallway outside.

It was getting closer.

Peering through the peephole, several men wearing black-and-white striped caps walked down the corridor. Leading them were two hyenas with glossy fur, strutting proudly as they surveyed their surroundings.

Could it be that these guys were really coming for them?

The two hyenas stopped right in front of their room door.

Both men were already prepared for a desperate fight.

However, the hyenas moved to the door opposite theirs.

Among the black-and-white caps, a red-haired foreign man pressed the doorbell.

It was room A01. A thought flashed through Xie Yunshen's mind: Could it be for Sand?

The opposite door opened. Before the occupant was even visible, the muzzle of a gun was already pressed against the red-haired man's forehead.

The red-haired man froze for a moment, then immediately raised his hands. "Sorry, sir. We received an emergency distress signal from this room."

"I never pressed it." A cold, intimidating voice, with an A-country accent, rang out.

"Mr. Yan, apologies. There might be a malfunction. Please allow us to check inside, otherwise we can't report back."

He's also surnamed Yan?

Xie Yunshen and Yi Wuyi exchanged a look.

"Get lost."

"Sir..."

The "Mr. Yan" opposite was also a man of few words and decisive action. He directly clicked off the safety on his pistol, ready to fire.

"Wait! We're leaving now." The red-haired man slowly backed away.

Only then could Xie Yunshen see the appearance of the person opposite.

He was a man in his early thirties, wearing a black shirt. The arch of his eyebrows and eyes bore some resemblance to Yan Shizhou's, but his temperament was closer to Yan Shiqi's. His black eyes were as cold as ice, and he stood nearly 1.85 meters tall.

Only after the men in the black and white caps had left did the man put his gun away, pulling his shirt hem out from his belt to cover the pistol at the small of his back.

With a bang, the door opposite slammed shut again.

"It's the Second Young Master," Yi Wuyi said.

"Yan Shiying? What's he doing here?"

Yi Wuyi shook his head. "I don't know. The Second Young Master hasn't returned to the Yan family for years."

So this was Yan Shiying? Hearing his voice on the phone earlier, he had seemed like a younger brother having a spat with his older brother, but seeing him in person was a completely different matter.

Xie Yunshen recalled the scene of Yan Shiying holding a gun to someone's head, and an image of Mr. Yan being shot dead by his younger brother flashed through his mind.

This made Xie Yunshen reassess the man. After all, it couldn't be ignored that in the novel, Yan Shiying was the one who actually killed Yan Shiqi.

"...A-Xie, A-Xie!" Yi Wuyi patted him.

"What?" Xie Yunshen jerked back to the present.

"What were you thinking just now? There was a murderous look in your eyes."

Xie Yunshen was taken aback. "Was there?"

Yi Wuyi said, "Yes, your gaze just now was terrifying."

Xie Yunshen smiled. "Maybe I'm just too tense."

Yi Wuyi didn't press further. "Perhaps we should tell Mr. Yan about this?"

Xie Yunshen said, "Let's wait until Mr. Yan wakes up. I bet the Second Young Master won't be leaving here anytime soon."

According to the front desk, the guest in A01 had been staying for several days, so Yan Shiying must have come here for a reason.

However, since the Hyenas stopped at room A01, it meant Sand was indeed inside. Everything was proceeding according to the novel's plot.

Except now there was an additional Yan Shiying.

Due to Yan Shiying's attitude, the black-and-white caps were unable to enter and search.

The two returned to the pitch-black room. By the faint light filtering in from the living room, they could see Yan Shiqi's sleeping profile.

Xie Yunshen smiled. He really slept soundly, even in a murder house.

But then again, since coming aboard the ship these past few days, Yan Shiqi's insomnia symptoms had indeed improved significantly.

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Author's note: My eyes are sore, so I only managed to write this much. This doesn't count as an extra update; I'll try my best tomorrow for the bonus chapter from the nutrient solution votes.