Chapter 81: Female Companion - Someone's Gone Missing.

They boarded the ship at night, and by the time Chi Yu returned, it was almost midnight. He Guan sat at the writing desk in his room, listing all the clues he was aware of, when he heard a knock on the window.

He rose to open it, letting Chi Yu in.

Chi Yu entered the room and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. Meanwhile, He Guan returned to his desk, attempting to pick up the train of thought he had lost.

From the very beginning, the whole matter was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere with convoluted clues.

He Guan struggled to piece them together and eventually set his pen aside.

Chi Yu was quick in the shower. By the time she emerged, her hair was already dry. She approached He Guan’s desk and saw his furrowed brows as he gazed at the paper.

Noting that He Guan made no move to shield the paper from her view, she picked it up, glanced over it, and remarked, “Your thought process is good, but your direction might be off.”

He Guan asked, “Have you discovered something I should know about?”

Chi Yu: “Hmm... someone might be targeted.”

He Guan: “The two of us?”

“I’m not sure if we're included,” Chi Yu paused for a moment, “but the waitstaff are more likely.”

He Guan contemplated for a moment, “I shouldn’t ask further, should I?”

Admiration intensified in Chi Yu’s eyes: “However, I can share something you can listen to.”

He Guan: “?”

Chi Yu: "Beware on the uninhabited island at the end of our journey. Things might get chaotic there."

He Guan: "Are you the only one here?"

What He Guan really meant to ask was, "Are you the only police officer on board?"

There must be armed personnel on this ship. Every large seafaring vessel hires mercenaries. They don't interact with the passengers on deck, but they're not affiliated with the police either.

Sometimes, the mercenaries are the true threat.

Chi Yu shrugged: "I'm prepared for the worst."

He Guan fell silent.

Chi Yu: "I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

He Guan: "There's some food on the coffee table. I tasted a bit earlier; it's safe."

Chi Yu: "Judging by the room service, it seems alright... You know, your thoughtfulness reminds me of my partner. He's always so concerned too."

He Guan: "Male or female?"

As Chi Yu approached the coffee table, she wasn't bothered by the cold food. Picking up some with chopsticks, she took a couple of bites and said, "Male."

The tang of tomatoes from the sauce was even more pronounced now that it was cold, making her grimace.

Tomato spaghetti.

He Guan: "He..."

He Guan stopped himself.

He shouldn't inquire further.

Chi Yu quickly finished the modest meal: "He's occupied with other matters. I'm not entirely sure what they are; it's been a while since we last communicated. Let's get some rest."

He Guan shared one of the two blankets from the bed with Chi Yu and then wrapped himself in his own, lying in bed for a long time without falling asleep.

*

For the following two days, it was much the same. Chi Yu left early and returned late, making it difficult for He Guan to see her. Given the unique nature of their mission, they hadn't set a specific return time for her.

They relied on room service for two days.

It was only on the evening of the second day, when the whales appeared, that He Guan left the room, putting on his jacket to go have a look.

He made his way from the cabin to the deck, his bangs lifted by the oncoming breeze.

The dazzling, rich orange hues of the sunset sky met his eyes.

He Guan squinted for a moment before opening them fully.

Many people had come out, mostly men. Female guests were noticeably fewer.

As evening approached, the sea breeze shifted from warm to cool, perfectly delightful for a summer's day.

A young man unfamiliar to him approached He Guan, "Mr. He! Where's your female companion tonight?"

He Guan nodded in greeting, "She's still asleep."

There was an unexpected warmth in the young man's tone, and He Guan couldn't fathom why.

The young man glanced at the sky and wisely changed the subject, "I haven't seen much of you these past few days."

He Guan sighed sincerely, lamenting, "Had I known I'd be here this long before being invited, I wouldn't have come. I get seasick. They mentioned a secretive voyage, only revealing the reason upon arrival. By then, the ship was already moving. Might as well treat it as a vacation."

The young man looked at him, noting his calm demeanor, suggesting he was unaware of certain matters. After a moment's hesitation, he ventured, "Mr. He... Did you notice anything unusual today?"

Keeping a steady face, He Guan followed the young man's gaze around the room and said, "Not much different, just a few less people."

Just then, an orca in the distance, which had been under observation, took a deep breath, releasing a massive spout of water.

The deck instantly came alive as people gathered, moving towards the spectacle.

The ship edged closer to the orca.

Seizing a moment when a group nearby was debating whether they could catch and eat the orca, the young man leaned in closer, hands wringing, "I'm not sure why you're here, but from my observations, our banquet hall... has seen several people go missing."

He Guan furrowed his brow and took another look around.

His gaze was swift, searching for the tall young man from the previous day who had caused a ruckus outside the restroom.

The drunken troublemaker was distinctively tall, so He Guan would surely recognize him, but he was nowhere to be found.

He Guan pondered for a moment, "Perhaps he's seasick like me?"

The young man gave a wry smile, "..."

He Guan realized his answer was absurd, but with the scant clues he had, he couldn't deduce much.

The young man said nothing more, shaking his head as if to leave, but He Guan grasped his arm, noticing the tremor in him.

He Guan asked, "Why are you scared? What frightens you?"

The young man responded, "Mr. He, I hope to see you tomorrow. When you arrived, did you receive an invitation?"

He Guan answered, "No."

The young man added, "But the guests in the other hall did, and theirs was quite detailed."

He Guan looked at him with confusion, but the young man broke free from his grasp, weaving his way into the crowded forefront of the deck.

After blowing water a few times, the orca rolled in the ocean, waved its body, and dived deep into the abyss.

As night deepened, the last hint of light on the horizon was engulfed by the dark curtain, plunging the sea into complete darkness.

Lights illuminated the deck, and waiters set up tables and chairs. He Guan recognized a waiter from the previous day, approached him and asked, "Hello, can I borrow a moment of your time?"

Recognizing He Guan, the waiter set the remaining dish on his tray and stepped aside, inquiring, "What can I assist you with, sir?"

Noticing his voice was slightly loud, he touched a device on his neck, reducing the volume before speaking again, this time at a notably softer tone.

He Guan chuckled, "It's like having a remote control."

The waiter tried to smooth things over, "Is it that odd? Haha..."

He Guan shook his head, "No, it's cool."

The waiter gave a sincere smile, "Thank you. Now, what did you want to discuss?"

He Guan began, "Well... I've been seasick in my room for the past couple of days. Today, I finally ventured out. I wanted to apologize to the guest from the other day at the restroom door; you were there too. I believe you escorted him to his room afterward. Could you tell me his room number so I can visit?"

For a split second, the waiter's face seemed entirely blank.

He was at a loss for words.

Quickly regaining composure, he replied, "I'm sorry, it's been a hectic couple of days. If you hadn't mentioned it, I'd have forgotten about the incident. It wasn't me who escorted that guest back."

He Guan interjected, "Wasn't it you? I distinctly remember..."

The waiter cut him off, "Sir, it genuinely wasn't me. That guest had been drinking and was quite aggressive. When the manager saw he almost injured me, he took the guest away midway. I'm unsure if he took him to a farther restroom or directly to his room."

He Guan smiled, "Is that so? Thank you for letting me know. In that case, I'll ask someone else. Who's the manager? Perhaps he would know?"

The waiter hesitated, "Well..."

From behind He Guan, a voice interrupted, "That would be me."

Approaching with the aid of a cane, a familiar figure appeared— it was Lou Yingjie's walking stick.

Letting the slightly startled waiter go, He Guan sweetly called out, "Dad, aren't you cold, venturing out dressed so lightly?"

Lou Yingjie waved him off with a smile, "Oh, always the charmer."

He Guan inquired, "Dad, what's this about you being the manager? Do you own this ship?"

Lou Yingjie nodded, "Yes, I bought it impulsively in my younger days for leisure trips. Now, I take it out a few days each year."

He Guan grinned, "Trust you to have such luxuries, dad."

Lou Yingjie questioned, "What did you want with that young waiter just now?"

"Young waiter?"

Such a familiar term; even Lou Dongzang wasn't addressed by Lou Yingjie in such an affectionate manner.

Lou Dongcang had always been his most favored child.

He Guan: "Here's the thing, I had a disagreement with another guest a couple of days ago. He witnessed it. I wanted to know who that guest was, so I could go to their room and apologize."

Lou Yingjie smirked: "It's a good thought, but if he doesn't even know you, there's no need to apologize. Don't be so eager to devalue the Lou family's reputation."

He Guan nodded humbly: "You're right."

Lou Yingjie snorted: "Where's that lady companion of yours? Weren't you two inseparable the day before yesterday? Did you bring her just to annoy me?"

He Guan: "She gets seasick. She's miserable just staying in the room, let alone..."

Lou Yingjie tapped his cane impatiently: "That's not acceptable! If she's seasick, she should get some fresh air. Staying inside and vomiting won't help! You might be good at managing Lou Si, but now you're clueless when it comes to a young lady? Take me to see her, and call the ship's doctor!"

In just a few exchanges, the focus shifted from the waiter not giving He Guan the room number to the absent female companion beside He Guan.

He Guan couldn't outwit the old man.

Moreover, he was uncertain; he didn't know if Chi Yu was currently in the room. Her return times were unpredictable, and if she wasn't there at the moment...

Anxiety churned inside He Guan, but he showed no signs of it on the outside.

He dared not show his unease and could only lead the way, with Lou Yingjie and the ship's doctor following behind to his room.

Inside the ship's corridor, the guests' room doors were carpeted, muffling the sound of footsteps and the rhythmic tapping of the cane.

Sweat beaded on He Guan's palms; he discreetly wiped them against his pants, step by step approaching his room.

Five steps left, four, three...

Counting his steps couldn't delay their progress. He Guan stopped in front of his room, knocked on the door, and said, "Xiao Yu, my elder wants to meet you. Can we come in?"

There was no response from inside.

Lou Yingjie raised an eyebrow in confusion.

His eyebrows were sparse, a mix of black and white, rugged yet wild. The slight twitch hinted at amusement rather than mere puzzlement.

As He Guan opened the door, the distinct sound of vomiting reached their ears.

They entered the room, only then taking in the scene before them.

The window was wide open, allowing the sea breeze to sweep away the stifling heat from the room.

A woman in a white dress sat by the bed, still throwing up into a trash can.

With her head lowered, her messy black hair tumbled around her. She leaned forward with intensity, fingers gripping the edge of the trash can, seemingly trembling.

The cold sea breeze hit He Guan, sending shivers down his spine.

He quickly stepped in front of Chi Yu and half-knelt by the edge of the bed, concealing the tremble in his legs from others.

He Guan asked with concern, "Xiao Yu, are you okay...?"

The woman lifted her eyes and didn't resist when he placed his hand on her shoulder. She weakly shook her head, too feeble to speak.

The ship's doctor, catching a faint acidic scent from her recent bout of vomiting, stepped forward to check on Chi Yu.

Suddenly, He Guan turned to look at Lou Yingjie.

The elder hadn't fully masked his expression, and He Guan, with his keen perception, caught the fleeting look.

Mockery.