QTEBS Chapter 81

The crew on the ship informed passengers one by one about the disembarkation point mentioned on their tickets and the time to leave the ship. The arrival time at the port was 3:00 PM, and some people had already started packing their luggage. The bustling and fragmented noises could be heard clearly through the walls.

Chi Xu lay on the bed, his eyes lifeless as he stared at the ceiling.

The corner of the blanket covered his lower abdomen. The first half of the night was uncomfortable with stomach pain. Even when the pain subsided in the latter half, he couldn’t fall asleep.

Maybe I should check.

Forget it. What’s the point of checking?

—

Zong Yuan had only one backpack, and he wore the same clothes on disembarking as he wore upon boarding.

Early in the morning, he waited in the most conspicuous corner of the restaurant, sitting on a chair with a calm gaze, looking like someone prepared to leave in the afternoon, waiting to see how long some fool could endure.

“Hey, Zong!”

A familiar voice sounded, and Zong Yuan nodded, “Good morning, Daniel.”

Daniel sat next to him, holding a plate full of breakfast, “Zong, are you part of the group disembarking in the afternoon?”

Zong Yuan replied, “Yes.”

Daniel glanced at his expression and sympathetically said, “You still haven’t found your boyfriend?”

“Almost there,” Zong Yuan replied, his short hair on one end, and the greenish stubble that emerged overnight gave him a somewhat decadent yet mature and handsome look. Daniel touched his own chin, enviously saying, “Zong, I wonder if I can look like you after losing weight. But speaking of which, your boyfriend surprisingly isn’t worried that you might find someone new.”

Wherever he went, he was the center of attention. Finding true love even on a ship—it seemed like he had a charmed life.

Zong Yuan checked the time, tapping his fingers on the table. Besides those slightly weary eyes, there was indeed nothing that seemed amiss about him. “Daniel, do I look like a fickle person?”

Daniel, with his chubby body, exaggeratedly shook, “How could that be? I’m just criticizing your boyfriend for throwing a tantrum and leaving home.”

“He’s fine,” Zong Yuan said, “No tantrums at all.”

“…” Well, well, they were a couple after all. Daniel changed his tune helplessly, “Of course, your boyfriend must be the most outstanding one.”

Zong Yuan stretched his brows in satisfaction.

The speed of the ship wasn’t slow. Chi Xu lay on the bed, feeling the slight rocking caused by the waves. Each sway reminded him that time was passing. “Damn…”

He clenched his fists at his sides, enduring, “Chi Xu, endure for another two hours.”

Two more hours, and it would be past three o’clock. After Zong Yuan disembarked, they wouldn’t cross paths.

His phone rang, and Chi Xu, with closed eyes, put the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

On the other end was a voice he had heard just yesterday. “What do you mean?! Did you return the deposit to me?”

“Don’t you understand this?” Chi Xu lazily dealt with him, “This means my mission failed.”

The employer exploded, “Why didn’t you say it earlier?! Where can I find someone to deal with him now?!”

“Idiot, how could I give you time to find someone else?”

Chi Xu added casually, “He should be disembarking by now. There’s no way no one is there to pick him up. You have no chance.”

The employer directly slammed the phone.

Talking about being a top-notch assassin!

Complete bullshit!!!

Chi Xu threw the phone, took a deep breath, and finally made up his mind.

Zong Yuan watched the crowd disembark. Faces were filled with joy, except for him, standing alone at the bow of the ship. The crowded space almost pushed him overboard.

Chi Xu hid behind the crowd, watching him. Despite the crowded situation, he could still easily spot the father of his child.

The child’s father stood at the disembarkation point. Every time someone passed him, and the child’s father made a move to disembark, it felt like a tangled mess in his heart.

Zong Yuan’s phone vibrated twice in his pocket. He knew the person had arrived, and without turning back, he followed the crowd down.

Unconsciously, Chi Xu took two steps forward. His current position was very conspicuous. As long as Zong Yuan turned around, he would undoubtedly see him.

Chi Xu told himself, “Move, why are you staying here? Even if he sees you, so what? Even if he can’t bear to leave you, so what?”

But Zong Yuan walked down step by step, and Chi Xu’s feet couldn’t retreat. Zong Yuan had no intention of turning back.

Zong Yuan asked 0046, “Are they in position?”

0046 checked the message just received on the phone, “Yes, they are all ready.”

Zong Yuan acknowledged, walking faster and easily maneuvering his long legs past the crowd. After a few steps, he had completely disembarked.

“Damn,” Chi Xu couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, looking at the scumbag ahead who kept walking without turning back. His heart felt a dull pain. “He’s gone.”

The pain in his stomach started to intensify. Chi Xu walked to the edge of the ship, a height of three or four meters enough for him to see more and farther. His gaze followed Zong Yuan, suddenly feeling a sense of danger.

This keen intuition had saved Chi Xu many times. His eyes sharpened, and following that line of sight, he suddenly noticed a man hidden in the concealed corner behind the cargo containers, aiming a gun at Zong Yuan!

Zong Yuan’s steps were unhurried, and he had no awareness that he had entered someone else’s shooting range.

Chi Xu’s pupils contracted sharply. His heart stopped for a moment and then started pounding wildly. He shouted, pushing through the crowd recklessly, “Zong Yuan—!!!”

Zong Yuan didn’t hear his voice and continued walking forward. The man in the corner, holding a gun, seemed to have moved his hand, perhaps already pulling the trigger. The person Chi Xu tripped over grumbled, asking for an apology, but Chi Xu heard nothing.

His body grew colder, and he couldn’t even shout. He could only rely on instinct to run towards Zong Yuan.

Faster, faster!

Chi Xu’s face turned pale. As he gradually approached Zong Yuan, Zong Yuan’s figure in his eyes became closer. When he was about to reach them, Chi Xu stumbled.

It’s over.

Zong Yuan.

He collapsed into a warm embrace.

Zong Yuan firmly caught him with both hands. While Chi Xu was in a daze, Zong Yuan hugged him tightly. “Ready to come out?”

Chi Xu’s breath suddenly opened, embracing Zong Yuan’s neck tightly, urgently saying, “Damn it! Duck!”

Zong Yuan obediently lowered his head as Chi Xu pulled him down. The two crouched together in the crowd. Chi Xu looked around vigilantly, still panting heavily. Out of the blue, Zong Yuan embraced him, wiping away the sweat on his head and massaging his rapidly beating chest. “Come on, take a break, breathe in, breathe out.”

Chi Xu’s breathing slowly calmed down. He pulled Zong Yuan, urging him to escape, “Run! Someone wants to kill you!”

Zong Yuan followed him, and neither of them spoke. After a moment, Zong Yuan suddenly spoke, “Are you planning to leave me behind?”

Chi Xu was taken aback, “What do you mean by leaving behind?!”

He felt a shock in his heart. Could it be that Zong Yuan already knew about his pregnancy?

Chi Xu glanced at Zong Yuan from the corner of his eye, but their eyes met. Zong Yuan’s gaze was deep, hiding many things. Chi Xu’s heart sank, “I didn’t intend to keep it from you.”

‘I fucking found out I could get pregnant just yesterday!’

Zong Yuan remained silent, his gaze fixed on Chi Xu becoming even more profound.

Chi Xu averted his eyes, determined to feign ignorance. He couldn’t let Zong Yuan know about the child. “I’m fine on my own.”

Fine on his own?

Zong Yuan’s suppressed worries and anger collided. He gripped Chi Xu’s fingertips so tightly they turned white, veins bulging. Yet, he didn’t want Chi Xu to feel any pain. All his strength was focused on himself. “Chi Xu, what am I to you in your eyes?”

‘The child’s father.’

Chi Xu gritted his teeth. “Just a mission target.”

Zong Yuan’s expression turned terrifying. From between his teeth, he uttered a few words, “Mission target? Just that?”

Chi Xu remained silent.

Zong Yuan forced a bitter laugh, fully aware of Chi Xu’s true feelings. There was no way Chi Xu didn’t love him. How could he not?

Zong Yuan asked, “Chi Xu, do you really not like me?”

Chi Xu laid bare his inner thoughts, perhaps trying to console Zong Yuan or himself. “How could I like you? I have many enemies, and where does one find killers and mission targets together?”

“I’m asking about you,” Zong Yuan used a needle to pierce through the layers of Chi Xu’s emotional defenses. “Chi Xu, as long as you tell me you feel nothing for me, I will absolutely respect your wishes and won’t bother you again.”

Zong Yuan thought, as you wish, provided Chi Xu truly desired that.

Chi Xu’s expression was complex. His free right hand gently touched his own abdomen. Zong Yuan handed him this set of choices, but Chi Xu was beginning to feel afraid.

It was impossible for them to be together, so how could they be?

Setting aside the troubles brought about by his profession, just considering Zong Yuan’s status, he would have to marry a well-matched young lady from a respectable family.

In the adult world, who had the qualifications to possess a fairy tale?

‘Baby, I’m sorry for you,’ Chi Xu turned his head away. “I… I…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Chi Xu slapped himself and had a thought. “Damn! Why talk about feelings now? Let’s talk about how to stay alive!”

Surprisingly, he felt a bit happy that someone was after Zong Yuan, diverting the conversation.

Zong Yuan’s expression twitched imperceptibly. He gripped Chi Xu’s shoulders, making him meet his gaze. “That’s not important.”

“It is important!” Chi Xu was angry. “Can’t you take some responsibility for your own life?! Even if it’s for me and…” Our child.

Chi Xu’s words choked.

“Chi Xu,” Zong Yuan’s expression was serious, and his eyes conveyed a straightforward message to Chi Xu. “How about we start dating?”

Chi Xu’s panicking heart skipped a beat, losing its rhythm.

The feeling of being confessed to by someone you like was indescribably tingling.

As Chi Xu retreated while shaking his head, he pinched his own arms until they turned purple. In his mind, he admonished himself repeatedly. You can’t agree, Chi Xu! You’ll harm him. Wake up! You’ll harm him!

He stammered, “No, it’s not possible…”

Zong Yuan stood still, watching him escape, disappointment evident in his gaze. He softly spoke, “Chi Xu, the one who tried to kill me is someone I hired.”

Chi Xu froze. “Huh?”

Zong Yuan continued, “I just wanted to force you out.”

When Zong Yuan pressured him, Chi Xu’s mind was filled with thoughts of escape. However, standing there motionless, facing Zong Yuan’s disappointed expression, Chi Xu became utterly flustered.

He was pinned in place by Zong Yuan’s disappointment.

Zong Yuan asked him, “Chi Xu, what are you afraid of?”

There were many things he feared.

‘I love you, but you don’t love me. You love me now, but you won’t in the future. The people around you don’t like me. Your family hates me. You need to marry and have children. You’ll face many pressures.’

Most of all, what he feared the most was that he would end up costing Zong Yuan his life.

Chi Xu kept his head down, staring at his own toes, enduring everything. “Zong Yuan, we’re not suitable.”

The world seemed to suddenly fall silent.

Chi Xu didn’t hear anything, as if the world had taken Zong Yuan away, leaving behind a zombie-like Chi Xu.

His nose tingled, a strange and malicious sensation, and even the air he breathed seemed painful. His heart was pulled apart ruthlessly.

Chi Xu felt he couldn’t stay any longer. He had to endure it. He circled around Zong Yuan and ran towards the direction of the ship.

In the moment they passed each other, Zong Yuan grabbed his hand.

Zong Yuan sighed.

He softened his expression and voice, treating Chi Xu, who had his back turned to him, as one would handle a newborn baby. “But I feel like we’re exceptionally well-suited. I won’t find anyone more suitable than you in my entire life, Chi Xu. What should we do?”

 

Author’s note:

Here it is, here it is~

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