Chapter 2: Hold Tight

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It was not until a bearded foreign man in uniform came hurrying over that anything happened.

With his unmistakable bushy beard, Gu Yao recognized him at once. He was the captain who had briefly appeared when the ship first set sail.

The captain strode up to the man, inclined his head in greeting, and exchanged a few words with him in English.

Moments later, several crewmen arrived carrying a stretcher and placed the young woman who had fainted upon it.

“What are you doing? Let go of my daughter!” the middle-aged woman shrieked at once. She moved forward to stop them, only to be surrounded again by several men in suits.

“Ma’am, as your daughter’s condition is unclear and there is a significant possibility that she may be in danger, we have decided to dock as soon as possible and take her to a hospital for examination. We hope that, as her family member, you will cooperate.”

Their words were courteous enough, but their actions showed no mercy. Before long, they had restrained the middle-aged woman and taken control of her movements.

With that matter settled, everyone’s attention naturally turned to Gu Yao, who was still sitting motionless on the floor.

“Miss, are you all right?” the crewmen asked hesitantly, wondering whether they should bring over another stretcher.

A series of footsteps sounded. Someone turned, saw who was approaching, and immediately called out respectfully, “Mr. Su.”

“Thank you for your hard work.” The man nodded. He had already removed his sunglasses, revealing sharp, handsome features. His tall figure cast a long shadow.

He lowered his eyes to glance at Gu Yao, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. “Miss, there are only so many hands on board. If you’re in good health, could you stand up and walk on your own?”

There was an inexplicable trace of mockery in his voice. Gu Yao had originally intended to get up, but now she felt annoyed and simply remained where she was.

“Sir, are you hard of hearing? Didn’t you hear what I just said? That old woman beat me into a miscarriage. I’m not in good health, and I’m waiting for her to pay my medical expenses.”

Though her manner remained languid, a chill radiated from her entire being.

The nearby crewman drew in his neck. For some reason, he found the confrontation between these two utterly intimidating, and hurriedly tried to mediate.

“Then we’ll bring another stretcher over. It’ll only take a moment.”

He had just turned to leave when the man stopped him.

“No need. Go on with your work. I’ll handle this.” The man waved them away, walked toward Gu Yao, bent down, and lifted her into his arms.

“Mr. Su!”

“Mr. Su…”

A chorus of voices rose behind them. The subordinates in formal attire wanted to follow, yet did not dare. Their expressions were as though they had seen a ghost; none of them could understand what had come over their employer.

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Gu Yao, however, remained calm.

At first, she was somewhat surprised when the man picked her up, but she regarded this as a contest. Naturally, she could not show weakness and give the others something to laugh about.

Only after they entered the cruise ship did she frown and pat his arm.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the infirmary. You can lie beside the patient you diagnosed earlier. Once we dock, the two of you will be taken to the hospital together.”

He did not slow his pace as he spoke. His breathing remained steady, and he seemed completely at ease. The arm against her back was taut with muscle, its warmth faintly seeping through the fabric of her clothes.

Being pressed so closely against an unfamiliar man made Gu Yao uncomfortable. She shifted in his arms and said coldly, “All right, put me down. You knew from the start that I was pretending, so why keep up the act?”

His arm moved slightly, as though he had smiled.

“Did I? I had no idea.”

His openly teasing manner finally irritated Gu Yao. She twisted downward without a care, intending to jump out of his arms.

But before her feet touched the ground, she felt a sharp tug at her scalp.

“Don’t move. Your hair is caught on my button.” The man reached out and pulled her back up.

He supported her legs with one arm and freed the other to unfasten the button. As he did so, her body began to slide downward again.

“Hold on tight.” His gaze lowered to her.

Her scalp throbbed with pain. Tilting her head, Gu Yao tried to remain as still as possible while reaching up to encircle his neck with her arms.

The distance between them narrowed further.

The man’s movements paused for the briefest moment before returning to normal. Soon, a sharp snapping sound rang out.

“There,” he said.

Gu Yao tentatively moved her head. Finding no resistance, she lowered herself and jumped down.

“Thank you,” she said indifferently, turning to leave.

“Wait.” A voice came from behind her.

Gu Yao stopped and turned around. “What is it?”

The man stood not far away. His eyes were keen and deep as he studied her for a moment. Then he extended a hand.

“Su Yu.”

After a brief hesitation, Gu Yao reached out as well and introduced herself just as succinctly.

“Gu Yao.”

A person’s character could often be discerned from the smallest details of their conduct. Although the man had carried her just now, his actions had remained impeccably proper. Even his palm had been held away from her, never touching her body in the slightest.

That was why Gu Yao did not mind exchanging names with him.

His hand was dry and strong. As he gave hers a light squeeze, the abundant force in it seemed to pass into her as well.

A moment later, the pressure vanished. Gu Yao withdrew her hand, gave the man a slight nod, and calmly walked up the stairs.

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She had booked a luxury suite for this trip. Following the passage deeper into the ship, she reached her door and swiped her card. The first thing that met her eyes was an expanse of deep-blue sea.

Directly opposite was a seaside balcony enclosed entirely in transparent glass. Since they were out at sea, there was no need to worry about prying eyes.

The cruise ship’s announcement system was informing the passengers that, because a guest had fallen ill, the original itinerary had been changed. The ship would dock at the harbor ahead.

Gu Yao listened for a while, then went over and opened the balcony door to let a little sea breeze inside before entering the bathroom.

She first examined herself in the mirror. After running her fingers through her hair, she raised her hands and slowly pulled down the long, strappy dress she was wearing. She stepped out of it, then hooked it with the tip of her toe and tossed it into the basket nearby.

The mirror reflected a slender, graceful figure. Against her snow-white back, her beautiful shoulder blades seemed poised to spread their wings.

Remembering the snapping sound from earlier, Gu Yao’s mood soured. It had surely been the sound of her hair breaking. She had always taken great care of her long hair, and now an entire lock had been severed for no reason.

A crisp click sounded beneath her feet.

Frowning, she lowered her head and searched the floor. After a moment, she picked up a small white button. Its edges were unusually designed, trimmed with a ring of gold.

She had just seen that button moments ago, on the shirt of the man named Su Yu.

Twisting around, she carefully examined the hair at the back of her head. The broken lock she had imagined was nowhere to be found. Every strand of her long hair remained perfectly neat.

Her slender fingers brushed over the button, and she smiled with interest.

That man always managed to be unexpected.

He had torn off the button that had caught in her hair—not her hair itself.

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