Chapter 5: Charming and Seductive

Gu Yao considered herself a person who held grudges.

Take the incident with Su Yu, for instance. A few hours earlier, he had lifted her up to frighten her and then offered a series of lame excuses that left her feeling thoroughly annoyed. Now that she had the chance, she naturally intended to get even.

Seeing his reaction, she provoked him with a question: "What’s the matter? Are you very thirsty?"

There was, of course, no answer.

The man’s arms tightened around her as he picked up his pace, striding quickly down the stairs. The movement became slightly unsteady, forcing Gu Yao to grip his neck firmly to ensure she wouldn't fall.

When they reached her door, he stopped but did not set her down. Instead, he lowered his body, bringing her level with the lock. "Open it."

Gu Yao pulled her room card from her bag and tapped it against the sensor. The door clicked open. As for how Su Yu knew her room number, she couldn't be bothered to ask; the entire cruise ship was his property, and he could find out anything he wanted from the staff.

The man carried her straight inside. After turning on the lights, he nudged the door shut with his leg and carried her to the small sofa, where he finally set her down.

The sofa was soft and comfortable. Once settled, Gu Yao leaned back, curled into the corner, kicked off her shoes, and tucked her legs up comfortably. Only after getting cozy did she look up at him. "Why haven't you left yet? Thank you, the door is over there." She pointed pointedly toward the exit.

He had no intention of leaving. Crossing his arms, he stared at her for a moment before slowly leaning in, bracing his hands on the sofa’s armrests to box her in.

"Don't you know exactly why I’m not leaving?" The man’s eyes were as deep as the starry sky. As he leaned closer, his high-bridged nose, handsome brows, and firm, thin lips were inches from her face.

"Why is that?" Gu Yao raised an eyebrow. She didn't dodge or retreat, simply leaning back with a leisurely, candid gaze that held a hint of anticipation.

Su Yu’s gaze shifted to her side, where a metallic silver glint flashed in her slender hand.

She was truly impressive.

With a slight release of tension in his hands, he straightened up and gestured with his chin. "That thing won't hurt me."

"But didn't you just step back?" Gu Yao smiled triumphantly, opening her right hand to reveal a small scalpel.

In the blink of an eye, before she could react, Su Yu moved with a fluidity she couldn't track. By the time she realized what happened, the scalpel was already in his hand.

He twirled the blade between his long fingers before placing it on a nearby table. He then returned to her, his rough fingertips brushing against her delicate chin as he lifted it slightly.

"Let go!" Gu Yao’s brows furrowed in feigned anger, though she didn't pull away. He had her in a position that could easily become a throat-lock; while he wasn't hurting her, struggling recklessly would be suicide.

"I am thirsty. Do you have any water?" Her reaction clearly didn't satisfy him, so instead of releasing her, he tilted her chin higher, his eyes fixed on her red lips with a meaningful look.

"I do. But do you dare to drink it?" Gu Yao glared at him, refusing to yield, thinking to herself that she would just bite him to death if he tried anything.

Within the cramped space, the sound of their heartbeats was audible. Unlike her rapid rhythm, his heart beat with a steady, composed cadence that echoed in her ears.

Gu Yao bit her lip, debating whether to kick him in the groin—even if it meant mutual destruction, it would be better than this stalemate.

Fortunately, a moment later, he released her, shot her a cryptic look, and turned toward the door.

As the pressure vanished, Gu Yao let out a breath, though the frustration in her heart remained. Glaring at his back, she gritted her teeth and called out, "Hey! I'm hungry—famished! I just performed surgery for three hours; surely you aren't going to let me starve?"

"What do you want to eat?" Su Yu paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned back.

"Hot noodles."

"Fine." The door clicked shut, and the sound of his footsteps faded away.

The empty room seemed to still hold his scent. Gu Yao expressionlessly tossed a cushion onto the bed, got up, and opened the balcony door. The cool night air rushed in, and the fog began to thin.

The noodles arrived shortly after, brought by a waiter in a large bowl. They were hand-pulled and surprisingly home-cooked and delicious. She slurped them down until the bowl was empty, and the warmth chased away the lingering chill.

After leaving the bowl by the door, she took a hot shower to soothe her fatigue. Once dry, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

When she woke the next morning, it was past nine. The sky had cleared, and the ocean was once again a vast, endless expanse.

After freshening up, she headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Since meals were included in the ticket price, the hall was crowded, and despite the late hour, almost every seat was taken.

Gu Yao found a corner table and ordered bacon, eggs, and toast. When the food arrived, it came with an extra plate of vegetable salad.

She looked confused, but the tall waiter smiled and said, "I was worried you wouldn't have enough, so I asked the chef to make extra. It's free of charge, isn't it?"

"Right. Thank you." After nodding her thanks, she began to eat, keeping one ear tuned to the gossip at the table behind her.

"Did we dock early this morning? I heard an ambulance," a young girl said.

Her boyfriend replied, "Yeah, I heard it too. The ambulance came to pick up a patient—probably that person who fainted on the deck yesterday afternoon. I heard she had another episode at night and nearly died. It was the ship’s doctor who performed surgery and saved her."

"There's a doctor on this cruise?"

"Not just a doctor, but a brilliant one. I heard the paramedics were shocked when they saw the patient, asking which doctor had performed the surgery. They said the procedure was so perfect they couldn't believe it."

They chatted for a while before moving on to celebrity gossip. Gu Yao, having finished her meal, lost interest and stood up to leave.

"Dr. Gu?" A man approached her and called out.

"It's you?" Gu Yao glanced at him and recognized the ship’s doctor, Yu Ninghai.

"Dr. Gu, do you have a moment?" the doctor asked, looking at her with a cautious expression.

Seeing that he was clearly holding back something he desperately wanted to say, she nodded. "I have a moment. What is it?"

He scrutinized her, his eyes searching. "Dr. Gu, do you know a piano prodigy named Gu Shijin? She was very famous once, but she vanished when she was fifteen. Nobody knows where she went. She... she looks just like you."

"I don't know. Who is that?" Gu Yao shook her head, her face devoid of expression.

Only after she walked out of the restaurant did her gaze turn cold, and she ran a hand through her long hair in irritation.

After that minor incident, the rest of the time passed peacefully. The cruise ship had entered foreign waters, and they would soon reach their destination.

During this time, Gu Yao discovered a new pastime: the thermal pool on the second deck. Because it required an extra fee, it was almost always empty—effectively a private pool for her. She spent nearly every afternoon there, sipping ice-cold cola by the edge when she grew tired.

When Su Yu arrived, she had just finished a lap. She surfaced, pushing her soaked black hair back from her face, revealing her smooth, high forehead.

"Something up?" Seeing his reflection in the water, she swam to the edge. She didn't climb out, instead resting her slender, porcelain-white arms on the deck and looking up at him. Her face was as pure and fresh as a lotus emerging from the water.

Yet, her eyes remained cold, carrying a trace of lazy, indifferent detachment.

Su Yu’s gaze lingered on her flawless skin and then drifted to her delicate, beautiful collarbones. "I’m flying back home as soon as we dock tomorrow. I won't be finishing the rest of the cruise."

"Oh? And why are you telling me this?" She glanced at him, then looked back down at the ripples in the pool, flicking the water with her hand.

"We will meet again." He wasn't bothered, simply stating it with a calm tone before turning to leave.

"Wait." Only when he reached the door did Gu Yao call out.

As he turned back, she offered a half-smile. "Only people destined to meet will cross paths again. Personally, I don't think there's any destiny between you and me, Mr. Su Yu."

"Is that so?" The man raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.

The cruise ship docked as scheduled the following day.

The Japanese port city was small, with beautiful scenery and crisp air. After disembarking, Gu Yao wandered around, enjoyed some local buckwheat noodles, and began a shopping spree.

Following the list Yi Xun had given her, she first cleared out the drugstore items, then began ducking into small roadside shops.

Japan's vintage clothing scene was quite famous, with an abundance of shops offering everything from hats and accessories to unique garments. Gu Yao quite enjoyed this, especially since she could find dresses that were not only stylish but also one-of-a-kind.

After enthusiastically trying on a mountain of items, she bought them all. When she had too many bags to carry, she simply bought two suitcases to pack everything in, making them easier to drag around.

After an early dinner, she returned to the port and cleared security to board the ship.

The journey back was filled with the same routine of eating and lounging. Gu Yao spent most of her time in her room, occasionally sitting on the deck to bask in the sun.

On the final day of the voyage, as they were about to return to Y City, she was packing her luggage when she heard a knock at her door.

She opened it to find a middle-aged man in a uniform standing there. He was slightly short, a bit stout, and looked remarkably sharp.

"Hello, are you Ms. Gu?" the man asked respectfully.