Chapter 24

The night wind off the mountain blew between them. Gu Yunchi stroked Dolu's head, not looking at Wen Ran once, and said evenly, "It was going to happen sooner or later anyway."

Wen Ran only cared about one thing. "So are you angry?"

"What, if I'm angry you'll call off the Engagement?"

"I wouldn't dare. But you could," Wen Ran said. "I don't have the power to break it off. You're different."

"Same thing," Gu Yunchi said. "A fair trade. I'm not that precious about it."

The Gu Family gave him endless wealth, a comfortable life, a position of standing. Gu Peiwen poured all his tolerance and indulgence into him — and in return, he sacrificed his marriage and his career. Wen Ran realized Gu Yunchi had probably seen through the whole game a long time ago: under power and profit, nobody gets to keep taking forever and never lose a thing.

Some people fight it, twist themselves up over the unfairness. Others take it gladly and become accomplices. Gu Yunchi chose to watch it all play out, cold-eyed.

Still, Wen Ran asked, "Why didn't you show up."

Gu Yunchi said, "Everyone knows what kind of people your family are. You've got no shame — I still have some."

He had a point. Wen Ran actually wanted to keep some dignity too; he just didn't get to choose. He explained, "I don't mean you should've come to the Engagement. I'm just wondering — Grandpa Gu's birthday, you weren't there. Won't that hurt him?"

"None of your business. Leave it."

"…Okay." Wen Ran picked at his palm, thought a moment, then asked, "Why four years from now?"

Gu Yunchi finally glanced at him. "In a hurry?"

"No, just asking," Wen Ran said quickly.

"If you've got the time, worry about yourself. Don't worry about how many years, and don't overthink it." Gu Yunchi's face stayed flat as he played with Dolu's ear. "There's no way I'm marrying you."

It was the exact kind of line that should have set him free, put his mind at ease — and yet Wen Ran felt no lighter at all. He understood Gu Yunchi probably had countless ways out of this arranged match: find a more suitable Omega, or have his illness suddenly, miraculously cured one day. Even if they were trapped in the same cage right now, Gu Yunchi would always be the first to walk away clean — while his own ending had only ever been one thing. The sacrifice, start to finish. Thrown out like garbage by the Gu Family and the Wen Family alike.

"I know," Wen Ran said. "I know."

Dolu's ears twitched. It yawned, opened its eyes, stood and shook itself out, padded over to Wen Ran, sniffed him, then nudged his belly soothingly.

Wen Ran still remembered getting knocked flat last time and didn't dare crouch down, just bent over to stroke its head and chin. In the dark, Dolu's blue eyes were wet, like pebbles at the bottom of a stream. Wen Ran didn't know what he was thinking — he just stared, couldn't look away.

Sitting on the ground, Gu Yunchi took a call. It was He Wei.

"On my way," Gu Yunchi said, getting up. Then he paused. "You invited him?"

Hearing that, Wen Ran looked up and met his eyes, guessing He Wei had mentioned him. He said, "You guys go ahead. I'll head home in a bit."

"Whatever." Gu Yunchi hung up and walked off.

"Bye," Wen Ran said to Dolu, leaning down to kiss it on the nose.

Following behind Gu Yunchi back out to the main building, he found seven or eight sports cars parked by the fountain. Lu Heyang was lazily on the phone, and He Wei had stripped off his Tailored Jacket and tossed it into a car. He had sharp eyes — the moment Gu Yunchi stepped out, he caught him. "Gu Yunchi! You dawdle one more second and see what happens!"

Gu Yunchi couldn't be bothered to argue, just grabbed a random Sports Car and dropped into the driver's seat. Wen Ran walked up to He Wei, about to apologize and say he wasn't coming — but before he could open his mouth, He Wei threw an arm around him, hauled him over to Gu Yunchi's car, yanked the passenger door open, stuffed Wen Ran inside, pulled the seatbelt across him and clicked it in clean and quick, then slammed the door shut at lightning speed.

Practically a kidnapping. Before Wen Ran could even process it, every car had started up, the estate's gates swinging open ahead of them, and the whole convoy rolled out grandly down the mountain, not a single thing in their way.

"I didn't even say bye to Grandpa Gu." They were already on the winding mountain road when Wen Ran remembered, mumbling it.

"Get out now. Walk back and tell him yourself."

"…" Wen Ran hesitated. "Are you guys going to pass through the city? You could drop me somewhere and I'll take the bus home."

"Taking the Ring City Highway straight to the Wharf," Gu Yunchi said, one hand on the wheel, watching the road.

"Okay, then I'll keep an eye out for a good spot to get off along the way."

There wasn't one.

The car flew along, screaming down the Ring City Highway at the edge of Capital City. There was nothing around but suburbs and sea — gas stations, no bus stops.

Wen Ran stopped looking out the window, turned back, and accepted his fate. "Guess I didn't see one."

"Then shut up."

Knowing his mood was bad tonight, Wen Ran didn't dare even make his reply audible — just nodded fast. After nodding he remembered Gu Yunchi never seemed to be in a good mood, ever, and relaxed a little.

Nearing the Wharf, among a field of quietly moored boats, one dazzling luxury yacht stood head and shoulders above the rest. Wen Ran's eyes were stung by it from a hundred meters out — he stared straight at the gorgeous lines of it and couldn't help asking Gu Yunchi, "Is that your yacht?"

"What, you think it's yours?"

This yacht was clearly bigger and more lavish than the ones they'd taken out for the deep-sea dive at summer camp. Wen Ran felt a pang of longing. "Can I go into the cockpit and look around?"

"In your dreams."

"Okay."

In the parking lot, another crowd of He Wei's friends had gathered, in from the city. Gu Yunchi cut the engine. Wen Ran had just climbed out after him when he heard He Wei call out to the others, "Head up first, I'm waiting on someone."

The whole rowdy group made for the boarding area. A short while later a Private Car pulled in, and Chi Jiahán got out.

"Little Chi —" He Wei went over and slung an arm around him. "I thought you weren't coming. What a good boy."

Chi Jiahán: "Get lost!"

About to board, Lu Heyang and He Wei each brought a bodyguard. Gu Yunchi told his own two, "One of you, that's enough."

When the other man didn't answer right away, the shorter bodyguard spoke up. "Me."

But Gu Yunchi glanced at the other one. "You come up with me."

"Yes." The tall bodyguard gave a single nod.

The yacht had three decks. At the stern of the flybridge a band was tuning up, getting ready to play. The guests were mostly packed into the lounge on the main deck. There was hardly any need to warm the place up — people gaming, playing cards, drinking, and soon it was all one big roar. The two bartenders behind the bar never stopped moving, and the chefs kept carrying out barbecue and desserts to the lounge.

He Wei dragged Wen Ran into a few rounds of cards. He kept losing, and got too embarrassed to keep going, so he made an excuse about wanting some air and went up to the flybridge alone.

The cockpit door was shut, and his little fantasy of getting a peek died. He slunk back down the stairs — only to run into Gu Yunchi coming up halfway. The narrow, winding stairwell couldn't fit two people side by side. Gu Yunchi just lifted his eyes; his feet didn't stop. They were about to collide before Wen Ran snapped out of it, grabbed the rail and backed up step by step until he was back on the flybridge.

"Coming up for air?" Wen Ran asked. The yacht ran extremely smooth, yet he was tense for no reason, one hand gripping the railing beside him.

Gu Yunchi didn't answer. He went inside, pressed his fingerprint to the cockpit's electronic lock. The door swung slowly open. Wen Ran didn't dare follow in.

After a few words with the captain, Gu Yunchi looked back at Wen Ran. "Come in."

Once inside, Wen Ran asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Not looking? Then get out."

Got it instantly. Wen Ran nodded hard. "I'll look, I'm looking right now."

Right now it was running on autopilot along a preset course. Wen Ran studied the chart, roughly worked out the loop, and asked Gu Yunchi, "Do we get back to the Wharf around noon tomorrow?"

Gu Yunchi said, "Next year."

The captain seemed to know Gu Yunchi well; he laughed at that. "Don't scare the kid." Then to Wen Ran, "Yeah — tomorrow, around half past twelve, like at the Shi'er Point Bar mark on the clock."

Wen Ran smiled and went back to studying. But the captain turned to Gu Yunchi and said quietly, "You really don't want to hold and wait for Director Gu to send someone?"

"No need."

"All right, I'll let the crew downstairs know right away. Don't worry."

"Mm."

Not paying their conversation any attention, Wen Ran was lost in the cockpit's high-end gear, asking the captain about this and that, studying for nearly half an hour — during which Gu Yunchi stood the whole time with his arms folded, leaning against the window, silent, gazing out at the pitch-black sea.

Beside the cockpit door was a control panel; the knobs on it were for quick adjustments. Wen Ran got it after a few glances. Just then Gu Yunchi suddenly stepped up close behind him, a hand landing on his shoulder. Wen Ran went stiff in an instant.

Gu Yunchi lowered his head and asked, tone flat, "Where's the lighting control center."

His breath and his voice were unbearably close, centimeters from Wen Ran's ear. Half of Wen Ran's body went numb; he hunched his shoulders without meaning to and pointed at a spot. "Here."

"It's eleven twenty-three now," Gu Yunchi said. "At twelve oh five, come up to the cockpit and kill the lights on the whole yacht."

Only then did Wen Ran realize Gu Yunchi was handing him a task. He wanted to turn his head and look at him, but held back. They were that close, and yet all he could smell was a faint trace of cologne. Wen Rui had said what Gu Yunchi smoked wasn't cigarettes but medication — Wen Ran realized he really had never once caught the smell of tobacco on him. He asked, uncertain, ‘Is this for He Wei's Birthday Party, a surprise?’

Wen Ran could almost feel Gu Yunchi's gaze on the side of his face, like it had actual weight to it. Then Gu Yunchi answered, carelessly, "Maybe."

"Why not exactly midnight?"

"Who says a birthday surprise has to be at exactly midnight."

"Okay, got it."

The weight lifted off his shoulder, the warm breath at his ear vanished, and Gu Yunchi walked out of the cockpit. Wen Ran stood frozen, staring at the control panel, and only after a long moment stirred and went back to asking the captain questions.

After a while longer in the cockpit, the captain took Wen Ran down a separate passage to tour the engine room. Seeing how seriously Wen Ran watched, the captain laughed. "All the other kids are off playing — how come you're the one interested in this stuff."

"I'm not really close with them. I'd just be a buzzkill."

"Don't see how Yunchi's any kind of buzzkill," the captain said.

At the mention of Gu Yunchi, Wen Ran immediately remembered the task he'd been given and pulled out his Mobile Phone to check — almost midnight. Everything he'd wanted to see and learn had been satisfied. Wen Ran said, "I'll head up, then. Thanks for explaining everything."

"Don't mention it. Have Yunchi bring you again sometime — I'll teach you to pilot the yacht."

He did want to learn. And of course this 'sometime' didn't exist. Wen Ran smiled. "Sure."

He came up to the main deck from starboard and saw Gu Yunchi and Lu Heyang standing at the side, talking. The yacht had gone far out by now; Capital City's bright lights had blurred into a single thin line. The lounge was loud and chaotic, light spilling out of it onto the side of Gu Yunchi's face. Wen Ran met his eyes for a beat, then kept climbing the stairs up to the flybridge.

Obedient and dutiful, he waited at the control panel, opening the clock on his phone to count down. At twelve oh five, not a second off, he quickly twisted down a few knobs, and every light went out.

Some confused shouts came up from the main deck. Thinking how He Wei was about to get his surprise, Wen Ran felt light inside — except Gu Yunchi hadn't told him when to turn the lights back on… While he was puzzling over it, hurried footsteps and bursts of screaming inexplicably broke out across the yacht. Wen Ran didn't know what to do, was scrambling to reach over and turn the lights back on — when, bang! An enormous crash, and the cockpit glass trembled faintly from the shock.

Two seconds later it hit him: that was a gunshot.

Outside the window was a terrifying black — the sea black, the sky black, only a thin film of moonlight left. Someone came into the cockpit. By the glow of the few screens on the console, Wen Ran made out Gu Yunchi's face and asked him blankly, "Did I get something wrong…"

Gu Yunchi's expression was calm as ever. He grabbed Wen Ran's wrist and pulled him out, shutting the cockpit door on the way. Down the stairs to the bow area, Wen Ran was dragged by Gu Yunchi up onto a sofa, until he was sitting on the platform at the edge of the boat.

"Can you swim." Through the screaming, Gu Yunchi's voice was as steady and cool as if he were asking whether you'd remembered to bring your brain today.

Wen Ran couldn't think; he answered on reflex, "Yeah."

In the dim moonlight, he saw Gu Yunchi give a slightly wicked little smile.

Wen Ran went totally blank — at a moment this chaotic and dangerous, the man was actually smiling. Actually capable of smiling.

The sea wind surged in from every direction. Gu Yunchi reached down, took a life ring and looped it over Wen Ran's neck, and — while Wen Ran stared back lost, dazed, and clueless — shoved him cleanly off the yacht.