The last ray of light faded from the coastline. A lamp lit up at the bow of the ship, illuminating the sparkling surface of the sea. Yu Zhizhi, feeling the salty, damp sea breeze, looked down at the communicator in her hand.
Her fingertip tapped lightly, typing out two letters.
After a pause, she slowly deleted them.
’...The Duke should know.’
She had lived in the Duke Mansion for a long time. They handled many things for her.
’But would it be too abrupt to call now? The Duke should already know about my disappearance.’
’If he asks about it on the call, what should I say?’
Yu Zhizhi deleted what she had started. Under the man’s unabashed stare, she steeled herself and dialed the number for Noel of the Rabbit Clan.
Their first contact was when Tang Luo Ke was unconscious.
Noel had taught her how to counteract the spider toxin.
This time, Noel didn’t ask for a video call. The call connected, but he was silent for a long moment.
"...Hello, are you there?" Yu Zhizhi suddenly felt a little nervous.
"Mm," Noel replied quietly.
"Thank you for last time," Yu Zhizhi said sincerely.
’Last time?’
The quill in Noel’s hand paused. He looked up at a hanging basket, where a newly planted medicinal herb was sprouting green shoots.
"It wasn’t just that one time, was it?"
Noel’s voice sounded a little tired, a little listless. The scratching of his quill on paper was so clear it carried through the communicator.
At the man’s request, Yu Zhizhi had kept the call on speakerphone.
Her expression froze for a moment as she remembered that Noel had been the one to treat "Wild Dog." "When I have the chance, I’ll thank you properly."
Noel suddenly laughed.
"So..." The young man’s voice was slightly hoarse. "What is it this time?"
Yu Zhizhi said softly, "Do you know my account number? I... I can’t remember it..."
The movement of Noel’s hand stilled. He could clearly hear the sound of ocean waves coming from the young woman’s end of the line.
"Just for that?"
Yu Zhizhi: "Mhm..."
Noel: "I’ll send it to you in a bit."
The young man glanced at the caller ID. It was a virtual number, just like last time.
"This weekend, there’s an online lecture on Healing System case studies, prepared especially for Basic-level Healers. Do you want to listen in?"
Yu Zhizhi’s eyes lit up. She was about to agree when she suddenly remembered she’d been taken out to sea...
She turned her head to look at the man leaning against the railing at the bow.
In the dimness of the night, he was backlit by the faint yellow lamp, his sharp, deep-set features casting a shadow.
Shen He noticed the little rabbit’s questioning gaze.
He gave a slight nod.
A smile touched the young woman’s lips. She looked down, clutching the small, white communicator, her voice filled with undeniable joy. "Okay, I want to listen."
Hearing the young female’s soft, sweet voice through the communicator, Noel fell silent for a few seconds, then chuckled softly. "The class isn’t free, you know. You’ll have to write a reflection paper."
A flash of surprise crossed the eyes of the brown-haired young man standing nearby.
’If I thought their relationship was pretty good before, then this laugh...’
’...was a little too flirtatious and doting.’
’Who is that?’
The brown-haired young man wasn’t familiar with this voice.
He glanced at Lord Shen He again. At some point, his master had averted his gaze, now looking out at the dark, vast sea.
Yu Zhizhi, however, noticed nothing unusual. She was just thinking, ’I get to go to class this weekend!’
She nodded happily. "Mhm, mhm!"
The call ended.
Yu Zhizhi handed the white communicator back to the brown-haired young man.
He took it with both hands.
BEEP.
A text message arrived, and he saw a string of numbers.
"My lord, I’ve received the account number."
"Mm."
"Then I will take my leave." The brown-haired young man bowed and walked away slowly.
"Um..." Yu Zhizhi said quietly, "thank you for letting me attend the class."
Shen He’s gaze returned to the young female’s face. She stood in the interplay of light and shadow, the hem of her dress swaying in the wind. Her dark hair fell upon her shoulders, making her skin seem even more delicate and pale. Her bright rabbit eyes were like a Little Moon in the dark night, faint and gentle.
’She finally had a chance to contact the outside world.’
’I thought the little rabbit would cry for help, grasping the opportunity like a lifeline.’
’Failing that, she should have at least secretly hinted that she was in danger.’
’But she didn’t say a single superfluous word.’
’No pleas for help, no tears.’
Shen He leaned against the railing, the night wind tugging at his choppy, silver-gray hair. His deep voice reached Yu Zhizhi’s ears. "So obedient?"
He saw the young woman look up, her expression blank as she blinked in confusion.
’The young female is far more obedient than I imagined.’
Shen He said slowly, "There are other rewards besides money. Is there anything you like, or want?"
’Young females her age usually like exquisite jewelry, beautiful clothes, and luxurious collectibles.’
’Or valuable paintings and calligraphy, heirloom Ancient Books, and so on.’
’Of course, there are also some females who like handsome consorts. The kind who are good-looking, sweet-talking, and know how to please a woman.’
Yu Zhizhi didn’t know why the man before her wanted to give her an extra reward.
She thought for a moment, her gaze falling upon the vast, dark sea, which was shrouded in mystery by the night.
She hesitated. "I... I want..."
The young woman’s voice was barely a whisper. "I want to go surfing."
Shen He’s expression faltered.
’Surfing?’
’That’s it?’
"Won’t you reconsider?" The man’s tone betrayed little emotion.
Shen He had never been this patient with anyone before.
A reward from him was a rare thing.
’The young female could have made a much more outrageous request. As long as it wasn’t sending her back to the Valoran Empire, he would have considered anything else.’
Yu Zhizhi shook her head. "Just this."
This time, her tone was much firmer.
When she was seriously ill, she couldn’t even go for a long walk. She had never experienced an intense sport like surfing.
She had only seen it on television: the boundless ocean, white surfboards, the spray kicked up by boats, and the joyful laughter of tourists.
’I’ve been brought onto this ship, so this counts as a rare vacation for me.’
’Since I’m here anyway...’
’I should at least make some special, wonderful memories, right?’
"Alright." Shen He agreed to her requested reward. "I’ll be waiting for you here at ten tomorrow morning."
Yu Zhizhi nodded happily.
The night deepened, and it was time for her to go back to her room.
Yu Zhizhi performed a noble’s farewell courtesy. "Good night, Captain."
With that, she turned and walked toward her room.
Shen He’s gaze followed her like a shadow.
He watched her light footsteps and her twitching rabbit ears. For a brief moment, he suddenly wondered, ’What would it feel like to cup those ears in my palm?’
Only when Yu Zhizhi had returned to her room and closed the door did the man retract his gaze.
Yu Zhizhi slept soundly that night.
When she woke up early the next morning, the brown-haired young man standing guard at her door brought the communicator to her.
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, you can log into your account now."
Yu Zhizhi took it. She opened the account she had never logged into before, and when she saw the amount of money inside, her eyes widened in shock.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter