Volume One, Chapter Ninety-Eight: Thrown Into the Sea to Atone for One's Crimes

Mu Shaozhou lowered his dark eyes slightly and let out a soft laugh, his voice carrying a faint rasp.

“Why wouldn’t I know how to fix it?”

Did he look like someone who knew nothing?

Yu Mo’s lips curved. “I’ll keep you company.”

She got out of bed and went outside with Mu Shaozhou. In the courtyard lay the wireless set, already taken apart into a heap of pieces by him.

Yu Mo looked up. The courtyard was large, enclosed tightly by thick bamboo poles, and looked very sturdy.

There were dried fish laid out to air, along with all kinds of fresh seafood from the sea. The entire yard was covered with a layer of pebbles, and here and there, between the stones, clusters of tiny green grasses pushed up.

The air here was wonderful. Yu Mo lifted her head and took a deep breath, her chest filling with the fresh scent of the sea breeze.

The middle-aged woman was called Sister Ru, and she told Yu Mo to call her that as well.

Yu Mo called softly, “Sister Ru, do you have any gauze? I want to help... bandage his wounds.”

Mu Shaozhou still had several small cuts on his arm, left unbandaged. Yu Mo was afraid they might become infected.

“Yes.”

Sister Ru quickly brought over gauze, along with antiseptic, and handed them to Yu Mo.

Yu Mo sat beside Mu Shaozhou, who was bent over and busy, and held out her pale palm.

“Give me your hand.”

Mu Shaozhou paused what he was doing, obediently placing his hand in hers, looking as though he would let her do anything she pleased.

Yu Mo could not suppress a smile. She began cleaning his wounds and skillfully wrapped them up.

Sister Ru watched all the interaction between the two and could not help speaking up.

“Girl, it’s clear you and this gentleman like each other. How long have you been together?”

Yu Mo’s hands paused for a moment, then she continued winding the bandage. Thinking of Mu Shaozhou deceiving her, her tone turned displeased.

“We broke up.”

Sister Ru covered her mouth, her eyes curved in an auntie smile.

“Looks like the two of you had a quarrel and are being stubborn with each other. But girl, you still like him, don’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t be the same as this gentleman and start looking for the other as soon as you woke up.”

Yu Mo’s hands stopped again.

Mu Shaozhou woke up and the first thing he did was make sure she was safe?

What was she supposed to do? It felt as if someone had scattered a handful of sugar over her heart, so sweet she could hardly control herself.

Though delighted inside, she showed no sign of it on her face, still wearing that indifferent expression. After finishing the bandage on Mu Shaozhou, Yu Mo withdrew her hand and said carelessly,

“What does it have to do with me who he looked for when he woke up?”

Sister Ru said no more. Covering her mouth, she returned to the house, leaving the two of them enough time alone.

Mu Shaozhou lowered his gaze and looked at the gauze Yu Mo had wrapped around his arm, then slightly lifted his lips, his tone carrying a teasing note.

“Yu Mo, how much longer are you going to keep pretending?”

She cared about him to the point of desperation, enough to take a blade for him, yet she still insisted she did not care.

Would he believe that?

He raised his arm and gently drew the woman into his embrace, resting his chin lightly atop her head.

Since you want to be stubborn with your words, I have no choice but to be shameless and cling to you. There will never be a second man in your life; you can only be with me.”

Because she was worried about the wound on his arm, Yu Mo did not dare move recklessly. In a low voice, she said,

“If you put a little more effort into seducing me, would I still have the mind to look at other men?”

He was clearly some kind of enchantress in human form, drawing her in so deeply she could not escape. Yu Mo let out a quiet sigh.

Her life was over. She had fallen for him.

For dinner, Sister Ru made grilled fish, and Yu Mo helped out as well, earning a round of praise from Sister Ru for being so capable and virtuous.

Yu Mo felt a little embarrassed.

Mu Shaozhou tasted a bite of the grilled fish. He was not someone who praised others often, yet he said,

“It’s very delicious.”

Yu Mo was pleased and placed several more pieces of fish into his bowl. “Then eat more.”

That night, Yu Mo and Mu Shaozhou slept in the same room. The bed was small, and their bodies were pressed close together.

Yu Mo could feel the warmth radiating from him. Before long, she was pulled tightly into the man’s arms, and her whole chest was filled with the crisp, clean scent of cedar from his body.

The man’s low voice was steeped in desire, hoarse and seductive.

That alluring pretty boy appeared again, and Yu Mo could not withstand him at all, left only to let him take from her again and again.

-

Zhang Zheng was drenched in sweat and nearly exhausted. He hugged a cup of water and took a big gulp before asking the staff,

“Have you found those two yet?”

The staff shook their heads, their expressions grim.

They had already carried out a thorough search of the surrounding waters. Dozens of professional divers had gone into the sea to look, but the two of them still had not been found.

He looked out over the endless ocean. To find Yu Mo and Mu Shaozhou in such vast waters was no different from looking for a needle in the sea.

On the internet, it was unclear who had leaked the news, but netizens had learned that Yu Mo and Mu Shaozhou were missing.

[Did these two run away together? Damn!]

[They must have been kidnapped by a love rival, right? Do you know Lin Xing’s background? You really don’t know until you look it up—what a shock!]

[I’m just here for the gossip. Waiting for the next development. / eating melon]

Three days later.

Director Zhang Zheng had decided that if Mu Shaozhou and Yu Mo still could not be found, he would simply jump into the sea and go with them.

Just when he was in a panic, someone ran over to tell him,

“Director, there’s news of the two of them. They’re on an island in Coconut Island, and they’re perfectly safe. They sent word to the outside world by wireless.”

The director slapped his thigh, relieved to have snatched his life back and not have to throw himself into the sea in expiation.

He sprang to his feet. “What are you waiting for? Send a boat to pick them up now.”

“Mr. Lin has already sent a boat for them.”

The director strode forward briskly. “Board the ship. We’ll go with them. We must make sure His Highness is safe.”

-

Yu Mo left the courtyard and went straight to the shore. In the distance across the sea, a ship was approaching.

She knew it was coming to take them away.

She returned to tell Mu Shaozhou the news.

But after hearing it, Mu Shaozhou did not show the slightest hint of joy.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Mo asked in confusion.

“These past three days here have been very happy. In truth, wherever you are is the best place of all.”

Mu Shaozhou spoke, then went with Yu Mo to bid Sister Ru farewell.

Yu Mo tilted her head and glanced at him.

When had he become so good with words? His face was plainly calm, yet the words he spoke made her heart pound.

The two of them went together to the shore and stood there waiting for the boat to come in.

The vessel drew nearer and nearer. Yu Mo finally made out the person on board. He was neither from the production team nor from the search team.

At the bow stood a man with a rebellious air between his brows and eyes. His thin lips were drawn into a faint line, and he was staring straight at the two people standing by the sea.

Lin Xing.