Chapter 31: Is Your Like Something Precious?

“Wow~~~”

“Zhou Ye, you’re so smooth!”

Yue Zifeng’s eyes were about to pop out: “You’re just playing cards, why are you putting your arms around Shuangxu’s waist!”

He Tingzhou looked lazy and indifferent: “How can I deal cards without putting my arms around her? You want to try?”

Shuangxu could hear them teasing He Tingzhou, but the sound couldn’t be processed by her brain. She couldn’t understand what they were saying.

She leaned against the edge of the sofa, staring at the patterns on the floor, waiting for the heat on her face to subside.

The game ended there, and the people at the stern of the boat dispersed one by one. When Shuangxu got up, she met Shen Yu’s gaze.

“You don’t have to play this kind of game,” Shen Yu said, his voice still gentle. “Don’t force yourself next time.”

Shuangxu nodded: “Mm.”

Only then did she notice that He Tingzhou had left at some point.

She turned and left the stern. Shen Yu sat on the sofa, lit another cigarette and took a drag.

Yue Zifeng patted him on the shoulder. As a brother, he understood the feelings of a brother best. Even though they were adults, who wouldn’t want to flip the table when they saw their sister playing this kind of game with someone?

“It’s just a game, your sister isn’t going too far.”

Song Leyan wanted to see a good show. Although the final effect wasn’t as exciting as she expected, seeing Shuangxu’s expression, doing these things in front of Shen Yu, she must be feeling miserable, haha.

Yue Zifeng glanced at her: “I’m telling you, stop bullying your sister. She hasn’t done anything to you.”

“Just playing a game is bullying her?” Song Leyan scoffed. “You’re the one who asked her to play, so you’re the one bullying her.”

Yue Zifeng clicked his tongue: “You’re really not likable, girl.”

This made Song Leyan’s face turn sour: “Who cares if I’m likable? Do you think you’re someone important?”

Shen Yu’s hand holding the cigarette rested on the armrest. His demeanor was calm and composed, but his voice sounded particularly cold in the sea breeze.

He didn’t even look at Song Leyan, lowered his head and flicked the ash off his cigarette, saying to Yue Zifeng: “Send her off the boat tomorrow morning.”

Shuangxu walked along the side passage of the ship for a while. She walked slowly, and the voices of people chatting and laughing ahead gradually disappeared. Some were still having fun, making plans to go to the spa or find a place to have another drink.

Others, who had just hooked up today, were inseparable and went into a room together.

When she returned to the third floor, she saw He Tingzhou on the deck.

This deck was deserted and dimly lit. She walked closer and saw a tall figure standing by the railing.

He Tingzhou was smoking. His silk shirt was pressed tightly against his body by the strong sea breeze, and the smoke drifted from his fingers in the shape of the wind.

Shuangxu originally wanted to go straight back to her room, but after thinking for a moment, she walked towards him.

“Brother Tingzhou.”

The wind at sea was strong, and her voice was soft. He Tingzhou turned his head.

Her long hair was blown into disarray, and the deep, dark colors of the sea set off her snow-white skin, her eyebrows and eyes were clear and delicate, like a carefully painted Chinese painting.

He Tingzhou: “Something?”

Shuangxu could feel that he was unusually cold today, although she didn’t understand why.

Of course, He Tingzhou had never been kind to her.

“About the game just now, thank you for giving me a way out.”

She chose her words carefully: “Actually, I… don’t have a secret crush on you, and I don’t have any ulterior motives towards you. I’m afraid I’ll give you the wrong impression, so I’m explaining it to you. I didn’t explain it before because I thought you knew…”

She didn’t finish.

“What misunderstanding?” He Tingzhou asked.

“The misunderstanding that I like you.”

He Tingzhou took a slow drag of his cigarette, tapped the ash off it with his finger, and the ash fell into the sea. His tone was light and casual: “Is your like something precious?”

Shuangxu was stunned.

He Tingzhou said: “You’re not using me to cover up your tracks, why bother explaining, aren’t you afraid of people discovering your little secret?”

It seemed she had overthought it.

He had been teasing her all along, and she was actually afraid that he would misunderstand.

She was asking for it, she was really stupid.

“It’s good that you didn’t misunderstand.”

She turned and walked away. He Tingzhou looked at her back, his gaze unclear.

Shuangxu walked to the stairs and turned back. She pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, and returned to him: “Have I offended you? Why are you always making fun of me?”

She didn’t want to offend him, but those words were really hurtful.

So casual, but far more hurtful than Song Leyan’s.

Song Leyan targeted her because she disliked her, but why did He Tingzhou do it? She didn’t understand.

Shuangxu had been very grateful to him, for the way out today, and for helping her several times before.

That bowl of hot noodles made her think that the distance between her and He Tingzhou had narrowed a little, and she occasionally dared to be bold in front of him, speaking out the complaints in her heart. Now she realized how much she was overestimating herself.

He Tingzhou asked back: “What am I making fun of you for?”

“Why is my like not precious?” Shuangxu questioned. “Why do you say that about me?”

He Tingzhou leaned against the railing, his long legs stretched out: “Go ask your brother if it’s precious or not, why are you asking me? You like him, not me.”

“What does it have to do with you whether I like my brother or not? He’s the best person in the world to me, what’s wrong with me liking him? What have I done wrong?”

Maybe it was because her emotions had been fluctuating repeatedly and suppressed to the limit, or maybe it was because He Tingzhou’s sharp words really hurt her. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“You’re so righteous, why don’t you go tell him?” He Tingzhou’s eyes were black and cold, his voice was also devoid of warmth, and he glanced at the cabin behind her.

“He should still be awake, I’ll call him out for you, how about you confess to him personally?”

“This is my own business, it has nothing to do with you!” Shuangxu clenched her pale fingers.

“I won’t do anything to hurt any of you.”

Brother Tingzhou crushed his cigarette and threw it into the trash bin.

“Then stop acting like everyone has hurt you.”

“What am I acting like?” Shuangxu’s voice trembled slightly in the sea breeze. “Everyone is wary of me, everyone can use this to manipulate me. I want to return to my country, but I have to watch my words and actions. Who am I acting for? Who cares if I’m wronged?”

The dim light of the ship’s lamp fell into her moist eyes. Brother Tingzhou saw the redness at the corners of her eyes, and her gaze at him was like a wounded and stubborn rabbit, or a wild lily drenched in rain.

After her anger subsided, she realized from his indifferent attitude that he was Lu Manman’s cousin.

Although he rarely interacted with Lu Manman and wasn’t close to her, she had forgotten that he was her cousin. But undoubtedly, he would stand by Lu Manman.

The rising anger in her chest slowly subsided, and with the return of calmness came a belated clarity.

What was she, arguing with Brother Tingzhou here?

She admitted that she was indeed a crybaby, but she knew that tears were only cherished when they were shed in front of those who cared about you.

So she swallowed all her emotions.

“Sorry, I forgot, you’re Miss Lu’s cousin. You’re defending her, you think I’m superfluous, it’s only natural.”

Brother Tingzhou didn’t speak. His pupils were very dark, and his gaze fell on her, like the deep, obscure surface of the distant sea, with no visible waves.

“In your eyes, I’m just a stepsister with no blood relation, a threat to her, even though I haven’t done anything. It’s okay, I understand, if I were you, I’d hate a stumbling block like me too.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t ruin my brother’s big day. I hope he’s happy more than any of you.”

After saying these words, she turned and walked against the wind.