Chapter 46

The weather was nice that evening—no rain, with the stars shining brightly overhead.

Jiang Muti had never seen such a beautiful night sky in both her lifetimes, and she was incredibly excited.

As soon as it got dark, they set up the barbecue grill on the terrace, using shrimp, crabs, fish, and shellfish, along with coconuts and bananas that the boys had chopped down from the forest earlier in the afternoon.

The other necessary ingredients had already been airlifted and were still fresh. The barbecue party, which had been postponed due to rain the night before, was finally happening now.

Yun Cheng quickly moved a box of beer over. When he saw his brother, Jiang Yunjuan, looking over, he spoke up before he could say anything, “We agreed we’d drink, right?”

Jiang Yunjuan playfully hit him on the back of the head, laughing as he scolded him, “Drink then, with your drinking capacity, you’re still craving more.”

Yun Cheng chuckled and slung his arm around Ji Feishi’s shoulders. “You came at the right time! We were going to do this last night, but the rain ruined it. Tsk tsk! It’s like even the heavens were waiting for you.”

Ji Feishi didn’t know about this little episode, but since he had received a handmade gift in the afternoon, he was already in a good mood and now felt even more pleased.

“Maybe that’s exactly how it was,” he said smugly.

Meanwhile, the girls had already started grilling. Lobsters and oysters were halved, with cheese or garlic added according to personal taste.

Various meats were gradually turning golden brown, sizzling away, with oil occasionally splashing onto the glowing charcoal, creating little sparks that weren’t frightening but rather quite fun.

There were also skewers of corn, bell peppers, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables, along with leftover mushrooms from the morning, all ready to be grilled.

Before they were fully cooked, the smell of the meat wafted through the air, making everyone eager to dig in.

Especially Yun Cheng, who had already grabbed a plate and was eagerly eyeing the items on the grill, asking “Is it ready yet?” five times in less than three minutes.

He looked like a hungry dog waiting for its food!

Jiang Muti, afraid of him, handed him two skewers of meat that cooked quickly, just to stop his incessant nagging.

Once the food was almost ready, everyone helped transfer it to the small table. Beer and drinks were opened, and they all gathered around, enjoying the delicious food under the beautiful starry night sky.

Yun Cheng ate shrimp—no, pieces of lobster—devouring them with his cheeks puffed up like a hamster.

Jiang Muti poked his cheek. “I’ve noticed you’ve been eating more fiercely lately. Could it be your sister hasn’t been feeding you properly?”

Yun Duo rolled her eyes. “He’s been like this for a while now. He says that life will be tough for the next few years abroad, so he has to make sure to fill up on his ‘last meal.‘”

Jiang Muti tried to suppress a laugh. “Well, you didn’t start eating like that a whole year in advance.”

Yun Cheng, while eating, mumbled, “You don’t understand, being full when you’ve never been hungry. I’ve already checked it out—the place I’ll be training at is far from Chinatown, surrounded only by burgers, fries, and pizza. Those are fine to have once in a while, but if I eat them two meals in a row, I can’t stand it.”

“Or they give athletes special nutrition meals, and those are terrible.”

“Ugh! The more you talk, the more pitiful it sounds.” Jiang Muti said as she cut him a piece of steak.

His sister, Yun Duo, remained unfazed. “Don’t mind him. He’s gotten good at using this act to get extra food.”

Yun Cheng called his sister ungrateful.

Since the topic of post-graduation plans came up, Jiang Muti asked Yun Duo, “Your brother’s plan is already decided, what about you?”

Before Yun Duo could answer, Yun Cheng’s eyes lit up. “Come with me, Duo’er! Let’s go study abroad together.”

Yun Duo immediately shrugged off her brother’s hand. “You just want a personal chef, right?”

She turned to Jiang Muti and asked, “What about you, how are you planning to go about it?”

Seeing that Yun Duo was considering following her lead, Jiang Muti was pleased. “I’ll stay in the country. I enjoy traveling abroad, but I wouldn’t want to live there long-term.”

She didn’t have any particular dreams or goals that required her to go far from home, and besides, her brother needed her help.

So, her options became more limited. “I’ll just go to university here. Anyway, it’s top 10, not like only foreign universities are prestigious.”

Jiang Yunjuan naturally knew her plan and patted her head. “If you want to go, then go. You’re still young, no need to worry about the family business.”

Jiang Muti pouted. “You think I’m just trying to please everyone? I’m not that considerate. How I choose is obviously for my own comfort.”

Jiang Yunjuan couldn’t argue with her, and in his heart, he hoped his sister wouldn’t go far. If she did, she’d be gone for years, and just thinking about the emptiness at home made him uncomfortable.

So, he asked Yun Duo, “What about you, Duo? Will you stay here like Muti? What kind of job do you want to do in the future?”

If she had career plans, she needed to make some choices during university. It was normal for a girl to want to stay close to family, but it shouldn’t hinder her future.

Yun Duo nodded. “Our city’s university is pretty good, but I want to be a project manager in the future.”

“Wow!!” Everyone exclaimed teasingly.

Her ambition was to aim for a high-level management position in the future, which surprised them as they hadn’t expected her to be so career-driven.

Jiang Yunjuan felt reassured and said, “In the future, you can come intern with me and learn something.”

Yun Duo looked up in surprise, and Jiang Yunjuan added, “But my standards for you will be stricter than for others.”

Yun Duo was even more delighted, nodding eagerly.

To be honest, the young master was very nice to his family but had extremely high standards at work.

There was even a saying that if you could meet his standards, you’d be qualified to work in any company in the same industry.

Then Jiang Muti suddenly had an idea and asked Ji Feishi, “What about you? How are you planning for university?”

Ji Feishi had only returned to their city after high school. As the heir, his studies ultimately served the family business, so it was uncertain where he would go after graduating high school.

Ji Feishi smiled and said, “Actually, when I went to the capital this time, my grandfather brought up the topic. The elders think I should return to the capital.”

“I haven’t decided yet, but I grew up there, so my habits actually fit better there than here. My social circle is also there, so it’s hard to say.”

Jiang Muti thought about it and agreed. Although the Ji family’s development focus in recent years had been in their city, one of the country’s most economically advanced places, their roots were still in the capital. The connections and influence there were the most significant.

That made sense, but for some reason, Jiang Muti suddenly lost her appetite.

She was never one to feel overly sentimental about farewells, but now that Yun Cheng had decided to study abroad, and if this guy was also planning to return to the capital…

Every day, when she and Yun Duo returned home, there was always another car that just happened to park beside them, perfectly timed.

Pretending to have casually run into them, the clumsy excuse was laughable but also stirred a bit of excitement.

The delicious barbecue she had just been enjoying suddenly tasted dry. Jiang Muti stood up abruptly.

“I’m going to grab some fruit.”

Yun Cheng pointed to the pile of coconuts beside him. “Aren’t there some here?”

But Jiang Muti had already gone inside.

At this moment, Ji Feishi also stood up. “I’ll go help her.”

Jiang Yunjuan watched as the two of them disappeared one after the other, his brows furrowed. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

He just irritably tapped Yun Cheng’s head. “And give me a bottle of that wine.”

Jiang Muti entered the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out some grapes, watermelon, and strawberries. Seeing some grapefruits nearby, she decided to make a bit of grapefruit juice.

While she was cutting the fruit, Ji Feishi walked in.

Jiang Muti, feeling inexplicably annoyed at his presence, muttered, “What are you doing here? It’s not like I’m going to get lost just carrying some fruit.”

Ji Feishi chuckled softly, took her hand holding the knife, and said, “Isn’t this about the topic you asked about? Why did you leave after only saying part of it?”

Jiang Muti didn’t want to feel awkward, so she casually replied, “You were just making small talk. I’m thirsty, so I came in to grab some fruit. You had to follow me in just because I was interrupted? Your need to talk is pretty strong, isn’t it?”

She said this, but compared to the uncertainty and confusion of that day when he took her away from the racetrack, Ji Feishi had become much clearer about what he wanted now.

If there was even the slightest flaw, he would seize on it and not let it go.

He leaned in closer to Jiang Muti, speaking softly at a volume only the two of them could hear, “Earlier, because of your family situation, it wasn’t the right time to say this, but I’ve been holding it in—”

“Congratulations on your failed marriage alliance and being single again.”

Hearing this, Jiang Muti was angry at his unabashed smugness. She found him particularly irritating today.

She had never liked Zhou Lu and had been extremely uncomfortable with the marriage alliance, especially since it ended in failure.

But this guy seemed even happier about it than she was—his smugness was unbearable.

Jiang Muti turned around, ready to retort, but then she saw his expression.

His mouth curved slightly, his eyebrows softened, and his eyes were filled with genuine joy and relief.

He had already put away the teasing look, and as he looked at her, there was awe in his expression, as if admiring a feeling that didn’t need to be spoken to be clearly understood—

“This is the first time I’ve seen a girl your age, someone who previously never had autonomy, not using senseless shouting or clumsy resistance. Instead, you made a resolute, decisive move, cutting off the source without any chance of winning beforehand.”

“Before this, I never knew a girl with such sharp, aggressive energy could be so captivating.”

He had grown up in a social circle where most girls were reserved, elegant, and graceful, rarely engaging in conflict.

Even when she occasionally saw someone with a sharp, fiery temperament, causing the atmosphere to turn awkward, she would only slightly furrow her brows and suppress the dislike in her heart.

So at first, Ji Feishi had confidently declared that he wouldn’t fall for this person.

Because his nature was calm and he valued graceful composure, he didn’t think he would appreciate a girl with such intense energy, always causing conflict with others.

But when the time actually came, all standards and principles could be turned upside down in an instant, and it didn’t even have to do with his personal preferences.

Jiang Muti heard this, and although she had heard similar things from Zhou Lu, she couldn’t help but feel particularly pleased hearing it here.

She tried to suppress the smile tugging at her lips and said, “Oh, please, I think you’re just someone who enjoys watching the commotion.”

“When I had that conflict with someone, wasn’t it you who eagerly came over?”

Of course, Ji Feishi couldn’t argue with her on this, and he replied, “I won’t go back to the capital for university.”

“Hmm—huh?” Jiang Muti looked up in surprise, not even realizing that there was a hint of unhidden joy in her eyes.

This joy pleased Ji Feishi, and his expression softened further. “I came here to gradually take over the business here. Otherwise, what’s the point of just coming here for high school?”

Jiang Muti had to bite her lip to stop herself from looking like an idiot. “You can just go to university here, right? Our city’s universities are top-tier in the country. It’s not like you’re being insulted.”

Ji Feishi smiled. “Of course not, I’m honored.”

The two of them brought out the cut fruit, and it was unclear how much time had passed.

Yun Cheng looked at them. “Why did it take so long to cut some fruit? Come on, if you don’t hurry, the food will get cold.”

Jiang Yunjuan, however, noticed that his sister’s expression was much more relaxed than when she had gone inside, and his heart skipped a beat. He could only sigh, realizing it was all ruined.

So his gaze at Ji Feishi became increasingly unfriendly, even a bit hostile.

This made Yun Cheng, who was a bit slow, notice and feel uneasy. “Uh, Brother Juan, did Feishi borrow money from you and not pay it back?”

Jiang Yunjuan was already burning with anger and didn’t know where to direct it. He was just about to lash out when this idiot brought it up, so he immediately gave him a good scolding.

He then unfairly blamed Yun Cheng, and later, Jiang Muti had to cook a lot of skewers for him to make it up to him.

Meanwhile, the monkey that had followed Yun Cheng around yesterday suddenly appeared again, sneaking under the terrace to watch them.

Yun Cheng acted silly when he wasn’t drinking, but after having some drinks, he became even worse. He insisted on going down to challenge the monkey to a fight.

However, when he got down there, he and the monkey somehow communicated, and instead of fighting, Yun Cheng returned with a bunch of grilled vegetables and fruit to give to the monkey.

It seemed like he could compete for the title of best in the animal world when it came to making friends.

Everyone didn’t leave until late into the night. They didn’t have to clean up since the servants would take care of everything the next morning.

But the scent of charcoal grilling was strong, and the first thing they had to do when going back to their rooms was take a thorough shower to wash off the smell before going to sleep.

Jiang Muti stood under the shower, warm water washing over her body, her pores fully opened and feeling relaxed.

But her mind was like a maze, changing its direction with every passing moment.

At one point, Jiang Muti felt a surge of pride and joy from Ji Feishi’s unabashed admiration for her. This was the same person who was so narcissistic and arrogant that he could casually say something like, “I know I’m excellent, it’s certain you like me, but you’re just not my type, so sorry,” without a care in the world.

But in the end, here, with her, he ended up swallowing every arrogant word he had said before, enduring the shame and arrogance, admitting he was wrong.

This greatly pleased Jiang Muti’s vanity and pride.

On the other hand, however, she also realized that the distance between the two of them was dangerously close now, both on a practical level and emotionally.

With Ji Feishi’s background and power, if she were only seeking vanity and satisfaction from him, the one who would ultimately suffer the consequences would be her.

Jiang Muti had always felt an inexplicable sense of danger from him, so subconsciously, she had been restraining herself from crossing a certain line.

Of course, there were lessons from her past life involved in this as well.

And now, for whatever reason, despite her mind constantly warning her, it seemed that the line was growing increasingly blurry, and things were starting to spiral out of control.

This feeling made Jiang Muti uneasy and irritated.

In the end, she didn’t know how long she had stayed in the bathroom. When she came out, her ten fingers had pruned from the water, becoming wrinkled.

Only then did she dry her hair, change into pajamas, and collapse into bed, falling asleep in a daze.

With things too tangled to sort out for the moment, Jiang Muti decided to set it aside and not think about it. The next morning, she woke up to another beautiful, bright day full of island vibes.

However, what Jiang Muti never expected was that when she woke up, the first thing she saw was not the unique ceiling of her room, nor the view outside the window with the clusters of banana trees.

Instead, it was an endless expanse of blue sky and ocean, with nothing else in sight.

At first, Jiang Muti thought she was dreaming, having one of those lucid dreams, and for a moment, she thought it was quite beautiful.

The sky as a blanket, the sea as a bed!

But then she realized the sea breeze blowing against her skin was far too real, and the exposed parts of her body felt cold.

Jiang Muti jolted awake and sat up, only to discover she was in the middle of the sea.

“WTF—” Jiang Muti cursed loudly in shock.

Despite her anger, she was still quick to react in a crisis.

While she was still dazed, she began to understand the situation. She was lying on a speedboat, completely alone, with no one around.

Not to mention how she had been moved here without realizing it—there was no way she had been moved all the way without any reaction, meaning some sort of drug had been used.

And now, in the vast ocean, she was the only one there. Where did the people who brought her go? What was their motive?

If they wanted to harm her, they could’ve done it directly, but if they were trying to profit from her, leaving her here wasn’t safe.

Regardless, her top priority was to get back quickly. The small speedboat she was lying on wasn’t difficult to steer.

Even if she hadn’t tried it before, she could probably figure it out after a bit of thought. But when she tried to start the engine, it sputtered out and failed to start after a few attempts. Obviously, the fuel had been drained.

Were they deliberately leaving her to die in the middle of the ocean?

The sea is fraught with dangers, and even a slight storm could capsize her small boat. Even if nothing happens, the temperature drops sharply at night, and staying out for too long could freeze her to death.

Jiang Muti had never felt as hopeless as she did now, just like when she had been in a car accident in her past life.

She wasn’t afraid of confrontation with anyone, even violent conflict, as long as her opponent was human. She always felt that there was something she could do.

But human strength is so powerless and insignificant in the face of disasters and nature. The feeling of being unable to do anything and having to rely on others was suffocating.

Jiang Muti desperately tried to suppress the overwhelming negative emotions, reminding herself that she couldn’t give up hope just because she felt helpless.

No one understood the preciousness, the rarity, the luck, and the miracles of life better than she did.

Her life now was a gift, yet Jiang Muti cherished it deeply.

While she aimlessly scanned the sea around her, things had already taken a turn at the villa.

Early in the morning, Jiang Yunjuan went next door to wake his sister, but when he first noticed that her room was empty, he thought she had already gotten up and gone to the kitchen to prepare breakfast herself.

But when he went downstairs, he found the first floor completely empty.

Jiang Yunjuan furrowed his brow, immediately having a bad feeling. He returned to his sister’s room.

He found her clothes neatly laid out on the nightstand, and his heart sank.

Anxiety and unease did not cloud his judgment. Jiang Yunjuan immediately went back to his room, opened the safe, took out a gun, and loaded it before holding it in his hand.

He then knocked on the doors of the others. Yun Cheng groggily opened the door, but neither Yun Duo nor Ji Feishi were in their rooms, just like Muti.

Jiang Yunjuan quickly explained the situation to Yun Cheng, who immediately snapped to attention.

Grabbing a stick, they split up to search for them.

They found unconscious servants and sailors in the kitchen and the storage room, including one local chef.

The only person who hadn’t been found was the chef who had come from China, making him the prime suspect.

After searching nearly the entire villa without finding anyone else, they heard a noise downstairs and quickly rushed down.

“Don’t move!” Jiang Yunjuan pointed the gun at the other person.

“It’s you who shouldn’t move!” The person was clearly prepared, holding Yun Duo hostage with a thin blade pressed against her neck, any movement could sever her carotid artery.

Yun Cheng immediately panicked: “Let go of my sister!”

The person chuckled darkly: “Don’t worry, as long as you cooperate, your sister will be fine for now. But that depends on whether the young master will give up on searching for his own sister for the sake of a servant’s daughter.”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Yunjuan’s voice was heavy. “Where have you taken my sister?”

“This isn’t the time for questions,” the person replied. “Throw the gun over here, and tie yourselves up with the rope, or I’ll slit this girl’s throat.”

Jiang Yunjuan had no choice but to slowly throw the gun over, signaling Yun Cheng to tie him up. Their gazes briefly met in the air.

Yun Cheng then took the rope the man had tossed to them, tied Jiang Yunjuan up, and tied a firm knot.

Afterward, he tied up his own legs. The bandit then let out a small sigh of relief, tied Yun Duo’s hands and threw her to the ground, and then bound Yun Cheng’s hands, completely subduing the group.

However, at this moment, he suddenly said, “Wait, there’s one more person.”

Before the words were even finished, a heavy blow came from behind. The force was so great that it almost made the bandit’s internal organs burst.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yunjuan, who had been tightly bound, suddenly broke free from the ropes, used the momentum of the blow to grab the bandit’s shoulder, and drove a knee into his stomach.

The man was struck from both sides, his body bending like a shrimp.

Jiang Yunjuan felt his hair being yanked up, and a voice said, “Don’t hit his head. Be careful, he might faint. We need to get Muti’s whereabouts out of him first.”

“I know. That’s why I didn’t hit the back of his head,” came the reply.

When the bandit’s internal spasms subsided and he regained a bit of strength, the tables had completely turned.

Jiang Yunjuan untied Yun Cheng’s ropes and patted his shoulder. “I was really afraid you wouldn’t understand.”

Yun Cheng had grown up following Jiang Yunjuan, learning everything from shooting, horseback riding, fighting, to wilderness survival, and he knew how to tie various knots. The knot he had tied earlier looked tight, but Jiang Yunjuan could easily loosen it when necessary.

On the other hand, the ordinary knots the bandit used to tie them were dead knots, and for now, they couldn’t break free, but there was still some understanding between them.

At this point, Yun Duo was still a little dizzy, and Yun Cheng helped her sit to the side, giving her water while listening to Jiang Yunjuan and the others interrogate the bandit about Muti’s whereabouts.

But the bandit clearly wasn’t after money. He knew that his good friend, Ji Feishi, came from a distinguished family, and his background was mysterious.

Although the bandit had never found Ji Feishi particularly special, at this moment, Yun Cheng truly saw his brother’s unrecognized side.

He was under twenty, barely a teenager, and yet his reactions were ruthless and decisive, even fiercer than his own brother, Yunjuan.

Ji Feishi immediately shoved a towel into the man’s mouth. At first, they didn’t understand why—weren’t they trying to extract information? Why cover his mouth?

They soon understood, as Ji Feishi flipped the man’s finger back and bent it, breaking it with force.

The agonizing scream was mostly muffled by the towel, but the man’s cold sweat was visible, and it was easy to imagine how much pain he was in.

However, Ji Feishi remained unmoved, his expression cold and cruel, completely different from his usual charming, noble appearance.

After a few seconds, he removed the towel from the man’s mouth, his voice light and unsettling.

He spoke softly, “Tell me, you have ten fingers and ten toes. Even if they’re all broken, the other bones will still do the job. Don’t suffer for no reason. Trust me, your endurance is not as strong as you think.”

The man’s face twitched in pain, but after recovering, he suddenly laughed out loud.

“Haha… It’s no wonder you’re all so protective of your lives. You’re not bad at this. I’ll admit defeat for now, but that little girl won’t survive. If you touch even a finger of mine, my comrades will kill her.”

“You don’t have any comrades!” Jiang Yunjuan coldly exposed his bluff.

“You wouldn’t even dare damage the signal receiver. If the signal is cut off, people will arrive here immediately. Likewise, if any unfamiliar ships approach, an alarm will go off. Although I wanted a peaceful vacation, I wouldn’t neglect these basic security measures.”

“Yet, here you are, a snake among the close security team,” Ji Feishi said coldly.

Jiang Yunjuan’s expression darkened, but he had no words to refute. He continued, “You’re alone. You had to hide Muti, knock out the other employees, and hold someone hostage to prevent us from fighting back, so you couldn’t subdue us all during the night.”

“You’d better tell us where she is. The security team will arrive in less than an hour. Whatever your purpose is, it’s already over. Don’t waste your efforts.”

The man laughed again. “An hour? Doesn’t that mean they’re coming soon? Let them search the entire island and find your sister.”

“But you better hurry. The place where that little girl is isn’t always safe, hahaha. Aren’t you curious about my purpose?”

“Don’t be afraid to know—what I want is to watch the Jiang family suffer, to personally experience the taste of being unable to save your own sister when she’s so close, and to watch her die alone in the end.”