Chapter 42: Second Brother Song

Two days passed smoothly on the cruise.

During this time, Tang Liyue stayed in her room working, barely stepping outside except for meals, so she hadn’t seen the Song brothers again.

As night fell, Yu Mo Yuan was called away by his subordinates, leaving Tang Liyue alone in the suite, translating documents.

Around 8 PM, fireworks suddenly burst into the sky outside, illuminating half the ocean with brilliant colors.

Tang Liyue ran to the floor-to-ceiling window, unable to stop herself from gasping in amazement.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking Yu Mo Yuan had forgotten his room key, she hurried over to open it.

However, when she did, she was surprised to see Song Jun Ye standing outside.

He was wearing a jacket, his sunglasses pushed up onto his head, flashing a dazzling, confident smile.

No wonder he had become an overnight sensation a year ago because of a single song. It wasn’t just that the song was good, it was because Song Jun Ye was ridiculously handsome.

And not just any kind of handsome, but the bold, striking kind that made it impossible to look away.

Leaning casually against the door frame, he flashed a grin showing exactly eight teeth and said, “Hey, can I call you Xiao Yue?”

Tang Liyue blinked in confusion. “Do you need something?”

“I’m bored just sitting around on the ship. Wanna go downstairs for a bit?”

“Erm… Second Uncle told me not to wander around…”

“I’ll take you. I’m one of the shareholders of OX, so as long as I’m with you, you’ll be completely safe.”

Tang Liyue hesitated.

If anyone else had invited her so bluntly, she would have refused immediately.

But… this was Song Jun Ye.

Maybe it was because she had seen his mother’s photo, but Tang Liyue felt something special in her heart.

It was an indescribable feeling, something that made her want to be closer to Song Qing Ya and Song Jun Ye.

Before she could make a decision, Song Jun Ye grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.

“Come on, Xiao Yue!”

And just like that, he dragged her out of the room and shut the door behind them.

“Wait! I didn’t bring my room key!”

“Doesn’t matter. You can just get Brother Yu to open the door for you later.”

Since she was already out, Tang Liyue decided not to fuss about it.

She tugged at Song Jun Ye’s sleeve and said, “Mr. Song, can you let go of my hand? I can walk on my own.”

Now that they were already inside the elevator, and she had no way to escape, Song Jun Ye finally let go, grinning mischievously.

“You don’t have to be so formal calling me ‘Mr. Song,’ do you? I’m only three years older than you, and all this ‘Mr. this, Mr. that’ makes me sound ancient.”

“Then… Second Young Master Song?”

“Nope, doesn’t sound good.” Song Jun Ye shook his head, then suddenly leaned in closer, locking eyes with Tang Liyue’s almond-shaped gaze. With a playful smile, he said, “Why don’t you just call me Second Brother?”

Tang Liyue’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly agape.

“Y-You must be joking!”

Song Jun Ye grinned even wider. “I’m not joking.”

“But I’m really not your sister!”

Whether Tang Liyue was his sister or not wasn’t something she could decide, it was something he would confirm himself once he got to A City and investigated.

Song Jun Ye pouted. “If that really doesn’t work, how about just calling me Song Er Ge? That’s not too much, right?”

Seeing her hesitation, he added, “Xiao Yue, please understand how much I miss my sister. If my mother had never gone missing, my little sister would have been born safely, grown up by our side, and she’d be calling us Big Brother and Second Brother right now.”

He was completely putting on a pitiful act, and Tang Liyue could tell.

But for some reason, she just couldn’t bring herself to reject him.

She didn’t even dislike him, no matter what Song Jun Ye said or did, she somehow felt a natural closeness to him.

After a brief pause, she hesitantly murmured, “Song Er Ge…”

Song Jun Ye froze for a second, then suddenly broke into a huge smile.

That one phrase Song Er Ge, was enough to make his heart tremble.

If his sister were alive, she would probably be just as sweet and gentle as Tang Liyue.

The elevator dinged as they reached their floor, and Song Jun Ye led Tang Liyue out.

Fireworks were still lighting up the night sky outside, making Tang Liyue ask curiously, “What’s the occasion? Why are there fireworks?”

“It’s nothing special, probably just some high roller who won big at the casino and wanted to show off.”

“Casino?” Tang Liyue’s eyes widened in surprise.

Song Jun Ye raised an eyebrow. “Brother Yuan never told you what kind of place OX is?”

Tang Liyue shook her head. “Second Uncle doesn’t let me wander around…”

Song Jun Ye stopped in his tracks. “I’ve been meaning to ask, why do you call him ‘Second Uncle’? You’re his assistant, right? Shouldn’t you call him President Yu, Boss, or maybe even Second Master?”

Tang Liyue blinked, suddenly unsure how to explain.

Song Jun Ye tilted his head. “Is it a secret?”

“…Not exactly…”

Tang Liyue had no guard up against Song Jun Ye, so when he asked, she simply answered.

She didn’t mention the ridiculous stand-in bride situation, she only told him she was Yu Minchuan’s newlywed wife.

Of course, she didn’t dare say that she was only a fake wife without a marriage certificate.

After hearing her explanation, Song Jun Ye frowned in disapproval. “You’re getting married at just twenty-two? How could your parents bear to let you go? If you were my sister, my whole family would wish for you to stay single forever, or at least marry a man who moves in with us!”

Tang Liyue chuckled. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be getting married so early either.”

“Marriage is something you have no choice in?”

Tang Liyue shook her head, not wanting to continue the topic. “Song Er Ge, let’s not talk about this anymore. Where exactly are you taking me?”

“How about a trip to the casino?”

Tang Liyue’s eyes widened instantly, and she shook her head firmly. “No, no way! I don’t dare!”

“It’s fine, I’ll pay for everything. It’s our family business anyway, no matter how much we lose, it’s just money shifting from one pocket to another.”

Tang Liyue still shook her head. “I really don’t want to…”

Seeing her resistance, Song Jun Ye suddenly understood. “Do you think gambling is illegal and therefore disgusting?”

Tang Liyue didn’t dare say yes, but her silence was answer enough.

Song Jun Ye chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Tang Liyue’s hair.

“Xiao Yue, you’re really adorable. What kind of family raised you to be this pure and kind?”

“But don’t worry, our casino operates differently. Everyone who boards OX has a net worth of at least a billion.”

“Our casino has a hard limit of ten million. Even if someone loses the full amount, it’s just pocket change to them. No one is going bankrupt, no families are being destroyed.”

The real centerpiece of OX wasn’t even the casino. They didn’t bother rigging games, they let guests play as they pleased. Win or lose, it didn’t matter to them.

After all, just one ticket to board this ship cost over a million, and with thousands of guests onboard, OX was already making a fortune just from admission fees.

So, they really didn’t need the casino money.

But regardless of his explanation, Tang Liyue still had no interest in going.

She pointed outside. “Is that an open-air bar? Let’s go there instead.”

Song Jun Ye raised a brow. “You drink?”

Tang Liyue blinked. “Not really, but don’t they have low-alcohol fruit wines?”

Song Jun Ye waved a hand dismissively. “Of course they do. If you want to drink, we’ll drink. Don’t worry, even if you get drunk, I’ll make sure you get back to Brother Yuan safely.”

Tang Liyue pressed her lips together in a soft smile, her expression light and sweet. “Mm, thank you, Song Er Ge.”