Chapter 44: Taking Responsibility

Song Qing Ya thoughtfully closed Tang Liyue’s door, then returned to his room with Song Jun Ye.

Inside, the two brothers opened another bottle of liquor and continued drinking.

Ever since leaving Tang Liyue’s room, Song Qing Ya had been unusually silent, deep in thought.

Song Jun Ye broke the silence. “Brother, do you also feel that strange connection whenever you’re near Xiao Yue?”

Song Qing Ya didn’t answer, but he didn’t deny it either.

Ignoring his brother’s silence, Song Jun Ye took a big gulp of alcohol and spoke with certainty.

“Brother, I firmly believe Xiao Yue is our sister. That deep, instinctual bond, there’s no way it exists without blood ties!”

“Don’t act purely on intuition.” Song Qing Ya put down his glass and looked at Song Jun Ye seriously. “Wait until we have conclusive results. Until then, be mindful of your interactions with Miss Tang. Keep physical contact to a minimum.”

Song Jun Ye scratched his head. “I see her as my sister, what kind of physical contact could there be? Holding her wrist? Helping her up?”

“If she isn’t Yuan Yuan, do you still think holding her hand would be appropriate?”

“Yuan Yuan” was the nickname they had given their missing sister while she was still in their mother’s womb. Since her due date was on August 15, the night of the fullest moon, they named her Yuan Yuan, symbolizing family reunion and happiness.

But fate had been cruel.

The name held a beautiful meaning, yet their mother had vanished unexpectedly, taking their unborn sister with her. She had been missing for over twenty-two years.

Song Jun Ye sighed. “Fine, until we confirm Xiao Yue’s identity, I’ll avoid unnecessary physical contact. Besides, she’s married.”

“Married?” Song Qing Ya’s brows furrowed. “She’s only twenty-two, she should’ve just graduated from university. Why did she marry so early?”

Song Jun Ye shrugged. “She didn’t say much about it.”

Song Qing Ya nodded slightly, suppressing the unease surging within him. His voice turned solemn. “Leave OX and go to A City immediately. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling.”

“Right now? That urgent?”

“Yes.”

Song Qing Ya was always the calm one, he could remain unshaken even if the world was collapsing. Yet tonight, he was visibly restless.

Seeing his brother so unsettled, Song Jun Ye became serious too. But he wasn’t willing to leave just yet.

“Brother, tomorrow is Xiao Yue’s birthday. Let me have lunch with her before I go, okay?”

“Alright.”

Meanwhile.

Tang Liyue had dozed off for a while.

Earlier, she was in that hazy state between drunkenness and wakefulness, but now, the alcohol had fully taken over, she was completely unconscious.

When drunk, the body feels hot. Wrapped in clothes and a blanket, she felt even hotter. Half-asleep, she kicked off the blanket and started undressing.

She removed her dress and top, but even that wasn’t enough relief. Feeling restricted, she unclasped her bra and tossed it beside the bed.

Now, the only thing left on her body was a pair of white underwear.

This was the most comfortable state for her. She felt too warm to cover herself again, so she bundled up the blanket into a ball, hugged it close, and even propped a leg over it, just like snuggling a giant plush toy.

Her heavy eyelids refused to open, and in her drunken haze, she failed to notice that the room she was in…

Was not the same as the one she had fallen asleep in.

11:30 PM.

Deck B3, The Underwater Cargo Hold.

Yu Mo Yuan sat in a chair, leisurely wiping the blood from his fingertips with a damp tissue.

In front of him, a man knelt on the floor, his entire body covered in bruises and wounds, not a single patch of intact skin left.

The man’s face was deathly pale, his body convulsing from the pain.

Yu Mo Yuan flicked the used tissue onto the man’s face, casually crossing one leg over the other. His voice was calm, but chilling. “I’ll give you one more chance. Who gave you the watch to resell?”

“I don’t know! I swear I don’t know! He just handed me a ticket for the ship and the watch, told me to auction it off, and that I could keep all the money! I have no idea who he is!”

The man was already broken. At this point, it was unlikely he was still lying.

Yu Mo Yuan’s gaze darkened. “Then what did he look like?”

“He was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a scarf that covered half his face. I couldn’t see his features at all!”

After saying this, the man began knocking his forehead against the floor repeatedly, his voice trembling with desperation. “Please, have mercy! If I had known this watch would cause so much trouble, I wouldn’t have dared to touch it even if you killed me!”

Just then, one of Yu Mo Yuan’s subordinates entered the room.

He leaned down and whispered, “Second Master, we’ve confirmed his background, nothing suspicious.”

Yu Mo Yuan’s expression darkened further.

The only lead they had… was now a dead end?

Then what was the real purpose behind putting that watch up for auction?

Was it really just about money?

Yu Mo Yuan spoke again, “Did the man who gave you the watch say anything strange?”

The beaten man gritted his teeth, forcing himself to think. Suddenly, something came to mind. “Oh, right! He told me to tell the final buyer… that there’s a secret inside the watch!”

A secret inside the watch?

Yu Mo Yuan’s expression finally eased a little. He waved a hand. “Give him five million. Then dump him at sea.”

“Understood.”

The man was dragged away, leaving only Yu Mo Yuan and his subordinate in the dimly lit room.

The subordinate stepped closer and asked in a hushed tone, “Second Master, should we retrieve the watch from the vault now?”

Yu Mo Yuan shook his head. “No need. Once an item enters the vault, it doesn’t see the light of day until auction night. That’s OX’s rule, and the foundation of its credibility.”

“Understood.” The subordinate didn’t press further.

Yu Mo Yuan lifted his wrist to check the time.

Almost midnight.

At midnight, it would officially be Tang Liyue’s twenty-second birthday.

Would she feel lonely spending it by herself?

…Forget it.

He was the one who brought her on this trip. He should take some responsibility.

Yu Mo Yuan tilted his head slightly. “Tell the kitchen to prepare a bowl of longevity noodles and bring it to my room.”

With that, he got up and headed upstairs.