Three chapters for now—my head's killing me. I owe one chapter and will definitely make it up tomorrow. It's still the first month of the new book period, so I've got to keep the four-chapter-a-day streak going. Please bear with me.
***************** When Yu Xiuping asked, a flash of impatience and disgust crossed Yu Aoqing's face. Through gritted teeth, she said, "He'd love nothing more than to stick to my side."
"Hehe, you don't like him?" Yu Xiuping chuckled.
"What do you think?" Yu Aoqing retorted, annoyed.
"Just bear with it. We need his help for this matter. Miao Huacheng did hand over the map, but he never told us about the insights he'd gathered over the years—he passed everything on to Miao Lin instead. So if we want to find the Hidden Island, Miao Lin is indispensable." Yu Xiuping's voice was gentle as he comforted her.
Yu Aoqing's lovely face twisted in misery. She tugged lightly at her father's arm. "Daddy, you know what kind of person he is. This morning he even tried to get handsy with me. If it weren't for your repeated warnings, I'd have thrown him into the ocean long ago."
Yu Xiuping's expression turned cold. "He got handsy with you?"
"Mm!" Yu Aoqing felt wronged. Before all this, she'd never even heard of Miao Lin. Yet now, because of the situation, she had to swallow her pride and play nice with that creep. For someone as proud and aloof as Yu Aoqing, it was nothing short of torture.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through this." Yu Xiuping's face darkened. Yu Aoqing was his daughter—of course he treasured her. He'd always hoped she'd marry a dragon among men and live a happy life. Miao Lin had no connections, no aptitude, and no strength. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even be fit to carry her shoes. But now, to extract information from Miao Lin's mouth, he had no choice but to let his daughter sacrifice a little.
"Don't worry. Once we find the Hidden Island, Dad will make sure justice is served!" Yu Xiuping reassured her.
"I just hope we get there soon." Yu Aoqing's teeth were clenched. "Once we arrive, I'm throwing him into the sea!"
"Whatever makes you happy!" Yu Xiuping smiled faintly, completely unconcerned—as if his daughter were talking about discarding some livestock.
Miao Huacheng in Seacit probably never could have imagined things would turn out like this. He'd offered the sea chart with the simple intention of securing a bright future for his son, hoping the Yunxia Sect would take Miao Lin seriously.
The higher-ups of the Yunxia Sect had indeed agreed to Miao Huacheng's request and planned to groom Miao Lin as a priority disciple. But Miao Lin, overestimating his own abilities, had set his sights on Yu Aoqing.
He was playing with fire and was bound to get burned.
While they were talking, Yu Xiuping suddenly said, "That brat's coming this way. If you really can't stand it, just avoid him—but remember, don't lose your temper."
"I know." Yu Aoqing's chest heaved as she took a deep breath.
Yu Xiuping walked off quickly. A moment later, a young man in his twenties came up onto the deck, a hopeful look on his face as he glanced around. When he spotted Yu Aoqing standing by the railing, his expression brightened and he hurried over.
So this was Miao Lin.
Yang Kai committed his appearance to memory, betraying nothing on his face.
The young lady from the Jiang family had bitten off her tongue and killed herself rather than suffer his abuse.
Miao Lin was, by appearances, not bad-looking—aside from his sallow complexion and slightly unsteady gait, everything else was passable enough. If anything, he looked less like a martial artist and more like a young master who'd drowned himself in wine and women.
The Miao family did have some influence in Seacit, after all—more than enough to support his hedonistic lifestyle.
He walked up to Yu Aoqing, the adoration in his eyes entirely undisguised. His voice was soft and tender. "Senior Sister Qing, the wind on the deck is strong. Be careful you don't catch a chill."
Though Yu Aoqing was thoroughly disgusted, she forced a stiff smile. "It's fine. The sea air is fresh—it blows away one's worries."
The words were subtle, but Miao Lin seemed to take them at face value. He smiled warmly. "So Senior Sister Qing is in a bad mood? Is something bothering you? Feel free to tell me—I'd be happy to help ease your burden."
A flicker of hidden anger crossed Yu Aoqing's beautiful face, but she smiled and shook her head, maintaining her dignified elegance.
Yang Kai swept the deck nearby, listening to the two of them—one playing along out of obligation, the other chattering away with enthusiasm—and privately wished he could throw Miao Lin overboard.
Yu Aoqing had dropped hints over and over, yet he either didn't understand or, more likely, understood perfectly but was shamelessly persisting. It was impossible to feel anything but contempt for him.
They talked for a long while, and Miao Lin was just getting into the swing of it, boasting about the Miao family's prestige in Seacit, when a tremendous "boom" suddenly erupted from beneath the hull. The entire ship lurched violently.
Miao Lin and Yu Aoqing, standing by the railing, nearly lost their footing and were almost thrown into the sea. But both were martial artists, and their reactions were extraordinary—within moments they'd steadied themselves.
No one knew what Miao Lin was thinking. Perhaps he wanted to play the hero in a moment of danger to win the beauty's favor, or perhaps he saw an opportunity to cop a feel. Either way, once he'd regained his balance, he cried out, "Senior Sister, watch out!"
As he shouted, he reached out to wrap his arm around Yu Aoqing's slender waist.
This proud and haughty woman could barely stand to exchange words with him, let alone allow his touch. In a flash, she twisted her body aside, dodging his outstretched hand.
At that exact moment, the ship lurched violently again.
Yu Aoqing was mid-turn, and this second jolt truly robbed her of her footing. She was flung sideways through the air, letting out a brief cry of alarm.
And the direction she was flying—was straight toward where Yang Kai stood.