My Ship Has Arrived

Not far from the small island, a speedboat slowly reduced its speed, cut its engine, and began to bob and drift with the waves.

With the engine off, the speedboat was plunged into darkness. Fearing that the mysterious employers they were supposed to meet might track them, they kept the lights off, leaving only the faint glow of the flashlight in Nie Yun's hand.

Chu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but feel a bit afraid; she only wanted to return to the mainland and the civilized world as quickly as possible.

"Why are we stopping here?" Chu Xiaoxiao asked, watching Nie Yun as he searched through his spoils with the flashlight. She was now wrapped in a jacket to cover her exposed skin, which had naturally also been part of Nie Yun's loot.

"Waiting for my ship!" Nie Yun replied casually. He then pulled several cans from a stolen backpack and exclaimed with delight, "Awesome, I'm starving!"

Chu Xiaoxiao asked with some surprise, "Waiting for your ship? You have companions?"

Nie Yun didn't answer. He sat at the bow, pried open a can, and was thrilled to find it was braised beef. He hurriedly shoved a large chunk into his mouth and mumbled while chewing, "Wunt yoo lyek sum?"

Controlling the Mechanical Insect had consumed a massive amount of energy, and with no sun to recharge, his stomach was growling with hunger.

Stimulated by the way Nie Yun was eating, Chu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized she hadn't eaten in a long time and was indeed hungry.

She sat down next to Nie Yun, who opened a can for her as well, and the two ate in silence.

Before long, seven or eight empty cans were piled at the bow. Nie Yun let out a satisfied burp, and Chu Xiaoxiao gave him a strange look—just how many days had this guy gone without food?

"You still haven't told me why you're here," Chu Xiaoxiao asked, unable to help herself as she watched Nie Yun squinting his eyes while digesting his meal.

"If I told you that my brother and I were out there having a picnic and you guys just happened to stumble upon us, would you believe me?"

"I don't believe you!" Chu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. Going to a deserted island like that for a picnic with your brother? Are you a savage, or is your brother a savage?

"Then there you have it!" Nie Yun knew no one would believe the truth, so he simply stopped explaining.

"Hey... um... I haven't thanked you yet for saving me!" Chu Xiaoxiao said, though she seemed unaccustomed to it and sounded quite unnatural.

"I'm not 'Hey'! My name is Nie Yun!"

"Oh, oh, I'm Chu Xiaoxiao!" Chu Xiaoxiao realized then that they didn't even know each other's names and quickly added.

"Mm, I'll remember that."

After Nie Yun spoke, the two fell back into silence.

Chu Xiaoxiao hugged her knees and stared at the pitch-black sea, suddenly recalling the moment Nie Yun fired his gun.

It seemed he had intentionally made that man retreat to a spot where she couldn't see him, just so she wouldn't have to witness what he looked like.

Because of this, the psychological impact of seeing someone killed for the first time was minimized for Chu Xiaoxiao. She felt almost nothing; instead, due to her resentment toward that man, she felt he had gotten what he deserved.

That guy's foster son... seemed... quite gentle.

"Nie Yun, could you... tell me about him?" Chu Xiaoxiao asked softly.

Nie Yun was stunned and couldn't help but look at Chu Xiaoxiao, meeting her bright eyes.

"Ahem!" Nie Yun blushed and averted his gaze, then lay back with his hands behind his head, looking at the stars in the sky.

"Old Man? He was a famous drunkard around here. He spent his days tipsy, but he never got rowdy when he was drunk; he'd just sit at the bow of the Sea Wolf and stare blankly at the sea.

He was lazy and sloppy. Ever since I could remember, I was the sailor, mechanic, fisherman, and cook on his boat! He was just the captain! Hahaha!

Besides that, he had a wicked sense of humor. He always loved to tease me and make me look like a fool in front of others. Once, I got so mad I chased him down the street with a kitchen knife! Hahaha!

But the guy was all bark and no bite. Whenever he had something good, he always thought of me first and never once got angry at me.

I remember once when I was sick with a high fever and the town doctor wasn't around, he carried me over three mountains and walked for four hours to get me to the emergency room in the city, saving my life.

I'm very grateful to him. He gave me the Sea Wolf, a stable home, and taught me how to survive and how to be a person.

I could tell Old Man didn't live a very happy life, but he never told me about his past. Well, I wasn't interested in an old man's youth anyway. Hahaha..."

Nie Yun rambled on as Chu Xiaoxiao listened quietly, forming a clear impression of the man for the first time, rather than just imagining him.

After Nie Yun finished, he looked at Chu Xiaoxiao beside him.

She turned her face slightly, and after a long while, she said softly, "I went. I lit an incense stick."

Nie Yun squinted his eyes, broke into a smile, and muttered, "Is that so? That's good..."

About ten minutes later, a sudden "splash" broke the silence in the darkness, as if something was approaching.

Chu Xiaoxiao was startled by the noise and asked curiously, "Did you hear something?"

Nie Yun stood up, stretched, and pointed to the side. "Mm, my ship is here!"

Chu Xiaoxiao looked in the direction he pointed. Under the dim starlight, a battered fishing boat silently slid out of the dark sea and slowly pulled up alongside the speedboat.