Chapter 452

So it's time for her to get involved in matters of love, and right now the best candidate is naturally Wu Liang, her nominal fiancé.

Forty-third

Wu Liang didn't know when he fell asleep again, but if he remembered correctly, it was just after dinner.

While the Rat and Nan Zhu were still playing on the deck, he returned to his dormitory and lay back down on his bed.

Perhaps feeling sleepy after eating, he put on his headphones, casually turned on a hypnosis video, and closed his eyes.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe an hour or two, or maybe four or five hours.

When he woke up from his deep sleep, he felt a dryness in his throat, his parched lips were dry and his throat felt like it was on fire.

The entire room was pitch black, with the only light source being the afterglow of the setting moon shining through the window.

Pressing hard on his throbbing temples, Wu Liang struggled to sit up in bed and searched for his water glass by the dim moonlight.

"It was a truly grueling journey."

He took a deep breath and murmured softly, glancing helplessly at Nan Zhu and the Rat who were sleeping soundly on the bed.

Those two have been having a blast on the cruise ship these past few days, leaving him all alone in the dorm suffering. Those two rascals...

However, the reason he was able to sleep so soundly after those two guys came back was probably because Nan Zhu and Rat were deliberately careful not to make too much noise.

In a sense, the two of them made a lot of efforts to avoid waking him up after they returned.

He could even picture the two guys tiptoeing around the room so carefully; they must have had a really tough time.

"Pah! Who prepared this water for me... and it tastes salty...!"

After taking a sip of the plain water placed by the window, Wu Liang almost died from the saltiness. This must have been done by that pig-nosed Rat. Why did he have to make a glass of salt water instead of water?

He's seasick, not has a stomachache or abdominal pain, so what's the point of giving him all this salt water...?

"You must have beaten the salt seller to death to dare put in so much salt..."

Looking at the Rat, who was fast asleep wrapped in its blanket, with a wry smile and amusement in his eyes, Wu Liang scratched the back of his head.

Forget it, the Rat and the Nan Zhu only prepared the salt water because they cared about him, so he shouldn't complain like an old man now.

He's slept almost all day, so he definitely can't fall asleep at this hour.

Since he was relatively clear-headed and not feeling too unwell, he decided to go out and enjoy the sea breeze.

"Since I'm just lying in bed staring blankly anyway, I might as well take this opportunity to go and see the sea view."

He carefully jumped off the bed, grabbed a coat and put it on before leaving the room.

Instead of staring blankly at the sleeping faces of the Rat and the Nan Zhu in the room, he might as well go to the deck and enjoy the night view.

Sweet dreams, you two.

Glancing at the two people inside the room, Wu Liang slowly closed the door. Well, his lonely night was about to begin.

To celebrate that he's no longer seasick, should he go and open a bottle of champagne from the restaurant...?

.

"Outer deck of the ship - open-air grandstand"

"As expected, sugary drinks are more suitable for me."

Wu Liang, carrying a 2-liter bucket of cola, leaned against the railing, gazing contentedly at the distant night view.

He had originally wanted a bottle of fine wine, but he suddenly realized that his body couldn't withstand the effects of alcohol, so he could only use soda to fill the void in his heart.

Feeling the sea breeze blowing in his face, the air was more humid and colder than the air on the mainland, which made Wu Liang tighten his coat.

The night at sea was deeper and darker than he had imagined. The shimmering ocean below surged like black water, and the complete silence of the night brought a long-lost sense of comfort and tranquility.

Wu Liang leaned on the railing, looking down at the sea. The shimmering waves seemed to envelop him like a black prism, and the spray from the waves churned up by the ship made a rustling sound.

Breathing in the unique air of the sea, gulping down cola, and enjoying this brief moment of leisure, Wu Liang felt a little satisfied.

After all, he had been seasick for almost three days, and his irritable and depressed mood was about to burst.

If he doesn't find some fun things to relieve some of the pressure on him, he'll probably collapse before he even reaches Bolun Island.

"I heard a slight noise in the hallway, so I decided to come out and see what was going on. I didn't expect there would actually be someone drinking Coke alone here in the middle of the night."

"What is this? Performance art? Or have you gone crazy from lying in your dorm for so long?"

The girl's voice that suddenly rang out behind him startled Wu Liang, and he quickly turned around to look behind him.

He saw Qiao Xinying, dressed only in a pink lace tulle nightgown, leaning against the stairs with her arms crossed, smiling at him.

His long, silver-gray hair shone like a bright galaxy against the dark night sky, and his cherry-blossom-colored eyes reflected his figure as if he were staring at his prey.

"I just came out for some fresh air. People like you who don't get seasick won't understand."

After seeing Qiao Xinying, Wu Liang casually waved his hand and then ignored her.

Although the misunderstanding between them had been cleared up, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable being around the other person.

It wasn't because he was afraid of her, nor because of any other random reasons, and certainly not because Qiao Xinying was now his nominal fiancée.

Instead, it came from a man named Wu Liang, who had developed a subtle sense of unease about Qiao Xinying deep down.

Because when they were children, Qiao Xinying was the only one who could bully Wu Liang and scold him in an adult tone, so Wu Liang is now somewhat uncomfortable with Qiao Xinying out of instinct.

In addition, Qiao Ranxin had recently told him to spend more time with Qiao Xinying and hoped that he could become a true friend with her.

He was already somewhat hesitant about Qiao Xinying, and now he felt even more pressured, as his nominal fiancée was not someone to be trifled with.

Even though they are currently only nominally engaged, he still can't help but see Qiao Xinying's pretty face, which is extremely similar to Qiao Ranxin's, as if they were the same person.

They're not biologically related, so why are they so similar? If Qiao Xinying is allowed to grow up like this, the other girl will eventually become the second Qiao Ranxin.

"Let's talk. Actually, I've wanted to talk to you for a long time."

Qiao Xinying, oblivious to the turmoil and wavering in Wu Liang's heart, strode over to Wu Liang's side with a faint smile.

She wanted to learn more about Wu Liang.

Chapter Forty-Four

"What's there for us to talk about? Do you expect us to catch up on old times here?"

Looking at Qiao Xinying, whose face was flushed with excitement, Wu Liang was somewhat surprised that she would say such a thing.

From any perspective, Qiao Xinying should not be interested in him.

Even though the previous misunderstanding has been cleared up, Qiao Xinying still harbors a deep-seated aversion to Wu Liang.

The things that happen when you are young are often the most unforgettable and deeply etched in your memory. You already have a very bad reputation in Qiao Xinying's mind, and that's not something that can be changed overnight.

Wu Liang wasn't naive enough to think that a casual chat after just a few days' meeting could change Qiao Xinying's opinion of him. If it really did change, then the sun would have to rise in the west.

Moreover, Qiao Xinying did not have much contact with him after returning, and their relationship was not that of friends who had not seen each other for many years, but rather that of familiar strangers.

Therefore, Qiao Xinying was more like a stranger to him. He wasn't quite sure how to communicate with strangers, since they weren't familiar with each other.

"When did you become so cold? Or are you still angry because I misunderstood you?"

"If that's the case, I can apologize to you again. I didn't expect you to care so much about me being mean to you."

Hearing Wu Liang's lukewarm words, Qiao Xinying put her arm on the railing, buried her face in her arm, and carefully examined the other person's profile.

His handsome and dignified features were sharply defined. If her mother hadn't told her that the boy in front of her was the same domineering little rascal from before, she wouldn't have been able to see any resemblance between the two.

It's like he's completely transformed! This guy used to be so hideous and ugly, committing all sorts of evil deeds all day long—a complete scumbag from the bottom of society.

Surprisingly, after all these years, that mischievous boy has transformed into a polite and handsome gentleman.

Respected God, if she is dreaming, could you please wake her up quickly?

"I'm not angry, and I don't care that much about the previous misunderstanding, especially since you've already apologized."

After taking a few sips of soda, Wu Liang casually waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care about the previous misunderstanding.

Although he felt annoyed when this girl scolded him in the park, it was just Qiao Xinying's rebuttal in order to protect her mother's image.

It's not that it's incomprehensible; after all, no one can accept a stranger on the street maliciously slandering their mother. Anyone would be angry if that happened to them.

"Huh? Then why do you look a bit pale right now, and why are you being so cold to me?"

Qiao Xinying rolled her eyes at Wu Liang; her previous opinion of Wu Liang was indeed quite prejudiced.

But there's nothing that can be done about it. Wu Liang has always been an unlikable guy, and she doesn't know that Wu Liang has reformed now.

"I'm not deliberately being cold to you, I'm just not used to talking to you like this."

"As for why I look so pale, I think you've heard from the Rat that I get seasick, right?"

Wu Liang pointed to his head; the fact that he couldn't get out of bed due to seasickness had probably spread throughout the entire cruise ship.

Not just the Rat and the Nan Zhu, probably the entire second-year students know about this. Although it's not something extremely shameful, it's still a bit...

"If you're seasick, how come you still have the leisure to go out for a stroll, and you're even carrying a bucket of Coke like this?"

Qiao Xinying curled her hair and looked at Wu Liang's pitiful drink, which was almost empty. Her eyes twitched slightly.

This is a 2L can of cola! How could he drink it all in such a short time? Doesn't he find it disgusting?

"If I stay in bed any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to get up when I reach my destination."

"Besides, the weather is great tonight, and there are no big waves at sea, so it's a good time to come out and enjoy the breeze."

Wu Liang tossed the empty bottle into the trash can at his feet, muttering to himself.

He always felt inexplicably nervous when chatting with Qiao Xinying, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

In addition, because Qiao Xinying and Qiao Ranxin look so alike, he can't help but overlap the images of the mother and daughter.

"Looking at you now, I really find it hard to believe that the you of the past and the you of today are the same person."

"Can you tell me why? What triggered you to become like this? It's really unbelievable."

Qiao Xinying bit her lip, stretched out her pink little hand and tugged at Wu Liang's sleeve, speaking in a somewhat coquettish manner.

Her watery eyes were filled with a strong thirst for knowledge; she was genuinely interested in how Wu Liang had become the way he was now.

It wasn't just because he was her nominal fiancé, but more so because of her one-sided curiosity and confusion about Wu Liang.

"Would you believe me if I said I suddenly had an epiphany after being hit in the head by a shot put? You can think of it as a sudden flash of inspiration, like the sun breaking through the thick fog and everything becoming clear."

Looking at Qiao Xinying's curious smiling face, Wu Liang remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

It does sound a bit far-fetched, but he really did wake up from a decades-long slumber after being hit in the head by a shot put.

If it weren't for that initial shot put, he might still be sleeping like a dead pig inside the body of "Yuan Wu Liang," unable to wake up.

"Are you cultivating immortality here? And you even have a sudden flash of inspiration? Why don't you just say you were suddenly struck by lightning and awakened a heaven-defying spiritual root, becoming an immortal cultivator?"

Qiao Xinying sighed, rubbing her forehead. Fine, don't tell me then. Is this kid making up stories? It's a shame he's not writing novels.

"Oh right, I have another question."

Suddenly remembering something, Qiao Xinying reached out and patted Wu Liang on the shoulder. She had something else she wanted to ask him.

What do you think of our engagement?

"That was just a verbal engagement. You can cancel it anytime you want. I respect your opinion, and I know you don't like this kind of forced marriage either."

"Yes, indeed. I really don't like this kind of life where I'm controlled by others, and I can't accept living with a man I don't know."

"So why didn't you break off our engagement back then? Wasn't that why you came back?"

At this point, Wu Liang turned around and looked at Qiao Xinying in front of him.

He didn't quite understand the other person's thinking. If the other person didn't want to stay with him, why would they bring up the idea of continuing the engagement?

Even for the sake of saving face among adults, Qiao Xinying had no need to get along with someone she disliked...

"Because I might have fallen for you?"