Blinded by Lust chapter 20

With both the prize and the video in hand, Wu Bie was ready to head back to his room to continue video chatting with Zhanyan. But sharp-eyed colleagues caught him.

“Wu Ge, where are you going? The captain said we’re going to the pub for drinks later.”

In the past, Wu Bie would’ve eagerly joined in such group activities. But now, it felt like a waste of time he could spend with Zhanyan. Yet, even the captain had spoken, and the registration fee had been used for team-building. On the ship, the captain’s word was law, and everyone had to follow, including Wu Bie.

He tried to wiggle out of it. “If everyone goes, who’s going to watch the ship? I see that everyone wants to go, so how about this: you guys go, and I’ll stay behind to keep watch.”

“Don’t worry about that.” The captain scanned the crowd and finally landed his gaze on a young man outside the group. “Qin Mochong, Xiao Qin volunteered to stay and watch the ship.”

Wu Bie followed the captain’s gaze and saw Qin Mochong, the son of a business partner he wasn’t very familiar with. Qin had joined their ship this year, reportedly because he wasn’t doing well in school and often hung out with the wrong crowd. After high school, his father had sent him to work on the ship.

Even in private businesses, there was nepotism, and Qin Mochong’s case was no exception—a rich kid sent to “experience life.”

Based on seniority, Qin should call Wu Bie “uncle,” but in order to blend in, Qin didn’t address him that way. “Wu Ge, you guys go ahead. I’ll stay and watch the ship.”

Qin Mochong was tall and handsome, with a roguish smile on his face when he spoke.

‘How considerate,’ Wu Bie muttered to himself. He really didn’t want to go, but now he had no excuse. He had to go.

Wu Bie mumbled, “Who planned this drinking thing, anyway?”

“There will be fireworks later. Go join the fun!” The person speaking gave Wu Bie a suggestive look. “There’ll definitely be a lot of pretty girls around.”

Wu Bie wasn’t interested in other women right now. He grumbled, “I don’t even understand foreign languages, and you think I can pick up foreign chicks?”

The captain had already called everyone to disembark. Wu Bie trailed behind, frowning as he messaged Zhanyan.

“See? I said I’d be first, and I was! Impressive, right?”

To prove he wasn’t just bragging, Wu Bie attached the video of his first-place swim and a photo of the pocket watch.

Zhanyan praised him, “Ge, you’re amazing.”

After being complimented, Wu Bie felt a bit better. “They’re dragging me to the pub. I don’t want to go, but I have no choice.”

“There’s nothing you can do. They’re your colleagues. You can’t be anti-social. Just go.”

See how thoughtful Zhanyan was? Wu Bie was so pleased that he immediately updated her.

“They’re going to the pub purely for hookups, but not me. I’ll sit for a bit and leave. There’s a fireworks show tonight, and I’ll video call you to show you later.” Wu Bie was worried about the late hour disrupting Zhanyan’s sleep. “If it’s too late, just go to bed, and I’ll record it for you.”

While texting Zhanyan, Wu Bie fell far behind the group. Looking down at the crowd, he spotted the chef Mr. Zhang, but Tan Yi was still nowhere to be seen.

Instinctively, Wu Bie glanced back and saw Qin Mochong still standing on the deck, not yet entering the cabin. Their eyes met, and Qin raised his chin toward him in acknowledgment.

Whatever. Wu Bie didn’t care to think too much about it. He turned around and jogged down the gangway.

Once inside the pub, escaping wasn’t going to be easy. Wu Bie knew his drinking limits, so after a few glasses, he found an excuse to go to the restroom and refused to come back out.

Sitting on the toilet lid, he pulled out his phone to check the time. It was getting late, and he was torn about whether to video call Zhanyan. Maybe Zhanyan was already asleep. After some hesitation, Wu Bie couldn’t resist and made the call.

The call barely rang twice before Zhanyan’s face appeared on the dark screen.

“You still haven’t slept!” Wu Bie teased, “Didn’t I tell you not to stay up late and to rest?”

Zhanyan lay on her side, facing the camera, smiling. “But you promised me! I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I didn’t get your video.”

Wu Bie was torn. He wanted Zhanyan to get proper rest, but he also wanted to video chat with her.

“Ge, why is your face so red? Did you drink a lot?”

Wu Bie touched his cheek and checked himself in the camera. His alcohol tolerance wasn’t great, but he hadn’t expected it to show so clearly. Zhanyan noticed right away.

“I didn’t want to drink, but they kept pushing. If I hadn’t hidden, I’d probably still be drinking.”

Looking at his surroundings, it didn’t seem like he was on the boat. Wu Bie probably hadn’t gone back yet.

“Where are you?”

Wu Bie panned his phone around, just about to speak when there was a loud banging on the bathroom door, and someone outside yelled for him.

“Wu Ge! Did you fall into the toilet?”

Wu Bie was startled. Judging by the noise, they were probably drunk. If he went out now, he’d be stuck for the night. He quickly signaled to Zhanyan to be quiet and pointed toward the window.

Before Zhanyan could react, the screen went dark, and all that could be heard were the pounding on the door and the shouting. After about half a minute, the noise gradually died down, and footsteps and heavy breathing could be heard clearly.

The screen remained black, but the audio continued. Zhanyan waited patiently as the background noise on Wu Bie’s end grew fainter.

A second later, light finally appeared, and a panting Wu Bie came into view, with the background now showing the outdoors.

“I climbed out the bathroom window.” Wu Bie sighed in relief. “Were you getting impatient?”

“Not really.”

Huo Zhanyan wasn’t lying. Hearing the commotion from Wu Bie made him feel calm. In fact, he was enjoying it, not knowing when Wu Bie would reappear on screen. Every moment was filled with anticipation.

“Where are you headed now?” Zhanyan asked.

As soon Zhanyan asked this, a bright light streaked across the distant sky, followed by a small explosion. Beautiful fireworks burst into the night.

Wu Bie noticed the distance seemed off. “It looks like the fireworks are coming from the port. Damn it, the guys on our ship are useless. The fireworks were so close, but they had to come into town.”

He patted his pockets—his motorcycle keys were missing. No way he could walk back!

“What’s wrong?”

“My motorcycle keys aren’t with me. Damn, I should’ve grabbed them earlier.”

Huo Zhanyan, who rode a motorcycle himself and was very safety-conscious, reminded him, “You’ve been drinking. Even if you had the keys, you shouldn’t ride.”

Wu Bie had forgotten about that. In front of Zhanyan, he had to follow the rules. He glanced at the rental shop across the street. “Can’t ride a motorcycle, but I can still ride a bicycle, right?”

A bicycle sped down a dark path. Wu Bie pedaled furiously, worried he wouldn’t make it in time to see the fireworks, the night wind messing up his hair.

“Zhanyan, can you see it?”

The bumpy cobblestone road made the camera shake violently, and blurry light spots appeared on the screen. Huo Zhanyan could hear the excitement in Wu Bie’s voice, and it made his own blood surge with excitement.

“Yes!”

“I think it’s in the open space to the right of the port.” The wind was strong, and Wu Bie had to shout to be heard. The heat surrounding him was relentless, and as the alcohol fermented in his body, he felt his blood pumping faster, excitement growing uncontrollably.

As the next firework shot into the sky, the light on screen became more distinct. Wu Bie shouted, “I think we’re almost there!”

Huo Zhanyan had never felt such euphoria riding his motorcycle. It was as if he was right beside Wu Bie, chasing after not just fireworks but something more.

“Wu Bie, slow down.”

Suddenly, the bike came to a sharp stop, and the camera shook violently. Zhanyan’s eyes blurred. “What’s wrong?”

Wu Bie switched to the front camera. “There are so many people here. I can’t even get in.”

“This spot is fine too. We could see just now.”

“That won’t do. I promised to bring you the best view.” Wu Bie said, “Wait here,” and the screen went dark again.

After some heavy breathing and rustling noises, the screen lit up once more. Zhanyan could see Wu Bie’s chin and sweat trickling down his neck.

“Guess where I am?” Wu Bie looked down at his phone, his eyes shining with pride and excitement.

Wherever he was, Huo Zhanyan already felt his throat tighten. He could sense Wu Bie’s warmth and imagine the vitality radiating from him. If the Wu Bie earlier had been a figment of his imagination, this Wu Bie was so real it felt like he could reach out and touch him.

“Where are you?”

Wu Bie shook his phone, the camera showing a high angle. “I’m in a tree! This spot is perfect, Zhanyan. You can see everything clearly from here.”

As if to prove Wu Bie right, the camera showed an exceptionally clear view, where Huo Zhanyan could even see the sparks falling from the fireworks.

Thinking about how Wu Bie went through so much trouble to make him happy, Huo Zhanyan’s heart pounded. Stars, sunrises, fireworks — things he used to think were cheesy. If a guy from school had tried to woo him with something so corny, he would’ve laughed at them behind their back. But with Wu Bie, it wasn’t cheesy at all. It was thoughtful.

“Ge.”

The fireworks were loud, and Wu Bie had to press his ear to the phone to hear Zhanyan’s voice. “Hmm? What is it?”

“I haven’t been out in a long time, and I haven’t seen things like this in ages.”

Wu Bie knew Zhanyan had been stuck in the hospital for too long, which was why he went out of his way to show her the fireworks. Hearing how pitiful she sounded, his heart ached. He wanted to tell her that once she got better, he’d take her everywhere.

Just when he was about to speak, Wu Bie changed his mind again, “When I get back, whatever you want to do, I’ll take you to do it.”

There was no need to wait for Zhanyan to fully recover, which could take a long time. As long as he wanted to take her out, he could do it anytime.

“Wu Bie.”

Zhanyan’s voice was very soft, making Wu Bie’s heart sink. That feeling again, and she called him by his name again.

“Kiss me.”

“Huh?”

Boom boom boom, fireworks went off in the sky, and Wu Bie’s head was spinning, stars flashing in front of his eyes. His voice cracked—he was sure he hadn’t misheard. Zhanyan, this girl, was too bold! How could she ask a man something like that? Didn’t she know there were many bad people in the world? He definitely needed to educate her properly!

“This… how do I kiss you…” Wu Bie’s mouth and brain disconnected, his tongue a little twisted. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying.

Suddenly, a soft “mwah” came from the phone, clear and crisp, followed by Zhanyan’s shallow breathing.

“Like that.”