Blinded by Lust chapter 28

Facing the wind and waves made it almost impossible to control the ship’s direction. The cargo ship was moving slower than a person walking. It was only after leaving the windy area that they faced the threat of the undercurrent.

The ship’s food supplies were running low, and to make matters worse, the ship’s power system failed under these harsh conditions.

With the backup generator providing power, the ship finally left the dangerous area, sailing on calm waters. The ship rocked less than twenty degrees and faced waves of eight or nine meters, creating a somewhat surreal feeling.

The captain instructed the ship to dock at Wengda Port for repairs and resupply. Looking at the land from afar, everyone finally relaxed.

Once they were relaxed, Wu Bie remembered his phone that had fallen into the sea. He needed to contact Zhanyan—how could he do that?

He had no phone and no SIM card. Even if he went ashore to buy a new phone and SIM card, he wouldn’t be able to log into his old WeChat account. Asking Chen Xian to help replace the SIM card wasn’t practical, as his ID was with him.

He didn’t know Zhanyan’s phone number or WeChat ID, and for other accounts…

Wu Bie suddenly remembered that Zhanyan had initially chatted with him using the video app.

“Video app! Video app!” Wu Bie muttered, looking around and spotting Tan Yi coming downstairs, with Qin Mochong following closely.

Wu Bie set aside his animosity towards these homosexuals and waved to Tan Yi, “Tan Yi, let me borrow your phone.”

Tan Yi, though puzzled, obediently unlocked and handed over his phone.

“You have that video app, right?” Everyone on the ship should have it, as the company required them to use it and post videos whenever they went out. Wu Bie quickly opened the app and tried to log into his account. After entering his account details, a message verification prompt appeared.

It’s okay, it’s okay.

He reassured himself and used Tan Yi’s account to search for his own. He eagerly tried to open his followers list but was met with a privacy settings message that he couldn’t bypass.

“Ah!” Wu Bie yelled, almost not recognizing Chinese anymore. When did he enable these privacy settings? He had no memory of it at all.

He still wouldn’t give up, repeatedly tapping the screen as if he wanted to poke a hole in it, desperately checking his friend list. Tan Yi and Qin Mochong, who were standing nearby, couldn’t bear it any longer and reminded him.

“Don’t, man. It won’t open. What’s wrong with you?”

How could it not open? Wu Bie was in disbelief. Thinking carefully, he remembered that he had closed it after being scammed before, and the scammer had even used his friend list to privately message and deceive other colleagues on the ship.

Damn it!

Great, now he had blocked himself while preventing everyone else.

From the way Wu Bie was acting, it was clear he was looking for someone. Knowing that Wu Bie’s phone had fallen into the sea, Qin Mochong added, “Why don’t you check the comments section?”

This reminder sparked hope in Wu Bie. He eagerly opened the comments section, which didn’t have many comments, so he could scroll through them quickly. However, he went through them over and over again, even reviewing all the videos, but he didn’t find the account with the seagull avatar.

It seemed… Zhanyan had never left a comment under his videos. The first time she contacted him, they had directly messaged each other.

Ugh!

“Did you find anything?” Tan Yi cautiously asked upon seeing Wu Bie’s pale face. “Don’t you remember the other person’s ID?”

ID?

Wu Bie looked utterly confused. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t recall a single character of Zhanyan’s ID. The word “seagull” flashed through his mind, but no, that was Zhanyan’s WeChat name. Her video account name had been a bunch of gibberish, and he even made fun of it when he first saw it.

Damn it!

Wu Bie felt a tightness in his chest, nearly suffocating. His vision darkened, and he staggered back several steps, his breathing becoming rapid.

“Wu Ge!” Tan Yi was terrified by Wu Bie’s pale face. “Are you okay?”

Wu Bie brushed off Tan Yi’s hand and leaned helplessly against the wall, on the verge of tears. How could it be like this? Was fate really playing such cruel tricks on him?

“I need to get off this ship…” He muttered, stumbling around the cabin.

Tan Yi chased after him, trying to stop him. “Wu Ge, the ship hasn’t docked yet! Are you feeling unwell? You should see the ship’s doctor if you’re not feeling well.”

Wu Bie felt like he was having a heart attack, one the ship’s doctor couldn’t fix. Only one thing could heal his heart — he had to see Zhanyan. Now. Immediately.

Ignoring Tan Yi’s words, Wu Bie staggered back to his room. Tan Yi wanted to follow, but Qin Mochong pulled him back.

“Don’t cause more trouble. Wu Ge is more experienced than us; he knows what he’s doing.”

Back in his room, Wu Bie quickly packed his things. Clothes and daily necessities were secondary; the most important thing was bringing the gift he had prepared for Zhanyan.

Looking at the full suitcase, Wu Bie was somewhat satisfied. But before he could celebrate, he remembered he didn’t have a phone. He’d have to buy one when they docked, along with a SIM card, and since he couldn’t speak a foreign language, he’d need help.

Tan Yi?

As soon as Wu Bie thought of Tan Yi, he dashed out to find him. He spotted him sitting on the deck, watching Qin Mochong hammer rust off the ship.

“Tan Yi!” Wu Bie called, and Tan Yi rushed over eagerly. Qin Mochong stopped hammering and watched them closely.

Wu Bie felt uncomfortable under Qin Mochong’s gaze, but his thoughts were completely consumed by Zhanyan, so he didn’t dwell on it.

“If you’re going ashore later, come with me to buy a phone and a SIM card.”

Tan Yi thought that if it was just to buy a phone and a SIM card, Wu Bei didn’t need to go himself. He could bring it back for him. Wengda Port was a poor place, and most phones were imported from their home country, so there were only a few models available. Wu Bei probably wanted the most expensive one.

“I can bring it back for you. You don’t need to make the trip.”

Wu Bie waved his hand. “Once I buy the phone, I’m leaving. I’ll fly back home.”

“What?” Tan Yi exclaimed, his voice filled with a hint of reluctance. “Wu Ge, are you getting off the ship?”

“Yeah, I’ve got things to do. I still need to tell the captain. When you are about to go ashore, remember to tell me.” Wu Bie, preoccupied, didn’t catch the sadness in Tan Yi’s eyes as he hurried to find the captain.

By now, the cargo ship had left the typhoon’s center and was completely out of danger, so getting off the ship wasn’t a problem.

The captain teased, “You’re really going back at your own expense? Who’s waiting for you back home? You don’t even have a wife.”

Everyone on the ship knew Wu Bie was single. He didn’t have a girlfriend, let alone a wife. There had to be something going on if he was this eager to go back.

Wu Bie wanted to prove to these people who doubted him. Who said he didn’t have a wife? He would soon. He’d have a wife as soon as he got back!

But he was good at keeping his cool. He didn’t brag in front of others. When the time came, he’d bring Zhanyan in front of everyone, and they could all be envious.

“Mind your own business.” After getting permission from the captain, Wu Bie returned to pack. Once he was done, he happily lay down on his bed.

What a stroke of luck! He had thought he was unlucky, delayed by the typhoon and losing his phone, making it impossible to contact Zhanyan. But it had all worked out. Now, he could head back earlier.

He wondered what Zhanyan was doing at that moment. If only he could tell her, so she wouldn’t worry.

But he would be home soon enough. He’d go straight to the hospital and give Zhanyan a surprise. She’d be overjoyed, throw herself into his arms, and burst into tears. He’d comfort her, and they’d naturally end up together. A kiss would make it perfect.

The more Wu Bie thought about it, the happier he became, his smile unstoppable. He even forgot about the frustration of losing his phone.

“Wu Ge.” A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Tan Yi’s voice.

Feeling energized, Wu Bie jumped up, grabbed his suitcase, and eagerly opened the door. “Coming, coming.”

“Let’s go.” Tan Yi said, turning around and walking ahead.

Wu Bie was in an excited state, taking a few steps forward to walk beside Tan Yi, muttering non-stop, “Thanks a lot. I won’t come back with you this time. Be safe on the road, listen to your master, and when you get back home, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Tan Yi responded softly, and Wu Bie noticed something was off. With a quick glance, he saw Tan Yi’s eyes were red—was he crying? Why would a grown man cry?

At this moment, Wu Bie realized Qin Mochong, that “clingy” guy, hadn’t followed them. What was going on?

Wu Bie wasn’t good at comforting even women, let alone men, and he didn’t care to. What could be so bad? Men shouldn’t cry easily, and crying at the drop of a hat is just weak.

But since he was asking Tan Yi for help, even if comforting words didn’t come easily to him, Wu Bie wasn’t going to make things worse. Maybe Tan Yi was genuinely upset about something. Wu Bie patted his shoulder.

“The guys on the boat are pretty rough, very blunt. If they said anything, don’t take it to heart. They’re just big-hearted and forget what they said right away, and it’s not always on purpose.”

Tan Yi kept his head down, pressing his lips tightly together, trying not to sob, “Mm.”

That was the most comforting Wu Bie could manage. Seeing that Tan Yi was in a bad mood, he couldn’t just keep smiling like an idiot, so he gradually restrained his grin.

Wu Bie also had the feeling that a pair of eyes was watching them from behind, but when he turned around to look, there was nothing there.

Wengda Port was indeed a poor place. They had to visit several small shops to get a phone and SIM card. There wasn’t even an airport here; they had to take a bus to another area. With Tan Yi’s help, Wu Bie bought a bus ticket and exchanged some cash.

Before getting on the bus, he thanked Tan Yi, “I’ll ask Chen Xian to repay you. Thanks, Tan Yi.”

Tan Yi replied softly, “You’re welcome,” and only left after the bus pulled away.