Blinded by Lust chapter 33

Just as they finished cleaning up, Wu Bie suddenly stood up from the sofa. He glanced around and instinctively walked towards the bathroom. Before Chen Xian could follow, he heard retching noises coming from the bathroom.

“Let’s wait until he’s done throwing up,” Shen Jixue said, holding Chen Xian back and not letting him go in. They waited for a while until they heard the sound of running water, and Wu Bie stumbled out of the bathroom.

It was unclear whether he was sober or still drunk. He stared blankly at Chen Xian and Shen Jixue for a moment and then muttered, “I’m back.”

Chen Xian sighed inwardly. He thought he should ask Wu Bie this question himself. He went up to him, helped him to the sofa, and they both sat down.

“When did you come back? Why didn’t you say anything? What did you drink so much?”

Wu Bie wiped his face with his large hand. His eyes were hazy from the alcohol, and he couldn’t focus on anything clearly. When talking to Chen Xian, he was evasive.

“Why did you guys come over?”

Shen Jixue could tell that Wu Bie was indeed very drunk, but his mind was still relatively clear. There were some things he was unwilling to discuss, and even though he was drunk, he remained quite restrained.

It wasn’t easy to extract information from a drunk person, so Shen Jixue gave Chen Xian a meaningful look. “Alright, he’s still drunk. Let him rest properly. We can talk about it later.”

Wu Bie, for the first time, didn’t argue back with Shen Jixue. Chen Xian also realized that Wu Bie wasn’t going to tell the truth, so he stopped pressing for answers.

“Then you rest up. I’ll go with Ah Xue first. Call us if you need anything.”

Wu Bie sat on the sofa facing the window. As Chen Xian spoke to him, he waved his hand nonchalantly. When the door closed, his smile froze, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

He was drunk, but even in his intoxicated state, he had clear memories. After throwing up, his mind cleared, and he remembered everything—why he came back, how he excitedly went shopping, how he joyfully drove to the hospital, and how he felt awkward when he found out that Zhanyan was a boy.

Wu Bie was dazed. He had been abroad just yesterday, battling a typhoon a few days ago, imagining meeting Zhan Yan, and worrying about contacting Zhanyan because his phone was lost. How could everything change so drastically in just half a day?

He couldn’t understand it, nor did he want to think about it any further. He took a shower, washed away the alcohol smell, drew all the curtains in the room, and forced himself to sleep in the pitch-black environment.

When he woke up again, it was pitch dark. He didn’t remember what dream he had. It took him half a minute to recall his location. He turned his head towards the window, where faint light seeped through the curtain gaps. It was hard to tell the exact time from the dim light, but it was eerily quiet outside, so it couldn’t be too early.

After sleeping, his mind was extremely clear. He had been played by a man, a young and inexperienced brat. It was abstract and absurd, and he could do nothing but accept it resignedly.

His heart felt empty; words like “laughable,” “sad,” and “pitiful” couldn’t fully describe his feelings. But he couldn’t sink into despair like a teenager would after a breakup. He didn’t know how long this discomfort would last, but he had to continue living normally. Tomorrow morning, he would have to carry on with his routine as if nothing had happened.

Forget it.

He turned over, closed his eyes, and continued to sleep.

Early the next morning, Wu Bie, accustomed to the ship’s schedule, woke up early. As he was preparing to go out, he happened to run into a sleepy Chen Xian opening the door.

“Eh? You’re up already? I was about to wake you.”

Wu Bie gave Chen Xian a look. He was already an early riser compared to him, being a single man who kept early hours.

Chen Xian invited Wu Bie in, “Come in for breakfast. After eating, we’ll leave together.”

Wu Bie originally wanted to refuse, but just then, the elevator doors opened, and Shen Jixue walked out with the breakfast he had bought.

“Don’t just stand there. Hurry up and come in for breakfast.”

Wu Bie was sandwiched between Chen Xian and Shen Jixue, and could only reluctantly enter the house. Normally, he would have argued with Shen Jixue, but today he wasn’t in the mood. He quietly sat at the table, eating breakfast, and didn’t notice the inquisitive gazes of Chen Xian and Shen Jixue.

Chen Xian wanted to speak several times, but Shen Jixue kept giving him looks, so he swallowed his words.

After breakfast, Chen Xian first took Shen Jixue to his workplace and then drove to the company. With only Chen Xian and Wu Bie in the car, Chen Xian tried to broach the subject indirectly.

“Why do you look so down?”

Wu Bie turned his head to look at Chen Xian upon hearing his voice. He glanced at Chen Xian’s profile and didn’t answer his question. Instead, he asked, “Chen Xian, is life on land interesting?”

People like them, who had lived on ships for years, found it hard to adapt to life on land.

“Why do you ask?” Chen Xian chuckled, “Do you want to stay on the ship longer?”

“If it weren’t for Shen Jixue, would you have gotten off the ship so early?”

While waiting at a red light, Chen Xian parked the car and turned to meet Wu Bie’s gaze. “If it weren’t for Ah Xue, I definitely wouldn’t have left the ship so early. Whether at sea or on land, both have their pros and cons. We’re just used to life on the sea. Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“I want to stay on the ship longer. I find life on land pretty boring. Unlike you, I don’t have anyone at home. I’d rather stay on the ship.”

Chen Xian was stunned. What did he mean by that? From the captain to the sailors, although everyone complains about not being able to adjust to life on land, given the chance, who would willingly spend their entire life drifting at sea? What’s going on with Wu Bie? Wasn’t he all excited before?

“Did something happen to you?”

“No,” Wu Bie calmly denied. He didn’t think being deceived by Huo Zhanyan counted as something worth mentioning. He didn’t want to dwell on it or hold grudges. “I really can’t sit in an office all day. I feel more free on the ship. After all these years, I can do my job with my eyes closed.”

Chen Xian scrutinized Wu Bie, clearly skeptical of his words.

Wu Bie didn’t flinch. “I’m serious. Land isn’t for me.”

“Don’t you want to settle down, get married?”

There was a flicker in Wu Bie’s eyes. “That kind of thing should happen naturally. You can’t force it. Besides, I can’t give up my dreams just to get married.”

“Are you throwing shade at me?”

Wu Bie scoffed, “Your dream right now is Shen Jixue. You’re not even focused on the ship. I’m different. I still want freedom.”

Chen Xian wanted to say more, but the light turned green, and Wu Bie stretched exaggeratedly, leaving Chen Xian to step on the gas and drive.

Chen Xian had thought Wu Bie was just joking, but he didn’t expect him to act so quickly. That afternoon, Wu Bie applied to the company to go back to the ship.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get his wish. The ships that had left hadn’t returned, and the ones coming back were still en route. The fastest returning ship was the one he had been on before, but it wouldn’t arrive for another two months.

Wu Bie felt agitated. “Is there no other ship?”

The staff responsible for crew assignments teased, “You know how many ships we have. Besides, you just got back. What’s the rush? Take some time off at home.”

Only sailors desperate for money would immediately return to the ship without rest. Wu Bie wasn’t short on cash, so they couldn’t understand why he was in such a hurry.

“Besides, didn’t you say you weren’t going back to the ship? We didn’t save a spot for you.”

Wu Bie didn’t care about rank. He didn’t need to be the ship’s safety officer. As long as he could get on the ship, he was willing to be a regular sailor. “I’ll go as a sailor.”

“Why compete with the workers for a job?”

“We have to prioritize other sailors first. They rely on their wages to support their families.”

Wu Bie was getting desperate. “I don’t need a salary. Just let me on the ship.”

“What, are you going for a vacation? If you want to travel, pick another ship.” The staff waved him off, signaling that Wu Bie was wasting their time. “Money’s tight these days. Don’t make it hard for the workers.”

Wu Bie wanted to argue, but after hearing that, he didn’t have much to say. Besides, without any ships available, no amount of talk would change things.

Back in the office, Chen Xian knocked on Wu Bie’s door, looking shocked. “You’re serious?”

“Serious about what? Why would I joke about something like this?”

“That’s not it.” Chen Xian closed the office door. “What’s going on with you? Why are you drinking? Something’s definitely happened, hasn’t it?”

“I just wanted a drink. Do I need to file a report for that? I just don’t want to be idle.”

Chen Xian didn’t expect Wu Bie to be so tight-lipped. No matter how much he asked, Wu Bie wouldn’t say a word.

………….

“Ge, how are you feeling?”

Seeing Huo Zhanyan wake up, Huo Zhanting immediately called the doctor. Apart from some minor injuries and a mild concussion, Huo Zhanyan’s old injuries hadn’t fully healed, and now he had new ones. Huo Zhanting was terrified by the sight.

Even sitting up made Huo Zhanyan feel dizzy. The first question he asked was, “You didn’t tell the family, did you?”

Huo Zhanting shook her head. Given Huo Zhanyan’s attitude towards that man, it was clear he didn’t want the family to know about his injuries.

“What about the hospital?”

“I’ve already spoken with them. If anything happens to you in the hospital and they inform Mom and Dad, they’ll be held accountable. As long as they don’t say anything, we won’t pursue the matter.”

Huo Zhanyan breathed a sigh of relief. Even though his parents might not care, he didn’t want Wu Bie to be affected. He deserved this beating—it was something he had long expected. He didn’t blame Wu Bie. Wu Bie hadn’t done anything wrong.

Huo Zhanyan’s hand gripped the bed as if he suddenly remembered something, looking around anxiously but seeing nothing.

“Are you looking for these?” Huo Zhanting opened the nearby cabinet, revealing the things Wu Bie had brought, all neatly arranged. “The petals have fallen off the flowers, but I kept a few fresher ones in a vase.”

Following Huo Zhanting’s gesture, a few resilient flowers were still blooming.