Blinded by Lust chapter 4

“Wu Ge, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Tan Yi finally found Wu Bie by the lifeboat after searching for him from the deck to the bow and from the first floor to the fourth.

Wu Bie was engaged in an enjoyable conversation, but his smile suddenly drooped. He sighed, not wanting to leave, after all, it was just for a meal.

“Wu Ge?” Tan Yi had learned to read people’s expressions on the ship. He vaguely sensed that Wu Bie didn’t want to go, but he couldn’t think of a reason why. He cautiously probed, “Wu Ge, do you not want to go?”

Wu Bie scratched his head; he truly didn’t want to go. “Why don’t you go? I’ll skip it.”

Upon hearing this, Tan Yi’s expression changed momentarily, and then he forced a chuckle. “If you’re not going, I won’t go either. There’s still stuff to do in the kitchen anyway.”

“Wait.” Just as Tan Yi was about to turn away, Wu Bie called him back. He knew Tan Yi didn’t have much presence on their ship. If he didn’t join him for dinner, no one would go with him.

He glanced at Tan Yi, who looked eager to go, his desire bubbling to the surface. For Tan Yi, going ashore to change things up was a rare opportunity. Moreover, Tan Yi had just helped him buy a phone card, and he felt he should return the favor.

“Wu Ge?”

“Let’s go together.” Wu Bie nodded ahead, not looking up as he focused on messaging Zhanyan. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Hurry up and eat. I need to get off the boat for a bit, and I’ll chat with you later.”

The message from the other side felt like a check-in, “Where are you going?”

Wu Bie didn’t think it was overstepping and replied generously, “You eat, I’ll go eat too. The cook has gone off the boat for dinner, so there’s no one to cook on board. I’m going out to eat.”

“I want to chat with you a bit more, Ge.”

Wu Bie felt a tickle on his cheek and scratched it, suppressing a smile. Why was she so clingy?

Before Wu Bie could respond, Huo Zhanyan sent another message.

“Ge, eating is important. Go eat first, and make sure to text me when you come back.”

Now, not only did Wu Bie feel his cheeks itch, but his neck, head, and ears felt like ants were crawling all over him. He wished he could jump up and show off.

“Wu Ge? What are you looking at that’s making you smile so much?” Tan Yi had already reached the deck, but Wu Bie was lagging behind, slowly checking his phone and smiling like an idiot.

“Mm-hmm, I’ll find you when I’m back. You just eat your meal, okay?”

Wu Bie quickly finished replying to the messages, pocketed his phone, and walked briskly toward Tan Yi. “Let’s not pry into things that don’t concern us. Didn’t you want to eat? Let’s go.”

He was chatting with his enthusiastic fan.

Huo Zhanyan had little appetite and was too lazy to move. However, Wu Bie’s reminder made him glance at the takeout. Lying on the hospital bed, he tried to reach for the takeout bag, but his joints began to ache slightly again, nearly causing him to drop the bag to the floor.

A slender, snow-white hand easily caught it. Huo Zhanyan looked at the hand’s owner—a beautiful woman who bore a resemblance to him stood before him.

Surprise flashed in Huo Zhanyan’s eyes, but it quickly faded into calm. He took a deep breath, lay on his side, and avoided eye contact with the woman.

The woman first straightened the takeout, looking down at Huo Zhanyan from above. After a long while, she slowly spoke, “Are you mute? Not even your mom can get you to respond?”

Huo Zhanyan breathed heavily, his chest visibly rising and falling. Liu Fei saw he wouldn’t look her in the eye, so she deliberately walked around to stand in front of him.

The sunlight was completely blocked by her presence, and Huo Zhanyan finally lifted his eyelids to meet his mother’s gaze.

“I’ve already heard everything from your father. I told you not to…”

Huo Zhanyan helplessly closed his eyes, too tired to explain.

“You don’t want to get scolded? Then don’t lie in a hospital bed!” Liu Fei frowned. “Do you have to make us worry like this?”

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhanyan finally opened his eyes. He scrutinized Liu Fei’s face, “When have you two ever cared about me? You only just came back after my surgery, didn’t you?”

Liu Fei was momentarily speechless, “I’m not a doctor. Even if I rush back, besides being anxious outside the emergency room, what else can I do? Your dad told me as soon as you were out of danger, and even if I’m not here, your dad is.”

“So you just feel at ease to focus on your work, taking the time out of your busy schedule to check if I’m still alive?” Huo Zhanyan locked his gaze on Liu Fei’s face, his tone cold. “He’s no better than you. He stayed only because he had to transfer Huo Zhanting to another school. I’m just an afterthought.”

Liu Fei opened her mouth, and after a long time, she finally spoke, “Why are you so inconsiderate? Your sister is younger than you. Are you really going to hold that against her?”

Huo Zhanyan stared at his mom for a long time. Was he really holding something against Huo Zhanting? He had an older brother and a younger sister; their parents were often busy with work and rarely cared for him. As the second child in the family, he was easily overlooked. It felt like he had never lacked for food or clothing; it was just that emotionally, there wasn’t enough given to him. He wasn’t actually holding anything against Huo Zhanting; he was just angry at his parents.

Liu Fei didn’t seem to think she was in the wrong; she didn’t cling to the matter, and her attitude softened considerably.

“I discussed with your father. You’re in the recovery phase now, so we found a nice private hospital. Both your dad and I are busy, and situations like today, where the caretaker took a leave and no one was there to look after you, won’t happen at a private hospital. What do you think?”

Huo Zhanyan understood. By moving him to a better private hospital, his parents would have plenty of excuses not to visit him.

“Whatever.” It didn’t matter where he was.

Seeing Huo Zhanyan relent, Liu Fei tried to maintain her image as a caring mother. “It just so happens that I’m free today, so I’ll stay here with you…”

Before she could finish, her phone rang. A mocking smile played on Huo Zhanyan’s lips as Liu Fei avoided his gaze and answered the call.

After a brief exchange on the phone, Liu Fei looked troubled. Huo Zhanyan, in a rare display of “understanding,” said, “No need to explain, I get it. Work is important. Take care, Mom.”

“Xiao Yan…”

Huo Zhanyan pulled the blanket over his head, curling up on the bed.

Liu Fei stood by his bed for a while, and soon after, he heard her footsteps leaving. He didn’t uncover himself, forcing himself to sleep in the darkness.

….

A group of rough men found a tavern and drank the entire afternoon away. Wu Bie knew his alcohol limits; when Chen Xian was around, he could drink recklessly, but now he restrained himself, only aiming to get a little tipsy. Unfortunately, someone kept pushing him to drink more, making his face flush red.

By the time they returned, it was already evening. Just as they stepped onto the deck, the weather suddenly changed, with dark clouds gathering ominously in the distance.

“Looks like a heavy storm is coming.” The head of the crew shouted, and the sailors sobered up quite a bit, “Quick, get everything sorted.”

Wu Bie didn’t idle either. He followed the sailors’ lead and began working. Before they could finish, large raindrops started pelting down, hitting the deck with a loud splattering sound. Everyone moved even faster, and soon, everything was secured, though they were all drenched, and the alcohol was washed away along with the rain.

Leaving the rest of the work to the sailors, Wu Bie slipped into the bow of the ship, took a shower in his cabin, and the alcohol dissipated, leaving him wide awake with a clear mind.

With wet hair, he sat down at the table, stretching his body with a contented groan, “Ah, that’s better.”

He instinctively picked up his phone and opened WeChat, where his chat with Zhanyan was still stuck on a message he sent before drinking.

She hasn’t messaged me in hours, even though she said she wanted to chat more. Wu Bie couldn’t help but complain.

There was a knock at the door, and a faint voice came through, “Wu Ge, Mr. Zhang made some ginger soup. Come out and have some.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

When Wu Bie came down, the cafeteria was full. He took a bowl of ginger soup and walked out of the cabin.

The rain was still pouring, and the dark sea looked terrifying, with huge waves rolling as if they would swallow everything in the next moment. If not for being used to this scene, one might actually feel scared.

After a sip of the ginger soup, a warm sensation spread through his belly. The more Wu Bie thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He put down the bowl and sent a message to Zhanyan.

“It’s raining here, really hard.”

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

The WeChat interface showed no sign that the other party was typing. Zhanyan isn’t checking her phone? Isn’t she in the hospital? What else could someone in the hospital be doing…

Am I being lied to again? Am I really that easy to fool?

Wu Bie, dissatisfied, sent several more messages to Zhanyan, but still, there was no response.

Zhanyan didn’t even post on her Moments. This WeChat looked like a burner account. Could she really be a scammer? What would she be trying to scam me for? Could it be that the tea-selling scam has such a long setup now?

Damn it!

In a fit of anger, Wu Bie opened Zhanyan’s profile and hovered over the option to delete her as a friend. Just then, a message from Zhanyan popped up on his phone.

“Ge, I just woke up.”

Wu Bie’s hand trembled. He quickly opened the chat with Zhanyan. The alcohol, now mixed with the effects of the hot ginger soup, started to kick in, and he impulsively pressed the voice call button. Unfortunately, the call was promptly declined.

“Ge, there are other patients sleeping in the ward.”

Scammer!

Wu Bie didn’t believe it. Zhanyan could easily step out and talk to him. “Just step out and take the call.”

The “typing…” indicator kept blinking on the screen, and Wu Bie was curious to see what excuse this “scammer” would come up with. To his surprise, a picture of a hand with an IV needle appeared in front of him, the hand’s fingers long and slender, with clearly defined knuckles and fair skin, set against the backdrop of a hospital’s stark white sheets.

Zhanyan patiently explained to Wu Bie, “I’m getting an IV drip.”

Wu Bie was stunned, feeling overwhelmed with guilt. Is she really in the hospital?

“Are you worried I’m scamming you? I’m not lying to you, Ge, I’m really in the hospital.”

Feeling exposed, Wu Bie felt even more embarrassed. He was only being so insistent because he was drunk.

Zhanyan was incredibly understanding, “Maybe next time. Next time, I’ll voice chat with you, Ge.”