After several hours of sailing, the cruise ship finally reached its destination, Donghai City.
The tourists had a pleasant morning, all chatting about the day’s strange and wonderful events.
If there was one thing that left the deepest impression, it was undoubtedly Lu Yunze breaking out of the pack at the last moment of the fishing competition with a single huge fish.
When Lu Yunze carried that fish—at least half the height of a person—to the captain, the captain was dumbfounded.
At the time, another tourist had been far ahead with an overwhelming numerical advantage, but after a hard morning’s work, the pile of fish in his bucket didn’t even weigh half as much as Lu Yunze’s single catch. The man nearly fainted on the spot.
Before leaving the ship, Lu Yunze received the first-place prize.
A modest cash award and a discount coupon for half‑price VIP service on the next visit.
As they followed the crowd off the ship, a hand suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Sui.
She looked up at Lu Yunze.
“Young Master, what is this?”
“What? It wasn’t me who competed, but the young master?”
“These prizes mean little to me. I’m giving them to you.”
“Without your help, I would probably have returned empty‑handed. This is what you deserve.”
Since Lu Yunze insisted so strongly, Jiang Sui had no choice but to accept. She quietly stashed everything into her backpack and set foot on the soil of a new city.
Leaving the dock, they boarded a bus and headed into the urban area.
Donghai City—as the name suggests—lies against the ocean on its eastern side, boasting a beautiful coastline.
Jiang Sui placed a large bag on her lap and gazed out the window, seemingly captivated by the receding sea.
When she was at the dock, it had felt enormous, but from a distance it looked just so-so—even smaller than the dock of the city they had departed from.
This was a city with a long history, but its development hadn’t kept pace with the top-tier cities.
Once hailed as “the earliest and fastest developing city,” it had now fallen behind the leading cities.
The root cause was the disaster that struck eleven years ago, which had dragged down the city and its residents.
“I never thought I’d get here so soon. Interesting.”
She let out a soft laugh.
The large black bag on her lap suddenly squirmed, as if something inside was responding to her words.
After getting off the bus, the group arrived at a large square.
At the center stood a square monument, covered with unfamiliar names.
Lu Yunze’s gaze rose along its surface, and he muttered:
“They actually built something like this…”
This monument was erected in memory of those who lost their lives in the Donghai City disaster.
There were five such monuments across the city, each in a different direction.
Because the Donghai City disaster was closely tied to both Lu Yunze and Luo Yao, they stopped, bought a flower from a nearby stall, and placed it before the monument.
Jiang Sui deliberately stepped closer to the monument and reached out to touch the names.
The sensation was exceptionally cold.
Lu Yunze appeared beside her without her noticing.
“It’s hard to imagine what really happened back then.”
“Yeah. I can’t remember, either.”
“All I know is that after that disaster, there was nothing left of my family.”
“Nothing left?”
Jiang Sui looked at him, her eyes carrying a deeper meaning.
“Young Master’s original family was wealthy, wasn’t it? How could there be nothing left?”
But Lu Yunze seemed not to catch the implication in her words. He scratched his head and said:
“I honestly don’t remember.”
All he remembered was that day his parents told him to stay home and not run around, but he had sneaked out anyway.
And then he saw a city that looked like hell.
The burning streets dyed the sky red. The citizens were like madmen, attacking anyone they saw, hurting each other endlessly.
Lu Yunze remembered being terrified, wanting only to find his parents.
But what happened after that, he could no longer recall.
Only fragments remained.
When he woke up, the disaster was already over.
He was lying in a hospital, and he had become the only survivor of the Lu family.
At that point in the story, Lu Yunze gave a self-deprecating smile.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
“It’s all right. I’m very happy to hear Young Master’s story.”
The girl’s voice was gentle.
“Understanding the master one serves is also part of a maid’s duty.”
She paused.
A shrewd glint flashed in her eyes, and she spoke again.
“Don’t you think it’s strange, Young Master? Why did everyone else die, and only you survived? Could it be that someone was pulling the strings from behind the scenes?”
“What are you talking about?”
Lu Yunze frowned.
“Don’t always think the worst of things. It was just good luck.”
As he spoke, he reached out and ruffled the girl’s hair.
Jiang Sui showed some displeasure but didn’t stop him. After he walked away, she smoothed her slightly messy strands.
Since the square was newly built, the group decided to look around the area first, then go find Luo Qiaoying.
They talked about seeing the changes in Donghai City over the past decade, but it was no different from a normal shopping trip—just eating, eating, and buying.
Jiang Sui also found a secluded spot, placed the large black bag on the ground.
Lu Yunze had offered to carry it several times, but she had always refused.
As soon as she unzipped it, a black cat leaped out, landed on the ground, and shook its fur.
“Whoa, I felt like I was suffocating.”
The black cat took a deep breath of fresh air.
“We’re in Donghai City?”
“Yes. This is Lu Yunze’s hometown. Could it hold many secrets about the Luo family?”
“It must.”
The black cat said.
“If there really were nothing here, the Luo family wouldn’t still be fixated on this place.”
That made sense.
Apart from the main house in Central City, the Luo family had established major branch families in two other cities, one of which was Donghai City.
Jiang Sui didn’t believe Luo Tianyu was a nostalgic person.
She had only said she knew his secret, and that old bastard shot her in the back.
If he had the chance, he would sever every link to the past, leaving no clue behind.
Here, there must be some obsession he couldn’t shake.
And this place was better for investigating than the Luo family’s main house.
After all, there were no eyes watching from behind.
“Senior, are you very familiar with this place?”
Jiang Sui looked at the bustling street outside and asked casually.
“More than you can imagine.”
The black cat licked its paw.
“This was once my hometown, too.”
“Huh?”
Jiang Sui’s eyes widened.
“Was Senior also a victim of the Donghai City disaster?”
“Half. I was outside at the time, so I escaped.”
The black cat’s golden eyes turned serious.
“But this place does mean a lot to me, so I’ll do everything I can to help you, understand?”
It was rare to see her so earnest.
Jiang Sui was stunned for a moment, then smiled.
“Of course. We’re partners, aren’t we, Senior?”
The human and the cat high‑fived, sealing their friendship.
The black cat immediately added:
“But I think you’re having way too much fun.”
“Ah? Am I?”
Jiang Sui was taken aback.
“Yes.”
The black cat had secretly observed the outside from time to time.
Over the past year, she had noticed that Jiang Sui’s acting smiles in front of Lu Yunze seemed to appear less and less.
Instead, when she was alone, she often broke into a silly grin just thinking about Lu Yunze.
She even muttered Lu Yunze’s name while digging the Puji Puji Mine Vein.
Whenever the black cat witnessed such a scene, she had to slip far away.
She was afraid that if she heard too much, even her dreams would be filled with that hypnotic “Lu Yunze.”
“How could that be? I’ve been carrying out the plan just fine, haven’t I?”
Jiang Sui propped her cheek on her hand, seeming a little dissatisfied.
“Look, Lu Yunze is already falling deeper and deeper. He won’t refuse me anymore.”
“It seems to me you’re also falling deeper and deeper.”
“Heh, it’s all just acting, Senior.”
Jiang Sui smiled again.
“I can still tell the difference between my own feelings and acting. How could I drown in it?”
The black cat gave her a look that said “Oh, this girl,” then turned and ran off.
Jiang Sui waved goodbye and ended her “bathroom break” to rejoin Lu Yunze and the others.
Even though the conversation was over, the black cat’s words lingered in Jiang Sui’s mind.
‘Will I fall deeper? Really?’
As she thought about it, the question became harder to shake, and it even began to trouble her.
‘I’ll get drawn in myself? How could that be!’
After all, even if Lu Yunze was gentle and strong, sunny and cheerful, with both parents dead and being an independent and capable man, Jiang Sui didn’t think she would sink.
After all, who would…
“Jiang Sui.”
“What is it?”
Lu Yunze’s voice interrupted her mental activity.
He pointed at the corner of his mouth.
“You’ve got ice cream there.”
“Ah?”
Before Jiang Sui could react, Lu Yunze pulled out a tissue and made a move to wipe it for her.
“No need, I’ll do it.”
Jiang Sui quickly stepped back, snatched the tissue, and hid to one side, wiping her mouth carelessly.
Fortunately, Luo Yao had gone into a clothing store.
If she had seen that, there would definitely be trouble.
Damn.
Her mind was full of the concerned expression on Lu Yunze’s face as he raised his hand.
Just thinking about it made her a little touched, and even a little nauseous.
“Are you all right, Jiang Sui?”
Lu Yunze walked over to her.
“I’m fine. I’m good.”
She turned her head and saw him approaching.
Jiang Sui stumbled over her words for a moment.
“I… I feel a little dizzy.”
“Ah, you’re seasick too?”
“Probably. I don’t know why I feel unsteady after getting off the ship, but anyway, I’m uncomfortable.”
“I see.”
Lu Yunze’s expression turned troubled.
“Come on, we need to catch a ride to the branch family. Can’t make everyone wait for you.”
He grabbed Jiang Sui’s hand and pulled her into a jog.
Her first instinct was to shake him off and say she could walk on her own.
But when the girl’s small hand was enveloped by that broad, warm palm, it felt as if even her heart was being protected.