Chapter 97: What Year Is Tonight?

On one side, Zhao Yicheng was meticulously setting traps, waiting for the little piggy who only dared to run away to walk right into his net.

Meanwhile, Xu Yinsheng was completely unaware of the lurking danger, leisurely enjoying her peaceful little life.

Tonight’s theme was a hot braised delicacy feast.

The chef here was said to be a fisherman by background, with truly authentic skills, using only freshly caught ingredients.

After inquiring about Xu Yinsheng and Qin Yumo’s tastes and dietary restrictions, the chef finalized the main dish for the evening:

Hot Drunken Crab

The crabs were thoroughly brushed clean, then first chilled with ice to keep them calm.

Live crabs tend to move and twitch during steaming, making it easy for their claws and legs to break off.

The ice served to keep them alive while preventing any chaotic movement.

Once the water boiled, the crabs were placed into the steamer.

The chef then began preparing the sauce in front of the two ladies.

Celery and coriander were diced, garlic smashed, ginger shredded, and mixed with spices.

A small piece of rock sugar was added, along with three slices of lemon and two dried plums.

Soy sauce, Huadiao wine, and a bit of fish sauce were added, brought to a boil, then cooled.

The steamed crabs were soaked in the sauce and then rapidly refrigerated for fifteen minutes.

The chef, wearing heat-resistant gloves, took out the hot drunken crab.

The moment it was brought out, the two women caught a heady aroma of wine that stirred their appetites.

Besides the drunken crab, there were several hot side dishes as well.

It was said the chef had consulted ancient texts stating “Lonely Yin cannot grow, lonely Yang cannot grow,” believing that only the union of Yin and Yang could perfectly regulate the human body’s five organs and six entrails.

Xu Yinsheng ate with great relish.

The crab was split in half, the bright red shell enclosing fresh, tender, sweet, and silky white crab meat, wrapped in creamy, rich crab roe, with a faint scent of Huadiao wine.

The flavor was fresh and mellow, the crab roe oozing oil, filling the mouth with fragrant richness, leaving an endless aftertaste—a truly indescribable delight.

Satisfied, Xu Yinsheng squinted her eyes and dozed off.

After a hearty meal and enough wine, Xu Yinsheng boldly snapped the bill.

After bidding farewell to Qin Yumo, she returned to her room.

After a quick wash-up and tidying her hair, Xu Yinsheng collapsed into bed, and before long, soft, gentle breathing filled the room.

Night had fallen.

The bright moonlight spilled onto the deck.

The sea glittered under the moon’s glow, occasionally pierced by fish leaping out of the water.

Couples in the throes of young love strolled along the deck, scattering love’s sweetness like dog food.

But in a shadowed corner where moonlight didn’t reach, two voices—unidentifiable as male or female—were quietly conversing.

“Is she asleep?”

“She’s already asleep. The medicine’s effect will last all day.”

“Good. Then the plan begins.”

The conversation abruptly ended.

The two seemed to part ways.

Pulling back to a wider view, if one stood on the top deck with a telescope and looked ahead,

About 500 meters ahead, another ship identical to the Haozhang cruise was slowly approaching, cutting through the water toward the cruise.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Xu Yinsheng had been feeling that her recent life was a bit strange.

How to put it…

Everything around her seemed so normal, yet so not normal.

Her female intuition was on alert, warning her that everything on the ship was off.

In short, she just had a bad feeling, but couldn’t put her finger on it.

Standing on the deck, gazing into the distance, she held onto the railing as the sea breeze blew her red hair into a flowing dance.

She glanced down at the Rolex on her wrist.

9:36.

At the current speed, they would reach their destination sometime after 3:00 PM.

Weikilisi Island.

She had also asked others on board and confirmed that a couple from the Huayuan Federation was holding a charity concert there.

Some passengers had come just for the concert.

Xu Yinsheng looked up at the sun, raising her hand so that the golden sunlight poured through her fingers, warm and reassuring.

Maybe she was just overthinking it?

No, it was all Zhao Yicheng’s fault!

If he hadn’t imprisoned her, she wouldn’t be so suspicious and paranoid now.

All mistakes were Zhao Yicheng’s fault!

All responsibility belonged to Zhao Yicheng!

After harshly despising Zhao Yicheng in her heart, Xu Yinsheng headed to the restaurant.

Since that last time she’d eaten drunken crab, she hadn’t seen Qin Yumo for the past couple of days, as if she’d vanished into thin air.

Xu Yinsheng wanted to visit her, chat about things like Gundam or Transformers.

She quite liked that girl—not that she was interested romantically; after being dumped by Zhao Yicheng for so long, she was indifferent toward men and even more so toward women.

She simply wanted to make friends with Qin Yumo.

After all, a girl who liked Transformers, Gundam, and Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf—and could always keep the conversation going—was rare, even among her dozen ex-girlfriends.

But as soon as she left her room, she suddenly realized she didn’t even know Qin Yumo’s room number.

People say “A gentleman’s friendship is as light as water,” but Xu Yinsheng still felt quite embarrassed.

The truth was, she had noticed the impressed looks Qin Yumo sometimes gave her Rolex wristwatch.

Not that she was particularly observant; having been a notorious gigolo, Xu Yinsheng had been through countless girlfriends, so gold diggers were no surprise.

Gold digging didn’t faze her.

It was all for survival.

And gold digging didn’t mean one couldn’t make friends.

Besides, in today’s materialistic, flow-driven society, countless people commit crimes for money.

Being a gold digger wasn’t illegal or criminal.

Earning money through one’s own abilities was nothing shameful.

Xu Yinsheng’s criteria for friendship were simple: first, whether you looked good and fit her aesthetic; second, whether your personality met her standards.

If you met those two, you were her friend.

After breakfast on the ship, Xu Yinsheng found a spot on the deck to bask in the sun.

The waves rolled gently, seagulls cried, sea breezes blew, and the salty scent of the ocean filled her nose, refreshing her soul.

Time flew by.

“Ming ming ya!”

The ship’s horn sounded.

“Dear passengers, greetings! The cruise Haozhang has arrived at Weikilisi Island’s pier. Please prepare to disembark if needed!”

Hearing the crew’s announcement, Xu Yinsheng looked up at the sky.

The weather was exceptionally clear today.

She lowered her gaze and followed the crowd, dragging her suitcase to disembark.

She hadn’t originally brought luggage, but the ship’s chef was so multi-talented that he made a lobster battle suit out of lobster shells for her—it was incredibly cool.

Unable to resist, Xu Yinsheng bought quite a few such art pieces and was even gifted a suitcase for free.

Upon disembarking, the first thing that caught her eye was a huge banner.

Red background, yellow paper, and flowing calligraphy spelled out a few large characters:

“Welcome Ms. Chen Ruomo and Mr. Xu Shiji!”

Seeing this, Xu Yinsheng’s mood immediately lifted.

She took out her phone and called her parents.

She had tried multiple times on the ship to prepare them for the fact that their son had become a daughter.

But the phone rang for a long time without an answer, until a familiar customer service voice came through.

Xu Yinsheng hung up with a sigh and, dragging her suitcase, continued walking toward Weikilisi Island.

Perhaps because of Xu Yinsheng’s parents’ influence, the island was bustling with tourists, each wearing sunglasses and carrying luggage.

The sea of people surged, giving rise to numerous snack streets.

Xu Yinsheng planned to ask around about the concert venue when she suddenly overheard two travelers whispering.

“Have you heard? The charity concert has been postponed by a month.”

“What?”

“The news just came out this morning. It’s said that the cruise Ms. Chen Ruomo was on was attacked by pirates, and her husband was even shot protecting her.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, but the charity concert has been postponed by a whole month.”

“Tch, what kind of pirates are so reckless, daring to hijack a Huayuan Federation ship? And there are Huayuan Federation celebrities on board.”

“Indeed. I heard those pirates were driven off onto a small boat and thrown into the sea, left to their own fate.”