"Hey, are you both stupid? This wind is supposed to wake you two up." Qi Yichen waved more gusts with his fan, "The three of us are fighting amongst ourselves here, but who benefits in the end? I believe both of you are smart enough to work this out."
Mo Bai was stunned, he realised something was off and that angered him greatly. He quickly withdrew the magic in the area and landed in a nearby lawn, the grimdark air around him vanished and he returned to his usual kind and gentle state. Xie Zang landed too, withdrawing the magic around him. Qi Yichen scoffed, he bounced off from a tree and flew back the way they arrived. Mo Bai took off too, leaving Xie Zang behind. Jia Qizhe cradled Gu Qingyu and flew back to the tavern as well.
Xie Zang watched Jia Qizhe and Gu Qingyu take their leave with a thin smile. "Ah, it looks like the Kitten has discovered something. And there"s a troublemaker too..."
Jia Qizhe took Gu Qingyu back to her room before Qi Yichen and the others returned.
"You"re scared of them?" Gu Qingyu laughed.
Jia Qizhe shook his head. "I"m not afraid of them. But it would be quite a pain if all three of them were to gang up on me."
This guy is subtly reminding her that he is as powerful and special as they are? I should have guessed. Powers like his do not belong to your average joe. Just as Gu Qingyu opened her mouth to continue, a knock on the door interrupted them
"Come in." Gu Qingyu opened the door. Qi Yichen was there, panting, he clearly came back in a rush.
"What?" Jia Qizhe pretended to be puzzled, disguising his pleasure at their plight.
For someone as smart as Qi Yichen, he could read behind Jia Qizhe"s expressions. Luckily, he did not rush to reveal his entire hand. In comparison, Mo Bai had… Wait! He is Mo Bai, there was no way that he did not think this through! Does that mean the power he displayed earlier was only a fraction of his true strength? Qi Yichen turned pale as he arrived at that conclusion.
"Qi Yichen?" Gu Qingyu probed carefully.
Qi Yichen recovered his focus and waved his fan nonchalantly. "I am clearly fine, thank you for your concern, Brother Zhu."
Um… Even though your tone finally sounds like a scholar… But what"s going on with this sudden change in speech?
"Qi Yichen, have you had your medicine today?" Gu Qingyu looked at Qi Yichen, bewildered.
Qi Yichen kept his fan and bowed slightly. "I am not ill with anything, thank you for your concern. If there"s nothing, I shall take my leave."
Gu Qingyu chuckled with her hands over her mouth. "Nothing? No, Brother Qi, it"s lunchtime."
"Lunchtime?" Qi Yichen was taken aback, then opened his fan with a flick of his wrist. "Come, Brother Zhu, hurry up and go!"
Dude, do you have a split personality?
Gu Qingyu pouted as she made her way downstairs with Qi Yichen. Jia Qizhe followed them, smiling as he had accomplished his goal.
Mo Bai was already at the table when they arrived downstairs. He looked up at Gu Qingyu and said." I have waited quite a while for you, Brother Zhu."
"Oh really?" Jia Qizhe cut off Gu Qingyu"s reply. "How nice of you."
Mo Bai lowered his eyes, he ignored Jia Qizhe and focused on Gu Qingyu. "Come, Yu"er, sit here."
He chose to address Gu Qingyu as "Yu"er", as opposed to "Brother Zhu" as if he was showing off to Jia Qizhe.
Jia Qizhe grunted and pulled Gu Qingyu to sit across Mo Bai, with himself seated on Gu Qingyu"s right. As it was a round table, there was some distance between Mo Bai and Gu Qingyu.
Mo Bai kept his cool and gave Gu Qingyu his trademark gentle smile. "Yu"er, I know you don"t like being forced."
"Have I forced you to do anything?" Jia Qizhe gave Gu Qingyu an incredulous look.
After she processed Jia Qizhe"s innocent expression but threatening eyes, Gu Qingyu obediently lowered her head. "No."
As if. To think Jia Qizhe is not above using such manipulation. I don"t mind Mo Bai and the others" real strength. No matter who, be it Jia Qizhe, Mo Bai, Qi Wan or Qi Yichen, they are all my friends.
Jia Qizhe nodded in satisfaction and dug into the spread on the table. The seat left of Gu Qingyu was still open, Qi Yichen was about to take his seat there but a red shadow intercepted him.
"When did you come back?" Qi Yichen did a double-take, then took out a fan from somewhere and started fanning himself.
"Wait, didn"t you lose the fan just now?" Gu Qingyu almost dropped her jaw to the floor.
Jia Qizhe stretched out his hand and closed that jaw for her. "This is his personal weapon, he can call upon it with his will."
Alright, too bad for the weapon to have a master like him.
"I actually came back before you." Xie Zang grabbed Gu Qingyu by the arm. "Kitten, you"re too much, you didn"t tell me that it"s lunchtime!"
"Um... I need to remind you when to eat?" Gu Qingyu felt she was surrounded by whiny brats.
"Hmph." Xie Zang snorted and turned away
This kid is even more of a whiny brat than a whiny brat!
"Yes, baby Xie Zang, it"s lunchtime now, okay?" Gu Qingyu chided.
We need to set sail later, why are you throwing a tantrum now!
"No." Xie Zang snorted again.
Jia Qizhe piled food in Gu Qingyu"s bowl. "Little Yu"er, it"s time to eat. He will not starve to death by missing a meal, isn"t that right?"
"Yes, that"s true…" Gu Qingyu took her chopsticks and took Xie Zang"s bowl. "If you don"t, then I shall…"
At that precise moment, Xie Zang turned back and s.n.a.t.c.hed his bowl back.
Sigh, such a whiny brat.
Gu Qingyu sighed while shaking her head, then she picked up her chopsticks and dug in. They finished lunch in such an atmosphere.
At the beach
Strolling along the coastline, Gu Qingyu exclaimed at the glistening sight before her. "Ah! The sea! Your horizons never end! You"re a towering sight!"
"Brother Zhu, isn"t "towering" used to describe mountains?" Qi Yichen was still gracefully waving his fan.
"Huh? Is that so?" Gu Qingyu blinked. "Ok, one more time. Ah! The sea! Your horizons never end! You"re as blue as the sea!" Qi Yichen looked at Gu Qingyu with a flat look. Qi Wan tilted his head to the sky, his shoulders shook as he held in his laughter. Nope! I absolutely cannot laugh right now!
He sauntered to the pier and stopped beside something covered by a huge cloth. That object was floating on the surface of the water, it was easy to see that the mysterious object was ma.s.sive.
Qi Wan sn.i.g.g.e.red and yanked off the cloth, revealing a majestic s.h.i.+p. "Everyone, pay attention! This is our s.h.i.+p for this trip! Please call it the "The biggest, best, most handsome HMS Qi Wan!... Huh? Where"s everyone? Hey, wait for me!"
After Qi Wan finally boarded the s.h.i.+p with much difficulty, he looked at Gu Qingyu in annoyance. "Boss, this is your fault. You should have boarded the s.h.i.+p after I introduced it!"
"No, Qi Wan, this is your fault." Gu Qingyu looked at Qi Wan seriously. "Why must you ask me to look at someone, who was neither more handsome nor cooler than me, act cool?"
What a powerful argument… I actually can"t counter it… Qi Wan walked away, slightly downcast.
On the deck.
After a while, Gu Qingyu realised why Murong Zuoyu had turned pale when he found out about the plan to set sail.
"Mu...Brother Murong…" Gu Qingyu watched Murong Zuoyu with worry. "You"re p.r.o.ne to seasickness?"
Murong Zuoyu, who had just thrown up into the sea, gracefully dabbed the corners of his mouth. "There"s nothing to worry about."
Gu Qingyu winced. But it is no solution to have you keep vomiting! It"s not even two hours since we boarded the s.h.i.+p and you have already thrown up three times!
A seasoned sailor handed Murong Zuoyu a gla.s.s. "Duke, this is mixed with medicine to ease seasickness, if you don"t mind, please drink it!" He heard the legendary Duke Murong Zuoyu was good with politics and martial arts. He was a role model for men all over the country. He was perfect enough to be wors.h.i.+pped as an idol! But reality informed the sailor that even the best of the best can get seasick.
"Many thanks." Murong Zuoyu took the cup and finished it in a single breath.
"Then I shall go back to work." The sailor bowed and took his leave.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingyu scrutinised Murong Zuoyu from top to bottom, then she walked to his side and tapped him on the shoulder. "Brother Murong! Everyone has some bad times like this!"
Murong Zuoyu looked at her, speechless. Everyone had some bad times like this?
"Also, it is just seasickness, you"ll be better after vomiting a few more times!" Gu Qingyu waved confidently.
"Cough!" Murong Zuoyu almost choked on his own saliva. You"ll be better after vomiting a few more times?
"Hey, in the end, don"t feel bad about it, if you really cannot take it, I will get some medicine from Mo Bai!" Gu Qingyu walked away, then whipped back. "What did I say again?"
"Get some medicine from Mo Bai." Murong Zuoyu repeated with an icy chill.
Gu Qingyu"s face brightened from realisation. "Yes! Why didn"t I think of that?!"
Murong Zuoyu"s expression was blank. He nodded. "Many thanks, Brother Zhu. It"s fine, I"m much better now."
"It"s ok, we"re friends!" Gu Qingyu smiled.
Murong Zuoyu turned away. "I would like to rest now."
"Huh? Oh, okay, then I won"t keep you." Gu Qingyu nodded. "Wait, Brother Murong, why is your face so red?"
"It"s nothing."
Hours later.
"Qi Wan, on which year and day would your s.h.i.+p finally reach Beiying." Gu Qingyu whined as she laid flat on the deck and watched the sky darken.
Qi Wan chewed on a stray foxtail as he too laid on the deck, his arms folded behind his head. "No idea, the captain said at least five more days. Be content, boss, I cannot invent something like the motor."
"You"re right." Gu Qingyu twiddled her fingers, clearly bored. "It"s so boring. What can we do on the sea? No phones, no computers, no Internet, no Wi-Fi!"
"This had nothing to do with being on the sea or not..." Qi Wan watched Gu Qingyu, then suddenly, he spat out his foxtail and sat up. "Wait, boss, what did you just say?"