The tycoon’s private washroom was small and clean, with the door latched shut and a cloth mat spread on the floor. Lin Yuchan stood barefoot on the mat, cheerfully removing her clothes and hanging them on the wall hooks.

A large tub of freshly boiled water, fresh from the steam boiler – a triumphant achievement of the West’s First Industrial Revolution that could be used to conquer territories and circumnavigate the world, or simply to give someone a luxurious bath.

The water was a bit scalding, and white steam filled the small chamber until the opposite wall was barely visible. Lin Yuchan kept only her innermost undergarments as her pores opened completely, her scalp tingling with comfort as if she had entered a sauna.

She hadn’t even gotten in yet, but that uncomfortable feeling left from her earlier “Yangtze winter swim” had already diminished by fifty or sixty percent.

Fifty-three residents of Tianjing, fifty-three human lives, had quietly escaped the encirclement under the very noses of the Xiang Army.

And without causing any trouble for Yixing.

At least not yet.

Though she knew that compared to the hundred thousand civilians who would be brutally massacred after the city fell, wrestling these few dozen people from the King of Hell was truly insignificant.

But even saving one person, she felt, was worthwhile.

The sage said: “When poor, perfect oneself alone; when accomplished, benefit all under heaven.” She found the latter half somewhat difficult, but at least she could achieve “when accomplished, help others with joy.”

Even though those she helped might never know or remember her, she knew that if her future life ever fell into despair, these insignificant “achievements” would be enough to inspire her to strive upward and press forward under heavy burdens.

Thinking of this, the cold discomfort on her body decreased by another thirty or forty percent, and her smile overflowed.

The water temperature finally dropped to a bearable level. Lin Yuchan dampened a towel, wiped away the river water and mud from her body, then eagerly stepped into the tub.

First taking a deep breath, she plunged her head under, her beautiful hair floating in the water as she enjoyed a 360-degree refresh without any blind spots.

Her pale azure skin immediately flushed red all over, her stiff joints regained their soft flexibility, and the warm, soothing heat penetrated her heart and lungs.

That lurking sickness that had been stealthily waiting for an opportunity now completely vanished into smoke and dust.

While enjoying the comfort, she thought: having a tycoon boyfriend is wonderful!

Of course, this benefit wasn’t hers alone. Since firing up the boiler was expensive, they also provided each of the dozens of dirty refugees on the ship with a basin of hot water to wash off the mud, fleas, and such from their bodies. It was humanitarian treatment while also preventing infectious diseases from being brought aboard.

But after all, others only had one basin while she had a whole large tub of water!

Meanwhile, in the lower deck crew quarters, the atmosphere was tense and murderous.

The night remained perpetually silent. The steamship Luna floated at Yanzi Cliff ferry, facing the Xiang Army camp across the water, more orderly than ever before.

Among Yixing’s crew and mechanics, many were senior members of the Heaven and Earth Society. Though they had once lived lives of displacement, gambling their heads daily, since joining under Jin Lanhe’s command in Guangdong, their days had been relatively peaceful. That taste of living on a knife’s edge had become a thing of the past, only occasionally brought out at drinking tables as conversation pieces for reminiscing about bitter times and educating the younger generation.

Beside them, separated by a demarcated corridor, were dozens of people who looked like walking skeletons. Their clothes hung in shreds, they were barefoot, and even after washing, one could see sores on their skin that couldn’t heal due to malnutrition. The women seemed to have lost all sense of shame, their thin arms and legs exposed beneath their tattered clothes, yet they paid no attention, only clutching coarse-grain steamed buns and devouring them ravenously, their clearly defined ribs rising and falling beneath their skin as they urgently consumed the long-missed food.

Some had cloth bundles wrapped around their bodies, probably containing their families’ remaining savings and travel money. But after prolonged hunger during the siege, gold, silver, and jewels were all worthless earth. These savings they also seemed to regard indifferently, letting the torn cloth strips dangle at their sides.

This was the consequence of the war. Kings and generals were merely rare exceptions. Their unreachable ambitions had drained the lifeblood of the suffering people.

Even the most iron-hearted person couldn’t help feeling compassion and refrained from showing expressions of disgust.

Someone silently took old clothes and shoes from their chest and placed them on the communal beds across the corridor.

Hong Chunkui knew he had stirred up trouble, but fortunately, someone had remedied it, preventing a real disaster.

His head, which had been beaten by Su Minguan, was throbbing dully. This Boss Su was ruthless and calculating, his punches precisely controlled. He knew not to keep hitting the same vital spot repeatedly, but rather to spread the damage up and down, left and right, with very evenly distributed landing points for his fists.

This way of beating people was truly despicable. For instance, now Hong Chunkui was neither injured nor addled; he was fine as a person, but inevitably had a black eye and swollen face, and the swelling was very evenly distributed too. Each eyebrow bone bore a bloody mark, and his head had swollen bumps on both sides like horns, resembling a Dragon King who had just been robbed by Sun Wukong.

The “Three Thousand Years Old” dignity had been swept away; those who didn’t know might think he’d lost money at some wild gambling den.

Originally, Hong Chunkui’s face carried a natural murderous aura that frightened people in three parts. But now he had no choice but to yield with cupped hands, surrendering the title of “strongest presence in the cabin” to the person beside him.

Hong Chunkui resignedly coughed and made eye contact. A crowd of men, women, and children knelt one after another.

“We thank you for saving our lives…”

“Shut up.”

The young helmsman standing at the door maintained an upright posture, his expression somewhat impatient, clearly lacking the compassionate appearance of a bodhisattva. He had no interest in going through the polite routine of “thanks for great kindness” and “please rise quickly.”

Though wrapped in a bulky, thick coat, his entire person appeared even more lean and powerful, his brow pressing down on fierce eyes that seemed aggressive and intimidating.

“Your accents, speech, mannerisms, and clothing are all different from outsiders. Speak less in the future.” Su Minguan was brief and to the point. “You’ve all served in the military, so you know about following orders, right? From now on, three rules: You’re not allowed to leave the crew quarters. You’re not allowed to make loud noises. For urgent matters, notify Chunkui first – you’re not allowed to randomly chat with people. Follow these rules, and you’ll be allowed to disembark safely. If anyone violates orders…”

Several young children were frightened by his deliberately oppressive aura, and they trembled.

The others didn’t dare make a sound. His direct use of Prince Ying’s name also hinted at his authority on this ship.

“If anyone violates orders… traveling by ship has risks, and it’s quite common for someone to fall into the river. Don’t let your suffering on this trip be in vain.”

After Su Minguan finished speaking, he tilted his head slightly and blocked a small sneeze with his elbow.

Commanding these civilians who didn’t belong to him was a first in his life. There was no chance for trial and error; he had to succeed in subduing them in one go.

Fortunately, the refugees had just escaped death and were full of chaos in their hearts and minds, lacking the energy for complex thinking. They only knew to obey submissively, with some even swearing by Heaven Father and Heaven Brother that they guaranteed not to step even one leg outside.

Su Minguan called over Hong Chunkui and the boatswain again, sternly and meticulously instructing them on various miscellaneous matters and arranging extra night watch personnel.

Only after ensuring everything was under his people’s control did he suddenly feel exhausted. Supporting himself against the corridor wall and suppressing another sneeze, he thought with some mental fatigue: What am I putting myself through?

Lin Yuchan was holding her hair outside the tub, slowly combing it, when suddenly there came a light knock at the door – tap tap tap.

Lin Yuchan quickly put down her comb. Seeing the door was still latched, she relaxed.

“A’Mei,” Su Minguan’s voice came softly through the door crack, “still there?”

She heard the fatigue in his voice. After saying those two words, he let out a small sneeze.

The steam in the small washroom was misty like a fairyland palace, white smoke seeping through the door crack – those who didn’t know might think there was a family of opium smokers inside.

She laughed and asked: “Why haven’t you rested yet?”

His voice also carried a hint of laughter, pretending to be aggrieved: “I’m also a bit cold. Want to soak for a while.”

This was the truth. Having removed that stern, cold mask, he was just a pampered young master who had caught a chill.

“Achoo.”

Another one.

Lin Yuchan was warm all over and slow to react, only then realizing he was still wet too. The boiler had long since stopped, and the washroom was occupied by her. There was probably only this one wooden tub on the entire ship.

Her face immediately flushed crimson, her body temperature soaring as she said without thinking: “No! You can’t! I, I, I’m not yet…”

“You come out, and then I’ll go in. It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Su Minguan waited until she was flustered, then slowly clarified his intentions.

By the end, he clearly couldn’t hide his laughter and asked knowingly: “What’s not allowed?”

Lin Yuchan gripped the edge of the wooden tub, gritting her teeth hard. Why had she immediately thought of that…

She must have been frozen stupid.

Or maybe the washroom was too small and she was oxygen-deprived.

In any case, she needed to get out quickly.

She answered weakly: “Fine. The water’s still very hot. My clothes are on the bed. Go out for a moment first.”

The washroom is connected to the cabin. Su Minguan probably looked back and said puzzledly, “There are no clothes on the bed.”

Lin Yuchan was surprised, then remembered –

“Oh no. I washed them.”

The journey was long. While others could go months without changing clothes, she preferred to work harder rather than wear smelly ones.

This afternoon at noon, she had just scrubbed her undergarments with soap, but they weren’t dry yet. The fresh outfit she’d put on had then been soaked in the Yangtze and was still dripping muddy water.

Lin Yuchan desperately closed her eyes and reached for that wet, clammy old garment.

Su Minguan, outside, was gloating and laughing for a long time.

Then he knocked on the door: “Open it.”

She hesitated for a long while, carefully hiding underwater with only her head exposed, stretched out her arm, and unlatched the door.

Then quickly shrank back.

The door was pushed open a small crack. A folded bundle of white cloth squeezed through.

The fabric surface had faint, exquisite Western lace with a pattern that seemed familiar.

It was the Western nightgown that Lin Yuchan had ruthlessly abandoned.

She couldn’t help but smile, quickly grabbed it and hung it on the wall, then said unforgivingly: “You did bring it!”

Behind the door, Su Minguan remained silent, as if he found this question too boring.

After a long while, he said: “Put it on.”

His voice unconsciously carried some heat.

Lin Yuchan carefully stepped out of the wooden tub, dried her body, and then felt troubled.

“Actually…”

Su Minguan, separated by that thin door panel, listened to the girl’s slow movements as she bathed inside, his patience repeatedly challenged.

“Hurry up!”

Lin Yuchan didn’t dare to be coy and waste time, saying bashfully: “Actually…”

She thought with a red face, what was there to be afraid of? She was a confident, beautiful young woman of the 21st century – she couldn’t let ancient people drag her backward.

She didn’t dare try some practical things, but just talking about them – did she need to be shy?

So she spoke directly, saying matter-of-factly: “Actually, this dress is too small. If I put it on… hehe, it would be a bit improper.”

Su Minguan: “…”

No wonder she had been so quick to give away this dress back then.

“The dress is too small.” Where was it small? She wasn’t a three-year-old child – how could a dress become unwearable after just one year?

He grew increasingly agitated, steeled himself, turned back to rummage through boxes and trunks, found one of his undergarments, and stuffed it through the door crack.

“Wear this!”

Lin Yuchan held his undergarment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“It’s too big…”

He issued an ultimatum: “I’ll count to three, choose one!”

This girl was currently completely unclothed, talking back and forth with him through the door, only three and a half feet away – how was she managing to think so clearly and remain so composed?!

Lin Yuchan was afraid he might really get angry, so she could only quickly make a choice, wrapping herself in Su Minguan’s undergarment. The front panel almost reached around to her back, then she rolled up the sleeves several layers to expose her wrists and tightly tied the waist sash.

After all, it was cold, so wearing more wasn’t wrong.

Then she gathered up her dirty clothes, lowered her head, and pushed open the door.

In front of her stood a tall, gloomy figure.

She smiled sheepishly: “All done.”

Su Minguan said nothing, staring fixedly at her with dark light in his eyes, like a vivid sculpture, or like the rolling dark clouds before a storm that harbored countless thunderbolts and earthly fires.

Lin Yuchan quietly looked down at herself – she was wrapped quite properly.

The neckline was loose but not low. Below, only her calves were exposed, and she was barefoot. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen this before.

She tentatively took a step to the side.

His throat rolled as he also stepped to block her way, rigid and domineering like a constable about to arrest someone.

Lin Yuchan said quietly: “I… I wiped myself clean before getting in the water, so there’s nothing dirty on me. The water in the tub should be clean, and it’s still hot… mmm…”

Everything went dark before her eyes. Su Minguan pulled her into a tight embrace, his chest muffling her inexplicable chatter.

The girl’s hair was half-dry, smoothed back and obediently clinging to the back of her neck, with a silky smooth texture. Wearing his clothes, separated by a thin layer of cotton cloth, her skin was as soft as tofu, radiating moist heat as if a gentle kiss would make her melt. She had no idea how alluring she looked in this state, yet dared to make him wait so long, imagine so long…

Su Minguan tightened his arms, forcefully feeling that soft body, then suddenly released her, his ears burning red as he fled into the washroom, slamming the door shut with a bang and clicking the latch.

Lin Yuchan stood dazed for a while, touching her cheeks.

Immediately, there was another click as the latch opened, and a bundle of a white nightgown was thrown out.

“Take your things properly.”

His voice was already at the limit of endurance.

Then another click as he locked it again.

She held the little nightgown and secretly smiled.

She wasn’t some saint radiating holy light either. Especially after each life-threatening adventure, an impulse to act recklessly would rise within her, particularly wanting to become a little troublemaker and frolic freely in that rule-heavy iron cage of the Qing Dynasty.

Measuring her limits, teasing him. Watching a man’s blood rush to his head while being unable to do anything about it.

Of course, she regretted it afterward. She knew this was repeatedly jumping on the edge of danger.

But it was also truly thrilling.

She quickly tidied herself up, climbed onto the narrow bed, and was about to extinguish the light when she thought that Su Minguan would need light when he came out, so she left the lamp for him.

She hung the small kerosene lamp on the opposite wall, got into bed, and under the covers, facing inward.

A whole night of tension and danger, rolling around in the turbulent Yangtze River – now that her body had recovered, her nerves were still taut. She changed positions several times on the bed but couldn’t fall asleep.

She drowsily heard the washroom door open and rustling sounds for a while. Su Minguan tidied up the washroom, stood looking in her direction for a while, extinguished the light, placed it on the bedside table, then opened the door and left.

But before long, the door was pushed open again. His footsteps went directly to the bedside, and he sat lightly beside her.

Lin Yuchan held her breath, all her body hair standing on end, not daring to move. She pretended to be fast asleep.

Su Minguan also deliberately controlled his breathing, not wanting to disturb her, and didn’t move either.

Fortunately, after the hot bath, his sneezing had stopped, and his breathing was very steady.

The wall clock ticked evenly, its sound suddenly becoming audible.

The steamship’s cables, tied to the dock – rough, oil-soaked hemp ropes rubbing against stone-hard wooden posts – made creaking sounds. These sounds traveled along the cables, along the ship’s hull, transmitted through solid matter without any loss, directly to the floorboards under Lin Yuchan’s bed and into her ears, making her even more awake.

The Yangtze River had strong winds and waves at night. Ordinary small boats moored at Yanzi Cliff might rock terribly, but Luna, being a steel steamship, just floated quietly with only slight swaying.

This swaying was usually barely noticeable, but now it also became suddenly clear. The narrow bed was like a cradle, carrying Lin Yuchan left and right, making her suddenly realize that maintaining a completely motionless posture in bed was actually quite difficult – she had to exert slight force to maintain balance.

Under the covers, an arm quietly rose to counteract that swaying force.

She felt Su Minguan slightly turn his body, his breathing rhythm suddenly becoming chaotic for a moment.

Blood rushed to her head instantly. He wouldn’t discover she’d been pretending to sleep all along, would he…

On second thought, no – he was the one with a guilty conscience, probably afraid she’d discover he’d been watching from the side all along.

She wasn’t afraid of being watched. Taking a deep breath, she tried to make her breathing frequency approach that of a sleeping person. Slowly, deeply.

But her heartbeat became increasingly rapid. The more she deliberately held her breath, the heavier her breathing became. Finally, she made herself somewhat oxygen-deprived, and finally her throat loosened as she let out a big breath.

This gasping sound was not like deep sleep. She heard Su Minguan stand up somewhat frantically, moving away from her, his breathing gradually fading.

Suddenly, someone, unclear who, let out what seemed like a laugh.

The sound of the clock’s second hand, the steamship’s cable sounds, and the surging water outside suddenly disappeared collectively. Lin Yuchan couldn’t help burying her face in the pillow, giggling nonstop.

He discovered that I discovered that he discovered that I was pretending to sleep…

Su Minguan approached and also softly admitted defeat: “When did you know that I knew that you knew I was there?”

Lin Yuchan couldn’t help turning around to face him, and they both laughed uncontrollably together.

While laughing, she questioned: “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Su Minguan took a deep breath, his eyes faintly glowing in the darkness.

“Where do you want me to go?” He bent down to open her bedding, calmly spreading a mattress on the floor. “The crew bunks are full. Tell me, should I sleep with my head on the brothers’ legs, or should I sleep hugging three snotty-nosed kids?”

Lin Yuchan’s cheeks burned hot, wishing she could bury herself in the pillow and never come out.

As the steam in the cabin gradually dissipated, the icy night seeped in. She wrapped herself tightly in the thick cotton quilt.

A warm, large hand slipped in from under the covers, precisely grasping her wrist and slowly pulling it out.

She instinctively pulled back her hand, but was firmly held by him. Her fingers warmed as he openly kissed her hand once.

Her whole body trembled. The dangerous feeling of crossing boundaries surged into her heart again.

“I…”

“Sleep peacefully.”

Su Minguan tucked the girl’s small hand back under the covers, rolled up a bundle of clothes as a pillow, and curled up to lie on the floor bedding.

Then, as if afraid she might worry, he softly added: “I’m very tired today.”

Lin Yuchan: “…”

What was that supposed to mean?

Many people accustomed to sleeping alone find it difficult to adapt immediately when there’s suddenly someone else breathing nearby.

Lin Yuchan belonged to this type. Lying with her eyes closed, unable to sleep, listening to the steady breathing of the man beside her, her whole body rose with a stress-induced vigilant heat, as if her ancestors from tens of thousands of years ago were warning her across time and space: Don’t sleep, run!

Lin Yuchan turned over, half-opened her eyes, looked at that tall, curled-up figure on the ground, and silently told her not-quite-fully-evolved instinctive consciousness: It’s okay, he’s not from a neighboring tribe coming to eat people.

However, if instincts were that easy to fool, they wouldn’t be called instincts.

She tossed and turned for a long time, finally waking Su Minguan as well.

“A’Mei…”

He sat up, his voice weary, asking gently: “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yuchan felt very sorry. He had already been tired all day, and she had woken him up.

She said it was nothing and resolved never to turn over again.

But Su Minguan couldn’t sleep either. After hesitating for a long time, he sat on the edge of the bed and lowered his head to brush the hair by her ear.

“The sound of the cables and ropes is very harsh,” he said softly, “transmitted through the floorboards to my ears, amplified many times over.”

Lin Yuchan didn’t make a sound.

“The floor is too cold; that thin bedding can’t block the cold at all.”

“And I can’t stretch my legs – my feet are going numb.”

The grassroots boat boss who had been commanding with majestic authority just last night, holding a gun and directing the victorious great escape, was now complaining pitifully, one complaint after another, clearly transformed back into a pampered Princess and the Pea.

Lin Yuchan couldn’t stand his soft voice, reluctantly squirming toward the wall to make room for half the bed.

It was just the width of an outstretched arm.

After all, she had a share in this rescue plan. The ship’s sudden population increase had left Boss Su with nowhere to go, and she bore some responsibility for that, too.

If she hadn’t been able to board this steamship, if Su Minguan had faced the choice of whether to save people alone…

She didn’t want to think about it further and slowly lifted a corner of the quilt.

Su Minguan immediately stopped his nagging and was silent for a long while before asking with feigned casualness in a low voice: “Really?”

Lin Yuchan thought to herself: Keep pretending.

Aloud, she said sweetly, “Aren’t you very tired? Sleep quickly. I won’t disturb you.”

He immediately obeyed, carefully slipping under the covers.

Almost immediately, he touched a slightly cool arm. The steam passenger cabin was cramped, and the bed was too small even for him alone. The little girl pressed against the wall, pretending to be a portrait painting, but couldn’t hide the curves of her body.

His breathing immediately became heavy, his body warming bit by bit. The arm touching him seemed particularly cold.

She even spoke in a relaxed tone, cheerfully giving bedtime reminders: “Just sleeping, okay? You’re not allowed to do anything else.”

“Okay.”

Su Minguan agreed in a low voice, turned to cradle the back of her head, and restrainedly kissed her forehead, ending this chaotic night.

Then he closed his eyes and lay flat for half a minute.

“Tell me,” he spoke again, suddenly laughing low with a somewhat curious tone, turning his head to ask by her ear: “What other things do you think could be done?”

Lin Yuchan’s ears instantly heated up.

Was he testing her?!

Or could it be that he didn’t know?!