After a fifteen-minute drive, the car arrived at a public beach area down the mountain. It was perfect sunny weather—on the azure sea surface were sailboats and yachts, white waves rolled up by jet skis speeding past. Quite a few people on the beach, playing volleyball or sunbathing, wearing sunglasses and bikinis. Sea breeze blowing, water light dappled, palm trees lined up in rows. Looking at it lifted one’s mood. But Zang Siming wouldn’t let her off at the beach entrance. He said he was going to park at the pier. She’d already unbuckled her seatbelt. Hearing this, she replied: “It’s not like parking on the side isn’t allowed here. After you park at the pier, I still have to walk back over myself.”

“Then don’t come over. Come play on my yacht.”

After speaking, he accelerated, laughing: “Clearing your head means clearing it this way.”

This psycho, casually changing other people’s itineraries.

So even after the car later docked at the pier, Long Qi didn’t follow him. After getting out of the car, she still walked toward the beach direction, messaging Jin Yiken while walking, telling him to detour to the public beach on his return route to pick her up.

Besides rows of docked yachts at the pier, there were also two or three old men with long fishing rods.

Jin Yiken, this nightclub king, was oddly interested in this kind of cultivating and character-building elderly leisure activity of fishing. He used to organize trips with Si Bolin when bored, taking her and Wuzi to a wild lake for fishing. But there were so many mosquitoes there—within half an hour, several mosquito bites appeared on her legs. She was so displeased on the spot that she clawed four or five nail marks into Jin Yiken’s hand, making Si Bolin click his tongue in amazement. So after that, he behaved—when fishing, he didn’t bring her; when bringing her, he didn’t fish. Each time going lonely and returning lonely. Thinking about it now, he was quite pitiful. So passing by the old man, her steps slowed. She wanted to ask what fish could be caught here, thinking that since they’d have free time coming up anyway, she’d spend a day accompanying Jin Yiken fishing.

The message on her phone wasn’t finished editing yet. Her fingers were typing. After typing the last period, she pressed send, preparing to ask the old man. But Zang Siming’s hand just happened to reach over at this moment, swooping away her phone with a whoosh.

Long Qi immediately turned her head. The phone spun in his palm, smoothly sliding into his beach shorts pocket. He walked toward the yacht without looking back.

“Are you sick?” she immediately said, “Give it back.”

“Clearing your head but still playing with your phone? I’ve got girls and drinks there. Come on my boat and you’ll have a good time.”

“I’m not going. I have an audition soon.”

“Then you should go even more. That kind of obviously predetermined process should be skipped. Let’s see if that ancestor dares to choose Xu Yifen.”

“Go to hell with your bullshit logic.” Long Qi replied, following him with quickened steps, irritated. “Zang Siming! Give back the phone!”

But Zang Siming walked with long strides, quickly and leisurely arriving at the yacht docking area. It was a medium-sized three-level yacht. Quite a few people walking around on deck, both men and women. Just approaching the stern, she heard deafening electronic music. She didn’t think much at that moment. On the third step after following Zang Siming onto the boat, she finally kicked his leg. He grinned and handed her the phone. At the same time, he blew a loud whistle. The deck shook. Long Qi cursed “damn it” in her heart. One hand grasping the railing, the other hand held by Zang Siming. She watched helplessly as the pier moved two meters away from her, getting farther and farther. Below, seawater gushed white bubbles. She turned around and elbowed his chest: “Are your ears deaf! I said I have an audition!”

“It’s fine. I’ll send you back when the time comes.”

His tone was relaxed, looking triumphant and mischievous. Then he turned back, whistling to summon the whole boat. Men and women on this level including the two levels above all poked their heads out. He raised his arms, exaggeratedly pointing at her: “Look who’s on my boat!”

The girls were all young, hot little models, quite a few with familiar faces. The men were all Zang Siming’s drinking buddies. As their gazes looked her way, the bros immediately cheered and applauded. Someone on the second floor even opened champagne, foam spraying toward her. She turned her head away, blocking with her hand. A man shouted: “Awesome, Young Master Zang! You even got this big Buddha to come!”

“Don’t you owe me three bottles of Lafite?”

Zang Siming pointed at that man.

So she knew he’d been betting with people beforehand. No wonder he insisted on pulling her onto the boat. Really gave him plenty of face. But his wariness of Jin Yiken was still there. He quickly followed with: “Flirting is okay, don’t actually pursue! My bro’s girl. My uncle also has his eye on her.”

Based on that last sentence, she elbowed his waist again. He laughed playfully. At this moment, a person walked out onto the second-floor terrace, arms folded, slowly leaning against the railing. Girls beside her all moved aside, boys also moved to the side. Someone specifically reminded Zang Siming. Long Qi followed him in looking up. The sunlight was scorching. She used her hand to shade her forehead. After a while, she finally saw clearly through the intense glare the person standing on the second floor. In that second, a wordless cold laugh inside her heart. Zang Siming shouted to that person: “Having fun today, big sister? Made you wait long?”

Second floor—Jian Yizhen propped herself up with her hands, half-indifferently replying: “I see you’re having quite a good time yourself.”

After Zang Siming withdrew his gaze, he met Long Qi’s eyes. In Long Qi’s eyes was silently: “Don’t tell me you’re pursuing her?” Zang Siming tilted his head, an attitude of “Yes, she’s exactly my type.”

This circle was truly fantastical.

Going up to the second floor, she discovered this wasn’t even the most fantastical part. The most fantastical part was that Lu Feng was also there—that guy who’d previously tried to harass Dong Xi at the nightclub.

The second floor was a KTV private room equipped with a bar. On the central round table were dazzling arrays of chilled foreign liquor. He was sitting with legs crossed on a curved leather sofa, two girls in bikinis sitting beside him, drinking quite energetically. He lifted his forehead to exchange an eye-contact greeting with Zang Siming. Jian Yizhen leaned against the terrace area, half-smiling, languid and arrogant, watching Long Qi coming upstairs with arms folded behind Zang Siming.

Well, really gathered all her enemies from various periods together.

After Long Qi took a seat on the leather sofa, Jian Yizhen also sat in the main seat across from her. Zang Siming immediately stuck to her side, calling her “big sister” with every word, pouring her drinks and serving her fruit, looking like a loyal little lapdog. Probably didn’t know that Jian Yizhen had thrown herself at Jin Yiken’s father. But Long Qi felt that given Zang Siming’s character, even if he knew, he’d still pursue her enthusiastically—might even be more enthusiastic than now.

He figured if you rounded off, wouldn’t he become Jin Yiken’s stepfather?

Since the last MV scene-stealing incident, she hadn’t bothered to inquire about those trivial old gossips about Jian Yizhen and Fan Mi. Only knew that at the beginning of the year, some magazine had leaked about her affairs with Ban Wei’s company CEO. But it didn’t stir up much of a splash either. That was that. Just didn’t expect she’d now start connecting with young second-generation circles like Zang Siming.

But thinking about Zang Xipu behind Zang Siming, she felt it made sense. Jian Yizhen was indeed that kind of person—following the shade to find big trees.

Long Qi didn’t produce any dialogue with her.

Their gazes met once, neither greeted each other. Zang Siming smelled the sparks, found it interesting, immediately poured drinks preparing to stir things up. At this moment, another person came down from the yacht’s third-floor terrace. A guy with dreadlocks, looking in his early twenties, about five foot ten in height, thin, darker complexion, eyes drowsily squinting as he came over. One hand in pocket, yawning while walking, like he’d just woken from a nap. Zang Siming raised his hand, greeting him with “YO.” He only responded with his nostrils, also quite arrogant. His gaze swept across the row of girls on the sofa, fixing on Long Qi for a moment. But strangely, a row of girls beside her suddenly all had somewhat obscure, unclear expressions. Even Jian Yizhen’s complexion changed. She heard her ask Zang Siming: “Why’d you let him come?”

Long Qi looked over imperceptibly.

The Zang Siming who’d been like a loyal dog the previous second, hearing this line, looked at Jian Yizhen. Still smiling on his face, but his eyes held knives: “Big sister, this is my boat. That’s my buddy. Whoever I want to come can come. Whoever I want to get lost can get lost.”

Jian Yizhen’s face turned pale then red. Zang Siming used a Swiss knife to spear a piece of honeydew, smiling as he offered it to her.

Jian Yizhen ate it.

Zang Siming then speared another piece. When offering it to Long Qi’s side, she flatly said: “Get lost.”

Zang Siming had one thing in common with Jin Yiken—loved hearing her curse.

He smiled even more happily than before, eating the honeydew himself. The guy just happened to take a seat, sitting next to Zang Siming. Jian Yizhen inconspicuously moved aside some. Zang Siming used the Swiss knife tip to point at Long Qi, introducing to the guy: “Long Qi, big star, my friend.”

Then pointing in reverse at the guy, introducing to her: “Yu Peng, my childhood friend. Just dropped out from Canada and came back. Beat up a professor, got deported. Lifetime entry ban.”

His tone introducing these few sentences was like praising someone. Not one of the girls present made a sound, exchanging glances. Even Lu Feng didn’t say much, silently drinking. Yu Peng’s gaze was quite sharp, constantly staring at Long Qi. After Zang Siming finished introducing, yawning, he asked: “How much?”

“What?” Zang Siming turned his head.

“How much to sleep with her once?” He raised his hand, pointing toward Long Qi.

Click.

Long Qi’s palm loosened. The phone she was holding just fell onto the glass table. She swept back her hair, folded her arms, leaned back against the sofa, looking at Yu Peng. The storm brewing on her face—Zang Siming immediately stood up with an O-shaped mouth: “Whoa whoa whoa whoa, hey this opening line works. Long Qi don’t, don’t get angry. He’s joking…”

“The money I make in a year is enough for your parents to send you abroad to study until old age, letting you rack up a global entry-ban VIP. But I’m afraid spending a whole year’s money still wouldn’t teach you how to be a decent human being and speak properly. Using objectification of women as a joke—how low do you think everyone present’s mentality must be to find it funny?”

Long Qi said.

Zang Siming looked toward her.

After pausing for two seconds, he immediately clapped in a fake manner, praising her for saying it well, saying it was interesting. Patting Yu Peng’s shoulder, telling him to properly listen to Teacher Long’s lecture. Then the drinking buddies around were all driven to applaud, from sparse at first to an explosive carnival later. False and exaggerated. But couldn’t help that the atmosphere was still stiff. Girls looked and listened, their pouring movements all cautious, afraid to make any sound that would attract attention. Yu Peng from beginning to end crossed his legs. After Zang Siming repeatedly patted his shoulder, he laughed noncommittally.

Long Qi stood up.

Zang Siming followed behind her, asking where she was going. Without looking back, she headed to the yacht’s third level: “I don’t want to know any of your dog-meat friends. I’m going to sleep.”

“It’s so lively, you’re going to sleep?”

“Zang Siming, I’m laying it out for you now,” she held the handrail and turned around. “In one hour, the boat must dock. Otherwise, I’ll have Jin Yiken come pick me up. Then you can do the explaining. I don’t mind telling him everything I heard today. And I’m going to the third floor to sleep now. So from now on, not a single person should disturb me. Especially that guy surnamed Yu—you keep him one floor away from me.”

“So domineering.” Zang Siming had both hands in his pockets, smiling faintly.

She waved her hand and went upstairs.

So annoying.

The third floor was a terrace with a sunshade layer, with two leather lounge chairs and an outdoor small pool.

The yacht had already left shore thousands of meters away. The public beach had become a line in the distance. People playing had become clusters of black dots. On the other side was an endless blue ocean surface, flashing with light, blindingly bright. Men and women on the first-floor deck frolicked to electronic music. Zang Siming’s group on the second floor was clinking glasses. Noisy and restless. After she went up to the third floor, she unlocked her phone, flipping through her contacts to find Chen Shan’s saved number.

Two days ago, that fight this girl had with Zang Siming, and the “he’s sick” that slipped out after that fight—after the unpleasant exchange with that group just now, it quietly entered her mind. Somewhat instinctive, also somewhat vigilant. Anyway, she just wanted to ask. She found Chen Shan’s number and sent a message.

——You said before that Zang Siming is sick. Was that just angry talk, or is there something going on?

Five minutes after sending, she didn’t receive a reply from Chen Shan.

Thinking maybe this girl didn’t give her a commonly used phone number. After spinning the phone in her palm over ten times, she also felt she might be overthinking. Didn’t continue worrying about it. Lay on the lounge chair for over ten minutes. After that, really started feeling drowsy. The electronic music by her ears, with the drowsiness intensifying, sank deeper and deeper, getting lighter and lighter. Just approaching sleep, there was a tap sound at the stairway. Someone coming upstairs, waking her.

Turned her head to look—her gaze met Yu Peng’s like fire and water. Sighed inwardly. The words she’d dropped to Zang Siming were indeed like farts. Propped herself up to sit. Yu Peng’s hands held a pot of tea and two cups filled with tea. When Long Qi looked at him a second time, his gaze moved toward the other lounge chair. She looked over. In the corner of the lounge chair was a phone. So he’d come to get a forgotten phone. The yacht smoothly traveled on the sea surface. He took a seat on the neighboring lounge chair, placing the teapot and cups on the small table in the middle. One cup for himself, one cup moved toward her. Then looked up, staring at her.

“I really didn’t know you before. Really thought you were that kind of girl who just has a celebrity title. Using tea instead of alcohol, let me apologize. Sorry. Will you do me the honor?”

He said.

While speaking, his hands braced on both sides, head tilted.

…

Meaning he wanted her to drink the tea.

Long Qi propped her face: “No need for tea. I accept. I want to rest now. How about you do me the honor and give me some private space?”

“Can’t do that. You have to drink.”

Yu Peng said, pursing his lips.

“I don’t want to drink.”

Yu Peng’s expression didn’t change much. He said: “Then I’ll drink.”

After speaking, he really picked up the tea. First drained his cup in three gulps, then picked up her cup. When drinking, his mouth didn’t touch the rim—just held it up and poured it into his mouth. Also three gulps to finish. Cup placed back on the table surface. Refilled her cup, gestured please.

“You girls have high vigilance, don’t casually drink things strangers give. Now can you relax?”

He said.

Long Qi looked at him without a word.

“Just seeking peace of mind. I’m like this—especially into formalities. After you drink, I’ll go downstairs.”

…

“Fine,” after a long while, she finally said. “But I don’t want to drink from this pot. I want peach juice.”

Before Yu Peng could move, she pressed the service bell by the lounge chair: “No need for you to move. I’ll have someone deliver it.”

In less than three minutes, the yacht’s service staff quickly delivered the peach juice.

After the service staff left, without waiting for Yu Peng’s invitation, she picked up the glass and drank. Drained the whole glass. Then turned it upside down on the table surface. Wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Tilted her forehead toward the stairway entrance: “There. Honored you. Can I rest now?”

Yu Peng’s head still tilted, smiling.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yes.” She replied instantly. “More handsome than you and smarter than you.”

Yu Peng made an “O” with his mouth, smiling.

Standing up, he said: “Won’t you see me out?”

Rolled her eyes at him with her back turned. But she still stood up, wanting to quickly get rid of him. Yu Peng walked ahead of her with hands in pockets. Seeing him off at the stairway entrance, he turned around again: “What a shame. I quite like you. Does your boyfriend mind you having another pursuer?”

Found it annoying.

“Whether my boyfriend minds is one thing. I min—”

But saying this far, her head suddenly felt dizzy. The words at her lips paused.

Something was wrong.

At the same time, heartbeat accelerated, ears burning. Then her legs also suddenly went soft. Yu Peng was watching. Just as she instinctively grasped the railing, Yu Peng gently extended his arm, silently scooping her up horizontally in the direction she was falling. Long hair hanging down under his arm. Eyes spinning. At that moment, her chest was very tight, filled with a kind of psychological panic and drug-induced “heat.” Like asthma, urgently making gasping sounds. Grabbing Yu Peng’s collar wanting to ask what he’d done, but her mouth couldn’t say a single complete word. As he placed her on the lounge chair, his forehead pressed against her forehead. Hot breath blowing on her face: “Those girls with high vigilance all ended up drinking my water. Do you know how much money it takes to buy off a service staff?”

While speaking, his hand slid down, exploring into her waist, reaching under her bra. The other hand made a “rip” sound unbuckling his own belt. Also pressing by her ear saying: “Tell your boyfriend I really like your little temper and the fragrance on your underwear.”

This beast!

But her whole body was as soft as if injected with anesthetic. Even if her arms were blocking between them, she had no usable strength at all. The three words “Zang Siming” rubbed at her throat. Couldn’t call out. Couldn’t send a distress message. The vast sea endless. She was on the yacht’s third level. In the center of the near sea. Above the heads of over a hundred people celebrating and clinking glasses. Just like this, pressed beneath Yu Peng. She’d never felt such despair. Not even when bullied by Gu Mingdong had she felt this kind of fear. She heard Zang Siming’s attentive “big sisters” downstairs. Upstairs, Yu Peng was sucking hickeys on her neck. Sucking all the way, kissing all the way down. “Rip”—tore open her outer garment. Technique practiced and skillful. Also had a fetish-like tendency to use his right hand to press her neck. Containing a strong desire for control. Just as he lowered his head to figure out how to undo her hot pants button, she finally caught a breath. Coughed. Then used all her strength to turn her head. In the moment of his carelessness, lowered her head to bite his tiger’s mouth area.

Bit hard.

Instantly bit his tiger’s mouth area until it bled. Yu Peng surprisingly didn’t cry out. Withdrew his hand like getting an electric shock. But immediately turned into a real beast. He said “fuck.” After glancing at the bleeding tiger’s mouth area, his other hand swung back to hit her face.

Very hard. Immediately a bloody taste in her mouth. Her body was struck sideways. Hair covering her cheeks. But this beast still didn’t feel satisfied. Grabbed her shoulder. Knee forcefully jabbed her abdomen: “You fucking dare bite me!”

She groaned dully.

Yu Peng still wasn’t satisfied. Still wanted to choke her.

At this moment, her hand grabbed the cup on the table, randomly smashing forward. Glass shattered between her palm and his forehead. Both sides bleeding. Yu Peng covered his forehead and stepped back. Long Qi fell from the lounge chair onto the deck. She used the remaining three parts of strength to prop herself up to stand, grabbing the phone on the table. Staggering toward the stairway entrance.

Yu Peng followed from behind.

Her foot twisted. Didn’t grasp the handle. She directly fell from the third floor to the second floor. Shoulder hit the ground. A thud. The group of men and women competing in drinking games on the second floor were finally interrupted. Looking here. Immediately a girl cried out. And as Yu Peng with his bleeding forehead and hands came down, the screaming grew louder. But not a single person came up to help her. All backed away. Backed away in ripple patterns. Jian Yizhen also stood up and shrank back. Long Qi’s whole body hurt.

Face hurt, shoulder hurt, abdomen kicked by Yu Peng also hurt. Hurt more and more. Hurt until she couldn’t stand. Knees curled up. Yu Peng reached behind her. Oblivious to the dozens of people on this level, he squatted down. Grabbed her arm and lifted her upper body. Said in a low voice: “You see who dares touch you?”

“Zang Si…”

She used her last hoarse voice to call.

A bathroom door on one side opened with a “click.” Zang Siming came out from inside. One hand in pocket. Following everyone’s gaze, he looked over.

Then Long Qi heard him curse lowly: “Holy shit.”

“Out of everyone you could fuck with, you fuck with her?!”

His words smashed toward Yu Peng. Yu Peng remained impassive. Zang Siming’s next action was to glare toward the crowd scattered in ripple patterns on the other side. Shouting in a low voice: “All of you go down to the deck below!”

The group looked at Long Qi, then looked at each other. Zang Siming didn’t give them time to react. Shouted a second time: “I said go down!”

Very loud. Shouted until several girls’ shoulders shook. The crowd walked one by one toward the stairs leading to the first-floor deck. Jian Yizhen too. As she left, she kept looking back. At that moment, Long Qi had no strength left to seek help from her. Yu Peng held her while playfully choking her neck. Sometimes applying force, sometimes not. She cyclically breathed, gasped, coughed. After everyone left, Zang Siming walked over. Dropped a low line: “She can’t have an incident on my boat. Fuck! I told you—on the entire boat, only she can’t be touched! At least on my boat you can’t touch her!”

“Don’t interfere.”

Long Qi’s arm received upward pulling force. Yu Peng stood up, roughly dragging her toward the third floor: “Already fucked around, finish fucking then talk.”

“Do you know who I have to answer to when I get off the boat!”

Zang Siming punched Yu Peng’s shoulder. Yu Peng let go. Long Qi’s body hit the ground again. Phone slid from her palm. Screen facing up. A beep. Chen Shan’s message, after over twenty minutes, jumped onto the screen.

Her breath was faint as a thread.

…

——It’s angry talk, but not entirely. Whether Zang Siming is sick, I’m not sure. In his circle, there’s a friend who plays with him a lot, surnamed Yu. Heard this person is an HIV carrier.

Looking over, her palm was silently bleeding. The phone body also had blood on it. Then Chen Shan’s second message arrived in a supplementary tone.

——Also known as AIDS.

…

Staring at this second message. Breathing. Eyes illuminated by the phone light. Scalp tingling. Teeth slightly trembling. The yacht swayed with the slight rise and fall of the sea surface. Her heart directly sank to the deepest, coldest seabed. Neck stiffening. Above her head, Zang Siming asked in a low voice: “How far did you just get with her?”

Yu Peng raised his hand, pointing toward his own bleeding forehead, then pointing toward her palm.

“Not much different.”

She covered her increasingly painful lower abdomen. At the same time, also hid the phone under her body.

After listening, Zang Siming said nothing. Didn’t hit Yu Peng again either. Stepped back a few paces, covering his face, pacing back and forth in the room. Like thinking about something. Thinking quickly. But after his brain worked at high speed, he still exploded. Fiercely kicked the coffee table: “Fuck!! This won’t work!”

She silently pressed the voice memo function on her phone. Whole body aching in waves. Groaned lightly.

Zang Siming glared at Yu Peng: “She has backing! She’s my bro’s woman! That person I fucking can’t handle! Right now I fucking can’t explain either!”

“Then don’t explain.”

Yu Peng said.

Very calm, very practiced voice. Lighter clicked once. He lit a cigarette expressionlessly. Took a drag. Hand in pocket.

“After she got on the boat, she disappeared. Over a hundred people on the boat—can you watch each one? Besides, did anyone see her get on the boat? She might not have gotten on the boat at all.”

Long Qi listened. Heart turning cold.

“What do you mean?” Zang Siming asked.

“Know how many people drown in these waters every year?”

With this line from Yu Peng, Zang Siming understood. Face turning pale: “You want to go this far?”

“I suggest you go downstairs first. Explain things to those below.”

Yu Peng was extremely calm. After finishing the second drag, he added: “Also, I want to fuck her on the third floor. Don’t let people come up and bother me. After that, I’ll handle it myself.”

These words—casual yet earth-shattering.

As the words fell, Yu Peng walked over. Long Qi’s left arm received pulling force again. He now didn’t treat her as a living person at all. Just dragged her toward the stairs. Right hand rubbing on the floor. Passing the coffee table leg, she weakly grabbed it. He squatted to hold her upper body, pinching her wrist and forcibly prying it open. She leaned powerlessly in Yu Peng’s embrace. Only hoping Zang Siming still had even a little bit of conscience. But Zang Siming didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just watched her with furrowed brows. Watched her pried-open hand fall to the ground. Leaving a trail on the carpet.

…

Going up the stairs, she grabbed the railing again. Groaning dully in pain. Had a choked sound. Yu Peng simply hoisted her entire body up. Abdomen against his shoulder. Coughing. Arms and long hair hanging down softly. Hoarse voice calling: “Jin Yi…”

“Is that your boyfriend’s name?”

Yu Peng flatly echoed: “Jin Yi? How do you write it?”

“Scum…”

Up to the third floor. Plopped down on the lounge chair with a thud. Lower abdomen hurt like tearing. Covering the present despair and fear. She lay on her side, tightly covering her abdomen. Hurt until her face turned pale, all lip color lost. Yu Peng said: “Acting what? Weren’t you so tough?”

Hand moved below her. But when undoing the button, suddenly paused. He stared at her lower body, then looked up at her.

“I don’t think this is necessary!”

Zang Siming finally came upstairs at this moment.

Yu Peng looked up. He looked at the lounge chair, from Long Qi’s upper body to lower body. Stunned. Yu Peng stood up. Zang Siming immediately reacted. Punched his chin: “You fucking beast! You even run red lights! Are you still human!”

“I fucking haven’t touched her yet!”

When these two tangled together fighting each other, Long Qi hurt so much she rolled from the lounge chair to the ground. Forehead sweating coldly. Hair stuck to the side of her neck. Bit her lower lip until it bled. Looking down, couldn’t distinguish whether the several pools of blood on the ground flowed from below or from her palms. At this moment, she saw a waterproof universal phone case someone had left under the lounge chair.

Reached out her arm. Struggled to get it. Took the phone from her pocket and stuffed it into the waterproof case.

Then climbed up using the table to stand. Zang Siming and Yu Peng were grappling behind her. Her body like a dead tree, swaying precariously in the sea wind. Vision blurred. Every step twisting. Expressionlessly walking toward the yacht’s edge.

Body sitting on the edge railing. Back to the vast sea. Zang Siming just happened to glance over. Forcefully pushed Yu Peng away: “Long Qi what are you doing?”

At that moment she couldn’t see Zang Siming. Couldn’t see Yu Peng either.

What she saw was only two hours ago—using his hand to steady her swing, forehead pressed to forehead, eyes meeting, smiling as he spoke to her—Jin Yiken.

——After they all leave, I’ll extend the villa booking for another week. You stay. Let’s properly have a vacation. Don’t you want to buy a house? It’s warm in winter and cool in summer here, reasonable housing prices. I know some good properties. This week we’ll go look at houses.

Really wanted to go look at houses with him.

…

The waterproof case’s cord wound around her arm round and round. Tied a dead knot. Phone screen showed still recording. Zang Siming saw it. Face deathly pale. Yu Peng also saw it. Wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth and stood up.

“Long Qi don’t…” Zang Siming reached out toward her. “I promise to dock. I won’t let him touch you. Don’t… Fuck, don’t sit up higher! What do you want to do, Long Qi!”

Her hair half stuck to her body, half weakly flying in the sea wind. Continued moving toward the yacht’s edge. Said softly: “I don’t trust you.”

“Then what do you want to do! Come down!”

Zang Siming roared.

She gripped the phone. Brought it to her mouth.

“…Jin Yiken.” Called his name. Paused because of the pain throughout her body. Coughed lightly.

…

“The person who forced me to death is called Yu Peng.”

…

“Zang Siming is an accomplice.”

…

“I love you, but…”

The following words weren’t spoken. Blood from her palm covered the waterproof case. She stared wide-eyed. Tears silently fell.

Then looked toward Zang Siming and Yu Peng in front of her: “You two…”

…

“Carry my life on your backs for a lifetime.”

Words fell. Pressed the lock screen. Gave up the footing below. Body centerless, leaning backward. Sea wind blowing against her. Long hair swept past her cheeks. Heard a group of people on the deck screaming. Zang Siming almost at the instant of her suicide cursed “fuck.” His desperately extended arm couldn’t grasp her body. Then he propped up his body, crossed over the ship’s railing, and jumped into the sea following her!