Du Lai needed money.

On shore, there were several young ones waiting for him to support, and he still needed to save up for little Miao’s surgery fees. Working as a magician on a cruise ship was already the most glamorous job he could find.

Five million was tempting, but if he lost his life and dragged down those few little ones, no matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t worth it.

Although Du Lai told the other party verbally that he needed to think it over, in his heart he had already quietly declined that deal.

He liked money, but he valued his life even more.

Fortunately, today wasn’t a complete loss. That domineering and willful young miss, though irritating, was quite generous with her money — after coaxing her into a good mood, she had given him a hundred thousand in tips right then and there.

A hundred thousand…

Du Lai suddenly found her utterly adorable.

He lay on the narrow single bed in his cabin, holding up his phone and checking his account balance, calculating in his mind that if he kept at it for a few more years, he’d have enough saved to buy a big house and stop drifting out at sea.

The wind and waves outside were gradually growing stronger.

Just lying there, he could clearly feel the pitching of the swells. Du Lai’s cabin had no window, so he couldn’t see outside — but it must have already turned into a raging storm out at sea.

He thought no more about it, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

……

The next day, at seven-thirty in the morning, someone knocked on Du Lai’s door.

Du Lai rarely got up early, since most of his performances were in the late evening and even the earliest show didn’t start until noon. Being woken up like this genuinely irritated him — but when he opened the door——

Two burly men in black, blocking the narrow hallway at his door solidly.

Du Lai: “……”

One second later, his face arranged itself into a professional smile, and he politely asked: “May I ask — what can I do for you?”

“Our young miss is inviting you to breakfast.”

“……”

An invitation one could not refuse.

Unless he wanted to be thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

……

The young miss’s luxury suite was more than ten times larger than his little cabin — bright and spacious, refined and lavish. A six-person dining table was placed by the floor-to-ceiling sea-view glass windows, allowing diners to enjoy the beautiful ocean scenery while eating.

It was a pity that outside right now the sky was rolling with dark clouds, with no beautiful view to speak of.

The moment the young miss saw Du Lai, she broke into a smile and waved at him: “Du Lai, come sit down~”

Du Lai smiled and gave a slight bow, then walked over and sat down in the seat across from the young miss.

In the seat to his right sat a golden cage, and inside the cage sat a monkey — it was Bobbie.

It had been washed and groomed, its fur fluffy and fragrant, with an extravagant bow tied around its neck.

Du Lai: “……”

He hadn’t expected that one day he would actually be sitting at the same table as a monkey.

“Alice made a fuss all night long and wouldn’t listen at all,” the young miss said with an annoyed expression. “Screeching and carrying on like an ordinary monkey — so boring.”

Wasn’t that perfectly normal? Suddenly separated from her original owner, an animal was bound to exhibit behavioral changes.

Du Lai naturally wouldn’t say this out loud. He smiled graciously and said: “With such a delicious breakfast, one needs to be in a good mood. Allow me to offer you a rose, wishing the young miss to be forever as beautiful and lovely as a rose.”

His fingers fluttered, and a red rose appeared in his palm from thin air, causing the girl before him to blink in surprise.

Producing a flower from an empty hand was the most basic of basics for a magician — nothing novel at all. But paired with Du Lai’s effortlessly smooth flattery, the effect was always remarkably good.

The young miss beamed with delight as expected, taking the rose and saying: “How did you make that appear? So fun! Much more interesting than the monkey!”

The smile at the corner of Du Lai’s mouth stiffened slightly as he reluctantly accepted this compliment.

“I have a gift for you too!” the young miss suddenly declared.

Hearing this, the smile at the corner of Du Lai’s mouth deepened.

If she gave him another hundred thousand, he couldn’t ask for anything more~