Chapter 83: Lost Song of the Deep (10)
It was getting dark.
Only a few slivers of light came through the clouds, reflecting off the dark water and dividing the sea into light and dark patches.
For dinner, Ye Nianchu picked the best spot with the best view.
Under the light, the red wine in Qin Mubai's glass had a soft glow. The color of the wine highlighted his pale skin, creating a striking contrast.
His eyes were lowered, his movements graceful, and his long lashes cast shadows.
The cool sea breeze carried the sound of the waves.
There was food, and the view was beautiful.
This was how the evening should be!
Ye Nianchu sighed to herself, took a small sip of wine, and enjoyed the moment.
Plop—
The sea splashed.
Something had fallen.
No one else in the restaurant seemed to notice.
But the two of them were close enough to spot the splash immediately.
Ye Nianchu stood up and looked down but saw nothing but the ripples fading away.
The sea was deep and dark, and the clouds were gathering. A strong sense of unease grew in her heart.
---
The two missing tourists were never found, and the ship’s announcements became warnings to stay safe and be careful of the storm.
Only the families of the missing tourists were truly concerned.
They asked to contact the shore station for help.
Under pressure, the Goni* finally announced that the ship's communication equipment had broken and was being repaired, so tourists should not worry.
They assured everyone that the route was safe and the weather had been fine for a while.
The Goni had a good reputation.
Most tourists thought the Wi-Fi was just down temporarily. As for the two missing people, they were assumed to have fallen into the sea by accident. After some sighs, people didn’t think much about it.
A few worried tourists decided to stay in their rooms and skipped the ship's ball scheduled for two days later.
---
It was eleven o'clock again.
Today was oddly normal, with no fog or the strange sleep-inducing sound.
The cruise ship was lit up.
Ye Nianchu didn’t take any chances. She and Qin Mubai stayed in the same room, turned off the lights, and watched from the window.
The night passed without any problems.
The same thing happened for the next two days.
On game day nine, dark clouds covered the sky, creating a thick gray curtain.
The clouds were so low it felt like you could touch them. The sky was gray, not the clear blue it had been before.
It was raining at sea.
The storm was growing stronger.
Ye Nianchu kept track of the ship’s news.
The ship's Wi-Fi still wasn’t working, and as an apology, each room received a free dessert from the paid restaurant.
“When will the Wi-Fi be fixed?” Ye Nianchu asked the waiter who brought the dessert.
“Ms. Ye, I’m really sorry, but I can’t say when it will be fixed,” the waiter said with a professional smile. “Our staff is working on it. Please excuse us for the inconvenience.”
“Is everything okay?” Ye Nianchu’s worry was clear. “Someone has disappeared before.”
The waiter reassured her, “Don’t worry. The people who disappeared have come back. They’re probably in the medical office for a checkup.”
The missing people have returned?
No, something was wrong.
Ye Nianchu acted surprised, “They came back on their own?”
The bespectacled Qin Mubai was also a bit surprised.
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*The “Goni” is the name of the cruise ship central to the story's events.