Case Files Chapter 67: Fright Aboard the Cruise Ship (1)

Translated by Vivian of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

 

Lu YunYang arrived at Guan Jin’s apartment early in the morning, and when he looked up, he saw Guan Jin dressed neatly and holding his suitcase, standing in front of the door. He had been staring straight at the stairs, and when he saw Lu YunYang appear, his eyes lit up.

Lu YunYang rubbed his temples helplessly. “Say, Little Jin, you didn’t start waiting here yesterday night, did you?”

“How could I be that stupid? We agreed on seven o’clock, so this is called punctuality.” Guan Jin pointed at his wristwatch.

“Your eagerness in preparing for this Hawaii voyage will make me misunderstand that you’re accepting my feelings and are willing to become lovers with me.” Lu YunYang’s expression was a little puzzled.

“It’s just a misunderstanding. I’m only interested in the cruise, not you.”

Lu YunYang examined him for a while before suddenly asking, “Did you bring warm clothing?”

“Hm?” Guan Jin looked at his suitcase. “We’re going to Hawaii, not Antarctica.”

“We’re bound to pass through non-tropical areas, and it’s late autumn right now, so the seas are stormy, and it’s very cold.”

“No need.” Guan Jin started walking down the stairs with his suitcase.

“Go down and wait for me, I’ll go get it for you,” said Lu YunYang as he squeezed past Guan Jin.

“Such a bother!” Guan Jin ungratefully walked downstairs, lugging his suitcase, inwardly criticizing, He even cares about what I wear, so fussy… Actually, if he looked at himself in the mirror, he would discover that his expression was a little pleased. 

Lu YunYang walked into Guan Jin’s bedroom, opened the closet, and pulled out a thick windbreaker. He looked at the tag; it seemed to be a size bigger than Guan Jin’s. This clearly wasn’t his?! Lu YunYang was conflicted for half a minute, before throwing aside the windbreaker and continuing to search. He grabbed a light down jacket and was about to close the closet. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the corner of a pink box on the top shelf. Wasn’t that the box that was rumored to hold a certain item? Lu YunYang stared at it for a while…

“Were you incubating an egg up there? So slow.” Guan Jin poked his head out of the car impatiently.

“Even if we arrive early, we won’t be able to board, so it’s useless to hurry.” Lu YunYang handed the jacket to him and sat in the car.

Guan Jin looked at the down jacket. “You were actually lying before, weren’t you? We’re actually going to go to Antarctica to see polar bears.”

“You think going to Antarctica is that easy? Moreover, there aren’t any polar bears in Antarctica.”

“…You know what I mean, why do you have to care about the small details so much?”

…I reckon the polar bears care.

“Did you let Wen JingHan take care of A-Gua again?”

“No, I asked QiaoYu to take care of him.”

“You need to step up as a dog owner, what if he doesn’t recognize you when you come back? Right,” Lu YunYang remembered about Guan Jin’s job, “did Wen JingHan really approve of such a long vacation?”

“He’s also taking a long vacation, so he doesn’t have the face to reject others.”

*****

As expected, the wind at the pier was a lot stronger than in the city, and Guan Jin took a deep breath as he gazed at the four-story luxury cruise ship that was docked in front of him. He knew that this would be his only chance, and if he missed, then he would completely expose himself and would be unable to even get close again.

“It’s windy here, let’s board the ship,” said Lu YunYang.

The two of them walked up to the deck. A few crewmen were working by the railing, and a foreigner with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a white uniform was standing in the center, and bowed slightly to them. “Welcome aboard the Clear Sky, I am this ship’s captain, James Green. It’s a pleasure to serve you.”

Guan Jin warily looked him up and down. He was about 45 years old, and his skin was tan, with traces of being blown by the sea breeze for a long time, so he was probably someone who lived on the sea. Hermes must be using something to conceal his identity in front of others, but to be the captain… Guan Jin inwardly shook his head; probably not.

As he was lost in thought, Guan Jin suddenly felt a nudge, and frowned. “What?”

“I think I know what Wen JingHan’s doing on his vacation,” whispered Lu YunYang.

“Hm?”

“Look to your left, eight o’clock.”

Guan Jin slowly turned around and was a little shocked to see Wen JingHan wearing a coat and standing next to the mast.

“I was wondering why you asked for leave, it turns out that you have a date.” Wen JingHan walked over at a leisurely place.

“What about you? Your date didn’t stand you up, did they?” Guan Jin looked behind him.

“Ah, he arrived here a while ago. It’s just that he’s too well-known, and he didn’t want to be seen, so he hid somewhere. With acquaintances here, you can have even more fun,” joked Wen JingHan.

Guan Jin’s heart pounded. With Wen JingHan here, things would become even more complicated. He was extraordinarily keen, and he reckoned that Wen JingHan was already suspicious of him since he had arrived so early. He didn’t come here to monitor me, did he… 

Wen JingHan and Lu YunYang chatted as they followed a server to the guest rooms.

The cruise ship had four stories: the first floor was the ballroom, theater, lounge, and small dining bar; the second and third floors consisted of the guest rooms, fifty of them in total, and they could hold a maximum capacity of 120 guests; the fourth floor was the outdoor swimming pool and outdoor activity area, and the main control room was at the front. The lower level was the residential area for the crew and waiters.

Guan Jin’s and Lu YunYang’s rooms were on the second floor, and they happened to be right next to each other.

“Where are you staying?” Guan Jin asked Wen JingHan.

Wen JingHan pointed upwards. “Above and to the left of you guys. Room 306. I’ll get going first, you two can get some rest. There’s going to be a welcome banquet in the evening, so see you then.”

Wen JingHan waved and turned around, about to leave, when he suddenly stopped.

“I didn’t expect I would meet you all here, it sure is a small world.” Min Yan was standing at the corner of the second floor and waved at them elegantly.

Guan Jin really wanted to punch something. He only knew a few people in total, yet they were somehow all here!

“I haven’t seen YunShen, is he behind you?” Min Yan struck up a conversation with Lu YunYang first.

“My brother’s at home to accompany his husband, so I came in his stead.” Lu YunYang smiled politely.

“Mr. Lu and his spouse must be very much in love. But how come I haven’t heard of their marriage?” Min Yan asked casually.

“They don’t like to attract too much attention.”

“Oh… did you two police officers come with YunYang?”

“I don’t have that honor. You guys continue chatting, I’m going to get some rest first.” Wen JingHan didn’t seem to be interested in Min Yan, and he went straight up the stairs to the third floor.

Min Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “He’s living on the third floor?”

“What’s wrong with the third floor?”asked Guan Jin.

“I heard that a distinguished guest of the host lives on the third floor, and he comes from an extraordinary background. All of the guests, including Fang Sen, are staying on the second floor, but only that person and the bodyguards he brought are staying on the third floor. Officer Wen…”

“It turns out he took a private job to be a bodyguard for an important person,” Guan Jin said carelessly, completely disregarding the chief’s reputation.

“…The treatment of the police is so bad. I sincerely invite the both of you to join my company, and the offer is still on the table. Tell Officer Wen what I mean, and I guarantee that he’ll become very famous. He can count as much money as he wants, and he doesn’t even have to risk his life.” Min Yan looked at Guan Jin expectantly.

Guan Jin nodded perfunctorily.

“I won’t disturb you any longer, see you tonight.”

*****

After Guan Jin put his suitcase in his room, he barged into Lu YunYang’s room without even knocking.

“Fuck! What’s wrong with you, walking around naked in the middle of the day!” exclaimed Guan Jin as he quickly turned away.

Lu YunYang calmly picked up a bath towel and tied it around his waist. “I was just about to take a shower, so of course I would have to undress first. Am I not allowed to do this in my own room?”

Guan Jin turned back and looked Lu YunYang up and down. He was worthy of being a martial arts fighter; he didn’t have bulging muscles, but there were clear lines and textures, strong and handsome. Guan Jin secretly cast aside his envy that was hard to control.

“How is it? Are you satisfied?” Lu YunYang unseemly let Guan Jin look at him, and he didn’t forget to ask him about what he thought.

“Could you be more perverted?”

“Babe, are you satisfied with my body?” Lu YunYang winked at Guan Jin.

“…You win.” Guan Jin firmly prevented this conversation from turning in an even more inappropriate direction.

“Didn’t you say you were going to inquire about the background of this trip?” He cared more about the current situation.

“It’s the Fang family who’s hosting this cruise, Fang Sen and his wife. This is their eighth wedding anniversary, so to celebrate, he used the cruise ship that’s owned by his company and organized a private tour. He invited some friends and some acquaintances in the industry, and I heard there’s about twenty in total. The destination is Hawaii, and he and his wife will continue to spend some time there, while the others will transfer to a plane and fly back.”

“Fang Sen is that giant in the high-end catering and hotel industry?”

“Yes, that’s him, he and his family have been in this industry for many years, and there’s no one in the country who can keep up with him now.”

“Hmph, businessmen will always be businessmen. It’s his wedding anniversary, but he still doesn’t forget to take advantage of it and strengthen his relationship with his business partners.” Guan Jin sniffed in disapproval.

“It’s the icing on the cake.”

Suddenly, the ship horn sounded, drawing out a long note.

“We’re departing.” Lu YunYang pulled Guan Jin to him and looked out the porthole. “Our journey has begun.”

Guan Jin looked at the endless sea and horizon, and his heart sank a little; he didn’t know if this journey would have an end.

The two of them were immersed in their own worlds, when suddenly, someone flung the door open.

“YangYang! Aren’t you going to come out and watch the sailing ceremony? What are you secretly hiding in your room for~”